Instructor: Penny Nicely ( nicelyp@wnc.edu
)
Office Hours: Monday/Wednesday 2:30
– 4:00PM, Room 103, Bently Hall, or by appointment
Text: Physical Geology Earth Revealed, 7 th edition by Plummer, McGeary and Carlson
Class meets: M/W 1:00-2:15PM, Room 105, Bently Hall
Course description: Investigates the geology of the dynamic earth; natural hazards and catastrophes, and the geology of natural resources. This course meets 3 credits of science for
AA, AS and AGS degrees. It is transferable.
Prerequisites: None.
Course objectives: Students will have the opportunity to gain factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends) of physical geology relating to natural hazards and learn fundamental principles, generalizations and theories about physical geology.
Class date Reading/Lecture topic
January 21
26
Introduction to class/ Chapter 1
Chapters 2 & 3 Earth’s Interior & Ocean floors
28 Chapter 4 Plate Tectonics
February 2 Chapter 5 Continental crust
4 Quiz 1
9
11
16
18
Chapter 6 Geologic Structures
Chapter 7 Earthquakes
Presidents’ Day Holiday – No Class
23
25
March 2
Earthquake Profiles
Exam 1
Chapter 9 Minerals
Chapter 10 Volcanism and Igneous rocks
4
9
11
16
Chapter 11 Igneous Rocks and Intrusive Activity
Volcano Profiles
Quiz 2
Spring Break
18
23
25
30
April 1
6
8
13
15
20
Spring Break
Chapter 12 Weathering
Chapter 13 Mass Wasting
Profiles of Slumps and Slides
Exam 2
Chapter 20 Coastlines
Chapter 16 Streams and Floods
Quiz 3
Chapter 17 Ground water
Sinkhole and Flood Profiles
22
27
29
Chapter 21 Geologic Resources
Quiz 4
Presentations
May 4 Presentations
6 Presentations/Review
13 Final Exam
Class Format: Lecture will follow the chapters assigned from the text. You are expected to have read the assigned chapters prior to the lecture. Questions and class participation are

encouraged. Cell phones must be turned off during class – NO TEXTING or talking on phones is allowed.
Contacting the Instructor: Preferably by e-mail at the address above. Use the course title or number in the subject line (i.e. Geology 100 ). E-mails will be answered the day received. Or call the college office at 782-2413 and leave a message.
Grading: Grades for this class will be on the points basis listed below. Everyone starts out with an A, the number of points you keep depends on you. See grading example below. 50 points will be given for attendance and participation. If you cannot attend class, please contact the instructor. Final grades will be based on three exams, four quizzes, your course paper and attendance and participation.
Quiz and Exam questions will be of the short answer variety. You will be given the full lecture period to complete each exam. Quizzes and Exams may include bonus questions. Quizzes may not be made up . Exams may be taken early by prior arrangement with the instructor without penalty. Missed exams must be made up within one week of the exam date and will be assessed an automatic -10 point penalty. The Final Exam may not be made up.
It is in your interest to arrange any necessary make-ups with the instructor as soon as possible.
The course paper will be worth 100 points. It will be on one of the topics from the list provided.
Topics will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. You must sign up for your topic no later than February 5. Papers must be 5 typed pages plus a properly cited bibliography. You may not use Wikipedia as a reference. The college has a number of excellent data bases with reference material/articles that you should access for your sources. You may use illustrations, but they should not be the main focus of your paper. Quotes are permitted as long as they are properly credited. Note: Plagiarism will result in an automatic F in the class. All students will give a 5 minute presentation of their paper to the class at the end of the semester. You may use power point if you wish, but it is not required.
The only option for extra credit in this class will be the bonus questions on the quizzes and exams.
Three exams @ 150 points each
Four quizzes @ 50 points each
Paper
450 points
200 points
100 points
A = 800 - 720
B = 719 - 640
C = 639 - 560
Participation and attendance 50 points D = 559 - 500
Total possible 800 points F = <500
NOTE: NO W’s WILL BE GIVEN IN THIS CLASS. It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw prior to the deadline if they are not satisfied with their grade standing.
Grading example:
At the beginning of the class you have 800 points. On the first quiz your earn 45/50 points
(90%) you then have 795 points left – still an A. On the first exam you receive 132/150 (88%).
You then have 777 points
– still an A. You earn 40/50 on the second quiz (80%). You then have 767
– Still an A. You’ve come to class and participated so your 50 points are probably not in danger. You can lose a total of 47 points on the rest of the quizzes, exams, and the paper and still keep your A, but at this point you will be wishing you had studied more in the beginning.
Don’t wait!
Remember, the points you end up with determine your grade at the end of the semester. Once you lose them, the points are gone, so study now and ask questions on anything that isn’t clear. It is not advisable in this course to wait until late in the semester and hope to “pull it out” at the final – it won’t happen.