GEOLOGY 102
HISTORICAL GEOLOGY
FALL 2010
Fall 2010
3 credits
Instructor name: Marguerite Moloney
Office location: Beau 136
Phone number: 448-4878
Email: marguerite.moloney@nicholls.edu
Office hours: Available 9:30 am -12:30 pm MW and 8:30 -10:30 am T Th
Also by appointment
Catalog Description: GEOL 102. Historical Geology. 3-3-0. A survey of the origin and
development of life on earth as revealed by the fossil record (40.0601).
Prerequisites: GEOL 101, Physical Geology.
Required Text and Other Materials: Levin, H. 2006. The Earth Through Time, 9th
Edition, Wiley.
Student Outcome Objectives: The student must demonstrate an understanding of the
following subjects:
a) The basis of scientific theory and the scientific method, the 3 basic rock groups and the
rock cycle, composition and physical structure of the earth, plate tectonics.
b) Relative and absolute dating, geologic time, principles of Steno, radioactive decay,
neptunism, catastrophism, uniformitarianism.
c) Facies, stratigraphic relationships, transgression and regression, process of
fossilization.
d) Environments of deposition, paleogeographic reconstruction and paleoclimatic
inferences.
e) Darwin’s and Wallace’s theory of natural selection, Mendelian concept of inheritance,
speciation, fossil record evidence.
f) Continental drift, seafloor spreading, plate boundaries, driving mechanism for plate
tectonics, mountain building.
g) “Big Bang” theory, evolution of the earth, types of meteorites, origin of the earth and
moon.
h) Precambrian history, Archean eon, greenstone belts, origin and evolution of the
atmosphere and oceans, fossil record and Archean ore deposits.
i) Proterozoic eon, ophiolites, glacial deposits, banded iron formations, first appearance
eukaryotes, multicellular life.
j) Paleozoic era, major cratonic sequences, Appalachian mobile belt, reef development.
k) Paleozoic life, Burgess Shale, marine food web, Permian extinction, evolutionary
history of invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants.
l) Mesozoic era and breakup of Pangaea, changes in life forms, Cretaceous extinction.
m) Cenozoic era life, diversification of mammals.
Learning Strategy
All notes and assignments will be posted on the Blackboard Website. You are responsible
for checking the Blackboard Website at least twice a week. It is also your responsibility
to keep in touch with me (my email address is: marguerite.moloney@nicholls.edu). I
strongly advise you to keep up with the reading. All of the exam questions will be drawn
directly from material posted on Blackboard and textbook; thus, the power point notes
can serve as a very useful study guide for each of the exams.
COURSE PROCEDURE: The following procedure is recommended:
1. Study the PowerPoint presentations for each lecture. These give you an outline
of the material you will be studying. PowerPoint slides for each lecture can be
accessed on the course’s Blackboard site under Course Documents. Chapter
information will become available as we progress through the semester.
2. Read the assigned pages/chapters of the textbook. Study the chapter thoroughly
while taking detailed notes.
3. Take advantage of the book publishers Student Companion Website. It can be
found at www.wiley.com/college/levin (note that we are using the 9th edition).
The site contains Chapter Quizzes that prepare you for testing and Flashcards
that help you practice key concepts, ideas, and terms.
4. Announcements and changes to any part of the course will be placed on the
courses Announcements section in Blackboard. It is the responsibility of each
student to stay abreast of course developments.
5. Send me an email if you have questions about the material.
6. Check http://acs.nicholls.edu/its/helpdesk/labs.html for schedule and location of
computer labs at NSU.
Course Requirements and Methods of Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on the
basis of 5 examinations: Four mid-term tests and a final examination worth 20% each.
Test dates are provided in the schedule below. The format for the tests and exams is
multiple choice and true/false questions. Exam material is from power point lecture notes
AND the textbook. The final exam will not be cumulative; instead, the material covered
in the examinations will be spaced throughout the semester.
The final grade will be determined on a ten point scale (90-100% A; 80-89% B; 70-79%
C; 60-69% D; below 60% F). Only the final course grades will be curved. Students
should keep in mind that grading is an assessment of quality, not a measure of effort. You
should expect a rigorous learning experience, and I will set a high academic standard for
the class.
On the test day, the test will be posted on Blackboard under Exams at 8:30 AM until
11:55pm. Scheduled tests will be available to you only on the dates listed in the class
calendar. After that date, the test will be removed from the website and you will receive a
0.
Test guidelines: You will be given 50 minutes to complete the test. Grades will be
posted on Blackboard. Please note that online does not mean open book.
Further information on tests will be posted on Announcements as appropriate.
No excuses:
1. Home computer and internet malfunction are not considered excuses.
2. You must contact me by email within 24 hrs after the test if you had a problem taking
the test to ensure a makeup will be considered.
3. Do not leave taking the test to the last minute. Access the test early and you will have
time to find another functioning computer if needed.
Make-up Procedure: Make-up exams will only be allowed in cases where a test was
missed for a valid and documented reason (medical condition, bereavement, travel for an
athletic event or other university business) and MUST be completed no later than a week
after the regular test day. Mark test dates on your calendar now!! If you miss a test and
you have a valid excuse, you must notify me by e-mail or telephone before the exam
begins or, when that is logistically impossible, very soon afterwards on the same day.
Use the same study guide, notes, and text readings as the regular exam to study for any
make up exam. Conflicts with jobs, other classes, and your personal life are not
satisfactory excuses. Personal travel is not, in any circumstance, a legitimate excuse.
FINAL EXAM MAKE UP POLICY
There will be no early or late finals administered. There are no exceptions to this rule! If
you miss the final exam, (1) provide me with a valid excuse within one day of missing
the exam and (2) are passing the course at the time of the final, you will be given a grade
of "I" (Incomplete) for the course. If you fail in either of these simple tasks, your grade
will be based upon your total exam scores taken before the final plus a ZERO for the
final exam.
Course Content:
Lect
DATE
LECTURE TITLE
1
2
3
Aug 24
Aug 26
Aug 31
Introduction, The Science of Historical Geology,
Early Geologists Tackle History’s Mysteries
Time and Geology,
4
Sept 2
Rocks and Minerals: Documents that Record
Earths History
5
Sept 7
TEST 1
6
The Sedimentary Archives
8
Sept 9
Sept 14
Sept 16
Sept 21
Sept 23
9
10
Sept 28
Sept 30
TEST 2
11
Oct 5
Earliest Earth: 2,100,000,000 Years of the Archean
Eon
The Proterozoic: Dawn of a More Modern World
12
Oct 7
Early Paleozoic Events
13
Oct 12
Late Paleozoic Events
14
15
TEST 3
17
18
Oct 19
Oct 21
Oct 26
Oct 28
Nov 2
Nov 4
Nov 9
Nov 11
Nov 16
19
Nov 18
Global Climate and Glacials
20
Nov 30
Life of the Cenozoic
21
Nov 30
Human Origins
Dec 8
FINAL EXAM
7
16
Life on Earth: What do Fossils Reveal?
Plate Tectonics Underlies All Earth History
Life of the Paleozoic
Mesozoic Events
Life of the Mesozoic
Levin, H. TEXT
(9th Edition)
Chapter 1: 1 – 9
Chapter 2: 11 - 25
Chapter 3: 27 – 45
Chapter 4: 47 - 75
Chapter 5: 77 – 117
Chapter 6: 119 159
Chapter 7: 161 205
Chapter 8: 207 –
241
Chapter 9: 243 265
Chapter 10: 267 –
293
Chapter 11: 295 325
Chapter 12: 327 371
Chapter 13: 373 –
403
Chapter 14: 405 449
TEST 4
Cenozoic Events
Chapter 15: 451 –
483
Chapter 15: 480 –
483
Chapter 16: 487 523
Chapter 17: 525 547
Email Policy: Email will be a primary means of communication for this course.
Students must ensure that their email address on Blackboard is accurate, as important
course information will be provided periodically via the Blackboard email interface.
Students must also make it point to check their email regularly (at a minimum, 2-3 times
per week) to stay informed of any course news and announcements.
I encourage students to use email as their primary means of contacting me outside of the
classroom. Whenever possible I will respond to a student email inquiry within 24 hours.
In return, I ask that students observe some basic guidelines regarding email etiquette:
- Address your email message professionally (e.g., “Dear Ms.Moloney”, “Prof.
Moloney”, etc.)
- When making requests for information or assistance, always be polite (hint:
“please” and “thank you” are effective)
- Do not make demands of myself (e.g., “I want to know why…”), instead
make a polite request (e.g., “Could you please let me know…”)
- Be flexible and accommodating (e.g., “Can I come by your office sometime
this week?”)
- Sign your name at the end of the email – it is often difficult to identify a
student solely by email address
In addition, in order to make class-related email exchanges as efficient as possible, I will
not respond to emails requesting basic course information that is in the syllabus. This
includes, but is not limited to, questions about exam dates/times, grading policies,
requests for extra credit, etc.
DROP DATE: The last day to drop a course with a “W” is: November 1, 2010.
Academic Dishonesty Policy: Any student found cheating will be subjected to the
penalties stated in the Code of Student Conduct; including, but not limited to, a score of
zero on exam, expulsion from the class, or expulsion from the University.
Americans With Disabilities Act:
If you have a documented disability that requires assistance, you will need to register
with the Office of Disability Services for coordination of your academic
accommodations. The Office of Disability Services is located in Peltier Hall, Room 100A. The phone number is (985) 448-4430 (TDD 449-7002).
Academic Grievances:
The proper procedure for filing grade appeals or grievances related to academic matters is
listed in Section 5 of the Code of Student Conduct and at the following link:
http://www.nicholls.edu/documents/student_life/code_of_conduct.pdf.
Continued Learning following an Extreme Emergency:
The following guidelines are meant: to help the business of education continue at
Nicholls State University in the aftermath of an extreme emergency situation; to help
faculty and students understand their roles in completing education requirements for
courses in progress when the emergency began; and to encourage faculty to be
imaginative and resourceful in finding ways to continue the education of students and the
work of the university.
Faculty responsibilities:
 Faculty members are responsible for their development in the use of the
Blackboard software;
 Faculty members are responsible for having a plan for continuing their courses
using only Blackboard and email;
 Faculty members should be allowed to continue their course in whatever way
suits the completion of the course best, and are encouraged to be creative in the
continuation of these courses;
 Any adjustments or compensations, made to a student’s progress in special
programs with labs, clinical sequences (i.e., Culinary, Nursing, etc.), or the like,
should be made only in the immediate semester following the emergency.
Faculty members are responsible for including these guidelines in all syllabi.
Student responsibilities:
 Students are responsible for reading regular emergency notifications on the NSU
website;
 Students are responsible for knowing how to use and access Blackboard;
 Students are responsible for being familiar with emergency guidelines;
 Students are responsible for evacuating textbooks and other course materials;
 Students are responsible for knowing their Blackboard student login and
password;
 Students are responsible for contacting faculty regarding their intentions for
completing the course.
NOTE: Faculty and students should be open, flexible and show compassion in
determining the precise course of action.
This syllabus is not a contract and I reserve the right to change the schedule of the classes
and/or mid term exams during the semester if necessary or appropriate. If changes in the
dates of the midterm exam occur you will be notified in advance. The date of the final
exam is an official university date and it will not be changed. The policy regarding
attendance, missed exams, grading, academic integrity, email etiquette etc will not be
changed during this course or reconsidered.