Syllabus
Geology 102
Historical Geology
Fall 2012
Instructor
Antony Giles
164 Beauregard Hall
448-4254 (office)
antony.giles@nicholls.edu
Office Hours: 9:00-11:50 MW
9:00-10:00 TTh
or by appointment
Course Section
5MW
Lecture times: 12:15-13:35 MW
Catalog Description
Prerequisite: GEOL 101
GEOL 102. Historical Geology. 3-3-0. A survey of the origin and development of
Earth and life on earth as revealed by the rock and fossil record. (40.0601)
Suggested Text
Visualizing Earth History, by Babcock, Lauren E
Other Materials (required)
iClicker personal response system
General Education Student Learning Outcomes
Geology 102 is a Core Curriculum course that fulfills three hours of general
education requirements in the area of the natural sciences.
The goal is for students to be able to comprehend and apply the basic principles of
science and methods of scientific inquiry. The student will understand the
processes occurring on Earth both now and in the past, be able to classify rocks
and minerals on a basic level, and be able to identify landscape features and
associate them with known processes. Students will also have a general
knowledge of the evolution of Earth and its life through time and a basic
understanding of how this information is deciphered from the rock record.
Schedule of topics (may change during semester)
Module 1 – Geology 101 Review
 Geologic Time
 Earth Materials
 Depositional Environments
 Plate Tectonics
 Crustal Deformation
 Sequence Stratigraphy
Module 2 – Life on Earth
 Classification of Life
 Evolution of Life
 Paleontology
 Fossils and Environments
 Paleoenvironment Analysis
 Primate and Human Evolution
Module 3 – Earth through Time
 Precambrian Time
 Paleozoic Era
 Mesozoic Era
 Cenozoic Era
Examination Schedule (tentative)
Exam One: Module 1
Exam Two: Module 2
Exam Three: Module 3
Final: Comprehensive
Course Requirements
1. Students must complete all examinations.
2. Students are responsible for all information given in lectures, text chapter,
sections, figures or tables cited in class and other assigned readings.
3. Classroom Conduct: Behavior that is disruptive to the instructor or the class will
result in immediate dismissal from the class and a semester grade of "F".
Disruptions include, but are not limited to, entering the classroom during lecture,
talking, laughing, or making other loud noises while the lecture is in progress, and
the activation of or the use of cell phones.
4. The instructor expects all students to take notes during lecture. This will enable
you to recall important particulars when reviewing the material and when
studying for an exam.
5. Class Attendance: Students are expected to attend all classes.
6. Eating, drinking, or smoking will not be allowed in class.
Grades
1. Four (4) exams, including the final exam, will be administered during the
semester for credit. Each exam has a value of 100 points.
2. Assignments will be given out during the semester. These are mandatory and will
count toward your grade.
3. Bonus points (up to 10 points per exam) may be earned and credited toward exam
numerical grade at the instructor's discretion.
4. Grading Scale
1. A = 90%-100%
2. B = 80%-89.9%
3. C = 70%-79.9%
4. D = 60%-69.9%
5. F = 59% or below
5. Point Distribution:
1. Exams: 300 (one exam grade will be dropped)
2. iClicker: 50
3. Homework/Quizzes: 50
6. Exam Format
a. Exam questions are based on the material covered in the lecture and
outside readings, if assigned. Exam questions are essay/short
answer/multiple choice.
b. Exams are NOT open book or open notes.
c. All exams remain in possession of the instructor. Nevertheless, you have
the right to come in and review your exam. If you have a question or a
problem with a exam grade, you need to discuss this with the instructor
within seven (7) calendar days after the posting of the grade. All exams
are destroyed 4 weeks after the semester.
d. Posting of Grades: Grades will be posted as soon as possible on Moodle.
Students with questions about a posted exam grade must discuss it with
the instructor within seven (7) calendar days after the posting of the
grade, after which the exam grade is final.
Make-up Procedure
1. Make-up exams may be given to students who present an acceptable excuse for
missing an exam. The student must contact the instructor within 24 hours of
the test in order for an excuse to be eligible for a make-up. Absences will be
excused only for illnesses documented by a physician, mandatory attendance at an
official University function, death in the immediate family or legal evidence of
being involved in an accident, jury duty, court appearance, etc. NOTE: A
regularly scheduled doctor's appointment is NOT a valid excuse unless it involves
a life-threatening condition requiring special monitoring, procedures, etc.
2. Make-up exams will be scheduled the week following the exam.
Academic Honesty Policy
1. Cheating or any form of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated! Such conduct
will result in a grade of "F" and the instructor filing formal grievance charges
against each offending student as outlined in the university's Code of Student
Conduct. Cheating is considered the most serious transgression a university
student can make against their honor, fellow students, the university, and the
public.
2. Misuse of iClicker personal response systems is considered academic dishonesty
(i.e. cheating). Anyone caught using two units will receive an "F" for the semester
grade and the instructor will file formal grievance charges against each offending
student as outlined in the University's Code of Student Conduct.
Attendance Policy
1. Class attendance: Students are expected to attend all lectures. A student with an
unexcused absence is responsible for obtaining any course handouts or notes for
that lecture. The teacher is not responsible for providing the missing course
information.
Office of Disabilities Services
1. 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 158 Shaver. The
phone number is (985)448-4430 (TDD 449-7002).
Lecture Presentations
Copies of PowerPoint presentations will be available on Moodle prior to lecture.
Final Date for Dropping Class with a 'W'
The last day for dropping Geology 102 with a 'W' or resigning from the University is
April 17th, 2012.
Turnitin Policy
By taking this course, students agree that all assignments are subject to
submission to Turnitin.com, an online plagiarism prevention and detection
service. All work submitted to Turnitin.com will be added to its database of
papers. Turnitin’s privacy policy and a description of the service is available at
http://www.turnitin.com. Specifically, this service compares your paper with
internet webpages, articles in databases, and all papers previously submitted from
this university or any other. Turnitin then either confirms the originality of your
work or gives the source of plagiarism. In cases of detected plagiarism, the paper
and supporting evidence will be handled in compliance with the Student Code of
Conduct (http://www.nicholls.edu/life/policy/code_of_conduct.pdf).