Section 1: 0900-1015; DH 306
Section 2: 1330-1445; DH 208
Contact information:
Instructor: Paula Jefferis
Office: DH 419
Telephone: 408-924-5016
Email: paula.jefferis-nilsen@sjsu.edu
Welcome to the spring 2011
semester!
 Wishing you success during the semester!
 Regular attendance with active participation,
understanding material, and completing assignments
helps achieve this goal.
 These classes are large so make a point of making a visit
during office hours especially if the material is
overwhelming
http://www.sjsu.edu/people/paula.jefferis-nilsen
Earth Science and the Environment,
Thompson and Turk  Read covered chapters
 Emphasis and exam
questions are covered in
lecture but some exam
questions come directly
from book
 Understand figures that
explain topics
 At least read the summary
before class
 Each week one or two
figures or sections will be
assigned for the following
week
Assignments and exams:
Assignment or exam
Percentage of grade
Three exams
50
National and state park oral
report and essay
Field trip to
10
Various exercises
10
Field trip and class
presentation
Birthplace term paper
10
Total
100
5
15
Assignments and exams:
Assignment
Date
Exam # 1
February 23rd
Exam # 2
April 13th
Exam # 3
May 16th
All three exams equal 50%
National and state park
oral report and essay
Field trip
February 28th and April
2nd
Section 1: 2/11
Section 2: 2/18
March 23rd
10
March 11
One trip and oral
tba
Presentation to equal 10%
Birthplace evaluation term
paper
Field trip #1: Water
processing plant
Field trip # 2: United
States Geological Survey
Field trip #3: Moss
Landing Marine Laboratory
Field trip #4: Lehigh
Hanson Limestone Quarry
Various exercises and
homework
Total
Percentage
5
15
tba
March 18th
throughout the semester
10
100%
All written work must be submitted
to turnitin.com
 Register and understand how the system works
Section 1
Id #:3751957
Section 2
Id #: 3751958
Password: planets1
(case sensitive)
Password: planets2
(case sensitive)
Earth Science:
 Astronomy: 4 classes; chapters 21-24
 Geosphere: 8 classes; chapters 1-4; 7-9
 Hydrosphere: 6 classes; chapters: 5; 14 and 15
 Atmosphere: 4 classes; chapters 16-19
Many topics with a wide range of detail
are covered throughout the semester.
Make sure you ask questions or
come visit during office hours
before information is too
overwhelming.
I. Solar system Creation
Sun, planets and Earth’s moon
Comets and asteroids
Comet McNaught Over Chile , 2007
Asteroid belt between
Jupiter and Mars
Part II: Geosphere: minerals and
rocks
National and state park oral report
and essay
Geosphere
 Solid Earth
USGS
Heat transfer from the
hot internal Earth to
the cooler surface.
Chemically
and
physically
distinct
layers
Part III: The Active Earth
 Earthquakes and plate tectonics
Plate tectonics
Haiti
Volcanoes
IV. Hydrosphere
Hydrosphere
Running water: erosion, deposition
of sediments, and creation of
landforms
Merced River, Sierra
Nevada
Mississippi River Delta
Hydrosphere: oceans
 Currents flow in complex patterns affected by
wind, the water's salinity and heat content, bottom
topography, and the earth's rotation
Smithsonian
V. Atmosphere
 99% of gases are concentrated in the first 30
kilometers (20 miles)
Temperature change
Meteorology
Biosphere: interaction
Diatoms
Bald Eagle
Redwood trees
Coral and fish
Get to know your neighbor:




Write your name
Answer question 1
Break into groups by table
Introduce yourselves and take down the other student’s
contact information
 Write down a fellow student’s name and ask question 3
 Repeat the above step only you make a response so the
other student may take down your response
Describe what you see in this
figure:
What is Earth System science?
 Land, water, air, and life forms are interconnected
 Each subsystem is part of a whole
Open system:
energy and matter
flow into and out of
the system
The Hydrologic Cycle
The Rock Cycle
Academic Integrity
 The Golden Rule
 Do onto others as you would have them do onto you
 My rule
 Do not behave in a manner that you would not be able
to tell your favorite grandparent, aunt, or uncle about.