Geology 101 Course Syllabus

Geology 101, General Geology - Spring 2002

Geology 101, "General Geology", is intended as an introduction to the way the earth works. It is designed to teach you all that you need to know about the earth in order to be an informed, contributing member of society. The course will focus on the processes that form and re-form the earth as we know it, paying special attention to the ways earth processes impact our daily lives: earth hazards and earth resources. In order to understand the processes of the earth, you will also learn about the various parts of the earth, from the the largest scale (core, mantle, crust) down to the smallest (minerals, elements).

Times & Locations

Lectures will be held on MWF 1:00 - 1:50 pm in SL 120, and various lab sections will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in ES 113.

Credits & Prerequisites

General Geology is part of the General Education requirements of the University and is worth four credits. It has a prerequisite of Math 102 or the equivalent, in order to understand topics such as radioactive decay.

People

Instructor: David Hirsch

Office hours: MWF 11-12 or by appointment in ES439.

Office phone: 650-2166

*please do not phone at home

email: hirschd@cc.wwu.edu

Texts

We will be using the 7th edition of Earth, by Tarbuck & Lutgens for the lecture part of the course.
You will be provided with the Spring 2002 version of the WWU Lab Manual for General Geology in your lab section.

Instructional methods

This course will employ some methods that may be new to you. You will use the course web site to interact with the instructor and each other. Class meetings will include lectures (augmented by slides and videos), small group discussions and problem solving sessions.
Each week in Geology 101 we will explore new topics in geology. The reading assignments must be completed by the beginning of the topic period. I will show you how to get the most out of the textbook in the shortest time. Please consult the course web site regularly (at least once before each class meeting!).

Other resources

The course homepage is at the WWU Blackboard Site (http://courses.wwu.edu, find course GEOL101-DH).
I value feedback on my teaching style and techniques. I am glad to receive (and usually respond to) emails on the subject. For those of you who are too timid, however, I have set up an anonymous comments form that can be reached on my server (http://www.davehirsch.com, click "professional" then click "courses taught"). If you don't want to fill out the whole survey, you can just skip to the end of the form and write a comment in the space provided.

Lab

You cannot be enrolled in Geology 101 without also being enrolled in a laboratory section.

Grades

No credit will be given for work submitted after the day it is due, except by prior arrangement with the instructor, or when emergency circumstances intervene. All exams will be taken at the assigned times (no early exams). Make-up exams will not be offered except by prior arrangement with the instructor and must include an official excused absence from Student Support Services (OM 100, x3844), the Health Center (x3400), or your coach.

20% of the grade (200 points) will be based on your laboratory score.

Because the laboratory and lecture sections are largely separate, you should speak to your TA about how this portion of your grade is calculated. However, you must score at least 50% on the laboratory grade in order to pass the course!

36% of the grade (360 points) will be based on the final exams.

The final exams will be comprehensive, but will emphasize the portion of the course after the second midterm. There will be two final exams, each one hour long. The individual final exam will be worth 240 points, and the cooperative final exam will be worth 120 points. The two exams will have the same questions, but the cooperative final will be answered in groups of three or four. More information on this will be provided in the final few weeks of the quarter.

30% of the grade (300 points) will be based on midterm exams

Each midterm will be worth 150 points.

14% of the grade (140 points) will be based on non-exam work.

This portion of the grade is calculated from the scores on the warm-ups and any homework assignments.

The grades will not be curved.

Based on the above distribution, the maximum number of points possible will be (1000). Letter grades will be assigned by reference to the following scale:

Points earned	Minimum grade assigned
920	A
900	A-
880	B+
820	B
800	B-
780	C+
720	C
700	C-
680	D+
620	D
600	D-

Important Dates (also in course plan)

Exams
- First in-class midterm exam - Wednesday, April 24
- Second in-class midterm exam - Monday, May 13
- Course finals - Monday, June 10
University deadlines
- University regulations allow a drop without incurring a "W" on or before Monday, April 8.
- Last day for late course withdrawal is Friday, May 17.

Other Important Notes

Attendance
- Because of the structure of this class, attendance is not only recommended, it is effectively mandatory. There is overwhelming evidence that there exists a positive correlation between attendance and academic success.
Studying & Time Expectations
- A standard benchmark for studying for a college science class is 2-3 hours of work outside of class for each hour in class. Part of that time you will be reading the textbook chapters. Some of the time will be spent working on WarmUps or laboratory prep work.
Papers
- Do not give a peer or a professor any kind of paper unless you have kept a copy! The professor reserves the right to ask for a second copy of anything you have handed in.
- As a general rule, all writing assignment must be typed. I will inform you of any exceptions. Do not use binders or folders. Make a cover page with your name and the title of the project. One staple in the upper left corner is best. Most submissions in GEOL101 will be electronic via the course web site.
Group work & Academic Honesty
- There will be a number of occassions for group work, and group activities. Furthermore, I encourage you to form study groups, discuss questions about the material, and quiz each other on lab and lecture topics. There may even be some group assignments, where a group grade is assigned for work completed. However, you must do your own work on exams and on most assignments. If it is ever unclear what collaboration is acceptable on an assignment, ask your professor!
- Anyone caught cheating on an exam or turning in work that is not his or her own will be dealt with in accordance with the General Catalog's Appendix D - Academic Dishonesty Policy and Procedure. If you're not familiar with this section, you may want to review it.
Special exam conditions
- If you have a condition verified by the Office of Student Life that requires non-standard exam conditions, you must notify me at least one week before the exam in question. I would prefer notification as soon as possible, preferably within the first two weeks of class.