General Information (Autumn 2008)

Dr. Andrea Koziol	Office: Science Center 76 (basement)
Office Hours: M, Tu, Th 2-4; Tu Th 9-10 & by appointment	Phone: 229-2954
(See schedule outside my office)	E-mail: andrea.koziol at notes.udayton.edu

Lecture: MWF, 10 - 10:50 AM SC 066
Textbook : Exploring Geology by Reynolds et al. ISBN 978-0-07-313515-1 (required)
Check out this web site that supports our book. The book also comes with a CD ROM . Links to powerpoints to be downloaded are on the schedule page.

A copy of this syllabus is on the world wide web at http://homepages.udayton.edu/~koziol/courses/115.html

Course Description
Introductory course in geologic principles; the composition and structure of the earth, its landforms, and the agencies active in their production. The laboratory section is optional for non-majors. This course is intended for all students interested in the study of the earth, but especially geology, environmental geology, and other science majors.

Prerequisites
No previous college-level courses are required. A background in high school chemistry or biology is helpful.

Objectives
This course is an introduction to the many exciting aspects of Earth Science, and as such, is necessarily a survey course. I will emphasize the processes that affect the Earth's surface (and interior) as we experience them today, and show how we can understand the history of the earth. By the end of this course, you will: comprehend the basic tenets of geology and how geologists work; understand plate tectonics, appreciate the geology and geologic processes surrounding you; have a greater understanding of the relationship between human beings and their surrounding environment, be able to apply your knowledge by solving problems, and evaluate the factors affecting the earth's past, present, and future.

Expectations
You can expect me to start and end lectures on time. I encourage questions during class. I expect you to be respectful of all persons in this classroom. Arriving late, leaving early, using cell phones, texting, IM'ing, or web surfing or talking during class is distracting and discourteous to your fellow students. You can expect to learn and practice thinking and problem-solving skills that you will use in your future, even if you do not continue in science. Memorization of facts and definitions is not a major expectation in this class. You are attending one of the finest universities in our country and have a great opportunity to enrich yourself - come prepared to learn.
I expect you to read the book and prepare ahead of time. Almost every class begins with a mini-quiz or thought question. Class time may involve a short lecture, demonstrations, experiments, or a problem to solve, in a group or individually.

Course topics and schedule (timing is tentative)

Lecture	Reading (see detailed schedule/reading list)
Introduction and overview	Ch. 1
Minerals: building blocks of the earth	Ch. 4
Part II. The Solid earth & Plate tectonics
Major features of earth's crust	Ch. 1, 3
Plates, margins, and motions	Ch. Ch. 3
Driving forces	Ch. 3
Volcanoes and Igneous rocks	Ch. 5, 6
Sedimentary rocks	Ch. 7
Metamorphic Rocks	Ch. 8
Time and geologic History	Ch. 9
Part III. EarthÕs Surface, & Surface Processes
Seafloor and Mountains	Ch. 10, 11
Earthquakes	Ch. 12
Climate, deserts	Ch. 13
Shorelines and glaciers	Ch. 14
Weathering and Soil	Ch. 15
Slope stability	Ch. 15
Streams and stream action	Ch. 16
Groundwater	Ch. 17
Part IV. Looking to the Future
Energy and resources	Ch. 18
Climate change	Ch. 13, 14
Capstone project

Please consult the "What to Know" list!

Important dates:
No class on Sept. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 10, Nov. 26, Nov. 28, Dec. 8.
Midterm Exam; TBA
Final: Dec. 13 (Saturday), 10:10 AM- 12:50 PM.
Last day for late registration: Aug. 26.
Last day to withdraw without record: Sept. 1
Last day to withdraw with a 'W': Nov. 10
Last day of class: Wednesday, Dec. 10

Grading Policies
All students should be aware of the University policy on academic dishonesty, which in part is defined as "any attempt by a student to obtain, or to assist another student to obtain, a grade higher than honestly earned." I need to evaluate your progress in this course, which I will do in the following ways:

Mini-quizzes: these are short quizzes given at the beginning of the class. If you have read the material you should do fine. They may involve a few multiple choice questions, or 1 or 2 short answer questions

Exams: There is a midterm and a final exam. This is because most of your mark will depend on your in-class work and participation. The format is some multiple-choice questions, with mostly short-answer questions, and at least one essay-style question. The dates of the exams are indicated in the syllabus and will be announced in class well ahead of time. There will be no make-up exams except for students with legitimate reasons for missing the exam. The final exam is cumulative.

Field trip: There is a one-afternoon mandatory field trip associated with this course. I am running several trips from which you can choose one (1) Ð a campus tour, a tour of Woodland Cemetery, and a trip to Glen Helen in Yellow Springs.. Everyone (with no exceptions) must attend one field trip. The trips will run on Saturdays and/or Sundays. Anyone not attending a field trip and/or not submitting a field trip report (due on the last day of class) will receive a grade of ÒIncompleteÓ for the course if they otherwise have passing grades. Instructions and Details regarding the field trip report will be handed out later. Students may attend a second field trip for extra credit.

Homework: Periodically, there will be homework assigned. They are not busy work but will prepare you for some of the in-class exercises. They are due at the beginning of class and there will be a 10% penalty per day for late work. No homeworks will be accepted after I have returned corrected homeworks to the class. The lowest mark will be dropped.

In-class work. Most class periods there will be an interactive exercise, a student response, or a Òminute essayÓ. This is in addition to the mini-quiz. You earn two points for a good thoughtful answer, 1 point for a partial or poorly done answer, and zero points if you are not present. In the last exercise you will synthesize your knowledge to solve a geologic problem.

Attendance: You are expected to attend all class sessions. Do not schedule medical appointments that conflict with the class schedule. A written medical excuse must be submitted if you cannot attend class due to illness. Do not purchase tickets for transportation that conflict with official school days.

Overall Evaluation

Midterm Exam	8.5% of your grade
Final exam	20%
Mini-quizzes (all together)	10%
Field trip	5%
Homework	10%
In-class work	355
Capstone project	5%

Note on "extra credit": There is little extra credit, except for several questions on the exams, attending an extra field trip, or one extra homework exercise.

Learning Disabilities
Students with learning disabilities should register with Student Learning Support. If you have special needs, please inform me privately and I will do my best to accommodate you. I can only help if you talk to me.

Final Note: Dates, assignments, and policies are subject to change during the course of the semester.

Last updated: Aug. 22, 2008.

andrea.koziol@notes.udayton.edu Dr. Koziol's homepage GEO 115 lab syllabus

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