GEOLOGY 1122 Historical Geology, Summer 2010

MTWTF 10:12-15, Callaway 146

Bradley Deline            email: bdeline@westga.edu  or use CourseDen

Office: Callaway  G-1-4

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:00-3:00 or by appointment

Course Description

Historical geology is the study of the past history of the Earth. This history includes the internal and external processes that shaped the earth into its present state.  In this class we will study the 4.6 billion year history of the Earth including the physical, chemical, and biologic processes that have occurred and are still occurring today.

Objectives

·         Understand the scientific methods of exploring Earth’s history

·         Learn basic geologic processes

·         Learn important events in Earth’s history

·         Understand a survey of the history of life on Earth

CourseDen

The course website will be used in several ways including posting the syllabus, review sheets, and most importantly grades. During this class you should periodically check your grades on CourseDen in order to check for errors and to better track your progress and adjust your study skills accordingly. CouseDen will also be used for group email, announcements and any alterations of the syllabus. Therefore, it is important to frequently check CourseDen.

Grading Policies

Exam 1                        20%

Exam 2                        20%

Exam 3                        25%

Daily Short Quizzes   35%

Your grades will be assigned on a percentage scale as follows:

≥ 90% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C; 60-69% = D; < 60% = F

Exams

We will have three exams during this course, which will be a mix of multiple choice, fill in the blanks, and short answer questions. These exams will be directly from the lecture notes and will be held during the first half of the class periods (Stick around since a lecture will follow).  A review sheet will be posted 2 days before the exam and you should feel free to ask question over email or before the exam begins. No mp3 players, phones, calculators (unless otherwise stated), or any other electronic devices will be allowed during the exam period.

Daily Quizzes

On non-exam days we will have a short quiz. These quizzes will consist of a single short answer question that will cover the material from the previous days lecture. These quizzes will be given at the beginning of class, therefore, it is extremely important to attend every class period and show up promptly as class starts. There will be no make-up quizzes given.

Attendance    

It has been my experience that one of the most significant predictor of a student’s performance in the class is attendance. This is especially true for this class, since 35% of your grade is directly related to attendance.

Academic Honesty

Cheating in this class will not be tolerated. Any instance of cheating will be given a failing grade on the assignment and you will be reported to the University. Please refer to the student handbook for further information.

Class policies

·         Don’t do anything that will distract other students!

·         This  includes:

o   Talking in class

o   Using electronic devices including cell phones, etc.

o   Using laptop computers for any other purpose than taking notes.

·         If you will be arriving late or need to leave early let me know so that it is minimally distracting.

Course Schedule:

Note: lectures will be broken up into two subjects with a short break in between. The lecture topics are also subject to change, if that occurs I will let you know via CourseDen.