Geography 112 - Earth System Science, Course Syllabus, Spring 2012 edition

Section 001

Course Number: GEOG 112 section 001

Instructor: Dr. Jim Durbin, Associate Professor

Meeting time: section 001 : MWF 9:00 to 9:50 AM in RL0017

Office: Science Center Room 2218 (middle floor of the new Science Center wing, inside room 2219)

Office Hours: MW 1:00-2:00 PM; F 10:00-11:00 AM, TR 1:00:-2:00 PM, or by appt.

Phone: (812) 465-1208

E-mail: jdurbin@usi.edu

Webpage address: http://www.usi.edu/science/geology/jdurbin/index.html

Text: I am choosing not to have an assigned text for this class due to the extreme costs associated with nearly all Earth Science textbooks. If you are someone who needs to have access to information from a textbook to assist in learning the material, I do have the following recommendations:

1) The Good Earth: Introduction to Earth Science (1st or 2nd edition) by McConnell, Steer, Knight, Owens and Park, McGraw Hill Publishers, NY, 2008, ISBN: 978-0-07-727097-1

2) Geosystems: an introduction to Physical Geography (5th or 6th or 7th edition) by Robert Christopherson, Pearson- Prentice Hall Publishers

3) Earth Science and the Environment (3rd or 4th edition) by Thompson and Turk, Brooks Cole publishing

4) Introduction to Physical Geography (any edition) by Arthur Strahler, Wiley Publishing

Or any physcial geography or Earth Science text book that has a meterology section in it.

Often you can find really inexpensive used textbooks online (for example on abebooks.com or amazon.com), that will serve you well and likely save you a lot of money. The downside to the online approach is that you cannot usually sell them back once you are done with the class.

The goal of this course is to expose students to a wide range of topics within the broad category of Earth Sciences. Upon successful completion of the course, you will have have a fundamental understanding of the planet on which we live, and the way in which most of the major systems of the Earth affect each other and nearly all life on the planet. We focus on the science behind what we learn, and how it relates to what I call the " Five Spheres of Influence."

Some of the topics potentially covered in the course include: Minerals, rocks, weathering and erosion processes, rivers, glaciers, deserts and wind, mountains, oceans and shoreline processes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, earthquakes, fossils, geologic time, clouds and precipitation, the structure of the atmosphere, atmospheric circulation patterns, solar radiation, meso and micro-scale weather patterns, the solar systems and universe, and potential / probable effects on the biosphere.

Critical thinking skills are developed by being able to link ideas from one sphere of influence to those of the other four, and by being able to apply what you know to what you see in the world around you.

This course does not have a laboratory, so the class will be a lecture format with regular exams covering the material discussed in class. The materials shown using the computer during the class period are posted on a class web page immmediately after the topic is discussed in class. The lecture slides can be accessed at your convenience from home or from university computer labs.

Caution: The web page is not a substitute for coming to class! Each semester I have taught this course, students think that they don't have to come to class because the lecture visuals are posted on the web. As a result of skipping class and only printing out lecture slides, I then have to try to explain to students why they only earned a D or an F in the class! The content of the webpage is to provide you with access to some of the visual and written materials so that you can review and write material down after the class. This then frees your time so you can listen to and write down critical information that is not on the slide during the actual class!

Participants in the class will be evaluated on five (5) exams (4 exams and 1 comprehensive Final exam) as well as a number of assignments given at the end of a topical discussion. The content of the final will be ~ 45% material we have previously been tested on, and 55% new material. Exams are "curved" based on the high score achieved on each exam. The high score has points added onto it, up to 10% of the total, to adjust it to 100%. All other exams have the same number of points added onto them as well. It is best to assume that the curve will be small.

I evaluate your grade based on a strictly adhered to point scale (listed below). All decimal points are rounded up to the next whole number regardless of the decimal. (E.G., 76.00001 would be rounded up to 77 points). There is ample opportunity to acquire enough points over the semester to get a decent grade if you put in the work. It is your responsibility to keep track of what your grade is (Points you have acquired thus far divided by the total number of points possible at that point) and to adjust your studying habits, class attendance, note-taking skills, and exam performance so that you can achieve the grade you desire (within reason).

 Point Breakdown (table 1)

Assignment	Points	Percent of total course
Exam 1	80	~14%
Exam 2	80	~14%
Exam 3	80	~14%
Exam 4	80	~14%
Final Exam-comprehensive	170	~31%
Exercises	50	~9%
Attend/Particip by quizzes, assignments & exam pickups	15	~3%

Grading Scale (table 2)

Points	Grade	Points	Grade
555-500	A	426-394	C
499-482	B+	393-376	D+
481-444	B	375-344	D
443-427	C+	343-000	F

I do not mind students coming late to class, as I would prefer you come to class a little late than to not show up at all. keep[ in mind that you will need to pick up the clicker at the front of the class if you want to have credit for being in class, so it will be noticed. Try not to make a lot of noise when coming in late, and do not to make a habit of being late to class. It won't disturb me, but it will bug your classmates. Do not talk in class while I am speaking, unless it is to ask a question pertaining to the class. If you choose to talk, you will be asked to leave the class. Cellular phones or beepers must be turned off while in my class. If you choose to bring these items to class with a normal ringer mode on, prepare to be asked to leave if it goes off!

Please do not bring children into the classroom. Although I personally love kids, they often have a tough time sitting for an extended period (think how tough it is for you sometimes!), and will distract the other students. The University has excellent child care facilities and ways to accommodate nearly any circumstance.

I do not mind students eating or drinking in the classroom provided the University doesn't mind, and you don't make crinkling noises when unwrapping food items.

If you know ahead of time that there is a conflict with an exam date, you must see me in advance to make arrangements as to when you will make up the exam. If for any reason you miss an exam, you must see me to see if you will be allowed to make it up (exceptions made for students with H1N1 flu symptoms-see policy below) or contact me within 24 hours. On exam days, anyone coming into the classroom more than 15 minutes late will not be allowed to start the exam at that time. You will be able to take the make up exam at some point after the class period.

All assignments are due when you enter the classroom unless otherwise noted by me.

I have scheduled office hours listed at the top of the page, or you may schedule an appointment with me to discuss matters that concern you. If you cannot reach me during office hours, you may leave a message with the departmental secretary, leave a voice mail message, or e-mail me. I will respond to you as quickly as possible.

Academic Dishonesty:
Cheating on exams, turning in someone else's work in any way shape or form is grounds for failure of that particular assignment, failure of the course, and removal from the university. If you are aware that someone is cheating or otherwise engaged in dishonest behavior, it is your responsibilty as an honest student to report the incident to me. I despise academic dishonesty! The "ends" definitely don't justify the "means". It just isn't worth it. If you are caught, you have my word that I will pursue the appropriate course of action to the fullest extent. If you want to know what the course of action is, get a copy of the student handbook and read what is considered academically dishonest.

ADA Statement:
Students with a documented learning disability should work with the USI counselling center to get the appropriate paperwork to me within the first 2 weeks of the semester. Upon presenting me with the appropriate paperwork, students may choose to take their exams at the counselling center, use note-takers, or use other means to accommodate their disability.

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