EARTH SCIENCE - ESC1000

(Formerly known as GLY1001)

CLASS SYLLABUS

(ALL SECTIONS AT THE BRANDON CAMPUS)

CLASS LOCATION: H.C.C. Brandon Campus, building BSCI, room 101

COURSE INSTRUCTORS:

Prof. Jim Wysong Mr. James Fatherree

Website: http://www.hccfl.edu/facultyinfo/jwysong/ Website: TBA

INSTRUCTOR’S OFFICE HOURS AND PHONE NUMBERS:

The instructors will post a copy of their schedules, including office hours within the first week of class. Prof. Wysong’s office is located in BSCI building, room 108A. Mr. Fatherree’s office is BSCI207B.

Prof. Wysong’s office phone number is 253-7805. Mr. Fatherree’s office phone number is 253-7906.

Students should send all important messages and communications regarding this class by Hawkmail, the H.C.C. email system. This will provide the instructors with a record of your message and allow them to respond to you more efficiently.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:

Earth Science 11th Ed, by Tarbuck and Lutgens

Textbook Support website:

http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_tarbuck_escience_11

Instructor's Course website:

http://www.hccfl.edu/facultyinfo/jwysong/GLY1001.html

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is a one-semester course for non-science majors, which fulfills the General Education physical science requirement for the A.A. degree. The course will provide the student with an overview of some of the major topics from the disciplines of geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. Some of the most important scientific ideas and discoveries of the past and present will be discussed, including “Plate Tectonics,” the concern about “Global Warming” and the geological history of the Earth.

SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Please refer to Addendum A for the Institutional Course Objectives for ESC100. The course textbook support website (listed above) also has learning objectives for each chapter listed. The website also offers a multitude of sample quizzes and tests to allow students to self-assess their mastery of the objectives prior to class exams. Students are encouraged to investigate the additional resources available at both the textbook website as well as those linked to the instructor's website.

COURSE MECHANICS:


This course will be taught primarily as a lecture/discussion class. Reading assignments from the text will support and augment the lecture material.

Five exams will be administered during the semester. The lowest exam score from exams 1-4 will not be averaged into the final course point total.

Exams 1-4 will consist of 50 questions valued at 2 points each for a total of 100 points per exam.

Exam 5 (the final) will be in two parts, together worth 100 points. The first part of exam 5 will consist of 30 questions from the first three exams. Part two will consist of 20 questions presented in the form of a map quiz (see Geographic Locations Project information attached to this syllabus and also available at:

http://www.hccfl.edu/facultyinfo/jwysong/files/E8F8BACC2F4348349FAE2F9FCB0F1803.doc).

Your final course grade will be calculated by dividing your point total by 4.0

NOTE:

Tests are scored on ScantronÓ answer sheets provided by the student. They are available for purchase in the college bookstore. You must have an answer sheet within the first two weeks of class.

GRADING SCALE:

A = 100-90%, B = 89-80%, C = 79-70%, D = 69-60%, F = 59% and below


Final course grades will not be curved. However, exam scores 1-4 will be curved up (if necessary) to attain a class median of 74%. The maximum curve for any given exam will be 10 points. The curve will be calculated based on the performance of all sections of the course taught by a given instructor. Please note that there are no provisions for student initiated extra credit work for this course.

> REMEMBER: Grades are earned, not “given”.<

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Students are expected to be on time and in attendance at all class meetings. (If you arrive late, please take a seat close to the door so as not to further disrupt the class.) There will not be any opportunity to make-up exams due to unexcused absences.* If an absence is anticipated, arrangements should be made with the instructor to take the exam early without penalty. Since the lowest score on exams 1-4 will be dropped, a missed exam will automatically become the “dropped” score. All students must take the final exam. If you miss the final exam, a score of zero will be averaged into your final grade.

*Any absence not cleared at least one day in advance will be considered an unexcused absence.

CELL PHONES, PAGERS, and other ASSORTED ELECTRONIC DEVICES:

Cell phones and pagers must be turned off while in class. It is disruptive and rude when these devices "go off" during lectures or exams. In addition, it is unacceptable to engage in text messaging during the class meeting time. If you are using any electronic devices other than a calculator (not your phone in calculator mode), a voice recorder, or a laptop computer to take notes, you may be asked by the instructor to leave the classroom for the remainder of the class period. The use of any electronic device not authorized by the instructor during a test may result in the forfeiture of your grade for that test. All electronic devices should be turned off and stored out of sight during tests.

Disabled Student Services:

HCC’s Offices of Services for Students with Disabilities provide a wide range of free services to meet the needs of disabled students. Students with disabling conditions that require special academic accommodations must submit documentation of their disability and specific needs to a campus Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities. Additional information may be obtained at the college website for disabled students:

http://www.hccfl.edu/dm/studentservices/disabilities/index.html

Students may contact the Brandon Campus Coordinator in room BADM 217. The phone number for the coordinator is 253-7914.


STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY And Conduct:


As should be expected in a college class, the student assumes responsibility for keeping up with his/her standing in the class. The instructor will not routinely issue grade warnings. Furthermore, it is not up to the instructor to follow up with you on missed notes or assignments - it is your grade, and thus your responsibility. It is also expected that students will conduct themselves in an academically honest and ethical manner. Cheating, plagiarism, and disruptive, disrespectful or inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated. These activities will result in penalties including, but not limited to: the deduction of up to 10 points per incident from the student’s cumulative course grade, expulsion from the class for the remainder of the class period, referral to the Dean of Student Services for further action as outlined in the student handbook. Please take time to reread this syllabus; it is your guide[1] to the way class is conducted. The syllabus and the course calendar are very important; take care not to lose them. Copies of the syllabus and calendar will be posted on the course website for your reference online. The URL is:

http://www.hccfl.edu/facultyinfo/jwysong/GLY1001.html

For matters not covered in this syllabus, please consult the professor or refer to the college catalog/student handbook:

http://www.hccfl.edu/student/catalog/index.html

H.C.C. Operational Calendar (Important dates and holidays):

It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of important dates for registration, payment, withdrawal, and dropping of courses. These dates are posted in the college operational calendar, which may be found in the current term's published schedule as well as at the website listed below:

http://www.hccfl.edu/student/academics/calendar/

A FINAL NOTE:

It is our goal to make this class both interesting and informative for you. With a reasonable amount of effort, it should be possible for everyone to meet the course objectives and earn a passing grade. With additional effort, aptitude, and investment of time, students may earn even higher course grades. If at any time you run into difficulties with the material, or need assistance or clarification, please do not hesitate to ask for help. We are here for you, and we will be glad to entertain any reasonable requests.

J.W. / J. F.

______

ADDENDUM A – Institutional Course Objectives for ESC100

By its nature, the Earth Science curriculum addresses a broad and voluminous body of subject matter. The Sciences of Geology, Astronomy, Meteorology and Oceanography are all included within the purview of Earth Science. Consequently, the following objectives will be included in the overall curriculum but may be weighted to varying degrees in individual course sections.

1. Describe the scientific method.

2. Define what a mineral is and discuss the importance of minerals in geology.

3. Discuss the origin and classification of rocks and explain the rock cycle.

4. Identify and explain the processes acting at the earth's surface that create and shape landforms.

5. Summarize the causes and effects of earthquakes and diagram the earth's interior structure.

6. Describe and discuss intrusive and extrusive igneous processes and features.

7. Discuss the theory of plate tectonics.

8.Describe the significance of geologic time, state the age of the earth, and explain relative and chronological dating methods.

9. Discuss global concepts such as locating positions on the earth, e.g. latitude and longitude, the earth's orbit around the sun, and seasonal variations.

10. Discuss the composition and circulation of earth's oceans and the geology of the seafloor.

11. Describe the composition, structure and circulation of the earth's atmosphere.

12. Describe and discuss the various weather elements such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind, clouds and precipitation.

13.List and describe the components of our solar system and discuss its origin.

14. Describe the universe beyond our solar system and discuss current ideas about its age and origin

WHAT is the purpose of general education? Making connections. General education allows you to understand concepts and apply and analyze them so that you can have a meaningful learning experience. General education connects critical thinking skills and effective communication with the humanities, math, life sciences, and the social and behavioral sciences.

WHY? General education provides the gateway to a better understanding of our changing world. General education allows you to reach further – the breadth of the general education curriculum helps you to become a global citizen with an awareness of the complexity and diversity of life.

HOW? We at HCC believe you should be able to do far more than recite facts. We believe there are seven areas of knowledge that are necessary for your success. They are listed below.

Students who complete the HCC general education core curriculum should be able to:

·  Demonstrate their ability to think critically

·  Demonstrate their ability to express themselves clearly in written and oral communication

·  Demonstrate their ability to express themselves effectively in quantitative terms

·  Demonstrate their understanding of and appreciation for the value and significance of culture

·  Demonstrate their appreciation of the scientific method of inquiry and the historical and contemporary impact of science on daily life

·  Demonstrate their understanding of global political, social, economic, and historical perspectives

·  Demonstrate their ability to use technology to access, retrieve, process, and communicate information

All of the general education courses you will take focus on at least four of these outcomes. The table on the other side of this sheet has stars indicating the courses in which the general education outcomes are emphasized.

Making connections makes your experience with general education a success.

2 2008/SPRING

Week/ Date:
LAB ACTIVITY / Reading Assignment - Chapter Number(s):
NOTE: SCHEDULE IS SUJECT TO CHANGE AT INTRUCTOR’S DISCRETION
1 – 1/7-10

Lab Introduction

/ Chapter 1: Introduction to Earth Science
Chapter 16: The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature (also Chapter 20, pages 573-581)
2 – 1/14-17
LAB 1 & LAB 2 / Chapter 17: Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation
Chapter 18: Air Pressure and Wind
3 – 1/21-24
LAB 5
/ Chapter 18: Air Pressure and Wind continued
1/21 – MLK Day Holiday
4 – 1/28-31
LAB 7 / Chapter 19: Weather Patterns and Severe Storms
5 – 2/4-7
LAB 10
COUNTS AS TWO LABS / TEST ONE CHAPTERS 16-19
Chapter 2: Minerals: Building Blocks of Rocks
Chapter 3: Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth
6 – 2/11-14
LAB 9
COUNTS AS TWO LABS / Chapter 3: Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth continued
Chapter 4: Weathering, Soil, and Mass Wasting*
7 – 2/18-21
/ Chapter 5: Running Water and Groundwater
2/18 – President’s Day Holiday
8 – 2/25-28
LAB 12
/ Chapter 6: Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind
9 – 3/3-6
Lab Mid Term
/ TEST TWO CHAPTERS 2-6
Chapter 7: Earthquakes and Earth's Interior
10 – 3/10-13
LAB 14 / Chapter 8: Plate Tectonics
Chapter 9: Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity
11 – 3/17-20
LAB 16 / Chapter 9: Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity continued
Chapter 10: Mountain Building
3/24-27 /

SPRING BREAK

12 – 3/31-4/3
LAB 15 / TEST THREE CHAPTERS 7-10
13 – 4/7-10
LAB 17
/ Chapter 11: Geologic Time
Chapter 12: Earth's History: A Brief Summary
4/10 – Non Class day – Faculty In-Service Meeting
14 – 4/14-17
LAB 19 / Chapter 13: The Ocean Floor
Chapter 14: Ocean Water and Ocean Life *
Chapter 15: The Dynamic Ocean*
15 – 4/21-24
LAB 20 / Chapter 21: Origin of Modern Astronomy
16 – 4/28 / Conclusion
FINAL EXAMS:
SEE SCHEDULE / TEST FOUR AND FINAL EXAM (given together)
LAB FINAL EXAM

·  Some portions of this chapter are not covered

Final Exam Schedule

8

ESC1000-REV2008

[1] The Syllabus is not, however, a binding legal contract. It is subject to change and revision unilaterally by the instructor and/or administration with appropriate notice.