Geology 101, Physical Geology

GEOLOGY 334, Geomorphology and Soils

GREAT BASIN COLLEGE

4 credits

Course Syllabus Spring 2008

Instructor: Carrie Bruno

Office: LH123B

Phone: 753-2204E-mail: please use WebCampus

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30-10:30am, Wednesday 9:30-10:30am, and by appointment

Class Meeting Times: 11:00am-12:15pm, Tuesday and Thursday (Lecture);

1:00-3:45, Tuesday (Lab)

Text:

Process Geomorphology, 4th ed. Ritter, Kochel, Miller, Waveland Press, Inc. 2006

ISBN: 1-57766-461-2, 978-1-57766-461-1

Catalog Description:

GEOL 334 Geomorphology and Soils (4 credits)

An introduction to the processes and development of landforms and soils as a result of surficial processes operating within the framework of global tectonics. Laboratory work includes methods of analysis of landforms from surface imagining and the study of soils. Includes field trips. Prerequisites: GEOL: 101 or GEOG 101D, or instructor approval. (Formerly GEOL 341, Geomorphology and Soils)

Course Description and Objectives:

This course is a systematic study of landforms (e.g. stream patterns, alluvial fans, karst topography, glacial moraines, dunes, deltas, shoreline evolution, and landslides) and the surficial processes which form them, with a global tectonic perspective. This course also introduces soil formation, soil profiles, classification and topics in soil management. Regional soil orders will be characterized, students will produce field-based soil profiles, and some of the controversies concerning soil conservation and environmental remediation will be addressed. The main objective of this class is to evaluate geological processes and interrelationships of landforms on a landscape level.

Method of Instruction:

This course is primarily a lecture course (Tuesday and Thursday) with a full lab per week (Tuesday). Lectures coincide with assigned reading material in the text and add clarification and examples to the material in the text. As well as possible, the lab is scheduled to coincide with the lecture to add emphasis and “hands-on” experience doing science. Field trips are an important component to this class. WebCampus will be used to enhance the class.

Grading:

Grading will be based on scores from tests, laboratory assignments, a written report, and oral presentation. All scores will be added together at the end of the semester and the percentage of the total possible points will determine the grade. Grades will be based on the following divisions:

Exams and Lab Quizzes:

Exams will consist of short essays, map problems, and diagram explanations. Lab quizzes will cover material and problems discussed in lab.

Lab:

A full lab is required for this course. Attendance in lab is required. To maintain articulation with the University of Nevada, Reno core curriculum requirements, two field labs and two labs with controlled variables are included in the schedule.

Term Project:

Students will be required to produce a 7 page term paper regarding a topic related to geomorphology. A list of at least 10 references must be submitted to the instructor by March 25, 2007. Students are encouraged to use library databases as references. Students must refrain from using encyclopedias as references. Wikipedia is NOT an acceptable reference source. Only two references may be web-based and web based sources will only be accepted from .org and .gov sites. Additional references must be either books or peer-reviewed journal articles. If you need help with library research, please get in contact with your instructor. Term papers are due April 21, 2008.

Student Presentations

Each student will develop a 15 minute presentation in association with their term paper topic. Student presentations will be held May 6.

Attendance:

Attendance is generally not taken for lecture. However, important material likely to be covered on the exams is covered during the lectures. Attendance in laboratories is required.

Not a Contract:

This document does not in any way constitute a contract. It is only a summary of how the instructor expects the course to proceed. It may be changed at any time by the instructor.

Student Conduct Policy:

Students are expected to follow the Student Conduct Policy for students in the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) outlined on pp. 28-32 of the 2007-2008 GBC Catalog. Students will specifically be held accountable for behaving in a civil and respectful manner toward other students and the professor in class and in their online communications such as e-mail messages, discussion postings, and written assignments.

The college catalog states, “Messages, attitudes, or any other form of communication deemed to be outside the bounds of common decency/civility as judged by common standards of classroom behavior (determined, as they would be in a regular classroom, by the instructor) will not be tolerated” (29).

Pay particular attention to those last four words. Any student who behaves rudely to another student or to me will be dropped immediately. During the first week of class, students will be required to respond to an email from the instructor acknowledging that they have read the Student Conduct Policy and understand that they will be dropped from the class for violating it.

Academic Honesty:

Academic dishonesty, in any form, such as, cheating and plagiarism, will not be tolerated by the instructor AND Great Basin College. Academic dishonesty can result in failing the class, academic suspension, or expulsion. All tests, quizzes, laboratories, and other assignments must be the student’s OWN work. Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s word, ideas or data as one’s own. When a student submits work that includes the words, ideas, or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific references; and if verbatim statements are included, through quotation marks as well. In academically honest writing or speaking, the students will acknowledge the source whenever:

• Another person’s actual words are quoted
• Another person’s idea, opinion or theory is used, even if it is completely paraphrased in the student’s own words
• Facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials are borrowed, unless the information is common knowledge

Students with Disabilities:

The college catalog states, “Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student must furnish current verification of disability. The ADA Officer, located in Berg Hall, will assist qualified students with disabilities in securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services. For more information or further assistance, please call 775.753.2271” (35).

GEOLOGY 334 Geomorphology and Soils: Spring 2008