Earth Science 102: Introduction to Earth Science, Spring 2009

Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
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Steve Dutch     Laboratory Sciences 463    Phone: 465-2246    e-mail: dutchs@uwgb.edu
Home Page:    http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs

Syllabus

Final Exam:  May 14, Thursday 8:00 - 10:00 Wood Hall 215

GRADING:

Exams are multiple choice, 1 pt. per question.
Because test questions are freely available to all (see below), grade breaks are firm, especially C/D and D/F.

Field trip will be held Saturday, April 18.

Text: McConnell and Others, The Good Earth

General Course Expectations

• Course materials are being put on D2L, but look on the Web first.
• You are responsible for being aware of any changes in class schedule or content.
•  If you elect not to attend lecture, you must make arrangements for finding out about changes.
• You are responsible for checking your campus e-mail account for messages. Your account can be accessed from anywhere via the campus home page. I will not send messages to private accounts.
• A credit is defined as three hours of work per week. Count on spending two hours outside of class to assimilate an hour's worth of lecture properly. Cramming just does not work. You're better off getting a good night's sleep before class.
• You are responsible for reading, learning and remembering the material on this syllabus. Material on the syllabus is testable.
• You are responsible for keeping all course materials and records until your final grades are in.
• Professional conduct is mandatory for a passing grade. Talking in class, use of electronic devices (except for taking notes) and leaving during class without approval are unacceptable behavior for adult college students
• Class ends at 10:50. Everything before then is class time
• Makeups for missed exams (absence, illness, etc.) must be taken within 48 hours of your return to campus. It is your responsibility to set up the appointment. If you cannot reach me by phone or e-mail, it is your responsibility to come to class or my office to find me.

Exam Questions

The test bank is available on line. These questions are provided as a convenience to students who want to know what sorts of questions I ask. Please note:

• Memorizing answers hardly ever results in a good grade.
  
• Use critical judgment. Some obsolete questions are still there. If you can't find the answer in the text or your notes, the question will probably not be used.
• These questions are provided as a convenience to students who want to know what sorts of questions I ask, and to prevent students with old exams from having an unfair advantage. I normally make up the exams using these questions, but I reserve the right to use other exams, for example, standardized exams.
  

Field Trip

Field trips leave from the Green Parking lot at 8:00 on the scheduled date and return about 4:15 P.M.

General Field Trip Guidelines

• You must join the trip at UW-Green Bay, not at one of the stops.
• Clothing should be casual. Long sleeves and trousers are recommended, along with tennis shoes. Wear something you can get dirty. There is no strenuous hiking.
• Bring a lunch. There will be rest stops at gas stations where you can buy something.
• Bring plenty of fluids. Even on a cold day you can get surprisingly dehydrated.
• No alcoholic beverages are permitted.
• There are ticks in the brush at a couple of stops. Long sleeves and trousers are recommended. Check yourself carefully.
• Because of insurance concerns, students may not bring private vehicles on the trip. You must use the transportation provided.
• Students who live in the Crivitz area may be dropped off there after the field trip is over. You are solely responsible for your ride arrangements.
• If you are excused from the trip for work or some other valid reason, I will supply an alternative way to get the field trip points. This is not a substitute for the trip.

Basic Goals of the Course (What we are Trying to Do)

Information

• Understand the interactions between the solid earth, hydrosphere and atmosphere
• Know some of the important mineral and rock materials that make up the surface of the Earth
• Understand how water and ice modify the surface of the earth
• Know why earthquakes occur where they do, and how they endanger human life and property.
• Know why volcanoes occur where they do, and how they endanger human life and property.
• Understand how mineral resources form, and understand their finite extent
• Be able to describe plate tectonics and its connection to earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building
• Understand geologic time and know some of the major milestones in the evolution of the Earth
• Understand ocean currents and tides and why they occur
• Know how oceans affect shorelines and humans that live near them
• Know the overall makeup of the atmosphere and the meaning of temperature, pressure, and humidity
• Know the principal types of clouds and how rain, snow, and hail occur
• Understand fronts, air masses, severe storms, and the issues involved in the climate change controversy
• Understand rocky, gas giant, and ice planets
• Understand the nature of stars and galaxies and the distance scale of the universe

Reasoning Skills

• Be able to follow chains of ideas and events
• Be able to connect ideas from several different subject areas
• Be able to learn new material and connect it to previously learned ideas so that you can recall it
• Understand how geoscientists decipher the history of the earth
• Understand why geoscientists believe the earth is ancient and how they find the ages of rocks
• Understand why geoscientists believe in plate tectonics
• Understand how astronomers determine the distance to stars and galaxies.

View the Field Trip Guide
View Class notes and Visuals
Access Test Bank
Return to Professor Dutch's home page

Created 15 Dec 1996 Last Update 13 April 2009

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