volcano

 

GLG 101:  PHYSICAL GEOLOGY

Dr. N. Riggs

TTh 9.35 – 10.50

Friar Hall, Room 223

 

 

 

Office hours: Tuesday 2-3, W 10-11 or by appointment                   Office:  Geology Annex 205  

Phone:  523-9362                                                                   e-mail:  nancy.riggs@nau.edu

Class website: http://jan.nau.edu/~nrr/GLG100-101/glg101.html (be sure to pay attention to lower and upper case letters)

 

Catalog description: GLG 101 Physical Geology (3). Fundamental physical aspects of the earthÕs crust; rocks and minerals, structures, landforms and their origin. Co-requisite: GLG 103 [1 unit]

 

Course description:  Geology is the study of the earth, including its composition, how it was formed, processes that continue to change it, and surficial manifestations of those processes.  This course gives an introduction to physical geology:  its basic materials and processes that form the earth, the application of scientific methodology in understanding the earth, and the processes that continue to shape and change the earth.  This class is intended for science/engineering majors, or those interested in the Earth and Earth processes at more than a rudimentary level.  Please see me immediately if you have not fulfilled the prerequisite.

 

Course goals:  ÒCivilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice.Ó  My goals for this class are for you to gain a basic understanding of how the Earth works through an understanding of its processes.  By the end of the class, for example, you should be able to recognize basic rock types and structures that you see in a roadcut along a highway.  You should have an appreciation for the Earth as a whole, dynamic system.  The American Southwest is a dynamic place to live, and my goal is for you to understand the geologic processes that make the Southwest unique and how they affect your life.  Lastly, you should be able to read a news­paper or magazine account of a geologic event and be able to assess how well the newspaper portrays what has happened:  in other words, you will be able to think critically about science.

 

Performance Objectives:  Upon successful completion of GLG101, you will be able to:

1.  Describe basic kinds of rocks and explain how they form.

2.  Describe fundamental geological processes.

3.  Describe, analyze, and interpret different kinds of data to understand earthquakes, ocean basins, flood potential, etc. 

4.  Use the internet and other sources to discover resources related to Geology, Earth Systems, and Earth history.

5.   Evaluate science as presented in public media

We will do a lot of active, student-based learning.  You will NOT sit through 3 hours of lecture every week.  You will learn through doing group projects, web-based projects, in-class individ­ua­l projects, presentations of your own research, AND the traditional listen-to-lecture method.

 

HOW TO SUCCEED IN GLG 101

The easiest way to do well in GLG101 is to (1) come to class, (2) ask every question that occurs to you, however stupid you may think it is, (3) study with at least one other person, (4) come to office hours before and after every exam, and (5) NEVER preface a question with Òthis is a stupid question, butÉÓ

 

TEXTBOOK:  EARTH:  An introduction to physical geology, 10th edition, by Tarbuck, Lutgens, and Tasa.  The back cover of the book has a few websites that you will want to visit frequently. This is a fairly comprehensive geology textbook, but no text covers all I want to cover, so you will need to come to class to learn all the material and hence, to do well in the class.

 

CLASS POLICIES:

1.  Speak up!  I may randomly offer 1-2 points of extra credit for a good, thoughtful question. If you have a question, the chances are good that many of your peers have a similar question.

 

2. Attendance is a privilege that you, or your parents, have paid for.  If you don't come to class, you cannot pass.  If you are more interested in chatting with your neighbor or reading the paper than in participating, get in another class.

 

3. Assessment and grading:  As the table below indicates, you will be assessed by the work you do in groups and individually.  Three semester exams are scheduled (see detailed course outline).  A letter from an NAU or Flagstaff doctor will allow you to make up an exam missed for illness.  You MUST let me know ahead of time if you will not be at an exam for any reason.

 

      The course grade is computed using the following formula:

Quizzes (group or individual)*, 5 pts each                                            50      points

Semester exams**, 100 pts each                                                         200      points

Final exam**, 100 pts                                                                         100      points

In-class or homework group assignments*, 10 pts each                       50      points

Group projects*, 25 pts each                                                                 75      points

            TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE                                                475      points

 

*All assignments will have firm due dates.  You must turn in these assignments before class begins.  Late assignments are not accepted.

 

**Exam dates during the semester may be changed.  The final exam date is assigned by the University and it is the student's responsibility to be sure that classes are not scheduled with overlapping final exam times.  Exams will usually consist of 50 points multiple choice, 5-10 points T/F or fill-in, 25 points short-answer, and 10-20 points long-answer.  Discussion of slides will substitute for some of the points in the second and third exams.  I will hold a review session before every exam, but I will not hand out a study guide.  Copies of old exams will be available on the class website.  If you have >90% on all three hour exams and attend every class, you will likely be excused from the final.

 

The minimum number of points needed for an A in the class is 425.  The minimum points needed for a B is 375.  The minimum points needed for a C is 330.  The minimum needed for a D is 280.  You are only competing against yourself – if 90% of the class gets an A grade, thatÕs okay with me!

 

Extra credit for outside work on an individual basis is not available.  Do not consider anticipate doing some non-class work to save your grade.

 

4. Special Needs - Students with physical or learning disabilities who need to make special arrangements for class assignments or exams should consult with Disability Support Services (http://www2.nau.edu/dss/) and with me as soon as possible.  I encourage all students to come to me for help in understanding the readings, lectures and writing assignments, or for other course-related assistance.  All that I ask is that you respect office hours.  If you cannot make my scheduled office hours, we can make an appointment for another time.  For example, you could make an appointment by calling or speaking to me after or before class.  My telephone has Voice Mail, so you can always leave a message.

 

5.  Cheating:  ItÕs entertainingly obvious when a student is cheating.  Cheating is in violation of the Student Code of Conduct, and will be treated as such.  Baseball caps must be removed or worn backwards during exams. 

 

6.  ÒPortable electronic devicesÓ:  Phones/iPads/whatevers are disruptive.  Turn yours off before you come to class, or better yet, be a mature student and leave it home.  If your phone rings, you and it are excused from class for the remainder of the period.  No exceptions.  Students who need to bring laptops for any reason need to let me know first, and need to sit at the front of the room.

 

7. Challenges to Assigned Grades - Challenges to assigned grades on individual assignments are welcomed because they demonstrate that you are seriously thinking about the material offered in the course.  However, I will only consider challenges presented in writing.  A written format provides you with the opportunity to present an articulate and well-considered argument as well as providing a record of the grade challenge process in case there are questions at a later time.  Challenges must be submitted within one week of the return of a graded assignment.

 

8. Incompletes - I will not assign a grade of "incomplete" except in extreme circumstances that are beyond your control.  I will not give you an "Incomplete" grade because you are dissatisfied with a final grade and hope to complete additional post-course work to improve your grade.

 

9. Class Discipline - I cannot tolerate distracting behavior by students.  In order to ensure a reasonable learning environment, talking or distracting behavior will result in a student being asked to leave the classroom.

 

10. Withdrawals - The last day to Drop/Delete this class is 8 September 2011.  The last day to drop with a "W" (withdrawal; this stays on your record) is 28 October 2011.  You will advised of your mid-term grade before the drop-with-W deadline.

 

11.  Class begins at 9.35 AM and ends at 10.50 AM.  Please show respect for the class by arriving on time and staying until we agree that class is over.  If you need to leave early, as a courtesy please inform me BEFORE class, and sit where your departure will not be disruptive.

 

12.  PIN:  University/state/federal policy dictates that your work must be anonymous to everyone but you and me.  Therefore, I need you to assign yourself a four-digit PIN.  Any combination of numbers and letters is okay, AS LONG AS the first digit is a number.  1NRR is okay, but NRR1 is not.  Your PIN really shouldnÕt be any part of your SSN or your initials with a number (as in the example above).  Please see next page for how to let me know your PIN.

 

13. University policies:  Please see the attached statements on university policies.

 

A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS

á      You contribute to the diversity of our class. The various cultural backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge of your peers in this course will provide the basis for valuable and creative discussions.

á      Be respectful of your peers by arriving promptly and remaining for the entire class (except in the case of illness).

á      Please do not hesitate to ask questions or raise issues during class or seek my assistance during office hours. In addition, you should take advantage of any office or student service including the Learning Assistance Center. The Learning Assistance Center (LAC, phone 523-5524) offers a number of excellent academic services for undergraduate students. First-year students can take advantage of the reading and study skills workshops series. In addition, individual and group tutoring is provided in computers, learning strategies, and most aspects of academic studies.

 

E-mail Accounts:

An e-mail account is required; I will commonly post information and exam examples on the web and deliver specific information via e-mail. You can earn 5 extra-credit points if you email me (see my address above) with the following:

á      Your name

á      SSN or student ID. Example: Louie Lumberjack, 999-99-9999.

á      A statement indicating that you agree to abide by the policies listed here.  If you have any issue with any policy, please use this opportunity to discuss it.

á      The 4-number PIN you will use to identify yourself on exams and on any work I need to hand back in class.

To earn the 5 points, your message must be ÒpostmarkedÓ by 5:00 PM on September 1. After that time, the number of points earned is prorated as follows:

September 2 by 5:00 pm - 4 points

                        September 5 by 5:00 pm - 3 points

                        September 6 by 5:00 pm - 2 points

     No points earned after the last time and date listed.

 

World Wide Web Site:

You will need to be able to access the GLG 101 web page on a regular basis. The easiest way to find the page is by typing in the address http://jan.nau.edu/~nrr/GLG100-101/glg101.html (be sure to pay attention to lower case letters).  I will remind you as often as I remember, but it will be important to look at the web page at least once a week. 

 

A Note about Cooperative Groups

We will use cooperative learning throughout this course to improve your understanding and learning.  Each of you will has different perspectives about geology based on your own experiences and background. By sharing ideas with your peers you can improve your understanding of geology as well as approaches to understanding geology.  Importantly, a group effort is more productive than an individual one IF everyone positively depends on each other and has a personal responsibility and commitment to achieve the group's goals.  For your group to succeed, you must make every effort to interact with each other so that you function as effectively as possible.

 

Approximately 35% of the total points available in this course can be earned by your group and the other 65% of total points available are earned individually.  In this course, your accomplishments will depend upon your team as a whole as well as the individual contributions of each team member.  Those of you who plan to work in professions such as business, engineering, geologic consulting, communications, health fields, service industries, or legal fields will also be working in teams.  Basically, team work is critical to your success in almost any profession today.

 

 

 


NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
POLICY STATEMENTS

SAFE WORKING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT POLICY
NAUÕs Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the university.  The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.

You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college deanÕs office.  If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, deanÕs office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (928-523-9368), or NAUÕs Office of Affirmative Action (928-523-3312).

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting the office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 928-523-8773 (voice), 928-523-6906 (TTY). In order for your individual needs to be met, you are required to provide DSS with disability related documentation and are encouraged to provide it at least eight weeks prior to the time you wish to receive accommodations. You must register with DSS each semester you are enrolled at NAU and wish to use accommodations.

Faculty are not authorized to provide a student with disability related accommodations without prior approval from DSS. Students who have registered with DSS are encouraged to notify their instructors a minimum of two weeks in advance to ensure accommodations. Otherwise, the provision of accommodations may be delayed.

Concerns or questions regarding disability related accommodations can be brought to the attention of DSS or the Affirmative Action Office.

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU—including a course project, report, or research paper—must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in research and research-related activities.

The IRB meets once each month.  Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting.  You should consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review.  Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB.  The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project:  exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review.  If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.

A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each departmentÕs administrative office and each college deanÕs office.  If you have questions, contact Melanie Birck, Office of Grant and Contract Services, at 928-523-8288.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity.  As members of the academic community, NAUÕs administration, faculty, staff and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the education process.  Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning.  Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner.

Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty.  Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation.  The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix F of NAUÕs Student Handbook.

ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY
The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206, Academic Credit) states:  Òan hour of work is the equivalent of 50 minutes of class timeÉat least 15 contact hours of recitation, lecture, discussion, testing or evaluation, seminar, or colloquium as well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is required for each unit of credit.Ó

The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of two additional hours of work per week; e.g., preparation, homework, studying.

Classroom Management Statement

Membership in the academic community places a special obligation on all members to preserve an atmosphere conducive to a safe and positive learning environment.  Part of that obligation implies the responsibility of each member of the NAU community to maintain an environment in which the behavior of any individual is not disruptive.

It is the responsibility of each student to behave in a manner which does not interrupt or disrupt the delivery of education by faculty members or receipt of education by students, within or outside the classroom.  The determination of whether such interruption or disruption has occurred has to be made by the faculty member at the time the behavior occurs.  It becomes the responsibility of the individual faculty member to maintain and enforce the standards of behavior acceptable to preserving an atmosphere for teaching and learning in accordance with University regulations and the course syllabus.

At a minimum, students will be warned if their behavior is evaluated by the faculty member as disruptive.  Serious disruptions, as determined by the faculty member, may result in immediate removal of the student from the instructional environment.  Significant and/or continued violations may result in an administrative withdrawal from the class.  Additional responses by the faculty member to disruptive behavior may include a range of actions from discussing the disruptive behavior with the student to referral to the appropriate academic unit and/or the Office of Student Life for administrative review, with a view to implement corrective action up to and including suspension or expulsion.

 

 


The visual form of the topics we will cover:

 

concept diagram 101

 

 

 

The chronologic, written form of topics we will cover:

 

LIST OF TOPICS

WEEK OF                   SUBJECT                                                                    BOOK CHAPTER

Aug. 29                       Introduction to earth systems & plate tectonics                       1, 2

Sept. 5                         Plate tectonics; Intro to minerals and rocks                             2, 3

 

GENERAL TOPIC:  THE EARTH SYSTEM/ROCKS (different kinds, by what processes do they form?)1

Sept. 12                       Igneous rocks:  volcanoes                                                       5

Sept. 19                       Igneous rocks:  plutons / FIRST HOUR EXAM                    4

Sept. 26                       Sedimentary rocks                                                                   7

Oct. 3                          Metamorphic rocks                                                                 8

Oct. 10                        Parallel project/Geologic time                                                  9

 

GENERAL TOPIC:  PROCESSES WITHIN THE EARTH (how did the earth form, and what processes go on inside the earth, away from direct observation?)1

Oct. 17                        Rock deformation /Formation of the earth                               10, 11

Oct. 24                        EarthÕs interior/SECOND HOUR EXAM                              12

Oct. 31                        Divergent plate boundaries                                                      13

Nov. 7                         Convergent plate boundaries/Parallel project                           14

                                                                       

GENERAL TOPIC:  SURFACE AND NEAR-SURFACE PROCESSES (how is the earthÕs surface modified by geologic processes?)1

Nov. 14                       Mass wasting/rivers                                                                 15, 16

Nov. 21                       Hydrology/THIRD HOUR EXAM                                        17

Nov. 28                       Glaciers / Wind and deserts                                                    18, 19

Dec. 6                          Climate change                                                                        21

 

FINAL EXAM:   TUESDAY DEC. 13, 7.30-9.30 AM

 

1 Each group will research an aspect of three General Topics through web exploration, Scientific American, or news media.  These three topics are:

á      Rocks (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) or minerals (includes gems and volcanoes)

á      Processes within the earth:  (earthquakes, plate tectonics, mountain building)

á      Surficial processes (rivers, deserts, oceans) or Geologic time (understanding complex geologic relations)