SOSC 107, Introduction to Science II
at Southeastern University
Earth Science
Spring 1998
Dr. Harold Williams
[202]-488-8162 extension 204 Southeastern
University voice mail
H.Williams@faculty.seu.edu
Southeastern University E-mail
Montgomery College at Takoma Park
[240]-567-1463 Planetariums, attached to
Science South
[301]-565-3709 home
Catalogue Description: Overview of the
elements of physical geology, historical geology, mineralogy, meteorology,
cartography, climatology, oceanographic, and astronomy. Fundamental concepts
of physics and chemistry and the underlying scientific laws. Emphasis is
on giving the non-scientist a comprehensive knowledge of the basics in
each of the fields covered. Three hours lecture once each week.
3 semester hours
My Description: We shall learn about rocks
and minerals, the earth's oceans, and its atmosphere. We shall also learn
a little astronomy so you will understand the place of the earth in the
grander realm of the universe. We will keep a journal on this learning.
Clientele: Anyone who wants to understand
the bigger world outside of this city.
Prerequisite: Willingness to read, think,
write, and communicate.
Text: Understanding Earth, 2nd
edition with CD-ROM by Frank Press and Raymond Siever published by W.H.
Freeman.
My Expectations:
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That you read the assigned portions of the text before
coming to class.
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That you will ask questions on the assigned portion
that you did not understand.
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That you will answer one simple question on the miniquiz
which will chiefly test whether you have done the above two things.
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That you will keep your Earth Science Journal current
for every class.
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That you will take the one test during the semester
and the one final exam.
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That you will appreciate our place on the world.
Outcomes:
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You will learn a lot of earth science vocabulary.
You will be able to intelligently read newspaper articles about resent
discoveries of the earth and other terrestrial planets.
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You will be able to read a USGS topographical
map.
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You will be able to read a star map.
Grading Policy:
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Miniquizes after question period-10%
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One test during the semester-30%
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One final exam-60%
A little about my educational philosophy.
I shall not read the book to you in class. You
are expected to do that before class. If your grandmother dies or your
spleen ruptures or your job requires you to work unexpected overtime and
you are unable to do the reading, please do not compound the problem by
not showing up to class. Why be doubly disadvantaged?
What is your Earth Science Journal?
The Earth Science Journal is a written
record of your Earth Science study and learning. Keeping this journal will
help you learn Earth Science and will also help you in all your other courses.
It will consist of several parts. Your journal will be organized in chapters
similar to the book and it will have the following subsections in each
chapter.
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Notes in outline form of the chapter. You should
also include questions in here about things that you didn't understand
when you read the text. These questions you will ask me in class. I like
to answer questions. Make me happy. Everything, definitions and all, should
be expressed in your own words. You need to make Earth Science real to
yourself. Writing about it will help you do this. You have to organize
your thoughts to write about them. Write as you read, please. Do not read
an entire chapter in the text before summarizing it. Summarize subsections
before going on to the next subsection. .
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Vocabulary words defined in your own words. Most
of the vocabulary words will be in bold face type the first time they are
used in the text. Do not copy the definition out of the glossary. I will
consider that plagiarism. For you to really understand the meaning of words
and terms you must express it in your own words.
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Notes taken in class about things that I say and
problems that I work. Sometimes I will tell you things in a different way
than in the text, or I may feel that certain ideas need to be introduced
sooner than they appear in the book.
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A recapitulation or synthesis of all of the important
ideas summarized in the chapter. You do this only after the three previous
points are finished. You should use this to steady for test taking.
In the rear of the journal will be a graded midterm
with all of the exam questions that you missed reworked and done correctly.
The same question or a very similar one will appear on the final.
Physically the journal can be a ringed binder
or a cheaper brad binder. Papers will have to be taken in and out and rearranged
from time to time. A spiral bound notebook will not work well at all. Please
bring this to class, always! I will want to look at it from time to time
to see how you are doing. Remember this is ultimately a journal for you.
You can use your Earth Science journal on test. My test are murderously
hard; you will need a well written journal. It should be clear and
neat enough so that not only l can understand what you are doing, but that
you can understand what you did when you look at it ten years from now.
Reading Assignments for each Class
Reading Assignment for each class to be completed
by the next class meeting.
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April 3. 1 Building a Planet; 2 Minerals:
Building Blocks of Rocks
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April 10. 3 Rocks: Records of Geological Processes;
20 Plate Tectonics: The Unifying Theory
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April 17. 4 Igneous Rocks: Solids from Melts;
5 Volcanism
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April 24. 6 Weathering and Erosion', 7 Sediments
and Sedimentary Rocks
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May 1. 8 Metamorphic Rocks', 9 The Rock Record
and the Cytological Time Scale
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May 8.
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May l5. 10 Folds, 12 faults, and Other Records
of Rock- Deformation; 1l Mass Wasting
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May 22. l 2 The Hydrological Cycle and Groundwater;
13 Rivers: Transport to t he Oceans
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May 29. 14 Winds and Deserts; 15 Glaciers:
The Work of Ice
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June 5. 17 Oceans', 18 Earthquakes', 19 Exploring
Earth's Interior
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June 12. 21 Deformation of the Continental
Crust; 22 Energy Resources from the Earth; 23 Mineral Resources from the
Earth, 24 Earth System and Cycles
Lecture and activities title
Each class meeting will be broken down into two
parts. The first will meet from 5:30-6:45 P.M., then we will have a quarter
of an hour break, the second will meet from 7:00.-8:00 P.M.
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April 3. Introduction
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What is this course
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Planet Earth
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April 10. The Two Dynamical Systems
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The Hydrologic System
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The Tectonic System
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April l7. Mineral and Rocks
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Minerals
Activity examine rocks, look for minerals
Rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary, and, Metamorphic
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May 1. Erosion and Compactification
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May 8. Changes
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Metamorphism
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Telling time with rocks
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May 15. Midterm Exam which will cover from
chapters l -9 and 20 on page 1 -209 and 446-477.
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May 22. The Hydrological Cycle
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June 5. Seismicity
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Earthquakes
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Interior of the Earth
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June 12. Resources
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Energy Sources
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Material Sources
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June 19. Final Exam that will cover everything
in the text and everything else that I have said in class.