Dr.
David Evans
1017 Placer Hall
phone: 278-4331
email:
web page: www.dgevans.com or www.csus.edu/indiv/e/evansd
M
& W
And by appointment
Matt Gamble
1005 Placer Hall
phone: 278-3299
email: jmgamble@usgs.gov
TBA
Lutgens, F.K. and Tarbuck, E.J. and (2002). Foundations of
Earth Science, Third Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
Homework
Homework
will be required for most class meetings.
Some homework will be written homework, while some must be submitted
online.
Written
homework must be hand written in large
(8 ½ by 11 inch) bluebooks, using a special format that is discussed in a
separate handout. Bluebooks are
available in the bookstore.
Written
homework should be organized chronologically in the bluebook(s), with each new
assignment starting on a new page.
All
students are expected to do all assigned homework, even if they miss class or
have not completed the homework on time.
I
will collect bluebooks at least two times during the semester to check it for
completeness.
Homework
bluebooks, copies of online work, and
any supporting material are to be included in a course portfolio that will be
due on the day of the final exam.
Supporting
material can include material that shows your interest in, and mastery of,
earth science.
Self Assessment and Extra
Credit
At the end of the
semester you will be required to assess, in writing, your performance in the
course. The self-assessment will consist
of a short essay indicating the grade you think you earned or deserve. In your essay you should make specific
reference the content of your course portfolio.
In your assessment you should discuss factors that are not
explicitly calculated into grades, but that you think should influence your
final grade (this might include evidence of improvement, leadership in the
group activities, level of effort, answers course objectives, etc.). I will
read the self- assessments carefully and look closely at the supporting
material.
I will assign as much as 5% extra credit for well argued
self-assessments that persuade me that you deserve a grade higher than
indicated by your test scores. To earn extra credit you must provide
evidence in your course portfolio showing that you have mastery of the material
that is better than indicated by your test scores, and you must discuss this
evidence in your self-assessment. This is the only way to earn extra credit
in this course.
Daily
Questions
At the beginning of nearly each class period, a question will be
written on the blackboard. The answer to
the question will be revealed sometime during the class period. Every student attending class must provide a
written answer to the question before leaving class. The answer should be in a special format
given on a separate handout. Responses
to the daily question will be the main record of student attendance.
Regular Tests
There will be four
in-class tests, each worth 21% of the course grade. Each test will cover a limited amount of
material.
Dates of the test are
Monday,
September 30, 2002
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Friday, November 22, 2002
Wednesday, December 18, 2002 (during the first hour of the Final Exam period)
Optional
Comprehensive Final
All
students will have an opportunity to improve their course grade by taking a
one-hour comprehensive final exam. If
you choose to take the final exam it can be used to replace any single previous
exam grade, including a test you may have missed. Students who miss a previous exam because of
a legitimate excused absence can use the comprehensive final to replace two
previous test scores.
If your score on the comprehensive final
is lower than the test score you are replacing, it will not be counted. Taking the final exam cannot hurt your course
grade.
The optional comprehensive final will be
given on
Comments on Exams
Each exam will consist of
multiple choice (and possibly, short-answer) questions.
Some exams will have special instructions
that will be discussed prior to the day of the exam.
I will not give individual makeup tests for any reason. If you miss
an exam you will be given a score of 0, and will need to take the comprehensive
final to replace that score.
Attendance policy:
Attendance is expected.
If you have an excused absence, turn in your written excuse
(from a coach, other teacher, doctor, etc.) with your next Daily Question.
For the course grade I
will assign plusminus (+, ) grades.
Letter grades will be based on a scale no
more severe than the following:
A 90%100%
B 80%89%
C 70%79%
D 55%69%
F <55%.
Laboratory
Concurrent
enrollment in a laboratory course, Geology 8L, is encouraged but not
required. You may take Geology 8L any
time after completing Geology 8.
Other Course
Policies
The drop deadline for this course is
This is likely to be an impacted class meaning
that demand for enrollment exceeds the available space. Therefore, by university policy, no drops are allowed after September 13 except
for medical or job-related reasons.
I expect all students in this class to
conduct themselves in a mature and scholarly way.
In addition to attending class, I expect
students to be on time.
Turn off all cell phones and beepers before
entering class.
Class
Content
Elements of astronomy,
geology, meteorology and oceanography.
Catalog
Description
The earth and its neighbors in space. Scientific
method and discovery in the study of stars, planets, weather, rivers, glaciers,
oceans, rocks, volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, mountains, drifting
continents, earth in time. GE area B1.
General
Learning Objectives
Gain a basic
understanding of earth materials, earth processes, and the place of earth in
the universe.
Understand and
effectively use the scientific method.
Understand how
scientific understanding has evolved through human history.
Develop an appreciation
of the requisite features of scientific endeavors, and the limitations of
scientific inquiry.
Note: Specific learning
objectives will be handed out in class as we begin each segment of the course.
Check the web page weekly for the current lecture schedule and class notes.