Natural Science Department ISC 1141C: Earth and Space Science Fall 2008

Instructor: Donald L. Hall
Office Number: 25-129 Office Hours: Posted on office door or by appointment.
Telephone: 941-752-5486 Email Address:
Department Website: http://www.mccfl.edu/pages/179.asp
Course Coordinator: Donald L. Hall

Course Description: ISC 1141C Earth and Space Science (3) (A.A.). Four hours lecture/lab per week. This course meets Area V requirements for the A.A./A.A.S./A.S. general education requirements. An overview of the earth sciences for non-science majors including topics from geology, oceanography, meteorology, paleontology and astronomy. No prior coursework in science is required. The course enables students to achieve a level of scientific literacy, which will prepare them to become better-informed citizens of a democracy, and knowledgeable consumers. The emphasis is on the basic scientific principles and environmental concerns. The laboratory exercises will acquaint the student with basic tools of science and reinforce lecture concepts. Note: Students who have already earned credit in PSC 1121 or PSC 1122C may not earn credit for ISC 1141C. Additional special fees are required.

Course Performance Standards: Students may access course performance standards by clicking on the “Course Performances Standards” link at the web address: http://www.mccfl.edu/pages/1161.asp. A hard copy may be obtained from the instructor or from the Department Office.

Text and Materials: Required Earth and Space Science by Tarbuck. ISBN # 05369455551

Attendance Policy: Attendance is very important! Part of your grade is based on your participation in and successful completion of the group activities in class. You are expected to be at class, on time, ready to work each day. If you are tardy or leave early you will lose points for that day’s activity. There are no make-up activities planned, dropping two activities and one test should handle any illness or emergency. Any request to make up work must be accompanied by documentation for all absences in this class.

When you arrive late, you disrupt the class and miss part of what we have done. You will lose one point for each 5 min. you are late! After your third tardy, the penalty will double, and after your fifth tardy the penalty will triple.

When you are absent you will get a zero for daily or test work. After your third absence you will suffer an additional 10 point penalty for each additional absence. If you are absent/tardy more than seven times you may be dropped from the course with a “W” (before the withdrawal deadline) or an “F” after the deadline.

Should you stay in this course?? If you do not want to buy the book, do the exercises, work in a group, prepare ahead for class, or come to class regularly and on time – then you should drop this course and take another course. The instructor will be glad to help select one that is better suited to your expectations.

Grading Policy: Twenty-five lab activities will be performed for 10 pts each. You will be given five (75 pt ) tests, although I may collect a group’s manuals and grade them in place of the test or part of the test. Each test will have about 25 pts on the group test and about 50 pts on the individual test. I will drop two activity grades and one test grade. Your grade for the course will be based on the percentage of points you earn out of the possible 530 points. This means that 43% of your grade will be based on daily work and 57% will be based on tests.

A 90% B 80% C 70% D 60% F <60%

REMEMBER - Only courses with a grade of "C" or higher may be used for General Education requirements!

Withdrawal Policy: In accordance with the Manatee Community College policy as stated in the college catalog, students may withdraw from any course or all courses without academic penalty of a WF by the withdrawal deadline as listed in the Manatee Community College academic calendar. This semester this date is Monday, Oct. 27, 2008. The student must take responsibility for initiating the withdrawal procedure. Students are strongly encouraged to talk with their instructors first before taking any withdrawal action.

Statement of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of ideas, facts, opinions, illustrative material, data, direct or indirect wording of another scholar and/or writer—professional or student—without giving proper credit. Expulsion, suspension, or any lesser penalty may be imposed for plagiarism.

Standards of Conduct: Students are expected to abide by all Lancer Student Handbook guidelines.


Course Assignments: Tentative weekly schedule for activities

Dates Activity Dates Activity

Aug. 18 & 19 / Class Introduction / Aug. 20 & 21 / Ex # 1 - Minerals
Aug. 25 & 26 / Ex # 2a - Rocks / Aug. 27 & 28 / Ex # 2b - Rocks
Sep. 1 & 2 / Labor Day and Catch Up / Sep. 3 & 4 / Ex #22 – location on Earth
Sep. 8 & 9 / Test #1 / Sep. 10 & 11 / GPS
Sep. 15 & 16 / Ex #3a – Aerial photos /Topo maps / Sep. 17 & 18 / Ex #3b – Aerial photos /Topo maps continued
Sep. 22 & 23 / Ex #4a - Running water / Sep. 24 & 25 / Ex #4b - Groundwater
Sep. 29 & 30 / Ex #5 – Arid and Glacial Erosion / Oct. 1 & 2 / Test #2
Oct. 6 & 7 / Ex #6a – Geologic time / Oct. 8 & 9 / Ex #6b – Geologic time continued
Oct. 13 & 14 / Dinosaurs – Were they warm blooded? / Oct. 15 & 16 / Dinosaurs – Extinction controversy!
Oct. 20 & 21 / Ex #8– Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics / Oct. 22 & 23 / Ex #10 – The Ocean Floor
Oct. 27 & 29 / Test #3 / Oct. 29 & 30 / Ex #11 – Waves, Currents and Tides
Nov. 3 & 4 / Ex #12 Earth and Sun / Nov. 5 & 6 / Intro to weather
Ex #13 Atmospheric heating
Nov. 10 & 11 / Catch up and Veteran’s Day / Nov. 12 & 13 / Ex # 14 – Moisture, Pressure and wind
Nov. 17 & 18 / Test # 4 / Nov. 19 & 20 / Introduction to Astronomy
Nov. 24 & 25 / #18 – Patterns in the Solar System / Nov. 26 & 27 / Catch Up and Thanksgiving
Dec. 1 & 2 / Ex #19 – Planet Positions / Dec. 3 & 4 / Ex #21 Moon and Sun
Dec. 8 - 11 / Test # 5
Per final exam schedule

College Holidays – No Classes Monday, Sept 1 – Labor Day Friday, Oct 10 – Faculty Development Day

Tuesday, Nov 11 – Veterans Day Observed Nov 27-30 – Thanksgiving Holiday

Additional information: What I expect of you: You should read, study and be ready to do the exercise assigned before coming to class. Always read the introductory material, skim over the activities to be completed and look up any vocabulary words that are unknown to you. Read or look over the handouts or text chapters provided with the exercises. Everyone is expected to do each exercise as assigned, in its entirety BEFORE doing the Summary Report. Failure to actually do the exercise is considered cheating and may result in a zero grade for the exercise. Doing some of the activity at home, before class, will ensure that you finish in class. Lecture sessions will introduce the activities and may contain some material not in your manual. However, the learning takes place as you study and do the exercises with your group. This is not a lecture course! Discussing the answers and helping the members of your group will result in your learning the material better. In addition to the required book, you will find various reference books and on-line resources to be very useful. Pop quizzes may be given to test your preparedness. Some class time will be devoted to discussing strategies for studying, problem solving and test taking in science. Leaving class, arriving tardy, sleeping, working on homework for other classes or talking during a presentation will be considered disrupting class. The first time you disrupt class you will be warned, the second time you will be dropped from class as a disciplinary action.