Introduction to Geology

Introduction to Geology Geology 50 Fall 2006 Required Texts: Tarbuck & Lutgens, Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 8e (E)

Lecture: Beury 160 TR, 8:40-10:00 Jones & Jones, Laboratory Manual for Physical Geology, 5e (LM)

Labs: Barton A301

Instructor: Dr. Allison Tumarkin-Deratzian Office: Beury 315, Phone:215-204-3907, Email:

Office hours: 1:00-2:30 MW, 12:00-1:30 F

Course Description:

An introduction to the basic principles and processes of geology. Wide range of topics, including rocks and minerals, surface processes, plate tectonics, and the earth's interior.

Policies:

Attendance: You are responsible for attending the required lectures and laboratory sections. Attendance sheets will be passed around during lecture; be certain to sign in on the class list next to your name.

Labs: All students must register for a laboratory section. Labs do not meet during the first week of classes.

Lecture Slides: The Powerpoint presentations for each week’s lectures will be posted on the course Blackboard site by Friday of the previous week. It is your own responsibility to print slide sheets if you want to use them for note-taking. In order to save paper, I will not be providing handouts in class.

Grading and Exams:

Exam 1 (Thursday 9/21 In class) 20%

Exam 2 (Thursday 10/19 In class) 20%

Exam 3 (Thursday 11/16 In class) 20%

Final Exam (Thursday 12/14 8:30-10:30 AM) 20%

Lab Exercises and Lab Exams 20%

Lecture exams will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false, and matching questions based on material covered in lecture. Lecture exams are graded electronically. You must fill out the forms correctly; otherwise your answers will be counted wrong. I do not check your forms.

Lecture exam scores will be posted outside of our lecture hall. Your grade will be listed next to your Temple ID number.

Lab exams will be given during lab periods in Week 7 or 8 and Week 14 or 15 (depending on lab section).

In-class lecture exams and lab exams are not cumulative.

Make-up Exams: Make-up exams will only be given under extreme circumstances with a valid, documented excuse (e.g. severe illness, death in the family). This applies to all exams, including the lab exams and the final. Should such a circumstance arise, contact me (or your TA, for the lab exams) immediately and prior to the scheduled exam date to schedule a make-up exam. Simply not showing up for the exam and waiting until later to talk to me or the TA is not acceptable, and I cannot guarantee a make-up under those circumstances.

Extra Credit: Not an option. Non-negotiable.

Final Grades: Final course grades will be assigned based on the following scale: A = 93-100, A- = 90-92, B+ = 87-89, B = 83-86, B- = 80-82, C+ = 77-79, C = 73-76, C- 70-72, D+ = 67-69, D = 63-66, D- = 60-62, F 60. I do not curve grades.

Incompletes: Incomplete grades may be given only after a written incomplete contract is completed and it is approved by the CST Dean. Students must have completed most of the work for the class.

Disabilities: Academic accommodations are available for students with disabilities. Contact Disability Resources and Services (100 Ritter Annex, 1301 C.B.Moore Ave; 215-204-1280) and schedule an appointment with me (as early in the semester as possible) if you have needs that require accommodation. I must have a copy of your DRS accommodation letter before I can grant accommodations.

Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link: http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02.

WEEK DATE LECTURE TOPIC READINGS (E pages) LAB (LM chapter)

1 8/29 Introduction 7-8, 12-24 NO LAB (all sections)

8/31 Plate Tectonics 36-73

2 9/5 Matter and Minerals 78-93 NO LAB (M sections)

9/7 Matter and Minerals (con.) 87-105 Mineral Properties (1) (TWRF sections)

3 9/12 Igneous Rocks 110-124 Mineral Properties (1) (M sections)

9/14 Igneous Rocks (con.) 119-133 Mineral Identification (2) (TWRF sections)

4 9/19 Volcanoes & Other Igneous Activity 138-158 Mineral Identification (2) (M sections)

9/21 Exam 1 Igneous Rocks (3) (TWRF sections)

5 9/26 Volcanoes & Other Igneous Activity (con.) 158-178 Igneous Rocks (3) (M sections)

9/28 Weathering &Soils 184-196 Sedimentary Rocks (4) (TWRF sections)

6 10/3 Weathering &Soils (con.) 196-208 Sedimentary Rocks (4) (M sections)

10/5 Sedimentary Rocks 212-238 Metamorphic Rocks (5) (TWRF sections)

7 10/10 Metamorphic Rocks 244-256 Metamorphic Rocks (5) (M sections)

10/12 Metamorphic Rocks (con.) 256-267 Lab Midterm (TWRF sections)

8 10/17 Geologic Time 272-296 Lab Midterm (M sections)

10/19 Exam 2 Topographic Maps I (6) (TWRF sections)

9 10/24 Running Water 468-479 Topographic Maps I (6) (M sections)

10/26 Running Water (con.) 479-489 Topographic Maps II (6) (TWRF sections)

10 10/31 Crustal Deformation 302-323 Topographic Maps II (6) (M sections)

11/2 Earthquakes 328-340 Geologic Age (13) (TWRF sections)

11 11/7 Earthquakes (con.) 340-355 Geologic Age (13) (M sections)

11/9 Earth’s Interior 17-19, 362-368 Structural Geology (14) (TWRF sections)

12 11/14 Earth’s Interior (con.) 19-24, 368-376 Structural Geology (14) (M sections)

11/16 Exam 3 Geologic Maps (15) (TWRF sections)

13 11/21 Divergent Boundaries 382-396 Geologic Maps (15) (M sections)

11/23 NO CLASS Earthquakes (16) (RF sections meet on TW)

14 11/28 Divergent Boundaries (con.) 396-410 Earthquakes (16) (MTW sections)

11/30 Convergent Boundaries 416-431 Lab Final (RF sections)

15 12/5 Convergent Boundaries (con.) 425-441 Lab Final (MTW sections)

SOME FREE ADVICE

1. Show up to class.

2. Do not just take notes when I write something down. What I say is often as or more important than what I write.

3. Focus your notes and your studying on concepts and processes, not just on definitions of terms.

4. Make flash cards for terms from lectures.

5. Recopy and revise (or at least reread) your notes as soon as possible after class when the information is still fresh in your mind. This will help you make sense of the thoughts you wrote down during the lecture. It will also help you pin down what you understand and what you don’t, so that you can either look in the textbook for the answer, or ask me or the TA to clarify a definition or concept.

6. Read the summaries and do the questions at the end of each chapter in the text.

7. Use the resources on the text’s GEODe:Earth CD and website: www.prenhall.com/tarbuck

8. Make use of the Math and Sciences Resource Center (MSRC) located at 1810 Liacouras Walk, Rooms 201 & 208. They provide individual and group tutoring services.