ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNIQUES
EARTH SCIENCE 4313
SPRING 2016
Instructor: Dr. Carol Thompson
Office: 139D Science--ext. 9739
Asst: Joree Burnett, 139B
Meeting Place: 122 Science, 1-6 PM Friday
This is a field course. We will be cold, wet and dirty so be prepared. Wear appropriate clothing. Drivers training is required for anyone transporting students and we need several drivers for this class. Most of the labs will take the entire time, sometimes more, so do not plan to be somewhere on Friday afternoon before 6 PM!
Text: None, readings on reserve in the library, internet readings and BB. This does not mean there is no reading to do. You must do the readings before you come to class. They will allow you to formulate your strategy for the field exercises that week. You also have to read to learn professional language for your reports.
Blackboard
The syllabus with links to internet readings are on Blackboard
Other announcements will be there as well, pertaining to that week's activities.
Check this frequently for updates
Materials Needed
(make up a pack with what you need for this class, that way you won’t forget something)
Field Notebook (waterproof is nice, but they are more expensive). Your field notebook should have permanent pages, not tear-out.
A clipboard for field forms
Field clothes - this includes wet boots/waders, be prepared to get wet and dirty. I have a lot, but maybe not in your size.
Water, snacks
Personal items related to your comfort-sunscreen, hats, insect stuff
Spare clothes especially for the days in the water
Work gloves, clipper for brush and thorns
A calculator, ruler, tape measure if you have one
A couple of colored pencils, pens
Nice to have: camera, photographic records are often required in environmental work, so this would be a good time to learn how and what to take.
You are responsible for all equipment including waders used in the field. That means taking care of it, not losing it, and cleaning it when we return. I will assign a clean-up crew every week as needed.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge outcomes
Upon completion of this course students will:
· know the proper handling and utilization of a variety of field equipment
· understand the proper methods of water quality collection, handling, and storage in environmental work
· understand QA/QC procedures in environmental work
· know how to store samples for transport and QA/QC requirements
Skill outcomes
Upon completion of this course students will:
· be able to keep good field notes
· be able to communicate results of a field investigation in a efficient and clear manner
· know how to develop a technical report in a timely manner
· know the proper methods of citation and figure labeling for a professional document
· be able to work efficiently as part of a team
· be able to use a variety of field equipment
Value outcomes
Upon completion of this course students will:
· understand the importance of accurate field notes
· understand the value of good communication skills
· appreciate the many available data collection techniques in the environmental field
Class Participation
This is a course designed specifically for advanced undergraduates who think that one day they may need to gather data in the field. This is not a correspondence course! All students are expected to attend every class period, and have read the assigned materials. This is also not a lecture course. At the beginning of each meeting, we will meet and discuss what we are going to do in the lab or field. I may lecture, I may not – but you are still responsible for the lecture material. All students are expected to be active participants. There is a reason for doing the class this way. When you are working, you will be asked to do things you may not know how to do. Being able to find relevant material, absorb it quickly, and figure out how to do the task will make you a valuable asset.
Assigned work will involve exercises to be completed in small groups, usually outside of class hours, and will be due the date given. Late work is not acceptable because if you are working in a group, you are affecting everyone. Group exercises are fundamental because not only does it help in the learning process, but you need to be able to work effectively with anyone. For that reason, I will also shuffle the groups throughout the class. For each group you will each be asked to fill out a group member evaluation form. The evaluation is part of your grade. Although we will be working in groups, everyone is responsible for learning the material.
Each person is responsible for recording field data. Your group may assign someone to copy certain information while others do the collecting. Make sure you write the day’s field data in your notebook before leaving the field site. Indicate that it is copied data and who has the original data. Your field notes are part of your grade. Make sure it reflects what should be in field notes. Write the field data and notes as if you were going to present them in court. Your field notes will be graded.
Some of the lab exercises may require additional trips to complete, particularly if you are not prepared when we go out and mess things up. Be forewarned and read the material before class. Reports will be due from each of you. The report IS NOT a team exercise. Each of you will write your own report, in English. Communication is essential in the Environmental Field. You will be writing reports for others to read. If they are unclear, you will not last long at any job.
The assigned readings/internet notes constitute part of this course. There is a lot of material to be covered. You need to learn to skim the material to pick out relevant information. You don't have to read it as though you had to recall every last bit of it.
The exams will cover the readings from BB and online, material presented in class, and lessons learned during the field exercises.
Grading
This class is designated as a WI class. Most of the emphasis will be on writing and in this class that will be your field notes and your reports.
For referencing we will use an article I specify. There is no standard in geology or environmental science per se. Each journal adapts its own style as will your employer.
A useful discussion of content and methodology in research papers can be found at http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html, and http://umech.mit.edu/freeman/6.021J/2000/writing.pdf. Reports are often similar to a research paper. There is a lot of good information in here about writing.
All graded work must be demonstrably your own. Feel free to discuss the lab with your group or classmates, but your lab report must be clearly distinguishable from others. Copying others' lab reports will constitute academic dishonesty, and will generally cause a grade of zero to be entered for that lab and/or the course.
Completion of and performance on field and lab exercises 50% (see grading rubric)
The lab exercises have variable weights. You will have chances to re-write some of the reports, more at first. Always turn in the originals with the newer version. Note this means that you will be writing a new report and re-writing an older report at the same time. Time management is essential.
Field notes for the course 10%
Two exams 40%
Every exercise will be due on the assigned day and time, usually by the following class period. After that time a 10%-day reduction is in effect will be assessed. No work will be accepted that is more than 5 days old. There is almost no way to make up missed work in this class, particularly work with TIAER.
Tarleton differentiatesbetween a failed grade in a class because a student never attended (F0 grade), stopped attending at some point in the semester (FX grade), or because the student did not pass the course (F) but attended the entire semester. These grades will be noted on the official transcript. Stopping or never attending class is considered anunofficial withdrawal andcan result in the student having to return aid monies received. For more information see the Tarleton Financial Aid website
These are the sections that we will learn to write.
Introduction - what are we doing, why. Material for this section is from any lecture material and background reading complete with references.
Methods - discussion of the methods we actually used, site description
Data Results: the data collected, discussion of the data-not what it means, what it is
Data Analysis: what did you find, what does the data mean
Unless there is a monsoon, we will go out when scheduled.
Date / Topic / Due date1/15/2016 / Introduction, Field Notes, Writing, Field safety (lab) / 1% / 1/15, 1/29, 2/5
1/22/2016 / QA/QC, sampling SOPs, instrument calibration (lab) / 3% / 1/29 (oral, written )
1/29/2016 / Water quality Analysis (lab)
Presentations of instrument use
2/05/2016 / Limnological sampling (field/lab)
Introduction, Methods, Results / 4% / 2/12, rewrite 2/26
2/12/2016 / GPS and general field/well problems (lab/field)
Results, Analysis
(lysimeter installation) / 4% / 2/19, rewrite 3/5
2/19/2016 / Well design, installation, sampling - well purging, water levels, stabilization criteria, soil water sampling (lab/field) / 1% / 3/6
2/26/2016 / Soil (field/lab)
Methods, Results, Analysis / 5% / 3/19
3/05/2016 / Midterm
3/12/2016 / SPRING BREAK
3/19/2016 / Stream assessment methods (field), TIAER
Intro, Methods, Results / 6% / 3/28
Note the date, not a Friday
3/25/2016 / Good Friday No school
4/1/2016 / Biological analysis (lab) TIAER
Results, Analysis / 8% / 4/8/16
4/8/2016 / Water quality sampling- streams (field) WQ lab
Full report / 8% / 4/15
4/15-17/2016 / Colorado River trip
Final Full report / 10% / 4/26
4/22/2016 / IG-MET trip, Wetlands trip
4/29/2016
3-5:30 / Final
In support of Tarleton’s core value of service, each student is expected to participate in a service learning experience as a part of the Spring term week of service. This experience will challenge students to be engaged in the local community, address a community need, connect course objectives to the world around you, and involve structured student reflection. In this service learning experience you will not only enhance your knowledge and skills, but actively use those skills as you serve your community.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
I. Tarleton State University's Policy on Cheating: Tarleton State University expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students guilty of academic dishonesty, cheating, or plagiarism in academic work shall be subject to disciplinary action. Refer to the Student Handbook for detailed information.
II. It is the policy of Tarleton State University to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws. If you are a student with a disability seeking accommodations for this course, please contact the Center for Access and Academic Testing, at 254.968.9400 . The office is located in Math 201. More information can be found atwww.tarleton.edu/caator in the University Catalog.