|
Fall 2025 Course Syllabus
Course: GEOL-1304 (Section: 71D, CRN: 93292) Historical Geology |
|
| Instructor Information | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor | Karen Stelly | ||||||||
| stellyks@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||
| Phone | (409) 984-6341 | ||||||||
| Office | Educational I - Room: 133 | ||||||||
| Office Hours | None | ||||||||
| Additional Contact Information | |||||||||
| Course Information | |||||||||
| Description | A comprehensive survey of the history of life and major events in the physical development of Earth as interpreted from rocks and fossils. | ||||||||
| Required Textbooks |
Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.
Earth Through Time 11th ed; Levin and King, ISBN 978-1-119-22834-9 |
||||||||
| Additional Materials/Resources | None | ||||||||
| Corequisites/Prerequisites |
|
||||||||
| Learning Outcomes |
Describe how the application of the scientific method has led to our current understanding of Earth history. Explain the historical development of Geology as a science and how it was influenced by early interpretations of fossils and the theory of evolution. Communicate how principles of relative and numerical age dating have been used to develop the Geologic Time Scale. Describe the processes involved in the formation and differentiation of the Earth and identify major milestones in the physical evolution of the planet. Identify the major milestones in the evolution of life from its initial inorganic stages, through development of the major animal and plant groups, to mass extinctions. Explain how rocks and fossils are used to interpret ancient environments. Identify the major tectonic events in the geologic evolution of North America. |
||||||||
| Core Objectives |
|
||||||||
| Lecture Topics Outline |
Science of Historical Geology Early Geologists tackle history's mysteries Time and geology Rocks and minerals: Documents that record Earth's history sedimentary archives Life on earth: What do fossils reveal? Plate tectonics underlies all earth history Earth's formative states and the Archean Eon Proterozoic: Dawn of a more modern world Early Paleozoic events Late Paleozoic events Paleozoic life Mesozoic events Mesozoic life Cenozoic events Cenozoic life Human origins |
||||||||
| Major Assignments Schedule |
Week 2 Discussion 1 Week 3 Assignment 1 Week 4 Test 1 Week 5 Discussion 2 Week 7 Assignment 2 Week 8 Test 2 Week 9 Discussion 3 Week 10 Assignment 3 Week 11 Test 3 Week 12 Discussion 4 Weel 15 Test 4; Final Exam |
||||||||
| Final Exam Date | December 7, 2025 - 12:00 AM Through December 7, 2025 - 11:59 PM | ||||||||
| Grading Scale | 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B 70 - 79=C 60 - 69=D Below 59 = F | ||||||||
| Determination of Final Grade |
Discussions 20% Assignments 20% Tests 40% Final exam 20% |
||||||||
| Course Policies | |||||||||
| Instructor Policies |
Tests taken before submitting the associated test will lose 10 of the grade for said test. Assignments deliberately mis-posted to make something look like it's not late will lose 10% of the grade. Graded work may NOT be resubmitted for a better grade. There are specific dates in the Course Schedule for late work to be submitted by. Once that date has passed, work submitted will not be graded.
**Rules do not apply to introductions. The purpose of discussion is to exchange ideas and demonstrate a deeper level of learning and understanding of the topic. Please carefully review all of these rules and rubric. Response to discussion question (DQ) is due no later than Thursday of each discussion week (early is always good!). Students must reply to two (2) peers or instructor each discussion week for participation points. Participation posts may be posted any of the 7 days of the given discussion week. The DQ response is worth 30 points, and each reply to peers is worth 10 points each. DQ initial responses posted between Friday and Sunday will lose 1 point per day. Point earning responses to the DQ must address each part of the DQ, be as thorough as possible, with a minimum of 100-150 words. Point earning participation posts should be at least 75-100 words long, and may either add something new to the topic you are responding to, or provoke deeper thinking. These can be accomplished by:
Some things that do not constitute substantive are:
Always support your statements with logic and argument, citing any sources referenced. Post your initial response early and check back often to continue the discussion. Be sure to respond to your peers' and instructor's posts, as well. A few words about courtesy. We all need to be polite. I don’t think any one of us would like to be the recipient of rudeness. Below are some pointers about proper netiquette:
|
||||||||
| Attendance Policy | Attendance will be noted by submitting work. | ||||||||
| Additional Information | None | ||||||||
| Institutional Policies | |||||||||
| MyLSCPA | Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA. | ||||||||
| Academic Honesty | Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty. | ||||||||
| ADA Considerations | The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. The phone number is (409) 984-6241. | ||||||||
| COVID 19 Information | The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website. | ||||||||
| Facility Policies | No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited. | ||||||||
| HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. | ||||||||
| Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect | As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual. | ||||||||
| Title IX and Sexual Misconduct | LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website. | ||||||||
| Clery Act Crime Reporting |
For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website. |
||||||||
| Grievance / Complaint / Concern | If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair. | ||||||||
| Department Information |
|
||||||||