GEOL-1404-85 - Historical Geology
Lamar State College - Port Arthur
House Bill 2504
Spring 2015 Course Syllabus
Faculty Information | |||||||||||||
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Semester | Spring 2015 | ||||||||||||
Instructor | Taylor, Ronald Shearer | ||||||||||||
Phone | (409) 984-6575 | ||||||||||||
taylorrs@lamarpa.edu | |||||||||||||
Department |
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Office |
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MyLamarPA | Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLamarPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you’ve logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the “My Courses” tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLamarPA. | ||||||||||||
Course Information | |||||||||||||
Course Number | 11506 | ||||||||||||
Course Description | A comprehensive survey of the history of life and major events in the physical development of Earth as interpreted from rocks and fossils. Laboratory activities will introduce methods used by scientists to interpret the history of life and major events in the physical development of Earth from rocks and fossils. | ||||||||||||
Course Prerequisites | None | ||||||||||||
Required Textbooks |
THE CHANGING EARTH: EXPLORING GEOLOGY & EVOLUTION 6TH ED., BY MONROE & WICANDER, BROOKS/COLE, 2012; LABORATORY EXERCISES IN HISTORICAL GEOLOGY, 5TH ED., BY M.S. STEVENS & J.B. STEVENS, CENGAGE LEARNING,2012 |
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Attendance Policy | ATTENDANCE IS EXPECTED. | ||||||||||||
Course Grading Scale | 90 - 100 = A 80 - 89 = B 70 - 79 = C 60 - 69 = D Below 59 = F | ||||||||||||
Determination of Final Grade | TESTS-45%; LAB 15%, QUIZZES-15%, FINAL EXAM 25% | ||||||||||||
Final Exam Date | May 5, 2015 - 8:00 AM | ||||||||||||
Major Assignments |
WEEK 1: COURSE INTRODUCTION; SYLLABUS REVIEW; CONNECTED EARTH; VAST TIME WEEK 2: DYNAMIC EARTH; ROCK CYCLE; FOSSIL CLOCKS WEEK 3:SEDIMENTARY ROCKS,ENVIRONMENTS & STRUCTURES, HISTORY OF PLATE THEORY WEEK 4:PLATE TECTONIC THEORY & EARTH AS A PLANET WEEK 5: LECTURE EXAM I; MOUNTAIN BUILDING WEEK 6:ROCKS, FOSSILS, & RELATIVE TIME; FIRST LIFE WEEK 7: HISTORY OF LIFE, EVOLUTION, SNOWBALL EARTH, METAZOANS WEEK 8: LECTURE EXAM II; ASSEMBLING N. AMERICA; COLLAPSE OF EARTHS FIRST EDEN WEEK 9: DEVELOPMENT OF EXOSKELETONS, RISE OF VERTEBRATES WEEK 10: SWIMMING TO WALKING; FORESTS TO GIANTS WEEK 11:AMNIOTES; FOSSILIZATION; PERMIAN LIFE & EXTINCTION WEEK 12: LECTURE EXAM II; DINOSAURS; GEOLOGIC MAP OF TEXAS WEEK 13: MARINE & FLYING REPTILES; BIRDS--THE DINOSAURS AMONG US WEEK 14: EGG TO PLACENTA; MAMMAL EVOLUTION; A TROPICAL PLANET WEEK 15: THE JOURNEY OF MAN; FINAL REVIEW; FINAL EXAM |
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Calendar of Lecture Topics and Major Assignment Due Dates |
APRIL 22: PRESENTATIONS ON DINOSAUR BEHAVIOR & PHYSIOLOGY APRIL 24: SUBMIT ALL LAB EXERCISES & A SEPARATE FOLDER WITH QUESTION/ANSWER COMPLETIONS TAKEN FROM LECTURE OUTLINES |
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General Education/Core Curriculum Student Learning Outcomes |
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Program Student Learning Outcomes |
PSLO ALPHA--DEMONSTRATES COMPREHENSION OF GEOLOGICAL READING MATERIAL PSLO 1--EVALUATES AND SYNTHESIZES INFORMATION (DATA) PSLO 2--EFFECTIVELY EXPRESSES SEQUENCES OF IDEAS & PROCESSES PSLO 3--APPLIES PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS USING SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES PSLO 4--WORKS EFFECTIVELY TO SUPPORT A SHARED GOAL Examples of how the the aforementioned PSLO's relate to the following CSLO's are: CSLO ALPHA--Opened book testing requires comprehension of reading material. CSLO 1--Oral & written integration of foundational concepts requires critical thinking. CSLO 2--Discussion of video and in-classroom lectures improves communication skills. CSLO 3--Laboratory assignments sharpen empirical and quantitative skills. CSLO 4--Frequent emphasis on how teamwork led to scientific advances and on how paired "teamwork" in the classroom can lead to better problem-solving. |
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Course Student Learning Outcomes |
Upon successful completion of this lecture part of the course, students will: 1. Describe how the application of the scientific method has led to our current understanding of Earth history. 2. Explain the historical development of Geology as a science and how it was influenced early interpretations of fossils and theory of evolution. 3. Communicate how principles of relative and numerical age dating have been used to develop the Geologic Time Scale. 4. Describe the processes involved in the formation and differentiation of the Earth and identify major milestones in the physical evolution of the planet. 5. Identify the major milestones in the evolution of life from its initial inorganic stages through development o the major animal and plant groups, to mass extinctions. 6. Explain how rocks and minerals are used to interpret ancient environments. 7. Identify the major tectonic events in the geologic evolution of North America. Upon successful completion of the lab part of the course, students will: 1. Classify and interpret depositional using sedimentary rocks and fossils and fossils 2. Taxonomically classify samples of geologically important fossil groups and use them to interpret the age of rocks on the Geologic Time Scale. 3. Apply relative and numerical age-dating techniques to construct geologic histories including the correlation of stratigraphic sections. 4. Reconstruct past continental configurations. 5. Integrate multiple types of data to interpret Earth history. These SLO's are measured by embedded quizzes, tests, and a final exam that assess the foundational & integrative understanding of the course content. |
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Academic Honesty | Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty. | ||||||||||||
Facility Policies |
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Additional Information | |||||||||||||
Important Information | |||||||||||||
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 Special Populations Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241. | ||||||||||||
Copyright Violations |
Some material in this course may be copyrighted. They may be used only for instructional purposes this semester,
by students enrolled in this course. These materials are being used fairly and legally.
No one may distribute or share these copyrighted materials in any medium or format with anyone outside this class,
including publishing essays with copyrighted material, uploading copyrighted material to Facebook or YouTube, or
painting or performing copyrighted material for public display.
Copyright violation is not the same thing as plagiarism. Plagiarism is intellectual dishonesty. Offenses of plagiarism result in lower grades or failing scores, and professors and the college strictly enforce plagiarism rules. There is never any acceptable use of plagiarism. Copyright violation is a legal offense, punishable by large fines and penalties. Copyrighted material can be used if permission from the material’s creator is obtained, or if its use meets the standards of fair use in an educational setting. For example, a student can quote a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet in a report without violating copyright but still be guilty of plagiarism if the quotation is not properly documented. If you are in doubt about what material can be freely used, ask your professor or contact the Dean of Library Services, at (409) 984-6216. |
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Assessment Statement |
Assessment is a process by which LSCPA can help you learn better and gauge the level of progress you have made to
attain knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values. It also helps your professors understand how to improve teaching
and testing methods in your classes, and it helps each department understand and improve degree and certificate
programs.
Periodically LSC-PA will collect assessment data for research and reporting purposes, including statistical data and sometimes copies of your work. Be assured that all material the college uses for assessment purposes will be kept confidential. To ensure anonymity, your name will be removed from any material we use for assessment purposes, including video-recorded performances, speeches, and projects. If you object to allowing LSC-PA to use your material for assessment purposes, submit a letter stating so to your professor by the 12th class day. You will still be required to participate in whatever assessments are being done; we just won’t use your data. What’s the difference between assessment and grades? The grades you get on papers, projects, speeches, and assignments are specific types of focused assessment. LSC-PA’s assessment efforts include class grades, surveys, standardized tests, and other tools. |
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Privacy Notice |
Federal privacy laws apply to college students. This means that college employees, including instructors, cannot
divulge information to third parties, including parents and legal guardians of students. Even if the students are
minors, information about their college work cannot be shared with anyone except in very limited circumstances.
Anyone requesting information about a student should be referred to the Registrar. Instructors will be notified in writing by that Office about what information may be released and to whom. Please remember that releasing private information about a student, however innocuous it may seem, can be a violation of federal law, with very serious consequences. Circumstances under which information may be released:
An adult student may submit, to the Registrar, a handwritten, signed note granting permission for release of
information. The note must specify what information may be divulged, and it must specify the name of the person
to whom the information may be given.
The Registrar’s office is located in the Student Center room 303B, and can be reached at (409) 984-6165. |
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College-Level Perspectives |
This course helps add to the students’ overall collegiate experience in the following ways:
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Degree Plan Evaluation |
A Degree Plan Evaluation will help you determine which classes you need to complete your program.
All of the classes that you have taken that apply to your declared major will be listed on the right. If you have a class that still needs to be completed, a “NO” will be listed on the right next to the required class. |
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HB 2504 | This syllabus is part of LSC-PA’s efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504. | ||||||||||||
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