Course Syllabus

GEO 1010 Survey of Geology

Course Description

This course is a study of the earth, its materials, its surface processes, internal processes and a brief account of earth's history.
This course is intended to introduce non-science majors to the science of geology, to educate students about the processes that operate on the earth now and in the past, and how humans interact with the modern processes, and to help students appreciate the rich natural geologic laboratory present in Utah.

Justification

This class meets the Physical Science requirement for G.E. at Snow College and is a common course number at other public colleges in Utah. After discovering geology in this course, some students choose to major in this field. For the natural sciences, science is the systematic inquiry into natural phenomena organizing and condensing those observations into testable models and hypotheses, theories or laws. The success and credibility of science is anchored in the willingness of scientists to: 1) expose their ideas and results to independent testing and replication by other scientists which requires the complete and open exchange of data, procedures, and materials; 2) abandon or modify accepted conclusions when confronted with more complete or reliable experimental evidence. Adherence to these principles provides a mechanism for self-correction that is the foundation of the credibility of science. (Adapted from a statement by the Panel on Public Affairs of the American Physical Society which was endorsed by the Executive Board of the American Association of Physics Teachers in 1999.) While properties of matter and energy in the physical sciences are common to life science, the emergent properties resulting from the complexities of life require additional study to amplify and clarify the scientific mechanisms of nature.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. After completing this course, the student will be able to demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of how the natural world works. This knowledge will include how rocks and fossils form, plate tectonics, how landforms arise, how mountains form, and the history of the earth including the fossil record. Students will also be able to demonstrate an understanding of how human interactions both affect and are affected by the natural world. Students will demonstrate this knowledge on exams, homework, or a final exam.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students will read the textbook and answer questions based on this reading. Students will be expected to access and think critically about journal articles and websites throughout the semester. The course uses controversial topics such as climate change to address this outcome. Students are taught how to determine the credibility of scientific information as it relates to how physical scientists think and form judgments about the world. Students also complete readings related to this topic. Students are then given at least three homework assignments that build in complexity to help them learn how to assess credibility. A student's ability to assess credibility will be evaluated by homework and exams.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students will learn about issues affecting humans such as geologic hazards (earthquakes, flooding, landslides, volcanic eruptions), climate change, and issues related to human control of complex natural systems such as rivers. In addition to understanding the science of the issues, students will learn about the history, politics, sociology, economics that affect outcomes and solutions. Students will demonstrate this knowledge on homework and exams.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. The main focus of this class is scientific reasoning. Readings, homework, and class discussions will reinforce and compare this approach to other forms of reasoning. Students are taught the methods of science in general and specifically related to course topics. Case studies such as earthquake prediction and topics such as climate change center visit the issue of reasoning both analytically and critically. Students are expected to apply critical thinking and scientific reasoning on exams as opposed to a simple recall of facts. Students will evaluate internet sources for bias and scientific merit A student's ability to apply scientific reasoning will be evaluated using homework, class discussions, exams, and essays.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. The main focus of this class is scientific reasoning. Students will learn what scientific reasoning is, how scientists approach problems, how science corrects itself, the limits of science. and how it differs from other forms of reasoning. The topic is visited throughout the semester with scaffolding that builds to a deeper understanding of how the modern scientific method works, the ethics and guidelines of science such as replication, public data, consensus, etc. The course will also compare how geologists think and form judgments in comparison with the other physical sciences. Readings, homework, and class discussions will reinforce and compare this approach to other forms of reasoning. A student's ability to demonstrate science as a way of knowing will be evaluated using homework and exams and essays. The main focus of this class is scientific reasoning. Students will learn what scientific reasoning is, how scientists approach problems, how science corrects itself, the limits of science. and how it differs from other forms of reasoning. The topic is visited throughout the semester with scaffolding that builds to a deeper understanding of how the modern scientific method works, the ethics and guidelines of science such as replication, public data, consensus, etc. The course will also compare how geologists think and form judgments in comparison with the other physical sciences. Readings, homework, and class discussions will reinforce and compare this approach to other forms of reasoning. A student's ability to demonstrate science as a way of knowing will be evaluated using homework and exams and essays.
2. Demonstrate understanding of forces in the physical world. Students will understand the sources of energy that drive the earth's natural systems. They will understand the forces that move lithospheric plates and the results of the processes. They will understand the forces controlling the erosion of landforms. Students will demonstrate their understanding of these forces on quizzes, exams, final exams, or projects.
3. Discuss the flow of matter and energy through systems (in large and small scales). Students will learn how the earth’s internal heat drives processes like plate tectonics and the rock cycle. They will understand how matter and energy move through the hydrologic cycle, the carbon cycle as well. Students will discuss the flow of matter and energy on quizzes, exams, or essays.
4. Develop evidence-based arguments regarding the effect of human activity on the Earth. Students will be asked to explain the human contribution to many processes/issues such as the effects of damming rivers, flood control, climate change, landslides. A student's ability to develop evidence-based arguments regarding the effect of human activity will be evaluated using homework, quizzes, exams, or essays.
5. Describe how the Physical Sciences have shaped and been shaped by historical, ethical, and social contexts. This will be accomplished through the study of controversies in the history of the science of geology such as the historical development of plate tectonic theory, dating rocks, flood control. A student's ability to describe how geology has shaped or has been shaped by historical, ethical, and social contexts will be evaluated using homework, essays, and exams.

Course Content

Students are invited to connect with the natural world and relate the culture and history of a place to the geologic processes that shape it. Landscapes will be explored as a means of identity. Below is a list of topics covered in the course through reading assignments, handouts, lectures and homework, peer-to-peer instruction, and discussion. Any topic not so covered remains the responsibility of the student to explore.• The methods of science• Basic Chemistry• Mineralogy• Rock Cycle• Igneous Rocks• Sedimentary Rocks• Metamorphic Rocks• Erosion by Rivers, Glaciers, Mass Wasting, etc.• Groundwater• Earthquakes• Internal Structure and Composition of the Earth• Rock Deformation: Folds and Faults, Mountain Building• Plate Tectonics• Earth History: Basic Concepts and Measurement of Time• Earth History: The Fossil and Rock Record