GEOLOGY 303: ADVANCED PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY (Lecture and Lab)

 

Fall 2008

Instructor: Dan Karner

Office: Darwin 124      

Phone: 664-2854    

e-mail: karner@sonoma.edu

Website: http://www.sonoma.edu/users/k/karner (announcements, lecture notes, viewgraphs, exam study sheets, etc.).

Office hours: M: 9:30-11; T: 11:00-12:00, W: 9:30-11:00

 

Lecture Schedule: Tuesday, Thursday 1-2:15 pm

Lab Schedule: Tuesday 2:30 – 5:20 pm     

Place: Darwin 128

Attendance: Make sure to be on time for lectures and labs!  You must be present for the whole lecture period.  The start of the lab will be essential whereas the later parts are for you to complete your assignment.  Note that most students complete their labs during non-instruction hours.

 

Grading

Geology 303 is a four-unit class with a single letter grade assigned at the end of the semester. I will construct your letter grade based on the combined scores that you obtain on the following exercises (percentages show the weighting factor for each component of the class)

Lecture

Midterm 1= 25%

Midterm 2 (Final) = 25%

Homework= 25%

Laboratory= 25%

 

Lecture information

 

Text: Earth: Portrait of a Planet, Stephen Marshak 3rd Edition bundled with Geotours

 

Lecture schedule (see attached)

 

Laboratory information

á      Each lab is worth 20 points and is due at the beginning of following weekÕs lab.

á      Late labs will be docked 10%, but must be turned in before the next lab section.

á      If you are going to miss lab, you need to inform me before lab period and set up a time of mutual convenience to meet.  Your lab assignment will still be due by the start of the following lab meeting.

á      Lab exams will each be worth 20 points.

á      Lab score will be combined with lecture score to construct final grade (lab score = 25% weighting, lecture score = 75% weighting).  Class scores will be curved to assign letter grades.

 

Lab course materials

 

á      Lab assignments will be handed out at the start of each lab meeting.  You will need a protractor, ruler, calculator, 10x hand lens, colored pencils, a copy of Dietrich and SkinnerÕs: Rocks and Rock Minerals.  Reading will also be assigned from MarshakÕs Earth: Portrait of a Planet.  My goal will be to assign reading the week ahead of each laboratory topic so that you can be prepared.  You will use these at different times throughout the semester so please keep them nearby.

 

General laboratory procedures

 

My plan is to start each lab with a discussion to stir your creative juices. I will follow this with a short lecture (hopefully less than 30 minutes).  During this time you are encouraged to ask questions; questions let me know that you are absorbing information and beginning to process ideas. After this IÕll turn you loose to work on the exercise while I circulate to make sure youÕre headed in the right direction.