UNCG - GEO 103-04, 103-07, and
103-08 -- Introduction to Earth Science -- Spring 2006
Contact Information
Course Description
- In Introduction to Earth
Science you will learn about the physical environment of our
home—"Earth".
- You will study the
fundamental concepts of the four sciences that comprise Earth Science.
These four sciences are geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy.
Collectively, these sciences seek to understand the physical nature of Earth.
- You will learn that
Earth—in form and structure—is a dynamic entity.
- With a basic knowledge of the
Earth and the processes that have shaped it, you will have a greater
appreciation for our home—Planet Earth.
Student Learning Outcomes
- After completion of GEO 103
students will be able to:
· Describe how Earth’s major subsystems are
interconnected
· Describe the nature and makeup of Earth’s major inorganic subsystems
· Explain and describe the key process that occur within Earth’s
lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere
· Collect and analyze atmospheric, hydrologic, and atmospheric data
· Explain the nature and significance of important local and global
environmental problems
Required Textbook & Supplementary Resources
- Textbook: "Earth
Science" (11th Edition) (with
GEODE CDROM), by Tarbuck and Lutgens ** Required**
- A Study Guide that
accompanies the text is on reserve in the library under my name and GEO
103
- Interactive CDROMS will also
be on reserve in the library to help reinforce fundamental Earth Science
principles.
- Throughout the semester you
will be asked to visit and explore various WWW sites. Visits to
these sites will serve to augment lecture discussions and textbook reading
assignments.
Examinations
- In GEO 103-07 and 103-08,
three, 50-minute exams will be given during the regular semester. Consult the “Schedule of Topics”
web page for the exam dates. In
GEO 103-04, two 50-minute exams will be given during the
regular semester; the third 50- minute
exam will be given during “Finals Period,” on Thursday, May 4,
at 7:00 pm in Graham 106. Each of the three 50-minute exams
will be equally weighted. Each exam will count for 25% of your
grade. In total, exams are worth 75% of your
grade in the course. Students who miss one (or more) of the three
fifty-minute exams must take their make-up exam(s) on
Thursday, May 4, at 7:00 pm in Graham 106. Make-up exams are only given when
students provide documented proof of illness or tragedy, and after
consultation with me.
- Examinations will draw
questions from my lectures and your textbook, and any other materials,
such as videos and CDROMs, used for in and
outside-of-class discussions and assignments.
- Some topics in the text
and lecture will be emphasized more than others. The material covered
and mentioned in class will serve as a guide to the content that you will
be held responsible for on exams.
Quizzes
- You will be given a quiz each week. Each of the quizzes
will be equally weighted. Your
three lowest quiz scores will be dropped.
It will not be possible -- under any
circumstance -- to make-up a quiz. Quizzes will collectively count for 25%
of your grade in the course.
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Evaluation Tool
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Percentage of Course Grade
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Exams
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75%
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Quizzes
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25%
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Attendance
- Attendance in lecture is critical
and you are expected to attend all lectures!! Please do
not be tardy as well! If you do not plan to attend every lecture, do not take this course
with me as your instructor! Students with more than one
unexcused absence may be dropped from the course.
Course Resources and Success in GEO 103
- Lecture notes/outlines for
upcoming lectures, generally will be available from: http://www.uncg.edu/~gjlennar/geo103.html
- Lectures will be conducted
based on the expectation that you have familiarized yourself with the
lecture notes and reading assignment on a particular topic prior to coming
to class.
- A word to the wise:
You will not be sucessful in this course unless
you come prepared for class. This
means reading and studying your text, notes, CDROM, and other resources
before coming to class.
- You are strongly
encouraged to frequently check your UNCG
E-Mail. All email from me will be sent to your UNCG email
address. I sometimes find it useful between class meetings to
pass along, via E-Mail, important course-related information (e.g.,
information about lecture material, topical information, and web sites to
look at). Information relayed via E-Mail will not necessarily be
repeated in class!
- I sometimes also use Blackboard to post announcements.
- Obtain assistance from me - at
the earliest possible opportunity - if you have questions regarding
the lecture material or the reading assignments.
- I encourage you to come
visit me during my office hours (MWF, 2-3 pm; Graham 116E); or if these
times are not convenient for you, please schedule an appointment (jayl@uncg.edu).
Miscellaneous Information
- Any student who has a
documented disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities
should contact me personally as soon as possible so that we can discuss
class requirements and accommodations.
- Final grades once posted
will not be changed under any
circumstance (with the exception of clerical error).
- In all matters related to
this course, it is expected that you will conduct yourself in an honorable
fashion and exhibit the highest level of integrity.
- Cell Phone Etiquette:
Please turn off your cell phones and pagers before
entering the classroom. They must remain off for the entire
class meeting. Moreover, please refrain from checking your cell
phones and pagers for messages during class. Students that do not
observe these procedures will be dismissed from class.
- Classroom Behavior and Etiquette: Students
are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is
conducive to learning. To assure
that all students have the opportunity to gain from time spent in class,
unless otherwise approved by me, students are prohibited from engaging in any
form of distraction, including, but limited to, talking between
students. Inappropriate behavior in
the classroom shall result, minimally, in a request to leave
class.