COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course:  Physical Geology: Geology 120     

 

Instructor:  Dr. James Duvall

Text: Lutgens, Essentials of Geology, 10th ed. Prentice Hall

 

Office:  LA-205, Hours:  MW 7:30 – 8:00 A.M. and 12:30 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. Tues. 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M. Thursday 7:00 – 8:00 A.M. and 9:30 – 10:00 A.M. 510/235-7800 Ext. 4284, Evening Hours: Tuesday 5:30 – 6:30 P.M., (email at jduvall@contracosta.edu)

Website: See department website on college website (http://www.contracosta.edu)

 

General Requirements

 

     Attendance and Tardiness:  School policy sets the

                                                 following guidelines which

                                                 I will follow.  After (4)

                                                 absences you may be

                                                 dropped from the class.

                                                 Tardies are discouraged

                                                 as they interrupt the

                                                 class and cause the

                                                 student to miss infor-

                                                 mation.

 

 

Grading Policy:                        Tests, Special Homework

                                                 assignments, and the

                                                 term paper will be given

                                                 point value.  Your grade

                                                 will be based on a per-

                                                 centage of total possible

                                                 points.  A percentage

                                                 scale will be used to

                                                 determine your grade:

                                                 90% - A, 80% - B, 70% - C,

                                                 60% - D, < 60% - F.

 

     Exams:                                There will be a formal mid-

                                                 term and final exam.

                                                 These will be graded on a

                                                 curve determined by the

                                                 individual class. A short

                                                 Unit test will also be

                                                 given.

 

 

 

 

Schedule

 

1st Half (Reading and Chapter Review questions are indicated).

 

1.  C-1, An Introduction to Geology, Text - Questions for Review: All.

                                                     

2.  C-2, Minerals, Building Blocks of Rocks, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

3.  C-18, Geologic Time, Text - Questions for Review: All.       

 

4.  C-15, Plate Tectonics, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

5.  C-3, Igneous Rocks, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

6.  C-4, Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

March 3, 2009 - Annotated Bibliography due (10 sources). (I do not accept this late)

 

Week of March 9, 2009 - Midterm Test

 

2nd Half

 

7.  C-5, Weathering (ignore Soils) Text - Questions for Review: 1 - 7.

 

8.  C-6, Sedimentary Rocks, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

9.  C-7, Metamorphic Rocks, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

10.  C-8, Mass Wasting, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

11. C-14, Earthquakes and Earth’s Interior, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

12. C-17, Mountain Building, Text - Questions for Review: All.

 

May 5, 2009 - Oral Presentations (50 pts extra credit)

           

Week of May 18, 2009 - Final Exam

 

Annotated Bibliography

 

 

      The student is required to write one short annotated bibliography on any of the topics or sub-topics listed for the semester.  The paper must be a minimum of 10 articles or books long.  Each bibliographic reference and critique will be wholly contained on one page. Please include a title page.

 

Requirements for the Annotated Bibliography

 

1.  Must be typewritten. (12pt. and Times New Roman) Each critique should be double-spaced.

 

2.  One critique per page (10 pages)

 

3.  May not use journal abstracts or any other form of abstract.

 

4.  Must be in alphabetical order by author.

 

5.  Must be an analysis or critique of the article or book. (Look at a movie review for the form). In other words, what do you think of the article or book?

 

6.  Each annotation may include some descriptive material. However, most of the annotation must be critical in

     nature. (think movie review)  You must describe what you think of the work in question.

 

Hints to Help You Pass a College Class and Classroom Rules!

 

1.  Be on Time!  Most students who are constantly tardy miss all of the announcements and thus do not know what is going on.  If you are tardy come in quietly and check-in at the end of class.

 

2.  Be There.  Most instructors test more heavily on lectured material.  Absences should only be taken because of extreme emergency or bad illness.

 

3.  Get involved in discussions.  If you are passive you probably won't remember as much.  Don't be embarrassed to speak out.

 

4.  Use Time Management.  Schedule your study time each day.  Don't let studying get away from you so that you feel overwhelmed.

 

5.  Write your term paper early.  Get it out of the way.  You'll feel better and you can then get on to more important things.

 

6.  Study all of your notes every day for every class.  Believe it or not this does not take long.  By the end of the semester you'll nearly have them memorized without even trying and you will not have to cram for final tests!

 

7.  Do the Oral Report.  Sure it's voluntary but it's very good experience.  You need to be able to speak in front of groups with poise.  College is a very good, non-threatening environment in which to practice.

 

8.  No food or drink may be consumed in the classroom.

 

9.   Cell phones and pagers must be off in the classroom. Answering them, even with a vibrator, is extremely rude!!!