HISTORICAL GEOLOGY Dr.
Linda B. McCollum
SPRING 2006 Office: Sci 126
Office hours: M-Th 10-11 Phone
359-7473
Textbook: Steven M. Stanley, Earth Systems History, 2nd ed.
Instructor Policy—I encourage students to ask questions during class, to come in and see me during office hours or any time that I am around. Students always come first, and you should feel absolutely free to consult me on anything that concerns you. All I ask is that if you make an appointment to see me, please keep it.
Cell Phones—Please turn off cell phones when class is in session.
Attendance Policy—Attendance for lectures and labs is mandatory. I should be notified in advance of any absence, or in the case of sudden illness, an explanatory note will suffice. Any student that doesn't maintain a 70% on exams or assignments will need to come in and see me for assistance. All of the measures cited above are for your benefit, because you are paying hard-earned dollars to obtain the best education you can.
Homework and Assignments—Most labs are due at the end of the three-hour period. Other assignments will have specified due dates.
Grading and Exam Policy—The relative values of the different types of assignments are listed on this syllabus. There will be a weekly exam, consisting of two short essay questions, at the beginning of class on Mondays, and this will cover the previous week's material. The final exam will have one question taken from each of the weekly exams, and two questions covering the last week of lectures.
Academic Integrity policy—I assume that as a student you are familiar with and understand the definitions in the Student Academic Integrity Policy in the EWU catalog. Violations of academic integrity will be sanctioned. Violations of academic integrity include plagiarism and cheating and any other misrepresentation of your work. Students committing academic dishonesty will be reported to the appropriate university officials and your course grade may be 0.0.
Objectives of a Historical Geology course are:
1. to gain a basic understanding of the geologic history of our planet through the perspective of deep time. We will concentrate on North America.
2. to gain an understanding of the principles by which geologists work out geologic history of a region, using stratigraphic, sedimentologic, and paleontologic concepts.
3. to understand the basic processes and patterns of evolution through time, which is the foundation of modern biological and paleontological concepts.
4. to be able to recognize the common fossil groups, in order to establish the age and environment of the rocks which contain them.
5. to use the basic tool of every geologist, which is the geologic map.
Weekly schedule:
Week 1
Geologic map,
Week 2
Types of Fossil Preservation (lab)
Week 3
the Fossil Record
Sedimentary Rocks and Environments (lab)
Week 4 Ch 7 (continued); Ch 8, Plate Tectonics (quick review)
The
Day the Universe Changed:
Geologic map,
Week 5 Ch 9,
Continental Tectonics and Mountain Chains;
Chemical Cycles;
Fossil identification I (lab)
Week 6
Geologic map of Glenn Creek, Montana (lab)
Week 7
Video on the Burgess Shale
Fossil identification II (lab)
Week 8
Paleoenvironmental reconstruction (lab)
Week 9
Stratigraphy (lab)
Week 10 Ch 19,
Neogene;
Fossil ID quiz (20% of your lab grade)
GRADING:
Weekly exams 35%
Final exam 10%
Lab 35%
Time period 10%
Papers 10%
Late assignments will be penalized 10% of the value of the assignment for every day they are late.