Lecture: Tuesday, Thursday, 10:35-11:50, NRG 2240
Instructor: David Froehlich
Office: NRG 2215
Office hours: M/W 10:00-10:35 and 4:05-5:00, T/H
10:00-10:35 and 1:30-3:00
Telephone: Office: 223-4894, Home: 833-6845 (NO calls after
10:00 PM)
Email: eohippus@austincc.edu
Alternate: eohippus@mail.utexas.edu
Required Texts and Materials:
Instructional Methodology: This course will be taught
in illustrated lecture and discussion format. Student learning
will be assessed through examinations of lecture material,.
Course Rationale: As the world's population grows and expands,
humans are placing a greater demand on earth resources, increasing
the volume and extent of environmental pollution, encountering
natural hazards more frequently, and are causing a rapid change
in the world's climate. College-educated consumers, voters, and
decision-makers need to understand the scope and impact of these
changes and the limitations that science and technology have in
reducing their negative effects. Studying environmental geology
provides a valuable perspective for this understanding. This
is a general survey course that does not count towards a major
in the geological sciences.
Course Objectives:
Course Evaluation/Grading: Grades will be based on class exams (4, the last will be comprehensive but with an emphasis on material covered since the third test), field trip participation and class participation. The lecture exams will consist of a mix of definition/identification, fill in the blank, multiple choice, and essay/long answer questions with the majority of the test based on the essay/long answer portion. Participation in a field trip is required. You must complete this requirement to receive a passing grade for this course.
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20% each |
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20% |
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10% |
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100% | |
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>89.5% |
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>79.5% |
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>69.5% |
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>59.5% |
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<59.5% |
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This is a challenging course. It is extremely important that you not only know the material but understand it as well. There are things that you can do to increase your chances of successfully completing this course.
- Come to class. This is the single most important predictive factor for success, those students who regularly come to class succeed at a much higher rate than those who don't (this seems like a no-brainer but it is an important factor)
- Study. Students tend to underestimate the amount of material covered in this course as well as the depth of understanding that is required. This is not high school; you cannot cram in one night. It is necessary to keep up with the material (meaning to review it every day!!). A good rule of thumb is that you should spend 3 hours preparing for each hour you spend in class. Thus, you should expect to spend 9 hours a week on lecture and lab material in order to make a C.
- Read your text. All information on tests can be found in your text. The text has been selected to match the information in the lectures and reading the text will only help you understand the material.
- Use all the help available. Your text contains a CD-ROM that has tutorials and links to content specific web sites. Use them. Come to office hours and come prepared with questions. Bother your instructor with incessant relevant questions (not necessarily during lecture, sometimes it is important to get through the material, but I am happy to answer even slightly relevant questions after class, in office hours, by email, etc.)
I expect that each of you will come to class prepared and willing to work, this includes: reading the chapter before the lecture, participating in discussions, asking questions where appropriate, preparing the prelabs before the lab (not 5 minutes before the lab starts), participating fully in the lab exercises, and clean up at the end of lab, being courteous to me and your fellow students, and being willing to think.
Schedule
| Lecture Topic | Chapter |
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| May 30 | Introduction/ Basic Geology | Ch. 1-2 |
| May 31 | Plate Tectonics | Ch. 3 |
| June 1 | ||
| June 5 | Earthquakes | Ch. 4 |
| June 6 | Exam I (Ch. 1-3) | |
| June 7 | Volcanoes | Ch. 5 |
| June 8 | Streams and Flooding | Ch. 6 |
| June 12 | Coastal Zones | Ch. 7 |
| June 13 | ||
| June 14 | Exam II (Ch. 4-7) | |
| June 15 | Mass Movements | Ch. 8 |
| June 19 | Geology and Climate | Ch. 9 |
| June 20 | Water and Soil as a Resource | Ch. 10-11 |
| June 21 | ||
| June 22 | Exam III (Ch. 8-11) | |
| June 26 | Mineral and Rock Resources | Ch. 12 |
| June 27 | Energy Resources | Ch. 13-14 |
| June 28 | Waste Disposal | Ch. 15 |
| June 29 | Water and Air Pollution | Ch. 16-17 |
| July 5 | ||
| July 6 | Exam IV (Ch. 12-15 and comprehensive material) |