Professor: Ron Schott
Office: 237 Tomanek Hall
Phone: 785-628-5348
Email: rschott@fhsu.edu; email is the most reliable way to contact me.
GTalk, Skype, AIM, Yahoo, MSN: HaysRockDoc
Office Hours: MWF 9:00am - 10:00am and 2:30pm - 3:30pm, or by appointment

Meeting Times:

• Lecture Section B: 10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. MWF in 114 Rarick Hall
• Lecture Section A: 11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. MWF in 235 Albertson Hall

Textbook: Essentials of Geology (9^th ed.) by Lutgens and Tarbuck (2006)
Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 486 p. ISBN#: 0-13-149749-9 - available in the Campus Bookstore
Also available as a SafariX e-textbook subscription: http://www.safarix.com/0131497499

Course Website: http://blackboard.fhsu.edu/ - Title: GSCI100Schott

Course Schedule: A regularly updated, detailed class schedule for this course, which includes lecture topics, reading assignments and examinations, is posted on the class website. Examination dates will be confirmed, during class, one week in advance.

Course Description:
An introduction to geology involves a survey of the materials, structure, and surface features of the Earth; the processes responsible for their development; and the application of geologic knowledge to environmental and resource problems.
   The major goal of this course is to increase your understanding of the principles and methods of science as applied to Planet Earth. During the first part of the course, we will examine the "big picture" themes of geologic time and plate tectonics, focusing on the origin and evolution of the planet, its internal processes, such as earthquakes, and their effects on its surface, as manifested from the depths of the ocean basins to the peaks of its mountain belts. The second part of the course involves the study of the materials (minerals, magmas, rocks, and sediments) that constitute the Earth, focusing on how they form and transform and how they are used by society. The final portion of the course will deal with processes active at the Earth's surface that continually modify the landscape. As a result, students will receive a broad exposure to the major aspects of the Earth's geological environment.

Student Objectives: The goals of this course are to develop your understanding and appreciation of the methods of science as applied to the solution of geological problems and to promote an understanding the consequences of human interaction with the physical world. Students who successfully complete this course should posess a basic ability to:

• Understand the geological origin and societal importance of a variety of common rocks and minerals
• Recognize and describe common geologic structures and interpret their origin
• Interpret relative ages of geologic events and appreciate the absolute scale of deep geologic time
• Recognize a variety of surficial landforms of the Earth and interpret their geologic origin
• Relate geologic materials and processes to the plate tectonic paradigm
• Understand the geologic causes of earthquakes and volcanoes, their impacts on human civilization, and the role of geoscientists in analyzing their behavior
• Interpret the geologic forces that have shaped the landscape around them, wherever they may go.

General Education Objectives: This course qualifies for general education credit in the area of the natural sciences. As such, this course should contribute to your liberal arts education in the following ways:

• You will learn how the scientific method is applied in the field of geology.
• You will gain an appreciation of the ways in which geologic materials and processes affect you as an individual and society as a whole, both directly and indirectly, throughout history and in everyday life.
• You will employ critical thinking skills to interpret geologic maps and cross sections, and to weigh the environmental, social, and political ramifications of geologic resource issues.
• You will demonstrate computer literacy by using computer technology to gather, synthesize, and deliver information and to communicate with your professor.
• You will further your understanding and appreciation of the aesthetic qualities of nature in geologic contexts. (There should be lots of "oohs and aahs" during slide shows of geologic landforms and videos of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.)

Student Workload: In order to get the most from your educational dollar, students are advised to spend about two to three hours of studying and preparation for each hour spent in class. That amounts to about ten hours of studying per week in order to get an average grade in this class. The time you need to spend may vary, depending on your study skills and your academic goals. For most of you, your final grade will be a direct reflection of the time and effort you put into being prepared and engaged in this class on a daily basis.
   Do not deceive yourself with the false expectation that "100 level courses are supposed be easier than upper-level courses". The 100-level designation for this course merely indicates that the student is expected to have minimal prior experience in the subject area - not that there will be any less work involved. In fact, since most students receive little or no exposure to the subject of geology in high school, it is not uncommon that you will need to dedicate more time than usual to learning the vocabulary of geology. Ultimately, this course counts just as much in terms of GPA as a 3 credit 400 level class in your major - allocate your time and effort accordingly. The payoff should be worth the effort - the Earth is a fascinating system and your life will be richer when you have a better understanding of how it works.

Course Grade: Credit for GSCI 100 is only awarded upon the successful completion of the course.
The distribution of points for your final grade is as follows:

	
		Exams (best 4 of 5 @15% each)			  60%
		Homework & Assignments				  20%
		Lecture Quizzes	(best 15)			  15%
		Lecture Attendance and Participation		   5%
		Final Course Grade				 100%

	
	A = 100% - 90%       B =90% - 80%	C =80% -70%	     D =70% - 60% 	U = 60% - 0%

Exams: There will be five lecture exams, of which the lowest will be dropped. Lecture exams constitute the largest subtotal of your final grade. Even though you may drop one you are advised to take them all and be well prepared for each. Each exam will cover 3-5 chapters of the textbook. They will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions. Each exam will consist of individual and collaborative sections. Study guides will be posted to the class website approximately one week in advance of each exam; an evening review session may be scheduled a few days prior to the exam. Make-up exams will only be given by prior arrangement or in extremely extenuating circumstances (that's the price of being able to drop an exam) - contact me ASAP to schedule make-ups. Absolutely NO make-up exams will be given after graded exams are returned in class (normally the next scheduled lecture). Check the schedule on the class website for the relevant dates and chapters covered by each exam.

Quizzes: Approximately seventeen to twenty short on-line quizzes will be given during the course of the semester. These are meant to test your comprehension of the reading and lecture material and to prepare you for exam-type questions. Only the top fifteen quiz grades will count toward your final grade. Generally the quizzes will be made available on-line from the time we begin covering the material until the subsequent exam - after that they disappear into the ether. Absolutely NO make-up quizzes will be offered (except in exceptional circumstances or because of technical difficulties). Keep on top of these!

Homework Assignments: Throughout the course of the semester about ten to twelve homeworks and in-class assignments will be given in order to give you practice with and/or expand your understanding of concepts covered in class. Five will be collected and graded. I highly recommend taking the time to complete all of them, graded or not. The five graded homeworks/assignments will together constitute 20% of your grade - equivalent to a test, but not droppable.

Attendance and Participation: Five percent of your final grade will be based on attendance and participation. Attendance in lecture is required. An attendance sheet will be passed around in each class. It is your responsibility to make sure you initial the attendance sheet (even if I forget to pass the sheet or you show up late and the sheet has already been passed). If you are absent it is your responsibility to contact a classmate to find out what was covered in lecture. It is courteous for you to contact me (preferably by e-mail) if you have a good reason for missing class and/or to arrange to make up assignments that you may have missed (or which you foresee missing, if you know you'll be absent in advance).
   To receive full credit in this category you are expected to attend class regularly (<4 absences for the entire semester, barring extenuating circumstances) and demonstrate your active involvement in the class by asking questions, paying attention, and answering intelligently when called upon. Additional absences, unpreparedness, and general malaise will result in a lower grade.

Disability Accommodations: In compliance with Fort Hays State University policy and equal access laws, disability-related accommodations or services are available. Students who desire such services are to meet with the professor in a timely manner, preferably the first week of class, to discuss their disability-related needs. For more information on university policies see the FHSU catalog beginning on page 30.

Study Tips: Always read textbook assignments prior to class meetings and bring the textbook to class. When reading the assigned chapters, it is useful to write down terms and concepts that are not clear to you. Ask about these terms and concepts in class, on the discussion board, via e-mail, or during office hours. In order to get the most out of the textbook you should review the Chapter Review, Key Terms, answer the Questions for Review, and surf the Web Resources found at the end of each chapter. Lecture notes should be reviewed on a daily basis and coordinated with textbook assignments. Before exams, be sure to work through all of the questions on the study guides that are posted on the class website. Finally, discuss geology with your classmates, roommates, and anyone else who's interested!

Office Visits: Come early and often. I expect everyone to stop by at least once during the first two weeks of class. You don't need to have a geology question. Just stop by and shoot the breeze once in a while. Of course, if you do have geology questions don't hesitate to ask. If you can't make it during my scheduled office hours e-mail me your question or make an appointment to meet me at another time. Anyone who receives an exam grade of C or worse is expected to make an office visit to discuss a strategy for improving your performance.

Extra Credit: Extra credit is no substitute for doing the regular credit in this class. To that end, students who do not complete all of the regular credit in this class (exams, discussion contributions, quizzes, homeworks - a.k.a. "slackers") will need to do twice as much extra credit as those who complete all assignments to achieve the same level of extra credit - it is, after all, "extra" credit not "alternate" credit. Extra credit will be assigned by the instructor at his sole discretion, based on each student's performance on extra credit opportunities. Although no specific point values will be assigned to extra credit, it may be worth up to 10% of the regularly offered credit for the class (nominally one full letter grade) - your mileage may vary. Whatever you do, though, DO NOT ASK FOR EXTRA CREDIT JUST FOR SHOWING UP!!! (You're already getting credit for showing up.)
   There are two basic ways to earn extra credit in this class:

• General effort to apply the topics of this course beyond that which is required for a grade. For example, if you (or your kid/neighbor/ roommate) have a neat rock that you want to know more about, bring it in and we'll see what we can figure out. Participation in Sternberg Geoscience Club events and/or optional field trips is always a plus.
• An extra credit reading/writing/discussion opportunity - details on the class website.

Assignment #1: After this morning's class (as soon as humanly possible) you are to surf the class website, and follow the instructions for Homework #1. I ask for this information because I'm trying to get to know each of you a little better. This assignment is due by the end of the first week of class (Friday, 1/18) - the sooner the better!

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."

-- Vince Lombardi