Historical Geology Syllabus
Pima Community College, West Campus, Tucson, AZ
Course: Introduction to Historical Geology Fall 2006
CREDITS: 4 units (lect/lab)
SCHEDULED CLASS TIMES: T-Th @ 5:40‑ 8:20
CLASS LOCATION: K Building ‑ SCI 136
Instructor: Dr. Jan C. Rasmussen
e-mail = janras@comcast.net
website = http://www.janrasmussen.com
cell phone 520-603-7656
Course Description: This course traces the history of the earth and life on earth as indicated by the sequences of rock layers, the distribution of surface sediments, former geographic relationships, the fossil record, and the nature of ancient environments. Emphasis is on the history of the earth and of life on earth, including the sequence of rock layers, former geographic relationships, the fossil record, and the nature of ancient environments.
Required Textbook: The Earth through Time - by H.L. Levin (7th ed.), required . There will be extensive use of the textbook, such as answering questions in the back of the chapters, consulting it for mineral and fossil identification, class discussions, etc. Bring it to class each day.
Required Lab Manual: Fossils at a Glance - by C. Milsom & S. Rigby, or similar fossil identification guide, required. Stephen J. Gould – Life – see list in bookstore
Prerequisites: None (GLG 101 or equivalent recommended!)
Course Objectives: Upon completion of the course, the student will be familiar with the principles, reasoning, and subject matter of earth history, including:
-- the geologic time scale and how it was derived;
-- principles of stratigraphy;
-- principles of geochronology;
-- the development of life through time;
-- evolutionary principles;
-- the geologic development of North America through time;
-- plate tectonic processes and mountain building;
-- the importance of understanding geological history in the broad search for natural resources.
Attendance: This is a semester course requiring 6 hours per week of instruction. Consequently, missing a class means you miss 3 hours of instruction. We will cover lots of information in 3 hours. If you don=t come to class nearly every class period, you probably will not pass the course. Make every effort to come to class; attendance will be taken. If you miss too many classes without making arrangements with the instructor to make up the work, you should drop the class. If you don’t drop the class before the deadline, you will get an F for the class.
Reading Assignments: You are expected to have read the appropriate chapter before coming to class. Your text is an excellent reference with relevant and useful information. Please follow the schedule without specifically being assigned any reading.
Exams: There are three lecture exams during the semester and three or four lab exams. The exams are designed to enhance the learning experience, as well as determine what you have learned. There will be an extensive list of review questions handed out in class before the exam and you will have the review topics as questions the week before the exam. The exam may include multiple-choice, true and false, essay and matching questions.
Oral Presentation and Term Paper: A term paper will be due at the end of the semester; this paper will be at least 5 pages in length (double spaced, typed), with a minimum of 5 references (three of which can be internet references). You will choose the topic. After about 4 weeks in the classroom you will select a topic and provide me with your choice. I expect the paper to be typed and look professional. In addition, you will present this paper orally in class as a 5 minute speech (absolutely not read aloud from your written paper), and then turn the paper in to be graded. This will give you the opportunity to give a presentation without any stress, other than the stress you place on yourself. You must pick up your term paper after I have graded it.
Lab Exercises: The lab exercises are very important. Lab assignments are generally done during class time. You are expected to work together in small groups, but please do your own work. Allow the others in your group to help you with your thinking processes. Do not copy the work of others.
Late Assignments: Late assignments are accepted without penalty, if the absence was excused prior to the absence. Unexcused absences will be penalized.
Field Trips: There is at least one field trip scheduled for the semester. This will be on a Saturday, as the days are short this time of year and we will not be able to safely maneuver in the field in the dark. There will be a handout provided to you to be completed during the field trip. The handout can be turned in the following class period. If you miss the field trip there is no way you can make this up.
Films: Videos are one of the best way of seeing geological processes in action, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, etc., and many people learn better by seeing things in motion than by listening to lectures. Try to stay awake during the films as we will have exercises to fill out or write about after the film to emphasize the important concepts.
Class Participation: This is one of the most important aspects of the course. Participation by the students, who all have a wealth of personal experience to draw on, considerably adds to the learning by other students in the course. In addition, you will remember concepts better that you have talked about in class.
Grades: The point system for grading means that you must turn in everything you do, even if it is not complete. Every assignment (10 points for the hand-in assignment for each class), all field trips, participation, attitude, lab exercises, lab exams (100 points), term papers (100 points), the oral presentation (200 points), the lecture exams (200 points each), the final exam (200 points) and superior performance in class all provide points. At the end of the semester, your points are totaled and divided by the total assigned points. Your grade will be fair and accurate without bias or error. A summary of this system is that you can do poorly on the exam and still do very well in class. You can do great on the exam and do poorly in the class. Accurate records of are kept of every class period. Everything is logged and you will get a summary of your points near the mid-term and near the final exam.
Website: I will try to add the exercises to the website as we do them, but am making no promises, as sometimes the internet provider or my computer uploading program is recalcitrant. In the meantime, the exercises from previous classes (Physical Geology Pima College and Cochise College, Physical Geography Cochise College, and Physical Geology at Austin Community College are on the website and many of the exercises are the same.
Instructor’s Background:
Jan Rasmussen, Ph.D.: I am currently working as a consulting geologist for mining and oil exploration companies, engineering and environmental consulting companies, and governmental organizations. I love teaching and have considerable teaching experience, both at the high school, community college (Pima College, Cochise College, and Austin Community College), and university level (University of Arizona). I am an expert in Arizona geology, having worked for the Arizona Geological Survey for several years where I co-authored several bulletins and open-file reports for them and the U.S. Geological Survey (under my former married name of Jan C. Wilt). I have been active in the Arizona Geological Society as an officer, editor of guidebooks, and organizer of conferences and field trips until 1993 when I finished my Ph.D. at the University of Arizona, majoring in Geosciences (Economic Geology) and minoring in Engineering Geology. I worked as a Project Geologist for Woodward-Clyde Federal Services, a subcontractor for the Department of Energy, on the Yucca Mountain Project in Nevada from 1994 through 1997, where I supervised drilling projects for surface-based testing and managed the natural resources investigation project. Additional details about my resume, research, current projects, and publications are on my website at http://www.janrasmussen.com.
My educational philosophy emphasizes the team approach with the students being the most essential part of the team --- it is your job to be curious, ask questions, and grow in awareness, knowledge of the Earth, and perception of the interrelationships between humans and the Earth.
ADA (American Disabilities Act): Reasonable accommodations, including materials in an alternative format, will be made for individuals with disabilities when a minimum of five working days advance notice is given. For the general public, please contact the PCC information line at 206‑4500 (TTY 206‑4530); for PCC students, contact the appropriate campus Disabled Student Resources Office.
Cheating: Cheating is not acceptable behavior and cannot be tolerated and will result in an assignment failure.
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Schedule for Historical Geology
page last updated August 22, 2006
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