| Instructor: | Dr. Karen Grove, Assoc. Prof. of Geology; Dept. Chair |
| Office: | 509 Thornton Hall |
| Computer Lab: | 518 Thornton Hall |
| Office hours: | T 3-4p; M11-12p; Th 9-10a; by appt. |
| Phone: | 415-338-2061/1778 |
| E-mail: | kgrove@sfsu.edu |
The primary objectives of the course are for students to gain these benefits:
This course is designed primarily for students fulfilling their general education requirements in science. The course goal is not to learn everything about oceanography, but to learn about aspects of the natural world that will generate an interest in science and an ability to make informed decisions about scientific issues that confront us.
The course is designed to stimulate active learning and collaborative learning more than passive acquisition of knowledge passed from instructor to student. Each student has a background and skills that uniquely contribute to course content. I will challenge each of you to think about the issues raised in the course, and to evaluate ideas for yourself and in consultation with your peers.
| Computer-based "voyage" 10 @ 10 pts/ea. | 100 pts. (25%) |
| Class participation 15 pts/ea | 60 pts. (15%) |
| Computer-based "drills" 8 @ 5 pts/ea. | 40 pts. (10%) |
| Exams 3 @ 50 pts/ea. | 150 pts. (37%) |
| Field project (written report) | 50 pts. (13%) |
| Total Possible Points | 400 pts. (100%) |
| 350--400 pts. = A (+/-) | 250--300 pts. = C (+/-) | <200 pts. = F |
| 300--350 pts. = B (+/-) | 200--250 pts. = D (+/-) |
Ten virtual voyages on the ocean via computer are designed to provide access to real data and images from the ocean and to prepare for in-class discussions. Voyages are accessible through world-wide-web browsing software and course management software called TopClass (see handout). Student answers and instructor feedback will be entered online. Note that TopClass will not accept submissions after the due date.
Students may use networked computers on campus or off campus. Below are listed networked computer labs on campus that are available to all students. Other labs are available to students in specific departments. For more information, visit the SFSU web site: http://www.sfsu.edu/~compsvcs/labs.htm
You are expected to participate in class and will be rewarded for doing so. Each day you must bring to class a 3x5 notecard. During each class period you will be asked to submit a card with your written response to a topic being discussed. Students should be prepared for class by completing reading assignments and homework exercises. Notecard submissions will be graded credit/no credit and will be assigned several points.
This is a large class and you are expected to respect your instructor and fellow classmates by arriving to class on time and by remaining quiet while class is in session. Be aware that you disrupt class and prevent others from learning when you come to class late and talk while information is being presented. You will be asked to leave the class if you persist in these behaviors. You will be given time for small group and whole-class discussions, when talking is allowed.
Be aware that the range of abilities and backgrounds in the class is large. What may seem quite easy to you may seem difficult to others, and vice versa. Be prepared to share your knowledge with others and to learn from your classmates.
Students are required to buy the course reader and bring it to class each day. The reader contains details about your textbook reading assignment, and questions to help you focus your reading and prepare for in-class discussions and exams. We will refer to these materials during the class period. For example, the reader contains questions that you should answer when videos are shown in class. You are responsible for the questions in the reader. Bring questions to class for clarification if you do not understand them.
All of the materials on the TopClass web site will also be available
through a Department of Geosciences web site: http://geosci.sfsu.edu/courses/geol102/home.html
Here you will also find course outlines (posted after each class
period) and other informational items. You should always complete
the computer work online. However, if you have problems with the
TopClass site, you may print the exercises from the alternative
web site and hand in the paper copies with your answers. I will
deduct points if you persistently complete the exercises on paper
copies rather than online.
Eight drills throughout the semester are to help you gauge your progress and to practice for larger in-class exams. The drills consist of multiple choice questions that must be completed online (via TopClass) and for which you will receive immediate feedback. Topclass will not accept submissions after the due date.
There will be three exams during the semester that will consist of multiple choice questions, similar to those in the computer drills. Exam questions will be drawn from the subjects we discuss in class and from the reading and computer assignments. You will need to bring a SCANTRON FORM 882 and a #2 pencil to class on exam days. Make-up exams will be not be provided unless you have a documented emergency. In this case, you must contact the instructor during the day of the exam to arrange a make-up time.
The objective of the field project is to provide an opportunity to apply what you have learned during the semester to a real scientific problem. The steps will be to: (1) ask a simple question about the ocean and prepare a hypothesis to be tested; (2) make observations to test your hypothesis / answer your question; (3) supplement your observations with background reading; (4) interpret what your observations mean; and (5) prepare a written report. Detailed instructions and sample topics are provided in the course reader. My experience has shown that students are initially intimidated by this project, but find it one of the more rewarding parts of the course.
DATE TOPIC |
TEXT READING |
ASSIGNMENTS |
| 31 Aug. | What's this course about? | |
| 5 Sept. | Tools of the trade: methods, meters, maps, and machines. Chaps. 1, 3; Appendices I, II, IV | |
| 7 Sept. | Ocean margins: west from San Francisco (SF) Chap. 3 (7587) | Computer Voy. 1 due |
| 12 Sept. | Ocean deeps: beyond the edge / Chap. 3 (8896), Appendix III | |
| 14 Sept. | Crustal mobility: the evidence / Chap. 2 (3238) | Computer Voy. 2 / Drill 1 due |
| 19 Sept. | Plate edges: where the action is / Chap. 2 (3840; 51-58) | |
| 21 Sept. | Rates of plates, quakes, and flakes / Chap. 2 (40-51; 58-67) | Computer Voy. 3 / Drill 2 due |
| 26 Sept. | Let's go to the beach / Chap. 10 (299-312; 318-322) | |
| 28 Sept. | Surf's up / Chap. 8 (244-251; 257-264) | Computer Voy. 4 / Drill 3 due |
| 3 Oct. | More waves on water / Chap. 8 (251-259; 265-270) | |
5 Oct. |
EXAM 1 | |
| 10 Oct. | Coastline mobility: the evidence / Ch. 10 (312-318) | |
| 12 Oct. | Daily sea-level changes: the tidal wave / Chap. 9 | Computer Voy. 5 due |
| 17 Oct. | The wonder of water / Chap. 5 (132-143) | |
| 19 Oct. | Fresh meets salt: the water of SF Bay / Chap. 5 (143-152; 156-158) | Computer Voy. 6 / Drill 4 due |
| 24 Oct. | Turbidity and toxicity: the Bay's other contents. Chap. 11 (331-335; 340-353) | |
| 26 Oct. | Wetlands: the Bay's soggy margins Chap. 11 (336-338) | Computer Voy. 7 / Drill 5 due |
| 31 Oct. | Our cold water I: surface currents / Chap. 6, 7 (182-84; 206-214; 220-227 | |
| 2 Nov. | EXAM II | Field project idea due |
| 7 Nov. | Our cold water II: deep currents / Chap. 7, 5 (218-220; 234-237; 154-156) | Computer Voy. 8 |
| 9 Nov. | El Niño: ocean and atmosphere interplay / Chap. 7 (228-232) | |
| 14 Nov. | NO CLASS; work on field project | |
| 16 Nov. | Sediments tell the ocean's story / Chap. 4 | Computer Voy. 9 / Drill 6 due |
| 21 Nov. | Wealth from the sea / Chaps. 4, 8, 9, 11 (see reader for pages) | |
| 28 Nov. | The food web and primary producers / Chap. 13 (384-407) | Computer Voy. 10 / Drill 7 due |
| 30 Nov. | Lifestyles of the wet and wild / Chap. 12 | |
| 5 Dec. | Pelagic dwellers: floaters (plankton) / Chap. 14 (412418) | Field project due |
| 7 Dec. | Pelagic dwellers: swimmers (nekton) / Chap. 14 (418440) | |
| 12 Dec. | The bottom dwellers (benthos) / Chaps. 13, 15 (390-391; 446461) | Drill 8 due |
| 14 Dec. | More about being benthic / Chap. 15 (461477) | |
| 21 Dec., 10:45-12:00 | EXAM III |