Catalog Description: A history of the earth and the development of its life forms and land forms throughout geologic time. Introduction to fossils and geologic maps. Optional field trips.
Lecture Hrs = 3, Lab Hrs = 3
Semester Credit Hours: 4 Lecture Hours per Week: Lab Hours per Week: Contact Hours per Semester: 96 State Approval Code: 4006015100
Perspectives (Those marked with a √ reflect the state-mandated perspectives
taught in this course.)
Establish broad and multiple perspectives
on the individual in relationship to the larger society and world in which
he/she lives, and to understand the responsibilities of living in a culturally
and ethnically diversified world.
Stimulate a capacity to discuss and
reflect upon individual, political, economic, and social aspects of life in
order to understand ways in which to be a responsible member of society.
Recognize the importance
of maintaining health and wellness.
Develop a capacity to use knowledge
of how technology and science affect their lives.
Develop personal values for ethical
behavior.
Develop the ability to make
aesthetic judgments.
Use logical reasoning in problem solving.
Integrate knowledge and understand
the interrelationships of the scholarly disciplines.
Exemplary Objectives (Those marked with a √ reflect state-mandated exemplary
objectives taught in this course.)
Natural Sciences: The objective of the study of
a natural sciences component of a core curriculum is to enable the student
to understand, construct, and evaluate relationships in the natural sciences,
and to enable the student to understand the bases for building and testing
theories.
To understand and apply method and appropriate technology to the study
of natural sciences.
To recognize scientific and quantitative methods and the differences
between these approaches and other methods of inquiry and to communicate
findings, analyses, and interpretation both orally and in writing.
To identify and recognize the differences among competing scientific
theories.
To demonstrate knowledge of the major issues and problems facing modern
science, including issues that touch upon ethics, values and public
policies.
To demonstrate knowledge of the interdependence of science and technology
and their influence on, and contribution to, modern culture.
Instructional Goals and Purposes:
Lee College's instructional goals include 1) creating an academic atmosphere
in which students may develop their intellects and skills and 2) providing
courses so students may receive a certificate/an associate degree or transfer
to a senior institution that offers baccalaureate degrees.
General Course Objectives:
Successful completion of this course will promote the general student learning
outcomes listed below. The student will be able
To
understand concepts of geological time.
To understand the basic fundament physical and biological lows
and principles which govern and give meaning to our universe.
To develop an understanding of scientific methods and the
evolution of scientific thought.
To explain physical and biological phenomena in proper,
clear, technical terms.
To develop laboratory and field techniques of observing, experimenting,
measuring, data evaluation, and drawing inferences from these techniques.
Specific Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able
To describe/identify important Earth materials.
To describe important Earth processes (e.g., plate tectonics,
etc.)
To explain the concept of geologic time and the observations
that support this concept.
To explain the geologic basis of organic evolution and describe
fossils and their importance in supporting the theories of evolution.
To describe Earth's setting and history relative to other
components of the universe.
To describe the Earth's history during the Precambrian Eon
and the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Eras.
Course Content:
Students will be required to do the following
Introducing the Earth
Define physical geology.
Describe how the time factor complicates attempts to understand geologic
processes.
Outline the scientific method. Explain how it is applicable to geology.
Compare and contrast the concepts of uniformitarianism and catastrophism.
Explain how to determine how the time of the "big Bang" is
determined.
Briefly summarize the process by which the solar system formed.
Describe the principal compositional zones of the earth.
Explain how the earth's atmosphere and oceans were formed.
Explain the concept of the earth as a closed system in the context
of resource use or of pollution.
Minerals
Define elements and isotopes.
Compare and contrast ionic and covalent bonding.
Define mineral. Identify two key characteristics of a
mineral.
Explain the phenomenon of solid solution, and explain it affects the
definition of a mineral.
Explain the limitations of using color as a tool in mineral identification.
Describe the basic structural unit of all the silicate minerals, and
describe the basic
structural arrangements of chain silicates, sheet silicates, and framework
silicates.
Characterize the compositional characteristic common to each of these
mineral groups.
Define what a rock is.
Describe the basic concept of the rock cycle.
Weathering, Soil, Sediment, and Sedimentary Rocks
Compare and contrast soil and regolith between soil and sediment.
Define mechanical weathering and give two examples.
Define exfoliation, and explain why it is believed to occur.
Rank the following minerals in terms of their expected resistance to
chemical weathering
Summarize the principal orogenic processes at a continental margin
with an adjacent subduction
Define a rrane, a suspect terrane, and an exotic terrane.
Geologic
Time
Describe the significance of the Principle of Superposition and Principle
of Original Horizontality to relative dating of sedimentary sequences.
Explain the distinction between a disconformity and an angular unconformity.
Explain two ways in which you might determine the relative ages of
a pluton and surrounding sedimentary rocks.
Explain how the correlation of rock units are made easier by the Law
of Faunal Succession.
Explain why it is important to radiometric dating that radioactive
elements have constant half-lives.
Describe any three requirements that must be satisfied in order for
a radiometric decay scheme to be useful in dating geologic materials.
Explain why It has been proven somewhat difficult to establish radiometric
dates for the units of the
Phanerozoic time scale.
Explain why when the geologic time scale was first established, the
Precambrian was not subdivided.
Explain why it is not possible to determine the age of the earth directly
using radiometric methods.
Fossils
and Evolution
Explain three basic categories of fossilization methods.
Explain in what ways the fossil record is an incomplete and biased
sample.
Explain How biological and paleontological definitions of "species" differ.
Explain what contributions Linneaus, Darwin, and Mendel made to the
theory of evolution.
List the evidence for the theory of evolution. List three problems
with the theory.
Contrast phyletic gradualism and punctuated equilibrium.
List some hypothesized causes of mass extinctions in the earth's past.
Explain what should be done before going into the field to collect
fossils.
The
Precambrian
Explain why chronology schemes for Precambrian rocks differ in the
United States and Canada.
Explain how the crust formed.
Explain the origin of all the seawater.
Explain how the earth's earliest atmosphere differs from its present
one.
Distinguish between the craton, shield, and platform.
Explain why all banded iron formations are Precambrian in age.
Define Ediacaran.
Explain what major questions must be answered in solving the problem
of the origin of life.
Explain what problems are encountered in the study of Precambrian fossils.
Briefly outline the development of life during the Precambrian.
The
Early Paleozoic
Distinguish between How arches arev different from anticlines.
Explain some of the characteristics of epeiric seas.
Define cratonic sequences.
Explain where North America was situated in Early Paleozoic time.
Explain how sedimentation on the craton differed in Silurian time from
sedimentation in
Cambrian and Ordovician time, and explain what caused this difference.
Explain what tectonic events characterized the Taconic orogeny.
Explain what was happening on the western margin of North America during
Early Paleozoic time.
Describe two major events in the history of life that occurred at the
start of the Cambrian.
Describe the types of animals that were common in Early Paleozoic epeiric
seas.
Describe what problems plants had to overcome in making the transition
to land.
The Late
Paleozoic
Name which continents make up Laurasia and Gondwanaland.
Give two explanations for the deposition of the Chattanooga Shale-a
black shale deposit in a epeiric sea.
Explain in what ways Mississippian clastic limestones are similar to
Cambrian sandstone.
Describe an idealized cyclothem.
Explain how the Devonian Acadian orogeny in the Appalachian region
differd from the Ordovician Taconic orogeny.
List the two orogenies that occurred on the western margin during Late
Paleozoic.
Describe the structural modifications that are needed in the evolution
of an amphibian from a fish.
Describe the plants that grew in Pennsylvanian-age swamps and forests.
Describe the major evolutionary adaptation that occurred with the reptiles.
Explain the cause of the Permian mass extinctions.
The Mesozoic
Cite evidence for the existence of the supercontinent of Pangea.
Compare and contrast cratonic sedimentary rocks of Mesozoic age with
those of Early and Late Paleozoic age.
Explain why sedimentary rocks deposited in Triassic rift basins along
the eastern margin are important to paleontologists.
Describe the tectonics of the western margin during Mesozoic time.
Define suspect terranes, and explain why they are called suspect.
Explain why epeiric seas confined to the western edge of the
craton during Mesozoic?
Describe important events in the history of life that took place in
the Jurassic.
List the two major groups of dinosaurs and give examples of each.
Describe the evidence that leads paleontologists to believe dinosaurs
were not simply "large lizards."
The Cenozoic
List several physical and biological effects of the Pleistocene-age
continental glaciations.
Compare and contrast tectonics of the eastern margin during the Mesozoic
Era and the Cenozoic Era.
Explain why epeiric seas were absent from the craton during Cenozoic
time.
Describe the differences in tectonics on the western margin between
the Early Cenozoic and the Late Cenozoic.
Explain the reason for divergent plate motion in the central Cordillera
during mid-Cenozoic.
List the important groups of marine plankton used for the correlation
of marine strata.
Briefly outline mammal evolution during the Cenozoic.
Explain how continental drift controlled mammal distribution during
the Cenozoic.
Methods of Instruction/Course Format/Delivery:
Faculty may choose from but are not limited to the following methods of instruction: lecture,
discussion, Internet, video, television, demonstrations, field trips, collaboration,
readings.
Assessment:
Faculty may assign both in- and out-of-class activities to evaluate students'
knowledge and abilities. Faculty may choose from the following methods:
Attendance
Book reviews
Class preparedness and participation
Collaborative learning projects
Compositions
Exams/tests/quizzes
Homework
Internet
Journals
Library assignments
Readings
Research papers
Scientific observations
Student-teacher conferences
Written assignments
Course Grade:
Students' final grades are determined by the following grading scheme:
MATH SCIENCE & EDUCATION » PHYSICAL SCIENCE » GEOLOGY » Degrees/Certificates | Courses