Course Syllabus

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East Los Angeles College

Department of Anthropology, Geography, and Geology

Earth Science 002: Earth Science Lab

Spring 2021

Instructor: Dr. Emily Haddad

Email: haddade@elac.edu, or message through Canvas

Office hours: MTWTH 2:00PM-4:00PM, by appointment

Class hours: Asynchronous

What is this lab about?

Course Description:  Earth Science Laboratory supplements Earth Science 1. Students are introduced to the study of Earth materials by learning to identify common minerals and rocks. Interpretations of processes acting on and within the Earth are approached through the study of information contained in maps, aerial photographs, and data sets collected from a variety of Earth-sensing instruments. (2 units)

Course Learning Outcomes:

*These are the standards you can expect to be tested on!

SLO 1: Recognize and apply steps of scientific method in inquiry-based problem solving.

SLO 2: Summarize and report inquiry-based findings in an organized and informative format.

SLO 3: Recognize, distinguish, and classify earth materials from hand-sized samples.

SLO 4: Recognize, distinguish, and classify landscape features from topographic maps and/or aerial photographs.

What should you expect?

Course Expectations:

I expect you to take responsibility for your own learning in this class: read all background information! watch my videos! complete all lab assignments! You should expect to spend as much time working on your coursework as you would have spent in a face-to-face class. I will facilitate your learning by providing resources, assessing your progress, and being available via Zoom during my office hours and by email to answer any questions you may have. Successful students maintain contact with me and take advantage of available tutoring opportunities.

Communication Policy:

You can contact Professor Haddad by:

  • emailing haddade@elac.edu
  • messaging through the Canvas app
  • making an appointment for Zoom office hours on Canvas Calendar
    • Please make same-day appointments before 12PM (noon); otherwise, I cannot promise I will be able to make your appointment.

If you send me an email or a message, I will respond to you within 2 business days (48 hours) but will always try to reply as soon as I can. You should not expect an immediate response or a response on the weekends. If you have not heard from me after 2 business days, please send me a follow-up email! 

Drop Policy:

In the first week of class, you must complete the First Week Survey by Wednesday at 11:59PM. I will send a reminder message on Wednesday to those who have not yet completed it; I will send a second message on Thursday if you still have not completed it. These are your two warnings. If you do not respond to my messages and still have not completed the survey by Friday morning, I will exclude you from the course. This will allow students on the waitlist to be added in a timely manner.

Students who do not log onto Canvas at all in the first week of class will be automatically excluded as No-Shows. 

Participation Policy:

You should expect to spend up to 8 hours on coursework for this class per week (2 hours of background material review, and up to 6 hours completing lab activities, participating in discussions, and taking exams). You should break these activities up based on your schedule and availability.

While this course is asynchronous (this means there are no required Zoom meetings), you should be accessing our Canvas site EVERY week. You get to decide whether to do this every day for a shorter amount of time, a few days a week for a longer amount of time, in the mornings, in the middle of the night - it doesn't matter. However, if you are not logging onto our Canvas site weekly, I may exclude you from the class based on non-participation. You absolutely CANNOT make-up weeks' worth of work at the end of the semester; this is not a challenge, but a statement of fact.

Late Policy:

Because I recognize the complex demands on your time, I do accept late submissions of most course assignments. However, late work will receive a late penalty. This policy is to ensure equitable treatment of you and your classmates; it would be unfair if students who completed all of their assignments late received the same grade as students who efficiently managed their time and completed their assignments promptly.

Please note:

  • The penalty for late submissions is 10% per day, for a maximum of 50% off your earned grade.
  • All assignments will be open until the last day of class (Sunday, May 30th). I will accept late submissions until then.
  • The Midterm exam and the Final exam must be completed within the time frame specified. I will not accept late submissions for the Midterm exam, unless you have notified me of extenuating circumstances BEFORE the exam is due. I will not accept late submissions for the Final exam; no exceptions.
  • Be aware: If you submit late work that requires manual grading (i.e. it is not automatically graded by Canvas) your grade will show up as a 0 until I am able to regrade. I will do my best to get late work regraded in a timely manner, but please send me a reminder email if you have not received a grade for late work more than a week after you submitted.

Required Textbook:

We will be using an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook for this course, which will be provided for you in the Canvas Modules. You are not required to purchase any additional textbook, but you may wish to reference your Earth 001 textbook or the internet for supplementary information and in preparation for the final exam.

Other Materials:

You will be provided a rock and mineral kit, which you will need to pick up from campus. More information on materials pickup will be forthcoming. You should also have on hand a ruler, compass, and protractor.

Computer Accessibility:

No purchase of computer programs is necessary for this course, but you will need access to a desktop/laptop computer (something with more computing power than a phone or tablet would be helpful). You will be expected to access a PDF reader and editor; Adobe Acrobat Reader (FREE) is sufficient for these purposes.

How will you be evaluated?

Grading:

Lab Assignments…………….60%

Discussions…………………...15%

Midterm...............................10%

Final Exam………………….....15%

 

Grading Scale:

A         90-100%                     D         60-69.99%

B         80-89.99%                  F          0-59.99%

C         70-79.99%

Where can you get help?

Disability Statement

If you require reasonable accommodations in my course due to a verified or suspected disability, please contact the Diversabilities Support Program & Services (DSP&S) at 323-285-0662, or by emailing dsps@elac.edu.

Financial Aid

Call the Financial Aid office at 323-265-8738 if you would like to determine your eligibility for full or partial financial aid or help paying for books.

Other Resources

  • ASU (F5-212) – scholarships, book rental program, and free snacks for members!
  • Dream Resource Center (E1-142) – support for undocumented students, DACA recipients, and LGBTQ students, and more
  • EOPS (E1-227) – support for economically disadvantaged students
  • Student Health Center (F5-302) – free and low-cost physical and mental health services for students who have paid the Health Fee at the Fiscal Office (G1-107)
  • Transfer Center (D7) – guidance and resources for transferring, including workshops, counseling, and field trips.

Tentative Course Schedule

Important Dates:

First day of semester……Monday, Feb 8th

Last day of instruction…Sunday, May 30th     

Final exam……………….....June 1st-June 7th 

Last day to add/drop……..Sunday, Feb 21st   

Last day to file for P/NP…Friday, Feb 26th

Last day to withdraw……. Sunday, May 9th 

 

Week 1:

                        Topic                                                                                                Assignments

M Feb 8         Ch. 1: Intro to Science and the Geosciences                           1A, 1B, 1E, 1G, 1H

Week 2:

M Feb 15        HOLIDAY – President’s Day

                       Ch. 2: Imagery and Maps in the Geosciences                          2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F       

Su Feb 21        *Last day to add or drop with refund            

Week 3:

M Feb 22        Chs. 4 & 5: The Internal Earth and Plate Tectonics                4A, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E

F Feb 26         *Last day to file for Pass/No Pass    

Week 4:

M Mar 1         Ch. 6: Earthquakes                                                                     6A, 6B, 6C, 6D

Week 5:

M Mar 8          Ch. 3: Minerals and Mineral Identification                             3A, 3B, 3C, 3D                      

Week 6:

M Mar 15        Chs. 7 & 8: Igneous Rocks and Volcanoes                              7A, 7B, 7C, 7E, 8C, 8D, 8G

Week 7:

M Mar 22        Chs. 9 & 10: Surface Water Processes and Landslides          9B, 9C, 10A, 10B, 10C

Week 8:

M Mar 29        MIDTERM

W Mar 31        HOLIDAY – Cesar Chavez Day

F Apr 2–Su Apr 11           NO CLASS – Spring Break       

Week 9:

                         Topic                                                                                              Assignments

M Apr 12        Chs. 11 & 12: Sedimentary Rocks and Groundwater         11A, 11B, 11C, 12A

Week 10:

M Apr 19        Ch. 13: Metamorphic Rocks                                                 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D

Week 11:

M Apr 26        Ch. 14: Geologic Time                                                          14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E         

Week 12:

M May 3         Ch. 15: Geologic Structures                                                15A, 15B, 15C, 15D  

Su May 9         *Last day to drop with a “W”           

Week 13:

M May 10       Ch. 16: Geologic Maps and Cross-sections                       16C, 16D, 16E, 16F                                               

Week 14:

M May 17       Chs. 17 & 18: Coastal and Desert Landforms                   17A, 18A, 18B, 18C   

Week 15:

M May 24       Chs. 19 & 20: Glaciers and Climate Change                      19A, 19B, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20E

June 1-7          FINAL EXAM

Course Summary:

Date Details Due