HISTORICAL GEOLOGY: GEOL 1404
COURSE SYLLABUS 1967 STAFFORD CAMPUS
Instructor : Dr. Dean Ayres, Phone: 729-7157

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COURSE DESCRIPTION :

The study of the history of the earth, including the principles and facts which are necessary to understand and review the chronological history of the Earth and its biota. The principle of historical geology and the earth's tectonic setting, the history of events and the life through time, the sequence of events that produced the Earth's surface, and animal, plant and human origins. Laboratory sessions include the study of sedimentary rocks and environments, stratigraphic relationships, topographic and geologic maps, fossils and other topics.

COURSE GOALS:

.A. Introduction to the Science of Historical Geology.
1. To acquaint the student with the founders of the science.
2. To show specifically the tasks of the geologist in the search for and development of natural resources.
B. The Study of Sedimentary Rocks.
1. To familiarize the student with the physical properties of the sedimentary rocks.
2. To explain paleoclimatic and paleogeographic implications derived from the sediments.
3. To show the importance of sedimentary rocks to our society.
4. To describe the environments of deposition and the characteristics of the deposited sediments.
C. Life and Evolution through Time.
1. To acquaint the student with the fossil record and to enable the student to recognize specimens of common invertebrate phyla.
2. To have the student recognize the relationship between fossils, sediments and depositional environments.
3. To introduce and explain the evidence for evolution and the concepts of organic evolution, including adaption, diversification, and speciation.
D. Geologic Time.
1. To emphasize the tremendous extent of geologic time and to introduce the student to the geologic time scale.
2. To enable the student to apply methods of correlation.
3. To familiarize the student with the principle of biostratigraphy, index fossils and zones, in order to describe rock units, time-rock units and biostratigraphic units.
E. The Origin of the Earth and Plate Tectonics.
1. To acquaint the student with the several hypotheses based on scientific findings, on the origin of the earth and its early evolution.
2. To familiarize the student with the theory of plate tectonicsand to enable the student to apply this theory to the earth's hidtory and the evolution of life.
F. Archean Events and Life.
1. To describe the major rock types of Archean age.
2 To familiarize the student with the geologic events, the origin of life based on the evidence of fossils, and the economic resources of Archean age.
G. Proterozoic Events and Life.
1. To acquaint the student with the concepts of continental accretion and shrinkage.
2. To have the student be able to recognize the fossils of early life as it evolves to the development of metazoans.
3. To examine the changing Proterozoic environments.
4. To familiarize the student with Proterozoic mineral resources.
H. Paleozoic Events and Life.
1. To focus on the tectonic activity, the movement of continents and North American paleogeography.
2. To familiarize the student with Paleozoic life, the diversification of fossils with hard parts, adaptive radiation, the invasion of the land with plants and animals, the diversification of fishes and appearance of land vertebrates.
3. To examine the events in both vertebrate and invertebrate evolution and extinction.
4. To acquaint the student with the Paleozoic mineral resources.
I. Mesozoic Events and Life.
1. To acquaint the student with the formation and breakup o Pangea and th resulting changes in global climates.
2. To discuss the Mesozoic history of North America.
3. To emphasize the dramatic changes in vertebrate evolution culminating in the origin of dinosaurs, other reptile groups, birds and mammals.
4. To acquaint the student with the Mesozoic flora and climatic variation.
5. To summarize the theories concerning the mass extinction at the close of the Cretaceous.
6. To teach the student about the Mesozoic economic resources.
J. Cenozoic Events and Life.
1. To acquaint the student with the possible causes of the Ice Age and its effects.
2. To describe the mineral resources of the Cenozoic.
3. To familiarize the student with the expansion of mammals and the evolutuionary origin of modern mammalian orders.
4. To describe the appearance of grasses and their effects on mammalian evolution.
5. To emphasize the importance of angiosperms as a primary index of climatic change.
6. To trace the development of humans.

TEXTBOOKS:

The Earth Through Time, updated fifth ed, H. L. Levin 1996;
Laboratory studies in Earth History, Brice, Levin & Smith, 6th edition. Wm. C. Brown, 1997

LAB MATERIALS:

The following materials are required. Hand lens (5 or 10X) or magnifying glass; pocket knife; #2,3 pencils; colored pencils; eraser; transparency paper; ruler (metric); graph paper

ATTENDANCE POLICY :

Students who miss class are responsible for any material they may have missed. Attendance will be recorded; a student who misses more than 12.5% of class time may be dropped by the instructor unless he is informed by the student of their desire to remain in the course.

EXAMINATION POLICY:

There will be FOUR weekly tests and ONE FINAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM which will be given to cover the prior lecture/lab content. Lab and lab reports will be part of the final grade.

Any exams missed will be graded as a zero. A test may not be missed or substituted for by any other work. Legitimate exam absences must be arranged with the instructor before the exam or require a written excuse from a doctor or employer afterwards. A COMPREHENSIVE MAKEUP may be given only by arrangement to cover a missed exam and the grade earned in this exam may be substituted for one regular lecture exam grade. Lab tests will not be given a second time since they require some set-up. The final exam will be given at the scheduled time.

ALL EXAMS:

These will be given in the first hour of the normal class period to be followed in the second hour by a regular lecture session. You will encounter several types of questions on my exams including multiple choice, matching, short answer, essay, diagrams to be labelled and any other means by which I can assess your understanding and challenge your intellect.

CLASS ASSIGNMENTS:

Outside assignments will be given periodically to cover material in the lab manual not completed in class or supplemental activities such as sketching, measuring, observing, writing papers or field trip reports. A summary report of a scheduled field trip, either to nearby geological features or to the Museum of Natural History, is required.

QUIZZES/WWW/VIDEO:

These will be bases on the previous days work and may be given before class. BE PUNCTUAL! These points will be added to the assignment total as extra credit. Computer WWW Information: Additional notes and computer homework assignments using the Internet will be given during the session. Students will receive an introduction to the variety of information available on the Web during the second class period. Students will have access to the open computer lab at the posted times.
VCR Films: I intend to use films as a supplement to course material to help visualize geological phenomena. Consequently notes should be taken similarly to any other lecture material. Most films are available for review as a study guide in the Stafford or Central Campus Library.

FINAL GRADE:

The final grade will be based solely on the final average percentile score determined by the total number of points that a student earns during the semester from the following:

Exams1, 2, 3, 4: 20%
Lab Test (rocks/minerals): 10%
Lab Test (maps): 10%
Lab Assignments : 40%
Field Trip Report : 10%
Final Exam : 10%

The standard HCC grade scale (A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C =70-79, D = 60-69 and F= 0-59) will be used to determine a final letter grade based on the final average percentile score that a student earns during the semester. Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism, cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited by college system policy and the rules of this class. Cheating involves fraud and deception for the purpose of violating legitimate testing rules. If a student is caught cheating on an exam, the exam will be graded as a zero.

FINAL EXAMINATION : On Date in Final Examination Schedule