Text: Portrait of a Planet, by Stephen Marshak, Third Edition
| Date | Subject of Discussion | Code | Reading | Lab |
| Aug 29 | Introduction; Course Objectives | 0000000 | i - 11 | |
| Aug 30 | The earth as a planet | 1100000 | 12 - 55 | No Lab |
| Aug 31 | Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory for Geology | 1111001 | 85 - 117 | |
| Sep 5 | Crystals, Minerals and Atomic Structure | 1000000 | 118 - 143 | |
| Sep 6 | Rocks: Records of Geological Processes | 0111001 | 144 - 151 | Campus Walk (1) |
| Sep 7 | The Rock Record and Geologic Time | 1100100 | 400 - 432 | 0111001 |
| Sep 12 | Absolute Time - The Geologic Time Scale | 1100100 | 432 - 447 | |
| Sep 13 | Chemical Weathering | 1011001 | 188 - 198 | Village Walk |
| Sep 14 | Physical Weathering | 1011001 | 183 - 187 | 0111001 |
| Sep 19 | Mass Wasting | 1011001 | 557 - 581 | |
| Sep 20 | Landforms and the Hydrologic Cycle | 1011001 | 542 - 556 | Glacial Field Trip |
| Sep 21 | The Atmosphere | 1011000 | 692 - 729 | 0111001 |
| Sep 26 | Groundwater and Water Quality | 1011000 | 660 - 681 | |
| Sep 27 | ** First Graded Learning Opportunity ** | Campus Walk (2) | ||
| Sep 28 | Currents and Channels | 1011001 | 582 - 602 | 0111001 |
| Oct 3 | Rivers and Networks of rivers | 1011001 | 602 - 619 | |
| Oct 4 | Wind and Wind Erosion | 1011001 | 730 - 741 | Fluvial Field Trip |
| Oct 5 | Depositional Landforms of the Wind | 1011001 | 741 - 756 | 0111101 |
| Oct 10 | The Formation and Movement of Glaciers | 1011001 | 757 - 770 | |
| Oct 11 | Glacial Erosion and Deposition | 1011001 | 770 - 788 | Bedrock Geology Field Trip |
| Oct 12 | Continental Glaciation | 1011001 | 789 - 800 | 10000100 |
| Oct 17 | - Vacate - | |||
| Oct 18 | - Vacate - | No Lab | ||
| Oct 19 | The Deep Sea and Tides | 1001100 | 620 - 635 | |
| Oct 24 | Nearshore Ocean Processes | 1011001 | 635 - 659 | |
| Oct 25 | Sedimentary Rocks | 1011001 | 198 - 209 | Micro-Hydro Field Trip |
| Oct 26 | Sedimentary Structures & Environments | 1011001 | 209 - 227 | 0111001 |
| Oct 31 | Energy and Mineral Resources | 1001000 | 486 - 541 | |
| Nov 1 | ** Second Graded Learning Opportunity ** | Fossil Collecting | ||
| Nov 2 | Interacting Geosytems Control Landscape | 1111001 | 382 -386 | 0111101 |
| Nov 7 | Global Environmental Considerations | 1001100 | 801 - 818 | |
| Nov 8 | Human Impact | 1001100 | 818 - 832 | Topo Maps |
| Nov 9 | Formation of Igneous Rocks | 1011101 | 152 - 182 | 0111101 |
| Nov 14 | Volcanism | 1011101 | 266 - 281 | |
| Nov 15 | Volcanism and Human Affairs | 1011101 | 282 - 302 | Hydrology |
| Nov 16 | Metamorphism | 1111000 | 228 - 265 | 0111101 |
| Nov 21 | Seismographs and Earthquakes | 1010101 | 303 - 349 | |
| Nov 22 | Exploring with Seismic Waves | 1000100 | 350 - 361 | No Lab |
| Nov 23 | - Vacate - | |||
| Nov 28 | The Earth's Magnetic Field | 1000100 | 77 - 84 | |
| Nov 29 | History of Plate Tectonic Paradigm | 1111001 | 56 - 76 | Geologic Maps |
| Nov 30 | Deformation of the Earth's Crust | 1110101 | 362 - 382 | 0111101 |
| Dec 5 | Tectonics of N America | 1111001 | 386 - 399 | 1111111 |
| Dec 6 | Precambrian History | 1110001 | 448 - 460 | *Project Presentations |
| Dec 7 | Phanerozoic History | 1110001 | 460 - 483 | 1111111 |
| Dec 12 | ** Final Graded Learning Opportunity ** | 8:00 AM |
Class participation will count 10% of your grade.
Labs will count 10% of your grade, attendance is mandatory, and a passing grade in lab is required in order to pass the course. Those labs marked with an "*" will involve a location of significance to the student, which may be a substantial distance from Alfred.
There will be two one-hour-long Graded Learning Opportunities, each worth 20% of your grade, and a two-hour Final Graded Learning Opportunity, worth 40% of your grade. Exams will try to probe your understanding and comprehension of the material. (See Learning Outcomes.)
This syllabus represents my plan for the semester as of the first day of the semester. It is subject to change at my discretion. If you desire to see it modified to include additional material, or omit material which you believe has been adequately covered in some other course, please bring this to my attention as soon as possible.
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