Syllabus Physical Geology –Fall 2019 - Dr. Capuano
GEOL 1330 (section 20006) (revision 8/15/2019)
10-11:30 am Tue,Thr SEC102
Class web page http://www.uh.edu/~geos2j/physical.htm
(Also on Blackboard,
select this course and on the left hand menu of the home page select “Class
Content”, then “Syllabus”)
Dr. Capuano: office room 221D Science and Research Bldg 1
Office Hours: any time I am in, or by appointment.
EMERGENCY CAMPUS CLOSURES: see uh.edu/emergency
EMAIL
Sending
email to me: include “Physical Geology” in the
subject line (so it does not go to my junk folder) and your full name (or I will
not reply). If I do not reply, please email again. My email address: capuano@uh.edu.
Email
from me: UH faculty email is often phished,
so never open an attachment from me that you did not expect and never send
personal information to me if you are not certain the request was from me. If unsure, forward the questionable email to
me. I apologize, but I have no control
over this problem.
Your UH
Email address: UH gives you an email
account “yourname@uh.edu”. You are responsible for any information I
send to your “uh.edu” email account, so you must forward it to a personal email
address that you read daily. To forward your email log into Access UH https://accessuh.uh.edu/login.php and change the email settings. Also, place a filter at the forwarding email address so my email is not
rejected or sent to spam (I will send email to over 100 recipients at a
time, so if you do not add a filter, my email will be lost).
BLACKBOARD LEARN: You have a blackboard learn account for this
course where your exam grades and extra help materials are located. Log into your AccessUH
account thttps://accessuh.uh.edu/login.php and click on
the “Blackboard Learn” symbol. For more instructions go to http://www.uh.edu/blackboard/
TEXTBOOK: Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology by Tarbuck, Lutgens and Tasa, (12th edition, 2017, ISBN: 9780134074252).
Note the bookstore sells both a custom UH text for a reduced price and the
regular book; you can purchase either for the course they are not
different. If you purchase the custom UH
text you may not be able to resell it. You do not need to purchase anything but
the book (Mastering Geology, while useful for studying, is not needed for the
course).
Cheaper
on-line E-book purchase directly from Pearson
-Do you need to purchase a book? I recommend it, but
many students do not.
-Is it okay to use an old edition of the book? The
old and new editions are very similar, but there are some differences, so it is
better to purchase the new edition, however if you cannot afford it then the
old edition is better than none.
EXTRA HELP TOOLS:
Guided Learning Exercises: “GEODe Earth” containing instructional animations and
practice test questions
is provided by the book publisher through your Blackboard Learn account for
this course. On the home page, go to the left column and select “Content
(Pearson)”, then open the chapter you are studying, then open the folder “Visualize”,
then select “GEODe Earth”).
Practice
Test Questions: are provided by the
book publisher on your Blackboard Learn account for this course. On the home
page, left column, select “Content(Pearson)”, then open the chapter you are
studying, then open the folder “Test Yourself”). Note: none of the quizzes you complete on
Blackboard learn will be graded, your only grades will be for the three in-class
exams as described below.
Geosciences Learning Center: (Fleming Building Room 136) Visit this center for
extra help and to see rock samples. For hours and directions: http://www.geosc.uh.edu/undergraduate/learning-center/index.php .
Animated Tutorials: You can also view these Smart figures and other animations without
buying the book on the Blackboard Learn account for this course, on the home
page, left column, select “Content (Pearson)”, select
the chapter you want, then “Visualize”. If you buy the book, it contains
animated Smart Figures to explain difficult concepts. To view these, download
the free app “Pearson BouncePages”. Open it, select a
page with a figure having an animation symbol next to it, point your phone’s
viewer at the entire page (not just the animation symbol). A word will
open on your screen, click that word and it will start the tutorial (your phone
must be connected to the web for this to work).
Lecture Power-Point files: These are accessed
only through the class web page: http://www.uh.edu/~geos2j/physical.htm (NOT through Blackboard Learn). Scroll down to the
“Lecture Schedule” and click on the chapter name. You need to come to class to obtain the
password; I will not send it by email. Print the Power Point file for the
current chapter prior to class to take notes on it. The schedule below is
approximate so you need to come to class to know which chapter to bring to the
next class. The Power Point files are not current until 5pm the day before
I start lecturing on that chapter, unless otherwise instructed. You must attend
the lecture for the Power Point files to make sense; they do not contain the
entire lecture. They only provide most (but not all) of the terms you must know
for the test. Explanatory information is given in the lecture that will be
included on the test, but is not included in the Power Point. At times, to
keep my lectures up-to-date, I often edit the presentation file just prior to
class and will not update it on the internet, so you MUST come to class to view
the actual file used in my presentation.
There will often be corrections, additions, and changes; you are
responsible for these even though they are not in the posted file. Even though you have the Power Points files,
you should take notes. Students who take notes perform better on the
tests than those who do not take notes, thinking that I am simply reading the
Power Point slides and that they include all the material from the
lecture. If at any time you think the entire lecture is on the Power
Points, you will not do well because you are missing most of the information.
Streaming Video of lectures: If all goes well, some of my lectures are taped and
available for viewing on your Blackboard Learn course account. To view these,
go to the left hand menu of the home page and select “Class Content” then
“Streaming Video”. Videos from when I
taught the course in the past may also be available to view. If I did not tape a lecture you need, you
might find it in the old videos. These
videos only include my voice and a picture of whatever I projected onto the
screen during my lecture.
TEST
SCORES will be posted on
Blackboard Learn. Go to https://accessuh.uh.edu/login.php and log-in using your
Cougarnet ID and password, then select the Blackboard
Learn icon. To view scores go to the
left hand column and select “Grades”. Note on-line quizzes are not graded or
used to calculate your grade, they are just for practice.
FINAL
GRADES are posted on your
account at access.uh.edu, NOT on Blackboard Learn.
FREE FIELD TRIPS: Viewing geologic features is what geology is
all about. I encourage you to go on a field trip. Past option have been: a 1-hour Campus Field trip (building
stones and statues), a 2- to 3-hour Houston Museum of Natural Science field
trip, and all-day trips to Central Texas, Galveston Island (coastal processes),
or Houston (faults and river processes). No extra credit is given for field trip
attendance, but students enjoy these trips. I look forward to answering
questions about the field trips.
Field trip descriptions, dates, times,
registration, instructions, frequently asked questions: Go to this web page http://www.geosc.uh.edu/undergraduate/field-trips/index.php . The field
trip schedule is not posted until about three weeks into the semester. Once
signup begins the trips fill fast.
Virtual
Field Trips
of a portion of the Central Texas Trip can be found at the link: http://uh1.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=eac2c5053cf74adeae99a333172ba13d
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY LAB (GEOL 1130) a separate course that is optional unless you must fulfill
a lab requirement.
CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Physical Geology, Cr. 3. (3-0). Prerequisite: credit
for, placement out of, or concurrent enrollment in MATH 1310 or
MATH 1311.
Principles of geology; emphasis on surface and internal processes of the
earth. Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Describe a rock
and mineral. 2. Describe the different
tectonic margins, associated rocks, and geologic features. 3. Know the difference between metamorphic,
igneous and sedimentary rocks and how they form. 4. Understand how water flows in rivers and
in the ground. 5. Know how rocks deform
and how earthquakes are propagated and measured. Bibliography: For current references of interest to those taking this course,
please see references cited in the textbook.
CORE COURSE: Physical Geology fills the Life and Physical Sciences Core.
Cannot get
enough geology!
-LIVE volcano footage! - http://www.volcanolive.com/volcanocams.html
-Earth Week – A weekly diary of the planet http://www.earthweek.com/
-See the location of today’s earthquakes - http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
-Natural Hazards Program US Geological Survey - https://www2.usgs.gov/natural_hazards/
-The Houston Gem and Mineral Society: http://www.hgms.org/
-The Houston Museum of Natural Science: http://www.hmns.org/
DATE |
TENTATIVE - Lecture Topics and Schedule (revision 8/15/2019) Lecture schedule may change
come to class to obtain the correct schedule.
Click on the chapter title below to print the Power Point lectures. You are responsible for announcements or
changes/corrections to the Power Points presented during class. |
Reading |
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Aug 20, 22 |
Chap 1 |
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Aug 27, 29 |
Chap 2 |
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Sep 3, 5 |
Chap 3 |
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Sep 10, 12 |
Chap 4 |
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Sep 17 (same room and time as the lecture) |
EXAM 1 (Chap 1, 2, 3, 4) If it improves your grade, I will
automatically drop the score for this exam you do not have to request I do so.
Because I drop a low Exam 1 score, there is no makeup for Exam 1. Arrive on
time; you may not start the exam once a student has left the exam room, which
is usually within the first 15 minutes!
|
Exam scores are posted on
Blackboard |
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Sep 19, 24 |
Chap 5 |
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Sep
26 |
Chap 6 |
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Oct 1, 3
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Chap
7 |
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Oct
8 |
Chap
8 |
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Oct 10, 15 |
Chap
9 |
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Oct 17 (same room and time as the lecture) |
EXAM 2 (Focus on Chap 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Exam 2 score will NOT be dropped. Arrive on time; you
may not start an exam once a student has left the exam room, this is usually
within the first 15 minutes! See the
makeup rules, you can only makeup Exam 2 or 3 (not both) and you lose 20% of your
grade without a valid excuse). |
Exam scores posted on
Blackboard |
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Oct
22, 24 |
Chap 10 |
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Oct 29, 31 |
Chap
11 |
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Nov 5, 7 |
Running Water – Rivers (Note we skip Chapters 12
through 14, and Chapter 15 is below) |
Chap
16 |
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Nov 12, 14 |
Chap
17 |
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Nov 19 |
Chap
15 |
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Nov
21 (same room and time as the
lecture) |
EXAM 3 (Focus on Chap 10, 11, 15, 16, 17) – Exam 3 score will NOT be dropped. Arrive on time; you may not start an exam
once a student has left the exam room, which is usually within the first 15
minutes. See the makeup rules, you can only makeup Exam 2 or 3 (not both) and
you lose 20% of your grade without a valid excuse). I will not give out final
grades you must go to access.uh.edu to see your final
grade. |
Exam scores are posted on
Blackboard |
|
Nov 26 Group Makeup Exam (same room and time as the lecture) |
In-class Group Makeup
Exam (no lecture this day). You can only make
up one exam without penalty and only with a valid excuse and only if you take
the makeup at the Group Makeup Exam, otherwise 20% will be lost from your
makeup exam. There is no makeup for Exam 1 (see above) and you may NOT retake
an exam, this is only for missed exams. A valid excuse is proof of substantial illness of you, or an immediate
family member, or other approved nonacademic reason, provided within 24 hours
(unless you provide proof of an extreme circumstance that prevents you from
doing so within 24 hours). The proof cannot be just a note from the doctor;
it must include medical receipts. |
Final grades are posted at
access.uh.edu after the final
makeup exam. |
Important
information you must know!
1) ATTENDANCE:
Miss class without a documented approved university excuse, and it is your
responsibility to contact another student for a copy of their class notes and to
obtain announcements or changes to the Power Point slides. No points are
lost for missing class; but I can give bonus points for participation. Answers
to most test questions are explained in the lectures.
2) EXAMINATION PROCEDURES: All exams (except otherwise noted) are given in the
lecture room and are multiple choice.
a. Bring your UH
photo ID and know your myUH (PeopleSoft) ID number. If you forget
your ID and you can still take the test, but I will take your picture and then
you must present your ID later or you will receive a zero for the exam.
b. Bring two sharpened #2 pencils and a good quality eraser
that does not smear on a scantron.
c. If you leave the room for any reason, your exam
must be turned in. If for physical reasons you cannot sit through an
entire exam, arrange to take exams at the Center for Students with Disabilities
(713-743-5400).
d. Arrivals after anyone has left the exam room will
not be allowed to take the exam (usually within 15 minutes).
e. No telephones, electronic watches, electronic pens,
headsets or other electronics are to be turned on, or visible, at any time
while you are in the exam room. Violation of this is an academic honesty
violation. The electronics will be confiscated, turned in to the Department
Academic Honesty Officer, and you will be evaluated for violation of academic honesty.
f. Cheating: All suspected
cheating is reported to the university.
Cheating can include bringing materials into class to help you on the
exam, assisting another student in any way such as sharing answers or allowing
them to copy from your exam, copying or looking at the exam of another student,
talking to another student. Having a copy of the exam prior to the exam time,
taking a copy of the exam from the exam room. Having any electronic device
(including cell phones, tablets, and smart watches) turned on, or not stored
away, while in the exam room. Also, other items as described in the UH Student
Handbook.
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# of questions correct
is equivalent to the grades below. |
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Exams 1, 2 and 3 |
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A 38 or
more |
C 25-24 |
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A- 37-35 |
C- 23-22 |
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B+ 34-32 |
D+ 21 |
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B 31-30 |
D 20 |
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B- 29-28 |
D- 19 |
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C+ 27-26 |
F 18 or less |
3) GRADING:
There are 3 exams and no final. The chapters covered in each exam are
listed on the schedule above. Material presented later in the course
builds on information presented from the start of the course, so for each exam
you are responsible for all material presented up to that date, although almost
all the questions on the exam will be from the chapters noted.
a. Exam1 is dropped, if it improves your grade, because
some students do poorly on the first test not knowing what to expect. If
you miss Exam 1, there is no makeup since the grade is dropped.
b. How I
calculate your final grade: First, I take the points
earned from all 3 exams, add them together and divide by 3. Then, I take the points earned from just exams
2 and 3, add them together and divide by 2.
I then use the best (larger) value of the two calculations to determine
your letter grade. This automatically
drops the Exam 1 score, only if doing so improves your final grade. You do not
need to call me to request that I do so.
To determine the letter grade, I use the same letter grade scale
given to you when I reported the scores for each exam. The grade scale is usually the same for all
three exams. If I shift the scale when I
determine the final letter grades, it is always to improve the letter grades.
In calculating grades, numbers are round by Excel.
Do not call or email
asking me to do the following: drop Tests 2 or 3 instead
of Test 1; arbitrarily adjust your grade; adjust the grade scale so it improves
your grade; give you an individual extra credit project to raise your grade. I
will not do any of these. I consider special requests such as these, requests
to violate academic honesty.
4) MAKE-UP EXAM:
You can only make up only one exam without penalty,
if you provide a valid excuse and if you take the makeup at the Group Makeup
Exam (given the last class period - see class schedule for date), otherwise 20%
will be lost from your makeup exam. There is no makeup for Exam 1 (see above)
and you may NOT retake an exam. The makeup will cover the material in the
original exam you missed, just different questions. A valid excuse is proof
of substantial illness of you, or an immediate family member, or other approved
nonacademic reason, within 24 hours (unless you provide proof of an extreme
circumstance that prevents you from doing so within 24 hours). The proof cannot
be just a note from the doctor; it must include medical receipts.
5) INCOMPLETE “I” is a conditional and temporary grade given when a
student is currently passing a course, or still has a reasonable chance of
passing in the judgment of the instructor, but for documented non-academic
reasons beyond their control has not completed a relatively small part of all
requirements (see the student handbook http://www.uh.edu/dos/publications).
6) DROP POLICY:
Students are responsible for dropping or withdrawing from classes on or before
the last day to drop a course. Medical or Personal Emergency, or Military
call to duty: After the last day to drop, you may request a complete
withdrawal for exceptional, non-academic reasons (Provosts Office, room
109 E. Cullen, 713-743-9112, http://www.uh.edu/provost/policies/student/). For Military withdrawals see me first, possibly enough
of the course has been completed to examine and assign a grade.
7) STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: In accordance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disability Act of 1990, U of
H strives to provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students
who request and require them. If you
have a disability requiring assistance, please contact the Center for Students
with Disabilities 713-743-5400 (http://www.uh.edu/csd/). For assistance you must inform me the first week of
class, in private, of your approved accommodation.
Exams
taken at the Center for Students with Disability (CSD). You are responsible for ending the exam on time, CSD
personnel will not warn you that your time is up. The exam completion time is
reported to me. If you go over time, one point is subtracted from your exam
score for every minute you go over the allotted time.
8) ACADEMIC HONESTY violations (see the Student Handbook) will result in your failing the
course; and possible permanent expulsion from the University.
9) Disruptive Behavior: Please! No talking, telephones, or other distractions
out during lecture or you will be asked to leave. Repeated disruptions will be
dealt with as a disciplinary problem as described in the Student Handbook.
10) Recording: I do not give permission for anyone to record my
image or voice, or to distribute them in any manner.