GEOLOGY 101, COURSE SYLLABUS
Joseph Hull
copyright by Joseph Hull

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Guy in Front
 My name is Joe Hull, instructor of geology and environmental science.  My office is SAM 414 on the fourth floor.  My telephone is 587-4905.  I have voice mail, so if I'm not there, leave a message (beep).  My e-mail address is jhull@sccd.ctc.edu.

Office Hours
 My office hours depend on the quarter.  You can drop by at other times that are convenient for you; I'm usually in my office all afternoon until early evening.  And you can make appointments for other times.

Division of Science and Mathematics
 Perhaps there are questions that I cannot answer.  Our omniscient secretaries are Ms. Carole Schmidt, Mr. Thai Luong and Ms. Kim Lawler, in the division office (SAM 101). 

Website
    Presumably you found it, since you are here.  seattlecentral.edu/faculty/jhull/gel101.html     I will try and update materials as promptly as possible.  All mission critical materials will be handed out in class in paper copy.

Text (required)
 Dolgoff, Anatole (1996), Physical Geology; D. C. Heath Company, Lexington, 600 pp.  ISBN 0-669-33923-7.  used editions available.  older editions AOK.

 I will provide the lab text for use in lab.  You save $100.  If you want to order a lab text, they are available from booksellers like amazon, borders, etc.

Lectures and Activities
 Lecture periods are M Tu W  in SAM 201, for 2 hours with a short break at the top of the hour.  I'll talk about the material, show slides, point at maps, give demonstrations, ask and answer questions, etc. etc.  Interaction, questions, declarations, suggestions, arguments, etc. from you are encouraged, expected, required!

 On Monday we'll have our weekly quiz.  On Wednesday we will have our in-class activity.  You will work in pairs in class on an activity that relates to the material in lecture and the reading assignment.

Electronics are PROHIBITED in class; no phones, tape players, CD players, beepers, pagers, beeping watches, etc.  Turn them off and hide them.

Laboratories
 Labs are Thursday or Friday in SAM 201, lasting 2 hours.  I will try to make most of your lab exercises fit into the 2 hour time slot.  Some questions you may answer on your own outside of lab time.

 Perhaps you want more time with the rocks, minerals, maps, etc.  (1) Extra time will be available after the lab on an informal basis in SAM 201after the lab.  (2) I will keep one set of lab materials in my office.  You can come by and use them if I'm there.    (3) Some materials, like maps but not rocks, will be on reserve in the library.

 No lab surfing!!  You are signed up for a specific lab time, and you must attend that lab time.  There are not enough lab materials for extra people in any of the labs.

 No food in the lab!!  Wash your hands before lab please.

Safety
 The only cautionary material we will work with is very dilute hydrochloric acid.  It is rather safe, but you should be careful.  You should also be careful handling the rocks, minerals, and tools, for their safety, as well as yours.

 Don't abuse the lab materials; specimens, supplies, tools.  Use brain.  The more you break and destroy needlessly, the higher your tuition.  Rocks and minerals are very, very expensive.

 The lecture and lab rooms arelocated on the 5th floor.  About 70 feet to the right/west is a stairwell to the North plaza.   In an emergency, do not use the elevators.

 During the earthquake, Duck Cover and Hold.  Get away from the windows.  Don't panic!

Special Needs Students
 Students with documented disabilities who need course adaptations or accomodations, have emergency medical information to share with me, or require special arrangements for building evacuation,  should contact me after class within the first two weeks of class.  I'm here to help.

Supplies
 Pens/pencils.  Pencil for labs!   Access to or ownership of a calculator.  But don't go out and buy a calculator!  We have extras.

Library
 The lecture and lab books for this class are on reserve.  Also on reserve is a copy of my notes for this class, from past quarters.  I change my notes every quarter, but these older notes may help you.  Photocopy them if you want but DON'T STEAL THEM.  The maps for the laboratories will be on reserve as well.  Our library also contains a variety of books on geology, located in the back right under QE.

Evaluation:  Lecture and Reading Material
 Your knowledge and comprehension of the lecture material will be determined on a weekly basis, by a quiz every week, Monday at the start of class.  The quiz will last about 10-15 minutes, and will cover the lecture material of the previous week, and the reading assignments in Dolgoff for the previous week.  You will not be tested on lab material per se  on these quizzes; just on lectures and readings.

There will be a total of 12 quizzes.  Each quiz is worth 8 points.  You get a FREE 8 points for taking Quiz 1.  If you don't take a quiz on Monday, you will receive a zero.

 Each Wednesday there will be an in-class activity worth 2 points, due in-class on that day.  You and your partner will receive the same grade for the activity.  You get a FREE 2 points for completing Activity 1.  If you don't do an activity, you will receive a zero.

8 points + 2 points = 10 points per week on the "lecture" material.

Memorize your section # and your SID and put them on your papers.

Evaluation:  Lab Material
 Your knowledge and comprehension of the laboratory material will be determined on a weekly basis, by a laboratory exercise every week.  The labs will involve mineral and rock samples, maps, calculations, etc., and will require answers to questions and problems.  Each lab assignment is due the following Monday.

 There will be a total of 9 labs.  Each lab is worth 10 points.  You get a FREE 10 points for completing Lab # 1.  If your lab is late, you will receive a zero (0).

Grades
 Each quiz + activity will be worth 10 points (120 points), each lab 9 points (90 points), for a total of 210 points for the course.

 I will write your Quiz average and Lab average on your papers each week, so you have an idea of how you're doing, and so you can calculate your grade at any time.  To calculate your grade:

 1.  Take your Quiz average and multiply by 12:  this is your Quiz points.
 2.  Take your Lab average and multiply by 9:  this is your Lab points.
 3.  Add your Quiz points and Lab points together:  this is your total points.
 4.  Grades are assigned based on total points (possible 210):

190

4.0

176

3.5

163

3.0

149

2.5

135

2.0

122

1.5

108

1.0

187

3.9

174

3.4

160

2.9

146

2.4

133

1.9

119

1.4

105

0.9

185

3.8

171

3.3

157

2.8

144

2.3

130

1.8

116

1.3

103

0.8

182

3.7

168

3.2

155

2.7

141

2.2

127

1.7

114

1.2

100

0.7

179

3.6

165

3.1

152

2.6

138

2.1

125

1.6

111

1.1

<100

0.0

 Or use the formula:  GRADE =  (Total Points) * 0.0366666 – 2.966666

At Seattle Central, we don't give letter grades, only numerical grades.  But here's a handy conversion chart:

A 4.0       A- 3.5      B 3.0       B- 2.5      C 2.0      C- 1.5         D 1.0
A 3.9       B+ 3.4     B 2.9       C+ 2.4     C 1.9      D+ 1.4        D 0.9
A- 3.8     B+ 3.3      B- 2.8     C+ 2.3     C- 1.8     D+ 1.3        D- 0.8
A- 3.7     B+ 3.2     B- 2.7      C+ 2.2     C- 1.7     D+ 1.2        D- 0.7
A- 3.6     B 3.1       B- 2.6       C 2.1       C- 1.6     D   1.1        E    <0.7

Exams
 NO EXAMS.  No midterms, no quarterlies, no finals.

 Makeups
NO MAKEUPS.

Extra Credit
 NO EXTRA CREDIT.

Incompletes
NO INCOMPLETES.

Attendance
 I do not take attendance; sometimes you must make a "life choice."  However, it is my long experience that those who do not attend class regularly do not learn much, and do not pass.  Attending class means less studying and easier studying.

Sick Day
 You get one free "sick day" this quarter.  You can miss or drop one quiz OR one lab.  (I will automatically drop your lowest quiz OR lab, even if you don't ask).

Excuses
 Illness and death in the family are the excuses I will consider.

 If you are ill, or you must stay home because your child is ill, you must contact me beforehand, before the quiz, or before the lab is due.  You must also bring a note from your physician, with their phone number and a complete explanation of the reason for your absence.  Then I will decide.

 For a death in the family, you must contact me before the quiz or the lab due date.  The deceased must be an immediate family member.  Like the airlines, proof of bereavement is required.  Then I will decide.

 If your excuse is judged valid by me, then I will omit that quiz or lab for that week, and you will not receive a zero, it won't count against you.

 NO MAKEUPS.

Optional Field Trips
    There are two optional (optional!!) field trips this quarter.  These field trips are strictly optional.  You have two choices for the field trips.  (A) You can attend a field trip just for fun.  (B).  You can substitute the field trip exercise for the laboratory exercise for that week and that week only.  For example, if you go on the earthquakes field trip in week 3, you can substitute the earthquakes field exercise for the week 3 laboratory on earthquakes, and you don't have to come to lab.

Field Trip #1:  Week 3, Wednesday, 1 pm - 4 pm, Seattle Fault and Earthquakes
Field Trip # 2:  Week 10, Wednesday, 1 pm-4pm, Seattle Landslides

All field trips begin and end at SCCC.  The van holds 10 students.  No private vehicles.  Small amount of walking.  Details and sign-up during class the week before the field trip.

Disclaimer
All topics, materials, dates, times, etc. etc. are subject to change at any time, etc. etc., without warning, etc. etc., depending on class conditions, etc. etc.

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