Corc 1332 Geology Online

CORC 1332 Geology and EESC Online Fall 2013

27016 W6 and 27025 W6
http://www.brooklyncollegegeology.com

Instructors	Natalie Dastas [e-mail]	Guillermo Rocha [e-mail]	Peter Matt [e-mail]
Office Hours	Tuesdays 3:30 to 5:30 Tuesdays Room 4146N	Mondays thru Thursdays from 9 to 12 and Sundays 9 to 12 at 4215N	Monday 12 Noon to 1PM and other times Mondays by appointment. Room 4146N

Course Overview: Through the use of an interactive website, this course introduces students to several important topics in geology. These include the distinctive characteristics of rocks and minerals, the interpretation of specialized maps, the theory of plate tectonics and the processes by which rocks form from earth materials. It provides on-line exercises to present and explain each topic. The website provides all the resources and information required to gain mastery of the subject matter. Links to the on-line exercises and to course information (such as the course calendar, exam and assignment due dates, grading practices, etc.) are found on the course home page.
Learning Objectives:

1. 
   Students will become familiar with the methods used to identify minerals and rocks using virtual hand samples.
   
2. 
   Students will learn to interpret various kinds of maps including topographic and geologic.
   
3. 
   Students will be able to explain the elements of plate tectonic theory using appropriate terminology. Students will understand the varieties of plate margins and their effects on processes like earthquakes and volcanism.
   
4. 
   Students will gain a basic understanding of deep earth and surface processes involved in rock formation including magmatism, metamorphism and sedimentation.
   
5. 
   Students will develop their skills in logical thinking and clear scientific writing.
   
6. 
   Students will learn the importance of following specific procedures in the virtual lab to obtain verifiable results.
   

BE WARNED: The online section is extremely time intensive. Do not be fooled into thinking the class will be easy because it is an online course. The course is set up so that you cannot complete the assignments before you complete each related section in its entirety. It has been proven that students who attempt to go the “quick route” end up doing poorly in this class.
STUDENTS MAY NOT BE REGISTERED FOR ANY OTHER COURSES THAT CONFLICT WITH THIS COURSE’S MEETINGS AND EXAMS.
Textbook: No textbook for this class.

Assessment: Assignments 10% 3 online assignments (assignments are used for attendance purposes!)

Quiz 5% 1 online quiz

Exam 1 25% Minerals and Maps (multiple choice, T/F)

Exam 2 25% Plate Tectonics and the Fourth Dimension (multiple choice, T/F)

Final Exam 35% Cumulative (multiple choice, T/F)
There is no extra credit offered or curve applied to this course.
Absence for Exam 1 or Exam 2 will result in a grade of zero. Make-up exams are not given in this course. Violations of academic integrity (see attached description) will result in a grade of zero for the assessment during which the incident occurred, and may result in further disciplinary actions.
Grades will be based on the following scale:

100-97 = A+ 96-93 = A 92-90 = A-

89-87 = B+ 86-83 = B 82-80 = B-

79-77 = C+ 76-73 = C 72-70 = C-

69-67 = D+ 66-63 = D 62-60 = D-

Below 60 = F

Email: We will use email to communicate with the class. Be sure to assign the email account that you check often to your Brooklyn College Portal because emails will be sent through the BC Portal system. Failure to do so will result in missed emails with potentially important class information.

Email Correspondence: For ANY correspondence please arrange the subject line as follows:

last name, first name, and the content designation
For example:

“Smith, Terry, Minerals Part II submission”

“Goldfinger, Filene, question about maps”
Failure to follow this format will result in your email being lost or a delay in its being read.

Class ID: You will be assigned a class ID number. For all assignments, fill in your ‘official’ name and class ID number in the indicated places on the submission form. Keep a copy of everything you submit. If you don’t finish an assignment in one sitting, make sure to copy the email submission form before you close it, because when you close it all entered information will be lost.
Assignments'>**To begin the first assignment you will need your class ID number. Your class ID number can be found under “class ID” on the homepage*
Assignments: There are 5 assignments, 3 of which are to be submitted for a grade, and 1 online quiz.

Submitted assignments must be received before 11:59 PM on the date it is due.
Please note that if an assignment is not submitted on time, it will receive a zero.

-NO EXCEPTIONS-
Resubmitting Assignments: Students have an opportunity to resubmit assignments to better their grade. Please refer to the website for resubmission eligibility and guidelines.

Getting Help:

• 
  General questions regarding the website and the assignments contact Peter Matt at [e-mail] and Guillermo Rocha at [e-mail]
  
• 
  For specific questions regarding assignments please contact the appropriate instructor (see table on next page).
  
• 
  All office hours are held in room 3114 and 4215 Ingersoll Hall.
  
• 
  To discuss graded assignments, come in during office hours with a printout of the completed, graded assignment.
  
• 
  Instructors will respond to all email inquires within 48 hours during the week and for email received over the weekend a response will be sent within 48 hours from the following Monday.
  
• 
  If you need assistance with an assignment but cannot attend the posted office hours contact the appropriate instructor to see if alternate arrangements can be made.
  

A note from Peter, Natalie, and Guillermo:

• 
  We encourage you to find other students in the class to work with. If you wish to communicate by email with other students to collaborate on assignments, study for exams, etc., please send Peter an email specifying it is OK for him to add your name and email to the class distribution list.
  
• 
  Please note: for all written material (e.g., short answers, essays), each student must answer questions in his/her own words. Homework assignments that are substantially identical in the wording of short essay questions will be considered copied and will not be graded!!!
  
• 
  Doing your own work on the assignments is one good way to prepare for the examinations. You won’t be prepared if you don’t do the work by yourself.
  
• 
  During the examinations, you may not talk to other students or look at the answer sheets of other students. If room space allows, you will be asked to keep empty seats between yourself and other students. Students who talk to each other or look at another student’s answer sheet during an examination will be asked to leave the exam room and will receive a zero grade for the exam.
  

Assignment	Submit before 11:59 PM on	Submit to	Office Hours
Orientation	Tuesday -- January 28th -- 6:05-7:45 pm -- 1310N
Mineral I and II	February 11th (minerals II only)	Peter Matt		By appointment
Maps I	Nothing to submit	NA		By appointment
Maps II	March 4th	Natalie Dastas		By appointment
Maps III/IV	Nothing to submit	NA		None this week
Exam 1	Exam 1 Office hours: By appointment
	Tuesday – March 18th -- 6:05-7:45 pm -- 1310N covering Minerals I/II & Maps I-IV
Plate Tectonics Quiz	April 1st	Peter Matt		By appointment
Fourth Dimension	April 29th	Natalie Dastas		By appointment
Exam 2	Exam 2 Office Hours: By appointment
	Tuesday – May 6th -- 6:05-7:45 pm -- 1310N covering Plate Tectonics & 4th Dimension I/II
Final Exam	Final Exam Office Hours: By appointment
	Tuesday – May 20th -- 6:05-7:45 pm—1310N *Please note Final Exam day and time are set by the college-we do not offer alternate exam times. If you are not able to make it in at the scheduled time you should NOT be registered for this course.

**Office hour dates and times are subject to change*

University's Policy on Academic Integrity:

The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both. The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for implementing that policy can be found at this site: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies.If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation. 

The Center for Student Disability Services:

In order to receive disability-related academic accommodations students must first be registered with the Center for Student Disability Services. Students who have a documented disability or suspect they may have a disability are invited to set up an appointment with the Director of the Center for Student Disability Services, Ms. Valerie Stewart-Lovell at 718-951-5538. If you have already registered with the Center for Student Disability Services please provide your professor with the course accommodation form and discuss your specific accommodation with him/her.