Syllabis

Instructor:	Aaron Berger 4064 Derring Hall Phone: 231-1653 Email: alberger at. vt.edu Office hours: Wednesday 3-4 pm & Thursday 10-11 am

Course Description This course will cover many of the basic concepts of geology / earth sciences and also the different ways in which geology shapes the world around us and influences our everyday lives. In order to increase retention of material and promote self reliance many of the lab exercises will involve active learning and group discussion.
Materials Needed for Laboratories The laboratory course packets are available in a display on the ground level of the bookstore in the "Supplies" section (these packets are NOT housed in the texts' section). The packet includes the lab exercises, a hand lens and a protractor/ruler. I suggest that you keep the lab exercises in a three-ring binder. Please bring your lab packets/exercises, lecture text, and ancillary materials to lab with you each week. If you forget your materials, you will have trouble completing the lab!
Grading Satisfactory Laboratory Exercises 60% Quizzes / Homework 20% Attendance / Participation 20% Each student starts out with an A in this class but, it is up to he or her to keep it. Extra credit, if any, will be given only for exceptional work. *The lowest lab grade for each student will be dropped at the end of the semester.
Lab Meetings There are 14 lab meetings. Because each exercise builds upon knowledge acquired during previous labs attendance is mandatory. If you can’t attend class due to being sick or an emergency, you must contact me prior to the start of class. If you do not, the absence will be considered unexcused and you will be given an automatic zero for your lab exercise, quiz, and attendance / participation scores for the week. For excused absences, the student must write a 2.5 page double spaced scientific paper (5 page if a two week lab) which focuses on the topic covered in lab and also be prepared to take any quiz / make-up quiz at the beginning of the next lab. Even if an absence is excused, the attendance/participation points can not be made up! Some of the exercises require that we collect data outdoors and are noted on the schedule. Please dress appropriately for the weather on the days which we will go outdoors.
Lab Exercises and Assignments Assignments and other pertinent information are included at the back of each lab exercise. The assignment section on the last page of each exercise lists the materials that are needed for the next week's lab, directs you to reading assignments from your lecture text that apply to the upcoming lab, and outlines learning goals for that lab under a section called "quiz food". Each week you will turn in the written portion of your lab exercise and retain the assignment. In general, in-class lab exercises are due at the end of the lab meeting unless exceptions are made by your instructor. *Late assignments will not receive credit.
Honor System and Special Needs Any student with special needs or circumstances is encouraged to meet with the lab instructor to discuss them. All students are responsible for understanding and abiding by the Virginia Tech Honor Code (http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/). While students are encouraged to discuss the concepts of lab work with classmates during lab, formulation of answers to lab exercises must be done individually. Students should not use lab exercises from previous semesters nor provide other students with completed lab exercises at any time. For every assignment that is handed in for grading, you automatically agree to the following statement: I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this lab, test, quiz or assignment.

Course Description

This course will cover many of the basic concepts of geology / earth sciences and also the different ways in which geology shapes the world around us and influences our everyday lives. In order to increase retention of material and promote self reliance many of the lab exercises will involve active learning and group discussion.

Materials Needed for Laboratories

The laboratory course packets are available in a display on the ground level of the bookstore in the "Supplies" section (these packets are NOT housed in the texts' section). The packet includes the lab exercises, a hand lens and a protractor/ruler. I suggest that you keep the lab exercises in a three-ring binder. Please bring your lab packets/exercises, lecture text, and ancillary materials to lab with you each week. If you forget your materials, you will have trouble completing the lab!

Grading

Satisfactory Laboratory Exercises 60%
Quizzes / Homework 20%
Attendance / Participation 20%

*Each student starts out with an A in this class but, it is up to he or her to keep it.
*Extra credit, if any, will be given only for exceptional work.
*The lowest lab grade for each student will be dropped at the end of the semester.

Lab Meetings

There are 14 lab meetings. Because each exercise builds upon knowledge acquired during previous labs attendance is mandatory. If you can’t attend class due to being sick or an emergency, you must contact me prior to the start of class. If you do not, the absence will be considered unexcused and you will be given an automatic zero for your lab exercise, quiz, and attendance / participation scores for the week. For excused absences, the student must write a 2.5 page double spaced scientific paper (5 page if a two week lab) which focuses on the topic covered in lab and also be prepared to take any quiz / make-up quiz at the beginning of the next lab. Even if an absence is excused, the attendance/participation points can not be made up!

Some of the exercises require that we collect data outdoors and are noted on the schedule. Please dress appropriately for the weather on the days which we will go outdoors.

Lab Exercises and Assignments

Assignments and other pertinent information are included at the back of each lab exercise. The assignment section on the last page of each exercise lists the materials that are needed for the next week's lab, directs you to reading assignments from your lecture text that apply to the upcoming lab, and outlines learning goals for that lab under a section called "quiz food".

*Each week you will turn in the written portion of your lab exercise and retain the assignment.
*In general, in-class lab exercises are due at the end of the lab meeting unless exceptions are made by your instructor.
*Late assignments will not receive credit.

Honor System and Special Needs

Any student with special needs or circumstances is encouraged to meet with the lab instructor to discuss them.

All students are responsible for understanding and abiding by the Virginia Tech Honor Code (http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/). While students are encouraged to discuss the concepts of lab work with classmates during lab, formulation of answers to lab exercises must be done individually. Students should not use lab exercises from previous semesters nor provide other students with completed lab exercises at any time. For every assignment that is handed in for grading, you automatically agree to the following statement:

I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this lab, test, quiz or assignment.

Schedule of Exercises for GS-1104

Week #	Lab #	Laboratory Topic / Some Objectives
1 (Date)	1	Demystifying the Geological Sciences – What geologist do, Plate tectonics and the rock cycle.
2 (Date)	2	Minerals - Scientific observations / mineral properties, uses, and atomic arrangements.
3 (Date) Two week lab	3	Melts, Magmas and Igneous Rocks – Crystallization behavior and how it relates to igneous textures, mineral identification, Bowen’s reaction series, and properties of magma.
4 (Date) Two week lab	3	Melts, Magmas and Igneous Rocks - Crystallization behavior and how it relates to igneous textures, mineral identification, Bowen’s reaction series, and properties of magma.
5 (Date) part 1 Two week lab	4	Weathering, Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks – The sedimentary part of the rock cycle, sediment transport, sediment deposition, different sedimentary environments, sedimentary structures, sedimentary rock classification.
6 (Date) Part 2 Two week lab	4 ©	Weathering, Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks - The sedimentary part of the rock cycle, sediment transport, sediment deposition, different sedimentary environments, sedimentary structures, sedimentary rock classification.
7 (Date)	5 ©	Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks – Types of metamorphism, metamorphic minerals, protoliths, metamorphic grades, and migmatites.
8 (Date)	6	The Rock Cycle and Review – Talk in more detain about the rock cycle and review the different rocks and minerals.
9 (Date)	7	Rock Units in Three Dimensions – Discuss brittle versus ductile rock behavior, strike and dip, and simple fault and fold models.
10 (Date)	8	Relative Changes through Time – The physical relationship between rocks as related to their formation and the concept of relative age.
11 (Date) Part 1 Two week lab	9 ©	Geology on Paper: Reading and Making Maps – The link between 2-dimensional maps and the 3-dimensional land surface, how to use topographic maps and geologic maps, the relationship between topography and geology, and lastly, how to make maps.
12 (Date) Part 2 Two week lab	9	Geology on Paper: Reading and Making Maps – Putting it all together
13 (Date) Part 1 Two week lab	10	Applying Geologic Methods – Applying what you have learned over the semester.
14 (Date) Part 2 Two week lab	10	Applying Geologic Methods - Applying what you have learned over the semester.