ERTH 112.06_Lab Syllabus_S18

Course Syllabus—ERTH 112 Spring 2018

ERTH 112.06: Our Dynamic Earth Laboratory

Thursday 1310–1600, Thornton Hall 513; Schedule #6507

Instructor: Mobin Mahmoudi Office: TH 614

E-mail: [email protected] Office hours: Thursday 1600-1700

Objectives of the Lab:
The laboratory activities are designed to complement the lecture component of the course and to
give students hands-on experiences exploring course topics. Students will work individually and
in teams to conduct experiments; to explore earth processes via Google Earth, maps, and other
imagery; to collect data in the field; and to communicate the results of their investigations.
Students are expected to gain confidence in their ability to “do science”, and to learn a lot about
how Earth functions and relates to their lives.

Lab Format:
Students must arrive to class on time, ready to be fully engaged during the entire length of the
class period. Most of the class time will be devoted to hands-on activities. Cell phones must be
turned off before attending class.

Recommended Text and Supplies:
• Textbook—Essentials of Geology, 4th Edition, 2013, by Marshak: Norton publishing
company (available through SFSU Bookstore). Bring the book or appropriate chapter to
every class, your book will be a valuable resource every lab (see schedule).
• iClicker 1, Plus, or 2 classroom response system, plus extra AAA battery. Clicker (also
called a remote) is available through the SFSU Bookstore. Bring to lecture and lab every
week.
• Calculator (basic type OK) that is brought to every class.

Lab fee:
To cover costs of printing laboratory materials and providing other supplies, students are required
to pay a $10 lab fee. The lab fee was included in your tuition.

Class Activities and Assignments:
Each week students will engage in activities to learn more about a specific course topic, the write-
ups will be submitted at the end of the class period. Each lab has been designed for you to
actively engage with fellow students, and to investigate many ways scientists practice the process
of science. The labs are an extremely important part of the course. Two of the class sessions will
be mandatory field trips—the reports will be due in class the week after the trip. These field
reports also provide practice for the mandatory independent investigation (research project) that
each student will prepare to share with other students during the final lab class.

Field Trips:
To learn more about Earth processes, we must go outside to where the evidence is best displayed!
We will travel to field sites via university vans and student vehicles. Please note that you are “in
class” while in the field. You must stay with the group at all times and be fully engaged with class
activities throughout the trip. Only students enrolled in the class may attend the trips (no dogs
either!). Be prepared to learn a lot! The weather in San Francisco is ever changing, and wearing
sturdy shoes and appropriate clothing, and bringing any other resources are strongly encouraged.
If you are absent from lab the day the report is due, you are still responsible for submitting it on
time (via email, submission by a classmate, etc.). Lab reports submitted late will have 5 points
deducted per day and will not be accepted more than one week after the due date.

Course Syllabus—ERTH 112 Spring 2018

Consequently, you will receive a grade of “F” for the entire ERTH 112 course if you:
• Miss more than two labs
• Do not attend either field trip or fail to turn in either written field report
• Do not attend the final lab period with a complete poster of independent research

Grade Weighting (25% of class total): 15%
Weekly laboratory write-ups (best 10 of 11 labs) 6%
Two mandatory field reports (Montara Beach; Corona Heights, SF) 4%
Research presentation of field or research project

Late Assignment Policy:
Late assignments that are NOT excused due to illness or other prior University approved

circumstances will receive a late penalty, as follows:
<1 week late = minus 10%
<2 weeks late = minus 20%
<3 weeks late = minus 30%

I will NOT accept late assignments after 3 weeks

Plagiarism / Cheating Policy:
During class, students will collaborate to complete activities and learn concepts. However, you
are expected to submit lab reports you have written yourself. If your report is nearly identical to
another student’s report, you will receive reduced or zero credit for that activity.

Disability Accommodation:
Students with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations are encouraged to contact the
instructor. The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) is available to facilitate the
reasonable accommodations process. The DPRC is located in the Student Service Building and
can be reached by telephone (voice/TTY 415-338-2472) or by email ([email protected]).
(http://www.sfsu.edu/~dprc/facultyfaq.html#1)

Student Disclosure of Sexual Violence:
SF State fosters a campus free of sexual violence including sexual harassment, domestic violence,
dating violence, stalking, and/or any form of sex or gender discrimination. If you disclose a
personal experience as an SF State student, the course instructor is required to notify the Dean of
Students. To disclose any such violence confidentially, contact: The SAFE Place – (415) 338-
2208; http://www.sfsu.edu/~safe_plc/ and/or Counseling and Psychological Services Center –
(415) 338-2208; http://psyservs.sfsu.edu/

University Deadlines/Policies:
• 9 February (midnight): deadline for dropping the course and registering iClicker.
• 16 March: deadline to request the CR/NC grading option from your instructor. To
receive a CR grade, you must earn a grade of C- or better. The course grade will not be
included in you SFSU GPA calculation, but note that other institutions often interpret a
CR grade as a “C” and a NC grade as an “F”.
• 23 April: Deadline to withdrawal from course with a “W” grade

Course Syllabus—ERTH 112 Spring 2018

Class Schedule: (chapter from textbook: “Essentials of Geology”)

DATE TOPIC READING

25 Jan Process of Science Prelude

1 Feb Earthquakes Chap. 8, 9

8 Feb Plate tectonics Chap. 2

15 Feb Minerals: Earth’s building blocks Chap. 3

22 Feb Igneous processes / volcanoes Chap. 4, 5

1 Mar Sedimentary/coastal processes Chaps. 6, 15

8 Mar Field trip to Montara Beach

15 Mar Geologic time and metamorphic rocks Chap. 10

22 Mar SPRING RECESS: NO CLASS

29 Mar Field trip to Corona Heights

5 Apr Mass movements Chap. 13

12 Apr Streams: flowing water at the surface Chap. 14

19 Apr Groundwater / water supply Chap. 16

26 Apr Glaciers and climate Chap. 18

3 May Presentation Workshop

10 May Research Project Presentation