Course Details

A comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles and concepts of Earth Science.

1. Develop a solid (ha ha) understanding of the Earth’s internal and external processes, including plate tectonics, erosion, weathering, and sedimentation.

2. Identify and describe the major types of rocks and minerals and recognize their significance in deciphering Earth’s history.

3. Explore the geological time scale and its significance in understanding the origin of Earth’s landscapes and life forms.

4. Investigate the formation and distribution of natural resources such as minerals, fossil fuels, and groundwater, and understand their importance to society.

5. Learn how geologists think, their process for moving from data to interpretation, and how they view the history of our planet.

6. Gain proficiency in reading and interpreting maps and other essential geologic representation.

Practice your metacognition, not just checking off boxes

As mentioned in the Ungrading page of the liquid syllabus, you and I will be working together to identify where your learning is at and set a grade together. However, I know that this is new and many students don't have much (or any) practice at actually pausing to reflect on their own learning. There will be several opportunities for you to do this, but below you will find some guidelines for helping you identify where you are in the class.

Your grade will be based on the 3 reflections and the ePortfolio you submit.

Deadlines and Grace Period:

Initial Submission

All assignments are due on their due date. Since I know that all of you have a life that includes more than just school, there is a ONE week grace period in which you can still submit the assignment. Should there be an extraordinary situation, please communicate with me as soon as possible so that we can identify a plan that will work for both of us.

After the grace week, I will not accept them. This is NOT meant to punitive, it is merely to help you move through the class in a stepwise manner that will facilitate more solid and engaged learning. Trying to do everything at the end leads to shallow learning and overwhelm, neither of which is helpful to your mental health!

However, I want you to realize a couple of things: 

1) I gave the assignment for a reason. It teaches you the material, so it is still valuable for you to complete it for your own learning. 

2) Use this missed opportunity as an experience to learn what you could change in your planning or schedule to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Resubmissions

All assignments may be resubmitted. In an effort to help you understand the material the best you can, a resubmission within a week is best. However, I will give you 2 weeks to resubmit.