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PLANET EARTH
GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University
Instructor: Sara Mana
Class meeting: Monday and Wednesday, 1:40 ‐ 3:00PM in SEC 118
Office Hours: immediately after class and by appointment
Email: manasara@rci.rutgers.edu (email is the best way to reach me!)
Office: Room 339A, Wright Laboratories, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Busch Campus
Text: “Earth: Portrait of a Planet”, 2nd or 3rd Edition, by Stephen Marshak.
The textbook can be found at the Rutgers University Bookstore. You may also be able to
find the same textbook online at bestbookbuys.com, amazon.com, half.com, etc.
Website: https://sakai.rutgers.edu
Log on to our course website to obtain class materials, exam schedules and test scores.
This website will also be used to submit possible extra‐assignments. Use your Rutgers (rci,
crab, andromeda, eden, clam, or pegasus) username and password to access all of your
class websites and click on Planet Earth Spring 2011 Sec 01.
Attendance: Students are expected to attend lectures and tests.
Please try to get to class on time. I will make every effort to finish the presentation of any
materials 5 to 10 minutes early.
If you need to leave class early, sit at end of an aisle to minimize class disruption.
Cell phones and beepers should be turned off in class. No texting please.
Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism are not acceptable! Our department fully
endorses a no‐tolerance cheating and plagiarism policy. If you are caught cheating, the
instructor may fail you and request disciplinary action.
On our website is posted the Rutger’s Policy on Academic Integrity. If you are not
familiar with this, I highly recommend you look it over.
Note on the attached Course Syllabus:
The course syllabus should be used as a general outline of the course. The syllabus may be
modified during the semester if needed due to unforeseen absence as a result of
unscheduled appointments or severe weather conditions. Modifications will be posted on
the course website.
SYLLABUS Spring 2011
Lecture # Day Date Topic Chapter/ Readings
PART 1: HISTORY, STRUCTURE & EVOLUTION OF PLANET EARTH
Wed 19‐Jan Syllabus & Introduction Prelude
1 Mon 24‐Jan Earliest Days of Planet Earth Chapter 1
2 Wed 26‐Jan Earth's Composition Chapter 2
3 Mon 31‐Jan Continental Drift & Spreading Seas Chapter 3
4 Wed 2‐Feb Plate Tectonics I Chapter 4
5 Mon 7‐Feb Crust Deformation Chapter 11
6 Wed 9‐Feb Mountain Building Chapter 11
7 Mon 14‐Feb Time & How Old is Earth Chapter 12
Wed 16‐Feb No lecture (in class Review)
Mon 21‐Feb Test #1
PART 2: ROCKS AND MINERALS
8 Wed 23‐Feb Minerals Chapter 5
9 Mon 28‐Feb Rock Groups Interlude B
10 Wed 2‐Mar Magma & Igneous Rocks Chapter 6
11 Mon 7‐Mar Sediment, Soils & Sedimentary Rocks Chapter 7
12 Wed 9‐Mar Metamorphic Rocks Chapter 8
Mon 14‐Mar No lecture (Spring Break)
Wed 16‐Mar No lecture (Spring Break)
13 Mon 21‐Mar The Rock Cycle Interludes C & E
Wed 23‐Mar No lecture (in class Review)
Mon 28‐Mar Test #2
PART 3: ECONOMIC RESOURCES, ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, & HUMAN IMPACTS ON EARTH
14 Wed 30‐Mar Streams & Floods Chapter 17
15 Mon 4‐Apr Oceans & Coasts Chapter 18
16 Wed 6‐Apr Amazing ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages Chapter 22
17 Mon 11‐Apr Volcanic Eruptions Chapter 9
18 Wed 13‐Apr Earthquakes Chapter 10
19 Mon 18‐Apr Economic Geology Chapters 14 & 15
20 Wed 20‐Apr Earth's Atmosphere & Climate Chapter 20
21 Mon 25‐Apr Global Change in the Earth System Chapter 23
Wed 27‐Apr No lecture (in class Review)
Mon 2‐May Test #3
COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING
Three noncumulative tests
Three tests occur during the semester based on materials presented in lecture. Tests may
include a variety of question formats including multiple choice, matching, true ‐ false, fill in
the blank, short answers. Typically, there are 80‐100 questions on each test.
Makeup tests are not given!!!
Exceptions will be made under special circumstances, at the instructor’s discretion.
Failure to show up for a test will result in a grade of zero.
Graded work #Points
Test #1 100
Test #2 100
Test #3 100
Occasional Extra Assignments,
Quizzes, etc… up to 50
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Totals: 300 ± 50 = 100%
% Grade
FINAL Above 90% A
GRADES Above 85% B+
WILL BE Above 80% B
DETERMINED Above 75% C+
USING THE Above 70% C
SCALE LISTED Above 65% D+
AT THE RIGHT Above 60% D
Below 59% F