Physical Geology Syllabus (current as of 9/14/2014) GEOL 1001 Dr.

Suniti Karunatillake
sunitiw@lsu.edu Page 1 of 7

Physical geology Syllabus

Introducing the composition, structure, and processes of Earth and other planetary bodies

GEOL 1001, Section 3, MWF 11:30 12:20 at 0130 Howe-Russell

Professor: Dr. Suniti Karunatillake Walimuni Devage sunitiw@lsu.edu (E300 Howe-Russell

Planetary Science Lab website)

Grading Teaching Assistant: Mr. Ziran Wei (zwei5@lsu.edu)

Secondary mentor: Mr. Donald Hood (dhood7@lsu.edu)

Office hours: W 12:30 13:30 at 0130 Howe Russell (outside the lecture hall). You may also
meet with Dr. Karunatillake by alerting him 1 hour before visiting his lab at E300 Howe Russell.

1 LSU requires the following from you

LSU policy grants one semester hour of credit for every hour of (weekly) meeting time for
lecture courses. As a general rule, LSU expects students to spend two to three hours per credit
working outside of class. Work outside of this class section includes at least two hours of
diverse activities (e.g., preparing for the next class, exploring the digital smartbook strategically
with LearnSmart, completing explore activities at Connect, preparing to play, preparing for
exams, etc.)

2 Ensure the logistical foundation!

Register your Classroom Response System (CRS, TurningPoint Clicker) ID at Moodle
(instructions at Moodle). Register for GEOL1001 at McGrawHill Connect
(http://connect.mheducation.com/class/geol1001mwf1130) via Moodle.

3 Our objective in GEOL 1001

Apply scientific models -- of composition, structure, and processes -- of planetary bodies, with
Earth as reference.

4 Remind yourself:
Check McGraw-Hill Connect daily for deadlines and assignments. Bring Clicker daily! Secure
your Clicker and ID! Share a clicker = become a plagiarist.

5 Repeating the critical:

Secure your Clicker and its ID. Replacing clicker or its ID will interrupt your scoring at Moodle.
Safeguard your Clicker and its ID. Share a clicker = become a plagiarist.

Register at McGrawHill Connect.

Physical Geology Syllabus (current as of 9/14/2014) GEOL 1001 Dr. Suniti Karunatillake
sunitiw@lsu.edu Page 2 of 7

6 Stay safe!
Avoid plagiarism by acknowledging the help of others. Work independently, unless told
otherwise. Follow LSUs code of conduct (link). Alert the professor to your special needs.
Submit your supporting documents to him immediately, after registering with LSUs Disability
Services (DS). The Office of Disability is located in 115 Johnston Hall (phone: 225-578-5919).
See PS-26.

7 Play easily at home, harder in class

Easily at home: targeted reading of the digital SmartBook, directed by LearnSmart, and
motivated by Connect explorative activity.

Harder in class: learn physical geology by solving problems together. Gain new experiences in
physical geology by discussing topics not considered at home.

8 The modern syllabus of two parts

The course guide (Sections 9 15 below), of the game rules. The timeline, of Earths story and
key dates, updated monthly at Moodle, organized by week. Section 16 provides a potential
timeline, finalized only for term exams, holidays, and August.

9 Learn the story of Earth and beyond

Reynolds et al. (2014), Exploring Geology via McGrawHill Connect/LearnSmart. As a game
of Physical Geology in 3 major parts, played individually and collectively, targeting 100 points
by semesters end.

Connect 20
Explore 40
LearnSmart 20
Play 40
Achieve 100 Mid-term 10
Wilds 20
Final 10
Bonus 5
Physical Geology Syllabus (current as of 9/14/2014) GEOL 1001 Dr. Suniti Karunatillake
sunitiw@lsu.edu Page 3 of 7

10 Explore at home (40 points)

10.1 With LearnSmart at McGrawHill Connect (20 points)
Coached, interactive, strategic reading with LearnSmart opportunities. Due by 11:00 am on each
class day, and posted 1 week before each deadline.

10.1.1 Rubric and score:

100% for completing by deadline, regardless of accuracy. 0% otherwise, to maximize learning
benefit from LearnSmart.

= 20
100

10.2 With Query at McGrawHill Connect (20 points)

Each helps you apply your knowledge by responding to 10 questions using any resource.
Due by 11:00 am each Friday, and posted 1 week before each deadline.

10.2.1 Rubric and score:

Described at McGrawHill Connect for each activity, including late submission rule.

= 100
10

= 20
100

11 Play (40 points)

Each class story begins with pre-play (1 point regardless of accuracy). Ends in play (4 points if
right, 1 point if wrong). Only two attempts allowed. Scored as total for each set (pre-play + play)
with = + (e.g., even responding incorrectly to both
earns 2 points). Think with group, respond individually to problems in class. Recorded via
classroom response system (CRS, TurningPoint Clickers, Channel 41).

= 40
5

12 Wilds (20 points), with limited time to survive.

12.1 Survive the wilds of the mid-term (10 points)
1 hour with cumulative questions adapted from Play queries. On 13-14 October 2014, computer
based testing (CBT).

= 10

Physical Geology Syllabus (current as of 9/14/2014) GEOL 1001 Dr. Suniti Karunatillake
sunitiw@lsu.edu Page 4 of 7

12.2 Survive the wilds of the final (10 points)

2 hours of queries adapted from Play queries. On 08-09 December 2014, CBT.

= 10

13 Bonus (5 points)
Respond to Bonus questions in class with your clicker. 1 point for responding and 0 if you dont.

= 5

14 Of Deadlines and failures

14.1 Deadline flexibility?
Approved excuse omits corresponding Explore (McGrawHill Connect, LearnSmart) and Play
activities from your record. Excused only for documented crises or activities at professors
discretion. Bonus Wilbert Query and Geology News earn zero after due date. Inflexible mid-term
and final exam schedule.

14.2 Failure recovery?

Earn 1 exemption for each: office hour session, supplementary instruction session. Verify that
the mentor recorded your participation before leaving (first name, last name). Cannot confirm
afterwards. Identify desired exemption by e-mail when asked by mentor, restricted to Explore
and Play activities. Each exemption deletes 1 activity from your score history. Unused
exemptions accrue until 28 November 2014.

15 From score to letter grade in 3 part game?

Game score range Letter Reflects major parts
grade achieved
] = including ( = excluding

[90,100] A Excels in all

[80,90) B All

[65,80) C Two to three, partially

Physical Geology Syllabus (current as of 9/14/2014) GEOL 1001 Dr. Suniti Karunatillake
sunitiw@lsu.edu Page 5 of 7

[40,65) D One to two

[0,40) F One or less

16 Potential timeline (Secondary part of syllabus), finalized only for

August, holidays, mid-term exam, and final exam
Moodle and Connect/LearnSmart timelines always supersede the following.

W
e
e
k Date Day Category Theme Strategic home reading
25- Review syllabus and McGrawHill
1 Aug M Browse Objectives Connect/LearnSmart feature
27-
Aug W Learning strategy Review syllabus and timeline; learning methods
29- Review introduction; what is plate tectonics?
Aug F First steps Matter? And a mineral?
Labor
1- Day
2 Sep M holiday
Drop
without
3- "W" by Molten rock,
Sep W 16:30 weathered into soil What are igneous processes? Volcanism? Soil?
Remaking rocks What distinguishes sedimentary from
5- over unimaginable metamorphic rocks? Can we fathom geologic
Sep F times time?
Bending and
8- breaking rocks with What enables rocks to bend and break? What
3 Sep M insider help role does Earth's interior play?
The Frankenstein
10- skin of Earth, What makes the sea floor? What makes
Sep W wasted by gravity mountains? What happens in mass wasting?
12- Living on Earth's How does water flow? What distinguishes
Sep F wet skin groundwater? How do glaciers change?
Wind, beach, and How does wind affect deserts? What changes
15- desert in a shorelines? What distinguishes modern from
4 Sep M disrupted climate ancient climate change?
Evolving Earth, How life evolves with an evolving Earth? Would
17- human needs, and our civilization survive its needs? What creates
Sep W venturing beyond unique planetary bodies?
Physical Geology Syllabus (current as of 9/14/2014) GEOL 1001 Dr. Suniti Karunatillake
sunitiw@lsu.edu Page 6 of 7

19- Review introduction; what is plate tectonics?

Sep F Highlight Modeling geology Matter? And a mineral?
22-
5 Sep M Molten rock erupts What are igneous processes? Volcanism?
24- What matters about soil? How do sedimentary
Sep W Rock - soil cycle rocks arise and evolve?
Forging rocks
26- across geologic What makes metamorphic rocks? How do we
Sep F time fathom geologic time?
29- Earth's wrinkled What deforms or breaks crustal rocks? How do
6 Sep M skin, torn by quakes we decipher earthquakes?
1- Earth's anatomy What is Earth's structure? How does the ocean
Oct W and ocean floors floor arise and evolve?
3- Fall
Oct F Holiday
Mountains made,
6- then wasted by What makes mountains? How does gravity tear
7 Oct M gravity them down?
8- Water on Earth's What distinguishes flowing water from
Oct W skin and its pores groundwater?
10- Prepare for the
Oct F wilds Cumulative mid-term exam review
The
Wilds
(mid-
term 13 -
13- 14 @ Earth's skin: frozen What makes glaciers evolve? What global and
8 Oct M CBT) and parched regional conditions govern deserts?
What creates and modifies shorelines? What
15- Shorelines and distinguishes modern climate change from
Oct W climate change before?
What reveals the geologic evolution of Earth?
17- Evolving Earth and How do human needs compare with available
Oct F human needs resources?
Explore,
Discuss,
20- and
9 Oct M Apply Solar system tour How do solar system bodies compare?
22-
Oct W Plate tectonics What shows plate tectonism on Earth?
24- From atoms to
Oct F minerals What makes minerals?
1 27-
0 Oct M Classifying minerals How do we classify minerals?
29- Igneous evolution How does the classification of igneous rocks aid
Oct W of Earth the modeling of processes?
Physical Geology Syllabus (current as of 9/14/2014) GEOL 1001 Dr. Suniti Karunatillake
sunitiw@lsu.edu Page 7 of 7

31- Igneous evolution How does the classification of igneous rocks aid
Oct F of Earth the modeling of processes?
1 3- What do volcanic structures reveal about the
1 Nov M Volcanism underlying processes?
What distinguishes the 2 main weathering
5- Converting rocks to processes? What components of soil matter to
Nov W sediment us?
Drop/res
ign
7- deadline Remaking rocks What lithifies sediment? What distinguishes
Nov F (16:30) from sediment major sedimentary rock types?
1 10- What enables metamorphism? What do rocks
2 Nov M Metamorphism reveal of metamorphic environments?
12- What geologic clocks do we use? What
Nov W Geologic time distinguished relative from numerical ages?
14- What geologic clocks do we use? What
Nov F Geologic time distinguished relative from numerical ages?
1 17- Crustal What deforms rocks? What controls brittle versus
3 Nov M deformation ductile deformation?
What insight do earthquakes provide of Earth's
19- structure? Can plate tectonics induce
Nov W Earthquakes earthquakes?
21- How does Earth's internal structure affect the
Nov F Earth's interior geothermal gradient?
1 24- Living science
4 Nov M fiction Geology beyond Earth
26- Living science
Nov W fiction Martian exploration
Thanksgi
28- ving
Nov F holiday
1 1- Prepare for the
5 Dec M wilds Cumulative final exam review
3- Prepare for the
Dec W wilds Cumulative final exam review
5- Prepare for the
Dec F wilds Cumulative final exam review
Final exam 8 - 9
8- The December at the
Dec M Wilds CBT Cumulative