SUNY Cortland                                                                              

SCI 141: Integrated Earth Science and Biology

               Earth Science Section — Spring 2007

 

Instructor:  Mrs. Joyce Kruger-Knuepfer, Department of Geology

 

Office: 342 Bowers Hall                           Office hours:  Mon 11:30-1,

                                                                                          Th 8:30-9:30

Phone:   (607) 753-2915                                               or by appointment

E-mail:  knuepferj@cortland.edu                     

 

Course Information:

 

   Day

     Times      

  Location

Lecture:

T or R

   10:05-11:20 am

136 Bowers

Labs:

T or R

    1:15-3:05 pm

or 3:15-5:05 pm

346 Bowers

(Bio is in Bowers 355)

 

Course Website:                   WebCT SCI 141

                                                                                               

Required Text and Materials:      

·         Textbook is required for all parts of both SCI141 & SCI142.

·         Tillery, Bill W., Enger, Eldon D., and Ross, Frederick C. (2007) Integrated Science 3rd Ed., McGraw Hill Higher Education, ISBN 9780072996746

 

Course Purpose

This interdisciplinary Earth Science and Biology course has been designed specifically for pre-service elementary education students.  Your future in teaching at the elementary school level will require content knowledge in many different areas.  This portion is a quarter semester course designed to give you some general content and science process background specifically in Earth Science.  Additionally, you will take coursework in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.  This experience is designed to show you not only some of the principles of each discipline, but also their interrelatedness and model the science process.  This course is not designed for Earth Science majors, however, as Elementary Education teachers, you will someday be the first line in the education of children.  You should approach this course with as much academic rigor as any other course.

 

Course Description

“An interdisciplinary course for childhood education majors utilizing a student-centered, hands-on approach to develop basic concepts of earth science and biology for use in the elementary classroom. Two hour lectures and one two hour lab. (4 sem. hr.).”  This course is worth half of four credits for SCI141.  SCI141 fulfills a GE8A course requirement for natural sciences.  Because this is a GE3A course, there is a core writing requirement.  Over the course of the quarter, you will be required to write at least 2 and ½ pages.  Additionally, this course consists of both Earth Science and Biology and both portions must be completed for one grade.

Course Objectives:

 

This part of the course is designed as a quarter course covering Earth Science content.  There are three main objectives within the content of the course:

 

 

  1. Science Literacy:  Students become science literate, meaning that students will be able to understand and apply actual Earth Science principle to current events, case studies, and a variety of situations.  Students will also work through understanding and evaluating different levels of reliable source information.

2.   Earth Science Content:  Students will study Earth Science content in six main topic areas:

    A) deep space astronomy, B) Earth and planets, C) water and energy (weather and climate),

    D) current news:  global warming, E) volcanoes and mountain building, and F) Earth’s

    surface processes

3.   Models of Science Processes: Students will develop problem solving skills by working with and through the science process in a laboratory situation.  Students will work on solving real Earth Science problems in the lab with a focus on developing both scientific inquiry and data analysis skills.


Course Schedule

Day

Date

                                    Topic

Reading

 T

Jan 23

 1.  Course Introduction/ Scientific Process and Models

Ch 1, p. 2 - 20

 R

Jan 25

2.     Geologic Time Lines and The Universe

Ch 22, p. 515 - 528

Ch 11, p. 246, 250

Ch 12, p. 257 - 276

 T

Jan 30

 3.  Sky Knowledge (possible Planetarium Show)

Ch. 12, p. 270, p. 258

 R

Feb 1

 4.  Planet and Earth Motions

Ch 14, p. 301 – 317

Ch 13, p. 277 - 317

 T

Feb 6

5.   Energy Movement and Atmospheric Structure

       Water Cycle

(Ch 3, p. 57 - 61)

Ch 18, p. 412 - 424

 R

Feb 8

 6.  Seasons and Weather A

Ch 4, p. 69-87

Ch 17, p. 371 – 404

 T

Feb 13

 7.  Weather and Climate B

      (Moisture and Energy Movement in the Atmosphere)                             

Ch 17, p. 371 – 404

 R

Feb 15

 8.  Global Warming

TBA

 T

Feb 20

 9.  Plate Tectonics - Earthquakes/Volcanoes + Igneous Rocks

Ch 16, p. 345 - 370

 R

Feb 22

10.  Plate tectonics – Mountains + Metamorphic rocks

Ch 16, p. 345 - 370

 T

Feb 27

11.  Surface Processes – Weathering and Erosion

Ch. 16, p. 357 - 367

 R

Mar 1

12.  Surface Processes – Deposition and Sedimentary Rocks

Ch. 15, p. 327 - 329

T,

R

Mar 5

Mar 8

13.  Natural Resources and Earth Stewardship

14.  Final Exam during lecture period

Ch. 23, p. 547 - 577

 

Lab Schedule

 Week #

                        Topic

      Location

  22 Jan

Process of Science Inquiry and Models

           Lab

  29 Jan

Distances and Planetary Motions

 Planetarium and Lab

  5 Feb

Weather and Climate (Moisture and Energy)

           Lab

12 Feb

Greenhouse Gases and Greenhouse Effect

           Lab

19 Feb

Volcanoes and Mountains

           Lab

26 Feb

Rough and Tumble Rocks

           Lab

 4 Mar

Final Exam Review for Earth Sci. Session of Sci 141

           Lab

 

 

Course and Grading Requirements:

 

      Lecture

                        1.         6 weekly study guides @ 5 pts                   30 pts

                        2.         5 weekly quizzes @ 10 pts                         50 pts

                        3.         Earth Science course final                                    100 pts

                                                                                                            Total - 180 pts

 

      Lab

                        1.         Lab write-ups @ 10 pts                               50 pts

                        2.         Weather Lab report @ 20 pts                     20 pts

                                                                                                            Total - 70 pts

 

      Lecture 180 pts + Lab 70 pts = 250 Total Pts

 

Your final grade for this course will be combined with your final grade for the Biology portion of the course (another 250 pts).  Your final grade will be based on your overall point total for both courses.

Formula:    Earth Science grade (out of 250 pts) + Biology grade (out of 250 pts) x 100 = Your %

                                    500 Total points for the semester course

 

      A+ = 97% or Better                                             C+ = 77 – 79

      A = 93 – 96                                                          C = 73 - 76

      A- = 90 – 92                                                         C- = 70 - 72

      B+ = 87 – 89                                                        D = 65 – 69

      B = 83 – 86                                                          E = 65 or Below

      B- = 80 – 82

General Rules:

 

      1.   All classes and labs start on time.  If there is a quiz/test/graded assignment that occurs at the beginning of class and you are not present, you will not be allowed to make up the graded work.  If you are late, you will not be granted extra time in which to complete the work.

      2.   Late work will not be accepted unless you have made arrangements with me at least 24 hours prior to the due date.  Additionally, you must take the final during your scheduled time (last lecture period on Thur, Mar. 8).

      3.   Only valid excuses cleared by the dean will be accepted.

      4.   If you show up unprepared for lab (e.g. you need the mineral test kit and you do not have it), then you will be asked to leave lab until you have the required materials.

 

How to Do Well in This Class:

 

This course contains challenging ideas and concepts and moves very quickly.  You can improve your understanding of the material and grade in every class that you take by:

      1.   Attendance: SUNY Cortland has a well defined attendance policy (see your academic handbook).  Attendance at lectures and labs is the best way to improve your chances at this course.  A recent study (Grise and Kenney, 2003, Moore, 2003) found that students who attended only 41-60% of their introductory science courses had zero percent chance of scoring an A, an 11% chance of scoring a B, while most (54%) scored a D or lower.  Coming to class is important.

 

      2.   Pace yourself.  This is a short course, but you will be unable to learn all of the material on the night before the final exam.  Keep up with assignments as the quarter moves along.

 

      3.   I cannot know if you need help unless you tell me that you need help.  Come and see me during my office hours, before or after class, or during lab times.  Send me an email (knuepferj@cortland.edu).  I will try and help you as much as I can.

 

References:

Grise, D.J., Kenney, A.M. (2003).  Nonmajors’ performance in Biology:  Effects of student-based initiatives and class size.  Journal of College Science Teaching.  33(2): 18-21.

 

Moore, R. (2003).  Attendance and performance.  Journal of College Science Teaching, 32(6): 367-371.

 

Disabilities Statement:

If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services (located in B-40 Van Hoesen Hall) or call 753-2066 for an appointment.  Any information about your disability will remain confidential.  Because accommodations may require early planning, requests should be made as soon as possible.