GLY 3112 Earth Through Time
Florida International University
Department of Earth and Environment
Prof. Laurel Collins
Spring 2019, MWF 12-12;50, PC 425
Course Description – Physical and biologic processes on Earth are integrated into one great dynamic system. The first half of the course investigates basic principles and processes, including: the rock cycle, sedimentary environments and deposition, correlation and dating of the rock record, evolution and the fossil record, plate tectonics, and global geochemical cycles. The second half applies these principles to interpreting Earth’s history and its future.
Course Objectives – To understand how tectonic, climatic and biologic systems have affected one another through time, from Earth’s origins into the near future.
Learning Outcomes –
Instructor – Dr. Laurel Collins, Dept. Earth and Environment, and Dept. Biological Sciences, email collinsl@fiu.edu, phone 305-348-1732, office hours in PC 435: MW 1-2:30 or by appointment.
Textbook and Study Aids – Stanley, Steven M., 2015, Earth System History, 4th ed., W.H. Freeman, at FIU bookstore, from $97 for a used rental book to $207 for a new book purchase, and $126 for the digital version. Earlier editions cannot be used. The lecture slides can be downloaded in Canvas via links in the Class Schedule.
Attendance, Reading, Electronic Devices – Students should plan to attend all classes because frequent pop quizzes account for 25% of your grade. Ideally, read the textbook in advance of the lecture on each chapter. A student who wants to be excused from class to observe a holy day of his or her religious faith should notify the instructor no later than the end of the second week of class. Silence your cell phones before class begins, and their use during class is prohibited. In the case of emergencies, if you need to use a cell phone, leave the classroom with your belongings and do not return until the next class.
Academic Honesty – Students are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty and to answer questions with their own work. A student violating these standards will earn an F and be reported to the Dean of Undergraduate Education. FIU's policy on academic honesty at http://academic.fiu.edu/polman/sec2web.htm#two-forty-four states that cheating may result in suspension or expulsion.
Exams, Quizzes, Grading – In-class quizzes are worth 100 points total for 25% of the final grade. Three regular exams count 100 points each for 75% of the final grade. The final exam covers all course material and is optional; if you choose to take it, it will count 100 points and the lowest grade of the regular exams (and not the quiz grade) will be dropped. The four exams require short answers, matching terms and short essays. Makeup quizzes and exams are given only in circumstances of personal emergencies with documentable proof (e.g., doctor's note, police report), must be taken within 1 week, and are essay format. The sniffles, work schedules and trips for nonacademic purposes are not valid reasons for makeup quizzes and exams. If you miss a quiz, you will receive full credit for the first quiz missed. Final grades are based on the following numbers of total points: A = 368-400 A- = 360-367, B+ = 348-359, B = 328-347, B- = 320-327, C+ = 308-319, C = 280-307, D = 240-279, F = 0-239.