Instructor: Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz Office: McGilvrey Room 334/336

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1 Course Description and Syllabus All about the Oceans, Section 1 (GEOL 21080; Hybrid instruction) Kent State University Spring 2016 ( Instructor: Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz Office: McGilvrey Room 334/336 jortiz@kent.edu Course Catalog Number: 21080, Section 1 Registrar's Call Number: Lecture Time: 9:15 am - 10:30 am W Instruction location: McGilvrey Hall 302 and online course website Office Hours: MWR 10:30am-12:30pm; T 10:00-11:00am; R 2:00-3:00pm or by appointment. Course Rationale and Objectives: The ocean comprises about 70% of the Earth's surface area and plays a critical role in the cycling of energy and matter between the Earth's various physical, chemical and biological systems. Despite this, many people are unaware of how this vast body of water impacts the world around them. This course will emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of oceanography by exposing the student to the basic principles of geological, chemical, physical and biological oceanography. Relationships among these systems and interrelationships between oceans and human populations will be emphasized. Students should come away from the course with a greater understanding of how the sea "works" as a system and a more scientific view of the world around them. Oceanography is a Kent Core Science Class: This course satisfies part of the Kent Core Science requirements. The Kent Core as a whole is intended to broaden intellectual perspectives, foster ethical and humanitarian values, and prepare students for responsible citizenship and productive careers. Course Learning Objectives and Format: Learn the principles of geological, chemical, physical and biological oceanography and to gain a more scientific view of the world. Emphasis is placed on the relationships between: Oceanographic subfields The ocean and humans This is a Hybrid Instructional Course: This course will be taught as a hybrid course. All of the lecture material is available on line, but not all of the lecture material will be presented in class. Students enrolled in the class are required to use Blackboard Learn to review all course presentations and complete course 1

2 assignments. We will meet once a week to go over class materials, see videos, complete in class activities and review some of the lecture material. All grading instruments except for some in-class activities will be completed online. All exams, weekly quizzes and four short answer theme responses will be completed online using Blackboard Learn. Additional learning resources will be available on the Blackboard Learn website for the class. Required, Free Online Text! Our Ocean Planet by Robert R. Stewart The free online textbook and web resources provided during the course are the primary resources for this course. Please make sure to read them carefully. Recommended Text: Investigating Oceanography, by Keith A. Sverdrup and Raphael M. Kundela, McGraw-Hill Publishers. ISBN If you need access to additional instructional materials or find yourself having difficulty with the course, you should purchase a copy of the recommended text and consult with the instructor regularly. The recommended hard copy text may not be available through the University bookstore. However, you can also purchase it through a number of sites you may find on the web using the Publication information provided above. Course web site: You can login to the course website from Blackboard Learn ( or by logging into to Flashline using your Flashline userid, and then clicking on the link for Blackboard Learn. Look for the link for Section 1 of All about the Oceans (GEOL 21080). The Blackboard Learn (BL) course website is available to help you learn the material. All the lecture presentations from the class will be posted there along with many helpful resources. Students must familiarize themselves with the web site early in the semester and then make use of these resources throughout the semester. Please note the weblinks in the course power point presentations on Blackboard Learn are not live. You will need to enter them into a browser window to access this content. Please make sure to allocate enough time to complete the course assignments. Note that as with all internet resources, access to or availability of the website at all times cannot be guaranteed. In class activities, weekly theme responses, and short answer theme responses and Exams are regularly assigned and will not be rescheduled, except in exceptional circumstances (see below). You must use the resources available on the web site in advance of exams to do well in the class. If you need technical assistance accessing the website or experience difficulties 2

3 with the course software, you should submit a ticket online to Kent State University Support and Training ( or call them at HELP (4357). Office Hours and Consultation with the Instructor: My physical office hours are listed on the header for this syllabus and on the course website in Blackboard Learn. If you have questions about the course, you can also contact me by . Please allow a 24-hour response time during weekdays, and a 48-hour response time during weekends or holidays. University policy requires that you use your university account when contacting me with questions about the course. Include your first and last name on any electronic correspondence along with your Flashline userid. Please do not use your social security number on any correspondence. Please cc a copy of any important messages that you send to the instructor back to yourself so that you have a record. University Policies: The following University policies apply to anyone enrolled in this course: 1. Enrollment Status: The official registration deadline for this course is 01/24/2016. Courses can have different scheduling deadlines depending on their mode of instruction. University policy requires all students to be officially registered in each class they are attending. Students who are not officially registered for a course by the published deadline should not be attending class and will not receive credit or a grade for that course. Each student must confirm enrollment by checking his/her class schedule (using Student Tools in FlashFast) prior to the deadline indicated. Registration errors must be corrected prior to the deadline. You can look up your course using the Kent State University Self Service Scheduling tool. Enter the information needed to find the course for which you are searching. The add/drop/withdrawal dates can be found from the link in the final column. 2. Academic Honor Code: All students in the course are expected to abide by the academic honor code, as specified in the University's Policy Register. The use of other's intellectual property without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense. This includes copying answers, misrepresenting the source, nature or other conditions of your academic work to get undeserved credit. At a minimum, students caught cheating on an exam will receive a midterm grade of zero, which will count toward their class average and the incident will be reported to the university for further potential action. It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism can result in receiving a failing grade for the course or other more serious disciplinary action depending on the nature of the offense. Repeat offenses can result in dismissal from the University. For complete information see Ch of the University Policy Register. 3

4 3. Withdrawal: Students can add or withdraw from this course without receiving a W through the 2nd week of the semester. The last date to drop this class before a grade of W is assigned is 01/31/2016. The last day to withdraw from this class with a grade of W assigned is 04/03/2016. No approval is required to withdraw from a course prior to the withdrawal deadline. Student who stop attending the course, but who do not drop or withdraw from it will receive a grade of SF. Student who enroll in the class, then never attend and who do not drop or withdraw from it will receive a grade of NF. Students should be aware that receiving a grade of SF and NF could result in a financial aid audit and a loss of financial aid. Dropping or withdrawing from a class may also affect a student s financial aid status or academic eligibility for athletics. If a student is unable to complete a class or all classes in during a semester because of extreme circumstances, which first occur after the withdrawal deadline, he or she should consult their college or campus dean's office. Any course withdrawal processed after the withdrawal date will appear on the students' academic record with a grade of "W". If you have questions about the impact that a drop or withdrawal will have on your academic record or financial aid, you should consult a university academic advisor or the financial aid office. Courses can have different scheduling deadlines depending on their mode of instruction. For information on add/drop/withdrawal dates, you can look up your course using the Kent State University Self Service Scheduling tool. Enter the info needed to find the course for which you are searching. The add/drop/withdrawal dates can be found from the link in the final column. For more info see: 4. Students with Documented Accommodation needs: In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access to this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when you are given an assignment for which an accommodation is required. Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS; on the Ground Floor of the DeWeese Center ( ). If you have any questions regarding a potential accommodation need, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. 5. Final Exam Date: Because this is a hybrid class, the cumulative final exam will be administered online. The exam must be completed before the end of finals week (see details below). 6. University Core Assessment: Students enrolled in Kent CORE classes are requested to complete a short pre- and post- assessment as one means of evaluating the learning outcomes of the course. The results of the evaluation will be used in the aggregate only and will not affect your final 4

5 grade in the course other than the potential for extra credit. 7. Notice of my copyright and intellectual property rights: Any intellectual property displayed or distributed to students during this course (including but not limited to power points, notes, quizzes, examinations) by Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz remains the intellectual property of the Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz. This means that the student may not distribute, publish or provide such intellectual property to any other person or entity for any reason, commercial or otherwise, without the express written permission of the Dr. Joseph D. Ortiz. Course Organization: The course is organized around four interdisciplinary themes. Readings each week are assigned as OOP (Our Ocean Planet), which is the required online text, and Sverdrup, which is the optional text by McGraw- Hill. Additional readings outside of OOP may be required if you do not have access to the Sverdrup text. These readings will be provided to you during the course. Check the course website regularly for details on what you should be reading each week. Week # and class date Topic OOP* (Required Reading) Sverdrup (Recommended Reading) Theme 1: Ocean Basins on a Geologically Active Planet 1 1 History of Oceanography Introduction (1-3) Prologue (1/20/16) 2 The Water Planet The Hydrological Cycle Ch. 1 (1/27/16) 3 Earth Structure and Plate The Origins of Plate Ch. 2 (2/3/16) Tectonics Tectonic Theory (Dr. Anne Egger) 4 (2/10/16) The Sea Floor and its Sediments TBA Ch. 3 Theme 2: Oceans and Climate 5 Chemistry of Seawater USGS fact site Ch. 4 (2/17/16) 6 (2/24/16) Physical Properties of Water USGS fact site Ch. 5 7 (3/2/16) Atmosphere, Oceans, and Climate Role of the Ocean in Climate and Climate Change (1-9) El Nino and the Role of the Ocean in Weather (1-7) Ch. 6, 16 8 (3/9/16) Ocean Structure and Circulation Ch. 7 Theme 3: Marine Resources and Management 9 Waves Coastal Problems (1-2) Ch. 8 (3/16/16) (3/19-27/16) Spring Break No class meetings this week 10 Tides Coastal Problems (3-4) Ch. 9 5

6 (3/30/16) 11 Coasts, Beaches, and Coastal Problems (5-6) Ch. 10 (04/06/16) Estuaries 12 (04/13/16) Environmental Issues Coastal Pollution (1-6) Ch. 15 Theme 4: Oceans and Biodiversity 13 (04/20/16) 14 (04/27/16) 15 (05/4/16) Living Ocean, Plankton, Productivity, and Food Webs The Nekton: Swimmers of the Sea The Benthos: Living on the Sea Floor Fisheries (1-2) Ch. 11, 12 Fisheries (3-4) Ch. 13 Fisheries (5-6) Ch. 14 Finals Week 16 Cumulative Final Exam must be completed before the end of finals week (see details below). * Details for the required reading (OOP + any outside readings) can be found in the weekly folders on the Blackboard website. Assignments: Material from the textbook and power point presentations will be reinforced through a variety of assignments. Each week, you will complete material related to one or more chapters of the textbook. There will be 15 weekly In-class activities, four short answer theme response assignments one for each theme in the course, three theme-related midterm exams and a final exam. Grading Policy: Students are expected do the reading, consult the online resources provided by the instructor, take all exams, and turn in all assignments. Grades are based on: Grading Instrument Percent per Item Percent per Category Point Distribution 12 In class activities 0.65% each 10% 10 points each (120 points total) 15 Weekly Quizzes 0.81% each 12% 10 points each (150 points total) 4 Short Answer Theme Responses 4.9% each 20% 60 points each (240 points total) 3 Theme Midterm Exams 9.8% each 29% 120 points each (360 points total) Final Exam 29.3% 29% 360 points Total 100% 1230 points Course Grading Scale: The points you score for each component of your grade will be converted to a 4-point GPA and corresponding letter grade on the scale below. Grades may be curved at the discretion of the instructor. Your overall grade in the class will be based on a weighted GPA of your grades in each grading component of the class as follows: 6

7 Class GPA = 0.1*(Activity GPA) *(Quiz GPA) + 0.2*GPA(Theme GPA) *(Midterm Exam GPA) *(Final Exam GPA) Letter A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D F Grade GPA Theme Short Answer Responses (see table below): The course is divided into four themes. To reinforce concepts related to these themes there are four online theme short answer response activities that you need to complete during the course. Using the Blackboard Learn website for the course, you will watch a video related to the theme, then complete a related short answer activity online. The four theme Short Answer Responses are assigned at the beginning of each theme, but you will have two weeks to complete them. They are due online on Sunday before midnight of the week following when they are assigned. Assignment Week Assigned Due on Date Theme 1 Short Answer response Theme 2 Short Answer response Theme 3 Short Answer response Theme 4 Short Answer response Week 1-2 Week 5-6 Week 9-10 Week Week 2, Online submission due Midnight Sunday, 1/31/16 Week 6, Online submission due Midnight Sunday, 2/28/16 Week 10, Online submission due Midnight Sunday, 4/3/16 Week 14, Online submission due Midnight Sunday, 5/1/16 In class activities and Weekly Online Quizzes: In class activities will take place in the class lecture room. The In class activities will take place randomly during the term. In class activities cannot be made up if you miss that class. Please budget your time accordingly to complete the exams and other grading instruments on time. Assignment Week Assigned Due by Date at end of In class activities Weekly unless otherwise noted Wed class period when assigned Online Quizzes Weekly Week 1-15, Online submission due Midnight Sunday (except for Week 9, which is due Midnight Friday before Spring Break) (Dates: 1/24/16; 1/31/16; 2/7/16; 2/14/16; 2/21/16; 2/28/16; 3/6/16; 3/13/16; 3/18/16; 4/3/16; 4/10/16; 4/17/16; 4/24/16; 5/1/16; 5/8/16) Midterm and Final Exam Format and Dates: Exams will be administered online as a combination of True/False and/or multiple-choice questions. They may 7

8 involve the use of maps, diagrams or graphs. Midterms are non-cumulative. The three Theme Midterm Exams will be completed online during Weeks 4, 8 and 12. You will have 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete each Midterm, and they must be started at any time prior to 10:00 pm on the due date (see table below) to ensure you have sufficient time to complete the exam. The final exam is cumulative. You will have 3 hours to complete the Final Exam, but you can start it at any time prior to 8:00 pm on the due date (see table below) to ensure you have sufficient time to complete the exam. Please budget your time accordingly to complete the exams and other grading instruments on time. Assignment Week Assigned Due by Date at end of Theme 1 Exam Week 4 Week 4, Online submission due Midnight Sunday 2/14/16 Theme 2 Exam Week 8 Week 8, Online submission due Midnight Sunday 3/13/16 Theme 3 Exam Week 12 Week 12, Online submission due Midnight Sunday 4/17/16 Final Exam Week 16 Week 16, Online submission due Midnight Wednesday 5/11/16 Make-up Exams: Online exams and other online graded instruments will not be rescheduled. Students who miss a midterm or the final exam for reasons other than official University travel, active military service or documented illness will not be eligible for a make-up exam. Students who miss a midterm due to official University travel, active military service or illness must provide official documentation in order to receive a make-up time to complete the exam. If you are involved in the military or official athletic activities, please consult with the instructor prior to the examination date if you have a conflict. There are additional conditions to determine scheduling conflicts for the Final exam, which require permission of the Dean of Arts and Sciences to reschedule. Please contact the Dean s office and provide written approval for a rescheduled exam to the instructor of the course if you have a conflict. How to Approach the Course: Read the instructional materials before class and come to class Set aside specific times each week to work on the class Review all the powerpoint lectures available on Blackboard Learn Explore the videos and web resources provided Learn the terms and focus on understanding key concepts Form a study group to review material Complete the assignments on time Contact the instructor if you have questions Have fun! Oceanography is exciting! 8

9 Geology and Earth Science Programs at Kent State University While most students take this class as a Kent Science Core class for another major, All about the Oceans provides undergraduates who have not committed to a major with an excellent introduction to Geology and Earth Science, and serves as an entry point to the majors offered by the Department of Geology. Departmental Degree Programs: Departmental offerings include four-year programs leading to the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Geology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Earth Science. The atmosphere within the department is personalized and informal with major emphasis placed on teaching as well as on research. Most undergraduate major classes are small (10-40 students). Close faculty-student relationships are established by participation in various field trips and several annual student-faculty social events, including the fall picnic and the spring banquet. The Department maintains a number of scholarships that are awarded annually to undergraduates at various levels within the program. Student Organizations, such as the Kent State Geological Society, are an important aspect of the culture of the Department and provide students with opportunities for developing leadership skills and for participating in extracurricular activities. Geology Minor Program: This streamlined program provides motivated students with the opportunity to customize their course work to meet their particular intellectual interests. Career Outlook and Job Placement: The Department of Geology plays an active role in placing its graduates by helping them with preparation of resumes, providing material on job interview techniques, securing job leads, and facilitating contacts between graduates and prospective employers. Program graduates have entered all major employment areas for geologists and the placement picture has been extremely good, with virtually 100% of recent graduates finding professional employment or entering nationally recognized graduate programs shortly after earning their Bachelors degree. Departmental graduates are employed in a wide variety of settings, including environmental consulting companies, engineering testing firms, geochemical laboratories, groundwater consulting firms, and governmental and academic organizations. If you are interested in finding out more majoring or minoring in Geology, please contact the instructor or see the Department of Geology s website: 9