Syllabus Fall 2014 Earth Science 130: Introduction to Oceanography Background Information Welcome Aboard! These guidelines establish specific requirements, grading criteria, descriptions of assignments and exams and other key aspects of this course. Please make sure you read these guidelines very carefully. It is your responsibility to make sure you understand and agree to what is required in this course. Class: Wednesdays 6:50-10:00 pm Instructor: Kathryn Schubel, Ph.D. Contact Information: E-mail: kschubel@mac.com Website: staffwww.fullcoll.edu/kschubel Office Hours: By appointment (Wednesday evenings before class) Please send all e-mail to kschubel@mac.com. I check this e-mail address several times daily. When you send me e-mails, please always type a Subject for your e-mail. The Subject line must read Fullerton College Oceanography. Otherwise it may end up in a Spam folder. Typically, you will receive a response within 48 hours, possibly within hours (minutes, sometimes. If you don't receive a message back from me, please send your e-mail again. Don't wait days for me to respond. If you don't hear from me, it could be that your e-mail inbox is full (always check this first). Check your junk and spam folders, and make sure I am not blocked. Please feel free to send another e-mail. Course Objectives: This physical science course equates to three (3) lecture hours per week. We will meet for those three hours on Wednesday evenings from 6:50-10:00 pm. Oceanography encompasses physics, chemistry, and geology, as well as biology, but the emphasis is on the physics of the ocean. This course examines how these processes interact to produce food and other ocean resources and to regulate climate on Planet Earth. The interaction of humans with these systems, especially as related to overfishing and climate change, will be woven throughout. Required Text: The required textbook for this course is Exploring the World Ocean by W. Sean Chamberlin (Biological Oceanographer, Fullerton College) and Tommy Dickey (Physical Oceanographer, UC Santa Barbara), published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008. The first edition is out of print but you may still find it with various online vendors. Alternatively, there s a custom edition of the same book. The content is the same as are the chapters and page numbers. You may purchase the custom edition in the bookstore. The custom edition lacks the foldout map and an important figure in the inside front cover. 1
Web Content: The course website (staffwww.fullcoll.edu/kschubel) provides a public source for course guidelines. The Blackboard site (ESC 130 F-100 Introduction to Oceanography) provides content for the course. The textbook site, (http://www.mhhe.com/chamberlin1e) features practice quizzes, Flashcards, and other learning tools that will help you in this course. You will also find interesting video lectures on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/scxq28. Grades: Your grade in this course will be based on the following formula: Quiz #1 Midterm Exam Quiz #2 Essay Final Exam TOTAL= 150 points 300 points 150 points 100 points 300 points 1000 points Grading Scale: A = 900 points B = 800 points C = 700 points D = 600 points F = < 600 points Please be courteous! I promise to treat you with the manners and respect that you deserve if you promise to treat me the same way. I am more than happy to listen to reasonable and rational statements. If I have made an error, I am more than happy to correct it. Kindness applies to your classmates as well. Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Define and explain concepts of geological, physical, chemical, and biological oceanography. 2. Interpret and apply quantitative information, including maps, graphs, and tables of data 3. Use oceanographic terms and concepts to explain human impacts on the world ocean. 2
Course Specifics Course Work: Your final grade in this class is based on your ability to learn and understand the assigned materials and meet the learning outcomes for this course. The goal of college is to prepare for a successful life and a career beyond college. In taking this course, you are being trained to master an unfamiliar knowledge set, apply what you learn in new situations, think about competing ideas, and articulate your rationale for choosing a particular way of thinking. A number of tools will be provided for you to learn the materials, obtain the knowledge, and develop the understandings to meet these outcomes. Not all of the available tools earn you points but you can bet that if you go beyond the required work, you are going to be more successful in your point-earning assignments. Some of these tools will help you form your knowledge. Other tools will assess what you have learned. Readings: Required readings can be found in the Tentative Schedule of Topics, Readings, Quizzes and Tests that follows this section. You are responsible for assigned materials, including textbook readings, YouTube lectures, and any assigned websites. In-Class Quizzes and Exams: There will be two closed-note, closed-book, timed (60 minutes) quizzes and two closed-note, closed-book, timed exams (120 minutes). Exams and quizzes CANNOT be made up. Quizzes and exams will assess your ability to identify, define, and use vocabulary from lectures, assigned readings, in-class work, out-of-class work, YouTube lectures, or other assigned materials. Quizzes and exams assess your ability to draw and/or interpret maps, graphs, and tables and solve equations covered in lectures, assigned reading, in-class work, out-of-class work, YouTube lectures, or other assigned materials. Exams assess your understanding of concepts and your ability to apply and communicate what you have learned. Quizzes and Exams will be a mix of multiple choice, matching, short answer, calculations, and map/graph interpretations. Each quiz or exam may build on the previous quizzes or exams. Exams must be completed on the Scantron form (883-E), which you must provide. Cheating will not be tolerated. Anyone who copies answers from another student will receive a zero and will be reported to the Dean. Essay: You will each write a short essay (2-3 pages) on one of the major issues facing the World Ocean. I will distribute a list of possible topics as the semester goes along (by Midterm Time). This paper is due on the last day of classes (12/13/2014). Late assignments will NOT be accepted. Please make sure that you include an Introduction, Body and Conclusions Section. Cite all of your references. I will provide information about the citation style to use. Use reputable scientific sources (peer-reviewed journals, academic website, and.gov sites). In using academic websites please make sure that you are not using content provided by students. Please be sure not to plagiarize content (see information about plagiarism below). Academic Honesty: All college, district, state and federal policies, guidelines and regulations in effect for oncampus courses apply to this course. Students are urged to review the FC Catalog, especially 3
with regards to Academic Honesty. Copying or paraphrasing a single sentence from another student, Wikipedia, any other source, and even yourself is not permitted. This policy applies to everything you submit, including participation assignments, homework, exams, extra credit, and anything else you submit for credit. This policy also applies to images, figures, or other forms of multimedia that are not your own. Do not submit copyrighted material unless you have permission from the copyright holder. Do not copy your words from one assignment and use them for another, or even copy your own words in the same assignment. And if you work with another student on an assignment, you must complete your work independently. Your writing must be your own (not paraphrased or rearranged from each other). Students are urged to review the information on plagiarism at turnitin.com to be certain that their activities are not construed as cheating. If you are caught cheating, you will receive a zero for that assignment or exam and your name will be sent to the Dean of Natural Sciences and the VP of Instruction. Repeated cheating may result in your expulsion from the college. How to Succeed in This Course Textbooks are not meant to be read like a novel! You should thumb back and forth, check vocabulary, read aloud and ask, "Does that make sense? Do I get it?" Make notes on what's clear or not clear. Make notes on a separate piece of paper after you read and see what you have retained. Create vocabulary worksheets and test yourself. Take the practice quizzes on the textbook web site. Use the entire textbook, including the index, glossary, and appendices, and any outside resources in your effort to learn everything you can about the world ocean. Reading from the textbook is only one way to learn. Videos may also help you learn and understand how the ocean works as a system. Of course, the best way to learn is to ask questions. So be an active participant in class. Ask questions. Students often want a very well defined, narrow list of things they need to know. Instructors hear it as "just tell me what I need to know." That's not the purpose of college. You are here to expand your mind, to be exposed to new ways of thinking, to broaden your horizons, to learn wild new things beyond what you ever thought possible. You are here to enrich your mind and your life to the fullest extent possible. Take the attitude that "I want to learn as much as I can" and you will be amazingly successful not just in this course, but also in all of your college courses and life. Course Requirements and University Policies: Are You Ready for College? Many students, especially first-time students fresh out of high school, are shocked, dazed, and confused by what's expected of them and what's not provided to them in their first semester at college. College-ready means that YOU are responsible for knowing what's expected of you in a course, including the course textbook, course requirements, course materials, study hours needed, and so on. College-ready means that YOU have determined exactly how much time you have in your life and work schedule to devote to college. For example, if you work 40 hours a week, you do not have time to take a full load of classes unless you are extremely disciplined and motivated. College-ready means you are expected to ask questions, seek answers, get help, find the right people to guide and assist you, and, generally, to be more in charge of your life than you may be accustomed to. The college and I are more than willing to help you. And I will, as often as possible, ask if you need help. But it's really up to you to acknowledge that you need help and to get help if you need it. 4
Basic Skills: All students enrolling in a general education science class at Fullerton College are expected to do college-level work. I assume that you are proficient in reading and writing English at the college level and that you have a basic familiarity with basic mathematics, including some algebra. If you do not have these basic skills, it is recommended that you obtain them before you enroll in this course. Students enrolled in basic skills courses have a much higher rate of failure in this course than college-prepared students. If you are enrolled in basic skills reading, math or English, please contact me before proceeding with this course. Attendance: All campus students must attend the first class. If you fail to do so, you may be dropped as a noshow. If you plan to miss the first day, please make sure that you contact me via e-mail (kschubel@mac.com). All students are required to participate in this course on a regular basis. That means you must attend class and/or log in every week. Students who miss more than three classes may be dropped for non-participation. Participation means being active and engaged and contributing to our classroom-learning environment. Study Expectations: Students may expect to spend six hours per week studying for this course. Over the course of the 16-week of the semester, you can expect to devote 150 or more hours to this course, including class time. Just like at a 4-year college, I assume that you are spending the appropriate amount of time towards your studies. Students are urged to review the suggestions provided in the FC Course Catalog concerning workload and class load. Failure to properly budget your time may severely hamper your success in this course. Make sure you consider your time constraints when signing up for this course and any others. Drop Policy: It is the responsibility of the student to drop the course regardless of attendance requirements. Do not rely on your professor to drop you for any reason. Failure to drop a course may result in a failing grade (F) for the semester. ADA Statement: Fullerton College is committed to providing educational accommodations for students with disabilities upon the timely request by the student to the instructor. Verification of the disability must also be provided. The Disability Support Services office functions as a resource for students and faculty in the determination and provision of educational accommodations. Emergency Response Take note of the safety features in and around the classroom. Also, please study the posted evacuation routes. The most direct route of exit may not be the safest. Running out of the building during earthquakes may be dangerous. During strong earthquakes, it is recommended to duck, cover, and hold until the quaking stops. Follow the guidance of your instructor. Your cooperation during emergencies can minimize the possibility of injury to yourself and others. 5
Standards of Student Conduct and Discipline Policy: The standards of student conduct and disciplinary action for violation of Board Policy 5500 were approved by the NOCCCD Board on January 28, 2003, and were drawn in compliance with Sections 66300, 76030, 76033, 76034, 76036 of the State Education Code. Students are expected to respect and obey civil and criminal law and shall be subject to the legal penalties for violation of the city, county, state, and national law(s). Student conduct must conform to Board Policy and college regulations and procedures. As cited in BP5500, A student who violates the standards of student conduct shall be subject to disciplinary action including, but not limited to, the removal, suspension or expulsion of the student. Students have an obligation to familiarize themselves with the College s policies, rules and regulations and to conduct themselves in a reasonable, respectful manner, which is conducive toward attaining their educational goal. Upon registration, each student should obtain a copy of the College Policies and Regulations: Standards of Student Conduct and Discipline Policy. Contained therein are the policies approved by the Board of Trustees governing student behavior and the applicable penalties for violations of these policies. Copies are available in the Student Affairs Office, the Office of Equity and Diversity, all divi sion offices, and the Student Services office. 6
Tentative Schedule of Topics, Readings, Quizzes and Exams Class Dates Topics Readings 1 8/27 How to Succeed in this Course Chapter 1 The Ocean as a System Human Impacts on the World Ocean 2 9/3 Seafloor Features Internet research: The Living Sea Chapter 4 How do we Study the Ocean? 3 9/10 Plate Tectonics and the Ocean Basin Cycle Chapter 3 4 9/17 Quiz #1 (150 points) Seafloor Sediments Chapter 5 5 9/24 Ocean Chemistry What s in the Soup Chapter 6 The Structure of the Ocean Chapter 7 6 10/1 The Atmosphere and Atmospheric Circulation Chapter 8 Weather and Climate Composition of Earth s Atmosphere Atmospheric Circulation 7 10/8 Midterm Exam (300 points) 8 10/15 Ocean Circulation Chapters 8 and 9 Surface Circulation Deep Ocean Circulation The Great Ocean Garbage Patches 9 10/22 Waves Chapter 10 Wind Waves Where to Catch the Best Waves 10 10/29 Tsunami Chapter 10 11 11/5 Tides Chapter 11 Short-Term Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions 12 11/12 Quiz #2 (150 points) The Coastal Zone Beach Processes Chapter 15 13 11/19 Estuaries Chapter 15 14 11/26 Biological Oceanography Primary Productivity Marine Food Webs and Ecosystems 15 12/3 Final Exam (300 points) 16 12/10 Paper is Due Chapters 12, 13 and 14 7