EARTH 002S: GAIA -- THE EARTH SYSTEM 
www.personal.psu.edu/jea4/earth/intro.html
    This spring near Valley Green in NW Philadelphia was "opened" in 1854 with proclamations of "For the Public Good"  and "Here Forever."  In the 1980's the spring was bricked over because the water could no longer be considered safe for human consumption.  It is a fitting testament to both human belief in the bounty of the earth and our inability to protect it from our actions.



(ESTO PERPETUA, the inscription shown above, can be seen beneath the bricked over opening of the spring.)

SYLLABUS Click here to see lecture schedule.
ABOUT THIS COURSE:

     This course is about the earth and how it works. Obviously this is important because we are all dependent on the its ability to continue functioning as an efficient life-support system. We need it to maintain the air we breathe, to maintain reasonable temperatures, and to produce the food we eat. Unfortunately while we need the earth, our species is often incapable of acting to preserve the ecosystem that sustains us. The earth functions through a complicated set of interactions so that each part is dependent on many other parts. A slight change in atmospheric chemistry may make the planet too warm or too cold. Over-use of the land can trigger extensive desertification which might make the planet more reflective and therefore cooler. A small increase in temperature might raise ocean levels enough to flood many of the major cities and agricultural centers of the world.
     This course is about these connections and especially about ways of recognizing and studying them. I hope that as the semester passes you will come to recognize the connections so that you can consider their real import and that you will want to use your knowledge to better care for the earth. Unfortunately I am not particularly optimistic about our future. I doubt that we as a species will change our ways. We have been doing incredibly stupid things that scar the Earth for nearly a million years. Until recently it has always been possible pack up and move to another place when the air, water or soil where we lived became too fouled. But, there are no "other places" now; and the scale of the damage we are doing is altogether different. In fact we have already made the planet uninhabitable for many species that have been driven to extinction by exploitation, habitat destruction, or pollution. The question remains -- are we that different from the Dodos, flightless birds that became extinct because they could not change their behavior when threatened by a new danger (people) in their environment.
COURSE PROCEDURES:

     The course consists of two meetings each week that will include lectures and numerous opportunities for students to work in small groups to gain skills and solve problems. Lectures are meant to provide basic information about various Earth systems and to teach the techniques of scientific study, emphasizing systems analysis and graphical analysis.  These are powerful tools for studying complex systems and for problem solving. Practical activities intermixed with the lectures are designed to provide students with an opportunity to work with the information and methods. Students will often work in small groups to increase their mastery of the material originally covered in lecture. 

Reading: There is no adequate text for the course. For this reason I have provided a number of web pages to support information presented in class.  These pages will be listed as assigned reading (see SYLLABUS ).

Grading: Please read the following description of grading procedures carefully and ask questions if you do not understand the method.

First, the grades will be based on: A. 10 to 15 minute quizzes given regularly to evaluate student understanding of material covered and his/her ability to use that material in new situations; B. Two projects: 1. that investigates data presented in State of Fear as evidence against human-caused climate change, and 2. an investigation that uses the methods of systems analysis to describe an aspect of environmental change and to suggest areas of study that might prove valuable in an effort to better predict future changes; and C. Homework assignments.

Grades for each assessment of student progress will be Excellent (A -- 5), Above Average (B -- 4), Basic Understanding (C -- 3), or Unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory grades will be rated either as Partial Understanding (D -- 2) or (F -- 1 or 0). Note: First, that grades are rounded and are not an exact percentage, second, that when a quiz grade is based on three questions, missing even one entire question will result in a D; and third, that an F is a very damaging grade. Even worse is missing the quiz.
    Students who wish to improve their grade on an in-class quiz will have two weeks to submit a typed correction of their work. The correction should be detailed and entirely accurate. Students are encouraged to consult with the instructor about their corrections before submitting their final draft. Students must also meet with the instructor within two weeks of the original quiz to discuss the typed revisions. I find the meetings are very instructive both for me as I learn more about how students learn difficult concepts and for the students as it allows one-on-one instruction. Students may correct up to one-half of their quizzes but not graded homework.

The highest grade on a make-up quiz with an original grade of C or B will an A.  D and F grades may be raised one letter grade with correction. 

Final grades will be computed as simple average for 95% of the grade with a 5% grade for class participation. The final project will have a value equivalent to 4 quiz grades. Graded homework will be treated as a single quiz grade. Students may compute their in-semester average (not including participation) by averaging their quiz grades and using the following formula: Grade = 60 + (average-2) * 13. For example, if the quiz grade average were 3.5, the grade would be 60 + (3.5 - 2)*12.5 or 78.25.  This should then be multiplied by .95 before adding the grade for class participation.  The default grade for participation will be a 4.  Consistent involvement in the class while providing positive leadership will be rewarded with a full 5.

To help students better understand the expectations of the instructor, the A grade is described more fully. An A will be given to students who demonstrate an understanding of the concept or concepts being tested, who are able to use those concepts to infer new information, and who can communicate their knowledge and analysis clearly. It is also an expectation that students have the ability to write coherent sentences and paragraphs with minimal errors in spelling and grammar.  Poorly written responses cannot be considered "Excellent" or "A" work.

Attendance: Attendance is your responsibility. However, recognize that grades are strongly correlated with attendance. This will be especially true for this course since quizzes will stress the material covered in class. If you are absent on the day of a quiz, please notify me immediately of your absence and intent to make up missed work.  You will have the opportunity to make-up the work. Excused absences are those that result from illness or a death in the immediate family. Documentation is required.  Quizzes missed for undocumented or unexcused reasons may be taken with the highest possible grade being a C.  Make-up quizzes will be taken as a take-home, answers typed, and require a meeting with the instructor to go over the quiz within two weeks of the original quiz date.

Late arrival causing a student to miss all or part of a quiz will be treated as an absence.

Cell Phones:  Cell phones must be turned off during class. If you are experiencing an emergency that requires you to be available by cell phone, then let me know before class and I will be understanding. 

Intellectual Integrity: I will expect all students to follow university policy   regarding intellectual integrity. I also expect all students to represent as their work only the work that they themselves do. I understand that group work requires sharing ideas and effort, however, when you sign a completed assignment as your work, it implies that you, as an individual, have made a significant contribution to the completion of the exercise.

Students should also ask themselves about the hidden costs of academic dishonesty. We read that cheating is rampant and that cheaters rarely pay a price for their activity. I think that this is not true. First, the most important lessons you will learn in college are not those that are taught in the classroom. More important will be your learning and growth as an individual. If you decide to reduce yourself by cheating, your growth will be less. Second, real education demands trust between student and teacher. If that trust is lost, do not expect a teacher to give as fully of himself as he would for a student he respects. And, finally ask yourself what it is you hope to gain from the four years and thousands of dollars you are spending to complete your degree. If it is simply a piece of paper, then you are wasting your time. You must have more important goals, dreams of who you want to be and what you want to do when you are finished. The diploma will not make you successful, that depends on who you are and how committed you are to developing every bit of your potential. Cheating can only interfere.
GENERAL COMMENTS:
My experience has been that many students feel that their success or failure in a class is pre-ordained. "I'm not good at science." is a common statement. That is hogwash. It may be that you haven't learned the tools needed to do science well or it may be that you haven't liked science and, therefore, have not applied yourself to your science courses, but it is not because there is some part of your brain missing that prevents you from being able to think scientifically. If you can think, then you can do science. If you can read, then you can read about science and understand it. If you feel that science is hard for you, then that doesn't mean that you aren't "GOOD" at it, it only means that you have to work hard to achieve success.

During this course, I will try to teach some tools of science. It is up to you to learn how to use them. If you want to succeed in this class then you will have to do the work. Learning requires your active participation. Read the assignments, study the notes from class, look carefully at the slides and videos, think, and ask questions. Answer questions. It doesn't really matter if your answer is right or wrong (except to your pride) but being involved in the class and trying to answer the question will make you a more successful learner.

I would like for every student in the class to earn an A. That would be the ideal teaching experience because it would mean that every student has made a commitment to learning and that I have made the information accessible to all students. But, let me warn you now. This course is not easy. If you don't want to commit to learning now, I would suggest you choose another course while you have a chance.

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