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. A project 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 not exact an 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.
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. The
final project will have a value equivalent to 4 quiz grades. Graded
homework will be treated as a single quiz grade
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, you will have
the
opportunity to make-up the work if your absence is excused. 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.
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.
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. 