Syllabus (Geol G100)
    Instructor: Dr. S. Isiorho       Office: SB236                          Phone:   (260) 481-6249

    Graduate Teaching Assistant: Ms. D. Westgerdes

    GEOL G100-01I Syllabus
    Summer I 2012
    Check Blackboard DAILY for E-mail, announcements, and postings.

    Each item in the following list is a link to information pertinent to this course. Links throughout this syllabus are in blue.
    Click on a blue word link to access the information written in blue.  Lecture outlines (notes) are available for this online
     course. Links in the lecture outlines show drawings that may be important in your exams. Read the entire syllabus
    before asking questions. The course is divided into four units and each unit has a minium of an assignment and one exam.

    1.    Course Description

    2.    Textbook

    3.    Important Dates

    4.    Teaching Assistant’s Welcome Letter

    5.    Test Information

    6.    Writing Assignment Instructions

    7.    10 Photograph Project Instructions

    8.    Personal Experience Report Instructions

    9.    Discussion Board Posting Assignment Instructions

    10.    Unit I

    11     Unit II

    12.    Unit III

    13.    Unit IV

    14.    Class Notes

    15.    Powerpoint Presentation

    16.    Website Links

    17.    Grading Rubric

    1.    GEOL G100-0 General Geology

        Instructor: S. Isiorho, Ph.D.    Office SB236        Phone: (260) 481-6249
        Blackboard email: isiorho         

        Teaching Assistant: D. Westgerdes     
     
        Students having questions regarding the course content, or instructions posted in this syllabus are requested to email
        Dr. Isiorho through Blackboard message.

        Dr. Isiorho can be reached by telephone. If he is away from his desk at the time of your call, please leave a message on the
        voice mail system. Dr. Isiorho will return your call within 48 hours except for calls made from Friday through Sunday. As an
        online class, assume you are taking the class from Casablanca.

        Blackboard message will be answered within 48 hours of posting, except those sent on Fridays, Saturdays, and
        Sundays. If there is no response within 48 hours, assume your mail was not received and send it again.

        Do NOT use email to submit assignments. Assignments not submitted through Blackboard "Messages) will not be graded.
          Submit all assignments through "Messages" to the TA and copy the instructor.

       Course Description:
        General geology is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of physical geology and an introduction to
        structural geology. During the course, students will study Earth materials, changes on the surface and in the interior of
        Earth, and the dynamic forces that cause them to change. Students should be able to locate physical features such as rivers,
        lakes, or mountain chains, and should be able to relate geology to environmental problems and natural hazards.

        The course is divided into four units, each unit has a minimum of one written assignment or project, and one examination.

        Letter grades are based on the following accumulation of points:
        A 90 - 100
        B 80 - 89
        C 70 - 79
        D 60 - 69
        F 00 - 59
 
            Point Assignments are as follows:
    
   
Assignment Available Points per Item Percentage of Grade
Test 1 15
Highest two of three exam scores are added for a maximum of 30 points
Test 2
 15

Test 3
 15

Test 4 (Finals)
 20
20
(Note: your blackboard tests will account for 50% of your course grade)
Mastery Geology 1&2
5 + 5
 10
Mastering Geology 3&4
 5 + 5
 10
Rock Report 5 5
Earthquake Certificate 5 5
Flood Certificate
 5
 5






Discussion Board Postings 15
 15
Other Extra Credit Assignments * NA
 NA



Total 120
100












        Tests and Extra Credit Assignments are scored by computer.

        Written Assignments and Discussion Board Postings are graded by the Teaching Assistant (TA).

        * Extra Credit Assignments generate one additional point per assignment for each of the following: Pre-quiz, Learned Report,
            and Post-quiz.

            Bracketed numbers () indicate extra credit points
   

        Code of Student Rights, Responsibility, and Conduct:
        Students are strongly advised to know the Code of Student Rights, Responsibility, and Conduct that can be found in the Student
        Handbook and Planner that is published each fall semester. Students are expected to read and understand the Code as it relates
        to cheating, plagiarizing, and aiding and abetting others to cheat and/or plagiarize. Students caught cheating and/or plagiarizing on
        tests, reports, or projects will receive a zero for that portion of the course.

       "Part I.B.3 Individual Rights and Responsibility as Students
        In the classroom, students have the freedom to raise relevant issues pertaining to classroom discussion, to offer reasonable
         doubts about data presented, and to express alternate opinions to those discussed. However, in excercising this freedom,
         students shall not interfere with the academic process of the class."

        Students with Disabilities:
        Students needing assistance or special arrangements should contact the “Services for Students with Disabilities” office as soon as
        possible to make arrangements for special needs. Students who obtain the necessary documentation attesting to their need and
        submit it to the professor will be accommodated. SSD is located in WB113. Their telephone number is (260) 481-6658.
    2    Textbook Information:

            Geology by Chernicoff and Whitney, 4th Edition ... You have the option to rent your textbook ... for more in formation
             "you may visit www.Rent-a-text.com or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jason Kahlenbeck
              at 260.483.6100 or 0281txt@fheg.follett.com"

            Students are encouraged to use all of the available resources, the text book, class notes, power point presentation
            prepared by two former students, and website links.

            The “Mastering Geology” is to help you better understand the course content. You will have four mastering geology
             assignments (tests) and each assignment is worth 5% of your course grade. You will need to buy the “Mastering Geology”
             access code to access the mastering geology website. You will need the course ID given below to see the information in the
            class.

            Course ID MGEOLISIORHO69709


         
        3.   Important Dates:

 
                Date                                                               Item
                    May 14 (M) 
First day of class  Item
                     May 14-16 (M-W)
                                                              		Pre Quiz
                     May 14…June 5 System Practise Test
                     May 15 (T) Learned Report Due 9:00 p.m.
                     May 16-19 (WS) Mastering Geology 1 Due 9:00 p.m.
                     May 17-19 (ThS) Test 1
                     May 21 (M) Rock Report Due 4:00 p.m.
                     May 24-26 (TS) Mastering Geology 2 Due 9:00 p.m.
                     May 28-30 (MTW) Test 2
                     June 4 (M) Earthquake Certificate Due 9:00 p.m.
                     June 2-5 (SaSuMT) Mastering Geology 3 Due 9:00 p.m.
                     June 8-12 (FSaSuMT) Test 3
                    

                     June 11 (M) Flood Certificate Due 9:00 p.m.
                     June 15-19 (FSaSuMT) Mastering Geology 4 Due 9:00 p.m.
                   

                     June 18-19 (MT) Post-quiz
                    June 18-21 (MTWTh) Test 4

                  
  

    4    Teaching Assitant's Welcome letter
      
          GEOL G100-0, Professor Isiorho, Summer Semester 2012 Welcome Letter Westgerdes 1
       
        Students:
        Welcome to Dr. Isiorho’s online geology class! This course involves the standard
        requirements of reading the text, viewing the lecture PowerPoints, and taking exams; however,
        the class also requires written reports and discussion board postings. These two areas are
        essential for the fact that they make up 40% of the course. As students, it is important to plan
        ahead and submit assignments early to avoid any computer issues or Blackboard
        malfunctions!
        Please read the syllabus carefully. It contains all of the policies of this course. Dr. Isiorho
        is the course administrator and determines the course policy. As the Teaching Assistant, I do not
        hold the power to change course policy. If a student wishes to request a change in the policy, for
        example the extension of a deadline, he or she MUST send the request directly to Dr. Isiorho.

        A note about PLAGIARISM:
        - Every sentence written must be in your OWN words.
        - Using a series of five or more words that has been taken directly from another’s work is
            plagiarism.
        - Every sentence that is not a product of your own scientific research must have an
            appropriate in-text citation immediately following the text AND must be correctly cited
            in the “References Cited” section. The in-text citation is still necessary even if the
            sentence has been written in your own words.
        - Students who submit a paper containing plagiaristic sentences will earn a ZERO for the
            report (Isiorho, 2005). This parenthetical phrase is an example of a correct APA in-text
           citation for one author.

        Scoring:
        - All assignments should reflect your best work.
        - Points are deducted from the maximum point value of the assignment, which can be
            found in the rubric.
        - Reports need to include STATEMENTS only. No questions should be posted in a
            report. The student’s goal is to discuss the assigned topic through the information
            presented within the report.
        - There should be no use of QUOTES in reports. Quotes should be reserved for nonscientific
            papers.
        - Appropriate submissions are written with a formal writing style. Reports are NOT to be
            written in the first person.

         Written Report Instructions:
        This letter serves as additional instructions for the written assignments. Additional instructions
        for these assignments can be found under the Assignment Tab in Blackboard and Dr.
        Isiorho’s syllabus.

        Writing standards to be followed:
        ‐ One-inch margins all around.
        ‐ Times New Roman 12 point font.
        ‐ Double-spaced report (this letter is NOT an example of double spaced writing.)
        ‐ Introductory and concluding paragraphs.
        ‐ Proper use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
        ‐ One space after sentence ending punctuation.
        ‐ Formal writing style.
        ‐ Proofread your work.

        As a reminder, the following are requirements for the written assignments. This information is
        found in the syllabus and MUST be followed:
        ‐ Report length of no more than 1 page.
        ‐ Critical information for each paper must be put into a header as demonstrated above.
        ‐ The filename of assignments should be submitted with this format:
            LastnameReportname. Example: WestgerdesVolcano
        ‐ Each file is to be submitted ONLY under the correct assignment through blackboard "Messages."
            Students will only receive one attempt to submit assignments.
        ‐ Each file is to be submitted ONLY in the “pdf” format.
        ‐ The first page is the report and should be labeled with a page number “1.” The second
            page is the APA formatted “References Cited” and should be labeled with a page
            number “2.”
        ‐ Proper in-text citations of any reference sources are to be used.
        ‐ All facts should be double checked for accuracy.

        A note about APA-formatted references:
        ‐ The format needs to be followed exactly. For example, if a single period or comma is
            left out, the entire “References Cited” section is incorrect.
        ‐ Become familiar with APA requirements. The Purdue OWL website is a good site to
            double check formatting. There are different formats depending on what type of
            source you use, like books, websites, encyclopedias, etc.
        ‐ Students are required to use a minimum of three SUITABLE references when
            researching information for each written report.
        - NON-SUITABLE references include Wikipedia and About.com.
        - SUITABLE references have an author that can be cited.

        Again, all requirements for written assignments can be found in the syllabus. All assignments are
        graded using Dr. Isiorho’s rubric. Students should email the pdf file to themselves before
        submitting it to the assignment box to make sure everything is correct. Formatting errors will
        appear if one has not followed the instructions.

        Discussion board postings:
        REQUIRED:
        GEOL G100-0, Professor Isiorho, Summer Semester 2012 Welcome Letter Westgerdes 3
        ‐ An introduction AND a photograph.
        ‐ Over the time span stated in the syllabus, students are required to make three intelligent
            and meaningful postings per week.
        ‐ You should put thought into your post AND make sure it is posted in the correct topic thread.
        ‐ Avoid previously posted information.
        ‐ A week is Monday through Sunday.
        ‐ Students may post more than once a day, BUT know that only one post will be graded for each date.
            (Therefore, you cannot complete all of your postings for the week in one day.)
        ‐ Be considerate and polite to others.
        ‐ Comments on topics other than the topic thread or inappropriate statements are not acceptable.
            Those postings will not be scored.

        Please feel free to contact Dr. Isiorho or myself with any questions regarding the material.
        However, we encourage the use of the available tools, i.e. syllabus, textbook, and PowerPoint lectures
        before contacting us with trivial questions. I look forward to helping you succeed throughout the semester!

        Good Luck!

        Ms. Westgerdes



    5.     Test Information:
         A unit test for each of the four units will be assigned.  Scores of the highest two of the first three tests will be used when
            calculating the final grade.  The lowest score of the first three tests will be dropped.  The final exam is the Unit Four test
            and is NOT comprehensive.  The material in each of the four units builds upon the prior units.  Therefore,
            a comprehensive understanding of all materials presented in the course is the student’s responsibility.
 
        Each blackboard test is composed of 50 multiple choice questions worth 2 points each; totaling 100 points.
        Please don't ask the TA or Instructor how you are doing in the course.
        The points for each test, assignments and postings are given and you should use those to figure out how
        you are doing in the course.
      
         The honor system is used during testing.  Students may use written resources i.e., textbook, class notes or
            other printed materials. Consultation with another PERSON, either verbally or in writing is forbidden.

          Mastering Geology tests are worth 20% of your course grades (4 tests, each worth 5%)
            Log ion into Mastering geology to do those tests. Some of the tests (or something similar)
            are also given in the blackboard tests.

         No requests to “make-up” an examination will be entertained.

    6.     Writing Assignment Instructions:
 
                    Generic Instructions:
 
        All assignments must be dropped in the Assignment Box in Blackboard no later than 4:00 p.m. on their due dates.
            Students are encouraged to submit assignments anytime prior to the due date.  Only assignments submitted through the
            "Messages" will be graded.
   
        The file name for the report will include the student’s last name followed by the name of the report.  The file will be in the pdf
            format. Example:  NameLearned.pdf.
 
        The following information must appear in the header of each report, with the correct page number appearing on subsequent 
            pages. The student’s last name must be substituted for “Name” in the preceding and subsequent examples.


        GEOL G100-0, Prof Isiorho, semester, …. Report                     Name 1
 
        Reports are to be written in a formal tone, using 12 point Times New Roman font, and are double-spaced.  Standard one inch
            margins and one space after sentence ending punctuation should be used.
 
        A minimum of three references per report are required.  The “References Cited” section of a paper appears on a dedicated page,
            and is written using APA formatting.  No Wikipedia citations will be accepted as a reference.
 
        No requests to “make-up” a report will be entertained.
 
                Specific Instructions:
 
        Standard report formatting of an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a concluding paragraph is expected.
 

        Report length is one page MAXIMUM.  Do not use a Title Page.  Be brief and concise.
 
        Statements made within the body of the report that are a result of an author’s work product, require appropriate citation
            (Author, year) before the sentence ending punctuation.
 
        Additional instructions are listed in the UNIT (I, II, III, or IV) of assignment.
 
    7.  Ten (10) Photograph Project Instructions: NOT APPLICABLE IN THIS COURSE...do not do this assignment.

           
           

     8.  Personal Water Experience Report: NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COURSE...do not do this assignment.
        
 
                 

        9.  Discussion Board Posting Assignment:
                All students must participate in the online discussion in Blackboard.
                The discussion board should be used to post questions, answers, and other items of interest to the class for discussion. 
                The professor may initiate a topic to which students may respond.
                 Keep the discussion threads pure by posting discussion for a topic on that topic’s thread.
                 Avoid repeating what another student has posted, as trivial postings will not be counted toward this assignment.
                 A minimum of three postings per week is required.  Only one posting per day will be counted when figuring the three
                 postings per week minimum requirement.
                 The week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday.
                 Postings made between the May 14 through June 16 (5 weeks) will count
                     toward the final grade. Postings can be made after this time frame, and are encouraged, but will receive NO credit.
                     
               Two points will be earned for an introductory paragraph WITH an attached photograph of the student.
               The remaining 13 points will be distributed amongst the 15 required postings.
               This assignment is graded by the Teaching Assistant.

   

    10.    Unit I

    11.    Unit II

    12.    Unit III

    13.    Unit IV

    14.    Class Notes

    15.     Student generated Powerpoint Slides  see the individual units for the ppt slides

    16.     Website Links.... for example.... Class Notes (Outlines)

    17     Grading Rubric


Unconformity animation ... enjoy :)
An Interview with God ... good geologic pictures

Plan ahead and manage your time well. You may need a minimum of two hours per week for this course. The Earthquake & Flood certificates assignments may take hours to complete!

Mastering Geology is useful when used properly...


Isiorho's Homepage                   Geoscience page                   E mail: Isiorho  (Do not use this for class assignment)                 IPFW Homepage