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Environmental Geology Syllabus

GSCI 340 VA

1. COURSE INFORMATION

1.1. Credit Hours	3 Undergraduate Credit Hours
1.2. Semester and Year	Intersession 2023/2024
1.3. Course Prerequisites	None
1.4. Location of Class	Online via the FHSU Blackboard System

2. INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

2.2. Contact Procedure and Policy:

E-mail is the best way to reach me ([email protected]). I only check my phone sporadically, so only leave me a message if you cannot get to a computer to e-mail or it is an extreme emergency. If you contact me via email, expect a response within 24-48 hours unless the email is sent over the weekend or during times when the university is closed. Please remember, official university hours are from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday. I will answer all e-mail from the weekend by the end of the business day, the following Monday. When sending e-mail you must put the class (GSCI 340) and section (VA) in the subject line of your e-mail or it will be deleted without being read. 

3. TEXTBOOK AND COURSE MATERIALS

3.1. Required Textbook(s):

Environmental Geology, by James Reichard 4e (ebook) Smartbook with Connect

You will need to purchase the e-text with connect through the provided instructions in order to have access to the assignments.  

Instructions for purchasing and accessing your Smart e-text and the Connect website are located in the Getting Started Module on Blackboard.

3.2. Technology Requirement:

The following are the minimum technical requirements to take CD-ROM and Internet-based courses from the Virtual College. A computer that has:

· 2.4 GHz Dual Core processor or greater for simultaneous record/playback features

· 2 GB of RAM

· 128 MB Video Card

· High-speed Internet connection (audio/video)

· Full Duplex sound card and speakers

· Internet access and e-mail account

· Windows Media Player 9.0 or later

· QuickTime 7.5 or later

· DVD and CD player

· "Web-cam" preferred

If you have any technical issues, contact TigerTech, contact the instructor!!

4. INSTRUCTOR COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course consists of survey of earth materials and processes with an emphasis on environmental implications. This includes natural hazards (such as earthquakes and volcanoes), water and other resources, and applications of land-use planning concepts.

5. COURSE OBJECTIVES

5.1. Course Objectives:

1) How population growth, urbanization, and industrialization threaten natural resources and increase impacts of natural hazards;

2) The hydrologic cycle and rock cycle;

3) Weathering and soils;

4) Stream processes and their effects on human populations;

5)  Slope stability;

6) Earthquakes and hazards associated with earthquakes;

7) Volcanic hazards;

8) Coastal zone problems; and

9) Groundwater usage.

6. TEACHING, LEARNING METHODS, & COURSE STRUCTURE

Syllabus Quiz:

At the start of this class you will take a Course Structure Quiz. This quiz is to make sure you know the important information about the course policies and the instructors contact information before you start the course content. This quiz is 4% of your overall course grade and must be completed before you start the course material. It is required that you get a 100% on this quiz, therefore you will be able to take this quiz multiple times until you reach the 100% mark.

Smartbook Reading (SR’s):

Over the course of this semester you will complete 16 Reading Assignments. These are Smartbook reading assignments that encourage you to read and review the required reading materials in each module. These are worth a total of 8% of your overall grade, or .5% each. You will receive feedback while taking the in chapter reviews, but as long as the reading is completed you will receive credit for that portion of the work. Each modules reading must be completed in order for you to take the unit exam.

Connect Assignments (CA’s):

There will be 16 Chapter assignments over the required reading and viewing material during semester. The assignments will be interactive matching and fill-in the blank reviews, and you have unlimited attempts. The assignments are meant to help you review and study the material in an interactive way prior to taking the unit exams. All CA’s are on the Connect website, which can easily be accessed through a link in each module. These assignments are each 32% of your overall course grade (2% each).

Exams:

There are 4 Unit Exams worth 40% of the overall grade (10% each). Exams will be multiple choice, and true/false.  Exams will be given on the dates listed in the class schedule via blackboard.  You will access the Unit exams through the link on blackboard that will take you to the Connect testing site. You will have 50 minutes to complete the exam once you start. The exams will include material from the readings, videos, and lecture clips. The exams will each be open for one week. There should be no excuses why you cannot take the exam over the one week period if you plan ahead. Make-up exams will only be considered for students with valid excuses. The instructor determines, at her discretion, what constitutes a valid excuse. Each exam is 10% of your overall course grade.

Discussion Assignments (DA’s):

There will be 4 total discussion board assignments, one for each Unit of the course.  The DA’s are worth 16% of the overall grade (4% each). For each discussion assignment students are required to follow the Unit discussion instructions.  The student will first view/read the required materials prior to making the initial discussion board post. Students will then be required to stay active in the discussion boards each week by making at least one response to classmates using the required response prompts. The discussions will be graded based on the provided rubrics for each Unit’s discussion. Discussion assignment instructions are listed below for each Unit’s discussion.

Unit 1 Discussion

Module 1 Unit 1

Instructions on how to complete this discussion are as follows: You will first need to view the required videos about sources that are posted below. You will be comparing and contrasting a scientific journal article vs a newspaper article related to a natural hazard (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides, etc.).  You will need to search the online library to find a peer reviewed scholarly article related to your chosen natural hazard. Your scholarly article needs to have been written in the past 10 years. You will also be required to find a newspaper article related to the same topic.  The newspaper article needs to have been written within the last year.  When comparing these two articles you will answer the following questions:

1) What are the main differences that you see between these two articles?  Provide at least 3 points of evidence from the articles.

2) Why do you think the information is presented differently within the articles?

3) Which one of the articles has the most reliable data and why?

Make sure to properly cite both of your sources in APA format.  Your initial post needs to be at least 500 words in length.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKaH7PlXx1Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ122WakNDY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdawR_nmYuw  

Module 2 Unit 1

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 4 discussion using the following prompt:

1. If you lived in the region discussed in your classmate’s post, how would you deal with the situation that your classmate is describing? Could you plan ahead?

2. Your response should be thorough and thought provoking.  One Reliable or Scholarly source is required to support your opinions. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.

Module 3 Unit 1

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 4 discussion using the following prompt:

1. If you were a policy maker, how would you deal with the situation that your classmate is describing?

2. Your response should be thorough and thought provoking.  One Reliable or Scholarly source is required to support your opinions. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.

Unit 2 Discussion Prompt

Module 5 Unit 2

Your initial post needs to be at least 500 words in length.

Step 1: Download the excel file that has Historical Stage data for Big Creek in Hays, KS and Precipitation for Hays, KS. In addition there is a tab that also contains historical photographs of Hays, KS.

Question 1: Compare the plots that show the monthly stage and annual stage of Big Creek.
a) Why do these look so different?

b) Look at the data that generates these plots, do all years contain the same number of months as data points? What effect could this have on your average Annual Stage for Big Creek?

Question 2: Compare monthly precipitation to Annual precipitation plots for Hays, KS.

a) Why are these plots so different?

b) Are there any discrepancies between the data? If so, what are they?

Question 3: Compare Precipitation to Stage of Big Creek. Use both Monthly and Annual Plots

a) Are there any relationships between the monthly precipitation and the monthly stage of Big Creek in Hays Kansas? If so, what are they?

b) What relationship exists between annual precipitation in Hays Kansas and the Annual average stage of Big Creek?

c) Are there any factors that can affect the stage of Big Creek that is not related to the amount of precipitation that fell?

Module 6 Unit 2

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 2 discussion using the following prompt:

Examine the Historical Photographs on the excel document from the initial post prompt.
a) What relationships exist between land use change and Big Creek Stage since 1994. How does this compare to the statements that your classmate made about the Big Creek data?

b) Based on what you have observed in the historical photographs of Hays, KS and the data of Big Creek Stage since 1994, hypothesize the general height of stage of Big Creek in 1957. Explain your hypothesis.

Your response should be thorough and thought provoking. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.

Module 7 Unit 2

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 2 discussion using the following prompt:

1. How well does your classmate’s analysis match the data?  Did they miss anything? Explain.

2. Your response should be thorough and thought provoking. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.

Unit 3 Discussion

Module 8 Unit 3

Instructions on how to complete this initial discussion post are as follows: Your local resource: Focus on one of your local geology resources (i.e. fossil fuel resources, mining, water, soil, wind, solar, hydroelectric, etc) and answer three questions about the resource:

1) How is this resource currently being used in your area?  Be specific!  Find data on your resource using at least one reliable (scholarly or government) resource.

2) What are the environmental effects due to the use of this resource in your area?  Be specific! Find data on your resource using at least one reliable (scholarly or government) resource.

3) How can we mitigate any negative effects that might be caused due to the use of this resource in your area? Be specific! Find data on your resource using at least one reliable (scholarly or government) resource.

Make sure to properly cite all of your sources in APA format.  Your initial post needs to be at least 500 words in length.

Module 9 Unit 3

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 3 discussion using the following prompt:

3. If you lived near the resource area described, what would be your concerns and why?

4. Your response should be thorough and thought provoking.  Please support your opinions with at least One Reliable or Scholarly source. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.

Module 10 Unit 3

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 3 discussion using the following prompt:

1. If you were a policy maker near the resource area described, what would be your concerns and why? What types of policies are in place/should be in place to combat these concerns?

2. Your response should be thorough and thought provoking.  Please support your opinions with at least One Reliable or Scholarly source. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.

Unit 4 Discussion

Sea level Rise associated with Climate Change

Module 11 Unit 4

1. Watch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1hJYLw7OlM

2. Find a scholarly article related to sea level rise as a coastal hazard

3. How will this hazard affect the local area, and how is it being dealt with in that location?

4. What is the potential outcome?

5. Your initial post should be at least 500 words in length.

Module 12 unit 4

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 4 discussion using the following prompt:

3. If you were a policy maker, how would you deal with the situation that your classmate is describing?

4. Your response should be thorough and thought provoking.  One Reliable or Scholarly source is required to support your opinions. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.

Module 13 Unit 4

Respond to at least one of your classmates Unit 4 discussion using the following prompt:

1. If you were a policy maker, how would you deal with the situation that your classmate is describing?

2. Your response should be thorough and thought provoking.  One Reliable or Scholarly source is required to support your opinions. Your response should be at least 250 words in length.