APPROVED
COURSE OUTLINE
ISC 1141
EARTH
SCIENCE ___3__
Prefix Number Course
Title Cr.Hrs.
A. Course Description:
Prerequisites:
(ENC 0020 and REA 0002 and MAT 0024) or (EAP 1695 and MAT 0024). This course is
designed to acquaint the student with the integrating principles and the theory
of the Earth Sciences. With the practice of the scientific method, the student
is afforded the opportunity to be exposed to useful knowledge in selected areas
of Earth Science. 47 contact hours.
B. Major Learning Outcomes:
1. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of the principal features of the
Solar System including the Earth - Moon relationship, the galaxies and star
brightness, and the prominent constellations and significant coordinates on the
celestial sphere.
2. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of the nature and conditions that
prevail in our atmosphere including weather and climate.
3. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of rocks and minerals and processes
and products of the rock cycle.
4. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of the plate tectonic model and the
Earth's layers.
5. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of the Geologic Time Scale and its
developmental history.
6. The
student will be able to understand the use of topographic maps.
7. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of land form development through the
erosional and depositional processes of streams, ground water, shore processes,
glaciers and wind.
C. Course Objectives Stated in Performance
Terms:
1. The
student will demonstrate an
understanding of the principle features of the Solar System including the Earth
- Moon relationship, the galaxies and star brightness, and the prominent
constellations and significant coordinates on the celestial sphere by:
a. defining the term
solar system.
b. describing the
physical characteristics of the Sun including size and temperature of the core,
photosphere, chromosphere, corona, prominences, solar flares, and sunspots.
c. explaining how the
Sun produces energy and describing the sequence of events in the Sun's
evolution as it begins to run out of fuel.
d. listing the planets in order from the Sun,
describing the type of atmosphere, number of natural satellites, size as
compared to the Earth, and any outstanding feature that has been observed on
each planet.
e. describing the
rotation and revolution of the Moon.
f. describing the phases of the Moon showing the
relative positions of the Moon, Earth, and Sun at new, crescent, quarter,
gibbous, and full stages.
g. explaining the
following types of eclipses: total
solar, annular, partial solar, total lunar, and partial lunar.
h. describing the
following lunar features: maria (seas),
craters, mountains, rills and rays.
i. describing the
methods of space exploration from Galileo to the present, and relating the
results to the study of Earth Science.
j. describing star
parallax.
k. describing the Hertzsprung-Russell
Diagram and identifying the types of stars, their temperatures, absolute
brightness, and size.
l. explaining how the
apparent brightness and period of pulsation can be used in determining the
distance to a cepheid variable star.
m. describing how
pulsars and black holes are different from our Sun.
n. defining the
components of the Universe: stars,
clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.
o. describing the
dimensions of the Milky Way Galaxy and locate our Solar System in that galaxy.
p. identifying
important features on a celestial chart or sphere:
q. identifying the following constellations:
Big
Dipper (Ursa Major); Little Dipper (Ursa Minor); Cassiopeia (Queen); Orion (the
Hunter); Taurus (the Bull); Canis Major (Dog); Cygnus (Swan); and Scorpius
(Scorpion).
2. The
student will demonstrate an
understanding of the nature and conditions that prevail in our atmosphere
including weather and climate by:
a. describing the
nature of the Earth's atmosphere.
b. listing by percent
volume, the two most
abundant atmospheric gases, and explain the importance of the minor gases.
c. explaining the
effect of heat energy on molecular motion and the state of matter.
d. describing the
"greenhouse effect" and showing how the
Earth's surface is heated by conduction, convection, and radiation.
e. explaining how
temperature, pressure and volume effect atmospheric gases.
f. explaining how the
temperature of a gas may change by the adiabatic effect.
g. describing how
heat is distributed on the Earth's surface.
h. explaining the
formation of the three atmospheric circulation cells in the northern hemisphere.
i. explaining the
difference between weather and climate.
j. describing
temperature and how it is measured.
k. describing
barometric pressure and how it is measured.
l. describing the relationship
between air temperature and the capacity of the air to hold moisture.
m. defining relative
humidity, absolute humidity, and dew point.
n. describing the
products of condensation and precipitation and describing the effect that a
temperature change will have on their formation.
o. describing the cloud
classification system.
p. explaining the
origin of high and low pressure systems that result in the formation of land
and sea breezes.
q. explaining an
isobaric map.
r. explaining the
clockwise and counterclockwise flow of air around high and low pressure systems
in the northern hemisphere.
s. defining an air
mass, name the six most common types, and identifying weather elements
characteristic of each.
t. describing how the
prevailing wind systems affect the movement of air masses and influence weather
conditions.
u.
identifying the basic characteristics of the four kinds of weather fronts.
v.
applying knowledge of the characteristics of fronts to make weather
predictions.
3. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of rocks and minerals and processes
and products of the rock cycle by:
a. defining and
interrelating the following structural units:
atom, element, molecule, compound, mineral, crystal, mixture, and rock.
b. explaining how
evaporation or cooling rates determine the size of crystals.
c. describing and
recognizing the major physical properties of minerals.
d. describing and
recognizing the minor physical properties of minerals.
e. identifying
minerals using simple mineral keys, relying on the major and minor physical
properties.
f. showing how the
physical and chemical environment influences mineral formation.
g. describing the
rock cycle in terms of the processes that act on earth materials and the
products that result.
h. describing the
history of the formation of an igneous rock in terms of its temperature and
rate of cooling.
i. classifying
igneous rocks.
j. classifying
sedimentary rocks.
k. describing the
change in metamorphic rocks as a result of exposure to heat and pressure.
l. classifying
metamorphic rocks.
4. The
student will demonstrate an
understanding of the plate tectonic model and the Earth's layers by:
a. explaining the
mechanism of earthquakes.
b. recognizing a cross-sectional view of the
Earth and identifying the
major rock type of each layer.
c. describing
evidence for uplift of the Earth's crust.
d. explaining the
mechanism of convection currents within the Earth's mantle and showing how this
theory can account for mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
5. The
student will demonstrate an understanding of the Geologic Time Scale and its
developmental history by:
a. defining the
following fundamental concepts of historical geology.
b. describing three
types of unconformities.
c. explaining how
fossils are preserved for the geologic record.
d. discussing the
principle of organic evolution.
e. discussing or
showing with simple diagrams the following radiometric procedures
f. recognizing the components
of the geological time scale.
g. relating the major
evolutionary changes in life to the Geologic Time Scale.
6. The
student will be able to
understand the use of topographic maps by:
a. examining a map.
b. recognizing latitude
and longitude.
c. identifying
symbols used on maps.
7. The
student will demonstrate an
understanding of land form development through the erosional and depositional
processes of streams, ground water, shore processes, glaciers and wind by:
a. recognizing the
processes and products of the hydrologic cycle and showing their relationship
with solar energy and gravity.
b. describing how
running water effects erosion transportation and deposition of sediments.
c. recognizing the
natural change in stream valleys as the slope of the river changes.
d. describing stream
equilibrium, using the scale balance model, and explaining how changes in
slope, discharge, sediment load, and sediment size can cause a stream to erode
or deposit.
e. describing the
hydrologic cycle.
f. defining
percolation, porosity, and permeability.
g. describing the
free and artesian ground water systems.
h. explaining the
process by which calcite is chemically decomposed by ground water and showing
how this process relates to the formation of caves, cave features and
sinkholes.
i. recognizing
several Karst features.
j. explaining the
characteristics of the Floridan Aquifer.
k. labeling the parts
of a wave and comparing the movement of wave energy and the movement of water
molecules in the wave.
l. describing the
process of wave refraction and the formation of longshore current.
m. describing several
shoreline erosional and depositional features.
n. describing how
glacial ice breaks up and transports rock materials.
o. differentiating
between alpine, and continental glaciation.
p. describing several
glacial erosional and depositional features.
q. describing how the
action of wind breaks up and transports rock material.
r. describing several
wind erosional and depositional features.
D. Criteria Performance Standard:
Upon
successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 70%
accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through
classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.
Revised 8/84
DBT
Effective Session
19891
3 YR C&I Review
1993-94
DBT
3 Year Review 99-00.
Effective 20011.
On-line/CD
C&I
Effective 20041.