APPROVED COURSE OUTLINE
Prefix Number Title Cr Hrs
A. Course
Description:
Prerequisite
or corequisite: ISC 1141. This course is a laboratory experience to accompany Earth
Science for students who are non-science majors. The laboratory exercises will
emphasize the study of applications to the principles of earth science. (This
course may not be taken for credit subsequent to receiving a grade of “C” or
better in any lab course with a GLY prefix.) 45 contact hours.
B. Major
Learning Outcomes:
1.
The
student will demonstrate
an understanding of basic
mathematical measurements and scientific methods used in the earth sciences.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of the
physical processes that create minerals and rocks and their relationship to the
rock cycle.
3. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between plate
tectonics and earth’s geological processes.
4. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the current principles used to
interpret earth history, origins, ages based on the sequential history of the
earth’s major features and events.
5. The student will demonstrate an understanding of
landform development by various geological processes.
6. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
nature and use of topographic maps.
7. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
basic chemical and physical properties of ocean water and their relationship
with coastal processes.
8. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
geologic structure and topography of the ocean floor and how it relates to the
plate tectonic model.
9. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
structure of the atmosphere, physical properties of air and the global circulation patterns through
the processes of collecting, arranging and analyzing weather data.
10. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
basic concepts of the earth-sun relationship and how it affects weather and the
seasons.
11. The student will demonstrate an understanding of air
masses, frontal weather patterns, and weather forecasting using weather maps
and models in the laboratory.
12. The student will be able to understand the present
model of the sun’s planetary system and its interrelationships with emphasis on
the earth-moon system.
13. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the major
components of the
universe, including galaxies, black holes, pulsars and star clusters.
C. Course
Objectives Stated in Performances Terms:
1. The student
will
demonstrate
an understanding of the basic mathematical measurements and scientific methods
used in the earth sciences by:
a. identifying the
fundamental units of the metric and the British systems of measurements.
b. using the scientific
method.
c. measuring and performing
various mathematical calculations.
2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
basic concepts of the physical processes that create minerals and rocks and their relationship to the
rock cycle by:
a. observing and identifying the major
physical properties of minerals.
b. identifying minerals using a mineral
properties chart.
c. identifying and classifying igneous
rocks using a rock chart.
d. identifying and classifying sedimentary
rocks using a rock chart.
e. identifying and classifying metamorphic
rocks using a rock chart.
3. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between plate
tectonics and earth’s geological processes by:
a. describing the structure of the
earth’s interior and introducing lithosphere and asthenosphere concepts.
b. identifying and sketching the three
types of plate boundaries and associated geologic activities.
c. describing the physical properties of
seismic waves generated by earthquakes.
d. illustrating the variations in arrival
times of earthquake waves.
e. describing how earthquake epicenters
are located by triangulation and travel time curves.
4. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the current principles used to
interpret earth history, origins, ages based on the sequential history of the
earth’s major features and events by:
a. applying the principles of
superposition, original horizontality, correlation, faunal succession,
cross-cutting relationships, and unconformity to cross-sectional diagrams.
b. placing important geological and
biological events on the geological calendar.
c. describing relative and absolute
dating methods.
d. using fossils and
sedimentary features to determine past
geological environments.
5. The student will demonstrate an understanding of
landform development by various geological processes by:
a.
describing weathering processes and how they relate to landform
development.
b.
identifying various landforms and linking them with the
appropriate surface processes.
c. describing the relationship between the hydrologic cycle and
landform
development and applying the note of other surface processes.
6. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
nature and use of topographic maps by:
a.
identifying colors and symbols on a topographic map.
b.
contouring surface relief from elevation measurements and
interpreting contour patterns.
c.
describing various grid locators used on topographic maps.
d.
constructing a topographic map profile.
e. using topographic maps to
identify various landform features.
7. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
basic chemical and physical properties of ocean water and their relationship
with coastal processes by :
a.
determining the salinity and temperature of ocean water from
salinity-temperature graphs.
b.
matching prevailing wind patterns with the global surface
currents.
c.
describing the properties of surface waves and deep and shallow
water classification.
d.
describing the relationship between coastal landform, shoreline
material, and waves.
e.
using a topographic
map to identify shoreline features.
8. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
geologic structure and topography of the ocean floor and how it relates to the
plate tectonic model by:
a.
identifying the major ocean basin features including continental
margins.
b.
constructing a cross-section of the ocean floor showing the major
topographic features.
c. describing the relationship between plate tectonic model and the
ocean floor
features.
9. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the structure of the atmosphere, physical
properties of air, and the global circulation patterns through the processes of
collecting, arranging and analyzing weather data by:
a.
defining the key weather variables of the atmosphere.
b.
gathering weather data using approved weather instruments.
c.
reading tables of various of weathering elements.
10. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the
basic concepts of the earth-sun relationship and how it affects weather and the
seasons by:
a. describing how the tilt of the earth affects the amount of solar
radiation
striking different points on the earth throughout the year.
b. using an analemma to determine
how the angle of the sun changes at different locations on the earth throughout
the year.
c. calculating the hours of daylight
received by different latitude positions the earth throughout the year.
11. The student will demonstrate an understanding of air
masses, frontal weather patterns, and weather forecasting using weather maps
and models in the laboratory by:
a.
constructing and applying information on a weather station
symbols.
b.
describing how to diagram isobars, fronts, high and low pressure
systems from a series of weather station symbols.
c. describing the weather preceding and following frontal
boundaries, using
weather station information.
d. becoming familiar with the three
dimensional structure of the atmosphere through the use of upper level maps.
e. developing an understanding of the
importance of the jet stream.
12. The student will be able to
understand the present model of the sun’s planetary system and its
interrelationships with emphasis on the earth-moon system by:
a. describing the stages of stellar
evolution and star classification.
b. identifying the major characteristics
of the sun.
c. describing the components of the solar
system.
d. making distinctions between
various kinds of celestial motions.
e. constructing eight phases of the moon
and understanding their relationships with eclipses.
13. The student will demonstrate an understanding
of the major components of the universe, including galaxies, black holes,
pulsars and star clusters.
a. identifying the location of stars and
constellations on a star map or celestial globe.
b. determining the distances and length of
time from earth to various stars using different mathematical methods.
D. Criteria
Performance Standard:
Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 60% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.
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