UC Davis Geology GEL 50 Physical Geology

GEL 50 image

Geology (GEL) 50: Physical Geology
Dr. Robert Zierenberg
zierenberg@geology.ucdavis.edu
Office: Physics/Geology Rm 379
Office Hours: T 9:00-10:00, F 2:00-3:00 or by appointment

Catalog description:

Geology 50 - The Earth, its materials, its internal and external processes, its development through time by sea-floor spreading and global plate tectonics.

Goal of the course:

To give you an appreciation for what we know about our planet and what we don't know.
To view Earth as a set of interrelated systems.
To integrate geology with other scientific disciplines like physics, chemistry and biology.
To prepare you for more advanced courses in geology.

Textbook: Understanding Earth (2007, 5th edition) by Grotzinger, Jordan, Press & Siever

This is a readable textbook that is profusely illustrated - just viewing the graphics in the book in coordination with the lecture will bring the topic to life. The structure and content of this class will follow this text relatively closely. I'll borrow from several other textbooks and my own experience to illuminate and clarify lecture topics.
The best way to succeed in this course is to read the assigned chapters in the textbook before the lectures on the same topic. You will then find you can take fewer notes and will be able to selectively reread relevant parts of the text when you are studying for exams. If you put off the reading until the days before the exams, you are likely to have a hard time in this class. The lectures are intended to supplement the material in the text, not duplicate it.
An ebook is available free with the text. Look at http://ebooks.bfwpub.com or at the Companion Website at http://www.whfreeman.com/understandingearth5e

Outlines of Notes:

Outlines of notes for most lectures will be posted on the class website (Lecture Notes). The outlines are not comprehensive and are not a substitute for attending class, rather they are intended to focus you on the most relevant aspects of any topic and will help you study for exams by allowing you to selectively reread the most important parts of the textbook. The notes are password protected. I will provide the password in class. There are a variety of reasons why it is not possible to put all of the powerpoint images used in lecture on line.

Class Structure:

Come to class - You'll spend much less time attending the class and listening to me, asking me questions, looking at images and listening to stories than you will trying to teach the material to yourself from notes and the book. Skipping class because you can always 'get the notes' is a recipe for disaster.
I strongly encourage you to speak up in class - any question is legitimate and I'll take the time to answer it.

GEL 50 Labs: Sections begin the week of Jan. 7, 8.

A copy of the lab syllabus for discussion can be found at GEL50 Lab Syllabus. The TAs will go over lab topics with you in class and supply you with materials.
If lab topics seem out-of-phase with the lecture, don't worry about it - it's unavoidable and not necessarily important. In the long run of the course they compliment each other, but you won't realize it till the end of the quarter.

Grades:

Midterm (Friday, Feb. 8) = 45%

Final (Tuesday, March 18, 1:00-3:00 pm) = 55%

Exams will be a combination of multiple choice and short answers (2-5 sentences).
NO EARLY EXAMS OR MAKEUP EXAMS (without a valid, officially documented reason discussed with me far in advance).

Interested in teaching science at the 7-12 level?

Then consider the Natural Sciences major at UCD,
administered through the Geology Department.
Dave Osleger is an advisor for the major.

You might also like to visit the website of the
Mathematics and Science Teaching Programs,
a program designed with future teachers in mind.

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