Syllabus

Course Description:

Principles of Earth and Environmental Systems is a two semester sequence which uses a systems approach to investigate and understand the relationships between the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Principles of Earth and Environmental Systems I deals with the origin of the universe, solar system and planet earth, the solid earth and processes at the earth’s surface, geological hazards and contamination of water and soil, and the legal and political regulation of environmental impacts. The laboratory component of the course requires the student to make measurements, analyze and plot data, draw conclusions from the data plots, characterize and identify earth materials, and interpret geospatial representations.

Communication:

For all class-related e-mails the instructors will use your UMass Lowell Student e-mail account. It is your responsibility to monitor your UMass Lowell Student e-mail account on a regular basis. “I didn’t know because I don’t ever look at my student account” is NOT an acceptable excuse for not knowing about important changes in the course.

General Course Information:

Laboratory attendance is mandatory. There will be very limited opportunities to make up a missed laboratory. Except in the case of personal illness or a death in the immediate family, both of which must be substantiated, the student MUST seek prior approval from the instructor for a laboratory absence. Ski trips, hunting, extended weekends, etc. are NOT legitimate excuses for missing a laboratory. Any special pleading must be done before the laboratory, not after.

Laboratory exercises are due no later than 6 pm on the Friday after the laboratory exercise is assigned. Laboratories exercises turned in after the Friday following the lab will be given a grade of zero.

The student's attention is called to the definitions and regulations regarding cheating and plagiarism. The instructor shall assign a grade of zero to any portion of an exam on which he/she determines cheating has occurred. Likewise a grade of zero will be assigned to any portion of a laboratory exercise or homework problem that has been plagiarized.

Cell phones and other mobile devices cannot be used during class time. If you do use a device during class time it is subject to confiscation.

This course satisfies two Essential Learning Outcomes:

Specific Course Goals:

At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to show that they have realized the following course goals:

• An understanding of the nuclear processes that led to the formation of the material of the cosmos and stellar objects

• An understanding of the physio-chemical processes that led to the formation of the planetary bodies in the solar system

• Be able to apply magnetic observations to the understanding of earth processes

• An understanding of the origin of earthquakes and the ability to predict damage to structures based on the properties of the subsurface and type of construction

• A basic understanding of crystal structure and minerals

• Be able to identify common rocks in the field

• Be able to distinguish between relative and absolute time and the methods used to determine absolute time

• Be able to use topographic maps for spatial representations

• Be able to use air photos and topographic maps to interpret surface processes including running water and glaciation

Laboratory Exercises (subject to change):

     The Solar System

     Plate Tectonics

     Earthquakes

     Earth Materials – Minerals

     Earth Materials – Rocks

     Geologic Time

     Topographic Maps and Profiles

     Running Water and Ground Water

     Alpine and Continental Glaciation

Laboratory Materials:

There is no textbook for this course. The laboratory exercises are available as pdfs on the course website. The exercises should be downloaded and printed out before the laboratory. Printed copies of the laboratory exercises will NOT be provided.

Grading Policy:

Your grade will be determined as follows:

     Laboratory Exercises = 80%

     Laboratory Exam = 20%

The laboratory exam is a significant part of your final grade. You do need to study for the exam.

Contacting the Instructor:

Ms. Autumn Burrell (Teaching Assistant) will be teaching the laboratory sections. She will provide you with contact information and office hours when she meets the first laboratory session.