| Course description: | The course will provide an introduction to the basic principles and practices of oceanography. Topics will be presented in terms of the applications of physics, geology, chemistry, and biology to a study of the world's oceans. Specific topics will include planetary science and earth origin, the geologic timescale, geography and location systems, matter, marine provinces, sediments, seismology, plate tectonics, seawater composition, geochemical distributions, deep ocean circulations, winds and surface circulation, waves, tides, estuarine environment, biological production, nekton, plankton, and benthic organisms. |
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| Student Learning Outcomes | SLO#1: Apply the scientific method to evaluating Earth processes. SLO#2: Evaluate temporal rates and spatial scales of Earth process. SLO#3: Apply plate tectonic theory to formulate past, present, and future changes on Earth. SLO#4: Assess how Earth processes affect the physical environments and resources of living organisms, and analyze evidence that living organisms have changed their physical environments. SLO#5: Determine the kinds and degrees of interaction between between the atmosphere and the ocean and between the solid earth and ocean. |
| Class time: | Mondays, Wednesdays,
9-10:20 a.m., L 112. There will be no class on Monday, September 2
for Labor Day.
The |
| Instructor: | Hiram Jackson Office: SCI 111 tel: (916) 691-7605 (rollover to voice mail) e-mail: jacksoh@crc.losrios.edu |
| Office hours: | Monday/Wednesday: 1:30-2:30
p.m. Tuesday/Thursday: noon-1 p.m. Friday: 11-noon (on selected Fridays, to be announced) or by appointment, room SCI 111 Please see my class schedule for more information as to when I may be available. |
| Textbook: | Essentials of Oceanography,
11th edition by Alan Trujillo & Harold Thurman is available for sale
from the bookstore.
It is also available at the reserve desk of the library for short term, 2 hour check out. |
| Exams: | There will be midterms
on September 22, October 15, and November 5, and a final on Monday, December
15 from 8-10 a.m. |
| Time
expectations: |
You may expect that this class will require, on average, about 3 hours of outside study for each hour of class lecture for the average student to receive an average grade (C or B). Efficient, effective studying can reduce some of that study time. If you feel the need to improve your study skills, please consult your academic counselor. |
| Homework: | Homework is assigned every week and may be submitted one of three ways: 1) e-mail to jacksoh@crc.losrios.edu , 2) by FAX (number to be announced), or 3) to your campus directly (including by US mail). This last method works well if you are a CRC campus viewer turning in your assignments in person. If you are watching from a remote location, then you must be sure to get your assignments in immediately if you choose to turn them in at your remote site. |
| Makeup policy: | You must contact me before
9 a.m. on the scheduled day of an exam if you must miss an exam. Please
briefly explain the nature of your absence, and when you expect to be able
to make it up. Please be aware that I will not return graded exams until
all makeups have been given. I generally expect makeups to be taken within
a week of the scheduled exam (a test given on a Monday will have all make-ups
done before class on the following Monday). |
| Homeviewing: |
If you intend to be a homeviewer for this class, then please consult the FAQ (frequently asked questions) site concerning issues about homeviewing. |
| Attendance
Policy: |
Excessive absences you risk
understanding the class material, not being able to do well on exams, or
being dropped from the class roster. If you must be absent, please
leave a message indicating what the nature of your absence is, and what arrangements
you can make to make up the necessary work. Attendance is monitored
by a sign-in sheet for in-person students, and by call-in for home viewers.
If I find that a student has been absent three or more times without checking
in with me to explain what is going on, I reserve the right to drop that
person. Please note that at least two unexplained absences during the
first two weeks of the semester may result in being dropped, owing to the
number of students trying to enroll from the wait list. |
| Cheating: | You may collaborate on
homework assignments, but you are expected to turn in your own work.
You are to take all exams based on what you remember from studying (no
notes, textbooks, or anything else will be available). Anyone caught
cheating may face one or more of the following penalties: no grade for the
assignment, an F for the course, probation or suspension from the college.
Plagiarism is also a category of cheating that may be punished in the
same manner mentioned above. Please consult the CRC Honor Code here for further related discussion. |
| Grading: | Homeworks: 30% Midterm & paper: 50% Final: 20% Extra credit assignment Grades will be calculated on the following scale: 90-100% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, 60-69% D, <60 oops!Grades are a measure of your performance on assignments and tests in this class. We hope that this measure of performance shows how well you understand and master the class material. If you have comments or suggestions, please contact me. |
| Grade
Discrepancies: |
If you feel that I have made a mistake in calculating your grade,
please see me. Please save your tests and homework if you wish to
bring a grade discrepancy to my attention. |
| Field trip: | There is no formal or
required field trip for this class, however I may suggest an optional field
trip in conjunction with an optional project. |
| Classroom environment: |
Please end all private conversations once class begins. Arrive on time to class. If you arrive late, please enter quietly and take a seat near the door. If you must leave early, please tell me before class that you will leave early and take a seat near the door. Please also turn off all cell phones, watch alarms, and pagers during class. Please do not eat food during class. Please respect your fellow classmates in their efforts to learn the material (no disrespect, raise hands for questions). |
Last update 8/24/2014
Webpage designed by Hiram Jackson.
Contact Geology webmanager, Hiram Jackson,
at jacksoh@crc.losrios.edu