Application: General Education Requirements-Natural Science (GER-NS) and Lab Science with grade of 1.5 or better.

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1 GEOL& 110 ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY PIERCE COLLEGE PUYALLUP COURSE SYLLABUS Fall Quarter, 2018 Item 7095 Section FA INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION View of a cinder cone in Hawaii. Instructor Professor Tom Bush Title Professor and Department Chair, Earth and Space Sciences Office LSC 110, Brouillet Library/Science Building, Pierce College Puyallup Phone Please use the Canvas Conversations system. Replies: Monday-Thursday within 24 hours, Friday-Sunday by Monday evening. Hours M 1:00-3:00pm F 9:00am-12:00pm Other times are available by appointment. Meetings! or field trips may occasionally preclude office hours. I will let you know in advance. COURSE INFORMATION Title Environmental Geology Number GEOL& 110 Item # 7095 Section FA Credits 5 college quarter credits Quarter/Yr Fall, 2018 Start Monday, September 24, 2018 End Thursday, December 6, 2018 (plus Exam 5 during finals week if needed) Class MTWTh 11:00-11:50 A.M., LSC 108, Pierce College Puyallup Lab T 1:00-2:50 P.M., LSC 108, Pierce College Puyallup Please do NOT ask for accommodations if you make travel plans that conflict with the quarter s schedule. Application: General Education Requirements-Natural Science (GER-NS) and Lab Science with grade of 1.5 or better. Course Description: A study of the interaction of humans and the Earth, with emphasis on geologic hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, and flooding; resources such as energy, water, and minerals; disposal of wastes and pollution. Appropriate for non-science and science majors. Field trip required. Labs included. Course Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. With dedication and diligence, it is possible for the student with no prior background in this field to excel in this course. 1

2 Your success in this course is entirely up to you. By fully engaging yourself as an active learner, and with thorough preparation, you should not only achieve your academic goals but also develop a greater appreciation of your surroundings. I ask you to commit to your success by attending class; being prepared; asking for help when needed; and engaging actively in discussions, assignments, and projects with me and with your fellow students, both in and out of class. I hope you find this course enlightening and enjoyable. Geology rocks! Technology Requirements Since this is web-enhanced course, you will need daily access to a computer (either a PC or Mac, desktop or laptop) and reliable Internet connection. Also, you should have some basic computer skills, including using and navigating in the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), including sending and receiving s in Canvas. Textbook and Other Materials Montgomery, 2016, Environmental Geology Custom Edition, (required), available: # At the Pierce College Bookstore for purchase or rental; # Through various on-line booksellers as hard copy or ebook; # From the publisher, McGraw-Hill Create TM as an ebook (enter Tom Bush or the ISBN into the find box to purchase the ebook customized for this course); # Chapters 1-3 are available on the course Canvas Web site in Module 1 in B&W PDF format for your convenience. King, Hazard City: Assignments in Applied Geology, 4th Ed. To purchase on-line access these exercises ($15): 1. Go to and click on Buy Access. 2. Scroll down to the Hazard City, 4e 2011 icon and click it. 3. On the privacy policy and license agreement page, scroll to the bottom and click I Accept. 4. Set up an account with a login and password. From there, you will be able to purchase access. Weekly Lab Exercises are available on the course Canvas Web site (required). Other Required Materials: # #2 pencils for labs; # Calculator with basic functions (cell phone is okay); # Set of colored pencils with 4 colors (for color drawings in lecture notes). General Course Outline a. Introduction to Environmental Geology. b. Rocks and Minerals. c. Plate Tectonics. d. Earthquakes. e. Volcanoes. 2

3 f. Streams and Flooding. g. Coastal Processes. h. Mass Movements. i. Water Resources. j. Soil Resources. k. Mineral Resources. l. Energy Resources. m. Waste Disposal. n. Water Pollution. o. Other Special Topics (Global Climate Change, Air Pollution, Medical Geology, Environmental Law, Land-Use Planning & Engineering Geology, Meteorite Impacts). Course Outcomes What you should know and be able to do upon satisfactory completion of this course 1. Describe the basic relationship between the solid earth, water, atmosphere, and life of the Earth through geologic time. 2. Analyze the impact of population growth and human activities on the Earth s systems (e.g. soil loss, water use, coastal development, natural resources). 3. Apply the scientific method and relate basic scientific concepts to geologic processes (e.g. plate tectonics or other examples). 4. Identify common rock-forming and ore minerals, and describe their importance to environmental geology. 5. Explain the rock cycle and identify important igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks; describe the importance of rocks to environmental geology. 6. Discuss important plate tectonic processes and explain how they relate to geologic hazards and resources. 7. Describe the origin, occurrence, and hazards of earthquakes; describe the difficulties in predicting earthquakes; evaluate the mitigation of earthquake hazards. 8. Analyze the relationship between magmas, volcanic styles, plate tectonics, and the occurrence of volcanic hazards; evaluate the prediction and mitigation of volcanic hazards. 9. Draw and describe the hydrologic cycle; relate stream dynamics and human land use to flood hazards; evaluate the prediction and mitigation of flooding hazards. 10. Analyze the effects of coastal processes and human development on coastal hazards and erosion; evaluate mitigation strategies. 11. Relate slope processes and human activities to hazards from mass movements; evaluate preventative measures. 12. Discuss groundwater and surface water resources. 13. Relate weathering and soil formation to soil use and erosion problems. 14. Explain the geologic origin, supply, extraction techniques, impacts of extraction, and mitigation of impacts of mineral resources 15. Discuss the geologic origin, supply, extraction techniques, impacts of extraction and use, and mitigation if impacts of energy resources. Compare the potential benefits of alternative energy sources 16. Assess the geologic and political aspects of solid, liquid, hazardous, and radioactive waste disposal. 3

4 17. Evaluate human responsibility for sources and mitigation of water pollution. 18. Discuss the main concepts of other relevant special topics in environmental geology as determined by the instructor (such as global climate change, air pollution, medical geology, environmental law, land-use planning & engineering geology, meteorite impacts) 19. Interpret topographic maps, geologic maps, aerial photographs, and satellite imagery to understand geologic processes and solve geologic problems. 20. Demonstrate the ability to access geologic data from various sources, including library research, Internet, and field observations. Pierce College Core Abilities It is the goal of Pierce College to prepare students to live and work in a dynamically changing world by emphasizing whole-student development and hands-on learning. Through experiences both in and out of the classroom, you ll be given the opportunity to broaden your horizons and be challenged in ways that encourage the development of the abilities vital to succeeding in life. These core abilities include: Information Competency: Seeks, finds, evaluates and uses information to engage in lifelong learning. Critical, Creative and Reflective Thinking: A critical, creative, and reflective thinker will question, search for answers and meaning, evaluate ideas and information, and develop beliefs that lead to action. Responsibility: The ability to respond by examining the relationship between self, community, and environments, evaluating potential impacts and consequences of actions, and making choices and contributions based on that examination and evaluation. Effective Communication: The effective exchange of messages in a variety of contexts using multiple methods. Multiculturalism: Valuing open-mindedness, inclusion, multicultural perspectives and multiple ways of knowing, thinking and being. POLICIES AND ETHICS Classroom Policies 1. Use of cell phones or other communication devices during class, lab, or field trip times may result in expulsion for the day. 2. Please do NOT bring food to class, as eating during class can be a distraction. Beverages are acceptable, but please recycle or dispose of containers appropriately, and clean up after yourself if you spill. 3. Neither food nor beverages are permitted during lab sessions. 4. Please raise your hand if you wish to respond to a question in class, ask a question, or make a comment, and wait to be called upon. Please do NOT speak out during class unless called upon. 4

5 5. Attendance is NOT a direct part of your grade. However, responding to my in-class questions when called upon IS, and you must be present to be awarded your participation points when called upon. Absences also mean that you loose the opportunity for learning beyond what is provided by the textbook. Absences from labs or field trips mean that you loose the points for those activities and they may not be made up. 6. Punctuality for class and lab is a fundamental element of professional behavior. I consider tardiness a rude and unnecessary classroom disruption. So is leaving early or getting up during class for any but the most extreme of reasons. Additionally, if you arrive late, you are not eligible for participation points that day (see Assessment of Student Learning below). 7. You are expected to conduct yourself at all times in this class (lectures, labs, field trips) in a manner that is respectful of all and conducive to the learning process in a multicultural educational environment. 8. If you need require any disability accommodations, please contact the Access and Disability Services (ADS) office in ADM 115 or at Grading Policies 1. Your final course grade is determined from the grading scale below using your total course percentage. 2. A grade of 1.5 (C-) or better is required for this course to count as GER-NS or GTE. 3. With a grade of 1.0 (D) to 1.4 (D+), this course applies GE only. 4. There are five exams in this course. Your lowest exam OF THE FIRST FOUR EXAMS is dropped from your course grade. Exam 5 counts regardless of its score. 5. Exams must be taken according to the schedule provided, which may be modified by the instructor to fit the lecture schedule needs of the course. Exams MAY NOT be taken early or late if you are unable to take an exam as scheduled. 6. If you miss an exam for any reason (of the first four), it may NOT be made up. This will be your dropped score. If you missed Exam 5, you will receive a zero and this counts towards your grade. 7. Late assignments are generally NOT ACCEPTED (unless under extreme circumstances, and you contact me about your situation on or before the due date). 8. For any assignment submitted on-line, breakdown of your computer or loss of Internet connection is NOT an allowable excuse for late submittal. 9. Your first and last names must appear on all work submitted on paper, and all multi-page work must be stapled with one staple in the upper-left corner to be accepted for grading. 10. Extra credit opportunities are generally not a part of this course, unless otherwise stated elsewhere in this syllabus or announced in class. Academic Integrity Academic dishonesty acts (as outlined in the Pierce College Student Code of Conduct) will result in at least a failing grade for the assignment or exam, or possibly a failing grade for the course, depending on the nature and severity of the act. 5

6 Communication with Instructor Please consider all s with me to be of a professional business nature, and therefore you should use proper English, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. s not meeting professional business standards may be returned for rewriting before a reply is given. COURSE MODULES, LEARNING ASSESSMENTS AND GRADING Course Modules-Major Topical Sections Module Description Textbook Chapters Module 1 Foundations Exam 1 Module 2 Internal Processes Exam 2 Module 3 Surface Processes Exam 3 Module 4 Resources Exam 4 Module 5 Water as a Resource, Waste Disposal, and Water Pollution Exam 5 Introduces the student to the science of environmental geology and provides a foundation for the remainder of the quarter. Starting with tectonics as background, the study of hazardous geologic processes of volcanism and earthquakes, both of which are primarily caused by processes that act from within the Earth. Includes a field trip to Mt. St. Helens. The study of hazardous geologic processes of flooding, coastal hazards, mass wasting (landslides), which are primarily caused by processes acting at the Earth s surface. The study of the benefits that the Earth and its processes provide humanity (mineral and energy resources) and the environmental issues of their extraction and use. The study of water as a resource, water pollution, and waste disposal, all of which are topics that are closely interrelated. Chapter 1: Planet and Population: An Overview Chapter 2: Rocks and Minerals A First Look Chapter 3: Plate Tectonics Chapter 4: Earthquakes Chapter 5: Volcanoes Chapter 6: Streams and Flooding Chapter 7: Coastal Zones and Processes Chapter 8: Mass Movements Chapter 12: Weathering, Erosion, and Soil Resources Chapter 13: Mineral and Rock Resources Chapter 14: Energy Resources Fossil Fuels Chapter 11: Ground Water and Water Resources Chapter 16: Waste Disposal Chapter 17: Water Pollution 6

7 Assessment of Student Learning Assessments Description EXAMS Exams, syllabus quiz, and field trip exercise (440 points total): o 1 quiz over the course syllabus (40 points); o 5 module exams over textbook readings & class discussions, lowest of FIRST 4 is dropped (Exam 5 is NOT dropped), consisting of multiple choice and essay (100 points each, 400 points total); o 1 optional but strongly recommended field trip to a location of interest (see Course Calendar for location and date) (15 points extra credit); o Other miscellaneous assignments may be added. LABS Lab exercises (100 points): o 10 weekly lab exercises, lowest is dropped (10 points each); o Miscellaneous labs may be added for extra credit. DAILY Daily questions about textbook readings or other QUESTIONS closely-related material (~100 points): o In-class written responses to questions, lowest 3 are dropped; o On-line written responses to questions; o Direct participation in class discussions. To calculate your grade: Percentage 50% 30% 20% TOTAL 100% Grading Scale Your final course grade is determined from the grading scale below using your total course percentage as determined above. A 96%=4.0 94%=3.9 A- 93%=3.8 92%=3.7 91%=3.6 90%=3.5 B+ 89%=3.4 88%=3.3 87%=3.2 B 86%=3.1 85%=3.0 84%=2.9 B- 83%=2.8 82%=2.7 81%=2.6 80%=2.5 C+ 79%=2.4 78%=2.3 77%=2.2 C 76%=2.1 75%=2.0 74%=1.9 C- 73%=1.8 72%=1.7 71%=1.6 70%=1.5 These grades are passing grades applicable towards Core Requirement- Natural Science or Core Electives of Associates Degrees. means equal to or greater than. < means less than. D+ 69%=1.4 68%=1.3 67%=1.2 D 66%=1.1 60%=1.0 These grades are passing grades applicable only towards General Electives. F <60%=0.0 This grade is a failing grade no credit towards degrees. 7

8 OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Emergency Procedures Imminent threat to persons and property: call 911 and then Campus Safety at Active shooter procedures: run, hide, fight. 1) Evacuate the area if at all possible to do so safely. 2) If safe evacuation is not possible, take cover out of sight. 3) If confronted by the aggressor, attach as a group using whatever is available to neutralize the aggressor. Evacuation (intermittent horns and strobes): gather all personal belongings and leave the building using the nearest available safe exit. Be prepared to be outside for one hour and stay a minimum of 200 feet from any building or structure. So long as it is safe to do so, students are expected to stay on campus and return to class after evacuations that last less than 15 minutes. Do not attempt to re-enter the building until instructed by an Evacuation Director (identified by orange vests) or by three horn blasts or bell rings. Please notify the nearest Campus Safety Officer or Evacuation Director of any one left in the building or in need of assistance. Inclement Weather and College Closures Occasionally weather or emergencies impede or prohibits our ability to gather for regularly scheduled meetings. In the event of inclement weather, please consult the Campus Safety Continuity of Operations (COOP) webpage at In addition to receiving notification from the Pierce College Emergency Notification System you can also receive text and updates from the Public Schools Emergency Communications System. Go to for details. Listen to local TV and radio news for up-to-date information about closures and delays. Also, look online at or or call (253) Fort Steilacoom or (253) Puyallup for a recorded message. Please use judgment when deciding whether to attempt to get to campus during inclement weather your personal safety is the most important issue in such events. The Writing Center The Writing Center is a free service open to all people. They help students who are working on particular assignments or who want a quiet place to write, read or study. Their trained writing tutors are available to help with all types of writing projects and assignments. Writing tutors can assist in all phases of a project, from helping students generate ideas to helping with final edits. The Writing Center is located at CTR 170. Access and Disability Services (ADS) Your experience in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of Pierce College to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you experience barriers based on disability, please seek a meeting with the Access and Disability Services (ADS) manager to discuss and address them. If you have already established accommodations with the ADS manager, please 8

9 bring your approved accommodations (green sheet) to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. ADS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you and the ADS manager, and I am available to help facilitate them in this class. If you have not yet established services through ADS, but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not be limited to: mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are encouraged to contact ADS at or ADM