Natural Hazards and
Catastrophes, Geology &108 – Syllabus and Schedule
MTWThF 10-10:50 NEW
Lab:
Fridays and one arranged Saturday field trip planned for ?. The field trip
is a mandatory part of the course.
(See field trip details and policy below)
Updated 3/28/2010
Instructor: Pat Pringle
E-Mail:
ppringle ‘at’ centralia.edu
Phone:
360.736.9391 x550
Please do not call my office number unless you plan to leave a message if you
don’t reach me!
Centralia
Earth Sciences web: http://www.centralia.edu/academics/earthscience/index.html
Office hours:
è NSC 318F See my class
schedule
PLEASE DO NOT COME TO MY OFFICE WITHIN
THE 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO CLASS.
Course short description: An examination of earth materials and processes through the study of
earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes,
wildfires, climate change, and meteorite impacts. Examination of causes,
effects on human populations and the environment; preparedness, prediction and forecasting;
mitigation of risks, and case studies.
Natural
Hazards class outcomes (leaves this
page)
Course
Materials: The text below is required reading and is the
primary sources of information for lectures, discussions, and exams. Please bring your books to class and do
reading in advance of class.
Natural Hazards and Disasters, Hyndman &
Hyndman (2nd edition recommended ISBN: 0-495-31667-9;2005 or more recent will do)
Class web page: This page will be updated
throughout the course, so please check it regularly.
Publisher’s web page <= select
this link for the publisher’s web page
Link to an online
Physical Geography textbook by Michael Ritter
Link to the introductory
Geoscience Virtual Textbook
Link to The Georoots Etymological
Dictionary of Geology by Matt Horrigan
Annenberg “Earth Revealed” series online videos: see
Student Resources link/videos from main Earth Science page
Grading Policy: Your final grade for Natural Hazards and
Catastrophes is based on the total number of points you accumulate from the
following sources (values approximate):
LECTURE and FINAL EXAMS
(4 total) 65%
ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES,
PARTICIPATION 15%
FIELD TRIP and LAB WORK 20%
ABOUT TESTS: Tests will include material from lectures and labs. * This
component assesses a student’s contributions to the learning environment in the
classroom. Disciplinary problems that interrupt or impede the progress of the
class will also be assessed as part of this component. Exams:
There will be no make-up tests except for in extreme cases. You will need
a physicians note and/or provide me with advance notice of a schedule
conflict if such a situation arises. Exams will include material from the
books, lectures, and videos.
Do your own work. Suspected cheating,
intellectual parasitism, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty will
not be tolerated. Additionally, instances of such will be reported to the
FIELD_TRIP: This
quarter the mandatory field trip will be on October 24. This field trip is accounts for
1/2 of the lab grade in this class. You are required to attend and write up
field report for the trip. NOTE, ALL FIELD WRITE UPS ARE DUE BY November 17. Please
schedule your other classwork accordingly.
Grade assessment: see Grading scale to find out the point and letter grade
equivalents for percentage scores on tests.
Term
assignment: There will likely be a Term Assignment required.
Information regarding the assignment will be provided in another handout.
Term Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the class period on the
due-date assigned for full credit.
Web site:
Information for this course is posted on the class web page listed above in
this syllabus. This web page is a work in progress and will change as we go through
the class. Look there for this syllabus, copies of selected class handouts,
links, reading suggestions, assignments, and additional information. Don’t
forget to check out
·
Late assignments: For you own sake, hand in assignments on time. Assignments
turned in late will not get full credit.
·
All multipage assignments that are unstapled and/or have untrimmed
perforation “frizzies” or tears along page edges will be automatically docked
one point.
·
Handwritten assignments: You will be expected
to provide a review of each video shown in class or of the presentations of any
guest speakers. I will provide a video review form on the web page. For video
reviews and essays on quizzes, please write neatly, and use pencil or
blue or black ink only. Unreadable assignments will be returned for
no credit. If possible, please type assignments. Please staple all assignments
and write you name on each page as noted above.
·
Typed assignments: ALL FIELD REPORTS WILL BE TYPED.
Please follow guidelines given for each typed assignment. This generally includes 10 or 12 point font,
preferably Times or Arial, margins 1 - 1.25 inches, black ink, white,
unbleached or reused paper, with no
report covers. USE LEFT JUSTIFIED ONLY.
·
Evaluation of written assignments and essay questions: I will
use rubrics (grading guidelines) such as those noted on http://www.centralia.ctc.edu/depts/English/rubric.html
(short rubric) or a more detailed one at:
http://trc.ucdavis.edu/TRC/ta/tatips/rubrics.pdf in order to evaluate the quality of any
written assignments and essay questions. A great way to get a better grade
is to look at the guidelines shown in the rubrics for assessing good writing
and then make sure your written products “measure up”.
·
Quizzes: I will provide computerized forms
for some quizzes. Bring a #2 pencil with
good eraser. Be sure to thoroughly erase
all mistakes and stray pencil marks during the quiz. No corrections will be made for you, nor will
any be made after quizzes are graded and returned.
LABORATORY
We have two lab modes: in the classroom and field trips. During
the field trips and in the lab you will be given problems to solve. These lab
assignments will be graded on a point basis. The point value of each lab will
be indicated.
For field trips, you need to bring some footwear that does
not have slick soles and rain gear or an umbrella. Your feet may get very wet
from the wet grass, so you may want to have a change of shoes for after the
trip. You should bring something to write on and write with on the trips.
ASSIGNMENTS
Information regarding class assignments will be provided
during the term. Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the
class period on the due-date for full credit.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
The overall goals of the exercises, content, and learning
objectives of this class follow
ATTENDANCE
I take attendance during the first week or so of class; if
you don't show up you may be dropped to give your place to someone on the
waiting list. While attendance is not required, skipping classes won’t
help you become a successful student. In fact, ALL class members benefit
from fellow students’ consistent attendance and thoughtful questions and
comments. Those who make a habit of skipping classes typically struggle to
bring home the good grades. If you do miss a lecture because of sickness,
please inform me immediately. Plan to get notes or special instructions
from one of your classmates. Do not rely on lecture outlines that may be
posted on the web page because the cadence of each class differs.
SICKNESS
Note, if you are sick, please do not come to class.
This is a demanding course with a lot of material covered
in a short period of time. Regular class attendance is essential to
ensure adequate mastery of the material. If, due to credit load, work
schedule, family requirements or health reasons, you will be unable to attend
regularly, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! From time to time, pop quizzes
will be given at the beginning of class, so please be on time—if you are absent
for a pop quiz, you will miss the quiz.
Be respectful of everyone in class. Many people, including me, have
chemical sensitivities, so please refrain from wearing excessive perfume,
cologne, or hairspray. Also, please cough into your elbow or use a handkerchief
if you sneeze. I suggest thoroughly washing your hands regularly to help to
minimize your risk of getting sick.
If you need to talk with me about your grade, please do not
do this before, during, or after class. Please make an appointment with me or
visit during my office hours, which are posted on the door of my office and on
the “class links” web page.
I want you to do well in this class! Forming a study
group and quizzing one another on class material can be very helpful. I
will be available during my office hours if you have questions or
concerns. If, however, you should get into academic difficulty, know that
it is your responsibility to keep track of drop dates and other deadlines.
Behavior
·
Please be courteous to your
classmates as well as your instructor and avoid activities disruptive to the
learning environment.
·
No side conversations during
lecture class! Even if you whisper, even if you sit in the back, even
during a video, talking bothers other people in class.
·
Be punctual. If you must arrive
late or leave early, let me know in advance and sit near the door.
·
Please turn your cell phone
off! TEXT MESSAGING DURING CLASS IS
RUDE. YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE CLASS.
·
NOTE: If a student is disruptive to
the learning environment, they will be given a verbal warning. Further
disruptions of the class will be followed by a written warning, and will likely
be asked to leave. Students who continue to be disruptive in class will
referred to Vice President of Academic Affairs
Materials
used in connection with the course may be subject to copyright protection under
Title 17 of the United States Code.
Reviewed
By:
Revised
3/28/2010