GEOL 101 General Geology
Fall and Spring Semesters, Every Year
Lecture Location and times TBA
Instructor; Office; phone; e-mail; office hours: To Be Arranged: course rotates between
Department Faculty
Overview. This course satisfies the Silver Core C04 requirement and is designed for
non-science majors needing an A-category Core Natural Science course. Fundamentals
of physical geology are covered, which support further study in the Earth and Natural
Sciences.
GEOL 101 is the introductory course in geology, and discusses earth materials and
physical processes that are crucial to the formation of planet Earth. It introduces
materials critical to further study in the Geologic sciences, and important to and
supportive of further studies in the Earth and Natural Sciences. Prerequisites include
satisfaction of core math requirement or SAT score of 610.
Course Materials:
Required Text (may change in future years): Stephen Marshak, Earth, Portrait of a
Planet, 4th Ed., 2011, W.H. Norton Co.
Course Website: WebCampus. The course website on WebCampus will be a primary
tool for course communication and will be updated regularly. On this site, I will post
general announcements, due dates of homework assignments, exam keys, grades, practice
exams, study guides, and supplemental information. It is your responsibility to check the
course website regularly for any new content or announcements.
Core Objective 4: Physical & Natural Phenomena:
Students will be able to explain the processes by which the natural and physical world is
investigated, articulate basic principles used to explain natural phenomena, and apply
scientific processes to real problems using observational or experimental methods.
Course Objectives:
1. Introduce students to earth materials (minerals and rocks)
2. Introduction of the fundamental geologic processes that are dynamically involved
in the formation of planet earth.
3. Introduction of typical geologic laboratory and related reporting tools.
Student learning outcomes:
Throughout and upon completion of the course, students will take personal responsibility
for their learning and academic success. The following are Student Learning Outcomes
(SLOs), which every student may achieve by the completion of the course. Upon
completion of this course, students will be able to
1. Recognize and identify common rocks and minerals in hand specimens.
2. Recognize the effects of geologic processes acting in and on the Earth and
describe these processes using appropriate terminology.
3. Clearly describe Plate Tectonics in general terms.
4. Evaluate typical laboratory materials pertinent to physical geology, and write
laboratory reports in a style appropriate to the field.
This class has both Lecture and Laboratory components. Lecture meets three times
per week, one hour each lecture; lab meets one time per week, three-hour session.
Lecture will primarily include PowerPoint presentations, supported by required text
readings. Lecture will include three one-hour closed-book exams. Laboratory will
include prepared exercises, local field trips, required readings, and laboratory reports.
Your grade in this course will be based 75% on lecture and 25% on lab as follows:
Lecture exam #1, week #5 25% of course grade
Lecture exam #2, week #10 25% of course grade
Lecture exam #3, (during final exam period TBA) 25% of course grade
Lab Exercises/Overall lab grade 25% of course grade
Grading Scale
94-100% = A 72-78% = C
90-94% = A- 70-72% = C-
88-90% = B+ 68-70% = D+
82-88% = B 62-68% = D
80-82% = B- 60-62% = D-
78-80% = C+ Below 60% = F
General Policies: Attendance is required for grade. No late work accepted. No makeup
work available. Silence your cell phone. If accessing the web during lecture, make
certain it is course-appropriate material. Communication via e-mail may be crucial to
your success in this course; make certain that the e-mail address you have listed through
MyNevada is correct and that you check it regularly.
General order of Lecture topics:
Introduction
Formation of Earth and the Solar System
Plate Tectonics
Introduction to Minerals
Introduction to Rocks
Igneous rocks and their formation
Sedimentary rocks and their formation
Metamorphic rocks and their formation
Earthquakes and seismology
Mountain building
Mass wasting, running water, ground water
The ocean
Glaciers
Deserts
Mineral Resources (?)
Lab component of GEOL 101:
You will need the following supplies for lab:
Colored pencils, good eraser, protractor, ruler, compass, clipboard and calculator
Lab materials will be available on WebCampus for you to print out each week. THESE
MATERIALS WILL CONSTITUTE YOUR LAB MANUAL.
Tentative order of Lab Exercises:
Introduction; reports
Topo maps and profiles
Plate tectonics
Mineral ID
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Structural Geology
Earthquakes
Field Lab: Truckee River
Geologic Time - Fossils
Geologic Time - Relative and Absolute Dating
Field Lab or Glaciers
The lab will have a separate detailed syllabus.
TO SUCCEED IN THIS CLASS:
Come to class
Take Notes
Ask Questions
Read the text
Read and review your notes
Prepare adequately for your exams
Contact me or your lab teaching assistant to discuss any problems
University Policies:
Attendance: By NSHE policy in Title 4 Chapter 20 A, Section 3, paragraph 1, there are no official
absences from any university class. It is the personal responsibility of the student to consult with the
instructor regarding absence from class. In the event that a student misses a class because of an official
university function or event or because of serious personal issues, the Office of the Vice President for
Student Services may, at its discretion, send an explanation to affected faculty. The instructor shall make
the final determination on whether the missed work can be done at a time other than during the regularly
scheduled class period.
Academic Success Services: Your student fees cover usage of the Math Center (784-4433 or
http://www.unr.edu/mathcenter/), Tutoring Center (784-6801 or
http://www.unr.edu/tutoring-center/), and University Writing Center (784-6030 or
http://www.unr.edu/writing-center/). These centers support your classroom learning; it
is your responsibility to take advantage of their services.
Academic Dishonesty: Cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses constitute
academic dishonesty according to the code of this university. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated
and penalties can include canceling a student’s enrollment without a grade, giving an F for the course or for
the assignment. For more details, see the UNR General Catalog.
Disability Services: Any student with a disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is
requested to speak with me or the Disability Resource Center (Thompson Building Suite 101) as soon as
possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.
Taping class: Surreptitious or covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is
prohibited by law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only
with the written permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some
students may have been given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students
should understand that their comments during class may be recorded.
