Welcome to Environmental Geology. This page contains all general information not specific to any individual lecture, including all information on extra credit, quizzes, and paper. Click the "Module Index " link within Oncourse to see lecture specific information.
Geology students at IUPUI prepare to take a soil/sediment core sample at Fort Harrison State Park (IUPUI Earth Sciences).
All course "syllabus" information normally handed out on the first day of class is contained in the links to the left. A few links you will find very important:
- Click the Help/Contact link on the left to see your instructor's contact info
- Click the Course Guidelines link to see information on academic honesty guidelines
- Click Tests and Homework to learn how your grade will be calculated
- Click the Course Calendar link to the left to see when material is due
It is important that you read this entire syllabus carefully. Understanding the expectations, guidelines and administrative details for this online course is important to your success. When you have a question about the course set-up or guidelines, please consult the syllabus first. You may find your answer and not have to await a reply from your instructor! Your instructor will expect and require you to be familiar with ALL course guidelines.
10 Things You'll Learn
In this course you will learn about geology, science, and the intersection of our environment and geology within Indiana. You will be expected to think critically. For this class, thinking critically means being able to move past memorizing facts, but understanding how the ideas and concepts are related to each other and evaluating these ideas and concepts against your own experiences and previously created knowledge. The overarching goal of this class is to impart on you a stronger understanding of how the environment affects and is affected by you and society.
Below is a snapshot of 10 items you'll learn by the end of the semester:
- Where trash goes in Central Indiana when you throw it away.
- How evolution and intelligent design distinguish the difference between science and philosophy
- The chances of a major earthquake happening in the midwest
- Whether you have to worry about running out of important resource like oil and steel in your lifetime
- Whether a really hot summer in Indiana is related to the problem of global warming.
- Why California will never fall off into the ocean.
- How the geology of the state provides us lower prices on electricity.
- How understanding geology can prevent you from buying a house with flood or landslide risk.
- Where diamonds come from and why all diamonds are billions of years old.
- Why raw sewage is routinely dumped into most streams in Indiana
Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PUL) for this course
In this course, your learning will be assessed in terms of three of IUPUI's Principles of Undergraduate Learning:
Critical Thinking
The ability of students to engage in a process of disciplined thinking that informs beliefs and actions. A student who demonstrates critical thinking applies the process of disciplined thinking by remaining open-minded, reconsidering previous beliefs and actions, and adjusting his or her thinking, beliefs and actions based on new information.
The process of critical thinking begins with the ability of students to remember and understand, but it is truly realized when the student demonstrates the ability to
- apply,
- analyze,
- evaluate, and
- create
knowledge, procedures, processes, or products to discern bias, challenge assumptions, identify consequences, arrive at reasoned conclusions, generate and explore new questions, solve challenging and complex problems, and make informed decisions.
Integration and Application of Knowledge
The ability of students to use information and concepts from studies in multiple disciplines in their intellectual, professional, and community lives. Integration and application of knowledge are demonstrated by the student’s ability to
a. enhance their personal lives;
b. meet professional standards and competencies;
c. further the goals of society; and
d. work across traditional course and disciplinary boundaries.
Core Communication and Quantitative Skills
The ability of students to express and interpret information, perform quantitative analysis, and use information resources and technology--the foundational skills necessary for all IUPUI students to succeedCore communication and quantitative skills are demonstrated by the student’s ability to
a. express ideas and facts to others effectively in a variety of formats, particularly written, oral, and visual formats;
b. comprehend, interpret, and analyze ideas and facts;
c. communicate effectively in a range of settings;
d. identify and propose solutions for problems using quantitative tools and reasoning;
e. make effective use of information resources and technology.