Course Description
U.S. regional geology as illustrated in the national park system. Three lectures and one two-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: GEOL 100 or GEOL 104 .

> Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Joe T. Elkins
Office: #279, Overman Hall
Phone: 419- 372-7374
Email: jelkins@bgnet.bgsu.edu (This is the best way to contact me)
Office Hours: Thursday, 12:30 PM-2:30 PM (or by appointment)
Text: Geology of U.S. Parklands, 5th edition by E.P. Kiver and D.V. Harris, 902 p.

Helpful Websites :
http://www.nps.gov (National Park Service)
http://terraserver-usa.com (aerial photographs and topographic maps)
http://www.usgs.gov (U.S. Geological Survey)

Purchace a blue hi-lighter and a calculator

Attendance: I will not take attendance, however, it has been shown that students who do not come to class regularly and on time do not perform well in this class. I close and lock the doors 5 minutes after the class has begun (according to my watch). Students who are late to class will not be admitted so as not to disrupt class. If you have a documented excuse for you absence or tardy, I will be happy to go over material that you missed during the regularly scheduled class period during my office hours, time permitting. I retain the right to decide what is a legitimate excuse.

Academic Honesty: The University Academic Honesty Policy applies to this class. It is the individual student's responsibility to know what conduct violates the Academic Honesty Policy (refer to the Student Affairs Handbook ). Violation of that policy is a serious affair and ignorance is not an excuse. All instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to your respective College Dean.

GRADES: A variety of instruments will be used to assess student performance.

Lab Assignments (11 total ): 50%
Test Average (five total): 25%
Road Trip Project: 25%

It is the responsibility of the student to keep up with their progress in this course. I will post grades on assignments in a timely manner. Do not ask me how you are doing in this class. Keep up with your grades and use the basic mathematical skills you learned in High School to monitor you own progress.

I am often approached by students who miss class who ask me for 'copies' of the notes I gave in class. It is YOUR responsibility to get the notes from a classmate in the event that you miss class. A word of warning, if a classmate is generous enough to offer you their notes- do not be irresponsible. Go IMEDIATELY to a photocopier and copy their notes. Do not keep the notes over night. Doing so puts your classmates at a disadvantage when trying to study for a potential quiz the next day. I have heard of students mistreating helpful students by keeping their notes for weeks. Doing so will put you and bad standing with your peers and will not win you any popularity contests. I will not give you notes you missed- ask a classmate.

Exams: I will give five Exams during the semester. They will begin promptly at the beginning of class (according to my watch). No one will be admitted to class if they are late to the exam. Exams can only be made up with an officially documented absence from the Office of Student Affairs. Do not be late for class.

ROAD TRIP PROJECT: This assignment is a group project for which you will design a field tip (real or imaginary). Each group will consist of 4 people which you will choose after the first week of class. The project will require an in-class presentation that will take no longer than 20 minutes. It will also include a summary report. The report will include: a photocopy of a 1:25000 topographic map, a physical description of the national parks you attend on your trip, a copy of a geologic map, and short summary of the underlying bedrock (including the name and type of lithology, the age of the lithology, how the lithology was deposited or formed). I will not provide an "example" of how to do this project. Its purpose is to get you to think critically, and solve some problems. I give you full creative license with this project. I consider it to be the most important part of this class because it tests you highest order cognitive processes. There is no 'right answer'. It is open-ended. It mimics what scientists do on a daily basis.

It will include the following elements:
1. You must plan to be gone for at leas t 10 days.You must start your trip from Overman Hall
2. You must visit at least three U.S. national parklands
3. You must provide an itinerary (to the hour) of the entire trip.
4. You must calculate the total cost of the trip (gas, vehicle costs, food, accommodations, entrance to the parks, toll roads, souvenirs, camera film, postcards, excursions, gear that you don't have that you need. etc.)
5. You must calculate the total distance traveled.
6. You must go on one hike longer than 10 miles (rt) and create a topographic profile of the trail.
7. You must go on two hikes longer than 2 miles (rt) and create topographic profiles of the trails.
8. You need to include a complete list of what to pack (from underwear to technical gear, to cooking gear, to camping gear- if it is going with you- include it. Personal hygiene items do not have to be itemized.)
9. You must create a map of your route.
10. You must take at least one classmate.
11. You must include copies of topographic, geologic maps and aerial photos of the parks and trails you go to.