SPRING session 2013 Professor: Dr. Alessandro Grippo, Ph.D. 4217 - Geol 5, Earth History This class introduces students to Earth's history and the methods used to decipher it. The class is accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology. Despite this, Earth History will require constant and continuous attention and dedication during lecture, lab, and beyond. In order to be successful you will need to be constantly present in class, read materials ahead and study steadily. You will need to pay continuous attention to the materials discussed during our meetings to the assigned readings. You will need to dedicate a considerable amount of time to this class. The pace of this class is intensive and you can not afford to be absent or miss work. Absences will not only affect your grade but also your overall grasp and understanding of the subject. As a student, you also need to recognize that your college education is above all a matter of opening yourself up to new dimensions of knowledge and understanding. You need to realize that the theme of this class is intrinsecally interesting. You chose this course, and you have to find that interest or passion for the subject. I am here to illustrate and explain the materials to you, but the subject does not need to be made more “interesting” by me. If you enrolled in this class you should be able to move beyond your individual interests and take advantage of the opportunity of having scientific materials illustrated to you. It is you who need to expand your interest and mind, and not the opposite, me trying to fit geology, paleontology, or stratigraphy to your interests. So, I will not try to make a class “more interesting” for you; the class itself is intrinsically rich in interesting concepts, and should be seen as one tool for you to open up your mind to new ideas, concepts, and possibilities. This class will give you more interests and ideas, and consequently will make you more knowledgeable and interesting as a person. Shallow water waves in Santa Monica, California   GEOL 5 - EARTH HISTORY Last Updated  •  March 8, 2013     This class is a 4-units, general education class that includes both lecture and lab; an introduction to the basic principles of geology and plate tectonics is followed by a more detailed study of sedimentary rocks and the principles of stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology. Knowledge of these principles will help the students understand how Earth history can be deciphered through the study of the rock and fossil records. The main physical, chemical and biological changes that occurred in the 4.6 billion years of existence of our planet will be outlined. If you already have a basic knowledge of geology (for instance, you already took Geology 1 or Geology 4 here at SMC, or another equivalent course at any other college) you might find yourself at a slight advantage. Nonetheless, you will see throughout the class that all materials will be explained thoroughly and that the class is fully accessible to anyone with a genuine curiosity and desire to learn. You also need to be aware - again - that this class will require continuous and constant attention and that, in order to succeed, you will need to dedicate a considerable amount of time to study and to work on its materials. This class is fully transferable to UC and CSU, but it might not satisfy GE requirements at some universities. Please verify with the college of your choice if that is the case. 4217 - GEOL 5, EARTH HISTORY lecture and lab Syllabus: Click here for a .pdf copy of the Syllabus Class Hours: Tuesday (lecture), 6:45-9:50, Drescher Hall, room 128 Thursday (lab), 6:45-9:50, Drescher Hall, room 128 Required Textbooks: Lecture Textbook: S. M. Stanley, Earth System History, 3rd edition (2009), W. H. Freeman and Company, New York Lecture Textbook: J. W. Schopf, Cradle of Life, 1st edition (1999), Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford Lab Manual:H. L. Levin and M. S. Smith, Laboratory Studies in Earth History, 9th edition About these textbooks, please note: It is fine to buy a used copy of both Lecture Textbooks. If for any reason you can not find a copy of these two textbooks at the SMC bookstore, look on Amazon (links are provided by clicking on the book titles above) or at the UCLA bookstore. For what concerns the LAB MANUAL, DO NOT BUY A USED COPY FOR ANY REASON; questions and exercises on the lab manual require that pages are teared off and turned in to me for grading after a lab. Many students who bought used copies in the past, either from the bookstore or from other students, soon found out that they had incomplete manuals in their hands, with several missing pages. I will only accept lab work from the current edition of the lab manual (9th edition). I will not accept lab work neither from older editions (even if brand new: questions are different, and/or not in the same order or on the same page), nor from used copies of the new edition. I will also not accept lab work on notebook pages. So, for the lab manual, just buy a brand new copy of the 9th edition. Exams: All exams include lecture, lab and home assignments materials. The final exam will be partially cumulative: it will include a few questions on older materials covered in previous tests. Exam and other important dates are as follows: exam 1 - March 14, 2013: study guide (available since March 8, 2013) exam 2 - April 25, 2013: study guide (available since April 20, 2013) exam 3 - June 6, 2013: study guide (available since May 30, 2013) Please, refer to the class syllabus for further information and/or details. The principle of cross-cutting relationships, illustrated from Death Valley National Park, California © Alessandro Grippo 1994-2013 Los Angeles, CA Back to Top | Back to Home Page