Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2020 - EASC 209W D100

Environmental Geoscience (4)

Class Number: 1967

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: Mon, Wed, Fri, 10:30–11:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 11, 2020
    Fri, 5:00–5:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    EASC 101 with a grade of C- or better.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Environmental geology is a branch of Earth science that deals with the relationship of people to their geological habitat. Topics covered will include environmental impact of mineral extraction and logging; erosion and sedimentation in rural and urban environments; and mass movements in mountainous terrain. The course includes two 1-day field trips that usually occur on Saturdays. This course is primarily designed for EASC program students and those pursuing degrees in other Departments and Faculties that require a strong foundational course in Environmental Geoscience. Students with credits for EASC 303W may not take this course for credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

General:
Environmental geoscience is a branch of Earth Science that deals with the relationship between people and their geologic habitat. Topics covered will include natural hazards, terrain and surficial mapping, environmental impact of mineral extraction and logging, erosion and sedimentation in rural and urban environments, environmental geochemistry, and urban geology. This course is primarily designed for EASC program students and those pursuing degrees in other departments and faculties that require a strong foundational course in environmental geoscience. The course will be writing intensive with an emphasis on communicating your professional recommendations to a variety of target audiences (e.g., the general public, decision makers, scientists, journalists).

Course Organisation:
Two lectures and one 3-hour lab per week.  The fall offering of EASC 209W is via remote instruction.

Course topics:

  1. Introductory concepts
  2. Geomorphology (glacial and periglacial)
  3. Sedimentological analysis
  4. Natural hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones, sea level, floods, mass movements)
  5. Climate change
  6. Urban geology

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Field trips: The fall offering of EASC 209 will not require in person attendance at fieldtrips.  Fieldtrips will be offered remotely.

Discussion & presentations:  Individual and/or small group presentations related to lecture material will occur throughout the term.

Term paper:  A paper on a topic of your choosing in the field of environmental geoscience.  The length of the report is a maximum of 10 pages of text (exclusive of figures and a reference list), double-spaced.  A title page and list of references are required.  Proof read your work!

Labs:  Unless otherwise indicated, all laboratory assignments are due at the beginning of the following weeks’ lab.  Several labs are geared towards mimicking the types of reports you will need to write when you become professional geoscientists.

Exams: The midterm and final exams will be cumulative and will be a combination of take-home and synchronous formats.  Questions will come from the reading material, lectures, laboratories, field trips, and videos shown in lecture. No make-up exams will be given unless an acceptable medical certificate is presented.

Grading

  • Field trip reports 15%
  • Discussion & Presentations 10%
  • Term paper 10%
  • Labs 25%
  • Midterm exam 15%
  • Final exam 25%

NOTES:

Late policy:  Unless otherwise indicated, all assignments are due at the beginning of lab or lecture (i.e., term paper, field trip reports) as designated in the assignment handout.  A late penalty of 10% per day will be applied to all submissions turned in after the beginning of class/lab.  There is a maximum late penalty of 50% per assignment and no assignments will be accepted for grading after one week or after they have been returned and taken up in class/lab (whichever comes first).

Acceptable medical certificates: Pharmacy prescriptions will NOT be accepted. Medical documentation must be:

  1. submitted on letterhead from a clinic, physician, counsellor, or other certified practitioner with signature and date and
  2. addressed to the course, course dates, and instructor concerned;
  3. and dated corresponding with the times the student was absent.

Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability must contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities (778-782-3112 or email to csdo@sfu.ca) AND notify me within the first 2 weeks of classes.

*This outline is subject to change*

REQUIREMENTS:

Student responsibilities:

  1. Students are expected to attend every class and to have read the assigned readings before class.
  2. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior approval from the instructor.
  3. There will be no makeup exams unless an acceptable medical certificate is presented.
  4. Students are responsible for all materials in the assigned readings and lectures.
  5. Academic dishonesty (including cheating and plagiarism) is forbidden. It will result in disciplinary action.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Technology requirements for successfully completing this course: a computer or tablet with video and microphone capabilities that can support reliable high-speed internet access to Canvas and Zoom.

3-D glasses are required for lectures, labs and exams. Various online retailers sell them (paper option is okay).

REQUIRED READING:

Environmental Geology, 9th Edition, Edward A. Keller, Prentice Hall
ISBN: 9780321643759

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020

Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).