FALL 1999 CLASS DESCRIPTION
You are here: www.geo.wvu.edu/~kite/99Descr322.htm
J. Steven Kite
Department of Geology and Geography
222/223 White Hall
West Virginia University 293-5603, ext. 4330
Morgantown, WV 26506-6300
Kite@WVUGEO.WVNET.EDU
or JKITE@WVU.EDU
http://www.geo.wvu.edu/~kite/teaching.htm
Office Hours: TBA
Click Here for the most recent version of the GEO 322 Schedule
Geo 322 will be a 4 credit research-oriented graduate-level course that covers Surficial Geology & Quaternary History, including Surficial Geology Mapping and Glacial Geology. The 1999 class will emphasize aspects that are readily applicable in the Eastern U.S., but also cover topics related to global change. Geology/Geology 221 or consent is prerequisite. There are 5 major objectives for the course during this semester:
2. Developing skills at oral presentations, such as those given at professional meetings and in many work settings.
3. Developing writing skills in preparation for the successful, timely completion of a thesis and for authorship of papers or reports after graduation.
4. Exploring and developing aspects of research in the upper Ohio River basin and in the central Appalachians.
5. Developing a deep appreciation and fondness for the topics covered.
The course will be rigorous and demanding of your time, intellect, and energy. Topical readings will be discussed, and you must read them and take good notes BEFORE the topic is covered in class. I will not lecture in the traditional sense, but will lead the class discussion by asking questions about the readings. If you can't come up with a good answer (one that shows you have made a serious effort to digest the readings), you will get a poor grade for class participation on that day. You will also get class participation points by bringing attention to new glacial or surficial geology research articles to our attention! A good excuse to peruse the World Wide Web or the Physical Sciences, Wise, and Evansdale libraries.
How grades will be determined in 1999:
| Basics Test | 10 % |
| Mid-Term Exam (incl. Annotated Bibliography) |
20 %
|
| Final Exam (incl. Annotated Bibliography) |
15 %
|
| Class Participation |
10 %
|
| Field Trip Participation |
10 %
|
| Mapping Project |
10 %
|
| Lab Project |
5 %
|
| Presentations |
10 %
|
| Short Written Assignment (ca. 1000 words) |
10 %
|
| total |
100 %
|
Basics Test
This early test will cover glacial and periglacial topics covered in Geo 221: Geomorphology at WVU. It should be a review for most of you and will insure that we are all beginning at a minimum level of understanding.
Other Tests
Both the mid-term and the final will require that you turn in annotated bibliographies from your readings. Each entry should begin on a separate page and begin with a complete bibliographic entry, following either GSA Bulletin or Annals of the AAG format. The goal is create notes so well done that you will not have to reread or relocate the reading in order to cite it. Notes are rather personal, but each entry should have at least a sentence summarizing what the paper is all about. All assigned readings must be included in your annotated bibliography.
The mid-term is in an open-book, take-home format, and you will have about 2 weeks to complete it. More mercifully, the final is closed-book and in-class.
Field Trips
Field experience and familiarity with professional meetings are critical to understanding surficial geology and to your professional development. We have several planned field trips. You must attend all of them unless you are ill or have an unavoidable conflict. I have not assigned a specific professional meeting to attend, but you may select one that suit your research interests.
Field trips travel is usually by department vehicle, so expenses will generally include meals, lodging and admission to parks, special events, etc. In previous years, these expenses have been $100.00 or less.
Finally, the most important thought that I want to convey is that the
class should be exciting and rewarding to you, if you are interested in
the material and are willing to expend considerable effort in the class.
Our field trips cover some very intriguing glacial landscapes and problems
of Quaternary geology. I assure you a great experience, as long as you
work diligently and maintain the right attitude.
Short Paper
No matter what your degree track, you must be able to write to graduate from WVU. The paper requirement for this class mimics the thesis writing experience on a smaller scale. The paper must be short and to the point, approximately 1000 words in length (it must be at least 800 and no more than 1250). The paper must approach perfection (as I see it!). Grading will be as follows: Getting it right on the first draft (no one ever has) earns you 10 out of 10 points; second draft "perfection" (a realistic goal for good writers) you earn 9 out of 10 points; each successive draft takes another point off of the 10 point grade.
Each paper draft must be dated, paginated, double spaced, stapled (not in a binder). Use GSA Bulletin or Annals of the AAG format for citations. Never submit an incomplete or rough draft, I will return it partially read. The first draft should be a good faith effort to produce a finished draft of the paper. Each draft must be accompanied by any and all previously graded drafts. If you do not follow my revisions/suggestions, please explain why in the margins of the earlier version.
The paper topic should relate to your thesis, M.S. projects, or dissertation. If you don't have a topic yet, then write about a topic related to this class. Hint: your paper will sail much smoother if you have your peers review it before I get my red pen on it!
Oral Presentations
Everybody must either give a GSA-style oral presentation or "be the professor" for one class. Ideally, the topic should be related to your research or pre-class experiences. The presentation will be followed by a peer review discussion. We will be polite, but honest.
Map Project
Everyone will complete a surficial geology map project. I will hand out guidelines for surficial geology mapping. The map must show materials, landform, age and process for the entire map area. The map area should not exceed an area that can be covered in two days of mapping. One long day of mapping should be sufficient. You may substitute time as field assistant in an on-going map-based surficial geology research project for this project, but you must submit your notes and field map from this activity. I will confer with the field team leader before assigning a grade.
Lab Projects
We will attempt to accurately describe sediments and soils during our field outings. We will soon find that we do not agree on basic items, such as sand:silt:clay ratios. We will calibrate our eye-ball-and-finger-tip estimations by running some samples in the lab, including a few samples collected during other trips or from other project. Most samples will be run in duplicate and some previously run samples will be included to see how well you are doing.
Click Here for the most recent version of the GEO 322 Schedule