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MUDDY WATERS
Chicago's Environmental Geology
Earth Science 109W,
Section 01, Fall 2012
COURSE SYLLABUS
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SCHEDULE |
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The outline below will be adjusted daily. Check frequently
for updates!
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Field trips are required class activities. You must
be present and dressed appropriately for the weather.
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For daily learning objectives, click the date. Links
will be added weekly as the semester progresses. |
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Week |
Class Activities
(Click the date for a list of daily learning objectives!) |
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WEDNESDAY (10:00-10:50 am) |
FRIDAY (10:00 a.m.-12:30 pm) |
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1 |
AUG 29 Welcome to Muddy
Waters! Getting to know you. What is FYE? What are
environmental geology and the Muddy Waters course?
Pre-assessments. |
AUG 31 Intro to the "H2O:
Where Does It Go?" Project. Field safety contracts. The water cycle.
Dress for
outdoor work today!
"E-mail us!"
due. |
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2 |
SEP 5
The water cycle. Read Chap. 3 in the CSS book before coming to
class today. "Class
Act" is tomorrow, Thursday, Sep 6, 3:05-4:05 pm. |
SEP 7
The water cycle, continued. Data collection for the H2O project.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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3 |
SEP 12 How you learn. Guest presenter:
Katherine Gleiss of the Learning Support Center. How to prepare a project proposal.
Read
Chap. 5 and 6 in the CSS book before coming to class today. |
SEP 14
Visit with John Murray, NEIU Chief Engineer. Academic integrity and plagiarism. Collecting and analyzing rainfall
data for the H2O project. H2O outlines due via e-mail at 10
a.m.
"Meet with Tif" due. Dress for outdoor work today! |
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4 |
SEP 19
H2O Project Proposals due.
VIsit from Molly Mansfield, Ronald Williams Library.
Intro to the "Thirsty
City" Project. Transitions.
Read Chap. 1 and 4 in the CSS
book before coming to class today.
"Reading the NEIU Catalog" due. |
SEP 21
Analysis of water: field parameters. Keeping a field notebook.
Dress for outdoor work today!
"Avoiding Plagiarism" due. |
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5 |
SEP 26
Guest presenter
from the Academic Advising Office. |
SEP 28
Drinking water standards.
Colorimetry. Lab safety. Team-building and the NEIU Rock Wall.
Dress for wall-climbing today!
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OCT 3 Water
treatment processes. Measuring
chloride, sulfate, and field parameters in tap water. |
OCT 5 Field trip to Lake Michigan.
Dress for outdoor work today!
"Meet with a Professor" due.
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OCT 10
Thirsty City project due in text
format. See Assignments page! |
OCT 12 Thirsty City
project flyer due.
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OCT 17
Intro to the "Great Debate"
Project.
Basic concepts of sewage treatment.
(Get the powerpoint here.)
Read
Chap. 10 in the CSS book before coming to class today. |
OCT 19 Field trip to
sample near a sewage treatment plant outfall.
Dress for outdoor work today! Prepare
for the Great Debate.
"Planning Your
Future: Your Academic Plan" due. "Meet with a
Professor" due. |
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OCT 24
Data interpretation. Preparing for the confluence trip and for the
Great Debate. |
OCT 26
Field trip to the confluence.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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OCT 31
The Great Debate!
Gallery Walk. |
NOV 2
Planning for the Great Debate. |
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NOV 7
Planning for the Great Debate.
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NOV 9
The Great Debate! Stream discharge.
Last day to drop a course. |
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NOV 14
Intro to MyPlan.
Intro to the "Do We Need an Ark in Albany Park?" Mini-project. Gathering online stream discharge data.
Calculating recurrence interval and probability. |
NOV 16
Field trip to measure discharge at Irene Hernandez picnic area. Dress for outdoor work today! |
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NOV 21
Flood
Insurance Rate Maps.
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NOV 23
THANKSGIVING
HOLIDAY--NO CLASS
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NOV 28
Ark in the Park Mini-project due. Watersheds and the hydrologic
cycle.
Intro to the "Balancing
Act" Project.
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NOV 30
Balancing Act: maps and calculations. |
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DEC 5
Simple
water budget calculations. FYE course evaluations. |
DEC 7
Balancing Act group
presentations.
Visit to the SCSE.
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DEC 12
Field trip;
USEPA.
Course
evaluations.
Dress for
a field trip to the USEPA today!
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(Grades are due at midnight,
December 17.)
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REQUIRED TEXT
AND MATERIALS:
Bring these to every class session. |
w CSS:
"College Success
Strategies", by Sherrie L. Nist-Olejnik and
Jodi Patrick Holschuh, custom edition for NEIU, Pearson Custom Publishing, 2012.
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Additional readings: Some
readings will be provided in class or via Blackboard; you must check
this online syllabus to stay updated.
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Your notebook,
field notebook, pen/pencil,
text, and any handouts or homework papers you might need.
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Appropriate attire for the day's activities. |
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Grading and Evaluation |
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Attendance at all class sessions is required.
Attendance is part of the course grade. The NEIU policy on class
attendance (see the NEIU Catalog) applies to this course.
In accordance with university policy, less than 75% attendance will
automatically result in a failure for the semester, regardless of your
grade for assignments.
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If you absolutely must miss a class, please notify
the instructors in advance, if possible, or as soon thereafter as you
can. To learn what you missed, first check the web page,
and then get notes from at least two classmates.
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All course requirements must be completed to pass the
course.
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The final date to drop any
Fall 2012
course, per University policy, is
November 9.
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Students are expected to check e-mail and the course
website at least every other day to watch for course announcements
and updates.
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Academic integrity:
The
NEIU policy on
academic misconduct will be strictly enforced. A
site from
Indiana University explains and gives examples of plagiarism
and provides helpful tips on how to avoid it. Cheating on
homework, exams, quizzes, or other course components will result in a
score of zero for that assignment or more severe penalties, as described
in the NEIU policy.
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A large part of this course involves
working in small groups. A positive group dynamic depends
on your positive attitude and acceptance of diversity: other group
members will have diverse opinions, individual backgrounds, and work
styles. The ability to work well with others is an important skill
necessary in virtually all careers and in daily life. Whether or
not you have previously been exposed to group work, in this class you
will have the chance to build and enhance these skills--and have some
fun along the way!
w Team citizenship may be a part of your grade on the semester
project or other group projects. The team score will be weighted
by individual scores assigned by team members to themselves and their
teammates.
A copy of the Team Citizenship Evaluation appears here.
w Students are expected to participate in
all
course assessments.
On some days, you will be asked to complete anonymous "minute papers",
ungraded quiz-type questions, concept maps, or survey questions.
This information will help the instructors determine the extent to which
the course is meeting its goals. To help make the course better,
please give your most thoughtful, honest feedback--the more, the better.
Evaluation and Grading
Policies
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10% Attendance
and participation |
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65% Projects:
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Project 1: H2O: Where Does it Go?
Project 2:
Thirsty City
Project 3: The Great Debate
Mini-Project: Do We Need an Ark
in Albany Park?
Project
4: Balancing
Act |
10%
15%
15%
10%
15% |
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25% Other Assignments |
* The grading scale is as follows: A 100-90%; B 89-80%; C 79-70%; D 69-60%; F
<59%.
* Late
homework assignments will not be accepted
unless you communicate with the instructors
about the issue and they approve the request. Even with instructor
approval, late assignments may be docked points.
* Make-up exams will be
permitted only in a case where there is an approved reason for missing the exam. Missed exams that are not made up will result in
a score of zero for that exam.
* Please note the schedule for the final exam and university policies governing final exams (inside the
back cover of the Schedule of Classes.) No exceptions will be made other than
those allowed by this policy.
Flexibility:
The schedule of activities will change several times per week as the
semester evolves. Check this page frequently for updates!
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| LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Course Objectives |
Upon successful
completion of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to do
the following:
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work effectively as a team
member to research environmental geology issues of a specific area, in
particular with respect to the scientific investigation of soil and
water, interpreted in the context of Chicago regional geology.
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apply a scientific method for geologic field and data interpretation,
utilizing time management strategies, critical reading and analysis, and
written/oral presentation skills in the synthesis and interpretation of
the data.
Toward this final goal, successful completion of course elements will
enable you to:
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Compile an organized record of data and supporting information from
various sources (field and laboratory experiences, class presentations,
readings, and research), optimized for your individual learning style.
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Distinguish changes to the landscape effected by stream, lake, and
coastal processes; critically analyze patterns of change in soil and
bodies of water to predict continuing/ future changes from these forces.
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Evaluate the impact of geologic factors on human activities (including
water and waste management, storm water and sewage treatment/control,
construction, etc.) in Chicago, and the effect of human activities on
analyzed parameters of water quality and soil characteristics.
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Apply strategies to maximize achievement of your short-term and
long-term academic goals through self-knowledge, successful navigation
of the university environment, and effective planning.
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COURSE DESCRIPTION |
| Chicago's vital bodies
of water--Lake Michigan, Chicago River, and others--interact with the
urban landscape and the soils and rocks of the ground beneath us. These
interactions influence environmental issues in our everyday lives,
including
"What happens when water goes down the drain?" and
"Why do
certain areas flood after it rains?" Explore these questions in
the context of Chicago's geology, to evaluate the critical interactions
affecting soil and water contamination, flooding, and our drinking
water. Laboratory analysis of water and soil, collected on local field
trips, will clear the
"muddy water" about how environmental geology
impacts your neighborhood. ESCI 109W meets the
NEIU General Education requirement of a laboratory Natural Science
course. |
Muddy Waters is supported by the National
Science Foundation program
Opportunities for Enhancing
Diversity in the Geosciences
(Award 0914497).
Department of Earth Science
| Northeastern Illinois University
Copyright 2012 Laura L. Sanders. Last updated
November 30, 2012.
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Your Instructors:
Dr. Ken Voglesonger
Dr. Laura Sanders
Your Peer Mentor:
Tif Probst |
