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MUDDY WATERS
Chicago's Environmental Geology
Earth Science 109W,
Section 01, Spring 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 (11:00-11:50 am) |
FRIDAY (11:00 a.m.-1:30 pm) |
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1 |
JAN 11 Welcome to Muddy
Waters! Getting to know you. What is FYE? What are
environmental geology and the Muddy Waters course?
Pre-assessments. |
JAN 13 Intro to the
"H2O: Where Does It Go?" Project. Field safety contracts. The
water cycle. How much water fell as snow in the snowstorm?
Dress for
outdoor work today! |
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2 |
JAN 18 How you learn. Guest presenter:
Katherine Gleiss of the Learning Support Center. Read
Chap. 3 in the CSS book before coming to class today. |
JAN 20
The water cycle, continued. Data collection for the H2O project.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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3 |
JAN 25 VIsit from Molly Mansfield, Ronald
Williams Library. How to prepare a project proposal.
Read
Chap. 5 and 6 in the CSS book before coming to class today. |
JAN 27
Academic integrity and plagiarism. Collecting and analyzing rainfall
data for the H2O project. H2O outlines are due via e-mail at 10
a.m.
No need to dress for outdoor work today--we will be indoors,
working on your projects. |
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4 |
FEB 1
H2O Project proposals due. Intro to the "Thirsty
City" Project. Transitions.
Read Chap. 1 and 4 in the CSS
book before coming to class today. |
FEB 3
Lab safety. Analysis of drinking
water: field parameters. Keeping a field notebook.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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5 |
FEB 8
Water
treatment processes. Drinking water standards. Letter to
yourself due.
NEIU Catalog assignment due. Colorimetry. |
FEB 10 Guest presenter
from the Academic Advising Office.
The NEIU Rock Wall.
Dress for wall-climbing today!
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6 |
FEB 15 Measuring
chloride, sulfate, and field parameters in tap water. |
FEB 17
The "Meet with a Professor" assignment is due today.
Field trip to Lake Michigan.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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7 |
FEB 22
Thirsty City project due in text
format. See Assignments page! Drinking water treatment.
Drinking water standards. Intro
to the "Great Debate" Project.
Basic concepts of sewage treatment.
Read
Chap. 10 in the CSS book before coming to class today. |
FEB 24 Thirsty City
project flyer due. Field trip to
sample above/below a sewage treatment plant outfall.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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8 |
FEB 29 Data
interpretation, putting measurements in context. Assignment #6 is
due today. |
MAR 2 Prepare
for the Great Debate. |
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MAR 7
Data
interpretation. Preparing for the confluence trip and for the
Great Debate. Academic Plan is
due. |
MAR 9
Field trip to the confluence.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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10 |
MAR 14
The Great Debate! |
MAR 16
Intro to the "Do We Need an Ark in Albany Park?" Project. Field trip to Gompers/Field Park.
Dress for outdoor work today! |
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MAR 21
SPRING BREAK
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MAR 23
SPRING BREAK |
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MAR 28 Stream discharge. |
MAR 30
Field trip to measure discharge at Irene Hernandez picnic area. Dress for outdoor work today! Last day to drop a course. |
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APR 4
Gathering online stream discharge data. Intro to MyPlan. |
APR
6
Flood
frequency and rating curves. |
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APR 11 Rating curves.
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APR 13
Flood
Insurance Rate Maps. Intro to the "Balancing
Act" Project. NEIU Student Research Symposium.
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APR 18
Ark in the Park poster presentation due. Assignment #9 due.
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APR 20
Balancing Act: maps and calculations. Visit to the SCSE.
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APR 25
Simple
water budget calculations. Assignment
#10 is
due today. FYE course evaluations. |
APR 27
Balancing Act group
presentations.
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MAY 2 No class
today. |
MAY 4
Field trip;
Wendella Lake and River Tour.
Course
evaluations.
Dress for outdoor work today!
(Grades are due at midnight, May 8.) |
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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, 2010.
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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
Spring 2012
course, per University policy, is
March 30.
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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
Project
4: Do We Need an Ark
in Albany Park?
Project 5: Balancing
Act |
10%
10%
15%
15%
15% |
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25% Other Assignments |
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* 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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INSTRUCTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION |
| Dr. Kenneth M. Voglesonger |
E-mail: K-Voglesonger [at]
neiu.edu
Phone: 773.442.6053
Office: S-225G
Office hours: Monday - 3:00 -
4:30 pm
Tuesday -
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Wednesday -
12:00 - 2:00 pm
or by
appointment.
Web page:
http://www.neiu.edu/~kvogleso/KMV.htm |
| Dr. Laura L. Sanders |
E-mail: L-Sanders [at] neiu.edu
Phone: 773.442.6051
Office: available in S-130/132.
Office hours: Tuesday 4-5 pm,
7:20 - 8:20 pm
Wednesday 11:50 a.m. - 12:50 pm
Thursday 4:30 - 5 pm; 8:10 - 8:40 pm
or by appointment.
Web page:
http://www.neiu.edu/~llsander |
| Tif Probst, Peer Mentor |
E-mail:
T-Probst [at] neiu.edu
Office hours: Monday/Wednesday 10:00 - 10:50 a.m.
Monday/Wednesday 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Friday 2:00- 4:00 pm.
or by appointment.
Location: Ronald Williams Library, 4th floor (look to the left
as you get off the elevator). |
| 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.
4
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
April 27, 2012.
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Your Instructors:
Dr. Ken Voglesonger
Dr. Laura Sanders
Your Peer Mentor:
Tif Probst |
