What is this
course about?
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The basic structure of the course is a standard lecture format - in other words, your primary responsibility is to attend lectures, take good notes, read the assigned portions of the textbook in a timely manner, ask questions or raise points in class, and show up for exams well prepared after studying both assigned readings and your own class notes. I want you to be actively engaged and to be thinking critically about the topics we cover. There is no progress and no real understanding in science if we don't have a willingness to challenge assumptions and a desire to figure out why something might be true rather than simply accepting it as established fact. At the beginning of each class period we will reserve a few minutes to answer questions that may have occurred to you following the previous class or resulting from the discussion of topics you came across in the textbook. In addition we will also take the opportunity to discuss anything new and interesting that any of us may have come across by reading newspapers or magazines, listening to the news, or surfing the World Wide Web (more about this a little later). Pay attention to the news and read at least one daily newspaper; you may be amazed at how often you come across items of geological interest. Your grade will be based on your exam results. See the page on "exams and studying" for more information. |