Geology 158 - Natural Disasters

Winter Quarter 2006 (13164, SEC 3)	Instructor: Sonjia Leyva

Hours: S 8:30 – 11:30 AM	Office: PS 221, 323-343-2149

Room: PS 158	Office Hours: S 8:00 – 8:30 AM

Webpage: www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva	Email: sleyva@calstatela.edu

Course Description: Causes, characteristics, and case histories of natural disasters affecting civilization. Topics include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, storms and floods, sea waves, meteor impacts, climate change, and mass extinctions. Fulfills 4 units in the B3 Block of the GE Requirements.
Course Objectives: This exciting course reviews the causes, characteristics, and case histories of the natural disasters that have plagued human history. Topics include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, storms, floods, giant sea waves, meteor impacts, climate changes, and mass extinctions. Suggestions are made for avoiding geologic hazards. Lectures are illustrated with photos that demonstrate the severity of natural disasters. Students are introduced to Internet websites that enable them to pursue any topic in greater detail in order to more fully evaluate and prepare for natural events.
Text & Materials: Natural Hazards and Disasters, 1st Edition, by Donald Hyndman & David Hyndman.

WEEK	DATE	TOPIC	ASSIGNMENT
1	1/7	Introduction	Chapter 1
Structure of the Earth & Plate Tectonics	Chapter 2
2	1/14	Earthquakes	Chapters 3 & 4
3	1/21	Volcanoes	Chapters 6 & 7
4	1/28	Exam #1 - Science Statement Due	-
Video: Tsunami: The Wave that Shook the World	Chapter 5
5	2/4	Mass Wasting	Chapters 8 & 9
6	2/11	Flooding	Chapters 11 & 12
7	2/18	Coastal Erosion	Chapter 13
8	2/25	Exam #2 - Last day to turn in EQ Kits	-
Fire	Chapter 16
9	3/4	Severe Weather	Chapters 14 & 15
10	3/11	Impact of Asteroids and Comets	Chapter 17
Climate Change - last day to turn in extra credit	Chapter 10
11	3/18	FINAL EXAM! 10:45 AM – 1:15 PM

REQUIREMENTS

Exams (80 points each) - There are three exams scheduled: two midterms and one final. Make-up exams will be given only to those who can verify a valid excuse for missing an exam. The make-up will be given at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and myself, but must be arranged prior to the initial exam. Failure to take the make-up will result in the missed exam counting in as a zero. In addition, the exam question sheet must be returned to me after the exam and after the exam review. Failure to do so will result in a ten (10)-point reduction in the student's grade for that exam. Your grades will be available on the class website, www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva/grades/index.html.
Essay Paper (25 points) - As students, our views, comfort zones, and preferred subjects affect the way and manner in which we learn. Please reflect on your experiences with science – both as a child and as an adult – and provide your present perspective on how science currently affects your life. To what extent do you utilize science in your daily life? How comfortable are you with science? How does science relate to your chosen field of study? How does science – and, in particular, this class, relate to your chosen field of study? Paper is due on the day of the first exam. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Class Attendance: Students are expected to attend each class session and to arrive on time. It will be difficult to make up missed class sessions. However, if you miss a class session of valid reasons (illness), it will up to you to make arrangements to complete the lab exercise. You will receive 2 points per lecture session or attendance.
Internet Access - Internet access is suggested for this class because much of the course content will be posted on the class web site, www.calstatela.edu/faculty/sleyva. Access at home or work is fine as long as you can view the web pages regularly and have a reasonably fast connection. If you don't have access at home or work, you can get free access through an account here at Cal State LA. To get a computer account at Cal State LA, go to the Academic Technology Support (ATS) Office in (basement) King Hall D140. You will need identification and proof of registration.

METHODS OF EVALUATION

Total possible class points will come from the following assignments:

Exams	3 tests @ 80 points each	240
Science Statement	25 points	20
25 points	100
2 points per day	40
You may do up to 20 points of extra credit work to raise your total points earned. All extra credit is due the last day of class – not the day of the final! Your grade is based on your percentage score out of 400 points:	A = >90%	>360.0 points
B = 80-89%	320.0 – 359.9 points
C = 70-79%	280.0 – 319.9 points
D = 60-69%	240.0 – 279.9 points
F =< 60%	<240.0 points
Your grades will be available on the class website, .

Want to get a good grade? Here's how:

1.	Attend every class.

2.	Take notes and review them after class and before exams.

3.	Read your textbook / do the assignments

4.	Turn in all work on time

5.	Ask questions.

6.

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The Department of Geological Sciences faculty members fully support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The members of the faculty will provide reasonable accommodation to any student with a disability who is registered with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) who needs and requests accommodation. The faculty may wish to contact the OSD to verify the presence of a disability and confirm that accommodation is necessary. The OSD will arrange and provide for the accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation may involve allowing a student to use an interpreter, note taker, or reader; accommodation may be needed during class sessions and for administration of examinations. The intent of the ADA in requiring consideration of reasonable accommodation is not to give a particular student an unfair advantage over other students, but simply to allow a student with disability to have an equal opportunity to be successful.

•	:

◦	Student conduct is viewed as a serious matter by the faculty members of the Department of Geological Sciences. The Department faculty members assume that all students will conduct themselves as mature citizens of the campus community and will conduct themselves in a manner congruent with university policies and regulations. Inappropriate conduct is subject to discipline as provided for in Title 5, California Code of Regulations (see student conduct: rights and responsibilities, and student discipline, CSULA General Catalog). Academic honesty is expected of all students in the Department, in accordance with University policy. There are established university reporting procedures if a student is suspected of committing an academically dishonest act.

◦	The University has a clearly defined policy on Academic Honesty. This policy will be enforced in this class. Cheating and plagiarizing will not be tolerated. Students caught plagiarizing and/or cheating will be subject to the consequences and set forth in the University Catalog, Appendix D - Academic Honesty. You can access it online at: http://catalog.calstatela.edu

•	Make-up exams will be given only to those who can verify a valid excuse for missing a quiz. The make-up will given at a time that is mutually agreeable to both the student and myself. Failure to take the make-up will result in the missed exam counting in as a zero.

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◦	University policy allows a grade of incomplete to be given only to those who have been sick, injured, or have a similar valid excuse. A grade of "incomplete" will not be given after poor performance in the course.

◦	If you are repeating any Cal State L.A. course in order to remove a D or an F from your transcript, you must file an academic renewal petition in Administration 101 no later than the last day to add a class. Instructions for doing this may be found under "Academic Renewal" in your Schedule of Classes.

◦	University policy requires that all students shall be graded in exactly the same fashion. What does this mean? You may not ask for extra assignments or to repeat an exam to improve your grade, or additional assignments after the course is completed.

•	Take the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE) after you have completed your English Composition and prior to the completion of 135 units in order to avoid a registration hold. The dates for the WPE are published in the Schedule of Classes. Enroll by registering in UNIV 400 and paying the $15 exam fee. Do it now!!!