Instructor: William K. Tong (M.S. Earth Science, Northeastern Illinois University, 1988)

Daytime Phone/VoiceMail: (847) 635-1910 (Faculty Support Office, Skokie Campus)

E-mail: wktong@comcast.net

Office: Ray Hartstein Campus (Skokie), Room A235, (847) 635-1910 (Faculty Support Office, Room B206)

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday: 9:20 PM - 9:50 PM, Room A-235, or by appointment

I. Course

Course Prefix	Number	Course Name	Section	Credit	Lecture	Lab
EAS	100	Introduction to Earth Science	51	4	3	3

II.   PREREQUISITE: None

III. Course Description:

Course introduces geology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy.  Credit cannot be received in both EAS 100 and EAS 121.

IV. Learning Objectives:

After successfully completing this course a student should be able to:

1. Identify mineral and rock samples based on diagnostic properties and tests.
2. State the Theory of Plate Tectonics and identify associated features on land and the sea floor.
3. Describe and locate geologic hazards associated with plate boundaries.
4. Interpret and construct topographic maps.
5. Gather, analyze, and interpret basic weather/climate data.
6. Recognize frontal systems and differentiate by type, weather conditions, and associated cloud patterns.
7. Explain what drives ocean circulation.
8. Label sea floor features.
9. Summarize the patterns and relationships within the solar system.
10. Work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds, both individually and in groups.
11. Communicate effectively in writing or speech.

Students and employees at Oakton Community College are required to demonstrate academic integrity and follow Oakton’s Code of Academic Conduct. This code prohibits:

• cheating,
• plagiarism (turning in work not written by you, or lacking proper citation),
• falsification and fabrication (lying or distorting the truth),
• helping others to cheat,
• unauthorized changes on official documents,
• pretending to be someone else or having someone else pretend to be you,
• making or accepting bribes, special favors, or threats, and
• any other behavior that violates academic integrity.

There are serious consequences to violations of the academic integrity policy. Oakton’s policies and procedures provide students a fair hearing if a complaint is made against you.  If you are found to have violated the policy, the minimum penalty is failure on the assignment and, a disciplinary record will be established and kept on file in the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs for a period of 3 years.

Details of the Code of Academic Conduct can be found in the Student Handbook.

VII.   METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:

    Weekly classroom lectures will be augmented by audio-visual materials such as overhead transparencies, slides, movies, videos.  Weekly laboratory exercises will emphasize practical hands-on experience and learning proper techniques for identifying minerals and rocks, and interpreting topographic maps, earthquake data, and weather data, in preparation for lab exams.

1.    Students are expected to read all assigned material and/or handouts before coming to class.

2.    During the first week of class, all homework assignments for the entire course will be distributed in a packet with a schedule of due dates. All homework turned in will be date-stamped by your instructor. UP TO 5 BONUS POINTS MAY BE EARNED FOR EACH HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TURNED IN AT LEAST ONE DAY BEFORE THE DUE DATE. A late penalty will be assessed for homework turned in one or more days past the due date for ANY reason, including absences due to illness.  If you are habitually absent, it would be a good idea to try to hand in your homework early as a habit.  ANY HOMEWORK MORE THAN TWO WEEKS LATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AT ALL, AND YOUR SCORE WILL BE ZERO.

3.     Students are expected to take all exams during the scheduled times. If you miss an exam, it is the student's responsibility to notify the instructor, so that he may make arrangements to reserve an exam to be taken by the student at the Oakton Learning Center (Room A135). YOU MUST CALL OR MAKE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR TO MAKE UP AN EXAM - DON'T JUST SHOW UP AT THE LEARNING CENTER EXPECTING TO GET A MAKE-UP EXAM.  MAKE UP EXAMS MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF THE ORIGINAL DATE, OR YOUR SCORE WILL BE A ZERO.  THE EXAM THAT IS HELD ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS (LECTURE EXAM 4 OR LAB EXAM 4), CANNOT BE MADE UP; IF MISSED,  YOUR SCORE WILL BE A ZERO.

4.     Exams and homework assignments in this course are largely based on lecture and lab material presented in class. While attendance is not mandatory, students must realize that it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible to make up labs that are missed. Preparation for laboratory exams require hands-on practice in the laboratory.

5.     In the event of absences, students are responsible for any classroom material, or information regarding schedule changes that were covered during class. Be sure to contact a fellow student or your instructor to find out what you missed during your absence. Students are responsible for keeping track of and obtaining any handouts or assignments that they missed during their absence.

6.     Students are expected to participate equally in all lab work.

7.   Students are NOT allowed to use or borrow laboratory materials from the laboratory. (POSITIVELY NO EXCEPTIONS) However, samples of minerals and rocks will be held on reserve at the Testing Center/Learning Center, Room A-135, at the Ray Hartstein campus. You should use these samples to prepare for your lab exams. For the third lab exam, topographic maps will be held on reserve at the Ray Hartstein campus Library.

IX.   INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS & RESOURCES:

Note: Current textbook information for each course and section is available on Oakton's Schedule of Classes.

• Required Text: EARTH SCIENCE (14th Edition) by Tarbuck, Lutgens & Tasa - (earlier text editions are acceptable - this course syllabus uses chapter numbers from the 11th edition - follow the assigned TOPICS, not the chapter numbers)
• Visit the textbook publisher's web site for on-line review materials for different versions of the Earth Science text at  http://www.prenhall.com/tarbuck/
• Recommended: Golden Guide "ROCKS, GEMS & MINERALS" (paperback) by Zim & Shaffer
• Recommended: Golden Guide "GEOLOGY" (paperback) by Rhodes

STUDENT PEER TUTOR/COACH:  In addition to your instructor, students in this class may seek assistance and consultation with a student tutor/coach who works for the Learning Center. This tutoring program is staffed by former students selected for their superior academic performance and teaching ability. There may be an assigned tutor for this section (#51) of EAS-100, who was selected from a list of my past students whom I recommended as good tutor candidates. The assigned tutor for this semester (if available) will be introduced to the class sometime during the first few weeks of the course. (Note: There has not been an assigned tutor for this course since the year 2000, due to lack of student applicants for the job).

INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF CLASSROOM HANDOUTS:  As an alternative (but NOT a substitute) resource, most (but NOT all) of the course materials for this course are posted on the Internet.  Students of this class will be able to access, read, and/or print the materials from home or from any place where you are using a computer with Internet access capability.  (All Oakton students are granted Internet and network access privileges while on campus - visit the Computer Center, located down the hall from Room A-235, to find out more information and to use one of the classroom computers.)   To find the documents, type the addresses below into your Web browser, such as Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc. (you must type it exactly as shown, in all lower case, or it will not work).  If you are viewing this document on the Internet, simply click on the web links below. Because the web addresses are rather long, you should bookmark them into your web browser.

Lecture Materials: http://www.oakton.edu/~billtong/eas100/ OR https://wktong.tripod.com/eas100/

Lab Materials: http://www.oakton.edu/~billtong/eas100lab/ OR https://wktong.tripod.com/eas100lab/

    Your course grade will be based upon a straightforward numerical points system for 3 categories: 1) Lecture Exams (100 points x 4 = 400 points), 2) Lab Exams (100 x 4 = 400 points), and 3) Homework (20 x 10 = 200 points), for a total of 1000 possible points. Letter grades for individual exams are meaningless - only the total number of points earned count toward your final tally for the course grade. Final letter grades will be based upon a curve that will depend upon the final distribution of points within the entire class. Generally speaking, based upon past students' performances, however, you must earn at least 600 points (60%) in order to pass the course.
 

Calculation of Course Grade
Assignment	Possible Points	Possible Points +  bonus points*
Lecture Exam 1:	100	100
Lecture Exam 2:	100	100
Lecture Exam 3:	100	100
Lecture Exam 4:	100	100
Lab Exam 1:	100	100
Lab Exam 2:	100	100
Lab Exam 3:	100	100
Lab Exam 4:	100	100
Homework (10):	200	*250
MAX. TOTAL:	1000	*1050

    Lecture exams will consist of multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and/or short answer essay questions. Lab exams will emphasize specimen identification and map/chart interpretation. Make up exams may ONLY be taken with the prior permission of your instructor, and usually no later than 1 week after the original exam date, after which you may be required to an all-essay make-up exam. After informing your instructor, arrangements will be made with the staff of the Learning Center (Room A135, Oakton Skokie campus only), who will proctor the make-up exam. (You will need to present your Oakton picture I.D. card to take the make-up exam.)

Students may keep track of their grades via Oakton's D2L (Desire To Learn) web site, where I maintain a gradebook for this course.  If you find a discrepancy between your grade on your paper or exam and what is displayed on D2L, please contact me immediately so that I can make a correction.  Please keep all graded papers in case any grade(s) in D2L need to be corrected.

    Because a science course requires you to learn a lot of new vocabulary, your homework will consist of 10 earth science crossword puzzles (20 points each) which will require you to research your lecture notes, handouts, textbook chapters and glossary to find the answers. During the first week of class, all homework assignments for the entire course will be distributed in a packet with a schedule of due dates. All homework turned in will be date-stamped by your instructor.  DO NOT IGNORE turning in your homework; I have had past students who would have earned an "A" in the course based upon exam scores, but received a "B" or lower due to lack of sufficient homework points.

*Early Bird Bonus: UP TO 5 BONUS POINTS MAY BE EARNED FOR EACH HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TURNED IN AT LEAST 1 DAY BEFORE THE DUE DATE. A late penalty will be assessed for homework turned in past the due date for ANY reason. Any homework more than 1 week late will not be accepted and will be scored as a zero. DO NOT NEGLECT TO TURN IN HOMEWORK! DILIGENT STUDENTS WHO CONSISTENTLY TURN IN HOMEWORK EARLY CAN EARN UP TO 50 TOTAL BONUS (EXTRA CREDIT) POINTS. THESE POINTS WILL BOOST YOUR PERCENTAGE SCORE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE 1000 POINT TOTAL.

1. Attendance is taken during each class meeting, sometimes at the beginning of class, or during the second half, after a 10 minute break.

2. Access and Disability Resource Center: If you have a documented learning, psychological, or physical disability you may be entitled to reasonable academic accommodations or services.  To request accommodations or services, contact the Access and Disability Resource Center at the Des Plaines or Skokie campus.  All students are expected to fulfill essential course requirements.  The College will not waive any essential skill or requirement of a course or degree program.

3. Oakton Community College recognizes the broad diversity of religious beliefs of its constituencies.  The college has embraced a practice of shared responsibility in the event a religious observance interferes with class work or assignments.  Students who inform instructors in advance of an intended absence for a major religious observance will not be penalized.  The instructor will make reasonable accommodation for students, which may include providing a make-up test, altering assignment dates, permitting a student to attend another section of the same course for a class period or similar remedies.  Instructors are not responsible for teaching material again.  Instructors should inform students of this practice at the beginning of the semester so that arrangements can be made accordingly.  Similar consideration is accorded to faculty, staff and administrators and is provided for in their respective contracts.

4.  If you are pregnant or become pregnant during the semester, you have the option to meet with me to discuss accommodations that may be necessary. It may not be possible to grant accommodations after the fact, so it is better to prepare in advance for any possible scenarios.

5.  Oakton Community College is committed to maintaining a safe campus environment emphasizing the dignity and worth of all members of the community; and complies with all Title IX requirements by state and federal law. For pregnancy-related accommodations, please see: http://www.oakton.edu/about/title_ix_pregnancy_parent/    For resources and support for victim-survivors of sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment, sexual assault/rape, domestic violence, dating/intimate partner violence, and stalking), please see: http://www.oakton.edu/about/title_ix_sexual_misconduct/   For resources and support for LGBTQ+ students, please contact the Office of Student Affairs at 847-635-1739 (information on Oakton's website will be coming shortly).

Oakton Community College is committed to maintaining a campus environment emphasizing the dignity and worth of all members of the community, and complies with all federal and state Title IX requirements.

Resources and support for
-pregnancy-related and parenting accommodations; and
-victims of sexual misconduct
can be found at http://www.oakton.edu/title9.

Resources and support for LGBTQ+ students can be found at http://www.oakton.edu/lgbtq.