Introduction to Earth Science
Sharon Browning
Baylor University
Summary
Intro to Earth Science - survey of geology, astronomy, meteorology, and oceanography. Students are introduced to the process of science through a series of hands-on lab experiments and demonstrations.
Course Size:
71-150
Course Format:
Students enroll in one course that includes both lecture and lab. The lecture is taught by the professor and the lab is taught by TAs.
Course Context:
This is an introductory course with no pre-requisites; it may serve as a prerequisite for geology majors. 90% of the students are taking the course to satisfy a lab science requirement.
Course Goals:
Students will be able to perform scientific experiments or observe demonstrations and synthesize results, including drawing conclusions about the underlying scientific principles.
Course Features:
Teaching the Process of Science
The laboratory is the main vehicle for teaching students about the process of science. Our experiments and demonstrations are designed to be hands-on, with limited interaction or instruction from the TA's.Assessment:
Better assessment is still a goal for this course. Currently, I have a series of thought questions with each experiment to try and gauge the students' level of understanding and.
Syllabus:
Syllabus-Intro to Earth Science (Microsoft Word 35kB Jun26 09)
Teaching Materials:
References and Notes:
Introduction to Earth Science - Sharon Browning
As many of our labs have hands-on demos, some of which are built in-house, it was much easier to write the lab manual myself than to go with a commercial product.
As many of our labs have hands-on demos, some of which are built in-house, it was much easier to write the lab manual myself than to go with a commercial product.