GEOL 110 Introduction to Earth Sciences

General

• Articulate the main processes that shape the earth's surface and interpret the features depicted on standard topographic maps.
• Demonstrate mastery of the earth science concepts and vocabulary necessary for success in teaching General Science at the grades 5-8 level and for informed citizenship.
• Demonstrate quantitative reasoning skills and competency with arithmetic and elementary statistics at a level appropriate for graduates of bachelors degree programs.
• Recognize and identify the most common minerals and rocks, recognize the diagnostic properties of rocks and minerals, and use keys to identify unknown samples.
• Understand and explain current theories pertaining to the origin of the universe, the formation of the solar system, and the life cycle of stars.
• Understand and explain the fundamental physical and chemical properties of the earth's interior layers and the earth's crust, the fundamental processes in plate tectonics and how they lead to the features found at plate boundaries, and the natural hazards that are posed at each type of plate boundary.
• Understand the vertical structure of the atmosphere, and the driving forces behind large scale atmospheric patterns.