GS108 Physical Science (Oceanography)
Fall 2010    CRN#s 42887/42888 & 41578/42324
Rock Creek Campus Portland Community College   

Time & Place:     #42887/42888 Tu & Th 8:30 am -11:20 am in room 7-227
                           #41578/42324 Tu & Th noon -2:50 pm in room 7-227                                          Instructor:            Eriks M. Puris    email: eriks.puris@pcc.edu   ph: (971) 722-7627
Office Hours:       M & F 1:00-3:00 pm and by arrangement; 7-202
Tutoring Hour:      M 4:00-5:00 pm; 2-212
Class Web Site:   http://www.pcc.edu/staff/eriks.puris
Text:                     Fundamentals of Oceanography; Sverdrup, Duxbury, Duxbury (5th ed.)
Text Web Site:     http://www.mhhe.com/sverdrup5
Admin. Assistant: Sheryl Butler is a wonderful administrative assistant who can help you if
                            you have difficulties reaching me or have general questions.
                           Sheryl works in 7-202;  sheryl.butler@pcc.edu ,  (503) 614-7500.

The ocean covers two thirds of our planet making our Earth more of a water planet than a land planet, however surprisingly little is known about the oceans. A common claim is that more is known about the surface of the moon than is known about the bottom of the oceans!  Despite our ignorance about the ocean it is clear that the ocean is very important to life on Earth. The ocean supplies about half of the oxygen in our atmosphere and plays a major role in controlling the Earth�s climate. My goal in this course is to introduce you to some of what we know about the ocean and develop your interest in the ocean which is one of the most important features of our unique planet. In this course you will learn about the geography of the oceans, the composition of seawater, the motions in the oceans (currents, waves, tides) and what lives in the oceans. 

Catalog Description

4.0 Cr. Includes the chemical, biological, physical and geologic nature of the oceans. Fee: 12$. No course specific prerequisites.

Course Outline

1) Living on the Edge: The Coastal Ocean-Water, Waves, Tides, Beaches & Estuaries
How water moves, how waves are created, tides and coastal processes.

2) The Open Ocean-Geography, the Sea Floor, Geology and Chemistry
Finding oneself in the middle of the ocean, geographic features of the sea floor, how geologic processes create the sea floor, how the water cycle, life and geologic processes control the chemical composition of sea water.

3) Motion in the Ocean-Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation
How atmospheric winds drive ocean currents, how ocean currents drive atmospheric winds, the action of the tides.

4) Living with the Ocean-Productivity, Sediments and Global Change
What limits biological productivity in the ocean, how past productivity is recorded in ocean sediments, what might happen in the future.

Grading Policies

COURSE GRADE      5% Activities  +  25% Labs + 20% Projects  + 50% Tests

TO CALCULATE COURSE GRADE

                        ________  +   ________  +  _________  +  _______   =  _______
                       activity avg.          lab avg.         project avg.   test avg.       100 possible
                          (w/o low)      (w/o low)                               (w/o low)

GRADING SCALE  100-90% = A 90-80% = B 80-70% = C 70-60% = D below 60% = F
Borderline cases (within 1% of border) will be decided on the basis of effort, attitude and improvement.

LATE WORK In class work is due at the end of class and can not be made up. Take home work will be marked down 10% each class period it is late.

MAKE UPS No make ups on in class work!  However, I will drop your lowest activity grade, your lowest lab grade, and your lowest test grade. If you know ahead of time that you will be absent for a lab or test please talk to me as soon as possible, it may be possible to schedule an alternative time which is prior to the scheduled time.

EXTRA CREDIT No extra credit.

INCOMPLETES  I do not encourage incompletes. Please contact me outside of class if you feel you need to pursue this option.

PLEASE COMMUNICATE If something comes up which affects your participation in this class please get in touch with me as soon as possible, the better you communicate the better I can help you deal with the unexpected.

ADD/DROP POLICY

1. Students who miss 50% or more of the first week of classes without contacting the instructor may be dropped to add wait list students.
2. It is the student�s responsibility to drop the class if they stop attending.

IMPORTANT DATES

10/1     End of Second Week                Last day to drop with a refund.
10/15   End of Fourth Week                  Last day to drop with out a W.
11/12   End of Eight Week                   Last day to withdraw with a W or request a P/NP grade.
 

Course Components

Reading
Keeping up with assigned readings is the first step to doing well in this class. See the class calendar for the assigned readings, reading should be completed before the class they are assigned for.

Lectures
Lectures will expand upon the readings and will cover some material not covered in the text. I will spend a lot of time discussing figures, maps, and diagrams from your text during lecture, take note of the figure number and expect questions about figures to show up on tests. At the beginning of each lecture I will review the previous lecture which is a good time to check your notes from the previous lecture and to ask questions. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the material during lectures! 

Activities
There will be frequent activities to help you develop your understanding of the class material.  Activities will typically include in class questions, demonstrations, video reviews and take home exercises. Some activities will be completed in groups, some individually.  Each activity is worth 5 points.  I will drop your lowest activity grade.

Laboratories
The labs for this course are designed to be completed during class and will be due at the end of class. Please bring a pencil for lab, also a ruler and calculator if you have them.  Each lab is worth 25 points.  I will drop your lowest lab grade. No food in lab! I will drop your lowest lab grade.

Projects
There will be two projects for this class; a project about the Oregon Coast and a poster project. For the Oregon Coast Project you will have the option of either writing a short guided research paper or attending a one day field trip on Saturday 10/23 or Sunday 10/24 to the Oregon coast. For the poster project you will research a marine organism of your choosing and share your results with the rest of the class in the form of a poster and a short (less than 5 minute) presentation. You can work on this singly or in pairs, your choice! More details on this after the first test. Each project is worth 20 points.

Tests
Tests will cover material from the reading, lectures, activities and labs. A variety of question types will be used for the tests including; multiple choice, fill in the blank, labeling, sketching, brief response questions, and essay questions. Please bring a scantron sheet (882-E) to the tests. There will be four 50 minute tests.  The final test will not be cumulative, however the course material will naturally build upon itself and concepts developed early in the class will be used later in the class. Each test is worth 50 points. I will drop your lowest test grade if you get a grade of C or better on the last test.

Course Policies
We are here to learn and to enjoy the processes of learning; the following policies are designed to create a positive and safe learning environment for all of us where we can succeed in learning together.

Class Room Environment  I expect you to respect the right of your fellow classmates to a positive learning environment. Any behavior which diminishes your classmates� learning experience is inappropriate; this includes acting disrespectfully towards your classmates, as well as disrupting class by arriving late or leaving early, talking out of turn and allowing your electronics to emit sounds.

Missing Class  Regular attendance is expected and is important to your success in this class. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to get class notes and handouts from your fellow classmates.  I will not be grading directly based on attendance, however you will be handing in work to be graded almost every class session. Students who miss more than 10% of the class (which is 2 class periods) should expect their absences to negatively impact their course grade. I will be taking roll the first few weeks to learn your names, after that it is up to you!

Academic Integrity Learning is your responsibility; nobody can do it for you. I expect you to approach learning with self honesty and integrity so that you gain the greatest benefit from your hard work. The PCC academic integrity policy states it this way, �To falsify or fabricate the results of one�s research; to present words, ideas, data or work of another as one�s own; or to cheat on an examination corrupts the essential process of higher education� Academic dishonesty may result in a grade of an F on the assignment and will be reported to the division dean. For further information consult the Student Rights and Responsibilities policies at : http://www.pcc.edu/about/policy/student-rights/ .

Special Concerns  I encourage students with special concerns or needs to meet with me outside of class so that we can work together to create a positive learning experience. PCC is committed to supporting all students. If you plan to use academic accommodations for this course, please contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss your needs. Accommodations are not retroactive; they begin when the instructor receives the �Approved Academic Accommodations� letter from you (submitted in person for courses on campus; via email for Distance Learning courses). To request academic accommodations for a disability, please contact a disability services counselor on any PCC campus. Office locations, phone numbers, and additional information may be located at http://www.pcc.edu/resources/disability/ .

Privacy Your grade record is private and I will work to maintain that privacy. As part of this effort I will only respond to e-mail from your pcc.edu account.

Flexibility Statement  Please keep in mind that the course calendar along with test and lab dates may change in response to changing conditions and class needs.