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GEOL110 Geology and the Environment I

Updated: 31 October 2012
Credit Points 6
Offering
Responsible Campus Teaching Period Mode of Study
Armidale Trimester 1 Off Campus
Armidale Trimester 1 On Campus
Intensive School(s)
Start Finish Attendance Notes
13 April 2013 16 April 2013 Non-Mandatory Students who do not attend the non-mandatory intensive school are required to complete the Assignment on Rocks and Minerals in place of the Laboratory work and excursion reports.
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites None
Co-requisites None
Restrictions GEOL101
Notes None
Combined Units None
Coordinator(s) Luke Milan (lmilan@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This unit provides an overview of the gross structure of planet Earth, geological time, the materials that make up Earth's crust and the processes that operate to form these materials. Unit content also covers the occurrences of natural resources (minerals, fossil fuels and groundwater), geologic hazards (volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides), and various environmental issues related to soils, water resources, the atmosphere, energy and mineral resources.
Prescribed Material
Mandatory 		Shrink Wrapped Package(s):

Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.

Earth: Portrait of a Planet
ISBN: 9780393126860
Marshak, S., Norton 4th ed. 2012
Note: Package includes: Text (ISBN 9780393118261) and Geotours Workbook (ISBN 9780393918915).
Text refers to: Trimester 1 , On and Off Campus
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment
Title Exam Length Weight Mode No. Words
Assignment 30% Off Campus 1500
Assessment Notes
Rock and Mineral Summary (To be undertaken by eligible off-campus students who elect not to attend the non-mandatory intensive school.)
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1, 2, 4 GA: 1-4
Laboratory Work 15% On/Off Campus
Assessment Notes
Laboratory exercises and practical tests (practical book)(To be completed by all on-campus students and off-campus students who attend the intensive school.)
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-4 GA: 1, 6
Online Assessment 30% On/Off Campus
Assessment Notes
Tests (to be completed online)
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 3, 4 GA: 1, 2, 4, 6
Report 15% On/Off Campus
Assessment Notes
Excursion Reports (To be completed by all on-campus students and off-campus students who attend the intensive school.)
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 1-4 GA: 1, 6,
Final Examination 2 hrs 40% On/Off Campus
Assessment Notes
Theory (40%), Practical (10%)
Relates to Learning Outcomes (LO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)
LO: 2, 3, 4 GA: 1-4

Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. apply basic scientific methods in a geological context;
  2. identify and describe common minerals and rocks and understand how they formed;
  3. observe, understand and interpret common geological features in the landscape; and
  4. understand fundamental Earth processes such as tectonics.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Students are presented with lectures and participate in practical classes that cover a variety of fundamental geoscience topics including plate tectonics, mineralogy, major rock types, weathering and regolith, geomorphology, structural geology and environmental geology. The knowledge and skills acquired from lectures and practical classes are regularly practised and assessed during field excursions, practical tests, scheduled online tests and the final exam. 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
Written communication skills are assessed in the form of an essay and field excursion reports, and are regularly practiced by the use of online discussion boards. 		True True
3 Global Perspectives
Students are taught about geological processes that occur on a global scale, such as plate tectonics. These aspects are assessed in the online tests and final exam. 		True True
4 Information Literacy
Students are assessed on their ability to comprehend basic geologic literature through a series of regular online tests. 		True True
5 Life-Long Learning
Students are encouraged to practice the skills and apply the knowledge they have learned to their personal and professional development. 		True
6 Problem Solving
Students practice and are assessed on a range of problem solving skills, especially the identification of rocks and minerals, interpretation of geological features in the field, and deciphering aspects of the geological history of the Armidale region. 		True True
7 Social Responsibility
Students are taught about the local, regional and global implications of mining and extraction of other economic resources, including the environmental and socio-economic aspects of the discipline. 		True
8 Team Work
Students are encouraged to work together for certain practical activities, such as rock and mineral identification and mapping exercises. 		True
   

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