Spring 2009
Course Description:
This course explores the most distinctive and intriguing geological features of America’s National Parks. Each park will be examined separately in slide show/travelogue format, with emphasis placed on their formation and evolution. The theory of plate tectonics will provide the organizational structure for the course with each park representing a distinct type of plate interaction.
How This Online Class Works:
To interact with the class students will need to log on through the course management system “Blackboard”. Each week students will download and view narrated Power Point presentations showing and explaining images from selected National Parks. Short online quizzes will follow the presentations to ensure retention. These can be retaken to improve scores. Various exercises and group projects will be assigned. Students will also need to respond to questions posted on the discussion board and occasionally lead discussions. Students can choose when they do the course work within the allotted week, but all work must be submitted before the end of the week. Online exams will be given following the completion of major units.
What You Will Need To Get Started:
1. Review relevant online class information at http://www.gcccd.net/online/ .
2. A computer with reliable internet access and a printer.
3. Textbook: Geology of National Parks 6th ed.; Harris, Tuttle and Tuttle; 2004, Kendall/Hunt Publishing
4. Install free software including: Google Earth, Shockwave/Flash, Acrobat, PDF file converter.
5. Be able to perform basic computer skills such as file management, word processing, downloading and installing software, posting to discussion boards, attaching documents, scanning, navigating the internet, and using email.
Tentative Syllabus (under construction): Geology 220/GEOL220 spring09.pdf
Tentative Schedule (under construction): Schedule
Videos: Here are the videos for the online class.
Power Points: Here are the Power Point Presentations
Google Earth .kmz: Here are the Google Earth .kmz Files
3D.exe Viewers: Here are the old 3D.exe viewers from the pre-Google Earth era.
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This page was updated on 04/22/2009 10:25 PM
