PHY 103

Earth Science

Summer 2008

Calendar Link

Instructor

Dr. Kendall Mallory Phone: (619) 849-2356

Department of Physics Email: kmallory@pointloma.edu

Office hours: 1:00 to 3:30 Mon., Tues., Wed., and Thurs.

Other times as arranged

Text

Edward J. Tarbuck, Fredrick K. Lutgens, and Dennis Tasa, Earth Science, 12^th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2008

Goals and Objectives

· We will emphasize four basic themes

· Developing scientific literacy

· Understanding how earth science relates to human culture and economics

· The science of global change

· The integration of modern science and personal faith

· We will develop basic knowledge about the natural history of the Earth and universe. We will also look at much of the evidence supporting modern scientific views of natural history.

· Develop specific knowledge of geology, plate tectonics, meteorology and astronomy. This aspect of the course will meet the needs of students enrolled in teacher education programs.

· Develop an inviting atmosphere in which students can express diverse opinions and ideas about the natural history of the Earth and their faith. I invite class discussion in this area. Students, and the instructor, need to express their opinions freely without engaging in direct attacks on their peers. (If you feel the need to express yourself more strongly feel free to direct your comments at me instead of your peers or come to talk with me in my office.)

· Explore issues of faith and science and discuss ways to integrate faith with scientific knowledge. This course will not so much attempt to answer basic questions but display different approaches used by thinkers and writers. Students will develop skills at expressing their views and arguing their points logically.

· This course fulfills section IIIA of the general education program at PLNU

General Education IIIA – Exploring an Interdependent World – The Natural World – Physical Science

Catalog statement

An introduction to the natural and social sciences as tools for exploring the world, with emphasis on collecting and interpreting empirical data for both theoretical and practical purposes.

Approved statement

This course is one of the components of the General Education Program at Point Loma Nazarene University, under the category of “Exploring an Interdependent World.” By including this course in a common educational experience for undergraduates, the faculty supports an introduction to the natural and social sciences as tools for exploring the world, with emphasis on collecting and interpreting empirical data for both theoretical and practical purposes.

Outline

· Introduction to the Natural History of the Universe

Some aspects of the mythology of various cultural traditions will be discussed:

· Native American

· Mesopotamian and Egyptian

· Chinese

· Classical Greek

· Modern Scientific (historical perspectives)

Survey of the cosmos

Modern scientific perspectives on faith

· Intelligent Design

· Theological Evolution

· Manifolds, Parallel Universes, Simulated Reality

Readings: Earth Science - Ch. 1 Introduction to Earth Science

Videos: Origins or Hyperspace

Assignment: Outline and Paper – Personal Views

· Geology

Rocks and geological processes that form rocks and minerals

Sedimentation and metamorphoses

Readings: Earth Science – Ch 2 Minerals

Earth Science – Ch 3 Rocks

Exam I

· Geological Dynamics

Hydrodynamics, weathering, and oceanography

Readings: Earth Science – Ch 4 Weathering, Soil and Mass Wasting

Earth Science – Ch 5 Running Water and Groundwater

Earth Science – Ch 6 Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Plate Tectonics, Volcanism, and Mountains

Readings: Earth Science – Ch 7 Earthquakes and Earth’s Interior

Earth Science – Ch 8 Plate Tectonics

Earth Science – Ch 9 Volcanoes

Earth Science – Ch 10 Mountains

Videos: The Savage Planet

Exam II

· Earth’s History

Geological time and methods for determining the Earth’s history.

A brief summary of Earth’s history

Readings: Earth Science – Ch 11 Geological Time

Earth Science – Ch 12 Earth’s History

· The Ocean

The global ocean’s composition and dynamics

Readings: Earth Science – Ch 13 The Ocean Floor

Earth Science – Ch 14 Ocean Water and Life

Earth Science – Ch 15 The Dynamic Ocean

· Meteorology

Dynamics of the Atmosphere, weather systems, and climate

Global warming

Readings: Earth Science – Ch 16 The Atmosphere

Earth Science – Ch 17 Moisture, Clouds, Precipitation

Earth Science – Ch 18 Air Pressure and Wind

Earth Science – Ch 19 Weather Patterns and Storms

Earth Science – Ch 20 Climate

Videos: The Savage Planet

Tornado Intercept

An Inconvenient Truth

Exam III

· Astronomy

The Solar System

The Galaxy

Cosmology – Big bang theory

Life in the Universe

Evolution – a general paradigm of modern science

Apocalyptic hazards from outer space!

Readings: Earth Science – Ch 21 Origins of Astronomy

Earth Science – Ch 22 Touring Our Solar System

Earth Science – Ch 23 Light, Observations and the Sun

Earth Science – Ch 24 Beyond Our Solar System

Videos: Savage Planet and Origins

Exam IV

Assignments

One paper with a length of approximately three pages. This paper will be about your synthesis and integration of modern science with faith, or about religious perspectives on global change, or comparisons of modern Christian perspectives on cosmology with classical cultural traditions.

Exams – There will be exams given on the readings from each of the sections of the course listed above. There will also be some take-home extra credit assignments.

Weighting

Paper – 20 % each

Exams – 15 % each