Course Website: http://ic.ucsc.edu/~kudela/OS101/
Course Description:
An interdisciplinary introduction to the field of oceanography focusing on biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes. Covers topics such as: origins of the oceans, co-evolution of oceans and life; plate tectonics; liquid water and the hydrologic and hydrothermal cycles; salinity and elemental cycles; ocean circulation; primary production and nutrient cycles; plankton and nekton; life on the sea floor; near shore and estuarine communities; future environmental problems our oceans face. Students may also enroll in and receive credit for Earth Sciences 1. Course Number: OCEA-001-01, Fall 2007 Call No. 10008. Gen Ed Codes: 'N' and 'Q'.
Required Textbook:
Exploring the World Ocean (McGraw-Hill). By Chamberlin and Dickey (2008)
Required with Textbook: CPS “clicker”, available at the bookstore
Lecture Meeting Time and Place: MWF, 9:30-10:40, Classroom Unit 1.
Office Hours: EMS A461. Monday, 11:00-12:00; or call to make an appointment
Phone: (831) 459-3290; Email: kudela@ucsc.edu
TAs:
Jenny Lane (jqlane@gmail.com), Office Hours: FRI 11-12, EMS D402
Ryan Paerl (rwpaerl@yahoo.com), Office Hours: THURS 12-1, EMS D402
Sherry Palacios (sherry.palacios@gmail.com), Office Hours: WED 11-1, EMS C580
Adding /First Day Drop policy
If you want to add the class but find that it is now listed as “closed,” put your name on signup sheet at the end of the first class. Come to the first meeting of the section of your choice!! NOTE: Anyone already signed up who does NOT attend the first day will be dropped. People on the waiting list will be issued permission codes to add in week 2 on first-come, first served basis.
Requirements and grading breakdown:
5 of 6 section assignments / problem sets (25%, plus 5% attendance)
1 field trip exercise (15%)
Mid-term exam (20%)
In-Class Quizzes (10%)
Final exam (25%)
OCEA-01 is a “Q” Class. Although your final grade will be based on the breakdown of components indicated above, YOU MUST RECEIVE A PASSING SCORE ON THE "QUANTITATIVE" PORTION OF THIS CLASS (SECTION ASSIGNMENTS AND PROBLEM SETS) TO PASS THIS CLASS.
ADA statement: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accomodation, please contact the instructor and your TA as soon as possible after the beginning of class.
LAB SECTIONS & PROBLEM SETS:
Weekly sections introduce the problem sets, and provide supplementary information, activities and experiments needed to complete them. All sections are mandatory and meet in Earth and Marine Science Building D266. Please fill out the section sign-up form that will be passed out during class. We will make final section assignments based on everyone’s top three choices.
Problem Sets: Problem sets are meant to reinforce your understanding of main class topics by adding both hands-on experiments and a direct quantitative dimension to the class. Sections and problem sets are meant to expand on material in lecture- they are not necessarily derived directly from lecture material or the book. Thus in order to complete the problem sets, you must attend section! No advanced math is required; the problem sets require thinking in a quantitative way, and applying basic math or supplied equations to understand ocean processes. Teaching assistants are there to help you – this is the time to ask questions!
SWITCHING SECTIONS: If you want to switch sections after initial assignments: go to both the section you are enrolled in as well as the one you want to switch to and talk to the TAs. In some cases switching can be arranged, but is not guaranteed.
Section attendance is mandatory and there are no makeups--If you miss any section, you will lose the attendance points, and all points associated with in-class activities. Some section assignments have some problems that can be done independently of the in-class activities. If you turn these problems in on-time, you can receive partial credit for the assignment. For your final grade we will drop the lowest score on your section/problem sets (i.e. your final grade reflects your top 6 of 7 scores). Thus, if you must completely miss a section & problem set for any reason, that zero score will be the one dropped, and will not count toward your final grade.
How to find the lab/section room: (EMS D266)
The lab/section room is just down the hall from the Coffee/Pastry Cart on the 2nd floor of the EMS building. Proceed to the Coffee cart- as you are facing the cash register turn to the right, walk past all the rock and mineral displays, through the closed door, down the short hall past the elevator. Make your first right turn, and it’s the first door on the right.
Discussion section syllabus
Late Policy:
Lab assignments are due the week after each section. We ask that you complete your work on time, and will deduct 10% of the credit per day for any late assignments. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you have questions about or need help on the assignments, we invite you to come to instructors' and TAs' office hours. If you can't make office hours, we encourage you to make an appointment to meet with instructors or TAs.
EXAMS:
Course has two main exams: one midterm, one final exam. Exams are a mixture of multiple-choice, short answer, and quantitative (calculations required) problems. Examples of exam questions will be provided before each test, and an evening review session will be scheduled prior to each exam.
Lectures & Exam Material: Lectures are the primary source of material for this class- thus attendance is key to doing well, as lecture material will also be the primary source for all exam questions. The readings in the book are also important, but are supplemental to the lectures. For a few important topics we cover (e.g. climate change, and El Niño), coverage in the book is not extensive.
In-Class Quizzes: In addition to the midterm and final, in-class quizzes (1 or 2 questions, ~5 –10 minutes) will be given at the end of lecture at unannounced times throughout the quarter. The subject of these quizzes will be that same day’s lecture or the previous lecture. Their purpose is to reinforce topics discussed in lecture and encourage focus and attendance.
No-Makeup Exam Policy: There are only two major exams for this class, and makeup exams in general will not be scheduled. They will be allowed ONLY for medical reasons (physician’s documentation required) or in extraordinary circumstances. If you believe you have an extraordinary circumstance, contact Raphael Kudela IN ADVANCE of the exam. No after the fact make-ups will be considered, excepting documented medical cases.
FIELD TRIP:
The course has a single required 1-day field trip to Natural Bridges state beach and tidepools. You may choose either Nov 3 (Sat.) or Nov 4 (Sun), 2007. The field trip consists of collecting data and making observations, as well as a take-home data analysis component. Due to the timing of favorable tides (as well as liability constraints) it is not possible to make up the field trip, or conduct it independently another day. If you cannot make either of these dates, you should consider taking this class another quarter. If you take the class but miss the field trip, an alternate non-field based assignment can be provided, but it is worth only 50% of the credit.
Statement on Plagiarism and Cheating: Your work in this class is expected to be the product of your own independent efforts. To receive credit for questions on assignments and exams, you must show all your work in order to demonstrate that you worked independently. Working in groups is allowed only when explicitly directed for some section and field trip assignments. In any cases that you worked with another student, you must explicitly state who you gave aid to, or received aid from. Plagiarism or Cheating on exams, problem sets, or section and field trip assignments will not be tolerated and may lead to serious consequences, including failing an assignment or an exam, or failing the class. In addition, we are required by official UCSC guidelines to report suspected and/or admitted cases of such dishonesty to your college provost, which will result in a permanent record and possible additional consequences such as suspension or dismissal from UCSC.
If you are caught cheating on an assignment or exam, or signing in for another student during attendance, you will at minimum lose all points for that quiz/exam/attendance period, and may fail the class. Please respect your fellow students and the class—don’t cheat!