DATE

SUBJECT

Faculty

ASSIGNMENT

Aug 27

Introduction to this course; The Earth System, faculty and student introductions; Human body as a “system”; preview of Aug 29 lecture on hurricanes.

Faculty; Dr. Liebler, MD, Human Body as a “system”

pp. V-XX, Ch. 11

Aug 29

Hurricanes, an example of Earth System Science and sphere interaction; transition to Cosmosphere: Cosmosphere I-1:  Large Scale Structures of the Cosmosphere.

Mr. John Williams/
students/faculty

Ch.1 pp. 1-21; Ch. 12, pp 294, 310-312

Sept 3

Cosmosphere I-1: Exploring the large-scale structure of the solar system; our nearest neighbor; what if.  

Dr. Rassoul

Ch. 2 pp. 23-35
Homework Assigned

Sept 5

Cosmosphere I-2:  Our Hood -- Earth and Solar System, Fundamental Laws of Planetary Systems.

Dr. Rassoul

Ch. 2,
pp.35-41

Sept 10

Cosmosphere II-1: Evolution of Planets and The Sun.

Dr. Rassoul

Ch. 3; Cosmosphere homework due

Sept 12

Cosmosphere-II-2: The Active Sun; Cosmosphere demonstration. Transition to the Geosphere.

Students, Dr. Rassoul/Dr. Fronk

Ch. 3 Homework returned Answers to
COSMOSPHERE
HOMEWORK

Sept 17

Geosphere I: Plate tectonics: Why did we need an idea like plate tectonics? What did it help us explain?  Now that we’ve got it what more has it done for us?

Dr. Fronk

Ch. 4

Sept 18

 DMES Picnic, Link Building “green” 4-7:30 pm

Students/faculty

Sept 19

Geosphere II: Earthquakes and Volcanoes: What are they?  What do they do? How do we know?  What do they tell us about the whole earth?

Dr. Fronk

Ch. 5 and 7

NOTE:  OMIT pp. 136-137 & 147-153 (Composition) & (Origin of Magmas)

Sept 24

Geosphere III: Change: How do we know the earth has changed? In what ways has it changed? How long is geological time?  Can you relate to 4.6 billion years? How can past changes help us understand and

predict future changes?

Dr. Fronk

Ch. 8
Note: Omit
pp. 168-176
Geosphere homework due

Sept 26

Geosphere IV:  How big are earthly things? Transition to the Anthroposphere.

Faculty

Homework returned  
Answers to
GEOSPHERE
HOMEWORK

Oct 1   

First Mid-Term Examination

Students

STUDY!!!

Oct 3

Anthroposphere I: 
i) How humans Interact with their natural and cultural environments
ii) How the natural environment affects human culture

Ms. Mitchell

Ch. 20/Handouts
New homework
assigned

Oct 8

Anthroposphere II: Population dynamics

Dr. Duedall/
Mr. Leslie

Ch. 18
Handouts

Oct 10

Anthroposphere III:  Resource consumption with emphasis on fossil energy production

Dr. Duedall

Ch. 19

Oct 15

Anthroposphere IV: An introduction to  renewable energy. Transition to the Hydrosphere.

Mr. Frank Leslie
Dr. Maul

Anthroposphere homework due now

Oct 17

Hydrosphere I: H₂O - The most interesting and unique chemical compound on planet earth.  Who Cares?                  

Why is the earth the blue planet?

Dr. Maul

Ch. 9
Homework returned; New homework assigned

Oct 22

Hydrosphere II: Snow and Ice: How much does water change terrestrial surfaces? Where does ice meet the land?  The sea? 

Dr. Maul

Ch. 10

Oct 24

Hydrosphere III: Ocean and oceanic processes: 70.8% of the earth’s surface and a major influence on all the other spheres. 

Dr. Maul

Ch. 11; Hydrosphere homework due

Oct 29

Hydrosphere IV: The Changing Sea Level; Hydrosphere-geosphere-anthroposphere interactions.  Review or Second Mid-Term: Anthroposphere and Hydrosphere

Dr. Maul/ Dr. Fronk

Homework returned

Oct 31

Second Mid-Term Examination

STUDY!!!

Nov 5

Atmosphere I: Its composition and structure.

Dr. Lazarus

New homework assigned; Ch. 12

Nov 7

Atmosphere II: Winds, weather, and desert.

Dr. Lazarus

Ch. 13

Nov 12

Atmosphere III: Earth’s climate system.

Dr. Lazarus

Ch. 14

Nov 14

Atmosphere IV:  Atmosphere demonstration. Transition to the Biosphere

Dr. Lazarus /Dr. Johnson

Atmosphere homework due now

Nov 19

Biosphere I: Our Unique Biosphere.                                                   

Dr. Johnson

Ch. 15 Homework returned; new homework assigned

Nov 21

Biosphere II: Evolution of an ecosystem, ecological balance and population cycles.

Dr. Johnson

Ch. 17

Nov 26

Biosphere III: Biogeochemistry:  What is it and is it important? Consideration of global ecosystems, major taxonomic groups and the role of plate tectonics.

Dr. Johnson

Ch. 16 Biosphere homework due now

Nov 28

Thanksgiving Break!

Dec   3

Biosphere IV: The origin of life and biosphere, biosphere demonstration.

Dr. Johnson

Ch 17 Homework returned

Dec   5

Class overview.

Faculty/students

Dec 12

FINAL EXAM   3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Classroom: Note: all students to take final at this time; no exceptions.

STUDY!!!