Introduction
Lesson Organization
Each lesson is organized in a similar way:
- Objectives. A set of objectives gives you an idea of the concepts that I think are most important and gives you an understanding of what you should be able to accomplish in the lesson.
- Lesson Overview. Here I briefly introduce the topics covered in the textbook and emphasize the concepts I think are most important. I try to clarify what the textbook has to say and add what I think may be of interest to you.
- Reading Assignment. It’s especially important that you read the assigned chapters from the required textbook, Earth Science (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-316393-3). Because this is an independent study course, you don’t have the benefit of detailed classroom lectures or explanation. Therefore, the textbook is your most important learning resource.
- Textbook Website. To help you study, the textbook’s publisher has provided online resources for the Earth Science textbook. The self-assessment quizzes over the chapters in the textbook will give you instant feedback, so you can discover how much you’ve understood. You may take these quizzes as many times as you like, and they will help you study for the exams. You may also want to download the study guide summaries for each chapter. These are PowerPoint slides that review the key points of the reading assignment.
- GEODe Key Concepts CD-ROM. I highly recommend you purchase the GEODe Key Concepts CD-ROM (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2006. ISBN: 0-13-125906-7). It contains interactive multimedia activities to reinforce what you read in the textbook. It brings the Earth Science book to life through narration, animations, images, and “hands-on” virtual activities. Please note: The CD-ROM goes into a bit more detail than the textbook because it was developed for both high school and university students. On the exams, you will be tested only over material covered in the textbook. You are not responsible for the extra terms and concepts on the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is an optional study tool.
- Web Resources. Each lesson includes a list of websites that can help you better understand the lesson’s concepts, delve into activities and explorations that pertain to the lesson’s material, and see colorful images of Earth. These websites are for your benefit and enjoyment. They will not be included on the assignments and exams.
- Assignment. Finally, there is an assignment that you must complete and submit to your instructor for grading. You can find the assignment by clicking on the lesson’s assignment link on the Syllabus, or by clicking on Assignments in the main menu at left.
- Lab. Please note that the assignments for lessons 1, 2, 6, and 9 include a lab component that you will need to complete. You will have detailed procedures to follow for these labs. Most of the resources you will need for these labs are provided as Word or PDF documents. Other materials you will need are:
º Adobe Reader for opening PDFs. If it isn’t already installed on your computer, you can download it for free at Adobe.com. º Access to a scanner. You will need to scan some of the graphs and charts provided, save them as PDFs, and submit those documents. º a pencil, and two colored pencils or pens (blue and green) º a metric ruler º 100 pennies º a box with a lid (such as a shoebox) º graph paper º the Stellarium star-gazing program (a free download at Stellarium.org)
