Frederick Community College

PC 104 - The Water Planet: Introduction to Oceanography

You must send your email address to the instructor before class begins

Instructor Information:

Name: Alberto Ramirez	Office: L200
E-mail: aramirez@frederick.edu	Phone Number: 301-846-2636
Office Hours: Call Assistant for Appointment	Campus Mail Box Number: 29
Assistant: Ms. Jessica Eaton, L200	301-846-2445

Course Information:

Credits: 3	Last Day to Withdraw: July 8, 2009
Prerequisites: EN50A, EN52 and MA82 or MA91	Co-requisites: None
Meeting Day(s): Online Course	Meeting Time(s): Online

Course Description:

The study of the ocean is as dynamic and changing as the sea itself. This course uses an interdisciplinary approach emphasizing the connections to other fields such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, meteorology, geology, biology, ecology, history, and economics. It provides students with a basic understanding of the scientific questions, complexities, and uncertainties involved in the study and uses of the oceans, with examples and case studies that highlight the role and importance of the oceanic environment in nurturing and sustaining life on the planet. Rich web resources and digital videos enhance this course with engaging learning experiences.

Core Learning Outcomes:

By the completion of the course students will:

1. Demonstrate college-level communication skills.

· Students will be able to write and speak in an effective, organized, and clear manner, using grammatically correct English appropriate for this subject, its learning purposes, and the class audience.

· Students will demonstrate the ability to understand and interpret both written texts and oral presentations in English.

· Students will research current issues in marine science, the marine environment, and human society, and will summarize their findings in a written report and a class presentation.

2. Demonstrate critical thinking skills.

· Students will be able to evaluate evidence by differentiating among facts, opinions, and inferences.

· Students will be able to generate and evaluate alternative solutions to problems.

· Students will be able to research, analyze, compare, synthesize, and draw inferences from readings and other research materials in order to make valid judgments and rational decisions.

3. Understand and be able to apply the scientific method.

· Students will be able to collect, analyze, interpret and present scientific data.

· Generate well-founded hypothesis and test them.

· Synthesize effectively qualitative and quantitative information.

· Apply the scientific method to solve problems and construct models.

· Evaluate models related to the origin of the solar system and the Earth’s oceans.

4. Display general knowledge of the global ocean environment.

· Students will demonstrate general knowledge of how the various scientific disciplines, such as geology, chemistry, physics, biology, and others contribute to the understanding of the marine environment.

· Discuss the nature and origin of the oceans.

· Assess the nature and limitation of the Earth’s natural resources.

· Describe the energy transport processes between the oceans and the atmosphere.

· Evaluate man’s impact on the Earth’s ocean resources.

5. Value the ocean and its resources.

· Students will acknowledge that the oceans form an interconnected, interdependent global environment.

· Students will be able to examine global issues and events related to the oceans from multiple perspectives.

· Students will recognize the importance of scientific research in the ocean environment, and of the technologies used in marine research and exploration.

Additional Outcomes:

In addition to the above, the students will demonstrate basic geographic literacy by being able to:

Identify and locate oceans, seas, and major geographic features in the global marine environment.
Identify the basic oceanic economic zones, and their natural resources.
Identify and locate regional, and national coastal features and landmarks.

Instructional Methods:

Online activities and reading assignments, online discussion, “kitchen” experiments, videos, internet web sites, research projects; reports and other writing assignments.

Text(s) for Course:

Garrison, Tom. Essentials of Oceanography, 5^th Ed. Florence, KY: Brooks/Cole – Cengage Learning, 2009.

Billeter, Paul A. and Robert R. Given. The Endless Voyage Study Guide, 3d Ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2007.

Video Resources for Course:

The Endless Voyage – Introduction to Oceanography. Video CD Set. Pasadena, CA: INTELECOM, 2004. Available in three modes: 1) Streaming video, after payment of access fee at FCC Bookstore (instructions given at course Blackboard site); 2) on-site free loan from the FCC Library, Student ID required; and 3) Cable Channel 23 weekly broadcast in Frederick County, as scheduled.

Evaluation Methods:

Graded Items	Final Grade Scale
Exams (2) 100 Points x 2 = 200 Points	>(Mean+0.5 SD)	A
Research project 100 Points each	0.5 SD<Mean<0.5 SD	B
Workbook exercises 20 Points each	<(Mean-0.5 SD)	C
Online class assignments 20 Points each	<(Mean-1.5 SD)	D
Participation in online discussions 1 to 25 Points Extra credit may be earned by conducting optional activities and by assisting others students in The Muddiest Point (TMP) Discussion Forum.	<(Mean-2.5 SD)	F
Each graded item will be scored in points. Final grade percentages are statistically weighted against the total class’ scores. The class’ mean (average) is used as the center of the B grades. Grade spread depends on the class’ standard deviation (See graph below).	<(Mean-2.5 SD)	F
Projects and reports: If a project or report is late, ten percent (10%) will be deducted for each week it is late. If you miss a deadline, you will not be allowed to make up the project unless you consult with the instructor in advance about the delay. Make Up Exams: If it is necessary to miss an exam, you will be allowed to take a MAKE-UP exam ONLY if you have a valid excuse and have notified your instructor before the exam. If you want to make up an exam, it is your responsibility to schedule a time for the make-up exam before the next week of classes. Failure to follow this procedure will result in NO MAKE-UP EXAM!!! The type of make-up exam is left to the instructor's discretion and may include a short essay exam.

Progress Report:

Students will receive a personal summary report of their academic progress in this course by the end of the THIRD week. In addition, students will be able to get weekly updates on their progress in the course’s online gradebook in Blackboard.

Academic Honesty:

Each student is expected to perform his/her own academic work. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are considered extremely serious offenses. The student is personally responsible for understanding the various forms of academic dishonesty as they are explained in the "Student Code of Conduct" in the Student Handbook. Ignorance of any requirement for academic honesty will not constitute an excuse from disciplinary proceedings. Any form of cheating will be considered grounds for failure of the course.

Modification of Schedule:

The instructor reserves the right to adjust the assignments or schedule. This may also change the date(s) of one or more of the exams. Any affected assignment due dates may also be adjusted. In the event the schedule is adjusted, the student will remain responsible for all the assignments listed in this syllabus.

Blackboard Online:

This course’s ID is PC104-ONL.

Frederick Community College uses the web-based Blackboard learning environment to deliver online courses. This course has a dedicated Blackboard site available to students registered in this course. User names and passwords will be given to students before the start of the semester. Students may access FCC’s Blackboard from anywhere in the world, using a computer with a current web browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Flock. The URL is http://frederick.blackboard.com. A supplementary site will be available after Week 1 of the course, at http://sites.google.com/site/pc104oceanography/ and will be used for online assignments and collaboration.

Students are required to have a valid e-mail address. Classes in Blackboard include announcements, course information documents, links to video presentations, assignments, discussion forums, electronic grade book, web links, student projects, and other digital resources.

Class Participation:

Class participation is an integral part of successfully completing this course. Therefore, the instructor may collect reports or other work, and Blackboard individual log-in statistics through the software tracking feature at his or her discretion to determine a class participation portion of the grade. To be able to contribute productively and timely to online class discussions and other interactions, the student will be expected to read the assigned material and view the corresponding video lessons each week of the course.

Services for Students with Disabilities

Blackboard is designed to accommodate students with vision impairments. Whenever possible, Video material is close-captioned and/or accompanied by transcripts for hearing impaired students. However, if you have a disability that prevents you from accessing any part of this course or one of its links, please inform your instructor as soon as possible AND contact the appropriate person listed in the Services for Students with Disabilities page in the FCC web site.

Frederick Community College

PC 104 – ONL The Water Planet: Introduction to Oceanography

TOPICAL OUTLINE

Week

Topics

Video Lessons* and Activities

Study Guide

Welcome, class introduction and general information. Syllabus, policies and class resources. Tour of Blackboard website.

“The Muddiest Point”.

Ch. 1 Origins. The Story of the Ocean. The ocean world. Marine scientists.

Formation of the Solar System, planet Earth, and its oceans. The origin of life. Beyond Earth.

Ch. 2 History. Making Marine History.

Early travelers and explorers. The Age of Discovery. The first marine scientists. Research expeditions, contemporary oceanography, and uses of technology in oceanographic research.

The Water Planet
First Steps

Icebreaker: Meet in the Discussion Forums

Discussion Forum 1

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Ch. 3 Earth Structure and Plate Tectonics. Fire and Ice. The Earth’s interior; earthquakes and seismic waves; the shape of continents and plate tectonics.

Ch. 4 Ocean Basins. Deep and Deeper.

The shape of the seabed; bathymetry and echo sounding; seafloor features; continental margins and deep-ocean basins.

Student projects: Guidelines and topics

Selection of Research Topic

Making the Pieces Fit
World in Motion
Over the Edge

Discussion Forum 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Ch. 5 Sediments. The Memory of the Ocean. Origin and nature of marine sediments; classification of sediments; The study of ocean sediments; sediments are historical records.

Ch. 6 Water. Familiar, abundant , and odd. The water molecule; the nature of water; importance of physical properties; seawater, a complex solution; salts and salinity; light penetration and water.

***Student progress reports***

The Ocean’s Memory
Beneath the Surface
Going to Extremes

It’s in the Water

Discussion Forum 3

Lesson 6

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Lesson 7

Ch. 7 Atmospheric Circulation. Change is in the air. Ocean-atmosphere interactions; component gasses; solar heating, planetary rotation and the seasons; the Coriolis effect; air circulation and large atmospheric cells; storms, cyclones, destructive hurricanes.

Ch. 8 Ocean Circulation. Palm trees in Britain? Ocean currents; wind friction and water mass density; vertical water movements: upwelling and downwelling; El Niño and la Niña; thermohaline circulation; weather, climate and ocean circulation.

First Review of Research Draft

Exam 1

Something in the Air
Going with the Flow
Deep Connections

Discussion Forum 4

Lesson 10

Lesson 11

Lesson 12

Ch. 9 Waves. “…change without notice.” Waves and energy; properties of waves; wave sizes; wavelength and ocean depth; wave direction: interference, diffraction and refraction; internal waves; great waves: seiches, tsunamis, and seismic sea waves.

Ch. 10 Tides Maelstrom! The longest waves; The Moon, the Sun and tides; tides are huge waves; tidal theories: equilibrium and dynamic theories; amphidromic points; tidal patterns, tide tables and the accurate prediction of tides; astronomical and meteorological tides; power from tides?

Surf’s Up

Look Out Below
Ebb and Flow

Discussion Forum 5

Lesson 13

Lesson 14

Lesson 15

Ch. 11 Coasts “…the finest harbor in the world.” Where the ocean meets the land; coastal change; location and shape; erosion and deposition; coastal features: beaches, deltas, lagoons, estuaries, reefs; critical importance to humans; the U. S. coasts.

Ch. 12 Life in the Ocean The ideal place for life. Life: unity and diversity; energy, matter, and life; productivity and photosynthesis; primary production in the ocean; ocean layers and life zones; environment and natural selection; the natural classification of marine organisms: interactions between organisms and their environment; habitats, niches, and distributions; extinction and survival.

On the Coast
Due West
Building Blocks

Discussion Forum 6

Lesson 16

Lesson 17

Lesson 18

Ch. 13 Pelagic Communities Masters of the Storm. Life in the open ocean; the drifters; phyto and zooplankton; the measuring of primary productivity; light and nutrients; compensation depth; seaweeds: classification and importance of algae; mangroves and sea grasses.

Animal as consumers; the evolution of marine animals; classification; extinctions and adaptations; invertebrates and vertebrates; marine mammals.

Ch. 14 Benthic Communities The Resourceful hermit. Life on the sea floor; benthic environments; the highly productive shoreline habitats; seaweeds, kelp, and other marine plants; salt marshes and estuaries; intertidal communities; beach habitats; coral reefs; the deep ocean habitat; bacteria and archaeans; the communities of deep sea vents; symbiosis in the ocean.

Water World
Food for Thought
Survivors
Life Goes On

Living Together

Discussion Forum 7

Lesson 19

Lesson 20

Lesson 21

Lesson 22

Lesson 23

Ch. 15 Uses and Abuses of the Ocean. A cautionary tale. Types of renewable and nonrenewable resources; physical resources; marine energy; biological resources; fishery output trends; whaling and its impact; aquaculture; impacts of the exploitation of marine resources; law of the sea;

environmental concerns; pollution in the ocean; crude oil spills; eutrophication; exotic species; the coral reefs at risk; human activities and global climate; Earth’s climate change; what can we do? What must we do?

Final Research Report Posting Due

Exam 2 (PROCTORED)

· Treasure Trove

· Dirty Water

Hands On

Discussion Forum 8

Lesson 24

Lesson 25

Lesson 26

* IMPORTANT: The video lessons listed above are part of the required course content (The Endless Voyage – Introduction to Oceanography, InTeleCom, 2004). Each video lesson is about 30 minutes long and corresponds to the lesson number in the Study Guide. Students must view each segment and use the respective lesson in the study guide to be able to complete most assignments and participate effectively in the Discussion Forums. The textbook content is supplemented by the video lessons, the Study Guide, and related online resources. Please read the Course Syllabus and the Course Information section in the PC104-ONL Blackboard site for details.

The Course Instructor reserves the right to update, change, or adapt the delivery of this content to maintain the integrity of the course and the scientific validity of the ideas, concepts, and theories treated herein.