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Geoscience
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Geology in the National Parks |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
Study of the processes that have shaped the Earth, including earthquakes, volcanoes, erosion, glaciation, sedimentation, structural deformation; and the geologic history of North America, including mountain building and ocean advances and retreats. Focus on the geological features seen in our National Parks. MnTC Goal 3. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
The Real Dragons: Dinosaurs on a Dynamic Planet |
| Lasc Area |
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| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
The Dinosaurs were one of the most successful groups of terrestrial organisms that have ever lived on our planet. During their 140 million-year reign, this group was able to adapt to changing environments on a ever-changing planet. The age of the dinosaurs (the Mesozoic) spanned three distinctly different periods of earth history. Different groups of dinosaurs existed during these periods of dynamic ecosystem change. The final group of dinosaurs that disappeared 65 million years ago were finally faced with environmental change at a rate that they could no longer cope with. This course will examine the Age of the Dinosaurs, and review and discuss the basic principles and techniques paleontologists use to reconstruct the biology and ecology of these fossil organisms, and to interpret the environments from the rocks they occur in. MnTC Goal 3L. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Processes and History of a Dynamic Planet |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This course provides an introduction to physical and historical geology, including the nature of the earth, its description and the processes that govern its formation and change; rocks and minerals that make up the earth, their characteristics and how they form, and how those rocks reveal Earth’s past. The course addresses aspects of mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, plate tectonics, volcanology, seismology, stratigraphy, weathering and erosion, paleontology, paleogeographic reconstruction, and geochemistry. MnTC Goal 3. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Introductory Geology Lab |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This lab complements and expands on the principles in Geos 109 by engaging students in practices of recognizing and interpreting features in rocks and minerals, using petrological and stratigraphic information to reconstruct Earth’s past, using experimental and field evidence to constrain and understand geological processes, interpreting geological features in map and cross-sectional view, insight into how to use geochemical data, and problem-solving for how to remediate environmental problems. MnTC Goal 3L |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Water, Land, and People: An Introduction to Physical Geography |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This course addresses physical geography, some geology, and basic interactions between humans and their environment. Specific topics include landscapes and landscape formation, soils and ecosystems, surface and groundwater processes, weather and climate, natural hazards, and natural resources. MNTC goal 3 |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Introductory Physical Geography |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
Basic elements of geography including weather and climate, vegetation, soils and landforms. MnTC Goal 3. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Water, Land, and People: an Introduction to Physical Geography (Lab) |
| Prerequisite |
Geos 110 must be taken previously or concurrently. |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This Lab course complements the lecture section of this course and fulfills the lab component for the LASC 3L designation. The course applies lab exercises to addresses physical geography, some aspects of geology, and the basic interactions between humans and their environment. Specific topics include landscapes and landscape formation, soils and ecosystems, surface and groundwater processes, weather and climate, natural hazards, and natural resources. The Lab objectives of this course include a hands on development of students' framework of basic concepts and theories in physical geography and geology, and having students develop their own methodology for analyzing the spatial patterns of the natural world based on the concepts learned. Geography is a discipline of synthesis, and this course will include traditions and theories of geology, anthropology, archaeology, and bioscience with student evaluating societal questions from these broad perspectives. MnTC Goal 3L |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Cultures and Regions |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 7 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This course will introduce the foundations for studying the development of cultures and cultural diversity in the world, introduce the foundation concepts of Regional Geography, and study the interrelation between cultures, regions, their environments, and their activities. MnTC Goal 7. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Physical Geology |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
The nature of the earth, its description and the processes that govern its formation and change; including rocks and minerals that make up the earth, their characteristics and how they form; volcanic eruptions; earthquakes; weathering and the transport and deposition of sediment; mineral and energy resources; and the nature of other planets in our solar system. Must also register for GEOS 115L. MnTC Goal 3. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Physical Geology Lab |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This lab must be taken concurrently with GEOS 115 Physical Geology. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Historical Geology |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
Earth history from its beginning to present, including formation of continents, origin and destruction of mountain ranges, advances and retreats of oceans, processes that formed layers of rock and the principles by which they are "read", and what fossils tell about ancient living communities and the environments they lived in. Lab included. MnTC Goal 3. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Water, Land, and People |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
Focuses on the most recent changes in the earth and the portion of the earth with which people have the most interaction, including water, soil, air, and landforms developed by rivers, wind, and glaciers, with emphasis on how our environment influences and is influenced by human activity. Concurrent registration in GEOS 117 Lab required. MnTC Goal 3. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Water, Land and People Lab |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This is a zero-credit lab that must be taken concurrently with GEOS 117 Water, Land, and People. MnTC Goal 3.
Focuses on the most recent changes in the earth and the portion of the earth with which people have the most interaction, including water, soil, air, and landforms developed by rivers, wind, and glaciers, with emphasis on how our environment influences and is influenced by human activity. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Earth Science Today |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 Lab |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
A survey of the components of Earth Science needed for teacher licensure in Minnesota, including aspects of physical geology, historical geology, astronomy, and meteorology. Particular emphasis is placed on critical evaluation of evidence, how we know things in science, what the implications are for our society, and on actual investigation. Topics include volcanoes and earthquakes, the influence of chemical change on natural resources and environment, plate tectonics, planetary science, phases of the Moon, stories told by rocks of the Earth, how weather features form and move, and Earth's climate. Lab included. MnTC Goal 3. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Topics in Geosciences |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This is a topical course and may be repeated when the topic changes. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Thinking Spatially |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 3 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This course covers the analysis of three dimensional physical and/or social information across landscapes, including dynamic interactions among spatial variables and how they change with time. Students will learn to think spatially at different time and spatial scales, understand spatial terms (e.g., proximity, shape, density, position, adjacency, gradient, and others), translate 3D features from the real world to 2D features on maps, and make inferences about causation based on observed spatial correlations. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
GPS Field Techniques |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This course introduces students to Global Positioning System (GPS) data collection techniques commonly used to map point, line, and polygon features in the field. Experience with hand-held GPS units will be complemented by theoretical and background discussions of GPS and techniques for importing and manipulating GPS data in ArcGIS software. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Problems in Introductory Geology |
| Prerequisite |
GEOS 109 or other college level science course |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This independent study self-learning module provides a guided opportunity to practice applying concepts from GEOS 109 through science reasoning challenges, real-world geology problems, and self-guided labs and field work. Problems include exercises in mineralogy, petrology, paleontology, stratigraphy, geochemistry, structural geology, and geophysics. Online lectures provide a review and extension of concepts from GEOS 109. Pre-requisite = GEOS 109 or other college level science course. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Cartography |
| Lasc Area |
Goal 5 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This course covers elements of map design including projection from globe to map, map composition, graphic tools of mapmaking, and different map types and their origins, uses, and their underlying strengths and limitations. Students will gain experience with map construction from both traditional pen and ink production to the modern output of Geographic Information Systems. |
| Course Code |
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| Title |
Problems in Water, Land, and People |
| Prerequisite |
GEOS 109 or GEOS 110 |
| Course Outline |
Course Outline |
| Description |
This independent study self-learning module provides a guided opportunity to practice applying concepts from GEOS 110 (Water, Land, and People: An introduction to Physical Geography) through applied reasoning challenges, real-world problem in physical geography, and self-guided labs and field work. Problems include exercises in landscapes and landscape formation, soils and ecosystems, surface and groundwater processes, weather and climate, natural hazards, and natural resources. Online lectures provide a review and extension of concepts from GEOS 110. Pre-requisite = GEOS 109 or 110. |
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