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Text: Essentials of Oceanography, 9th Ed., Thurman & Trujillo. Prentice Hall, 2002.

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Grading

Exams: There will be 3 exams during the semester, each worth 100 points. You will need a scantron and a pencil for these exams. I expect you to have these when you arrive to class. If you do not, you will lose 5 points. You will need an 882-E scantron and a #2 pencil for the exams.

Quizzes: There will be 4 quizzes given during the semester, and each will be worth 10 points; the lowest quiz score will be dropped. The quizzes will cover material that has already been presented in class. If you are keeping up with the reading and reviewing your notes you should do well on the quizzes.

Map Assignment - There will be one map assignment worth 20 points given at the beginning of the semester.

Essay Questions: Throughout the semester there will be take-home, open-book essay questions. Each question is worth 10 points. Your answers to these questions must be typed and MUST BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS. If you copy the answer from your text or from a fellow student, that will be considered plagiarism and you will receive a ‘0’ for the assignment.

Field Trip Assignment: There will be 1 self-guided field trip assignment to Cabrillo Aquarium. There will be a field trip guide that you will download and fill out. The assignment is worth 20 points.

Semester Project: You  will be required to write a 3-5 page paper on a local beach.  We will discuss this in more detail.  You need to pick the beach that you are going to research by February 3.  An outline for your project is due to me by March 24.  This project will be worth 50 points.

*All written assessments (assignments and short answer questions on exams) will be graded not only based on content but on the departments Writing Standards as well.

The MINIMUM number of points possible for the semester are:

3 exams @ 100 points = 300 points

4 Quizzes @ 10 points, the lowest score is dropped = 30 points

Maps Assignment = 20

6 Essay Questions @ 10 points each = 60 points

Field Trip Assignment =20 points

Beach Report = 50 points

Total = 480  points

Grades are assigned as follows:

90-100% = A 80-89% = B 70-79% = C 60-69% = D 59% and below = F

 **Your grades are always available to you. You may email me or stop by during my office hours to find out your grade. I will not discuss grades before or after class.

**In addition, you can calculate your grade on your own. Take the total number of points you have earned, divide it by the total number of points possible and multiply by 100.

THERE WILL BE NO EXTRA CREDIT GIVEN IN THIS CLASS.  IF YOU DO ALL OF YOUR WORK AND HAND IT IN ON TIME, YOU WILL NOT NEED EXTRA CREDIT.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

Attendance is a required part of the class. Students are allowed 4 absences during the semester, and may be dropped after the 2nd absence. Being late is extremely disruptive to the entire class.  For every 3 times that you are late, it will count as 1 absence.

Make-up work: There are no make-ups for exams or quizzes without a documented excuse such as a doctor's note or letter from the school. ALL make-up exams will be essay exams. You must call to let me know that you will be missing an exam or quiz, preferably before the exam or quiz is given. If you cannot call before the exam, call as soon as possible to schedule a time for the make-up exam. You must bring your documented excuse to the make-up exam or you will not be allowed to take the exam. No make-up exams will be given after the exam has been returned to the class.

Assignments All assignments must be in by the due date Late work will not be accepted, unless other arrangements are made with me ahead of time.

Cheating: Will not be tolerated. If you are caught cheating, this includes plagiarism, you will receive a '0' for that assignment and you will be subject to the appropriate disciplinary action.

Student Responsibilities:

1. Read: I encourage you to read the text and lab assignments BEFORE you come to class so you can familiarize yourself with the topics that we will be covering.

2. Attendance: Regular class attendance is important to your success in this class. Please attend class regularly and on time. Being late is disruptive to the entire class, especially on exam and quiz days. Attendance will be taken at the start of class. If you are late 3 times, it will count as 1 absence. If you have more than 2 absences, you may be dropped from the class.

3. Cell Phones: Turn off all cell phones and pagers. I do not want to see cell phones in class at any time this includes before class, during class, or at break time or even if you are using it as a calculator.

4.Add/Drop:  It is your responsibility to know the add/drop deadlines. Do not rely on me to drop you from the class. If you do not drop the class, you may receive an ‘F’ for the semester. For the fall semester, the last day to drop with a refund is January 25th, the last day to drop without a "W" is  February 17th , and the last day to drop with a "W" is April 24th.  DO NOT RELY ON ME TO DROP YOU.

5.Come see me:  If you are having trouble with the material in this class I encourage you to come and talk to me as soon as possible. Do not wait until the end of the semester.

Student Learning Outcomes for this course:

1) Students will know the importance of the oceans in the role of life on Earth.

2) Students will know the relationship between the oceans and the atmosphere in regards to weather.

3) Students will know the connection between ocean circulation, productivity, and distribution of marine life.