9TH Grade Dynamic Earth (Geology) Block Syllabus

Instructor: Dan Moise 919-241-4546, dan_moise@yahoo.com

In the Dynamic Earth block we will study the earth and the forces and processes that created various landform and phenomena. We are dealing with enormous areas of land and water and phenomena that occur over vast periods of time. It requires refined observation skills, the ability to visualize in three dimensions and to hold in one’s imagination the unfolding of events as they change over long periods of time. The earliest students of the earth were often artists, farmers and natural scientists who had the capacity to notice details and phenomena often overlooked by their peers. They were unaware of the subtle changes in the landscape over time and they were attentive to the natural forces that are at work in the natural world. We think of Geology as a study of the mineral life of the planet and we often consider it in the realm of the non-living. This, we are beginning to realize, may be a mistake as we discover some of the amazing and intimate relationships between the mineral and the non-mineral world. Some of the best geologists are also well-trained botanists and paleontologists, recognizing the deep mystery that runs through the relationship of the natural world. A mountain is much more than its bedrock, a canyon is much more than its steep, terraced, striated walls.

These places are ecosystems, bioregions, micro habitats and are beginning to help us understand that the line between living and non-living matter is becoming sufficiently blurred and questionable.

Main lesson books must be complete, neatly done, all handwriting, clear and legible. I expect your best efforts. Use colored pencils for drawings and blue or black ink for writing, no gel pens, markers, pastels etc. Give some thought to the aesthetic presentation of the material, as well as accuracy of information and completeness. When I grade ML books I am looking for accurate understanding of the material, depth in working with

the topic and aesthetic/artistic presentation. In all my classes extra credit can be gained by noticing the subtleties, the interesting facts or observations that engage a deeper questioning of the material.

All essays and drawings need titles and drawings will need labels

I will assign written work. The information needed for the essays will come from your notes, our class discussions and available books or articles. I will correct your rough drafts and return them to you for entry into your Main Lesson book.

The Main Lesson book content include: Essay on Earth, Essay on the Greek World View, accompanied by Hecateus’s World Map, Leonardo da Vinci, William Smith, James Hutton and his Theories about Earth, The Rock Cycle with sketches, Alfred Wegener and his Theory of Continental Drift, Map of Pangaea to the present, Plate tectonics, Volcanoes, Pilot Mountain trip, etc

The Main Lesson Book is worth 30% of your grade and is due on the last day of the block.

Tests/Quiz There will be a quiz on Thursday October 7TH , and a final test in the last day of the block.

The quiz and the final test count as 30% of your grade.

Class participation involves: regular attendance and punctuality, timely completion of assignments, engaging in class discussions, approaching me with questions, asking for the guidance or clarification you need to understand the material and complete the assignments and behaving in a respectful manner.

Take notes in class from what is put on the blackboard and from what is spoken in class. Images may be posted on the walls or handed out to you, various articles will be given; we will have class discussions and your peers will make comments or observations. Come each day with a notebook and pencil and be prepared to take detailed notes and make sketches. Compare your notes and your understanding with that

of your classmates.

If you miss a class, YOU are responsible for obtaining the notes and checking with me in regard to assignments. Missing a class is not an excuse for an incomplete assignment.