Our Dynamic Planet

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

GES 108 – “Our Dynamic Planet” – is part of UNCG’s General Education program known as Minerva’s Academic Curriculum (MAC). In particular, GES 108 is a MAC “Critical Thinking and Inquiry in the Natural Sciences” competency course.

GES 108 will foreground students in the following student learning outcomes (SLOs):

SLO 1 : Critically analyze natural science claims, arguments, or information. This SLO 1 will be assessed through exams and quizzes, responses to in and outside-of-class discussion questions, exercises on interactive digital learning platforms, and outside of the classroom field experiences.

SLO 2: Construct coherent, evidence-based arguments in the realm of the natural sciences. This SLO 2 will be assessed through exams and quizzes, responses to in and outside-of-class discussion questions, exercises on interactive digital learning platforms, and outside of the classroom field experiences.

The specific goals and objectives will include:

In GES 108 you will develop your inquiry and critical thinking skills in the natural sciences.

In GES 108 you will learn about the physical environment of our home—"Earth".

You will learn that Earth in form and structure is a dynamic entity.

You will develop an understanding of important local and global-scale environmental challenges, as well as an appreciation for the complexities associated with environmental issues.

You will learn about the interconnectedness of people and Earth's physical and biological systems.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
4 Exams: Students are required to complete four closed-book and notes exams in Graham 212 unless otherwise stated. Exams will be given after every 2/3 modules. See the Course Schedule/Calendar on Canvas for the dates of the exams. The number of questions on each exam will vary depending on the number of lessons covered in a given module. Exams will contain multiple choice and T/F questions. There will be no “cumulative” final exam in our course.	40%
Achieve assignments: The achieve assignments comprise of two separate types of assignment: scaffolded homework and adaptive quiz―both to be completed via the Macmillan Achieve platform. All the links to these assignments are available under the Achieve assignments category by clicking the Canvas module tab.	40%
In Class Activities: During the class periods, we will do one or more short in-class activities at least once a week. These activities will involve working individually to solve a problem or analyze some data. You will need to complete and turn in these class activities before leaving the class. You are required to come to class with your fully charged laptops for these in-class activities. Collectively, the in-class activities shall account for 10% of your grade in GES 108.	10%
Critical thinking task: The critical thinking task will develop your inquiry and critical thinking skills in the natural sciences. You will carry out a critical assessment of any recent weather-related disaster in the US and watch an environmental documentary film to identify the factual claims made by the film and any sources of potential bias and evaluate the merits of the film’s argument. Additionally, you will carry out some exercises relating to data exploration. Please read the detailed instructions about the critical thinking task document in Canvas. Click the file tab in Canvas to access this document.	10%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
60-62%	D-
63-67%	D
68-69%	D+
70-72%	C-
73-77%	C
78-79%	C+
80-82%	B-
83-87%	B
88-89%	B+
90-92%	A-
93-100%	A

Attendance/Participation:

Cell phones must be turned off and placed in a bag or pocket for the entire class meeting. Students who do not observe this rule will have two percentage points subtracted from their final grade for the first infraction, five percentage points for the second infraction, and ten percentage points for each additional infraction. If you need to refer to your phone during class due to an emergency or valid reason, you must inform the instructor at the start of class to avoid penalties.

Eating in class is prohibited unless you have a medical condition. Drinking water, coffee, tea, soft drinks, etc. is allowed.

Common courtesy is expected: do not talk while the instructor is lecturing, do not text or check your cell phone, avoid persistent lateness, and do not leave class before dismissal unless you inform the instructor before class begins. Students are expected to remain in class for the entire period unless a medical condition is communicated at the start of the semester.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

• First Day Program digital course materials charge applied to student account unless opted out.

• Online Access Code for e-text and mandatory assignments worth 30% of grade (purchase required if not in First Day Program).

• Textbook: Living Physical Geography 2nd ed. by Bruce Gervais.