GEOL 230 - Geology of the National Parks - College of Arts and ...

Spring 2013 Syllabus University of South Carolina GEOL 230 Geology of the National Parks 

GEOL 230 - Geology of the National Parks (3 hrs) 

The Boiler Plate 

Meeting Time: Tuesday and Thursday 11:00 am to 12:15 pm 

Meeting Location: Lecture Hall PSC 006 

Instructor: Dr. David C. Shelley 

Instructor Contact Information: EWSC511, 777-4477, dshelley@geol.sc.edu 

Dr. Shelley’s Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9:15 to 10:15 am or e-mail for an appointment (preferred) 

Instructional Assistant: Martins Akintunde, oakintunde@geol.sc.edu 

Course Overview 

This is an introductory course in geology taught in the context of geologic resources protected by the United 

States National Park Service ( www.nps.gov). 

The lands of the NPS, including National Parks as well as 

Monuments, Seashores, Battlefields, and more, are the perfect lens for teaching geology because they represent the 

finest examples of geologic features, processes, and landscapes in North America. “Geology” here is broadly 

defined under the banner of “Earth Science” as the scientific study of Earth’s dynamic composition, structure, 

evolution, and history. Earth science is deeply integrated with physics, chemistry, biology, sociology, economics, 

history, and anthropology. The importance, validity and predictive power of modern earth science is reflected 

every day in the way our society manages metals, fossil fuels, nuclear power, transportation, engineering, risk 

assessment, fertilizer, tourism, recreation, public planning, conservation, and much more. 

Learning Outcomes 

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to: 

• Remember and understand key geologic features, processes, and concepts as well as their associations with 

selected NPS units 

• Remember and understand key elements of the National Park Service mission and organization 

• Apply and analyze basic principles of earth science related to the study of changes in minerals, rocks, plate 

tectonics, landscapes, evolutionary biology, and climate change through space and time 

• Apply and analyze basic principles of earth science related to the study (using repeatable measurements 

and testable ideas) of interactions between the geosphere (including rocks and sediments), biosphere 

(including people), hydrosphere (including surface water, groundwater, oceans, and ice), and atmosphere 

(including precipitation, temperature, wind, and storms) 

• Evaluate the many important roles of earth science in context of the NPS mission “to protect and preserve” 

geologic resources and landscapes for “the enjoyment of present and future generations,” as well as some 

basic implications for public policy, collective responsibility, and individual responsibility. 

Instructional Philosophy and Procedure 

This course is intended to provide non-science majors with the opportunity to earn a science credit. I love 

both geology and the NPS, and will do my best to make the class both engaging and rewarding. This does not mean, 

however, that students will be spoonfed fluff for an easy “A.” Reaping the benefits of this class will require 

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consistent work, critical thinking, and engagement on your part. Much of the material in this course is cumulative, 

recursive, and interrelated, so attending class is critical. If you attend class, take notes, do the assigned readings, 

study your notes for a couple of hours each week, and make an effort to understand the material then you should at 

least pass the course. Good grades may require more work. 

The class will be structured as a series of lectures paired with reading assignments. 

• In general, the first half of the course will focus on the rock cycle, deformation, and tectonics, while the second 

half will focus on landscapes and surficial processes. 

• The lecture and readings are designed to reinforce, supplement, and complement one another but they will not 

be identical. Quiz questions will be drawn from both sources even in areas that may not overlap. 

• Lectures will typically be presented in power point format, although they may be supplemented by notes on 

the board, video clips, rock samples, or simple demonstrations. You are strongly encouraged to ask questions 

for clarification at any time during class. I will not, as a policy, post any notes or PowerPoint files on 

Blackboard. Taking notes is an important skill that undergraduates must “learn and earn.” If you miss class 

then it is your responsibility to get the notes from someone else. I can only assist you with notes if you have a 

doctor’s note or other documentation for an excused absence, and this will involve coming to see me during my 

office hours. 

• Readings will focus on an NPS unit (or units) associated with the lecture topic, although the geologic story of 

the park may involve much more than just the lecture topic. Focus on the lecture topic when you read, but 

don’t ignore over the rest of the material, as it may still show up on a quiz and/or later in the semester. I would 

advise you to mark up the book and/or take separate notes on the reading. Pictures are pretty to look at, but 

don’t ignore diagrams and charts when you read; they contain a lot of information and may show up on the 

quizzes. Readings, either from the textbook or internet, may be read before or after the lectures – just be sure 

you have read them in time for the quiz each Thursday. The required textbook is: Harris, A.G., Tuttle, E., and 

Tuttle, S.D. 2003. Geology of the National Parks (6 th Ed.), Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, ISBN 978- 

0787299712, 896 pp. Some of the parks covered early in the semester will also be revisited during later 

lectures. 

I do ask that you respect my effort and other students’ attention during class. Earbuds, internet surfing, 

texting, phone conversations, and other non-GEOL 230 activities are not permitted in class. If I observe these then 

I reserve the right to ask you to leave for the day; this will also definitely count heavily against your class 

participation grade. 

Contacting me 

I have two offices. I am in my campus office (EWSC 511) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with office hours from 

9:15 to 10:15. My campus phone is 777-4477, although I am only able to check messages on Tuesday and 

Thursday mornings. My second office is at Congaree National Park. My normal park office hours are Monday, 

Wednesday, and Friday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. My park office phone is 803.647.3966. 

As of the start of the semester I do not have a USC e-mail. This should change within a week or two. Until 

then, please reach me at david_shelley@nps.gov. 

I typically only check e-mail once a day (probably morning). 

I manage a lot of e-mail at work. To make sure that I recognize your message as related to class, please include the 

course title and year (GEOL230/Spring2013) in the subject line and your first and last name somewhere in the 

body of the e-mail. This will help me manage my inbox and get back to you in a timely manner. 



Grading 

This course is heavily weighted (60%) towards regularly-spaced quizzes. On a positive note, this encourages 

you to attend class, encourages you to stay on top of the material throughout the semester, and reduces some 

stress around exam time. The potential downside is that the final exam, while important, will not be enough to 

“make up for lost time” if you slack off along the way. Exams and a class participation grade will round out your 

quiz average. 

Quizzes are normally scheduled at the beginning of class on Thursday. They will include 10-15 multiple choice, 

short-answer, and drawing questions chosen from the readings and lecture assignments from the previous 

Thursday and Tuesday. You are responsible for bringing lined notebook paper for your quizzes. Questions will be 

read out loud and/or projected on the screen. Students will have ten minutes to complete the quiz and turn it in. 

Exams will essentially be cumulative, and cannot be dropped or replaced (see below). Points on quizzes will be 

taken off for grammar, spelling, and handwriting. 

Quizzes cannot be made up if you are late or have an unexcused absence, but there are some caveats. We all 

have lives. I will drop the lowest quiz grade during the semester. I will also allow you to replace at least one of the 

lower grades with an optional bonus assignment. I will announce at least one optional bonus assignment during 

the semester, and hopefully more. Bonus assignments will be due two weeks from when they are announced, and 

may involve a non-class trip to Congaree National Park. If you complete a bonus assignment, then this grade will 

replace your next lowest quiz grade (even if it is lower than your quiz grade). 

Your final grade will be averaged from quizzes, exams, and class participation using the following criteria: 

Item 

Count Grade Per Item 

Quiz Grades (13 quizzes, drop the lowest +/- substitutions) 12 4.62% 

Mid-Term Exam (counts as three quiz grades, with no option to drop) 1 15.00% 

Final Exam (counts as three quiz grades, with no option to drop) 1 15.00% 

Class participation (my subjective reflection on your attendance and engagement) 1 10.00% 

Total Grades 15 100.00% 

Averaged grades will be rounded to zero decimal places using standard conventions (i.e. 89.4 = 89) and graded on 

the following scale: 

A B+ B C+ C D+ D F 

90-100 87-89 80-86 77-79 70-76 66-69 60-65 0-60 

Academic Integrity 

All students at USC are expected to conform to the Code of Student Academic Responsibility. Specifically, “It is the 

responsibility of every student at the University of South Carolina Columbia to adhere steadfastly to truthfulness 

and to avoid dishonesty, fraud, or deceit of any type in connection with any academic program. Any student who 

violates this rule shall be subject to discipline.” Furthermore, “any member of University community, who has 

reasonable grounds to believe that an infraction of the Code of Student Academic Responsibility has occurred, has 

an obligation to report the alleged violation.” Any cheating during quizzes or exams will result in an F for the 

course. I will do my best to help you avoid cheating on exams and quizzes, but ultimately it is your responsibility. 

In simple language, I do not deal kindly with cheating. I never cheated in my entire school career. Never. Not 

once. I did not get A’s in everything, but I worked hard, did my best, and honestly earned everything I got. I 

have no respect or sympathy for students who seek to do otherwise. 



Class Schedule: 

Date # Lecture Topic Featured Parks Reading Q 

Tue, 01/15 1 Introduction to the Course Syllabus 1* 

Thu, 01/17 2 Introduction to the NPS http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/to 

ur/index.cfm: Choose any three parks 

and read their field notes 

Fri, 01/18 Last Day to change classes 

without a W 

Tue, 01/22 3 Earth System Science http://www.earthscienceliteracy.org/es_l 

Thu, 01/24 4 Dots, Wiggles, Shapes: Making 

Meaningful Stories from 

Geologic Observations 

Tue, 01/29 5 Building Blocks: From Minerals 

to Tectonic Plates 

iteracy_6may10_.pdf: ALL 

http://www.agiweb.org/environment/pu 

blications/mapping/mappingbook.pdf: 

Pages 1-31 

http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/rxmin 

/index.html: Top four links, simplified 

rock classification chart; 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynam 

ic.html: Top four links 

Thu, 01/31 6 Measures of Time Grand Canyon http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/fossils/contents. 

html: all ,TB: Ch. 1 

3 

Tue, 02/05 7 Rocks: Igneous Yosemite TB: Intro. to Part IV, Ch. 28, Box 25.1 

Thu, 02/07 8 Rocks: Sedimentary Grand Canyon, 

Zion 

TB: Ch. 1, 2 4 

Tue, 02/12 9 Rocks: The Fossil Record Petrified Forest 

and Badlands 

TB: Ch. 8, 9 

Thu, 02/14 10 Rocks: Metamorphism and 

Deformation 

Acadia TB: Intro. to Part V, Ch. 24 5 

Tue, 02/19 11 Tectonics: Rifts Death Valley TB: Ch. 48 

Thu, 02/21 12 Tectonics: Ocean Plates and 

Subduction 

Olympic TB: Ch. 30, Box 35.1 6 

Tue, 02/26 13 Tectonics: Thrust Belts Great Smoky 

Mountains 

TB: Ch. 55 

Thu, 02/28 14 Tectonics: Mafic Volcanics Hawaii 

Volcanoes 

TB: Ch. 40 7 

Tue, 03/05 15 Tectonics: Felsic Volcanics Yellowstone TB: Ch. 43 

Thu, 03/07 16 Review and Exam All Parks from All readings since 1/15 Q8, 

Part I 

E1* 

Tue, 03/12 No Class - Spring Break 

Thu, 03/14 No Class - Spring Break 

Tue, 03/19 17 Weathering, Erosion, and Soil Bryce Canyon. 

Capitol Reef 

TB: Intro. to Part I, Ch. 3, 4 

Thu, 03/21 18 Evaporites and Aeolian 

Great Sand TB: Ch. 12, 

9 

Processes 

Dunes, Indiana http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/par 

Dunes, White ks/indu/index.cfm, 

Sands 

http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/par 

ks/whsa/index.cfm 

Tue, 03/26 19 Wetlands and Organic 

Sediments 

Everglades TB: Ch. 19, Box 20.1 

Thu, 03/28 20 Carbonates Guadalupe 

Mountains and 

Virgin Islands 

TB: Intro. to Part II, Ch. 17, 18 10 

Tue, 04/02 21 Caves Mammoth Cave 

and Wind Cave 

TB: Ch. 14, 15 

Thu, 04/04 22 Glaciers, Alpine Glacier Bay TB: Intro. to Part III, Ch. 31 11 

2 



Date # Lecture Topic Featured Parks Reading Q 

Tue, 04/09 23 Glaciers, Continental Cuyahoga 

Valley, 

Voyageurs 

TB: Ch. 13, 22 

Thu, 04/11 24 Coastlines Fire Island, http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/par 12 

Channel Islands, ks/fiis/index.cfm, 

Kenai Fjords, http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/par 

Cumberland ks/kefj/index.cfm, 

Island 

http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/par 

ks/cuis/index.cfm, VIDEO (18 min.): 

http://www.nps.gov/chis/photosmultime 

dia/a-treasure-in-the-sea.htm 

Tue, 04/16 25 Rivers and Floodplains Congaree TBA 

Thu, 04/18 26 Geoarchaeology and Geologic Mesa Verde, TB: Ch. 7, 

13 

Heritage 

Chesapeake and http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/par 

Ohio Canal, ks/choh/index.cfm, 

Russell Cave http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/par 

ks/ruca/index.cfm 

Tue, 04/23 27 Climate Change TBA http://cleanet.org/cln/index.html, 

Thu, 04/25 28 Summary, Review, and 

All Parks from All readings since 3/19 14 

Evaluations 

Part II 

Fri, 05/03 29 Final Exam All Parks from 

Part II 

All readings since 3/19 E2* 

*Quizzes and exams marked “*” cannot be dropped or replaced 

Final Note 

This syllabus has been pre-planned to the best of my ability, but the lecture topics, 

sequence, readings, and quiz schedule are subject to change as the semester unfolds. I will 

clearly announce any such changes in class. I will not penalize you or your grade if there is 

a sudden change less than two class periods ahead of time.

GEOL 230 - Geology of the National Parks - College of Arts and ...

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