Oceanography 201: Science of the Sea
Spring 2013 - Course Information

Email questions can be directed to: ta@soest.hawaii.edu

TEACHING ASSISTANTS (TAs):

The TAs are available to discuss course material and answer questions during office hours. You are encouraged to utilize the TA services, as they are an excellent resource and an important link between you and the professor. They hold scheduled office hours in MSB 113. The hours are posted on the class website.

GRADING AND EXAMS:

Your grade will be based on three (3) 50-minute in-class exams, class participation and a field trip. The breakdown for course points is as follows:

Exams will consist of true/false, multiple choice, and short essay questions. Although the last exam will be given during the regular final exam period, it is not a comprehensive final and is equally weighted with the other course exams.

NO ABSENCES ARE ALLOWED FROM ANY EXAM, except under circumstances totally beyond your control. Except for these medical emergencies, excuses must be submitted and approved BEFORE the day of the exam. Athletes who will miss an exam due to scheduled games, etc. should inform the TAs 2 weeks prior to the exam.
If these procedures are not followed, you will earn a ZERO for the exam. If you miss an exam and your excuse is approved subsequently, a make-up exam must be taken as close to the originally scheduled exam as possible. The make-up exam may consist entirely of ESSAY questions.
The exams are graded on a curve. Exam grades and raw scores will be posted on the class website a few days after the exam. After the exam grades are posted, you may review your exam and the exam key during TA office hours. The exams cannot be removed from the TA Office.

EXAM REVIEW:

Exams from the past several years (without answers) are posted on the web site. Students are strongly encouraged to review prior exams when studying for the current semester's exams and to discuss them with the TAs during office hours. At the discretion of each individual professor, a review sheet may be provided approximately one week prior to each exam. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that he/she understands the topics covered in the review sheet.

FIELD TRIP:

Field trips provide a great opportunity to view and actually experience material from the course in the context of everyday life. All field trips for this course are self-guided. Information about each of these self-guided field trips is posted on the class website. In addition, each field trip has a worksheet that can be accessed on the course website. The worksheet must be filled out during the field trip. Also, please make sure you follow any specific instructions on the worksheet (e.g. attaching a receipt or getting the worksheet stamped). In order to receive credit (25 pts) for the field trip, the worksheet must be submitted to the TAs DURING OFFICE HOURS by May 1st. Forms will not be accepted after this date. Field trip forms can ONLY be submitted during office hours at the TA office, they cannot be turned in at any other time.

CLASS PARTICIPATION:

Class participation is both important and rewarded. This class requires the use of an i>Clicker. During each class period you will be asked several questions that will require you to respond with your registered i>Clicker. Your i>Clicker must be registered by January 18th. A total of 25 points can be earned by responding to these questions in class. Daily points will be awarded only when a minimum of 75% of the questions asked are answered. Each class is equally weighed, and therefore responding to a minimum of 75% of questions during every class will earn 25 points. Participation credit will begin being awarded during class on January 18th.

TEXTBOOK:

The text for this course is Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science, (any edition) by Tom Garrison. Older editions of the book will provide most of the same information and therefore are allowed. The book is available at the UH bookstore and there are copies available at Hamilton Library (both on reserve and on the shelf) and in the TA Office. The copies on reserve and in the TA Office are not to be removed from their respective locations. It is important that you prepare for class by reading the assigned text before coming to class. Course material presented in class is more readily assimilated when students come prepared.

The material in this course is best learned interactively. Despite the large class size, the instructors appreciate questions that can lead to a fun and informative class discussion.

Upon successful completion of the course:

• Students should understand how the scientific method works, how it has been applied in Earth science, and how it differs from other ways of acquiring knowledge.

• Students will be able to articulate how the Earth is in integrative system across many scientific disciplines.

• Students should understand the internal structure of the Earth and the dynamic processes of plate tectonics that shape its surface, including seafloor spreading, subduction, and continental drift.

• Students should understand the causes of rising sea level and its impacts on coastal areas, including erosion and beach loss.

• Students will be able to identify the major pathways of chemicals to the oceans and the effect that biological processes have on redistributing and removing chemicals from the oceans

• Students will be able to describe the major processes that cause the deep and shallow circulation of water in the oceans

• Students will be able to identify the major marine habitats, the types of organisms that live in those habitats, and give examples of how organisms are adapted to their habitat.

• Students will be able to describe the types of interactions that occur among organisms in the marine food web and between organisms and their environment.

DISABILITY ACCESS:

If you have a disability and related access needs, the Instructors will make every effort to assist and support you. For confidential services students are encouraged to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (known as “Kokua”) located on the ground floor (Room 013) of the Queen Lili'uokalani Center for Student Services:

KOKUA Program • 2600 Campus Road • Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 • Voice: 956-751 • Email: kokua@hawaii.edu www.hawaii.edu/kokua

Last modified: January 2013
Department of Oceanography