Intro to Ocean Lec Syllabus Fall 2020 PDF

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syllabus for fall 2020 for the introduction to oceanography class...

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EAS/BIOEE 1540-1560: Introductory Oceanography

Fall 2020

Instructor Bruce C. Monger [email protected] Course Coordinator (Contact for Most Class Questions)

Weekly Homework Administrator (Contact for Weekly Question Submissions)

Matthew Pruden [email protected]

Charlotte Devitre [email protected]

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Coordinators Alice Huang [email protected]

Sara Sacker [email protected] Lab Section Instructors

Emerson Sirk [email protected]

Caren Shin [email protected]

Arjun Hausner [email protected]

Honorary Graduate Teaching Assistant Priya Balasubramanian [email protected] Undergraduate Teaching Assistants Carolina Arango Ashley Chang Karen Chen Mahdia Chowdhury Carolyn Chun Ava Ciaccia Ingrid Comella Lizette Conde Julia Considine Kiera Crowley Devon Davis Emily Dawson

Meeting Time:

Lorenzo de Alba Charlie Dubiel Adam Fekini Allison Finn Samantha Frucht Hannah Garcia Phyllis Huang Joshua Jacobs Sophia Johnson Simrin Kapoor Sharukh Khan Sungmin Ko

Carley Kukk Mahima Kumbhat Michelle Liu Victoria Liu Julia Lowe Itamar Mandelzis Emma Marino Mohit Mathur Miles McDonald Kate McNulty Sammi Minion Dillon Palmeri

John Ninia Marcus Saldarriaga-Grote Melissa Schaefer Juliette Torres Kaitlyn Triano Gabriel Vergara Ariel Wang Hannah Weinstein Jessie Wong Chris Yeung Kaitlin Martin

Online: Lectures are Asynchronous (videos streamed through Canvas) Quizzes and Assignments are available for completion for 24hr and 4 days respectively.

© Bruce Monger 2020

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EAS/BIOEE 1540-1560: Introductory Oceanography Special Note for Non-Bio CALS Majors

Textbook (Optional):

Fall 2020

EAS/BIOEE-1540 (LEC only) satisfies the distribution requirement for the Physical Sciences Requirement EAS/BIOEE-1560 (LEC+LAB) satisfies the distribution requirement for the Introductory Biology Requirement Investigating Oceanography 3rd Edition by Sverdrup and Kudela. Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We can Do to Save Them, Ted Danson and Michael D’Orso Note: These two books are not required reading, but the Oceana book is highly recommended. Exams will only cover material presented in lecture. Think of the Oceanography textbook by Sverdrup and Kudela as supplemental reading to clarify material covered in lecture.

Canvas

The Canvas Classroom Management System http://canvas.cornell.edu/ You Will Find the Following (among other things): 1. Video Recorded Lectures Streamed 2. Lecture Slides Available for Download 3. Weekly Homework Questions will be viewed/answered on Canvas. 4. Quizzes will be taken on Canvas 5. Piazza Discussion Board available to post questions to fellow classmates and the large group of class TAs.

Monday Quizzes

1. You can access the quiz via Canvas beginning at 11:30am on Monday. 2. There is a 24hr window of time for you to begin the quiz. 3. Once you begin the quiz, you will have 30 minutes to answer 30 questions. •

Note that the quiz ends at exactly 11:30am on Tuesday so you will want to begin the quiz BEFORE 11am on Tuesday if you want the full 30 minutes to complete the quiz.

•

At 11:30am on Tuesday any open quiz will automatically be turned in for grading and the quiz will end. So, it's best to get started early.

4. The quiz is essentially open-book and open-note since I have no way of controlling this… 5. However, the time limit of 30 minutes will put a reasonable incentive on you for having the information quickly at hand (i.e., in your head for quick retrieval).

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EAS/BIOEE 1540-1560: Introductory Oceanography

Fall 2020

6. Two more important things about the quizzes-- 1) You will only be able to view one question at a time and 2) once you submit an answer, you cannot go back later to review the question and/or change the answer. So, the quiz must be taken sequentially and you will not have an opportunity to circle back around to any of the previous questions. I know this can be a big-giant pain, but I am following Cornell's recommenced procedures to minimize cheating and the sharing answers. Weekly Homework Question

A new question or statement will be posted on Canvas most Friday afternoons (12:05pm). The assignment is due the following Tuesday at 11:59pm. The intention of the question or statement, broadly speaking, is to give you an opportunity to search and discover within yourself some open-ended thoughts and/or feelings about a topic that was brought up in class during the week. Unless otherwise specified, your written answer must conform to a strict word count of 100 to 200 words (equal to a short single paragraph). There is no right or wrong answer just your personal perspective. As long as you meet the word count requirement and have not plagiarized the material you will receive full credit for your response. There will be 10 Questions with each question worth 5 points for a total of 50 Points (equal in value to half a prelim exam). Based on the opinion/discretion of the TA reader, the approximately top 10% of written responses will be given 1 additional extra credit point for an exceptionally insightful response. Grace Question – Because a significant number of students will have an occasion that prevents them from submitting a question, every student in the class is given one grace question they can miss and still get full credit (5pts). If you answer all 10 questions, the lowest score (if any) will be given full credit (5pts). Two Weeks to Dispute a Weekly Question Score – To prevent an avalanche of disputed scores at the end of the semester, students are given two weeks after the scores are posted to dispute a score. After that, the score stands. NOTE: The question submission portal is configured to automatically disappear from view on Canvas at 11:59 of the due date. Consequently, there is no possibility to submit a late answer!! So please pay attention to the due dates.

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EAS/BIOEE 1540-1560: Introductory Oceanography

Fall 2020

Most weekly homework questions during the semester are meant to focus your attention on the following 5 basic ideas: 1. Humanity is not the center of the universe, but rather one tiny, random and relatively insignificant part of a much bigger universe. Consequently, it is foolish to think that we can keep doing whatever we want to the earth and expect that it will all magically workout fine for us. 2. The ocean is an import part of Earth's Overall Life Support System and, therefore, your life depends on a healthy ocean. As such, you have every right in the world to speak up (even shout) when you see the ocean threatened. 3. The ocean and whole planet face global environmental threats on the scale of threatening the future existence of functioning human societies. The time-frames of these global-scale threats are extremely short with critical red lines we should not cross just 20 years away. 4. You have a civic duty to raise your voice and ask government leaders to lead all of us toward a more sustainable world. As Cornell students, you are among the best and the brightest and most informed people in the world. The world needs to hear the voices of the best and the brightest and the wisest among us on how best to move toward a more sustainable world. 5. Moving toward a more sustainable world should not be seen as some hardship of moving away from something terrible, but rather is running toward a much better world – i.e., cleaner, more sustainable and spiritually much more enriching.

Letter to Congress

The Letter to Congress assignment is worth 50 points. It is due the day of the last lecture. The purpose of this assignment is given below: 1. To give you a reason (a moment) to get off the soul-crushing academic treadmill and gather together your personal thoughts and/or feelings on an issue of concern about the environment and where things are headed. 2. To give you a sense of ownership of what you have learned in this class and make you “see” that the course material has some application to your life. 3. To promote a strong sense of Civic Duty to raise your voice. 4. It can be Pro or Con on Environmental Conservation. The important thing is that it is YOUR own thoughts and feelings. 5. See Canvas for details

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Fall 2020

Got Questions? General Ocean Concepts

Piazza Discussion Board (accessed through the class Canvas site) provides students in the class with an open forum to ask questions of each other and to get answers from the TAs. Whenever you post a question an email is sent to all the TAs in the class. They will likely respond to your question within minutes. You can search the site to see what other students have written and the answers given by the TAs and/or fellow classmates. There are 3 Graduate Teaching Assistants and nearly 40 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UGTA) who can help clarify key concepts presented in lecture. You are strongly encouraged to use the Piazza site in place of emailing a specific TA with general ocean concept questions. Each UGTA is assigned about 40 students to serve as a point of contact for anything class-related. Your assigned UGTA can provide you with inperson assistance with the material if needed. Your assigned UGTA will reach out to you via email after the ADD period ends and the class enrollment stabilizes. You can also go see a Graduate TA for similar information about the course (see Canvas for their dedicated office hours and locations).

Student-Specific Questions/Issues

The Lecture Course Coordinator can usually help answer questions about the following issues: 1. Setting up an appointment to go over exam results and accuracy of the scoring. 2. Getting permission to take an early exam or make-up exam. 3. Making arrangements to take an exam with special accommodations if you have been preapproved through the student disabilities office. 4. Issues about submitting your weekly homework assignment.

Questions About Your Class Performance

If you have a question or a personal concern about your performance in the class, contact the Lecture Course Coordinator right away and set up a time to meet with them to go over study and test taking strategies. See contact information on first page of this syllabus.

Questions About The Conduct of the Class

If you have a question or concern about the academic integrity of the class or about the general conduct of the class, I would be very happy to meet with you! I am around most days from 7:30am to about 4:00pm. My mobile phone number is 607-227-2972 and email address is [email protected] ---Bruce

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Fall 2020

Social Media Facebook

The Cornell Oceanography Facebook Page provides regular posts to your news feed about current things happing in ocean conservation and just really cool ocean facts, photos and videos. It is a really fun and easy way to stay connected to the class long after you leave. I highly recommend you Like this page!! Visit the Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/CornellOceanography and Click the “Like” button.

[email protected]

After the ADD/DROP period ends, I will add your email addresses to the ocean-L listserv so that you can receive occasional emails about ocean conservation. You will be joining a growing list of almost 3,000 former students from this class who want to continue being informed about ocean conservation issues. Being on this list is optional and every email that goes out to this list has clear instructions for how to leave it.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to conduct themselves in the class in accordance with the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity. Which basically boils down to: be nice to your fellow students and do not cheat on your homework or your exams. A big part of the class – especially the last third of the class is devoted to concepts of living in this world with integrity and striving to be a better citizen in this world by acting to make a better world for all. Academic integrity violations are in direct opposition to this important message and, therefore, violations will receive the fullest possible punishment allowed under university guidelines. A student found to be cheating on exams, or plagiarizing homework assignments, will be charged with a academic integrity violation in accordance with the rules of the student’s respective college. If found guilty, the student will receive a failing grade for the semester.

Disability Accommodation:

© Bruce Monger 2020

If you have an Accommodation Letter from the Student Disabilities Office, then please make the Course Coordinator (see top of this syllabus) aware of your accommodation need at the beginning of the semester.

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Fall 2020

Exams and Grading: 1.

Five Online Quizzes. 150 Total Possible Combined Points for all Quizzes Each quiz will have 30 multiple choice questions and be worth a total of 30 points each. Because the quizzes are presented online this year, there is a possibility of an internet interruption while taking one of the quizzes. Giving a make-up exam as solution for when this happens is fraught with all sorts of problems. Most of the problems have to do with the need to even-handed with all students in the class. A solution that seems to be the fairest is to drop the single lowest quiz score of the five quizzes for all students in the class and base each student’s total score on the four highest quiz scores (see below for total score calculation). In this manner, if any student has an internet interruption that causes them not to complete the quiz, they will be able drop that quiz and not have it affect their overall total class score. No exceptions will be made for any additional quiz taking interruptions. So, if you fail to complete any single quiz, for any reason, you will be fine -- you just can’t fail to complete more than one quiz.

The total points for all quizzes combined will be determined as follows: Total Quiz Pts. = 150*[ (total Pts. of 4 highest quizzes)/(120 total possible Pts. for 4 quizzes) ]

2.

Weekly Question. 50 Total Possible Points There will be 10 Weekly Questions. Each Weekly Question requires a short answer (100-200 words) and will be 5 points. The total possible Weekly Question points: 10x5= 50pts total.

3.

Letter to Congress Writing Assignment. 50 points.

4.

Total Possible Class Points- 150Quizzes + 50Weekly Questions + 50Letter to Congress = 250

5.

Late Exams - The possibility of taking a make-up exam after the scheduled in-class exam has been given is very small. Any make-up will be decided on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the instructor. The main criteria used in deciding if a make-up exam can be taken will be the extent to which the circumstances were unavoidable and/or unforeseeable. In most cases, some form of documentation verifying the excuse for an absence is required.

NOTE: The make-up exams be a combination of multiple-choice and short answer and might be a bit more difficult than the original in-class exam. NOTE: Barring some sort of super amazing circumstances, you will only be allowed to take one late make-up exam during the semester.

6.

There is no extra credit (outside of the weekly homework extra credit) available in this class.

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7.

Fall 2020

Final Scores are computed as a percentage of the 250 total possible points* and carried out to two decimal places. Final Letter grades are assigned as follows: 96.67–100.00 = 93.34–96.66 = 90.00–93.33 =

A+ A A-

86.67–89.99 = 83.34–86.66 = 80.00–83.33 =

B+ B B-

66.67–69.99 = 63.34–66.66 = 60.00–63.33 =

D+ D D-

< = 59.99 =

F

76.67–79.99 = 73.34–76.66 = 70.00–73.33 =

C+ C C-

* Students in EAS/BIOEE-1560, please talk with the lab TA about the details of weighting lecture and lab scores for an overall final score for lecture + lab work.

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Fall 2020

Lecture Schedule: Week 1 Wed-Fri

9/2/20

-

9/4/20

Live Zoom Webinar Welcome Organizational Comments Course Logistics Brief Overview of What the Course Covers Origin of Earth and Oceans Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter/Section 1.1 and also 1.4 Weekly Question #1

Week 2 Mon-Fri

9/7/20

-

9/11/20

Marine Geology Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter 2 Weekly Question #2 Short Review Quiz 1 (Live Zoom Webinar)

Week 3 Mon-Fri

9/14/20

9/18/20

Monday Quiz 1: Origin of Earth and Marine Geology Waves and Tides Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter/Sections 8.1-8.8, 10.3-10.6 (Waves) and Chapter/Sections 9.1-9.5 (Tides)

Week 4 Mon-Fri

9/21/20

-

9/25/20

Ocean-Atmosphere Circulation Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter 6.1-6.5, 7.1-7.6 and 7.9 and Special Handout on Canvas Weekly Question #3 Short Review Quiz 2 (Live Zoom Webinar)

Week 5 Mon-Fri

9/28/20

-

10/2/20

Monday Quiz 2: Wave, Tides, Ocean-Atmos Circulation Primary Production Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter 12.1-12.4, 12.6, 12.9-12.9, and 12.11. Also Special Handout on Canvas Weekly Question #4

Week 6 Mon-Fri

10/5/20

-

10/9/20

Pelagic Food Webs Read: Sverdrup et al Chapter 12.5, 12.10 Microbial Processes Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter/Section 12.10

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Fall 2020

Week7 Mon-Fri

10/12/20

-

10/16/20

Overview Rocky Intertidal, Coral Reefs and Whales Special Optional Coral Lecture Prof. Drew Harvell Weekly Question #5 Oct 14 Break Short Revew Quiz 3 (Live Zoom Webinar)

Week 8 Mon-Fri 10/19/20

-

10/23/20

Monday Quiz 3: Primary Production to Whales Marine Chemistry Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter 4.1-4.6 and 5.1-5.4 Read: Danson & D'Orso pp. 60-73 See: Required Special Reading on Canvas Weekly Question #6

Week 9 Mon-Fri 10/26/20

-

10/30/20

El Nino and Other Natural Climate Oscillations Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter 6.7, 7.10 Climate Change Read: Sverdrup et al. Chapter 16 Read: Danson & D'Orso Chapter 2, And Other Materials on Canvas Weekly Question #7

Week 10 Mon-Fri 11/2/20

-

11/6/20

IPCC Special Report on 1.5C W...