EARTHSCI 205G : New Zealand: Half a Billion Years on the Edge
Science
2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
- New Zealand’s beginnings – where and how New Zealand originated on a supercontinental margin;
- New Zealand’s mid-life crisis – how New Zealand came to be isolated in the Pacific;
- New Zealand’s later years – development of New Zealand’s unique geologic features and biota;
- Modern New Zealand – the consequences of New Zealand’s unique modern location “On The Edge”;
- Humans and New Zealand – how human settlers have affected New Zealand and its biota
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and describe New Zealand's geologic origins and geologic history (Capability 1, 2 and 4)
- Understand and describe New Zealand's present geographic location and the unuque consiquences of this (Capability 1, 2 and 4)
- Understand and describe the history of some of New Zealand's unique biota (Capability 1, 2 and 4)
- Understand and describe some of the the impacts of humans on New Zealand and its biota (Capability 1, 2, 4 and 6)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Assignments | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Reports | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 50% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Reports | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Key Topics
- Basic geologic concepts
- The establishment of basement New Zealand against the margin of Gondwana
- New Zealand's early fauna - from shellfish to marine reptiles and dinosaurs
- New Zealand's departure from Gondwana - its near demise then resurrection
- New Zealand's unique fauna - land birds, whales, penguins
- Active New Zealand on a major plate boundary - why we have volcanoes, geothermal energy, and the Alpine Fault
- Modern New Zealand - our volcanoes, earthquake risk, and rapid erosion
- Human impacts on modern New Zealand
Learning Resources
- Relevant readings and references are given during each lecture.
- For those unfamiliar with some of the geologic concepts introduced any introductory level geology text will fill in the necessary details. The following is recommended: Marshak, S., 2012. Earth: Portrait of a Planet (Fourth Edition). W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-93518-9. Available for purchase at UBS and for loan from the General Library. Note: any edition would be suitable.
Special Requirements
Workload Expectations
- During the course - 22 hours lectures (22 x 1 hour, includes assignment introduction and feedback); 50 hours independent reading; 48 hours assignments (geoflyer; report);
- Additionally - 27 hours exam preparation; 3 hours exam.
Other Information
All course content related discussions, questions, etc., for the course will be conducted through Piazza. Personal matters will still be dealt with through email, but course content related questions will not be responded to. You are encouraged to ask questions when you are struggling to understand concepts. The quicker you begin asking questions on Piazza the quicker you will benefit from the collective knowledge of your classmates and instructors.
Email policy:
Emails will only be responded to during normal weekday working hours so please do not expect rapid responses outside these times. As a courtesy, and to ensure a more rapid response, ensure the following:
- emails should be sent from your University of Auckland email account
- include your name and student ID# in the email
- the subject line should clearly indicate the course number and what the email concerns
- emails should be written in a professional manner, spell-checked and proof-read before sending
- do not use txt or social media-type speak in emails
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Lecture notes and assignments (and any accompanying material) are downloaded from CANVAS. Lecture notes will be made available at lecturers’ discretion; availability of assignments will be advised. No hard copies are provided.
Lecture recordings:
Edited recordings of all lectures (barring unforseen technical issues) will be made available within 3 days of the lecture. These can be accessed from CANVAS.
Copyright
The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.
You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.
At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.
Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.