Learning Outcomes: the benefits of this course to YOU!

Many, if not most, of you wonder why the heck you have to take a science class, especially an earth science class, which geology is. After all, few of you want to become scientists and as far as you are concerned, science has nothing to do with your life. You're just here for the credit and because UAM graduation requirements demand that you take a minimum of 8 hours of lab science classes, right? Well, if you'll take a little time to think about it, you might discover that this course has a great deal to do with your life, regardless of any career or life goal you choose.

First, any science class requires that you develop vocabulary skills. In fact, learning the vocabulary of science can be as challenging as learning a new language. But you should not view this task as an unpleasant one. Learning how to learn new words can be one of the most valuable skills you will ever develop. It will help you in business, in travel, in relations with people and in figuring out anything new that you pursue. The world of business, arts, literature, sociology, technology and the like each have their own unique language. An important goal of a science class is to help you develop the skills to quickly learn new vocabularies.

Second, science classes expose you to the foundations of human knowledge. Scientists work to obtain repeatable and verifiable evidence of how nature works through observations and experimentation. Nonetheless, the interpretation of those data may vary depending on the availability of new data or simply a new perspective. As new information is discovered and verified, human knowledge grows. But this approach is not confined to scientists. Any person faced with an important decision in life has to weigh the evidence and perhaps seek pertinent information. All of us practice the scientific method in our lives and work. The choices we make day to day and over the years depend on our ability to find, analyze and apply information. Science classes improve your ability to arrive at the right decision more often and more quickly.

Thirdly, science classes teach you that human problems have no simple answers. In some cases, there may be multiple solutions to a problem. In others, there may be no reasonable answer at all. Global warming, habitat destruction, hunger, disease, poverty and all of the myriad problems of the world are immense problems with no easy solutions. Local problems of air quality, water quality, food quality, crime, overcrowding and education present more immediate challenges. Science classes prepare you to analyze these problems, break them into smaller parts, solve the small parts first and seek tentative solutions for the difficult parts. Learning about science teaches you to be a science literate person and makes you a better informed decision maker where matters of local and global human importance are concerned.

In the broadest sense, science classes give you a blueprint, a way of thinking, an approach to the world that helps you better apply yourself to your life and career. While some of the topics may seem far afield from your interests, your approach to learning them applies directly to how you will grapple with unfamiliar concepts and ideas that you encounter in other fields of study or endeavor. Consider this course a 24-hour fitness center for your brain!

If you are successful in this course, you will be well on your way towards achieving these goals and expanding the horizon of what is possible in your life.

By the end of this course, I hope that you will have achieved the following:

ü       a familiarity with basic terminology and descriptions of materials and processes in the subdisciplines of the earth sciences

ü       an understanding of the interaction between geological, physical, chemical and biological processes in the earth sciences

ü       a healthy skepticism of facts and an appreciation for where knowledge comes from

ü       a recognition of your responsibilities as a science literate person

ü       an appreciation of the importance of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere to our planet

ü       an awareness of your relationship with the Earth

ü       a desire to better protect the Earth through active involvement with government and environmental organizations

Think about these learning outcomes and consider how you may derive the most benefit from them as you explore the science of geology in the coming weeks.