ESS103H Geology in Public Issues

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto

Fall 2020

Garden photo with agate, July 2020

Information
instructor: Carl-Georg (Charly) Bank
contact: via Quercus (emails should be for specific questions regarding you individually, for
example related to accommodations or grades; general questions can be posted to the general
discussion board which will be monitored by the teaching team)
teaching assistants: Junxing Chen and Talha Qadri
librarian: Bruce Garrod
course website: on Quercus, see https://q.utoronto.ca/courses/180463. Enrolled students get
automatic access, but anyone with the link should be able to access the site
office hours: I will offer at least 3 office hours each week, times will be posted on the course
website
textbook: no purchase necessary, you will be reading online material
packback questions: we will be using the Packback platform for discussions. Cost: CAD 25.00
and deductions may apply (eg, if you have used Packback before). For more information see
note below.

Course learning outcomes

At the end of this course students will be able to
1. recognize geoscience issues affecting society often mentioned in the news (e.g., natural disasters,
mining, fracking, climate change, water, geoforensics)
2. describe key geoscience concepts (e.g., plate tectonics, climate change, ore formation) using
concept sketches,
3. read graphs and make simple quantitative arguments (e.g., determine recurrence rates after
plotting disaster occurrences on a log-log graph),
4. follow the 5-step process to develop an argument that is consistent with scientific evidence and
ethically sound,
5. communicate their thoughts adhering to academic integrity (as short text, or sketches, and as op-
ed, story board, podcast, or short video), and
6. work effectively in small teams.

Evaluation
20% 10 weekly individual quizzes (LO 1 and 2)
20% contributions to online group discussions on Packback platform (LO 1, 2, 3)
5% 2 team summaries posted to class per student (LO 1, 2, 3, 5, 6)
25% 2 multiple-choice tests (LO 1 and 3)

ESS103H Fall 2020 syllabus 1

30% scaffolded group assignment (op-ed or storyboard or podcast or short video in teams of 4;
LO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
bonus point if you provide me with a helpful suggestion I can implement to improve this online
course. I have never taught in this mode, so am learning a lot about online learning.

Graphical course schedule

Course calendar description

Geologic hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunamis. The distribution and politics of
natural resources, including petroleum and ore deposits. Nuclear power and nuclear waste
disposal. Global change: the geologic record of hot and cold climates, and how the earth survives.

ESS103H Fall 2020 syllabus 2

ESS103H1 is primarily intended as a science Distribution Requirement course for Humanities and
Social Science, it will be taught in odd years.
Exclusion: GLG103H1, ERS103H5
Distribution Requirements: Science
Breadth Requirements: The Physical and Mathematical Universes (5)

Expectations
Because this is an online course without fixed class meeting times it is a self-paced course. If it was
an in-person class it would have two hours of lecture, and typically students have to work the same
time outside of class to review material. Additional time is needed to work on the assignment.
Therefore I suggest that you plan to invest about 5 to 6 hours per week on this course.
Although the course is asynchronous, meaning there are no fixed times when we meet as a
class, you will be assigned to two groups: (1) four students form one assignment team that
collaborates on the scaffolded assignment throughout the term - see the right column in the
graphical course schedule, and (2) three to four teams make up one discussion group to help each
student work through the weekly tasks required to complete each topic. Teams and discussion
groups will be in regular contact with one member of the teaching team. It is recommended that
students have a computer with a microphone (and camera if possible) in order to participate in
online activities.
In general, I expect students to be honest and respectful to peers and the teaching team, to
manage their time appropriately, and to be committed to their discussion group and assignment
team. You can expect suitable support from myself and the other members of the teaching team.

Structure of topics
Each week (apart from two test weeks), which runs from Thursday to Wednesday, your group will
work on one topic. You will be provided with links and questions to the science and to an ethical
issue, framed by an introduction and a summary; this portion you work through individually. You
then will post questions and responses to your discussion group, and in your team work
collaboratively on a summary post (which may be as a paragraph, as a concept sketch, as an audio
file, or a short video) that one team member will post to the class.
This diagram visualizes how a topic week is structured:

Please note two maybe confusing setups:

1. you are a member of two distinct learning camps in this class:
(a) Your discussion group will share questions and responses on Packback.
(b) Each assignment team collaborates on the summary posts and the team assignment.
2. we will be using two discussion platforms:
(a) your contributions to Packback (1 question and 2 responses per week, two topic summaries
over the term) will be graded.

ESS103H Fall 2020 syllabus 3

 (b) the discussion board on Quercus allows you to ask clarifying questions on the topics,
assignments, or on administrative issues. These will not be graded.
In addition, each assignment team will need to find a way to communicate among themselves.

A note on the assignments in this course

In this course you will be working on various levels because you have to keep track of both
individual and team assignments. In addition to individual quizzes at the end of each topic (you can
get to one quiz from that specific topic website) here is a tabular overview of the other assignments:

Each topic is housed on its own website, and you access the topic from the course home page.

Team assignment
This is the biggest assessment in this course, and you will be assigned to work with three other
students. The four of you will be asked to solve a "wicked problem" (that does not have a clear
answer) related to earth science and society and linked to one topic. You will present your thoughts
in a format (op-ed, storyboard, podcast, video) suitable for a general audience, including other
students in the class. The product should show both aspects of science and the ethical process.
The assignment requires you to collaborate, because soft skills such as team work are highly
valued by employers (see, for example, Globe and Mail articles from June 20191 and July 20202).
To make your team experience productive and supportive you will be asked to discuss a team
contract at the start. This contract for example will spell out when and how (for example, at the
same time via Zoom/Skype/Teams/Google and/or by using a document-sharing platform?) you will
communicate and who will be the responsible lead for certain aspects of the assigment. I am aware
that some of you may have had bad group experiences and hope that by creating a contract and
following a process you will enjoy working with your team.

1
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/article-soft-skills-are-what-distinguish-one-job-candidate-from-
the-next/
2
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/article-its-time-to-brush-up-on-your-soft-skills-in-the-age-of-
remote-working/

ESS103H Fall 2020 syllabus 4

Notes
I strive to make this course welcoming to any student interested in the subject area, while trying to
be fair to all of you and recognizing that you come with diverse backgrounds, knowledge, and
preparation. Please take note of the following:
• academic accommodations: Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in
this course. In particular, if you have a disability/health consideration that may require
accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or Accessibility Services at (416) 978
8060 or https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/as. If you are already registered with
Accessibility Services please note: they do not share any information about you with
instructors, you need to talk to your accessibility advisor in order that necessary
accommodations be communicated to me. Please see extra note regarding deadlines below.
Should you need an accommodation for an assignment or learning task please let me know.
• academic integrity: (based on material on the Office of Academic Integrity website:
http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/osai).
Academic honesty and ethical behaviour are necessary for the proliferation and
communication of research and ideas. While I do not expect to encounter instances of
cheating in this class, I take academic integrity very seriously, and there are significant
consequences if you are caught cheating or engaging in academic misconduct.
All academic work in this course must adhere to the Code of Behavior on Academic
Matters3. Potential offences in assignments include, but are not limited to:
- Using someone else’s ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
- Copying material word-for-word from a source (including lecture and study group notes)
and not placing the words within quotation marks.
- Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the
instructor.
- Making up sources or facts, or including references to sources that you did not use.
- Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment including: working in
groups on assignments that are supposed to be individual work; having someone rewrite or
add material to your work while “editing”.
- Lending your work to a classmate who submits it as his/her own without your permission.
For a complete list of offences, see section B of the Code. You may come to me with
any questions. I am available during office hours and via email for help with assignments.
You can also get help through your college Writing Centre and the Academic Success
Centre.
As a faculty member at the University, I am bound by the same Code of Behaviour
on Academic Matters as you, and it is an offence for me to not report instances of academic
misconduct. To remind you of these expectations, and help you avoid accidental offences, I
will ask you to include a signed Academic Integrity Checklist with assignments. If you do
not include the statement, your work will not be graded.
And an additional note: Team work does not mean that you can be more lax with
academic integrity; on the contrary, it should reinforce the commitment all of us, as
members of the academic community, place on putting forward our honest and best effort.
For additional resources see: writing support at UofT4, UofT library advice on how

3
http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm
4
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uLT9rHESJh0H8omQhUW-OFpxem1NV8eQAVJ9tJy0XsU/edit

ESS103H Fall 2020 syllabus 5

 to prevent plagiarism5, Arts & Science information on academic integrity6 and specifically
information on academic misconduct7.
• communication: you will find the discussion board on the quercus course website. If you
need to get into contact with me directly (for example regarding marks or illness), please use
your utoronto email account and mark your email clearly with the course code in the subject
line. I try to answer within one working day.
• complaints process at UofT: if you have an issue with the course or need to make a
complaint, please take the following steps:
1. If appropriate, meet with a TA to discuss your concerns.
2. If that does not resolve the matter, schedule a face to face meeting with the course
instructor. It is recommended that this meeting is being attended by a mutually agreed upon
third party. If no agreement can be reached, the Associate Chair Undergraduate Affairs will
fill this role.
3. If this does not resolve the matter, students can write a formal complaint to the
Associate Chair Undergraduate Affairs.
4. In a last step, students can escalate their complaint to their respective college
registrar.
• course evaluations: are important for three reasons:
1. you can give me anonymous feedback that help me become a better teacher,
2. I can reflect on your comments to improve future offerings of this course, and
3. you provide UofT with critical information for my yearly performance review.
Please do complete course evaluations at the end of the term.
• deadlines: the weeks in this course run from Thursday to Wednesday (since the first day of
classes in Arts & Science is Thursday, 10 September 2020, and the last day of classes is
Wednesday, 09 December 2020). Submissions will be due Wednesday at 23:59. However,
late submissions will be accepted until Saturday at 23:59, especially to provide a buffer for
students requiring accommodations. In the rare circumstance where this may not be
sufficient, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.
• grades on Quercus: all grades published online via Quercus during the term are given
without any guarantee to be accurate, and the record on file is held in the instructors’ office.
• mental health: learning in a course and pursuing a degree should be exciting, yet we often
face personal and academic challenges that seem beyond our control. This year we face the
added obstacle of a pandemic. If you feel overwhelmed, please speak out. I encourage you
to be in contact with your college registrar; do not just see them as keepers of your record,
but as your personal support team.
• packback questions: Participation is a requirement for this course, and the Packback
Questions platform will be used for online discussion about class topics. Packback
Questions is an online community where you can be fearlessly curious and ask open-ended
questions to build on top of what we are covering in class and relate topics to real-world
applications.
Packback Requirements: Your participation on Packback will count toward 20% of
your overall course grade. There will be a weekly deadline for submissions (Wednesday at
23:59, with no-fault extension until Saturday, see under "deadlines" above). In order to
receive your points per week, you should submit the following per each deadline period:
- one open-ended question per week with a minimum Curiosity Score of 30, each

5
https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/plagiarism
6
https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academic-advising-and-support/student-academic-integrity
7
https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academic-advising-and-support/student-academic-integrity-osai/academic-
misconduct

ESS103H Fall 2020 syllabus 6

 worth 1pt of each assignment grade
- two responses per week with a minimum Curiosity Score of 30, each worth 0.5pt of
each assignment grade
Half credit will be provided for questions and responses that do not meet the
minimum curiosity score.
How to Register on Packback: An email invitation will be sent to you from
[email protected] prompting you to finish registration. If you don't receive an email (be
sure to check your spam), you may register by following the instructions below:
Create an account by navigating to https://questions.packback.ca and clicking "Sign
up for an Account" (Note: If you already have an account on Packback you can log in with
your credentials.) Then enter our class community's lookup key into the "Looking to join a
community you don't see here?" section in Packback at the bottom of the homepage.
Community Lookup Key: f9fe9792-eea3-4c09-bd05-68564531924c
Follow the instructions on your screen to finish your registration.
Packback may require a paid subscription. Refer to
www.packback.co/product/pricing for more information.
How to Get Help from the Packback Team: If you have any questions or concerns
about Packback throughout the semester, please read their FAQ at help.packback.co. If you
need more help, contact their customer support team directly at [email protected].
For a brief introduction to Packback Questions and why we are using it in class,
watch this video: vimeo.com/packback/Welcome-to-Packback-Questions
• policy on missed tests, quizzes, lab exercises, assignments and midterm tests:
1. There are no makeup exams for mid-term examinations.
2. Late submissions will not be marked and default to grade of zero. The deciding
date is the date stamp when the assignment is received by the front desk, or the time it is
submitted electronically to the course dropbox.
Missed tests, missed lab exercises and missed assignment deadlines will only be
excused for cases in which the absence was entirely beyond the student’s control (e.g.,
medical reasons, personal affliction). We reserve the right to request supporting
documentation such as a doctor’s note. All requests for consideration must be received no
later than 5 business days after the exam (the University is open during Reading Week). If
your petition is accepted you will be pro-rated on the missed assignment/test (i.e,. you will
be given a mark which is equal to your average course mark). To request that your
test/assignment be pro-rated, please register your petition by following this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3zI479GEzjM-U_QPpgd9q6syg-
BwDAtpWH_5xtJTTakz5AA/viewform.
Note, that reasons involving personal commitments such as vacation travel
arrangements are not considered legitimate grounds for missing tests and that we reserve to
the right request further documentation (e.g., a doctor’s note etc). Inclement weather is a
good reason to start your commute to class earlier but is not a valid reason to be exempted
from a test or assignment.
If your petition is successful, you (and your instructor) will be informed by e-mail.
• security online: the university suggest everyone check the following websites
https://securityplanner.org/#/ and https://securitymatters.utoronto.ca/resources/students/ and

ESS103H Fall 2020 syllabus 7