Planet Earth: The Big Picture (ERTH1000)

Course overview

Earth is a small planet, but with a big history. With its origin some 4.5 billion years ago, ERTH1000 will examine Earth's evolution, from both a geological and biological perspective. The course will explore concepts as diverse as the origin of the Solar System through to the evolution of life. It will touch on the big geological processes that have shaped our planet, covering topics including plate tectonics, volcanology, earthquakes and climate change. ERTH1000 is recommended for all students in geology, ecology, biology, marine, environmental science and archaeology, and is also appropriate for anyone who wants to know more about the world they live on. Includes a one-day field trip (additional fee may be payable).

Earth is a small planet, but with a big history. With its origin some 4.5 billion years ago, ERTH1000 will examine Earth's evolution, from both a geological and biological perspective. The course will explore concepts as diverse as the origins of the Solar System, the potential for life on Mars, Earth's earliest lifeforms from the dawn of time through to the evolution of the dinosaurs and everything else in between. It will touch on the big geological processes that make Earth what it is today, covering topics as broad as plate tectonics, volcanology, and earthquakes, natural resources, as well as the major climatic impacts that we've faced and their role in shaping the modern environment.

This course will provide the perfect entry level overview of modern Earth Science.

ERTH1000 is compulsory for Bachelor of Science students who wish to major in Earth Science, Archaeological Science, and Environmental Science (Honours), but we strongly also recommended it for those who intend to specialise in ecology, physics, biology, marine sciences, and other aspects of the archaeology; it will provide the fundamental background for upper-level courses across each of those disciplines. ERTH1000 is offered both in Semesters 1 and 2 ﾠand is worth two units. A full-day field trip will be run during the semester with an additional cost of around $40-50.

Course requirements

Assumed background

This course assumes a general level of knowledge equivalent to Year 12, but no prior knowledge of Earth Sciences.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

It is expected that students attend ALL LECTURES (live on Zoom) and the face-to-face PRACTICAL sessions as per schedule (there are eight pracs in the semester).

The fieldtrip will run on the weekend of Week 10. Students need to attend only one day (sign-on will open later during the semester).

The mid-semester exam will be held in Week 7. It will cover all the lectures and practical classes from Weeks 1-6.

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Lecture and prac schedule for the semester - (subject to minor modifications):

Teaching Week 1

Lecture 1 (Monday): Earth Science and why you should care (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 2 (Tuesday): Bazinga! Earth Science and the Big Bang Theory (Dr Gilbert Price)

NO Prac in Week 1

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Teaching Week 2

Lecture 3 (Monday): Our place in space (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 4 (Tuesday): Earth's structure (Dr Gilbert Price)

Practical 1: The differentiated planet

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Teaching Week 3

Lecture 5 (Monday): When continents collide (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 6 (Tuesday): Dynamic Earth (Dr Gilbert Price)

Practical 2: Earth's shifting surface ﾠ

Teaching Week 4

Lecture 7 (Monday): Rock cycle (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 8 (Tuesday): Fire-breathing mountains (Dr Gilbert Price)

NO practical this week (Ekka Holiday on Wednesday)

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Teaching Week 5

Lecture 9 (Monday): Earthquakes (Dr Annie Lau)

Lecture 10 (Tuesday): Tsunamis (Dr Annie Lau)

Practical 3: Geology in action

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Teaching Week 6

Lecture 11 (Monday): Hard rocks 1- magmatics (Dr Annie Lau)

Lecture 12 (Tuesday): Hard rocks 2- metamorphic (Dr Annie Lau)

Practical 4: Rocks of southeast Queensland 1- igneous and metamorphic rocks

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Teaching Week 7

Mid-semester exam (Monday)

NO Lecture on Tuesday in Week 7

NO Practical classes in Week 7

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Teaching Week 8

Lecture 13 (Monday): When the dust settles (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 14 (Tuesday): The pace of time (Dr Gilbert Price)

Practical 5: Rocks of southeast Queensland 2- sedimentary rocks

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Teaching Week 9

Lecture 15 (Monday): Clocks in rocks (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 16 (Tuesday): Is there life on Mars? (Dr Gilbert Price)

NO Practicals in Week 9

SEMESTER BREAK

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Teaching Week 10

Lecture 18 (Monday): A brief history of life on Earth (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 17 (Tuesday): Building blocks of Brisbane (Dr Gilbert Price)

Practical 6: The astrobiology of Bitter Springs

In-person field trip: Saturday 5th / Sunday 6th October (students need only attend one day)

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Teaching Week 11

NO Monday lecture due to King’s Birthday public holiday

Lecture 19 (Tuesday): Dinosaurs across the universe (Dr Gilbert Price)

NO Practical classes this week

Teaching Week 12

Lecture 20 (Monday): What's drives extinction? (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 21 (Tuesday): Climate change is not new, so why should we care? (Dr Gilbert Price)

Practical 7: Jurassic Prak

Field trip assignment due by midday Friday 18th of October

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Teaching Week 13

Lecture 22 (Monday): Geology of your iPhone (Dr Gilbert Price)

Lecture 23 (Tuesday): The Big Picture (Dr Gilbert Price)

Practical 8: Fossils- Trackers of time and change

Aims and outcomes

• The structure and character of the Earth’s core, mantle, and crust.
• Introduction to geological materials.
• Plate tectonics and natural hazards - earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, landslides, subsidence,ﾠfloods, hazards of ocean and weather.
• Earth resources - petroleum, coal, alternative energy, mineral, soil and water. Environmental impact resulting from the use (and abuse) of Earth resources.
• The geological evolution of southeast Queensland.
• The biosphere, the evolution of life, and the fossil record. Geological time scale

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Mid-semester exam

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

20%

Due date

2/09/2024

Face-to-face exam

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Submit at end of examination

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Field trip notes and report

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

20%

Due date

18/10/2024

Submission online

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submission online

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Final exam

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Pracs

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

30%

Due date

Week 2 - Week 13

Each prac is due at the end of the respective practical session. There are eight pracs through the semester.

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submission via Inspera

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

ASSESSMENT HURDLE: To pass this course, you must achieve 50% or above in the final exam.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Supplementary assessment is available

Courses graded 1-7 

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply. 

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.  

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.  

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes. 

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.

Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time. 

Final exam

A prerequisite of passing the course is that you must also pass the final exam (i.e. achieve a mark of 50% or greater in the final exam).

More information on the University’s assessment policy may be found here: https://policies.uq.edu.au/document/view-current.php?id=134

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Turnitin

By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment.”

All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if assessments are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after five days, will receive zero.

In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Other free and online software / websites will be required; details will be communicated as the semester progresses.

Additional costs

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.