GE 142 Spring 2008 Presentation

GE 142 Spring 2008

GEOLOGY of NATIONAL PARKS

Presentation Topics

Only one topic can be chosen by each student in the class. There will be no duplication of term papers or presentations. Hence, topical coverage is on a first come, first serve basis. Four papers will be during each of the five (5) symposia scheduled for this term on

6 March (Emphasis on PreCambrian Geology)
20 March (Emphasis on Lower Paleozoic Geology)
6 April (Emphasis on Upper Paleozoic Geology)
27 April (Emphasis on Mesozoic Geology)
1 May (Emphasis on Cenozoic Geology)

After you have reviewed the list of topics, have been to the library and/or electronic search engines, and have chosen a topic you want to pursue, complete the following form. I will acknowledge whether or not you are the first to have chosen the topic, and let you know whether to proceed or choose another topic.

Term-Paper Topic Selection Due On or Before: 23 February 2009 (This gives you 2.5 weeks to do some background literature research before choosing a topic)

E_mail (without @colby): Date:

Symposium #1 - 6 March 2009

Choose one of the following presentation & term-paper topics where the presentation emphasis will focus on the PreCambrian Geology & Geological History of the National Park:
: Voyageurs National Park
: Waterton Glacier Internatinal Peace Park
: Isle Royal National Park
: Rocky Mountain National Park
: Shenandoah National Park

Symposium #2 - 20 March 2009

Choose one of the following presentation & term-paper topics where the presentation emphasis will focus on the Lower Paleozoic Geology & Geological History of the National Park:
: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
: Acadia National Park
: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
: Great Basin National Park

Symposium #3 - 6 April 2009

Choose one of the following presentation & term-paper topics where the presentation emphasis will focus on the Upper Paleozoic Geology & Geological History of the National Park:
: Mammoth Cave National Park
: Cuyahoga National Park
: Guadelupe Mountains National Park
: Hot Springs National Park

Symposium #4 - 27 April 2009

Choose one of the following presentation & term-paper topics where the presentation emphasis will focus on the Mesozoic Geology & Geological History of the National Park:
: Zion National Park
: Capital Reef National Park
: Petrified Forest National Park
: Black Canyon on Gunnison National Park
: Big Bend National Park
: Grand Teton National Park

Symposium #5 - 1 May 2009

Choose one of the following presentation & term-paper topics where the presentation emphasis will focus on the Cenozoic Geology & Geological History of the National Park:
: Yosemite National Park
: Death Valley National Park
: Denali National Park
: Badlands National Park
: Mt. Ranier National Park

TOPIC SELECTION Due: 23 February 2009

Term Paper Due: Date of your Presentation

Guidelines for your Term Paper: The exact structure for your term paper will vary depending on the quantity and quality of the literature you've been able to find. You may want to start by consulting your textbook for several of these National Parks. Thereafter, you should consult the following reference:

Ann G. Harris & Esther Tuttle, 1990, Geology of National Parks, Dubuque, Iowa : Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co, 652 pages.
OLIN RESERVE SCIENCE QE77 .H36 1997
Eugene P. Kiver and David V. Harris, 1999, Geology of U.S. Parklands : J. Wiley New York, 902 p.
OLIN RESERVE SCIENCE QE77 .K59 1999

You many not obtain more than 20% of your literature from the web; that means if you use 2 websites for the project, you must have 8 library-based references in addition. There are 24 books available in the Science Library discussing the Roadside Geology of individual states. These can be found in the QE83 .C74 section. You can consult these for additional information as well as publications available through the National Park Service and State Geological Surveys.

Oral presentations of your report will be during the scheduled symposium as outlined above. Your presentation should be no longer than 10 minutes, and can be made either with:

Overheads/chalk board

PowerPoint Presentation

Web Page (HTML)

You should provide an outline of your talk as a handout for each colleague in the course and, of course, one for the Instructor. This outline should provide the pertinent geological information and history of the park.

ITS at Colby offers many tutorials on a variety of computer topics. The following websites can be consulted if you plan to develop your presentation in HTML:

Colby's Web Authoring Short Course
Composing Good HTML at ology.org

Colby also offers a PowerPoint tutorial ONLINE. This is accessible through the University of TEXAS at:

Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint

Your Term Paper should be NO LESS THAN 4 and NO MORE THAN 8 pagestyped double-spaced pages (10-12 pt font) . Include a complete Bibliography of all the references you have used (exclusive of the required 4-8 term paper requirement). Cite the appropriate references in the text body in the following manner:

Author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial.(period) Middle Initial.(period),(comma) Year of Publication,(comma) Title of Journal Article(Each word within the article is not capitalized): (colon) Full Title of Journal in which the article appears (No abbreviations),(comma) v. (Volume[period]),(comma) p. xxx-xxx (Pagination XXX-XXX).(period)

For example:

Gastaldo, R.A., 2004, A View of Non-Analog Worlds: Review of Knoll, A.H., 2004, Life on a Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of Evolution on Earth: American Journal of Botany, v. 91, p. 94-112.

If the article is multi-authored: Author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Initial. and Co-author's Last Name, First Initial. (period) Middle Initial.(period),(comma) Year of Publication,(comma) Title of Journal Article (NOTE - Each word within the title is not capitalized):(colon) Full Title of Journal in which the article appears,(comma) v.(volume[period]),(comma) p. xxx-xxx(Pagination XXX-XXX). (period)

For example:

DiMichele, W.A., Pfefferkorn, H.W., and Gastaldo, R.A., 2001, Response of Late Carboniferous and Early Permian plant communities to climate change: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 29, p. 461-487.

For a book: Author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Initial., Year, Book Title: Pulisher's Name, Place of Publication, (total pages) p.

For Example:

Levin, H.L., 1999, The Earth Through Time: Saunders College Publishing, Fort Worth, Texas, 568 p.

For an article in a book: Author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Initial., Year, Title of Journal Article(Each word within the article is not capitalized): (colon) (italics)in(italics off) Editor's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Name Initial., ed., Book Title: Pulisher's Name, Place of Publication, p. (Pagination of the Article).

For example:

Gastaldo, R.A., 1999, Debates on Autochthonous and Allochthonous Origin of Coal: Empirical Science versus the Diluvialists: in Manger, W.A., ed., The Evolution-Creation Controversy II: Perspectives on Science, Religion, and Geological Education: Paleontological Society Paper, v. 5, p. 135-168.

For an article in a book with multiple authors: Author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Initial., Co-author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Name Initial., (etc.) and Final Co-author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Name Initial., Year, Title of Journal Article(Each word within the article is not capitalized): (colon) (italics)in(italics off) Editor's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Name Initial., ed., Book Title: Pulisher's Name, Place of Publication, p. (Pagination of the Article).

For example:

Jablonski, D., Benton, M.J., Gastaldo, R.A., Marshall, C.R., and Sepkoski, J.J., Jr., 2000, Macroevolution: in Lane, H.R., ed., Fossils and the Future: Paleontology in the 21st Century: Senckenberg-Buch, No. 74, p. 155-166.

For an article in a book with multiple editors: Author's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Initial., Year, Title of Journal Article(Each word within the article is not capitalized): (colon) (italics)in(italics off) Editor's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Name Initial., and Co-Editor's LAST NAME, First Name Initial. Middle Name Initial., eds., Book Title: Pulisher's Name, Place of Publication, p. (Pagination of the Article).

For example:

Pfefferkorn, H.W., Gastaldo, R.A, and DiMichele, W.A., 2000, Ecosystem Stability during the Late Paleozoic Cold Interval: in Gastaldo, R.A., and DiMichele, W.A., eds., Phanerozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: The Paleontological Society Papers, v. 6, p. 63-78.

Term Papers will be returned no earlier than one-week after receipt.

GE 142 Syllabus