FYE Honors Integrated Science 2013: October 2013

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Plate Tectonics Cake!!

Now that you are experts "subduction zone dancers" do you think you are ready to try baking a "subduction zone cake"?

http://sara-geologicventures.blogspot.com/2012/05/cake-subduction-zone.html

Tech Paleontologist Presents Origin of Life Theory

http://today.ttu.edu/2013/10/paleontologist-presents-origin-of-life-theory/

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change

Most of the slides from the global climate change portion of this presentation came from Katharine Hayhoe's website (she is a professor in the Tech Political Science Dept and the link to her website is listed on the presentation).

Global Carbon Cycle and Global Climate Change
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/C6iDTujQlIh73C

Further Reading

Climate Change FAQ- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Climate_change_FAQs

Causes of Climate Change- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Causes_of_climate_change

Global Warming- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Global_warming

Economics of Climate Change- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Economics_of_climate_change

Mauna Loa Curve- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mauna_Loa_curve

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- identify the major reservoirs of carbon

- discuss the two most important biological processes that result in a movement of carbon from one reservoir to another

- discuss the three ways that human activity has altered the global carbon cycle

- explain the Mauna Loa Curve

- discuss why climate scientists have concluded that global temperatures have increased

- discuss why climate scientists have concluded that this increase in temperature is most likely caused by humans

- discuss some potential consequences of global climate change

Brief Intro to Ecosystem Ecology

NOTE!!! By the end of this class you should be able to discuss what is wrong with the diagram shown above!!!!!

Ecosystem ecologists focus on the flow of energy and the cycling of nutrients through the ecosystem.

Further Readings

Ecosystems- http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbed8c7896bb431f692c46/

Ecological energetics- http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbed787896bb431f692661/

Nitrogen cycle- http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbee847896bb431f69869c/

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- diagram and discuss the flow of energy through an ecosystem

- diagram nitrogen cycle within an ecosystem

Monday, October 28, 2013

How Does Plate Tectonics Relate to Coral Reefs??

Atolls- http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150305/

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reefs-1616280

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Cool Video: Jaguar attacks crocodile

Here is the actual video-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBNYwxDZ_pA

and here is the "What Day Is It?" video (just for fun)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWBhP0EQ1lA

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Interesting Article: The Ocean is Broken

Here is a link to an news article about changes to the marine environment they noticed in their experience of sailing across the sea.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1848433/the-ocean-is-broken/

"The Naturalist" by Barry Lopez

Here is a link to an article written by Barry Lopez, entitled "The Naturalist", that was published in Orion Magazine in 2001. This is an example of the kind of essays that he writes.

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/91/

If you are interested you can check out his website to find links to his other writing. Enjoy.

http://www.barrylopez.com/

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Thought Provoking Article: Welcome Freshmen, You Do Not Deserve to be Here

Here is an interesting article, that I think contains some good advice for incoming Freshmen. Make the most of the incredible opportunity you have in front of you.

http://chronicle.com/article/Welcome-Freshmen-You-Do-Not/142285/

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Writing Assignment #3

If you went to the South Plains Mall in Lubbock, TX then you would probably not have to search too hard to find someone who identified themselves as a Young Earth Creationist, that is someone who thought that the world was only 6000 to 10,000 years old.

What would you tell him/her about the reasons that scientists conclude that the world is much older?

2 pages max. double spaced

First draft due October 21st
Final draft due October 28th

Major Earthquake Strikes the Philippines

One of the next topics we will examine in this course is Plate Tectonics. An understanding of this topic will help us understand the cause and locations of earthquakes.

Last night there was a strong, 7.2 on the Richter Scale, earthquake in Bohol Island in the Philippines. The latest reports suggest that least 90 people have died in this quake (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57607496/philippines-earthquake-leaves-scores-dead/)

Here is a link to an article with many photos showing the devastating power of earthquakes.
http://twitchy.com/2013/10/15/major-earthquake-strikes-the-philippines-photos/

Cool Stuff: 18-foot Oarfish Found on Catalina Coast

Catalina Island is a small island located off of coast near Los Angeles. Several of my friends have worked at this camp where they found this fish. Pretty cool!!

http://ktla.com/2013/10/14/18-foot-oarfish-found-on-catalina-amazes-scientists-campers/#axzz2hkK1qM83

Monday, October 14, 2013

Plate Tectonics

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/plate-tectonics-i

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/plate-tectonics-ii

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Conducting Statistical Tests on Excell

Chapter 4. Comparing Means

The link below contains the Smart Board notes from a graduate course I taught to high school teachers covering this topic. I hope these notes are helpful.

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/lecture-statistical-tests

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

1) determine when you need to use a t-test to help you test your hypothesis

2) determine which type of t-ttest you should use (i.e., one-tailed vs two-tailed test, paired vs unpaired test)

3) use Excel to perform a t-test on the computer

4) use the output of the statistical tests to correctly draw conclusions

Chapter 5. Correlations between quantifiable variables.

Here is a link to the Smart Board Notes from my other class.

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/smart-board-notes-617

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

1) determine when you need to use regression to help you test your hypothesis

2) use Excel to conduct regression analysis

3) interpret the outcome of this test to correctly draw conclusions

Chapter 6. Associations Between Categorical Variables

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

1) determine when you need to use a chi square test of association or a chi square goodness of fit test to test your hypotheses

2) calculate the expected values in the chi square test of association or chi square goodness of fit test

3) use Excel to conduct the Chi Squre test

4) interpret the results to correctly draw conclusions

Appendix 1.

I added Appendix 1 to the lab manual for students that might have been a little bit less math phobic and who might actually benefit from understanding a bit more about how the math of the statistical tests work. Because you are all comfortable with math, I hope you take a look at this short section.

Process of Science- Final Thoughts

After you have finished reading the entire book, don't forget that the three most important summaries are found on pages 30 - 32. Enjoy.

Here is a link to the Smart Board Notes from last year.

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/smart-board-notes-617