Kent State University
GEOL  34061  Invertebrate Paleontology
Lab Syllabus
Fall, 2011

Lab Time and Location:  Section 001:  Monday, 2:15-3:55  in McGilvrey 331

 Section 002:  Monday, 4:10-5:55 in McGilvrey, 331

Instructor:  Dr. A.J. Smith, alisonjs@kent.edu 

                                  

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednedays, 9:30 to 11 am, or by appointment

Office Phone (330) 672-3709  Office:  219 McGilvrey Hall

 

Lab Grading Policy
The Lab grade represents 25% of your final grade in this course.
The Lab grade is based upon the following:
Lab Assignments                                  30%
Lab Open Quizzes                                25%                                     

Field Trip Exercise & Presentation  20%                              
Lab Final                                       25%
Total                                                     100%

                  ****BUY YOURSELF A DECENT HANDLENS AND BRING IT EVERY WEEK TO LAB AND USE IT!****


Note:  Labs will be posted to the web (click on highlighted topic). The exercises are designed to be completed within the lab time frame.  Part of the preparation for each lab may include text or web-based reading assignments.  You are responsible for seeing that you come to lab well prepared.

Lab Quizzes:  There will be six lab open quizzes offered  throughout the semester that will be testing your applied knowledge of fossil identification and geological significance.  You may work with others in the class to complete these quizzes.  The quizzes are listed here as pdf files, and the due dates are shown in the lab syllabus below.  However, the lab final is an individual effort, so be sure you are able to identify the material covered in the lab and lab quizzes!!! 

Click for QUIZ PDFs: Quiz 1            Quiz 2            Quiz 3            Quiz 4            Quiz 5            Quiz 6

Try the PRACTICE LAB FINAL (Do this one on your own!  See if you can do this correctly in about 20 minutes!)

                                          Key will be posted on Wednesday, November 30th here

 

Make-Up Policy for Labs and Lab Quizzes

     Unless you have a military or medical excuse, a teaching assignment excuse (e.g., MAT & Ed Majors with off-campus teaching assignments) or sports team excuse, there is no make up for a lab or quiz.  
 

 

  Lab Syllabus

Wednesday/Friday

    Topic

8-29 / 9-02

        First Lab:   Classification & Preservation

9-07 / 9-09

        Porifera,  Archaeocyatha and Stromatoporoids

9-14 / 9-16

        Cnidaria

9-21 / 9-23

        Quiz 1 DUE TODAY and  Bryozoans and Brachiopods

9-28 / 9-30

       Quiz 2 DUE TODAY and  Mollusca Part I (gastropods & bivalves)

10-05 / 10-07

        Quiz 3 DUE TODAY and  Mollusca Part II (cephalopods & other mollusks)

10-12 / 10-14

     Quiz 4 DUE TODAY and  Arthropods Part I (Trilobitomorpha)
10-19/ 10-21  Arthropods Part II (Crustaceans)

10-26 / 10-28

     Quiz 5 DUE TODAYand  Echinoderms

11-02 / 11-04

     Hemichordates (Graptolites)  & Craniates (Conodonts) and Selected Microfossil Groups

11-09 / 11-11 V

      No Lab This Week (Veteran's Day Observed)

11-16 / 11-18

      Quiz 6  DUE TODAY  Plants  

11-23 / 11-25 T

         No Lab This Week (Thanksgiving Holiday)

11-30 / 12-02

      Presentations

12-07 / 12-09

      Lab Final IN CLASS and Presentations

 

Lab Presentation Information Center: 
How to Assemble your Group Lab Report and Suggested Sources

How to make a simple taxonomic key (a Dichotomous Key)

Identify your Cincinnatian fossils with help from images on this University of Georgia Stratigraphy Lab Web Page by Steve Holland
Identify your Trilobite Fragments with This Great Web Page Link by the Dry Dredgers
See photos of Cincinnatian fossils from Ohio on this Paleontology Portal Web Page