Course Outline for Geological Sciences 2
Historical Geology

Effective: Fall 2025
SLO Rev:

Catalog Description:

GEOS 2 - Historical Geology

3.00 Units

An introduction to Earth’s history and the life it supports. Subjects include geologic dating, plate tectonics, stratigraphy, fossils, biological evolution, the planet’s origin and the processes that have influenced paleogeography during the past 4.6 billion years.
CB03: TOP Code 1914.00 - Geology
CIP Code 40.0601 - Geology/Earth Science, General.
Course Grading: Optional
Type Units Inside of Class Hours Outside of Class Hours Total Student Learning Hours
Lecture 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00
Total 3.00 54.00 108.00 162.00

Measurable Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. understand, explain and apply the principles of the scientific method;
  2. apply concepts and principles of Historical Geology including: Fossilization, The fossil record, Ecology, evolution and extinction, Plate Tectonics, Geologic time and dating methods, The Supercontinent Cycle and paleoclimate;
  3. explain and apply knowledge of tectonic processes to interpret geologic events throughout geologic time;
  4. apply the principles of relative dating to interpret sequences of geologic events.

Course Content:

  1. Introduction to scientific method
    1. Data collection techniques in geology
    2. Interpreting data in the geologic context
  2. Early Earth
    1. Formation and origin of the Earth
    2. Hadean Eon
    3. Stagnant Lid regime
    4. Initiation of Subduction
  3. Plate tectonics
    1. Plate boundaries
    2. Hot spots
    3. Crustal evolution and deformation
    4. Supercontinental Cycle
  4. Earth's Materials
    1. Minerals
    2. Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
    3. Rock cycle
  5. Fossils
    1. Modes of fossil formation
    2. Classification of fossils
    3. Ecology, evolution and extinction in Earth's history
      1. Five major extinctions
  6. Dating Methods
    1. Geologic Dating Methods
      1. Relative Dating
      2. Absolute Dating
    2. Fossil dating
    3. Radioactive decay dating methods
    4. Paleomagnetic dating
  7. Stratigraphy
    1. Catastrophism and Uniformitarianism
    2. Interpretation of sedimentary rock sequences
    3. Interpretation of cross-cutting relationships
  8. Paleogeography
    1. Archaen, Proterozoic and Edicarian geologic adn tectonic events
    2. Paleozoic geologic and tectonic events
    3. Mesozoic geologic and tectonic events
    4. Cenozoic geologic and tectonic events
    5. Recent geologic and tectonic events

Methods of Instruction:

  1. Presentation
  2. Use of Recordings
  3. Distance Education
  4. Practice/Demonstration
  5. Lectures
  6. Textbook reading assignments
  7. Guest speakers
  8. Online Assignments
  9. Verbal explanation and demonstration.
  10. Handouts and rule interpretations.
  11. Written assignments
  12. Group Presentations
  13. Lecture/Discussion

Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:

1. Typical Assignments
  1. Complete a critical thinking short essay question to explain how different geologic methods can be applied to a given scenario.
  2. Complete an online discussion based on a video about geologic evidence for flood in the Pacific Northwest in 1799.
  3. Apply the scientific method to investigate and better understand a given geologic occurence in the rock record.
  4. In groups, create and deliver a presentation describing the evidence for a major geologic extinction at a specific location.
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
  1. Class Work
  2. Critical thinking exercises
  3. Essay Exams
  4. Final Examination or Project
  5. Group Projects
  6. Online Assignments
  7. Oral Presentation
  8. Written assignments
3. Student Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the student should be able to:
  1. Apply the scientific method to investigations of Earth's geologic history.
  2. Demonstrate how relative and absolute dating methods differ, and how they are applied to interpreting the geologic record over Earth's history.
  3. Describe and explain how the processes of ecology, evolution and extinction are evident in the geologic record , and how they have interacted with geologic and tectonic processes over Earth's history.

Textbooks (Typical):

  1. Bentley, Callan (2020). Historical Geology (1st/e). LibreTexts https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Historical_Geology_(Bentley_et_al.).
  1. Knoll, Andrew H. (2023). A Brief History of Earth (1st). Mariner Books.
  2. Geikie, James (2022). Historical Geology (1st). Legare Street Press.
  3. Prothero, Donald (2020). The Evolving Earth (1st). Oxford University Press.

Abbreviated Class Schedule Description:

An introduction to Earth's history and its life, from our planet's origins over 4 billion years ago to the present.

Discipline:
Geography*, or Earth Science*