Fall 2020

Yes, we have REQUIRED field trips (2 of them!).

And, yes, this course is WRITING INTENSIVE!

Here are the details . . .

As part of ECU’s Writing Across the Curriculum Program, this course contributes to the 12-hour WI requirement for geosciences students by integrating professional writing with the disciplinary content of the course.

Effective written communication is essential to success in both academic and non-academic geologic applications. Once on the job (or in graduate school), you will be expected to prepare a variety of geologic reports for a variety of audiences. In this course, our field trips will provide the data for two formal geologic reports. In these reports you will present your field methods, field and laboratory observations and data (yours and, in some cases, those of your classmates), and your interpretations of those observations and data in well-illustrated and clearly written professional formats.

We will discuss the details of report style and the process of preparing professional reports on many occasions during the semester. In addition to the writing handouts you will receive in class, there are many on-line writing resources available to help you improve your writing skills. I urge you to use them!

The following tables summarize the process you will go through to complete each report. Refer to them often during the semester. Note that you will prepare three drafts, two of which you will turn in, before each final report is completed. You are also required to meet with a Writing Center Consultant at each stage of the process. The consultant will read your drafts (including my comments on the material you have turned in to me) and offer suggestions for improvement. It is important that you respond to all editorial suggestions as you prepare each subsequent draft of your document.

Tar River Report

Assignment	Date	Details	Consultant Focus	Consultant Meeting Dates
Field Work	THURSDAY 08/20	See Tar River field trip handout	--	--
First DRAFT DUE	TUESDAY 09/01 (12:30 pm)	Draft #1 must include ALL organizational/structural components (headings, subheadings, etc.), complete introduction ("what," and "so what"), complete methods section, and ALL field-related diagrams.
Field DATA DUE	WEDNESDAY 09/02 (12:00 noon)	Turn in via the class Tar River OneDrive folder, using the format provided during lab.
Draft 1b DUE	THURSDAY 09/03 (12:30 pm)	Draft #1b must include ALL organizational/structural components (headings, subheadings, etc.), complete introduction ("what," and "so what"), complete methods section, ALL field-related diagrams, near-final report diagrams, 1st draft of table and graphs of your own field data, and your initial interpretations of the field-based data (with diagrams). Turn in the following: consultant-initialed, marked-up draft all additional written comments from consultant a clean, revised version of the draft	overall organization intro and methods important figures for each section	The tutorial session for this draft MUST take place before 5 pm on Wednesday, SEptember 02.
Second DRAFT	THURSDAY 09/10 (9:30 am)	Draft #2 should be an almost-complete manuscript. It must include everything in draft #1b, plus (at least) a complete analysis of all geomorphic features encountered in the field (including all related diagrams). Turn in the following: consultant- initialed, marked -up draft all additional written comments from writing consultant clean, revised version of draft list of how you incorporated consultant suggestions into your revised manuscript -- keyed to the marked-up copy and	all of the above, plus correspondence between field and lab data data/interpretaion agreement your attention to previous comments (including my comments on the previous drafts)	The tutorial session for this draft MUST take place before 5 pm on Monday, September 07.
Final DRAFT	Completed and ready for discussion with Writing Consultant during tutorial session #3	Your final draft must all of the above plus a discussion of TRENDS in the data. It must include ALL of the required components. Don't forget to consult (again) your field trip and writing handouts. Turn in the following: consultant- initialed, marked -up draft all additional written comments from writing consultant clean, revised version of draft list of how you incorporated consultant suggestions into your revised manuscript -- keyed to the marked-up copy and consultant comments	all of the above, plus your analysis of trends shown by the field and lab data abstract and summary your attention to previous comments (including my comments on the previous drafts)	NOTE: Although not required, it is STONRGLY recommended that you have a 3rd tutorial session for this final draft. This meeting should take place no later than 8 pm on Wednesday, September 9.
FINAL Report DUE	THURSDAY 09/15 (9:30 am)	Upload (into your personal class OneDrive folder) a Tar River "portfolio" that includes the complete, clean final draft AND all previous drafts, commentary, and responses to commentary,

Shackleford Report

Assignment	Date	Details	Consultant Focus	Consultant Meeting Dates
Field Work	TUESDAY 09/15	See Shackleford field trip handout	--	--
First DRAFT DUE	THURSDAY 09/17 (9:30 am)	Draft #1 must include ALL organizational/structural components (headings, subheadings, etc.), complete introduction ("what," and "so what"), complete methods section, and ALL field related diagrams. Turn in the following: consultant-initialed, marked-up draft all additional written comments from consultant a clean, revised version of draft	overall organization intro and methods important figures for each section
Second DRAFT DUE	TUESDAY 09/22 (9:30 am)	Draft #2 should be an almost-complete manuscript. It must include everything in draft #1, plus (at least) a complete analysis of all of the depositional environments in the system and a draft of your model diagram(s). Turn in the following: consultant-initialed, marked-up draft all additional written comments from consultant clean, revised version of draft list of how you incorporated consultant suggestions into your revised manuscript	all of the above, plus correspondence between field, environment descriptions, and diagrams data/interpretation agreement attention to previous comments (including my comments on the previous draft)	The tutorial session for this draft MUST take place before 5 pm, Monday, September 21.
FINAL report	Completed and ready for discussion with Writing Consultant during tutorial session #3	Draft #3 should be a COMPLETE DRAFT of your paper -- including a discussion of the vertical sequence proposed in your model, the conditions under which such a sequence might be deposited, and its preservation potential. It must include ALL of the required components. Don't forget to consult (again) your field trip and writing handout. Turn in the following: consultant- initialed, marked -up draft all additional written comments from consultant clean, revised version of draft list of how you incorporated consultant suggestions into your revised manuscript	all of the above, plus your facies model and analysis of preservation potential and depositional conditions abstract and summary your attention to previous comments (including my comments on the previous draft)	You are STRONGLY urgerd to have a third tutorial session for this paper. This session should take place no later than 8 pm Wednesday, September 24.
FINAL Report DUE	THURSDAY 09/26 (5:00 am)	Upload (into your personal class OneDrive folder) a Shackleford "portfolio" that includes the complete, clean final draft AND all previous drafts, commentary, and responses to commentary.

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Prospectus

Course Schedule

Field Trips

ECU Geological Sciences

ECU

Date last revised: 08/06/20
http://core.ecu.edu/geology/rigsbyc/rigsby/Sedimentology/2020/writing.htm