Soils: A Living SystemSyllabus Soils 201 Syllabus Quick Links: OverviewGoalsWorkGradingPoliciesResources

Soil Science 201

Soils: A Living System

3 semester credit hours

Catalog Description: Biological, chemical, and physical properties of soils; fundamentals of soil ecology, soil-water-plant relations, soil fertility, and soil genesis.

Prereq: None; Chemistry is suggested

Course Developer: Dr. Joan Davenport

TA: Margaret McCoyInstructor Information: Please contact the instructor, Dr.

Joan Davenport, through the course space whenever possible; if you must contact her or the TA outside the course space, use the following contact information:

jdavenp@wsu.edu

Margaret.Mccoy@email.wsu.edu

Course Materials: Required Readings: • Nyle C. Brady and Ray R.

Weil Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils, 3rd Edition; Prentice Hall, ISBN:978-0-13-501433-2

• Selected readings available through the Distance Degree Library Services (DDLS). For further details, please refer to the DDLS Resources page under Course Information on the left of the screen.

Other:• Earlier versions of the

textbook may be substituted but chapter information may not match.

• Optional Resource Text: D.E. Clay, C.G. Carlson, S.A. Clay, and T.S. Murrell. Mathematics and Calculations for Agronomists and Soil Scientists. IPNI, ISBN: 978-0-9629598-8-2

Media:• TBD.

Course OverviewThe goal of Soils 201, Soils: A Living System, is to develop a general understanding of the science of soils and to give students an appreciation of what is underneath almost every footstep that a person takes. By the end of the semester you will have been introduced to the concept of soil formation, morphology and classification as well as soil biological, chemical, and physical processes. We will also cover the soil as a supplier of water and nutrients to plants, the role of soil as a host to an array of living organisms, how we manage these aspects of soil, as well as how natural and imposed events can degrade soils. This will be done through a combination of

on-line lectures, individual and group activities, threaded discussions, and chats. In this class you will not only get to learn, you will be able to get your hands dirty!

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Course GoalsAt the completion of this course students will demonstrate an understanding of:

Soil formation, horizons, and what a soil is

the physical properties of soils

soil water, its properties, how it moves in the soil, including driving forces

soil solids, clay mineralogy and the properties of clays and colloids

the basic chemical properties of soil including ion exchange and soil pH

the diverse biology in the soil system, of soil organic matter, and the life in the soil

soil fertility and the essential plant nutrients

how the soil provides nutrients to plants and limitations to nutrient supply

Through student lead discussions, students will develop an appreciation of potential damage to the soil through erosion, contamination, and other natural and imposed events.

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Course WorkDiscussions:Participation is an important part of learning. Most weeks we will have a topic to discuss, staring with you introducing yourself. For the remaining discussions we will have some background material and time to think about it before you join the discussions. Sometimes you will be posting photos to talk about, other times you will be discussing what you found in an activity or from some data supplied to you. The topics are designed help you to experience the soils beyond what I can tell you for your own personal learning experience. Make sure your comments can be supported and treat all comments respectfully.

The final 3 weeks of the class will be lead by your student group. Each group will have an opportunity to lead a discussion on the topic you have chosen for your term project. This is your opportunity to learn a little bit more about a specific area of soils and share this with your fellow students.

Activities:There are a number of different activities, ranging from collecting soil and doing something with it to exploring data sheets to watching videos. There are several different ways that you will be graded, depending on the activity. The types of activities are:

Individual Assignments: An assignment where you watch a video and write up a summary of what you learned and what the “take home” message was to you. This should include some interpretation by you and should be about 1 page in length. In some cases there may be some calculations as well. For all calculations, show your work and make certain you provide the formulas that you have used. Points will be deducted if formulas are not given.

Group Chats: In addition to your team activities, there will the several Group Chat activities that are mandatory for the course. Since students in this class all have different schedules and often live in different time zones, the instructor will send out a link to an on-line poll (using Doodle). Completing the poll will be worth 1 point. From here, the instructor will establish times of day on specific days of the week for the activities. You will be assigned a chat group based on availability and then when an group chat activity occurs, you are to participate in your section. You are expected to come to the chat prepared for any activity. Grades will be based on attendance and participation in the chat.

Team Discussions: These are assignments where you will conduct an activity and will then post your findings to a threaded discussion board open only to your team. You will then develop an individual posting to your team (up to 5 points/student). You are expected to read all your team’s postings and provide meaningful feedback in the form of at least two comments (may include questions) within the discussion (up to 2 points/student). These comments let the instructor and the TA know that you have read the material in the threaded discussion, and to evaluate your understanding of the material.

Entire Class Discussions: The first one of these is easy – you just tell everyone who you are and a bit about yourself. After that one, it gets a bit more complicated. There will be an activity where your team will have something to do (e.g., work with a data set). You will then work as a group on your general team discussion board to develop a posting to the entire class (up to 5 points/team member).

To encourage discussion, you are expected to read all of the other team’s postings. Hold the entire class discussion though a combination of asking and/or answering questions on your post or other team postings. You are expected to provide meaningful contributions in the form of at least “reply postings” in each entire class discussion board (up to 2 points/student). your comments and questions let the instructor and the TA know that you have read the material in the threaded discussion and to evaluate your understanding of the material.

Threaded Discussions (General): Participation in all threaded discussions, completing the activities, and being part of a group is mandatory. These activities must be completed in the allotted time. Remember – discussions are your opportunity to think about soils and share your ideas.

Exams:There will be two in-term exams in weeks 6 and 12 plus a comprehensive final exam during final exam week. These will be designed to evaluate your understanding of soil science.

Student Teams:

While some activities will be done on your own, early in the semester you will join other students to form teams. These teams will be maintained throughout the semester and will be the group you will work with for your student lead discussions. Not only will this give you the experience of working on team projects, something very common in the workplace, but it will give you a reason to get to know your fellow students better when you do not see them face-to face in a classroom setting.

Late Policy Mid-term exams and term papers must be submitted by the due dates. Incompletes will be considered but a 20% penalty will be applied.

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Course ScheduleFor specific course work due dates associated with each week, please refer to the Course Schedule in the Navigation Bar on the left of the screen.

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GradingWeek Activity Points Total Graded Points Extra Credit

1

Entire Class Discussion 1 – Intro 5 5

1 Doodle Poll 1 1

2Team Discussion 1 - Road Cuts 5 +2 7Lecture 4 Extra Credit - Soil and and location 7

3Group Chat - Soil Taxonomy 5 5

4Team Discussion 2- Texture

5 7

Lecture 7 Extra Credit - % Soil Moisture Calculations 2

5Individual Assignment 1: Density Video & Calculation 10 10

Individual Assignment 1: Density Video & Calculation 10 10Group Chat 2 - Water Movement 5 5

6 Exam 50 50

7Entire Class Discussion 2 - Weather Data 5+2 77Choose Group Topic (Entire Class Discussion 3) 3 3

8 Individual Assignment 2 - Clays 5 5

9 Group Chat 3 - CEC 5 510 none

11Team Discussion 3 - Soil Biology 5+2 7Individual Assignment 3- Plant Nutrient Deficiencies 5 5Soil Degradation Extra Credit (varies, due by end of week 12) 5-15

12

Individual Assignment 4 – Fertilizer Calculation 5 5

12

Exam 50 51

13 - 15Discussion Leadership (Team Discussion Board 15 15

Participation in Each Disc. (Entire Class Discussions V – X) 5 15

16 Final Exam 100 100 Total 307 14-24

*Based on 4 groups. This will be adjusted if there is a need for fewer groups.*Based on 4 groups. This will be adjusted if there is a need for fewer groups.*Based on 4 groups. This will be adjusted if there is a need for fewer groups.

Grade Points Grade PointsA 92 - 100% C 60 - 69%A- 88 - 91% C- 56 - 59%B+ 84 - 87% D+ 53 - 55%B 80 - 83% D 50 - 52%B- 75 - 79% F 49 & BelowC+ 70 - 74% Back^

Incomplete PolicyIncompletes are granted only with permission of the instructor and are subject to the following guidelines:

1. Students must request an incomplete in writing or by e-mail from the instructor before the end of the semester.

2. The request must be signed and dated by the student (or identified by student's e-mail address), and must explain the reasons behind the request for the incomplete.

3. In order to be considered for an incomplete, there are two main conditions:o a student must complete a minimum amount of the assigned course work.

Specifically, a student must complete 75 percent of the course work.

o a student must have a mathematical possibility of passing the class. A passing grade is 60 percent or above for the entire course.

4. If extraordinary circumstances (e.g., family emergency, serious illness) are involved and are documented to the instructor's satisfaction, the professor/ instructor retains the discretion to grant an incomplete even if the minimum conditions outlined above are not met.

If an incomplete is granted, the standard WSU policy applies (i.e., ALL work must be completed within one full year from the end of the enrollment semester at issue. Otherwise, an automatic grade of "F," or failing, will be entered on the student's transcript).

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Joan, all the syllabus sections below are “canned”. Unless you see something glaringly problematic with any of these sections, you may want to consider to simply use the existing ones.

Academic RegulationsStudents enrolled in distance courses are subject to the same WSU academic regulations as on-campus students. A complete listing of the WSU academic regulations are available online (Academic Regulations; select "Printable" next to "List All Academic Regulations" to view a printable list of all regulations).

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Academic IntegrityYou are expected to uphold the WSU standard of conduct relating to academic integrity (Academic Integrity Standards and Procedures). You assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work you submit. The guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that your submitted work, examinations, reports, and projects must be your own work.

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Disability AccommodationsReasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. DDP and the Disability Resource Center (DRC) work together to provide reasonable accommodations for students who have documented disabilities and who are registered both with DDP and the DRC. DDP's liaison to the DRC will assist you in getting started. To begin this process, contact DDP (800-222-4978 or distance@wsu.edu). We strongly recommend that you notify us as soon as possible. All accommodations must be approved through the Disability Resource Center.

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Online Collaboration

Netiquette:

Threaded discussion posts in online course spaces are an integral part of online learning environments. A feeling of safety is basic for any collaborative dialogue. An overview of the process of creating and participating in a safe discussion environment is provided in the online course space, if applicable.

Critical Engagement Criteria:

In addition to the netiquette guidelines for online collaboration, you will be expected to participate in the online discussions in a way that engages with the topic and with the other participants. An overview of the criteria used in this course to evaluate your participation through your original and response posts is provided in the online course space, if applicable.

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Critical ThinkingThe ability to think and write critically are essential skills in many walks of life. Critical thinking skills are developed and refined through practice, self-reflection, and the critique and support of peers and instructors. Throughout this course you will have many opportunities to exercise your analytical thinking, synthesize information, and apply knowledge to real-life situations. To help facilitate your thinking and writing, the "Critical Thinking Rubric" is provided in the online course space, if applicable, to assess your own writing and that of other students. Please review it carefully before completing each activity.

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Technical SupportIf you are having technical problems please call DDP at 800-222-4978 and a staff member or another technical support person will attempt to solve your problem or direct your help request to the appropriate person. Staff are NOT able to answer questions about course content or procedures (e.g., assignments, grades). Back^

Library SupportAll students enrolled in Washington State University distance courses can use the WSU Libraries online databases and receive reference and research assistance from the Distance Degree Library Services (DDLS). Enrolled students can also borrow books and other circulating material and receive photocopies of journal articles.

Visit the DDLS Web page (DDLS) for links to the WSU online database and library support information, including specific information and resources for select courses (see the list of courses using the drop down menu on the left hand side of the page under "Find Your Course").

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eTutoringAll WSU DDP students have access to eTutoring.org, a tutoring platform that enables students and tutors to collaborate in an online environment. This is not a course requirement, but simply an available service you may opt to use as needed.

Resources include:• Tutoring available for Accounting, Math, Spanish, Writing--and more! • An Online Writing Lab that allows students to submit a draft of a paper to a tutor, ask for

specific feedback, and receive a tutor's response within 24-48 hours. • Live Tutoring via eChat that allows students to meet with a tutor in one-on-one tutoring

sessions via a fully interactive, virtual online environment. • Offline Questions that allow students to leave a specific question for an eTutor, who will

respond within 48 hours.

The list of available tutoring subjects can be found on the http://eTutoring.org site.

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DDP Student Help CentersStudents enrolling in courses through DDP are responsible for reviewing and following procedures outlined in the online DDP Help Centers (Handbook). Please pay close attention to the "Tuition and Fees" and "Resources and Tips" sections. Carefully reviewing the information in the Help Centers, especially the two sections mentioned, will give you a good head start in assuring success with your course(s).

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DDP Academic CalendarFor detailed information about DDP academic and administrative deadlines, please refer to the DDP Academic Calendar (Calendar Index).

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