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Earth Science Education
GLY 130 Dinosaurs and Disasters: Homework format/style and submission
1. All homework assignments must be typed.
2. Use 1.5 or double spacing.
3. Include student name and the last 4 digits of your student ID number at the top of the page.
4. Length: 2 to 3 pages.
5. Homework must be stapled. There is no stapler in class. Staple homework before you get to class.
For each homework assignment you will be asked to use at least two non-encyclopedia (including web encyclopedias like Encarda and Wikipedia) sources. You can use web sites, but be sure you use at least two different web sites. You can use more than one. Be sure to check the urls. Many web sites look different but are the same source (they will have same beginning part of their url).
For example information at "http://www.uky.edu/AS/Geology/greb/130/index.html" and "http://www.uky.edu/AS/Geology/introduction/index.html" are both from the University of Kentucky (uky) and are treated as different pages of the same website
You can use class notes as a reference, and should reference them as used, but they do not count as one of your sources.
Homework must be your own work. Read the University definition and guidelines for avoiding plagiarism. Really, read them. It’s a short document and it gives suggestions for proper and improper paraphrasing. DO NOT CUT AND PASTE FROM THE INTERNET. Cutting and pasting is plagiarism. You can use exact quotes if you put those in quotations and reference the quote, but the paper should not be composed of 3 or 4 exact quotes! Most of the paper should be your own writing. Any specific material that you paraphrase or rewrite should end with a source in parentheses cited in the text. Consider this to be any material that is not common knowledge. Any picture or image you use that you did not draw or photograph needs to be cited (Don’t use pictures or images unless its necessary for your answer). If you do not cite work that is not your own you are plagiarizing.
Referencing formats
Since this is a science class, we want you to cite references as would be done in a scientific publication.
1. For an exact quote you must put the text in parentheses, with the reference, for example;
“The dinosaurs stride was 4.6 m, which using the Bentley algorithm computes to a speed of 7.2 miles per hour (Johnson, 1999)”
2. For a paraphrase, you do not need quotation marks, but you should cite the source, for example:
Computer algorithms were used to calculate a speed of around 7 miles an hour for the dinosaur (Johnson, 1999).
Or
Johnson (1999) used computer algorithms to calculate dinosaur speeds.
3a. Don’t be afraid to cite more than one reference. In science, it is important to make sure to differentiate ideas that one person or group has from those that many share. For example, if you found 3 or four references to the second example above you would write”
Computer algorithms were used to calculate a speed of around 7 miles an hour for the dinosaur (Johnson, 1999; Smith, 1986; Jones and others, 1977).
4. Don’t write a long paragraph or page with only 1 reference source. Cross check the information from multiple sources. There is a lot of material on the web concerning dinosaurs. Some of it is good, some is wrong. Checking multiple sources and using reputable sources will help you to correctly answer questions posed in homework assignments.
5. Not all material needs to be referenced. If it is common, publicly well-known information a citation is not needed. For example; T-rex is a dinosaur. Or; T-rex was a meat eater. Everyone knows this, so you don’t need any citations. However, any quantitative or detailed description should be cited. For example; The latest T-rex from Montana is estimated to have been 48 ft long. This would require a reference; essentially it begs the question, who estimated it? Another example; In July of 2007 a new T-rex fossil was found 15 miles north of Rapid City, South Dakota. This should have a reference. It specific information. When trying to decide whether to have a reference or not, read what you’ve written and ask yourself (1) is this common knowledge?, (2) Can Dr. Greb or the TA tell the differences between material I’m summarizing from other sources and material that is my own thoughts and ideas.
6. Sometimes when you are looking up material to help you answer homeworks you will come across terms or concepts you don’t understand or are unfamiliar with. Look up the words you don’t know. If you hand in a homework assignment in your own words, I assume you understand what you have written.
7. At the end of your text you include a References Cited page. This page should include complete references for the sources you cited. Each should be complete enough so that I can check the source if I need to.
a. For a text source use this format or something like it:
Author name, date, title of manuscript or book: publisher, page numbers
b. For a web site: give me the complete url so that the site can be checked if needed.
If there are any questions, ask Dr. Greb or the TA during normal office hours.
When is homework due?
Homework is due at the beginning of class the following week (5:35 pm). For most assignments, your work will be brought to the front of the classroom where you will hand in your work alphabetically (there will be a spot to put papers if your last name begins with A-C, D-F, etc.) before class begins. It is your responsibility to come to class on time and hand in your homework before class begins. I will usually say “are all homeworks in,” and then the TA will collect the homeworks. After that, homework is considered late and points will be subtracted for each day late.
Submitting homework
On the class day homeworks are due, there will be a table in the front of class with letters of the alphabet layed out. Please put your homework in the stack by your last name. At 5:40 pm the TA will pick up the papers and any paper submitted after that will be considered late. If you have a prearranged absence you may email your homework to the TA. Emailed homework should be in word format (.doc), or if that is not possible, copy your paper into the body of the email. With numerous students, the TA should not have to spend time converting file formats.
Getting your grades:
Written assignments and graded exams will be reviewed the week after they are due in the beginning of the next class period. They will either be handed out before class starts, during a break, or at the end of class. It is your responsibility to attend class to receive your grades. If you do not show up to class to pick up your exam or homework grades, then you must see Dr. Greb or the TA during their office hours to get your grades. DO NOT email me or the TA with questions about grades. With 300 students, email grade questions after exams are like spam. Grades WILL NOT be given out over the phone or by email. Any questions concerning grades on exams should be discussed as soon as possible after we go over the exam. I will be available after class if you have specific questions or concerns. Do not wait until the end of the semester to find out your scores, or to discuss the grades on a previous assignment or test. By the end of class it is too late to do anything about the grade or help you prepare better for the next graded assignment or exam.
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