Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Professor, Lecturer on unit, and unit convenor
Simon George
Contact via 02 9850 4424 or simon.george@mq.edu.au
Room 3.29, 3rd Floor, 12 Wally’s Walk
Book by email
A/Professor, Lecturer on unit
Craig O'Neill
Contact via craig.oneill@mq.edu.au
Room 1.25, 12 Wally’s Walk
Book by email
Professor; Lecturer on unit
Michael Gillings
Contact via michael.gillings@mq.edu.au
Room 271, 14 Eastern Road
Book by email
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
12cp at 100 level or above
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This is a broad-based interdisciplinary science unit which aims to present a non-technical overview of recent ideas in astrobiology, which is about the origin of life on Earth and the possibility of finding life elsewhere in the universe. The presentation is suitable for students without any science background. The unit presents an integrated view of science across a broad range of disciplines (geoscience, biology, astronomy, cosmology and organic chemistry); looks at some of the 'big questions' (such as the origin of the Universe; what is life?; are we alone?; early Earth; and the search for life on Mars and outer solar system moons); and presents science as it is actually done, not just as a set of facts.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
See unit handout.
Exam
The unit examination will be based on lectures, unit reading material, lab exercises, information you should have absorbed through completing assignments and any other material presented during classes. A printed English dictionary (not electronic) may be brought in for the exam if English is not your first language. The educational rationale for the exam is to check the acquired knowledge by the students at the end of the unit.
The University Examination period in the First Half Year 2018 is from Monday 11 June 2018 to Friday 29 June 2018. You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The timetable will be available in draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of the examinations.
If you apply for Special Consideration for your final examination, you must make yourself available for the supplementary examination, which will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period in July, 2018. If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. Specific examination dates and times will be determined at a later date.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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On-line quizzes | 30% | No | Various |
Assignment 1 | 15% | No | 26/3/18, 17:00 |
Assignment 2 | 25% | No | 16/5/18, 17:00 |
Unit exam | 30% | No | Session 1 Exam period |
Due: Various
Weighting: 30%
On-line quizzes on lectures and practicals/tutorials
Due: 26/3/18, 17:00
Weighting: 15%
Assignment 1: Paper Review (1,000 words approx.)
Due: 16/5/18, 17:00
Weighting: 25%
Assignment 2: Lander project (1,500 words min., maximum 3000)
Due: Session 1 Exam period
Weighting: 30%
Unit exam
The Unit will be presented in 4 broad themes:
1. Life and The Universe: (cosmology, Astronomy and space, Geoscience). What is life? Concepts about the origin of life; Origin of life; Origin of the Universe; Formation of the Solar System; What meteorites tell us.
2. Life and Rocks on Early Earth and Mars: (Astronomy, Geoscience). Formation of the Earth; Early Earth and Mars environments; The first billion years of life.
3. Biology of Life and Habitability (Biology, Astronomy, Chemistry). The environments of the planets; Molecular biology and predictions about the earliest organisms; Biomarkers as proxies for life.
4. Life Elsewhere, SETI: (Astronomy, Chemistry, Astrobiology). The diverse places that life can live (Extremophiles); The chemistry of space; Extra-solar planets; Are we alone (SETI)?
Classes:
Attend one two hour lecture, and a one hour practical/tutorial each week.
Lecture: 23 Wally’s Walk, Price Theatre, Friday 09:00-10:00 and 10:00-11:00. This will usually be two separate lectures, stopping for a 10 min break approximately half way.
Practicals/tutorials: 11 Wally’s Walk, 220, 6 classes:
1. Thursday 09:00-10:00 (Practical 05) ON HOLD
2. Thursday 10:00-11:00 (Practical 01)
3. Thursday 11:00-12:00 (Practical 03)
4. Friday 13:00-14:00 (Practical 02)
5. Friday 14:00-15:00 (Practical 04)
6. Friday 15:00-16:00 (Practical 06)
BOTH practicals/tutorials and lectures start in Week 1 (26th February to 2nd March), please come along, it is important to start straight away! Note that this first week of study is the week after O-week (19–25th Feb).
Late enrolments
If you enrol late in the unit, you will have already missed one or more lecture and practical/tutorial. It is your responsibility to catch up. Please contact Simon if you need Quiz 1 to be reopened.
Lectures, availability of lecture material and attendance requirements
It is the policy in this unit that students will normally attend the two hours of lectures per week, and one practical/tutorial, and make their own notes from the lectures. It is expected that many of the lectures will be interactive, with questions and answers throughout. Many lectures given by Simon George will contain short, anonymous Socrative quizzes (not used for assessment), which will be used to help build understanding of key topics. These may occur at the end of a lecture, or in the middle. Go to http://www.socrative.com/ and click Student Login. Enter the unique Room Name to Join the GEOS204 Room: RMLYTDY5
Lectures will be recorded using Echo 360, and files of the lecture graphics will also be made available through iLearn. These will be particularly useful for revision purposes. Many of the practicals/tutorials are assessed, it is important that you attend one of these each week.
Hours
This is a 3 credit point unit, so total hours is 150 hours. It is anticipated that you will spend >9 hours per week involved with the unit, including the 3-hour class contact time per week. It is particularly important that you spend plenty of time preparing the two major assignments.
Contacts and communication
Convenor: Professor Simon George
Simon.George@mq.edu.au 02 9850 4424 Office: Room 3.29, 3rd Floor, 12 Wally’s Walk, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS), Macquarie University.
EPS Admin: Rooms 3.17 and 3.18, 3rd Floor, 12 Wally’s Walk, phone 02 9850 8426 or 02 9850 8373.
Other staff teaching on unit and guest lecturers:
A/Prof. Craig O’Neill EPS craig.oneill@mq.edu.au
02 9850 9673 Room 1.25, 12 Wally’s Walk.
Prof. Michael Gillings Biological Sciences michael.gillings@mq.edu.au
02 9850 8199 Room 271, 14 Eastern Road.
Prof. David Christian Modern History david.christian@mq.edu.au
02 9850 8769 16 University Avenue, 2 South
If sending email, please include GEOS204 in the subject line. We will communicate to you mainly through your student email account/iLearn at Macquarie University. Please make sure you check this email at least weekly.
Set textbook and background reading
Bennett, J, and Shostak, S (2016). Life in the Universe (4th Edition). Pearson Higher Ed, USA. ISBN-9780134080321.
Technologies used and required
Text book (see above)
Access to iLearn for quizzes and unit resources
You will use computers in some practicals/ tutorials
You will need to be able to access books and journal papers in the library
You will be exposed to a variety of materials and concepts in practicals
GEOS204: Life, the Universe and Everything (2018): Schedule: see unit handout.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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Lectures and practicals/tutorials have been re-ordered.
One lecture is on-line only (week 9).
No GEOS204 classes will be held in week 5, as three practicals and the lecture are lost due to the Good Friday holiday.