EPS SCI 13
Natural Disasters
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour; one field day. Global urbanization together with historical demographic population shift to coastal areas, especially around Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire, are placing increasingly large parts of this planet's human population at risk due to earthquakes, volcanos, and tsunamis. Global climate change combines with variety of geologic processes to create enhanced risks from catastrophic mass movements (e.g., landslides), hurricanes, floods, and fires. Exploration of physical processes behind natural disasters and discussion of how these natural events affect quality of human life. P/NP or letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
1 of 1
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2020 - Professor Carolina is very sweet and passionate about what she teaches. This is a. pretty easy GE if you have a foundation of earth/environmental science. Lectures: Her lectures are engaging and her slides are posted online which is nice. She would expect you to finish the slides on your own if we didn't get to them in class, so be aware of that. She also used Poll Everywhere to monitor participation. I took this class as COVID was spreading and she spent the second half of the class on diseases/pandemics and how to respond to them which was cool. Discussions: This entailed one group presentation on a current natural disaster. Other than that, discussion was a waste of time where we would go over homework. It would often end early (30 minutes) so that is a plus. HW/Quizzes: This class had 8 reading quizzes (almost every week) which pulled info directly from the book. These were good study materials for the midterm. There were also 5 HW assignments which would either be a problem set or a one page essay. Not too bad and you would have the opportunity to go over it with your TA in section before submitting. Exams: The only exam we had was the midterm and it was pretty easy (50 M/C Qs) that basically took info from the slides and reading quizzes. She also posts some review materials which is nice. Final was cancelled due to COVID. TLDR: Take this class. Carolina is very kind and passionate and listens to student's interests when planning lectures. She is very flexible and fair with grading.
Winter 2020 - Professor Carolina is very sweet and passionate about what she teaches. This is a. pretty easy GE if you have a foundation of earth/environmental science. Lectures: Her lectures are engaging and her slides are posted online which is nice. She would expect you to finish the slides on your own if we didn't get to them in class, so be aware of that. She also used Poll Everywhere to monitor participation. I took this class as COVID was spreading and she spent the second half of the class on diseases/pandemics and how to respond to them which was cool. Discussions: This entailed one group presentation on a current natural disaster. Other than that, discussion was a waste of time where we would go over homework. It would often end early (30 minutes) so that is a plus. HW/Quizzes: This class had 8 reading quizzes (almost every week) which pulled info directly from the book. These were good study materials for the midterm. There were also 5 HW assignments which would either be a problem set or a one page essay. Not too bad and you would have the opportunity to go over it with your TA in section before submitting. Exams: The only exam we had was the midterm and it was pretty easy (50 M/C Qs) that basically took info from the slides and reading quizzes. She also posts some review materials which is nice. Final was cancelled due to COVID. TLDR: Take this class. Carolina is very kind and passionate and listens to student's interests when planning lectures. She is very flexible and fair with grading.
AD
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2019 - Interesting course material. When I took this, it was taught with Professor Moon as well, but I couldn't find her here so I'll just do one review for both. It's a pretty easy science GE with a bonus diversity fulfillment, if you're good at memorization. - Lectures were fairly interesting, but kinda stressful if you want to take notes since they go fast (slides posted online later). - Both profs are nice and pretty helpful during office hours. - Attendance is counted in both section and lecture, so you do have to show up at least half the time. - The homework (drop 1) was easy, but the final report (1-2) is a little annoying. - Weekly quizzes (drop 1) weren't too bad if you read the textbook/can google quickly - Exams (1 midterm and final) were mostly multiple choice with some free response, and both sections were mainly facts based on the textbook/slides. Nice class and fun professors overall. If you take this class, be prepared to become slightly paranoid about earthquakes afterwards.
Spring 2019 - Interesting course material. When I took this, it was taught with Professor Moon as well, but I couldn't find her here so I'll just do one review for both. It's a pretty easy science GE with a bonus diversity fulfillment, if you're good at memorization. - Lectures were fairly interesting, but kinda stressful if you want to take notes since they go fast (slides posted online later). - Both profs are nice and pretty helpful during office hours. - Attendance is counted in both section and lecture, so you do have to show up at least half the time. - The homework (drop 1) was easy, but the final report (1-2) is a little annoying. - Weekly quizzes (drop 1) weren't too bad if you read the textbook/can google quickly - Exams (1 midterm and final) were mostly multiple choice with some free response, and both sections were mainly facts based on the textbook/slides. Nice class and fun professors overall. If you take this class, be prepared to become slightly paranoid about earthquakes afterwards.
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - Overall, I would recommend you to take this class, it is an easy GE. The professor is really nice, likes to give out candy in class and engage with students. The class is a little boring, but not terrible just because I find natural disasters kind of interesting. I took this class during the protests and strike and I feel like she wasn't that understanding of everything going on, but other than that no issues. Quizzes - 8 of them based on readings. They were posted on Canvas and she gave about 3/4 days to complete it and she drops your lowest one. There were only 7 questions with 10 minutes to do them. She would reveal the answers about a week later. Midterm/Final - They were both multiple choice on a Scantron. 50 questions for midterm 100 for final. When the class first started she said we would be allowed to use our notes, the textbook, and lecture slides for the exam. This was true for the midterm (yes electronic notes as well, no limit) which was really helpful because otherwise you would have to remember a lot of material. This got modified for the final because of the TA strike so she changed it to one page of notes double sided, but it still wasn't bad because she put 30% of questions from the quizzes and iclicker questions. Discussion - They are mandatory, you are allowed to miss one or two. You have to do a presentation on a natural disaster which was really easy. You get to pick it and you answer like 5 questions about it. Lecture - attendance is required it's 10% of your grade. She uses iClicker though so you can easily answer them while not being in class. To receive the full 10% you have to have answered at least 50% of the lectures. She also gives a good amount of extra credit!
Spring 2024 - Overall, I would recommend you to take this class, it is an easy GE. The professor is really nice, likes to give out candy in class and engage with students. The class is a little boring, but not terrible just because I find natural disasters kind of interesting. I took this class during the protests and strike and I feel like she wasn't that understanding of everything going on, but other than that no issues. Quizzes - 8 of them based on readings. They were posted on Canvas and she gave about 3/4 days to complete it and she drops your lowest one. There were only 7 questions with 10 minutes to do them. She would reveal the answers about a week later. Midterm/Final - They were both multiple choice on a Scantron. 50 questions for midterm 100 for final. When the class first started she said we would be allowed to use our notes, the textbook, and lecture slides for the exam. This was true for the midterm (yes electronic notes as well, no limit) which was really helpful because otherwise you would have to remember a lot of material. This got modified for the final because of the TA strike so she changed it to one page of notes double sided, but it still wasn't bad because she put 30% of questions from the quizzes and iclicker questions. Discussion - They are mandatory, you are allowed to miss one or two. You have to do a presentation on a natural disaster which was really easy. You get to pick it and you answer like 5 questions about it. Lecture - attendance is required it's 10% of your grade. She uses iClicker though so you can easily answer them while not being in class. To receive the full 10% you have to have answered at least 50% of the lectures. She also gives a good amount of extra credit!
AD
Most Helpful Review
Spring 2013 - I really liked this class and I found it to be one of my favorite classes. There is a mandatory field trip that takes place on one Saturday. The class consists of 5 multiple choice quizzes which seem to be easy, but they are harder than they seem. The professor is a good and well-known professor.
Spring 2013 - I really liked this class and I found it to be one of my favorite classes. There is a mandatory field trip that takes place on one Saturday. The class consists of 5 multiple choice quizzes which seem to be easy, but they are harder than they seem. The professor is a good and well-known professor.
1 of 1
