Beauty: Evolution of Science

With Focus on Earth Science

Instructor: Dr. Claudia C. Johnson
Coll C-105, Section 32359 RSTR, 3 credits
Fall 2016

The College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University chose the theme of Beauty for Themester 2016.
To engage faculty, students and the Bloomington community in analyzing and evaluating Beauty from a
variety of perspectives, especially those afforded by a liberal arts education, courses integrating the theme
of Beauty are offered through the natural & mathematical sciences, social & historical studies, and the arts
and humanities.
You are enrolled in Beauty: Evolution of Science, for natural and mathematical sciences credit,
and you will have me, Dr. Johnson, teaching you for 8 weeks as your primary professor. By the end of
the semester, you will have had instruction from Dr. MacKay for 3 weeks, and from Dr. Martins for 3
weeks. For the final week of classes, just prior to exams, I will return to your classroom and assist you in
integrating, analyzing, and evaluating Beauty from the variety of perspectives to which you were
introduced over the semester.
Here are the courses we have linked together for you on the themester of Beauty. Respective
syllabi can be found directly below at * and at the end of this syllabus.
C-105 Beauty: Evolution of Science, Dr. Claudia C. Johnson, Natural & Mathematical Sciences
C-104 Beauty: Evolution of Image, Dr. Nicole Martins, Social & Historical Studies
C-103 Beauty: Evolution of an Idea, Dr. Ellen McKay, Arts & Humanities

*C-105 Beauty: Evolution of Science Natural & Mathematical Sciences

Course Description: In this, the College of Arts & Sciences C-105 section entitled Beauty: Evolution of
Science, we will explore the beauty of the natural world while being introduced to key issues and
theoretical approaches in the study of the Earth sciences. We will discuss topics with which most of us are
already familiar, such as the gemstones set in jewelry, granite used for countertops, and the fossils,
mountains, and coral reefs that draw so many to simply admire. Well move beyond the aesthetic appeal
of these structures by investigating the processes involved in creating them, including the theory of
evolution, the origin of minerals, fossils, and rocks, the forces of the Earth that cause rocks to bend, break,
and get thrown out of volcanoes, and the relation of form to function at scales that vary from microbes to
dinosaurs. Early in the semester we will discuss the scientific method, and will use this form of inquiry to
analyze and evaluate the beauty of the Earth. Successful completion of this course fulfills the College
(CASE) Critical Approaches requirement, the IUB GenEd N&M credit - Natural Science, and the COLL
(CASE) N&M Breadth of Inquiry credits.

Instructors Office Hours and Location: Dr. Claudia C. Johnson, Department of Geological Sciences,
Geology Building Room 501, Office Phone: 812-855-0646. Office hours are Tuesday 2-3pm and by
appointment. If you send me an email, please remember to add C-105 Beauty to the subject line of the
email message. claudia@indiana.edu
Associate Instructor: John Kearney, Department of Geological Sciences, Geology Building, Rm. 505;
email: kearneyj@umail.iu.edu

Objectives of the Course: To assist each of you in developing critical thinking skills so you are able to:
(a) integrate, analyze and evaluate resources from the natural and mathematical sciences, social and
historical sciences, and arts and humanities, and (b) express this learning clearly through oral expression
and written responses.

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Student Preparation: The objectives of the course will be achieved if you attend each class meeting,
give dedicated attention to your homework assignments, come to class prepared to learn, and seek
clarification whenever necessary.
Student Learning Outcomes:
The ability to explain the benefits involved in studying problems and issues from multidisciplinary
perspectives.
The ability to identify and explain the different kinds of questions and methods used to address a common
problem or concern by three distinct disciplines drawing from the arts and humanities, natural and
mathematical sciences, and social and historical studies.

General Education Breadth of Inquiry, Natural & Mathematical Sciences

a. an understanding of scientific inquiry and the bases for technology
b. the ability to model and understand the physical and natural world
c. the ability to collect and interpret data, think critically, and conduct theoretically based inquiry
d. the ability to solve problems
e. acquire analytical and/or quantitative skills allowing you to become an informed, active participant in
society

CASE Natural and Mathematical Sciences

Provide an understanding of physical and biological phenomena
Introduce students to systematic investigation of those phenomena
Show the value of scientific inquiry and hypothesis testing
Review the state of the science related to scientific theories and natural laws and the evidence for them
Establish the role and approaches of mathematics
Cover the natural sciences, introducing and emphasizing basic principles of the chemical, physical, and
life sciences, and expand students' understanding of the physical world and scientific inquiry
about it, as well as analytical reasoning and mathematics
Focus on forms of reasoning or the nature and processes of cognition and computation

Course Materials: Assigned readings and assignments will be given in lecture and posted to Canvas.

Class Meeting Times and Locations: MWF, 1:25-2:15pm, Woodburn Hall (WH) Room 004 or at a
location to be announced. You are required to attend 3 class sessions each week.

Make-up Work: Assignments are due at the start of class OR at the date and time indicated. Late work
for an excused absence is due within one week of the original due date. An excused absence = doctors
note, or equivalent and permission of professor and AI. If you will miss a class or assignment due to
your required participation in a university-sanctioned event, you must notify your AI and professor in
advance of your event and request permission for an excused absence. Unexcused late assignments will
not be given credit.

Grades:
Midterm Exam 20% (home section)
Synthesis Assignment 15% (home section)
In-class Exercises & Homework 20% (all sections)
Themester Assignments 15% (all sections)
Final Exam 30% (all sections)

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Final Grade Distribution: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D-60-69; F=59 & lower; marks of + and -
will be added to the letter grades as follows (- assigned to 0, 1, 2; + assigned to grades of 7, 8, or 9; e.g.,
87%=B+, 61%=D-; 74%=C). Class grades are not curved.

All assignments will be expected to meet an acceptable standard of grammar and organization, in addition
to fulfilling the requirements of the specific assignment. The university has a number of excellent
resources available to students who are working on course assignments and papers (see
http://www.indiana.edu/~acadsupp/ASChome.shtml Please utilize these resources, particularly if you
could use help with any of the different aspects of paper writing (organizing your thoughts, structuring the
paper, grammar, etc.). When outside sources are used in a paper, students will be expected to reference
these sources properly. Any type of plagiarism will result in an F for the course and could result in further
sanctions from the university. For information on how to properly cite sources using APA style, see
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/apa_style.shtml For more on the universitys policies toward
plagiarism and cheating, see http://www.iu.edu/~code/code/responsibilities/academic/index.shtml
Related to the above, please be protective of your assignments. It is your responsibility to make sure that
your assignment does not end up in the hands of someone who might plagiarize it. If your assignment is
copied by someone from this class, you will be subject to the same penalties as the student who copied it.
No rewrites of any assignment will be allowed. If you are having a problem with a particular assignment,
or if you want to make sure that youre on the right track, please feel free to meet with me or John before
the assignment is due.

Accommodation for Disabilities. Every attempt will be made to accommodate qualified students with
disabilities (e.g. mental health, learning, chronic health, physical, hearing, vision, neurological, etc.). You
must have established your eligibility for support services through Disability Services for Students. Note
that services are confidential, may take time to put into place, and are not retroactive. Please contact
Disability Services for Students at http://disabilityservices.indiana.edu or 812-855-7578 as soon as
possible if accommodations are needed. You can also locate a variety of campus resources for students
and visitors who need assistance at http://www.iu.edu/~ada/index.shtml

Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct: http://www.iu.edu/~code/

Academic Integrity: As a student at IU, you are expected to adhere to the standards and policies detailed
in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (Code). When you submit a paper with your
name on it in this course, you are signifying that the work contained therein is all yours, unless otherwise
cited or referenced. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must
be fully acknowledged. If you are unsure about the expectations for completing an assignment or taking a
test or exam, be sure to seek clarification beforehand. All suspected violations of the Code will be
handled according to University policies. Sanctions for academic misconduct may include a failing grade
on the assignment, reduction in your final grade, a failing grade in the course, among other possibilities,
and must include a report to the Dean of Students.

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 Fall 2016 Semester Schedule
Beauty: Evolution of Science
With Focus on Earth Science
Instructor: Dr. Claudia C. Johnson
Coll C-105, Section 32359 RSTR, 3 credits

Home class for first 8 weeks of the semester: Dr. Johnson

Week 1: Introductory Concepts
Monday Aug 22 General overview of semesters teachings and student learning outcomes
Wednesday Aug 24 Overview of Themester: Beauty; Introduction to key course concepts
Friday Aug. 26 Collective course meeting outside IU Auditorium at Showalter Fountain

Week 2: How do we test hypotheses in science?

Monday Aug. 29 The scientific method
Themester Event: 7:00pm Rivers and Tides, at the IU Cinema
Wednesday Aug. 31 Data gathering and objective testing
Friday Sept. 2 Discussion and exercise

Weeks 3-4: Beauty expressed in our natural world

Monday Sept. 5 Labor Day Classes do not meet
Wednesday Sept. 7 Elements to minerals to rocks - chemical processes
Friday Sept. 9 Discussion
Monday Sept. 12 Rocks to landforms physical processes
Wednesday Sept. 14 Big forces of plate tectonics
Friday Sept. 16 Discussion
First themester assignment due today

Weeks 5-6: From the natural emerges the unnatural

Monday Sept. 19 Reefs and artificial reefs
Themester Event: 7:00pm Racing Extinction, IU Cinema
Wednesday Sept. 21 River systems and no-build zones
Friday Sept. 23 Volcanic eruptions and destruction of property
Monday* Sept. 26 Climate change and climate mitigation
Wednesday* Sept. 28 Earthquakes and earthquake building codes
Friday Sept. 30 Minerals and their synthetic equivalents

Weeks 7-8: Beauty revealed in the form and function of living beings
Monday Oct. 3 Origin of life forms - biological processes
Wednesday Oct. 5 Preservation of life in the form of fossils
Friday Oct. 7 Fall break
Monday Oct 10 Classification changing thoughts and methods
Synthesis assignment due today
Wednesday Oct. 12 Form and function how did dinosaurs move?
Friday Oct. 14 Midterm Exam
Saturday Oct. 15 Themester Event: 3:00pm, An Art that Nature Makes: The Work of
Rosamond Purcell, at the IU Cinema

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 Beauty: Evolution of Science
Coll C-105, Section 32359 RSTR, 3 credits, Fall 2016

First 3-week session rotation, Dr. MacKay: syllabus forthcoming on Oct. 17

Monday Oct. 17
Wednesday Oct. 19
Friday Oct. 21
Monday Oct. 24 Themester Event: 7:00pm Museum Hours, at the IU Cinema
Wednesday Oct. 26
Friday Oct. 28
Monday Oct. 31 Halloween
Wednesday Nov. 2
Friday Nov. 4

Second 3-week session rotation, Dr. Martins: syllabus forthcoming on Nov. 7

Monday Nov. 7
Wednesday Nov. 9
Friday Nov. 11
Monday Nov. 14
Wednesday Nov. 16
Friday Nov. 18
Monday Nov. 21 Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday Nov. 23 Thanksgiving Break
Friday Nov. 25 Thanksgiving Break
Monday Nov. 28
Wednesday Nov. 30
Friday Dec. 2

Home class for last week of semester: Dr. Johnson returns

Week 16: Integration, analysis, evaluation of semesters teachings
Monday Dec. 5 Addressing integration of the semesters resources
Wednesday Dec. 7 Analysis of resources from integrated disciplines
Friday Dec. 9 Practicing evaluation of multiple disciplines

Final Exam: 2:45-4:45pm, Friday, December 16. Location: WH 004 (normal lecture room)

**************************************************
C-103 Beauty: Evolution of an Idea, Dr. Ellen McKay, Arts & Humanities
Since Plato, beauty has served as a measure of the truth or worth of things. This section of The Evolution of Beauty
will study and question beautys use as a philosophical proving ground by surveying the history of aesthetics,
including beautys related concepts such as the grotesque, the sublime, the artificial, and the cute. In order to keep in
mind the interdisciplinary cross-over of the course, we will pay special attention to the way beauty has been
extrapolated from perceptions and beliefs about nature, as well as by representations and idealizations of the female
form. Readings will include short selections from Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Burke, and Benjamin, among others;
examples of the beautiful will include poetry (Homer, Petrarch, Shakespeare, Keats, Plath), film (Hitchcock), and
fine arts (a trip to the IU Art Museum will offer further grounding for the course).
C-104 Beauty: Evolution of Image, Dr. Nicole Martins, Social & Historical Studies
In this section, students will be introduced to key issues and theoretical approaches in the study of (ideal) beauty in
the mass media. We will discuss the social and economic origins to these idealized images, as well as how
depictions of beauty impact user's sex role socialization and expectations, body image concerns, social identity, and
contributions to gender inequality. We will look at how beauty is presented across media from a social scientific
perspective. Intersections between gender, race, and ethnicity will also be explored.