| Effective Term: | 2024/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Innovation, Science & Sustainability |
| Unit Title: | Earth's Living History |
| Unit ID: | SCGEO1105 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (SX523) |
| ASCED: | 010703 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Earth's Living History is a survey of the major developments in the history of life, set against a background of change in the physical world. It is designed to improve the communication and teamwork skills of participants. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | |  | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Examine the fossil record and interpret the history of the development of life on Earth |
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| K2. | Discuss the causes of mass extinction and the subsequent recovery of ecosystems |
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| K3. | Describe the variety in global environments through time |
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| K4. | Explain the particularities of human evolution that distinguish humans from other species |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Marshal a scientific case in regard to an argument |
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| S2. | Appraise an argument critically |
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| S3. | Distinguish certain types of fossils |
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| S4. | Employ the poster style of scientific communication |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Work effectively in a team |
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| A2. | Communicate more effectively and with greater confidence |
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| A3. | Apply a "deep-time" perspective to modern biological and environmental issues |
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| Unit Content: |
A broad survey of some of the main developments in the history of life as discerned from the rock record spanning nearly four billion years, including: 1.Human evolution 2.Earliest evidence of life 3.The transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes 4.The Cambrian explosion 5.Phanerozoic mass extinction, possible causes and recovery 6.The transition of animals from the sea to the land 7.Aspects of the global environment through time 8.Evolution - fact and theory 9.Creationism versus evolutionary theory 10.Importance of the palaeontological record and ecology for public policy. |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, S3, S4, A2 | Fossil identification | Laboratory work and Reports | 10-30% | | 2. | K1, K3, S1, S2, A3 | Research, discussion and critique of contemporary scientific argument | Reports / Presentations | 10-30% | | 3. | K1, K3, K4, S2, A1, A2, A3 | Research of scientific problems as part of a team | Oral presentations | 10-30% | | 4. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2 | Scientific resource folder | Final test | 30-50% |
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