• Outcomes for Week 3
• Tasks for Week 3
• Making Timely and Substantial Contributions to Discussion Threads
• Assigned Discussion Threads for Week 3

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Welcome to the third week in Pacific Northwest Geology online. The main topics for this week are the rock cycle and volcanism in the Pacific Northwest.

Outcomes for Week 3

Now let us take a look at what is happening this week. At the end of the third week, you should be able to:

• describe the four major types of volcanic activity that have shaped the geologic history of the Pacific Northwest: formation of composite cones, formation of shield volcanoes, formation of calderas and formation of flood basalt landscapes
• show on a map approximately where in the Pacific Northwest the major types of volcanic activity have occurred
• explain how the different types of volcanic activity in the Pacific Northwest are related to different types of magma, different styles of eruption, and different types of rock
• identify nine representative rock types from the Pacific Northwest
• recognize a composite cone, a shield volcano, and a cinder cone

Tasks for Week 3

• Read Lecture #3 and the course content Web pages to which it is linked.
• Make timely and substantial contributions to the assigned discussion threads (see below).
• Discuss with the rest of the class the identity of the nine Pacific Northwest Geology rocks.
• Complete Lab Assignment #3. This week send it online in two forms--
  • 1) the PNW Lab 3A Rocks Answer Form m in your online classroom (this is actually not due until the end of Week 5)
  • 2) the PNW Lab 3B Virtual Field Sites Answer Form in your online classroom (due on Wednesday, the last day of Week 3)
• Take the weekly Pacific Northwest Geology quiz online.
• Write your weekly summary on the last day of the week and post it to the classroom discussion area by the end of that day (see below).

Making Timely and Substantial Contributions to Discussion Threads

Each week you are assigned one (or several) discussion threads. You are expected, at minimum, to submit a comment of your own, and at least one response to another student's comment, as your contribution to that thread. You are also expected to provide substance to at least one of your postings. Substance means such things as descriptions of real geological examples that you have encountered, or references (with your own comments) to things you have read about, or references (with your own comments) to other Web pages that are relevant to the discussion thread.

You are also welcome to, and encouraged to, start your own discussion threads and respond to other students' discussion threads. The minimum requirement is to take part in the discussion threads that are assigned at the beginning of each week, in the agenda.

Assigned Discussion Thread for Week 3

Here is a listing of the third week's assigned discussion thread.

The three most common igneous rocks are basalt, porphyritic andesite, and granodiorite. You have an example of each of these in your Pacific Northwest Geology rocks. Describe in non-technical terms, as if teaching sixth grade students, what each of these rocks looks like and how each of them forms.

Remember to begin taking part in the discussion before the last two days of the online week.

Your Weekly Summary

Your weekly summary is important. It is to be completed on the last day of the online week. It is to be sent to the Weekly Summary discussion thread.

Writing a summary helps you solidify in your mind what you learned that week. A high-quality summary clearly describes the main ideas you learned, with some specific examples. Demonstrate what you have learned and discuss your experience in learning it, in your own words.

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