- UCAS course code
- F701
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
BSc Earth and Planetary Sciences
Study a course with real world applications at a UK top ten University in Geology, Environmental and Earth Sciences. (THE World Rankings 2024)
- Typical A-level offer: AAB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: ABB including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBB/ABC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 35 points overall with 6,6,5 at HL including specific requirements
Course unit details:
Practical and Professional Skills Development
Unit code | EART11300 |
---|---|
Credit rating | 40 |
Unit level | Level 4 |
Teaching period(s) | Full year |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The practical and field based skills elements within this unit are delivered by a practical day each week; this will allow you to participate in one day field courses with up to 6 locations planned that are easily accessible from Manchester such as the university’s own world leading planetarium and arboretum at Jodrell Bank, the wonderful Peak District and the coastal environments of the Wirral peninsula. On campus the practical day will be split into a morning and an afternoon class with each lasting up to 3 hours. In semester two, students will attend a one week residential field course where you will be able to apply the skills learned in the labs to complex real world environments.
You will develop fundamental academic and professional skills as natural scientists through individual, small group and large group exercises. You will develop the digital capabilities and the professional and transferable skills that are expected in the modern workplace, including the critical use of digital technology and the creative development and production of material to communicate your findings to an audience.
The assessment of this unit will be by a practical test at the end of each semester, the completion of two pieces of coursework set by your academic tutor and the completion of a skills workbook.
Pre/co-requisites
Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Understanding the Earth | EART11100 | Co-Requisite | Compulsory |
The Natural Scientist's Toolkit | EART11200 | Co-Requisite | Compulsory |
Aims
The aims of this unit are to provide hands-on training for the essential practical and field skills necessary for students of natural sciences, focusing particularly on geological, biological, and environmental data that are collected and analysed in laboratory and real world settings and to introduce the transferable and professional skills that are required in the modern world of work
Learning outcomes
1. Demonstrate how to assess risks and hazards in the context of health and safety on the university campus and in the field. |
2. Follow laboratory procedures to safely use chemicals and solutions as well as biological and geological samples, these will include weighing, measuring volumes and procedures for the isolation of biological molecules |
3. Make and accurately record observations to be able to identify a range of common biological and geological samples by eye and using hand lenses and microscopes (both binocular and petrological) |
4. Interpret the features drawn on a geological map and integrate diverse information including the geological time scale with the construction of vertical cross sections to illustrate the geometry of geological structures in other than map view. |
5. Demonstrate competence in accessing and using the Library’s ‘My Learning Essentials’ and the Careers Service’s ‘My Future’ e-learning facilities. |
6. Write individual and co-authored academic documents (e.g., annotated bibliographies, essays, reports, laboratory and field notebooks and posters) and make oral presentations and defend a position or argument in a seminar environment |
7. Use a range of digital tools and platforms and applications to achieve complex tasks |
8. Explain the concept of ‘graduate professional skills’ and record acquired skills in a ‘Professional Skills Workbook’, with reference to professional bodies’ evidence based early career development pathways (chartership etc.) |
9. Appraise individual and group academic and professional performance against course unit aims and intended learning outcomes. |
10. Use hand held atmospheric and chemical measurement instruments to investigate environmental conditions of the atmosphere and hydrosphere including surface water and sediments. |
11. Record geological and biological field observations in a field notebook, use section logging to record stratigraphic information and identify a range of organisms using appropriate keys and handbooks. |
12. Make a geological map on topographic field slips to show structural measurements, annotations, the location of exposures and the interpretation of geologically important boundaries. |
13. Interpret geological, biological, atmospheric and water chemistry data in the field to explain the formation and history of locations including analysis of environmental problems. |
ILOs 1-13 - Developed. ILOs 1,3,4,5,6,8,11 - Assessed.
Syllabus
Semester 1
Practical Skills
Week 1: P1 Introduction to microscopy
Week 1: P2 Observation skills (maps, notebooks and compasses)
Week2: Field Day – Alderley Edge
Week3: P3 Stromatolites and ancient life
Week 3: P4 Mam Tor- chemistry
Week4: P5 Layers of the Earth – rocks in thin section
Week 4: P6 Mam Tor – landslip
Week 5: Field Day – Mam Tor
Week 6 –Mid term formative assessments
Week 7 P7 How to describe clastic sediments
Week 7: P8 Identifying marine plants and animals
Week 8: P9 Intro to chemistry labs/ risk assessments
Week 8: P10 Sedimentary structures and trace fossils
Week 9: Field Day – Hilbre Island
Week 10: P11 Physical properties of minerals
Week 10: P12 Fossil preservation
Week 11: P13 Urban ecology
Week 11: P14 Urban geology
Week 12: Field Day - Manchester Building Stones
Professional Skills
Week 1: Introduction and meet your academic advisor
Week 2: Academic Study Skills (MLE)
Week 3: Wellbeing and introduction to the Counselling Service
Week 4: Becoming a professional scientist
Week 5: Managing exam stress
Week 6 –Mid term formative assessments
Week 7: Academic study skills (MLE)
Week 8: Careers – further study at the end of your degree
Week 9: Volunteering activities
Week 10:Ethics
Week 11: Careers – meet the professionals
Week 12: Wellbeing activities in Manchester Museum
Semester 2
Practical Skills
Week 1: P1 Phosphatase enzyme assay in an environmental sample
Week 2: P2 Identification skills & the use of taxonomic keys : Plants
Week 2: P3 Identification skills & the use of taxonomic keys : Invertebrate animals
Week 3: P4 Igneous processes
Week 3: P5 Metamorphic processes
Week 4: P6 Micro-chemistry conductivity titration - build your own apparatus
Week 4: P7 Micro-chemistry - Run experiments and analyse results
Week 5: P8: Intro to Chemistry labs –
Week 5: P9 Parys Mountain ICPMS data analysis
Week 6 –Mid term formative assessments
Week 7: P10 Volcanoes and volcanic hazards
Week 7: P11 Bones and locomotion
Week 8: P12: Analysis of pellets e.g. owls or seagulls Skills: ID, microcopy, biodiversity etc.
Week 8: P13:Ore minerals
Week 9: P14 Drawing sketch maps & constructing cross sections
Week 9: P15: Analysing genetic variation in natural populations
Week 10: P16: Constructing stratum contours
Week 10: P17: Unconformities and practicing drawing cross sections
Week 11: P18 Folds and faults
Week 11: P19: Stereonets
Week 12: Carbon Literacy Training
Professional Skills
Week 1: Assessment details for this semester
Week 2: Manage your time: make the most of it!
Information about the 2nd year of your degree
Week 3: Student Volunteering Week - Big Volunteer Day
Week 4: Careers Making the most of my first year
Week 5: Developing resilience
Week 6 –Mid term formative assessments
Week 7: Graphics Design training
Week 8: Graphics Design training
Week 9: E-portfolio and digital capabilities
Week 10: Presentation skills: speaking with confidence
Week 11: Student Conference
Week 12: Looking forward to year 2: Pathway information
Teaching and learning methods
Practical classes:
Each class will last between 2 -3 hours in duration. They are hands on and involve the identification and description of samples from both biological and geological examples. The safe use of laboratory procedures and the use of analytical equipment will be taught and developed. Observations, techniques, methods and results are kept in a lab book (either paper of electronic) and this can be taken into the end of semester exams. There will always be lots of help available in the classes from both staff and teaching assistants – asking questions and becoming involved in discussions is actively encouraged. This will facilitate oral feedback in regard to the skills being practised in class. Written feedback is given through the Blackboard site each week. Online guides are provided on Blackboard e.g.properties of minerals.
One day field trips:
The field classes are related to the skills that have been learnt in the previous weeks and allow the students to practise these techniques in real world situations. The field days also allow the students to experience the conditions of working outside and allow them to refine what field equipment they need, including appropriate clothing and footwear for the safe completion of field activities. Guidance on these matters is given by the leaders of the trips. Information on the area and the field activities are posted on Blackboard before the trip so students can prepare.
Professional Skills Classes:
These classes which last up to two hours are delivered in the form of workshops led by the appropriate professional service within the university. These can include the My Learning Essentials team, the Counselling Service and the Careers Service. The students are expected to complete a self-reflected electronic workbook where they must provide evidence for the completion of various activities relating to professional development e.g. time spent volunteering. Individual on-line feedback on their workbooks is provided each semester and face to face help sessions in completing the workbook are given. Guidance on specific on line resources the students can access is provided.
Tutorials:
Small group (up to 6 students in a group) tutorials are held in both semesters to help the students to learn and then refine their knowledge of academic forms of communication. The tutors will work with their tutees to develop their ability to defend a position on a subject to be identified by the tutors and the students together. The ILOs are tested by the completion of two pieces of coursework.
Assessment methods
Assessment type | % Weighting within unit | Hand out and hand in dates | Length
| How, when and what feedback is provided | ILO tested |
General Practical Exam (integrating field days and practical classes) | 25% | End of Semester 1 Exam Period | 2 hrs | Individual practice exercises focussing on key elements (e.g., map interpretation, observing and describing samples) 1 hr formative general practical open book assesment in mid term assessment week (Semesters 1 and 2). Meet with your Academic Advisor in week 8 to discuss midterm results. End of semester cohort-level feedback via Blackboard, and students will be able to view marked exam scrips in a hosted open session. | 3,4 |
General Practical Exam (integrating field days and practical classes) Open book assessment | 25% | End of Semester 2 exam period | 2 hrs | Individual practice exercises focussing on key elements (e.g., map interpretation, observing and describing samples) 1 hr formative general practical open book assesment in mid term assessment week (Semesters 1 and 2). Meet with your Academic Advisor in week 8 to discuss midterm results. End of semester exam cohort-level feedback via Blackboard, and students will be able to view marked exam scrips in a hosted open session. | 1,4,11 |
Report (Individual) | 13 | Last week Semester 1 | 2500 words | Formative feedback given on the Introduction and Methods section submitted in Week 6 Rubric filled in by the tutor and returned to the student | 6 |
Group digital poster and individual oral presentation | 12 | Last week Semester 2 | 10 minutes | Rubric filled in by the tutor and returned to the student | 6,7,9 |
Professional Skills Notebook | 25% | Last week Semester 2 | n/a | Pass/Fail based on workbook Individual formative feedback provided at the beginning of Semester 2 | 5,8 |
Field course: Field observation and data collection exercises | 0% | Week 11 Semester 2 | Semester 1 one day field course assessments |
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
---|---|
Fieldwork | 96 |
Practical classes & workshops | 92 |
Tutorials | 18 |
Independent study hours | |
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Independent study | 194 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
---|---|
Amanda Edwards | Unit coordinator |
Clare Robinson | Unit coordinator |
Katherine Harrison | Unit coordinator |