Module manager: Dr Vern Manville
Email: V.R.Manville@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
SOEE1560 Introductory Earth Sciences
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module introduces environmental and natural scientists without a geoscience background to the solid Earth component of the Earth system. It provides baseline information on the formation and differentiation of the Earth and its constituent materials including rocks and minerals, plate tectonic theory, the rock cycle and basic mineralogy and petrology, Earth history (Deep Time, stratigraphic concepts and the evolution of life), geological maps and their applications, three-dimensional relationships and deformation, and the role of the Earth sciences in underpinning modern society, including natural resources and the understanding and mitigation of natural hazards. The module is taught through a series of lectures and practicals that outline key geological information and theories and foster the development of core geological skills such as rock, mineral and fossil description, identification and interpretation, and the manipulation of geological maps in both hardcopy format and via online databases and tools. The module is assessed by a written report on a student-led Campus Trail practical which requires students to demonstrate their ability to apply their subject-specific observational skills, and an assessed practical in the last week of Semester 1 term-time.
On completion of this module, students will have a good understanding of the basic geological processes which determine the structure and dynamics of the Earth’s geosphere and its evolution over time. Students will also become familiar with some of the standard material description and identification techniques used to characterise geological materials.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Have an appreciation for the dynamic nature of the Earth and how this is expressed through
plate tectonics and the rock cycle.
2. Describe, interpret and name common geological materials and their environment and
processes of formation based on their mineralogy and texture using appropriate terminology.
3. Have an understanding of how the rock record preserves a history of past geological events
(Earth system history) and some of its many limitations.
4. Have an understanding of the basics of stratigraphy and structural geology and how these
influence three-dimensional geological relationships.
5. Be familiar with basic concepts of palaeontology and understand how the fossil record is used
to subdivide geological time and provide information on past environmental conditions.
6. Demonstrate the interpretation and use of geological maps, cross-sections and related
geoinformatic databases to solve practical problems.
Skills learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Describe and classify common geological materials and interpret their environment or process
of formation using appropriate terminology. (Academic, Technical)
2. Explain the geological evolution of the planet Earth and the underlying principles. (Academic,
Technical)
3. Recognise the complexity of Earth systems and human dependencies on them (Sustainability)
4. Interpret geoinformatic data such as geological maps and cross-sections to reconstruct the
sequence of past events and solve problems. (Work-ready, Digital)
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Practicals | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| Private study hours | 72 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 28 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
An online MCQ (total 9) is made available after each practical session/lecture for students to check their comprehension and application of that week’s material, with automated feedback provision.
Informal verbal feedback is also available during the weekly practical sessions and model (worked as appropriate) model answers to practical questions and problems are released on Minerva at the end of each practical.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Coursework | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 50 | |
The Campus Trail Report is a skills-oriented assessment where students find and identify rocks (mostly building stones) on the University of Leeds campus, with a free choice of one rock of their own choosing. The resit is in the same format as the original assessment.
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Unseen Practical exam (S1) | 1.0 Hrs 30 Mins | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 50 | |
Recommended duration for the assessed practical is 1 hr 30 minutes, to be held in the timetabled practical slot in the last week of teaching in Semester 1 (week 11). This assessment is open book (i.e. students may bring and refer to their own notes) but Internet access is not permitted. This will be run as a departmental exam and must be timetabled in the EVL. The resit is in the same format as the original assessment.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team