Departmental Course Syllabus
Physical Geography

I. Catalog Description

Geog 103 Physical Geography. 4 credits. Earth-sun relations, map reading and interpretation, landforms, elements of weather and climate, climatic regions. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour lab period per week. Every term. NAT SCI.

II. Major Objectives

At the conclusion of the course, all students should be able to:

Specific outcomes include:

1. Describe the concepts and interrelationships between continental drift, plate tectonics, and sea-floor spreading.

2. Describe and explain principles of rock mechanics.

3. Identify and distinguish between the processes of physical and chemical weathering.

4. Describe and explain the Laws of Drainage composition.

5. Identify processes operating in the fluvial, glacial, and shoreline environments.

6. Explain the concept of dynamic equilibrium.

7. Explain models of landform development.

8. Apply concepts of energy to explain distributions of temperature, pressure, wind, and moisture.

9. Explain and use concepts of the adiabatic process to solve problems and explain weather variations.

10. Apply concepts of atmospheric physics to explain global climatic patterns.

11. Relate the concept of index species to climatic distributions.

12. Discuss aspects of climatic change.

Specific outcomes include:

1. Distinguish between tensional and compressional landforms.

2. Describe volcanic activity related to ejecta, plate tectonic activities, and related features.

3. Identify structural landforms.

4. Identify erosional and depositional landforms.

5. Relate climatic controls to landform evolution.

6. Deduce relationships between processes, features, and process-responses and be familiar with the basic assumptions of the scientific perspective.

7. Be aware of the limitations of the scientific approach to knowledge.

8. Identify and explain different types of temperature curves.

9. Explain vertical and horizontal distributions of temperatures.

10. Distinguish between thermal and dynamic pressure cells.

11. Distinguish between global and local wind systems.

12. Distinguish between tropical and extra-tropical storm systems.

13. Distinguish between weather and climate.

14. Identify climatic controls, patterns, and distributions.

Specific outcomes include:

1. Know, use, and /or refer to measurement devices, such as the Moh's and Richter scales, barometers, etc.

2. Be able to interpret graphical and numeric data including scale, volumes, rate, and time.

3. Be able to discern between useful and irrelevant information in problem-solving.

4. Be able to recognize environmental hazards and constraints directly and through inference.

Specific outcomes will include:

1. Use petrologic methods to distinguish between minerals and rocks.

2. Use petrologic methods to identify major rock categories.

3. Make inference concerning rock types and formative environments.

4. Be able to represent the earth's surface:

a) Read and interpret topographic maps and profiles

b) Read and interpret aerial photographs.

c) Make scale conversions.

d) Interpret township and ranges surveys.

5. Be able to assess magnitude through "ordering."

6. Be able to interpret topographic maps.

7. Be able to use and know the limitations of a cartographic data base.

8. Be able to interrelate time and distance.

9. Be able to interrelate latitude and sun angle.

10. Read and interpret weather data and station models.

11. Use and manipulate data in several media both to extract and to present information.

Text  Tom L. McKnight, Physical Geography A landscape Appreciation 6th edition Prentice Hall

Class Format  Geography 103 will employ primarily a lecture format. Time for discussion will be provided, and questions are encouraged at any time.

COURSE EXAMINATIONS:

The exams include questions from your text readings, lecture notes, and lab exercises. Types of questions include multiple choice, matching, fill-in-blank, short answer essay, locations on maps, and working with drawings.

Grades -- determined by total points accumulated:

FINAL EXAMINATION Comprehensive May 19 2:30 - 5:00 PM

Attendance Policy  Attendance is required at all scheduled class periods. Roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. If a student arrives late, it is his/her responsibility to check with the instructor at the end of the class period to ensure that he/she is not marked absent. Absences during exams must be cleared in advance and are permissible only under highly unusual, well documented circumstances.

NO ABSENCES for semester = 5 bonus points; 1-3 ABSENCES = no bonus; 4-6 ABSENCES 1 letter grade deduction for course grade; 7 or more ABSENCES = 2 letter grade deduction for course grade.

Office DH 314 (ext. 4755) Hours MW 5:00-6:00 PM, TR 10-11 am, M 2:00-3:00.

Academic Dishonesty is defined to include giving or receiving aid on exams, any form of cheating, or plagiarism. Students found guilty of academic dishonesty will receive an automatic course grade of "F" and will be referred to the Campus Judicial System. For a discussion of Academic Dishonesty refer to statement in the PATHFINDER.