Geography 101: Physical Geography—Weather and Climate Spring 2010 Instructor Jason R. Jurjevich E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Office Hours: Available immediately prior to class (11:30AM) OR by appointment Class Times: TR 12:00-2:40PM, January 19-May 18, 2010 Course CRN: 22809 Prerequisites: None Course Description From the Pima website: “This course includes an introduction to the physical elements. Includes earth-sun relationships, atmospheric processes, global heat balance, global pressure and temperature patterns, annual weather and climate patterns, weather and air pollution, urban influences on weather and climate, and climatic change. Also includes weather and people, wave cyclones of middle latitudes, weather maps and weather prediction, basic ecological principles, and energy.” Textbooks • Strahler, Alan and Arthur Strahler. 2006. Introducing Physical Geography. 4th edition. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. *REQUIRED • An physical/political atlas is also recommended Course Communication All course related information, including: lecture materials, homework assignments, map quiz and test reminders, required readings, potential class cancellation and other relevant class-related communication will be posted on the following class website: http://www.u.arizona.edu/~jrjurjev/Geo101.html Attendance Attendance is extremely important for success in this class and subsequently, attendance will be taken for each class meeting. Students will be allowed to miss 4 classes with no effect on their grade. For each additional class that is missed without an excuse approved by the instructor, 1.5% will be deducted from the student’s final grade. Therefore, if a student misses five classes and earns a 95% in the class, it will be reduced to an 93.5% (95%-(1*1.5%)) Note: Excused absences will include all holidays or special events observed by organized religions and will be honored for students who show religious affiliation. Additionally, absences approved by the Dean of Students or those pre-approved by the instructor will be honored as well. Caveat The effectiveness of this course is largely dependent on the full participation of all class members. Therefore, attending class is not enough—active participation with the instructor and your colleagues is essential for ensuring an optimal learning environment.Geography 101 Spring 2010 Jurjevich Key dates for the course and the academic calendar can be found via the following link: http://www.pima.edu/keydates/spring10.shtml Assignments Reading assignments for this course are listed on the tentative outline of the lecture topics. Any additional readings will be communicated to you and will be available on the class website. Although the lecture material is important relative to the topics we cover, class discussion of assigned readings is an equally important factor in this course. Therefore, it is imperative that you keep up with class readings. There will also be a series of lab exercises during the course of the class that serve as reinforcements of the class material and allow for hands on application. All of the exercises listed will require completion outside of the classroom and will be due on the dates noted. It is the student’s responsibility to turn the assignments in on time. Students who do not turn the assignments in on time will be subject to a 15% late point deduction. Additionally, students may not turn in any late assignments once they have already been turned back to the class without a pre-arranged agreement with the instructor. Assignments will not be accepted via e-mail and if you are not in class to turn in an assignment, you must turn in the assignment to a Northeast Center administrative staffperson who will date and time stamp the assignment and place it in my faculty mailbox. Evaluation Exams (Exams 1 and 2 @ 15%, Final @20%) 50% Lab Assignments 30% Critical Essays , Writing Assignments, and Map Quizzes 20% Total 100% Exams will consist of multiple choice and short answer questions. The exams will cover any material covered in lecture, class readings, and videos. None of the exams will be formally comprehensive, but since the class builds upon previous concepts, major concepts may be reintroduced as questions in later exams. Any student who is unable to attend the class in which the exam is given without a pre-approved excuse by the instructor will not be allowed to take the exam. Students who make arrangements with the instructor before the exam and obtain instructor approval for missing class during administration of the exam will be allowed to take the exam (subject to minor changes from the original version) at an alternate date. After taking an exam, the instructor will turn back the exams to the students for their review. All exams must be returned back to the instructor before the student leaves the room. Any student who does not return their exam to the instructor will be given a 0 on the exam. No exceptions. Writing assignments will be relatively short write-ups (1/2 page single spaced) based on some aspect of classroom discussion, video, or outside class reading. Intellectual discussion of Physical Geography and global issues requires a basic knowledge of the location of continents, countries, and key landform features. In order to reinforce and assessGeography 101 Spring 2010 Jurjevich your knowledge of basic geographical information, map quizzes will be administered during the semester. In addition to a listing of countries, continents, and landform features that may be asked, I will also provide you with a website to help you study for these quizzes. More information will be available prior to the first Map Quiz. The Critical Essays will involve minor academic or current event research surrounding several aspects of physical geography (global warming, deforestation, and Southwest water resources) and writing up a short paper (500-600 words). Course grades will be assigned on the student’s proportion of total points based on the standard 90+(A), 80-89(B), 70-79(C), 60-69(D), and below 60 (E) grading scheme. Academic Integrity All Pima Community College rules regarding academic integrity and honesty apply in this course. Course materials that are handed in are expected to be original work and your own work. Pima Community College’s Code of Academic Integrity