SYLLABUS HANDOUT
For
Fall 2010
Intro to Physical Geography: Weather and Climate
Geog 1150 Section 5A
Victoria Alapo, Instructor
WELCOME TO METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Metropolitan Community College
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SYLLABUS
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SECTION I: THE CLASS AND THE INSTRUCTOR
COURSE SECTION AND TITLE:
CREDIT HOURS:
ACADEMIC YEAR/QUARTER:
INSTRUCTOR’S NAME:
LOCATION OF CLASS:
LOCATION OF LABS:
GEOG 1150 Section 5A
Introduction to Physical Geography: Weather and Climate
6.0 Hours
Fall Quarter, 2010
Victoria Alapo
Fort Omaha Campus, Building 10, Room 219
Same
METHODS OF CONTACTING INSTRUCTOR:
METRO EMAIL:
voalapo@mccneb.edu
METRO OFFICE LOCATION:
FOC, Building 5, Room 203
METRO OFFICE HOURS:
Usually after class or otherwise scheduled
METRO OFFICE PHONE:
457-2243
FACULTY WEB SITE:
http://faculty.mccneb.edu/voalapo/
ACADEMIC AREA:
Social Sciences
ACADEMIC DEAN’S PHONE:
738-4545
IMPORTANT DATES:
MEETING DAYS/TIME:
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:00pm – 9:20pm
DATE CLASS BEGINS:
September 7, 2010
DATE CLASS ENDS:
November 18, 2010
LAST DATE TO DROP CLASS:
November 3, 2010
DATES CLASS DOES NOT MEET:
None
Please check this link for other important college dates: www.mccneb.edu/sos/enrollman.asp
SECTION II: THE COURSE
Course Description:
This course introduces students to the ways in which the interaction of solar radiation, temperature,
atmospheric pressure, moisture, and wind produce at particular places the short-term atmospheric
conditions that we call weather, and the long-term atmospheric conditions we call climate. Attention is
given to the ways in which human life is influenced by weather and climate, and to evidence of humaninduced changes in the content of the atmosphere and to the potential effects of those changes on
weather and climate in the future.
Course Prerequisites:
SCIE 0090, Introduction to Science, is recommended, but not required. The ability to read and
comprehend college-level texts is essential, as is the ability to setup and solve basic math
problems. Students lacking these skills should address these deficiencies before taking this course.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course students will be able to:
1)
Appreciate the complexity of the physical systems that support life on earth.
2)
Use and evaluate maps as analytical tools.
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3)
4)
5)
6)
Comprehend the nature and interaction of solar energy, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, winds,
and atmospheric moisture.
Describe the earth’s hydrologic cycle and the global distribution of water.
Appreciate the impact of weather and climate on human life, and the human impact on the earth’s
atmosphere and climate.
Understand why and how climate and weather conditions vary from place to place, and describe the
global distribution of climates.
Required and Supplemental Materials:
Required Text:
McKnight, Tom L. and Darrel Hess. 2008. Physical Geography: A
Landscape Appreciation. 9th Ed. Pearson Prentice Hall.
Required Lab Manual:
McKnight, Tom and Hess, Darrel. 2008. Physical Geography: A
Landscape Appreciation 9th or 10th Ed. (Lab Manual). Pearson Prentice
Hall.
Lab Materials Needed:
Pencils, a pocket calculator and a ruler.
SECTION III: STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Your first responsibility in this course, or any other, is to make sure that you have read and
understood the syllabus. Thereafter, your responsibilities, should you wish to succeed in the course,
are to: come to class on time and prepared; to pay attention to lecture and take notes on important
points raised therein; to ask questions when they occur to you and; to do your part to maintain a
classroom atmosphere that facilitates learning for all. This means that you are to avoid behaviors that
prevent others from learning (inappropriate talking in class etc.), and to treat the diverse viewpoints
expressed in class respectfully. Finally, turn off your cell phone ringers upon entering class and
refrain using your phone for text messaging or other purposes until class concludes.
Methods of Learning:
Students will learn in this course by attending class regularly, by participating in lectures and
discussions, and by completing any and all assignments in a timely fashion. You will get far more out
of the class if you make an effort to stay current with your reading assignments and come to class
prepared to discuss and to question course material. You will also be well served if you make an effort
to read a quality newspaper or news weekly during the quarter, and to link what you read to course
content. If there is one thing that all geographers share it is a curiosity about the world in which they
live. This is a worthwhile trait and one you should begin to develop now.
Attendance:
Regular and punctual attendance is a requirement of any college course. Here, a significant
percentage of exam material will be taken from lecture and it is simply impossible to do well in the
course if you do not attend class on a regular basis. Excessive absences will result in a significant
reduction of your course grade. If you do miss class, you are still responsible for any information
disseminated on that day (in any form). You should make arrangements to secure lecture notes from a
willing class mate and you should see me immediately regarding any handouts or other assignments
you may have missed.
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Bonus Points for Attendance:
The following additional credit may also be earned for good attendance:
• Perfect attendance will result in two bonus percentages being added to the final grade.
• One absence will result in only one percentage being added to the final grade.
• No extra points will be awarded for 2 or more absences.
Student Withdrawal:
If you cannot participate in and complete this course, you should officially withdraw by calling Central
Registration at 402-457-5231 or 1-800-228-9553. Failure to officially withdraw will result in either an
attendance-related failure (FX) or failing (F) grade. The last date to withdraw is noted in the CLASS
IDENTIFICATION section of this syllabus (see “important dates”).
Academic Honesty:
Students are reminded that materials they may use as sources for this course may be subject to
copyright protection. Additional information about copyright is provided on the library webpage at
http://www.mccneb.edu/library or by the College's Copyright Officer. In response to incidents of
student dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.), the College imposes specific actions that may include
receiving a failing grade on a test, failure in the course, suspension from the College, or dismissal from
the College. The disciplinary procedures are available in Student Services.
Technology Resources and Use of College Computers:
By using the information technology systems at MCC (including the computer systems and phones)
you acknowledge and consent to the conditions of use as set forth in the Metropolitan Community
College Procedures Memorandum on Acceptable Use of Information Technology and Resources. It is
your responsibility as a student to be familiar with these procedures. The full text of the Procedures
Memorandum may be found at the following website: http://www.mccneb.edu/itprocedures.htm
When using College computers at the computer labs, Learning Centers, Libraries and classrooms, you
need to login with your username and password*. Your username and password are the same
whenever you log into the network (campus computers), SharePoint Services, student e-mail, Web
Advisor and WebCT (if enrolled in an online or blended course). For other systems (not listed above),
your instructor will provide you with the username and password information as necessary.
The Password Center (http://www.mccneb.edu/password) is a new web resource available to all
students and staff. This web site allows you to change (reset) your password even if you don’t know
your username and password, provided the personal information you enter to verify your identity,
matches the information the College has in its database. Verification information consists of student ID
number (or the last 5 digits of your Social Security number), last name, birth date, street address and
ZIP Code.
*Note: If you have not logged in before, your initial password is the first initial of your first name (in
UPPERCASE), the first initial of your last name (in lowercase), followed by your student ID number
with leading zeros to make the password 9 characters long. For example, if your name is Chris Doe
and your student ID number is 1234, your initial password will be Cd0001234.
Educational Services Program Area Identification:
Program Area: Social Sciences
Dean Jane Franklin
Dean’s office phone: 738-4545
The Office of the Dean should be contacted with any questions or problems that you and your
instructor are not able to resolve to your satisfaction.
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Section IV: Instructor Responsibilities:
Methods of Instruction:
Lectures, demonstrations, videos and discussions will be used to convey course information to
students. Readings from the text are required, and regular lab assignments will be used to further
reinforce core concepts.
.
Assessing Student Progress:
Student progress in this course will be assessed by means of examinations and laboratory exercises
aimed at understanding the degree to which students have achieved a satisfactory degree of mastery
of the subject matter.
Make-Up Exams:
.
Make-up exams will be given only in the case of an excused absence, No exceptions. Excused
absences include:
1) serious illness or other health emergencies documented by a physician, and,
2) the death of a family member, documented by an obituary.
However, if you know in advance that you will miss an exam, provisions may be made to take it early.
All unauthorized missed exams will be assigned a score of 0 points.
Late Assignments:
10 percent of the total available points will be deducted for each day any assignment is late.
For example, an assignment worth 100 points, but handed in two days late, will be worth no more than
80 points (prior to grading). The lesson is, complete your work on time.
Final Course Grade:
The final grade will reflect your performance on:
One Syllabus assignment worth 10 points
Three (3) midterm exams worth 100 points each (300 total points)
Seven (7) Lab assignments worth 50 points each (350 total points)
Your final course grade will be calculated by dividing the total number of points you achieve by the total
number of points possible (660), and multiplying the result by 100 to produce a percentage. Grades will
then be assigned using the following scale:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = < 60%
For example, if you scored the following: 242 total points on exams, 310 points on your Labs, and 8 points on
your syllabus assignment, your grade would be computed this way: dividing the total number of points you
scored (560) by the total number of points available (660), and multiplying the result by 100 (to produce a
percentage). That would be 560/660=.848x100= 84.8%, a 'B'.
**I do not allow the eating of MEALS during my class. My class is NOT a Cafeteria; therefore,
if you’re hungry, that’s where you need to go. However, small vending snacks are acceptable.
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Below is your schedule for lab assignments and exams for the current quarter. Assigned labs are due at the
beginning of class on the dates indicated. There are some things you must keep in mind to assure that you
are awarded as many points as possible for your lab work:
1) I encourage students to work on lab assignments in teams, as students tend to learn a lot from one
another.
2) You must show your work for any problems involving mathematical computations, even the most basic
sort of mathematical computations. This is required to demonstrate that you understand the processes
and sequencing required to reach a correct answer, and to show that you have done the work yourself.
3) Prior to submission, you must remove relevant lab work from the lab manual (neatly), arrange the
pages in the proper order (pg.1 before pg.2) and staple them together. This needs to be done
before class. You need only remove and turn in pages that include assigned problems. There is simply
no excuse for shoddy workmanship on assignments that you have been aware of for weeks in
advance.
4) Any lab work submitted WITHOUT NAMES, unstapled and/or out of order will be sent to the garbage
bin.
5) Finally, all labs MUST be written on your WORKBOOK SHEETS. I will NOT grade any OTHER types
of paper. If you need to return your workbook to the bookstore at the end of term, then COPY the
pages you need and write on those copies.
SECTION V: TEACHING SCHEDULE & SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS:
CLASS
DATE
IN CLASS
9/7/2010
- Introduction to the Earth (Ch 1)
9/9/2010
- Introduction to the Earth (Ch 1)
9/14/2010
- Portraying/Mapping the Earth (Ch 2)
ASSIGNMENTS DUE TODAY
ASSIGNMENTS FOR NEXT
CLASS
-
Chapter 1
-
Syllabus Assignment
- Chapter 2
Syllabus Assignment
Ex. 1, pp1-3
Ex. 2, pp5-7 #1 & 2, p8
Ex. 3, pp 9-13
- work on lab 1
- Chapter 2
(lab 1 due)
9/16/2010
- Portraying/Mapping the Earth (Ch 2)
9/21/2010
- Introduction to the Atmosphere (Ch 3)
9/23/2010
- Introduction to the Atmosphere (Ch 3)
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 3
- work on lab 2
Ex. 4, pp 15-18
Ex. 5, pp19-23, and p 24 #1a, b
Ex. 24, pp163-168 #1 thru 12
(lab 2 due)
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- Chapter 4
SECTION V: TEACHING SCHEDULE & SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS (Continued):
CLASS
DATE
IN CLASS
9/28/2010
ASSIGNMENTS FOR
ASSIGNMENTS DUE TODAY
- Insolation (Solar Radiation) and
- Chapter 4
Temperature (Ch 4)
- Prepare for Exam 1
- Exam 1
9/30/2010
NEXT CLASS
- Chapter 5
- Insolation (Solar Radiation) and
Temperature (Ch 4)
10/5/2010
10/7/2010
- Atmospheric Pressure and Wind (Ch 5)
10/12/2010
- Atmospheric Moisture (Ch 6)
10/14/2010
- Atmospheric Moisture (Ch 6)
10/19/2010
- Chapter 5
- Atmospheric Pressure and Wind (Ch 5)
- The Hydrosphere (Ch 9)
- work on lab 3
Ex. 6, pp25-28
Ex. 7, pp. 29-32
Ex. 10, pp 47-48, and pp 51-52
(lab 3 due)
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 6
Ex. 11, pp. 53-58
Ex. 12, pp 59-64
-
Chapter 9
-
work on lab 4
-
Chapter 9
(lab 4 due)
10/21/2010
- The Hydrosphere (Ch 9)
- Prepare for Exam 2
- Exam 2
10/26/2010
- Chapter 7
- The Hydrosphere (Ch 9)
- Transient Atmospheric Flows &
10/28/2010
- Chapter 7
Disturbances: Air Masses, Fronts and
- work on lab 5
Storms (Ch 7)
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SECTION V: TEACHING SCHEDULE & SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS (Continued):
- Transient Atmospheric Flows &
11/2/2010
Disturbances: Air Masses, Fronts and
Storms (Ch 7)
Ex. 13, pp. 65-71 all and p. 72. # l
and # 2
Ex. 14, pp. 75-78
- Chapter 8
Ex. 16, pp. 87-92
(lab 5 due)
11/4/2010
- Chapter 8
- Climatic Zones & Types: Climates of the
- work on lab 6
Earth (Ch 8)
- Climatic Zones & Types: Climates of the
11/9/2010
11/11/2010
Earth (Ch 8)
Ex. 17, pp. 95-99
Ex. 18, pp. 103-111
Ex. 19, pp. 117-121
Ex. 20, pp. 123-127
(lab 6 due)
- Chapter 11
- Terrestrial Flora & Fauna (Ch 11)
11/16/2010
- Terrestrial Flora & Fauna (Ch 11)
11/18/2010
- Final Exam
- work on lab 7
Ex. 21 pp. 131-142 and
pp. 147-148
Ex. 23 pp. 157-162
(lab 7 due)
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- Chapter 11
- Prepare for Final Exam