Geography 1010A - Fall 2007
Introduction to Geography
Course coordinator and main instructor: Dr. Matthew G. Letts, Assistant Professor of Geography.
Office: University Hall C850. Phone: 317-2842. Office Hours: Tuesdays 13h30-15h00 or by appointment.
Internet: Web: http://people.uleth.ca/~matthew.letts/ E-mail: matthew.letts@uleth.ca
Course web site: http://classes.uleth.ca/200703/geog1010a. Most lecture notes will be available here.
Lectures: Room PE250. Mon/Wed/Fri 10h00-10h50, September 5 – December 13, 2007.
Required Textbook: Introductory Geography, Custom Edition for the University of Lethbridge, taken
from (i) Christopherson RW and M-L Byrne. 2007. Geosystems - An Introduction to Physical Geography,
Canadian Edition, Prentice Hall, Toronto and (ii) Knox PL, SA Marston and AE Nash. 2007. Human
Geography, Places and Regions in Global Context, Second Canadian Edition, Prentice Hall, Toronto.
Additional Readings: Readings will be assigned, in addition to the above material.
Course Description (University Calendar)
Geography is the science that deals with the physical and human characteristics of the Earth's surface,
including patterns, processes, variation and change in time and space. A central goal of Geography is to
understand the interrelationships between physical and human environments. Geographical techniques
introduced include map, spatial, landscape and regional analysis, and Geographical Information Science.
Credit hours: 3.0 Contact hours/week: 3-0-0. Substantially Similar: Geography 1000 (prior to 2004/2005).
Designation: Science course. Note: Students may change this to Social Science via the Registrar's Office.
Course Instruction: This course will be taught by the course coordinator (Matthew Letts) and other coinstructors from the Department of Geography (Table 1). Each instructor will teach a specific topic of
expertise. The topic will change each week, as shown below. Attending all classes is important to
maximize learning and to be prepared for tests. Students are required to keep up with all assigned
readings. A variety of different topics and teaching styles will make the course interesting and dynamic. A
certain amount of flexibility is required by students to adapt to this style of teaching and learning.
TABLE 1: Course Topics, Instructors and Schedule:
(A) Introductory Concepts in Geography
Dates
Topic
Sept 5-7
Geography Matters (Chapter 1)
Sept 10-14
Mapping/Scientific Methods/Geographical Analysis
Sept 17-21
Remote Sensing and Satellite Image Analysis
(B) Human-Space Interactions
Sept 24-28
City Spaces: Urban Structure (Chapter 2)
Oct 1-5
Interpreting Spaces and Landscapes (Chapter 4)
Oct 10-12
Geography of Economic Development (Chapter 5)
(C) Physical Environment
Oct 15-19
Weather (Chapters 6 and 7)
Oct 22-26
Water Resources (Chapters 3 and 8)
Oct 29-Nov 2
The Dynamic Planet (Chapters 9 and 10)
Nov 5-9
The Dynamic Planet (con’t)
Nov 13-16
Glacial and Periglacial Processes and Landforms (Ch. 11)
(D) Special topics
Nov 19-23
Terrestrial Biomes and Ecosystems (Chapters 13 and 14)
Nov 26-30
Archaeology (Chapter 12)
Dec 3-7
Global Environmental and Climate Change
Instructor
Dr. Matthew Letts
Dr. Matthew Letts
Dr. Craig Coburn
Dr. Ivan Townshend
Dr. Tom Johnston
Dr. Ian MacLachlan
Dr. Matthew Letts
Dr. Stefan Kienzle
Dr. Matthew Letts
Dr. Matthew Letts
Dr. Hester Jiskoot
Dr. Dan Johnson
Dr. Walter Aufrecht
Dr. Matthew Letts
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Geography 1010A - Fall 2007
Introduction to Geography
Course Objectives: The central objective of this course is for students to develop an understanding of the
physical and human characteristics of the earth surface, including patterns, processes, variation and
change in time and space. We will cover many physical principles, human patterns, scientific theories and
analytical methods. Students will gain knowledge of geography as a synthesizing discipline that spans a
variety of subjects. By studying interactions between humans and the spaces they occupy, students will
learn to recognise the effects of human activities on our environment, such as pollution, global change and
use of natural resources. Modern analysis techniques such as remote sensing and geographical information
systems will be introduced and applied during the course. Where possible, connections to everyday life
will be made to draw on the student's own experiences and observations.
Grading: Your knowledge of course material will be tested using four computer-based examinations
administered in the WebCT test centre (UHall B770, see: http://webct.uleth.ca). These tests will be
written outside of class periods during the scheduled times shown below and are available over a four day
period (Mon-Thurs). A map quiz will be held on September 12.
EXAMINATION SCHEDULE SPRING 2007
Item
1
2
3
4
5
Dates/Deadline
Material tested (see TABLE 1, page 1)
Sept 12 (Wednesday)
Sept 24-27 (Mon-Thurs)
Oct 15-18 (Mon-Thurs)
Nov 19-22 (Mon-Thurs)
Dec 10-13 (Mon-Thurs)
Map Quiz
(A) Introductory Concepts in Geography
(B) Human-Space Interactions
(C) The Physical Environment
(D) Special Topics
Value (%)
4
14
24
34
24
When completing a WebCT test, you must identify yourself properly using both your name and student
ID-number. Percentage grades will be converted to a final letter grade as follows:
Percentage
90 to 100
85 to <90
80 to <85
77 to <80
73 to <77
70 to <73
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
Grade Points
4.0
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
Percentage
67 to <70
63 to <67
60 to <63
55 to <60
50 to <55
< 50
Letter Grade
C+
C
CD+
D
F
Grade Points
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.0
Marks will be posted on WebCT: http://webct.uleth.ca. Instructions will be given on how to access your
test results on WebCT. Academic dishonesty, cheating, or misconduct in any form is a very serious matter
and absolutely will not be tolerated.
If for reasons such as illness or a serious family problem you are unable to write a test at any time during
the allocated period of testing days, a written note from a medical doctor or other authority will be
required and a make-up test will be arranged. Otherwise, tests not written will receive the mark: 0%.
Other Requirements: Each student must have a valid University of Lethbridge e-mail address.
Communications, information and test details will be provided via University of Lethbridge e-mail (only).
All emails will include “1010” in the subject header. It is your responsibility to keep your e-mail account
sufficiently clear to receive emails. Enjoy Geography 1010 !
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