Proposal #
(Academic Affairs use only)
AY16-201R Proposal #
(College use only)
REQUEST FOR UNIVERSITY CORE COURSE
University of Central Oklahoma
Course Subject (Prefix), Number and Title:
Please attach a course syllabus
Course Course
Subject Number
Course Title Physical Geography with Laboratory
GEO
1204
Physical Geography with Laboratory
Course description as it appears in the appropriate catalog.
Physical Geography with Laboratory is a survey of the distribution and analysis of the
physical Earth, including surface processes and landforms, Earth-sun relationships, soil
types, natural vegetation, weather, climate and the hydrologic cycle. Emphasis is placed on
inter-relationships among these and human-environment interaction.
University Core Course Inclusion/Deletion Guidelines
X Add to Core
Delete from Core
Change Core Area
Select a core area (choose only one)
Written and Oral Communication
Quantitative Reasoning/Scientific Method
Critical Inquiry and Aesthetic Analysis
American Historical and Political Analysis
Cultural and Language Analysis
Existing
Proposed
English Composition
Oral Communication
Mathematics
Sciences
X
Critical Inquiry
Aesthetic Analysis
Government
American History
Second Language
Cultural Analysis
Social and Behavioral Analysis
Life Skills
Liberal Arts
* See end of this form for definition of liberal arts/non liberal arts
Non-Liberal Arts
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
Approved by:
Department Chairperson
Chair
Date
College Dean
Council
College Curriculum Committee
Date
Academic Affairs Curriculum
Date
Office of Academic Affairs
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Date
Date
Effective Term for this inclusion
(Assigned by Academic Affairs)
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
1. Does this change affect degree requirements for majors or minors outside the department?
If yes, provide name(s) of department chair(s) contacted, the dates, and the
Yes X No
results of the discussion.
2. Does this change affect a teacher preparation program? (All courses required for any teacher
preparation program must have approval from the Council on Teacher Education (CTE) before
approval from AACC.)
If yes, send copy of proposal to the Director of Teacher Education, Dr. Bryan
Yes X No
Duke.
CTE Approval (Stamp or
initial)______________________
3. Course objectives (Please refer to instructional objectives documents at:
http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/faculty-staff/aacc.asp#FAQ/Helpful%20Hints.)
By the end of the course the student should be able to:
 explain the principles of physical geography as they relate to the atmosphere,
biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere
 apply the Scientific Method to Earth system problems
 describe the physical processes that shape the Earth’s surface, and the various
landforms created by them
 describe how humans impact and adapt to the physical environment
 demonstrate basic map analysis and aerial image interpretation skills
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
4. How does this course meet the criteria of a core course in the core area you have specified?
http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/files/aacc/forms/DescriptionCoreAreasREVISED42804.pdf .
Indicate how this course being proposed for inclusion in the core differs substantially from those
already present in the core area. What specifically does it offer that the other courses do not?
Physical Geography differs substantially from other Core Life and Physical Science
courses. The fundamental difference between Physical Geography and other Life and
Physical Sciences is that Physical Geography addresses the location and distribution of
Earth’s physical features and phenomena over space, along with the processes that
created them, yet spatial distribution is rarely addressed in other Life and Physical
Sciences. For example, Biology discusses plants and animals at the cellular, structural,
and functional level, but Physical Geography explains where specific plants and animals
occur, and why. While Geology (one of the topics covered in the general Physical Science
course) discusses how rock types are formed, it doesn’t discuss the processes that
produce specific landforms, the distribution of those landforms, or the role topography
plays in the formation of landforms. Physical Geography does discuss these processes
(geomorphology) and the landforms created by them. Additionally, it also explains river,
coastal, and glacial environments, landforms and features, and why they occur where they
do. Chemistry is only addressed three times in Physical Geography, once when explaining
the negative effects of chlorofluorocarbons on stratospheric ozone, again when explaining
water’s role in weathering processes, and finally in the explanation of cation-exchange
capacity in clay soils. Physics is addressed twice in Physical Geography, first when
explaining the deflection of winds as a result of the Coriolis force/effect, and second when
explaining gravity’s role in how and why erosion, landslides, avalanches, and other forms
of mass movement occur. Although the Earth-Sun relationship is addressed in Physical
Geography, the focus is on how that relationship contributes to seasons, daylength,
temperature, air pressure, winds, and climate patterns, so there is no overlap with
Astronomy. Engineering is not discussed in Physical Geography, either.
There are also several topics covered in Physical Geography that are not addressed at all
in the existing Core Life and Physical Sciences. Geographic location, particularly latitude,
plays a direct role in climate, soil, and vegetation processes, patterns, and distributions,
yet, neither it nor its relationship to these processes, patterns, and distributions, is
discussed in any of the other Life and Physical Sciences. The existing Core Life and
Physical Science courses also don’t discuss or answer how or why the following
fundamental Earth processes occur: the existence of general and localized weather and
climate patterns in specific locations on Earth, the effects of oceans and ocean currents on
those patterns, the effects of weathering and erosion on soil and landform development,
the distribution of plants and animals, and how climate patterns affect those distributions.
Finally, Physical Geography employs the scientific method, and quantitative reasoning and
applications in the lab component of the course. A few specific examples of lab activities
include the interpretation of specific key latitudes in regards to worldwide daylength
patterns, calculations of relative humidity and temperature change with a change in
altitude, an analysis of soil consistency and structure, and a quantitative analysis of
vegetation distribution and composition in different areas of the Arcadia Lake park. A more
detailed analysis of the differences between Physical Geography and the existing Life and
Physical Sciences can be provided at request. We’re trying to keep this relatively short for
the reviewers’ benefit.
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
5. For upper level courses, justify why a course with 3000- or 4000-level designation is appropriate
for the Core Curriculum, which is intended to concentrate on 1000- and 2000-level courses.
This is a 1000-level course.
History and Geography
Department submitting proposal
Dr. Brad Watkins
Person to contact with questions
*
Bwatkins8@uco.edu
email address
5842
Ext. number
“The liberal arts and sciences are defined as those traditional fields of study in the humanities;
social and behavioral sciences; communications; natural and life sciences, mathematics; and the
history, literature, and theory of fine arts (music, art, drama, dance). Courses in these fields
whose primary purpose is directed toward specific occupational or professional objectives, or
courses in the arts which rely substantially on studio or performance work are not considered to
be liberal arts and sciences for the purpose of this policy. Courses required for the General
Educational Program are not necessarily synonymous or mutually exclusive with the liberal arts
and sciences.” State Regents Policy and Procedures. Chapter 2, Section 5, “Degree
Requirements” part 1, (2). P. II-2-86
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
GEO 1204
Physical Geography with Lab
Fall 2014
Department of History and Geography
College of Liberal Arts
Meeting Times:
Classroom:
Professor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
T,R: 12:30 – 1:45 pm (lecture)
R: 3:30 – 6:00 pm (lab)
(CRN 16813)
Center for Transformative Learning 106 (Lecture)
Liberal Arts 220 (Lab)
Dr. Brad Watkins
Liberal Arts Building 204C
(2nd floor, east end of Liberal Arts)
974-5842
bwatkins8@uco.edu
Online Office Hours: via Email or Skype
In Person Hours:
T,R: 10:00 – 11:00 am
T: 2:00 – 3:00 pm
or by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Physical Geography with Laboratory is a survey of the distribution and analysis of the physical Earth, including surface
processes and landforms, Earth-sun relationships, soil types, natural vegetation, weather, climate and the hydrologic
cycle. Emphasis is placed on inter-relationships among these and human-environment interaction.
No prerequisites.
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course the student should be able to:
- explain the principles of physical geography as they relate to the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere,
and hydrosphere
- apply the Scientific Method to Earth system problems
- describe the physical processes that shape the Earth’s surface, and the various landforms created by
them
- describe how humans impact and adapt to the physical environment
- demonstrate basic map analysis and aerial image interpretation skills
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the University of Central Oklahoma, we are guided by the mission of helping students learn by providing transformative
experiences so that they may become productive, creative, ethical and engaged citizens and leaders contributing to the
intellectual, cultural, economic and social advancement of the communities they serve. Transformative learning is a
holistic process that places students at the center of their own active and reflective learning experiences. A student’s
major field is central to the learning experience and is a vital part of the “Central Six.”
This course addresses two of the university’s transformative learning goals.
Discipline Knowledge: Students will use a systematic approach to physical geography with emphasis on the four
interrelated spheres: lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere. Students will identify and describe physical
landscapes, explain why we find physical phenomena where we do, describe the interactions among these spheres and
develop critical map analysis skills.
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
Global and Cultural Competencies: Students will examine the world’s physical regions and the processes by which they
formed. Human-environment relationships are discussed throughout this course.
Health and Wellness Students will participate in a field trip to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge where students will
hike through a variety of terrain making real-world connections between physical and environmental settings and
classroom content.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance in lecture and lab is required. Attendance is vital to your success in Geography 1204. If you miss a class, it
is your responsibility to obtain notes. You are expected to come to each class on time and prepared. This includes having
read the assigned pages and having completed homework and lab assignments. Some of the ideas covered in lectures
are complex and will require substantial reading ahead of time.
Lectures are only one component to the course. Every Thursday afternoon will be reserved for lab work. *You are
required to attend every lab. You will work in groups to complete individual lab assignments. You should be prepared to
work on assigned lab exercises by reading the assigned textbook pages ahead of time.
*After 4 absences, 10% will be deducted for each missed class up to 7 absences. If you miss 8 classes, you will
fail the course.
Students who do not attend the first two weeks of class will be administratively dropped from the course.
LATE WORK AND MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY
Exams may not be made up.
Lab assignments will be docked 10 points for each day they are late.
Late homework assignments will not be accepted.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
Please respect the learning environment of students and the professor. Do not sleep or do homework in class. Recording
lectures is prohibited. Do not use Facebook or any other social networking site in class. Do not surf the Web unless asked
by the professor to visit a particular website. You may use your smart phone/cell phone in class to check email, email the
professor, or to check text messages as long as it is kept to a minimum. You may not make phone calls during class. You
must silence your phone during class. It is considered disruptive behavior to engage in any of these prohibited activities.
Turn off or silence all electronic devices during exams. If caught using any electronic device during an exam, you will
receive no points for that exam and disciplinary action will be considered as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. I
encourage lively discussions during classes, but derogatory comments, negativity, and poor attitudes will not be tolerated
and will be considered disruptive behavior. If you engage in these disruptive activities you will be asked to leave the class.
If you commit multiple violations of the state policy disciplinary action will be considered as outlined in the Code of Student
Conduct.
REQUIRED BOOKS
McKnight’s Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation by Darrel Hess, 11th Edition, 2014
Physical Geography Laboratory Manual for McKnight’s Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation by Darrel Hess,
11th Edition, 2014
Goode’s World Atlas, Edited by Howard Veregin, 22nd Edition, 2010
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
REQUIRED MATERIALS
6-inch ruler (graduated to 1/16”; scaled in both inches and centimeters)
Colored pencils (blue, green, red)
Small magnifying glass
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Exams
You will have two exams during the semester. The exam format is multiple choice and short answer questions.
Exams will be administered in D2L. You must have access to a reliable computer on exam days. Any material
covered in the reading assignment or presented during lecture may be on exams. The final exam is not
comprehensive, but much of the material covered late in the course builds upon concepts covered early in the
course. You will receive a review sheet prior to each exam.
Homework Assignments
You will have four homework assignments throughout the semester. See the Lecture Schedule below for
Homework Assignment due dates. You will be given at least two weeks to complete each assignment. These
assignments will help to reinforce material picked up from lectures and readings and will help you study for
exams.
Lab Assignments
A certain amount of time each week is devoted to working on lab assignments. These are times during which you
will work with a partner or in small groups to complete assignments either from your lab manual or supplied by the
instructor. This is not a lecture period but is meant to provide a hands-on experience in physical geography. You
will have fourteen lab assignments. The lowest lab score will be dropped but only if you complete each lab. If
you do not complete each lab, then I will include any labs with the score of 0 in the final calculation. Labs are
assigned at the beginning of lab on Thursday and are due at the beginning of class the following Tuesday. You
are required to attend the full lab time. I recommend reading through the lab assignment, but do not try to
complete a particular week’s lab assignment until you have received instructions.
Field Trip
Attendance on the field trip is required.* The field trip is tentatively scheduled for Saturday,
November 15th with an alternate date of November 22nd. We will go to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in
southwestern Oklahoma. It will take the entire day and will consist of moderate hiking and a trip to the visitor’s
center. On this field trip you will witness many of the concepts discussed in class and/or covered in the textbook.
Field trips are about the experience, and you will see firsthand how geographical concepts are interconnected.
The field trip often is the highlight of the course.
* If you cannot attend the field trip because of a work schedule, you must complete an equivalent assignment (8
hours of work) in lieu of the field trip to receive points.
GRADING
Assessment
Lab Assignments
Homework Assignments
Field Trip
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Total Points
Number
13*
4
1
1
1
Points Each
30
40
50
200
200
Points
390
160
50
200
200
1,000
A = 1,000-900 points
B = 899-800 points
C = 799-700 points
D = 699-600 points
F = 599 and below
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
*You will complete a total of fourteen labs. The lowest lab score will be dropped.
FINAL EXAM
Exam Day and Time:
Tuesday, December 9th
8:00 am – 11:59 pm
Desire2Learn
Course materials such as the syllabus, certain lecture material, animations, ancillary readings, exam review guides and
online exam review sessions can be accessed via Desire2Learn. Exams will be administered via Desire2Learn. It is the
student’s responsibility to know how to use Desire2Learn in order to access these materials. Class slides will be made
available at the beginning of the week in which they are covered and remain available until midnight the night before the
scheduled exam.
EXPECTATION OF WORK
According to Regents’ policy, for each hour in class a student is expected to spend two to three hours studying for the
class.
ACCOMODATIONS
ADA Statement: The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should make their request by
contacting Disability Support Services at 974-2549.
STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET AND SYLLABUS ATTACHMENT
http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/files/aa-forms/StudentInfoSheet.pdf
Lecture Schedule
Week (Dates)
Topic
1 (Aug 19,21)
Introduction to Earth Processes
Geographic Tools and Geotechniques
Map Analysis
2 (Aug 26,28)
Introduction to the Atmosphere
Ch 3
3 (Sep 2,4)
Insolation and Temperature
Ch 4
4 (Sep 9,11)
Atmospheric Pressure and Wind
Homework 1 due September 11th
Ch 5
5 (Sep 16,18)
Atmospheric Moisture
Ch 6
6 (Sep 23,25)
Weather
Ch 7
7 (Sep 30,Oct 2)
Climate and Climate Change
Homework 2 due October 2nd
Ch 8
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
Reading Assignment
Ch 1, 2
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
8 (Oct 7,9)
Midterm Review and Exam
review Chs. 1-8
Midterm Exam October 9th
9 (Oct 14,16)
No Class Oct 16
Hydrosphere
Fall Break
Ch 9
10 (Oct 21,23)
Biogeography
11 (Oct 28,30)
Soils
Homework 3 due October 30th
12 (Nov 4,6)
Geomorphology &
Internal Processes
13 (Nov 11,13)
Weathering and Mass Wasting
Field Trip Saturday, November 15TH
Ch 15
14 (Nov 18,20)
Fluvial Geomorphology
Field Trip Saturday, November 22nd (Alternate)
Ch 16
15 (Nov 25,27)
No Class Nov 27
Glacial Modification of Terrain
Thanksgiving Break
Ch 19
16 (Dec 2,4)
The Topography of Arid Lands
Review for Final
Homework 4 due December 4th
Ch 18
17 (Dec 9)
FINALS WEEK
Final Exam
Ch 10, 11
Ch 12
Ch 13, 14
Tuesday, December 9th
8:00 am – 11:59 pm
Lab Schedule
Week
Topic
Lab Assignment
1 (Aug 21)
The Metric System; Location; Map Scale and Projections
2 (Aug 28)
Isolines; Earth-Sun Relationships
3 (Sep 4)
Insolation; Temperature
4 (Sep 11)
Pressure; Wind
18-I,II; 19-I,II
5 (Sep 18)
Humidity; Adiabatic Processes
20-I,II; 21-I,III
6 (Sep 25)
Weather Maps; Weather Satellite Images
7 (Oct 2)
Climate
8 (Oct 9)
NO LAB (Midterm Exam Week)
9 (Oct 16)
NO LAB Fall Break
10 (Oct 23)
Biogeography
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
1-I,II; 2-I,II; 4-I,II; 5-I,II
6-I,II; 14-I,II
16-I,II; 17-I,II,III
23-I,II; 24-I,II,III; 25-I,II,III,V; 26-I,II
28-I,II,III,IV
From Instructor; 30
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)
11 (Oct 30)
Soils; U.S. Public Land Survey System
12 (Nov 6)
Contour Lines; USGS Topos; Topographic Profiles
13 (Nov 13)
Earth Materials
14 (Nov 20)
Stereo Aerial Photographs; Fluvial Geomorphology
15 (Nov 27)
NO LAB (Thanksgiving Break)
16 (Dec 4)
Desert Lands
17 (Dec 9)
NO LAB (Finals Week)
Academic Affairs Form
May, 2014
10; From Instructor
7; 8; 9
From Instructor; 32-I
11; 38-I,II,III; 39-I,II; 40-I
44 I,II,III,IV; 45 I,II
Functional review __________
(undergraduate proposals only)