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TA: Alex Harrington (aharrington@wisc.edu)
-Office: Rm. 1345 AOS (best to reach me via e-mail)
-Mailbox: 8th floor (to the right off of the elevators)
-608-574-9151 (no drunken phone calls please)
Meeting time(s): W 12:05-12:55pm in Rm. 823 AOS
Office hours (tentative): T 7-9pm in Rm. 1345 AOS (my office)
Class Webpage: http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/oakfield/ajh.html
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This discussion section (Dis. 303) is a supplement course designed to further enhance knowledge from
material covered in AOS 100/101 lecture. While reiteration upon lecture material will be conducted in a
broad manner, additional topics, as well as more in-depth coverage of lecture subjects, are presented in
Dis. 303. Thus, this appendage course will coerce an intimate tie between lecture, and a more rigorous
appreciation of weather and climate in general. By the end of this discussion section, you will be able to:
understand how the atmosphere is structured and composed, gain first-hand experience in how to read and
interpret weather maps, hand analyze weather maps for various weather characteristics (like temperature,
pressure, and fronts), understand how weather phenomena can be examined via modern meteorological
technology (radar and satellites), comprehend how different levels of the atmosphere are connected in the
formation of thunderstorms and large mid-latitude cyclones (MLC), and comment on the state of our
current global climate change (GCC).
The 18 August 2005, Stoughton, Wisconsin F-3 tornado, the strongest of twenty-six tornadoes to
touchdown in Wisconsin that day, will be a strong focus of our discussion section. By the end of the
semester, you will put all your learned skills together in the completion of a case study on this extreme
event, with the goal of telling a story about why this tornado occurred.
NOTE: this course has no prerequisites; therefore, no prior knowledge of weather, climate, math,
or science is necessary to take, and succeed, in this course. The baseline goal of AOS 100/101, and
this discussion section, is to gain insight in thinking like a scientist; it does not however, require you
to be one! Bottom line: if you do your required assignments, attend all classes and discussion
sections, and take the exams, I can guarantee that you will do well in this course. Yet, success does
not materialize without work; rather, it is work. If you do your work, you will succeed.
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Class specs:
-1cr supplement to 3cr AOS 100/101 (class number: 53838 in timetable) Weather and Climate, for a total
of 4cr
-Open to all freshman, with no prerequisites needed
-Requires approximately 2-4 hrs of work outside of class (to guarantee a B)
-Class meets for 50 min every Wednesday at 12:05-12:50pm
-Attendance and participation is mandatory!
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-Text (in UW bookstores):
Martin, Jonathan. E. Introduction to Weather and Climate: AOS 100/101 – Second Edition.
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons. 2004.
-Additional Texts (Not Required):
Ackerman, Steven. A., John A. Knox. Meteorology Understanding the Atmosphere Second
Edition. Belmont, CA: Harris. 2007.
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Grading:
-Worth 25% of total AOS 100/101 overall grade; thus, 75% of your grade pertains to lecture specifically
(lecture-based tests are very important)!
*For clarification, Dis. 303 is worth 25% of the total (lecture + discussion) grade; thus, not doing
well in discussion means a reduction of up to two letter grades in the overall score. Even a 100%
in lecture will not save you from an overall grade of a C or BC should you not take discussion
seriously!
-Dis. 303 Grading Percentages:
*Homework – 85%
*Pop Quizzes – 5%
*Attendance/participation – 10%
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*TOTAL
= 100%
-Grading Breakdown:
A – (93-100) 
AB – (88-92)
B – (83-87)
BC – (78-82)
C – (70-77)
D – (60 –69)
F – (<59) 
-I will always round to the nearest whole number (87.5 = 88)
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Homework (85%):
-Worth a huge chunk of your grade, do not slack! Follow the bold instructions!
-There will be a weekly assignment that will usually just pertain to discussion, but may have some
crossover with lecture
-Take special note of your current work ethic. You have a week to do your assignment, so do not wait
until Tuesday night
-I will not answer questions about homework due in Wednesday’s discussion any later than 10pm
on Tuesday.
*This will reduce a mass influx of e-mail late Tuesday night, and will help you out in the long run
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-Additionally, I will not answer questions about homework due in lecture any later than 10pm
Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday.
*Again, this will help you out in the long run
-Otherwise, e-mail me anytime. I will usually answer within a few hours, at the very latest. I will not email you back if it’s the night before the due date.
-Office hours are ideal for any homework, class, and quiz/test questions – do not be shy, I like to talk!
-Homework will be graded with the standard breakdown (see above section)
-Homework is due at the beginning of discussion section, it cannot be submitted electronically. No
exceptions!
*Only extreme emergencies, e.g. family death, are acceptable
*Being ill is an inevitable part of life, but in the real world, it means life goes on. If you are
deathly ill (and it will be visible well prior to discussion, I know, I have been there), personal
exceptions may be granted. Furthermore, I know you can still perform with satisfaction even after
a night of liquid refreshments.
-Diagrams and pictures should be neatly labeled and fully described
*If you have any arrows or special points to make, ensure that they are clearly visible and well
explained
-This will guarantee that you get all credit for your work!
-I will give ten weekly homework assignments
-There will be a final case study worth 40% of the 85% (more details to follow)
*Do not slack on this HUGE assignment!
*Get started early and ask me any questions, at anytime
*I will be less accommodating should you hold off on this assignment
-Again, homework accounts for nearly all your discussion grade. Please treat it seriously.
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Pop Quizzes (5%):
-Five quizzes
-Make-ups are granted for extreme circumstances, otherwise, no make-ups!
-Are designed to make sure that you are doing the readings and listening in class
-Quizzes will consist of ten questions:
*Multiple Choice (MC)
*Short answer
*Drawing
*Extra credit question
-Will be graded using the standard breakdown (see grading section)
-Show all work! I am a huge fan of partial credit; so even if you are thinking of something, write it
down (even for the MC questions).
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Attendance/Participation (10%):
-Worth a sizeable percentage of your discussion grade!
-Requires you to be in class and on time!
-Requires you to participate
*Once the whole semester does not cut it – talk!
-Coming to office hours shows dedication in wanting a good grade; thus, it shows participation
*This does not mean you do not have to participate in class!
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Misc./Extra Credit:
-Extra Credit is available on every quiz (last question)
-Best case study (format, proofing, content, diagrams)
-I am strict on office hours. Please respect the designated time(s). If you cannot make office hours
for some reason, I will certainly comply with you, just e-mail me with sufficient notice.
Class Schedule and Assignments (reading crosses over with lecture):
1) Jan. 24: Class logistics
2) Jan. 31: Intro to analyzing data - Station Models
3) Feb. 7: Contouring Intro
4) Feb. 14: Ideal Gas Law
5) Feb 21: Energy Transfer Mechanisms
6) Feb. 28: Energy Transfer Mechanisms: Satellite
and Radar Applications
7) Mar. 07: GCC Debate – Week One
8) Mar. 14: GCC Debate – Week Two – you
debate!
9) Mar. 21: Stability – cloud formation and cloud
types (roof trip?)
10) Mar. 28: Severe Weather – stability
applications
11) Apr. 11: Force Balances
12) Apr. 18: Mass Continuity and the Thermal
Wind
13) Apr. 25: Cyclones and front analysis; pass out
final project
14) May 02: Stoughton Tornado Case Study Day
15) May 09: Hand in case study; evaluations
Homework for Jan. 31: Study class logistics and
read pages 2-6 of text
Homework for Feb. 7: Station Model assignment
and read pages 7-10 of text (1)
Homework for Feb. 14: Contouring Intro and read
pages 11-17 of text (2)
Homework for Feb. 21: Gas Law Applications and
read pages 18-22 of text (3)
Homework for Feb. 28: Energy Transfers and read
pages 23-24 of text (4)
Homework for Mar. 07: Meteorological tools and
thunderstorms exercise and read pages 25-32 of
text (5)
Homework for Mar. 14: Pros and Cons of debate
and read pages 33-42 of text (6)
Homework for Mar. 21: Read pages 43-47 of text
Homework for Mar. 28: Cloud Identification and
read pages 48-52 of text (7)
Homework for Apr. 11: Read pages 53-57 of text
Homework for Apr. 18: Force Balance Exercise
and read pages 58-63 of text (8)
Homework for Apr. 25: Jet Stream and
Applications and read 64-67 of text (9)
Homework for May 02: Front analysis and read
pages 68-72 of text (10)
Homework for May 08: Case Study due on
05/09/07
Case Study due!
Note: this tentative schedule is subject to, and likely will, change. Please be attentive to potential
alterations.