Geography Lab

Geography 101LSection 50415

Professor Lisa SchmidtM/W 12:45 PM - 2:10 PM

Important Information

• Professor Lisa Schmidt• Section 52186• 12:45 PM - 2:10 PM• Mondays and Wednesday• Bldg 30 Rm 17• Units: 1• ProfessorLisaS@gmail.com• Text or Voice Mail: (760) 440-8977• School Telephone ext.: 8585• Office Hours: By appoint.• http://schmidtvvclab.wikispaces.com/

Prerequisite

• Geography 101 lecture or concurrent enrolment – Recommended: English 6 and Math 50

Textbooks

• GEOS Prentice Hall Custom Laboratory Program for the Earth Sciences

• Goode's World Atlas (or another recent World Atlas)

• Recommended: A Physical Geography textbook

Additional Materials

• Calculator, ruler, colored pencils/pens, internet access

SLO’s

• Physical Geography laboratory provides the student with experience in investigation and interpretation of the physical environment. Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

• 1. Analyze earth-sun relationships and describe how they affect daylight, seasons, and time for various place on earth.

• 2. Define weather data, interpret a weather map and use weather instruments to collect and record data about local temperature, humidity, pressure and wind conditions.

SLO’s

• 3. Analyze the characteristics of different climate categories and describe the unique flora and fauna of each.

• 4. Identify the characteristics of landforms and rocks that relate to specific tectonic and magmatic processes.

• 5. Find location using the global grid of latitude and longitude and be able to utilize GPS technology.

• 6. Identify landforms created by the erosion of water, wind and ice and describe the characteristics of each.

What to expect1. Each class will consist of a short explanation of the lab exercise for

the day and time in class to complete each assignment.2. All labs, except LAB SIX, will come from the GEOS Workbook.

You must bring the GEOS workbook to class. 3. Students will be required to complete the worksheets in the lab

book, and then submit the answers on Blackboard.4. Some labs may have drawings or graphs you will need to show me,

participation points will be given for these.5. Labs must be completed on Blackboard by 12:15 PM one week

after they are assigned.6. Exams will consist of problems like lab worksheets and will also be

given using Blackboard. 7. Mastery exercises will consist of short problems related to each lab

for the student to demonstrate that the skills learned in each lab have been mastered and can be applied to the real world.

Course ObjectivesPhysical Geography laboratory provides the student with experience in investigation and interpretation of the physical environment. Upon completion of this course the student will be able to understand the global grid of latitude and longitude, our system of time, be able to analyze topographic maps, understand earth-sun relationships as they affect daylight, seasons, and time, understand the seasonal movement of angle and duration of solar insolation and how it affects temperatures on earth, understand how temperature is affected by specific variables relating to a region, understand how heat energy is transferred through various processes, understand how moisture is transferred as water changes phases, understand how differences in pressure occur and result in wind, understand the driving forces in the atmosphere, understand many interrelationships within the earth's weather patterns, climate, vegetation and soil distributions, tectonic and gradational forces.

Professor Schmidt’s Objectives

1. Students will become aware of tools available to help learn about the environment they live in.

2. Students will become more geographically literate and capable of applying skills learned in lecture to understand and solve problems relating to geography.

3. Students will become capable of using personal technology to help understand and solve problems.

4. Students will become aware of geographical issues and careers.

Grading

• 10 Labs @ 50 points each = 500 points• 2 Exams @ 100 points each = 200• 6 Participation Points @ 5 points each = 30• 10 Mastery Exercises @ 25 points each = 250• Total possible points = 980

• A 100-90% 980-882• B 89-80% 881-784• C 79-70% 783-686• D 69-60% 685-588• F 59-0% 587-0

NOTE: You must earn at least 60% of the points possible in order to pass this class. I reserve the right to drop you from the class at any time your grade drops below 60% of the total points possible.

Late Work and Missed Exams

• No late labs, exams, or mastery exercises unless you have a well documented excuse.

Absences and Tardiness• I reserve the right to drop students who miss

class twice. • If you have to miss class, you should stay in

contact with me. • You may be dropped for excessive

tardiness. • If you are going to be late, come in quietly

and take a seat WITHOUT interrupting lecture. – Excessive tardiness is being more than five

minutes late three times. • Directions for completing lab worksheets will

be given at the beginning of class and WILL NOT be repeated.

Extra Credit

• There may be some extra credit opportunities. These will be given in class and your attendance is required to take advantage of them.

Standing Offers For Extra Credit1. Donate Blood, show me paperwork or a picture of you

donating and I will give you 10 points extra credit.2. Get you Ed Plan done, bring it to me and show me, 5

points.

E-mailing Assignments

• Assignments will NOT be accepted by e-mail. If you cannot make it to class, take your assignment to my mailbox which is located in Liberal Arts Building where the faculty offices are.

Dropping

• If you have attended this class once, from there on out, it is your responsibility to drop the class if you want to.

• Not dropping the course will likely result in an F.

Participation Points

• Some labs have maps, charts, or graphs that cannot be done using Blackboard.

• These are to be completed in class and will be graded using participation points.

• Labs 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, and10 have participation points associated with them.

Disruptive Behavior

• If you disrupt the class, you may be asked to leave.

• If disciplinary action is taken, you may be removed from the following class.

• Disruptive behavior includes talking during lecture or disrupting students while they work on their labs.

Graded Work

• It is your responsibility to pick up your graded work. Graded work will be held for 30 days after the last day of class and then recycled.

• It is highly recommended that you keep your graded work until final grades are submitted.

Academic Honesty

• Cheating of any sort will be reported to the dean. Please refer to the college*s policy on academic honesty.

Cell Phones/Texting

• Using a cell phone while in class is distracting to your classmates and inappropriate.

• Cell phones should be turned to silent mode while in class.

• If you absolutely have to use your phone during class, go outside.

• ** This means outside of using your phones as tools**

• I encourage the use of smart phones for geography!

Blackboard

• Blackboard will be used during this course.

• You must access Blackboard to submit your labs EACH week and for your exams.

• You can access blackboard at http://vvc.blackboard.com

• If you have questions, stay when we are done and I will help make sure you can log in to Blackboard.

Class Web Page

• A web page has been created for your class.

• You will find all of the class power points, study guides, and more posted there.

• You may access the web page at: http://schmidtvvclab.wikispaces.com

Disabled Students Programs and Services

• If you have, or think you have a disability which may interfere with your ability to perform in this class, please speak with me immediately and please contact the Disabled Students Programs and Services Office at (760) 245-4271 ext, 2212, or stop by their office located in building 50. There is help available.

Contacting Me

• E-mail: ProfessorLisaS@gmail.com

• Text or Voice Mail: (760) 440-8977

Note About Schedule and Topics

• All dates, topics, point totals and assignments are tentative. I reserve the right to make changes as they may become necessary throughout the semester. Should you happen to miss class, it is your responsibility to obtain information about and any changes.

Class Schedule

• Please see the detailed schedule in the syllabus-note that it includes:– Dates– Topics– Supplies needed– What opens on Blackboard– What closes on Blackboard & Mastery

Exercises Due Dates• We have Spring Break days off 4/13 & 4/15, and

Memorial Day off 5/25

For Your Success

• Library

• Advanced Technology Center

• Childcare

• Counseling

• More!

What is Geography?

• The scientific study of the Earth's surface and its various climates, countries, peoples, and natural resources.

Fields of Geography

• Human or Cultural Geography– Deals with social, economic,

and behavioral processes

• Physical Geography– Examines the natural

processes occurring at Earth’s surface that provide the physical setting for human activities

Branches of Physical Geography

• Biogeography• Climatology• Coastal Geography• Environmental Geography• Geomorphology• Glaciology• Hydrology• Oceanography• Paleogeography

Branches of Human Geography• Developmental

Geography• Economic Geography• Medical Geography• Transportation

Geography• Urban Geography

• Cultural Geography• Historical Geography• Political Geography• Population

Geography• Demography

Tools Geographers Use• Maps

– Paper representations of space showing point, line, or area data

• Or more simply put, locations, connections, and regions

• Remote Sensing– Aircraft or spacecraft provide images of

earth’s surface• GIS or Geographic Information Systems

– Powerful computer mapmaking software connected to data bases

• Mathematical Modeling and Statistics– Used to understand natural and human

phenomenon

Next Class

• Lab One• Bring your calculators!