GEO 1200: Physical Geography
Honors section
University of West Florida
Spring 2007
Lectures: M, W, F 11:00 - 11:50 AM
Bldg. 13, rm. 221
Laboratory: Wednesday, 2:30 - 4:55 PM
Bldg. 13, rm. 214
The laboratory is taught by a graduate student and a separate syllabus will be provided for the lab.
Instructor: Johan Liebens, Bldg. 13, rm. 213
Phone: 474-2065; email Liebens@uwf.edu
Office hours: M, W, R, F 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM, or by appointment
Main departmental office: Bldg. 13, rm. 206, phone 474-2746
Textbook
McKnight, T.L. and Hess, D., Physical Geography, Eight edition, Prentice Hall Publishers.
The textbook is required for the lecture class and the lab (see lab syllabus). It is available at the campus bookstore and elsewhere. Because examples from around the world are used in this course, and because geography examines everything in a spatial context, it is recommended that students use an atlas to prepare for the exams. The book also comes with a CD-ROM. Although lectures do not refer explicitly to the CD, it is recommended that students use the CD regularly as it provides additional visual information.
Publisher’s website http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_mcknight_physgeo_8
Reserve
In this class, as in any science class, we will use the S.I. (metric) system. Information on the metric system, and conversions to the British system, can be found on many websites. A good starting point is http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/common.html
Course description and objectives
This course surveys the relationships between the natural environment and humans. Weather, climate, soils, geology, biogeography and landforms will be studied. The physical earth will be treated so that the student gains appreciation for human's place and activities within the natural environment. Material and supply fee will be assessed for the lab. Corequisite: GEO 1200L.
If you would like to have more information about other courses offered by the Department of Environmental Studies, please see the instructor after class.
Grading system
The final grade will be based on a midterm exam, a final exam, 4 or 5 small assignments, and a lab grade. The final exam is not cumulative. The scores for the exams, assignments, and the lab will be weighted as follows:
midterm and final exam, each 30 %
4 or 5 small assignments, total 10 %
lab grade 30 %
Total score 100%
The grading scale is a linear curve as follows:
Total score >90% = A; 90 - 85% = B+: 85 - 80% = B-; 80 - 75% = C+; 75 - 70% = C-; 70 - 60% = D, <60% = F
Exams
The exams can contain any material covered in lecture and relevant sections of the textbook. The exams will include map questions. The final exam will NOT be comprehensive. It will cover only material discussed since the midterm, except as new material relates to previously tested material.
There is NO provision for extra credit work. Make-up exams are allowed only in case of emergency and provided that you 1) call the instructor (or the department’s main office) at 474-2065 before 5:00 PM on the day of the missed exam and 2) present a signed physician's excuse or, if an exam is missed due to a family funeral, a dated newspaper obituary.
Exams will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false and short-answer questions. You may be asked to discuss a graph, map or table. The final exam is on the Monday of finals week at 11:00 AM.
Class attendance
Students are expected to attend all classes. Because many exam questions are from lecture notes, missing even one lecture can affect your grade substantially. Announcements regarding the course outline and the schedule of the lectures and exams (including changes of these) may be made in class. All organizational/administrative announcements made during the class period are assumed to be known by all students.
Student learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this part of the course:
Special technology utilized by students
Low
Expectations for academic conduct/plagiarism policy
Will be followed as stated at these URL addresses:
http://uwf.edu/studentaffairs/division/publications/classdisrup.pdf
http://uwf.edu/studentaffairs/division/publications/plagbroch.pdf
Assistance for students with special needs
This policy can be found at http://uwf.edu/DSS/dss_pub.pdf on page 3
Schedule of lectures
Week |
Topic |
Pages in textbook |
January 8 - 12 |
Introduction Location on earth Maps |
1-4 8-15 31-44 |
January 15 - 19 |
No class on Monday (Holiday) Solar energy and the seasons The Greenhouse effect |
72-74, 15-22 82-85 |
January 22 - 26 |
Climate change and global warming Air masses and fronts Global temperature patterns |
82-85 163-176 95-98 |
January 29 - Feb. 2 |
Atmospheric pressure General circulation of the atmosphere Local wind systems: Sea breezes and monsoons |
100-110 111-123 123-126 |
February 5 - 9 |
Hurricanes and tornadoes Atmospheric moisture Precipitation patterns |
178-181, 190-196 134-137, 150-155 155-159 |
February 12 - 16 |
Global climate systems El Niño - ENSO Ozone depletion |
199-237 182-186 62-63 |
February 19 - 23 |
Review MIDTERM EXAM (21st) Introduction to geology |
359-370 |
Feb. 26 - March 2 |
Plate tectonics Case studies: Armero, the tragedy of the catastrophe; Bangkok, the sinking metropolis Weathering |
382-393 lecture notes only 425-433 |
March 5 - 9 |
Karst Mass movements River systems |
473-478 433-441 445-449 |
March 12 - 16 |
River landforms Dams, deltas and floods NO class (conference) |
463-466 449-450 |
March 19 - 23 |
SPRING BREAK ! |
|
March 26 - 30 |
The work of wind Coastal processes and landforms (2 lectures) |
496-497, 492-493 541-548, 550-555 |
April 2 - 6 |
The work of ice Soils (2 lectures) |
516-526 325-339 |
April 9 - 13 |
Soil erosion Soil field trip (on campus) The ecosystem |
handout - 269-272 |
April 16 - 20 |
Global deforestation? (conference) Acid rain? (conference) The role of fires? (conference) |
318-319 138-141 276-278 |
April 23 -27 |
Biomes and vegetation dynamics Catch up Review |
301-312 |
The final exam is on Monday April 30, 2007, at 11 AM (11:00 AM until 1:30 PM) in bldg.13/221.