Geography 101LGeography Lab

Section 31243

Monday 3:40-6:55 PM

Professor Lisa Schmidt

What is Geography?

• The study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity.

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

• Cultural Geography• Developmental Geography• Economic Geography• Medical Geography• Historical Geography• Political Geography• Population Geography• Demography• Transportation Geography• Urban Geography

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

Course Description• Physical Geography laboratory is an

investigation of earth-sun relationships, weather, climate, vegetation, soils, rocks, minerals, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciers, the world oceans, tectonic forces, and landforms.

• Maps, charts, and laboratory equipment will be used to arrive at conclusions about how these environmental phenomena interrelate.

Course Objectives

• Physical 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. 

Prerequisite

• Concurrent enrollment in or completion of Physical Geography (Geog 101)

• Recommended• English 6 and Math 50

Textbooks• Required

• GEOS Custom Lab ManualISBN 978-0-536-42698-7

• Required• Goode’s World Atlas• Or another recent world

atlas that contains world time zone maps, global wind charts, global ocean current maps, and global climate maps.

• Recommended• Introducing Physical

Geography• Or another physical

geography textbook.

NOTE: All books required for this class are on Reserve at the library.

Required Materials

• Internet Access• Pencils• Pens• Paper• Calculator

Grading• 10 labs @ 50 points

each = 500 points• 2 exams @ 100 points

each = 200• Total possible points =

700

• Grading Scale• A 100-90% 700-

630• B 89-80% 629-

560• C 79-70% 559-

490• D 69-60% 489-

420• F 59-0% 419-0

Note: You must earn at least 60% to pass this class. You may be dropped for falling below 60%. Please refer to your syllabus.

Labs and Exams• Each class will consist of a short explanation of

the lab exercise for the day and time in class to complete each assignment. • All labs, except LAB SIX, will come from the GEOS

Workbook. • Students will be required to complete the

worksheets in the lab book, and complete a quiz on Blackboard that corresponds directly to the lab.

• Labs must be submitted on Blackboard by 6:30 PM on their due dates.

• Exams will consist of problems taken directly from the lab worksheets and will also be given using Blackboard.

Late Work and Exams

• Late work will not be accepted. • There will be no make-ups of missed

exams.

Class Schedule

Note About Using Your Class Schedule…

• Please notice that your schedule includes the topic that will be cover for each class, as well as any materials you will need, and the due dates for ALL assignments.

• Please be prepared for class.

Note about Lab Manual• Please refer to your class schedule.• We will not complete all assignments in the

GEOS Lab Manual.• It is your responsibility to complete the correct

labs.• The lab manuals do not always have the same

page numbers because they are a custom book.• When in doubt, find the TOPIC being covered in your

book.• Lab numbers do not usually correspond with the

numbering system in the lab manual.

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 late more than 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.

E-mailing Assignments/My Mailbox

• 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 the Liberal Arts Building, where the faculty offices and secretaries are..• Assignments may also be taken to the switchboard

(located in bldg. 53) after office hours, but those will not reach me immediately and you should let me know that your assignment has been taken there.

Last Day to Turn in Work

• The last day that extra credit work or late work (if it has been approved), will be accepted is Dec. 6th.

• No exceptions will be made.

Dropping

• If you decide to drop, you must do it formally.

• If you stop coming to class, I have no way of knowing if you want to drop or receive and F.• I will give F’s, it is your responsibility to

drop.

Graded Work

• It is your responsibility to pick up graded work.

• You should keep all of your graded work until you receive your final grade. • Not only for this class but all of your

classes!• All graded work will be held for 30 days

after the end of the semester then discarded.

Academic Honesty• Cheating of any kind will not be

tolerated. • Any incidences of cheating or plagiarism

will be reported to the deans office. • Please refer to Victor Valley College’s

policy on academic honesty.

Cell Phones and Texting• Use of cell phones for talking or texting during

class is inappropriate. • You may be asked to leave the classroom if

you are talking or texting on your phone during lecture.

• Phones should be set to silent mode when in class.

Blackboard

• Blackboard will be used for this class.• You MUST use Blackboard to submit

your labs and to take your exams!• You will also find PowerPoint lectures,

study guides, and grades on Blackboard.• http://vvc.blackboard.com

• If you have questions about blackboard, stay after class, I am here to help.

Disabilities

• If you need accommodations for this course, please see me after class.

• If you have or think you may have a disability that might affect your performance in this course, please contact the office of Disabled Students Programs and Services at (760) 245-4271 ext, 2212, or stop by their office located in building 50.

• There is help available.

Contact Information

• The best way to reach me is by e-mail.• My e-mail address is:

Lisa_M_Schmidt@yahoo.com• My mailbox is located the Liberal Arts

Building (Building 30, our building)• My voice mail is (760) 245-4271 ext.

8585.• I do not check my voice mail as often as my

e-mail.