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| 1. Description - |
| Study of the Earth's surface, including the earth's dimensions and systems; atmospheric processes; patterns of climate, vegetation and soils; and features, processes and interactions of land, water and various energy sources. Use of maps for interpretation.
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| Prerequisite: None
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| Co-requisite: None
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| Advisory: Eligibility for ENGL 1A or ESLL 26; MATH 220.
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| 2. Course Objectives - |
| The student will be able to:
- Use maps, graphs and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to interpret data.
- Explain the causes of season, climate patterns, and major landforms.
- Describe the function and composition of the atmosphere, and how it affects our daily lives.
- Discuss the hydrologic cycle, and the distribution and allocation of water resources for humans.
- Describe the structure of the solid earth and relate it to such phenomena as earthquakes, mountain ranges and volcanoes.
- Discuss the potentials & limitations of scientific innovations to mitigate natural hazards.
- Evaluate the effects of the atmosphere and the hydrosphere on the lithosphere.
- Assess activities through which humans have modified the natural landscape.
- Relate climate patterns and soils to the Earth's ecosystems.
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| 3. Special Facilities and/or Equipment - |
| For laboratory activities, students will need computers with internet access. When taught as an online distance learning section, students and faculty need ongoing and continuous Internet and E-mail access.
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| 4. Course Content (Body of knowledge) - |
| - Use maps, graphs and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to interpret data.
- The field of physical geography.
- The Earth in space; seasons.
- The scientific method.
- The physical Earth.
- Instrumentation and methods used to study the Earth.
- Remote sensing.
- GIS
- Analysis and interpretation of maps.
- Analysis and interpretation of graphs and data animations.
- The atmosphere: Weather and Climate
- Isolation and the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Surface temperature.
- Atmospheric pressure and wind.
- Air masses.
- Classifications of climate.
- The Lithosphere
- Plate tectonics.
- Volcanism, earthquakes, orogenesis.
- Weathering: atmosphere/hydrosphere/lithosphere interaction.
- The Hydroshere.
- Distribution of water on earth.
- The water cycle.
- Water resources: distribution and allocation.
- The Biosphere
- Soil formation and classifications.
- Ecosystems and biomes.
- Explain the causes of seasons, climate patterns, and major landforms.
- The atmosphere: Weather and Climate
- Isolation and the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Surface temperature.
- Atmospheric pressure and wind.
- Air masses.
- Classifications of climate.
- The Lithosphere
- Plate tectonics.
- Volcanism, earthquakes, orogenesis.
- Weathering: atmosphere/hydrosphere/lithosphere interaction.
- The Hydroshere.
- Distribution of water on earth.
- The water cycle.
- Fresh water resources: distribution and allocation.
- Describe the function and composition of the atmosphere, and how it affects our daily lives.
- Isolation and the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Surface temperature.
- Atmospheric pressure and wind.
- Air masses.
- Violent weather: Hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms
- Discuss the hydrologic cycle, and evaluate the distribution and allocation of water resources for humans.
- Distribution of water on earth.
- The water cycle.
- Fresh water resources: distribution and allocation locally and globally
- Describe the structure of the solid earth and relate it to such phenomena as earthquakes, mountain ranges and volcanoes.
- Plate tectonics.
- Volcanism, earthquakes, orogenesis.
- Weathering: atmosphere/hydrosphere/lithosphere interaction.
- Discuss the potentials & limitations of scientific innovations to mitigate natural hazards.
- Cyclones and tornadoes
- satellite monitoring and prediction
- radar monitoring and prediction
- Earthquakes and volcanoes
- the uses of seismic monitoring
- GPS and remote sensing monitoring
- mitigation and zoning
- Tsunamis: early warning networks
- Evaluate the effects of the atmosphere and the hydrosphere on the lithosphere.
- Weathering: atmosphere/hydrosphere/lithosphere interaction.
- Physical and chemical weathering
- Eolian environments
- Glacial weathering and landforms
- The littoral zone
- Soil formation and classifications.
- Assess the activities by which humans have modified the natural landscape.
- Fresh water resources: distribution and allocation
- Ecosystems and biomes
- Human effects on the atmosphere:
- Ozone depletion
- Global warming
- Acid rain
- Relate climate patterns and soils to the Earth's ecosystems.
- Use the scientific method to predict green-up and senescence patterns based on climate and seasonal insolation patterns.
- Interpret graphs of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) for given biomes and relate them to graphs of insolation, temperature and rainfall.
- Relate soils to vegetation vigor through interpretation of maps and remotely sensed images.
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| 5. Repeatability - Moved to header area. |
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| 6. Methods of Evaluation - |
| - One midterm exam.
- One comprehensive final exam.
- Laboratory projects covering areas 4A - 4I of expanded description of course content. Projects must include data analysis, interpretation and hypothesis formulation.
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| 7. Representative Text(s) - |
| Christopherson, Robert. Geosystems: A Physical Geography. 8th ed. New York: MacMillian, 2012.
Goode, John Paul, et al, Ed. Goodes World Atlas. 22nd ed. Skokie, IL: Rand McNally, 2009.
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| 8. Disciplines - |
| Geography
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| 9. Method of Instruction - |
| - Lecture
- Discussion
- Cooperative learning exercises,
- Electronic discussions/chat
- Laboratory
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| 10. Lab Content - |
| - The Scientific Method
- Hypothesis
- Theory
- Law
- Use of data collection tools
- Accuracy
- Precision
- Error
- Use tools, data collection techniques, models and theories of science most prevalent in relevant research laboratories such as
- GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
- Remote Sensing
- GPS (Global Positioning Systems)
- Paper maps
- Thermometers
- Hygrometers
- Anemometers
- Seismographs
- Collection of data
- Analysis and interpretation of data collected by students
- Analysis and interpretation of large datasets drawn from the material world
- Formulation and testing of hypothesis
- Written laboratory reports which interpret results and draw reasonable conclusions
- A minimum of one collaborative activity in which students must work effectively in small groups and teams
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| 11. Honors Description - No longer used. Integrated into main description section. |
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| 12. Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing and Outside of Class Assignments - |
| - Weekly reading assignments from the textbook and objective quizzes
- Comprehensive midterm and final examinations
- Written laboratory reports involving hypothesis formation, interpretation and analysis of data.
- Laboratory projects that involve individual data collection using tools relevant to the discipline.
- Written assessments that determine student's mastery of course learning outcomes (SLO's)
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| 13. Need/Justification - |
| This course is a required core course for the A.S. degree in Geography.
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