Course title

GPH 111

Pre-requisite

N/A

Course description

To develop an understanding of the physical environment of the earth: weather/climate; oceans; biosphere; landforms;and their interrelationships. Also; to understand how humans relate to and alter their physical environment; and the implications of such change.

This course introduces students to spatial and functional relationships among climates; landforms; soils; water; and plants. Topics include weather systems; severe storms; climate change; ocean structures; geologic processes; glaciations; and river systems.

Syllabus: (as best I could will out beign able to format it)
TEXTBOOK:
Gabler; Robt. et. al; Essentials of Physical Geography; Saunders Pub. 9th Edition; 2009 (ISBN 978-0495-55506-3).

A protractor and pencil is required for laboratory work

ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance is required. You are permitted a maximum of three(3) total absences. This includes any combination of lecture and lab. These three absences can be all lecture; OR a combination of lecture/laboratory absences. Absences in excess of this will result in your receiving a failing (F or Y) grade. If you leave a lecture or lab early; you will be considered absent for that day.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE COURSE:
1.Be on time for class.
2.Be willing to contribute to class discussions; but do not disrupt the class by talking to others around you.
3.Cell Phones should be off/set to vibrate. Texting or other related disturbances will result in a deduction from your grade of 10 points per event; and may result in your withdrawal from the course.
4.Keep a notebook for the tutorial and other materials given out during the course.
5.Follow the course outline so that you know when quizzes and exams are scheduled.

WITHDRAWAL POLICIES:
Please refer to current catalog for withdrawal policies and procedures. If you do not follow the correct procedure for withdrawing; you will receive an "F"; which can only be removed by retaking the course! NEVER WALK AWAY FROM A CLASS WITHOUT INITIATING THE PROPER WITHDRAWAL PROCEDURES!

EXAMINATIONS AND QUIZZES: (See course outline for dates)

Three (3) 100-point lecture Examinations 300 points
Six (6) 50-point quizzes 300 points
Final comprehensive examination 200 points
Twelve (12) laboratory exercises @20 points each 240 points

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS FOR THE COURSE 1040 points

GRADING SCALE: 90 - 100 = A 60 - 69 = D
80 - 89 = B below 60 = F
70 - 79 = C

NOTE: Your lowest lecture examination and terminology quiz score will be
dropped. Your final grade will be calculated from the remaining 890 points.

MAKE-UP POLICY: No make-up exams or quizzes will be given. Remember; you can always take exams and quizzes ahead of schedule if you know you are going to be absent. Students with special needs may contact me about testing accommodations and scheduling.

OFFICIAL ABSENCES: An official absence is one that has been cleared through the Dean of Students Office and for which I have received an official notice. If you are involved in school sponsored athletic or academic activities; you know this in advance and you must arrange to take exams or quizzes ahead of time. You may not take them after the scheduled date. You are also required to provide me with a complete schedule of events and practices for the upcoming semester. This should be submitted within the first week of class; and should be an official schedule provided by the college. Failure to submit this information within the specified time will result in your withdrawal from the course!

NOTE:
1.Unannounced quizzes/exercises may be given at any time during lecture or lab and cannot be taken if you come in late. (These points are not part of the required total. They are free points you can use to raise your grade.)
2.Grade sheets with quiz and exam scores are usually provided the next class meeting.
3.Keep all labs and other materials in case you want to question a grade.
4. NO CELL PHONES visible during exams and quizzes. Phones should be off and out of sight. This should be done BEFORE entering the classroom. If a phone is ?seen?; it will result in IMMEDIATE withdrawal from the course with a FAILING ?Y? grade.

LABORATORY: There will be twelve (12) written laboratory exercises. Failure to complete two (2) exercises will result in a Failing grade in the course regardless of what your other grades are. The exercises will be evaluated on the basis of accuracy of information; completeness; neatness; and proper use of the English language. You must be on time for labs since instructions for the exercises are given at the beginning of the class and lectures are scheduled for some of the lab sessions. NO LATE LABS WILL BE ACCEPTED! (One lab will be a required field exercise involving data collection outside of class time. Details will be provided. Failure to complete this exercise will result in a deduction of seventy-five (75) points from your semester total.)

EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS:
It is possible; but not definite; that extra credit quizzes and/or field trips may be offered during the semester. Other than this possibility; NO extra credit work is given to raise a grade. Keep up on assignments and if you fall behind; get help from the instructors or tutor in the SB Learning Center in this building (SB 158).

HONORS STUDENTS:
Those students enrolled in an honors program section will be required to complete an additional project (100 points). The nature of this assignment will be discussed in consultation with me during office hours. Please see me within the first 2-3 weeks so that we may schedule a meeting time.

FINAL EXAMINATION:
Attendance at the final is required. No early exams will be given. If you do not take the final; your grade for the course will be an F. This grade can be changed if you take the final during the following semester (Spring 2011). However; a 20-point Penalty will be assessed against the grade you earn.

GENERAL CONDUCT The expectation is that you will conduct yourself in a responsible; mature; and academically honest manner. Students who exhibit improper conduct are subject to disciplinary action as explained in the Scottsdale Community College General Catalog and Student Handbook. A student who is caught cheating on a test; quiz; or lab exercise will receive a grade of zero for that test and disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with SCC policies.

NOTE: We reserve the right to deviate from the course outline if it becomes necessary. You will be notified in advance if there are changes.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LECTURE AND LABORATORY SCHEDULE

PART 1: INTRODUCTION
Textbook: Preface; Chapter 1-3 // Tutorial: 1-9

WEEK #1
8/23-8/27 Lectures:Course outline and procedures
Geography as a Discipline
Remote Sensing
Lab: Lab procedures Earth in Space (lecture) Earth/Sun Relationships (lecture) *Reminder: You will need a protractor for next week's lab.

PART II: ATMOSPHERE
Textbook: Chapters 4-7 // Tutorial: pp. 10-60; 63-65
WEEK #2
8/30-9/3 Lectures:Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere Labs: Exercise #1: Earth/Sun Relationships\The Earth's Grid System and Time (lecture)

WEEK #3
9/6-9/10 Lectures:LABOR DAY (9/6): NO CLASS
Temperature Phenomena Primary Winds: Ideal vs. Real World
Labs: Temperature controls and Measurements (lecture) Quiz #1: Earth/Sun Terminology (Th 9/9)
WEEK #4
9/13-9/17 Lectures:Secondary and Tertiary Winds Exam #1: Earth/Sun Relations; Longitude/Latitude; Structure of the
Atmosphere(THURS 9/16)
Labs: Exercise #2: Temperature

WEEK #5
9/20-9/24 Lectures:Moisture Concepts Clouds and Air Masses
Labs: Exercise #3: Wind Systems Quiz #2: Temperature Terminology (Th 9/23)
WEEK #6
9/27-10/1 Lectures:Air Ascent and Orographic Processes Cyclonic Storms/Weather Forecasting
Labs: Exercise #4: SCC CLIMATE STUDY (9/30)

WEEK #7
10/4-10/8 Lectures: Violent Storms
Labs: Exercise #5: Orographic Processes Quiz #3: Pressure Terminology (Th 10/7)

PART III: HYDROSPHERE; LITHOSPHERE; AND BIOSPHERE
Textbook: Chapters 2; 11-20 // Tutorial pp. 61-62; 72-77; 91-152
WEEK #8
10/11-10/15 Lectures: Oceans
Labs: Exercise #6: Weather Forecasting
Quiz #4: Moisture Terminology (Th 10/14)
WEEK #9
10/18-10/22 Lectures:Waves and Coastlines Biogeography (e.g. vegetation patterns) Exam #2: Weather and Storms (Th 10/21) Labs: Exercise #7: Maps; Scale and Compass
WEEK #10
10/25-10/29 Lectures:Geologic Time Earth's Structure
Labs: Exercise #8: Land Survey System
WEEK #11
11/1-11/5 Lectures:Rocks and Minerals Origins of Landforms
Labs: Exercise #9: Introduction to Topographic Maps
WEEK #12
11/8-11/12 Lectures:VETERANS DAY OBSERVED (Th. 11/11) ? NO CLASS! Plate Tectonics
Labs: Degradational Forces (Lecture) Exercise #10: Topographic Map Interpretation
WEEK #13
11/15-11/19 Lectures: Secondary Landforms Diastrophism
Labs: Exercise #10: Continued Quiz #5: Topographic Maps/Land Survey System (Th 11/18)
WEEK #14
11/22-11/26 Lectures:THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY ? NO CLASS!(11/25-11/26) River Development
Labs: Volcanism (lecture) Exercise #11: Aerial Photo Interpretation
WEEK #15
11/29-12/3 Lectures:Glaciation
Labs: Exercise #11: Continued Exercise #12: Field Exercise Quiz #6: Lithosphere Terminology (Th 12/2)
WEEK #16
12/6-12/10 Lectures:Climatic Change Exam #3: Lithosphere; Hydrosphere; and Biosphere(Th 12/9)
Labs: Exercise #12: Field Exercise Continued

WEEK #17 FINAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

Sample Lab:
Compass direction Is determined by one of two systems of direction identification. Points of the Compass is a system using 32 compass directions starting with North; South; East and West called the Cardinal directions. These four references are divided into Northeast; Southeast; Southwest and Northwest called the intercardinal directions. Again; there is a division between these points identified as North-northeast; East-northeast; East-southeast; South-southeast; etc.; identified as Inter-intercardinal directions. And finally; these may be divided Into North by East; Northeast by north; Northeast by east; East by north; etc. This system was used by early mariners and was called the rosa ventorum or "rose of the winds" and Identified the direction of the winds upon which seafaring was absolutely dependent.

The second system le called the Azimuth Bearing; a system in that the compass card le divided into 360 degrees and Is used in such fields as navigation; astronomy; radio direction finding; military; etc. A direction is identified by a number on a circle; ie.; 90-degrees would be a direction of east; 135- degrees is SE; 180-degrees would be south; 270-degrees would be due west; etc. This is a far more precise measurement and lends Itself to the more accurate optical and electronic measuring instruments in use today.

Directions: Using a protractor; plot the 16 points of a compass on the inner circle of the compass card below; and plot the same 16 points as azimuth bearings on the outer circle. Print each point and bearing NEATLY.

(a double circle is given here for students to complete the compass)

Answer the following questions by referring to the diagram you have just
Completed:
1. What two bearings does north have?
2. Give the corresponding bearing for each of the following geographic directions or
Points of a compass:
Northwest/east/southwest/south-southeast(sse)/north-northwest(n nw)/east-southeast(ese)

3. Give the corresponding point of the compass for the following bearings:
22.5∞/270/67.5/135/360

4. Using your protractor; give the compass point and bearing of the places shown on the diagram below. Position the hole in your protractor on the dot 0f the position that is given first and read the bearing from north to the second position. See the example given. (give bearing to nearest point of the compass)

(point/bearing t-chart is drawn with map inserted on the right to use to complete number 4.)

All maps are drawn to a scale; the relationship of the linear measurement on a map to the actual
distance on the earth surface; one unit on the map represents the ratio units on the earth. Since it
would be impractical to draw a map at a one-to-one scale (ratio 1:1 ); for the map would be as large
the earth area it mapped; all maps are a reduction of the earth area.

Large Scale Map: A map with small reduction in actual size so only a small portion of the earth is shown; however; great detail is possible. (Small reduction; small land area; maximum detail)
Small Scale Map: A map with a large reduction in actual size allowing for a large area of earth to be shown; however; little detail is possible. (Large reduction; large land area; minimum detail)

Therefore; a map of one inch represents one mile ( 1:63;360) is a large scale map when compared to a map of one inch represents 200 miles ( 1:1 2;672;000)

NOTE: I mile= I ;760 yards/ 5;280 feet/ 63;360 inches.

Directions: This laboratory is designed to familiarize you with map scale; how to convert from on
scale to another and to determine appropriate scale for map areas.
5-8 Define and give an example of each of the following types of scales:
Graphic scale/Verbal scale/RF (Representative fraction)/Ratio scale:

9. Rank order the following map scales from small to large scale and identify by letter on the
blanks at the right. (Hint: to understand their relationship convert to ratio scales).
A. One inch represents one mile.
B. 1 : 1;584;000
C. 0/50/100/150 over miles (shown in a picture)
D. I :823;680

10. Which of the scales in Question #9 would:
Show the most detail?
Show the least detail?

Scale conversion: it is not difficult to convert one scale to another; but
You must refer back to the value for inches per mile.
11. Convert the scale of i : 506880 to a verbal and graphic scale.
A. Verbal scale:.
B. Graphic scale:

12. Convert the graphic scare:
A RF scale:
B. Ratio scale:
C. Verbal scale:

13. Convert the verbal scale ?one inch represents thirty miles.?
A. RF:
B. Graphic scale:

14. Scale determination: determine the most optimum scale for a land area 180 miles
By 144 miles to fit on a map the size of 15 inches by 12 inches.
Express this scale in the following three forms:
A. Ratio:
B. Verbal:
C. Graphic:

15. Scale identification: identify by name the scales used on the following maps
Posted in the laboratory.
A. World map (east wall)
B. USA map (north wall)
C Arizona highways (north wall)
D. Europe map (east wall)
E. South Asia/middle east (south wall)
F. Vishnu temple quadrangle

School country

United States

School state

Arizona

School city

Scottsdale

High school

Saguaro High School

School / district Address

8500 E. Jackrabbit Road

School zip code

85250

Requested competency code

Lab Science

Date submitted

Approved

Yes

Approved competency code

  • LGEO
  • Geology

Approved date

Online / Virtual

No