Geography 1L Syllabus, Physical Geography Lab, Fall 2024
Class No/Section: CRN 21518 Instructor: Michelle Kinzel, M.S., GISP
Units: 1.0
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Email – Please contact instructor using Canvas Inbox or [email protected]
Class Meeting: Online Course, Materials available on Canvas. Office hours available via Zoom by appointment.
Course Description: 1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: GEOG 111)
Lab: Corequisite: GEOG 1 or GEOG 1H (May have been taken previously)
Advisory: MATH 50
Geographical observations, experiments, and demonstrations in a laboratory setting to explore natural earth processes and systems.
Textbook and Materials
MCKNIGHT'S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY LAB MAN / HESS, ISBN: 10: 0-134-56101-5/ 13: 978-0-134-56101-1
Edition: 12, Publisher: PEARSON EDUCATION. Recommended: Colored Pencils and World Atlas.
Physical Geography Lab Course Catalog Description:
Provides laboratory exercises to solidify concepts learned in Physical Geography, GEOG 100. This lab course is designed for students who are currently enrolled in (or have completed) Physical Geography Lecture.
Course Objective
To provide the geography student with laboratory experience in various topics in physical geography.
Student Learning Objectives
1. Comprehend the primary spatial aspects of the earth's natural phenomena, including the topics of weather and climate, natural vegetation, soils and landforms
2. Solve required problems using specific instruments and within a given timeframe.
Class Attendance
• It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer participating (for online classes). • It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer attending (for on campus classes). • Students who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class (A, B, C, D, F).
Because our course is a remote course, we will not have face to face meetings, and this course is being run asynchronously, meaning you have the flexibility to choose when you access the course materials. Be mindful that you should plan to spend 3 hours per week for this course, reading the introductory material and completing the posted lab exercises.
Effective Contact
You are still required to have contact and participate in the class! You can achieve this weekly by
1. Logging in to our course and reviewing the materials in Canvas – see the Weekly Modules.
2. Read Weekly Announcements and email messages from me, your instructor.
3. Complete the Weekly Lab Assignment or Quiz
Online Netiquette (General Rules For Our Cyberspace Community)
#1: Remember the human
When you communicate electronically, all you see is a computer screen. You don't have the opportunity to use facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to communicate your meaning; words -- lonely written words -- are all you've got. And that goes for your correspondent as well. Computer networks bring people together who'd otherwise never meet. But the impersonality of the medium changes that meeting to something less -- well, less personal.
#2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior.
In real life, most people are fairly law-abiding, either by disposition or because we're afraid of getting caught. And, perhaps because people sometimes forget that there's a human being on the other side of the computer, some people think that a lower standard of ethics or personal behavior. is acceptable in cyberspace.
Be ethical: Don't believe anyone who says, "The only ethics out there are what you can get away with." if you encounter an ethical dilemma in cyberspace, consult the code you follow in real life. Breaking the law is bad Netiquette: If you're tempted to do something that's illegal in cyberspace, chances are it's also bad Netiquette.
#3: You are not the center of cyberspace
When you're working hard on a project and deeply involved in it, it's easy to forget that other people have concerns other than yours. You’re taking up other people's time (or hoping to). It's your responsibility to ensure that the time they spend reading your posting isn't wasted. Don't expect instant responses to all your questions. Don't assume that all readers will agree with, or care about, your passionate arguments.
#4: Make yourself look good, Share expert knowledge
Don't flame, or post flame-bait. Be courteous!
You may not be judged by the color of your skin, eyes, or hair, your weight, your age, or your clothing. You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing. Use proper spelling and grammar. Pay attention to the content of your writing. Be sure you know what you're talking about; bad information propagates like wildfire on the net. In addition, make sure your writing is clear and logical. It's perfectly possible to write a paragraph that contains no errors in grammar or spelling, but still makes no sense whatsoever.
#5: Be forgiving of other people's mistakes; Never be arrogant or self-righteous
When someone makes a mistake -- whether it's a spelling error, a silly question or an unnecessarily long answer -- be kind about it. If you feel strongly about it, think twice before reacting. If you do decide to inform. someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don't know any better.
Student Responsibilities:
This course will consist of labs and quizzes completed using Canvas. It is important that you keep up with all the Weekly Modules, reviewing the materials in Canvas, and checking Canvas modules each week for course content and announcements. It is suggested that you link your Canvas account to an email that you check regularly.
Grading Policy:
Final grades are calculated using a percentage scale as follows:
A 90-100%, B 80-89%, C 70-79%, D 60-69%, F 0-59%:
These grades are based on 1 midterm quiz (50 points), 1 final quiz (50 points), 1 Virtual Field Trip (25 points) and 13 labs/quizzes (130 pts).
Laboratory Exercises Each lab will consist of self graded exercises in the assigned workbook, a Powerpoint and/or video introduction and a quiz or assignment submission worth a potential of 10 points. The quiz or Canvas assignment will be available the week after it is posted in the Lab Schedule posted at the end of this syllabus. It is suggested that students review all the materials in each module each week. You are on the honor system to work through the pages on your own. Caution: you will only be cheating yourself if you look up the answer keys before attempting the work. The quizzes and exams will be MORE than challenging, dare I say, IMPOSSIBLE to understand and pass if you do not do the work first. Be honest, do the work on your own before you attempt the quizzes and exams. The workbook pages will be self graded, and answer keys will be posted after the due date. Late submissions are potentially assigned only partial credit.
Quizzes and Exams Quizzes, Assignments and Exams will be posted in the Canvas Modules. It is recommended that students complete the assigned pages in the lab manuals before attempting the quizzes. Because the lab exercises are self graded, it is imperative that the students work through the exercises on their own before attempting the quizzes or submitting the assignments.