GEOGRAPHY 120L (Section 6517): Physical Geography Laboratory

INSTRUCTOR: Jeffrey P. Schaffer (Cell: 707-287-7390; Email: jeffreypschaffer@yahoo.com)

TEXT: Laboratory Manual, by Darrel Hess

HOURS: Six Saturdays from 8:10 AM to 5:00 PM. These six Saturdays are:

January 31 February 14 March 7 March 28 April 18 May 9

ATTENDANCE POLICY: One absence is the equivalent of three weeks’ absence in a normal class. You may miss only one class, but it will affect your grade. (You will need to do make-up lab work.) If you miss two labs and do not make them up, you will be dropped.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a one-unit laboratory class. Completion of this class will satisfy the transfer requirements for your Physical Science units. Topics that we will cover are:

Lab 1: Parts of Exercise 6 and Ex. 23-26 (topographic maps), plus classroom topographic maps

Lab 2: Sets of classroom topographic maps plus instructor’s glacier lab, using his topographic maps

Lab 3: Exercises 8-12 (weather)

Lab 4: Exercises 13-15 (more weather), plus three (?) weather videos

Lab 5: Field trip: if not much snow in the Sierra, a drive up Hwy. 108; otherwise, to Point Reyes

Lab 6: Exercise 21 (climate) plus “An Inconvenient Truth” plus “Contact”

You should bring a pen and pencil (with a good eraser), paper, and a pocket calculator (add, subtract, multiply, divide). A typical day will include a mix of short, introductory lectures followed by working on assigned exercises in the laboratory manual and with materials the instructor has brought to class (such as maps and handouts). Note there is a field trip. Most find that this day is the best one of the course. You are encouraged to bring family and friends. Good dogs are okay.

All lab exercises should be completed in class, and the instructor will collect some of this work. Lab exercises are not homework! There will be a 10% score penalty for late lab assignments. Late assignments will be accepted at the next class meeting only. They will not be accepted after that. Also, there will be at least one (and possibly two) lab quizzes each Saturday.

GRADES: Grades will be determined by attendance, by completion and accuracy of lab assignments, by quiz scores, and by a research paper, due on the last day of class. Don’t wait until the last minute! The paper should be about 5-6 pages long, 12 point type (the same size as this type), double spaced, and references in the text keyed to those in a bibliography. Originality matters! Some possible topics to consider are: earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, forest fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, other disasters, climate change, etc. Check with me first before you start your paper in order to see if the topic you have chosen is appropriate. The approximate distribution of points is: 20% attendance, 30% lab work, 30% quizzes, and 20% research project. Grading is approximately on a curve.

CLASSROOM RULES: Be here on time! You lose points for arriving late; the later you arrive the more points you lose. No unnecessary talking or other disruptive behavior. Turn cell phones off; no text messaging; don’t leave the room to make or receive calls.