Physical Geography (GEOG 1) - Fall 2011 Ticket Numbers 12335, 12715

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1 Physical Geography (GEOG 1) - Fall 2011 Ticket Numbers 12335, Instructor: Anne Saxe asaxe@saddleback.edu Course Access: To access the course, login to Blackboard at If you aren t sure how to login, please visit Required Textbook McKnight s Physical Geography: Second California Edition. Darrel Hess, 2011 Prentice Hall ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Course Description and Prerequisites/Corequisites A study of the basic physical elements of geography: Earth-sun relationships, climate, landforms, soils, water and natural vegetation, and their integrated patterns of world distribution. Students are encouraged (though not required) to enroll in the Physical Geography Lab class (GEOG 1L) concurrently with taking this lecture course. Student Learning Outcomes Student learning outcome #1: Analyze the controls, distribution, and classification of world climates. Assessment of SLO #1: 75% of students who take the exam will correctly answer questions differentiating world climates. Student learning outcome #2: Describe seasonal Earth-Sun relations and explain resulting physical phenomena on Earth s surface. Assessment of SLO #2: 75% of students who take the exam will correctly answer questions pertaining to Earth-Sun relationships and differences in daylight and the seasons. Student learning outcome #3: Describe the Theory of Plate Tectonics, provide scientific evidence in its support, and explain its correlation to the creation of landforms. Assessment of SLO #3: 75% of students who take the exam will correctly answer questions asking about the different types of plate boundaries and the corresponding landforms that are created. Important Dates for Fall 2011 If a student wishes to drop or withdraw from the class, it is the student s responsibility to follow the college s drop or withdrawal procedure. Drop with Refund by: Tuesday, 9/20/11 Drop without 'W' Grade by Friday, 10/7/11 Elect Pass/No Pass by: Friday, 10/7/11 Drop with 'W' Grade by: Thursday, 11/10/11 What You Should Expect from an Online Course Online instruction is attractive to students for a variety of reasons: Students sometimes cannot attend traditional classes due to schedule constraints such as work demands, family responsibilities, physical limitations, etc. However, online instruction is not necessarily for everyone. It is important that students recognize that the level of participation, quality and quantity of work, and the amount of time necessary for successful completion of the course is equal to or greater than what you would expect in a traditional class. If you are a self-motivated and self-disciplined student, than you will likely perform well and enjoy the class. On the other hand, if you are not prepared to keep up with assignments, readings and discussions as outlined in the syllabus, you will quickly fall behind and you may wish to reconsider online instruction. 1

2 Student Services General Student Service Information is available at the Saddleback College Website. General, academic, and service information can be obtained by accessing the Counseling Division and Financial Aid Websites. Individual and small group counseling information such as academic planning and review of transcripts is available by appointment. All other student services are available on campus during normal business hours. Counseling services are also available for students with disabilities. For further information call Special Programs (949) The Student Health Center provides students with medical and mental healthcare and education designed to support a successful learning experience at Saddleback College. All students who are currently enrolled in classes and who have paid the Health Fee during registration may access the Student Health Center services with no additional cost. The Student Health Center is located in SSC- 177 and the phone number is (949) Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who believe that they may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact Disabled Students Programs & Services as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely manner. Their phone number is (949) This course meets the requirements set forth in the accessibility checklist and universal design grid provided by Special Services. The Web pages, video presentations, textbooks and class materials used in this course are accessible to students with disabilities. Academic Honesty Academic dishonesty (i.e., cheating during exams and quizzes, copying another student s homework, plagiarism, copying and pasting information from the Internet, etc.) is not acceptable in any course at Saddleback College. Violating the rules carries significant consequences (e.g., a failing grade in the course, review and sanction by the Dean, etc.) and will not be tolerated. The instructor will also notify the dean to report any student proven to have cheated or plagiarized. For more information, please see the Online Etiquette Please use online etiquette in your communications. Treat the instructor and your fellow classmates with respect, kindness and courtesy. Obnoxious, rude or disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated in this class just as it would not be acceptable in a traditional classroom. You have the right to disagree with each other and/or with the instructor as long as you disagree in a productive, non-threatening or non-abusive manner. The instructor reserves the right to drop students who do not conform to this policy. Points to Consider: Choose your words carefully as people cannot hear your tone or see your facial expressions during online communication. Using all capital letters when communicating comes across as shouting and is not appropriate for online discussion. Do not use instant messaging abbreviations as they are not appropriate, e.g. LOL, Thx, How R U 2day?. And please, capitalize your I s! 2

3 Course Requirements and Assessment 1. Class Participation Students will be expected to respond to various questions posed by the instructor in class discussion boards. Please be sure to read the instructions for each discussion board carefully as they will differ. (Please see the discussion guidelines section on page 6). Discussions will begin on Tuesdays and close the following Monday at 11:59 p.m.* 2. Readings and Online Lectures Students are expected to read the assigned text and review the corresponding online lectures. Lectures for each week become available Tuesday mornings. 3. Assignments Assignments covering information from required readings and online lectures will be posted on Tuesdays and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the Monday they are due unless otherwise specified.* 4. One midterm and one final exam Both the midterm and the final exam are worth 100 points. Both exams may consist of multiple choice, matching, true/false, short answer, problem-solving and essay questions. Exams become available on the Tuesday of the week they are due and must be taken by 11:59 p.m. on the Monday of the scheduled week. Study guides for both exams will be available one week before the exam becomes available. NO MAKE-UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN*. * Make-up policy: Make up work (including exams) will not be accepted other than for extreme emergencies that can be verified in official written form (doctor s note, etc.)! Students requesting to make up missed work MUST contact me before the assignment deadline (unless the emergency prohibits). Please see the Assignment Submission notes on page 5. Grading The points you earn on the exams, various assignments and discussion participation will determine your overall course grade. Final grades for the course are computed by dividing each student s total accumulated points for the semester by the total points possible. Grades are based on the following grading scale: %=A, 80-89%=B, 70-79%=C, 60-69%=D, 0-59%=F. TOTAL POSSIBLE IS APPROXIMATELY 510 POINTS. Final grades are determined by dividing the total points a student earns by the total points possible. The breakdown is as follows: Points Possible Syllabus Quiz 10 Midterm Exam 100 Final Exam 100 Assignments 160 (8 assignments X 20 points) Discussion Participation 140 (7 discussions x 20 points) TOTAL 510 Suggestions for Minimizing Technical Problems Avoid using a wireless Internet connection if at all possible. Wireless connections often time out before assignments can be uploaded or exams completed. In many cases, students who experience technical problems with Blackboard during exams and assignments find it helpful to download Mozilla at (it is a free download). For technical information and assistance, please contact the Online Technical Help Center at (949) or by at scstudenthelp@saddleback.edu or visit 3

4 Week 1 (9/13 9/19) 2 (9/20 9/26) 3 (9/27 10/3) 4 (10/4 10/10) 5 (10/11 10/17) 6 (10/18 10/24) 7 (10/25 10/31) 8 (11/1 11/7) 9 (11/8 11/14) 10 (11/15 11/21) 11 (11/22 11/28) 12 (11/29 12/5) 13 (12/6 12/12) 14 (12/13 12/18) Required Chapter AND Lecture Readings COURSE CALENDAR Assignments - (Note: For the purposes of this class ONLY, each week starts on Tuesday Course Syllabus and Online Orientation Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 19 th : Syllabus Quiz Discussion Board #1 Introduction to Earth (Chapter 1) Portraying Earth (Chapter 2) Intro to the Atmosphere (Chapter 3) Insolation and Temperature (Chapter 4) Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, September 26 th : Discussion Board #2 Assignment #1 Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 3 rd : Assignment #2 Atmospheric Pressure & Wind (Chapt. 5) Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 10 th : Assignment #3 Atmospheric Moisture (Chapter 6) Atmospheric Disturbances (Chapter 7) Climate and Climate Change (Chapter 8) Midterm Exam Study guide becomes available under Course Info/Docs Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 17 th : Discussion Board #3 Assignment #4 Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 24 th : Discussion Board #4 Midterm Exam on chapters 1-8 Midterm Exam on chapters 1-8 Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 31 st : Midterm Exam on chapters 1-8 Cycles and Patterns in the Biosphere (Ch. 10) Terrestrial Flora and Fauna (Chapt. 11 from start to The Major Biomes ) Terrestrial Flora and Fauna (Chapt. 11 from The Major Biomes to end) Soils (Chapter 12 from beginning to Soil Chemistry section, and from Soil Classification section to chapter end) Introduction to Landform Study (Ch 13) The Internal Processes (Chapter 14) Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, November 7 th : Discussion Board #5 Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, November 14 th : Assignment #5 Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, November 21 st : Discussion Board #6 Assignment #6 Weathering & Mass Wasting (Chap 15) Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, November 28 th : Thanksgiving Weekend The reading is your only homework. The Fluvial Processes (Chapter 16) The Topography of Arid Lands (Ch. 18) Coastal Processes and Terrain (Ch 20) Final Exam Study guide becomes available under Course Info/Docs Final Exam on chapters 10-16, 18, 20 Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 5 th : Discussion Board #7 Assignment #7 Due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 12 th : Assignment #8 Review for final exam Due by 11:59 p.m. SUNDAY, Dec. 18th: Final Exam on chapters 10-16, 18, 20 4

5 Assignment Submission/Feedback Assignments, exams and discussion board questions will be available each week on Tuesday. All required assignments for that week must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. the following Monday. For example, the materials for week 1 will be available on Tuesday, 9/13 and must be completed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, 9/19. Grades will be posted on Blackboard within one week after the assignment due date on Monday, e.g. grades for week one (due by Monday, September 19 th ) will be available on Blackboard by Monday, 9/26. Grades will generally be posted earlier, but it is not guaranteed. Note: The one week grade posting policy applies only to those materials that the instructor must grade (e.g. discussion boards). Grades that are automatically calculated by Blackboard should reflect in the Blackboard gradebook immediately after an assignment/exam is submitted. It is highly recommended that you give yourself plenty of time to complete the required assignments and exams. Waiting until 11:00 p.m. on the Monday evening something is due to start an assignment or post onto Blackboard increases the likelihood that your work will not arrive electronically by 11:59 p.m., and I do not accept late work (that includes work turned in at 12 a.m.!). If your computer crashes or some other glitch occurs at the last minute (including illness), it will be too late for me to help you. Communication 1. The best method of contact for the instructor is via . Please allow hours for a response. If you do not receive a response from me within 48 hours, please resend your or ask for a confirmation that I ve received your This is a college level class, and ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ( s included) should contain proper spelling, punctuation, professionalism, etc. 3. Avoid sending frivolous s to the instructor, i.e. s asking for information that is already provided in the syllabus or on Blackboard. Such s will generally be ignored. Examples of frivolous questions include: What is the assignment this week?, Do we have a discussion board this week?, When is the assignment due?, What chapters will be included on the midterm exam? 4. Use size12 font and black ink text. While the use of multiple text fonts and colors provides variety, it can also be distracting and difficult to read. 5. ALL students are required to access their Saddleback and Blackboard on at least a weekly basis (preferably several times per week). This is the instructor s sole means of communicating with you! If you use an alternate address (yahoo, gmail, etc.) please set up your Saddleback to forward s to the alternate address. It is the student s responsibility to obtain any information that the instructor s to the student. When ing the instructor, include your first and last name in the subject line, especially if your is sent from a non-saddleback address. 5

6 Discussion Guidelines and How To s for this Online Course How to Submit Posts onto the Discussion Board: Click the Discussion Board link. Click on the available discussion board forum by clicking the title of the discussion forum you want to post to. Click the text at the top of the page that reads Create Thread, and enter your post information just as you would if you were creating an . When you have finished, click Submit to add your post to the discussion board. Be sure to confirm you re your post was submitted correctly by checking to see that you can view it on the discussion board. Ensure that your messages are respectful, thought-provoking and grammatically correct. Your postings should reflect that you comprehend the course material! Think about the question before you post your response. When you post your message, keep a clear train of thought and keep your message to a word paragraph. Sample posts will be provided for clarification. How to Reply to Classmates on the Discussion Board: Click on the title of the student s post. Reply in the dialog box and click submit. When instructed to respond to other students, be sure to respond so that the information shared enhances the class s overall knowledge, e.g. by providing web links to relevant studies or animations and including a short summary, sharing a pertinent personal experience related to the topic and/or conducting further research on a topic and sharing it with another student (e.g. textbook info, info from a documentary, newspaper article, etc.). In cases where students opinions differ, remember to respond to disagreement with respect and courtesy! The ultimate goal of discussion is to help students learn from one another. Be sure to confirm submission of your reply post by checking to see that you can view it on the discussion board. How to Check Grades: Click on the Grades and Instructor button, and then click on My Grades. How to Obtain Weekly Assignments, Lectures and Exams: Click the button for the appropriate section (lectures, assignments, discussion boards or exams). Click on the appropriate folder (e.g., Chapter 1 Lecture, Discussion Board 1, etc.). Lectures, exams, assignments and discussion boards will be available on the Tuesday of the week they are due. For example, the Syllabus Quiz and Discussion Board 1 will be available on the Tuesday of the first week of class. How to Submit Assignments and Exams: Read the instructions in Blackboard for submitting assignments. Generally students may complete the assignments within Blackboard by simply clicking the Submit button, but sometimes downloading and uploading of documents and/or ing assignments is required. Assignments may be completed at any time during the week, and assignments in quiz form are not timed and may be accessed more than once (i.e. you may enter and exit the assignment as many time as it necessary provided the assignment is submitted by the due date). The midterm and final exams may be taken anytime during the week they are due, but each exam may only be accessed and taken once. If an exam or assignment freezes up on you, and/or if you have completed the exam/assignment but you do not see a numeric score for your exam/assignment in the Blackboard gradebook immediately after you have completed it, contact me right away and well in advance of the exam/assignment deadline. Always check the Blackboard gradebook after completing an assignment/exam to ensure that a grade has been posted. 6