CONTENTS

1. Important Announcements
2. Contact Information
3. Prerequisites and Transfer
4. Intended Learning Outcomes
5. Readings
6. Important Dates
7. Class Policies
8. Assessments

(a)    Warm-ups
(b)    Friday Quizzes
(c)    Lab Exams
(d)    Lab Quizzes
(e)    Field Trip
(f)    Lab Partner Evaluation
(g)    Mid-term Evaluations
(h)    Lecture Exams
(i)    Final Grades

9. Class Schedule
10. Suggestions from last year
11. FAQ

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. COMMUNICATION: Come to class. Read the email. Use D2L. If you do not, you will not know what is happening in the class and you must know what is happening in the class

2. KNOW POLICY: What you must know about class policies is in the syllabus. If you have questions, please ask me.

3. KNOW SCHEDULE. You must read the syllabus, consult the website, read your email, ask other students or ask me. If you have trouble, please ask me. The most important dates are in the section called Important Dates.

4. CHANGE HAPPENS: I reserve the right to alter the syllabus within reason.

5. PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING: Don't! UWS 14.03 describes conduct subject to disciplinary action. UWS 14.04 describes the procedures for handling academic misconduct.

6. ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH: The UW-Colleges assessment program enhances the quality and effectiveness of curriculum, programs, and services. Because they are of primary importance for student learning, this department may assess this course. I provide further information in class.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

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PREREQUISITES AND TRANSFER

There are no prerequisites for this course. This class partially fulfills a natural and lab science credit for both an AAS and a Bachelor degree. To see how this course transfers to other Universities, go to the University of Wisconsin Transfer Information System.

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INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge and Understanding: On completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Define and can apply the basic tenets of systems theory to geography and landforms;

2. Recall and explain the basic structure of the earth and its relationship to rocks and tectonics;

3. Recall the most basic minerals and explain their relationship to rocks;

4. Describe the main rocks and explain their formation and relationship to plate tectonics;

5. Describe and explain major plate boundaries and their associated landforms and rock types;

6. Describe and explain formation of mountains and relationship to rocks and plate tectonics;

7. Describe and explain geologic structure, associated landforms and relation to tectonics and rocks;

8. Describe and explain earthquakes and their relation to landforms and tectonics;

9. Describe and explain volcanoes and their relation to landforms, rocks and tectonics;

10. Describe and explain weathering and its effect on rock, soil and landforms;

11. Describe and explain surface processes such as mass movement, groundwater movement, running water; wind, waves and currents, and glaciers.

12. Describe and explain relation of surface processes to landforms.

Skills: On completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Read, summarize and interpret the appropriate texts;

2. Communicate ideas orally;

3. Create and interpret maps pertaining to physical geography;

4. Identify and describe basic rocks and minerals

5. Interpret diagrams and graphs pertaining to landforms;

6. Interpret photographic and other images pertaining to landforms;

7. Solve and interpret simple, basic equations pertaining to landforms;

8. Work effectively as a group member.

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READINGS

1. HARDCOPY TEXT: Geosystems: an introduction to physical geography (6e) by Christopherson is in the bookstore. Most of your readings come from Geosystems. I will assign readings by email after each lecture. You must find the assignments by reading email or using D2L. Readings are prefaced with a C.

2. WEB TEXT: Readings from Fundamentals of Physical Geography by Pidwirny are online at http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/contents.html. Find the assignments by reading email or using D2L. Readings are prefaced with a P.

3. WEB TEXT:  Readings from The Physical Environment by Ritter are online at http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/contents.html. Find the assignments by reading email or using D2L. Readings are prefaced with a R.

4. LABORATORY MANUAL: I provide material as needed. The SCHEDULE lists the assignments.

5. OTHER: As necessary, I will provide handouts, direct you to other websites through this website, or provide links through email.

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IMPORTANT DATES

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CLASS POLICIES

1. ATTENDANCE: I do not grade attendance. However, if you are absent, you get no points for missed warm-ups, Friday quizzes or lab quizzes (see WARM-UPS, FRIDAY QUIZZES and LAB QUIZZES). You are responsible for finding out what you missed.
    

2. ABSENCE DURING EXAM: If you miss a lecture or lab exam, I give a new one (see LECTURE EXAMS).
    

3. EXTENDED ABSENCE: I automatically drop the three lowest grades for warm-ups, the lowest grade for the Friday quiz, and the two lowest lab quizzes. While I do no allow make-ups on any of these I do make allowances for extended absences. If you are absent longer than a week, see me!
    

4. SCHEDULE: The syllabus and Website has a complete schedule (see CLASS SCHEDULE).
    

5. READINGS: Readings are from the text and, occasionally, other sources. A list is in the CLASS SCHEDULE.
    

6. GRADING: I estimate class grades after every lecture exam, at midterm, and, sometimes, after lab exams. I will provide this on paper and through email. A 65% on an exam is a C. For all other work a 75% is a C. See FINAL GRADE for the grading for the entire course. I adjust the grading if tests are more difficult than I intended.
    

7. QUESTIONS ON GRADES: See me about your grades at any time. However, if you think there is any problem with the grading, please see me immediately!
    

8. EXTRA CREDIT: I give extra points on warm-ups. I may give extra credit for certain types of University Lectures and or Community service. It never accounts for more than 3% of your grade. I will not take research or other papers for extra credit.
    

9. DROPS: It is better to drop the class than to simply stop attending and earn a failing grade. But this is a decision better made sooner than later. The deadline is April 13.
    

10. INCOMPLETES: UWWC grants incompletes to those in good standing when illness of the student or a family member prevents the student from taking the Final. You must talk to me before I can give an I.

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ASSESSMENTS

A.    WARM-UPS

1. DESCRIPTION: After class, I email questions and post them on D2L. You answer the questions and turn them in at the beginning of class. We discuss the answer in class so you can make corrections.

2. PURPOSE: I base questions on material you read before class. I use warm-ups as a source of Exam questions. Thus your answers are both research and a rough draft for answering exam questions.

3. SUBMISSION: Write or type answers on a clean sheet. Make two copies. Turn in one copy at the beginning of class. Keep one copy. No questions accepted after first 10 minutes. If you cannot get to class, you can email answers until 9:10am. I accept only 9 emailed answers a semester.

4. FORMAT: Most questions include a multiple choice question. Then they ask for explanations of features and processes in outline form. A few questions involve original thinking.

5. CITATION: Always state your sources. If you use the assigned text, list the authors’ last names, the date and the title. For any other source, use a complete citation.

6. GRADING: Warm-ups are worth 2 points (see IMPORTANT DATES). A good faith effort gets 2 points. You lose points when do not turn in answers or because your questions are inadequate. For extremely detailed outlines that include drawings, I give extra credit of 0.5 points.

7. MISSED WARM-UPS: I do not accept late warm-ups. Instead, I drop the three lowest scores to provide for excused absences. If you are absent longer than a week, please see me.

B. FRIDAY QUIZZES

1. DESCRIPTION: These are short (1-3 question) multiple-choice or short answer quizzes at the start of class Friday. Come in late and you miss the quiz. I do not give make-ups. I drop the lowest quiz automatically.
    

2. PURPOSE: I base questions on material covered since the last quiz. I use these questions to get you to review your notes, practice test questions and attend class.
    

3. GRADING: Each quiz is worth 6 points (see IMPORTANT DATES).
    

4. ABSENCES: I drop the lowest score. That should provide for a weeklong absence. If for some reason you are absent longer than a week, please see me.

C. LAB EXAMS

1. DESCRIPTION: You have five lab exams. They include only material covered since the last lab exam. They may also include material from lecture.

2. QUESTION FORMAT: Whatever activities you do in lab are reflected in the exam. Other questions involve interpretation of these activities. Most questions are short answer or fill-in-the-blank.

3. ONLINE REVIEW: Reviews are run as discussion boards on D2L so that everyone can see the answers that I provide. The boards are also open all year so that you can start asking questions on the very first day of class. I tend to sign off no later than 10-11pm the night before an exam.

4. GROUP EXAMS: After everyone in your group finishes the individual exam, your group takes the group lab exam. The exams may be exactly the same or have some modifications.

5. GRADING: Your grade includes your score on the material plus 20% of the score from the group exam. I always try to have you lab exam graded and returned by the next lab.

6. LATE LAB EXAMS: Contact me after you miss an exam and keep in contact until you take it. Late lab exams have new questions that are mainly short answer and essay. Writing new exams are always lower priority than anything else, but I will try to have it ready as soon as I can. 

D. LAB QUIZZES (DAILY)

1. LABS: I do not grade labs. Instead, there are daily quizzes or group papers at the end of each lab.

2. LAB GROUPS: Labs are cooperative. You work in groups. All group members receive the same grade on quizzes. I do this because I want you to work together, help each other and learn from each other. Most important, this assures that people learn material before leaving lab.

3. PROCESS

(a) I usually create five groups. I choose group members randomly and, unless there are clear problems, I keep the same members throughout the semester.
(b) Each person in a group is responsible for all the material covered in lab that day. Every person in a group is also responsible for helping everyone else in the group. Not until everyone in the group can answer every question is your group finished.
(c) Everyone in a group works on a lab until all finish. Then you check your answers in the key.
(d) If you made mistakes, make certain you understand and correct your mistakes.
(e) When your group is finished, I give a quiz. Each member has to answer at least one question.
(f) Each group will have TWO extra chances to answer a question if someone gets it wrong. I will ask the next person in the group to answer the question. After someone answers the question, I return to the person who answered wrong and ask a different question. Every person in the group must answer at least one question.
(g) Those who leave before their group takes the quiz get no points.

4. ABSENCES: I drop the TWO lowest scores. That provides for a weeklong absence. However, if you are absent longer than a week, please see me.

5. QUESTION FORMAT: I ask questions that either are directly from the lab or closely based on the lab questions (this usually means that I simplify them).

6. GRADING: Quizzes or group papers are worth 5 points each. I drop the TWO lowest scores.

E. FIELD TRIP

1. DESCRIPTION: Late in the semester, I run a field trip that takes us through parts of the Kettle Moraine, the Lake Michigan Shoreline, and the Port Washington Bluffs.

2. WHEN: There are two separate but equal field trips on Saturday, May 3 or Saturday, May 10. You only sign up for one.

3. HOW MUCH: There is a fee payable at the business office. It'll be about 25$

4. GRADING: Basically, you get 14 points for showing up and being a good student. You will find further details at this link.

F. LAB PARTNER EVALUATIONS

1. DESCRIPTION: As part of the third and the fifth Lab Exam, you will anonymously evaluate the performance of each member of the group.

2. PURPOSE: This evaluation encourages people to work well with others. If you contribute to the group, arrive on time, do the work, help others and ask questions, you get all the points. If you waste time, come late, do not help others, stay silent and do not ask questions, you lose points.

3. PROCESS: You give each member a letter grade. An A means that this person did or tried to all they were supposed to do. An F means that a person did nothing. The average grade assigned by your group is part of your grade and is worth a total of 30 points.

G. MID-TERM EVALUATIONS

1. PURPOSE: Year-end evaluations are helpful, but lack detail. I need a more detailed dialogue on the pros and cons of the class to help my course design and my overall teaching.

2. DESCRIPTION: Through discussion each group identify aspects of the course that negatively affect their learning, those aspects that are positive and then each will offer helpful suggestions. Each group will present their findings at the end of lab so that we can all discuss them.

3. GRADING: I will NOT grade on the content of your suggestions. You receive 5 points simply for being present and engaging in the discussion.

H. LECTURE EXAMS

1. DESCRIPTION: Exams take an entire period. Bring a pencil for multiple choice. You can use a pen on the rest. Exams cover material listed in the schedule (see CLASS SCHEDULE). Each is a mix of multiple choice, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, matching and and/or essay questions. Daily questions are the most important source of test questions.

2. QUESTION FORMAT: Each exam has a mix of multiple choice, short answer, diagrams, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions. Many questions involve interpretation or creation of images and diagrams. NOTE: Warm-ups provide most of test questions.

3. REVIEW QUESTIONS: There is a section for REVIEW QUESTIONS on the website. These cover significant topics. Use questions to organize relevant information from the book and the lecture. I provide some sample answers with the first set of questions.

4. ONLINE REVIEW: Reviews are run as discussion boards on D2L so that everyone can see the answers that I provide. The boards are also open all year so that you can start asking questions on the very first day of class. I tend to sign off no later than 10-11pm the night before an exam.

5. RETURNING TESTS: I return tests as quickly as possible. I discuss written questions in class. If there is a problem with the grading, tell me as soon as possible.

6. EXAM CURVE: I have curves on all graded work, but I adjust this curve based on the difficulty of the exam. The final curve for the course is the weighted sum of all previous curves.

7. LATE LECTURE EXAMS: Contact me after you miss an exam and keep in contact until you take it. I will try to create the exam as soon as possible, but I cannot make it a higher priority than regularly scheduled class preparation. Late exams have new questions that are short answer and essay.

8. FINAL EXAM: The Final is comprehensive. Part of it derives from the first three exams. I provide review questions. I do not return Finals but you can see yours up to a year after the end of class.

9. NO FINAL OPTION: Whoever has 96% of the total points on the last day of class OR whoever has an A and the highest point total does not take the final and will get an automatic A in the course. In the latter case, anyone within 1% of the top grade also gets out of the Final Exam.

I. FINAL GRADE

DESCRIPTION: I calculate the total points you accumulate divided by the total points possible. Your grade then depends on the curve. The curves I use are below. The difficulty of a particular test or other factors may affect the actual curve. 

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 CLASS SCHEDULE