Instructor: Dr. Jim McCluskey
Office Phone: 715.261.6328
Home Phone: 715.453.9443
Home FAX: 715.453.9445
email: jmcclusk@uwc.edu
GEO 125 Home Page: http://www.communityprofiles.com/geo125
Office: Room 335
Campus Office Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesday's from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment
Online Office Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 10:00
GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION
Characteristics and world distribution of physical factors which in combination form the natural environment; elements of weather and climate, climatic types, earth materials, landforms and earth resources.COURSE OUTLINE
1. Introduction to geography as a field of study
2. Fundamental geographic concepts
3. Earth systems , movements, and the building of global models
4. The atmosphere, solar energy, and temperature
5. Atmosphere, pressure and winds
6. Moisture, condensation, and precipitation
7. Air Masses and atmospheric disturbances
8. Climates and vegetation of North America
9. World soils
10. The not so solid earth
11. Coastal land forms
12. Fluvial land forms
13. Glacial land forms
COURSE GOALS
1. Provide an introduction to the field of geography.
2. Show how we use fundamental geographic concepts in daily life.
3. Provide insight into the earth as a physical system.
4. Stress the interrelationships among the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere by examining global models.
5. Examine the impact of people on earth's systems.
TEXT
Strahler and Strahler. Introducing Physical Geography.
GEO 125 HOME PAGE
You will be using the GEO 125 Home Page extensively for this course. Outlines for all of your classes will be posted to it. Additionally, any important announcements or alternative class assignments in the event of my absence from class will be posted to it.
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION POLICY
Class attendance and participation is expected and roll will be taken at every class meeting. Class attendance is taken in order to maintain information required by the University. Class attendance is not calculated directly into your final grade. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to acquire notes from your classmates.
ALTERNATE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
In the event that I am not able to teach class due to illness, weather, or business related travel, an announcement will be placed on the website and posted on the classroom door.
Alternative class assignments will be posted to the class website. This work will take the place of our scheduled class. These assignments will be self-explanatory and due two weeks from the posting date. (We will review the assignment following the class that I am absent and they will be due on the next class day.) Each assignment will have a value of 25 points and will be considered in your final class average in the calculation of final grades.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
Learning is a serious business and should be approached as a job. Just as if you were working on a job certain behavior is appropriate and expected. If for some reason you must arrive for class late or leave class early, please do so quietly. Please keep your conversation to a minimum during class time. Excessive talking during class is distracting to your fellow students and to the instructor. If I feel that any student is being disruptive in the classroom, I will take appropriate actions based on the guidelines of UW - Marathon County.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Any student who has a disability and feels that alternative accommodations need to be made to facilitate their classroom experience should contact me as soon as possible.
CELLULAR PHONES
Please turn off your cellular phones while you are in the classroom. When they ring, it can disrupt the class.
TAPE RECORDERS IN THE CLASSROOM
Several students are now taping classroom lectures in order to help them recall class material and to study. If you wish to tape lectures this is a permissible. I only request that you make me aware that you are taping lectures.
CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM
If you cheat on any exam or plagiarize any assignment, an automatic grade of zero will be given for the assignment question
OTHER POLICIES
We shall adhere to all policies and schedules operative at UW - Marathon County and as published in the College Bulletin and other University publications.
COURSE EVALUATION
Scheduled Examinations:
During the semester you will be given four hourly exams and a final. Each of the hourly exams and the final will be valued at 100 points. Your final exam will not be comprehensive and will be held at its scheduled time. Questions on the exams may be multiple choice, true/false, or matching. All exams will be announced two weeks prior to the date that they will be given.
Make-up Examinations:
Make-up examinations will be given only in the case of excused absences and must be taken within one week after the date on which you return to campus. Excused absences include such situations as participation in University sponsored events, illness, death in the family. However, there are also several other situations that occur in daily life that also may be considered on a case by case basis.
CALCULATION OF FINAL GRADES AND POSTING OF GRADES
Your final grade will be calculated by the percentage of total points that you earn during the semester out of the total 400 points that are available. If alternative class assignment are given, they will be incorporated into your final average. In order to receive a passing grade in the course, all exams must be taken. A grade of "F" will be given if all exams are not taken. The breakdown of the value of each component of your grade is given below. Please note that test grades and final grades will not be posted.
Hourly Exam I.........................100 Points
Hourly Exam Il........................100 Points
Hourly Exam Ill.......................100 Points
Final Exam..............................100 Points
Total Points Available............400 Points
Your final grades will be determined by the distribution given below.
A (94) 93-100 A- (91) 90-92B+(87) 86-89 B (84) 83-85 B- (81) 80-82
C+(77) 76-79 C (74) 73-75 C- (71) 70-72
D+(67) 66-69 D (64) 63-65 D- (61) 60-62
F < 60