Course Syllabus

Contact Information

Instructor Name: Dr. Shannon Hall

Official Title: Lecturer

Department: Geography and Environmental Sustainability

Office Hours: Monday and Thursday 7-8pm CST, Wednesday 11am-12pm CST (all online), or by appointment via Zoom

Email: shall@ou.edu (checked daily, responds within 36 business hours; may not respond over weekend)

Teaching Assistants: Melissa Perkins (mperkins@ou.edu), Filo Gomez-Martinez (filogm@ou.edu)

Corequisite

You must enroll in one of the accompanying lab sections.

Section Bld Room Day Time TA

011 SEC N112 Tuesday 11:00am – 12:50 pm Melissa Perkins

012 SEC N112 Wednesday 2:00pm – 3:50 pm Filo Gomez-Martinez

013 SEC N112 Thursday 11:00am – 12:50 pm Melissa Perkins

014 SEC N112 Friday 2:00pm – 3:50 pm Filo Gomez-Martinez

Course Description

Physical geography brings together elements of climatology, hydrology, oceanography, geology, geomorphology, biology, and ecology to understand (1) the processes responsible for creating the landscapes we see across the earth, and (2) the spatial patterns of landscapes.

Course Goals and Objectives

By the end of the course the student should be able to:

1.) Demonstrate the major concepts, terms, principles, and tools used by physical geographers to interrelate the elements of the physical environment in terms of both patterns and processes

2.) Identify the processes responsible for climate patterns, vegetation patterns, soil patterns, water resource distribution, and landform patterns

3.) Predict natural patterns of climate, vegetation, and landforms within this region

4.) Identify the major environmental hazards in the world today and what possible impacts these have on society

5.) Demonstrate basic map analysis and aerial image interpretation skills

Course Structure

The lecture part of this course will be fully online, with the lab portion being in-person. As such, there are no specific meeting times for the lecture part of the course. The weekly module assignments are meant to help you engage with, and synthesize, the material. The lab exercises are intended to reinforce and provide a deeper understanding of the material covered in the textbook and additional course materials. The subject of physical geography cannot be fully appreciated or grasped without the synthesis of the many topics we learn about throughout the semester. This is a fast-paced course, so it is important that you keep up with the readings, weekly assignments, and labs. A course schedule (with assigned readings) is provided on the last page of this syllabus.

Course Materials

Required Textbook - Geosystems (10^th ed) by Christopherson & Birkeland

Web Page

The course website can be found at http://canvas.ou.edu. Here is where you will access course materials and submit assignments. Your grades will be posted here, but make sure that you also keep track of all your grades in case of errors. If you encounter any problems with the web page, please contact me or one of the course TAs. It is your responsibility to make sure you check the page regularly and stay informed on what is going on.

Grading Scale

The course will be graded out of 1000 points distributed as follows:


Activity	Description	Points
Exams	3@150 pts each	450
Lab Exercises	10@25 pts each	250
Weekly Module Assignments	10@25 pts each	250
Reflection Essay Assignment		50
Total		1000

The grade for this course will be assigned from the cumulative points earned on the assignments listed above. Once each student’s total points are converted into their percentage grade, Extra Credit points, if applicable, will be added to the student’s final percentage. The grading breakdown for this course is as follows: A = 900-1000 points (90% of total points), B = 800-899 points (80%), C = 700-799 points (70%), D = 600-699 points (60%) and F = less than 600 points (59%).

Course Components

Exams

There will be 3 exams, each comprised of 50 multiple choice questions. Exams will be open note/book, but they will also be timed so you MUST be prepared for them. You will only get one attempt for each exam. You will have 60 minutes to complete each exam, so you will not have time to search for the answer to each question. The 60-minute time limit is consecutive, so you won’t be able to begin the exams, log out, and then log back in at a later time to complete them. In other words, if you begin the exam at 6pm CST on Day 3 of the exam window, your exam window will end at 7pm CST on Day 3 of the window. At the end of 60 minutes, Canvas will automatically submit your exam (I strongly recommend saving each answer as you go, in case you lose track of time). Although you will only have 60 minutes to complete each exam, there will be a 1-week window for completing each one so you should easily be able to work each exam into your schedule. That said, NO MAKE-UP EXAMS will be allowed. If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero for that exam.

Lab Exercises

There will be one lab assignment each week (excluding exam weeks). There will be a total of 10 labs, and each lab will be worth 25 points. The lab assignments will be worth 25% of your final grade in the class, so it is important that you pay close attention to them and complete each one thoroughly. There will be an optional Makeup Lab assignment offered towards the end of the semester that you can complete to replace your lowest lab grade. You will receive a separate Lab Syllabus from your TA with more details about the lab component of this course. Also, since this is a lab science course, you MUST pass the lab portion of the course with a minimum of a 60% (ie. 150 points) in order to pass the class! In other words, if you fail the lab portion of the course, you will fail the entire course.

Weekly Module Assignments

Weekly module assignments will touch on, and help enhance the course material. There will be an assignment each week, excluding exam weeks. Instructions for each week’s assignment will be included in that week’s module. You must submit your work in either Microsoft Word or Pdf format. These assignments will be worth 25 points each. The weekly module assignments will be worth 25% of your final grade in the class, so it is important that you keep up with them and complete each one thoroughly. Although you will complete 12 weekly module assignments, only 10 of them will be counted towards your final grade. This means that you can miss two of them, and it won’t have an adverse effect on your course grade. If you complete all 12 of them, you could earn up to 50 extra credit points. You will have one week to complete each Module exercise. No late assignments will be accepted.

Reflection Essay Assignment

Each student will complete a Reflection Essay that will require you to examine one physical geography topic in more depth. This assignment will be worth 50 points. Specific instructions for this essay will be posted in a separate document on Canvas. This assignment is due by 11:59pm CST on Monday, November 30^th. No late assignments are accepted.

Course Policies

Submitting work on Canvas

It is your responsibility to upload the correct, completed assignment into that assignment's dropbox folder in the course Canvas page. Failure to upload the correct document will result in a zero grade for that assignment. Make sure you have added the correct document into the assignment dropbox folder before you hit the 'submit' button.

Communication

If you need to email me for any reason, you must email me from your OU email account. I will respond within 36 business hours. I don't always check my email on the weekend, so if you email me anywhere from late Friday evening through Sunday night, I may not respond until Monday.

Computer Issues

I will be posting material on the course Canvas page, so it is imperative that you have computer and internet access. I am a Geographer, not an Information Technology specialist, so I will probably not be able to help you with any computer/Canvas problems that you may encounter. However, the OU IT Service Desk folks will be able to help you with any computer or Canvas problems you may have.

Attendance

The lecture portion of this course is online so there is no attendance policy for this part of the course. However, it is necessary (and to your benefit) that you keep up with the weekly module readings and assignments accordingly.

Add/Drop/Withdrawal

Should you decide to drop the course for whatever reason, you must file and submit the relevant forms to the Office of the Registrar by the appropriate date. Failing to do so will result in an F grade for the course. If at the time you withdraw from the course you are scoring a failing grade you will receive an F grade. If not, you will receive a W for withdrawn.

OU Academic Calendar: https://www.ou.edu/registrar/academic-calendars/fall-2020-academic-calendar

Masking Statement

As outlined by the University of Oklahoma¹s Chief COVID Officer, until further notice, employees, students, and visitors of the OU community will be mandated to wear masks (1.) when they are inside University facilities and vehicles and (2.) when they are outdoors on campus and social distancing of at least six feet is not possible. For the well-being of the entire university community it is important that everyone demonstrate the appropriate health and safety behaviors outlined in the University Mandatory Masking Policy (https://www.ou.edu/coronavirus/masking-policy). As this mandate includes all campus classrooms, please make sure you are wearing your mask while in class. If you do not have a mask or forgot yours, see the professor for available masks. If you have an exemption from the Mandatory Masking Policy, please see the professor to make accommodations before class begins. If and where possible, please make your professor aware of your exemption and/or accommodation prior to arriving in class. If a student is unable or unwilling to wear a mask and has not made an accommodation request through the ADRC, they will be instructed to exit the classroom.

Copyright Statement for In-Person or Online Courses

Sessions of this course may be recorded or live-streamed. These recordings are the intellectual property of the individual faculty member and may not be shared or reproduced without the explicit, written consent of the faculty member. In addition, privacy rights of others such as students, guest lecturers, and providers of copyrighted material displayed in the recording may be of concern. Students may not share any course recordings with individuals not enrolled in the class, or upload them to any other online environment.

Academic Integrity

Academic honesty is one of the most important aspects of education at the University of Oklahoma. Therefore, if you are suspected of cheating or plagiarism, you will be formally charged with academic misconduct under the terms of the Student Code, copies of which are available at the Office of the Vice President for Students Affairs. You may not turn in work for this class that has been researched or completed for another class. See me if you have any questions concerning the meaning of academic dishonesty. http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html

Reasonable Accommodation

Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities. http://www.ou.edu/drc/home.html

Religious Observance

It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays. If you intend to observe a religious holiday, please contact me personally as soon as possible in order to make appropriate arrangements for classwork or rescheduling of examinations.

Title IX Resources

For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the University offers a variety of resources. To learn more or to report an incident, please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405/325-2215 (8 to 5, M-F) or smo@ou.edu. Incidents can also be reported confidentially to OU Advocates at 405/615-0013 (phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Also, please be advised that a professor/GA/TA is required to report instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination to the Sexual Misconduct Office. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to: Bobby J. Mason, University Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at 405/325-3546 or bjm@ou.edu. http://www.ou.edu/eoo.html

Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues

Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact your professor or the Disability Resource Center at 405/325-3852 as soon as possible. http://www.ou.edu/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html

Final Exam Preparation Period

Pre-finals week will be defined as the seven calendar days before the first day of finals. Faculty may cover new course material throughout this week. For specific provisions of the policy please refer to OU’s Final Exam Preparation Period policy. https://apps.hr.ou.edu/FacultyHandbook#4.10

Keys to Success

I will work very hard to ensure that you understand the course material and that you score a good grade. Ultimately however, your performance will depend on you. Here are a few suggestions on how you can do well.

Use the resources available to you. These include the book, web page, and me. ASK QUESTIONS; I am not a mind reader. I can make an educated guess but will not completely understand the nature of your difficulties unless you speak up. If you do not feel comfortable doing this in class, send me an email or talk to me before or after class.
Do not wait until the last minute to voice your concerns or difficulties. Notify me as soon as you notice that you are not doing well. Early detection is the key to successful problem solving.
Study with a friend, in a group or someone you feel comfortable with.
Be committed. Even if you are simply taking the course to satisfy a general education requirement, a poor grade is not a credit to you, and will affect your overall GPA.

Course Schedule

This schedule gives you module/assignment due dates and exam window dates. It will also help you keep up with the chapter readings.

Week (Starting Day) Assignment Due

1 (Aug. 24) Orientation Module

Module 1 – Chapters 1 and 2 – Solar Energy and Seasons Aug. 31

2 (Aug. 31) Module 2 – Chapter 3 – Earth’s Atmosphere Sept. 8

3 (Sept. 7) Module 3 – Chapter 4 – Atmospheric Energy and Temperatures Sept. 14

4 (Sept. 14) Module 4 – Chapter 5 – Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulations Sept. 21

5 (Sept. 21) Module 5 – Chapter 6 – Water and Atmospheric Moisture Sept. 28

6 (Sept. 28) Module 6 – Exam 1 Oct. 5

7 (Oct. 5) Module 7 – Chapters 7 and 8 – Weather and Water Resources Oct. 12

8 (Oct. 12) Module 8 – Chapters 9 and 10 – Earth’s Climatic Regions and Change Oct. 19

9 (Oct. 19) Module 9 – Chapter 11 – The Dynamic Planet Oct. 26

10 (Oct. 26) Module 10 – Chapters 12 and 13 – Tectonics and Weathering Nov. 2

11 (Nov. 2) Module 11 – Exam 2 Nov. 9

12 (Nov. 9) Module 12 – Chapters 14 and 16 – River and Coastal Processes Nov. 16

13 (Nov. 16) Module 13 – Chapters 18-20 – Soils, Ecosystems, Biomes Nov. 23

14 (Nov. 23) Thanksgiving Break

Reflection Essay Assignment Nov. 30

15 (Nov. 30) Module 15 – Exam 3 Dec. 7

**Each week’s module and its assignments will be posted on Mondays at 6:00am CST and will be due the following Monday at 11:59pm CST. The only exception to this is Module 2, which will be due on Tuesday, September 8, because September 7^th is a holiday.**