Welcome to Geography 205 - Elements of Physical Geography.  Physical Geography is the study of the processes that create and change the Earth and the environment around us.  This should be an enjoyable and interesting course that is not designed to be overly difficult, but rather to make you think. It is my hope that after taking this course you will have a new and inquisitive way of looking at the world around you.  The course will have three parts: the first will focus on the atmosphere, the second will focus on geological processes on Earth and the third will focus on landscapes, which result from interaction between the atmosphere and geological processes.  The course will have a global focus, but Alaskan geography is particularly interesting and will be a major component.  Geography lends itself very well to graphic presentations, so we’ll be seeing numerous videos and slide presentations.

Book:  The text for this class is Elemental Geosystems by Robert Christopherson.  It is available in the UAA Bookstore.  This text has an associated website with review materials at www.prenhall.com/christopherson.

Internet: This course has an official website at www.alaskageography.com. The course materials are located through the "Geography 205 - Summer Semester 2001" link. Other links provide a wide variety of information concering Alaskan geography. Students will be expected to have internet access for this course.

Grades: Grades will be determined in the following ways:

1) Two exams, one mid-term and one final.  They will consist of a variety of types of questions, including short answer and short essay.  The final will be non-cumulative.  All lecture and assigned book material will be covered.  The mid-term will be worth 25% of your grade, the final will be worth 30% of your grade.

2) Written  assignments.  You will be given two writing assignments during this course. The first will be worth 15% of your grade and the second will be worth 20% of your grade. They will consist of a series of geographical questions to be answered regarding a location of your choice.  More details will be given later.

3) A map quiz concerning physical geographical locations will be given on June 12.  It will be worth 10% of your grade.

Attendance:  Attendance is critical in a geography course because understanding the material covered in one class will probably be necessary for understanding future course material.  We will only meet for nine lectures during this summer session, so skipping one class is like skipping 10% of the course.  We will also discuss quite a bit of material not covered in the book.  You will have advance warning for all quizzes, exams and homework due dates and for that reason no make-up work is allowed.

Office Hours: As an adjunct, I have no office, but messages, papers, etc. can be left for me in the office here. You may also reach me at home in the evenings and on weekends at 279-6961 for any questions.  My email address at work is: dsnyder@resdat.com.  I check this several times daily.
 
 

Tentative Course Schedule
Date	Topic	Assignment	Videos/Slides	Book Readings
May 29	Course Introduction, What is Geography?, Maps, The Earth as a Planet			p. 1-11 p. 11-22 p. 38-47
June 5	Global Energy System, Atmospheric Composition and Temperature			p. 69-99 p. 47-63
June 12	Atmospheric Pressure and Wind, Precipitation and Atmospheric Moisture	Map Quiz	Slides: Clouds	p. 105-128 p. 137-176
June 19	Ocean Circulation, El Nino, Global Climates, Alaska Climate		Video: Patterns in the Air	p. 128-130 p. 183-221 Alaska Weather Essay at alaskageograpy.com
June 26	Geologic Time, The Formation and Structure of the Earth, Rocks		Slides: Climate	p. 255-257 p. 257-261 p. 261-269
July 3	Holiday
July 10	Mid-Term Exam Plate Tectonics	Climate Essay Due	Video: The Living Machine Slides: Rocks	p. 269-279 p. 283-299
July 17	Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, Earthquakes		Video: Exotic Terrane Slides: Plate Tectonics	p. 299-306 p. 306-316
July 24	Alaskan Geology, Fluvial Processes and Landforms		Slides: Volcanoes Slides: Rivers	SC AK Volcanoes,  SC AK Geology, SC AK Terranes and  The 1964 AK Earthquake essays on alaskageography.com p. 349-353 p. 355-373
July 31	Glaciers and Glacial Landscapes, Desert Landscapes		Slides: Glaciers Slides: Deserts	p. 431-457 p. 379-400
August 7	Final Exam – during regular class time	Landscape Essay Due

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