JCCC
Physical Geography Laboratory GEOS 141-001 (81148) Fall 2015
Syllabus
Who?
Lynne Beatty
Email:best way to contact me isthrough D2L or
Blog: hover the cursor over “About Page” to select your course
Office:CLB 302
Office Phone:913-469-8500, ext. 3785
Office Hours:3-4 pm on MW, 1:30-3 pm on TRor by appointment
When and Where?
Credit Hours:2Meeting time:1:00 pm - 2:50 pm, MW in CLB 411 or outside
Prerequisites/Co-requisites:GEOS 140 Physical Geography or equivalent
The course outline and competencies are at:
What is this class about?
Students in this course will practice their knowledge of physical geography through the collection and analysis of atmospheric, tectonic, volcanic, and hydrologic data and the identification and interpretation of landforms on topographic maps, remotely sensed imagery, and outside in the world. We will be outdoors for several labs.
What will I need for lab?
You will get a packet for each day’s lab exercise. It will be helpful to bring your physical geography textbook to lab, as well as a calculator. Check the schedule in advance so you know if we are going to be outside for that day’s lab exercise. It is your responsibility to dress appropriately for the weather and terrain when we are outside. Generally, this means no shorts, skirts, sandals, or heels on days when we are outside. Please use a raincoat, umbrella, gloves, coat, and boots to keep yourself comfortable during inclement weather when working outside. You will need to drive to a few lab exercise locations located within 15 minutes of campus. There is no additional fee for this class.
Is there anything I should know before deciding to spend the semester in this course?
Yes. You will actually have to attend class regularly and complete the lab exercises and tests in order to have a successful experience. You can prepare for lab by reading about the assigned lab topics using your physical geography textbook from GEOS 140 and reviewing your notes. The sequence of assignments and the topics covered are subject to change with notice. Outdoor activities include moving over uneven terrain in a variety of weather conditions. Academic and student policies and procedures can be found at
What are the lab exercises like?
Labs consist of collecting, graphing, and analyzing physical geographic data, sketching and labeling diagrams, using taxonomic keys to classify climates, and interpreting maps and remotely sensed imagery as well as the world. Each lab is due at the end of each lab period, unless other instructions are given. If you miss a lab, it is your responsibility to check the lab exercise which is due before the next class.
What are the tests like?
Lab tests will consist of questions similar to the exercises and will require you to show the ability to use maps, graphs, imagery, and charts to make interpretations. Make-up exams can be taken at the Testing Center on the third floor of the Student Center. Any make-up exams not taken before December 9 will receive a grade of zero.
Is there any extra-credit?
There may be opportunities depending on community events.
How do I earn a grade?
A minimum of two tests200 points A minimum of thirty laboratory exercises 150 points
The grade for the course will be determined by you. A total of 350 points is possible for the course. Final grades are determined as follows:
GRADEMINIMUM POINTS
A 315 (90%)
B 280 (80%)
C 245 (70%)
D 210 (60%)
F less than 210
What will happen to me if I do something dishonest?
All JCCC students are expected to follow the Student Code of Conduct
Anyone caught cheating (including plagiarizing) will be subject to any or all of the following: a zero for the work involved; an immediate “F” in the course; referral to college authorities for further discipline, including expulsion. The Science/Math Division Dean’s office is CLB 241.
What if I have a disability?
JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you are a student with a disability and if you are in need of accommodations or services, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services and make a formal request. To schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor or for additional information, you can contact Access Services at (913) 469-3521 or . Access Services office is located in the Success Center on the second floor of the Student Center.
Are there any special rules regarding lab?
The chemical hygiene policy is to be enforced by faculty in labs when chemicals or other potentially hazardous materials are being used. Students must abide by the chemical hygiene protocol for their respective lab or not be permitted in the lab. Eating and smoking are not permitted in the lab even when lab takes place outdoors.
Emergency Shelter Areas
What do I need to know if I decide to drop this course?
What is our tentative lab schedule?
Aug 17Lab 1:Analyzing geographic data
Aug 19Lab 2:GIS and remote sensing
Aug 24Lab 3:Mappingand geocaching – Outdoors on campus
Aug 26Lab 4: Solar energy and sun angle – Outdoors on campus
Aug 31Lab 5:Seasons and the analemma – Outdoors on campus
Sep 2Lab 6: Atmosphere
Sep 7Labor Day Holiday – no class
Sep 9Lab 7: Urban heat islandand ozone measurements – Outdoors on campus
Sep 14Lab 8:Global temperature patterns
Sep 16Lab 9: Measuring atmospheric moisture, pressure, and wind – Outdoors on campus
Sep 21Lab 10: Air pressure and circulation patterns in air/water
Sep 23Lab 11: Weather maps – midlatitude cyclones
Sep 28Lab 12: Weather maps – tropical cyclones
Sep 30Lab 13: Climates
Oct 5Lab 14: Topographic maps; Review
Oct 7Lab Exam 1
Oct 12Lab 15: Plate tectonics and hot spots
Oct 14Lab 16: Earthquakes and Lab 17: Volcanoes
Oct 19Lab 18: Mass movement- Outdoors off campus. This lab will meet at 1:20 pm at the Northgate Access
Park for the Mill Creek Streamway Trail off of 119th and Northgate. Map will be provided at the
previous lab.
Oct 21Lab 19: Groundwater and surface water quality – Outdoors on campus and Stoll Park
Oct 26Lab 20: Groundwater Aquifers Model
Oct 28Lab 21: Karst Landscapes
Nov 2Lab 22: Water at work – Outdoors off campus. This lab will meet at 1:20 pm along
Indian Creek in the Shannon Valley subdivision playground south of the intersection of College Blvd. and Grant Drive. Map will be provided at the previous lab.
Nov 4Lab 23: River processes and landforms- Stream Table Model
Nov 9Lab 24: Glacial processes and landforms
Nov 11Lab 25: Glacial processes and landforms – “Touching the Void”, rated R for language. Please see me if this presents a concern for you.
Nov 16Lab 26: Desert processes and landforms
Nov 18Lab 27: Coastal processes and landforms – Coastline Model
Nov 23Lab 28: Soils – Outdoors on campus
Nov 25Thanksgiving Holiday – no class
Nov 30Lab 29 and Lab 30: Ecosystems and Biomes – Outdoors off campus. This lab will meet at 1:20 pm at the Olathe Prairie Center, 26325 W 135th, Olathe, KS 66061. Map will be provided at the previous lab.
Review
Dec 2Lab Exam 2
Science Resource Center CLB 112
You’ll need a JCCC student identification card to use the Science Resource Center. An older edition of a physical geography textbook is available for your use in the Science Resource Center. Other study materials such as study guides on cds, minerals, rocks, topo map book, and stereopair book are also available for your use in the SRC. The SRC staff will be able to assist you if you provide them with my name and your course name, along with what you would like to use. The cds will hopefully be in a clear blue plastic folder marked Geosciences-Beatty.
Learning About Weather and Climate - by Queue
For students enrolled in GEOS 140 Physical Geography: It explores the temperature and moisture characteristics of the atmosphere, the movements of air masses, and the formation of cyclones.
Topographic Maps - by Tasa
For students enrolled in GEOS 130 General Geology or GEOS 141 Physical Geography Laboratory: It offers detailed explanations about the features on a topographic map such as map scale, latitude and longitude, contour lines, and much, much more. It provides many short exercises that would be especially helpful to you in your lab work.
Computer Tutorials for Physical Geology - by WCB, publishers
For students enrolled in GEOS 130 General Geology but students in GEOS 140 Physical Geography will also find the sections on glaciers, rivers, mass wasting, deserts, and beaches useful. It is organized by topic, including minerals, rocks, plate tectonics, earthquakes, glaciers, mass wasting, rivers, deserts, beaches and many more. It is not necessary to do them in order. This program introduces the information and then asks several brief questions as a way to check for comprehension.
Plate Tectonics -
For students in GEOS 130 General Geology and GEOS 140 Physical Geography. This program presents information about the various types of plate boundaries, earthquakes, and volcanoes.