GEOGRAPHY 2  WORLD NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS  Fall 2000 MWF 9:05 – 9:55 a.m. Lafayette 207

Instructor: Dr. Beverley Wemple
Office/phone: Old Mill 202 / 656-2074
E-mail: bwemple@zoo.uvm.edu
Office hours: MWF 10:00-11:00 a.m.
 

Graduate Teaching Fellow Mr. Tim Kirchoff
Office: Old Mill 215
Email: tkirchof@zoo.uvm.edu
Office hours: T 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., R 1:00-2:00 p.m., F 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES:

This course examines the world’s natural environments through study of the atmosphere, weather and climate, water, soils, vegetation, and landforms. Through lectures, discussions, and exercises, we will examine the processes that shape the world around us. We will also examine how human activities affect the environment. The goal of the course is to provide you with an understanding of how the natural environment operates and the relevance of physical geography to every-day life.
 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Elemental Geosystems, 1998 (2^nd edition) by R. W. Christopherson, Prentiss Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ

Atlas of World Geography, 2000. Rand McNally & Company.
 

EXERCISES:

Throughout the term, we will complete a series of exercises in class, drawing upon material from lectures and your text. These exercises are designed to build map interpretation skills and to introduce you to the analysis and interpretation of physical geography data. These exercises will largely be completed during class sessions. There are no make-up dates for missed exercises, and late exercises will not be accepted. You will be allowed to drop your lowest exercise score, effectively giving you one excused absence from participating in graded exercises.
 

EXAMS:

There are two mid-term exams and a final exam for the course. Mid-terms cover only the material for the weeks immediately proceeding the exam. The final exam is comprehensive. Typical exam format includes multiple choice questions, diagrams with short answers, and essays. Exams from previous offerings of the course will be available through the reserve desk at Baily-Howe library.
 

ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION:

You are strongly encouraged to attend all class lectures and participate actively. Active participation in class includes asking questions when reading material or lectures are not clear. You are also encouraged to share with the class any experiences you have had relating to the topics covered in the course.

If you are unable to make it to a lecture, it is your responsibility to borrow someone else’s notes for that day. If you miss an in-class exercise that is due during class, you will not be given the opportunity to make it up. There are no alternative dates for scheduled exams. You will only be allowed to reschedule an exam if you are a member of a varsity sports team, or if you can document an emergency situation, illness, or family death. UVM athletes must provide the instructor with a schedule of athletic competitions and required dates for absences by Friday, Sept. 8, 2000.
 

GRADING:

Course grades will be based on in-class exercises, two midterms, and a comprehensive final exam, as follows: