38:170 How Earth Works: Applied Physical Geography

Instructors: Lecture, Dr. Dion J. Wiseman – Laboratory, Ms. Wenonah van Heyst
Office: Brodie Room 4-07
Office Hrs: Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 11 – 12 PM
Phone: 727-9774
Email: wiseman@brandonu.ca

Required Text:

Christopherson, et al. (2016) Geosystems, 4^th Canadian ed. Pearson.
Christopherson, et al. (2019) Geosystems, Updated online 4^th Canadian ed. Pearson.

Note: Either of the above or an earlier edition is suitable. Also available on 2 hr. loan.

Lab Manual:

The laboratory manual for this course will be available to pick up at your first regularly scheduled lab period next week. The printing fee ($10) for the lab manual was included in the course registration fee.

Course Description

Physical Geography is the study of the physical components and processes operating within Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. This course will introduce basic geographic concepts and examine a variety of these systems in a spatial context. Topics discussed include coordinate systems, maps, and map projections; GIS, remote sensing, and GPS technology; solar energy and radiation balances; weather and climate; volcanism, earthquakes, and plate tectonics; weathering and mass movements; fluvial, eolian, coastal, and glacial land forms and processes; and soils.

Course Outline

Topic	Description	Chapter(s)
1	Basic Geographic Concepts, Location, Coordinate Systems, and Maps	1
2	Earth Sun Relations, Solar Energy, and Seasons	2
3	The Atmosphere and Energy Balances	3 & 4
Test I	Friday, October 4th Sample Figs Practice Questions	Marks
4	Global Temperature, Atmospheric Circulation, and Climate Systems	5, 6 & 10
5	Water in the Atmosphere, At the Earth’s Surface, and Subsurface	7 & 9
Test II	Friday, November 1st Sample Figs Practice Questions	Marks
6	Earth’s Structure, Tectonics, and Volcanism	12 & 13
7	Weathering and Mass Movements	14
8	Fluvial Processes and Landforms	15
9	Glacial Processes and Landforms	17
Final	Monday, December 9th, 2 pm HLC HCG Samp Figs Pract Ques Marks

Grading Scheme

Term Test I	20%	> 90%	A+	70 – 72%	B-
Term Test II	20%	85 – 89%	A	67 – 69%	C+
Lab Assignments	20%	80 – 84%	A-	63 – 66%	C
Lab Quizzes (2)	20%	77 – 79%	B+	60 – 62%	C-
Final Exam	20%	73 – 76%	B	50 – 59%	D
*Book Review 5%	*Why Geography Matters 2%			< 50%	F

* Optional Extra Credit Assignments: A book review OR short essay on “Why Geography Matters” may be submitted at any time before the last day of class for extra credit.

How To Write Multiple Choice Exams

Tentative Laboratory Schedule

Date(s)	Lab	Topic(s)	Chapter(s)
Sept 9-11	1	Topographic Maps – Geographic Coordinates and Projected (UTM) Coordinates	Ch. 1 (pp 20-25)
Sept 16-18	2	Topographic Maps: Scale, Distance, Area and Direction; Dominion Land Survey	Ch. 1 (pp 25-30), Figure 6-5, Appendix A
Sept 23-25	3	GPS and Field Mapping (OUTDOORS, meet in lab)	Ch. 1 (pp 30-31)
Sept 30-Oct 2	4	Isolines and Vertical Profiles; Time Zones	Appendix A
Oct 7-9	QUIZ & 5	LAB QUIZ #1 (Topics 1 to 4) bring protractor, ruler & calculatorEarth-Sun Relationship, Insolation & Seasons	Ch. 2 (pp 49-59); and Analemma on p.58 (Figure CT 2.3.1)
Oct 14-16	—	No 38:170 Labs this week (Thanksgiving)
Oct 21-23	6	Water Balance	Ch. 9 (pp 246-252; 270)
Oct 28-30	7	Rating and Flood Frequency Curves and Lab #10 (GoogleEarth)	Ch. 15 (pp 478-486)
Nov 4-6	8	Description of Soil Properties; Climographs	Ch. 18 (pp 574-579) Ch 10 (Figures 10.3 – 10.24); Appendix C
Nov 11-13	—	No 38:170 Labs this week (Remembrance Day & Fall Study Break)
Nov 18-20	QUIZ	LAB QUIZ #2 (Topics 5 to 8, primarily)
Nov 25-27	9	Glacial Landforms (last in-lab assignment)	Ch. 17 (pp 535-550)
Dec 2-4 (last week of classes)	“10”	Lab #10 (GoogleEarth) due in final LECTURE period, on Wednesday, December 4^th, 2019

Follow this link to check your marks for each lab: Lab Marks

Tutorials will be held in rm 4-47 BB, during the “spare slot” Tuesdays 12:40-1:30.