Notice: Thursday, Dec. 13
UMass is closing at noon today.
Because we will miss today's class meeting of GeoSci 100, I
want to remind you that the final for the course will be held next
Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 8:00 AM in the same room in which the class is held,
ECSC 119. Please arrive on time and be sure to bring your book,
notes, at least two soft-lead perncils, and an eraser. The exam will
cover the last part of Chapter 15 (from p. 306 to end of chapter),
Chapter 16 and Chapter 17. The lecture for today was to have covered the last few pages of
Chapter 17. You should read pages 357-359 carefully to help prepare for
the exam. Also be sure to go over the review sheet handed out in
class last Tuesday and follow the suggestions there to study for
the final. The answers to the sample questions are: bdabcdddba If you don't have it, here is the review sheet.
The objectives of this course are to gain a basic understanding of the interrelationships among the earth's major physical and biological systems and to gain an appreciation of past and potential future global environmental changes. The role of humans in propagating and mitigating global change will also be examined. We will discuss changes in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere, and the impacts of human actions. Aspects of the forecasted global warming as well as other important issues will be discussed. This is an introductory physical geography course and is required for all Geography majors. This course also serves as a physical science (PS) course for GenEd requirements. The emphasis of this course is on the physical relationships between earth system components, not on public policy or political issues.
The textbook is available at the UMass Textbook Annex and at a discount at the Jeffrey Amherst College Bookstore in Amherst. Both stores should have used books available.
Lecture outlines are being made available at this website (http://www.geo.umass.edu/courses/glbch/lect.ol.html) within a day or two of each class lecture. These are just outlines -- you still need to come to class to hear the lectures and to do the in-class assignments!
Class attendance is mandatory for this course! If you don't plan on attending the lectures, don't register for this course.
Students will be responsible for lecture and video content and all assigned readings. Each exam will cover material assigned since the previous exam. Each of the four exams will be of the form of a modified "pyramid exam". The exam will be taken as a regular exam for the first ~35 minutes of class and then retaken with the help of books, notes, and classmates for the last ~40 minutes of the period. The score of each exam will be the sum of 75% of the first-try score and 25% of the second-try score. Make-up exams will only be given for documented, excusable absences. The format of any make-up exam will be decided by the instructor and may include oral and essay questions. Each exam is worth a maximum of 125 points, so the four exams are worth a total of 500 possible points.
You will also be given 20 written assignments that are intended to foster critical thinking and to help you master the basic concepts of the course. The assignments will be completed during class time and handed in at the end of the class. Each writing assignment is worth 6 points for a total of 120 points toward your total score in the course. There are generally no make-ups for these unless you have a legitimate, documented, prearranged absence.
Your final grade will be based on the total number of points you accumulate out of the maximum possible 620 points. Grades will be earned as follows:
Grade |
Number of points |
|
A |
More than 560 |
|
A- |
540 - 560 |
|
B+ |
520 - 540 |
|
B |
500 - 520 |
|
B- |
480 - 500 |
|
C+ |
460 - 480 |
|
C |
440 - 460 |
|
C- |
420 - 440 |
|
D+ |
400 - 420 |
|
D |
380 - 400 |
|
F |
Fewer than 380 |
A list of many of the topics to be covered follows and a detailed syllabus is available.
Department of Geosciences homepage