Geography 101
Course Outline

Jump to:

Unit I | Unit II | Unit III | Unit IV

Unit 1 Introduction to the Atmosphere

Unit I Objectives and Study Guide
 

Topic: Introduction to Geography 101

• TPE Web Text: Essentials of Geography; The Earth System

• McKnight Textbook Reading: pp. 1 - 4;8-15; 31 - 34;41 - 55

• Review & Resources 

• Lab exercise: Tools of the Geographer (Maps - Answer Key) (Inventory - Answer Key)

• Suggested Visualizations:

  • Products of a GIS (From Exploring Earth)

Topic: The Earth System

• TPE Web Text: The Earth System

• McKnight Textbook Reading: None

• Lab exercise: N/A

• Suggested Media:

  • "Down To Earth" Earth Revealed Series

• Suggested Visualizations:

• The Earth System

Topic: Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere

• TPE Web Text: The Atmosphere

• McKnight Textbook Reading: pp. 55 - 68

• Can you ....?

• Review & Resources

Topic: Energy and Radiation

• TPE Web Text: Energy and Earth/Sun Relations 

• McKnight Textbook Reading: pp. 71-85

• Can you ....?

• Review & Resources

• Video: Dimming the Sun (Answer Key)

• Lab exercise: 

  • Exercise 1  (Answer Key)

  • Exercise 2 (Answer Key) 

Suggested Media:

• "Particles and Waves" The Mechanical Universe ... and Beyond.

• Suggested Visualization:

  • Earth-Sun Relations (From Prentice Hall)

  • Seasonal Changes in light (From Exploring Earth)

 Topic: Temperature Patterns

• TPE Web Text: Temperature

• McKnight Textbook Reading: pp. 85 - 99

• Review & Resources

• Lab exercise: Exercise 3  (Answer Key)

 Topic: Atmospheric & Oceanic Circulation

• TPE Web Text Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulation

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 5

• Review and Resources

• Lab exercise: Exercise 4  (Answer Key )

Suggested Media:

• "Temperature and Gas Laws" The Mechanical Universe ... and Beyond.

• Suggested Visualizations:

  • Land/Sea breeze (From Exploring Earth)

  • Coriolis effect and wind direction (From Exploring Earth)

  • Coriolis effect over Earth's surface (From Exploring Earth)

Unit 1 Exam and Lab Quiz 

• See Unit 1 Study Aids

Unit II Weather and Climate Systems

Unit II Objectives and Study Guide
 

 Topic: Atmospheric Moisture

• TPE Web Text: Atmospheric moisture

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 6 & pp. 144 - 161

• Review & Resources

• Lab exercise: Exercise 5 (Answer Key); Exercise 6 (Answer Key)

 Topic: Climate Systems

• TPE Web Text Climate Systems

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 8

• Review & Resources

• Lab exercise: Exercise 8 ( Answer Key: Parts 2 & 3)

• Online Video Assignment: Online Video "The Climate Puzzle"  (Answer Key)

Unit 2 Exam and Lab Quiz

• See Unit 2 Study Aids

Unit III The Hydrosphere and Biosphere

Unit III Objectives and Study Guide
 

 Topic: The Hydrosphere

• TPE Web Text The Hydrosphere

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 9

• Concept Review - See D2L

• Review and Resources

• Lab exercise: Ex 9 Soil Water Budgets  (Answer Key)

• Required video: "Groundwater"

• Suggested Media:

"The Desert Springs of Mexico's Cuatro Cienegas",  (8:56)  

 Topic: Biogeography of the Earth

• TPE Web Text Biogeography of the Earth

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapters 10 & 11

• Concept Review - See D2L

• Review and Resources

• Lab exercise: Ex 11 Climate, Net Primary Production, and Decomposition (Answer Key)

• Required Video: Biodiversity (Online)

• Suggested Media:

 Topic: Soil Systems

• TPE Web Text Soil Systems

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 12

• Concept Review - See D2L

• Review and Resources

• Lab exercise: Online Lab - Spatial Pattern of Soils (Answer key)

• Suggested Media:

"Weathering and Soils" Earth Revealed Series

Unit 3 Exam and Lab Quiz 

• See Unit 3 Study Aids

Unit IV The Lithosphere

Unit Objectives and Study Guide
 

 Topic: Earth Material and Landforms

• TPE Web Text: Earth materials and structure

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 13 & 17

• Review & Resources

• Required Videos
  •  Earth's Interior Earth Revealed Series (Activity Sheet) (Answer Key)
  • "Intrusive Igneous Rocks" Earth Revealed Series (Activity Sheet) (Answer Key)
  • "Sedimentary Rocks" Earth Revealed Series (Activity Sheet) (Answer Key)
  • "Metamorphic Rocks" Earth Revealed Series (Activity Sheet) (Answer Key)
    
    
• Lab exercise: 
• Ex 16 Minerals and Rocks (Answer Key)
• Ex 17 Topographic Maps  (Answer Key)
  
  
• Suggested Media:
  • Minerals" Earth Revealed Series

Topic: Tectonics and Landforms (Lecture replaced with online activity below)

• TPE Web Text: Tectonics and Landforms

• McKnight Textbook Reading: pp. 380 - 392

• Online Activity: Tectonics and Landforms

  • OLL: Tectonic Boundary Processes (Answer Key)

  • Online Video: Plate Dynamics (Answer Key)

• Review & Resources

• Suggested Media:

  • "Earthquakes" Earth Revealed Series

  • "Earth Structure" Earth Revealed Series

  • "Birth of a Theory" Earth Revealed Series

• Suggested Visualizations:
  • Processes along Plate Boundaries (From Exploring Earth)

Topic: Volcanic Processes and Landforms

• TPE Web Text  Volcanic Processes and Landforms

• McKnight Textbook Reading: pp. 393-408

• Review & Resources

• Suggested Media:

  • "Volcanism" Earth Revealed Series

• Suggested Visualization:

  • Volcanism along subduction zone (From Exploring Earth)

  • Volcanic island over hot spot (From Exploring Earth)

  • Volcanism along rift zone (From Exploring Earth)

Topic: Weathering, Mass Movement, and Erosion

• TPE Web Text: Mass movement and erosion

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 15

• Review & Resources

• Suggested Media:

  • "Weathering and Soils; Mass Wasting" Earth Revealed Series

• Suggested Visualization:

  • Landscape formed by erosion (From Exploring Earth)

 Topic: Fluvial Systems

• TPE Web Text Fluvial Systems

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 16

• Review & Resources

• Lab exercises

  • Ex. 19 Drainage Basin Analysis (Answer Key)

  • Ex 20 Fluvial Landforms  (Answer Key)

• Suggested Media:

  • "Running Water I & II" Earth Revealed Series

• Suggested Visualizations:

  • Sediment transported by flowing water (From Exploring Earth)

Topic: Glacial Systems

• TPE Web Text Glacial Systems

• McKnight Textbook Reading: Chapter 19

• Review & Resources

• Lab exercise: Ex. 21 Glacial Landforms (Answer Key)

• Suggested Media:

  • "Glaciers" Earth Revealed Series

• Suggested Visualization:
   
• Glacier Basics (From McGraw Hill) 

Topic: Arid Regions - Lecture replaced with online assignment (class does not meet)

Unit 4 Exam and Lab Quiz

•  See Unit 4 Study Aids

  Previous