Physical Geography

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. Marie Curie


A major topic we will cover throughout the quarter is climate change.  Climate change is affecting every aspect of our planet from human societies, to the living world, to the physical processes that shape and reshape the earth.  We will look at feedback cycles that are accelerating the rate of change.

Class Introduction

Welcome to Physical Geography Hybrid!  I'm happy to have you in my class.  This website is a brief introduction to the basics of the class.  Physical Geography is about how our planet works.  We will cover such things as seasons, weather and climate, landforms and plate tectonics, rivers, coastlines, and oceans.  We will also talk about the living earth: plants and animals (the biosphere) and how they're an integral part of how our planet works.

Concepts that will underlie many of the topics we cover include pattern and process, and human-environment relations.  Pattern and process refer to how geographers see the world.  We first detect patterns. For example, you notice on a precipitation map of the US (to the left) that the southwestern U.S is dry and the southeastern U.S. is wet (a pattern).  Then we ask why this is so? (what is the process behind it?).

Human-environment relations refers not only to how we humans are affecting the environment (and we certainly are!), but to how the physical environment affects us.  For example, one effect of climate change is rising sea levels (humans affecting the environment).  Rising sea levels in some cases means communities are flooded and have to resettle (the environment affecting humans).

Textbooks


Course Assignments

Laboratory Assignments

You will need to complete five lab assignments during the quarter.  Lab assignments allow you to interact with the class content in a way that deepens your understanding.  Based on past experience, completing the lab assignments successfully is often the difference between students who do well in the class and those who don't.  Here are two example lab questions:

Using the map of North American time zones (Figure 1-28a) for reference, it if is 4:00 am standard time on Thursday in Baltimore, Maryland (39∘N,77∘W), what is the day and time in Honolulu, Hawaii (21∘N,158∘W )?

Why is day length so much longer during the June solstice than during the December solstice for New York?  See tables 1-2 and 1-3 in your textbook (think about why day length varies more as you move away from the equator--day length is constant throughout the year at the equator).

Book Club Discussions

The Book Club allows students to explore an area of Physical Geography in greater depth. This quarter you will be able to choose between two books by Pulitzer Award winner Elizabeth Kolbert: Under a White Sky, and The 6th Extinction.  The 6th Extinction deals with the unprecedented reduction in biodiversity we're currently experiencing globally largely due to human activities. The White Sky looks ahead to possible ways in which humans can adapt to and re-organize a world we have profoundly changed.  As you read the book, you will be engaging in discussions with your classmates.

Final Project

You will complete a final project on a physical geography topic of your choice.  This will involve research on a specific topic at a specific location.  For example, how is sea-level rise affecting particular locations in the Bay Area?  Your project will contain high-quality maps and will convey information with both texts and graphics.  You will have the option to choose between several formats such as an infographic, a video,  or a website. This is your opportunity to follow your interest and use your creativity to put together a visually appealing, informative, and engaging project.


In-Class Assignments

You will have several in-class assignments.  These short assignments are meant to give you hands-on practice with the material and are to be partially completed during class.  More information will be given in class.

Exams and Quizzes

You will have a midterm and a final exam where you will be tested on the concepts learned in this class.  In addition, you will have low-stakes quizzes where you will be able to check your understanding of course concepts as the course progresses.

How to Succeed in
GEOG 01

Following the tips below will help you do well in this course.


Accessing our Course

This course uses the Canvas learning management system. This is where you will access content, assignments, and links to Zoom meetings. You need to be enrolled to log into the course site. Our Canvas site will be available to you a few days before the start of the quarter.

We will meet via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 1:50 pm.  Attendance is required.

You should also have access to a computer. While our class is mobile-friendly (and the Canvas app is great), many assignments require using online mapping sites that you will need to access with a computer web browser. The Foothill library at the Sunnyvale Campus will distribute loaner Chromebooks in the first week of the quarter.

For more information about Geography or Geospatial Technology degrees and certificates at Foothill, see our Geography program website and the Geospatial Technology program website.

Questions

You can reach me at aguilaralexis@fhda.edu.  Once class starts, please contact me via Canvas Inbox or Pronto (a communication tool integrated with Canvas at Foothill) as I use my school email address mainly for administrative Foothill business and it's easy for student messages to get buried (and lost) in my mailbox.


I look forward to seeing you in class!