Our Changing Climate

GEOG 230

Spring 2005

Where, when, and why is climate changing? We will answer these questions via computer visualization and hands-on exploration of satellite images, time-series, and other climate variability data at global, regional and local scales, and from paleoclimate to the modern instrumental record. Prerequisite: Any Tier 1 NATS course or permission of instructor. Satisfies University of Arizona Tier 2 General Education requirements.


Instructor
Dr. Andrew C. Comrie
E-mail: comrie@arizona.edu
Office: Harvill 414; Tel: 621-1585; Fax: 621-2889
Hours: Mon 10:00-10:50 a.m., or by appointment

Preceptor
Mark Gallup
E-mail: mgallup@email.arizona.edu)
Lab Hours: Tue 4:00-5:00 p.m. & Fri 9:00-10:00 a.m. in Harvill 401

Resources
Online Lectures, Projects, Field Trips and Grades (password required)
Excel Tutorial
Guide to Scientific Report Writing

 Textbook
 Aguado E. and Burt, J.E., 2004: Understanding Weather and Climate, 3rd Edition. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. (Required).
  Textbook Web Site
Website & Lab Activities
The class website at http://geog.arizona.edu/~comrie/geog230 is the central information resource, including important dates, lecture material, and online lab activities. Students are strongly recommended to make personal printouts of lecture text and graphics to enhance notetaking in class.

Objectives
The primary objective of this course is to introduce students (especially non-science majors) to climatology. The course emphasizes scientific thinking and practice through hands-on studies of climate. It focuses on pattern and process in Earth’s climate system through integrated use of satellite images, examination of basic climate measurements, and time-series displays of atmospheric data. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to understand climate variability at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and the physical science principles that govern climatic phenomena.

Class Meetings, Field Trips, and Learning Strategy
This class meets Mondays and Wednesdays, although it is scheduled as a MWF class (3 hours/week). We do not meet on Fridays – we apply the 15 “saved” hours for several required Saturday field trips. Each class meeting is divided into a mix of lecture and laboratory-type components (i.e., an active learning format). Thus, class meetings will combine group and individual learning sessions, brief topical explanations, elementary data analysis, discussions, reviews and writing assignments. The field trips will include site visits and data collection, requiring students to learn to work in groups to gather and later analyze climate data. Honors Contracts are available for students wanting Honors credit for the class. Students with disabilities:  If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send the instructor official notification of your accommodations needs as soon as possible.  Please plan to meet with the instructor by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how the course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.

Grades
Brief project reports will be required on each of four research assignments that encourage interpretation and group discussion of data analyses and results. These projects will follow from the hypothesis-based, question-driven active learning approach of the class. The reports will be written in the style of short scientific papers, following the guide and example provided on the class website. Papers will be 3-5 double-spaced, typed pages in length (tables, figures, references, etc. do not count in this total), except for the first paper, which should be half this length. Pages should be single-sided, numbered, and the report should be stapled in the upper left-hand corner. The best length is shorter than the maximum, so don't expand a shorter report to reach a five page limit. Brevity, neatness, and clarity of presentation are almost as important as clarity of thought. Feedback on research reports will be a mixture of student peer-review and instructor comments. The latter will include both content review and comments on the writing itself (grammar, structure, spelling, etc.). Some reports will be resubmitted for final grading.

There will be two exams to check for mastery of key concepts covered during class. The exams will include a mix of short answers (key-concept learning). We will review material before each exam. A small participation grade is included for timeliness of assignments, participation in the peer review process, completion of ungraded assignments, field trip activity, etc. Late assignments will not be accepted without prior permission from the instructor, and may be assessed a penalty.
4 Research reports (10%, 15%, 15%, 15%)
 55%
2 Exams (midterm and final, 20% each)
 40%
Participation
       5%

100%

I will attempt to be friendly, enthusiastic, approachable, and accessible. In addition, I will try to make the class fun and entertaining as well as educational. Nonetheless, I will assign grades in an impersonal manner, and I will set a high academic standard. Please do not interpret my demeanor as an indication of low academic standards; otherwise, you may feel betrayed if you receive a lower-than-expected score on an assignment or exam.

Grades reflect both effort and achievement. The following descriptions attempt to explain why different students obtain different results, and describe the standards we will use for this class. They are adapted from John H. Williams, "Clarifying Grade Expectations," The Teaching Professor, Aug./Sept. 1993. These examples are for A and C grades; B is in-between, and you know where D and E are!

The "A" Student - An Outstanding Student
ATTENDANCE: "A" students have virtually perfect attendance. Their commitment to the class is a high priority and exceeds other temptations.
PREPARATION: "A" students are prepared for class. They always read the assignment. Their attention to detail is such that they occasionally can elaborate on class examples.
CURIOSITY: "A" students demonstrate interest in the class and the subject. They look up or dig out what they don't understand. They often ask interesting questions or make thoughtful comments.
RETENTION: "A" students have retentive minds and practice making retentive connections. They are able to connect past learning with the present. They bring a background of knowledge with them to their classes. They focus on learning concepts rather than memorizing details.
ATTITUDE: "A" students have a winning attitude. They have both the determination and the self-discipline necessary for success. They show initiative. They do things they have not been told to do.
TALENT: "A" students demonstrate a special talent. It may be exceptional intelligence and insight. It may be unusual creativity, organizational skills, commitment - or some combination. These gifts are evident to the teacher and usually to the other students as well.
EFFORT: "A" students match their effort to the demands of an assignment.
 COMMUNICATIONS: "A" students place a high priority on writing and speaking in a manner that conveys clarity and thoughtful organization. Attention is paid to conciseness and completeness.
RESULTS: "A" students make high grades on tests - usually the highest in the class. Their work is a pleasure to grade.
The "C" Student - An Average Student
ATTENDANCE: "C" students are often late and miss class frequently. They put other priorities ahead of academic work. In some cases, their resulting health or constant fatigue renders them physically unable to keep up with the demands of high-level performance.
PREPARATION: "C" students may prepare their assignments consistently, but often in a perfunctory manner. Their work may be sloppy or careless. At times, it is incomplete or late.
CURIOSITY: "C" students seldom explore topics deeper than their face value. They lack vision and bypass interconnectedness of concepts. Immediate relevancy is often their singular test for involvement.
RETENTION: "C" students retain less information and for shorter periods. Less effort seems to go toward organizing and associating learned information with previously acquired knowledge. They display short-term retention by relying on cramming sessions that focus on details, not concepts.
ATTITUDE: "C" students are not visibly committed to class. They participate without enthusiasm. Their body language often expresses boredom.
TALENT: "C" students vary enormously in talent. Some have exceptional ability but show undeniable signs of poor self-management or bad attitudes. Others are diligent but simply average in academic ability.
EFFORT: "C" students are capable of sufficient effort, but either fail to realistically evaluate the effort needed to accomplish a task successfully, or lack the desire to meet the challenge.
COMMUNICATIONS: "C" students communicate in ways that often limit comprehension or risk misinterpretation. Ideas are not well formulated before they are expressed. Poor listening/reading habits inhibit matching inquiry and response.
RESULTS: "C" students obtain mediocre or inconsistent results on tests. They have some concept of what is going on but clearly have not mastered the material.
Academic Integrity
Students are encouraged to share ideas and skills and to freely discuss the principles and applications of course materials. However, the guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own. Please note the UA Code of Academic Integrity, which is available online.