Terms to know for Chapters 11 & 14

Chapter 11:
mineral
rock
3 types of rock
>igneous
>metamorphic
>sedimentary
basalt
quartz
granite
magma
strata
sediment
fossil fuels
cycle of rock change

Chapter 14:
weathering
regolith
mass wasting
chemical weathering
physical weathering
bedrock
sediment
earthflow
landslide
scarification
ice wedge

GEO 101 Updates

Good Morning Class,

I wanted to write all of you with a few updates to class.

First, do not forget that the extra credit assignment for the first test is up on the blog. I did not publish it until Tuesday morning so I am giving you until Tuesday 3/29 at 10pm to return the assignment to me. You can also turn it in on Monday 3/28 in class.

Second, your paper outlines are due Monday April 4th. I will be out of at a conference so we will not meet at out normal time. However there will be a map exercise that will be emailed out to the class and posted up on the blog. The assignment will be sent over the weekend and will be due by 10pm on Monday 4/4.

Third, we will have an in-class map assignment this week 3/28. Please remember to bring your atlas into class on Monday. This exercise will involve looking up specific locations in your atlas.

Fourth, if you have not completed test #1. Please proceed to the Testing Center on the top floor of the Arts and Sciences Building. The test will be available until 6pm Monday. If you do not take the exam before that time, you will receive a 0. If you haven't taken the test and you would like to complete the extra credit, go ahead and turn in the extra credit and I will add it to your score.

And finally, my cecil email seems to back up and running. We can continue to use tsilwick@yahoo.com as a backup just in case.

Thanks,

TS

Extra Credit Assignment for Test #1

Greetings Class!

Here's the extra credit assignment for Test #1. By completing this assignment, you may add up to 10 points onto your test grade. For example, you earned a 67 on test #1, and then you earn 10 points on this extra credit, that would boost your test grade to a 77.

To complete the assignment, you will need to read the three articles linked below. Two of the articles describe the risk of a major earthquake striking the Pacific Northwest. The third story deals with disaster preparedness in California. Your assignment is to answer the questions below. You will answer from the perspective of the average college student.

The completed assignment, should be 3 to 4 paragraghs. If you have any questions, please email me at tsilwick@cecil.edu.

Article 1: http://www.newsweek.com/2011/03/13/the-scariest-earthquake-is-yet-to-come.html

Article 2:http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/03/17/1921848/sooner-or-later-massive-quake.html

Article 3: http://www.triplicate.com/20110322111691/News/Local-News/Agency-pushing-for-preparedness

Here are the three questions:

1) The geography of Japan is the root cause of the earthquake. How did the role of topography worsen the effect of the earthquake and tsunami

2) The articles both suggest that the Pacific Northwest is an earthquake prone area. What is it about the geography of this area that makes it prone to earthquakes?

3) How does the third article reccommend that individuals prepare for an earthquake?
Do you think these reccommendations are practical for most people?

Answers to each question should be 2 to 4 sentences.

Assignment is due by Tuesday, March 29th at 10pm. You may also turn in your assignment in class on Monday, March 28th.

Paper Guidelines

As we discussed in class on Monday, here are the guidelines for the first paper assignment.

The paper should be 2-4 pages in length. You paper should focus on the physical geography of a state or region that interests you. Some examples of paper topics: California Vineyards, Cape Cod, Florida Keys, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, Indonesia, South Africa, Mongolia, Greece, Sicily, Mexico, Japan, and more.

Please remember that you need to have your paper topic approved. You paper needs to focus on the geography of the place that you select... If your topic is the Chesapeake Bay, you should focus on the topography and makeup of the area. Your paper should not focus on the human and cultural aspects. Each paper should include a map that shows your region. The map should be sourced and include a caption.

Please remember that you need to site at least 3 sources in the body of your paper. These sources also need to be listed in your bibliography. Sources should be scholarly, ie National Geographic, Geography, Earth and Science, Nature, books, magazines, and other peer-reviewed journals.

For format: use 12 pt font(Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman), and double single space the text.

I ask that you include your name, the course, the assignment, and the date on the first page of the paper. And to include page numbers and the word count at the end of the paper.

Review Terms from Chapters 9 & 10

Chapter 9:
Natural Vegetation
Life Form
Forest
Terrestrial Ecosystem
5 Biomes: Forest, Savanna, Grassland, Desert, & Tundra
Steppe

Chapter 10:
Soil Parent Material
Soil Texture
Water Use
Water Need
Soil Profile
Soil Order
Tundra Soil

Update!!! Paper Outline Due: 4/4

Please provide an outline of your paper topic. You should write about 2 paragraphs on the topics to be covered in your paper. Be specific: example... "My topic for my paper is the Czech Republic. In my paper I will discuss the physical terrain of the country. In addition, I will focus on the major rivers and land features...."

In addition, you need to provide three sources where you will get the information for your paper. Give both the title of the source and how you will access it. For example:

"Inside the Czech Republic", www.czechtour.com
"International Fact Book: Czech Republic", www.geofacts.com/czech
"Czech Tourism", www.czechtourism,com

Please note that wikipedia is not a scholarly source and should not be referenced at all.

Reminder: Class Presentations

Good Morning Class!

Don't forget that tomorrow is the first day of class presentations.
We have the first three presentations going tomorrow.

I emailed around the assignment and an example presentation.

If you have questions, please email me.

Thanks!

TS

Presentation Assignment

Greeting Class,

Here are the details for the presentation assignment. Every week, a few students will be giving 2 to 3 minute presentations on their chosen topics. The presentation should be well organized and include at least one visual aid, ie photo, video, diagram.

You will need to consult your text book for basic information on your topic. Summarize the content of the book and then consult at least one other source to add more depth to your topic.

For example, if your topic was clouds, you would read over the cloud portion in the text. Then consult one other source such as http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2003/19feb_nlc/. Your presentation must include the basic info on your topic, reference at least one scholarly source, and include a visual aid.

Please remember that wikipedia and about.com are not appropriate scholarly sources.
Powerpoint is not required, but can be an effective tool for organizing your thoughts.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

I will email an example powerpoint to you before class on 3/21.

Thanks!

TS

GEO 101 Review Questions

Greetings Class,

Hope you are doing well with your studies for the first test on March 7th.

Here are some practice questions for you to review. There is a good chance that you will see these questions on the exam.


Thanks,

TS

1-The __________ process helps to form clouds. (Answer: Adiabatic)

2-The _________ precipitation process forms thunderstorms.
A) Convectional
B) Hydraulic
C) Convergent
D) Orthographic

3- What is the difference between climate and weather?

4- Please describe 3 characteristics of the Dry Tropical Climate?

5- T/F The Heat Island Effect describes why islands are hotter than mainland areas.

6- T/F Lines of longitude, also called parallels, run from pole to pole.

7- T/F Fronts are the boundaries between air masses.

8- T/F The Winter Solstice is the longest day of the year.