2. About This Class…
• Physical Geography Lab is field
observation and analysis of the
physical environment designed
to accompany Physical
Geography (Geography Four).
– The course consists of in class
labs an on-site interpretation of
climate, soils, landforms, plant
distribution, and more.
• On-site interpretation means field trips.
3. Prerequisite
• Geography Four (Physical Geography) is
a prerequisite for this course.
• You must be currently enrolled in or
already completed Geography Four to be
eligible for this course.
• If you drop Geography Four or earn a D or
an F, you may receive an incomplete in
this course.
4. Class Schedule
Fri. August 17 Intro
Fri. August 24 Information
Fri. August 31 Lab One
Fri. Sept. 14 Lab Two
Fri. Oct. 5 Meeting/Orientation
Saturday October 6 Field Trip One
Fri-Sun Nov. 17-19 Field Trip Two
Fri. Nov. 30 Journal Due
Fri. Dec. 14 Journal Return
5. In Class Labs
• Lab One August 31
– Longitude, Latitude, and Time
– You will need your atlas.
• Lab Two September 14
– Earth Sun Relationships, Topographic Maps,
and Compasses.
– You will need your California Road Map and
your Compass.
6. Field Trips
• Saturday October 6
– 9:00 AM to approximately 7:00 PM
– Mormon Rocks/Mojave Desert
• Friday-Sunday November 17-19
– 9:00 AM November 17 to approximately 4:00
PM November 19
– Northern Owens Valley/Mono Lake
7. Requirements
1. Attendance at ALL class meetings and
ALL field trips is required.
2. You must turn in a photo journal.
3. You must reserve a motel room or
make arrangements to share a room
before October 5, 2012.
4. You must feed yourself on field trips,
money or food is required.
8. Materials
• World Atlas
• California Road Map
• Compass
• Camera
• Hard Cover 1-inch, 3-ring binder OR
• Optional: Internet Access for Digital Journal
– Recommended but not required: A physical
Geography textbook
9. Strenuous Activity Warning
• This class requires strenuous physical activity.
• If you have any medical/physical condition which
may impair your full participation, check with
your physician.
• Field Trip One requires approximately 2 miles of
walking on a rough trail.
• Field Trip Two requires approximately 4 miles of
walking on several types of trails, especially up
and downhill.
10. Parental Permission
• If you are under 18 years old, your
parent or guardian must give written
permission for you to go on the field
trips.
11. Grading
Lab One 10 points
Lab Two 10 points
Field Questions 20 points
Photo Journal 60 points
________________ ________
Total 100 points
13. Rules and Regulations
• Drop Policy
– If you decide to drop the class, you must do
so formally.
– Failure to drop in a timely manner will result
in a grade of an F.
• Late Work
– Assignments are due at the end of class or
on the stated date and will not be accepted
late.
• Graded Work
– It is your responsibility to pick up graded
work.
– It will be held for 30 days after the end of the
semester and then discarded.
14. Academic Honesty
• Plagiarism includes using someone
else’s photographs in your journal.
• Students are not to share photos.
• If I see duplicate pictures in photo
journals, I have no way of knowing who
the original photographer is.
• Any incidences of plagiarism will be
reported to the dean.
• Should you use ANY photographs or
images in your journal that are not your
own, the source MUST be cited.
15. • If you have or think you might have a disability
which might impair your performance in this
course, contact the Disability Services Program
office immediately at (909) 652-6398.
• If you need any accommodations made, you
must talk to me about them immediately.
• Accommodations will Not be made after
September 14, 2012.
16. • You must reserve a room or make arrangements
to share a room by March 5th.
• At the October 5, class meeting you are required
to have a motel reservation.
– We will be staying at Bristlecone Motel
101 North Main Street (US HWY 395)
Big Pine, CA, USA 93513
Phone: (866) 609-3785
17. Contacting Me
• I do not have office hours.
• The best way to reach me is by
e-mailing me.
• My email address is listed at the
top of the syllabus
Lisa_M_Schmidt@yahoo.com
18. Contacting You
• I would like to be able to reach all of
my students by e-mail or phone.
• This is just in case there are any
problems such as weather or road
conditions that might prevent us from
making our scheduled trips.
• Please list your phone number and
e-mail address on the contact
information page of the syllabus
provided for you and let me know
which is the best way to reach you.
– Make sure to hand that page in!
19. Drivers
• I will require four volunteers to drive.
• You must have a valid drivers license.
– Drivers must take forms to Human
Resources by September 14, 2012.
20. • This course is designed to
accompany Physical
Geography.
– At each stop there will be many
points of interest that relate to
Physical Geography.
21. • We will travel to different climate regions:
– Mojave Desert
– Sagebrush Desert
– Alpine Regions
• We will also see evidence of past climate
change
– Fossil Falls
– Mormon Rocks
– Mono Lake
22. • We will study the distribution of plants and
animals in Eastern California.
• We will travels through different biomes:
– Mojave Desert Biome
– Sagebrush Biome
– Alpine Biome
– Riparian Areas
23. • We will travel across the San Andreas
Fault.
• We will travel across the Garlock Fault.
• We will see tectonic landforms such as
tilted fault blocks at Mormon Rocks and a
sag pond at Diaz Lake.
24. • We will travel to the
Coso Volcanic Field.
• We will see lava flows,
cinder cones, and
many other volcanic
landforms.
• We will also travel to a
geothermal area, Hot
Creek.
25. • The southernmost glacier on
the planet, The Palisades
Glacier, is on our route.
• Glaciers shaped the Sierra
Nevada Mountain Range.
• We will study the landforms
left by the glaciers.
26. • Manzanar is on our route and we will stop
there.
• A trip through the high desert also provides for
a lesson in suburban sprawl, and leapfrog
development.
• No trip to the Eastern Sierra Nevada would be
complete without a lesson on imported water.
27. Expectations for Photo Journals
1. You will be given a list of objects to photograph. Your
journal must include ALL of them or you will not
receive full credit.
2. You will be given instructions for your journal, you
MUST follow them or you will lose points.
3. Photo Journals are required to be typed and must look
professional.
4. When you are asked to write one-page about a topic in
your journal, if you do not have one page, you will lose
points.
5. As an alternative to the ‘paper’ photo journal, you may
create a digital photo journal-but it must be exactly as
instructed.
37. • 8/24/12 Next Friday-
– No lab, I will be here to answer any questions.
– Information session only
– Drivers are required to come get forms from
me.
• 8/31/12 1st lab
– Bring your atlases.
