Instructor : Prof. Larry McGlinn, Hanmer House, mcglinnl@newpaltz.edu, 257-2696
Webpage : www.newpaltz.edu/~mcglinnl
Office Hours :  M -Th 10:30-12 Noon
Required Text : Introducing Physical Geography, 3rd Edition
Prerequisite : None

    Welcome to Physical Geography!  In this class we will study how how the earth's climate and landforms work. There are reasons for the world to look as it does, and there are reasons why the weather and climate of the world varies as it does. For instance, Florida is flat as a pancake, why is California so mountainous? Or Spain and New York are at a similar latitude, so why is Spain much milder than here?  These are the kinds of questions you will be able to answer after taking this course.
    You should always feel free to ask questions as they arise in class.  Some of the concepts in this course are difficult, and I may have to explain them in more than one way to make them clear.  I will be happy to do that, but you must let me know if something is unclear!  Otherwise, I may move on to something new, and everything new in this course builds on what has already been covered.  Stay in touch with me, and you will do fine.

Grading :

Midterm #1	200 points
Midterm #2 and Final Exam  300 points each	600 points
Map Quiz	100 points
In-Class Exercises	100 points
Total	1000 points

Midterms will be a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions, based mostly on what is covered in class. The first midterm is only worth 200 points in order to give you a chance to get used to my testing/grading style.  There will be one or two extra credit questions on each test. The map quiz is based on the list of places from around the world that I have on the web.  There will also be 3-4 in-class exercises during the semester which will be done without notice. These are NOT pop-quizzes, but they are exercises I will expect you to finish in class. If you miss them, you miss the points!

925 points + = A, 900-924 = A-, 875-899 = B+, 825-874 = B, 800-824 = B-, 775-799 = C+,
700-774 = C, 600-699 = D, <600 = F

There will be no extra credit assignments in this class.

Attendance : I do not regularly take attendance because I feel that you as adults should be able to make it to class. I reserve the right to take attendance when I wish. There is a close correlation between class attendance and performance in class!
    If some personal or family crisis arises during the semester, email or call me ASAP. I will work with you to arrange make ups with no deduction, etc.

Special Needs : Students requiring classroom accommodations or modifications because of a documented disability should discuss this need with me at the beginning of the semester.

Plagiarism : I consider turning in someone else's work as your own (current or previous semester), using notes during a test or copying text word-for-word from a book to your papers to be cheating. Likewise, downloads from the Internet that are submitted as your own work are considered plagiarism. If I find you cheating I will fail you and refer you to the dean, period!

Important Dates :
Midterms - 6/10, 6/19
Map Quiz - 6/5
Withdrawal Deadline – 6/18
Final Exam – 7/1

Important Links:
Map Quiz Study List
Termlist #1
Termlist #2
Final Term List
Sample Midterm Questions (midterm 1)
Sample Questions (Midterm 2)
Hurricane Exercise