GEOG205_Syl_Fall2021_ofRecord

1 GEOG 205 - Principles of Geomorphology - Fall 2021 Contact Information Instructor: Dr. Quinn Lewis Office: Online via Learn Office Hours: M, 10-11 AM EST, in-person EV1-233, T, 12-1 PM EST, or by appointment (online or in-person) Email: quinn.lewis@uwaterloo.ca TA specifics – TBD, announced after Week 1 Course Description Have you ever looked out the window of an airplane or a car and wondered why the landscape looks the way it does? Do you wonder what your back yard might have looked like thousands of years ago? Geomorphology involves seeking answers to these kinds of questions. This class introduces students to principles involved in the origin and evolution of landforms and the physical processes responsible for their creation and modification. From the largest mountains on earth, to soil displaced by a burrowing earthworm, this course instills in students an appreciation and understanding of how the earth is shaped. Geomorphology is the study ( -ology ) of the form ( morphos ) of the earth ( geo ), and since the earth is shaped by physical, chemical, and biological processes, geomorphology is a broad and interdisciplinary field. The principles of geomorphology thus have roots in physics, mathematics, environmental sciences, and social sciences. Principles of geomorphology are critical to those in various fields within geography, geology, and earth and environmental sciences. Goals and Expected Learning Outcomes This course will provide students with an understanding of the driving forces behind processes that shape the earth. Students will be able to identify features on the earth using modern methods and tools and will understand the ways in which geomorphologists measure rates and patterns of landscape change. Some students will also receive hands-on training in the field, and all will gain experience with writing assignments that integrate academic and public knowledge and reading academic articles. Students wi ll be able to understand both the “big picture” view of landscape evolution and the detailed specifics of different processes. Specific learning outcomes are as follows: 1. Identify and interpret landforms from maps, photographs, and surface models Landscape Context Landscape Form Geomorphic Process Driving Forces

2 o Become proficient in using a variety of tools to analyze landscape change o Predict past and future landscape changes by analyzing current landscapes 2. Evaluate how the basic principles of energy transfer, driving forces, and event magnitude combine to shape landscapes ranging from mountains to coasts. Examples include: o Examine the interactions between vegetation and climate on hillslope evolution o Predict results of extreme flooding on different types of river systems o Determine the relationship between mountain-building processes and large-scale landscape erosion 3. Gain experience collecting and synthesizing data, interpreting geomorphic processes, and evaluating landscape evolution o Develop strategies for successfully measuring geomorphic processes in the field o Learn the basics of collecting, analyzing, and plotting data using empirical, statistical, and analytical methods o Obtain experience using simple landscape evolution models COVID-19: Blended Online and In-person Course Delivery Information As we continue to navigate the academic landscape in the era of COVID-19, it is critical to stay positive, be flexible, and have mutual communication and understanding. I will do my best to make this term a smooth transition back to in-person courses while also providing a robust online version. In order to best serve the interests of students, TAs, and the instructor, the instructor reserves the right to alter the specifics of course activities for practical reasons or as a response to student feedback. I will try to keep as closely to this syllabus as possible, but if any changes are made they will be to the benefit of the student (i.e. extended deadlines or workload reduction). General Statements  If you start the course in the online section, you will stay in the online section  If you are in the in-person section, you may switch to the online section if: o You cannot attend due to self-isolation of sickness related to COVID-19 o In-person attendance is cancelled due to University, Government, or related mandates  I will do everything in my power to accommodate students, but ultimately I need to: o Ensure equity among all students, in both online and in-person sections o Abide by University policy In-person Version (section 001)  Those in the in-person section will only experience labs in person .  Lecture material will be provided on LEARN and will be narrated.  All submitted work (labs, exams, etc) will be done on LEARN. Online Version (section 002)

4 6 (Oct 18 – Oct 24) Review, Midterm Exam Exploration Activity 1 due Lab 3 – watersheds and rivers. In-person lab meeting required 7 (Oct 25 – Oct 31) Fluvial Processes and Landforms The Basics Chapter 9 Key Concepts Chapter 6 Exploration Activity 2 assigned Lab 3 due at end of week. No in-person lab meeting required (optional) 8 (Nov 1 – Nov 7) Coastal and Submarine Processes and Landforms Academic Manuscript: Sea Level Rise Shown to Drive Coastal Erosion, EOS Key Concepts Chapter 8 Lab 4 – coasts and wind. In- person lab meeting required 9 (Nov 8 – Nov 14) Aeolian Processes and Landforms Key Concepts Chapter 10 Lab 4 due at end of week. No in-person lab meeting required (optional) 10 (Nov 15 – Nov 21) Glacial Processes and Landforms Key Concepts Chapter 9 Lab 5 – fire and ice. In- person lab meeting required 11 (Nov 22 - 28) Volcanic and Tectonic Processes and Landforms Key Concepts Chapter 11, 12 Exploration Activity 2 due Lab 5 due at end of week. No in-person lab meeting required (optional) 12 (Nov 29 – Dec 7) Geomorphology and Humans, Landscape Evolution Academic Manuscript: Defining the Anthropocene, Nature Key Concepts Chapter 13; 14 Lab 6 – conclusion. In- person lab meeting required Lab 6 due at end of week *Reading week technically starts October 9, but any assignment can still be submitted until Sunday, October 10, 11:59 PM EST. Final Exam Period: December 9 - 23 Textbook/Readings Your grade in this course is not reliant on a textbook. Given the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, I do not expect students to purchase a textbook. However, if you are interested in the subject matter and do not mind spending the money, I recommend the following book: Key Concepts in Geomorphology by Bierman and Montgomery. In addition, I found one textbook that students already have free access to. A few chapters of the below text have been assigned: The Basics of Geomorphology: Key Concepts by Gregory and Lewin.

5 Throughout the course I will also provide students with additional readings posted on the LEARN page that supplement the course material (there might be more or less than what is currently on the syllabus!). Although the readings are assigned, obviously you are free to read as much or as little as you would like… but doing assigned readings will substantially increase your chance of success in this course. If you would like additional external resources, please let me know! Assessment Exploration Activities (10%) Participation and Discussion (5%) Midterm (15%) and Final Exam (20%) Lab Section (50%) Exploration Activities Exploration activities are designed to engage students with the class material and assess a students’ critical thinking and writing ability. They also allow students a chance to show different skills than an exam demonstrates. The instructor will grade each written report according to a rubric posted on LEARN. The specific details of each exploration activity will be provided at the time of the assignment. Participation and Discussions Students will be assigned short completion-based tasks every two weeks designed to foster engagement with the material and the relevance of course material to the real world. These could include mapping exercises with Google Earth, posting in forums on LEARN, or taking and annotating photos of landscapes. Every 2 weeks there will be one participation/discussion task – they will be assigned Week 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. More information on each weeks’ participation/discussion assignment will be provided at the start of each week, but my goal is to keep these fresh, fun, and varied. Each student must participate in at least 5/6 discussions and written response assignments throughout the semester , which means a student can forgo the assignment once without penalty. Midterm and Final Exam The midterm and final exams will be available during at least a 4-day window during week 6 (midterm) and the final exam period (final). The exams will be done on LEARN and will consist of a combination of short answer, longer answer, multiple choice, and true/false questions. The assessments will be “open book” in that students are allowed to use all class material and online resources. More details will be given in the week prior to the exams. The final assessment is to be done individually .

7  to engage in this course, enjoy it, and ask questions if you do not understand something  to produce your own work - no cheating or plagiarism I expect myself:  to be prepared and organized  to be available if you need assistance  to give fair assignments and exams  to treat all students with respect It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, native language, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Any student who may need extra assistance meeting the requirements of this course should email me as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations to ensure your success in the course. Turnitin.com: Text matching software may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is used to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students’ submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin in this course. The alternative to using this software is to prepare an annotated bibliography for each assignment. For advice on how to prepare an annotated bibliography, see: https://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotatedbibliography . Mental Health: The University of Waterloo, the Faculty of Environment and our Departments/Schools consider students' well-being to be extremely important. We recognize that throughout the term students may face health challenges - physical and / or emotional. Please note that help is available . Mental health is a serious issue for everyone and can affect your ability to do your best work. Counselling Services http:// www.uwaterloo.ca/counselling- services is an inclusive, non-judgmental, and confidential space for anyone to seek support. They offer confidential counselling for a variety of areas including anxiety, stress management, depression, grief, substance use, sexuality, relationship issues, and much more. Religious Observances: Students need to inform the instructor at the beginning of term if special accommodation needs to be made for religious observances that are not otherwise accounted for in the scheduling of classes and assignments. Unclaimed assignments: Unclaimed assignments will be retained until one month after term grades become official in quest. After that time, they will be destroyed in compliance with UW’s confidential shredding procedures .

8 Communications with Instructor and Teaching Assistants: All communication with students must be through either the student’s University of Waterloo email account or via Learn. If a student emails the instructor or TA from a personal account they will be requested to resend the email using their personal University of Waterloo email account. Recording lecture Use of recording devices during lectures is only allowed with explicit permission of the instructor of the course. If allowed, video recordings may only include images of the instructor and not fellow classmates. Posting of videos or links to the video to any website, including but not limited to social media sites such as: facebook, twitter, etc., is strictly prohibited. Additional Information Pertaining to the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic  https://uwaterloo.ca/coronavirus/  https://uwaterloo.ca/coronavirus/news/resources-returning-campus-fall-term-all-students