Physical environments of representative areas: landforms, climates, vegetation, and soils are emphasized, as well as their distribution and significance for man.

Course Structure

14 Laboratory Assignments (Lecture Portion taught by Prof. Rob Malcolm)

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this class is to introduce students to the foundational terms and understanding of natural systems. The topics of this class involve the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and fundamental geographic thoughts and techniques. Upon completing this class, students should be able to define features in landscapes, discuss how energy and water flow through natural systems, understand the components of climate and climate change, and be able to work with basic scientific lab principles. (Rob Malcolm)

LEP Tier 2 - Global Awareness (Southern Connecticut State University)

This course fulfills the Tier 2, Natural World category of our general education requirements, the Liberal Education Program. The purpose of the Natural World category is to familiarize students with science as a method of inquiry and to raise their awareness of the role science plays in the world. The ability to accurately and objectively articulate the scientific underpinnings of important complex issues is essential in a society that increasingly depends on science and technology. The main objectives of this category are:

1. Scientific Inquiry – Understanding the nature of scientific inquiry in general and the use of the scientific method as a basic inquiry tool.
2. Body of Scientific Principles – Learning a coherent body of scientific knowledge.
3. Significant Lab or Field Experience – Collecting and analyzing scientific data in a laboratory or field setting using reasonable scientific protocols.
4. Quantitative Methods – Using, understanding, and analyzing numerical data to make reasonable inferences and interpretations.
5. Relevance to Contemporary Societal Issues – Understanding the scientific components of some important world issues (for example, biodiversity loss, genetic engineering, global climate change, land use and planning, resource depletion, or energy concerns).

• In addition to covering these objectives, this course will also reemphasize at least three Tier 1 competencies: Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, and Information Literacy.