GEOG 205 A: Our Global Environment: Physical and Human Dimensions

GEOG 205: Our Global Environment (WIN 2024)

As we are a course at the University of Washington, we recognize the Coast Salish people of this land, which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Duwamish, Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations.

Instructor Information

Course Meetings

Course Information

Course Description

This course is an introduction to some of the basic physical geographic processes that shape our interactions with the environment, and considers how human activity in turn shapes the natural world. In other words, we will consider how human-environment relations are co-produced. You will be asked to think critically about your own relationship to the environment, and what consequences your behaviors have for physical and social systems across time and space. In this process, you will improve your environmental and geographical literacy, develop an understanding of the complex relationships between nature and society, and come to think critically about environmental issues and their underlying premises.

Learning Objectives

• Gain a basic understanding of key biophysical processes that operate in the environment (e.g. (eco)systems, population models, Earth-sun relations, hydrologic cycle, tectonic plate movement, etc.).
• Trace how physical geographic processes both impact and respond to varied social and political factors.
• Appreciate the diverse and dynamic interactions between humans and non-human environmental systems, and how they shape each other across time and space.
• Critically engage how knowledge, technology, and access play multiple roles in creating and resolving contemporary environmental conflicts across the globe.

Course Structure: Team-Based Learning

This course is structured as a Team-Based Learning course. Based on your intake form responses on Day 1, you will be placed into teams of six to seven people that will remain together for the entire quarter. Your teams will be announced during the first Quiz Section meeting.

Lecture sections (Tuesdays/Thursdays)

The class is organized into four modules of two weeks each, or four lecture classes: 1) Biosphere, 2) Atmosphere, 3) Hydrosphere, and 4) Lithosphere. Each module will follow a similar format:

• Module Lecture 1: You will prepare for class by completing a Canvas module that covers foundational material for that section. In class, you will complete a 10-15 question quiz covering that material twice: first individually, then in your teams. Please see the Readiness Assessment Quiz (RAQ) section below for more information.
• Module Lectures 2-4: The remaining modules will build from the foundational material tested in the RAQ. Because everyone learns differently, these sections will include a variety of different approaches to introduce and help you process information about human-environment interactions. These will include short lectures, discussion (both as a class and in smaller groups), individual writing exercises, and assorted in-class activities. Although these sessions are described as “lectures,” my aim is to not talk at you for the entire class. Each day will use a version of the following structure, with some variation day-to-day:
  • Individual writing prompt, followed by team and/or class discussion
  • Lecture covering new material interspersed with questions/discussion
  • In-class activity, usually in teams
  • Come together for class discussion
  • Individual writing to wrap up

Quiz Sections (Wednesdays)

Quiz Sections will be led by our fearless TA. You will be assigned into small teams (6-7 people) with whom you will work over the entire quarter (see above). Quiz Sections will use a 'group roles' model, where every week you will have a different assigned role with assigned tasks (see Weekly Team Tasks under the Course Assignments section below). Most weeks will look something like the following:

• Before class: complete assigned readings and associated weekly role assignments
• In class: teams discuss assigned readings separately, then come together for class discussion.

Course Materials

To be as inclusive as possible, all readings will either be available to download through the UW Library system and/or available to you through Canvas. All readings are listed in the day-by-day bibliography below. If you have any issues meeting the course requirements due to a lack of access to resources (e.g. computer, internet, etc.), please come talk to me for alternative accommodations. Required materials for each class include:

• Paper and a pen or pencil
• The ability to access Canvas and to write/submit responses to discussion boards, etc. during class
• For Discussion Sections, access to assigned readings/materials and your completed team role assignments

Grading System & Policies

Assignment Percentages

Grading Scale

You can see the course grading scale here.

“Sliding Scale” Late Policy

Assignment deadlines help me and the TAs manage our workload (i.e. grading all your stuff!) so we can turn around grades and feedback in a timely and manageable way. That said, I’m not interested in harsh late policies which can disproportionately impact more vulnerable students (e.g. with care-taking responsibilities, financial burdens, health issues, etc). With this in mind, I have tried to make my late policy balanced and fair.

To receive full credit, assignments must be uploaded to Canvas before the designated time on the day they are due. Late assignments will lose a small amount for every day they are late, with no credit given after five days (see table below). Please reach out to me if anything comes up that keeps you from being able to submit assignments on time, so we can work together to find a solution!

Attendance

Research shows that attendance policies are just not effective. They often unfairly impact more vulnerable students, and actually aren’t correlated with student learning or engagement. Thus, I will not base any components of your grade on attendance or assign/deduct points based on attendance. However, some things to keep in mind:

• Low or non-attendance will impact your participation grade (see Participation below), as active participation during lectures and quiz sections is inherently a part of robust learning. 
• Certain in-class activities may be graded. An absence will result in a 0 on those activities.
• All lectures will be recorded and uploaded to Canvas using Panopto recording technology, which you may review (and complete any in-class activities) on your own time.

If you know you will miss class, please contact me and/or a TA ahead of time. It is much easier for us to make accommodations with advance notice!

My Grading Philosophy

I use evidence-based principles for equity-based grading. Unfortunately, a lot of grading norms in U.S. higher education tend to marginalize certain groups due to legacies of ableism, classism, and racism. I do my best to make sure that grading in this class does not unfairly (dis)advantage anyone.

That said, this is always a work in progress - I am always looking for how to improve! If you ever have questions, suggestions, or concerns, please reach out to me - I am open to feedback and willing to answer any questions you may have.

Course Assignments

Participation

Team-Based Learning is inherently highly participatory. This class will involve many opportunities for different methods of participation, most prominently working with your team over the quarter to develop your ability to work together effectively.

In this class, we will be piloting a form of “ungrading” for participation. Ungrading is a method of assigning grades that gives students greater autonomy and control over the grading process.

On our first day, we will co-create a participation rubric as a class. You will complete two separate team participation evaluations for each team member during the quarter.

At the end of the quarter, you will complete a self evaluation stating what participation grade you think you deserve. You will justify this participation grade using evidence of your participation over the course and feedback from your team members' peer evaluations.

I will use the grade you assign yourself as your final participation grade, provided you adequately justify your stance. However: I reserve the right to alter these student-generated grades based on my own assessment.

• Peer Evaluation 1: due Saturday Feb. 8 by 11:59 p.m.
• Peer Evaluation 2: due Saturday March 15 by 11:59 p.m.
• Final Participation Assessment: due Thursday March 20 by 11:59 p.m.

Readings

I do not assign readings for every class. This is because I want you to focus on doing deep dives into the assigned materials on the days you do have them: quiz days and discussion sections. All readings and other materials (e.g. videos, podcasts) are linked and/or available to download on Canvas. I will include links to optional/suggested readings for those who are interested in learning more.

You can find the assigned readings on each week's Course Material's page, which are available from the Canvas Home Page.

Readiness Assurance Quizzes

Each course module will begin with a quiz covering foundational concepts and material for that module.

• Before class, you will complete a Canvas module (est. 1-3 hours) which will form the basis for the quiz questions. 
• In class, you will take a 15-question quiz that covers materials in the assigned videos and/or readings. 
• You will take the quiz twice:
• Individually: you will first take the quiz by yourself. (15 minutes)
• Teams: you will then take the quiz in your teams. (25 minutes)
• We will go over the quiz questions as a class. If needed, I will provide additional clarification regarding concepts or information. 

Appealing a question: If your team wishes to dispute a question they missed, you may submit a written appeal to the instructor by the end of the class when the quiz was administered. An appeal must be submitted by the team, not by individuals. All arguments must be supported with evidence from lecture notes or assigned texts. If the appeal is based on an ambiguously or poorly-worded question, the team must suggest a new way to word the question. The decision to grant or refuse an appeal will be made by the instructor after class via email.

Please note, appeals are not merely an opportunity to get more points - they are a chance for teams to make a scholarly argument for their collective position. Only teams that write a successful appeal will get points, even if another team missed the same question(s). Successful appeals will only count towards the team quiz grade, not individual quiz grades.

If you miss an RAQ day: If you miss a class where we will be conducting an RAQ, you are eligible to complete the individual RAQ with me or a TA before the scheduled RAQ, either in person or via Zoom. All team members will receive the same team RAQ grade.

Team Roles

As described in the Team Based Learning section above, the TAs and I will assign you into small groups within your discussion sections. Each team will have five roles: 1) Discussion Facilitator, 2) Illustrator, 3) Connector, 4) Investigator, and 5) Reporter. The roles will rotate with each Discussion Section meeting, so that each team member will perform each role at least once. Each role has certain tasks and responsibilities relating to group activities, which are outlined in greater detail in the full Team Roles handout on Canvas.

• All Team Role tasks other than Reporters must be submitted on Canvas by 12:00 p.m. on Friday.
• Reporters will turn in their discussion summary by 11:59 p.m. on the following Sunday.

Co-production Science Communication (SciComm) Project

For this project, you will communicate the science behind an environmental case study of your choice, focusing on how this environmental issue is co-produced through both geophysical and social systems. Your project will take the form of a media artifact designed to communicate environmental science to a non-academic audience. You will choose your case study and the format of your project from a list of potential options provided by the instructor. If desired, you may propose an alternative environmental case study and/or format for your project to the instructor via email. 

You can either complete the project individually, or with other members of your team. Not all members of a team need to participate in a group project.

After the final projects are turned in, you will have an opportunity to submit a revised version to receive up to 50% of the points you missed. Please note that the deadline for these revisions is final - the sliding scale late policy will not apply to the revisions. Additionally, revisions will only count towards points taken off before late submission deductions. This means that any points deducted on the original submission due the sliding scale late policy will remain deducted from a revised submission. 

• Sci-Comm Project: due on Canvas by 11:59 p.m., Sun. 3/2
• Sci-Comm Project Revisions: due on Canvas by 11:59 p.m., Thurs. 3/20

Final Exam

There will be one cumulative final exam drawing on material from readings, lectures, assignments, and discussions. The final exam will consist of multiple choice, minimal choice, matching, and fill in the blank questions. The final will be in the same format as the quizzes throughout the quarter: you will first complete the final individually, then will complete the final in your groups. The Final Exam takes place Monday, March 17, 4:30-6:30 p.m. in SIG 134. 

Course Policies

Technology Policy

It is fine to use technology during class to support your learning! I do request that you refrain from using technology for anything other than class-related stuff, as it can be very distracting to your fellow learners. If I notice anyone using technology in a distracting way during class, I will ask you to put it away…or stare at you until you notice and put it away. 

ChatGPT and other AI tools in the Classroom

There are a lot of resources out there for useful ways that you can incorporate AI into your learning, if so desired; I will curate a list of some on Canvas. We may even use some AI tools during certain in-class activities. However, using AI tools to “write” your assignments is not an appropriate use of AI in this class. If I find you have used AI to generate all or part of your assignments in this class, that will be considered as plagiarism and referred to the UW Community Standards and Student Conduct (CSSC) Office for investigation.

Religious Accommodations

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available here. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.

Academic Integrity: Cheating & Plagiarism

The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you’re uncertain about if something is academic misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have. Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:

• Cheating (working collaboratively on quizzes/exams and discussion submissions, sharing answers, and previewing quizzes/exams)
• Plagiarism (representing the work of others as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original author(s))
• Unauthorized collaboration (working with each other on assignments)

Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication by the UW Community Standards and Student Conduct (CSSC) Office. Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct will receive a zero on the assignment.

Face Coverings in the Classroom

“UW recommends face coverings indoors and in the classroom when COVID-19 community levels, and strongly recommends face coverings when community levels are medium. Face coverings are strongly recommended for:

• Individuals not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
• Immuno-compromised individuals or those at high risk for severe illness
• Crowded settings

UW requires face coverings for anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or been in close contact with someone who tested positive: wear a mask until 10 days after start of symptoms, 10 days after positive test with no symptoms, or 10 days after their last contact with the COVID-19 positive person. The health and safety of the University of Washington community are the institution’s priorities. Please review and adhere to the UW COVID Face Covering Policy [pdf].”

I will be wearing a mask indoors when within six feet of other individuals. I will mic myself and/or remove my mask  if necessary to reduce accessibility concerns (e.g. difficulty hearing or reading lips).