I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Physical Geography
2. Course Prefix & Number:
GEOG 1400
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
4. Course Description:
Examine the earth as a set of subsystems working together to sustain life. Included are studies of the earth as a planet, weather patterns, climates and the resulting distribution of vegetation and soils, as well as plate tectonics, landforms, weathering, and glaciers.
5. Placement Tests Required:
6. Prerequisite Courses:
GEOG 1400 - Physical Geography
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
GEOG 1400 - Physical Geography
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
Name of Institution |
Course Number and Title |
Credits |
St. Cloud State University |
GEOG 273/4 Physical Geography I/II |
3/3 |
Normandale Community College |
GEOG 1101 Physical Geography |
4 |
III. Course Purpose
MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
- Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Goal 10 – People and the Environment
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
Demonstrate written communication skills |
Answer essay questions related to course content. Write a research paper on a topic related to the course. |
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations |
Use meteorological principles to interpret a weather map and one’s own local weather conditions over five days. |
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments |
Cooperate on a Power point presentation on a world climate/biome with fellow students |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
Expected Outcome |
MnTC Goal Area |
Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition. |
5 |
Use and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories. |
5 |
Develop and communicate alternative explanations or solutions for contemporary social issues. |
5 |
Explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems. |
10 |
Evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions. |
10 |
Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems. |
10 |
Articulate and defend the actions they would take on various environmental issues. |
10 |
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
1. Introduction to geography
- The Scientific method
- Systems theory
- Location, time and navigation
- Longitude and latitude
- Time zones
- Maps, scale and projections
2. Earth Systems
- Energy in the Climate System
- Earth/Sun Relations
- Axial tilt
- Revolution and rotation
- Seasons
- Solstices and Equinoxes
- Arctic circles, tropics
- The role of the atmosphere
- Atmospheric effect
- Greenhouse effect
- Solar Radiation
- Energy Budget
- Daily lag of temperature
- Yearly lag of temperatures
- The role of water in the atmosphere
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Latent heat
- Humidity
- Relative humidity
- Saturation and dew point
- Clouds and Precipitation
- Cloud types
- Precipitation conditions and types
3. Atmospheric Dynamics
- Atmospheric Pressure
- ITCZ
- Trade winds
- Subtropical highs
- Westerlies
- Subpolar lows
- Polar easterlies
- Polar highs
- Local Winds
4. Water, Weather and climate systems
- Water on Earth
- Properties of water
- Atmospheric stability
- Weather
- Air masses
- Regional air masses
- Characteristics
- Interactions of air masses
- Interpreting weather maps
5. Water resources
- Hydrologic cycle
- Groundwater
- Water usage
6. Climate
- Global Climate Systems
- Koppen and other climate classification systems
- Defining climates
- Climate types
- Tropical
- Mesothermal
- Microthermal
- Polar
- Arid
- Global Climate change
- Factors in climate change
- Climate science
- Milankovich cycles
- Anthropogenic climate change
7. Vegetation
- Blomes
- Forests
- Grasslands
- Deserts
- Tundra
- Ecology and ecosystems
- Components and functions
- Communities and succession
8. Soils
- Soil Types
- Podzolization
- Laterization
- Calcification
- Salinization
- Gleization
- Soil Patterns
9. Dynamic planet
- Plate Tectonics
- Convergencne
- Divergence
- Lateral movement
- Rock cycle
- Igneous process
- Sedimentation
- Metamorphosis
- Volcanic activity
- D. Earthquakes
10. Weathering and erosion
11. Glaciers
- Ice ages
- Glacial process
- Alpine glaciers
- Continental ice sheets
- Glacial landforms
- Moraines
- Eskers
- Drumlins
- Glacial lakes
- Minnesota’s post-glacial landscape
I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Physical Geography
2. Course Prefix & Number:
GEOG 1400
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
4. Course Description:
Examine the earth as a set of subsystems working together to sustain life. Included are studies of the earth as a planet, weather patterns, climates and the resulting distribution of vegetation and soils, as well as plate tectonics, landforms, weathering, and glaciers.
5. Placement Tests Required:
6. Prerequisite Courses:
GEOG 1400 - Physical Geography
There are no prerequisites for this course.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
GEOG 1400 - Physical Geography
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
Name of Institution |
Course Number and Title |
Credits |
St. Cloud State University |
GEOG 273/4 Physical Geography I/II |
3/3 |
Normandale Community College |
GEOG 1101 Physical Geography |
4 |
III. Course Purpose
2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:
- Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Goal 10 – People and the Environment
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
Demonstrate written communication skills |
Answer essay questions related to course content. Write a research paper on a topic related to the course. |
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations |
Use meteorological principles to interpret a weather map and one’s own local weather conditions over five days. |
Discuss/compare characteristics of diverse cultures and environments |
Cooperate on a Power point presentation on a world climate/biome with fellow students |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
Expected Outcome |
MnTC Goal Area |
Employ the methods and data that historians and social and behavioral scientists use to investigate the human condition. |
5 |
Use and critique alternative explanatory systems or theories. |
5 |
Develop and communicate alternative explanations or solutions for contemporary social issues. |
5 |
Explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems. |
10 |
Evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions. |
10 |
Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems. |
10 |
Articulate and defend the actions they would take on various environmental issues. |
10 |
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
1. Introduction to geography
- The Scientific method
- Systems theory
- Location, time and navigation
- Longitude and latitude
- Time zones
- Maps, scale and projections
2. Earth Systems
- Energy in the Climate System
- Earth/Sun Relations
- Axial tilt
- Revolution and rotation
- Seasons
- Solstices and Equinoxes
- Arctic circles, tropics
- The role of the atmosphere
- Atmospheric effect
- Greenhouse effect
- Solar Radiation
- Energy Budget
- Daily lag of temperature
- Yearly lag of temperatures
- The role of water in the atmosphere
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Latent heat
- Humidity
- Relative humidity
- Saturation and dew point
- Clouds and Precipitation
- Cloud types
- Precipitation conditions and types
3. Atmospheric Dynamics
- Atmospheric Pressure
- ITCZ
- Trade winds
- Subtropical highs
- Westerlies
- Subpolar lows
- Polar easterlies
- Polar highs
- Local Winds
4. Water, Weather and climate systems
- Water on Earth
- Properties of water
- Atmospheric stability
- Weather
- Air masses
- Regional air masses
- Characteristics
- Interactions of air masses
- Interpreting weather maps
5. Water resources
- Hydrologic cycle
- Groundwater
- Water usage
6. Climate
- Global Climate Systems
- Koppen and other climate classification systems
- Defining climates
- Climate types
- Tropical
- Mesothermal
- Microthermal
- Polar
- Arid
- Global Climate change
- Factors in climate change
- Climate science
- Milankovich cycles
- Anthropogenic climate change
7. Vegetation
- Blomes
- Forests
- Grasslands
- Deserts
- Tundra
- Ecology and ecosystems
- Components and functions
- Communities and succession
8. Soils
- Soil Types
- Podzolization
- Laterization
- Calcification
- Salinization
- Gleization
- Soil Patterns
9. Dynamic planet
- Plate Tectonics
- Convergencne
- Divergence
- Lateral movement
- Rock cycle
- Igneous process
- Sedimentation
- Metamorphosis
- Volcanic activity
- D. Earthquakes
10. Weathering and erosion
11. Glaciers
- Ice ages
- Glacial process
- Alpine glaciers
- Continental ice sheets
- Glacial landforms
- Moraines
- Eskers
- Drumlins
- Glacial lakes
- Minnesota’s post-glacial landscape