Sullivan, Thomas J.

English

University of Montana

University of MontanaScholarWorks at University of MontanaSyllabi Course Syllabi9-2014GPHY 385.01: Field TechniquesThomas J. SullivanThe University of Montana, thomas.sullivan@umontana.eduLet us know how access to this document benefits you.Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/syllabiThis Syllabus is brought to you for free and open access by the Course Syllabi at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted forinclusion in Syllabi by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contactscholarworks@mso.umt.edu.Recommended CitationSullivan, Thomas J., "GPHY 385.01: Field Techniques" (2014). Syllabi. 1632.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/syllabi/1632The University o f Montana Departm ent o f GeographyGPHY 385- Field TechniquesFall Semester 2014 M onday 12:10 -  1:00 PM , W ednesday 12:23- 2PM, R oom  217 Stone HallInstructor: Tom  Sullivan Office: Room 307B Stone Hall Office Telephone: (406) 243-4810 Email: thomas .sullivan@mso .umt.edu Office Hours: TBDCourse DescriptionThis course is intended to give you practical experience useful in designing and implementing a research project in geography. We will emphasize a variety o f methods used by geographers in the field from both a qualitative and quantitative methodology by covering a number o f subdisciplines. We will complete several field projects that coincide with tire five traditions of geography— spatial, earth science, human/environment interaction, regions, and place/landscape. Example labs will include physical and spatial geographic work such as geomorphology (rockslides/alluvial fans), climatology (humidity and pressure), cartography (basic mapping), global positioning systems (GPS), topography (mapping and elevations), and compass reading, as well as human geographic concepts that incorporate interviewing, photograph interpretation, and surveys. This field class will teach you a basic knowledge of instrumentation and techniques used by geographers in the field.Course MechanicsThis course meets twice weekly for 3 hours. Generally, the first meeting will be a lecture and includes a review of basic principles o f fieldwork in geography. The second meeting is a lab and will be conducted outside where we apply those ideas and processes from lecture into the field. Regarding lab work, you should be prepared to be working mostly outside, as much of the work will be in and around campus trudging up and down Mount Sentinel and wading into Rattlesnake Creek and portions o f the Clark Fork River. You will be working in groups o f four or five as part o f a lab team, and many times you may be working in the field outside o f the scheduled field day. We will teach you the basics during the lab period, but it is up to you and your group to conduct the lab, record your findings, analyse data, and write up a lab report. Indeed, if a student is unable to participate in some or all of the fieldwork due to a disability, accommodations will be provided by the instructor in order for that student to complete the coursework (see guidelines on the Disability Services for Students (DSS) website at: http://life.um t.edu/dss/nam e/dsshom e).Policies and ProceduresThe following policies allow me to teach without distractions, and, it will provide each student with a pleasant atmosphere for learning:1Please refrain from talking in class unless engaging in questions with the instructor or actively participating in group discussion. If  you are disturbing the lecture, I may ask that you exit the classroom.No cell phones on in class! Please make sure your cell phone is off before lecture begins.Be on time! I expect everyone to be on time for class in order to not disturb the lecture. If for some reason you are late, I ask that you be extremely quiet and not disturb anyone as you enter and sit down.Please do not leave the class early. If you have a special reason for leaving early please contact me before class begins and sit close to the door in order to exit quietly.No reading of any material during class is allowed. Please pay attention to each lecture.GradingWeekly Assignm ents (100 points total)There will a number of class assignments (both in-class and out-of-class) administered arbitrarily throughout the semester. These are short exercises covering topics that we discuss in class and which are part o f your readings. The purpose is to ensure that each student understands the concepts being discussed, practices and improves writing skills, completes the required reading assignment and attends each lecture. THESE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT IN D ETERM IN IN G  YOUR FINAL GRADE!Labs/Fieldwork (300 total points):Besides the lectures and assignments— covering the theoretical aspects of geography— the laboratories or fieldwork encompasses the practical or applied side of the discipline. Each lab is designed to cover an aspect o f a subdiscipline within geography and requires a plan, procedure, analysis, and write-up. The labs will be assigned during the first class meeting of each week, and then the actual fieldwork will consist of a demonstration and perhaps the completion o f the lab during the second class meeting o f the week. The labs and fieldwork form the crux of this course, and therefore constitute a major part o f your final grade.Examinations (200 points total):Each examination, including the final, is subjective, not comprehensive. This means that each exam will encompass only the material I cover in lectures between exams. In general, each examination will be a combination o f multiple choice, matching, and short and long essays. There will be a total o f two examinations throughout the semester.The rules for the examinations are as follows:1. You will take each exam as scheduled. Make-up exams are not allowed— except as listed in theMake-up exam policy below.2. Make-up Exam Policy:-All Students must take the final exam as scheduled. Conflicts must be settled with the Dean. This is University Policy and there are no exceptions.-All Students must take each exam as scheduled. If  an exam is missed, the student will receive a zero (0) on the exam.2-These are the only exceptions that will warrant a make-up exam:—University events — such as sporting or music events.—Military obligations.—Religious holidays.—Serious family emergency.—Medical emergencies or serious illness.-Court-im posed legal obligations such as subpoenas or jury duty.—Serious weather conditions.—Special curricular requirements such as judging trips or field trips.-Any student requiring an exception under this policy must do so prior to the scheduledexam— unless in the case of an actual emergency (sudden hospitalization). A student must provide official documentation o f the reason for absence in advance.Grading Breakdown:Assignments 100 pointsLabs 300 pointsExams (2x100 points) 200 pointsTotal Points: 600 pointsThere is a total of 600 points available for the course— assignments = 100 points, labs = 300 points, Exams = 200 points = 600 points. All assignments and examinations, as well as the final grade, are based on the following scale:A = 90 -  100%B = 80 -  89.99%C = 70 -  79.99%D = 60 -  69.99%F = 59.99% and belowPlease note that in order to be fair to all students, I will not round up a grade. For example, if you receive a 79.99%, you will receive a “C” in the course.Additional InformationIn addition, be aware o f the rules and regulations for student conduct in the Student Conduct Code at http://life.um t.edu/vpsa/studentconductphp. Carefully review the sections on plagiarism [also consult the UM Catalog]. Cheating and plagiarism are not tolerated and will be dealt with as outlined in the Code.3Class Schedule and ReadingsAll course reading material, course assignments, and laboratory descriptions are available on Moodle. It is the responsibility o f the student to print out these readings from Moodle.SECTION I: INTRODUCTIONW eek 1 — August 25, 27___________________________________________IntroductionEmphasis: Fieldwork and methods in geographic research Readings [Due for this w eek]:Huggett, Richard, Sarah Lindley, Helen Gavin and Kate Richardson. 2004. Chapter 5: Measuring andMonitoring. In Physical Geography: A. Human Perspective, eds. R. Huggett, S. Lindley, H. Gavin and K. Richardson, 102-144. London: Arnold.Sauer, C. O. 1956. The Education o f a Geographer. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 46: 287- 299.Assignm ent #1 [Due on Wednesday September 3]: Geography and FieldworkW eek 2 — September 1, 3_____________________________Fieldwork and TechniquesN O  CLASS on Monday September 1 -  LABOR DAY HOLIDAY  Emphasis: Before heading out into the field, know th is...Readings [Due for this w eek]:Katz, Cindi. 1994. Playing the field: questions o f fieldwork in geography. The Professional Geographer 46 (1): 96-102.Haring, Lloyd and John Lounsbury. 1983. Chapter 1: The Nature o f Scientific Research. In Introduction to scientific geographic research. Dubuque, Iowa: WM.C. Brown Company Publishers.Assignm ent #2  [Due on Monday September 8]: Fieldwork4SECTION II: QUANTITATIVE FIELDWORKW eek 3 — September 8, 10 LocationEmphasis: Basics of the pocket transit (compass) and conducting a traverseReadings [Due for this w eek]:Bmnton Pocket Transits. Denver: Wm. Ainsworth and Sons, Inc. [Instruction booklet].Compton, R. R. 1962. Manual of Field Geology. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 21-25 and 36-47.Lab #1 [Due on Wednesday September 17]: Azimuths, distances, and traverseW eek 4 — September 15, 17 Global Positioning SystemsEmphasis: High-Tech Location Reading [Due for this w eek]:Hurn, Jeff. 1993. Differential GPS Explained. Trimble Navigation.Kimerling, A. Jon, Aileen Buckley, Phillip Muehrcke, and Juliana Muehrcke. 2009. Chapter 14: GPS and Maps. In Map use: reading and analysis, 296-321. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press Academic.Assignm ent #3  and #4  [Due on Monday September 22]: How Does GPS Work?Lab #  2 [Due on Wednesday September 24]: GPS and TriangulationW eek 5 — September 22, 24______________________________Topography and M appingEmphasis: Basic mapping techniques Readings [due for this w eek]:Compton, R. R. 1962. Manual of Field Geology. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 25-28.Kimerling, A. Jon, Aileen Buckley, Phillip Muehrcke, and Juliana Muehrcke. 2009. Chapter 6: Relief portrayal. In Map use: reading and analysis, 100-125. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press Academic.Huggett, Richard, Sarah Lindley, Helen Gavin and Kate Richardson. 2004. Chapter 6: Mapping andAnalysis. In Physical Geography: A. FLnman Perspective, R. Huggett et al., 145-155. London: Arnold.Assignm ent #5  [Due on Monday September 29]: Basic MappingLab #  3 [Due on Wednesday October 1]: Land Surveying/Elevations and Mapping5W eek 6 — September 29, October 1 G eomorphologyEmphasis: Landforms/Slides/Fans Reading [due for this w eek]:Leopold, Luna, Gordon Wolman, and John Miller. 1992. Chapter 8: Hillslope Characteristics andProcesses. 333-386. In Fluvial processes in geomorphology, 131-150. New York: Dover Publications.Small, RJ. 1970. Chapter 1: The Aims and Methods of Landform Study. In The study of landforms, 1-14. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Small, RJ. 1970. Chapter 6: Slope Development. In The study of landforms, 194-224. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Assignm ent #6  [Due on Monday October 6]: Geomorphologic Structures Lab #  4 [Due on Wednesday October 8]: Slides and /o r FansEmphasis: Determining Drainage Areas and Discharge Reading [due for this week]:Leopold, Luna, Gordon Wolman, and John Miller. 1992. Chapter 5: The Drainage Basin as a GeomorphicUnit. In Fluvialprocesses ingeomorphology, 131-150. New York: Dover Publications.Chow, V.T. 1964 Part II, Section 4: Quantitative Geomorphology of Drainage Basins and ChannelNetworks. In Handbook of Applied Hydrology, 4-39 to 4-69. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.Watson, Ian and Alister Burnett. 1995. Chapter 21— Streamflow. In Hydrology: A n  Environmental Approach, 457-478. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc.Assignm ent #7  [Due on Monday October 13]: Drainage and DischargeLab #  5 [Due on Wednesday October 15]: Drainage Areas and StreamflowW eek 7 — October 6, 8 Hydrology6W eek 8 -  October 13, 15Emphasis: Basics of ClimatologyClimatologyReading(s):Lutgens, Frederick and Edward Tarbuck. 2010. Chapter Six— Air Pressure and Winds. In The Atmosphere: A n  Introduction to Meteorology, 161-173. New York: Prentice Hall.Lab #  6 [Due on Wednesday October 22]: Humidity, Barometric Pressure and MappingW eek 9 — October 20, 22__________________________________________ Mid-Term W eekMidterm Examination on Wednesday October 22, 2014 SECTION II: QUALITATIVE FIELDWORKW eek 10 — October 27, 29____________________________________ Qualitative FieldworkEmphasis: Defining Qualitative Research Reading [due for this week]:Cope, Meghan. 2010. Chapter 2: A History of Qualitative Research in Geography. In The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Geography, eds. D. DeLyser, S. Herbert, S. Aitkin, M. Crang, and L. McDowell. London: Sage.Silverman, David. 2006. Chapter 2: What is Qualitative Research? In Interpreting Qualitative Data, Q  Edition, 33-61. London: SAGE Publications.Assignm ent # 8  [Due on Monday November 3]: What is qualitative research?W eek 11 — Novem ber 3, 5___________________________________________________ EthicsEmphasis: Ethics in geographic fieldwork Readings [due for this w eek]:Punch, Maurice. 1998. Chapter 5: Politics and Ethics in Qualitative Research. In The Eandscape of Qualitative Research, eds. N. Denzin, and Y. Lincoln 156-184. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.7Silverman, David. 2006. Chapter 9: Research Ethics. In Interpreting Qualitative Data, 3rd Edition. London:SAGE Publications.Online Ethics Course and the IRB http : /  / phrp.nihtraining.com/users /login.php; http://w w w .um t.edu/research/com plianceinfo/irb/Assignm ent #9[Due on Wednesday November 12]: Online Ethics Course/Ethics in FieldworkW eek 12 — Novem ber 10,12 SurveysEmphasis: Surveys and questionnaires.Readings [due for this w eek]:Hoggart, K. 2002. Chapter 5: Superficial encounters: social survey methods. In Researching human geography, eds. K. Hoggart, L. Lees, and A. Davies, 169-200. London: Arnold.Lab #  7 [Due on Monday November 24]: Campus Social SurveyW eek 13 — Novem ber 17,19_____________________________________________ InterviewsEmphasis: Interviewing Reading(s):Cloke, Paul, Ian Cook, Phillip Crang, Mark Goodwin, J. Painter, and Chris Philo. 2001. Talking to people.In Practising human geography, eds. P. Cloke, I. Cook, P. Crang, M. Goodwin, J. Painter, and C. Philo,123-159. London: Sage.Sangarasivam, Yamuna. 2001. Researcher, informant, “assassin,” me. The Professional Geographer 91 (1-2):95-104.Silverman, David. 2006. Chapter 4: Interviews. In Interpreting Qualitative Data, 3rd Edition, 109-152. London:SAGE Publications.W eek 14 — Novem ber 24, 26 Transcribing/C odingN O  CLASS on W ednesday Novem ber 26 -  TH ANK SGIVING  HOLIDAYEmphasis: Transcribing and Coding Qualitative DataReadings [due for this w eek]:Kitchin, Rob and Nicholas Tate. 2000. Chapter 8: Analysing and Interpreting Qualitative Data. InConducting research into human geography, 229-256. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.Assignm ent #10 [Due on Wednesday December 3]: Coding Qualitative Data Lab #  8 [Due on Wednesday December 3]: Interview and Data CollectionWeek 15 -  D ecem ber 1, 3_______________________________________ Final Class ReviewW eek 16_____________________________________________________________ Finals W eekFINA L EXAM: M O N D A Y  D EC EM BER  8, 8AM9

GPHY 385.01: Field Techniques

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GPHY 385.01: Field Techniques

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