Spring 2012
Geos 220: Environmental History of the Southwest
Class times: TTH 2:00-3:15
Location: Saguaro Hall 223
Professor
Dr. Paul Sheppard
Lab. of Tree-Ring Research
West Stadium 105c-1
1-520-621-6474
sheppard @ ltrr.arizona.edu
office hours: MW 11:00-12:00
or by appointment
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Course Objectives and Summary
- UA On-line catalog description for Geos. 220: Environmental and cultural history of the Southwest emphasizing discovery of the past using historical science techniques of tree-ring and packrat midden analyses and repeat photography.
- This course will cover several paleoenvironmental tools that have been involved extensively in reconstructing the natural and cultural history of the Southwest (as well as for other regions, too). They include:
- Tree rings
- Packrat middens
- Alluvial stratigraphy
- Repeat photography
- Historical documents
- Whereas the overall scope of this course encompasses broad time scales, its focus increases in detail as it moves from the distant to the recent past.
- Spatially, the greater Southwest includes most of Arizona and New Mexico as well as southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado, and northern Mexico.
- This course has been described in detail in an article published in 2008 in the Journal of Geoscience Education. Click here to see it.
Prerequisites
Please be sure that you have fulfilled the stated course prerequisites: two courses from Tier One, Natural Sciences (NATS 101, 102, 104).
UA General Education
- Geos. 220 is a General Education course. The UA on-line catalog states that General Education "helps students attain the fundamental skills and broad base of knowledge that all college-educated adults must have, whatever their specific areas of concentration (i.e., the major and minor). The experiences of General Education encourage students to develop a critical and inquiring attitude, an appreciation of the interdisciplinary nature of subject areas, acceptance of persons of different backgrounds or values, and a deepened sense of self. The goal of General Education is to prepare students to respond more fully and effectively to an increasingly complex and ambiguous world." Geos. 220 is designed to fulfill these mandates.
- More specifically, Geos. 220 is a Tier Two general education course, which means it includes a "more in-depth examination of particular disciplines." Please accept that content of this course will be covered in more detail than might have occurred in Tier One courses.
Lecture Attendance
Attendance will not be monitored directly, but students are expected to attend lectures according to UA policy. In the past, students who have attended lectures regularly have done well in this course, and vice versa. Students who have attended attentively have done especially well. Click here for a Daily Wildcat op-ed piece about attending class.If you become ill with the flu, do not come to class until you have had no fever for 24 hours. You are responsible for contacting the instructor via email or phone as soon as you can to inform that you are ill. You are also responsible for any work missed while you are ill including assignments and exams.
Readings
- There is no textbook for the course, simply because no single book covers all of the varied content of this course while not including other, non-relevant topics.
- Instead of a single textbook, specific short readings will be available through this course web page. The reading assignments will be updated as needed.
- For some readings you will need the Adobe Reader application loaded onto your computer; that is pretty common these days and most university computers already have Adobe Reader installed. If you need it for your own computer, it's a free download from here: Adobe.
- For some readings you will need to know a password, which will be divulged in class. If you forget the password, contact the instructors.
- If you have problems with computer access to any readings or assignments, contact the instructors.
Course Web Page
- The url for the course web page is http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/geos220/.
- This page contains the course syllabus plus links to notes for each lecture, homework assignments, quiz and exam dates, professor and TA contact information, and other important sites of interest.
- Students who access the web syllabus regularly during the semester do well in this course.
- Details of the writing assignments, quizzes, and/or outside activities are posted only on the web page and will not be distributed in class.
- A hardcopy printout of this syllabus is available for copying at the main office of the Tree-Ring Laboratory, West Stadium 105B.
Writing Assignments
- There is one 1000-word writing assignment in this course. This is intended to provide a chance for in-depth research on a complex topic, to foster critical thinking, and to allow practice for writing.
- This writing assignment will be broken into two parts:
- A topic-sentence outline, complete with cited references, the more references the better, with a good mix of kinds of references (50% of grade)
- The written essay, again with cited references (50% of grade)
- The grading of these written assignments will be rigorous, based primarily on the effective use of research material and the overall quality of the writing. In general, the more reference material cited the better, and having just one topic in each paragraph, including an identifiable topic sentence, would be good. To improve writing quality, check out the free UA Writing Skills Improvement Program, which includes presentations on essay organization and paragraph structure, two areas of consistent difficulty in this course.
- More specific guidelines for the essays and grading criteria will be provided.
Grading Guidelines
- Grading will be based on:
- 4 in-class quizzes (quick)
- 2 outside activities (easy and fun)
- 1 writing assignment (difficult)
- 3 exams (two midterms and a unit final exam with a comprehensive section)
- The distribution of credit and grading will be as follows:
Points Quizzes = 100 (25 pts. each x 4 quizzes) Outside activities = 50 (25 pts. each x 2 activities) Writing Assignment = 200 (100 pts. each for outline and essay) Midterm Exams = 400 (200 pts. each x 2 exams) Final Exam = 250 (200-pt. unit exam + 50-pt. comp.) Total Points = 1000
- Letter grades for the course will be determined from the percentage of earned points relative to the total, as follows:
900-1000 points (90 to 100%) = A 800-899 points (80 to 89%) = B 700-799 points (70 to 79%) = C 600-699 points (60 to 69%) = D below 600 points (60%) = E INCOMPLETES WILL BE CONSIDERED
ONLY UNDER DIRE MEDICAL EVENTS
Exams and Other Graded Assignments
- Students can arrange with the instructors to take exams or quizzes in advance of scheduled dates if a valid reason for missing the scheduled dates is offered, such as: personal or family emergency, medical reasons, or UA Athletic obligations. If an exam or quiz is missed for unforeseen reasons (e.g., car accidents, sickness, emergencies, etc.), a make-up may be arranged within three days of the scheduled exam so long as proof of the necessity of the absence is provided (e.g., a written statement from a medical doctor, etc.).
- According to UA policy, the Final Exam MUST be taken during the scheduled time, unless you're unfortunate enough to have two at the same time or four on the same day, in which case please see the instructors.
- Completely missing exams or failing to do other graded essays and activities makes it difficult to succeed in any course. For example, if nothing is turned in for an assignment, a score of 0 will be entered for that grade.
- Students who are late on a graded assignment and don't have an acceptable excuse may turn in that assignment late for up to one week past the due date.
- However, the maximum score for late work will drop 10% after the due date.
- In short, it's best to turn in assignments on time, but if an assignment is late, it's still worth turning it in. After one week late, the door closes on assignments.
Extra Credit
Extra credit is offered to all students, as follows:
- "Extra" credit does not mean "instead of" credit. That is, an extra credit score can be added to the final point total only by students who have turned in everything else.
- Only one extra credit assignment per student may be turned in.
- The extra credit project is to be a self-directed field trip to an approved prehistoric cultural site in the Southwest. The exact details of extra credit assignments can vary between students, and many possibilities exist near Tucson and throughout the Southwest:
- Near Tucson: Murray Springs mammoth site, Casa Grande, Tumacácori, Besh Ba Gowah, Tonto, Pueblo Grande.
- Farther away: Homolovi, Montezuma Castle and Well, Flagstaff Sinagua sites (Wupatki, Sunset Crater, and Walnut Canyon), Canyon de Chelly, Navajo Tsegi Canyon, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Pecos, Salinas Pueblo, and Kuaua.
- No extra credit adventure need last more than a day, and many could be a mere stop-in while traveling for other reasons. Spend at least a couple hours at the site learning about its prehistoric human-environment interactions.
- Three things will be required to earn extra credit points from a field trip:
- You must consult with Dr. Sheppardin person, not just by email, and preferably during office hoursbefore your trip to be sure that your proposed site is acceptable and to help prepare yourself to maximize your visit. For example, you will get recommended reference material to take with you. If you're already traveling and see some place appropriate to spend time at, do it and come see me after.
- Turn in a 2-page, (typed, double-spaced) essay describing what you saw and explicitly linking it to lecture topics of the course, the more the better. Discuss dates, how dating was done, where and how food and water were obtained, and when and why the people left. Include at least TWO citations, one of material obtained at the site AND one of a published or web-based reference related to your site.
- Your report must include a picture of you at the site. Make it obvious that you were at the site.
- Small groups of two or three students may travel together, but each student must do the consultation and essay independently.
- The total possible points available for extra credit is 50.
- Extra credit essays may be turned in at any time up until April 3, 2012.
Code of Conduct
It is important that we allprofessors, TAs, and students alikeobserve rules of common courtesy, such as:
- Adhere to the ABOR code of conduct and the UA Code of Academic Integrity.
- If you must arrive late or leave early (something not encouraged), please do so quietly.
- If you have a cell phone, please turn it off during class. If you must talk with or text message someone during lecture, please do that outside of class.
- If you must read the newspaper, tackle the Wildcat crossword and sudoku puzzles, study for some other course, sleep, surf the web, update Facebook, Farmville, shop Ebay, play online poker, watch DVD movies, or do anything else not related to this course during our lecture time, please do it elsewhere, not in class. These activities are officially considered disruptive. See here for a UA student opinion about surfing the web in class.
- Click here to see research saying people who multitask really aren't good at multitasking.
- There will be no racism, sexism, or violence tolerated in the classroom.
- It's acceptableeven encouragedto study together, of course. However, cheating will not be tolerated, including but not limited to:
- Copying work of others during exams or quizzes.
- Turning in work of others as your own, including work of students from past semesters.
- Plagiarism on papers. Click here for a definition of plagiarism.
- Special note on plagiarism: Some definitions of plagiarism imply that all that is necessary to avoid it is to put someone else's text in quotes and then cite the original source. While technically this may be true and acceptable in some academic settings, copying someone else's text (put in quotes or otherwise) is hereby NOT acceptable in this course. This includes text from fellow students or students from past semesters, published articles or newspapers, and web sites. In short: Citing yes, quoting no.
- Another note on plagiarism: If you'd like a fictional account of plagiarism, try Stephen King's, "Secret Window, Secret Garden," definitely a horror story. The movie, "Secret Window" with Johnny Depp and John Turturro, wasn't bad either.
- Students found cheating on any assigned work will receive a score of 0 for that assignment.
Special Provisions
- In compliance with Title III of the Americans With Disabilities Act (1990), students who require special assistance will be suitably accommodated. Students must be registered with the University and a minimum of 5 days notice for such accommodations is requested.
- If the schedule outlined below conflicts with major religious observances, please let the professor know.
- If English is not your native language and you feel that you must use a translation dictionary during exams, please contact the professor.
- Students requiring accommodation in testing or note taking: Please notify the professor and provide the Disability Resource Center letter within the first few days of the course.
- Student athletes and others who need signatures periodically: Please notify the professor that you'll be needing signatures generally, and please alert the professor before a particular signing period is due so that your most up-to-date grade can be calculated.
- Honors College students: An Honors Contract is allowable. See the instructor to arrange those details.
Tentative Lecture Schedule
Part I - Southwest Background
Date Topic Reading Class Events BOD = book of the day, not required nor even expected for now, just encouraged for later Thu
Jan 12Course introduction: Defining the Southwest
Lecture notesGetting started Tue
Jan 17Geology: General and SW
Lecture notesRequired: US Geological Survey: The Great Ice Age Begin studying for in-class Quiz 1: Geological Time Roadside Geology series
Upheaval from the Abyss, Dave Lawrence
Thu
Jan 19Climate: General Circulation
Lecture notesTue
Jan 24Climate: SW features
Lecture notesRequired: Gutzler: SW monsoon (password protected pdf file)
Optional: NOAA web pages on El NiñoTake in-class Quiz 1: Geological Time Glen Canyon, A Novel, Steven Hannon
Thu
Jan 26Dating Techniques
Lecture notesRequired: Emil Haury: Recollections of Dramatic Moment in Southwestern Archaeology (password protected pdf file)
Optional: Try the video version: In the Field of Time (Main E57.H3I5 1995)
Optional: National Geographic Magazine, Sept. 2001, How old Is It?Begin Activity 1:
Crossdating Tree RingsTree Rings and Telescopes: The Scientific Career of A.E. Douglass,
George E. WebbTue
Jan 31Paleo-Ecology and Climate Techniques
Lecture notesOptional: Diamond: Packrat Historians Changing Mile, Steven Hannon
Thu
Feb 2SW Ecosystems: Deserts
Lecture notesTurn in Activity 1: Crossdating Tree Rings
Begin studying for in-class Quiz 2: SW Rivers
Check this out for AZ RiversA Sense of Place,
Janice Bowers
The Desert Year,
Joseph Krutch
Desert Solitaire,
Edward Abbey
Tue
Feb 7SW Ecosystems: Mountains
Lecture notes
The Mountains Next Door, Janice Bowers
Thu
Feb 9In-class review
Part I:
Southwest Background
Click here for study guide to Exam ITake in-class Quiz 2: SW Rivers Mon
Feb 13Extra review session:
Southwest BackgroundLTRR classroom,
Math East basement,
see map above4:00 PM led by Paul Tue
Feb 14Exam I:
Southwest Background100th birthday of Arizona Part II - Prehistoric Environmental Issues Date Topic Reading Class Events BOD Thu
Feb 16Deep-time history: Vegetation and climate history Optional: Land Use History of North America
Optional: Story of Tucson's Past in Sediment. A Requiem for Arroyos.Tue
Feb 21Early Humans: Pleistocene
OverkillRequired: Martin & Burney: Bring Back the Elephants
Optional: A graceful gazelle becomes a pest: an example of how exotic species introductions might go awry
Optional: La Brea Tarpits
Optional: Bering Land Bridge animation
Optional: Gomphothere-human site
Optional: Paul S. Martin homage UA
Optional: Paul S. Martin homage TW
Optional: Mammoth overkill led to warming?
Optional: Impact theory on the extinctionOptional: Check out the "Ice Age Arizona" exhibit at ASM. Ends Oct. 15, 2010. Silent Sky,
Allan Eckert
Thu
Feb 23Anasazi: Chaco, Mesa Verde and Kayenta Optional: Provenance study of Chaco timbers Begin Activity #2: Arizona State Museum New Light on Chaco Canyon, SAR Series
Collapse,
Jared Diamond
Tue
Feb 28Anasazi: Mesa Verde and Kayenta Thu
Mar 1Hohokam Required: Where do the salts go? A 4-page, sobering description of soil salinization in Arizona
Required: Looking at Hohokam may help us live today: A rationale for studying past cultures.
Optional: Pueblo Grande HohokamTurn in Activity #2 The Hohokam: Ancient People of the Desert, SAR Series Tue
Mar 6Sinagua and Mogollon Thu
Mar 814th & 15th Century Transition Tue
Mar 13Spring Break, no classes Thu
Mar 15Spring Break, no classes Tue
Mar 20Spanish-Mexican Prepare for Quiz 3: SW Cultural Geography Majestic Journey,
Stewart Udall
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Pueblo Revolt,
David Roberts
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Guns, Germs, and Steel,
Jared Diamond
Thu
Mar 22Navajo-Apache Navajo Long Walk,
Joseph Bruchac
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Sing Down the Moon,
Scott O'Dell
Tue
Mar 27In-class review Part II - Prehistoric Environmental Issues
Take in-class Quiz #3: SW Human Geography Wed
Oct 28Extra review session - Prehistoric Environmental Issues LTRR classroom,
Math East basement,
see map above3:15 PM led by TBD Thu
Mar 29Exam II - Prehistoric Environmental Issues Part III - Modern Environmental Issues Date Topic Reading Class Events BOD Tue
Apr 3SW Forest Fire History Begin Fire Outline: Southwest Forest Fire Management Thu
Apr 5SW Forest Health Optional: Healthy Forest Initiative Tue
Apr 10Anglo-American arrival to SW Optional: The Arroyo Problem in the Southwestern United States
Optional: A Java simulation on grazing (kind of fun)Turn in fire outline Legacy of Change,
Conrad Bahre
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View From Bald Hill,
Bock and Bock
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Kill the Cowboy,
Sharman Apt Russell
Thu
Apr 12SW Flooding Optional:
Floods and Debris Flows in Sabino CanyonExtra credit reports are due Tue
Apr 17SW Drought Optional: Understanding and Defining Drought. From the National Drought Mitigation Center Turn back fire outline
Start fire essayThu
Apr 19Global Change and the SW Required: Southwest may see warmer, wetter climate in the future
Optional: Climate Change Effects on Southwest Water resources
Optional: Assessment of Potential Future Vegetation Changes in the Southwestern United States
Optional: Ecosystem Services: Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems. A very readable "white" paper, 13 pages of text with pictures.
Optional: Glacier Retreat. A USGS report on retreating glaciers, perhaps evidence of "global warming."
Optional: Drought and Climate Change. From the National Drought Mitigation Center
Optional: UA College of Science Lecture Series on Global Change. Our very own College of Science putting a weekly lecture on global change."
Optional: Study predicts dust-bowl Southwest. Are we headed for serious environmental changes?
Optional: Op-ed on sustainability in the SW. Especially good for Business majors.
Optional: Forest carbon budgets. A 5-minute Discovery Channel video.
Optional: The Carbon Bathtub. A National Geographic model.The Weather Makers,
Tim Flannery
Tue
Apr 24SW Water Issues Required: ADWR: Arizona's Water Supplies and Water Demand
Required: ADWR: Tucson Active Management Area
Required: AZ Daily Star: Pumping of groundwater spurs surge in earth fissures
Optional: Irrigate and die
Optional: Agriculture in AZ
Optional: AP report on water use in AZ
Optional: The Colorado River’s FutureTurn in Fire essay
Begin reviewing for Quiz 4: SW Cultural ChronologyCadillac Desert,
Marc Reisner
Thu
Apr 26In-class review Part III - Modern Environmental Issues
Tue
May 1Final Course Review
Optional: A summary of this course Student course evaluations
Re-survey of course
In-class Quiz #4: SW Cultural ChronologyFinal Exam Official Review Sessions Date Instructor Time Place TBA Paul TBA LTRR Classroom
Math East Annex Room 20Tue
May 8Final Exam: Part III plus a comprehensive section 1:00 - 3:00 Saguaro 223
Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, The University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
Comments to Paul Sheppard: sheppard @ ltrr.arizona.edu
Copyright © 2000-2012, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, Univ. of Arizona
Revised January 2012
URL: http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/geos220/syllabus.html