Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | MET-1020-VO01 - Meteorology

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Jerry Spivey
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Danielle Lafleur Brooks

General Education Requirements

VSCS Natural Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is an introductory course that investigates how the atmosphere interacts with solar energy to create dynamic weather systems. Applies basic meteorological and climatic principles to the study of local, regional, and global weather patterns. Includes a discussion of global climate patterns. Basic algebra skills are required.

Essential Objectives

1. Discuss the factors that drive the global weather system.
2. Understand and apply the scientific vocabulary, methods, and principles involved in the field of meteorology.
3. Read a weather map and interpret its symbols correctly.
4. Use satellite data for weather prediction as available on the Internet.
5. Explain meteorological principles as related to water movement through the atmosphere and surface air pressure changes.
6. Describe the characteristics of thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, cloud types and related weather patterns.
7. Predict the weather for a few days forward based on meteorological principles.
8. Discuss the impact of global climate patterns on air pollutants and dispersions.
9. Identify the various atmospheric layers and their properties.
10. Describe the natural causes of climate change, the human impact on global climate, and the possible consequences of global warming.
11. Demonstrate proficiency in understanding, interpreting, evaluating, and applying quantitative data and information.
12. Explain how knowledge created in the natural sciences has contributed to the creation, maintenance and dismantling of social inequalities and discuss the impacts of diversity and inclusion on scientific research and practice.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

MET-1020-VO01 Link to Textbooks/Resources Information for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

Methods and Content

1. Readings in the textbook.

2. Assignments & Exercises- Activities and written assignments are assigned weekly.

3. Participation in the Discussion Forum is a very important part of this course. This is our classroom. Each week you will post a response to the instructor's questions, answer other students' questions, and other posts as assigned.

4.Assessments-There are 16 quizzes during the semester. There is no midterm or final exam.

HOW THIS CLASS WORKS

• This is an online course in Meteorology.
• There are basically 5 steps each week.
• The first step is to read and study the assigned chapter for the week.
• The second step is to view the PowerPoint lecture for the assigned chapter. (Some students do this first, as a preview.)
• Step three is to ask a higher level thinking question in the Discussion Forum, based on a concept in the chapter. This should be done early in the week, as soon as you have read the chapter. Then, answer two other students’ questions in the forum. Also, answer the "Critical Thinking" question(s) asked by the instructor.
• Step four is to do the assigned Activities, which may include videos, practice tests, short essays, etc.
• The final step is to take the chapter quiz. (All quizzes are open book, two hour maximum.)

Evaluation Criteria

In this course, learners have many opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and understanding, including: weekly discussions, critical thinking, current events, quizzes, and other assignments.

Weighted average for final grade based on the following:

• Assignments , Discussion Forum, Activities, Critical Thinking= 55% of grade
• Quizzes = 45% of grade

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Each week begins on Tuesday morning, and ends at 11:59 on Monday night. Within the week, you may do the assignments according to your own time schedule.

There are basically 5 required steps each week.

1.The first step is to read the assigned chapter for the week.

2.The second step is to view the PowerPoint lecture for the assigned chapter. (Some students do this first, as a preview.)

3.Step three is to ask a question in the discussion forum, based on a concept in the chapter. This should be done early in the week, as soon as you have read the chapter. Then, answer two other students’ questions in the forum. Also, answer the "Critical Thinking" question(s) asked by the instructor.

4.Step four is to do the activities assigned for the week. Some these activities are found in the textbook Student Companion website. These are some of the things we would do in a regular classroom setting. While many are ungraded activities, they will help you to understand the concepts presented in this course. Many of them are quite interesting too!

5. The final step is to take the chapter quiz. It must be completed within a 2 hour time limit, one attempt only

Missing & Late Work Policy

Do not hesitate to contact the instructor via Inbox, or email, if you have extenuating circumstances or need assistance.

Most instructors do not like receiving late work. Many instructors do not accept late work. In this course, you have 7 days in which to complete the week's assignments. Therefore, in fairness to all students, I expect your completed assignments by the due date and time (Monday nights by midnight).Late work, if accepted, may not receive full credit and points will be deducted. There are no "extra credit" assignments in this class.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity