Spring 2024 Introduction to Weather and Climate with Professor Sean

Welcome to Introduction to Weather and Climate with Professor Sean (CRN 20330), Spring 2024

Classes begin Monday, January 29, 2024, and end Saturday, May 25, 2024.

Your instructor for this course is William Sean Chamberlin, PhD, aka PROFESSOR SEAN.

To contact me…

  • For the fastest response, email me at exploreworldocean@gmail.com or through Canvas (see below). I answer emails from 6:30a–6:30p, Monday–Saturday.
  • You can text me quickly answered questions at (714) 768-7082 (my business phone). I answer texts (within an hour or two) from 9–5p, M–F.
  • You can leave a voicemail at (714) 869–5935. Please leave a message. (Recorded messages go to my email.). I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Table of Contents (click on link to go to that section)

0.0 FIRST THINGS FIRST…

College (and life) can be stressful. It’s important to remember to take care of yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos and confusion and lose sight of your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle and perspective, try to observe the following:

Most stress can be alleviated by talking to someone: a friend, a family member, your pet, or a professional. Successful people are ones who are not afraid to ask for help.

Please reach out to me or one of the resources on the Fullerton College Health Center website. You may also call them at (714) 992-7093.

Also, I suggest you add the phone numbers for Campus Safety to your smartphone in case of an accident, emergency, or crime. 

Emergency Phone Number: (714) 992-7777
Fullerton Police Department: (714) 738-6700
Fullerton Fire Department: (714) 738-6122
For life threatening events: Call 911

1.0 GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

These course guidelines are what this course is all about. Reading them will help you do well in the course.

  • This course is conducted ASYNCHRONOUSLY. There are no orientations, class meetings, or campus exams.
  • Students are expected to INTERACT MEANINGFULLY with the instructor and other students on a regular basis.
  • ACCESSIBILITY is a top priority! If you encounter some part of the course that creates difficulties for you, please let me know asap. I’ll do my best to accommodate you. (See also section below on Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.)

2.0 MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

  1. Provide a safe and inclusive classroom environment.
  2. Inspire curiosity and a love for learning.
  3. Create opportunities for hope and positive change.

I promise to do my best to follow these principles every day.

3.0 WHAT I EXPECT FROM YOU

  1. A desire to learn because education is important to your future and your happiness;
  2. The motivation to learn because learning takes effort;
  3. Respect towards your classmates and me because a world in which people respect each other is a kinder, safer, and more beautiful place to live and love.

I hope you will do your best to follow these principles.

4.0 WHY THIS COURSE MATTERS

Science courses help you gain the skills and confidence to learn unfamiliar and challenging information. They prepare you for situations when you might need to turn to science for help, such as:

  • preparing for natural disasters,
  • making health decisions,
  • evaluating nutrition claims
  • caring for a pet
  • caring for a parent or older relative
  • assessing the safety of household products
  • responding to emergencies during outdoor activities.

Science courses also sharpen your ability to distinguish between facts and fictions, knowledge and opinions, data and myth/folklore, actual events and fake events, experts and non-experts.

Above all, science courses prepare you to be a better and more mindful citizen of the planet, to know how to live a sustainable lifestyle that ensures the health and well-being of future generations and our planet.

I hope that you are here to enrich your mind and your life to the fullest extent possible.

5.0 COURSE SYNOPSIS

Introduction to Weather and Climate encompasses the many physical, chemical, geological and biological processes that affect the behavior of Earth’s atmosphere over broad scales of time and space. In this course, we’ll explore a wide range of topics, including how the Sun heats the Earth, the greenhouse effect, Earth’s seasons, Santa Ana winds, clouds, hurricanes, tornadoes (and their cousin, Sharknadoes), El Niño/La Niña, and global climate change. The course satisfies a Gen Ed physical science requirement, so the emphasis is on the physics of atmosphere. That means you are now a physics student. Post it on your Insta and watch the love flow.

5.1 Catalog Description

54 hours lecture per term. This course examines the physical properties of the atmosphere, including solar heating and cooling, atmospheric circulation, weather systems, extreme weather, atmospheric optics, climate change, and weather radar, maps and forecasting. The effects of human activities on Earth’s climate will be emphasized. (CSU) (UC) (Degree Credit) AA GE, CSU GE, IGETC

6.0 TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE

I expect that everyone enrolled in this course has access to a computer and the Internet. You may complete work on a smartphone or tablet, but I suggest you have a backup plan. Some functions don’t work properly on mobile devices.

I also expect that you know how to use a word-processing program, and how to save or export a document as a .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .pdf. (Even Pages for the Macs can export Word files.)

You’ll also need to come up to speed with Canvas, if you aren’t already familiar with it. If you don’t know Canvas, please be willing to learn. You’ll find lots of help on the internet, especially YouTube. Heck, you can even email a classmate to ask for help and make a new friend! And I am always happy to help.

Finally,  we are going to dip our toes into artificial intelligence (AI). We’ll explore new frontiers in teaching and learning while developing skills that are being used in the workplace and which can enrich your academic and personal lives. So fasten your virtual seatbelts! We’re going where few students have gone before.

7.0 ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

This is not a self-paced course. You’re expected to log at least 3-4 times every week and complete work.

Any student who fails to log into Canvas for more than two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) may be dropped for non-participation, but…email me if you are going to miss class. Let me know what’s going on. I’ll work with you. 

8.0 DROP POLICY

It is your responsibility to drop the course regardless of the above attendance requirements. Do not rely on me (or any of your professors) to drop you. Failure to drop a course may result in a failing grade (F) for the semester.

9.0 STUDY REQUIREMENTS

Students should expect to spend 6-9 or more hours per week studying for a 16-week semester-long course. This time includes time you would normally spend in a classroom and the recommended study time for a 3-unit course.

You are urged to review the suggestions provided in the FC Course Catalog concerning workload and class load.

Consider reducing your work hours (if possible), limiting social media time, or improving your time-management strategies. You can find nuggets of valuable time if you focus on what’s important.

10.0 LATE WORK

One of the best habits you can develop in college is learning how to be on time and submit work on time. Having worked in the business world for several years, I can assure you that showing up on time and submitting work on time is expected. 

I don’t accept late work. It just puts you further behind on other work. That adds even more stress. And it’s not fair to students who complete their work on time.

Nevertheless, I do provide escape hatches. I let students drop a certain number of scores (see below). That way, if something comes up and you miss a deadline, you won’t be penalized. Just try to do better next time. (But know that there are a limited number of drops so if you keep missing deadlines your final grade is going to suffer.)

11.0 ACADEMIC HONESTY & COLLEGE POLICIES

Students are expected to be knowledgeable of the guidelines, policies and procedures in the college catalog. That includes academic honesty, nondiscrimination, and sexual harassment.

A lot of face-to-face (F2) teachers think online courses encourage cheating. Prove them wrong. Don’t cheat. That includes using AI to complete work when your instructor explicitly asks you to complete the work in your own words. You’re only shortchanging your future when you cheat in any way.

If you are caught copying, plagiarizing, or cheating, you will receive a zero for that quiz, assignment, or exam. Repeated offenses have stronger penalties, including dismissal from the course.

I urge you to review the FC Catalog policy on Academic Honesty and other important policies and guidelines. Check them out. You may read them online at the Fullerton College website, https://www.fullcoll.edu/schedule/

12.0 AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) STATEMENT

I’m seriously committed to providing educational accommodations for students with disabilities. I also recognize that not all students want to divulge their disability and that some students may be living with undiagnosed conditions. Any student who feels they may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a disability should discuss this with their instructor and contact Disability Support Services (DSS) at (714) 992-7099 or visit the DSS office in Building 840, Room 842.

Please note that to accommodate all students, regardless of their official DSS status, I allow twice the standard time for timed assessments, that is, quizzes and exams. So instead of 30-minute quizzes and 90-minute exams, everyone is given 60 minutes and 180 minutes, respectively, to complete them. If you still need more time to complete these assessments, please don’t hesitate to let me know. If you encounter other problems, including accessing the website or course materials, let me know or contact Disability Support Services (DSS) at (714) 992-7099.

12.1 NonDiscrimination and Sexual Harassment Statements

The North Orange County Community College District and Fullerton College are committed to to providing an educational, employment, and business environment in which no person shall be unlawfully denied full and equal access to the benefits of, or be unlawfully subjected to discrimination on the basis of ethnic group identification, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender, gender identification, gender expression, race, color, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, or military and veteran status, or as otherwise prohibited by state and federal statutes, or because he or she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in any program or activity of the District that is administered by, directly funded by, or that receives any financial assistance from the Chancellor or Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Discrimination on the basis of sex or gender also includes sexual harassment.

Students and employees who believe they have been subjected to unlawful discrimination, including sexual harassment, or who seek information regarding the District’s Unlawful Discrimination Policy should contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor, Human Resources at (714) 808-4826.

Students who are victims of sexual assault occurring on District property or on an off-campus site or facility maintained by the District, or who seek information or assistance regarding a sexual assault, should contact the campus Director of Health Services at (714) 992-7093 or the Director of Campus Safety at (714) 992-7080. Except as may otherwise be required by law, all inquiries will be maintained in confidence. Victims of sexual assault should immediately report the incident to the Campus Safety Department, Fullerton Police Department and the Title IX officer. The Title IX Office for the campus is the Vice President of Student Services (714) 992-7074. The Title IX Officer for the District is the Director of Human Resources (714) 808-4822.

13.0 EMERGENCY RESPONSE STATEMENT

An earthquake or extreme weather event may happen at any moment. Take note of the safety features in and around where you complete your work or when visiting campus or other locations. Note the posted evacuation routes. During strong earthquakes, it is recommended to duck, cover hold! Duck beneath a desk, cover your head with your hands, and hold on to your caboose until the quaking stops. Running out of a building during an earthquake can be deadly. Listen to “The Rock” in San Andreas, the movie. Also, if you feel an earthquake while at the beach, I advise getting to higher ground immediately. Tsunami can happen in Southern California. And they can be deadly.

14.0 UNDECIDED ON A MAJOR?

I love encouraging students to check out a career in oceanography, meteorology, geology, or earth science. You may be amazed at the opportunities in these fields. Even if you’re pursuing non-scientific subjects, such as art, writing, communications, business, marketing, technology, computers, law, and just about any other subject, science needs you! All that’s required is a passion for science. Just email me and we’ll set up a time to chat.

15.0 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Explain the terms and concepts used by weather forecasters and scientists studying weather and climate.
  • Analyze and interpret quantitative information, including weather maps, climate data, graphs, and tables.
  • Compose an effective presentation about human influence on Earth’s climate.

15.1 Instructional Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

    1. Explain the reasons for the seasons and the latitudinal variations in surface heating that occur as a result.
    2. Demonstrate familiarity with processes that generate winds and factors that affect wind speed and direction.
    3. Explain the hydrologic cycle and processes that affect atmospheric moisture, such as humidity and clouds.
    4. Identify and explain the origins of atmospheric phenomena, such as cloud types, rainbows, haloes, blue sky, red sunrises and sunsets, mirages and similar phenomena.
    5. Explain the origins of extreme weather (midlatitude weather systems, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes) and the threats they pose to human lives and property.
    6. Identify and describe the different climate zones of the world.
    7. Analyze, interpret, and summarize real-time weather information.
    8. Relate the influence of human activities on weather and global climate.
    9. Explain the scientific evidence for human-caused global warming.

16.0 REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Our textbook for the course this semester is the eighth edition of Essentials of Meteorology (2017) by C. Donald Ahrens. ISBN-13: 978-1305628458 ISBN-10 1305628454. You may use an ebook if you can find one and if you are accustomed to studying electronic media.

This textbook is essential for the course. We will use it extensively.

The textbook is available for sale through the Fullerton College bookstore, but you can buy used copies or rent it from various online book vendors.

The cover of the book looks like this:

Cover of Essentials of Meteorology

16.1 Supplies

No supplies (e.g., blue books, Scantrons, material fees, attendance on field trips, special equipment, etc.) are required for this course.

16.2 The Fullerton College Library

The FC Library is a treasure trove of information. Their online tools, such as their Database, give you access to a number of online journals and publications. I regularly use the library’s website to download articles in support of my work as a writer and teacher. Check it out here: https://library.fullcoll.edu/

16.3 Tutoring

The FC Tutoring Center is open Monday, February 5th, 2024 until Friday, May 24, 2024. Their hours are 10a–9pm Monday to Thursday, and 10a–2p on Friday and Saturday. 

The Tutoring Center offers two types of tutoring: live tutoring via Zoom and in-person tutoring on campus. Students can log into the ASC (Academic Support Center) online tutoring platform to schedule/view/cancel/reschedule appointments. 

For more information, visit the ASC website: https://academicsupport.fullcoll.edu/.

17.0 CANVAS LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

This course uses Canvas as a Learning Management System (LMS) to provide announcements, lecture notes, grades, and other materials and assessments related to the course. All students are expected to log in at least 3-4 times per week to adequately prepare and study for materials covered in class.

The easiest way to log in is to go the direct route, http://fullcoll.instructure.com. Use your MyGateway credentials (with no @sign in front of the Banner id.) You may also access Canvas through a link on MyGateway. Once logged in, go to the Fullerton tab, scroll down to the Canvas icon, and click on it for your Canvas dashboard.

Occasionally, you may experience problems with Canvas. Just be patient, contact me immediately, and I will work to solve your problem. Do your work often and early just in case.

If you’re having difficulty, or just want to know more about Canvas, you may also try try this website: https://guides.instructure.com/.

18.0 HOW TO SEND ME E-MAIL

Email remains the most efficient and effective tool for modern communication between humans. Email is the preferred communications tool of businesspersons, scientists, artists and many other professionals. Developing good email skills and habits can boost and accelerate your career. So please follow these guidelines:

  • Please send all e-mail correspondence through Canvas or to exploreworldocean@gmail.com, a special gmail account just for students.
  • When you send me e-mails, please always type a SUBJECT for your e-mail (like “Help”, “a quick question”, question about exam”, “extra credit submission,” etc). E-mails with untitled subjects often end up in the spam folder.
  • Please always put your FULL NAME and COURSE NAME (Weather and Climate) as the first line of all e-mails.
  • To develop good habits, start all emails with “Dear Professor.”
  • Please explain your question/problem/issue in full. The more information you provide, the faster I can answer/solve/resolve your issue.
  • To develop good habits, always sign your emails with your complete name as it appears in the official college records.
  • If you don’t hear back from me in 48 hours, please send your email again.
  • Please avoid sending email to my fullcoll address. I get a lot of other email at this address and it’s not always easy to spot emails from students, the most important emails I receive!
  • And PLEASE if I or anyone else with whom you correspond helps you, send a THANK YOU! You’ll be looked upon as a mature, considerate, and thoughtful person when you do.

You may also correspond with me through the Announcements tool or online Conferencing Tool (Zoom).

19.0 OFFICE HOURS & OTHER FORMS OF CONTACT

The most effective way to contact me is through email to exploreworldocean@gmail.com. I answer emails from 630am until 6:30pm daily, except Sundays.

I hold office hours on Tuesdays from 2–3 pm in Room 1412-04. Please let me know via text or email that you are coming so I can be on the lookout for you. If you cannot make that time and want to meet some other time, please email me. I’ll do my best to accommodate you.

Also, I’m available Monday thru Friday mornings on Zoom. Email me and I’ll be happy to set up a suitable time to meet on Zoom.

If you want to call and leave me a message about something, please call: (714) 869–5935. Your voicemail will be delivered to me via email.

And feel free to text me at (714) 768-7082 (my business phone). I answer texts (within an hour or two) from 9–5p, M–F.

20.0 COURSE OVERVIEW

Ultimately, the goal of college is to prepare you for a successful life and a career beyond college.

In taking this course, you are being trained to master an unfamiliar knowledge set, to apply what you learn in new situations, to think about competing possibilities, and to articulate your rationale for choosing a particular way of thinking.

The most important skill you attain by going to college is learning how to learn.

Knowing how to study and analyze and break information into parts…knowing how to master concepts and develop an understanding of a topic…knowing how to interpret and apply quantitative information…knowing how to solve problems…are skills that you can use every day of your life.

Knowing how to learn is like knowing how to ride a bicycle or snowboard. Once you master it, you’ll know it for life.

I’ll talk a lot in this course about the kinds of study techniques and approaches that brain scientists tell us work best for learning.

Yep. There is a science to learning! (Click here to learn more.)

20.1 STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE

The course is organized into Sixteen Modules that include:

  • Reading assignments
  • Video viewing assignments
  • Occasional articles to read
  • Formative Assessments
    • Quizzes (on reading and videos)
    • Discussion assignments (question prompts and hands-on assignments)
  • Summative Assessments
    • Exams (on everything we cover)

20.2 QUIZZES HELP YOU MASTER TERMS AND CONCEPTS

You are required to complete 25/32 quizzes during the semester (two per week). Your top 25 scores will be counted towards your final grade.

Quizzes are a type of formative assessment. They “form” your learning. They are meant to help you master terms and concepts. With the new words you learn, you’ll be able to will impress people at family gatherings or parties with friends.

Quizzes also provide practice for simple quantitative problems to help you gain confidence in your math skills.

Quizzes may be be a mix of multiple choice, multiple answer, dropdown, fill in the blank, matching, calculations, and map/graph interpretations.

Quizzes may be taken an unlimited number of times during the weeks in which they are offered. Your highest quiz score will be counted. Note, however, that even if you score a high score on the first quiz, it’s worth your time to take the quiz several times. That way you will be better prepared for the exams that take their questions from the quizzes.

See Course Syllabus below for specific due dates for quizzes. Hint: Enter the due dates in your smartphone with reminders.

Quizzes are worth 8 points each, a total of 200 points, or 20% of your final grade.

20.3 DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENTS DEEPEN YOUR UNDERSTANDING

You are required to complete 5/6 discussion assignments during the semester. Your top 5 scores will be counted towards your final grade.

Discussion assignments form the core of the work in this course. It’s where you get to explore topics in depth and develop your ability to communicate science to others. Most importantly, it’s where you interact with classmates. Those interactions help you experience different viewpoints and perspectives. They give you a deeper appreciation for the diverse and inspiring humans with whom we live, work, and play. Understanding different viewpoints is the key to solving societal problems.

In most of the assignments, you’ll review articles or watch videos and consider a set of thought questions. Then you’ll write up your analysis and put your best critical thinking on display.

Discussion assignments include the following:

  • an original 1-2 page (400-word) post (worth up to 20 points)
  • two half page each (200 word minimum each) reviews to Canvas-assigned classmates (worth up to 20 points)

Your original responses will be graded on effort, organization, attention to the prompts, and critical thinking.

Your peer reviews will be graded for your level of engagement with other students and the helpfulness of your reply to improving the other student’s response.

All posts (including peer reviews) must include a word count or 5 points will be deducted (per post).

You must meet the word minimums for all three posts—your original post and two peer reviews—to be eligible to receive full credit. No points will be awarded for posts under the word minimums.

All posts that meet the word minimums will be graded against a rubric included with the assignment.

Discussion assignment original posts are usually due on Mondays and peer reviews to classmates the following Monday. See Course Syllabus below for specific due dates.

 Discussion assignments are worth 40 points each, a total of 200 points, or 20% of your final grade.

20.4 EXAMS TEST WHAT YOU KNOW AND UNDERSTAND

You are required to complete 6/7 exams during the semester (one every two weeks). Your top 6 scores will be counted towards your final grade.

Exams are a summative assessment of your success towards meeting the learning outcomes for a particular section of study (or the course).

Exams assess your ability to identify, define, and use vocabulary from lectures, textbook readings, in-class work, out-of-class work, YouTube lectures, or other study materials.

Exams assess your ability to draw and/or interpret maps, graphs, and tables and solve equations covered in lectures, textbook reading, in-class work, out-of-class work, YouTube lectures, or other assigned materials.

Exams assess your understanding of concepts and your ability to apply and communicate what you have learned.

Exams may be be a mix of multiple choice, multiple answer, dropdown, fill in the blank, matching, calculations, and map/graph interpretations. New exams may build on previous exams.

You may take exams up to three times in during the period in which they are available but you will not see your score or answers until after the due date.

Exams are usually due on Mondays. See Course Syllabus below for specific due dates.

Each exam is worth 100 points, a total of 600 points, or 60% of your final grade.

20.5 GRADING SUMMARY

Grading is based on a total of 1000 points.

Quizzes: 200 pts (30%)
Discussion: 200 pts (20%)
Exams: 600 pts (50%)

20.6 GRADING SCALE

A = 90%
B = 80%
C = 70%
D = 60%
F = <60%

21.0 SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND DUE DATES

Module Chapter Beginning Due Discussions Quizzes Exams
1 1/29/24 MONDAY
2/5/24		 1 &2
2 1 2/6/24 MONDAY
2/12/24		 3 & 4
3 2 2/13/24 TUESDAY
2/20/24		 Discussion 1 Original Post 5 & 6 Exam 1
4 3 2/21/24 MONDAY
2/26/24		 Discussion 1 Peer Reviews 7 & 8
5 4 2/27/24 MONDAY
3/4/24		 Discussion 2 Original Post 9 & 10 Exam 2
6 5 3/5/24 MONDAY
3/11/24		 Discussion 2 Peer Reviews 11 & 12
7 6 3/12/24 MONDAY
3/18/24		 Group Discussion 3 Post 1 13 & 14 Exam 3
8 7 3/19/24 MONDAY
4/2/24		 Group Discussion 3 Post 2 15 & 16
STARTS 3/25 SPRING BREAK 🏄🏽‍♀️🏂🧘🏽‍♂️🏖️🎡 ENDS 3/31
9 8 4/2/24 MONDAY
4/8/24		 Group Discussion 3 Post 3 17 & 18 Exam 4
10 9 4/9/24 MONDAY
4/15/24		 Group Discussion 3 Post 4 19 & 20
11 10 4/16/24 MONDAY
4/22/24		 Discussion 4 Original Post 21 & 22 Exam 5
12 11 4/23/24 MONDAY
4/29/24		 Discussion 4 Peer Reviews 23 & 24
13 12 4/30/24 MONDAY
5/6/24		 Discussion 5 Original Post 25 & 26 Exam 6
14 13 5/7/24 MONDAY
5/13/24		 Discussion 5 Peer Reviews 27 & 28
15 14 5/14/24 MONDAY
5/20/24		 29 & 30
16 15 5/21/24 SATURDAY
5/25/24		 Discussion 6 Audio Time Capsule
No Replies Necessary		 31 & 32 Exam 7