CGF 3M
Physical Geography: Patterns, Processes, and Interactions
Canadian & World Studies Department
Colonel By Secondary School

Web Links for Physical Geography:
—http://www.livescience.com/forcesofnature/earthquake_tsunami_041228.html
—http://ndrd.gsfc.nasa.gov/
—http://denali.gsfc.nasa.gov/dtam/
—http://www.naturalhazards.org/
—http://www.guardian.co.uk/graphic/0,5812,1380083,00.html
—http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami
—http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,1380955,00.html
—http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,1380592,00.html
—http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,1380654,00.html
—http://www.guardian.co.uk/tsunami/story/0,15671,1380312,00.html
—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami

Course Outline:

This course examines the main elements of the physical environment (climate, soils, landforms, oceans, vegitation), the processes that shape them, and the relationship between the environment and human beings. Students will apply a wide range of geographic tools and methods to explore the distribution and ongoing evolution of the elements of the physical environment on a variety of scales, from local to global.

Prerequisite: Geography of Canada, Grade 9, Academic or Applied.

Strands:
—Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems
—Human-Environment Interactions
—Global Connections
—Understanding and Managing Change
—Methods of Geographic Inquiry

Assessment & Evaluation:
Assessment and evaluation are tools to aid in and develop the learning process. Students should differentiate between the two, incorporating the feedback and measure of their progress into their own strategies for success. Should any questions about either assessment or evaluation arise at any time throughout the course, it is imperative answers be sought.

Assessment and Evaluation will reflect student learning and curriculum expectations in the following categories of achievement: Knowledge & Understanding, Thinking & Inquiry, Application, and Communication.

Knowledge & Understanding:
-knowledge of facts and terms
-understanding of concepts principles and theories
-understanding of relationships between concepts

Thinking & Inquiry:
-critical thinking skills (e.g., conducting analysis, detecting point of view and bias)
-creative thinking skills (e.g., problem solving that uses multiple perspectives)
-inquiry skills (e.g., formulating questions; organising and conducting research; analysing, interpreting, and evaluating information; drawing conclusions)

Application:
-application of concepts, skills, and procedures in familiar context
-transfer of concepts, skills, and procedures to new contexts
-making logical conclusions or generalizations
-making predictions and planning courses of action
-use of technology, equipment, and materials
-making connections (e.g., between past, present, and future contexts and roles; between subjects; between subjects and the world outside the school)

Communication:
-oral communication (e.g., debates, role playing) for different audiences and purposes
-written communication (e.g., reviews, short essays, long essays, letters) for different audiences and purposes

Summative Evaluation:
The sum of student learning and skills development will be measured within the last 30 days of the course in the four categories of achievement (above). This summative evaluation will comprise 30% of the final grade for the course.

Textbook:

Ron Chasmer, Earth Matters: Studies in Physical Geography (2nd ed.), Toronto: Oxford University Press. 2001.