Honolulu Community College

Meteorology 101 studies the physical principles governing the behavior of Earth's atmosphere, describes the characteristics of major weather systems and forecasting, sun-Earth-ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the impacts of weather on man and vice-versa, with special emphasis on Hawaii

This course examines the physical principles of the atmosphere as they relate to the explanation of the properties of the atmosphere; e.g., temperature, pressure and humidity distributions, atmospheric motions and cloud formation, descriptions of global wind and weather systems, applied meteorology to include forecasting and the interaction of ocean and atmosphere with global climates and climate change.

Upon completion of this course students will be able to

- Define and describe the structure and composition of Earth's atmosphere

- Describe the behavior and measurement of heat and radiation, their distribution in the atmosphere and their relationship to the global heat budget

- Demonstrate understanding of temperature and pressure in the context of real-world systems\\

- Demonstrate understanding of the nature and variables of the global climate systems and its regulatory mechanisms\

- Describe the role and significance of water vapor in the atmosphere

- Describe and define the processes of cloud formation and precipitation

- Describe and illustrate the major weather systems and the associated movement of air on global, synoptic and local levels

- Describe and illustrate the formation of jet streams and frontal systems

- Demonstrate comprehension of the methods, goals, and problems of weather forecasting

- Describe major world air masses and climates as they relate to the evidence and mechanisms of climatic change

- Recognize the effects of weather and climate on agricultural, economic and political systems

- Demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills to reach reasonable conclusions from diverse information.

- Demonstrate understanding of the forms of scientific and numeric communication of the physical sciences

- Demonstrate the ability to use the tools of science

TEXTBOOK AND REFERENCES

The textbook is Climate Studies: Introduction to Climate Science by Joseph M. Moran.

Additional references:  Schaum's outlines and elementary texts in physical science, physics, earth science, chemistry, astronomy are in library in the Q sections.

Method of Instruction

Instruction is in the form of individual study using the text and optional online activities. The URL for the course portal is: http://www2.honolulu.hawaii.edu/instruct/natsci/meteorology/brill/web/. More information regarding distance education can be found at the following link: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/distance.

Students With Disabilities

Students in this class who need accommodations for a disability should submit documentation and requests to the Services for Students with Disabilities Office (SSD) in Bldg. 2, Rm. 108A. Phone: 845-9282 voice/text or 9272 voice/text for more information. If you have already registered your requests with SSD this semester, please see the instructor after class or during my office hours and be prepared to provide a current verification letter from SSD.  (Rev. 3-29-2004)

Student Responsibilities

College courses require a significant amount of independent study.  The material of this course will require more than merely reading the course materials, not just to memorize a set of facts but to understand, to make connections, to see relationships, to analyze information and to be able to write about them.  It requires one to understand the facts and to know the vocabulary.  As such, the following is required of the A-student in this course:

1. Think about the course material, its meaning and relationships.  Observe it in the world around you.

2. Approach each lesson with the anticipation of discovery.

3. Organize the material in your mind as you read, and review it when necessary..

4. Study outside of class. Find additional reference materials, review online notes and compare them with the assigned reading.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

It is required of all students in this class to certify that you have read, understand, and agree to the following.

In order to be eligible for credit for this course all students must submit the following statement (with your name):

I ___________________ have read, understand, and agree to the conditions stated in the section of the University of Hawaii student conduct code pertaining to cheating and plagiarism

Copy the above statement into an email with your name in the blank and send it to the Drop Box link on Laulilma. It is only required one time. If you have already submitted it through Laulima there is no need to do it again.

Everyone should be aware of University of Hawaii policy on dishonesty and plagiarism. The penalties can be severe, from getting an F grade to expulsion from the university.

Here is what the University of Hawaii student conduct code says about cheating and plagiarism:

"1. CHEATING includes, but is not limited to, giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination; obtaining or distributing unauthorized information about an examination before it is given; using inappropriate or unallowable sources of information during an examination; falsifying data in experiments and other research; altering the record of any grade; altering answers after an examination has been submitted; falsifying any official University record; or misrepresenting the facts in order to obtain exemptions from course requirements.

2. PLAGIARISM includes, but is not limited to, submitting, in fulfillment of an academic requirement, any document that has been copied in whole or in part from another individual's work without attributing that borrowed portion to the individual; neglecting to identify as a quotation another's idea and particular phrasing that was not assimilated into the student's language and style or paraphrasing a passage so that the reader is misled as to the source; submitting the same written or oral material in more than one course without obtaining authorization from the instructors involved; or dry labbing, which includes obtaining and using experimental data and laboratory write-ups from other sections of the course or from previous terms or fabricating data to fit the desired or expected results."

If there is any part of this that you don't understand, please contact me to discuss it. If not then please reture the certificationn statement as printed above

You can download the entire code at http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/policies/conduct.html. As members of the University community we have an agreement to abide by this code.

Grades

Student assessment is in the form of chapter quizzes that consist of multiple choice questions, Each quiz may be attempted one time only onliine at the Laulima website. There is no time limit once the quiz is begun. All quizzes will be open throughout the semester until the last day of classes as published in the schedule of courses. The quizzes may be taken in any order, but it is recommended to take them in sequence.

Chapters 1 -12 will be graded for credit. Chapters 13 -15 will be available for extra credit only to those who complete all of Chapter 1 -12 quizzes by the last day of class.

At least eight quizzes must be completed in order to be eligible a passing grade and credit for the course.

Quizzes are online at Laulima in the "Tasks, Tests, and Surveys" tab.

Grades will be determined on a total point basis as follows:

Chapter Quizzes

100%

Typical percent ranges are:

F	D	C	B	A
<40	40-60	70-80	80-90	>90