This is the course homepage. A summary of the course activities is provided below. Please click the Syllabus Link on the left for a complete course syllabus.

Announcements:

Monday, December 5:

Course grades, including the optional final exam, are posted under the Grades link. If you believe there is an error please contact me ASAP. I will probably wait until Monday to post official grades. I wish you all a nice winter break!

Monday, December 5:

Grades, not including the optional final exam, are posted under the Grades link. Your letter grade is based on the number of points you have earned out of 1000 possible for the semester. The letter grade scale is A (890 or higher), B (780 or higher), C (650 or higher), D (500 or higher), and E (less than 500). The last column tells you what you need to score on the final exam in order to raise your letter grade by one letter. The final exam will be out of 150 points. If you take the final, at a minimum it will replace the lowest of your 4 in class exam scores. In addition, if it is to your benefit, the final exam score will also replace your second lowest in class exam score. This has been accounted for in the calculation of what you need to get on the final to raise your grade. If you are definitely not going to take the final exam, then you do not need to come to class this week, unless you would like to pick up graded material. If you are considering taking the final exam, then you should come to class this week. Please gather together your previously graded exams and bring them with you to class as we will be using those to review for the final exam.

Tueday, November 22:

Grades for the 500 mb project are posted under the Grades link. The grading criteria is posted under the Homework link.

Monday, November 21:

There are practice questions on the class D2L pages that test your understanding seasonal changes on Earth, which includes the solar declination, calculations of the solar angle at noon, and relative variations in length of day during the year. Practice quizzes are not required, but recommended.

Thursday, November 17:

Instructions for the global warming essay are posted under the Homework link. The paper is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, November 30. I will briefly discuss the assignment during class tomorrow. Please read over the instructions before class.

There will be no class lecture on Wednesday, November 23, which is the day before Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 10:

All of the 500 mb maps needed to complete the 500 mb project are available. You can finish the project before the holiday weekend. You are expected to submit a printed project report in class on Monday. Instructions and links to the maps are posted under the Homework link.

Tuesday, November 8:

Grades for exam 3 are posted under the Grades link. Total is the total number of points you have earned so far. There are 740 possible points. Percent is the percentage of the total points that you have at this point in the semester.

Most of the 500 mb maps needed for the 500 mb project are now avilable. You can complete most of the project right now. Tomorrow will be the last day to ask questions about the project in class, as Friday is a holiday and the final project report is due in class on Monday.

Tuesday, November 1:

I have forgotten to tell you that there is a practice quiz on the class D2L pages that tests your understanding of how to interpret temperature patterns and precipitation areas based on 500 mb height maps. Practice quizzes are not required, but recommended.

Monday, October 31:

Instructions for the 500 mb Project are posted under the Homework link. The final project is not due until Monday, November 14. However, you can complete about half of the project immediately. The assignment will be much more interesting if you begin with the parts that you can complete immediately, instead of trying to complete it all the day before it is due. Starting early will also allow you more opportunity to ask questions if necessary. Please read over the instructions. I will briefly discuss the project at the beginning of class on Wednesday.

Tuesday, October 25:

Grades for the research paper are posted under the Grades link. Total is the total number of points you have earned so far. There are 590 possible points. Percent is the percentage of the total points that you have at this point in the semester. An 'X' for the research paper indicates that you did not submit your paper to the D2L assignment folder. This must be done before you will get a grade for the paper.

Thursday, October 13:

Grades for exam 2 and homework 2 are posted under the Grades link. Total is the total number of points you have earned so far. There are 440 possible points. Percent is the percentage of the total points that you have at this point in the semester.

Thursday, September 29:

Your next assignment is to provide reviews of two first drafts from fellow students in your group using the Peer Review Discussion Forum on D2L. Each group has 3 to 5 members. You are each required to review two papers (which cannot be your own). The instructions for the peer review forum provide guidelines for what to look for in your review. There are six items to comment about. Please post your reviews as replies to the threads with first drafts attached. Each paper should have exactly two reviews (replies) and not more. If a paper already has two reply reviews, then choose another to review. Peer reviews are due by midnight next Wednesday, October 5

Monday, September 26:

Homework Set #2 is posted under the homework link. The due date is Monday, October 10. We have covered the material necessary to complete questions 1 - 5. We will cover the material necessary to complete questions 6 - 8 later this week. I suggest that you get started with questions 1 - 5. I will take questions about the homework in class before each regular lecture.

Tuesday, September 20:

• This is a reminder that the first draft of your research paper is due next Wednesday, September 28. You are expected to upload a copy of the paper through the class D2L site. In D2L, click on the Discussions link, and find the Peer Review Forum. You should start a new thread (reply) and attach your paper. We will be using the same Forum for the Peer Reviews.
• There is also a new practice quiz on D2L for Phase Changes of Water, Relative Humidity, and Dew Point Temperature. These questions are relevant for the next in class exam. After you take the quiz, an explantion of the answers is provided.
• Grades for Exam #1 and Homework #1 are posted under the Grades Link

Friday, September 9:

All of the submitted optional research paper topic proposals have been evaluated. Feedback has been provided in the feedback box on D2L for your assignment.

Wednesday, August 30:

Homework Set #1 is posted under the homework link. The due date is Friday, September 16. We have covered the material necessary to complete questions 1 - 4. We will cover the material necessary to complete questions 5 - 8 after hurricanes. I suggest that you get started with questions 1 - 4. I will take questions about the homework in class before each regular lecture.

Friday, August 26:

There is a practice quiz on the class D2L pages that tests your understanding of some of what we have covered during the first week ... 500 mb maps and winds. Practice quizzes are not required, but recommended.

Monday, August 22:

Welcome to Atmospheric Sciences 336. Please periodically check this area for class announcements.

Course Objectives:

This course examines basic weather phenomena, climate variability and climate change, and their associated effects on people. The possibility and implications of human-caused changes in the climate system are also discussed. A more detailed description of the course and specific learning ojectives is provided in the course syllabus.

Web page:

Most of the course material will be placed on the course web pages, home is http://www.atmo.arizona.edu/students/courselinks/fall16/atmo336/home.html There will also be a few activities done on the course D2L pages. All students registered for this course should have access to the D2L page for ATMO336, Section 001. UA D2L Login Page

Course Hours/Location:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday   2:00 - 3:00  
McClelland Park, Room 105.
Link to Campus Map

Instructor:

Dr. Dale Ward, Lecturer / Research Scientist
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Email: dward@email.arizona.edu (Best way to contact me)
Office: Physics and Atmospheric Sciences (PAS) Building, Room 566D. Link to Campus Map
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 - 11:00 AM or by appointment.

Teaching Assistants:

Bayu Risanto
Email: cbrisanto@email.arizona.edu
Office: Physis and Atmospheric Sciences (PAS) Building, Room 526
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 12:30 - 1:30 or by appointment.

Ryan Dennis
Email: radennis@email.arizona.edu
Office: Physics and Atmospheric Sciences (PAS) Building, Room 526
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 - 1:30 or by appointment.

Class Notes / Important Dates:

There is no textbook for this course. Lectures will be based on the reading material posted under the Lectures Link and additional material that will be distributed during lectrues throughout the semester. I expect each student to read over the relevant reading material before the lecture is presented in class. This is important because the you will be famaliar with what I discuss in lecture and better able to understand it.

Important dates, such as homework deadlines, exam dates, etc., will be posted in the class calendar.

Academic Integrity:

The University of Arizona's Code of Academic Integrity, Code of Conduct, and Student Code of Conduct will be strictly followed. All students are responsible for knowing the codes and abiding by them. Please see Academic Integrity Policies for University of Arizona Students. No cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, or plagiarism will be tolerated. The research paper and perhaps some of the homework assignments will be filtered through Turnitin.

Accessibility and Accomodations:

It is the University's goal that learning experiences be as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability or pregnency, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact Disability Resources (520-621-3268) to establish reasonable accommodations.

Grading / Assignments:

Class Grades will be posted under the grades link as a spreadsheet. Currently the link points to the gradesheet from a previous class. You will will choose a class ID that will be known only to you so that you can see your grades. There is a Class Registration form posted under the homework link. You will be given 10 extra credit points on your semester homework score for submitting the form by the due date. If you do not submit a form, there will be a blank space in the Class ID column for your grade row.

Your class grade is based on the number of points earned. There are 1000 possible points:

Please see the course syllabus for more detail about assignments and grading.

Grade Scale:

The final grading may be curved depending on overall class performance. However, the grade scale will not be any more difficult than A(900 points); B(800 points); C(700 points); D(600 points); E(<600 points).

Brief Description of Graded Items:

Homework Sets: There will be two homework sets given during the semester, which will consist of problem solving and short answer questions that go with the exam 1 and exam 2 material. Your homework submissions will be graded both on the correctness of your answers as well as the quality and clarity of your writing. Homework sets will be posted on the class web pages.

500 mb forecasting assignment: Sometime in late October, after we have covered material on 500 mb maps and cool season weather forecasting, a 500 mb weather forecasting assignment will be made available. The exact dates are not known as we will be using real-time weather forecasts that must be suitable for this class. Detailed instructions for this assignment will be posted on the class web pages. You will be given sufficient time to complete the assignment after it is posted.

Global Warming Essay: The last written assignment is a global warming opinion essay that will be due near the end of the semester. Instructions for writing the paper will be provided on the course web pages.

Research Paper: The details of the research paper are described in a link under the homework section of the course web pages. The research paper includes a first draft, peer review, and revision process. The first draft is due to be uploaded to a D2L discussion forum by Wednesday, September 28. Each of you will peer review two drafts from fellow students. These are due by Wednesday, October 5. Based on the reviews, you will then revise your first draft to produce a final research paper. A printed copy of the final paper is due in class on the October 19. In addition, you are required to upload a copy of the paper to an "Assignment Dropbox" on the course D2L pages. An extra credit research paper topic statement, which is basically a statement of your proposed paper topic, is due by September 7 in a D2L assignment dropbox. Students who submit a topic proposal will be given feedback on their proposed topics.

Exams: Exams count for 60% of your final class grade. Therea are four in-class exams scheduled and a final exam. These exams consist of a mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions. Short answer responses will be graded both on the correctness of your answers as well as the quality and clarity of your writing. The in-class exams are not comprehensive in that the questions concentrate on material presented since the previous exam. However, it is expected that you are familiar with some of the basic concepts covered early in the semester.

The in-class exams given during the fall 2015 semester are available from the class web pages to show you the type of questions asked.

The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, December 14 from 1:00 - 3:00 in the regular classroom, McClelland Park, Room 105. The final exam is optional. If you decide to take it, the final exam grade replaces the lowest of the grades of your previous exams (even if it is lower). Thus, if you do poorly on one exam or miss one exam, you can make for it up by taking the final. Your final exam score will also replace your second lowest exam score (only if higher than your second lowest exam score). Therefore, if you take the final exam it will count for at least 15% of your final grade (by replacing your lowest exam score, 150 points) and 30% of your final grade (if you score higher than your second lowest exam score, 300 points). The final exam is comprehensive in that it covers all of the material presented during the semester.

Extra Credit

There are two extra credit opportunities. 10 points are awarded for submitting the class registration form. 20 points are awarded for submitting the optional research paper topic proposal on time. There are no other extra credit opportunities planned.

Exam/Late Work Policies:

You are expected to study and understand material covered in class during lecture as well as to read the relevant material from the class notes. Exam questions will be taken from both the in-class lectures and the reading material included in the class web pages.

Please contact the instructor (preferrably via e-mail) as soon as possible if for an unexpected reason you are unable to be in class for an exam. A make-up exam will be arranged with sufficient proof. No make-up exam will be given unless you notify the instructor BEFORE missing the exam in class. In general, I would prefer make-up exams to be taken before the exam is given in class.

In general, late assignments will incur a grade reduction of 10% per day. Late submissions are allowed for the homework sets, 500 mb Project, Global Warming Essay, and the final draft of the research paper. No credit will be given for late submissions of the first draft of the research paper or the required peer reviews.