Optional Assignments


Assignment
 Date Assigned
 Date Due
 points
topic(s) and/or comments
Atmospheric Stability
 Tue., Nov. 8
 Tue., Nov. 22
 0.4
 read this background material, study this example
Thermal circulations, 3-cell model asst.
Tue., Nov. 8
 Thu., Nov. 17
 0.25
 read this background material.  You can also earn credit for a 1S1P report on this topic.
Forces and winds asst.
 Tue., Nov. 8
 Tue., Nov. 15
 0.4
 forces that cause wind, surface & upper level winds in the N. & S. hemispheres  answers
In-class asst.
 Tue., Oct. 18
 Tue., Oct. 18
 0.2
 humidity variables
Upper level charts asst.
 Tue., Oct. 18
 Tue., Oct. 25
 0.4*
 Read Pt. 1, Pt. 2, and Pt. 3 of the supplementary material on upper level charts.
*see the assignment sheet for more details concerning credit earned on this assignment
Controls of climate asst.
 Thu., Oct. 13
 Thu., Oct. 20
 0.4
 Read these online notes for information about the topic
Surface weather map analysis
 Tue., Oct. 4
 Tue., Oct. 11
 0.4
 Use this example analysis as a guide.  See also the Sept. 29 online lecture notes
You'll note on the assignment sheet that you can earn 1S1P pts instead of extra credit on this assignment.
In-class asst.
copies of the assignment will be handed out in class
 Tue., Sep. 27
 Tue., Sep. 27
 0.2
 surface weather maps, winds associated with surface centers of H and L pressure  answers
In-class asst.
copies of the assignment will be available in class
 Tue., Sep. 13
 Thu., Sep. 15
by the end of class
 0.2
 mercury barometer, troposphere & stratosphere, ideal gas law, rising & sinking air  answers
In-class asst.
 copies of the assignment will be handed out in class
 Thu., Sep. 01
 Thu., Sep. 01
 0.2
 composition of the atmosphere, air pollutants  answers

You can download and print the assignment in Microsoft WORD format by clicking on the appropriate link above.  Copies of the assignment will sometimes be distributed in class.

If you make an honest attempt at answering all the questions, you should be able to earn full credit on each assignment even if you don't answer all the questions correctly.  An honest effort includes having the assignment done before coming to class and turning the assignment in at the beginning of class.  It is OK to work together with other students in the class, but everyone should contribute.  You shouldn't just copy another student's work.

There will be a sufficient number of optional assignments for you to be able to earn at least 3 points extra credit by the end of the semester.  The extra credit points are added to the average grade computed prior to the final exam.

Note:   Don't be concerned if you get work back without a grade.  Usually only papers with less than full credit will have a grade marked on them.  Papers without a marked grade have earned full credit.  An individual assignment is generally only worth a few 1/10ths of a point of extra credit (see table above).  A paper with a grade of 4/5 really means you earned 0.4 out of 0.5 points extra credit.  1/10ths of a point extra credit may not seem like much.  But the accumulated total at the end of the semester can have a significant effect on your grade. 

Also note: The fact that you do not have any answers marked wrong does not necessarily mean you answered all the questions correctly.  Frequently the grading load requires that we only grade some of the questions on the optional assignments.  You should carefully compare your answers with the answers once they appear online.