- Course Code
- GG 3052
- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr N Spedding
Pre-requisites
GG2003 and GG2507. Available only to students registered for the BSc Geography-Geoscience programme or the BSc Archaeology-Geography programme.
Notes
This course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with GG 3031.
Overview
This course is designed to introduce students to key debates, both past and present, on the nature and scope of the earth and environmental sciences. As such it provides essential background for study of physical geography/geosciences at an advanced level. Content will include key aspects of the history of the earth and environmental sciences (eg the discovery of 'deep time', the development of ideas about ice ages, the impact of evolutionary theory, the 'quantitative revolution' in physical geography post-1945, the importance of digital technologies, the influence of environmentalism). We relate these to important concepts used to structure explanation in the earth sciences (eg, uniformitarianism, historical approaches vs. process studies, systems and models). The last third of course addresses the implications for research (eg, the possibilities and pitfalls of different qualitative and quantitative approaches). This part of the course incorporates some practical work, including a one-day field trip.
Structure
16 hours of lectures, 4 hours of seminars, 4 hours of practical classes and one day field trip. Teaching is spread across both half-sessions.
Assessment
1st Attempt: Coursework (67%); one seminar presentation, first half-session (33%); one research practical exercise, second half-session (33%); one 1-hour written examination in January (33%).
Resit: Resit possible for exam component only (33%) plus original coursework carried forward (67%).