METEO 101
Understanding Weather Forecasting

METEO 101 Syllabus

Understanding Weather Forecasting

This syllabus is divided into several sections. You can read it sequentially by scrolling down the length of the document, or by clicking on any of the links below to “jump” to a specific section. That said, it is essential that you read the entire document, as well as material covered in the course orientation. Together, these serve the role of our course "contract."

Instructor

Steve Seman
Assistant Teaching Professor / Director of Online Programs
Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science
The Pennsylvania State University
2217 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building
University Park, PA 16802

Note:

All communication between instructor and students should occur within the Canvas course management system. For more details, please read Course Communication under the Course Orientation section.

Technical Assistance

If you're studying the course content in Meteo 101 and encounter a lesson page with a typo, broken link, or you have trouble viewing one of the animations or images, feel free to post a question in one of the course discussion forums found in each lesson module. I'll do my best to determine the cause of the problem and get it fixed.

However, if you're having trouble with Canvas (posting to a discussion forum, sending an email, taking a quiz, etc.), please use the Help button located in the left banner of the Canvas environment. You will notice that there are several options.  First, I would try the Canvas Guides (they are an excellent resource).  However, if you still are stuck, use the "Report a Problem for World Campus Courses" option to contact the Outreach Helpdesk. When describing your issue, try to be as specific as you possibly can. Include information such as:

  • the specific part of Canvas you're having trouble with, what you attempted to do when that failed, and the exact language of any error message displayed on your screen,
  • the date and time when your problem occurred,
  • the type of browser and OS that you are using, and
  • any other pertinent information (does the problem happen consistently and always in the same way, etc.).

Alternatively, you can contact the Helpdesk directly in a variety of ways.

The Outreach Helpdesk
wdtechsupport@outreach.psu.edu
https://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/help-and-support
(800) 252-3592, option #4
(814) 865-0047

Hours of Operation:

  • 08:00 A.M. till 12:00 Midnight ET, Monday through Friday
  • 10:00 A.M. till 7:00 P.M. ET, Saturday and Sunday

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Course Overview

METEO 101: Understanding Weather Forecasting. (3 credits). Fundamental principles of synoptic and physical meteorology, satellite and radar imagery, and data analysis in the setting of mid-latitude weather forecasting. Prerequisites: None

METEO 101 is the first course in a series of four online courses in the Certificate of Achievement in Weather Forecasting program. This course also serves an entry point for prospective Meteo majors, and as a General Education Science/Lab course. It is offered every Fall (August - September), Spring (January-May), and Summer (May - August) semester.

Course materials in METEO 101 consist of an online textbook that includes a host of interactive media to assist your learning. The course consists of 12 lessons, which I've partitioned into four units lasting three weeks apiece. Within each unit, each student will complete the assigned lessons and corresponding quizzes, lab exercises, and complete the unit's overarching project. The projects will allow you to apply the concepts you've learned, using real weather cases.

Course Objectives

METEO 101 will establish a solid foundation of atmospheric concepts primarily related to the observation, analysis, and forecasting of mid-latitude weather systems.

When you successfully complete this course, you will be prepared to:

  • Analyze and interpret conventional maps of surface and upper-air data, as well as soundings on a thermodynamic diagram.
  • Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of the basics by which atmospheric observations are taken, both in situ and remotely.
  • Describe the processes by which synoptic-scale weather systems form, grow, and dissipate.
  • Explain the fundamental forces that drive atmospheric motions, both in the horizontal and vertical.
  • Apply the basics underlying weather forecasting and numerical weather prediction to create simple, point-forecasts for basic weather variables.

What I expect of you

On average, most successful students will likely spend at least 8-10 hours each week completing assigned readings and other exercises. Your workload may be a bit more or less depending on your prior experience in online courses and with meteorology in particular.

The Internet might still be a novel learning environment for you, but in one sense it is no different than a traditional college class: how much and how well you learn is ultimately up to you. You will succeed if you are diligent about keeping up with the class schedule, and if you take advantage of opportunities to communicate with me, as well as with your fellow students. It's important to log into the course at least three times a week (on different days) in order to check your course email, the discussion forums, and any course announcements that I've posted on the Resources page.

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Required Course Materials

I emphasize here that all the material contained in the lessons, taken as a whole, will serve as the primary textbook for this course. However, if you desire an optional secondary reference to supplement the online text, I suggest A World of Weather: Fundamentals of Meteorology, Sixth Edition, by Lee M. Grenci and Jon M. Nese. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa. ISBN: 1465298398. (You can order it from Amazon.com if you wish).

It goes without saying that you'll need an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password to access all the online course resources maintained in Canvas. If you have any questions about obtaining or activating your Penn State Access Account, please contact the Help Desk at your home campus.

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Assignments and Grading

Three components will comprise your final grade in METEO 101:

  • Promotion Quizzes - 20%
  • Weekly "Weather Station" assignments - 30%
  • Assigned Projects - 50%

Detailed information about these assignment categories are covered in "Your Assessment" in the Meteo 101 Course Orientation materials.

Below, you will find our approximate grading scale. With regard to the grade divisions, our goal is two-fold. First, I wanted to have a high bar for excellence -- making it truly a challenge for students who desire an "A." On the other hand, I understand that not every student has the same learning goals, and thus I wanted everyone who puts forth a genuine effort to succeed. Indeed, although the course material is challenging, most everyone who sticks with it and gives a solid effort ends up with a "C" or better (in fact, most receive "A"s and "B"s).

Grading Scale
Letter Grade Percentage
A 90-100%
A- 86-89%
B+ 83-85%
B 76-82%
B- 73-75%
C+ 71-72%
C 65-70%
D 55-64%
F 54% and lower

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METEO 101 Course Schedule

See all assignment deadlines on the "Syllabus" page in Canvas or on your Canvas Calendar.
 

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Course Policies

Technical Requirements

For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on the World Campus Technical Requirements page, including the requirements listed for same-time, synchronous communications. If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the IT Service Desk (for World Campus students) or Penn State's IT Help Portal (for students at all other campus locations).

Internet Connection

Access to a reliable Internet connection is required for this course. A problem with your Internet access may not be used as an excuse for late, missing, or incomplete coursework. If you experience problems with your Internet connection while working on this course, it is your responsibility to find an alternative Internet access point, such as a public library or Wi-Fi ® hotspot.

Mixed Content

This site is considered a secure web site, which means that your connection is encrypted. We do, however, link to content that isn't necessarily encrypted. This is called mixed content. By default, mixed content is blocked in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome. This may result in a blank page or a message saying that only secure content is displayed. Follow the directions on our Technical Requirements page to view the mixed content.

Penn State E-mail Accounts

All official communications from Penn State are sent to students' Penn State e-mail accounts. Be sure to check your Penn State account regularly, or forward your Penn State e-mail to your preferred e-mail account, so you don't miss any important information.

Academic Integrity

This course follows the procedures for academic integrity of Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Penn State defines academic integrity as "the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner." Academic integrity includes "a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception." In particular, the University defines plagiarism as "the fabrication of information and citations; submitting others' work from professional journals, books, articles, and papers; submission of other students' papers, lab results or project reports and representing the work as one's own." Penalties for violations of academic integrity may include course failure. To learn more, see Penn State's Academic Integrity Training for Students. 

Course Copyright

All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, and/or liable under Federal and State laws.

For example, uploading completed labs, homework, or other assignments to any study site constitutes a violation of this policy.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Office for Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for Campus Disability Coordinators at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the Office for Student Disability Resources website.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled. You will participate in an intake interview and provide documentation. See documentation guidelines at Applying for Services from Student Disability Resources. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Change in Normal Campus Operations

In case of weather-related delays or other emergency campus disruptions or closures at the University, this online course will proceed as planned. Your instructor will inform you if there are any extenuating circumstances regarding content or activity due dates in the course due to these delays or closures. If you are affected by a weather-related emergency, please contact your instructor at the earliest possible time to make special arrangements.

Reporting Educational Equity Concerns

Penn State takes great pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated (Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance) and can be reported through Educational Equity via Report Bias.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being.  The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings.  These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.  Services include the following:

Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park  (CAPS): 814-863-0395
Counseling Services at Commonwealth Campuses
Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 877-229-6400
Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741

Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Connect Online with Caution

Penn State is committed to educational access for all. Our students come from all walks of life and have diverse life experiences. As with any other online community, the lack of physical interaction in an online classroom can create a false sense of anonymity and security. While one can make new friends online, digital relationships can also be misleading. Good judgment and decision-making are critical when choosing to disclose personal information to others whom you do not know.

Attendance

This course will be conducted entirely online. There will be no set class meeting times, but you will be required to complete weekly assignments with specific due dates. Many of the assignments are open for multiple days, so it is your responsibility to complete the work early if you plan to travel or participate in national holidays, religious observances or University approved activities.

If you need to request an exception due to a personal or medical emergency, contact the instructor directly as soon as you are able. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Deferred Grades

If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time for reasons that are beyond your control, it is possible to have the grade deferred with the concurrence of the instructor, following Penn State Deferred Grade Policy 48-40. To seek a deferred grade, you must submit a written request (by e-mail or U.S. post) to the instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested before the beginning of the final examination period.  It is up to the instructor to determine whether or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If permission is granted, you will work with the instructor to establish a communication plan and a clear schedule for completion within policy.  If, for any reason, the coursework for the deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered on your transcript.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect

Penn State is “committed to creating an educational environment which is free from intolerance directed toward individuals or groups and strives to create and maintain an environment that fosters respect for others” as stated in Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance. All members of this class are expected to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment and to interact with civility.

For additional information, see:

Mandated Reporting Statement

Penn State’s policies require me, as a faculty member, to share information about incidents of sex-based discrimination and harassment (discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation) with Penn State’s Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinators, regardless of whether the incidents are stated to me in person or shared by students as part of their coursework. For more information regarding the University's policies and procedures for responding to reports of sexual or gender-based harassment or misconduct, please visit Penn State's Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Response website.

Additionally, I am required to make a report on any reasonable suspicion of child abuse in accordance with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law.

Disclaimer

Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus can be changed at any time, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. All changes will be communicated to you via e-mail, course announcement and/or course discussion forum.