Syllabus CCD  Geography 105 - World Regional Geography

Class Meets:

Instructor

Dr. Paul Roebuck
campus box 850, PO box 173363 Denver, CO 80217 3363

Email

paul.roebuck@ccd.edu

Voicemail

303 352 3102

Office                    

King Center 583

Office Hours: 

11:30-12:30 M-Th or by appointment

Website

http://www.roebuckclasses.com/105

Snow Day #:

303 556 2401 

Help Desk

1-877-725-4357

"As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer. However, while working in the customs office I thought deeply about the matter and concluded it was too difficult a subject. With some reluctance I then turned to physics as a substitute." - Albert Einstein

Course Description:

Geography is the study of processes that change the earth and the world that results. In this course we will consider how geographers understand regions of our world. To do this, we will examine environmental characteristics, historical events, cultural beliefs, as well as the political and economic processes that interactively generate regions. We will emphasize how the earth’s natural and human diversity produces varied landscapes from local to global scales. 

Throughout the course we shall stress empirical and theoretical knowledge, exploring this knowledge through a combination of lectures, discussions, readings, maps, news analysis and cooperative learning exercises that promote critical thinking. Your progress will be assessed through tests, papers, reports, exercises and class participation.

We will span the globe in fourteen weeks - an exercise in breadth in lieu of depth. In addition to the regional treatment, key global issues such as international cooperation and conflict, environmental degradation, population growth, and globalization will be examined.

 

 

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course you should be able to:

 

Why Study Geography?

(beyond gaining core credit ... )

Geography is the attempt to make sense of what you see out the window. What is the world, how can we understand it and how did it get to be that way? It is characterization of places in the world: urban places, rural places, wild places — real and imaginary — current, past and future. It is also the study of the processes that create places: geological, climatic, biological, evolutionary, cultural, historical, political, and economic. At a fundamental level, Geography asks questions such as: What are those places and people over there really like? Why do they do what they do? How did they come to be as they are? What will they be like in the future? 

We don’t just describe patterns in the world that we observe and can map. When we describe Others, we also critique those Others and then reflect back on and critique ourselves. The ultimate purpose of a social science is a kind of self-knowledge. The more we understand about Others, the more we understand about ourselves. And that is our purpose — We seek critical self-understanding that comes from knowing where we are in relation to Others - other people, other places, Nature as Other-than-human. By understanding regions of the world, students acquire a richer appreciation of the possibilities for the present and future and an insight into the past.

Intellectual growth entails the development of academic skills. Effective reading, writing, thinking; analysis and synthesis of concepts; and an understanding of key places, events, ideas and forces that have shaped the world — all contribute to the education the College seeks to provide. Gaining insight into the development of the world, students expand their basis for understanding themselves and shaping their worlds and a reference point for respecting the autonomous development of other places and cultures.

 

Textbook

Required:  Contemporary World Regional Geography, Global Connections, Local Voices by Bradshaw, White and Diamond, 2004, 1st edition, McGraw Hill, New York.  ISBN:0-07-254975-0

It comes bundled with Rand McNally Atlas of World Geography 

Recommended: Student web page for World Regional Geography    http://www.mhhe.com/bradshaw

The Best Student Atlas is Rand McNally Goode's World Atlas (Goode's World Atlas, 20th edition) This is an excellent student atlas and will be useful for the rest of your life. It is a good investment. It is available used from Amazon for $18.00.
 

Class Procedures

This course combines independent reading and research, class discussion and special assignments. Students are invited to ask questions at any time in class, in online discussion or via email. 

Success in this course depends on participation. Come to each class prepared to question and discuss the issues at hand. Assigned readings must be completed prior to class. Keep good notes - it is your responsibly to be able to argue pro and con on the major discussion points.

To aide you in this, check out the reading reaction questions, the online discussion questions, and the online lectures for each of the course segments. These questions will highlight some of the important aspects of each topic keeping in mind our goal of understanding various ways of knowing about the world.

Tips for Success

Have fun, be creative, do the reading, attend class, keep good notes, do your assignments, turn your work in on time. 

Take time to study and compare maps, figures and tables in each chapter. Pay close attention to the list of terms and concepts in each chapter. Knowing the meaning of these terms and how to apply them will greatly improve your test scores as well as ground you in important geographical concepts.  

At various times during the semester, I may have you write very short position papers in class on issues under discussion so you must keep up with your assignments.

In addition, we may work in groups on cooperative learning exercises that involve group problem solving, consensus building and presentations. Plan time to work with your partners.

Late assignments, make-ups, retakes, and incomplete

If you have an emergency and cannot complete an assignment on time, discuss your need with the instructor (preferably in advance). In general, no late assignments or make-ups will be allowed. However, there are extenuating circumstances, so explain your situation. You must seek the approval of your instructor in advance for an incomplete, and justify your request with a validated medical emergency or a severe personal crisis. Incompletes are given if the student has completed the majority of the work for the course, has been unable to complete all of it for a valid reason, and will pass the course if they are given an opportunity to complete the required work within a specified time period.

Changing Grades

No one is perfect. Sometimes test questions are ambiguous or wrong. Graders make errors. I encourage you to challenge your grade on any assignment or test if you feel your efforts were graded incorrectly, but you must do so within one week of an assignment's return date.

 Special Need

If you have a learning or physical need, please let me know about any accommodations you would like me to make after the first class. CCD has support services available to assist you in your academic success.

Academic Honesty

Academic Misconduct

Any student who breaks the college's code of conduct and is found culpable after due process, will receive an "F" in the course.

Academic misconduct comprises scholastic dishonesty or class misconduct.

Scholastic dishonesty includes cheating in assignments; plagiarizing (misrepresenting as one's own anything done by another); depriving another of necessary course materials; or sabotaging another's work.

Class misconduct is disrupting or disrespectful behavior in class. Denigrating comments, reading newspapers during presentations, rude disruptions, online harassment and persistent tardiness are examples of class misconduct.  Either scholastic or class misconduct is grounds for dismissal from the course. Please avoid it.

Copying from the book, the Internet, or another student without citing your source and using quotation marks is plagiarism.  

You should cite your source and rephrase the information in your own words. You can not ethically pass off someone else's work as your own.

From the CCD Code of Conduct: Admission to the Community College of Denver implies that you agree to respect the rights of others and observe moral and civil laws.  Interference with the normal processes of education in the classroom or elsewhere on the campus will be regarded as unacceptable conduct, warranting suspension or dismissal. Disciplinary proceedings for violations of standards of conduct are the responsibility of the Vice President for Student Services.

Assignments and Grading

Follow the Course Outline

Each week

  1. read a chapter of the text and answer the reading reaction questions due the first class of the week

  2. you will have a map quiz due the second class of the week

  3. turn in one "in the news" assignment for extra credit

Assignment Schedule

Assignments

Due Date

 Points
 

Sec 1

Sec 2

 Reading Reaction questions   see Calendar 12 x 10 = 120
 Map Quizzes   see Calendar 10 x 10 = 100
I drop the lowest map quiz and reading reaction quiz scores =  -20
 Extra Credit Current world affairs news article 

 maximum1 per week

 5
 World Affairs Group in class activity 8/20 8/21 10
 Atlas Exercise in-class activity  8/25  8/26 10
 Locating Vernacular regions in-class activity   9/8 9/9 10
 Midterm Examination  10/1  10/2 15
 Aurarialand in-class activity   10/29 10/30 10
 Term Project  11/17  11/18  20
 Final Examination  11/19 11/20 15
 Class Participation 50

 

Discussion

As we speak, so we are. We all know all kinds of things. However, to know things as a scholar one needs to reflect, analyze, and critique one's own knowledge and what one reads and hears from others. We learn a lot through communicating. When we articulate and express our ideas to others, we gain clarity about  what we believe and know. In hearing how others react to what we write and say, and learning from it, we gain  insight and can deepen and expand our knowledge. So discussion is a very important part of learning. Therefore, discussion is a large part of your grade in this class.

Nobody likes a slacker. I will allow for shyness, but you need to make an effort to express your ideas and react to the statements of others. It is a very important part of the learning process. Traditional classroom students will be graded on their participation in classroom discussion and be given extra credit for their participation in online discussion. 

 

What You Should Know

I've been advised that "everything" is not the proper answer here. :-)

The What You Should Know page for each study section is not what you should know before the class, but rather what I think you should know once you've finished the class.

As students, we take it for granted that we should know whatever it takes to pass the exam, but  learning is not about exams. It is  important for you as the student to have some sense of what out of the great flood of information you will learn is central or crucial.

In that spirit, I offer for each section a simple page. The idea is that if you have learned what I intend for you to learn, then you should be able to speak or write at least something, at least somewhat coherently, on each of the items there.

Used another way, if you find at the end of the section that there are one or more points that just flat doesn't ring a bell, then you ought to go back and review the sources, because we really did touch on each of them.

Web Lectures

On the class website are lectures about major topics. These are not required reading for classroom students but they will cover material from class that will be on the midterm and final. They are the basis for most classroom lectures.

Paths

Paths are trails you can explore. A common comment I get is that students have a hard time thinking of things to talk about in discussion or write on for their papers. If you find yourself in such a position, go explore one of the Paths. I've selected ones that can be followed in some depth on the Internet, though if you really get interested you will want to go visit the library too.

The Paths are not an assignment. They are simply a convenient packaging of information, along with some comments and questions  to help you in your exploration.

Technical Help

System Requirements:

This site works best with a browser equivalent to Netscape Navigator (version 4.0 or above) or Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 4.0 or above). In addition, some resources require Macromedia Shockwave Player (version 7.0 or above), Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4.0 or above), Apple Quicktime (version 4.0 or above) or Java plug-ins. 

Browsing

Make a new folder for this course.  For Internet Explorer, you would go to Favorites, Organize Favorites, and then click on the Create Folder button.  If you want to get really organized, make sub-folders inside that for each section of the course (human, physical, Russia, Europe, etc.).

When you are out browsing, add to your favorites list liberally. You can always go back after the class is over and delete them, but it's often impossible to remember where that useful site was you found two weeks ago.  Even the history list will be of only limited usefulness in that case.

Remember that, when adding a new site, you can change the name.  Whatever is on that input line is what will appear in your favorites list.  If the title is too long or too cryptic, change it to something meaningful. 

If you find a site you think is good, and you want to tell the class about it, go to the page you want to cite. Highlight the address shown in the Location line of your browser. Copy that by pressing Ctrl-C (=Edit, Copy) once the address is highlighted.

Now switch over to Discussion Board and start a message. When you get to the part where you want to cite the address, press Ctrl-V (=Edit, Paste). You should see the address get pasted directly into your message. This works equally well when you want to cite an on-line source in a report--just paste it into your word processor.

Need to find something and wonder what the Net has on the subject? Try one of the search engines available. Remember that every search engine has its own peculiar rules for entering a search, so take a few minutes to visit each one's Help screens.

I'm not going to go into those details here. Here you should only know that the same search string is going to yield different results at different search sites, so you can't really say you've looked thoroughly until you have checked at more than one. I use Hotbot and Dogpile most often, followed by AltaVista, Google, NorthernLights (which lets you filter for higher ed sites only) and Yahoo  (remember that a search there normally only searches Yahoo's own pages).  Excite and Lycos form a kind of backup crew.

Online Discussion

Take time to read the online Help for Blackboard. It's reasonably clear and will answer some of your questions quickly.

Introduction to Discussion Boards, Accessing Discussion Boards, Creating a New Message

If you have problems, email or call me. I will try to help.

Attachments

Make sure your attachment file is in the right format (HTML, Word, RTF, or plain text are the only formats I accept).  If you are worried about the procedure, feel free to ask me to confirm receipt of the document.

When you save your file, make sure your name is in the document itself and include your initials in the file name. Example: pr_senseofplacepaper.doc

If you have suggestions for things to add to this tip sheet, please email me.

 

Tips on Distance Learning 

— Email your instructor immediately and introduce yourself. Look for a reply to be sure you are communicating

— Call Dr. Roebuck 303 352 3102 if you cannot access your course on the first day of classes.

— Print the syllabus and keep it in a notebook for reference when studying off-line.

— Get your PIN number from an advisor, the registration office, or the Distance Learning Office.

— This is NOT an open-entry/open-exit course. You must start on your start date and finish at the end of the semester.

— Call the help desk if you experience technical problems: 1-877-725-4357 (toll free)

— Be sure to sign all messages with your name, class number (i.e., Geo 105), and email address.

— Be sure your email address is correct in Blackboard. Did you receive an acknowledgement from the instructor?
  

What should I do if my teacher doesn’t respond to my email?

1. Don't panic! Allow time for the response. Teachers should respond within 48 hours during the week.

2. Make sure your email account is working. Ask a friend to send you a message.

3. Check the Announcements page in your course. Your teacher may have an illness, family emergency, or may be traveling. Frequently teachers leave a message in the announcements area to indicate when he/she will have access to email again.

4. Change technologies. Try calling your teacher. In the majority of cases, the problem is a technical one in which email doesn’t get through for one reason or another.

5. Call Jeanne Stroh at 303-556-6304.

 

Acknowledgements

All of us owe a debt of gratitude to scholars who have come before us. I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Phil Porter, my major professor, Fred Lukermann, Bill Cunningham, Ward Barrett and colleagues, Bill Lynn and Paul Phifer for their advice and support.

Maps come from many sources. There are a number of maps from Tony Belmonte's Historical Atlas of Europe and the Middle East. Unfortunately Tony has disappeared from the web and I have not been able to track him down for permissions. My copies of Belmone's maps were graciously provide by Lynn Nelson, professor emeritus of the University of Kansas.

Materials for online lectures come from many sources including Ken Foote, the Virtual Geography Department, Michael Curry, Susan L. Woodward, D. J. Huebner, Matt Rosenberg, Emma R. M. Archer, Billie L. Turner II, the Hands On Project, Lydia Mihelic Pulsipher, Lester Rowntree, Elizabeth C. Dunn, Shannon Crum, H. J. de Blij, Peter Muller, Robert E. Ford, Gil Latz, William Rainey, Chuck Ziehr, USGS, USDA, UNESCO, FAO, About.com, Wiley, McGraw Hill, Prentice Hall, among others.

Checking "properties" will show the sources of many objects.