WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY - GEOG 200–Fall 2011
INSTRUCTOR: Lee Ann Hagan
Office: Aspen 126Hours: MWF 10:00-10:50
Phone: 732-6867 TR 10:50-11:50
& by appointment
CSI Mission Statement: The College of Southern Idaho, a comprehensive community college, provides quality educational, social, cultural, economic, and workforce development opportunities that meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. CSI prepares students to lead enriched, productive and responsible lives in a global society.
General Education Criteria: This course satisfies all eight criteria for general education. It is designed to:
1.Provide a broad-based survey of a discipline and show the interconnectedness of knowledge.
2.Develop a discerning individual.
3.Practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
4.Promote awareness of social and cultural diversity in order to appreciate the commonality of mankind.
5.Foster the balance between individual needs and the demands of society.
6.Reinforce reading, writing, speaking, and/or quantitative skills.
7.Encourage and inspire life-long learning.
8.Encourage creativity.
Social Science Department Goals: This course also addresses the following Social Science Department goals which are as follows:
1.Help students understand important facts, concepts, and theories of Social Science subjects.
2.Help students acquire techniques and methods used to gain new knowledge in the disciplines.
3.Help students learn to distinguish between fact and opinion.
4.Teach students to use evaluation, analysis, and synthesis to interpret and solve problems.
5.Teach students to use different perspectives from the social sciences to make better-informed decisions.
6.Help students acquire an informed understanding of various cultures.
7.Prepare students to transfer to a university.
Geography Program Goals: this course is based upon the following Geography Program Goals:
- To provide students with a survey of geography subject matter including maps, geographic vocabulary and geographic thought
- To allow opportunities to examine sub-disciplines of geography
- To create a geographic context for understanding all other disciplines
- To promote comprehension of world-wide diversity
- To enable students to use reading writing and critical thinking to interpret the knowledge of the world
Geography 200 Catalog Course Description: A survey of major world regions as bound together by environment, economics, culture, and politics. Includes consideration of world resource patterns and problems.
Course outcomes align with GE criteria (GE), Social Science Goals (SS), and Geography Objectives (Geog):
Students will . . . / GE / SS / Geogunderstand the basic terminology of World Geography. / 1, 2, 3, 6 / 1, 2, 3, 4 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
be able to critically interpret and articulate thoughts about World Geography. / 1, 3, 5, 6 / 1, 2, 3, 4 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
apply course concepts in a personal and everyday context. / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 / 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Outcomes Assessment: The effort referred to as "Outcomes Assessment" is intended to address whether and how your experience in this course has been effective in achieving the General Education and Social Science objectives as stated above.
PreTest: World and Regional Geography is a survey course, meaning a central focus of the course is on the acquisition of a broad knowledge base regarding geography. On the first day of class you will take a comprehensive map exam (Pre). When you take each of the following exams for the semester, I will compare your performance to look for actual improvement. Other informal assessments, including quizzes, will be part of normal classroom participation intending to identify changes in learning and perspectives. The results of these informal assessments will be used to encourage further classroom discussion.
Assessment Methods: Alignment with course outcomes with course assessment methods.
Objective Exams / Essay Questions / Short Papers / Practice Quizzes / Attendance Bonus / Maps1 / / / / /
2 / / / / /
3 / / / / /
Course Description: This course is a survey or outline of the world. We will examine the world through a series of homogeneous areas known as realms. Our focus will be on "place" with discussions of culture, politics, history, economics and the environment and also includes consideration of world resource patterns and political problems. Each student can add to this course by sharing your own distinctive background and knowledge. This syllabus is intentionally brief, but will be added to each week with sets of chapter handouts. In addition this course will meet the following requirements:
TEXT: DeBlij, H. J., Muller, Peter O., Nijman Jan, WinklerPrins, Antoinette M. G. A., (Brief 5thed.)
The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY
GRADES: Grades will be earned based on a point scale similar to the following:
Class Assignments and Quizzes / 100 pts*Practice Exam / 50 pts.
Map Assignments / 50 pts.
1st Exam / 100 pts.
2nd Exam / 100 pts.
3rd Exam / 100 pts.
4th Exam / 100 pts.
TOTAL / 600 pts.
Plus Extra Credit
*The Practice Exam covers the Introductory Chapter only. This chapter covers material discussed throughout the semester and is important in understanding the entire text. This exam counts towards your total grade only if it has a positive impact. Completed exams must be returned after an in-class review. Students will receive a “0” for exams that are not returned.
I award extra credit points for maps that are complete and on time and for current events. These points will be added to the corresponding exam. Points are taken away when map assignments are late or missing. Some maps and current events will be assigned and graded as part of the point total listed above. An international report (optional) is worth 10 pts. extra credit. (Maps and assignments will not be accepted if more than 2 weeks late.) If an assignment is turned in late there will be a point deduction. NO INCOMPLETE (I) WILL BE GIVEN IN THIS COURSE! Students who are no longer attending class are responsible for withdrawing by the end of the 6th week or an "F" grade will be given.
Each exam may be partially comprehensive regarding major concepts. Unannounced "quizzes" will be given at any time on any day (these cannot be made up). Missed quizzes will result in point reduction from the corresponding exam. You are encouraged to visit with the instructor during office hours or by special arrangement, particularly if you are having difficulty with the material in this course. You can schedule an appointment by writing your name in the highlighted times posted on the schedule outside my office door or you may speak to me by phone. Have a very rewarding and enjoyable semester.
SUGGESTED COURSE OUTLINE
TOPIC & SUGGESTED EXAM SCHEDULECHAPTER
Intro – World Regional Geography (Practice Exam)Introduction
Population GeographyChapter 8A (322-327)
Europe - Exam 11A, 1B (10A- 404-405)
Russia and Transcaucasia – Quiz2A, 2B
North America3A, 3B
The Austral Realm – Exam 211 (426-443)
The Korean Peninsula, Japan, Taiwan–Quiz9B (378-387)
Middle America4A, 4B
South America - Exam 35A, 5B
Subsaharan Africa6A, 6B
North Africa/Southwest Asia- Exam 47A, 7B
*IF TIME*
South Asia 8A, 8B Partial
East Asia 9A, 9B Partial
Southeast Asia and the Pacific Realm10,12
On-line Course Evaluation: Students are strongly encouraged to complete evaluations at the end of the course. Evaluations are very important to assist the teaching staff to continually improve the course. Evaluations are available online at: Evaluations open up two weeks prior to the end of the course. The last day to complete an evaluation is the last day of the course. During the time the evaluations are open, students can complete the course evaluations at their convenience from any computer with Internet access, including in the open lab in the Library and in the SUB. When students log in they should see the evaluations for the courses in which they are enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous. Filling out the evaluation should only take a few minutes. Your honest feedback is greatly appreciated!
Student Disabilities:Any student with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services, students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first opportunity after registration for a class. Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the Taylor Building on the Twin Falls Campus. 208.732.6260 (voice) or 208.734.9929 (TTY), or e-mail. .
CSI E-mail: Since email is the primary source of written communication with students, all registered CSI students get a college email account. Student e-mail addresses have the following format: <address>@eaglemail.csi.edu where <address> is a name selected by the student as a part of activating his/her account. Students activate their accounts and check their CSI e-mail online at Instructors and various offices send messages to these student accounts.Students must check their CSI e-mail accounts regularly to avoid missing important messages and deadlines. At the beginning of each semester free training sessions are offered to students who need help in using their accounts.