GEOG 1982: World Regional Geography
Fall Semester 2000
University of Colorado-Boulder
This course serves as an introduction to major topics in world regional geography. A majority of Americans falsely believe that geography is a discipline committed only to map-making and locating specific places. Rather, geography is about exploring how places come to be, how they are related to other places and understanding how places matter. To appreciate this, we will examine specific cases that show how political, social, and economic processes shape the geography of the world around us. This is not merely to gain basic competence in a specific body of knowledge, but rather to understand the geographies that we, and those before us, have created. In addition, we will examine the physical processes that shape diverse geographies around the world and consider the ways that human populations interact with them. Approaching these topics will make us better citizens of the world and prepare us to imagine the geographies that we will create in the future.
Instructor:
Gary L. Gaile
Office: Guggenheim 108A
Office Hours: MWF 12:00-1:00
Phone Number: 492-8310
E-mail: gaile@spot.colorado.edu
Class Hours: MW 1:00-1:50
Classroom: Muenzinger Auditorium
Teaching Assistants Information:
Our class will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. in Muenzinger Auditorium. In addition to lecture sessions, you will have a recitation section that will meet once a week for one hour. You will have a teaching assistant that will direct these sections, which are designed to cover the course materials in more depth and in smaller groups.
We will cover a variety of topics in a short period of time. As a result, it is important that students remain on schedule with course materials and readings. Click below to view an online class syllabus:
Reading
Assignments
The chapters on the syllabus reading list are assigned from the brand new text by Marston, Knox and Liverman which is only available on the web. As a result, we will utilize the Internet to obtain the textbook chapters. You will need a PDF reader in order to download these chapters (most University computers have Adobe Acrobat).
Check out the new Africa maps and pictures online:
RECITATION ASSIGNMENT #1: ORAL ASSIGNMENT DURING THE WEEKS OF OCT. 16th & OCT 23rd.
RECITATION ASSIGNMENT #2: DUE THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 13TH:
Read one of the three books by Pico Iyer, Paul Theroux or Tim Cahill.
Write a two page double-spaced letter to one of the authors telling him
how what you have learned in the course relates to the book you just read
by him. Make sure to include more than one piece from the book by
one of these authors to show the linkages with the course.
There will be a series of map projects which combined are worth 10% of the final course grade. There will be four written or verbal exercises as part of the recitations. Each of these exercises will be worth 10% of the final course grade, and only the top 3 grades will be counted. There will be three mid-term exams (9/27, 11/1, 11/29) and a final exam. Mid-term exams count 15% of the final grade each, however, only the two best mid-term grades count towards the final course grade. The final exam counts 30% of the final course grade and is a cumulative exam covering the entire semester. The exams will be objective. There will be no make-up exams. All material will be handed in and out at recitations.
Grading summary:
| Map exercises | 10 @ 1 point each | 10% |
| Recitation exercises | Best 3 of 4 @ 10 points each | 30% |
| Mid-Term exams | Best 2 of 3 @ 15 points each | 30% |
| Final Exam | 1 and only 1 @ 30 points | 30% |
| Final Grade: 100% |
Map
Projects
Map projects consist of completing map assignments and turning them in on the due date. Complete the assignment specified for each region on the blank maps, put your name on them and hand them in to your Teaching Assistant (TA) during recitations. Each student will be allowed one and only one free late assignment (subsequent lates can only earn half credit). Each map project is graded on a 1= adequate, 0= inadequate basis for the whole assignment. Students may repeat one and only one zero-grade (inadequate) assignment for no penalty (subsequent do-overs may receive a maximum of half credit). Maps must be neatly completed the day they are due. Some slight modifications of map assignments may be specified in class. These are SIMPLE projects are are intended to serve a remedial function.
Due Dates
Week of:
Region
Sept. 11
Western Europe
Sept. 18
Eastern Europe & Russia
Oct. 2
North America
Oct. 16
Latin America
Oct. 23
Sub-Saharan Africa
Nov. 6
North Africa & Middle East
Nov. 13
China
Nov. 20
South Asia
Nov. 27
South East Asia
Dec. 4
Australia & Oceania
Because of printing problems, there are now separate pages for the assignments and the maps. The maps are now saved as PDF files, so you will need Adobe Acrobat to open them. Follow the links to each of these:
2/
Eastern Europe
Map of Eastern
Europe
Recitation Materials on Post-Soviet Union
3/
North America
Map of North America
4/
Latin
America
South America map
Central America
map
5/Sub-Saharan
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa map
6/
North Africa & Middle East
North Africa map
Middle East map
9/
South East Asia
South East Asia map
10/
Australia & Oceania
Australia map
Oceania map
