GEOG 400W Environment and DevelopmentFall 2016Thursday, 4:20 – 7:00pmBAL 1004CRN 16497

Catalog Description: Advanced study of a specialized topic in geography. The choice of the topic may vary according to the availability of faculty expertise and student interest. This is a writing intensive course. This course may be repeated once provided it is a different topic and with the permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in ENGL 211 or ENGL 221c or ENGL 231c. GEOG 100s or GEOG 101s, or permission of the instructor.

Course Objectives: To examine the multifaceted interface of built and natural environments and their impacts on human progress at spatial and temporal scales. To assess human / environment interactions at various levels of development. To analyze case studies on human health impacts, environmental degradation, and the struggle to provide for the growing world population while balancing environmental limits on resource extraction, chemical release, and waste production on the local level.

Course Warning: This is a 400 level course. A strong understanding of environmental and or human geography is expected before starting this course. The ability to write clearly for scientific outlets is also needed for success. These topics and skills will be built upon, but there is not time to review basics. If you feel that your grasp on these areas are weak or you have not completed the prerequisites please discuss your course selection with the instructor before the end of add drop week. Although the class is an elective, it is not an easy A. To keep up with the fast pace of this course you must be willing to adhere to strict schedules for reading and writing deadlines. Failure to complete course readings will have detrimental results on your outcome. As a W course this course is writing intensive. At least 51% of the grade comes from writing activities including: essay exams, the term paper, and assignments leading up to the term paper.

Instructor: Dr. Nicole S. Hutton

Office: BAL 7012

Telephone: 757-683-3947

Email: nhuttons@odu.edu

Office Hours: Tuesday 9:30 to 10:30am, Thursday 2:30-4:00pm, and by appointment

Victoria Falls run-off. Photo credit: Christopher R. Lewis

Textbook: The required text for this course is available in the bookstore but may be purchased through an alternate book provider. Only one book is required for this course. Two other books are on reserve at the ODU Library for various assignments. These books may be checked out for three hours at a time for the completion of the assigned readings but may not leave the library. Two copies of each book are available. You are welcome to purchase these books for your own further learning but they are not available in the book store and not required in their entirety for this course.

Required – Big World Small Planet: Abundance within Planetary Boundaries Rockstrom / KlumOn Reserve – Down to Earth: Natures Role in American History SteinbergThe Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It

Collier

Course Evaluation:

Exams – will be taken in class. Answers should be provided in essay format (write until you have fully answered each question within the time limit). Content will come from the chapters and lectures associated with that section of the course material. If you fail to attend class for the exam period without contacting the instructor in advance with a valid and documented health, religious, or loss related reason, no credit will be received. No make-up exams will be offered without advanced notice and evidence of an excusable event. Exam dates are as follows:

Exam 1 October 20 Exam 2 December 15

Case Studies – will be distributed at the beginning of class and must be returned at the end of the class period. Case studies may be completed in groups of three to four students. All students’ names must appear on the answer sheet. If a case study is missed without advanced notice and evidence of an excusable event no credit will be received. Should a valid documented reason be provided to the instructor in advance, arrangements will be made for the student to complete the assignment for full credit. Case studies occur on:

September 1 September 15 September 29 November 10

Research Topic Justification – should be 1 to 2 pages (double spaced, Times New Roman size 12, 1 inch margins) and include a description of your research topic, the problem statement that makes this topic worth researching, and the relationship to environmental geography and development. Topics are selected by each student individually but must be clearly related to environmental science, geography, and development. This is due on:

October 13

Annotated Bibliography – should include 6 to 8 sources (double spaced, Times New Roman size 12, 1 inch margins). Peer reviewed articles are the preferred source selection, however, strong pieces from newspapers, books, and other media outlets may be considered. Citations are to appear in Chicago Style and be followed by a paragraph or two of explanation including: a summary of the source’s methods and findings, the relevance of the source to your research, the utility of the source in the field, and the validity of the source. The due date is:

November 3

Peer Reviewed Executive Summary – will be 3 to 5 pages (double spaced, Times New Roman size 12, 1 inch margins). Summaries must include an introduction to your topic, the relevance of the work to the field, a brief methodology, your thesis statement, a discussion based on the key sources on the topic, and your preliminary conclusions. Strong or revised summaries can be used word for word in your term paper. The merit of your summary will be determined by your peers, who will read, correct, and comment on them in class on November 17. The grade will be for completion of the summary and peer review of your classmates papers. If you are unable to attend class on this date due to an excused absence alternate arrangements will be made for review. An unexcused absence will result in and immediate grade reduction to half credit for the assignment. The due date is:

Exams: (2 @ 15% each) 30%Case Studies: (4 @ 5% each) 20%Research Topic Justification: 5% Annotated Bibliography: 15%Peer Reviewed Executive Summary: 10%Term Paper: 20%_____________________________

Total possible grade: 100%

November 17

Term Paper – will be 12 to 15 pages (double spaced, Times New Roman size 12, 1 inch margins). Section headings are desirable. A minimum of 8 citations are required. Citations, tables, and figures do not count toward the page number. This paper must make a strong argument for a case study or compare multiple cases wherein geography influenced the environment and development interactions of an area. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in a grade of F for the assignment. If you have any concerns or questions about plagiarism please contact the instructor in advance of the due date to prevent misuse. Late assignments will have a letter grade deducted for each day past the deadline unless accommodations have been made with the instructor in advance. The due date is:

December 8

Course Policies:

Attendance – is not formally a part of your grade, however, failure to attend class will result in poor performance on exams, quizzes, and reflections. Not all of the content of the exams is from the book and lecture notes may require further explanation to ensure mastery of the concept. Further, it is ODU policy that students are expected to attend every meeting of their classes. You are expected to attend class and arrive on-time and stay through the end of the class period. Classes will not meet on the following dates:

October 27 – Professional Conference November 24 – Thanksgiving Break

Grade Scale – Grades will not be rounded up in this course.

A 93-100 A- 90-92.9

B+ 87-89.9 B 83-86.9 B- 80-82.9

C+ 77-79.9 C 73-76.9 C- 70-72.9

D+ 67-69.9 D 63-66.9 D- 60-62.9

F 59.9 and under

Honor Code – The Old Dominion University Honor Code is in effect at all times in this class. Your name on an exam, paper, or assignment constitutes your acceptance of the Honor Code: “I pledge to support the Honor System of Old Dominion University. I will refrain from any form of dishonesty or deception such as lying, cheating, and plagiarism, which are honor violations. I am further

Nairobi Market Photo credit: Christopher R. Lewis

Kenyan Tea Farm. Photo credit: Christopher R. Lewis

aware that as a member of the academic community it is my responsibility to turn in all suspected violators of the Honor System. I will report to an Honor Council hearing as summoned.”

Plagiarism – “A student will have committed plagiarism if he or she reproduces someone else’s work without acknowledging the source; or if a source is cited which the student has not cited or used. Examples of plagiarism include: submitting a research paper obtained from a commercial research service, the Internet, or from another student as if it were original work; making simple changes to borrow material while leaving the organization, content, or phraseology intact; or copying material from a source, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out quotation marks. Plagiarism also occurs in a group project if one or more members of the group does none of the group’s work and participates in none of the group’s activities, but attempts to take credit for the work of the group.” Plagiarism is not tolerated in this class. (For more information: https://www.odu.edu/content/dam/odu/col-dept/al/docs.about-plagiarism2.pdf)

Students with Special Needs – In compliance with PL94-142 and federal legislation affirming the rights of disabled individuals, provisions will be made for students with special needs on an individual basis. The student must be identified as “special needs” by the university and provide a letter from the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA). Any accommodations will be based upon written guidelines from the OEA. All students are expected to fulfill all course requirements.

Email – Students are required to use valid Old Dominion University email accounts to send official information and notices and are held responsible for accessing electronic mail to obtain official University communications. Students should use their secure ODU email account to communicate with professors.

Sexual Harassment – Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcomed and unsolicited conduct of a sexual nature, physical or verbal, by a member of the opposite sex or the same sex. Sexual harassment in any situation is prohibited. It is the policy of Old Dominion University to provide students and employees with an environment for learning and working which is free of sexual harassment whether by members of the same sex or opposite sex, which is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title VII of the 1963 Civil Rights Act. For more information: http://www.odu.edu/ao/polnproc/pdfs/6320.pdf

Withdrawal – Your participation in this course indicates your acceptance of this teaching focus, requirements, and policies. Please review the syllabus and the course requirements as soon as possible. If you believe that the nature of this course does not meet your interests, needs or expectations, if you are not prepared for the amount of work involved or if you anticipate the class meetings, assignment deadlines, or abiding by the course policies will constitute an unacceptable hardship for you, you should drop the course by the drop/add deadline, which is located in the ODU schedule of classes. The last day to drop without a W is November 8.

Course Evaluations – Course evaluations are submitted online. You will be notified by email when you should evaluate this course. The link to the Course Evaluation System (under Academic Resources) is available at the university homepage: www.odu.edu. You will need your UIN and password. Please take time to evaluate this course when asked to do so. All evaluations are anonymous.

Final Grades – Instructors are not permitted to give out grades via telephone or email. In order to find out what grade you earned in this course, you must go to LeoOnline at the university home page www.leoonline.edu. You will need your UIN and password.

Career Management Center – The Career Management Center offers a Career Advantage Program, which provides opportunities to gain work experience related to your major through internships, cooperative education or practical experience outside the classroom. The College of Arts and Letters has career coaches to assist in this process by providing help with resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, and interviewing skills. You may stop by the office BAL 1006 (tel. 757-683-4388) or email cmc@odu.edu for more information. Their website is http://www.odu.edu/ao/cmc/index.php.

Schedule: (may be subject to change)

Date Chapters and Assignments9/1 Big World Small Planet Chapter 1 / Mystery of the Blue Death Case Study9/8 Big World Small Planet Chapter 2

9/15 Polychlorinated Biphenyls Case Study9/22 Big World Small Planet Chapter 39/29 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Case Study 10/6 Big World Small Planet Chapter 410/13 Bottom Billion pages 3-13 and 175-195 / Research Topic Justification Due10/20 Mid-term Exam10/27 No Class / Down to Earth selections from Chapters 1, 4, and 711/3 Down to Earth selections from Chapter 13 / Annotated Bibliography Due11/10 Mountain Top Removal Case Study 11/17 Big World Small Planet Chapters 5 and 6 / Executive Summary Peer Review11/24 No Class12/1 Big World Small Planet Chapters 7 and 812/8 Big World Small Planet Chapter 9 and Afterward / Final Paper Due12/15 Final Exam 3:45 – 6:45pm