geog101/poli104 world regional geographypolisci.cofc.edu/syllabi/poli104longsp17.pdf ·...

GEOG101/POLI104 World Regional Geography, spring 2017 1

Department of Political Science College of Charleston Spring 2017

GEOG101/POLI104 World Regional Geography Instructor: Mark Long Lectures: Tuesday/Thursday 12.15-1.30 pm; ECTR 118 Office Hours: Tuesday/Wednesday 2-3.45pm Room 102, 26 Coming St. Other times by appointment – E-mail: [email protected]; Tel.: 953-1883 Required Reading: 1. Jan Nijman et al. 2016. The World Today: Concepts and Regions in

Geography (7th edition) Hoboken: Wiley. 2. The New York Times (see below).

Course Description: Regional Geography builds on an understanding of the physical geography of a region to understand human society there, and so arrive at a holistic appreciation of life in the region. Oftentimes, the physical landscape itself provides us with natural (or at least convenient) boundaries, and regional geographers avail of these at different scales from mountain valleys to continents. In the absence of such lines of demarcation between human societies, we use the concept of culture to divide human populations. Culture is a combination of attributes which characterizes a population, and it is fundamental in defining regions in regional geography. This course is focused on the physical and human geographies of regions around the world. These regions are increasingly interconnected through what we often call globalization (and we’ll investigate this term), just one of a series of tools from the geographer’s toolbox that we will use over the semester to make sense of our world.

World regional geography (WRG) will serve as a comprehensive introduction to the regional geographic perspective. It will build on initial study of geographic concepts to travel east from Europe and consider the major regions of the world. It will be of particular interest to students curious about the world beyond North America, as we will dedicate the semester to understanding places distant from the US first, before visiting our home region to, ideally, rediscover it with our new knowledge and perspectives. Video, PowerPoint and other media will be used in class to illustrate the questions we discuss.

Course Objectives: The course objectives are #1 to familiarize students with the world’s rich regional geography through course readings, lecture, classroom discussion, multimedia presentations , and daily newspaper readings; #2 to develop students’ geographic toolkit by studying, analyzing and applying geographic concepts in the world’s regions. General Education Student Learning Outcome: “Students apply social science concepts, models or theories to explain human behavior, social interactions or social institutions.” This learning outcome will be specifically assessed through the Geographic Concepts in the NYT papers (see below).

World Regional Geography will stand you in good stead both over the course of your time at


the College of Charleston and into the future in the challenge to make sense of the world around us, connections between places, and the dynamics of changing places. (Hopefully, you will equip yourselves with the tools to fill in some of the kantunnerstans in all of our mental maps…)

Exams and Grading: Grades in WRG will be determined out of a total of 500 points. The grading scale will be as follows: A: 93-100%, A-: 90-92, B+: 88-89, B: 83-87, B-: 80-82, C+: 78-79, C: 73-77, C-: 70-72, D+: 68-69, D: 63-67, D-: 60-62. 59 percent or less will constitute a failing grade. There are 3 components to your grade. Please be advised that poor performance in any of these components will most likely cost you at least half a letter grade.

1. There will be 3 exams in this course (64% course points). a. Exams will cover material presented both in the text and in class (this

includes multimedia presentations on the world’s regions). b. Key to doing well in WRG is engaging the textbook in anticipation of

class. This will prime you for our in-class explorations of dimensions to life in, say, the Pacific region or China; and will also broaden your appreciation for life in all of the world’s regions beyond our class discussions.

c. You should generate a set of notes from your reading Nijman’s chapters and so too from your time in class. These will be centrally important in revising for exams. Be advised that students typically are distracted by


using laptops for note taking – you will do better in this class if you take notes by hand from the text and in class.

d. Exams 1 and 2 will be worth 100 points each and will consist of 30 multiple choice questions each worth 2 points, an essay question (choice of 2) worth 20 points, and a map quiz (20 points).

e. The purpose of the multiple choice section in the exam is primarily to test your comprehension of key geographic concepts; for example, environmental determinism, nationalism, or centripetal forces.

f. The essay questions will require you to apply those concepts to places we have studied over the semester and synthesize information about the world’s regions.

g. The map quiz responds to the logic of developing your world map, but so too to the need to pay close attention to the maps in your textbook as you are reading the book chapters (see Nijman’s Introduction, p. 4, “A world on maps”).

h. In exams 1 and 2 the map quiz will require the identification of ten features in one of the regions covered for a total of 20 points (10x2) in this section. None of the exams or sections will be cumulative, except for the map quiz for the final examination (an incentive to beef up on your world map from the get-go). Exam#3 will follow the same format as the other exams, except that here the map quiz will cover all of the regions studied in the course, and you will be required to identify 20 features here, for a total of 120 points on the third exam. 10 of the features in this map quiz will be from the Americans and 10 will be from other regions we have studied.

i. A make-up exam will be administered at the end of the semester. This exam will be cumulative and the format will reflect that. Note well, however, that taking the make-up will be contingent on an “official” excuse with requisite paperwork. (A memo from health services will not constitute an official excuse.)

j. Students will be admitted to exams up to the point that the first exam is turned in. Since there is no way to know when the first of your classmates will finish her or his exam, the best safeguard against being “locked out” is to be in class on time, ready to take the test.

k. Students who choose to leave the classroom while an examination is in progress will not be readmitted.

2. Geographic Concepts in the New York Times (150 points – 6X25; 30% course points).

To ground your developing geographic expertise students will be required to read the New York Times every day the university is in session. Follow reporting in editorials, op-ed pieces and the various parts of the newspaper for the widest possible reporting. (You can subscribe here: http://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/edu/lp3KU6Q.html?campaignId=3KLU3.)

Over the course of the semester, you will use reporting in the NYT to write between 6 and 8 short papers (you decide how many: 6, 7 or 8; c. 500 words


each), as specified in the schedule below. In these papers you will use the contents of the newspaper over the preceding week (or 2 weeks, depending on the schedule below) to illuminate a geographic concept we explore in class this semester.

a. These papers are due by 5pm on the appointed days (although I will be happy to accept them at any time in advance of that deadline). You may submit digital copy to make the deadline, but in that case you must bring hard copy to following class meeting.

b. Your task is twofold in these papers #1 to showcase your developing toolkit of geographic concepts; #2 to explore some aspect of the week’s reporting in the New York times through geographic perspectives.

c. Be sure to clearly identify the concept you are using; and be sure to deliberately ground your discussion in the NYT.

d. Each of these papers must disucss a different geographic concept (i.e. you may not repeat a concept over the semester).

e. The grading rubric for these papers is included as an appendix to this syllabus so that you can see how they will be graded. We will discuss that rubric in class.

f. Your strongest six paper scores will be included in your points total for the semester, so that if you complete 8 papers (my strong recommendation), I will automatically discount your 2 weakest scores. (Of course, if your scores are strong on papers 1 through 6 you could be done with the NYT relatively early in the semester. Set yourself that goal, especially if you typically struggle with project deadlines etc at the end-of-the-semester!)

g. Examples of geographic concepts students have used in the past include supranationalism through the NYT’s reporting on the euro, devolution in Great Britain, soft power in China, or neocolonialism in Panama. Your decisions will hinge on clear understanding of geographic concepts such as the anthropocene or religious fundamentalism, and, evidently, on what the newspaper chooses to report over the semester. Along with your paper you must turn in the article(s) you use to illustrate the geographic concept.

h. Be sure to staple your paper and the NYT article together. i. Stronger concept papers will follow a thread through the periodical’s

reporting, showcasing your understanding, to use an example, of the concept of supranationalism, through sustained reading of the NYT’s explorations of issues, tensions, questions and controversies in Europe over the semester.

j. Likewise, showcasing your mastery of geographic concepts by exploring connections between processes and conditions in one place with those in another will underline strong work in the course.

k. Be sure to include the following information at the top of your paper: • Student name • Paper# • Submission

Date

• NYT article Date • Geographic concept • Word Count


l. All work in WRG must be signed by you and along with your signature

must go the words: “honor code upheld” (If in doubt, see http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/index.php). Failure to thus sign will see your scores reduced by 5 points and your work will not be graded until you have duly signed it. I will consider typing these words on your paper as your signature in WRG.

m. Work submitted past its due-by date will see its score reduced by 5 points per day late. Please do not incur late penalties in WRG.

n. This component of the course tests the General Education Student Learning Outcome requirement.

3. Finally, there are 30 points for participation (6% course points). Students are

encouraged to participate in class. Feel free to interrupt lectures with pertinent questions, observations and comments, and to express agreement or disagreement with me or with your fellow students. Decorum consonant with a scholarly setting is, however, expected at all times.

*By the end of the semester, I should know your name from your participation in class. Set yourself the goal of contributing to the class discussion weekly, if not every time we meet.

*In the event that you do not have time to pose a question in class, please feel free to send me an e-mail to the address listed here.

*Note also that participation hinges on at least two things: being in class and keeping abreast of the readings.

SNAP students, student athletes, or anyone with special circumstances, please be advised that I expect you to contact me early in the semester, and certainly well in advance of our first exam, so that we can make arrangements to accommodate your needs. Students are required to take all exams, complete the NYT assignment, and participate in class. Attendance: Students are required and expected to attend all class meetings. Roll will be taken passively but you may be required to sign attendance on given days. There may also be pop-quizzes, which would constitute an extra credit by the end of the semester. Significantly, students with poor attendance records will not receive favorable consideration in assignment of final grades if they fall into a marginal category between grades on the basis of their overall performance. Finally, you are expected to do your own work in this class. Please be apprised of the College of Charleston Honor Code and Academic Integrity.

Lying, cheating, attempted cheating, and plagiarism are violations of our Honor Code that, when identified, are investigated. Each incident will be examined to determine the degree of deception involved.


Incidents where the instructor determines the student’s actions are related more to a misunderstanding will handled by the instructor. A written intervention designed to help prevent the student from repeating the error will be given to the student. The intervention, submitted by form and signed both by the instructor and the student, will be forwarded to the Dean of Students and placed in the student’s file. Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly by the instructor and/or others having knowledge of the incident to the Dean of Students. A student found responsible by the Honor Board for academic dishonesty will receive a XXF in the course, indicating failure of the course due to academic dishonesty. This grade will appear on the student’s transcript for two years after which the student may petition for the XX to be expunged. The F is permanent. The student may also be placed on disciplinary probation, suspended (temporary removal) or expelled (permanent removal) from the College by the Honor Board. Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration--working together without permission-- is a form of cheating. Unless the instructor specifies that students can work together on an assignment, quiz and/or test, no collaboration during the completion of the assignment is permitted. Other forms of cheating include possessing or using an unauthorized study aid (which could include accessing information via a cell phone or computer), copying from others’ exams, fabricating data, and giving unauthorized assistance. Research conducted and/or papers written for other classes cannot be used in whole or in part for any assignment in this class without obtaining prior permission from the instructor. Students can find the complete Honor Code and all related processes in the Student Handbook at http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/studenthandbook/index.php

One last note: The instructor reserves the right to change the syllabus. In that case, you will be notified in class and/or via e-mail. (You are expected to check your CofC e-mail regularly. Please see http://registrar.cofc.edu/pdf/STUDENTEMAILPOLICY.pdf.)


Key dates to remember

Exams Project CofC

1 02/14 NYT Concepts Project reading begins 01/18

Papers due

1/18 Last day of Drop/Add for full semester classes

#1 02/01 3/23 Last day for students to withdraw with a grade of "W" from full semester classes

2 03/23 #2 02/10 #3 02/22

3 04/25 Ends 03/31 or 04/10 or 04/21

#4 03/04 #5 03/17 3/24 Fall 2017 early registration

begins #6 03/31 Make up

05/04 #7 04/10 #8 04/21

PS: By all means bring mobile phones, boom boxes, and vacuum cleaners to class if you’d like to, but please ensure that they are TURNED OFF at all times.

• Beyond the syllabus proper, be sure to use the Center for Student Learning as

necessary. • The CSL, located on the first floor of the library, offers a wide variety of tutoring and

other academic resources that support many courses offered at the College. Services include walk-in tutoring, by appointment tutoring, study strategies appointments, Peer Academic Coaching (PAC), and Supplemental Instruction (SI). All services are described and all lab schedules are posted on the CSL website http://csl.cofc.edu/ , or call 843.953.5635 for information.


• You should be proactive here: if you have had problems taking notes in the past, for example, then contact the CSL early in the semester. Likewise, time management etcetera.

World Regional Geography – Spring 2017

Date Topic Nijman Chapters Week 1 Thurs. Jan. 12 Course introduction Week 2 Tues. Jan. 17 How geography works Introduction Wed. Jan. 18 NYT reading begins Thurs. Jan. 19 Contd. Introduction Week 3 Tues. Jan. 24 Europe 4 Thurs. Jan. 26 Contd. 4 Week 4 Tues. Jan. 31 The Russian realm 5 Wed. Feb. 01 NYT concept paper#1 due Thurs. Feb. 02 Contd. 5 Week 5 Tues. Feb. 07 NASWA 6 Thurs. Feb. 09 Contd. 6 Fri. Feb. 10 NYT concept paper #2 due Week 6 Tues. Feb. 14 Exam #1 Thurs. Feb. 16 Sub Saharan Africa 7 Week 7 Tues. Feb. 21 Contd. 7 Wed. Feb. 22 NYT concept paper#3 due

Thurs. Feb. 23 South Asia 8 Week 8 Tues. Feb. 28 Contd. 8 Thurs. Mar. 02 East Asia 9 Fri. Mar. 03 NYT concept paper #4 due Week 9 No class meeting – Spring Break Week 10 Tues. Mar. 14 East Asia contd. 9 Thurs. Mar. 16 Southeast Asia 10 Fri. Mar. 17 NYT concept paper #5 due Week 11 Tues. Mar. 21 Contd. 10 Thurs. Mar. 23 Exam #2 Week 12 Tues. Mar. 28 The Austral Realm 11 Thurs. Mar. 30 Pacific and Polar Realms 12 Fri. Mar. 31 NYT concept paper #6 due Week 13 Tues. Apr. 04 South America 3


Thurs. Apr. 06 Contd. 3 Week 14 Mon. Apr. 10 NYT concept paper #7 due

Tues. Apr. 11 Middle America 2 Thurs. Apr. 13 Contd. 2

Week 15 Tues. Apr. 18 North America 1 Thurs. Apr. 20 Contd. 1 Fri. Apr. 21 NYT concept paper #8 due

Week 16 Tues. Apr. 25 Exam #3 Thurs. May 04 Make-up exam 12-3 pm (NB: see syllabus) Notes:

geog101/poli104 world regional geographypolisci.cofc.edu/syllabi/poli104longsp17.pdf ·...

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