Graded assignments

1. Student-directed class sessions. Each of you will select a topic for which you will design and direct a unit of this course. This will entail selection and assignment of readings and presentation of material to the class. There are also writing assignments attached to this part of your grade. Details are provided on this page. This assignment is worth forty (40) points towards your grade.
2. Class weblog. I have established a weblog for this class, "Geographic Thought", on the university's blogserver. This site will partly function to facilitate communication about the Student-directed class sessions, and partly to fulfill the informal writing component of the course. Participation in class discussions on the weblog are worth fifteen (15) points toward your grade in the course. Points related to the student-directed discussions are outlined on the page for that assignment. The informal writing component of the blogging is explained on this page.
3. Reading notes and talking points. For every assigned chapter in Castree, you should prepare a list of at least three (3) "talking points", that is at least three items about the reading that you would like to discuss in class. These can be questions about things you don't understand, important points that you would like to discuss further, larger questions raised by a reading, etc.

   For assigned chapters in Holloway, you should prepare a set of reading notes that covers the following points:

   • The most important point in the chapter
   • The most interesting point.
   • And one question that you have

Where this is a secondary or other supplemental reading assigned alongside a chapter in Holloway, you may select that reading for your notes that day. Where there are multiple chapters in Holloway, you need only choose one for your write-up.

Each week's talking points/notes is worth two and a half (2.5) points for a total of twenty-five (25) towards your grade. If you miss a class session, you may still get full credit by turning in your talking points or notes by 5:00 pm on the due date, which you may do in person or via e-mail. You will have until 4:00 pm on Fridays to arrange an extension for full credit.

4. Learning assessments. As explained on the handout for the Student-directed class sessions, a required element for each of those sessions is collection of learning assessments. I will also be administering assessments at the end of class sessions I lead. Learning assessments are tools used to gauge what students have learned from a lecture, presentation, or discussion. Details are provided on the Student-Directed Class Session handout, and will also be provided at various points during the term. Each week's learning assessments are worth one (1) point, and are collectively worth ten (10) points during the term.

Generally, learning assessments cannot be made up. However, if circumstances require you to miss more than two (2) in a row, I recommend that you come to talk to me about the impact that missing these assignments will have on your grade for the term.

5. End of term essay. Everyone will write a reflective essay at the end of the term. This essay should demonstrate what you've learned from the Student-directed class sessions, and from reading and discussing Castree. Details will be provided later in the term. This essay is worth ten (10) points toward your grade in the class.

Final grades will be assessed on a standard 100 point scale (93+ is an A; 90-92 is an A-; 87-89 is a B+; 83-86 is a B; 80-82 is a B-; 77-79 is a C+; 73-76 is a C; 70-72 is a C-; 67-69 is a D+; 63-66 is a D; 60-62 is a D-. Lower than 60 is an F).