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About the Course
Syllabus
Assignments
Office
Location and Hours
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Through this introduction to geography,
I am confident that you will develop a serious interest in the subject.
This page has information on course objectives and
the expected outcomes, and the standards developed by the National Geographic
Society and Geography educators. The Assignments
page contains a matrix that compares assessment instruments with
outcomes and objectives.
Course Objectives:
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To
develop an appreciation and understanding of the role played by
geography and geographic barriers in the development of the world
economy and within national economies;
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To
explain the important role of geography in economic activities;
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To convey
a detailed understanding of the dynamics of the world economy, resource
use, and the relationship between population and the resource base;
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To
engender an understanding of location theory and the rationale for the
location of industry, cities, and systems in their current location;
and
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To
develop an understanding and appreciation of the spatial location
aspects of the solutions to economic problems devised by societies.
Course Outcomes:
- Upon completion, when you come across news items of
economic and geographic interest, you will be able to understand and
critically think about the issues;
- You will have an understanding of how economic activities
are located and organized in space, and how interregional differences
in economic well-being may come about and how such processes affect
your own daily life and professional plans; and
- You will develop conceptual, analytical, and critical
thinking skills that will be useful for advance courses in geography,
and in other branches of the social sciences as well.
The Learning Process:
Learning will be constructed rather than
received; i.e., I will not yap, er, lecture all the time.
Instead, my lectures, aided by web pages and videos (thanks to smart
classrooms) will be augmented through discussions in the class.
By critically thinking through the ideas, we will construct our
knowledge of economic geography.
Why Geography Education?
(From http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/standardslist.html)
The goal of the National Geography Standards is to produce a
geographically informed person who sees meaning in the arrangement of
things in space and applies a spatial perspective to life situations.
The geographically informed person knows and understands:
The World in Spatial Terms
1. How to use maps and other geographic representations,
tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information
from a spatial perspective
2. How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places,
and environments in a spatial context
3. How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and
environments on earth’s surface
Places and Regions
4. The physical and human characteristics of places
5. That people create regions to interpret earth’s complexity
6. How culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places
and regions
Physical Systems
7. The physical processes that shape the patterns of earth’s
surface
8. The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on
earth’s surface
Human Systems
9. The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human
populations on earth’s surface
10. The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of earth’s
cultural mosaics
11. The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on earth’s
surface
12. The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement
13. How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence
the division and control of earth’s surface
Environment and Society
14. How human actions modify the physical environment
15. How physical systems affect human systems
16. The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and
importance of resources
The Uses of Geography
17. How to apply geography to interpret the past
18. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the
future
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