Geography of the United States
Geography 301 -- Erik Prout, Visiting Assistant Professor
Texas A&M University, Spring 2002
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SYLLABUS (below)
EVALUATION DATES:
February 8th Noon Deadline: Atlas and Map Exercise (turn-in on scantron)
February 25th Midterm Part A (scantron and ID card only)
February 27th or March 1st Midterm Part B (bring a large scantron and your Goode's World Atlas)
April 19th Noon Deadline: Film Project (word processed)
May 3rd 10:00-12:00: Final Exam (scantron and ID card only)
SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Erik Prout
Office Hours: General policy is set times and by appointment, which
means you can come by or call during the designated times or we can schedule a mutually
benifitial time to meet. I plan to be in my office during the following times:
Mondays and Wednesdays between 2:00 and 4:30.
Office: 803-A, Eller Oceanography & Meteorology Building.
Office Phone # 458-3379 (Department office and emergency message 845-7141)
COURSE:
GEOG 301 (section 501)
Lecture format for three credits
Class meets M/W/F 8:00-8:50 in Halbouty 101
Website: http://geog.tamu.edu/~prout
Statement:
Geography 301 is an introductory
course in regional geography that examines the cultural and physical geography
of North America with an emphasis on the United States Geography as a discipline
examines the fundamental relationships between humans and their various earthly
environments. The purpose of this course is to explore the diverse geographies
of America especially those most relevant to Texas as well as introduce some
important geographical concepts such as region and landscape.
The successful outcome of this course, which is my goal,
is to (1) facilitate your understanding of the various cultural and ecological
contexts found in North America, (2) increase your knowledge and proficiency
in United States, Canadian, and Mexican place-names and regions including
their relative locations, (3) develop a dialogue regarding place, landscape
and representation, and (4) convey the importance of intellectual pursuits
that construct geographical places, regions, and ideas.
Requirements:
There are no prerequisites for this course, so there
is no presumption of prior geographical study. I assume all university students
are capable and willing to learn, and I will help you become a better student
if you ask. You must take responsibility for your learning by attending
lectures, completing assignments, reading textbooks, and above all else
evaluating your own learning and trying to improve. One feature of a geography
course that differs from other university courses is the need to use atlases
and maps; be prepared for memorization of geographical features (both human
and physical such as States, cities, land/water, etc.) and their locations
on maps.
–READINGS & RESOURCES: Succinctly, most test related material will
be discussed in class! Miss class at your own peril, and if you should, contact
your fellow students for notes and visit the course website for information.
The readings are equally important to lecture, so it is imperative that you
keep up with the reading schedule. Attendance is a key factor in academic
performance; use your time wisely and take special note of the underlined
days listed below as examination dates. The required books include a textbook
and an atlas:
1. Regional Landscapes of the United States and Canada, 5th Ed. Birdsall/Florin/Price.
2. Goode's World Atlas, 20th Ed. Rand McNally (both a hardback and soft cover versions exist).
You will need five large gray scantrons; access to both the internet and
a video-recorder (which are available in the university library).
–ATTENDANCE: Attendance is an absolute necessity for learning and succeeding
in University level courses. While I do not take roll per se, miss class
at your own peril! Most evaluation related material will be discussed or
emphasized during class time. If you miss a normal lecture period, first,
get notes and impressions from fellow students, and then come to office hours
if you have addition questions. Evaluation day absences will be "excused"
only by University Policy! Exam day emergencies require immediate notification
(phone call) and written verification; alternative evaluations are essay
oriented and at my discretion.
Grading:
I use a total point scheme for
grading. Every examination and exercise has a set value of points, and the
final grade is determined from the total number of points accumulated. The
primary source of points are the two exams: the midterm exam is worth 350
points (which is divided into two parts: closed book and open atlas), and
the final exam is also worth 350 points (or 35%). The remaining 300 points
consists of two exercises: one is an atlas exercise and the other is a film
exercise (100 & 200 points respectively). The majority of the course
evaluations will be electronically graded; therefore you will need to bring
the appropriate scantron on examination days.
The final grade is based on the total points and ranking
of your points. For a large class section like this, 900/800/700/600 of possible
points can be used as an approximate guide for A/B/C/D thresholds. I reserve
the right to modify the thresholds after evaluating the whole class and the
point distribution.
Excused absences are by university policy! Any examination
date or due-date missed is a tentative zero (see schedule). Exam day emergencies
require immediate notification (a phone call to me, the Department of Geography,
or an appropriate university official) and written verification of emergency.
Alternative evaluations are essay oriented and at my discretion.
Classroom Policies: I have high expectations of my students
and in return I commit myself to some reasonable expectations; here are
a few key points.
Conducive learning environment is foremost: late arrivals and early
departures should be extreme situations; disruptive behavior of any sort
is wrong. Food & drink are okay, but smells, crunches, and wrappers are
not (pack your trash out of the room). You must minimize the distractions
especially unnecessary noise because it interferes with others ability to
hear me. Discretely let me know if the screen is out of focus or if my voice
is too low. I will try to project my voice and I will pester those who waste
our class time.
Questions: YES, ask questions. The best questions start with why,
where, or who. If you are curious or unsure, probably others in class are
thinking the same thing. I will respond.
Academic Honesty: NO, do not cheat! On evaluation days, bring ID card and
only what is necessary. Instead of devising ways to cheat, devote that time
to studying. I will not tolerate any form of dishonesty. Cheating will be
treated in accordance with Section 20 of the TAMU Student Rules.
Communication/Office Hours: I return phone calls in a timely manner
and I try my best to keep set office hours and appointments.
ADA Statement: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal
anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection
for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires
that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment
that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe
you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department
of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities in Room 126 of the
Koldus Building, or call 845-1637.
Copyright Disclaimer: All course material is copyrighted. Taping,
reproducing and downloading of course material for other than personal educational
use will be regarded as copyright infringement and referred to University
legal officers for action.
Updated Schedule and
Outline
Week 1
Ch. 1
1/14 First day of class -- Syllabus
1/16 Geo--graphy; 5 geographical questions
1/18 Regions; regional geography themes
Week 2
Atlas intro. and Ch. 2
[no class 1/21 -- MLK day]
1/23 Maps and Atlases; Atlas exercise
1/25 Latitude & Longitude; North America the continent
Week 3
Ch. 3 and
Ch. 4
1/28 Physiographic Regions, terrain and vegetation
1/30 Climate; [Video Physical Geography of North America: The East]
2/1 Cultural landscapes & human activities [slides]
Week 4
Ch. 5 & Ch.
11
2/4 Megalopolis (and urbanization);
2/6 Northeastern U.S. [slides]
2/8 [FILM EXERCISE] [Video 1 and Video 2: historical NYC]
• ATLAS Exercise (turn-in on scantron form by noon on Friday, February 8th)
100 points or 10.0% of grade
Week 5
Ch. 6 &
Ch. 17
2/11 Core-Periphery; [Video Physical Geography of North America: The Central Lowlands]
2/13 Manufacturing and Agricultural Cores; Great Lakes
2/15 Oh Canada! [Video 3: Canadian Federation]
Week 6
Ch. 7
2/18 Canadian regions and provinces and the far North
2/20 New England and the Maritimes; [Video Physical Geography of North America: The Northlands]
2/22 Conclusion of first half of course and Review for the midterm.
Week 7
• MIDTERM EXAM (350 points or 35% of total course grade)
• Part A is February 25th) (200 points on scantron)
• Part B “open-atlas” February 27th or March 1st (150 points scantron)
(exact date and directions for you will be announced in class)
Week 8
***Film Exercise and movie screening***
3/4, 3/6, 3/8 [Video 4: Pow wow Highway]
Week 9
[SPRING BREAK]
Week 10
{AAG conference}
individual film assignments
Week 11
Ch. 8, 9, 10
3/25 Upland and Lowland South
3/27 South: gulf, TVA [slides]
[no class 3/29]
Week 12
Ch.
12 & 13
4/1 [Video 5: Dewey Balfa / Video 6: Oh Brother...]
4/3 South-Central U.S. (Great Plains) [slides]
4/5 [Physical Geography of North America videos: The Rockies and The Western Dry lands]
Week 13
Ch. 14
4/8 No class
4/10 The West (Arid Interior & Intermontane)
4/12 Texas [Video 7: Paris, Texas]
Week 14
Ch. 15 & 18
4/15 Mexico [Video 8: Emerging Powers: Mexico]
4/17 US-Mexico Borderlands [P.G.N.A. The Pacific Edge (last National Geographic)]
4/19 California [slides]
• FILM Project (due before noon on Friday, April 19th)
200 points or 20.0% of grade
Week 15
Ch. 16
4/22 Pacific Coast / [slides]
4/24 Pacific Northwest
4/26 Pacific Rim and Beyond
Week 16
4/29 Last day of class – April 29: Conclusion / Review for Final
4/30-5/1 special office hours
5/3
• FINAL EXAMINATION (Friday, May 3rd 10:00-12:00)
350 points or 35.0% of course grade
Geography 305 -- Texas
Erik Prout's web-bio
Department of Geography
Texas A&M University
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