Geography of Texas

Geography 305 is an introductory course in regional geography that examines the cultural and physical geography of Texas. 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 Texas as well as introduce some important geographical concepts such as region and landscape. As you are aware, Texas has a strong regional personality—maybe more identifiable than any other American region—therefore it is important to discuss how "Texas" is represented to and interpreted by the world at large.

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 Texas, (2) increase your knowledge and proficiency in Texan place-names and regions including their relative locations, (3) develop a dialogue of Texas in regards to landscape & representation, and (4) convey the importance of intellectual pursuits that construct geographical places, regions, and ideas.

There are no prerequisites for this course, so there is no presumption of prior geographical study. However, it is an upper-level course that assumes a sophisticated level of reading comprehension, note-taking, and study habits on your part. 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. I highly recommend you form a small study group as soon as possible. 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 cities, landforms, and culture regions) and their locations on different maps of Texas. Summer Sessions also present us with some additional difficulties of intense focus and concentration as well as distractions. Stay focused.

RESOURCES & ATTENDANCE: Unfortunately, no single "Geography of Texas" textbook is currently in print. The Readings for this course will have to come from a variety of sources and most are available on electronic reserve. You will need to acquire two books and have regular internet access for NEO, WebCT, and the WWW. In summary, most test related material will be mentioned in class! Miss class at your own peril, and if you should, contact your fellow students for notes and handouts. The readings compliment and supplement the lecture, so it is imperative that you keep up with the reading schedule. Attendance is a key factor in academic performance and becomes a crucial component to success in Summer Sessions. Use your time wisely and take special note of the days listed below as evaluation dates.

1. Access to electronic reserve. (Evans Library website or in person on 2^nd floor)

Contains the “Readings” which include chapters and articles by various geographers.

3. Texas Almanac, 2004-05 edition. DMN & TAMU Press, 2003. {ISBN# 0-914511-35-1}.

4. Historical Atlas of Texas. Stephens and Holmes, OUP. 1989. {ISBN# 0-8061-2307-9}.

5. Access to the Internet: (NEO for communication) and (WebCT for evaluation results).

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 sources of points are the exams: the two midterm exams are worth 250 points each and the final exam (partially comprehensive) is worth 300 points. An additional 150 points consists of an atlas exercise and test (next Monday). Because of the compactness of the session, no extra credit options are available. Instead five (or more?) pop quizzes will occur that will provide me with sample attendance and small opportunities to earn extra points.

The exams and quizzes will be electronically graded; therefore you will need to bring the appropriate scantron on examination day (large gray type). A note on electronically scanned grading: you are responsible for providing a scantron that is free of folds, rips, or any deformity that prevents it from running through the machine.

The final grade is based on the total points and ranking of your points, not the percentage of points. There is no rounding up of points. For a large class section, 900/800/700/600 of the possible 1000 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 entire 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 may be essay oriented at my discretion.

All Evaluation & Due Dates: (chronological)

M    July 11      Atlas Exercise and Test
T    July 19       MIDTERM ONE
R    July 28       MIDTERM TWO
W   August 10 FINAL EXAM

Classroom Policies:
I have high expectations of my students and in return I commit myself
to 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 including newspapers). 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. Cell phones and audio devices must be turned off before entering the lecture hall.

• 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. Please communicate with me; I realize this is a very large lecture section so if you are hesitant to ask questions in front of everyone, at least ask after class or during office hours.

• Academic Dishonesty: NO, do not do it! On evaluation days, bring ID card and only what is necessary. Instead of devising ways to cheat or plagiarize, devote that time to studying. I will not tolerate any form of dishonesty.

• Communication/Office Hours: I return phone calls and emails in a timely manner and I try my best to keep office hours. When emailing me, please write out your name and exact course inside the message as well as filling in the subject line.

• 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.

• Copyrights: All course material is copyrighted. Taping and reproducing of course material for other than personal use will be regarded as copyright infringement and referred to the University lawyers for action. Before tape recoding, ask me first. Professional note takers must be enrolled in this course (university policy) and receive my permission prior to any commercial transaction involving course notes (state law).

• SUMMER: Everyone would love to do nothing, but we mutually agreed to be here for a Summer Session; a shortened course is intense. So be prepared for it.

Some advice, suggestions, and observations of common misconceptions I’ve noticed at TAMU.

1. Rule of thumb on TIME: for every hour of lecture, you should anticipate 2-3 hours of study time outside of class. Therefore, a three unit lecture implies an average commitment of ten hours a week. That is why 12 units is called full time. Obviously, certain weeks require more time than others, but you should be spending a minimum of 1-2 hours reviewing each week. Then of course, you need to plan for much more time when tests and due dates come around.
• Don’t claim you study enough if you’re not putting in over 5 hours a week. Likewise, don’t claim you study hard if you’re not putting in over 10 hours a week. Many students claim to study “a lot” but do they study enough? More importantly, are students studying effectively?
• Study hard but balance your time with those things that make you happy, healthy, and/or proud to be an Aggie. There are numerous activities to occupy your time (both university excused and pure distraction), but in the end, I evaluate your academics, not your spirit.

2. The essence of an educated person is LITERACY. University studies require a high level of reading and writing. Reading a textbook is a rite of passage—yes they are boring and fact laden—deal with it.
• Read, read, and read. Not all material can be covered and elaborated on during lecture; textbooks and readings are an essential component of higher education. On occasion, students ask me about how to do better on the next test, and when asked, they confess they did not read the textbook. There is no excuse for not reading.
• Texas A&M is a top-notch university! A colleague of mine likes to say, A&M is the big leagues. The value of a university degree is related to how difficult it is to obtain; TAMU is a special place with high standards. Not everyone can get here nor can every person succeed here.

3. Student—faculty interactions. The atmosphere on our campus is generally very good, but students should be aware of how academic rank and distinguished titles work.
• Titles: “Doctor” is appropriate for anyone with a Ph.D. as well as M.D. (it is an honorary title that comes with the highest educational degree). Not all instructors have Ph.D’s but most everyone at TAMU does, so error on the side of using Dr. instead of Mr./Mrs./Ms. etc. “Professor” is a title associated with an appointed position (at a University and usually exclusive to having a doctorate).
• Salutations: “Howdy” is a common and friendly greeting in Aggieland. Not all professors are howdy people, but I personally like it and use it. Know who you are addressing and don’t mistakenly insult them. When emailing or calling me, Howdy Dr. Prout is a perfect salutation.

Lecture and Reading Schedule (last updated July 1st)
BOLD part of readings is the name on E-Reserve

PART ONE: Introductory and Physical Geography of Texas

Week 1

MAIN THINGS: Welcome to the class and university level geography.

W July 6 -- First day of class
Lecture: Howdy (Allegra) ; Syllabus; Geo--graphy; Introduction to Regional Geography

R July 7
Lecture: Maps and Texas Borders; latitude and longitude

F July 8
Lecture: Part One (textbook draft); Intro to cultural-historical geography; Monday's test & exercise

KEY POINTS (Part One):
        Defining Texas (location, borders, neighbors, etc.); Big Picture --- How to discuss Texas!
        Regional Geography; Definitions of geo-graphy, region, map, location, scale
        Maps: Borders; Neighbors; Reference; map reading: latitude and longitude
        Atlas Exercise

Week 2

MAIN THING: First Evaluations / Part Two of course -- Culture-History

M July 11
Due: Atlas Exercise 78 points
Test (intro material / Part One) 72 points

T July 12
Lecture: historical geography

W July 13
Lecture: historical geography

R July 14
Lecture: historical geography

F July 15
Lecture: culture: language & religion

KEY POINTS (Part Two):
    Historical Geography in maps;
    Expansion of settlement (with change of political control)
    Peopling of Texas & Columbian Exchange
    Diffusion, Migration, and Texas Indians.
    Cultural Geography of Texas
    Cultural landscapes: origins, patterns, & demise of traditional

Week 3

MAIN THING: Midterm One / Part Three of course -- Physical

M July 18
Lecture: cultural landscapes: ranching

T July 19
MIDTERM EXAM 1 (Part Two of course) 250 points

W July 20
Lecture: Exam results; Intro Physical Geography

R July 21
Lecture: Physiography; physiographic regions

F July 22
Lecture: Climate and Gulf

KEY POINTS (Part Three):
        Physical Regions (physiography)
        Geological aspect to physiography, the geography of the Gulf,
        Climatic factors
        Physical regions (vegetation, climate, etc.) of Texas
        Water resources (rivers, reservoirs, aquifers, etc.)
        Environmental hazards (floods, droughts, etc.)

Week 4

MAIN THINGS: Part Three / Midterm Two

M July 25
Lecture: Vegetation / Water

T July 26
Lecture: Environmental resources & hazards

W July 27
Lecture: Human--Environment;

R July 28
MIDTERM EXAM 2 (Part Three of course) 250 points

F July 29
Lecture: Exam results; Intro to contemporary human geography

Keypoint: Take a deep breath and finish strong!

Week 5

MAIN THINGS: Part Four

M August 1
Lecture: Political

T August 2
Lecture: Infrastructure

W August 3
Lecture: Urban

R August 4
Lecture: Tourism

F August 5
Lecture: Popular Regions

KEY POINTS(Part Four -- Modern Texas)
        Organization to human activities (past/present/future)
        Population dynamics of Texas: growth, change, context
        Political geography
        MSAs and urban Texas;
        Modern economy of Texas; interstate system, etc.
        Basis for popular regions; tourist labels

Week 6

MAIN THINGS: Part Five / FINAL EXAM

M August 8 -- Last Class
Lecture: Future Geographies of Texas

T August 9 -- No Class (reading day / Ten week finals)

W August 10
FINAL EXAM (Parts Four and Five)
Final Exam is between 10:30-12:30

Geography Index page

Erik Prout's web-bio

Department of Geography

Texas A&M University

Standard Disclaimer & Online Ethics:

* I accept (& welcome) criticism of my facts and ideas;

if you disagree, communicate your own views.

* Please ask before citing me in publications;

double check accuracy of everything before using sources for yourself.

* Please dont mess with my files or prevent others from accessing.

Evaluation	Possible Points	Mean Points	Your Points
Atlas exercise (7/11)	78	72
Test (7/11)	72	59
Midterm 1 (7/19)	250	188
Midterm 2 (7/28)	250	196
(pop quizzes / attendence / cinema)	50 (or more)	51
Final Exam (8/10)	300	239
TOTAL	=1000	802