Geography 201D: Cultural Geography
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Instructor: Kerry Lyste |
Office Hours: see my homepage http://campus.everettcc.edu/Departments/sciences/klyste/index.html |
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Office: |
e-mail: klyste@everettcc.edu |
Phone: |
Monday –
By signing, you agree that you have read this syllabus and understand and agree to follow all classroom and evaluation policies. You will not be handed back any graded work until I have received a signed copy of this syllabus.
Course Syllabus – Spring 2008
Course Goals/ Learning Objectives:
First of all, you will notice the date above - this is a dynamic syllabus, subject to change throughout the quarter, as necessary. I may update this syllabus periodically, and will change the date when I do so. You will be expected to review the course schedule regularly for additional readings, web materials, updates, and announcements.
This course examines cultural geographic processes (adaptation, diffusion, colonization, imperialism, and representation) and cultural phenomena (human practices, attitudes, values, and behaviors) as they relate to people's relationship with their environment. It is also designed to view humans from an environmental perspective that explores human spatial behavior as adaptations to evolving ecosystems and physical conditions. A wide range of cultural topics will be covered from a spatial lens, which is not just concerned with the location of cultural activities, but the reasons for spatial patterns, as well as the underlying factors, or meaning of these patterns.
The group process is a core element of this class, and the inclusion of everyone's perspective is a key instructional tool. You will find this class truly builds a learning community throughout the quarter, starting with the discussion groups where you will organize in a different group of three each week. The class time will be split between discussion groups, film and lectures, group projects, and team presentations.
Upon completion of this course, you will know and understand:
Materials:
Classroom Policies:
Aggressively Learn! Geography is all about "Critical Thinking" – asking thoughtful questions, and seeking the answers to them. Take the concepts offered each week, and learn how to apply them interactively with other concepts throughout the quarter. Don't be afraid to make a mistake - take the challenge and explore the course content to the extent that it comes alive to you. I invite you to stop by my office if you have questions, or just want to chat. Also, you will find study groups to be a powerful learning tool, which will be reinforced by weekly group assignments.
Your presence in class and punctuality arriving to class are expectations. If you must unavoidably miss a class you will be expected to know the material covered. Special arrangements for a test will need to be made in person, in advance, and confirmed by e-mail. Absence due to illness will need to be confirmed by a doctor to make up a test. You are responsible for knowing what is happening in the course and for your grades. Carefully follow the syllabus.
It is assumed that you will complete a week’s assigned reading prior the start of the week. The weekly assignments should reflect this assumption. This process will allow you to be actively involved, rather than passively involved in the learning process
Please, no
conversations while I am lecturing. It disrupts our classroom environment. If
you are unable to comply with this courtesy you will be warned the first time
it occurs, and be asked to leave if it happens again. If this behavior
continues, you will be withdrawn from the class. If you have questions about
expectations of your conduct, I would again advise you to consult the EVCC
Student Handbook.
If you require any kind of special arrangements, do not hesitate to ask. I will do whatever I can to help you do well in the class and have an enjoyable experience. There are also many resources (such as tutoring etc.) that may be available to you through Everett Community College.
Cheating on a test or quiz will earn an automatic "F" grade for obvious reasons. You should also be aware that expulsion is a possibility in such circumstances. Plagiarism can have similar results – it is critical that you submit your own work. I am committed to your academic growth, but can only be of assistance with you engaged in the learning process. Work with me if you are having difficulties - my office is open to you, and I welcome your presence.
Quite frankly, I think this is a fun class. You will see and examine
cultures and people you never realized existed. You will also interact with
most of your classmates during the quarter. Hopefully your world will be
expanded a little. To me, traveling is one of the most enjoyable experiences -
and that is what we will be doing in this class: traveling to different parts
of the world and examining how they tick.
Grading:
On the third day of class you will be expected to hand in the first page of this syllabus. You will need to sign your name and will be credited 2 extra credit points for this assignment. I will keep the first page of the syllabus on file. By signing the syllabus, you are signing a contract, that you have read this syllabus, and agree to fulfill its terms. If you do not hand in the syllabus on the third day of class, you will still be expected to do so, to receive credit for assignments that you turn in (you will not receive extra credit for syllabuses turned in late).
There will be one Final exam and paper worth 50 points. There will be 50 multiple-choice questions (worth 1 point each). You will be tested primarily on the text and lectures. If you miss taking the exam, a make-up will not be given, unless you have made prior arrangements (resulting in a failing grade). There will also be an essay assignment (worth 50 points) due at the end of the quarter. The take-home essay will need to be type-written, in 12 point font, with 1.5 spacing, with sources cited and maps showing your topic. There will be a link on the schedule, which will describe the criteria for the final essay, and provide some general guidelines.
Short Focuses will be due 6 times during the quarter – usually on Thursday. The Short Focus is an applied topic from a thread of the week’s assigned reading – the more specific your topic, the better. This assignment is meant to encourage you to explore and apply the different elements of the week’s themes, and to challenge you to engage in critical thinking, actively exploring and engaging the different topics with what you learn in the class (Key Terms and Concepts). You will be expected to conduct some additional research on your topic from the web resources provided with the text (the “Destinations” or “GeoSearch” links within Rubenstein’s Webpages), online with a search engine such as Google (a handout on search strategies with Google is on my homepage), or from the EVCC library (you will need to cite your sources in your short focus). You will need to find a map illustrating an element of your short topic each week. On discussion group days, you will be asked to get together in groups of three, discuss the topics amongst yourselves, and fill out a form on your topics. Unlike your team assignments, you will organize in a different group each week. You will be assigned 15 points for your topic, and 5 points for your teamwork. You will get to throw out your lowest score. If your research is only from the Rubenstein text, or you do not cite your sources, you will have 5 points deducted from your score. If your paper is less than 1 page in length, 5 points will be deducted from your score for each quarter page you are short. If you fail to provide a map with your short topic, 5 points will be deducted from you score. If you expand your paper by expanding margins, enlarging font, etc (I call this “fluffing”) you will have at least 5 points taken off your score. If you fail to participate in the peer revue on Thursdays, you can still hand in your paper, but will not receive the 5 points for the revue. These assignments will therefore be worth up to 20 points each, for a total of 100 points (your lowest score will not be counted). I will expect your topics to be typewritten, clean of errors, at least one page in length (this does not include header, footer, title, etc), utilize 1.5 spacing, have sources cited, and have an informed opinion, or points will be deducted accordingly.
Small teams of about 5 people will be formed during the first week of class. Each team will sign up to present on one week during the quarter - presentation will usually be on Friday (check the schedule). Your team will be asked to present on a specific them of concept that applies to the chapter/s you sign up for – this them will be clearly defined during an in-class planning session, and subsequent meetings I will have with you. You will be given the entire class period for your presentation, which should include time for questions, and have must have a clear and cohesive central theme. In addition to online materials you will find additional research resources in "Further Readings" located at the back of each chapter. Your team's presentation will be worth up to 100 points for each member, and will be graded based on the quality of research, presentation, and participation of all group members. You will be able to utilize a Team workspace in Blackboard. I will go over the criteria for group evaluation in class, and show you a sample evaluation form.
You will also be given weekly quizzes and group assignment on materials that are covered, that are worth 10 points each - there will be no make-up quizzes given. There may be more than one quiz or group assignment on any given week. There will be at least 12 quizzes and group assignments, of which 10 will count towards your grade (the lowest scores will not be counted).
In general, you can expect materials handed back within 1 week of when I
receive them (not accounting for times of unusually heavy volume such as
Midterms, etc.). Your grades will be posted on Blackboard. You can access
Blackboard from the Student Favorites dropdown menu on the
If you fail to complete any assignment/s worth up 10% of your grade, it will
be up to my discretion
to assess that you have failed to meet the minimum requirements of the class at
the end of the quarter. Therefore, your grade will be a maximum of 400
points, which will then be calculated on a 4.0 scale, with letter grades
assigned accordingly. The breakdown is as follows:
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Weekly Quizzes and Assignments |
100 points |
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Final Exam |
50 points |
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Final Paper |
50 points |
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Short Focuses |
100 points |
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Team Presentation |
100 points |
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TOTAL |
400 points |