GEO 2303 Regional Geography of the World Spring 2018 Block 2 Department of History and Geography College of Liberal Arts

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1 GEO 2303 Regional Geography of the World Spring 2018 Block 2 Department of History and Geography College of Liberal Arts Meeting Time: Arranged (CRN 26654) Classroom: Online Professor: Dr. Brad Watkins Online Office Hours: via or Skype Office: Liberal Arts Building 204C bwatkins8@uco.edu (preferred) In Person Hours: T,R: 9:45 am 10:45 am Phone: R: 2:00 pm 3:00 pm Skype: ID Available on request or by appointment COURSE DESCRIPTION A study of the world s major regions. Each region s physical, cultural, and politico-economic characteristics are reviewed. Region-wide cooperation patterns are discussed and compared. Most major countries in the region are introduced with emphasis on related current issues. OBJECTIVES In order to pass this course, you must demonstrate at least minimal proficiency in the following geographic concepts. Of course, greater levels of proficiency will result in a better grade. You will be able to: Define the dual nature of the geographic perspective (i.e., descriptive and analytical); Discuss the importance of maps and GIS as tools of the geographer; Describe the basic processes of physical geography, including endogenic (i.e., plate tectonics) and exogenic processes (erosion and deposition), basic weather and climate mechanisms, and global vegetation patterns; Describe the importance of the crude birth rate, crude death rate, natural increase rate, doubling time, the demographic transition model, and population pyramids as tools for studying global population; Describe the major physical and human characteristics of the world regions discussed in class; STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES You will be assessed on the following Geography Program Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify the characteristics, patterns and distributions of the human population and the economic and political systems they create. 2.Explain how human actions modify the physical environment and physical systems affect human systems.

2 3. Acquire awareness of the diversity of peoples, places, and environments within a specific region or around the world. TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING OBJECTIVES At the University of Central Oklahoma, we are guided by the mission of helping students learn by providing transformative experiences so that they may become productive, creative, ethical and engaged citizens and leaders contributing to the intellectual, cultural, economic and social advancement of the communities they serve. Transformative learning is a holistic process that places students at the center of their own active and reflective learning experiences. A student s major field is central to the learning experience and is a vital part of the Central Six. This course addresses two of the university s transformative learning goals. Discipline Knowledge Students survey the world s regions using principles of physical and cultural geography as a framework with a focus on interrelationships among regions. Global and Cultural Competencies Students engage in discussions that require multiple perspectives and cultural understanding and sensitivity while acknowledging the differences/similarities among the world s regions. STLR (Student Transformative Learning Record) Transformative learning is a holistic process that places students at the center of their own active and reflective learning experiences. All students at the University of Central Oklahoma will have Transformative Learning opportunities in six core areas: discipline knowledge (as recorded on your academic transcript); and 5 more (recorded on your Student Transformative Learning Record): global and cultural competencies; health and wellness; leadership; research, creative and scholarly activities; and, service learning and civic engagement. Growth in these areas is recorded on your Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR) accessible from My Dashboard on your D2L homepage. Read more about STLR at This course includes one, official STLR assignment for the Global and Cultural Competencies tenet. ONLINE ETIQUETTE Please respect the online learning environment of students and the professor. I encourage lively exchanges in Discussion posts, but derogatory comments, negativity, and poor attitudes will not be tolerated and will be considered disruptive behavior. If you engage in these disruptive activities you will be warned. If you commit multiple violations of the written policy, disciplinary action will be considered as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. LATE WORK AND MAKE-UP QUIZZES Quizzes may not be made up. I will not accept late assignments. 2

3 Desire2Learn It is your responsibility to check Desire2Learn frequently for announcements, learning modules, study guides, and assessments. Content topics will be released Mondays at 9:00 am. Discussions, Journal Posts, and Map Quizzes will be due Mondays at 9:00 am one week from when they are assigned. REQUIRED BOOK Rowntree, Les, Martin Lewis, Marie Price, and William Wyckoff Diversity Amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development Plus MasteringGeography with etext Access Card Package 7th ed. New York: Pearson. Turabian, Kate L A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers. 8th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. RECOMMENDED MATERIALS Webcam for Skype. This is NOT required. Some students prefer to see the professor during meetings. I ll leave it up to you. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Textbook Readings It is your responsibility to complete the required reading assignment for each week as listed on the last page of the syllabus. Content Topics It is your responsibility to go through each content topic in Desire2Learn and complete the readings in each. You are required to complete outside readings linked to certain topics. Required discussion posts are listed at the beginning of certain topics. Map Quizzes You will have twelve map quizzes this semester one for each region. You will take your map quizzes in MasteringGeography. The link to it on the course home page is Pearson s MyLab and Mastering. The first map quiz will be delivered during Week 2, when we begin our first region. You need to study the physical/political map at the beginning of each chapter. You will have 40 minutes to complete each map quiz. Assignments There are required written assignments in the course. Writing is an important component in University Core courses, so you are required to complete a well-written, properly cited, on topic assignment. Each assignment should be 3 pages, double spaced, unless otherwise noted. Cite sources using the Chicago Manual of Style, author-date format with parenthetical citations and References. Please refer to Turabian chapters and pages 395 and 403 for format requirements and examples. Wikipedia articles are not allowed. Chapter Reflections and Reflection Presentation You will reflect on each week s topics covered in the modules and textbook. Reflections are assessed based on the student s demonstration of understanding the concepts (topics, etc.) and applying that information to their own personal and professional 3

4 development. These are NOT chapter summaries. These are reflections on chapter content and will be different for each student. You will submit your reflections in Dropbox as a single PDF or Microsoft Word file. These chapter/topic reflections will be submitted via Dropbox in this format once during the course. Each chapter reflection should be at least ½ page double spaced. Students are required to submit a final set of reflections as a presentation (PowerPoint). In the presentation, you must select 2 previous reflections and analyze the reflections to determine if additional academic growth has occurred (or change in thought) since writing the original reflection. This should be 4-5 slides. Students must state why growth did or did not occur. Finally, students should review all reflections and provide a cumulative reflection on overall growth (views, etc) in the course and how the course might impact their future personal or professional self. This should be 3-4 slides. These slides should be in the same PowerPoint file as the reflection evaluation slides. This is an official STLR assignment. Geography Assessment You will complete one of the three question in the Geography Assessment at the end of the course. This assignment will be in essay format and submitted via Dropbox as a PDF or Microsoft Word. It is used to ascertain your progress towards the Student Learning Outcomes listed on page 1-2 of the syllabus. You will be graded on content. You MUST specify which question you are answering in your response. Specific instructions will be provided in the Dropbox assignment as an attachment. There are no exams in this course. GRADE SCALE Assessment Points Each Points Map Quizzes (12) Assignments (4) Top/Chap Reflections (1) Reflection Presentation (1) Geography Assessment (1) ~ 40 Total Points 1,000 A C F < 600 B D ACCOMODATIONS The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of Students with disabilities who need special accommodations must make their requests by contacting Disability Support Services, at (405) The DSS Office is located in the Nigh University Center, Room 305. Students should also notify the instructor of special accommodation needs as soon as possible. Per Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ( Title IX ), pregnant and parenting students may request adjustments by contacting the Title IX Coordinator, at 4

5 (405) or The Title IX Office is located in the Lillard Administration Building, Room 114D. SYLLABUS ATTACHMENT 5

6 COURSE OUTLINE Week (Starting Day*) Topic Reading Assignment 1 (Mar 5) Orientation Module Class begins Mar 2 Module 1: Concepts of World Geography Ch 1 Module 2: The Changing Global Environment Ch 2 2 (Mar 12) Module 3: North America Ch 3 Module 4: Latin America Ch 4 3 (Mar 19) Spring Break no reading 4 (Mar 26) Module 5: The Caribbean Ch 5 Module 6: Sub-Saharan Africa Ch 6 5 (Apr 2) Module 7: Southwest Asia and North Africa Ch 7 Module 8: Europe Ch 8 6 (Apr 9) Module 9: The Russian Domain Ch 9 Module 10: Central Asia Ch 10 7 (Apr 16) Module 11: East Asia Ch 11 Module 12: South Asia Ch 12 Module 13: Southeast Asia Ch 13 8 (Apr 23) Module 14: Australia and Oceania Ch 14 Course ends April 27 * Modules will be released Mondays at 9:00 am and close the following Monday at 9:00 am. 6

7 ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES Week (Starting Day*) Assignment Due 1 (Mar 5) Syllabus Quiz Mar 19 Class begins Mar 2 2 (Mar 12) Map Quiz 1: North America Mar 19 Module 4 Assignment: Tropical Deforestation Mar 19 Map Quiz 2: Latin America Mar 19 3 (Mar 19) Spring Break 4 (Mar 26) Map Quiz 3: The Caribbean Apr 2 Map Quiz 4: Sub-Saharan Africa Apr 2 5 (Apr 2) Module 7 Assignment: Southwest Asia and North Africa Apr 9 Map Quiz 5: Southwest Asia and North Africa Apr 9 Map Quiz 6: Europe Apr 9 Course Reflection I Apr 9 6 (Apr 9) Map Quiz 7: The Russian Domain Apr 16 Map Quiz 8: Central Asia Apr 16 Module 10 Assignment: The Aral Sea Apr 16 7 (Apr 16) Map Quiz 9: East Asia Apr 23 Module 12 Assignment: India: World s Most Populous Country? Apr 23 Map Quiz 10: South Asia Apr 23 Map Quiz 11: Southeast Asia Apr 23 8 (Apr 23) Map Quiz 12: Australia and Oceania** Apr 27 Reflection Presentation** Apr 27 Geography Assessment** Apr 27 *All assignments will be posted Mondays at 9:00 am and be due the following Monday at 9:00 am, except for the last map quiz and course reflection, which are due the last day of the course. **Assignment will be released one week prior to its due date. 7