Geography
100: Introduction to Human Geography
Spring 2003
Course home page: http://courses.washington.edu/g100s03
Professor Purcell
Office: Smith 406A
Tel.:
(206) 616-8668
E-mail: mpurcell@u.washington.edu
Home page: http://faculty.washington.edu/mpurcell
|
Lecture schedule: MWF
11:30-12:20 Kane
130 |
Office Hours: by appointment (just e-mail me to set up
a time) |
Course Summary:
This
course introduces you to the discipline of human geography. It covers basic themes and concepts in
geography, and it teaches you to look at the world from a geographical
perspective. We will examine a wide
range of topics: population, nature, economics, agriculture, culture, politics,
and urbanization. In order to hold
these diverse issues together, we will examine them through the unifying theme
of globalization. Over the past 500 years or so, the world has
been moving toward becoming one integrated global system rather than many
different independent systems. This
change has profound impacts on population, nature, economics, etc., and it is
against the background of globalization that we will examine the principles of
human geography.
Structure of the course:
The course is
made up of two main components: 1) lecture and 2) discussion section. I will lead lectures on Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday in Kane 130. Your teaching
assistant (TA) will lead section. You
will receive a separate syllabus for section.
Your active participation in both lecture and section is absolutely
crucial, because the quality of learning (both for you and your classmates)
will depend on the amount and quality of each member’s participation. Discussion section is not designed as
a mini-lecture where the TA re-covers material from lecture or the text. Do not expect such a format.
Needless
to say, both lecture and discussion section are crucial. You are expected to attend each lecture and
each section and attend them fully prepared.
Your responsibilities:
The best strategy for doing well in the course is to approach it with a genuine desire to know more about the world. An honest intellectual curiosity will be your best tool for success. To that end, you have several responsibilities:
·
Attend
all lectures and all sections
·
Arrive
at all lectures and sections prepared. This means having carefully read and
considered the material for that class
·
Participate
actively in section and in lecture. For
lecture, this means actively processing the information and participating where
appropriate. For section, this means
discussing the material in a way that constructively advances the understanding
of both you and your classmates.
·
Complete
all requirements on time. No late work
will be accepted.
Learning objectives for the course:
·
Become
familiar with fundamental issues and debates in geography
·
Understand
better how globalization is restructuring the world’s geography
·
Improve
critical thinking skills
·
Improve
discussion and debate skills
·
Improve
research and writing skills
Required Reading Materials:
·
Knox
and Marston, Places and Regions in Global
Context. Available at the
University Book Store.
·
Course
Reader for Discussion Section. Available
at Professional Copy & Print, 4200 University Way, 634-2689.
Grading:
|
Item |
Points |
Date
|
|
Midterm exam |
60 |
Wednesday,
April 30 |
|
Final exam |
90 |
Wednesday,
June 11 |
|
Section |
75 |
Throughout
the quarter |
|
Course Project |
75 |
More
on this in section |
There
are 300 total points in the course.
Grading will be based on an absolute scale, available on the course
website.
You
will receive a separate syllabus for section.
That syllabus will provide details on the structure of section and the
format. More information about the
course project will also be distributed in section.
**Exams
must be taken at the
scheduled time. No make-up exams will
be offered.**
Academic honesty:
It
is essential that you be graded only on your own work. The University of
Washington takes the offenses of cheating and plagiarism very seriously, and so
do I. Cheating is taking advantage of
the work of others. Plagiarism is
representing the work of others as your own, without giving appropriate
credit. All assignments in the course
are to be completed individually unless your TA or I explicitly tell you
otherwise.
Lecture Schedule (all reading refers to the Knox and Marston textbook):
|
Week 1 |
Class 1—Monday, March 31 Topics: Introduction to the
course |
Class 2—Wednesday,
April 2
Topics: What is geography? Readings: Complete Chapter 1 of the
Knox and Marston textbook before this lecture |
|
|
Class 3—Friday, April 4 Topics: What is geography? Readings: Chapter 1, continued |
|
|
Week 2 |
Class 4—Monday, April 7 Topics: What is geography/ What is
globalization? Readings: Chapter 1, continued,
Complete Chapter 2 before this lecture |
|
Class 5—Wednesday, April 9 Topics: What is globalization? Readings: Chapter 2, Continued |
|
|
Class 6—Friday, April 11 Topic: What is globalization? Readings: Chapter 2, continued |
|
|
Week 3 |
Class
7—Monday, April 14
Topics: The Geography of
Population Readings: Complete Chapter 3 before
this lecture |
|
Class 8—Wednesday, April 16 Topic: The Geography of
Population Readings: Chapter 3, continued |
|
Class 9—Friday,
April 18
Topic: The Geography of
Population Readings: Chapter 3, continued |
|
|
Week 4 |
Class 10—Monday, April 21 Topic: Humans and environment Readings: Complete Chapter 4 before
this lecture |
|
Class 11—Wednesday, April 23 Topic: Humans and environment Readings: Chapter 4, continued |
|
|
Class 12—Friday, April 25 Topic: Agriculture and food Readings: Complete Chapter 8 before
this lecture |
|
|
Week 5 |
Class 13—Monday, April 28 Topic: Agriculture and food Readings: Chapter 8, continued |
|
Midterm—Wednesday, April
30, Kane 130 11:30-12:20 |
|
Class
14—Friday, May 2
Topic: Economic change Readings: Complete Chapter 7 before
this lecture |
|
Week 6
|
Class 15—Monday, May 5 Topic: Economic change Readings: Chapter 7, continued |
Class
16—Wednesday, May 7
Topic: Economic change Readings: Chapter 7, continued |
|
|
Class 17—Friday, May 9 Topic: Economic change Readings: Chapter 7, continued |
|
|
Week 7 |
Class
18—Monday, May 12
Topic: Cultural change Readings: Complete Chapters 5 &
6 before this lecture |
|
Class 19—Wednesday May 14 Topic: Cultural change Readings: Chapters 5 & 6,
continued |
|
|
Class 20—Friday, May 16 Topic: Cultural change Readings: Chapters 5 & 6,
continued |
|
|
Week 8 |
Class 21—Monday, May 19 Topic: Political change Readings: Complete Chapter 9 before
this lecture |
Class 22—Wednesday,
May 21
Topic: Political change Readings: Chapter 9, continued |
|
|
Class 23—Friday, May 23 Topic: Political change Readings: Chapter 9, continued |
|
|
Week 9 |
Monday, May
26—No class, Memorial Day
|
Class
24—Wednesday, May 28
Topic: Cities and Urbanization Readings: Complete
Chapters 10
& 11 before this lecture |
|
|
Class 25—Friday, May 30 Topic: Cities and Urbanization Readings: Chapters 10 & 11,
continued |
|
Week 10
|
Class
26—Monday, June 2
Topic: Cities and Urbanization Readings: Chapters 10 & 11,
continued |
Class
27—Wednesday, June 4
Topic: Cities and Urbanization Readings: Chapters 10 & 11,
continued |
|
Class 28—Friday, June 6
Topic: Cities and Urbanization Readings: Chapters 10 & 11,
continued |
|
|
|
Final
Exam, Wednesday, June 11, 2:30-4:20, Kane 130
|