I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
VII – Social Science
Geography
Dept/Program
Course Title
Course #
Introduction to Human Geography
None
Credits
GEOG U 101 S
3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Instructor
Phone / Email
Dr. David Shively
X6478;
david.shively@umontana.e
du
Program Chair
Dr. Jeffrey Gritzner
Dean
Dr. Gerald Fetz
III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory
and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm
GEOG 101 (Intro. Human Geog.) surveys the scope, content, and methods of a major division
of the discipline of Geography. Human Geography is especially concerned with the ways in
which groups and individuals organize and interact spatially, in terms of their economies,
cultures, and politics. As such this course is of critical importance to students because they
need to learn how the world works in terms of the groups, organizations, and individuals that
occupy and interact within it. In this regard, the course incorporates a number of learning
objectives articulated in the six themes delineated in the National Geography Standards, as well
as those that pertain to this General Education Group VII. The relevant themes coming from
the National Geography Standards include understanding: the world in spatial terms, places and
regions, human systems, environment and society, and the uses of Geography.
IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
1. systematically study individuals, groups, or
Students employ Geographic concepts and
social institutions;
theories (i.e., regions, spatial perception and
cognition, spatial interaction, cultural and
political ordering of space) to investigate the
spatial behavior and interactions of groups
and institutions.
Students apply Geographic concepts and
2. analyze individuals, groups, or social theories to the analysis of specific case
problems and structures; and/or studies involving groups defined on the basis
of ethnicity, culture, age, gender, etc. These
categories are not mutually exclusive.
Students examine the circumstances that led
to the development and establishment of
specific Geographic theories, including
spatial diffusion, spatial interaction,
geopolitical theories, and others. They
examine the data, analytical methods, and
findings that pertain to these studies, and
apply these methods to other selected
examples or case studies.
V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Students will engage in discussions and
1. Students taking courses in the Social writings that consider and describe how the
Sciences Perspective will be able to: following develop and evolve: groups
Describe the nature, structure, and historical development of human behavior, defined on the basis of culture and/or
ethnicity, culture regions, global culture,
organizations, social phenomena, and/or political states and their subdivisions,
relationships;
economic regions, supranational
organizations, and the spatial perceptions
and behaviors of individuals.
Through discussion and/or written work,
2. use theory in explaining these individual, students will be able to distinguish among,
group, or social phenomena; and/or and apply to specific case studies, the
different theories that are concerned with
the evolution and spatial expression of
culture, economic activity, and political
units.
Through discussion and/or written work,
3. understand, assess, and evaluate how conclusions and generalizations are justified students will be able to critically examine
Geographic studies, concepts, and theories
based on data. with respect to the data upon which they are
based.
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
3. give considerable attention to ways in which
conclusions and generalizations are developed
and justified as well as the methods of data
collection and analysis.
*Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide
sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.
Department of Geography
University of Montana
Spring Semester, 2009
Dr. Shively
Office: JOUR (GEOG) 212 (208A)
Voice: 406-243-6478
Email: david.shively@umontana.edu
Office Hrs: TBA, and by Appt.
GEOG 101 Course Syllabus – Introduction to Human Geography
Course Description
Geography is the World; the World is Geography! This course is intended to provide you with
exposure to the human dimension or aspect of geography – how cultures are born and change,
how populations behave, how people and groups organize themselves and their activities
spatially and politically, how these activities and patterns change across time and space, and how
technology affects these things. You are going to learn how to think like a geographer, to
expand your geographic imagination, and to appreciate this discipline which is a critical
component of the well rounded liberal arts education. Furthermore, you will gain skill in using
maps, data, argument and persuasion that will certainly prove to be important skills in your
future career – whether it be as a geographer (yes, there are professional geographers!) or
something else.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course you should be able to accomplish the following:
¾ “use maps and other geographical representations, tools, and technologies to acquire,
process, and report information from a spatial perspective;
¾ use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments;
¾ analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth’s surface;”
Describe:
¾ the “human characteristics of places;”
¾ how “people create regions to interpret Earth’s complexity;
¾ how culture and experience influence people’s perception of places and regions;
¾ the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth’s
surface;
¾ the characteristics, distributions, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics;
¾ the patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface;
¾ the process, patterns, and functions of human settlement;
¾ how forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and
control of Earth’s surface;
¾ how human actions modify the physical environment;
¾ how physical systems affect human systems;
¾ the changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources;
¾ how to apply geography to interpret the past;
¾ how to apply geography to the interpretation of the present and plan for the
future.”1
Required Text
¾ Fellman, Jerome D, Arthur Getis, and Judith Getis. 2008. Human Geography:
Landscapes of Human Activities (10th Ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill (w/ Student
Atlas of World Geography (5th).
Also
¾ You may use Fellman et al.’s 8th or 9th, and the 4th Ed. of the Atlas (Avail. through
web vendors).
¾ A copy of the 9th Edition of the Fellman text is on two hour reserve in Mansfield
Library.
¾ Copies of Chapters 1 & 2 (from the 8th Edition) are available through both regular
and E-Reserve at Mansfield library, and on the course BlackBoard site (see below for
instructions).
o
You can now purchase the new eBook format of Fellmann et al’s Human
Geography, 8e. With McGraw-Hill eBooks, you get the: SAME
CONTENT AT ABOUT HALF OF THE PRINTED VERSION PRICE.
Powered by Zinio, McGraw-Hill’s eBook is the most effective electronic
text on the market today, and it’s available for purchase direct from the
publisher. Does not come w/ atlas. Go to http://textbooks.zinio.com
Recommended Texts
¾ Avnery, Uri. Truth Against Truth: A Completely Different Look at the IsraeliPalestinian Conflict. Gush Shalom (public. date unk.). Available via the web at:
gush-shalom.org/Docs/Truth_Eng.pdf and on the course BlackBoard site under Course
Readings.
Supplementary Materials
• A BlackBoard site has been established for this course. Access from the
University’s homepage (www.umt.edu). You must use your NetID and password
(i.e., last 6 digits of your GrizID as username and password, or password set by
yourself through the UM Portal. Especially see the Study Materials section for
supplemental study materials. A supplementary website offered by the publishers
of our text that provides additional material and study materials is available at:
http://www.mhhe.com/fellmann10e/ .
• Review the syllabus for required on-line readings to supplement the text.
• Selected supplementary readings (i.e., from Lemon Tree and Goode’s World
Atlas and other sources) have been placed on the BlackBoard site under Course
Readings.
TA Information
1
These learning objectives are consistent with The National Geography Standards. The standards
were established by the Geographic Education National Implementation Project, a consortium of the
Association of American Geographers, the American Geographical Society, the National Council for
Geographic Education, and the National Geographic Society.
Course Organization
We will employ a number of methods and practices throughout the semester:
¾ Lecture/Discussion/Active Learning Activities - Bring a notebook and take
notes.
¾ Readings from Text - Outline the assigned readings, and prepare Reading
Reviews as described below.
¾ Audio Visual (Videos) – be there, you will have questions to answer!
Course Requirements
Exams
Activities
Reading Reviews
40 percent
40 percent
20 percent
Exams
A total of 3 exams will be offered through the semester – 2 midterms and one final that
will have a comprehensive element. Exam format is multiple choice/true-false, however,
you may elect to complete short answer/essay style exams if you prefer. Let me know
your preferences prior to exam days. Exam study guides are provided under the section
with this name on the BlackBoard site (study guides from previous semesters will be
updated/replaced with more current ones approximately one week prior to scheduled
exams).
Activities
You will complete a number of activities (assignments) during the semester. These will
contribute directly to your understanding of the course material and it is essential that you
complete these on time. These are available under Activities (Assignments) on the
BlackBoard site. All finished work related to these activities must be turned in at the
beginning of the designated class period, must be type-written, and have your name and
student ID in the upper right hand corner of the document. Work will not be accepted via
email or BlackBoard.
Reading Reviews/Attendance
“Ninety percent of life is just showing up!” Attendance will be documented using a
number of methods – be in class on time and don’t leave early.
The Reading Reviews are intended to provide you with an incentive to engage with the
course material as it is presented in the textbook. For a given assigned reading, you
should first scan the reading to see what is included and get a sense for the organization
of material, then read the material, then compose a Reading Review. The Reading
Review should follow the format shown in the Reading Review template provided on the
BlackBoard site under Activities.
Grading
Though I will examine the distribution of course scores (totals) to ensure that it is an
appropriate and fair one, I do not practice grading that contributes to “grade-inflation.”
The best individual strategy to ensure that you receive a grade you can live with is to
work to meet and/or exceed course requirements. Remember, A’s are rewards for
Superior Performance, B’s for Above Average Performance, and C’s for Average
Performance. Course grades will be based upon the following percentages of the total
points possible for the course as weighted by the criteria specified in course requirements.
This class carries traditional grading and cannot be taken CR/NC (this is moot for
GenEd and Geography Majors!).
A ≥93.0% A­ = 90.0­92.9% B+ = 87.0-89.9%
C+ = 77.0-79.9%
D+ = 67.0-69.9%
F ≤ 59.9%
B = 83.0-86.9%
C = 73.0-76.9%
D = 63.0-66.9%
B- = 80.0-82.9%
C- = 70.0-72.9%
D- = 60.0-62.9%
Additional Policies
Late work will lose one-half a letter grade (i.e., A to A-) for each day late including
weekends. Work is due at the start of class on day specified. Please do not make excuses
for late work – I will need advance notification of any factors that will affect your ability
to turn in work on time and/or to meet other course requirements. Save, back-up, and be
prepared to submit digital (i.e., on disk) copies of any work produced during the semester
in case of technology failures.
I will not allow make-up exams unless notified beforehand of the problem at hand. Be
prepared to provide documentation for events causing to absences if you wish
extensions/makeups.
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an
academic penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the
University.
All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is available
for review online at http://www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm/page/1321 .
It is extremely disruptive to have students arrive late and/or leave early. I know that you
have nothing else on your schedule during the class period, therefore your presence
throughout the entire class period is expected. Not only will this keep me happy, it will
help you to master the material.
Provisional Course Schedule*
Week
Topic
Reading(s)
Activities
T: Intro, Course Req’s
T: N/A
1
R: What is Geography?
What do Geographer’s
do? Key Concepts &
GenEd Criteria
R: (1) Ch. 1 (pp. 3-20); (2)
http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa111599.htm
(Review both pages and surf definitions, 4 traditions, etc.);
(3) http://geography.about.com/library/misc/blquote.htm
(4) http://www.aag.org/Careers/What_is_geog.html
(5) http://www.aag.org/Careers/Geographic_Fields.html
(6) http://www.aag.org/Careers/To_be_a_geographer.html
Week
Topic
T: Maps
2
Reading(s)
T: (1) Ch. 1 (pp. 20-30); (2) Appendix A; (3) GWA
Reading (BlackBoard & E-Reserve); (4) Allen (Atlas)
Introduction
R: Culture
3
4
5
T: Language & Religion
R: Review
T: Midterm Exam 1
R: Ethnic Regions
T: Political Space
R: Activity 2 – Israel &
Palestine Dividing
R: Ch. 2
T: Ch. 5; Allen Maps 20-22
R: N/A
T: N/A
R: Ch. 6; Allen Maps 130b
T: Ch. 12; Allen Part VI; Allen Maps 117c, 117d, 123c,
130a, 130b
R: (1) Lemon Tree (Chs. 1&2); (2) Avnery .pdf
document (Both avail. Via BlackBoard & E-Reserve).
T: Political Space and
Israel/Palestine Cont’d
R: Folk & Global Culture
T: N/A
T: Folk & Global Culture –
Show & Tell
R: Midterm Exam Review
T: Midterm Exam 2
R: Population
T: N/A
T: Ch. 3 (pp. 81-94); Allen Map 23
R: N/A
SV
10
T: Migration
R: Activity 4 – Population
Growth Scenarios
SPRING VACATION
T: Livelihood & Economy I
11
R: Livelihood & Econ. II
T: Spatial Interaction
R: Ch. 9; Allen Maps 17, Part IV
T: Ch. 3 (pp. 65-70, 375-377)
R: Geography of
Development
R: (1) Ch 10; (2)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/36
70465.stm ; (3)
http://www.dollarsandsense.org/0505macewan.html (4)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_Adjustment_Pro
gram ; (5) Appendix B; (6) Allen Part IV
T: TBA
6
7
8
9
12
13
T: Movie: Development
R: Ch. 7
R: N/A
T: N/A
R: Ch. 4; Allen Maps 14, 15, 24, 25, 40-45
T: Ch. 8; Allen Maps 52, 73, 74-83, 105a, 105d, 123d,
R: Movie: “Subdivide and
Conquer”
R: Ch. 11
T: Urban Geography
T: N/A
R: Planning for Growth
R: N/A
Activities
T: Activ. 1:
RePresenting
Earth!
R: Activ. 1 Due.
R: Review
T: Exam 1
R: Activ. 2:
Mapping the
Division of Israel
& Palestine
T: Activ. 2 Due.
R: Activ. 3:
Globalization of
Folk Culture
T: Activ. 3 Due;
Show & Tell
R: Review
T: Exam 2
R: Activ. 4:
Population
Growth
Scenarios &
Migration
Histories
R: Activ. 4 Due.
T: Activ. 5: Global
Food System
T: Activ. 5 Due.;
Activ. 6: High
Plains Ethanol
R: Activ. 7: States
of Development
T: Activ. 8-Video
Questions
R: Activ. 6 Due;
Activ. 8-Video
Questions
T: Activs. 7 & 8
Due; Activ. 9:
Urban Growth
Scenarios
Week
Topic
Reading(s)
Activities
R: Urban Growth
Discussion
T: Activ. 9 Due.
R: Review
T: Sustainability
T: Ch. 13
R: Review
R: N/A
FINAL TBA
*Provisional nature of course schedule indicates that though every attempt will be made to adhere to this
schedule, it is not written in stone. Any impact of deviations from the schedule on course activities will be
considered and adjusted for.
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