WORLD GEOGRAPHY
Dewaynn Schuessler
dschuess@houstonisd.org
COURSE DISCRIPTION
The question where and why and how are central to geography. Like anyone who has to find the
site of a party on Saturday night, the location of the best grocery store, or the fastest and safest
route home, geographers are interested in location, spatial relationships, and connections
between the environment and people. Different places have different sights, sounds, smells, and
physical features. Understanding what has contributed to the look and feel of a place, to the
standard of living and customs of its people, and the way people in one place relate to people in
other places, near and far, helps to answer the question of why places are where they are.
Seeking these answers is the spatial endeavor of geographers. Furthermore, geographers often
think at several scales: for example, when choosing the best local site for a new grocery store, a
geographer might consider the socioeconomic circumstances of the local neighborhood as well
as the best location from the perspective of the city at large. A potential site would also be
considered in relation to national or even international transportation routes, possible to
determine cost-effective connections to suppliers.
WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?
Geography might be defined as the study of our planet’s surface and processes that shape it.
However, such a succinct definition does not begin to convey the fascinating interactions of
physical and human forces that have given the earth its diversity of landscapes and ways of life.
Geography, as an academic discipline, links the physical sciences such as geology, physics,
chemistry, biology, and botany with social sciences such as anthropology, sociology, history,
economics, and political science.
COURSE OUTLINE
Fall Semester
Unit 1 – The World in Spatial Terms
Unit 2 – Physical systems
Unit 3 – ESPN Environment
Unit 4 – Population and Migration
Unit 5 – Defining Cultures
Unit 6 – World Religions
Spring Semester
Unit 7 – Political Systems
Unit 8 – Conflict and Cooperation
Unit 9 – Economic systems
Unit 10 – Economic Disparity
Unit 11 – EXPN World Review
Unit 12 – Research Project
SUPPLIES
One 1 inch three ring binder
One package colored pencils
GRADES
Grades in this class will be structured as per Westside High School policy
Tutorials
Monday through Friday 7AM-750AM
Lunch M/T/ 1145-1205
By appointment after school