GEO200 Introduction to Human Geography
Geography in the News
75 points total
Making Learning Visible Symposium Participation Wednesday, June 4th
Papers Due Monday, June 9th
Objective(s):
1. Recognize the relevance of current events coverage to geography.
2. Learn to utilize terminology and concepts in the course when describing
current events.
3. To take what we learn in the classroom and apply it to real life issues outside
the classroom.
Directions:
Choose a topic from one of the chapters in our textbook and find a specific story or
issue to analyze in depth. It is recommended that you find between 5-8 sources
regarding your particular story, just to see how different sources portray the same
story and to get the most complete analysis.
For example: If you sign up for the Population week, you could cover a story in the
news about overpopulation in China or Social Security problems relating to
increasing retirement population in the United States, among many other
possibilities.
Written Summary (50 pts):
Your written portion of the assignment should be between 5-8 pages long (8-10 if
you work with a partner). There should be two sections with the following
headings:
1. Summary: In your summary you will want to do just that – summarize the
essential facts and history of the issue.
2. Geographic Analysis: Use geography to conduct a spatial analysis of your
research topic. Answer the question, How does geography help us
understand this issue? In your analysis apply three key geographic concepts,
and three additional terms or concepts (not necessarily geographic terms
from chapter 1) to explain (a total of six).
Reference style: Include a list of your sources in APA format, and be sure to cite
references in your summary where appropriate. The Library website has a useful
guide: https://northseattle.edu/tutoring/loft-writing-center. Be sure to refer to the
plagiarism policy on the syllabus and talk to me if you have questions.
1
GEO200 Introduction to Human Geography
Mechanics: The paper should be proofread and free of spelling and grammatical
errors. The Loft Writing Center on campus is an excellent resource for help editing
papers. The walk-in Writing Lab hours are available at the bottom of this page, and
they also have e-tutoring available. For information and hours see:
https://northseattle.edu/tutoring/loft-writing-center.
Formatting: Papers need to be stapled or paper clipped—include page numbers too.
The assignment should be written in Times New Roman font, 12pt, and doublespaced (take care not to double-space the section with your name and date).
Standard margins – do not minimize the margins to make your paper look longer. 
Presentation (25 pts): You will create a poster presentation of your topic. It
should include your summary of the news topic (don’t copy the actual story –
provide a summary or outline of the key points), why you felt the story was relevant
for the topic, and highlights from your geographic analysis including
concepts/terms you applied to the story. Include supporting visuals—photos,
graphs, and, of course maps if applicable! Get creative!
http://libguides.northseattle.edu/StudentMediaCenter
Ideas for Sources:
New York Times
The Washington Post
BBC News
The Economist
CIA World Factbook (for background information)
Feel free to ask me about any other source options.
Do not use Wikipedia – it is not sufficient for academic papers.
Late Penalties:
Papers: Lose a letter grade for each day late; submitted on the due date after class
lose points equivalent to half a letter grade.
Presentation materials: will not be accepted for late credit.
2