Geography Welcome Back!!! Please take a few minutes to read the syllabus in its entirety. Exploring all the topics in this syllabus and related links will help you succeed in this course. I am looking forward to working with you and having a great Year!!! Mr. Matthews Information Instructor: Mr. Matthews High School: Hutsonville High School Class Time: 5th Period Office Location/Hours: Social Studies Room (High School Wing) Email: jon.matthews@hutsonvilletigers.net Course Description This course is designed to help you better understand our constantly changing and complex world through a study of geography. We will study geography from the physical, political, and cultural prospective through the five basic geographical themes of location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. Special emphasis will be placed on geographical skills, and geographic literacy (locating countries, capitals, & physical features of the world). Geography Learning Outcomes ● Students will acquire an understanding of and appreciation for the relationship between geography and culture. ● Students will acquire an understanding of and appreciation for the role that geography can play in community engagement. ● Students will read, interpret, and generate maps and other geographic representations as well as extract, analyze, and present information from a spatial perspective. ● Students will have a general understanding of physical geographic processes, the global distribution of landforms and ecosystems, and the role of the physical environment on human populations. ● Students will have a general understanding of global human population patterns, factors influencing the distribution and mobility of human populations including settlement and economic activities and networks, and human impacts on the physical environment. ● Students will be able to think in spatial terms to explain what has occurred in the past as well as using geographic principles to understand the present and plan for the future. Your Course Participation Test / Quiz / Pop Quiz Policy You will be informed of an upcoming test/quiz well in advance. These will usually be a combination of short answer, matching, multiple choice, and essay. Assignments / Late Work Policy Late work will be accepted if you have missed school or have an excused absence from class. It is up to you to make up your assignments. Please see teacher for arrangements. Movies to Watch: There will be video assignments on occasion and these will require a written reaction. Written Assignments Page 2 Geography Your written assignments should be original writing and include citations as described in the APA/MLA/Chicago style guide. Never use Wikipedia as a reference in your assignments and papers. Wikipedia is ok to use if you are looking for background information or are getting started, but please use other resources when citing. Calendar of Activities The Calendar of Activities is a summary of the weekly lessons and course activities. Special Note: The instructor has the right to modify this syllabus. You will be notified of any changes. Week Topic(s) and Reading Assignments and Activities Special Note: The instructor has the right to modify this syllabus. You will be notified of any changes. Semester 1 Unit 1: Physical and Human Geography - Exploring Geography - Climates and Ecosystems - Population and Culture - Resources and Land Use Unit 2: United States and Canada - Intro to US and Canada - Profile of the US - Regions of the US - Canada Unit 3: Latin America - Intro to Latin America - Mexico - Central America and Carribbean - Brazil - Countries of South America Unit 4: Western Europe - Intro to Western Europe - British Isles and Nordic Nations Page 3 Geography - Central Western Europe Mediterranean Europe Semester 2 Unit 5: Intro to Central Europe and Northern Eurasia - Central and Eastern Europe - Russia Unit 6: Intro to Central and South Asia - The Caucasus and Central Asia - Countries of Southwest Asia Unit 7: Africa - Intro to Africa - North Africa - West and Central Africa - East and Southern Africa Unit 8: South Asia - Intro to South Asia - Countries of South Asia Unit 9: East Asia and the Pacific World - Intro to East Asia and the Pacific World - China - Japan and the Koreas - Southeast Asia - Pacific World and Antarctica ** The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus at any time. Students will be made aware if any changes are made.*** Course Grade Your final letter grade will be determined by totaling the points earned on all graded coursework. GRADE Percentage from TOTAL POINTS A 90%-100% B 80% - 89% C 70% - 79% D 60% - 69% Page 4 Geography F 0% - 59% Course Guidelines/Policies Instructor Expectations: Not everyone will get an A, B or C. Work hard and you’ll do well. Academic Dishonesty Academic dishonesty, in any form, is expressly prohibited As used herein, academic dishonesty incorporates the following. Cheating, which is defined as the giving or taking of any information or material with the intent of wrongfully aiding one’s self or another in academic work considered in the Plagiarism, which is defined as the act of stealing or passing off as one’s own work the words, ideas or conclusions of another as if the work submitted were the product of one’s own thinking inappropriate behavior which may include but is not limited to: falsifying records or data, lying, unauthorized copying, tampering, abusing or otherwise unethically using computer or other stored information, and any other act or misconduct which may reasonably be deemed to be a part of this heading. I hope you have enjoyed exploring this syllabus and find it useful. Your next step is to begin the assignments for Week One. Page 5 Geography See you in the classroom! Page 6
