GEOG 205, Section 001, Cultural Geography
Fall Quarter, 2025
Mon, Wed, Fri, 9:30-10:45 am, Davison Hall 113
Class begins at 9:30 am. You are to be in your seat and ready to start taking notes at 9:30 am, not
walking into the class at that time. Late arrivals disrupt everybody, and will not be tolerated.
Professor: Dr. Taylor E. Mack Office: GTM 127B Phone: 318-257-4741
Office Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, & Thur 2:00-4:30 pm; and by appointment.
Email: tmack@latech.edu
No Textbook Required Text: free, online texts that may be helpful will be on Canvas.
Required Readings on Canvas (see “Study & Learning Tips” in menu): 10 Steps to Earning Awesome
Grades, How College is Different from High School, and How to Transition from High School to College.
Course Description: Discussion of the spatial patterns of the human world; people, their culture, their
livelihoods, and their imprints of the landscape
Course Web Page: All course materials – syllabus, quiz study guides, etc – will be available on Canvas –
http://canvas.latech.edu/ . In case of natural disasters and emergencies, like the current COVID pandemic, class
instruction will continue on Canvas. All students are required to use Canvas to access Zoom, grades and other
class materials through Canvas.
Course Text Message Announcements: Follow the instructions in the module “Being GEOG 290 Here.” Sign
up using your name as it appears on Canvas: no fake names, no parents. Set relationship to student as “self.”
This phone number only sends text messages and cannot receive messages. If you need to contact me, please
call my office phone or send me an email. You will not be spammed, and only receive the same announcements
that go up on Canvas.
Attendance Policy: FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE POLICIES BELOW MAY RESULT IN YOU EARNING
A LOWER GRADE. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO!
YOU, the student, are required to attend all classes, and attendance will be taken. If you are missing class
you are required to see the instructor immediately upon returning to class. Class notes are NOT provided to
students who miss class, nor are they posted on Canvas.
Students are required to take notes in class using either paper, a computer, or a tablet. STUDENTS MAY
NOT USE THEIR CELL PHONE TO TAKE NOTES. Students not taking notes properly will be removed from
the classroom. NO RECORDING LECTURES BY ANY MEANS without written approval by the professor.
The best notes are the notes that YOU take in class. Taking notes is a major part of the learning process, and
downloading them does not help the overwhelming majority of students. Starting with the 5th absence, students
will have their letter grade lowered by one grade for absence #5, two grades for absence #6, three letter grades
for absence #7, and four letter grades for absence #8 or more.
Students on Official Tech Athletic Teams (not intramurals): Each and every individual student who is on
an official Tech athletic team is required to:
1. notify the instructor IN PERSON at the beginning of the quarter that you are on an athletic team that will be
missing class for official travel during the quarter – bring the letter from the Athletic Department! Without the
letter you are not excused. Email or telephone contact does not count!
2. tell the instructor IN PERSON AT LEAST 1 WEEK PRIOR TO TRAVEL that they will be missing class.
Email or telephone contact does not count!
3. make an WRITTEN APPOINTMENT IN PERSON with the instructor for make-up tests and quizzes
BEFORE LEAVING FOR TRAVEl. Email or telephone contact does not count!
4. failure to keep the appointment for make-up tests and quizzes will result in a zero grade.
5. have 3 DAYS UPON RETURN TO CAMPUS TO MAKE UP ANY TESTS AND QUIZZES, provided a
written appointment had already been made prior to leaving.
Official University Excuses for Other Students: Students with an official university excuse must notify the
instructor in person at least 1 week before missing class with the paperwork to verify it is an official university
excuse. It is up to the instructor if you will take exams or quizzes before or after you return from your official
university trip. Students must make a written appointment for make-up exams and quizzes before leaving Tech’s
campus, must keep the appointment or receive a zero grade, and have 3 days upon return to campus to make up
any tests or quizzes, provided an appointment has already been made.
EMERGENCIES & FUNERALS: Students missing class because of a bona fide emergency (i.e., kidney
transplant) must notify the instructor within 24 hours of missing an exam or quiz. Notification can be by email
or telephone. Doctor visits for non-emergency treatment (i.e., wart removal) are not considered emergencies.
Real emergencies generate enough documentation to verify its status by the professor. Students missing for bona
fide emergencies have 3 calendar days from the end of the emergency to make up missing exams and quizzes.
Students needing to notify the instructor of emergency (unofficial) excuses for missing exams and quizzes may
use email, telephone messages, or leave a note of explanation at the instructor’s office or at the School of History
and Social Sciences Office (GTM 137), but the student is required to provide enough documentation of the
emergency to the professor when they come to see him in his office during office hours or by making an
appointment.
Funerals: Over the years students have so abused the funeral excuse that all I have to enforce this policy, as
much as I hate doing it at a time when students have so much to grieve about. ALL STUDENTS who miss class
for a funeral have to follow the above section titled “Emergencies”, and are required to bring a copy of the
funeral program – no exceptions. NO death certificates or obituaries – just the funeral program. I do not need
to keep the copy of the program, but the program verifies the date and time, as well as your relationship to the
deceased. I apologize in advance to all who have to attend a legitimate funeral, but after instituting this policy
the number of students missing class for funerals has dropped about 90%.
Freshmen & Sophomores: those who miss more than 10% of the course with unexcused absences will be
removed from the course without notice. See the latest Tech Catalog, Chapter 3, “Class Attendance.”
ALL STUDENTS: those with five (5) or more unexcused absences will have their final grade reduced by
10% for each absence starting with the fifth (10% for 5th absence, 20% for the 6th; 30% for the 7th, etc).
Attendance Sheets: Academic Misconduct includes signing the attendance sheet for students who are not present
in class(Section 3.2 Falsification). Initial the attendance sheet each day you are in class. Attendance does not
count toward the grade, unless you skip too many classes (see above), and therefore it makes no sense whatsoever
to sign in a student who is not in class – but it still violates the Honor Code.
Office of Disability Services: Students needing testing or classroom accommodations based on a disability
must be registered with the Louisiana Tech University Office of Testing & Disability Services. Students are
encouraged to discuss those needs with the instructor as soon as possible. If you do not have a current
accommodation memo, visit the Office of Testing & Disability Services for assistance.
NOTE: Students are required to make exam appointments online through the Testing and Disability Officeat
least 3 days before each and every exam.
Tech Honor Code In accordance with the Academic Honor Code, students pledge the following: “Being a
student of higher standards, I pledge to embody the principles of academic integrity.”
This course has a zero tolerance policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic misconduct.
Academic Misconduct includes signing the attendance sheet for students who are not present in class. Honor
Code violations will result in a Failing Grade of “F” for the Entire Course.
Emergency Notification System: All Louisiana Tech students are strongly encouraged to enroll and update
their contact information in the Emergency Notification System. It takes just a few seconds to ensure you’re
able to receive important text and voice alerts in the event of a campus emergency.
Counseling Services: Students have access confidential counseling services at no additional cost. Visit the
Louisiana Tech Counseling Services website to learn more.
Non-Discrimination:
Louisiana Tech University is committed to the principle of providing the opportunity for learning and
development of all qualified citizens without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual
orientation, marital status, or disability. Persons with concerns may contact the Louisiana Tech Director of Title
IX Compliance: Mortissa D. Harvey, Phone: 318.257.5911, Wyly Tower 1536, Email: mharvey@latech.edu
Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and
activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. Persons with
concerns may contact the Section 504 Coordinator:
Annie Jantz, Phone: 318.257.2445, Division of Student Affairs; Keeny Hall 305, Email: ajantz@latech.edu
Drop with a “W” date
The latest date a student may drop a course (or resign his/her entire schedule) with a “W” grade for Fall 2025 is
Friday, Oct 24, 2025.
Canvas and Workday Help
Direct questions/problems to the Computing Center Help Desk (helpdesk@latech.edu or 318-257-5300)
Classroom Decorum: Some students do not like these rules, but they are nothing more than common courtesy
to maintain an atmosphere for learning in the classroom. This is only fair to the students who are her at Tech to
learn and increase their knowledge.
Students are expected to maintain proper classroom decorum, including being punctual and arriving to class on
time. The following rules apply to all students in the course:
• Arrive to class on time; be in your seat ready to start class when class begins; students who come to
class late on a regular basis will not be tolerated. Official Time: http://www.time.gov
•
No talking, no rowdy or boisterous behavior
•
Turn off all electronic devices, all accessories, and put them away;
•
Do not read the newspaper, books, magazines; do not do homework for other classes.
•
Laptop computers may be used for taking notes only. Using a laptop for any other use will result in
the student being removed from the classroom, and their laptop privileges will be taken away (if they are
permitted to remain enrolled in the course). Cell Phones may NOT be used to take notes.
•
Follow all instructions of the professor. If told to show your ID card or move to a certain seat, please do
so without any disruption or discussion. These items are all listed in the Student Handbook and Student
Code of Conduct.
•
These are based on the Student Code of Conduct, Sections 6.04:05, 6.04:18, and other sections, as well
as Tech’s Honor Code. The Student Code of Conduct can be found on the course Canvas page and here:
http://www.latech.edu/documents/student_code_of_conduct.pdf
No recording of any kind – audio or visual – without the prior, written approval of the professor. Take
notes using paper & pens or computers. No photography or videography permitted for notes.
•
STUDENTS WHO DISRUPT CLASS OFTEN MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE COURSE AND GIVEN
A GRADE OF F FOR THE CLASS. SEE “ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT” IN THE TECH CATALOG
(CHAPTER 4).
Honor Code & Classroom Behavior Statement
All students are required to read Tech’s Academic Honor Code, then go to Canvas and complete the “Honor Code
and Classroom Behavior Statement” found under the menu option “Honor Code”. Students must complete the
Honor Code and Classroom Behavior Statement before 10:00 pm, Tuesday, March 17th, to receive 5 extra
credit points. For each day late in completing the above, students will lose 1 point off their total grade at the
end of the quarter. Cheating of any form will not be tolerated, and will result in a failing grade of “F” for the
entire course.
Course Goals: Students will learn the basic fundamentals of cultural geography as they apply to agriculture,
population geography, language, race & ethnicity, and religion. Students will gain an appreciation for the other
cultures and the cultural diversity found within the Unites States and the world.
Course Requirements: Students are responsible for completing all requirements by the assigned due date for
each assignment and for taking exams and quizzes on the assigned days. Late assignments will be reduced one
letter grade for each day late, without exception. This is only fair to the students who completed the
assignments on time.
Canvas keeps track of ALL student activity, when you logged on and which pages you visited. For any
assignment taken or loaded up to Canvas, it the responsibility of the student to make sure that it was done
correctly. If Canvas shows that the student did not log in on the day of any assignment, the student will
receive a zero for that assignment.
Exams: There will be three exams (two exams and a final exam). Exams will utilize a multiple-choice format,
and consist of 30 questions. Exams begin on the assigned day promptly at 9:30 am and close 40 minutes later at
10:10 am. Students must submit all answers before the time expires. Students will take the Exams on Canvas,
utilizing the Lockdown browser. Instructions for the Lockdown browser are on Canvas in the beginning
module. Students may take Exams from any location, but are responsible for their own internet connection.
Students may take the Exams in the classroom if they wish. No students will have the same questions or
answers in the same order, with both questions and answers scrambled, so comparing questions with others
simply wastes valuable time.
Quizzes: There will be four (4) quizzes during the quarter to test students’ knowledge of vocabulary, concept,
principles, ideas, paradigms, theories, and models relating to cultural geography. Study guides will be posted
on Canvas. The quiz will be taken on Canvas on the assigned date, at the students’ choice of time between 5:00
am and 11:55 pm, and will not be taken during class time. IMPORTANT: Any problems with quizzes on
Canvas must be reported to the instructor IMMEDIATELY and without fail. Failure to report a problem
will result in a zero for the quiz. Any make-up quiz must be completed within 3 calendar days of the original
quiz date, or the grade will be a permanent zero. Quiz Study Guides go off-line at 5:00 am on the day of the
Quiz, because you were supposed to study BEFORE the quiz began.
TECHNOLOGY PROBLEMS: Any problems with quizzes on Canvas based on technology must be
reported to the instructor IMMEDIATELY, because you are on the computer when the quiz or exam failed,
so use the computer to contact the instructor by email, although a telephone call is fine, too. Failure to report a
problem will result in a zero for the quiz. Any make-up quiz must be completed within 3 days of the original
quiz date, or the last day of classes, whichever comes first.
Grading: Course grades will be determined by totaling the points students have earned from all exams and
quizzes. The course requirements will be assigned the following number of points:
Four (4) quiz – 20 points
Three (3) exams – 100 points each (300 total exam points)
COURSE TOTAL POINTS – 320 points
Course grades will be broken down as follows:
A –288 points and up
B – 256-287 points
C – 224-255 points
D – 192-223 points
F – below 192 points
Students who do not complete all three (3) Exams will fail the course for not completing the requirements
Extra Credit: Extra Credit is offered at the beginning of the quarter for the Honor Code & Sullabus. There is no
other Extra Credit available through the rest of the quarter.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE & OUTLINE:
WEEK
1
DATE
Sept 5
2
Sept 8
Sept 10
Sept 12
3
Sept 15
Sept 17
Sept 19
DAY
Fri
TOPIC
Intro to the Course, Intro to Geography
Late Registration Ends Mon, Sept 8
Mon Intro to Geog & Intro to Cultural Geography
Wed Intro to Cultural Geography 2
Fri Intro to Cultural Geography 3
Sept 22
Sept 24
Sept 26
Mon Globalization & Intro to Agriculture
Wed Domestication & Agricultural Revolutions
Fri Agricultural Types 1 - Subsistence
Last Day to Register for Fall Graduation - Fri, Sept 19
Mon Agricultural Types 2 - Commercial
Wed
Fri Intro to Population Geography
5
Sept 29
Oct 1
Oct 3
Mon Intro to Population Geography 2
Wed Demographic Transition
Fri Gender Imblance
6
Oct 6
Oct 8
Oct 10
Mon Human Smuggling & Trafficking
Wed Population & Migration
Fri Geog of Language 1
7
Oct 13
Oct 15
Oct 17
Mon Geog of Language 2 - Toponyms & Europe
Wed Geog of Language 3 - Geog of English
Fri
Advising Begins - Mon, Oct 20
Mon Geog Race & Ethnicity 1
Wed Geog Race & Ethnicity 2
Fri Geog of Religion
Last Day to Drop or Resign with a W - Fri, Oct 24
4
8
Oct 20
Oct 22
Oct 24
QUIZ 1
EXAM 1
QUIZ 2
EXAM 2
9
Oct 27
Oct 29
Oct 31
Mon Geog of Islam & Buddhism
Wed Geog of Shintoism
Fri Geog of Hinduism
QUIZ 3
10
Nov 3
Nov 5
Nov 7
QUIZ 4
11
Nov 10
Nov 12
Mon Geog of Fundamentalism & Secularization
Wed Geog of Christianity
Fri Geog of Religion in USA & Cargo Cults of the South Pacific
Graduating Senior Grades due Tue, Nov 11
Mon
Wed
Graduation - Sat, Nov 15
EXAM 3