World Geography 1303
Syllabus
Blinn College – Bryan Campus
Section(s): Section A4
Instructor's Name: Suzanne Struve
Office Number: A231
Office Hours: MWF 8:50 – 9:50, MW 3:00 – 4:00, TR 9:00 – 12:00
Office Phone: 209-7311
Office Email: suzanne.struve@blinn.edu
TEXTBOOKS, SUPPLIES, MATERIALS:
Required:
Rowntree, Les. Diversity Amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment,
Development 4th ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2009.
Recommended:
Goode’s World Atlas. 21st ed. 2005. Goode’s World Atlas. 21st ed. 2005. Any
decent atlas will do, please make sure that it includes a good index where you
can look up countries, cities, and physical features for your map quizzes.
You may also choose to use any reliable online atlas such as Mapquest
(www.mapquest.com), Google maps (http://maps.google.com/), or Google
Earth (you can download and install the application from here:
http://earth.google.com/
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Examinations (3 at 100 pts. each)
300
Final Exam
150
Map Quizzes (4 at 50 pts. each)
200
Project
25
Chapter Quizzes (9 at 10 pts. Each)
90
Total
765
CALENDAR OF MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS:
1/17/2011
No Class - MLK Day
Week 1
1/19/2011
1/21/2011
Introduction - Ch. 1 & 2
Week 2
1/26/2011
Introduction - Ch. 1 & 2
Introduction - Ch. 1 & 2
Week 3
2/2/2011
North America - Ch. 3
North America - Ch. 3
Week 4
2/9/2011
Europe - Ch. 8
Europe - Ch. 8
Week 5
2/16/2011
Latin America - Ch. 4
Map Quiz 2
Week 6
2/23/2011
Europe - Ch. 8
Latin America - Ch. 4
Week 7
3/2/2011
Latin America - Ch. 4
The Caribbean - Ch. 5
Week 8
3/9/2011
The Caribbean - Ch. 5
Russian Domain - Ch. 9
Week 9
3/9/2011
Russian Domain - Ch. 9
Russian Domain - Ch. 9
3/14/2011
Russian Domain - Ch. 9
Week 10
3/16/2011
No Class
No Class
No Class
1/24/2011
Introduction - Ch. 1 & 2
Map Quiz 1
1/31/2011
North America - Ch. 3
2/7/2011
Europe - Ch. 8
2/14/2011
Exam 1
2/21/2011
Latin America - Ch. 4
2/28/2011
The Caribbean - Ch. 5
3/7/2011
Russian Domain - Ch. 9
3/7/2011
Russian Domain - Ch. 9
1/28/2011
2/4/2011
2/11/2011
2/18/2011
Latin America - Ch. 4
2/25/2011
3/4/2011
3/11/2011
3/11/2011
3/18/2011
Week 11
3/23/2011
3/21/2011
SW Asia & N Africa - Ch. 7
Map Quiz 3
Week 12
3/30/2011
Exam 2
3/28/2011
SW Asia & N Africa - Ch. 7
3/25/2011
SW Asia & N Africa - Ch. 7
4/1/2011
SW Asia & N Africa - Ch. 7
Week 13
4/6/2011
Sub-Saharan Africa - Ch. 6
Sub-Saharan Africa - Ch. 6
4/11/2011
Sub-Saharan Africa - Ch. 6
Week 14
4/13/2011
Central Asia - Ch. 10
Exam 3
4/15/2011
South Asia - Ch. 12
Map Quiz 4
4/18/2011
Week 15
4/20/2011
4/22/2011
4/4/2011
Sub-Saharan Africa - Ch. 6
South Asia - Ch. 12
4/25/2011
Project Due
South Asia - Ch. 12
4/8/2011
South Asia - Ch. 12
Week 16
4/27/2011
No Class
East Asia - Ch. 11
East Asia - Ch. 11
Week 17
5/2/2011
5/4/2011
East Asia - Ch. 11
Review for the Final Exam
Final Exam
Section A4 - MWF 10:00
May 11, 2011 10:15 - 12:15
CRITERIA FOR GRADING:
A
688 points and above
B
612 points and above
C
535 points and above
D
459 points and above
F
Below 459 points
4/29/2011
OTHER POLICIES:
No food or drinks in the classroom.
Blinn College does not tolerate cheating, plagiarism or collusion.
Procedures for dealing with these acts are outlined in the Scholastic
Dishonesty Policy.
The right and responsibility to determine the appropriateness of the dress
of a particular student lies with the classroom instructor or when the
student is outside the classroom, with the immediate supervisor of the
building or grounds the student is utilizing. An instructor may require
specific, appropriate dress when students are to give classroom
presentations or speeches of any type or when representing the College
outside the classroom. When an instructor or supervisor informs a student
that the clothing s/he is wearing is not appropriate, the student must
leave the classroom or other facility until the student changes the clothing
or agrees not to wear such clothing again, as the instructor or supervisor
directs.
All the functions of personal electronic devices designed for
communication and/or entertainment (cell phones, pagers, beepers,
iPods, and similar devices) must be turned off and kept out of sight in all
Blinn College classrooms and associated laboratories. Any
noncompliance with this policy will be addressed in accordance with the
Blinn College civility policy (Administrative Policy). Additionally, any
communication understood by the instructor to be in the nature of
cheating will have consequences in accordance with this Blinn College
policy section regarding academic dishonesty [FLB (Local)]. Students
exempted from this policy section include, active members of firefighting
organizations, emergency medical services organizations, commissioned
police officers, on-call employees of any political subdivision of the state
of Texas, or agencies of the federal government. Exempted students are
expected to set the emergency-use devices on silent or vibrate mode
only.
Laptop computers will not be allowed in the classroom.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
The College District believes that class attendance is essential for student
success; therefore, students are required to promptly and regularly attend all
their classes. Each class meeting builds the foundation for subsequent class
meetings. Without full participation and regular class attendance, students shall
find themselves at a severe disadvantage for achieving success in college.
Class participation shall constitute at least ten percent of the final course grade.
It is the responsibility of each faculty member, in consultation with the division
chair, to determine how participation is achieved in his or her class. Faculty will
require students to regularly attend class and will keep a record of attendance
from the first day of class and/or the first day the student’s name appears on the
roster through final examinations. If a student has one week’s worth of absences
during the semester, he/she will be sent an e-mail by the College requiring the
student to contact his/her instructor and schedule a conference immediately to
discuss his/her attendance issues. If the student accumulates two weeks worth
of absences, he/she will be administratively withdrawn from class.
ADA STATEMENT:
Information regarding procedures for documenting disabilities can be obtained
from the Counseling Office. Reasonable accommodations will be made for
documented disabilities. Students must present documentation as soon as
possible for the instructor to arrange accommodation.
EXAMS:
The exams will be of an objective manner comprised of multiple choice
questions and short answer questions. Exams will be taken using a scantron 882.
Questions for the exams will be taken from the lecture notes, information
contained in the textbook, and any assigned outside readings.
There are three regular exams and one final exam scheduled during the
semester.
The final exam is comprehensive and will be worth 150 points. The format will be
similar to the major exams. Many of the questions on the final will come from
previous exams. There will also be new information (material covered after the
third exam) on the final exam.
You must take the final in order to pass the class.
Make-up exams will only be given with a documented excuse.
MAP QUIZZES:
Throughout the semester, there will be a series of four map quizzes. Each map
quiz will correspond to locations studied in each of the four exams.
The quizzes will occur at the beginning of the section.
Place names and blank maps will be posted on eCampus.
Map Quiz Locations
Map Quiz 1 North America & Europe
Map Quiz 2 Latin America, The Caribbean, & Russia
Map Quiz 3 North Africa & SW Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, & Central Asia
Map Quiz 4 East Asia and South Asia
The quizzes will each consist of 50 multiple-choice questions. You will need a
scantron 882 sheet in order to take the quizzes.
Quizzes may be made up only with an excused absence. They must be made
up within one week of returning to class.
CHAPTER QUIZZES:
Throughout the semester, there will be weekly (with the exception of exam
weeks) chapter quizzes. These quizzes are meant to force you to keep up with
the reading. Each quiz will consist of ten questions (a combination of multiple
choice and true/false questions).
The quizzes will be available in eCampus every Wednesday – Sunday. Once
you begin the quiz, you will only have 20 minutes to complete the quiz.
After the availability period had ended (usually Monday mornings), you will be
able to access the quizzes. I suggest you use them as a study guide for the
exams.
1302 Chapter Quiz Schedule
Chapter
Chapter Name
Dates Available
Chapters 1 & 2
Introduction
Wednesday, January 26 - Sunday, January 30
Chapter 3
North America
Wednesday, February 2 - Sunday, February 6
Chapter 8
Europe
Wednesday, February 9 - Sunday, February 13
Chapter 4
Latin America
Wednesday, February 23 - Sunday, February 27
Chapter 5
The Caribbean
Wednesday, March 2 - Sunday, March 6
Chapter 9
Russian Domain
Wednesday, March 9 - Sunday, March 13
Chapter 6
Southwest Asia & North America
Wednesday, March 30 - Sunday, April 3
Chapter 7
Sub-Saharan Africa
Wednesday, April 6 - Sunday, April 10
Chapter 10
Central Asia
Wednesday, April 13 - Sunday, April 17
Chapter 12
South Asia
Wednesday, April 20 - Sunday, April 24
Chapter 11
East Asia
Wednesday, April 27 - Sunday, May 1
Quizzes are generally only scheduled during weeks when there are no exams
scheduled. The only exception to this is the Chapter 10 (Central Asia) quiz.
PROJECT:
There will be a project due near the end of the semester. More information will
be made available closer to the due date.