World Regional Geography GEA 2000-U02, TTh 11am – 12:15pm, OE 134 Fall 2011 Professor Hudson Email: hudsonv@fiu.edu Office: SIPA 302 Office Hours: TTh 10:15-10:45am Course Description This course provides a systematic survey to the major regions and countries of the world with regard to their physical, cultural, economic, political and environmental characteristics. While the various regions are defined based on overarching characteristics for that particular area, each world region is extremely dynamic, and encompasses a great deal of diversity amongst those commonalities. We will examine both the continuity and diversity within and across world regions. Required Text Pulsipher, Lydia. 2011. World Regional Geography: Global Patters, Local Lives, 5th Edition [without subregions]. W.H. Freeman. (ISBN: 1429232447) TEXT WEBSITE: www.whfreeman.com/pulsipher5e Videos, articles, and other materials will be available on the Moodle course page – these are also required and will appear on the exams and/or quizzes. MOODLE SITE: ecampus.fiu.edu Course Requirements Exams (350 points): Exams One & Two are worth 100 points each, and Exam Three is worth 150 points and will contain a comprehensive portion. All exams have already been scheduled – see Important Dates below, and/or Course Schedule. Map Quizzes (75 points): Throughout the semester there will be three map quizzes (25 points each), which test your knowledge of where the world’s major features are on maps. The features that will be tested include, but are not limited to: countries, cities, rivers, seas, mountains, peninsulas, and sub-regions. Again, this is a key component of the course because intelligent and informed discussion about the world begins with a basic ground level understanding of the world. You will be given a study list in advance of each map quiz, to help make your task easier. Homework Quizzes (50 points): Throughout the semester there will be homework quizzes given over readings, videos, class discussions or other required course materials. These quizzes will vary in their point value, but will add up to 50 total points for the semester. Common Reading Report & Reflection (15 points): A special reading assigned by FIU’s Global Learning initiative is required for this class. Everyone in class will complete this reading, write a one page reflection on the piece, discuss the reading in small groups, and submit a group report. Your grade for this assignment will be based on completing each part of the assignment. Co-Curricular Activity & Report (10 points): Throughout the semester, FIU brings in an exciting array of outside speakers through the SIPA lecture series, AADS, LACC, and MESC centers, and the Tuesday Times Roundtable. Each student must attend one of these events, and write a one page report that connects the topic to course material through perspective analysis, highlighting possible routes for engagement. 1 Grading & Evaluation You final grade for the course will be calculated as follows: Assignment Points Exam One 100 Exam Two 100 Exam Three 150 Map Quizzes 75 Homework Quizzes 50 Common Reading 15 Activity/Report 10 Total 500 Grading Scale The grading scale is A = 100-93%, A- = 92.9-90%, B+ = 89.9-87%, B = 86.9-83%, B- =82.9%-80%, C+ = 79.9-77%, C = 76.9-73%, C- = 72.9-70%, D+ = 69.9-67%, D = 66.9-63%, D- = 62-60% F = 59-0%, which translates to, in points: A = 500-465 C = 384-365 A- = 464-450 C- = 364-350 B+ = 449-435 D+ = 349-335 B = 434-415 D = 334-315 B- = 414-400 D- = 314-300 C+ = 399-385 F = 299-0 Important Dates* September 15 – Map Quiz 1 September 29 – Exam 1 October 13 – Map Quiz 2 November 3 – Exam 2 November 10 – Map Quiz 3 November 24 – Thanksgiving Holiday (No Class) December 8 – Exam 3 @ 9:45am *Due dates/times for Homework Quizzes, Common Reading Discussion & Co-Curricular Reports will be announced in class. Tentative Course Schedule Dates Week 1 8.23 & 8.25 Week 2 8.30 & 9.1 Week 3 9.6 & 9.8 Week 4 9.13 & 9.15 Week 5 9.20 & 9.22 Week 6 9.27 & 9.29 Week 7 10.4 & 10.6 Topic Introduction Assignments Chapter 1 Introduction continued Chapter 1 North America Chapter 2 Middle & South America Europe Chapter 3 Map Quiz 1 – September 15 Chapter 4 Review & Exam Exam 1 – September 29 Russia & NIS Chapter 5 2 Week 8 10.11 & 10.13 Week 9 10.18 & 10.20 Week 10 10.25 & 10.27 Week 11 11.1 & 11.3 Week 12 11.8 & 11.10 Week 13 11.15 & 11.17 Week 14 11.22 Week 15 11.29 & 12.1 Week 16 DEC 5-11 North Africa & Southwest Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Chapter 6 Map Quiz 2 – October 13 Chapter 7 South Asia Chapter 8 Review & Exam Exam 2 – November 3 East Asia Southeast Asia Chapter 9 Map Quiz 3 – November 10 Chapters 9 & 10 Southeast Asia Chapter 10 Oceania Chapter 11 Final Exam Exam 3 – December 8 @ 9:45am The Fine Print: Policies & Procedures Attendance: Regular attendance is required to pass this course. Attendance means arriving on time and staying until the class is dismissed by the instructor. If a student fails to attend at least 60% of class lectures or fails to complete 60% of the course assignments, that student will fail the course with a grade of F-zero (F0). Missed Work & Excused Absences: Only severe illnesses/medical emergencies suffered by the student, and certain anticipated absences (see below), count as excused absences. The type and extent of documentation required to verify an absence is at the discretion of the instructor. Students with verified, excused absences will be allowed to make-up missed work during specified make-up periods. Make-up work for non-excused absences will be at the discretion of the instructor, and will be subject to a penalty of no less than a 15% deduction in total point value for the missed assignment. Anticipated Absences: Students are allowed certain university-sanctioned absences to be “excused,” but only if the student notifies the instructor prior to the absence in writing and provides verifiable documentation. These absences include: religious holy days, curricular absences (field trips for a class), university extracurricular activities (university athletes, musicians, etc.). If you fail to notify the instructor prior to the absence, your absence will not be counted as excused. Classroom Conduct & Etiquette: Students are expected to refrain from activities and behaviors that disrupt the normal functions of the classroom, and to refrain from activities and behaviors that are disrespectful to the instructor, other students, or guests in the classroom. Please review “Standards of Student Conduct” in the FIU Student Handbook, including the subsections “Respect for Self and Others,” “Disruptive Conduct (6c),” “Failure to Comply (6f),” and “Personal Abuse (6k).” Academic Integrity, Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please review “Undergraduate Academic Misconduct Definitions and Procedures” in the FIU Student Handbook. The minimum penalty for such an offense is failure for that assignment, and you may be reported to the University for further disciplinary actions, which can include expulsion from the University. Student Responsibilities: The syllabus is a contract between the instructor and the student. The student is responsible for knowing, understanding, and abiding by the information contained in this document. It is the students responsibility to read, to understand (asking questions if necessary), and to comply with the course requirements and the policies and procedures. Ignorance of the information in this document is not an excuse, and will not warrant exceptions to these policies. 3