THE POWER OF PLACE:
WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
GEO 112-98 Regional Geography
TV Course
John A. Logan College
Dear Student:
Welcome to John A. Logan’s world regional geography telecourse, GEO 112, Regional
Geography. This telecourse has been developed as an alternative approach to the
classroom version of GEO 112, with more emphasis on the striking visual and audio
impact of world geography. Everything you need to know about this course is in this
syllabus, and the packet of GEO 112 materials you received with this letter. If you have
any questions about the course at any time during the semester, please don’t hesitate
to contact me for help.
You may view the 26 video episodes of The Power of Place: World Regional Geography
in John A. Logan College’s Learning Resource Lab (room C227) or at home. To
achieve a good grade in this course all exams must be taken in the Learning Resource
Lab and all assignments must be submitted to the Learning Resource Lab on or before
the dates listed in the Course Calendar section of the syllabus in the packet of GEO 112
materials you received with this letter.
To complete this course during the shortened summer semester, students should view
and complete reading and writing assignments for three to four video programs per
week. Time also needs to be set aside every other week for taking exams in JALC’s
Learning Lab. Before committing your energy to this course, be sure you have the time
to do this.
Thank you for enrolling in this telecourse. I hope you find the films enlightening and
helpful in making everyday decisions, because just about everything we do affects
people in other places as well as future generations of Earth’s inhabitants. I am look
forward to talking to you during the semester.
Sincerely,
Walter McCarthy
Office: C220
Voice mail: (618) 985-2828 Extension 8787
E-mail: waltermccarthy@jalc.edu
JOHN A. LOGAN COLLEGE
GEO 112-98
REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
(Telecourse: The Power of Place)
W. McCarthy – SM 05
3cr. (3-0)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An introduction to regional geography is an attempt to study and use geographic
concepts and structures in relation to specific regions and countries. Focus is on key
countries in the seven continents of the world.
GEO 112 is an introduction to world regional geography, emphasizing geographic
concepts and spatial analysis of Earth’s developed and developing regions. The
discipline of geography straddles the natural and social sciences, reveals the
interconnectedness of life, culture, and landscape, and gives those who pursue it a
unique way of thinking about the world’s human and environmental challenges.
Through a global viewpoint and compelling stories that give students a multi-sensory
feel for each place covered, The Power of Place: World Regional Geography telecourse
provides a creative and insightful examination of the physical, biological, and social
forces currently shaping the complex features of the world’s civilizations and
environments.
The 26 half-hour video programs in the Power of Place: World Regional Geography film
series are presented as ten units that provide geographic insights into important issues
around the world. The first unit is an introduction to world regional geography and
consists of video programs one and two. The next nine units, consisting of video
programs three through 26, cover examples of geographic concepts expressed in
people, places, and regions within geographic realms. Geographic realms are Earth’s
largest conceptual culture regions. Overall, people within geographic realms share
many cultural traits in common, but at finer scales of observation the uniqueness of
people and places within each realm becomes more obvious. Earth’s geographic
realms are vividly portrayed in this course through case studies in 36 countries and
more than 50 places with commentary by Professor H. J. de Blij, the project’s senior
academic advisor and the co-author of Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts,
the required textbook for this course.
Each case study tells the story of people whose lives are shaped by geography. Some
of the stories are about research geographers trying to understand spatial variation in
this era of rapid global change. In every case a vital regional and conceptual issue that
can be further illuminated through geographic analysis is explored. Using state-of-theart geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) to
generate maps and animations, the programs present these issues in a stimulating
visual and intellectually rigorous manner. Each program is designed to fulfill at least two
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major goals: to characterize examples of regions within geographic realms and to
communicate one or more important concepts from a variety of systematic approaches
to the study of the world, including physical, biological, historical, economic, and cultural
geography.
PREREQUISITES:
None
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Successful students will gain an understanding of the relationships between Earth’s
landscapes and the people who inhabit those places as well as insight into globalization
(the world-wide diffusion of capitalism and Western culture) and geopolitics (the
relationships between ethnic and/or cultural groups in different places around the
world).
COURSE OUTLINE: (Calendar)
Unit 1: Introduction: Globalization and World Regions
Video programs:
1 One Earth, Many Scales
2 Boundaries and Borderlands
Assignments for video programs 1 and 2
Exam 1
Unit 2: Europe
Video programs:
3 Supranationalism and Devolution
4 East Looks West
5 The Transforming Industrial Heartland
6 Challenges in the Hinterlands
Assignments for video programs 3 through 6
Exam 2
Exams 1 and 2 must be taken in JALC’s Learning Lab (room C227) on or before
Friday, 06/24/05. Assignments for video programs 1 through 6 must also be
submitted to the Learning Lab by Friday, 06/24/05.
Unit 3: Russia and Neighboring Countries
Video programs:
7 Northwest Contrast
8 Holding the Hinterlands
Assignments for video programs 7 and 8
Exam 3
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Unit 4: East Asia
Video programs:
9 Changes on the Chang Jiang
10 The Booming Maritime Edge
11 A Challenge for Two Old Cities
12 Small Farms, Big Cities
Assignments for video programs 9 through 12
Exam 4
Unit 5: Southeast Asia and the South Pacific
Video programs:
13 The Mainland
14 The Maritime Connection
15 Global Interaction
Assignments for video programs 13 through 15
Exam 5
Exams 3, 4, and 5 must be taken in JALC’s Learning Lab (room C227) on or
before Friday, 07/08/05. Assignments for video programs 7 through 15 must also
be submitted to the Learning Lab by Friday, 07/08/05.
Unit 6: South Asia
Video program:
16 Urban and Rural Contrasts
Assignments for video program 16
Exam 6
Unit 7: Northern Africa and Southwest Asia
Video programs:
17 Sacred Space, Secular States?
18 Oil and Water
Assignments for video programs 17 and 18
Exam 7
Unit 8: Africa South of the Sahara
Video programs:
19 Strength to Overcome
20 Developing Countries
Assignments for video programs 19 and 20
Exam 8
Exams 6, 7, and 8 must be taken in JALC’s Learning Lab (room C227) on or
before Friday, 07/22/05. Assignments for videos 16 through 20 must also be
submitted to the Learning Lab by Friday, 07/22/05.
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Unit 9: Latin America
Video programs:
21 Population Geography
22 The Dynamic Pacific Rim
23 Brazil: The Sleeping Giant
Assignments for video programs 21 through 23
Exam 9
Unit 10: North America
Video programs:
24 Cityscapes, Suburban Sprawl
25 Ethnic Fragmentation in Canada
26 Regions and Economies
Assignments for video programs 24 through 26
Exam 10
Exams 9 and 10 must be taken on or before Friday, 08/05/05. Assignments for
videos 21 through 26 must also be submitted to the Learning Lab by Friday,
08/05/05.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Telecourse Preparation. For each video program, read the corresponding chapters in
de Blij, H. J., and Peter O. Muller. Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts and
Latz, Gil and Sacha Gilbert. The Power of Place: World Regional Geography Study
Guide before viewing it. Then, as you watch it, take notes beginning with the complete
title and the text information typically given within the first few minutes. Also, memorize
the map locations given in each video program. Watch each video program more than
once. Review the corresponding Study Guide information, your notes, and map
locations before each exam. For more information go to the Annenberg/CPB Project at
<learner.org> and search for The Power of Place.
Student Success Center. Tutors may be obtained through the Student Success Center.
Contact the staff in C219 if this service is desired. John A. Logan College will make
reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities under Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Any student with a disability that may have some impact on work in this class, who feels
she/he needs an accommodation, should make an appointment with the Coordinator of
Services for Students with Disabilities on campus, Christy McBride, Room C219B, Ext.
8516. Before services can be provided, this advisor must determine eligibility and
arrange appropriate academic adjustments. It is the student=s responsibility to
register in advance of a school term with this office and to turn in a schedule
each term to ensure that there is every opportunity for success in this class.
Financial Aid. Students who receive financial assistance and completely withdraw from
classes prior to 60% of the semester being completed (approximately 2-3 weeks after
midterm) could be responsible to return a portion of their Federal Pell Grant award.
Prior to withdrawing from courses, students should contact the Financial Aid Office.
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English Writing Center/Tutoring. For assistance with writing assignments in any college
courses, students are encouraged to visit “The Write Place” in Room E109. English
instructors are available for one-on-one tutoring each semester during hours posted at
the center.
METHOD OF EVALUATION:
Assignments:
For this course, 26 assignments are required, one for each video program. Students
will receive 20 points for each accurately completed assignment. Answer all the “Test
Your Understanding” questions for each video program that has a corresponding
chapter in Latz, Gil and Sacha Gilbert. The Power of Place: World Regional Geography
Study Guide. For each video program that does not have a corresponding chapter in
the Study Guide (some films are newer than the Study Guide), write a one page
summary of its contents and include your viewpoint on how the information provided in
the video program affects you, your friends, your family, your town, your country, and/or
your planet.
All 26 assignments must be typed. Along with your name and the date of submittal,
include the realm name, region name, and video program name and number at the
beginning of each assignment. For each “Test Your Understanding” question, type the
question followed by your answer. For each summary and viewpoint paper use no
greater than 1 inch margins, 12 point fonts, and 1.5 line spacing. Points will be
deducted for not following directions and for incorrect answers. Also, one point will be
deducted for each occurrence of misspelled words, grammatical errors, lack of focus,
lack of clarity, and/or lack of conciseness. If you need to or want to improve your writing
skills, go to JALC’s Write Place (room E109) for free help (for hours and more
information go to JALC’s website and search for The Write Place).
No assignments will be accepted after 08/05/05.
Exams:
Ten exams consisting of true/false, multiple choice, and matching questions (for map
locations) are required for this course. Exam one covers the introductory video
programs one and two. Each of the remaining nine exams covers a single geographic
realm portrayed in one or more of the video programs. The number of questions per
exam varies. Each exam is worth 50 points. Your exam score = (the number of
questions you answered correctly/the total number of questions on the exam) *50.
No exams can be taken after 08/05/05.
Missed Due Dates:
Students may take exams and submit assignments after the due dates in the Course
Calendar section of this syllabus. To be fair to students who take exams and submit
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assignments on time, five points will be deducted from each exam score and each
assignment submitted after the due date, with an additional five point per week
deduction for every week that passes before the exam is taken or the assignment is
submitted. No assignments or exams will be accepted after 08/05/05.
Final Grade:
Final Grade = (student’s total points earned / total possible points) *100
Final Grade = (student’s total points earned / [26 x 20] + [10 x 50] * 100
Final Grade = (student’s total points earned / 1020) * 100
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
0-59
=
=
=
=
=
A
B
C
D
E
Academic Stress:
Any student who reads the textbook, watches the videos, takes notes, completes the
questions in the Study Guide, takes exams on time, and submits papers on time should
be able to achieve a high grade in this course. Success in this course is a cumulative process of daily work, many hours of reading, and meeting deadlines.
Intellectual brilliance is neither a prerequisite nor a guarantee of success. Demands
placed on you by other courses, athletic interests, job requirements, family, friends, and
other social responsibilities may cause you to fall behind. If this occurs, you may find it
very difficult to catch up. If you are having problems keeping up with the pace of the
class, understanding topics, taking notes, or completing assignments on time you may
want to contact your instructor for help, or withdraw from this course. If you decide at
some point during the semester your cumulative score is too low for you to attain the
final grade you desire (use the formula given in the Final Grade section of this syllabus),
you may want to withdraw from this course. Withdrawal is your responsibility. Refer to
the withdrawal policy and procedure in your College Catalog for more details.
METHOD OF PRESENTATION:
Telecourse
TEXTS:
Required:
de Blij, H. J., and Peter O. Muller. Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts.
11th edition. 2004. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
ISBN 0-471-15224-2.
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Latz, Gil and Sacha Gilbert. The Power of Place: World Regional Geography
Study Guide. 3rd edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
ISBN 0-471-35741-3.
INSTRUCTOR:
Walter McCarthy
Voice mail: (618) 985-2828 Extension 8787
E-mail: waltermccarthy@jalc.edu
Office: C220
Summer Office Hours: Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.,
and by appointment.
DATE:
Summer, 2005
John A. Logan College Telephone Numbers
Carterville and Williamson County ................................................... 985-3741 (operator)
985-2828 (direct extension access)
Carbondale and Jackson County ..................................................... 549-7335 (operator)
457-7676 (direct extension access)
Du Quoin ...........................................................................................................542-8612
West Frankfort...................................................................................................937-3438
Crab Orchard, Gorham, & Trico areas ....................................................1-800-851-4720
TTY (hearing-impaired access) .........................................................................985-2752
John A. Logan College does not discriminate on the basis of
race, religion, color, national origin, disability, age, or gender.
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