GEOG 5: World Regional Geography
SPRING 2015
Professor Elizabeth Lobb
Email: elobb@mtsac.edu Website: http://faculty.mtsac.edu/elobb/geography5.html
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs: 7– 8am, Tues/Thurs. 9:30am-9:45am; 1-2pm, Wed. 11am-12pm (online)
I. Course Description
World Regional Geography is an introduction to how the discipline of geography makes sense of the world,
its different people, places, and regions. Central to this disciplinary perspective is an emphasis on the ways
in which people and places interact across space and time to produce particular outcomes. This unique
perspective is increasingly important today as technological innovations, the spread of political/economic
ideologies, and the movement of people and goods across the globe have made most contemporary
problems and solutions global in nature. Yet the interconnectedness of the world is not a new phenomenon.
The majority of the world has, for centuries, been connected through trade, conquest, and colonialism. It is
therefore impossible to understand the contemporary configuration of global connections without first
appreciating their historical roots.
II. Course Objectives
Students successfully completing World Regional Geography will be able to identify and describe the
world’s major geographic realms and significant contemporary issues within these realms. Students will be
able to identify and appropriately use key geographical concepts for analysis, explanation, and exploration
of both foreign and familiar places. Students will be able to explain the economic interdependencies among
realms and regions, as well as the cultural interconnections. Students will be able to define the major subdisciplines within geography, and give examples of realms and regions of the world where associated subdisciplinary perspectives and research have offered insight into the human condition and spatial patterns of
phenomena that affect the social world. Finally, students will be able to articulate theoretical frameworks for
critically analyzing at least one issue in each of the realms that we will study in this course.
II. COURSE READING:
Required Textbook:
Diversity Amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development. 6th edition. Rowntree. Pearson.
The textbook is very expensive if purchased new (about $170 at the Mt SAC bookstore). However, you can
find it online used for approximately $90, or as an online rental for about $30 (Amazon.com). There is also
a copy of the textbook available to you at the Reserve Desk of the Mt SAC Library.
IV. COURSE EVALUATION
Your performance in the course will be assessed through the following:
3 Essay and Multiple Choice Based Quizzes
100 points (15%)
5 25-point Map Identification Quizzes
125 points (23%)
3 Exams, 100 points each
300 points (46%)
2 Position Papers, 50 points each
100 points (15%)
________________________________________________________________
TOTAL
625 points
IV. FINAL GRADES
A= 90% - 100%
B= 89 – 80%
C= 79 – 70%
D= 69% - 60%
V. COURSE POLICIES
1. No makeup exams or quizzes are given. Please arrange your schedule so that you will be in class on
the days these assessments are given.
2. There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism in this course. ANY evidence of plagiarism will
result in an automatic “F” in the course and possible suspension from the College.
3. No late work of any kind will be accepted.
4. Cell phones must be turned OFF and put away.
5. Laptops may be used for note taking purposes, ONLY.
6. Audio recording requires PERMISSION of instructor.
VI. POSITION PAPERS
The purpose of the position papers is to allow you the opportunity to explore in greater depth an issue or
idea introduced in the lecture and/or readings. During the semester you will be responsible for writing 2
different position papers. You may write a maximum of 3 position papers, with the best two counting
towards your grade.
Each paper should be 2-3 pages long, double spaced, and written in 12 point font. The papers are due
on the dates indicated and should deal with an issue or topic covered in lecture the previous weeks.
The papers require a minimum of 2 outside sources that come from appropriately vetted academic or
journalist journals, newspapers, or reviews.
You will have 4 opportunities to turn in position papers: 3/26, 4/23, 5/21 and 6/4 . You can only submit
1 paper per due date, so plan accordingly. Late papers will not be accepted, it is therefore essential that
you keep up with your work.
I have sample position papers if you are interested. Visit my office during office hours and I can provide you
with a sample paper to look over while there.
How to Write a Position Paper:
1. Choose a topic or idea of interest from the previous week. This is a difficult process. I advise you to
choose either a term or a topic from the previous week and expand on it. For example, in the first
week we will be discussing the core themes for the class: colonialism and globalization. A possible
paper topic could be the commonalities and differences between colonialism and globalization.
2. Find a minimum of two outside sources (newspaper, magazine, or scholarly publications) to
augment your understanding of the topic. Please cite these appropriately. Do not use Wikipedia
as your only source.
3. Take a clear position in your writing. For example: “In this paper I argue that eco-tourism in
Latin America is one of the few industries that can successfully bridge the demands of
economic growth with sustainable resource use”. Your position is your thesis statement. You
thesis statement should be included in your first paragraph. The following paragraphs should
support your thesis statement with evidence and/or illustration. Each paragraph should begin with a
clear topic sentence. Any significant conclusions that you draw in your position paper should also
be included your first paragraph; this helps your audience know where the paper is headed.
4. Assume that your reader is intelligent, but that she or he may not have necessarily read or heard
all that you have. Thus, you will need to tell your reader enough so that she or he will know what
you are talking about, but not so much that she or he gets bored or feels talked down to.
5. Be sure to support your assertions with both logic and information. For your reader, many things
will not be as self-evident as they are to you. Be sure to tell your reader why you are saying what
you are saying. Always ask the question of yourself, why is this important? Then answer that
question in your essay.
6. Always read your essay out loud before you turn it in. If you were hearing it for the first time, would
it make sense to you? Have you expressed yourself as clearly as possible?
7. Always proof-read everything you turn in. Typographical errors, spelling mistakes, and bad
grammar prove very frustrating for your audience. They also result in lower grades.
VII. SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS
Weeks 1 & 2 February 24 – 26, March 3 - 5
Topics: Course Introductions, Introduction to the Study of Regional Geography
Readings: Chapter 1 in Diversity Amid Globalization
Weeks 3 & 4 March 10 – 11, March 17 - 19
Topic: Introduction to the Earth’s Physical Processes
Readings: Chapter 2 in Diversity Amid Globalization
Quiz #1: Chapter 1 (Thurs., 3/12)
Map Quiz #1: Latin America (Thurs., 3/ 19)
Week 5 March 24 – 26
Exam #1: Chapters 1 & 2 (Thurs., 3/26)
Position Paper #1 (Thurs., 3/26)
Weeks 6 & 7 March 31 – April 2, April 7 - 9
Topic: Latin America: Ecological & Demographic Diversity
Readings: Chapter 4 in Diversity Amid Globalization
Week 7: Map Quiz #2: Europe (Tues., 4/7)
Weeks 8 & 9 April 14 – 16, April 21 - 23
Topic: Europe: Immigration and Nationalism
Readings: Chapter 8
Week 8: Quiz #2: Chapter 4 Latin America (Thurs., 4/16)
Week 9: Position Paper #2: Thurs., 4/23
Week 10 April 28 – 30
Topic: Sub-Saharan Africa: Modern Agricultural Development and Ethnic Conflict
Readings: Chapter 6
Week 10: Map Quiz #3: Sub-Saharan Africa (Tues., 4/28)
Week 11 May 5 – 7
Week 11: Exam #2: Thurs., 5/7, Chapters 4, 8 & 6
Weeks 12 & 13 May 12 – 14, May 19-21
Topic: Southwest Asia & North Africa: Oil and Modern Conflicts
Readings: Chapter 7 in Diversity Amid Globalization
Week 12: Map Quiz #4: Southwest Asia & North Africa
Week 13: Quiz #3: Chapter 7 (Tues. 5/19)
Week 13: Position Paper #3: (Thurs., 5/21)
Week 14 May 26 – 28
Topic: East Asia: The Price of Growth and Implications of a Border
Readings: Chapter 11 in Diversity Amid Globalization
Week 14: Map Quiz #5: East & Southeast Asia (Tues., 5/26)
Week 15 June 2 - 4
Topic: Southeast Asia: Global capital and Environmental Degradation
Readings: Chapter 13 in Diversity Amid Globalization
Week 15: Position Paper #4: (Thurs., 6/4)
Week 16 June 11
Final Exam: Thursday, June 11, 7:30am – 10:00am
**SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE PROFESSOR’S DISCRETION***