Geography 2000A World Regional Geography
Instructor: Ian MacLachlan
Office: B872
Phone: 329-2076
E-Mail: maclachlan@uleth.ca
Schedule: Spring 2010; Lectures: TR 12:15-13:30, D-634
Office Hours: Tuesday/Wednesday 2:00-4:00 or by appointment
Description:
This course is a descriptive synthesis of the world's geographic realms organized around its
major regions and key geographic concepts. The fundamental characteristics of each realm, both
physical and human, are discussed each week as the course spans the globe in a single thirteen
week semester to give a broad overview of world regional geography. For each of the world=s
realms, a separate regional issue is identified for discussion in class. Emergent geographical
issues will be incorporated into classes as they arise.
Required Reading:
de Blij, H.J. and Peter O. Muller, 2010 Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts 14th edition.
New York: John Wiley
Course Web Page:
A link to the course web page will be e-mailed to each student in the class. The web page will
include the course outline, a brief guide for writing term papers in geography, a study guide for
map tests, and a link to Wiley=s Student Companion Site with a number of useful resources
including a set of virtual field trips that are required viewing along with each of the book
chapters. Lectures in PowerPoint format will be added as the course progresses.
Grading Policy:
All work will be marked as a percentage. Percentages will be weighted and accumulated with
final grades determined as follows:
Grade Ranges
A+
90-100
B+
77-79
C+
67-69
D+
56-59
A
85-89
B
73-76
C
63-66
D
50-55
A-
80-84
B-
70-72
C-
60-62
F
0-49
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Course Requirements and Weights
Weight
Scope
Due Date
Map quiz 1
5%
10 minutes
January 28
Midterm test
20%
75 minutes
February 9
Map quiz 2
5%
10 minutes
March 4
Geography in January
Proposal
10%
Three pages
February 9
Map quiz 3
5%
10 minutes
April 1
Geography in January
Essay
30%
1,500 words
April 9
Final Exam
25%
2 hours
April 23, 2:00-4:00, PE 250
Late work will be penalized by 10% for each week day they are late. Student Discipline
Policy will be applied as described in the Calendar and academic offenses will be penalized
accordingly.
Map Quizzes
Map quizzes lasting no more than 10 minutes will be held at the end of regular lecture classes.
Students will be given a list of fifteen place names from the map study guide linked to the course
web page. Locations are specified by letters on outline maps provided with the test.
Geography in January Essay
For this assignment you will write a short library research essay that provides an in-depth
geographical analysis of a world event occurring in January 2010, in a region outside of North
America. For details, please see the terms of reference linked to the course web page.
Geography in January Proposal
This is a short proposal to write the essay described above. Your proposal should include a one
page introduction, (including a research question, hypothesis and an outline of the context and
motivation for the work), a one page outline showing the structure of the essay, and a one page
list of at least five relevant references including at least one of each of the following: a book,
academic journal article, weekly or monthly magazine, newspaper, and a web-based publication.
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Learning Tip:
This is a content-intensive course that requires the absorption and recall of a large volume of
material. Keeping up with reading is essential to success in the course. You should plan on
reading a chapter each week which will take about three hours.
Reading for mastery is an active learning process. For most students the use of highlighters
encourages poor reading habits and detracts from learning. Most successful students will find
that a much more effective reading technique is to make notes, writing out the key ideas in the
material they are reading to focus their attention on the way that concepts and facts are structured
and related to each other.
Lecture Outline
Topic
Week
Readinga
Introduction: Realms and Regions
1
Introduction
Introduction & The Pacific
2
Introduction & 12
Austral Realm
3
11
Southeast Asia
4
10 (Map quiz: 10,11,&12)
East Asia I
5
9
East Asia II/Midterm
6
Intro, 9,10,11,12
South Asia
7
8
North Africa/Southwest Asia
8
7
Europe
9
1 (Map quiz: 7,8,&9)
Europe, Russia
10
1,2
Russia
11
2
Sub-Saharan Africa
12
6
South America
13
5 (Map quiz: 1,2,7)
Middle America
14
4
15
1,2,4,5,6,7,8
Reading Week
Final Examination, April 23, 2:00 PM/ PE
250
Note: a. Numbers refer to chapters in de Blij and Muller (2010)
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