SYLLABUS
TITLE: Expedition
Earth: Introduction to Geography
NUMBER: GEOG 101
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: None
LOCATION: eLearning Center--Online
MEETING TIME: Spring
Semester; Time is asynchronous
INSTRUCTOR: Roger
Pearson
and R, 1 pm to 3 pm, or by appointment
TELEPHONE: 907-776-8304
OFFICE HOURS: T
EMAIL ADDRESS: rwpearson@alaska.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to essential concepts and approaches of geographic study. Explores
physical, political, economic and cultural geography of major world culture regions.
Examines each region in relation to others, and in context of global economic, political
and environmental change.
COURSE GOALS
· To study the relationships between people, places, and environments by mapping
information about them into a spatial context.
· To study how the lives of people are rooted in particular places and in those human
constructs called regions.
· To study physical processes that shape Earth’s surface and interact with plant and animal life to create, sustain, and modify ecoregions.
· To study how human activities help shape Earth’s surface, how human settlements
and structures form part of Earth’s surface, and how humans compete for control of
Earth’s surface.
· To study how the physical environment is modified by human activities, largely as a
consequence of the ways in which human societies value and use Earth’s natural
resources, and human activities are also influenced by Earth’s physical features and
processes.
· To study the relationships between people, places, and environments over time in a
spatial context.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- To know and understand how to use maps and other geographic representations,
tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial
perspective.
- To know and understand linkages between physical and human characteristics of
places.
- To know and understand that people create regions to interpret Earth’s complexity.
- To know and understand the physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s surface and the spatial distribution of ecoregions on
Earth’s surface.
- To know and understand the characteristics, distribution, and movements of human
populations on Earth’s surface.
- To know and understand patterns of settlement, economic systems, political systems,
and cultural mosaics on Earth’s surface.
- To know and understand how human actions modify the physical environment.
- To know and understand how physical systems affect human systems.
- To be able to apply geography to interpret the past and plan for the future.
COURSE READINGS/MATERIALS
Text: de Blij, Harm, Muller, Peter O., and Nijman, Jan. Geography:Realms, Regions, and Concepts, 16th Edition.
The text is also available for online rental:
http://www.coursesmart.com/IR/6509383/9781118673959?__hdv=6.8
Wiley, 2014.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Students must be comfortable working with:
- Whatever OS they will be using, whether it is Mac, Windows, Linux or Android
- The Internet
Students’ computers should:
- Be running, at the least, OS 10 if they are Mac users, XP if they are PC users.
- Have the latest Flash player installed
- Have Google Earth and the Google Earth plug-in installed
- Be able to access WordPress, Google Sites, and Blackboard
On the whole, the course should not be too technically demanding on either computer
hardware or user skill-level.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS
As a discipline, geography most generally involves the use of maps. Consequently,
students will become familiar with map reading and analysis (including Geographic
Information Systems or GIS) since maps will be used throughout the course. In addition,
discussions, photography, charts, remote sensing, and other visual means (e.g. Google
Earth) will be employed to help describe and understand the spatial aspects of
landscapes.
The primary sources of information will come from the textbook and study guide discussions in each lesson, as well as numerous spatial
representations (e.g. Google Earth, a wide variety of traditional maps, and GIS materials and technologies). Additional readings will be
provided in most cases on the class web site. In some cases, a source url will also be provided.
Map activities and blog assignments are designed for students to expand their thinking on selected topics. Guiding questions will be
provided in some of the blogs.
To help facilitate study of the lesson topics and to help students prepare for exams, key
terms and concepts will be noted along with guiding questions.
COURSE POLICIES
Late Work
Late work will not be graded. If there is an emergency, get in touch with us by the day
before the work is due.
Missing Work / Participation
If four successive weeks go by with no activity from you (no blog, no exam, or no contact with me), then I will drop you from the class.
If you accumulate six weeks of inactivity, even if those six weeks are non-successive, then I will drop you from the class.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is not tolerated, and is relatively easy to detect. Any student caught
plagiarizing will fail this course.
Academic Integrity
As described by UAF, scholastic dishonesty constitutes a violation of the university rules and regulations and is punishable according to
the procedures outlined by UAF. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an exam, plagiarism, and collusion.
Cheating includes providing answers to or taking answers from another student. Plagiarism includes use of another author’s words or
arguments without attribution. Collusion includes unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for
fulfillment of any course requirement. Scholastic dishonesty is punishable by removal from the course and a grade of “F.” For more
information go to Student Code of Conduct. (http://www.uaf.edu/catalog/catalog_08- 09/academics/regs3.html#Student_Conduct)
HOW TO SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS
Map assignments will be turned in via Blackboard assignments and blog posts will be submitted in the course WordPress blog.
HOW CHECK YOUR GRADE
Check your grade by clicking on the ‘My Grades’ link in the left side menu of the
Blackboard course shell. A green icon indicates that the assignment has not been
graded. Please read all instructor feedback provided on graded assignments.
EVALUATION POLICIES
There will be four exams. Exams will make up 70% of your grade. They will
involve knowledge and understanding of basic geographic information and concepts,
and map work.
Exams:
Map Activity/Blog Assignments: There will be 10 assignments consisting of map activities and/or blog posts. These will make up 30%
of your grade.
This course uses the +/- grading system. Course
grades will be assigned as indicated in the table
below. Grade point values are indicated in the table as well. Please see Academics and
Regulations section of the UAF
Grade
%
GP
A+
100-97
4.0
A
96-92
4.0
A-
91-90
3.7
B+
89-87
3.3
B
86-82
3.0
B-
81-80
2.7
C+
79-77
2.3
C
76-72
2.0
C-
71-70
1.7
D+
69-67
1.3
D
66-62
1.0
D-
61-60
0.7
F
<60
0.0
EXPLANATION OF W, NB, I GRADES
Withdrawals
Successful, Timely Completion of this Course Starting and establishing your progress
through this course early can help to encourage your successful completion of the
course. Toward this end, this course adheres to the following UAF eLearning & Distance Education procedures:
1. The first contact assignment is due one week after the first day of instruction. Failure to
submit this assignment within the first two weeks of the course could result in withdrawal from the course.
2. The first content assignment is due one week after the first day of instruction. Failure to
submit this assignment within the first two weeks of the course could result in withdrawal from the course.
3. Failure to submit the first three content assignments by the deadline for faculty-initiated withdrawals (the ninth Friday after the first
day of classes) could result in instructor initiated withdrawal from the course (W).
No Basis Grades
This course adheres to the UAF eLearning Procedure regarding the granting of NB Grades The
NB grade is for use only
in situations in which the instructor has No Basis upon which to assign a grade. In
general, the NB grade will not be granted.
Incompletes
Your instructor follows the University of Alaska Fairbanks Incomplete Grade Policy.
“The letter “I” (Incomplete) is a temporary grade used to indicate that the student has
satisfactorily completed (C or better) the majority of work in a course but for personal
reasons beyond the student’s control, such as sickness, he has not been able to
complete the course during the regular semester. Negligence or indifference are not
acceptable reasons for an “I” grade.”
INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE TIME
: 1 week maximum
Email/Phone Response : 1 to 24 hours
Assignment Return
SUPPORT SERVICES
UAF eLearning Student Services helps students with registration and course schedules, provides information about lessons and student
records, assists with the examination process, and answers general questions. Our Academic Advisor can help students communicate
with instructors, locate helpful resources, and maximize their distance learning experience. Contact the UAF eLearning Student Services
staff at 907- 455-2060 or toll free 1-800-277-8060 or contact staff directly – for directory listing see: http://elearning.uaf.edu/contact/ .
UAF Help Desk
Click here (http://www.alaska.edu/oit/) to see about current network outages and news.
Reach the Help Desk at:

e-mail at helpdesk@alaska.edu
· fax at (907)-450-8312
phone in the Fairbanks area is 450-8300 and outside of Fairbanks is 1-800-478-8226
DISABILITIES SERVICES
The UAF Office of Disability Services operates in conjunction with eLearning. Disability Services, a part of UAF's Center for Health
and Counseling, provides academic accommodations to enrolled students who are identified as being eligible for these services.
If you believe you are eligible, please visit their web site (http://www.uaf.edu/disability/) or contact
a student affairs staff person at your nearest local campus. You can also contact
Disability Services on the Fairbanks Campus by phone, 907-474-7043, or by e-mail
(fydso@uaf.edu).