World Geography Syllabus Fall 2019 PDF

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World Regional Geography GEOG 151 Fall Semester, 2019 Mark E. Reisinger Meeting Place and Time: Science 1 Room 149 Tuesday and Thursday: 11:40am to 1:05pm Course Goals, and Objectives: The goals of the course are threefold. First, students will gain an appreciation of, and critically ponder the consequences of converging environmental, cultural, political, and economic systems through the forces of globalization. Second, students will deepen their understanding of the creation and persistence of geographic diversity and difference. The interaction and tension between these forces form the central theme for this course. The course provides an analysis of population, culture, environment, and economies of major world regions. Issues of global importance, including development, demographic change, urbanization and migration, environmental problems, and international conflict are examined. My hope is that by the end of the course you will be able to critically evaluate and analyze global and regional issues and possibly formulate a fundamentally new perspective on the global environment, economy, culture, population phenomena, and especially global geopolitics. ELEMENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING ● Differentiating between fact and opinion ● Recognizing and evaluating author bias and rhetoric ● Determining cause and effect relationships ● Determining the accuracy and completeness of information presented ● Recognizing logical fallacies and faulty reasoning ● Comparing and contrasting information and points of view ● Developing inferential skills ● Making judgments and drawing logical conclusions The objectives of the course are to: (1) increase students’ knowledge of the various regions of the world; (2) examine differences among various regions of the world with respect to their physical geography and human activities; (3) identify and explain the causes and consequences of regional differences in the levels of material well-being among people in the world and; (4) familiarize students with the use of maps and atlases, as well as basic geographic methodology. This course satisfies the G and N General Education requirements. Students in G courses will demonstrate knowledge of how two or more distinctive world regions have influenced and interacted with one another and how such interactions have been informed by their respective cultures or civilizations. Students in N courses will demonstrate 1. Knowledge of major concepts, models, and issues (and their interrelationships) of at least one of the social sciences: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, or sociology. 2. An understanding of the methods used by social scientists to explore social phenomena, including, when appropriate to the discipline, observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and analysis by mathematics or other interpretive frameworks.

Provost’s Statement on Workload Expectations This course is a 4-credit course, which means that in addition to the scheduled lectures/discussions, students are expected to do at least 9.5 hours of course-related work each week during the semester. This includes things like: completing assigned readings, participating in lab sessions, studying for tests and examinations, preparing written assignments, completing internship or clinical placement requirements, and other tasks that must be completed to earn credit in the course.

Disability-related Equal Access Accommodations – Students wishing to request academic accommodations to insure their equitable access and participation in this course should notify the instructor as soon as they are aware of their need for such arrangements. Authorizations from Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) are generally required. We encourage you to contact SSD at (607) 777-2686 (for voice and TTY) to schedule an appointment with the Director or Learning Disabilities Specialist. The SSD website (www.binghamton.edu/ssd) includes information regarding their Disability Documentation Guidelines. The office is located in UU – 119. Office and Office Hours: Offices: Newing College, C4, room 119; Old Johnson, room 128 Phone: Newing, 607-777-2864; Geography, 607-777-2676 Email: [email protected]

Office Hours: ● Monday, 2:30 to 3:30 (Old Johnson, 128); ● Tuesday, 2:00 to 3:00 (C4, 119); ● Wednesday, 2:30 to 3:30 (Old Johnson, 128); ● Thursday, 2:00 to 3:00 (C4, 119), and ● Friday; by appointment I am available at other times by appointment. I will be happy to talk with students about the course, the discipline of geography, or other concerns. Required Texts: Globalization and Diversity (5th edition), Rowntree, et al., 2017. ISBN: 9780134117010 Important Dates:

- Fall Confirmation of Enrollment Deadline Tuesday, August 27 (4:30 pm) - Course add/drop deadline: Wednesday, September 4 (11:59 pm) - Course withdraw/grading-option change deadline: Monday, October 28 (4:30 pm) Course Procedures and Requirements*: Materials presented in class may be supplementary to the text. Certain lecture topics are not covered by text content. Students are responsible for all lecture and class discussion topics as well as text assignments. R egular attendance is strongly advised. In the case of an absence students are responsible for acquiring the class notes they missed from another class member. Students are expected to come to class prepared. All reading assignments are to be completed on the day they appear on the Course Schedule. Blackboard: A substantial amount of course material (syllabus, assignments, course schedules, PowerPoint slides, practice quizzes, links to useful websites, and access to your course grade, etc.) is available on Blackboard. This material will be updated throughout the semester. NOTE: ALL COURSE MATERIAL IS THE PROPERTY OF PROFESSOR REISINGER. PHOTOCOPYING OR OTHER MEANS OF REPRODUCTION, ESPECIALLY FOR REDISTRIBUTION, MAY VIOLATE U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW. Course Grading: A student’s performance in this course will be determined on the basis of 550 points. These points will be distributed throughout the semester in the following manner: 13 Assignments Attendance Participation 2 Exams (75 points each) Final Exam Total

130 points 110 points 60 points 150 points 100 points 550 points

*Final course grades will be calculated as follows: 515 to 550 points = A 495 to 514 points = A480 to 494 points = B+ 460 to 479 points = B 440 to 459 points = B425 to 439 points = C+ 405 to 424 points = C 385 to 404 points = C350 to 384 points = D Fewer than 350 points = F NOTE: IF YOU ARE TAKING THE COURSE PASS/FAIL, YOU NEED AT LEAST 385 POINTS TO PASS. *The instructor reserves the right to change the final course grade distribution as deemed necessary. Out of Class Assignments: There are thirteen out of class assignments that will be due throughout the semester. For the most part, the assignments are based on textbook readings and lecture material. You may have to do a bit of outside research for some questions. All of the assignments are on Blackboard under the Assignments tab. You will submit your answers on Blackboard. Assignments are due at 11:59 pm on the due date on the course schedule. Assignments will not be accepted after that time.

NOTE: IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE YOUR ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN PROPERLY SUBMITTED. Examinations: There are two exams and one final exam scheduled for this course. Exams consist of multiple choice questions. Each student is expected to take all three exams. The final exam will concentrate on the material covered after the second exam, but it will also be cumulative in the sense that there will be questions concerning important concepts discussed throughout the semester (these questions will come directly from the Practice Quizzes on Blackboard). You will take the exams on Blackboard. Exams will be posted at 11:40am on the day they appear on the Course Schedule and you will have 1.5 hours to complete the exam. You will only be able to access the exam once (you cannot log out and then log back in). There will be no make-up exams given except in the case of dire emergency (serious illness, or death in the immediate family) and you will be required to provide evidence such as a note from a physician.

Attendance/Class Participation: Attendance (110 points) and class participation (60 points) make up approximately twenty-five percent of your total course grade. Attendance will be based your responses to questions asked in class using Top Hat. These questions will be asked randomly throughout the class period and will be based on that day’s lecture material or reading assignment. Class participation will be based on your submissions to Packback. Packback Participation is a requirement for this course, and the Packback Questions platform will be used for online discussion about class topics. Packback Questions is an online curiosity community where you can be curious, and ask the BIG questions about how what we’re studying relates to life and the real world.

Your participation on Packback will count towards 12 percent of your final grade. 4 points per week will go towards your participation on the community. In order to receive these points, you must answer my weekly question, post 1 Question and 2 Answers to your classmates’ questions per week relevant to our class subject matter per week. There will be a Sunday 11:59 PM deadline for submissions in your community each week. Each week is treated as an assignment and you must participate each week - consistency is important for us to foster a great community for learning and curiosity.

To start posting on Packback Questions: 1. Navigate to https://Packback.co/questions and click “Register as a new student”. Note: If you already have an account on Packback you can login with your credentials. 2. Make sure to register with your SCHOOL email address and real first name and last name. Use your B-number (example, b00123456) as your student ID or LMS ID. 3. Enter our class community’s access code into the “Join a new Community” module on your dashboard. 4. Our Community access code: c5a1e181-75c0-461e-a748-ba5504e11e54 Follow the instructions on your screen to finish your registration. For a brief introduction to Packback Questions and why we are using it in class, watch this video: vimeo.com/packback/Welcome-to-Packback-Questions

Top Hat We will be using the Top Hat (www.tophat.com) classroom response system in class. You will be able to submit answers to inclass questions using Apple or Android smartphones and tablets, laptops, or through text message. You can visit the Top Hat Overview (https://success.tophat.com/s/article/Student-Top-Hat-Overview-and-Getting-Started-Guide ) within the Top Hat Success Center which outlines how you will register for a Top Hat account, as well as providing a brief overview to get you up and running on the system. An email invitation will be sent to you by email, but if you don’t receive this email, you can register by simply visiting our course website: Unique Course URL: https://app.tophat.com/e/231995 Note: our Course Join Code is 231995 Use your B-number (example, b00123456) as your student ID or LMS

ID. Top Hat will require a paid subscription, and a full breakdown of all subscription options available can be found here: www.tophat.com/pricing. Should you require assistance with Top Hat at any time, due to the fact that they require specific user information to troubleshoot these issues, please contact their Support Team directly by way of email ([email protected]), the in app support button, or by calling 1-888-663-5491. Bonus Points:

The possibility exists to earn bonus points simply by coming to visit me in my office for a friendly chat. We can talk about anything you like. I will add 5 points to your final course total if you visit me in one of my offices before December 6. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WILL BE THE ONLY EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY OFFERED FOR THIS COURSE. Ground Rules: All students are expected to display appropriate classroom decorum. Late arrival, early departure, cell phone conversations, personal conversation, headphones, reading newspapers or books from other courses, sleeping, etc. are inappropriate in this class. The Faculty and Professional Staff Handbook clearly states, “Any instructor may exclude from attendance any student who, in the instructor’s judgment, has seriously impaired the class’s ability to achieve the objectives of the course. Academic Standards: Incidents of academic dishonesty will be handled according to the guidelines established in the Harpur College Faculty Academic Honesty Handbook.

Course Schedule on next page

GEOG 151 World Regional Geography Fall 2019 Course Schedule* Wee k Day Date

Topic

Reading/Assignment Due

1

Thurs

08/21/2019

Course Introduction

2 2

Tues Thurs

08/27/2019 08/29/2019

Read Chapter 1 Read Chapter 1

3

Tues

09/03/2019

3

Thurs

09/05/2019

4

Tues

09/10/2019

What is Geography? Globalization and Diversity - Population Geography Globalization and Diversity – Cultural and Political Geography Globalization and Diversity - Economic and Social Development No-Class Rosh Hashanah

4

Thurs

09/12/2019

5 5

Tues Thurs

09/17/2019 09/19/2019

Geography Basics – Physical and Environmental Geography Latin America Latin America

6 6

Tues Thurs

09/24/2019 09/26/2019

The Caribbean The Caribbean

Read Chapter 2 Assignment for Chapter 2 Read Chapter 4 Read Chapter 4 Assignment for Chapter 4 Read Chapter 5 Read Chapter 5 Assignment for Chapter 5

7 7

Tues Thurs

09/30/2019 10/03/2019

NO CLASS (Rosh Hashanah) Africa South of the Sahara

8

Tues

10/08/2019

Africa South of the Sahara

8

Thurs

10/10/2019

EXAM #1

9

Tues Thurs

10/15/2019 10/17/2019

Southwest Asia and North Africa Southwest Asia and North Africa

9 10

Tues Thurs

10/22/2019 10/24/2019

Europe Europe

10 11

Tues Thurs

10/29/2019 10/31/2019

Russia and its Neighbors Russia and its Neighbors

11 12

Tues Thurs

11/05/2019 11/07/2019

Central Asia Central Asia

12 13

Tues Thurs

11/12/2019 11/14/2019

EXAM #2 East Asia

13

Tues

11/19/2019

East Asia

14

Thurs

11/21/2019

South Asia

15

Tues

11/26/2019

South Asia

15

Thurs

11/28/2019

16

Tues Thurs

12/03/2019 12/05/2019

NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING BREAK Southeast Asia Southeast Asia

16

17

Selfie Assignment due Read Chapter 1 Assignment for Chapter 1 Read Chapter 1

Read Chapter 6 Read Chapter 6 Assignment for Chapter 6

Read Chapter 7 Read Chapter 7 Assignment for Chapter 7 Read Chapter 8 Read Chapter 8 Assignment for Chapter 8 Read Chapter 9 Read Chapter 9 Assignment for Chapter 9 Read Chapter 10 Read Chapter 10 Assignment for Chapter 10 Read Chapter 11 Read Chapter 11 Assignment for Chapter 11 Read Chapter 12 Read Chapter 12 Assignment for Chapter 12

Read Chapter 13 Read Chapter 13 Assignment for Chapter 13

12/09 to 12/13 FINAL EXAM WEEK

*Notice: The instructor reserves the right to change the course content and schedule as deemed necessary....