World/Regional Geography    SS II- 2011   6 Week

GEOG 1303 PCM    SYN: 29349      OPC: 002

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Clint E. Davis    

Office: RGC, Building 3000 Room 3003 (Old Gym)

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

(1)  Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts by de Blij and Muller. Wiley 14th edition.

(2) Study Guide de Blij and Muller’s Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts by Peter O. Muller and Elizabeth Muller Hames. Wiley and Sons, Inc. 14th edition.

                             COURSE DESCRIPTION

     This course will introduce the student to the breadth and depth of the discipline of geography. The course is designed to view the globe and its human/cultural diversity from a perspective that explores human landscape patterns and uses, influenced by continental, historic and economic regions of the world. From large scale realms to the small scale patterns produced by families, towns and cities within larger regions, this course provides the student with a spatial perspective of human lifestyles as adaptations to local and global economic development. 

                                COURSE METHODOLOGY

    The goal of this course is to understand the complexity of "places" across the globe created by the interplay of environment and culture. The preceding will bring about a better understanding of the mosaic of world societies and how they have modified the natural environment through social, economic, and political organization

                              COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, the student:

* Will be able to describe what geography is.

* Will understand the importance of geographic tools and philosophy.

* Will understand the importance of the historical development of places.

* Will understand the basics of geographic diversity and location.

 COURSE POLICIES

* Withdrawal is student’s responsibility!

* No Retests!

* No Incompletes Given!!

* Exam Make-ups: Only for unavoidable situations and only with notification   

   of instructor prior to the exam!

* Scholastic Dishonesty: Acts prohibited by the college which may include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam, quiz or exercise, plagiarization, and unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research, or self-expression. Academic work is defined as but limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework. Punishment for scholastic dishonesty may include grade reduction and or expulsion from the class.

                             STUDENTS with DISABILITIES

Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester.

                 INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY

Students take multiple choice questions over the text materials and construct maps that compliment the text materials. The required Study Guide provides a structure for Understanding and Studying the course material and the source of map constructions.

                              EXAM SCHEDULE

Deadlines     Exam Content                

July 11          Ex I: Intro & Chapters  1, 2, 3 – Testing Centers    

                                 Maps Due! (See Map Constructions Below)

July 18          Ex II: Chapters  4, 5, 6 – Testing Centers

                                  Maps Due! (See Map Constructions Below)

Aug 1             Last Day to Withdraw

Aug  1           Ex III: Chapters 7, 8, 9 – Testing Centers

                                   Maps Due! (See Map Constructions Below)

Aug 8          Ex IV: Chapters 10,11,12

                                  Maps Due! (See Map Constructions Below)

Map Constructions-Any two of  #1,  #2,  #3  in the required Study Guide (Under Map Constructions-Read Instructions Carefully)-For each and every text chapter & Introduction. To receive full credit maps must be complete, clear, and neat. There are three ways to present map work: [1] They can be put through the door of building 3000 room 3103, [2] sent by inter-campus mail (provost’s office) or [3] sent by postal service addressed to Professor Clint  Davis, 1212 Rio Grande St., Austin, Texas, 78701. Map exercises are due on corresponding due dates for exams.

EXAMS AND SCORES

Part I (1/2 of Each Exam Score): Objective questions over the text readings (approximately 15 per text chapter). Each objective exam is worth a maximum of 100 points per exam score regardless of the number of questions. REMEMBER TO USE ALL AREAS OF THE STUDY GUIDE TO PREPARE FOR EXAMS (Except Sample Essays)

Part II (1/2 of Each Exam Score): Map Constructions from Study Guide are worth a maximum of 100 points per exam score regardless of the maps required. Students will be notified if they do not receive the full 100 points.

Under no circumstances ask for map scores- I will contact students if they are not getting full credit for the maps.

All exams are available at the beginning of each semester and may be taken any time before (or on) the due date for each exam.

GRADE DETERMINATION

   Each exam is worth a total of 200 points (100 points from the Text questions plus 100 points from the map constructions). Students will receive the full 100 points on the map constructions as long as all maps are turned in on-time and presented in a clear and readable fashion. It is very easy for a student to compute grades for each exam as follows:  multiply your percentage of correct questions ( # of correct answers divided by the total # of questions) on each exam by 100 points then add 100 points for the map grade for each exam. Take the preceding total and divide by 200. The result gives the students’ percentage for any given exam.

Please do not call and ask for your grades to be computed or ask for your grades. That is your responsibility!

Final Course Grades are computed by averaging all four exam grades. “A”=100-90%, “B”=89-80%, “C”=79-70%, “D”=69-60%, “F”=Below 60%.

Testing Center Hours vary, please check schedules and allow at least 1-1/2 hrs. of testing time for each exam. Take your student ID and save your receipts!!!