Geography of World Affairs

Objectives:

Required Texts:

• Rowntree et al 2006. Diversity amid Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development, 3rd Edition
• We will also use the book's website at http://www.prenhall.com/rowntree a lot.  Be sure to go to the site that matches your book ("amid" not "and").
  
• Blank Maps: http://www.geog.byu.edu/maps/outline/outline.html.  There are three maps you will need for the essays (see that sheet for which).  The rest are useful to many students for taking notes in class.  There are also outline maps on the book website.
• Recommended:
• Install Google Earth (earth.google.com) on your computer
• Goode's World Atlas (you will not need it for assignments, but we will use it in class, and any educated person should own a world atlas).

Requirements:

1. Quizzes: There will be a brief quiz at the beginning of class each day. Each will have 15 questions: 7 based on the previous class's lectures, 4 on the required readings for the current day (based on the "Key Terms" and "Summary & Review" in the book, and the "Multiple Choice" and "Thinking Spatially" on the book website), and 4 on map locations (the "Map ID" part of the book website should be helpful for studying this). The lowest quiz score (or one missed quiz) will be dropped. 15 pts, 13 quizzes-1: 180 possible points
2. Essay Assignments: For each region, there will be a question given for you to think and write about as you read the assigned chapters.  Hand in a 2 page (double-spaced typed) essay answering the question, using your book, atlas, and other sources.  The essay should be well-organized and well-written (i.e., you will be graded for your English). 20 pts, 7 Essays: 140 possible points
3. Final Exam (Wed, Dec 14, 5:45pm, in class) The final exam will be comprehensive, covering mostly the lectures, but also some from the book. About half the questions will come from the quizzes. There will also be a map portion, in which you will need to identify countries or major features that were discussed in class. 115 possible points

Policies:

• Extra Credit: There are two options here: 1. Watch a film set in a foreign country (examples at the end of each chapter) and write a report on the geographic significance and accuracy of the setting. 2. There may also be other opportunities, usually guest speakers, for which I will offer extra credit.  You can do a total of two extra credit activities. 5 pts each, 10 points total possible
• Late Work: You can hand the assignments up to three weeks late, but points will be docked.  Quizzes may not be taken late unless previously excused (See below)
• Missing Class:  There are no points for attendance, but if you miss a class, you will miss a quiz, as well as lecture notes for the next week's quiz.  If you plan to be gone for a good reason (vacations and friend's weddings don't count), you must talk to me before you leave to arrange things (I'll let you hand in work and take quizzes early).  If you miss for an unforeseen reason (e.g. illness), contact me as soon as possible to explain and arrange makeup work.
• Academic Dishonesty: in accordance with university policy, I will give a 0 on any work in which I catch you cheating.  Several points will be docked from your assignments for even mild cases of plagiarism, so always cite your sources.

Schedule: