FALL 2009  GEOG101
PEOPLE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT
GEOG 101.00 Sections 004, 104, and 105

Tu, F 11:10-12-25 HW 415

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Geography resources
GIS links and resources 
Other classes taught

Dr. Marianna Pavlovskaya
Office: 1003F HN
Telephone: 212- 772-5320
Email: mpavlovAThunter.cuny.edu

Office hours: 

T 10-11, F 1-2 and by appointment

 

Course web page: http://www.geo.hunter.cuny.edu/~mpavlov/Courses/G101/G101S01syl.htm
BB login page: http://bb.hunter.cuny.edu).

LINKS TO THE WORLD

Course web page and BB are always updated. Please check regularly both pages. It is your responsibility to keep up with all the postings. Course web page can be accessed 1) from BB; 2) by typing the URL above; 3) by going to Department of Geography website’s listing of current courses; 4) from Dr. Pavlovskaya's home web page.

 

How do geographers represent, analyze, and understand the world, people, places, and territories? This course introduces students to environmental and human geography and its unique language - maps. We will cover a very broad range of topics, from plate tectonics and climate change to food security, urbanization, and international economy.

 

This course fulfills Stage 2 (Broad Exposure) Group B: Social Science but does NOT fulfill the "W" requirement.

 

Textbook: Bergman, E. F. and Renwick, W.H. 2008. Introduction to geography: people, places, and environment. Prentice Hall. 4th edition.
Atlas: An up to date atlas is needed to prepare for map quizzes.

 

FREE GEOGRAPHY 101 TUTORING SPONSORED BY DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

Master topics, Prepare for exams, Read maps!

WHEN? WHERE?

Beginning the week of September 14:

Tuesday 10-1:30 (1004HN), Wednesday 4-7 (1028HN), Thursday 11-14 (1004HN)

EVALUATION

See Black Board for the grades.

Map quizzes and assignments

30%

Midterm Exam

Final exam

35%

35%

EXAMS

  • Exams include multiple choice, true-false, short-answer, short essay questions, and map-based questions.
  • You are responsible for all lecture AND textbook material, which complement each other.
  • All missed tests and assignments will result in zero points. No makeup exams or tests are allowed.

MAP QUIZZES

  • Map quizzes involve matching geographic place names (e.g. names of mountain ranges, rivers, seas, countries, cities, etc.) and their locations on a blank map. Blank maps will be provided to you via BB. Use your Atlas (see below) to locate places and then mark them on the blank maps. Start practicing as soon as possible. During a quiz, you will be asked to indicate the location of several geographic objects with a number or a letter. Map quiz takes only a few minutes in the beginning of a class, the rest is a regular lecture. There is no make-up map quizzes.

MAP ASSIGNMENTS AND OTHER EXERCISES

  • Map-based home assignments will help you to learn how to use maps. All maps will be from the 4th edition of the textbook. In addition, there will be other textbook and internet-based exercises. Assignments are due before class. Most assignments will be handed digitally via blackboard but in some cases you will need to submit paper printouts. Late assignments will be marked down; after the results are handed out, they will not be accepted and result in zero points. All submitted assignments must be written in standard English. Hand written essays will not be accepted.

DUE DATES (TO BE UPDATED WEEKLY)

Test/assignment:

Due date:

Comments and materials:

Map Quizzes

 

Dates posted on BB

Blank maps and place name lists are posted on BB. Please make extra-copies of the maps to practice.

Midterm

10/27/09

All lecture and textbook material covered up to this date. Study guide for the midterm posted on BB. Please bring pencils and erasers.

Map exercises and other assignments

Ex 1 due 10/22

 

Exercises with the instructions will be posted on BB under assignments.

Final exam

T 12/15/09 9-11am

Study guide for the final exam will be posted on BB a week ahead the date of the exam. Please bring pencils and erasers.

Extra-credit policy

Some assignments include extra-credit questions. You may also write maximum of two extra-credit essays based on the textbook materials (no less than 1.5 page and 2 pages maximum; typed, 12 points font size, double spaced ). Include Chapter #, question # and type the question). Each good essay counts as 1 point toward your final grade. No extra-credit essays will be accepted after the last class.

All direct quotations must be in quotation marks with indication of page #. In these essays, I am looking for YOUR thoughts, so please do not include long quotations.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The College is committed to enforcing CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures. Plagiarism, dishonesty, or cheating in any portion of the work required for this course will be punished to the full extent allowed according to Hunter College regulations.

Writing and reading assistance

The Hunter College Reading and Writing Center provides students with tutoring and help services across the disciplines and at all academic levels. Students who need assistance can be directed to http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu or sent to Room 416 Thomas Hunter Hall, telephone 212-772-4212. These services are free to registered students.

CLASSROOM RULES:

  • All policies regarding exams and assignments stated on this syllabus will be strictly followed.
  • Absolutely no talking during the lecture. Please raise your hand to ask questions. Disruptive behavior is subject to university policies.
  • The lecture begins and ends as stated on the syllabus and according to my watch. All announcements are made in the beginning of the class. Late arrivals and early departures are considered disruptive.
  • Absolutely NO cell phones and texting in class.

LECTURE TOPICS (UPDATED WEEKLY)

All readings must be finished before the class. Lectures supplement the textbook.

Lecture topics:

To read:

Introduction

Ch 1 done

Maps and GIS

Ch 1 done

Weather and climate

Global climate change

Ch 2 done

Biochemical cycles (hydrological cycle)

Ch. 4 done

Landforms 

Ch 3 done

Natural resources

Ch 9 done

Population geography and migration

Ch 5 done

Cultural geography

Ch 6 done

Languages and religion

Ch 7 in progress

Cities and urbanization

Ch 10

Economic geography

Ch 12 and 13

The human food supply

Ch 8

Political geography

Ch 11

 

CALENDAR FOR FALL 2009

First class

F Sept 18

T Sept 29

F Nov 27

F Dec 11

F, Aug 28

No class

No class, Monday schedule

No class, Thanksgiving break

Last class

USING ATLAS TO FIND GEOGRAPHIC OBJECTS

There are at least two ways to find place names in an atlas when preparing for map quizzes:

1. If you know that the Appalachian mountains are in North America but are not sure about their precise location.

Go to the table of contents, find the page number for the regional map of North America, and look for the Appalachians on this map. To find a smaller mountain range such as Green Mountains in the state of Vermont, you need a more detailed regional map of the North-Eastern United States.

2. If you do not know at all where the Appalachians are or when you are short on time.

Go to the Index section of the Atlas. In this section, all placenames are listed alphabetically with an indication of a page number of the map that best depicts this place. Find the Appalachians in the index, go to the indicated page, and look for this mountain range on this map.

Top of page

LINKS OF INTEREST

World flags    

Measurement systems (US custom to metric conversion).

Geologic time table

Link to Chernobyl photo trip http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/

The story of stuff by Annie Leonard http://www.storyofstuff.com/