CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY-CHICO

GEOG 352 THE UNITED STATES

SECTIONS 01 AND 72

FALL 2007

Instructor

Dr. Guy King, Professor of Geography
E-mail: Use WebCT class email
Phone: 530-898-4858
Office location: Butte Hall, Room 517

Course Description

Welcome to Geography 352, The United StatesAmerica’s landscapes are examined from a geographical perspective. Geographical landscapes are defined as regions with more or less uniform features. Features of regions are divided into two major types.  Physical features consist of landforms, climate, and vegetation elements.  Cultural features include historical, political, economic, and social elements.

The regional landscapes of the United States are the result of interaction between humans and their physical environment.  Human settlement patterns, historical human occupation, natural resources, environmental change, and natural hazards of regions are all important components of geographical landscape study.

Course Format

Geography 352 is entirely web-based.  There are no meetings in a classroomThe are no set times when students get together on the Internet. The are no set times when students log on to WebCT. Students learn the geography of the United States through textbook readings, web exercises, and writing assignments. Course grades are determined by assessment of quizzes, exams, and the writing assignments.

Students are responsible for their own work.  This online class requires a lot of self-discipline, good writing skills, and a desire to learn.  Online courses require students to allocate adequate time to complete the class assignments.  Students in this class need to spend six or more hours a week working on class assignments. Students are required to complete class assignments on time.

Effective communication is essential in this online class. Students are encouraged to participate in online class discussions and to talk to the instructor through class e-mail, phone, or office visits.

Student Learning Outcomes

1.  To study the geographical regions of the U.S. using information from textbook readings and the Internet.

2.  To examine the landforms, climates, and vegetation in the various regions of the U.S.

3.  To understand how the cultures of different regions of the U.S. formed over time.

4.  To examine the integration of social, political, economic, and environmental components in U.S. regions.

5.  To emphasize the diversity of cultural and physical environments in the U.S.

6.  To increase student learning in the areas of communication, critical thinking, reasoning, mathematical concepts, and map reading.

Course Contents

- Introduction to the geography of the United States
- The physical environment of the
United States.
United States population dynamics and cities.
- Atlantic Northeast Region
- Megalopolis Region
- The Appalachians and the Ozarks Region
- The Inland South Region
- Southeastern Coast Region
- The Heartland Region
- The Great Plains and Prairies Region
- The Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West Region
- The California Region
- The North Pacific Coast Region
- Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands Regions

Class Requirements and Student Responsibilities

Students enrolled in Geography 352 are required to learn and use WebCT (see the “Getting Started” exercise). All quizzes, exams, exercises, and writing assignments are accessed and completed through the use of WebCT software. All required class work must be submitted using WebCT. Work submitted by other means than WebCT will not be graded (email attachments, snail mail, and fax).

All Geography 352 students are required to have an adequate computer and software that can access the Internet and allow completion of the class assignments.  See the Chico Distance and Online Education website for specific technical requirements. For help with computer problems, see Student Computing: How to get help.

Geography 352 students are advised to start and complete their required work early. All material in this class is accessed via the Internet. Occasional problems with Internet access are to be expected (especially on weekends and evenings). Computer problems are normal. Make sure you have alternate access to the Internet (a second computer, public library, etc.). Waiting until the last minute to access required course material may result in problems turning in required work. Students are responsible for turning in all course assignments on time.

Academic Honesty

Students are required to do their own work.  Using work done by another student is cheating.  If you include material from a source not cited in your class paper, that is plagiarism.  Both cheating and plagiarism are violations of University Policy.  Student violations of University Policy will result in disciplinary action. For more information on academic honesty, see the Student Judicial Affairs section of the University Catalog.

General Education Policy

This is an approved General Education Upper-Division Thematic course.  Geography 352 is part of Theme A: American Identities and Cultures.  See the University Catalog for more information on how this course fulfills General Education Upper-Division Thematic requirements.

Class Assignments

Exercises: Each week students complete an exercise containing questions from the assigned textbook readings and website material. Exercises are not submitted for grading. Student learning of the exercise material is assessed through weekly quizzes.

Quizzes: Each week Geography 352 students complete a quiz containing questions from the textbook reading and web material for that week.  Each quiz is worth twenty-five points. These quizzes are due each Tuesday by 5 PM. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.

Writing Assignments: All Geography 352 students are required to complete a research paper.  The research paper covers a specific topic on the geography of the United States. The research paper is posted Monday, September 17 and is due Friday, November 9 by 5 PM.Writing assignments are submitted for grading via WebCT (papers turned in by other means will not be graded). The writing assignment is worth seventy-five points total.

Final Exam: The final exam is worth 100 points. The questions come from all thirteen class exercises.

Class Assignment Make-up Policy: GEOG 352 students are required to complete all required course work by their due dates. Quizzes, exams, and research projects submitted after 5 PM on their due date will not be accepted. Twenty-five free points are given to all students. See the University Catalog for more information concerning incompletes, drops, and withdrawing from the university. Students should contact the instructor as-soon-as-possible for emergencies.

Grading

Thirteen quizzes (25 points each) 325 Points

Research paper 75 Points

Final exam 100 Points

Total 475 Points (see note below)

Note: 25 points are not counted in the class grade computation.

Grading Rule

A 93-100%
A- 90-92.99%
B+ 87-89.99%
B 83-86.99%
B- 80-82.99%
C+ 77-79.99%,
C 73-76.99%
C- 70-72.99%
D+ 65-69.99%
D 60-64.99%
F <60%

Required Text

McKnight, Tom L. 2004.  “Regional Geography of the United States and Canada.”  Prentice Hall:  New Jersey, Fourth Edition (ISBN 0-13-101473-0).

This textbook can be ordered online from the Chico State Associated Students Bookstore. Do not try to use an earlier edition. All course material is keyed to the fourth edition. Students have the responsibility of obtaining the textbook before the first quiz is due (September 11).

 

CLASS SCHEDULE

NOTE:  All Exercises are posted by 5 PM on the Friday of every week except the last. All quizzes are available at 5 PM on Tuesday of every week, with the exception of the first week, and are due by 5 PM on the following Tuesday.  Quiz grades are posted on the Monday morning following a quiz due date. The student paper assignment is posted Monday, September 17 and is due Friday, November 9 by 5 PM. The Final Exam is posted Friday, December 14 and is due Wednesday, December 19 by 5 PM.

Week One (August 27-31) Introduction to course.

Obtain the class textbook. Complete the “Getting Started” assignment.

Week Two (September 4-7) Introduction to United States Geography.

Labor Day Holiday is September 3 - No class.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 1 and 5.
Complete Exercise One.

Quiz One due September 11 by 5 PM.

Week Three (September 10-14) The physical environment of the United States.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 2
Complete Exercise Two.

Quiz Two due by September 18 by 5 PM.

Week Four (September 17-21) Geodemography of the United States.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 3 and 4
Complete Exercise Three.

Research Paper Requirements posted on Monday, September 17.

Quiz Three due by September 25 by 5 PM.

Week Five (September 24-28) Atlantic Northeast Region.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 6
Complete Exercise Four.

Quiz Four due by October 2 by 5 PM.

Week Six (October 1-5) Megalopolis Region.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 8
Complete Exercise Five.

Quiz Five due by October 9 by 5 PM.

Week Seven (October 8-12) The Appalachians and the Ozarks Region.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 9
Complete Exercise Six.

Quiz Six due by October 16 by 5 PM.

Week Eight (October 15-19) The Inland South and Southeastern Coast Regions.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 10 and 11
Complete Exercise Seven.

Quiz Seven due by October 23 by 5 PM.

Week Nine (October 22-26) The Heartland Region.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 12
Complete Exercise Eight.

Quiz Eight due by October 30 by 5 PM.

Week Ten (October 29-November 2) The Great Plains and Prairies Region.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 13
Complete Exercise Nine

Quiz Nine due by November 6.

Week Eleven (November 5-9) The Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West Region.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 14 and 15
Complete Exercise Ten.

Research Paper due Friday, November 9, by 5 PM

Quiz Ten due by November 13 by 5 PM.

Week Twelve (November 13-16) The California Region.

November 12 is Veterans’ Day – No class.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 16
Complete Exercise Eleven.

Quiz Eleven due by November 27 by 5 PM.

Campus Fall Break (November 19-23)

No class this week.

Week Thirteen (November 26-30) The North Pacific Coast Region.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 18
Complete Exercise Twelve.

Quiz Twelve due by December 4 by 5 PM.

Week Fourteen (December 3-7) Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands Regions.

Reading Assignment:  Chapter 17, 19 and 20
Complete Exercise Thirteen.

Quiz Thirteen due by December 11 by 5 PM (grades posted December 12)

Week Fifteen (December 10-14)

Final Exam posted on December 14.

Week Sixteen (December 17-21) Finals Week.

Final Exam due Wednesday, December 19 by 5 PM.

Grades posted on December 20.

Fall Semester ends on Friday, December 21, at 5 PM (website closed).