HomeMy WebLinkAboutGEO-101Departmental Policy Syllabus
5/21/06
Bergen Community College
School of Arts, Humanities, & Wellness
Department of History & Geography
Course Syllabus
GEO101-WORLD GEOGRAPHY
Basic Information about Course and Instructor
Semester and year:
Course and Section Number:
Meeting Times and Locations:
Instructor:
Office Location:
Phone:
Departmental Secretary: [optional]
Office Hours:
Email Address:
Course Description
This course provides a framework for recognizing and analyzing the major distinctive regions of the world in comparative
context. Interrelationships between the environment, economics, ethnicity, history, and national identity will be explored.
Emphasis will be placed on historical evolution and the development and spread of cultural adaptions. Students will also
learn to apply geographic methods to a variety of academic disciplines.
3 credits
Fulfills General Education (Social Sciences) & Diversity Course requirements.
Student Learning Objectives: As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, students will be able to
1) Explain the main concepts and theories of geography.
2) Describe how contemporary relationships between places were affected by the history of various regions of the earth.
3) Differentiate within a regional context, the main sub-fields of geography: physical, demographic, urban, political,
economic, cultural, etc.
4) Describe the contrasts in societies and cultures in human landscapes in different world regions.
5) Employ critical reading, logical analysis, and effective essay writing skills.
6) Identify, locate and properly use credible sources in research projects or papers related to course content.
Course Texts
The required text for this course is
H. J. DeBlij, Muller, Peter O. Muller, Jan Nijman, Geography: Realms, Regions, Concepts, 15th edition (Wiley).
Assessment and Grading
In pursuit of the foregoing goals, the course is based on the reading and discussion of writings for both primary
and secondary sources; the techniques of historical research and writing are reviewed, and students are expected
to use subject specific resources in their preparation for active participation in class and for writing assignments.
Students are required to do a substantial amount of expository and critical writing in response to the material
presented in the course and by conducting outside research.
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Departmental Policy Syllabus
5/21/06
Because GEO-101 is a General Education course, it requires students to complete a variety of critical thinking
and writing assignments. These assignments may include class discussions and debates requiring the application
of critical thinking skills, short in-class essays, out-of-class writing projects (journals, research papers,
argument-analysis papers, book reviews, etc.), tests and examinations containing essay components, and so
forth. Instructors will respond to and comment on students' writing in detail.
Course Content
This course introduces students to the serious study of geography. It covers the world’s major geographic
realms providing historical background, political frameworks, demographic data, economic context, and
environmental issues. Relevant geographic concepts are also treated in their regional settings. Students will
also be expected to gain knowledge to read and interpreting maps and other forms of geographic visualization
tools.
Grading Policy
A student's final grade for the course is based primarily on his or her performance on the required work for the
course (writing assignments, examinations, class presentations, etc.) and on his or her overall mastery of the
material covered in the course. A student's class participation may also be evaluated, and the grade thereon may
be used as a factor in determining the student's final grade for the course; but a class participation grade will
count for no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the final grade. Examinations can consist of objective questions
such as multiple choice and short answers, but an essay of some form should also be evaluated as part of the
test. A sample grade distribution is as follows:
1st Mid-Term Exam
20%
2nd Mid-Term Exam
20%
Final-Exam (non-comprehensive)
20%
Writing/Research Assignments
30%
Participation/Collegiality
10%
Total
100%
BCC Attendance Policy:
All students are expected to attend punctually every scheduled meeting of each course in which they are registered.
Attendance and lateness policies and sanctions are to be determined by the instructor for each section of each course.
These will be established in writing on the individual course outline. Attendance will be kept by the instructor for
administrative and counseling purposes.
History and Geography Departmental Attendance Policy:
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Departmental Policy Syllabus
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It is imperative that students attend class on a daily basis in order to secure the knowledge necessary to succeed in the
course. Coming to class on time and staying for the entire class period is expected. Excessive absences will have a
detrimental effect on your performance in this course. Attendance will be taken at each class session. It is expected that
class will be conducted such that students will benefit in their written work by the lectures and class discussion. If students
occasionally arrive late, they should be encouraged to enter quietly, not disturbing the class. If students miss class, they
should be encouraged to use the course calendar to stay abreast of material. It is probably a good idea for students to find
study partners and to exchange telephone numbers. Make-ups for examinations should be allowed by the instructor if, in
the instructor's judgment, the student has presented a good excuse for missing the work. Instructors may penalize work
which is late; however, the instructor's policies for make-ups and late work must be clearly specified on the student guide.
Collegiality is expected at all times during the course.
Academic Dishonesty (From BCC Handbook):
Bergen Community College is committed to academic integrity—the honest, fair, and continuing pursuit of
knowledge, free from fraud and deception. Students are responsible for their own work. Faculty and academic
support services staff will take appropriate measures to discourage academic dishonesty. The college recognizes
the following general categories of violations of academic integrity whenever a student does one of more of the
following: uses unauthorized assistance in any academic work, copies from another student’s exam, gives
unauthorized assistance to other students, fabricates data in support of an academic assignment, inappropriately
or unethically uses technical means to gain academic advantage, and commits plagiarism.
Student and Faculty Support Services
The Henry and Edith Cerullo
Learning Assistance Center
Room L-125
of Pitkin
Building
Includes the Tutoring Center, English Language
Resource Center, and Writing Center. 201-447-7489
The Distance Learning Office –
for any problems you may have
accessing your online courses
201-612-5581
psimms@bergen.edu
The Tutorial Center Room S-118
of Pitkin
Building
201-447-7908
The English Language Resource
Center
Room 126 in
Ender
Hall
For students whose native language is not English.
The Writing Center Room L-125
of Pitkin
Building
201-447-7136
The Online Writing Lab (OWL) www.bergen.edu/owl This website will help students
with all aspects of the writing process in every
discipline.
The Office of Specialized Services
(for Students with Disabilities)
L-115 of
Pitkin
Building
Students with documented disabilities who require
accommodations by the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) can request support services from the
Office of Specialized Services.
www.bergen.edu/pages/5175
The Sidney Silverman Library 2nd Level of
Pitkin
Building
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Departmental Policy Syllabus
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Sample Format for Course Outline and Calendar
Note to Students: The following Course Outline and Calendar is tentative and subject to change,
depending upon the progress of the class.
Week(s) Date(s) Topic/Activity Learning
Objectives Assignments/Events
1 Introduction: Basic Geographic
Concepts
2 Europe
3 Russia
4 North America
5 *1st Mid-Term Exam
6 Middle America
7 South America
8 Sub-Saharan Africa
9 Southwest Asia/North Africa
10 *2nd Mid-Term Exam
11 South Asia
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12 East Asia
13 Southeast Asia
14 Austral Realm
15 *Final-Exam
National Standards in Geography: Think about these points as you take your journey through geography this
semester. Use it as a tool whenever you write about geography.
1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and
report information from a spatial perspective.
2. How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial
context.
3. How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on the earth’s surface.
4. The physical and human characteristics of places.
5. That people create Regions to interpret Earth’s Complexity
6. How culture and experience influence people’s perception of places and regions.
7. The physical processes that shape the patterns of earth’s surface.
8. The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface.
9. The characteristics, distribution, migration of human population on earth’s surface.
10. The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics.
11. The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface.
12. The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement.
13. How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth’s
surface.
14. How human actions modify the physical environment.
15. How physical systems affect human systems.
16. The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and important of resources.
17. How to apply geography to interpret the past.
18. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.
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