Course Description

"Why are the capitals of the United States so hard to remember?" "Can tourists get that close to lions?" "Where is Afghanistan, anyway?" "What is the average rainfall in the Amazon Basin?" If you have ever wondered about these questions, then this is the class for you. The world may be getting smaller with the increased speed of travel and communications, but it has not gotten any easier to understand!

Geographical literacy is one of today’s most vital skills--whether you are planning a career in international business or just want to better understand the nightly news. After taking this introductory geography class, you will have a comprehensive knowledge of where the oceans, continents, countries and cities of the earth are. But, possibly even more importantly, you will have an understanding of why studying the world from a geographical perspective is so important.

The purpose of this course is to help you to understand the world’s regions including

• Places; the visual and historical uniqueness of each region, as well as the similarities and connections to other places

• Spaces; creating maps and other ways of displaying a region’s information spatially

• Systems; the region’s physical/environmental and human/cultural characteristics

1. World Regional Geography  by Lydia Pulsipher

2. Geography Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit

3. Atlas of World Geography

These are available for purchase in the Highline Community College Bookstore.

Additional Class Materials

Students will need a set of markers or colored pencils to complete the coloring book activities, and a folder or notebook for the Geography Log.

Videos, supplementary readings, and in-class exercises will be also assigned. These additional materials will be provided by the instructor.

1. Achieve a high level of basic geographic literacy, including an understanding of the world’s spaces, places and systems (physical and human).
2. Refine the general skills needed for success in college and in the work world, including critical and creative thinking, oral and written communications, and technological expertise.
3. Learn from, with and about people from a wide variety of backgrounds to better survive in a globalized environment.

1. Arrive on time prepared to do the scheduled activities during the entire class.
2. Conduct yourself with maturity and personal self-management at all times.
3. Do the best work you can.
4. Perform non-class related activities elsewhere.
5. Respect yourself, your colleagues and your instructor.

1. Being enthusiastically prepared for each class.
2. Enforcing the class policies.
3. Returning graded work within one week or less.
4. Starting class on time each day with a fun warm-up activity.
5. Treating every student with fairness and respect.

Note: Please refer to the Student’s Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, p. 8-9 for a comprehensive discussion of policies developed for the campus community.

WORK EXPECTATION: A typical college class requires two hours of "homework" for every one hour spent in class. (You spend 5 hours a week in this class, so theoretically you would spend about 10 hours a week outside of this class working on the course.) If you subscribe to this theory you will be extremely successful in this class.

I strongly encourage you to:

• Keep up with your work, especially the Coloring Book. Coloring maps can be fun, but if done well it is precise and time-consuming work. Don’t leave reading and writing assignments until the last minute, either.
• Do the work outside of class even if there is no specific assignment attached (i.e. read the chapter when there may not be a quiz). You will be glad you did.
• Care about this class. Take the discussions and activities seriously. Geography is a course that will contribute to your personal, professional and educational life.

Letter of Accommodation

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability; if you have emergency or medical information to share with the instructor; or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please provide the instructor with a Letter of Accommodation from the Office of Access Services (located in Building 6 in the Student Development Center).

Course Requirements--Grading is on a 500-point scale, allocated as follows:

• Quizzes, 6 @20 pts: 100 pts, lowest score dropped
• Midterm Exam: 50 pts
• Country Presentation: 50 pts
• Final Exam: 100 pts
• Log Book: 50 pts
• Written Assignments: 50 pts
• Participation & Attendance: 50 pts
• Coloring Book: 50 pts Pass/Fail High Pass=50; Pass=25 Fail=0

PLAGIARISM: The worst academic offenses in western culture are cheating and plagiarism. I hate plagiarism because it means that you think I am stupid! So, 1) Don’t turn in an assignment someone else wrote; 2) Don’t copy phrases, sentences or ideas from a book, magazine article or the Internet into your assignments without citing them. The consequences for cheating and plagiarism can be as serious as failing the course, and in some places, being kicked out of school. In addition, it’s just not going to help you become a better student. Even if English is not your first language, or you don’t think you are a good writer, I would still much rather read your own ideas expressed in your own words.

GRADING SCALE: Students should keep all returned papers and tests. At the quarter’s conclusion, the percent of the total points earned will be calculated, then converted into a decimal grade, as indicated below:

Social Sciences Division
Des Moines, WA
MS 11-1