Course Objectives & Responsibilities

We can't know in advance what we need to learn, else we would not need to learn it!
"War is God's way of teaching Americans geography." -- Ambrose Bierce

Course Objectives
1) Introduce basic geographic ideas, concepts, and themes.
2) Evaluate various contrasting explanations of how and why humans organize themselves over space and into regions.
3) Expand your intellectual understanding of crucial global issues in both time and place.
4) Contrast the Majority World (Poor World) with the Minority World (Rich World) and the human processes that create(d) regional differentiation.
5) Deal with local, national, and international societal problems from a geographical perspective.
6) Learn to read and make maps using mapping software
7) Learn to conduct research collecting data, presenting your results in words, tables, graphs, and maps

Plus and minus grading is used. For P/F students, a C equals a P.
Absence from class will not be counted against you, but you must get notes from other students if you hope to do well in this course!

Late assignments are neither accepted nor graded. To avoid late assignments, hand-in or email them (depending on instructions) before the due date if you can not be in class, or talk to me about why the assignments are late. Failure to hand-in assignments on time will significantly lower your overall grade. In other words, be timely, learn something, and don't miss assignments!

You must complete all assignments alone. "Team work," "collaborative work," or any other group activities -- as separate final assignments or jointly submitting only one assignment -- are unacceptable, and will result in -100 percent of each assignment! I want you to learn all aspects, not just a few, of all the assignments in this course! When you hand-in your assignments with your name (singular), you confirm that the data, graphs, maps, and text are based on your own work, neither of another person in this or another course nor of a team of students.

You must use your correct UWEC ID# when requested throughout the semester. If you don't use your authorized UWEC ID# or otherwise not complete your score sheet correctly, you will lose 5 points on each of your test scores.

It is your responsibility to check your grade after each time that they are sent and to request corrections for errors at that time. In other words, scores and grades will not be adjusted at the end of the semester, for example, because you neglected to correct previous errors.

Course Requirements
1) seven reading assignments; answers must be submitted via email (Click on these words to learn how to do this.) In the first half of the course reading the text is critical. Questions for each of the chapters we will discuss in class are to be completed and sent to me via email before each of the class periods. See instructions below.
2) six web self-tests
3) two in-class tests
4) project(s): either Project 1 or Projects 1 and 2
5) four computer-based maps
6) St. Paul field trip
7) final examination

Grading Options You must select one of two Options, after the first test and the first four web self-tests. Each Option is weighted differently; examine the table carefully to select the best option for you!	Responsibilities	Option 1	Option 2	Project Requirement
	1) 7 reading assignments	5%	5%	Option 1 requires Project 1
	2) 6 web self-tests	7%	5%	Option 1 requires Project 1
	3) 2 in-class tests	40%	23%	Option 2 requires Project 1 and Project 2
	4) project(s)	20%	39%
	5) 4 computer-based maps	4%	4%
	6) St. Paul field trip	10%	10%
	7) final examination	14%	14%
	Total	100%	100%

Grading Scale
Your grade will be determined by the percentage on all your tests and assignments weighted by the grading option you selected.
The minimum percentage needed for each letter grade is shown in the table:

0	F
44	D-
47	D
50	D+
53	C-
56	C
59	C+
62	B-
65	B
68	B+
73	A-
78	A

If you are curious about what grades students actually received after each test and project (essay), look at the grade distribution graph.

Books at the UWEC Bookstore:
1) Goode's World Atlas (rental)
2) Vogeler and de Souza, Dialectics of Third World Development with handouts (purchase)
2) St. Paul Field Guide (purchase)

Procedure for submitting email responses for the chapter readings.
Type your responses to the questions for each set of chapter questions by either 1) typing directly into any email program:
for the subject of the email message, use your email user name,111,chapter and the numbers that are due.
-- For example, Subject:allenklx,111,chapters3-5 -- follow this example exactly: separate each item with a comma, but don't use a space, /, etc!!!!!! or 2) using a word processing program, such as WORD:
* identify the question number and type your answers.
* select all the text and copy it.
* then, send a new email message: To: IVOGELER, and paste your responses into the message box,
which is the area below the line after Attachments. Don't send attachments.

Make back-up copies of all your email responses -- best in paper form which you can use for note taking in class as well. If you don't use the correct subject heading in your email, I will not receive it and/or will not be able to match it to your name. It will therefore be considered late and receive no points! Email responses must be received BEFORE class on the due date as indicated in the class schedule.