GEG 100 ONLINE!

Cultural Geography

SYLLABUS - SPRING 2013

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ORIENTATION

INSTRUCTOR

TEXTBOOK

Required:

 

The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography 10/e, by James Rubenstein, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2011
[The options and prices below are not guaranteed by your instructor. They are provided only to give students information on some of the options available. Students should verify the information before purchasing.]

  • ISBN 9780321677358
  • Textbooks can be bought or rented at the Harper College Bookstore (L building) or online at: http://www.harperstore.com
    • buy new for $146 plus sales tax [Students can sell the book back for up to 50% of the used book price ($55) of what they paid, (total cost = $146 - $55 = $91)]
    • buy used for $110 plus sales tax [Students can sell the book back for up to 50% ($55) of what they paid, (total cost = $110 - $55 = $55)]
    • rent for $66 and NOT pay sales taxes.

     

  • Other options:
    • Students can also rent the book for about $46 plus $5 shipping from http://www.chegg.com (Do a search using the ISBN number above.)
    • You can purchase the ebook at http://www.coursesmart.com/ for about $60 (Do a search using the ISBN number above.)

BLACKBOARD

E-MAIL

When e-mailing your instructor always put "GEG 100" and a message in the subject line. Please use proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Option to Forward Mail from your Harper E-mail Account

If you are not planning on using your Harper email account, you can find instructions on how to forward email from that account to one you check frequently by logging in to the Harper Student Portal and clicking on the "My Harper E-Mail" tab. All correspondence in this class will be sent to your Harper e-mail account.

DISCUSSION BOARD

COURSE OUTLINE

NOTE:
  • Chapters may be only partial, or they may include pages from other chapters.
  • The exact reading assignments can be found on the Blackboard "ASSIGNMENTS: BEGIN HERE" link.

Unit 1 - Introduction to Cultural Geography

  • Ch. 1: Thinking Geographically
  • Appendix: Maps, Patterns, and Diffusion
  • Ch. 2: Population
  • Ch. 3: Migration

Unit 2 - Culture and Conflicts

  • Ch. 7: Ethnicity
  • Ch. 8: Political Geography
  • Ch. 6: Religion
  • Ch. 5: Language

Unit 3 - Economic Geography

  • Ch. 9: Development
  • Ch. 10: Agriculture
  • Ch. 11: Industry
  • Chs. 12 and 13: Services and Urban Patterns 

GRADING

3 unit exams at 50 points each (can be retaken once)

150

Cumulative final exam at 100 points

100

12 "required activities" at 3 points each (can be retaken as many times as wanted)

36

12 "quick questions" at 2 points each

24

5 map quizzes at 10 points each

50

TOTAL:

360
Letter grades: 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D, below 60%=F

EXAMS

All exams will be taken on the Harper campus in the Assessment Center (Testing Center), room A-148, phone 847-925-6541 [see: Assessment Center hours]. Exams should be taken during the week noted on the class schedule, or earlier. The exams will be taken on the computer through our Blackboard site. You will need to log in to your account to take the exam. You will need a picture ID.

Each unit exam has 50 multiple choice questions. Each unit exam can be taken twice (the second exam will have different questions) and only the higher score will be included in the gradebook. Please do not take the retake on the same day that you took the exam. If you need to retake an exam then you need to study more first.

Exams will be based on material found on the Blackboard "ASSIGNMENTS: BEGIN HERE" link including the online videos, the web links, the instructor notes, and the assigned textbook and other readings. Use the Blackboard Discussion Board if you have questions.

MAP QUIZZES

All map quizzes will be taken on the Harper campus in the Assessment Center (Testing Center), room A-148, phone 847-925-6541 [see: Assessment Center hours]. Map quizzes must be taken by the date listed on the class schedule below or earlier. 

For each map quiz students will be required to name countries numbered on a blank outline map of the region. Map quiz locations, blank and labeled maps, and an online map quiz tutorial can be found on the "Map Quiz Information" Blackboard link. A sample map quiz can be found on the "Map Quizzes" link on our Blackboard site.

REQUIRED ACTIVITIES

For each chapter you will need to complete the online "Required Activity". These can be found on Blackboard under the ASSIGNMENTS - BEGIN HERE link. The Required Activity for each chapter are worth three points each. You can do them as many times as you wish and only the highest score will be recorded. Most Required Activities are twenty multiple choice questions.

QUICK QUESTIONS

For each chapter you will need to complete the online "Quick Question". These can be found on Blackboard under the ASSIGNMENTS - BEGIN HERE link. The Quick Questions for each chapter are worth two points each. The "Quick Questions" can be done only once. Each Quick Question will require you to go to a website to gather information or watch a short online video.

MAKE-UP / LATE POLICY

Required Activities:
Found on our Blackboard site. Click on the "ASSIGNMENTS: BEGIN HERE" link. These can be redone as many times as you want. Only the highest score will count. BUT, I reserve the right to stop all "re-do"s if students are not completing them in a timely manner. Any deadline on "re-do"s will be announced on Blackboard and via e-mail.

Quick Questions:

Found on our Blackboard site. Click on the "ASSIGNMENTS: BEGIN HERE" link. The "Quick Questions" can be done only once.

Exams and Map Quizzes:

Exams and Map quizzes will be taken at the Harper Testing Center and they must be completed by the dates below.

Students will be allowed to take an exam at a later time other the scheduled week only IF:
1. the instructor is notified BEFORE the week the exam is scheduled AND
2. the student has a very good reason.

 

COURSE OUTLINE / SCHEDULE

Before doing any assignment, FIRST go the "ASSIGNMENTS: BEGIN HERE" link on Blackboard. Chapters may be only partial, or they may include pages from other chapters. The exact reading assignments can be found on the "ASSIGNMENTS: BEGIN HERE" link.

NOTE: This outline/schedule may be changed. All changes will be posted on Blackboard and announced via e-mail.

Accessibility Statement / Access and Disability Services: Your success in this class is important to me. If you have a disability (learning, physical, psychological or other) and may require some accommodation or modification in procedures, class activity, instruction, requirements, etc. please contact me early in the semester so we can refer you to ADS who will discuss and arrange for reasonable accommodations. The Access and Disability Services department is in the Building D, D119, 847.925.6266 or TTY (847) 397-7600

Equal Opportunity Statement: William Rainey Harper College provides equal opportunity in education and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability.

Student E-mail Notifications: All notifications related to student registration or other business activities are sent to students via a G-mail account that is assigned to students upon registration. Students access the G-mail account via an icon in the student portal (where you registered for classes). Please check this e-mail frequently. To forward e-mails from this account to a personal e-mail account please follow the instructions for forwarding Harper e-mail available at http://harper.blackboard.com/  

Academic Honesty Policy

Harper College is strongly committed to the promotion of high ethical standards. Such standards can best be accomplished in an environment where honesty and integrity are practiced. For this reason the College strongly condemns academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism or other improper appropriation of another's work as one's own and falsifying records to advance one's academic standing.

Cheating includes but is not limited to copying answers, stealing and/or disseminating tests or answer keys, using someone else's data in preparation of reports or assignments, and assisting others in such practices.

Plagiarism involves the presentation of another person's words, ideas, or work as one's own. It includes but is not limited to copying any material (written or non-written) without proper acknowledgment of its source, and paraphrasing another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgement.

Falsifying records includes but is not limited to falsifying or improperly altering college records and documents, or knowingly supplying false or misleading information to others (e.g., the College, other educational institutions, or prospective employers).

Any form of academic dishonesty as defined by the faculty member or department is a serious offense requiring disciplinary measures. Discipline for academic dishonesty involving a specific course shall be first determined by the instructor of the course and may include failure of the specific assignment, project or test, or failure of the course. The student may appeal the instructor's decision in accordance with the College's Student Academic Complaint Procedures. In cases of academic dishonesty the faculty assigned grade supersedes a student-initiated withdrawal. In cases where disciplinary measures beyond course failure may be deemed appropriate by the instructor, or dishonesty that is not related to a specific course, the student may be disciplined in accordance with the Student Conduct Policy with the appropriate vice president involved in the decision.