GEOG 202. COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, FALL 1996

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a course in regional and historical geography. It presents and analyzes the distribution patterns of major elements of the physical and cultural landscapes of Virginia, with an emphasis on how these features have developed and changed through time.

COURSE GOALS:
1) A major goal of the course is to have you learn to think geographically (that is, to look for and understand spatial patterns and spatial interactions) while developing an appreciation of how contemporary Virginia has come into being.

2. A second and related goal is to have you hone your skills in regional synthesis, in understanding and expressing how the various elements of physical and cultural geography come together to create the unique place that is Virginia.
Geography is both eclectic and integrative. It gatherers information from other disciplines and treats them as part of a coherent whole that describes and explains the essence or personality of a place. Geography seeks to understand the relationships between the physical phenomena of earth (for example, landforms, surface waters, climate, plants and animals) and the cultural systems that humans have developed (for example, settlement systems, economic systems, political systems.) Environmental consequences of human activities are an integral part of modern geography.

3. A third goal is to introduce you to the National Geography Standards. I have two reasons for doing this: a) many students who take this class are planning to become primary and secondary school teachers and may soon find these standards useful when developing lesson plans; and b) many college students find it difficult to understand what geography as a discipline is all about, and I hope these standards will provide some valuable insights.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: No textbook, per se, currently exists for this course. Thus we will rely heavily on lecture notes, selected readings, and various exercises and assignments. A home page on the WorldWideWeb is being prepared and, hopefully, will supplement this semester's work as well as serve as a handy reference for you to check assignment due dates, exam schedules, and other aspects of the course schedule. The following materials are required for this class:

1. USGS Shaded relief map of Virginia, 1:500,000
2. "Selected Readings on the Geography of Virginia". A collection of photocopied articles that will supplement lecture and be used directly in several graded assignments.
3. A small set (6-8 colors) of colored pencils, preferable erasable, to be used in preparing maps for assignments and examinations.

DETERMINATION OF FINAL GRADE: Your final grade in this class will be based on the percentage of a total possible 600 points that you are awarded. Point allocation will be as follows:

10 assignments(writing and mapping)....200 points
3 midterm exams........................300 points
1 final exam...........................100 points
1 project..............................100 points
_________________________________________________
Subtotal..........................700 points
minus.............................100 points (any midterm or the project)
TOTAL ............................600 points

PROJECT OPTIONS:

1. Prepare an historical geography for your family in Virginia, tying it to general historical trends in the state.
2. Write a diary for a fictitious traveler to Virginia in either the 17th or 18th century. Your emphasis should be on descriptions of the historical landscape (including who is living there, what economic activities are going on, etc.) and changes it is undergoing.
3. Prepare a historical geography for a particular place in Virginia.

• Format options:
  • Well written paper, 8-10 pages (typed, double-spaced) with illustrations. Textual matter will receive emphasis in this option.
  • A lesson plan that incorporates some of the National Geography Standards. Content matter must be included.
  • A web page. Graphics will emphasized in this option, but they must be coherently linked with well written text.
• Required in each option: at least one reference map and two appropriate thematic maps directly linked to the text.

ATTENDANCE: Attendance is expected at every class meeting. When you come to class, please be on time. Tardiness is disruptive and discourteous to me and to your fellow classmates.

Attendance is required at every exam. No make up exams will be given without my consent prior to the scheduled exam time. It is especially important to be on time for exams. They will include both essay sections and mapping sections. Most people find they take the full time allotted.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES: It is your responsibility to come to class, to read and prepare written assignments on time, and to keep up with the class. If you need clarification on assignments or lecture material, ask me for more information. Do not wait until late in the semester if you feel you are not comprehending material or are falling behind. Come see me.

If you should miss a class, it is your responsibility to get notes from classmates (do not expect to get them from me). Check the home page for any new assignments. Any handouts from that class will be available on the Web or in the Brown House after class. Any graded materials returned that day that you failed to pick up because you were not in class will also be available in the Brown House. I will not be carrying old assignments to class beyond the date they were initially distributed.

Late assignments will only be accepted within one week of their due date. There will be penalties for lateness.

1. Physical Geography of Virginia
   1. Physiographic Provinces
   2. Hydrology
   3. Climate
   4. Plant Geography
   5. Animal Geography
2. Historical Geography: Settlement and Economic Patterns
   1. Prehistory to Time of Contact
   2. Seventeenth Century Colonial Virginia: The Tidewater Era
   3. Eighteenth Century Colonial Virginia: Developing the Piedmont and Valley of Virginia
   4. 1776 to 1865: Virginia's position in the new nation
   5. The War Between the States and Post-war recovery
   6. The Twentieth Century

EXAM DATES:

• Midterm exam #1 (introductory material; physiographic provinces) - Thursday, September 19
• Midterm exam #2 (hydrology, climate, biogeography) - Tuesday, October 22
• Midterm exam #3 (early settlement: Paleo-Indians through 17th century Europeans) - Tuesday, November 19

• Final exam (18th, 19th, and 20th centuries) - 2:00 PM Tuesday, December 17

PROJECT DUE DATE: December 3, 1996

DUES DATES FOR GRADED ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE POSTED WHEN THEY ARE ASSIGNED.

HONOR CODE: By accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception. Violations of academic integrity will not be tolerated in this class. Refer to your Student Handbook for details.