GEOG 202. Commonwealth of Virginia
Course Description: Spring 1998

Instructor: Dr. Susan L. Woodward
Office: Brown House 202. Office phone: 831-5234
Office hours: Monday and Wednesday, 3-4; Tuesday, 9-11; and by appointment

E-mail: swoodwar@runet.edu

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 goal is to introduce you to the nature of geography itself.

Geography is both eclectic and integrative. It gathers 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.)

Geography seeks patterns and therefore is interested in generalization. The degree of generalization depends upon the scale at which an area or spatial pattern is examined.

Geography employs maps, other graphics, and narrative in order to both analyze and demonstrate spatial patterns.

3) A third 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.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: No modern textbook currently exists for this course. Thus we will rely heavily on lecture notes, selected readings, and various in-class and out-of-class assignments. The following materials are required for this class:

  1. USGS Map of Virginia, 1:500,000 (Available in RU Bookstore and at Felix's).
  2. Outline maps of Virginia and the eastern United States. Master copies are attached to the hard copy of the course description. Make photocopies for use in class and in assignments.
  3. A small set (6-8 colors) of colored pencils, preferable erasable. This will be used in preparing maps in assignments and on examinations.
On reserve in McConnell Library is a copy of an out of print but classic text on the geography of Virginia (Virginia in Our Century, by Jean Gottmann). This book is strongly recommended reading. It is arranged in much the same historical order as this course.

DETERMINATION OF FINAL GRADE:

Relative Value of Graded Work:

Late assignments will only be accepted within one week of their due date. Any assignment turned in during that week but after the due date will lose one letter grade.

Determination of Grade:

The lowest score received on midterm examinations will be dropped. The final letter grade awarded in the course will be determined according to percentages as follows: 90-100 percent = A; 80-89 percent = B; 70-79 percent = C; 60- 69 percent = D; less than 60 percent = F.

I do not scale exam grades or give individual extra credit assignments. On occasion there may be an opportunity for the class as a whole to win extra credit points; and, at the very end of the semester I may adjust the percent classes somewhat in awarding final letter grades.

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.

Students who miss class three times or less will be have 10 points added to the lower of the midterm scores that are being counted toward the final grade in the course.

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.

If you should miss a class, it is your responsibility to get notes from classmates, not from me. Any handouts from that class will be available on the Web or in the Brown House after class. Any graded materials returned to students 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.

COURSE OUTLINE
  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:

DUE DATES OF MAPPING AND WRITING EXERCISES WILL BE ANNOUNCED WHEN EACH IS 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.

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Created by SLW, August 1996. Last modified by SLW: January 2, 1998