GEOG105 Geography of the U.S./Canada

Department of Social & Behavioral Science: Geography

  1. Course Number and Title

    GEOG105 Geography of the U.S./Canada

  2. Number of Credits

    3 credits

  3. Minimum Number of Instructional Minutes Per Semester

    2250 minutes

  4. Prerequisites

    None

    Corequisites

    None

  5. Other Pertinent Information

    None

  6. Catalog Course Description

    An overview of the human, physical, political, and economic patterns in the various regions of North America; e.g., Appalachia, New England, the Plains, and Pacific Northwest. The historical and contemporary cultural characteristics of these regions are explored. Current population movement is highlighted with the use of census data.

  7. Required Course Content and Direction

    1. Learning Goals:

      1. To introduce the student to up-to-date geographic knowledge of the American states, Canadian Provinces, and North American regions
      2. To provide insight into Canadian-American relations
      3. To encourage an appreciation of the variety and complexity of American and Canadian landscapes
      4. To introduce students to the way in which geographers study the urban environment: patterns, trends, demographics, etc.
      5. To have students develop an appreciation of the landscape itself, both landscapes experienced and those beyond their travel experience.

      The degree to which students achieve these goals is measured by the instructor subjectively (classroom participation, discussion, student presentation(s) and objectively (examinations, graded projects, and reports).

    2. Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

      1. Introduction and background to the study of North America
      2. Demographics: Painting the population portrait of the U.S.
      3. The physical environment background
      4. Regional study: The Appalachian and Ozark Mountains
      5. American Megalopolis: The Mid-Atlantic Seaboard
      6. New England states
      7. Midwestern Heartland (Great Lakes)
      8. The American South: Tidewater, Gulf Coast, and Mississippi Valley
      9. Great Plains
      10. Rocky Mountains
      11. Great Basin of Nevada and Salt Lake Oasis of Utah
      12. Southwestern Desert
      13. California
      14. The Pacific Northwest
      15. Hawaiian Islands
      16. Introduction to the Canadian Nation
      17. Atlantic Canada
      18. Ontario and the West
      19. Quebec/French Canada
      20. The Boreal Forest, Canada’s Mid-North
      21. The Canadian Arctic

    3. Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

    4. Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

      See course format.

  8. Teaching Methods Employed

    Lectures, class discussions, audio-visual presentations, and fieldwork (optional)

Review/Approval Date - 5/05