GEOG115 Geography of Bucks County

Department of Social & Behavioral Science: Geography

1. Course Number and Title

   GEOG115 Geography of Bucks County

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 in-depth look at Bucks County as part of the East Coast megalopolis, subject to urban pressures, and exemplifying the problems of the American suburban and exurban fringes.

7. Required Course Content and Direction

   1. Learning Goals:

      1. To introduce the student to Bucks County as part of the Philadelphia urban system and as the heart of the East Coast megalopolitan system
      2. To study patterns of suburbanization and problems of exurban fringe development
      3. To develop an appreciation of the county’s landscape as a product of a diverse cultural heritage
      4. To develop and understanding of the contemporary economic and social geography as it is related to its long history as well as to the area’s physical resources (e.g., soil, water, open space, and geology)

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

      1. Introduction
      2. Undulating Triassic Lowlands
      3. Bucks Within the Middle Atlantic Regional Framework
      4. The Cultural Heritage That Molded the Land
      5. The Fading, Threatened Landscape
      6. And Who is the Devil in Bucks County
      7. Life and Landscape on the Suburban Fringe
      8. The Future

   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

   See course format.

Review/Approval Date -3/99