GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION
     This one-credit, repeatable course is designed for serious undergraduate students in the Department of Geography, Planning and Recreation who want to explore a particular North American region and/or city more thoroughly, from an academic perspective and outside the traditional classroom environment.  Unlike most courses, the American Experience is repeatable from one semester to the next, whenever it is offered. Students may accumulate these credit hours and apply them to their degree requirements. Each semester will feature a new set of trips and events with minimal repetition over a three-year period.  Students will sample the breadth of geographical inquiry during this course, as applied to the chosen region. Still, a particular "theme" of geographical study may be emphasized each semester, such as The Multicultural Southwest” or Los Angeles and Southern California, depending on the instructor's own knowledge and interests. The class will meet formally once a week for one hour (when necessary) during which students will discuss required readings and plan for the upcoming field trip. Note below, however, that during 2004/2005 the course will be offered as a two-part series during Fall 2004 and Spring 2005. Students may enroll in either or both, for one credit each.
     Aside from participating on a major 3-6 day field trip, students will typically be assigned a variety of appropriate readings or research projects prior to the trip. Following the trip, students will conclude the course with a final assignment such as a geographical essay or oral presentation that pertains to material learned in the course and specifically to the trip itself. There are no formal exams or other exercises. One of the primary purposes of GGR 246 American Experience is for students to visit places that they might not otherwise see and analyze during their time as college students. Such trips will promote geographic understanding and awareness, as well as an enhanced familiarity with the particular region studied. Further, this course will serve as excellent practice for students who plan to enroll in GGR 480, geography's capstone field class.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• A substantial field experience will supplement the formal classroom instruction of students, contributing to their overall undergraduate education in geography or planning.
• Students will better understand the regional geography and associated human and environmental issues of a particular American region and/or city, focusing particularly on the places visited.
• Critical reading skills will be developed through a minimal series of required readings and discussions related to geography and planning aspects of the region in question and, more directly, to the trip planned for the semester.
• Critical thinking skills will be developed through informed geographical interpretation and analyses of specific human and physical landscapes visited during the field experience.
• Students will focus on learning about the environmental and cultural diversity of a particular place or region, along with the challenges and benefits of this diversity.
• Discussion of both global and local influences on landscape, culture, and environment will be pervasive throughout the course, regardless of topical emphasis.

COURSE STRUCTURE AND EXPECTATIONS Fall 04, Spring 05
     The entire course is designed around a substantial field excursion, appropriate for a one-credit hour class. For the 04/05 academic year, the course will be offered as a two-part series, consisting of the following activities:

• Fall 2004 (1 credit hour): Students will: 1) Construct a detailed plan, cost list, and itinerary for a 5-day trip to New York City, 2) Create an Atlas of New York City consisting of a series of short essays regarding various aspects of geography, history, and urban planning.
• Spring 2005 (1 credit hour): Students will: 1) Participate in the 5-day trip to New York during part of Spring Break, mostly as planned by the winning team during fall 2004, and 2) Present their findings of a short research project undertaken during the trip.

Students may enroll for either semester, or both semesters. However, students who do not plan to travel to New York City should not enroll during spring 2005. The trip to New York will be required of students who enroll in the spring.

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR GGR 246
Accommodations for overnight trips will typically consist of hotel, depending on student preference and destinations planned.  Students are responsible for paying their own way, including food and any overnight stays. Occasionally, funding from alternate sources may be available to defray some of the costs, but this should not be expected. The particular destinations, dates, and schedules will be decided prior to, or at the beginning of the semester, based on student and instructor input. The duration and scheduling of the field trip will naturally vary from one semester to the next, given the type of field experience planned.
     The remaining course time will consist of short weekly or bi-weekly reading assignments and in-class discussions, as well as time used in class to prepare for the trip.  Thus, the format for weekly class periods is "seminar" rather than "lecture" style. Students will be expected to be prepared for discussions and to take them seriously. Short projects are emphasized, taking the place of the traditional in-class exams.

EVALUATION METHODS
    Students will earn a letter grade at the conclusion of this course.  Grades are assigned on a straight scale with no curves (i.e. 90% is an A, 80% is a B, and so forth).  Aside from the point-valued requirements below, students are expected to participate on the field trip as planned.  (Should a student not be able to participate in the planned field experience, the student will be assigned an alternative research assignment related to the course topic and region.)

Students may earn a total of 400 points in this course, divided as follows:

(To Be Announced)