COURSE DESCRIPTION
     The primary purpose of this course is to prepare you for the capstone field course in Geography, GGR 480. Aside from one midterm exam based on some objective material, this course is dominantly project-based. You will be presented with a variety of topics and issues that focus on basic research methodologies, theoretical perspectives, and - above all - specific case studies of Southwestern and U.S. geography. The readings and topics discussed in class will be applied to your two term projects. This course is designed for you to sample a wide array of important geographical themes and issues before taking the final field class. We will use readings, lectures, and class discussions to sample several geographic sub-fields, including cultural, urban, economic, historical, political, and physical geographies. Issues central to the study of geography will be discussed, including rural and urban growth and change, sustainable development, tourism, suburban sprawl, community conflict, sense of place, and environmental concerns. Further, you will not put away your class materials after the last day of class, because you will be referring back to them often during the upcoming field course in May.

My overall goal is to leave you with a good sense of how comprehensive, and yet diverse, the field of geography really is. You should also become more aware of how the particular sub-fields of geography, along with all the issues that geographers study, are interrelated in one way or another. Your comprehensive research project during the first part of the term will help to clarify this important message.

This course focuses on two dominant and closely related themes, those of landscape interpretation and field research. Geographers must not only be able to apply geographical knowledge and concepts to our world, but also keenly observe the built environment and understand how ordinary human landscapes represent a direct reflection of a people's cultural, social, and economic values. Much of the research that we do must come from sources "in the field," away from the traditional library, Web, and historical resource materials. Thus, an emphasis will be placed on the interpretation and explanation of human landscapes and the physical settings with which they interact. Your second term project will reflect this emphasis with your own interpretations of the built environment in Flagstaff. At some point in the semester you will assume the role of teacher for a 10-minute oral presentation that teaches the class about your findings from the first term project.

WRITING REQUIREMENT
     Effective written (and oral) communication skills are essential for the success of any geography or planning major, regardless of one’s eventual occupation.  In some capacity, at least, you will certainly be expected to produce quality written documents for one purpose or another.  This course is designed to assure that you are meeting the department’s writing standards by the time you graduate.  Furthermore, GGR 380 fulfills the Junior Level Writing Requirement Guidelines.  Importantly, this course will also prepare you for the writing-intensive capstone field course that follows this one, GGR 480.
    Two separate projects will require you to produce two papers: the first based on geographical research of a distant place that we may visit during the field course, the second based on the interpretation of human landscapes along a transect in Flagstaff.  Through these projects (see below) you will demonstrate your ability to 1) synthesize geographic information into central themes, 2) write in a clear, concise, organized manner, and 3) effectively communicate your thoughts and interpretations of geographic concepts and issues.
 
COURSE OBJECTIVES

Following the successful completion of GGR 380, you will be able to:
· Understand the interrelationships between a wide variety of human and physical processes and landscape elements.
· Apply a variety of research skills to investigate a particular geographical setting.
· Explain concepts of space and place and critically discuss the significance of place.
· Explain how and why place attachment, or sense of place, is important.
· Effectively communicate research results in written and oral form: that is, produce one research paper of the highest quality that any employer would be proud of, and present it to the class.
· Directly apply readings and knowledge gained from this course to the subsequent capstone field class, GGR 480.
· Interpret ordinary human landscapes and understand what those landscapes can tell us about the people who created them.
· Explain the historical origins of contemporary human landscapes, including the commercial strip, residential subdivisions, downtown business districts, and transportation corridors.
· Think creatively and intelligently about the human and physical landscapes around you, and understand why “ordinary” landscapes matter.

CLASS STRUCTURE
 The class meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11:30-12:20pm. Monday and Wednesday class periods are primarily devoted to lectures and quizzes, while Fridays will be reserved for group-led discussions about reading assignments. Your participation in ALL classes is imperative, and so attendance will be taken every day. Certain class periods will be used to address writing guidelines and skills, research methods, oral presentation skills, and career and graduate opportunities. Aside from preliminary discussions involving concepts of geography, place, and space, the course material is devoted to explaining human landscapes through physical, cultural, economic, social, and political factors. You will be introduced to the idea of geographic theory throughout the course.

REQUIRED TEXTS
· Paradis, Tom. 2003. Theme Town: A Geography of Landscape and Community in Flagstaff, AZ.. iUniverse Publishing.
· Various readings from Doing Fieldwork. Geographical Review 91(1,2). Available online.
 

GRADING SYSTEM
   A total of 600 points may be earned in this course. Grades are based on a straight scale (i.e.. 90% is an A, 80% is a B, etc. There will be NO extra credit assignments and NO grading curves, so all of you will have an equal opportunity to earn the grade of your dreams. Further, if you take this course seriously, challenge yourself, and learn as much as possible, I guarantee that you will experience a much more enjoyable time in GGR 480, as you will be well prepared for it! Here's the breakdown for the course:

One Midterm Exam:  100 points
Three journal reviews:  90 points
Community Profile (Project 1): 120 points
Flagstaff's America Tour (Project 2): 120 points
Oral presentation:  50 points
12 Reading Assignments: 120 points

ATTENDANCE AND CLASS POLICIES
     This course is designed with the expectation that all students will participate in all class meetings. If you choose to miss class because it is a low priority for you or for other reasons, you will simply have to deal with the consequences and "take your lumps". Only institutional excuses or deathly emergencies will be considered for excused absences. Sickness doesn't count as an excused absence. Although I will sympathize greatly if you become ill, the fact is that you are still not in class and learning with the other students. Do your best to take care of yourself during the semester, especially by getting enough sleep and practicing effective time management. My philosophy is this: You will be learning the most during the time you spend in the classroom. Since you will lose a measurable amount of "learning potential" from your absences, you will also lose points on your final grade, reflecting a proportional loss of learning on your part. Thus, the more classes you miss, the more points will be deducted at the end of the semester from your final percentage grade. You will have two free absences, no matter what the reason. After that, you lose 5 points (1% of grade) for each class you miss, and 10 points on Friday discussion days (2% of grade). Take this class seriously as any other, and you will not only learn a lot of cool geography, but you will further be well prepared for the field course.
ARRIVING ON TIME: Please do! The only reason students might be late to class is when they have another class right before it that is more than 20 minutes away. If this is the case, please let me know. Sorry, parking hassles and late buses are not a valid excuse, as these uncertainties should be planned for. Otherwise, your late arrival is very distracting to students who arrived on time, and quite distracting to me. Please do your best to be early rather than late. (Get used to it now - we will simply leave you behind during the field course if you are late :.

LATE POLICY FOR ASSIGNMENTS AND QUIZZES:

• Term projects must be submitted on days they are due (up to 5pm on business days) to potentially receive full credit. Late assignments will be penalized 25% regardless of when you turn them in. Any in-class project deadline (for which you'll need your completed project in class) is due DURING CLASS.
• If you are not prepared for class discussions and/or clinics on any given day, you will be considered absent and will lose 10 points (see absence policy below).
• Exams and quizzes MUST be taken on the dates scheduled, unless there is a legitimate university-related conflict. If you know that a conflict will exist prior to the exam, talk to me about it, and we will make alternative arrangements. If you miss an exam without valid authorization, an automatic 25% will be deducted from the full exam value, regardless of when you make it up.
  

TERM PROJECTS

1. Community Profile.  Your first term project will involve some primary and secondary research regarding a specific place that we will plan to visit during the upcoming field course in May. Whether or not you enroll in the field course, this project will allow you to create a complete geographical overview of a specific place, regarding both its physical and human environments.  Your professor will provide you with a lengthy list of places so that each of you may choose your own, based on your own particular interests.  Potential places for this project will include small towns and villages, large cities, national parks, and other specific geographical venues.  A good portion of your research will involve the U.S. census as you create a standardized community profile for your chosen place. Here’s the kicker: Your final paper and community profile will be condensed (by you) to be included in a student-produced course packet that everyone will use during the upcoming field course in May. Your research therefore will be useful as a reference, not unlike a geographical guide book. Stay tuned for further details.

2. Flagstaff's America Tour.  This may end up being one of the most rewarding projects that you undertake during your college career.  While it is logistically difficult to take the entire class on field trips this semester, it is imperative that you gain some experience outside, seeing and interpreting the types of human and physical landscapes that you learn about in the classroom.  Thus, you will complete a self-guided journey through part of Flagstaff and NAU with the aid of a book that I have written, entitled Theme Town.  Each stop along the walking tour will focus on specific geographical concepts and issues that are vital for understanding the geography of North America.  You will also complete a small set of questions at each location that asks you to interpret or analyze the landscapes you encounter.  I call it Flagstaff's America Tour, because every stop along the tour will demonstrate how the local geography of Flagstaff relates to important geographical trends and processes that are affecting the United States particularly.  Our town and campus, therefore, will serve as a sort of “outdoor laboratory,” for learning more about the local scene (which few students are very aware of), and national and global scenes as well.  This project will not only provide you an opportunity to unleash your newly acquired skills for “reading” the American landscape, but will also serve as excellent training for the upcoming field course, when we will be undertaking activities like this quite often!