Courses : Syllabi : 321
Geography 321 Geography of the United States
Instructor
Sean M. Crotty, Ph.D. Candidate
Course Description
Welcome! This is an upper-division G.E. course on the geography of the United States. We will be taking a regional approach in this course, examining particular “regions” of the country. Over the course of the semester we will critically explore a variety physical, social, economic, political, and cultural forces operating on places, spaces, people, communities, and landscapes that make up the United States. In conjunction with lectures, course material will be covered through readings, research paper, in class and take home quizzes (readings and maps), movies, and guest lecturers. I hope this will be an interesting and rewarding class for each of you.
Prerequisites
None
Grading
Your grade in this course will be based on the following elements:
- Midterm #1: 20%
- Midterm #2: 20%
- Final Exam: 25%
- Mini-Response Papers (5): 10% total
- Take Home Map Assignments: 10% total
- Term Paper: 15%
DEADLINES ARE FINAL. Only under serious circumstances with instructor approval, will makeup or late assignments be accepted. Please come and talk to me during my office hours if any problems arise that would prevent you from attending class and/or completing the assignments.
Books and Materials
Required Texts
- Hardwick, S. W., F. M. Shelley, and D. G. Holtgrieve 2008. The Geography of North America: environment, political economy, and culture. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
- Steinbeck, J. (1962) Travels with Charley.
- Goodes World Atlas
- Other readings will be assigned and made available through blackboard.
Required Supplies
- 3 Scantrons – Form No. F-289-PAR-L
- 6 Blank Maps: United States, South Central States, North Central States, Eastern United States, Western United States, Hawaii, Alaska (Available in the “Supply Section” of the SDSU Bookstore.
Weekly Topics
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week One | Intro to class |
| Week Two | Key Concepts of Geography Intro to Physical Geography of the United States |
| Week Three | Historical Settlement of the United States Native Americans U.S. Political Economy |
| Week Four | The United States and the Frontier Mentality Urban Geography and City Structure in the United States |
| Week Five | Megalopolis Midterm One |
| Week Six | The Atlantic Periphery The Great Lakes and Corn Belt |
| Week Seven | The Great Plains The Rocky Mountains |
| Week Eight | The Intermontane West The Pacific Northwest |
| Week Nine | The Southeast Alaska |
| Week Ten | To be determined |
| Week Eleven | Midterm Two |
| Week Twelve | Mex-America and the Southwest Movie: Farmingville and Discussion |
| Week Thirteen | San Diego’s Hispanic Immigrants & Day Labor Landscapes CaliforniaEcosystem structure and function |
| Week Fourteen | California Waterways and Environmental Politics The Future of North America |
| Week Fifteen | To be determined Review for Final Exam |