TIME: 12:30 PM

Tuesday-Thursday

LOCATION: Room 203

INSTRUCTOR: Dean Sinclair

OFFICE: Room 201

PHONE: #357-5492

WEBSITE: http://users.nsula.edu/sinclaird

EMAIL: sinclaird@nsula.edu

This course is devoted to the North American region, which includes both the United States and Canada. The primary goals of the course are to orient the student to the complex geography of North America, facilitate understanding of the various activities and institutions of North America, and develop an understanding of both internal and external forces shaping the continent. The primary method of teaching will be lecture with considerable discussion.

Attendance: Attendance policies of this course are in compliance with University regulations as stated in the current General Catalog. Students are expected to attend class.

Academic Honesty: Policies concerning academic honesty are in compliance with University regulations as stated in the current General Catalog. Consult official University Academic Honor Code statement included in this syllabus

Two exams will be given over material presented in the lectures and assigned readings from the text and other sources. Tests will consist of short essay questions which will demonstrate an understanding of both the broad context and the important details of the diverse geography of North America. In addition, there will be a number of Identifications from which you will choose that will demonstrate an understanding of key terms and concepts discussed in class and in the text and in distributed readings. There will also be a map quiz section of the test for which you will be given a key prior to the exam. Makeup exams will be given on the day of the final with a valid excuse.

There will be a group project with this class. You have been given a new job as Coordinator of Heritage Tourism for your state. Your job is to attend the upcoming travel and tourism conference "Experiencing America's Heritage 2009" and present a 10 to 15 stop tour through your state of state and local (not national) historic and heritage sites, including but not limited to parks, commemorative areas, and museums. Included in your presentation will be the route and other attractions that can be visited along the route. You will create a presentation board and a brochure or handout to sell the tour to travel agents who will be coming to the conference. The tour will be judged by these travel agents (students in the introductory Geography courses) as well as myself. You will have several designated project work days during the course of the semester. There will be additional information and guidance on the project during the semester.

Exam 1 30%

Exam 2 30%

Project 40%_

Total 100%

90-100 A

80-89 B

70-79 C

60-69 D

Less than 60 F

Aug 25 Introduction

Aug 27 Regions and Themes Chapter One Region

Sep 1 The Physical Setting Chapter Two Plate Tectonics

Sep 3 Physical (continued) Chapter Two Precip Mechanisms

Sep 8 Human Activity Chapter Three Migration

Sep 10 Human Activity Chapter Three Dem Transition

Sep 15 Human Activity Chapter Three Colonial Occupation

Sep 17 Human Activity Chapter Three Barriers to Settlement

Sep 22 Megalopolis Chapter Four Site/Situation

Sep 24 Megalopolis Chapter Four Intraurban growth

Sep 29 Megalopolis Chapter Four Spatial Interaction

Oct 1 Manufacturing Core Chapter Five Complementarity

Oct 6 Fall Break Holiday

Oct 8 Manufacturing Core Chapter Five Urban structure

Oct 13 Test One

Oct 15 Project Work Day

Oct 20 The South Chap Nine/Ten Plantation system

Oct 22 The South Chap Nine/Ten Segregation

Oct 27 The South Chap Nine/Ten Courthouse towns

Oct 29 Appalachia and Ozarks Chapter Eight Folk/Popular Culture

Nov 3 Appalachia and Ozarks Chapter Eight Regional Planning

Nov 5 Agricultural Core Chapter Eleven Township and Range

Nov 10 Plains and Prairies Chapter Twelve Buffalo Commons

Nov 12 Southwest Border Chapter Fourteen Spanish Amer Town

Nov 17 California Chapter Fifteen Natural Hazards

Nov 19 North Pacific Coast Chapter Sixteen Environmentalism

Nov 24 Thanksgiving

Nov 26 Thanksgiving

Dec 1 Project Work Day

Dec 3 Travel and Tourism Conference "Experience America's Heritage 2009"

Dec 8 Wrap Up and Discussion

It is the policy of NSU to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal law, state law, and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. Any student with a disability who needs accommodations, for example in seating placement or in arrangements for examinations, should inform the instructor at the beginning of the course. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Support, which is located in Kyser Hall, Room 239, telephone (318)357-4460 or TTD (318)357-4393.

Classroom Civility Statement:

Each Northwestern State University student is encouraged to help create an environment that promotes learning, dignity, and mutual respect for everyone in the learning environment. Students who speak at inappropriate times, take frequent breaks, interrupt the class by coming to class late or leaving early, engage in loud or distracting behaviors, use cell phones or pagers (other noise-making devices like watches with alarms), listen to headphones/CDs, play with computers or hand held games, use inappropriate language, are verbally abusive, display defiance or disrespect to others, or behave aggressively toward others during the class period may be asked to leave the class and subjected to disciplinary action under the Northwestern State University Student Code of Conduct and Sanctions (Article VII Sanctions). The instructor of a course may deem additional behaviors or actions inappropriate; these action or behaviors will be outlined in the course syllabus. Copies of the infractions and sanctions are available on the NSU web sits at http://www.nsula.edu/studenhandbook/page100.htm.

Academic dishonesty is defined as the following: 1) acquiring or using a published test bank, 2) copying from another student’s test, paper or computer file, 3) using unauthorized materials during a test, 4) collaborating during a test with any other

person by giving or receiving information without authority, 5) stealing, buying, or otherwise obtaining non-administered or unauthorized tests, 6) selling or giving away non-administered or unauthorized tests, 7) bribing anyone to obtain information about a test, 8) substituting for another student or permitting another person to substitute for oneself to take a test, 9) submitting as your own, in fulfillment of academic requirements, any work prepared totally or in part by another, 10) supplying to another student any theme, report, or other work for use in fulfilling academic requirements, and 11) plagiarism, defined as the use of another person’s work and the unacknowledged incorporations of that work in one’s own work that is offered for credit.

Academic dishonesty will result in one of the following disciplinary measures to be decided by the course instructor: I) verbal/written warning, 2) conference with department chair or dean, 3) reduction of test/course grade to an "F". A student may subsequently be placed on probation or suspended or expelled and forced to withdraw from Northwestern as a result of academic dishonesty.

Refer to the section in the Student Handbook concerning Academic Infractions and Sanctions for Academic Misconduct.