GEOG-
1500
Instructor:
Robert C. Stinson |
Welcome
to
Geography
of Michigan and the Upper Great Lakes!
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| Instructor
Information |
Center
Campus
Instructor:
Robert C. Stinson
Office: N-129
Center Campus
Office Phone:
586.286.2273
E-Mail: stinsonb@macomb.edu |
| Course
Description |
A
geographic study of the landforms, culture and economic activities of Michigan
and those portions of surrounding states and provinces that lie within
the drainage basin of the Great Lakes.
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| Texts |
Santer, Richard,
Geography of Michigan and the Great Lakes Basin, Course pack, Kendall/Hunt
Publishing Co.
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| Schedule |
I.
The physical geography of Michigan and the Upper Great Lakes
basin.
A. Landforms
1. the evolution
of the Great Lakes (video: Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes)
2. landforms
of continental glaciation
B. weather
and climate
C. vegetation
and soils
D. waterways
II. Historical/cultural
development of the Great Lakes region.
A. The Native
American period
B. the frontier/fur
trade period
C. The agricultural
settlement period (video: Surveying Michigan)
D. The logging/mining
period
E. The rise
of urban industrial centers
III. The economic
structure of the Upper Great Lakes region.
A. Agricultural
activities
B. Mining and
mineral extraction
C. Recreation
and tourism
D. Manufacturing
E. Intra-regional
trade and transportation
F. Industrial
centers and specialization
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| Electronics
Policy |
All
pagers, cell phones and similar devices must be TURNED OFF! Vibration alert
mode is acceptable. Tape recording lecture is encouraged. |
| Attendance |
It
is my policy that class attendance is highly desirable if you are to benefit
from this class. I will try to make the course as interesting as possible.
Attendance is not required but if I can't match a face to your name when
making out final grades, you weren't in class often enough and I won't
cut you any slack. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get
notes for those missed classes from other students. If you are having difficulty
with this class, please see me or the Learning Center. At the end of the
second week a seating chart will be taken. Students may sit where they
wish, but once the seating chart has been made, students are ask to remain
in that seat for the rest of the semester or to inform the instructor if
they wish to change seats. |
| Methodology |
The
methodology employed in this course is that of lecture and discussion,
with an emphasis on developing critical thinking skills. Reference will
be made throughout this course to current events of geographical importance.
An attempt will be made to show the relevance of the subject matter to
your every day life experience and the inter-relationship of Geography
and the other social sciences. If you do not understand the meaning of
a word or expression or term, please ask for an explaination. You are probably
not the only person who does not understand. Do not get hung up on memorizing
facts! Emphasis will be put upon application of knowledge and critical
thinking skills. This requires that you pay attention to the context as
well as the content of class discussions and lectures.
It is highly
recommended that you consider tape recording class sessions. By doing so,
you can concentrate on understanding processes and applications of knowledge
presented, rather than trying to write down every thing the instructor
says. You will be expected to understand how facts apply to different situations
by reasoning out logical processes, sequences and consequences. Exam questions
will stress critical thinking rather than rote memorization. |
| Research
Paper |
You
are REQUIRED to write a research (term) paper to complete this course.
The Instructor MUST approve your topic. Suitable subject areas for this
paper include but are not limited to: the historical development of Michigan
or adjacent portions of the Great Lakes basin, the physical environment
of the same area, some aspect of the economy of the region, or some aspect
of the culture or ethnicity of this region. The research paper will
count for 1/3 of your grade! Research papers are due the eleventh week
of class. |
| Extra
Credit |
You
may earn extra credit by keeping a journal during this course. Each entry
is to be a current event type of entry about Michigan or the Upper Great
Lakes Basin.
Each entry is
to contain the following information:
1. date of
the event or information
2. source of
this entry
3. title of
the article or program, if applicable
4. a one paragraph
summary of content
5. a short
discussion of the importance or implications
of this entry
Sources of these
entries will typically be such media as: TV news programing, radio news
programing, newspapers, weekly or monthly
magazines.
The amount of extra credit earned will be 20 points. Journal entries must
be TYPED! They will not be accepted for credit after their due date. |
| Exams |
There
will be a total of three exams. Exams will be multiple choice, 50 questions
in length. I will drop your lowest exam score. The final grade for this
course will be determined by the sum of the two exam scores plus the score
on the research paper plus any extra credit. No exam will be handed out
more than 15 minutes after the exam has begun. Cheating will be consequated
with an (E) grade and an administrative report. |
| Grading |
Grading
will be on a curve but no stricter than:
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A = 91 - 100 %
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B = 81 - 90 %
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C = 71 - 80%
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D = 61 - 70%
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E = 60% or below
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