Geography 122 (102): The American Scene

This course offers a broad introduction to the historical geography of the United States through analysis of distinctive elements of regional landscapes. Overheads, slides and map handouts are utilized to develop and extend themes presented in the textbook, M.P. Conzen (ed.) The Making of the American Landscape, 1990. Both the lectures and the textbook present evidence that assists in an understanding of "landscape," "place" and "region", each important frames for geographical inquiry.

For some students, Geog 102 is one of a suite of courses that makes up a Major in Geography. For a second set of students, it is one of several recommended courses for particular programs. And for yet other students, this course was selected because of its General Education/Humanities (GH) designation in the Calendar and it may well be your only exposure to the discipline of Geography. No matter what your rationale for taking the course, at the conclusion of Geog 102 The American Scene, you should have a deeper understanding of some of the issues involved in the analysis of place at a variety of spatial scales, and a better sense of the historical layering in the landscapes that you encounter each day and on your travels.

To assist in that understanding, the course is arranged around several assessment opportunities that help you explore ideas, arguments and evidence. Some are tests developed around lecture material and the textbook, and others reflect a more sustained encounter with particular issues:

* Four in-class tests, based on slides and readings: 4 @ 15% (60%)
* Short assignments and pop quizzes (5%)
* Local landscape analysis (20%)
* Final exam (15%)