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last updated: 06/05/2006 |
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Geography 417: California for Educators |
Syllabus |
Instructor: Steve Graves
Meeting Times/Room: Sierra Hall 106 Monday and Wednesday evenings 5PM to 8:45PM
Office Hours in Sierra Hall 130 B, before and after class...and by appointment.
Dr. Graves' calendar: http://calendar.yahoo.com/sgraves10
Email: steve.graves@csun.edu
Webpage: www.csun.edu/~sg4002/
Office Phone: 677-3517
Department Phone: 677-3532
Course Number: 10461
Course Description: An examination of California, focusing on its political, social, and economic growth, its settlement, its population patterns, resource exploitation, and human-environment interaction. The spatial and temporal variation of these factors is emphasized. (Cross-listed with HIST 417.)
PREREQUISITES: Available to members of Blended Single Subject Credential Program only.
Required Materials: Phillip Fradkin. The Seven States of California. University of California Press, 1997. (other editions available). ISBN: 0520209427
Classroom Activities: Classroom time will be devoted to lecture and discussion. If students are prepared to discuss and debate course content, then there will be less lecture and more discussion. We may also watch videos, welcome guest lecturers, engage in on-line, GIS or other computer-oriented exercises. Students are also encouraged to suggest learning tools, strategies, or exercises. I really welcome student input.
Course Schedule: The course schedule is posted on line. It is subject to occasional updates and changes. Please check the course announcements pages regularly.
Attendance: Attendance is a key component of good grades. I expect students to attend every class. You owe it to yourself, or to whomever pays for your education as well as the taxpayers who support your education. Students with poor attendance habits should not take this course. If you have medical or personal issues that demand your absence, please contact Dr. Graves before or immediately after the class or assignment you miss. In certain circumstances, a student must miss an extended period of time, you should arrange to drop the course or make special arrangements with Dr. Graves.
Evaluation: xx Students will be evaluated by a variety of evaluation tools, including multiple choice exams, writing assignments, quizzes, on-line exercises, etc. Students will be evaluated on their ability to demonstrate basic knowledge/comprehension of the subject matter as well as the ability to apply critical thinking skills to the subject matter. You will be asked to evaluate issues, apply knowledge acquired in novel situations and synthesize multiple points. Listed on the following pages are the intended learning outcomes for this course and the evaluation and assessment tools used in the class to determine your success.
Academic Dishonesty and Cheating
See the following policy http://www.csun.edu/a&r/soc/legalnotices.html#facultypolicy
Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities must register with the Center on Disabilities and complete a services agreement each semester. Staff within the Center will verify the existence of a disability based on the documentation provided and approve accommodations. Students who are approved for testing taking accommodations must provide a proctor form to their faculty member signed by a counselor in the Center on Disabilities prior to making testing arrangements. The Center on Disabilities is located in Bayramian Hall, room 110. Staff can be reached at (818) 677-2684.
Other campus-wide disclosures are available at: http://www.csun.edu/a&r/disclosures/disclosures.html
Goal
A: Building a Knowledge Base:
Students in this course will
identify and define key terms and concepts central to California’s History and
Geography.
Students will be able to define and explain key terms such as culture, region, landscape, diffusion, ecology and environmental perception.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions
Students will be able to identify on a map important physical, political and cultural features.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Map Quizzes
Students will be able to recognize, list and describe key ideas, facts, dates and spatial conditions in the following categories: language, ethnicity, religion, politics, economics, demographics and culture.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions
Students will demonstrate competency with the 4th grade social studies standards for the state of California.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions
Goal B: Acquiring Knowledge: Students will develop skills for acquiring new knowledge.
Students will recall information presented to them textually, cartographically and through numeric or graphic communication.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions.
Students will demonstrate their ability to interpret non-textual information visible on the cultural landscape and through maps and other graphics.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions
Goal C: Problem Solving Skills: Students will demonstrate their problem solving skills.
Students will analyze non-textual messages in the landscape and from maps, graphics, etc.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions, Short Written Assignments, On-line map making exercises.
Students will apply abstract concepts, such as Von Thunen’s model to California.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions
Students will evaluate, compare and contrast opposing views on California History debated within and beyond the academy.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: One page writing assignments.
Students will compare the similarities and differences between and among various California’s cultural and ethnic groups and recount the dynamics which condition the experiences of these groups.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions
Students will explain one or more current social, cultural or economic issue by using spatially informed logic.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: One page writing assignments
Students will explain selected interactions between and among history, culture, economics, politics, physical geography and ethnicity.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Multiple Choice On-line Quizzes, Exam Questions, One-page writing assignments
Students will effectively communicate ideas and opinions using textual communication.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: One page writing assignments.
Students will construct one or more legible maps.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: On-line map making exercises
Students will effectively communicate facts, ideas and statistics using maps and other graphic devices.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: On-line map making exercises
Students will demonstrate an ability to recognize patterns occurring in the course of California’s History and will be able to predict future patterns based on historical precendent.
Assessment/Evaluation tool: Exam Questions and Writing Assignments.
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Tentative Grading Regime* Percent On-line Map Quizzes (2) 05 On-line Text Quizzes (9), participation 10 In Class Map Quizzes (2) 10 Exercises and Writing Assignments (5) 25 In Class Quizzes (10?) 50
*subject to class approved changes.
Tentative Grade Scale: A = (90-100%); B = (80-89%); C = (70-79%); D = (60-69%); F = (59% or less)
Back to Geography
If you have questions or comments, please contact me at steve.graves@csun.edu