GEOGRAPHY 417: California Geography and History

Alternative Assignments Page

 

Because Dr. Graves must miss class on March 3rd (for Teachers for A New Era) and March 17th (for Association of American Geographers National Conference) assignment must be given which are intended to serve as learning exercises in lieu of coming to class.

 

Both of these assignments will be due by the end of the semester and your scores on these two assignments will be added together and count the same percent as one of the four existing writing assignments for the course.  Taken together, these two assignments should account for about 10% of your total score.

 

Listed below are the alternatives available to you.  Pick the two you think will serve you best.

 

1)      Visit one of the local missions and write a three page report on your visit.  There are missions in San Fernando, Ventura, Solvang and Santa Barbara.  Your report should include your reaction to the mission in terms of its authenticity as a representation of Spanish mission life.  You should be sure to include what you think its value as a teaching and learning device is for prospective students and tourists.  What is good about coming here?  What is not so good?  Whose story is told?  Whose story is not told?  What biases exist? What accuracies are evident? 

2)      Find a movie (documentaries are preferable) about California’s history or a significant figure in California’s history, ASK DR. GRAVES IF IT IS AN ACCEPTABLE FILM, watch it and write a 4 page report on it.  The report should include a several paragraph synopsis of the plot or main set of events.  You should also be certain to include several pages of analysis and evaluation of the film/video as a tool for learning about California.  Include in your report biases, historical inaccuracies (as you see them) and other issues which you believe to be relevant to the video as a tool for learning about California.  You may also address why you think this is a good topic for California historians.  The CSUN and L.A. County Libraries have many videos that would be appropriate for this assignment.  Several that I am curious about in the CSUN collection (you can watch them there) include:

a.      Natives: Immigrant Bashing on the Border

b.      Of Broccoli, Pelicans, Celery and Seals

c.      San Fernando Crossroads

d.      The Fight in the Fields (Cesar Chavez)*** extra good?

e.      The Water Cycle

f.        In the Land of Plenty **

g.      Divided Highways

h.      Emperor’s New Clothes

i.         Ethnic Man

j.         Subdivide and Conquer

k.       Others?  Search the media library under History and Geography

3)      Take a trip to Corriganville Park in Simi Valley and write a report detailing what you see there.  Your task is to convince an elementary school official to allow you to take your class to this park for a learning experience.  Pay special attention to both the Geography and History of the park.  Special attention could be given to the burned areas, erosion, the movie sets, the interpretive walking trail, the alternative uses made of the old movie set by youth bicyclists/skateboarders, the proximity of the old stagecoach route that went through the Santa Susanna path.  Do a bit of research.  Discuss the multiple uses this park would have as a field trip possibility for a future class of yours.

a.      Link One: http://www.rsrpd.org/Corriganville.htm

b.      Link two: http://employees.oxy.edu/jerry/corrigan/corrpark.htm

c.      Link Three: http://localhikes.com/Hikes/Corriganville_4472.asp

d.      Link Four: http://www.corriganville.com/WEBSITE/Home_Pagex.html

e.      Use a search engine to find other links of interest.

4)      FORTHCOMING

 

 

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If you have comments or suggestions, email me at steve.graves@csun.edu