GS.551
Bridgewater State College
GEOGRAPHY in the MIDDLE SCHOOL
Instructor: Prof.V.Domingo
Office:Science
Bldg 302A
This
course examines in depth the characteristic features of countries on six
continents as delineated
in the state curriculum framework. Course participants will develop the geographic
content that can be translatable for classroom use at the middle school level. The
purpose of the course is for teachers to develop the necessary knowledge,
insights, and
teaching approaches so that they can teach, with confidence, about the various regions
of the world. The geographic approach used in the course integrates historical, economic,
and political issues in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of
our world.
It
has often been said that we live in a "global village", where a sneeze
in one area can set off a cold in some distant region. The interdependence of
our planet is obvious when we examine the origin of our TV sets, shirts,
chocolate etc. What happens elsewhere affects us in a myriad of different
ways and it is therefore imperative that we develop a clear understanding of
events throughout the world so that we can assess their impact on our lives.
In
this course, we will examine different regions and countries of the world. We
will explore the distinctiveness of these regions and their varying approaches
to national and international development. We will analyze the cultural,
political and economic systems in these areas as seen through the eyes of a geographer.
The geographic framework that will be used emphasizes regional disparities in
"quality of life" ‑ who gets what, where and why.
We
will initially note the physical base of each region ‑ soils, climate,
topography, etc. and then we examine the interplay between these features and
social and cultural strategies for development. Our focus will be on the
contemporary world and you are expected to keep abreast of current events as
they are reported in the news media.
1 Introduction
2 Africa
3 Middle East
4 South Asia
5 East Asia
6 Europe
7 Latin America
8
Australia
9 Global connections and wrap-up
***************************
Text:
De
Blij, Harm and Muller, Peter, Geography: realms, regions and concepts,
11th
edition, New York: Wiley, 2004.
Course
requirements:
Attendance
3
tests
A
5-page paper
A developed unit
............................................................................................
Calculation of final grade: 45% class quizzes
30% - paper
25% - unit plan
Web sites: For maps: http://www.graphicmaps.com