Population
and Geography of the
GEA 3635,
U01A. Summer A 2012
Class Location: PC 438 Time: 12:30-3:15 pm. Tuesday and Thursday
Instructor: Benjamin Smith
Email: bsmith@fiu.edu
Office: SIPA 305 Office Phone:
348-2074
Office Hours: Before class, after class and during break (in the classroom) or
by appointment.
Teaching Homepage Which You Must Check
Frequently: http://www.fiu.edu/~bsmith/teaching.htm
Where to Get the Supplemental Readings: http://ecampus.fiu.edu (choose Moodle Login)
There is More to the Middle East than the Headlines
2011
was a momentous year in the Middle East – several long standing regimes fell,
signs of protests became more visible in many parts of the region. This year has the potential to be much the
same. Yet for as much as the region has
been in headlines here in the US for the past decade, it the region (and
especially its diversity) is still little understood here. This is going to be
the theme of this course.
In
this course, while we will address issues that grab headlines – the Arab
Spring, Israel/Palestine conflict, the state of Iraq, etc. – the majority of
this course will focus on the more mundane, extremely diverse, day to day
living that goes on in the region. People work – we will talk about that.
People watch TV – we will cover that. There are environmental issues – not just
political and religious ones. Yes, the issues and challenges that those in the
region faces are real and severe, but that is not the whole story.
We
will also do all this from a geographic prospective. On the one hand this means
a grab bag approach – environment, politics, economics and culture are all fair
game. On the other hand, this also mean paying attention to geographic
perspectives such as how humans interact with the natural and built
environment, how ideas and people diffused through the region over time, and
how the region came to be defined as it.
1.
Develop an understanding of the diversity of the
Middle East. The “
2.
Understand how the
3.
Be able to critically examine what you hear about the
A
short course is a strange creature – I want you to learn everything a student
in a full semester would learn, but I also recognize the time limitations. So there are two big changes from the way I
would teach this in Fall or Spring:
1.
There are two
tests not three. I cannot be testing
you every few days. BUT… each test is
worth more, which means you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BOMB the first exam, or you will
have dug yourself a deep hole.
Furthermore, we cover EXACTLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MATERIAL as the normal
semester class, so if you do not study a little bit, multiple times a week, you
will be in bad shape.
2.
The semester
project usual involves writing a country/city report along with an accompanying
travel guide (see below). Instead, you
will either do the country/city report OR the travel guide. This is about half the work, for the same
amount of points.
Supplemental
Readings http://ecampus.fiu.edu
Thursday, May 17 – Guest
Speaker
Tuesday, May 29 –Exam One
Thursday, June 14 – Project
Due
Thursday, June 21 – Exam Two
Grading
There will be 500 total points available in this class, broken
down as follows:
75 points: Attendance and
Participation
100
points: Travel Guide
155 points:
Exam 1
170 points: Exam 2____
500 points Total
The
grading scale is A = 100-93%, A- = 92.9-90%, B+ = 89.9-87%, B = 86.9-83%, B-
=82.9%-80%, C+ = 79.9-77%, C =
76.9-73%, C- = 72.9-70%, D+ = 69.9-67%,
D = 66.9-63%, D- = 62-60% F = 59-0%, which translates to, in points:
A : 500 thru 465 points
A-: 464 thru 450 points
B+: 449 thru 435 points
B: 434 thru 415 points
B-: 414 thru 400 points
C+: 399 thru 385 points
C: 384 thru 365 points
C-:
364 thru 350 points
D+: 349 thru 335 points
D: 334 thru 315 points
D-: 314 thru 300 points
F: 299 thru 0 points
Each exam will be a combination of multiple choice,
matching, map identification, and short answers/miniature essays, drawn from
lectures, readings, videos, etc. – basically anything covered in class or
assigned in reading.
There are slight differences between the two exams –
besides the fact that they cover materials from different lectures. The first exam will have two map sections –
one covering physical features and one covering cities (study lists will be
provided). You will be given a list of
features, and given a map covered in letters.
You find the letter that corresponds to the feature. On the second exam, there will be only one
map section that will ask you to label all the countries in the region (a list
will again be provided). However, you
will only be given a numbered map – it will be up to you write the name of the
country. Also, there will be one 14
point essay question which requires you to summarize big ideas from the course
(it will be clear what this question is later).
Exam 1: 155
pts
Exam 2: 170
pts.
Country Report/Travel
Guide
While more specifics will be given soon, you will be required to produce is EITHER one travel guide OR one country report covering somewhere in the Middle East. Professor Smith will randomly choose this place for you. This will be worth 100 points. The reason this is being assigned is threefold 1) to make you think about the everyday, very material geographies of the Middle East (what to eat, how to travel, where to stay, what to do, what everyday life is like) 2) help you appreciate that there is more to the region than violence (and, in fact, that many people in the Middle East actually do enjoyable things) 3) to give you the point cushion usually provided by a research paper. It will be due on Thursday, June 14 at the beginning class, and must be submitted in both physical form (typed and stapled) and electronically via turnitin.com. You will lose 10 points for every day it is late.
Attendance and
Participation Points, Reading & Classroom Etiquette
There will be oodles – oodles I say! – of information covered in
this course. You need to be in class to
learn it all. This is especially true because lectures, while drawing on the
readings, will expand upon them as well.
You will not do well on the tests unless you come to class. This is even more true in the compressed
summer semester. Similarly, if you do
not do the readings, you will not do well on the tests. This is especially true on essays questions
based on more conceptual readings – though we will cover the readings in class,
you will not understand them fully unless you read and then re-read them.
To reward you for reading and attendance, I will
have various easy point opportunities throughout the semester. Sometimes they will be announced tasks –
like bringing three questions to class about the reading for discussion. Other times, they will be unannounced – like
having a quick individual quiz about the reading that asks a few, really simple
questions. If the reading is
particularly theoretical, I will put you into groups during class so you and
your classmates can hash it out together.
Sometimes, I will just have you sign in.
These are meant to be low stress, and providing everyone makes a good
faith effort (and attends), these points should be easy to get.
However, these points can also be taken away, at the
instructor’s discretion, in extreme circumstances, due to repeated bad
behavior. Reasons for losing points
include being aggressive, rude or dismissive towards your fellow students or
the instructor. Though people may
express opinions different than your own in this class, you are free to
disagree – providing you do so in calm, courteous manner. This is especially important because we will
be covering some sensitive, divisive subjects during this class. Points can also be taken away if a student
shows lack of engagement by talking to other students while the instructor,
guest or another student is speaking, repeatedly reading the newspaper, using their cell phone or mp3 player, doing
homework for other classes, or using their notebook computer for IM’s (not note-taking). However, I doubt it will come to this. So basically, respect everyone, and this
should be a great semester. If points
are taken, the student will be notified as to why.
Attendance quizzes and activities will
contribute a maximum of 75 points to your final grade. There will likely be more than 75 points
made available during the semester, meaning if you miss a class or have an off
day, you will still be able to receive full attendance credit.
Teaching Website,
On-Line Articles, and Updates
At the top of this document, you will find the
address for my teaching homepage, which is http://www.fiu.edu/~bsmith/teaching.htm
. There will be a copy of the syllabus there,
as well as the course schedule and instructions for the paper and paper
proposal. Additionally, I will post study guides for the exams there and there
only.
Office Hours &
Making Contact
If you are having trouble at all, I strongly
encourage you to come talk to me before or after class (or during break), or
make an appointment to do so. My job is to make sure you learn the
material, not just to assign grades.
I will
also try my best to answer questions promptly via e-mail, but realize that apart
from teaching this class, I am writing up my research and being a
husband/father. Calling my office is the
least good way to get a hold of me – please just email. If
you e-mail me, please put “GEA 3635” or “Geography of the M.E.” in the subject
line – so I know why you are emailing.
Also, pretty please put your name in the email, so I know who I am
replying to.
Earning the Grade
You Want
If you
are doing poorly in the class, the time to ask how you can do better is not
right before, and especially not right after, the Final. If you do badly on the first test PLEASE
PLEASE PLEASE come talk to me or make an appointment to see me as soon as
possible after that test, and I will help you devise strategies to study more
effectively. In the summer there is
little room for error.
Academic Integrity, Cheating and Plagiarism:
Cheating
and plagiarism are done by pathetic and desperate people – don’t be one of
them. If you cheat on an exam or
assignment – you will receive at minimum a zero on
that assignment. If you find
yourself in a desperate situation while taking a test, do the best work you can
do at the time. Getting a 50% means you
will get some points – getting caught cheating means you get zero. Furthermore, depending on the severity of the
case, I can choose to pursue harsher penalties, including assigning an F0 for
the course or pursuing your expulsion.
Excused
absences include serious illness; illness of a spouse or dependent; death of an
immediate family member; University-sponsored trips; and major
religious holy days. It is your
responsibility to inform me of the absence in advance of class by e-mail (and
within 1 weeks of the start of class if it is a university trip or holy day), but
no later than two class sessions after the missed class. In order to have an absence excused, you must
provide original documentation which I can keep. If this is done, and I determine the absence
to be excused, I will do my best make sure you make up what you missed and give
you attendance credit.
Make-up
exams will only be given in extreme circumstances. The
make-up exam will not be the same one given to those who took the test on the established
date, and will be given during the final examination period, during which time
you will take both the make-up exam and the final. To sit a make-up exam, you must 1)
provide documentation to me in class within two class periods of the missed exam
addressing why your absence qualifies as excused 2) have that documentation
accepted by me 3) email me asking to be given a make-up exam and 4) receive
back an email from me confirming a make-up exam will be given.
Your
choices to attend or not attend have consequences – just like they would at
work. I take my responsibilities and
role as a teacher seriously; I hope you hold your role and responsibility as a
student in equal respect.
HERE’S
TO A GOOD SHORT SEMESTER AND BEST OF LUCK!