Introduction to Geography. Aimed primarily at freshpersons and sophomores, this course intends to introduce students to the geographical approach to the study of human society. Geography is explored as the study of the earth, as the home of human beings, as the study of human interrelationships with the natural environment, as the study of human patterns on the earth in their spatial form and interactions among them, of culture as a lens through which people view their environments, of culture variation over the earth, and as the study of specific regions of the world. Settlements, including cities, are examined as examples of the human imprint and as samples of spatial form and spatial interactions. The course then returns to its basic theme of the earth as the varied home of human beings and their varied sets of adjustments to it.
Material is presented in both lectures and smaller discussion groups which meet weekly.
Reading is moderate. There is one midterm and one final examination, plus one or two short quizzes in the discussion sections. This course is intended primarily to acquaint and expose students to the basic aspects of the physical environment in which they live. Topics include weather, water, climate, vegetation, soils, landforms, and their related subjects. Lab sessions focus on observation and analysis of weather and climate maps, climatic classifications, interpretation of topographic maps and airphotos, etc.