Course Objectives | Textbook | Assignments | Examinations | Library Services | Grading Format

Before you begin . . .Welcome to Ohio University's Human Geography--Online. It is helpful if you set your browser window to fill your monitor screen while working in this course.

This course introduces you to human geography, the study of how various aspects of human culture are expressed spatially, including language, religion, economic organization, forms of government, and organization of land and buildings.

This Introduction contains general information about the course and additional information about submitting lesson assignments, taking examinations, etc.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After reading the material and completing the assignments, you should be able to:

• Explain the nature of human geography, what it is, and how it could enhance your understanding of the world and make you a better citizen.
  
  
• Compare folk culture and popular culture and find examples of each in your local area.
  
  
• Describe the impact of language on the international, as well as the local, scene.
  
  
• Give an overview of the concept of language family.
  
  
• Compare and contrast the ethnic and universal religions and the Eastern and Western major systems; and explain the impact of religion on culture.
  
  
• Define ethnic geography and appreciate its cultural dimension.
  
  
• Explain how human political systems affect the world, why the nation-state is a critical cultural element, and what the background of geopolitics is.
  
  
• Discuss the oldest and most important livelihood--agriculture-- especially its variation over the world's area and the agricultural landscape.
  
  
• Explain the patterns and impact of industrial developments on most sections of the world.
  
  
• Summarize the importance of the city in history from the Neolithic age onward and the urban morphology of the city over time.
  
  
• List the elements found in the industrial city and discuss the patterns of urban land use.
  
  
• Describe the patterns of urbanization in developing nations.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

0-7167-6384-2 Jordan-Bychkov, Terry; Domosh, Mona; Neuman, Roderick; and Price, Patricia,The Human Mosaic: A Thematic Introduction to Cultural Geography, 10th ed., W.H. Freeman, 2006.

Note: The book for the course is in stock at the following Online Bookstore: EdMap.

The textbook is organized around five themes:

• Culture region
• Cultural diffusion
• Cultural ecology
• Cultural interaction
• Cultural landscape

You will want to bookmark (that is, put in your list of favorite links) The Human Mosaic website created by the textbook publisher. You will find a wealth of resources for each chapter in the textbook.

ASSIGNMENTS

The writing assignments at the end of each lesson are grouped by the five major themes and consist of short-answer questions that check your understanding of the concepts presented and your ability to analyze how those concepts are applied. In some cases, you will be asked to create or analyze a map.

Assignments are submitted and returned directly through Blackboard.

EXAMINATIONS

The course has one supervised examination, the Final Examination. The format of the examination is multiple-choice, true/false, and matching questions. Some questions may require you to add information or interpret a map or other diagram. You are allowed two hours for the examination.

The examination is not taken via e-mail. Specific information and instructions for applying for the examination appear in Lesson 11.

LIBRARY SERVICES

For information concerning the services offered to distance learners by the Ohio University libraries, see Distance Learning Services.

GRADING FORMAT

Both lesson assignments and the examination will be graded. The final grade for the course will be determined as follows: