SS-125 Geography of the Pacific

Course No. and Title: SS 125 Geography of the Pacific

Campus: National, & Chuuk

Initiator: Marvey Elias

Date: April 12, 2021

Course Description: This course introduces students to the field of geography but focused mainly on Pacific Island countries.  It encompasses a broader island geographical aspect that include: physical geography, culture and environment study (human geography), political geography, economy, education, gender, and other related geographic concepts in the Pacific.

Hours per Week

No.  of Weeks

Total Hours

Semester Credits

Lecture

          3

x

16

=

48

=

3

Laboratory

x

=

=

Lecture/Lab

x

=

=

Workshop

x

=

=

Total Semester Credits

3

PSLO#

                             Program

PSLO 4.1 Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of world geography.

General Education Program

[X]

1. Effective oral communication: capacity to deliver prepared, purposeful presentations designed to increase knowledge, to foster understanding, or to promote change in the listeners’ attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.

[X]

2. Effective written communication: development and expression of ideas in writing through work in many genres and styles, utilizing different writing technologies, and mixing texts, data, and images through iterative experiences across the curriculum.

[X]

3. Critical thinking: a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion.

[X]

4. Problem solving: capacity to design, evaluate, and implement a strategy to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal.

[X]

5. Intercultural knowledge and competence: a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.

[X]

6. Information literacy: the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand.

[    ]

7. Foundations and skills for life-long learning: purposeful learning activity, undertaken on an ongoing basis with the aim of improving knowledge, skills, and competence.

[    ]

8. Quantitative Reasoning: ability to reason and solve quantitative problems from a wide array of authentic contexts and everyday life situations; comprehends and can create sophisticated arguments supported by quantitative evidence and can clearly communicate those arguments in a variety of formats.

CSLO (General) 1: Demonstrate knowledge to locate, name, and describe the general political and economic status of all the Pacific Island countries in the region.

Student Learning Outcome (specific)

ISLO

PSLO

Assessment Strategies

1.1 Locate and name the 22 Island countries in the Pacific.

6

2,3

Worksheet scored with a checklist.

1.2 Describe the 22 island countries’ political and economic status.

2

1,2,3,4

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.

CSLO (General) 2:  Describe the physical geography of the Pacific islands within the tropics.

Student Learning Outcome (specific)

ISLO

PSLO

Assessment Strategies

2.1 Describe the climate, weather, and oceanography of the Pacific Islands.

2,6

1,2,3,4

Essay writing scored with a rubric.

2.2 Analyze and interpret the geology and geomorphology of the Pacific island region.

2,3,4,6

1,2,3,4

Essay writing scored with a rubric.

CSLO (General) 3: Describe the terrestrial and aquatic biota of the Pacific Island countries.

Student Learning Outcome (specific)

ISLO

PSLO

Assessment Strategies

3.1 Compare and contrast the speciation process of volcanic islands, makatea, and atolls.

2,3,4,5,6

1,2,3,4

Essay writing scored with a rubric.

3.2 Compare and contrast the terrestrial ecosystems of the volcanic islands, makatea, and atolls.

2,3,4,5,6

1,2,3,4

Essay writing scored with a rubric.

3.3 Compare and contrast the different aquatic ecosystems of the Pacific islands.

2,3,4,5,6

1,2,3,4

Essay writing scored with a rubric.

CSLO (General) 4: Demonstrate the ability to describe the historical epoch in the Pacific.

Student Learning Outcome (specific)

ISLO

PSLO

Assessment Strategies

4.1 Describe the origin and direction of settlement, subsistence strategies, sociopolitical evolution, and impact on the environment by early Pacific Islanders.

2,3,4,5,6

All

Essay writing scored with a rubric.

4.2 Compare and contrast the post-contact period beginning with: Early interaction with Euro-Americans and Asians (explorers, traders, missionaries, and whalers), resistance to colonialism and challenges to decolonization, overseas territories, and

self-government.

2,3,4,5,6

All

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.

CSLO (General) 5: Demonstrate knowledge of the socio-cultural issues and challenges among the Pacific Islanders.

Student Learning Outcome (specific)

ISLO

PSLO

Assessment Strategies

5.1 Analyze and evaluate changes on the islanders’ social relations with emphasis on family, social status, law and order, land tenure, and art.

1, *2,3,4,5,6

1,2,3,4,5

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.

PowerPoint Presentation scored with a rubric.

5.2  Analyze the evaluate to islands’ demography, health, education, mobility, and gender equity.

1,2,3,4,5,6

1,2,3,4,5

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.

PowerPoint presentation scored with a rubric.

CSLO (General) 6.  Describe the general economic features of the island’s economies with particular emphasis on agriculture and forestry, ocean resources, tourism, and communications.

Student Learning Outcome (specific)

ISLO

PSLO

Assessment Strategies

6.1 Distinguish the general economic feature of the island states economies (MIRAB).

2,3,4,5

2,3,4

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.

6.2 Analyze and interpret the current status and developmental constraints of expanding the agriculture and forestry sector.

2,3,4,5

2,3,4

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.

6.3 Analyze the status and developmental impediments of developing the islands oceanic resources.

2,3,4,5

2,3,4

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.

6.4 Analyze and evaluate the growth and development challenge facing the tourism sector and the communication sector.

2,3,4,5,6

2,3,4

Writing assignment scored with a rubric.