Course Number: SS120

Course Title: Introduction to Geography

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES  

General 

1. Describe the origin and formation of the universe. Describe the earth's physical dynamics and the land formation processes. (Unit 1)
2. Describe the dynamics of the earth's atmosphere and the processes of climate and weather. (Unit 2)
3. Describe the ways in which humans impact upon the earth. (Unit 3)
4. Describe the dynamics of human populations. (Unit 4)
5. Describe the significance of human culture, its formation and patterns. (Unit 5)
6. Describe the geographical patterns of nation states and global and regional alliances. (Unit 6)
7. Describe the major patterns of economic activity and their geographical distribution. (Unit 7)
8. Describe the current patterns of global natural resource availability and usage and the prospects for the future. (Unit 8)
9. Locate and name all the nations of the world (Unit 9)

 Specific 

Students will be able to:

Unit 1- Landforms

 1. Describe the Big Bang and the formation of the universe, galaxies, solar systems and planets.
 2. Describe how plate tectonics works and the types of landforms created by this process
 3. Draw and label the layers of the earth
 4. Explain how plate tectonics has determined the geological makeup of Micronesia 
 5. List the characteristics of a mineral
 6. Describe how igneous rocks are formed
 7. List 4 types of igneous rocks  
 8. Describe how metamorphic rocks are formed  
 9. List 4 types of metamorphic rocks  
10. Describe how sedimentary rocks are formed  
11. List 4 types of sedimentary rocks  
12. Define diastrophism  
13. Define volcanism  
14. Explain how diastrophism creates new landforms and alters existing ones  
15. Explain how volcanism creates new landforms and alters existing ones  
16. Draw and explain the stages of atoll formation.  
17. Describe why earthquakes happen in general and why, specifically, they rarely happen in the FSM
18. Name the instrument is used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes? Name the scale does this instrument use?
19. Explain bow tsunamis are generated 20. Explain mechanical weathering  
21. Explain chemical weathering  
22. Describe how erosional agents alter landforms  
23. Explain how glaciers are formed and the types of landforms they create  
24. Describe how ocean waves and currents create landforms and alter existing ones

Unit 2 - Climate & Weather

 1.Distinguish between climate and weather
 2. Explain how the various elements of weather interact to make weather
 3. List the 7 variables that determine the temperature at any given location
 4. Define insolation 
 5. Draw and explain how earth inclination affects weather and climate
 6. Explain how reflection and reradiation affect the amount of incoming solar radiation
 7. Define air pressure and explain how it affects weather conditions
 8. Draw and explain the heat convection system
 9. Draw and explain how mountain valley breezes are generated  
10. Define the coriolis effect and explain what affect it has on the direction a tropical cyclone spins.
11. Draw and explain the El Nino phenomenon. What are its effects on weather in Micronesia?
12. Draw and describe the three main types of clouds  
13. Draw and explain the three types of precipitation 14. Explain the formation of hurricanes and tornadoes
14. List the 12 types of climate and give temperature and precipitation characteristics

Unit 3 - Human Impact on the Environment

 1. List and define the three interrelated parts of the biosphere
 2. Explain what an ecosystem is and give a local example  
 3. Explain what a food chain is and give a local example
 4. Describe the various sources of water pollution and its ecological effects  
 5. Draw the layers of the earth's atmosphere and list their characteristics  
 6. Describe the various sources of air pollution and their climatic and ecological effects
 7. Describe the ways in which human activities negatively affect land and soils
 8. Describe the ways in which human activities negatively impact plants and animals
 9. Discuss the problems of solid waste disposal on your island
10. Draw and explain the concept of biological magnification

Unit 4 - Population Geography

 1. Draw a diagram showing world population trends from 1750 to the present
 2. List the regions with the highest population growth today and explain why
 3. List the regions with the lowest population growth today and explain why
 4. Define crude birth rate
 5. Define fertility rate
 6. Define death rate
 7. Define infant mortality rate
 8. List four countries with high infant mortality rates and explain why
 9. List four countries with low infant mortality rates and explain why
10. Discuss the World Health Organization findings on maternal death rates
11. Draw a population pyramid for rapid growth
12. Draw a population pyramid for stability
13. Draw a population pyramid for decline
14. Describe the methods used by China to control its population
15. Describe the methods used by India to control its population
16 Describe birth rate, death rate, fertility rate, infant mortality rate and maternal death rate patterns for the FSM

Unit 5 - Cultural Geography

 1. Describe how an evolved human nature interacting with a social and physical environment can generate culture
 2. Explain the concept of technological subsystem of culture and give a comprehensive description for your own society  
 3. Explain the concept of ideological subsystem of culture and give a comprehensive description for your own society
 4. Explain the concept of sociological subsystem of culture and give a comprehensive description for your own society
 5. Describe and give concrete examples of the cultural change processes of innovation, diffusion and acculturation  
 6. Define lingua franca. Name the lingua franca of the FSM.
 7. Define pidgin. Name where pidgin is spoken in the Pacific?
 8. Explain the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis stating both its strengths and weaknesses
 9. Describe the social and psychological functions of religion  
10. Define universalizing religion and give three examples, explaining the universalizing elements of each
11. Define ethnic religion and give 3 examples, explaining the ethnocentrism of each 12. On a map draw lines showing the origin and spread of Christianity
13. On a map draw lines showing the origin and spread of Buddhism  
14. On a map draw lines showing the origin and spread of Islam  
15. Describe the religious geography of the FSM and explain how it got that way

Unit 6 - Political Geography

 1. Describe the historical development and consequences of the modern nation state
 2. List the describe the four main geographical features of nation states  
 3. Describe the role of the Alliance of Small Island States within the United Nations General Assembly. What issues does this organization address?  
 4. List and describe the 6 types of boundaries  
 5. List and describe the 4 types of boundary disputes  
 6. Define nationalism and describe its role in nation states. Explain what nationalizing processes are there in the FSM?  
 7. Describe the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the after effects  
 8. Describe the formation and development of the United Nations. List 4 of its agencies and describe their functions  
 9. Explain the four zones of diminishing control of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea  
10. Name 2 Pacific regional alliances and describe their functions  
11. Name 2 African regional alliances and describe their functions  
12. Name 2 Southeast Asian regional alliances and describe their functions  
13. Name 2 Euro-American regional alliances and describe their functions

Unit 7-Economic Geography

 1. List the four main categories of economic activity and list the activities within each category  
 2. Describe the primary economic activities  
 3. Describe the secondary economic activities  
 4. Describe the tertiary economic activities  
 5. Describe the quaternary economic activities
 6. Define subsistence economy and give an example
 7. Define commercial economy and give an example
 8. Define planned economy and give an example
 9. Describe the economy of a Chinese village as depicted in the textbook
10. Define the Green Revolution and explain its impact on people and economies
11. Explain how transnational corporations operate. Explain what positive and negative effects can they have on people and local, regional and global
     economies?
12. Describe what is meant by the term "upside down economy" with regard to the economy of the FSM.

Unit 8 - The Geography of Natural Resources

 1. List the natural resources with economic value possessed by the FSM
 2. List the natural resources not possessed by the FSM but presently heavily used by the FSM.
 3. Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources
 4. Describe the energy resource needs of industrial capitalism
 5. Describe the energy resource consumption patterns of industrialized versus no industrialized nations
 6. Describe the current availability and usage patterns of crude oil, coal and natural gas
 7. Explain how nuclear fission and nuclear fusion work
 8. Describe how hydroelectric power works
 9. Describe how biomass conversion works
10. Describe how solar power works
11. Describe how geothermal power works
12. Describe how wind power works    
13. Describe the current patterns of global grain food production
14. Describe the current patterns of global fish catching and consumption
15. Describe the global patterns of deforestation and its impact

Unit 9 - The Nations of the World

 1. Locate and name the nations of the Pacific  
 2. Locate and name the nations of Asia
 3. Locate and name the nations of Europe
 4. Locate and name the nations of North & South America  
 5. Locate and name the nations of Africa