Course Number: SS125

Course Title: Geography of the Pacific

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

General 

1. Students will acquire the general concepts of geography and supporting geographical facts of the entire Pacific region.
2. Students will survey the natural resources, economics, societies, politics and cultures of all the Pacific island nations.

Specific 

Students will be able to:

 1. Explain the basic geographical concepts of location, size and scale. (Unit 1)
 2. Explain the physical and cultural attributes of places. (Unit 1)
 3. Describe the geological processes responsible for creating Pacific topography, the ocean's basic features including underwater seamounts, oceanic islands, island chains,
     ocean trenches, plains and atolls. (Unit 1)
 4. Describe the current geological and geographical features of the Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae islands.
 5. Describe the characteristics of Pacific island weather and climate. (Unit 1)
 6. Explain the El Nino phenomenon and describe its effect upon Pacific island weather. (Unit 1)
 7. Describe how the Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae islands were formed. (Unit 1)
 8. Discuss the impact of pollution on tropical islands and atolls and give suggestions as to what can be done about it. (Unit 1)
 9. Describe the interaction between places and peoples and patterns of human movement and change.  (Unit 2)
10. Describe the main elements of historical-cultural geography, political geography, behavioral geography and economic geography. (Unit 3)
11. Discuss the economic potentials and constraints of the Federated States of Micronesia. (Unit 3)
12. Identify and properly use physical, political, population, vegetation, cultural and economic maps. (Units 1-5)
13. Name and locate on an outline map at least 20 Pacific island countries and their capital cities. (Unit 5)
14. Describe the processes whereby marine biological communities become established and are maintained around islands and atolls. (Unit 4)
15. Give examples of place utility and explain how people's perception of it affects migration. (Unit 3)
16. State five reasons for studying the geography of the Pacific. (Units 1-5)
17. Compare at least five other world geographical locations to the longitude and latitude of selected Micronesian island nations and describe the geographical differences and
      similarities. (Units 1-5)
18. Describe the Spanish, German, British, Japanese and American impacts on the politics and economics of the Pacific island nations and territories. (Unit 3)
19. Identify the similarities and differences of the island communities of Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. (Units 2-5)
20. Locate on an outline map the three Pacific cultural regions of Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. (Unit 5)