Dear students: here is your supplemental reading for the week. It is an opinion piece from the New York Times from by a structural engineer and earthquake consultant. Seattle may be a cool place, but is it ready for a mega-earthquake of the sort that just hit Chile? Apparently not.

Professor Price's YouTube Playlist

Much awaited! Now it is finally yours to enjoy. All of the music from around the world - the cool, the bizarre, the strange (and, of course Maharaja Cowboy!) - that's been entertaining us at the beginning of class.

Map Quiz Component for Exam #2

For the four regions we're studying for Exam #2, you will familiarize yourself with the locations of their most important places. Each world region has 15 study locations. Only 5 of them from each region will be on your midterm but you won't know which in advance. There is a total of 20 midterm questions that come from the map locations (5 from each region @ 4 regions = 20 place names). It's exactly like on Exam #1.

Middle & South America

South Asia

North Africa & Southwest Asia

Southeast Asia

Study guide: place names

Indian fishermen use cell phones to keep up with the location of fish, it's market price for that day, and weather forecasts. One example of the digital divide being crossed. See the Washington Post article here.

Happy reading!

Russia's Demographic Collapse

OK, so I'm sure you're all enjoying your Spring Break. Me too ... Old Prof Price has got a bucket-load of writing done this week.

But what's break without some supplementary reading, you ask? So, for your reading pleasure, here is an article from the Chronicle of Higher Education on just the sort of things we've been talking about this semester. It's focused on Russia and what's happening there demographically-speaking. I mentioned Russia as a case for a country that doesn't follow the demographic transition, and here are the details. Very interesting! Enjoy, and see you all on Monday.

Lost 'n Found

A piece of jewelry was found in RDB 1100 and turned in after class on Wednesday, March 10. If you think it might be yours, please email me and provide a detailed description.

Prof Price's Grad Student in Bogota

Dear students: I'd like to share a story about my PhD student, Amy Ritterbusch. She is doing her dissertation field research in Bogota, Colombia (AKA "the Athens of South America"!), with street girls. Here is the link: FIU Magazine Winter 2010. Here is a link to her blog. This is an example of what it is, really, that academic geographers do. In terms of the categories we discussed at the beginning of the class, Amy would be considered a cultural and urban geographer who contributes to the field of children's geographies. She uses GIS as one of her techniques. Maybe this sort of thing will inspire some of you to major in Geography at FIU! Or go on to graduate school in Geography at FIU!

Venezuela's Power Woes

Yes, it's a double-entendre: "power" as in electricity, and as in who's in power. This New York Times article on Venezuela's "Resource Curse" is an illustration of how politics and economics are tightly bound to each other. It's also an illustration of Latin America's paradox: how is it that a region so rich in natural and human resources is as poor as it is? BTW, the image shows Venezuela's Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world.

More Matt

Wow, wish you guys were as enthused about the newspaper articles as you are by the Dancing Matt video! Anyway, here is a discussion from My Favorite Source Ever ... Wikipedia ... on Matt Harding's journeys, sponsors, and so forth. You can spend a lot of time checking out his appearances and videos ... after the exam.

Matt Dancing Across the Globe

Dear students: here's a wee break in your exam studying. Thanks to Jessica W. for forwarding this link. Matt must have been a Geography major ...

Exam Policies and Procedures

Here they are: please read before taking Exam 1

Extra Credit Opportunity

Dear students: on Thursday February 25, 5:00 - 6:30 PM in MARC Pavillion, there will be a Keynote Address by Michael D. Kennedy (Brown University). He will speak on Cultural Formations of the European Union. How relevant to our class! Here is the flyer. The extra credit event is for Thursday's keynote only.

I will give you one extra credit point for attending the entire session. In order to get the credit you must sign in and sign out with David Suarez (our Friday TA). He will have a sheet for that purpose. It is your responsibility to find him and do this: if you don't you won't be awarded credit. You must be present for the entire lecture to receive credit (hence sign in at the beginning, sign out at the end: no late sign-ins or early sign-outs).

What's Up (or, Rather, Down) with the Euro?

This week we will look at the Euro - the European Union's common currency - as an example of how a bloc of countries has attempted to integrate economically, politically, and militarily. However, the road to unity is rarely a smooth one, as evidenced by Greece's recent economic troubles affecting the price and stability of the Euro. Read this Wall Street Journal article as your supplemental reading for the week.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!

Final Exam Schedule

Dear students: the University has (finally) released the exam schedule for the final week of the semester.

Our Exam #2 is scheduled for Friday, April 23, at 9:45.

There are no early exams. Because this is a M/W/F course, the Friday exam slot is just how the chips fell in our case. Make your travel plans accordingly.

Tracking Trends in Low Fertility Countries: An Uptick in Europe? - Population Reference Bureau

A more in-depth look at what's happening in low fertility countries. Several of you asked what such countries are doing to encourage births. Here's the word from the Population Reference Bureau, which is a great and reliable source for all things population.

Tracking Trends in Low Fertility Countries: An Uptick in Europe? - Population Reference Bureau

China's Only Child

Dear students: next week we'll be looking at China's One Child Policy. Here is a recent NYT article on the demographic imbalance caused by this policy. And from The Guardian (a UK newspaper), this story of other unintended consequences of this policy.

Millennium Development Goals

Dear students: in 2000 the UN declared the 8 "Millennium Goals" to be achieved by 2015, in order for the world to be a better place.

Here is the video we showed in class.

You should be familiar with what these 8 goals are, for exam purposes. More importantly, they underscore the importance of a broader-than-money-only definition of development. While some degree of wealth is necessary for development to occur, it is not sufficient on its own.

Measuring Development

Dear students: we've focused on measuring economic growth and quality of life last week and will do more of that in Week 4. Here are some resources for you - not required reading per se but useful in a general sense or maybe for a paper you're writing in another class.

You can explore the CIA Factbook to get a quick profile (economic, political, geographic, and so forth) of any country in the world. Wikipedia, perhaps my Favorite Thing Ever, has a detailed discussion of GDP and the different ways it's measured. You can also click on the links on that page for sort-able lists of countries by different GDP measures.

Poverty rate rising in the US

Dear students: here is an article in The New York Times on how poverty is rising thanks to the economic hard times we're experiencing. Very interesting reading.

Map Quiz Component for Exam #1

Part of the whole "geography" thing is being able to discuss current and historical events intelligently. You can only do that if you know where the places these events occur (or occurred) are located. So, part of Exam #1 involves map locations.

For the four regions we’re studying for Exam #1, you will familiarize yourself with the locations of their most important places. Each world region has 15 study locations. Only 5 of them from each region will be on your midterm but you won’t know which in advance. There is a total of 20 midterm questions that come from the map locations (5 from each region @ 4 regions = 20 place names).

North America base map

East Asia base map

Europe base map

Africa base map

Study guide: place names

To locate the place names on the study guide, print out the base maps for each region. Use your textbook or an atlas to find these places. On your midterm you will have numbers on these same blank maps maps. On the midterm itself, each number will have four place name choices. You will identify the correct one for that place on the map and bubble-in the correct answer for that number.

Sounds easy as pie – and it is! – but you will need to study up.

Not using WebCT this semester

Dear students: some of you have asked about WebCT. I've used it in the past, but this semester I am not using it. So if you have other classes and have GEA2000 as an option, do NOT use it - those materials are from 2008 and do not apply to this class.
We are using this blog only, and the materials (syllabus, etc) posted here.

Gross National Happiness Index

Good morning! Here is some information extending today's lecture (and yes, you should read it!). First of all, here is my Favorite Source (Wikipedia) on the GNHI. Here is an article on the Facebook Happiness Index (yep, apparently there is an app for everything!). A New York Times article updates Bhutan's happiness status as of 2009.

Be happy!

Discussion Section Syllabus

Dear students: please access and print out a copy of the Discussion Section Syllabus. This syllabus provides the section meeting rooms and contact information for your TA. It has the schedule of your upcoming book quizzes, and a discussion of where your "participation" points come from. Keep in mind that Discussion Section provides 40% of your final grade.
Have a great weekend and see you all on Monday!

Book Quiz on Chapter One next week

Dear students: I hope the first week of classes is coming to a productive and exciting close, as you get back in the swing of things FIU.

One of the discussion section activities involves regular Book Quizzes on reading assigned for that week. You are assigned Chapter One for next week, and will have a Book Quiz on Chapter One in your discussion sections next week (the week of January 11).

Your only preparation is ... reading the assigned chapter. You do not need to bring anything other than a functioning writing instrument. The Book Quizzes are 10-question multiple choice affairs. They are easy-peasy and meant to help you manage your time with regard to assigned readings.

If you have friends who are enrolled in the course but not signed up to the blog yet, we appreciate your help in getting the word out. Any questions should go to your TA directly.

Study Skills & Strategies

Study skills ... you can't survive college without developing good ones that work for you! If you are having trouble concentrating, managing your time, reading the textbook, taking notes, or any other study-related area, be proactive and take the time to study up on studying! The sooner you do this the more these skills can help you out across your college years, and whatever you learn can be applied in all of your classes.

The Internet has a lot of fantastic resources. Here is a link to "The ten study habits of successful students," here is a link to "10 tips for getting good grades," if test anxiety bedevils you conquer it here, and Virginia Tech has a great resource library of study skills available here (see especially the SQ3R method for textbook reading).

I have done a lot of undergraduate student advising, and you may find discussing your specific study-related concerns with me to be helpful. Come see me during office hours for a consult. Or, see your TA ... studying is a full-time job for them; they are pros.

Recent research reveals that, despite the variety of technological devices designed to "make your life simpler," the #1 best way to retain information is still the age-old "read book (or notes), close book (or notes), and repeat key ideas" strategy. Taking notes on your reading also helps (versus just highlighting the textbook), particularly if you type these notes up afterward. Finally, group study sessions can be helpful, but make sure they don't devolve into chat-sessions, and make sure to study with people who will pull you up rather than bring you down learning-wise.

Just make sure not to end up on Jaywalking (or of course a Miss Teen USA contest!).

Here is a copy of the 2009 - 2010 FIU student handbook. We will abide by all FIU policies and procedures in this course.

Course Materials

The basics for this class are the syllabus, which is available as a pdf by clicking here; the textbook which you can view details about by clicking here (note: this is an Amazon.com link but you do not need to buy from Amazon.com!); and the iClicker which you can view more about by clicking here (note: this is where you go to register your iClicker).

You will need to print out or save an electronic copy of the syllabus and consult it frequently - it is your "survivial guide" for this course.

You will need to purchase both the textbook and the iClicker. You can't pass this class without these basic materials! You can purchase both new and bundled-together in the University Bookstore, or purchase them new or used separately online. Make sure to buy a current (4th) edition of the textbook. If you buy from a non-University Bookstore vendor, make sure it is the version WITHOUT subregions. Make sure to register your iClicker, whether new, used, or carried over from a previous semester.

Welcome!

Dear students: I am thrilled to be teaching my Very Favorite Course, World Regional Geography, this Spring 2010. We will use this blog to distribute course information, resources, and materials, as well as to share geography-relevant news. I and my Teaching Associates are looking forward to a productive and fun semester working with all of you.