Pick Your Path
- Due No due date
- Points 10
- Questions 1
- Time Limit None
Instructions
25% of your grade will be based on assignments that YOU choose. Below I have given you three options. You will review each and decide for yourself which path best fits your learning objectives. You will then choose 1 and answer the question within this assignment. You will then be assigned to your specific ‘Path Group’ and will only be required to do the assignments given for that group. Note: Weekly homework, class participation, readings, and Exams are assigned to EVERYONE! The only thing different will be the path homework assignments based on your choice of the options below. If you do not make a choice by the given due date, you will lose the points for this assignment and be put into the Pop Quiz Group.
Options
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Final Research Paper-
- Science and writing come hand in hand. While most college students know how to write an essay, most have never attempted a research paper. This choice will help you refine your ability to make a logical thesis, find competent sources, and present information in a non-bias, scientific way. This choice will require mini-writing assignments due every other week, leading up to your final research paper. The final research paper itself will be 100 points, while the mini assignments getting you ready to write the paper will be worth a total of 100 points. There are a total of 6 mini-writing assignments, including your rough draft and all can be viewed on Canvas. The final paper will be due the week before finals and the topic will be chosen by the student (with a few guidelines from the instructors). All writing assignments in this choice will have the option of being resubmitted after grading to improve upon one's grade in reference to the feedback I give. For more information read through the ‘Final Research Paper’ assignment in Canvas. This assignment helps fulfill Objective 2 stating: “Gain a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual-cultural activity (trade, education, music, sports, literature, etc.) of other regions of the world.“
- Final Research Paper
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Current Events Journal-
- This choice will have writing assignments every other week. Like option 1, this option will require research and writing, but not to the precision of a research paper. For this assignment, you will find 2 newspaper articles with significant international coverage, and relate each to one of three basic themes covered in this course. There will be a total of 6 assignments during the semester, each worth 40 points apiece. For more information read through the "Current Event Journal 1” assignment in Canvas. This assignment helps fulfill Objective 2 stating: “Gain a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual-cultural activity (trade, education, music, sports, literature, etc.) of other regions of the world.
- Current Event Journal 1
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Pop Quizzes-
- Maybe learning to be a better writer isn’t your goal for this course. Maybe you just hate writing. Well, this choice is an alternative to that. While you don’t need to do any writing for this option, you will need to keep up on the course material and check canvas almost daily. I can give a quiz at any time between Monday-Friday. You will have 24 hours from when the quiz is posted to complete it. You will ONLY be quizzed on the material you should already know. This means that if we are currently on Chapter 4, Latin America and the assignments for that chapter aren’t due until the coming Friday, I can only quiz you on information up to Chapter 3. Pop quizzes will NOT be assigned on the same day every week and will not consist of the same number of questions. Pop quizzes will total 200 throughout the semester. While these quizzes can be stressful for some, they will also help prepare you for the exams. I will NOT give a quiz on assigned exam days or on USU recognized holidays. This assignment helps fulfill Objective 1 stating: “Gain factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends) in regards to world regional geography. This will cover the use of basic population dynamics, human-wellbeing indicators, economic and developmental indicators, and map identification.
- You will use Proctorio for all of your quizzes and a practice quiz showing you how to set up the program is listed below. You will want to make sure your computer is compatible with this program BEFORE you choose this option.
- Practice Quiz (Remotely Proctored)
Goals and Expectations
Goals:
1) To promote student involvement in their learning objectives for the course.
2) To create an atmosphere for understanding and goals for each student.
Expectations:
The expectations for this assignment are simple. You are expected to review each of the options listed above and pick the one that best suits what you hope to get out of the course. Each one of these options relates directly to one of the three Course Objectives stated in the Syllabus and will help you grow as a student. Review each and answer the question attached. Make sure you consider time, writing skills and growth, what aspects of world regional geography interest you most, and what will help you on your career path.
Learning Objectives:
- Gain factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends) in regards to world regional geography. This will cover the use of basic population dynamics, human-wellbeing indicators, economic and developmental indicators, and map identification.
- Gain a broader understanding and appreciation of intellectual-cultural activity (trade, education, music, sports, literature, etc.) of other regions of the world.
- Analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view by the relational, political, economic, cultural, historical, and environmental contexts that shape the diversity, within and between countries, and the globalization of the world.