Happy Holidays!

Dear students: final grades are up on PantherSoft. I gave everyone a little early holiday present of 5 points on their final grade, and we have a normal upper-division grade distribution thanks to that little boost. Note that the adjusted grades are NOT reflected in the gradebook posted earlier. Have a great break, and I hope to see you at graduation tomorrow.

Grades

Dear students: the raw scores for all of this semester's work, including the Final Exam and Project #3, are available by clicking here. I will calculate final letter grades and post them on PantherSoft later this week. Have a great break!!!

Project #3

Dear students: the time is here to begin your field research for Project #3. You can get the instructions by clicking here. I know you'll have fun with this one!

Article by Professor Price

Since some of you have wondered what it is that geographers like me really do with our time (besides teach, advise, run the University, and write textbooks), I'm sharing a recent article of mine. You can access it by clicking here. It is not required reading, merely a peek into my own research. The topic is critical race theory (an approach coming out of legal studies) and critical geographies of race.

Final Week Exam Schedule

Well  (drum roll here), the much-anticipated, long-awaited, final version of the Final Week Schedule is now available by clicking here. Our final exam is scheduled for Monday December 6th at 12:00. NOTE: This is inexplicably an hour earlier than we usually meet, so put it in your planner!

Tyra's 'Body' Experiment

Careers in Geography

Dear students: here is the guide I developed "back in the day" (as you would say) when I was undergrad program director for INR & Geography. Click here, and note that the second page of this pdf has the career information (first page is about majoring in Geog).

The Association of American Geographers has great career advice too, which you can access by clicking here.

Finally, if I can give any one magic piece of advice, it would be to do an internship in your senior year. Dr. Tardanico is in charge of our internship program in GSS, and his email is tardanic@fiu.edu

Group Project #2

Dear students: It's time to conduct field research for your Project #2. Events Coordinators, time for you to do your work! Project guidelines can be downloaded by clicking here.

Group Project #1 Instructions

Between Tuesday September 21 and Thursday September 30 your entire group (together or in pieces) is responsible for a field visit to Pet Heaven, just down the street from FIU's MMC. Each student should record observations. The assignment sheet is available by clicking here; please download and print this prior to your visit. Please do the assigned readings ("Landscape") prior to your visit. Have fun!

Mitchell? What Mitchell?

Yes, in an unprecedented coincidence, there is a Mitchell issue with the upcoming readings. You should read Don Mitchell.

What is Culture?

What is the definition of culture here? What are its components? How does it compare to Williams, Geertz?

Late Work and Late Students Policies

In the team spirit, you voted as a class on the following policies, which are now posted and binding:

1. If a student is late to class (iRAT in progress), they should begin taking the iRAT immediately and not get any extra time.

2. If a student is late to class (iRAT over) or absent altogether, student should count the “zero” grade as one of their two to be dropped.
3. If a student is late to class or absent altogether from a gRAT, student should get the same grade as everyone else on the team. However, a student can only do this twice. After that, the student will get a "zero" on gRAT(s) for which s/he is late or absent
4. If a team member is chronically late or absent (without a validated medical excuse), doesn’t participate in team activities, and has a generally poor attitude, the team should just give that person a poor grade on the end-of-semester peer assessment.

Permanent Student Groups

Please see the permanent TBL groups by clicking on this document. For the duration of the semester, these folks are your tribe. You will sit together in class, participate in in-class activities, and - my guess - you will bond closely with them and continue to do things outside of class (study, do field site visits, whatnot).

Group 8

Gilman Scholarships for Study Abroad

Dear Students: please note that a Gilman Scholarship application workshop will be held this coming Wednesday, September 8th, at 3:00 in GC 316. The Gilman Program awards annually 1700 scholarships of up to $5000 to students who do a study abroad. You must be a Pell Grant recipient. See details on the scholarship, the workshop, and other application criteria by viewing the flyer located here.

Week Two Readings

Seems that Google docs doesn't like the format of my Readings & Activities spreadsheet. I've got a couple of possible solutions which I'll try out tonight. In the interim, I know a lot of you want to get ahead with your reading ;) so here is the assignment for Week Two:

• UCG: Chapter 2
• CGR:
• Intro to Part 2 (ppl 79-82)
• Editors' intros and entries for:
• Ratzel
• Vidal
• Sauer

Readings and Activities Week-by-Week Schedule

This is a very important document. It details the readings you are responsible for, what activities will take place in the classroom, and important assignment and exam dates.

Access the Readings and Activities Week-by-Week Schedule by clicking here.
Please note: all contents and dates are subject to change in the event of a major unforeseen event (e.g., closure of the University).

The Original Video of Lilly: The World Map Master

Sooooo.... Lilly may have a bright future at Concordia ... as a Geography Teacher!

Reply To This Post For Extra Credit

Dear students: by replying correctly to this post, bringing a printed copy of the syllabus to class on Friday, and signing up to the blog as a "follower," all by August 27, you will receive one extra credit point.

Use the following text EXACTLY in your reply: "I have read and understood the syllabus and classroom policies posted here." Sign it with your real name so I can grant your credit.

Week One Readings

Week One assigned readings are:
- CGR (Cultural Geography Reader) Introduction (pp. 1-8)
- UCG (Understanding Cultural Geography) Chapter 1

A complete readings and activities schedule will be posted on the blog by Monday, Aug. 30.

Wyss' Pieces: Geography 101

Please don't end up on a video like this!