Course Syllabus: Geography of Africa, Summer A 2022

University of Florida, Department of Geography

Instructor: Audrey C. Smith

GEA3600, Summer A 2021

Sections GAUF & GADL

3 credit hours

GEA 3600 provides 3 Credit Hours of General Education Requirements (GER): S=Social Science, N=International 

UF Writing Requirement: 6,000 words

 

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Instructors, Course Communication, & Office Hours:

Lead Instructor: Audrey C. Smith

Email: audreyculver@ufl.edu*

Please use the Canvas Inbox system to contact Audrey for all email communication for this course.

Phone: (352) 392-0494

Online Office Hours: TDB; email Audrey in Canvas to schedule an online meeting via Zoom 

Teaching Assistants (TAs): Vincent Vitale, Maram F. Alrehaili, & Mashouk Rahaman   

Course Communication: All email communication should be conducted through Canvas email so a record is kept. If you have a question about the course that isn't personal, please post it to the Course Questions Board.  This way everyone can benefit from the answers provided to your question(s).  There's a good chance your classmates either have the same questions or have an answer!  Feel free to communicate with your classmates via the Course Discussion Board; we will also be checking the Discussion Board to answer questions.  Please contact Audrey for all email communication including questions about assignments graded by course TAs. You may copy the TAs on your Canvas email if you wish.

Required Textbook:

*There is no required textbook for this course. However, weekly required readings will be assigned by the instructor and available to students in Canvas. 

Recommended Textbook:

Africa South of the Sahara: A Geographical Interpretation. Third Edition, 2013. Author: Robert Stock. ISBN-13: 978-1606239926; ISBN-10: 1606239929.

Note: The above textbook is NOT required but may serve to supplement the material provided in Canvas and enhance your learning. It is available through Amazon, with both paperback and hardback versions of the book as well as new and used copies, and an eTextbook version for purchase.

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Course Description

This course is an introduction to the Geography of Africa. It provides an overview of major environmental and human features of the region and examine the dynamic issues facing African societies. Students will learn about environmental and resource issues, historical impacts on development, cultural characteristics, social organization, politics and conflict, and prospects for the future.

Purpose of Course

This course presents the Geography of Africa from an environmental and economic development perspective. We start by understanding how Africa formed, its landscape, its climates, and how people evolved to interact with the environment. The course also discusses dynamic issues facing contemporary African societies and the challenges that people and nations of this vast continent are working to resolve, introducing ideas about economic development, politics, and governance. Issues of health, demography, gender, and culture are also covered. Through lectures, reading assignments, videos, and reflective writing exercises we will study the climate, environment, and natural resources of Africa; the influence of geography on human evolution in African and the impact of historical events on development; the tremendous diversity of African landscapes, peoples, and cultures; demographics, health, and disease; and prospects for the future.

Goals and Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Identify and describe the physical features, climates, and biomes of Africa.

2. Understand how climate shaped human evolution in Africa and the development of civilizations in Africa.

3. Explain how external influences and the legacy of colonialism shaped African development (and underdevelopment) and identify development challenges in Africa.

4. Describe and analyze human-environment interactions in Africa according to different geographical concepts, and define and identify causes  land degradation, including causes & outcomes.

5. Describe wildlife policies and concerns, conservation and environmental degradation in Africa

6. Research, outline, and write effective essays conveying complex ideas and arguments clearly and precisely, supporting claims with adequate evidence.​

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills:  A good attitude, an open mind, and the desire to learn.

Disclaimer: This page and the syllabus represents the current plans and objectives of the source.  As we go through the semester, those plans may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity.  Such changes, are likely and will be announced; the most up-to-date requirements will always be posted in the individual module pages.

Lectures/Reading Material:

Students are required to view PowerPoint audio lectures and topic videos provided for each of the course modules.  Additionally, there will be required readings provided by the instructor including the textbook research articles and other materials (See Modules pages for reading assignments). 

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Assignments

• Take the Syllabus Quiz by Thursday, May 19th!

There are five categories of assignments for the course: 1) Quizzes (3); 2) Reflection Essays (2); 3) Discussion Posts (5); 4) African Country Portfolio Essays (2); and 5) Final Exam (1). 

1) Module Quizzes:  There will be three (3) module quizzes throughout the semester. The quizzes will consist of map identification activities or 10 questions derived from module content including assigned readings, power point lectures, videos, and other material provided.

• Quiz 1: Modules 1-2
• Quiz 2: Modules 3-4
• Quiz 3: Module 5-6

What to expect: 10 multiple choice, T/F, or fill-in-the-blank questions. You will have 2 attempts with the highest score recorded.

2) Reflection Essays (2):

Reflection Essay 1- Preconceptions of Africa: Students will write a 500-WORD essay on any previous knowledge or preconceptions you may have about Africa or topics related to Africa.  

Reflection Essay 2-Final Reflections: Students will write a 750-WORD essay reflecting on what they learned in the course; what previous misconceptions and stereotypes of Africa they reassessed after learning more about the continent; what topics they found most interesting and or what they would like to learn more about (related to the geography of Africa or Africa more generally). No outside sources required.

3) Discussion Posts (5):

Discussion Posts 1- 5:  Students will be required to complete five 300-WORD Discussion Posts on topics provided and related to the course modules. The Discussion Posts may be responses to assigned  readings, research articles, videos or other materials, or general questions/issues that you will be asked to reflect on. These discussion activities should demonstrate critical thinking and analysis as you briefly reflect on topics/issues in the African context, and how the issues are relatable on a larger scale. They will be submitted as text entries and should be written in proper essay format but submitted as will not require citing sources, etc.

Please Note: Late Discussion Posts WILL NOT be accepted! Posts must be submitted by 11:59pm of the DUE DATE 

4) African County Portfolio Essays (2):

African Country Portfolio:

• Students will develop a “Portfolio” for a country of their choice located on the African continent and write about their selected country in the context of topics from the course modules for Portfolio Essays 1 & 2 (1500 words each).  
• Portfolio Country Selection: By the end of Week 2, students will select an African country for which they want to develop their Portfolio, which includes conducting preliminary research on the country to determine if there is enough information available through journal/research articles and other scholarly sources that relate to module topics.  

African Country Portfolio Essays (2):

Portfolio Essays 1 & 2: Students will submit two 1500-WORD portfolio essays that reference and properly cite a minimum of 4 scholarly sources using APA citation style. You will be required to provide a list of references and use in-text citations throughout.

• Please note: In-text citations are required for any information that is derived from outside sources (not just for direct quotes). You should generally avoid using direct quotes unless the phrase will not retain the same meaning or have the same effect if re-worded. For this course, you are expected to avoid using direct quotes- the written words should be your own words!
• Scholarly Sources: Scholarly sources include research articles are written by scholars, scientists, or professionals who are experts in their fields and are published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Google Scholar is a useful internet search tool, and online digital libraries such as JSTOR (http://www.jstor.org (Links to an external site.)). You can also access scholarly sources from the UF Library Off Campus Access.

• Non-scholarly Sources: Students may also use and cite non-scholarly sources (e.g., news articles, blogs, etc.) but only in addition to the required minimum of 4 scholarly sources.

5) Final Exam (100% Online):  

When: Available June 15-17, 2022 

What to Expect:  

• Online timed exam consisting of 50 fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice & T/F questions derived from content from course Modules 1-6, including PowerPoint lectures, assigned readings, videos, and other material provided. The questions will be selected via a random process so that each student will have a different set of questions. The exam will be open-book/notes and we will not be using Honorlock or ProctorU.
• The exam is designed to test your comprehension and understanding of the materials from the full course, so all lectures, videos, readings, activities, and other module elements may be covered in the exam.
• The final exam is worth 100 points.

Grading by Assignment Type:

Assignment Type	Total Words	Total Points
Syllabus Quiz	N/A	10
Introduce Yourself	250	25
Portfolio Country Selection	N/A	25
Module Quizzes (3 @ 30 pts. each)	N/A	90
Reflection Essays (2 @ 50 pts each; 500/750 words)	1250	100
Portfolio Submissions (2 @ 200 pts., 1500 words)	3000	400
Discussion Posts (5 @ 50 pts., 300 words)	1500	250
Final Exam	N/A	100
Total Points	N/A	1000
Total Words	6000	N/A

 

Late Work Policy

We recognize that this class is not the only thing in your life, and sometimes other things happen that get in the way of submitting work on time. Late work is accepted, and will be lose 5 points per day after the assignment due date*. This allows the most flexibility and fairness across the whole class, so if you need an hour or two extra to finish work, you'll be penalized, but not so much that it wrecks your grade. Make-up work is not allowed beyond this policy without documentation of a university-approved absence. Quizzes and exams are exempt from this policy and will not be accepted late.

*Please Note: Late Discussion Posts WILL NOT be accepted! Posts must be made by the DUE DATE.

 

Grading Scale: *You must earn a C or higher to receive credit for this course!

A	92-100
A-	90-91.99
B+	88-89.99
B	82-87.99
B-	80-81.99
C+	78-79.99
C	72-77.99
C-	70-71.99
D+	68-69.99
D	62-67.99
D-	60-61.99
E	<60

 

Academic Integrity

You should read the University’s Guide to academic honesty, which is available online at http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/academicguide.php. Plagiarism and other violations of academic honesty are unacceptable. If you are found to have cheated, you will be penalized by the reduction of your course grade, and may be subject to further penalties. You should expect the minimum penalty to be a failing grade for the course.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodations.

Statement on Intellectual Property Rights

Course materials prepared by the instructor, together with the content of all lectures and review sessions presented by the instructor are the property of the instructor. Video and audio recording of lectures and review sessions without the consent of the instructor is prohibited. On request, the instructor will usually grant permission for students to audio tape lectures, on the condition that these audio tapes are only used as a study aid by the individual making the recording. Unless explicit permission is obtained from the instructor, recordings of lectures and review sessions may not be modified and must not be transferred or transmitted to any other person, whether or not that individual is enrolled in the course.

Course Attendance, Make-Up Work, etc.

Requirements for class attendance and make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx

UF Grading Policies

University policy on grade point averages for courses is available at: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx

Online Course Evaluations

Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/ (Links to an external site.). Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/ (Links to an external site.). Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/ (Links to an external site.).