GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA

Department of Geography, University of Florida

GEA3600

Summer A 2023, 3 Credits, Online Class, Asynchronous

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Instructors:

Lead Instructor: Jesse Kisembe

Email: jesse.kisembe@ufl.edu (best to contact me through Canvas).

Office Hours: Email Jesse in Canvas to schedule an online meeting via Zoom. 

Teaching Assistants (TAs): Sarah Vanschoick, Zeyu He, Vincent Vitale, & Mashoukur Rahaman   

All email communication should be conducted through Canvas email, so a record is kept. E-mail will be responded to within 24 hours on weekdays only. PLEASE COPY TEACHING ASSISTANTS ON ALL CORRESPONDENCE.

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 e-Textbook version for purchase.

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Course Description

This course presents the Geography of Africa in a comprehensive and systematic survey of Africa’s population, natural resources, and regional geography. The course will emphasize the significance of Africa’s economic and political affairs in a globalizing world.

Students should anticipate a writing intense course and develop an understanding of the approaches used by geographers to identify and analyze environmental systems and human-environment relationships in Africa. This course will enhance student awareness of how geographic concepts apply to and have influenced their lives specific to the continent of Africa.

S - Social Science      N - International       Writing requirement – 6,000 words

Class Objectives

The objective of this course is the development of an understanding of the importance of the geography of the continent of Africa. The relationships between physical environment and human systems are the basic tenant of geography. The physical and human landscapes of Africa will be evaluated in relation to current events, politics and challenges, while considering the historical perspective.

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 identify development challenges in Africa.
4. Describe and analyze human-environment interactions in Africa according to different geographical concepts and define and identify causes of land degradation.
5. Describe wildlife policies and concerns, conservation and environmental degradation in Africa.
6. Research and write effective essays conveying complex ideas and arguments.

This class will NOT be about geography trivia. My goal for this course is to instill an ability to write and think geographically, rather than the requirement to memorize information. While this course is by its nature fact based, the assignments are designed to develop the following important skills: (1) written and verbal communication; (2) research and critical thinking; (3) problem evaluation and analysis; and (4) application of knowledge. Each assignment will provide the opportunity for a student to demonstrate creativity in applied geography.​

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

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 Friday, 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 questions (True/False), or fill-in-the-blank questions. You will have 2 attempts with the highest score recorded.

2) Reflection Essays:

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 about the continent; what topics they found most interesting and what they would like to learn more about (related to the geography of Africa or Africa in general). 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 or issues that you will be asked to reflect on. These discussion activities should demonstrate critical thinking and analysis as you briefly reflect on topics and issues in the African context, and how these issues are relatable on a larger scale. They will be submitted as text entries and should be written in proper essay format (no citation required)

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:

Students will develop a “Portfolio” for an African country of their choice 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 or research articles and other scholarly sources that relate to module topics.  

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 that 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, 2023 

What to Expect:  

• Online timed exam consisting of 50 fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice questions (True/False) 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 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.

 

Student Evaluation

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 Essays (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

 

Canvas e-Learning System

This class will be conducted using the e-Learning System, Canvas.  The syllabus, course calendar, reading materials and resources will be available through Canvas.  All assignments must be posted through Canvas unless otherwise instructed. Grades will be posted in Canvas. Please consult eLearning - University of Florida (ufl.edu)

If you experience problems with the e-Learning system, such as log-in issues, please contact the UF Computing Help Desk at the Hub, or at 392-HELP for assistance.

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 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 extras 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.

 

Academic Honesty, Regulations and the Honor Code

The very nature of higher education requires that students adhere to accepted standards of academic integrity. Details on student responsibilities and regulations can be viewed at

http://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/Pages/academic-regulations.aspxLinks to an external site.

Academic dishonesty (cheating) is not accepted in any class at the University of Florida. The practice of any type of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade for the entire class. 

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

In compliance with University of Florida policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that you may require as a student with a disability. You must be registered with Disabilities Resource Center (DRC) in Reid Hall for disability verification and determination of reasonable academic accommodations. Requests for academic accommodations need to be made during the first week of the semester (except for unusual circumstances) so arrangements can be made. For more information, Disability Resource Center - Disability (ufl.edu) 352-392-8565

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

Course Evaluation

Your Teaching Assistants and I would be grateful to receive feedback on this class. The University of Florida provides you with 10 criteria with which to evaluate the quality of instruction. Feedback can be provided online at http://evaluations.ufl.eduLinks to an external site.  and evaluations are usually open the last 2 weeks of the semester. I am sincerely committed to improving the class experience for you and always learn something from student feedback.

 

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

Note the Grading scale is to 2 decimal places. At the end of the semester do NOT ask for extra credit to make your grade higher. There are plenty of opportunities throughout the semester.

Grades are used as a tool to measure performance. To perform well in this class the following will help you: (1) attend class regularly (2) take lecture notes and set aside time to read the pertinent parts of the text (3) participate in class exercises. If you are not doing well and have studied, read, and attended class, please e-mail me or come and see me – do not wait until the end of the semester.

Meeting deadlines matters!  All assignments are due on the due date or as indicated on the Calendar. ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE TURNED IN THROUGH THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CANVAS).