New online class for high school students! Spring 2017
This new semester-long class for high school students will focus on enhancing students’ understanding of the interplay between geography -- both physical geography and human geography -- and current events, in the U.S. and around the world. Specific topics will depend on current events.
The 13-week class will be taught online, using readings, PowerPoint presentations, and ongoing discussions via Yahoo Group. The class will be asynchronous with weekly deadlines, allowing students to participate in the class each week according to their individual schedules.
Readings will be chosen from relevant periodicals such as The Economist, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and Foreign Policy. Links to online articles will be provided weekly so that student subscriptions are not required. It should be noted that these journals tend to be written at a fairly advanced level, at or beyond a 12th grade level, and the readings may include discussions of war, terrorism, and other violence. Students should be prepared to read, discuss, and respond to four to six articles per week. In addition to short weekly quizzes and response pieces, the class will involve a capstone project that allows students to explore the geography of a current events topic of their own choosing.
This class is designed for high school students and readings will be selected accordingly. Younger students who are academically prepared and motivated will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Because this is an online class, all students will need to (1) have internet access, (2) have an email account they check frequently, and (3) sign up for our class Yahoo Group.
January 23-May 7, 2017, with a two-week break in March/April corresponding to most students’ other academic spring breaks
