SS 125 – Geography of the Pacific Islands/Spring 2002
Instructor: Mariana
Ben-Dereas
Office
Hours:
2:00 – 3:00PM (daily)
COM-FSM/Social
Science Division/F102
or
by appointment: 320-2480/ext. 4510
GENERAL
OBJECTIVE:
1.
To
assist the students in acquiring general concepts of geography and supporting
geographical facts of the Pacific area.
2.
It’s
objective is the physical, cultural, political and economic survey of the
Pacific region.
3.
It
surveys the world importance, geographical characteristics and major problems
of the Pacific, the earth’s largest single geographic feature.
COURSE
CONTENT:
1.
The
regional concept of
a.
Melanesia
b.
Polynesia
c.
Micronesia
2.
Introduction
to the fundamental concepts of basic geography and study of the Pacific.
a.
Land
formation
b.
Tropical
Pacific weather and climate
c.
Human
impact upon the environment
3.
Historical
- cultural geography of the Pacific
a.
Population
and cultural diversity of the Pacific
b.
Navigation
and canoe technology and pre-contact life style.
c.
Political
geography of the Pacific
d.
Behavioral
geography of the Pacific Basin
4.
Economic
geography of the Pacific
a.
The
types of economic systems, subsistence economic system, commercial economic
system and planned economics of the Pacific nations and the impact of colonialism
in the Pacific.
b.
The
geography of the Pacific natural resources
c.
Urban
geography
d.
Post-contact
economy
METHODS
OF INSTRUCTION:
Sessions will consist of lectures. These lectures will allow room for students
to have open discussions on topics from the instructor or text. In addition to lectures, Videos will
be shown throughout the semester to introduce topics or islands discussed by
instructor and text. Projects
will either be assigned by the instructor or proposed by students to stimulate
their understanding of the topic/course.
Such projects can be a written paper on the different Pacific regions or
a 3D map of the Pacific.
In
order for students to conceptualize the geography of the Pacific, map
activities will be given to familiarize each student with the different
Pacific islands. Class/group
discussions will be an important part of the class. Instructor will assign topics for different
groups to discuss, formulate questions, and then share with class. There will be a unit TEST given after
the completion of each Unit; a total of six tests - there will
be no Final Examination. ** If one
is unable to make in-class test/examination, a full 24-hour notice to the
instructor should be given. The
instructor will give further information on make-up upon the notice.
15%
-- Map activities
20%
-- Class Participation
10%
-- Project
55%
-- Test
Attendance
will be according to COM-FSM policy indicated in the catalog.
REQUIRED
TEXTBOOKS:
The Pacific Islands: Environment & Society. Edited by Moshe Rapaport This required
textbook is available for purchase at the COM-FSM bookstore.
q
Map
Work – getting to know the islands and regions
Note: There will be occasional map activities throughout this semester therefore always study your maps given to you at the beginning of the semester
Week
2 to 4 – The Physical Environment: