Butler Community College
Humanities and Social Sciences Division
Jeff Cohen
Revised Spring 2014
Implemented Fall 2014
COURSE OUTLINE
Principles of Geography
Course Description
SC 120. Principles of Geography. 3 hours credit. This course will enable the student to
locate the geographic positions of countries, cities, landforms and bodies of water in a
global context. The student will internalize the economic, political and cultural
relationships between the environment and people. The learning outcomes and
competencies detailed in this outline meet or exceed the learning outcomes and
competencies specified by the Kansas Core Outcomes Project for this course, as
approved by the Kansas Board of Regents (Transfers as GEO1010).
Required Materials
De Blij, Muller, and Nijman. Geography: Realms, regions, and concepts. John Wiley
and Sons, Inc.
DeBlij. Geography with WileyPlus. Wiley, John & Sons, Inc.
For complete textbook information, refer to https://bookstore.butlercc.edu
Supplemental Materials
National Geographic. College Atlas of the World.
Butler-assessed Outcomes
The intention is for the student to be able to:
1. Locate countries, cities, landforms and bodies of water within a global context
2. Internalize characteristics of relationships between people and environment
Learning PACT Skills that will be developed and documented in this course
Through involvement in this course, the student will develop ability in the following
PACT skill areas:
Personal Development Skills
 Interpersonal interaction - Through the internalization of relationships between
people and environment, the student will recognize the diversity of variables in a
given situation.
Analytical Thinking Skills
 Critical thinking - Through identification of geographic places within a global
context, the student will practice accurate identification and comparison of
countries, cities, landforms and bodies of water.
Communication Skills
 Creation and delivery of messages - Through written communication, the student
will express relevant facts and ideas.
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Major Summative Assessment Task
These learning outcomes and the Learning PACT skills will be demonstrated by:
1. Writing a research essay (C skill) comparing and contrasting two countries (from
prescribed lists) (A skill), covering physical patterns, human patterns over time,
population patterns, socio-cultural issues, and economic and political issues (P skill).
Skills or Competencies
Actions that are necessary to achieve the course outcomes:
1. Write clearly and accurately
2. Read with understanding and comprehension
3. Memorize basic facts and concepts
4. Apply basic facts and concepts
Learning Units
I.
North America
A. Countries - United States and Canada
B. Cities - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Washington DC.,
C. Bodies of Water - Mississippi River, Missouri River, St. Lawrence River, Ohio
River, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie
D. Landforms - Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Sierra Nevada
Mountains
II.
Middle and South America
A. Countries and territories - Mexico, Cuba, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela,
Brazil, Argentina, Puerto Rico
B. Cities - Mexico City, Sao Paolo, Lima, Bogotá
C. Bodies of Water - Amazon River, Caribbean Sea, Panama Canal
D. Landforms - Andes Mountains, Sonoran Desert, Tierra del Fuego
III.
Europe
A. Countries - United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Bosnia,
Serbia/Yugoslavia
B. Cities - London, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Zurich, Athens
C. Bodies of Water - Danube River, Thames River, Elbe River, English Channel,
Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Baltic Sea
D. Landforms - Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavian Peninsula, Crimean Peninsula,
Corsica, Sardinia, Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, Shetland Islands, Faroe
Islands
IV.
Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus
A. Countries -Russia Federation
B. Cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg
C. Bodies of Water - Volga River, Lake Baikal, Bering Sea
D. Landforms - Ural Mountains, Caucasus Mountains, Sakhalin Kurile Islands
V.
North Africa/Southwest Asia
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A. Countries - Egypt, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait
B. Cities - Istanbul, Kabul, Beirut, Baghdad, Mecca, Riyadh, Tehran, Alexandria,
Cairo
C. Bodies of Water - Nile River, Tigris River, Euphrates River, Arabian Sea,
Persian Gulf, Red Sea
D. Landforms - Sahara Desert
VI.
Sub-Saharan Africa
A. Countries - Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, South Africa, Liberia, Ethiopia
B. Cities - Dar es Salaam, Nairobi
C. Bodies of Water - Lake Victoria, Congo River, Niger River
D. Landforms - Horn of Africa, Kalihari Desert, Canary Islands
VII. South Asia
A. Countries - India, Pakistan
B. Cities - Islamabad, Bombay, Delhi
C. Bodies of Water - Indus River, Ganges River, Bay of Bengal
D. Landforms - Himalaya Mountains, Maldives
VIII. East Asia
A. Countries - Japan, North Korea, South Korea
B. Cities - Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul
C. Bodies of Water - Yangtze River
IX.
Southeast Asia
A. Countries - Philippines, Indonesia
B. Cities - Bangkok, Manila
C. Bodies of Water - South China Sea, Gulf of Tonkin
D. Landforms - Java, Timor
X.
Oceania and Australia
A. Countries - Australia
B. Cities - Sydney
C. Landforms - Maui, Oahu, Cape York, Samoan Islands, Guam, Great Outback
Learning Activities
Learning activities will be geared toward assisting the student achieve the intended
learning outcomes through lecture, discussion, homework, group and individual
projects, quizzes, exams, class writings, and other activities at the discretion of the
instructor.
Grade Determination
The student will be graded on learning activities and assessment tasks. Grade
determinants may include the following: daily work, quizzes, chapter or unit tests,
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comprehensive examinations, projects, presentations, class participation, and other
methods of evaluation at the discretion of the instructor.
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