Time: Monday and Thursday, 4:10 – 5:25 PM
Instructor: Charles A. Heatwole
Office: 1045 North Building
Office Hours: Monday Noon – 3PM
Wednesday 1 PM – 5 PM
Thursday Noon – 3 PM
And by appointment
Phone: (212) 773-5323
E-mail: charles.heatwole@hunter.cuny.edu
Text: None. See “Reading Assignments” section of course web page
Mid term exam - 25%
Final exam - 25%
Term project - 25%
Participation - 25%
100%
| Date | Topic |
| M 8/29 | Introduction |
| Th 9/1 | The Classical Period |
| M 9/5 | NO CLASS TODAY |
| Th 9/8 | The Classical Period |
| M 9/12 | The Classical Period |
| Th 9/15 | The Middle Ages |
| M 9/19 | The Middle Ages |
| Th 9/22 | Discovery and Aftermath |
| M 9/26 | Discovery and Aftermath |
| Th 9/29 | NO CLASS TODAY |
| M 10/3 | The Renaissance and Enlightenment |
| Th 10/6 | The Renaissance and Enlightenment |
| M 10/10 | NO CLASS TODAY |
| Th 10/13 | Darwinism and Determinism |
| M 10/17 | Darwinism and Determinism |
| M 10/20 | Darwinism and Determinism |
| M 10/24 | MID-TERM EXAM |
| Th 10/27 | Foundations of American Geography |
| M 10/31 | Foundations of American Geography |
| Th 11/3 | The Interwar Years |
| M 11/7 | The Interwar Years |
| Th 11/10 | The Quantitative/Theoretical Turn |
| M 11/14 | The Quantitative/Theoretical Turn |
| Th 11/17 | The Quantitative/Theoretical Turn |
| M 11/21 | A New Kind of Humanism |
| Tu 11/22 | A New Kind of Humanism |
| Th 11/24 | NO CLASS TODAY |
| M 11/28 | Marxists, Feminists, and Assorted Post-Modernists |
| Th 12/1 | Marxists, Feminists, and Assorted Post-Modernists |
| M 12/5 | Advances in Physical Geography |
| Th 12/8 | A New World of Technology |
| M 12/12 | Concluding Thoughts |
This course traces the history of American geography and its direct antecedents back to the time of ancient Greece. If you are a geography major, then you can think of this course as an exploration of your academic DNA. The goal is to acquire understanding of the major people, events, innovations, ideas, theories and models that have marked the upward trajectory of the field of geography from its ancient origins to a modern discipline. Classes will consist of differing combinations of Powerpoint-based lectures, brief student reports on -- and/or discussions of -- assigned topics, and/or discussions of assigned readings.
The two exams will consist of a definitions section, a multiple choice section, and essays. The final exam is not cumulative, but will instead only cover materials encountered since the mid-term exam.
“Professor, do you give a review sheet for your exams?”
No. You are strongly advised to attend every class and take notes. The result will be the best review sheet you could possibly have.
The term project is a 15-20 page research paper written at a level appropriate for a special topics course. A broad range of subjects will be acceptable, including (but not limited to) the life and/or work of relevant individuals; the development of specific geographical tools, technologies or sub-fields; or particular episodes in the history of geography. You are strongly encouraged to discuss your topic early and often with your instructor.
As noted above under Description and Goals, most (if not all) of the classes will include brief student reports on -- and/or discussions of -- assigned topics, and/or discussions of assigned readings. Inasmuch as participation will count for 25% of your final grade, an excellent attendance record is highly recommended.
Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g. plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The College is committed to enforcing CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Hunter College Academic Integrity Procedures. Acts of plagiarism, dishonesty, or cheating related to any portion of the work required for this course will be punished to the full extent allowed according to Hunter College regulations. In a nutshell, academic dishonesty is a serious matter. And although I take no pride in telling you this, I once got a CUNY doctoral candidate expelled from the university on account of plagiarism.
The Classical Period
Online: History of Geography, History of navigation, Dead reckoning, History of Navigation, Homer, Thales of Miletus, gnomon, Anaximander, Hecataeus of Miletus, Herodotus, Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, Eudoxus of Cnidus, Pytheas, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, astrolabe, Posidonius, Crates of Mallus, Strabo, Ptolemy
The Middle Ages
Woodward, David, “Reality, Symbolism, Time and Space in Medieval World Maps, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 75 (Dec., 1985); 510-21.
Online: Cardinal Pierre d’Ailly, History of Cartography, T-O maps, the Hereford Map, Mappa Mundi, Charlemagne, Portolan charts, Pietro Vesconte, Marco Polo, Henry the Navigator, Sagres, Caravel, Lateen, Cape Bojador, Gil Eannes, Edrisi (al-Idrisi), Ibn Battuta, Ibn Khalkdun, Al-Balkhi, Al-Biruni, the Spice trade
Discovery and Aftermath
Online: History of Geography, History of navigation, history of cartography, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, old maps of the world, Mercator, James Cook, Joseph Banks, Johann and Georg Forster, Scilly naval disaster of 1707, the longitude prize, James Harrison, The Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), Wladimir Koppen, Koppen climatic classification system.
Renaissance and Enlightenment
Bunske, Edmunds V., “Humboldt and an Aesthetic Tradition in Geography.” Geographical Review, Vol. 71 (April, 1981): 127-46.
Glacken, Clarence J., “Count Buffon on Cultural Changes of the Physical Environment,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 50 (March, 1960): 1-21.
Marie Sanderson, “Mary Somerville: Her Work in Physical Geography,” Geographical Review, Vol. 64 (July, 1974): 410-20.
Darwinism and determinism
Elliott, Harold M. “Mental Maps and Ethnocentrism: Geographic Characterizations in the Past,” Journal of Geography, Vol. 78 (December, 1979): 250-65.
Gade, Daniel, “The Growing Recognition of George Perkins Marsh.” Geographical Review, Vol. 73 (July 1983): 341-44.
Huntingdon, Ellsworth. “The Relation of Health to Racial Capacity,” Geographical Review, Vol. 11 (1921): 243-64.
Semple, Ellen Churchill, “The Anglo-Saxons of the Kentucky Mountains: A Study in Anthropogeography,” The Geographical Journal, Vol. 17 (1901): 588-623.
Richard Peet, “The Social Origins of Environmental Determinism,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol, 75 (Sept., 1985): 309-333.
Ross, Emory, “The Climate of Liberia and Its Effect on Man,” Geographical Review, Vol. 7 (1919): 387-402.
Stoddart, D. R. “Darwin’s Impact on Geography,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 56 (Dec., 1966): 683-698.
The Founding of American geography
Barrows, Harlan. "Geography as Human Ecology," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 13 (1923): 1-14.
Fenneman, Nevin."The Circumference of Geography," Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 9 (1919): 3-11.
Jefferson, Mark. “The Civilizing Rails,” Economic Geography, Vol. 4 (July, 1928): 217-231.
The Interwar years
Hartshorne, Richard, “The Upper Silesian Industrial District,” Geographical Review, Vol. 24 (1934): 423-38.
Sauer, Carl O., “The Personality of Mexico.” Geographical Review, Vol. 31 (1941): 353-364.
The Quantitative/Theoretical Turn
Clark, David, “The Formal and Functional Structure of Wales,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 63 (March, 1973): 71-84.
Gould, Peter, “Geography 1957-1977: The Augean Period.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 69 (1979): 139-51.
Gould, Peter, “Man Against His Environment: A Game Theoretic Framework,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 53 (September, 1963): 290-97.
Kuhn, Thomas. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. (see online)
Stone, Kirk, “Geography’s War Time Service,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 69 (1979): 89-96.
A New Kind of Humanism
Arreola, Daniel D., “Mexican American Exterior Murals, Geographical Review, Vol. 74 (October, 1984): 409-24.
Burton, Ian R., and Robert Kates, “The Floodplain and the Seashore: A Comparative Analysis of Hazard-Zone Occupance.” Geographical Review, Vol. 54 (July, 1964): 366-85.
Kearns, Kevin C., “Resuscitation of the Irish Gaeltacht.” Geographical Review, Vol. 64 (January, 1974): 82-110.
Lai, Chuen-yan David, “A Feng-Shui Model as a Location Index.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 64 (1974): 506-13.
McPherson, E. Gregory, and Renee A. Haip, “Emerging Desert Landscape in Tucson.” Geographical Review, Vol. 79 (1989): 435-49.
White, Lynn, Jr., “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis.” Science, Vol. 155 (March 10, 1967): 1203-07.
Wright, John K., “Terra Incognitae: The Place of Imagination in Geography.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 37 (March, 1947: 144-179.
Marxists, Feminists and Assorted Post-Modernists
Blaut, James M., “The Dissenting Tradition,” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 69 (March, 1979):157-169.
Hanson, Susan. “Geography and Feminism: Worlds in Collision.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 82 (1992): 569-86.
Horvath, Ronald J., “The ‘Detroit Geographical Expedition and Institute’ Experience,” Antipode, Vol. 3 (November, 1971): 73-85. [Access through Antipode-online, Below]
McLafferty, Sara, “Counting for Women.” Professional Geographer, Vol. 47 (1995): 436-42.
Montello, Danial R. et al, “Sex-related Differences and Similarities in Geographic and Environmental Spatial Abilities.” Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 89 (September, 1999): 515-34.
Zelinsky, Wilbur, “The Strange Case of the Missing Female Geographer.” Professional Geographer, Vol. 25 (1973): 101-05.Also, go to. . .
http://www.antipode-online.net
Peruse the journal and pick an article that interests you. Prepare a 3-4 minute in-class presentation about the article focusing on its content, methodology, data and conclusions.
A New World of Technology