Challenges of a Changing World: An Introduction to Human Geography – Winter 2024

University of Winnipeg
Department of Geography
GEOG 1105 - 760, Winter 2024 (Jan 09- Apr 04)
Challenges of a Changing World: An Introduction to Human Geography
Course Outline and Syllabus

Instructor: Mohammad A. Alam

Office: 4CM32A
Email: [email protected] *
Office hours: by appointment
Lecture: Asynchronous
Lecture Location: Asynchronous

*Please note when corresponding with the instructor, use your University of Winnipeg email account
system: [email protected]

Course description:
This course introduces geography as a means of interpreting world issues and places human-
environment relationships in the context of global change. Rotating topics include resource use, food
and energy supply, population change and human health; the dimensions of global forces such as
urbanization, postcolonialism, nationalism, and globalization; and the environmental effects of climate
change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability. Through the study of these challenges of a changing world,
subfields in human geography are introduced including population, environmental, urban, political,
social, and cultural geography. Students learn theoretical and practical application in these fields
and may specialize in them in upper years.

Course Objective

• provide a strong foundation in a number of the core concepts of human geography related to people,
culture, and environment;
• emphasize the relevance of the geographical concepts of space, place, and human-environment
interactions, issues of population, resources and settlement;
• develop student knowledge of the evolution of the field in relation to other social sciences;
• provide the opportunity for students to actively engage in concepts and develop critical thinking in
relation to the subject matter;
• and, assist in the development of academic skills such as reading comprehension, referencing,
academic writing.

Required Textbook:

This textbook is required for the course and is available in the university bookstore:
Title: Human Geography, 10th edition
Authors: M. Mercier, and W. Norton
Edition: 2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press

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Challenges of a Changing World: An Introduction to Human Geography – Winter 2024

Website: https://www.oupcanada.com/catalog/9780199032938.html

NEXUS:
Documents related to this course (e.g. course syllabus, project guidelines, lecture slides, supplemental
readings), quizzes, tests, and exams will be made available to students through the NEXUS system. You
must be registered in the course to have access to these materials. To login in to NEXUS, go to:
https://nexus.uwinnipeg.ca/
If you encounter difficulties with Nexus contact the help desk at 204-786-9149 or
[email protected]

Course Organization:
This course is structured to foster engagement and discussion in class. Regular attendance at lectures is
required and reading preparation before class will enhance students’ understanding of the geographical
concepts applied to the themes of the society and culture. 10% of your grade will be based on your
participation. Occasionally short videos, daily news items and other popular materials will be used to
illustrate the concepts presented in the course. The following schedule relates to lecture topics/themes
and assigned chapters and articles; readings could change to accommodate emerging issues that we may
want to discuss in class. Please be aware that due to unforeseen time restrictions, some material included
on the course schedule may not be covered. Any changes will be announced in class.

Topics/Themes Readings
1) What is Human Geography Chapter 1
2) Population and Health Geography Chapter 2
3) Uneven Development and Global Inequalities Chapter 3
4) Geographies of Food and Agriculture Chapter 9
5) Urban Geography Chapter 7
6) Urban Form and the Social Geography Chapter 8

Student Evaluation
Quiz 1 5% January 22, 2024
Term Test 1 25% Febraury 5, 2024
Quiz 2 5% Febraury 29, 2024
Term Test 2 25% March 11, 2024
Final Examination 40% TBA

*Students are responsible for confirming the date and the location of the final exam with
instructor.
The requirements for evaluation in this course are structured for students to immerse in the textbook and
lecture material while simultaneously developing a stronger understanding of the goals of the
assignments, test and exams.

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Challenges of a Changing World: An Introduction to Human Geography – Winter 2024

*** Completing assigned readings and being prepared to participate during class time will enhance
learning in this course.
Description of Evaluation Criteria
1. Quizzes (10% of final grade)

There will be two quizzes during the term to support knowledge devlopment of the course material and
greater preparation for the mid-term and final exams. These quizzes will be only 30 minutes in length
and may inlude multiple choice, true/false questions and short answer questions. All material covered in
the classroom and assigned from the textbook will be the basis of these mini-tests. All quizzes will be
available online (Nexus learning tool).

2. Mid-term tests (50% of final grade)

The two 75 minute mid-term tests will be comprised of multiple-choice and true/false questions, in
addition to short answer questions requiring written responses of 1-2 paragraphs. Mid-term 1 will be
based on Themes 1 and 2, and the materials covered in Themes 3 and 4 will be the basis for mid-term 2.
However, this may change depending on what is covered in class. The midterm tests will be online, and
conducted through UW’s Nexus site. The instructor will let students know how to locate tests and exam
on Nexus in the class. The student should not use his or her textbook, course notes, or receive help any
other outside source during the tests. This instructor will inform the students of any changes.

3. Final Exam (40% of final grade)

The three-hour exam will cover all course material and will include multiple-choice and true/false
questions, as well as short answer and essay questions. The final exam will be online and students
should be able to locate it on Nexus learning tool. The student should not use his or her textbook, course
notes, or receive help any other outside source during the exam.

*Please confirm exam time by checking https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/exam-schedules/

Students are responsible for checking this site.

Format
You must submit your assignments electronically. Instructor or TA will send an email confirmation that
assignment was received. Feedback on assignments and grades will be returned electronically.

All written assignments submitted for course credit should reflect close attention to good style and
format. Paragraphs must be double-spaced. Student name and number should be centered on a separate
title page at the front of each assignment.

A clear and concise written style is required. Grammar, spelling and punctuation will be graded. It is
strongly recommended that students spell-check (and grammar-check if in doubt) all work before it is
submitted. Another option is to have another person proof-read the work and check that it ‘makes sense’.

All assignment submissions are final: once the assignment is handed in, the Instructor will not accept
revisions or re-submissions unless specifically requested.

Strict adherence to the stated/announced assignment deadlines is required. Unexplained late submissions
will be penalized by 2% of the total assignment mark for each day late. Only in exceptional (i.e.,
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medical and compassionate) circumstances will an extension be granted, and students must speak to the
instructor and provide a medical note to the instructor and to the General Office for the student’s file. If
the work is not submitted within 7 calendar days of the new date, no credit for the assignment would be
given. An incomplete grade will not be assigned except for medical reasons or for compassionate
grounds at the discretion of the Course Instructor. Work must be handed in on due dates regardless of
the state of completion in order to be considered for Incomplete Status. An Incomplete Grade form must
be submitted with the grade register or the incomplete will not be recorded.

Grading
Senate approved grades for courses include A+, A, A-, B+, B, C+, D, and F. The University does not
have a standardized numerical grade conversion scale for each letter grade. The following numeric
grading system provides guidelines only for the separation of letter grades in this course. These
boundaries may be adjusted at the requested of the Environmental Studies and Sciences Department
Review Committee or University Senate. Final letter grades are based on accumulated numeric grades
during the course. For this course, grade equivalents are as follows:

A+ 90-100% C+ 65-69.9%
A 84-89.9% C 56-64.9%
A- 80-83.9% D 50-55.9%
B+ 75-79.9% F < 50%
B 70-74.9%

Voluntary Withdrawal

You must formally withdraw from a course. If you simply stop going to classes, you may receive an “F”
on your transcript and loss of tuition credit. The final date to withdraw from the course without
academic penalty is March 15, 2024. Please refer to the Undergraduate Academic Calendar for
Voluntary withdrawal procedures. Please note that withdrawing before the VW date does not result in a
fee refund.

Important Dates
Date Significance
Jan 08 The first class of the course/semester
Jan 22 Quiz 1
Feb 09 Midterm 1 Test
Feb 18-24 Winter term Reading Week. No classes.
Feb 19 Louis Riel Day (University closed.)
Feb 29 Quiz 2
March 11 Midterm Test 2
March 15 Last Day to Withdraw Without Academic Penalty
April 05 Last day of regularly scheduled classes
April 11-24 Final Exam period (Final Exam: TBD)
*Students are responsible to check all exam information prior to the exam on the course outline.

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The following table outlines the topics to be discussed during the lectures. The order of presentation is
subject to change as circumstances dictate and all the topics listed may not be covered (text readings
assigned during class).
Tentative Schedule of Topics
(topics may change due to unforeseen circumstances)
Date Topic Reading
Week 1 *Course initiation and resources Course syllabus; Mental maps
• Introductory concepts for student course objectives;
Library tools; Chapter 1
Week 2 • Introduction to human geography Chapter 1
• Population and Health Geography Chapter 2

Week 3 • Population and Health Geography Chapter 2

• The Demographic Transition Model
• Quiz 1(Jan 22, 2024) Chapter 1

Week 4 • Uneven Development and Global Inequalities Chapter 3

• Mid-term 1 preview
Week 5 • Mid-term test 1(Feb 05, 2024) Chapter 1 and 2

Weak 6 • Uneven Development and Global Inequalities Chapter 3

• Geographies of Food and Agriculture Chapter 9
• Mid-term 1 review

Weak 7 Winter Reading Week No classes

Weak 8 • Geographies of Food and Agriculture Chapter 9

• Quiz 2 (Feb 29, 2024) Chapter 3

Weak 9 • An Urban World Chapter 7

• Mid-term 2 preview
Weak 10 • Mid-term test 2 (March 11, 2024) Chapter 3 and 9

Weak 11 • An Urban World Chapter 7

Weak 12 • Urban Form and the Social Geography Chapter 8
• Mid-term 2 review

Weak 13 • Course recap All course materials

• Final exam preview

April 12-23 Exam period (Final Exam: TBA) All course materials

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General Course Information

• When it is necessary to cancel a class due to exceptional circumstances, I will make every effort to
inform students via UWinnipeg email (and/or using the preferred form of communication, as
designated in this outline) .
• Students have the responsibility to regularly check their UWinnipeg e-mail addresses to ensure
timely receipt of correspondence from the University and/or their course instructors.
• Please note that withdrawing before the VW date does not necessarily result in a fee refund.

Research Ethics
Students conducting research interviews, focus groups, surveys, or any other method of collecting data
from any person, including a family member, must obtain research ethics approval before commencing
data collection. Exceptions are research activities done in class as a learning exercise. For submission
requirements and deadlines, see https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/research/ethics/human-ethics.html

Academic Conduct
Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the “Regulations and Policies” found in the
University Academic Calendar at:
https://uwinnipeg.ca/academics/calendar/docs/regulationsandpolicies.pdf. Particular attention should be
given to subsections 8 (“Student Discipline”), 9 (“Senate Appeals”), and 10 (“Grade Appeals”). Please
emphasize the importance of maintaining academic integrity, and to the potential consequences of
engaging in plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic misconduct. Even “unintentional”
plagiarism, as described in the UW Library video tutorial “Avoiding Plagiarism”
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvFdxRU9a8g) is a form of academic misconduct. Similarly,
uploading essays and other assignments to essay vendor or trader sites (filesharing sites that are known
providers of essays for use by others who submit them to instructors as their own work) is a form of
misconduct, as it involves “aiding and abetting” plagiarism. More detailed information can be found
here: Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedures:
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/policies/docs/policies/academic-misconduct-policy.pdf and
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/policies/docs/procedures/academic-misconduct-procedures.pdf

This section covers classroom regulation, grading, transcripts, challenge for credit, academic standing,
student discipline (academic and non-academic misconduct), appeals including grade appeals,
University Policies and Codes, graduation.

Please note the following summary of important information regarding Academic Misconduct:

Forms of Academic Misconduct:

• Plagiarism: includes presenting other people’s published or unpublished work in part or as a whole
as your own. This includes material from lab manuals, essays, journal articles, books, etc.
Plagiarism also refers to submitting the same work in more than one course without both instructors’
permission and to the situation where two or more students submit identical (or nearly identical)
work for evaluation when the work was to be completed individually.
• Cheating: includes copying another person’s answer on a test, communicating with another person
during a test or exam, consulting unauthorized sources (including written and electronic sources),
obtaining a copy (of all or part) of a test/exam/assignment before it is officially available, purchasing
tests, essays or other assignments and submitting the work as your own.

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• Improper Academic/Research practices include: fabricating or falsifying results, using other

people’s research findings without permission, misrepresenting research results or methods, referring
to non-existent sources or investigators, contravening the University’s Policy and Procedures On
Research Integrity.
• Obstructing academic activities of another person; for example interfering with another person’s
access to pertinent resources or information to gain academic advantage.
• Impersonation: both impersonation of another individual or allowing someone to impersonate you.
• Falsification or Modification of an Academic Record: including tests, transcripts, letters of
permission, etc.
• Aiding and Abetting Academic Misconduct.

Penalties for Academic Misconduct:

Can include, but are not limited to:
• Written warning
• Lower or failing grade on an assignment or test
• Lower or failing grade in a course
• Denial of admission or readmission to the University
• Forfeiture of University awards or financial assistance
• Suspension from the University for a specified period of time
• Withholding or rescinding a UW degree, certificate or diploma
• Expulsion from the University

Procedures:
All allegations of academic misconduct must be reported initiating a process which involves several
steps. These include procedures involving the instructor of the course in which the misconduct is
alleged to have occurred, the Departmental Review Committee, and the Senate Academic Misconduct
Committee. See the detailed description of the procedures, which also outline the appeals process
regarding Academic Misconduct.

Students facing a charge of academic or non-academic misconduct may choose to contact the University
of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA) where a student advocate will be available to answer any
questions about the process, help with building a case, and ensuring students have access to support. For
more information or to schedule an appointment, visit our website at www.theuwsa.ca/academic-
advocacy or call 204-786-9780.

Forms of Academic Misconduct: see online

https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/academics/calendar/docs/regulationsandpolicies.pdf

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Course materials are the property of the instructor who developed them. Examples of such materials are
course outlines, assignment descriptions, lecture notes, test questions, and presentation slides—
irrespective of format. Students who upload these materials to filesharing sites, or in any other way share
these materials with others outside the class without prior permission of the instructor/presenter, are in
violation of copyright law and University policy. Students must also seek prior permission of the
instructor/presenter before, for example, photographing, recording, or taking screenshots of slides,
presentations, lectures, and notes on the board. Students found to be in violation of an instructor’s
intellectual property rights could face serious consequences pursuant to the Academic Misconduct or
Non-Academic Misconduct Policy.
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Accessibility Services
Students with documented disabilities, temporary or chronic medical conditions, requiring academic
accommodations for tests/exams (e.g., private space) or during lectures/laboratories (e.g., access to
volunteer note-takers) are encouraged to contact Accessibility Services (AS) at 786-9771 or email
[email protected] to discuss appropriate options. Specific information about AS is
available on-line at http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/accessibility. All information about a student’s disability
or medical condition remains confidential.

Respectful Working and Learning Environment

All students, faculty and staff have the right to participate, learn, and work in an environment that is free
of harassment and discrimination. The UW Respectful Working and Learning Environment Policy may
be found at https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/respect/.

Respectful Learning Environment. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful

manner on campus and in the learning environment irrespective of platform being used. Behaviour,
communication, or acts that are inconsistent with a number of UW policies could be considered non-
academic misconduct. See the Respectful Working and Learning Environment Policy
(https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/respect/respect-policy.html) and Acceptable Use of Information Technology
Policy (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/policies/docs/policies/acceptable-use-of-information-technology-
policy.pdf). More detailed information is outlined in the Non-Academic Misconduct Policy and
Procedures (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/policies/docs/policies/student-non-academic-misconduct-
policy.pdf and https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/policies/docs/procedures/student-non-academic-misconduct-
procedures.pdf).

Privacy. Students should be reminded of their rights in relation to the collecting of personal data by the
University (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/privacy/admissions-privacy-notice.html), especially if Zoom is
being used for remote teaching (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/privacy/zoom-privacy-notice.html) and
testing/proctoring (https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/privacy/zoom-test-and-exam-proctoring.html).

Official Correspondence
Students have the responsibility to regularly check their University of Winnipeg e-mail addresses to
ensure timely receipt of correspondence from the University and/or their course instructors.

Religious Holidays
Students may choose not to attend classes or write examinations on holydays of their religion, but they
must notify their instructors at least two weeks in advance. Instructors will then provide opportunity for
students to make up work or examinations without penalty. A list of religious holidays can be found in
the 2023-24 Undergraduate Academic Calendar.

Class Cancellations
When it is necessary to cancel a class due to exceptional circumstances, every effort will be made to
inform students via University of Winnipeg email (and/or using the preferred form of communication, as
designated in this outline).

Academic Integrity and AI Text-generating Tools

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Students must follow principles of academic integrity (e.g., honesty, respect, fairness, and responsibility)
in their use of material obtained through AI text-generating tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bing, Notion AI). If an
instructor prohibits the use of AI tools in a course, students may face an allegation of academic
misconduct if using them to do assignments. If AI tools are permitted, students must cite them.
According to the MLA (https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/), writers should
• cite a generative AI tool whenever you paraphrase, quote, or incorporate into your own work any
content (whether text, image, data, or other) that was created by it
• acknowledge all functional uses of the tool (like editing your prose or translating words) in a
note, your text, or another suitable location
• take care to vet the secondary sources it cites
If students aren’t sure whether or not they can use AI tools, they should ask their professors.

Indigenous Student Services. Indigenous students seeking additional supports, academic or other, are
encouraged to contact the Aboriginal Student Services Centre (ASSC). The ASSC offers a variety of
support services, and was created to maintain a safe, educational and culturally sensitive environment
for all Aboriginal students (First Nation, Metis and Inuit) as they pursue their academic studies at The
University of Winnipeg. More information can be found at: http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/assc/.

Scent-Free Environment. U Winnipeg promotes a scent-free environment. Please be respectful of the

needs of classmates and the instructor by avoiding the use of scented products should you attend lectures
in person. Exposure to perfumes and other scented products (such as lotion) can trigger serious health
reactions in persons with asthma, allergies, migraines or chemical sensitivities.