Recommended Books

Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Physical Geography
(REFERENCE 910.0203 J95)

Latin America: Regions and People
(REFERENCE 918 K37L)

The Physical Geography of Africa
(REFERENCE 916.02 P578)

The Physical Geography of Fennoscandia
(REFERENCE 914.802 P578)

The Physical Geography of North America
(REFERENCE: ON ORDER)

The Physical Geography of Northern Eurasia
(REFERENCE 914.702 P578)

The Physical Geography of South America
(REFERENCE 918.02 P578)

The Physical Geography of Southeast Asia
(REFERENCE 915.902 P578)

The Physical Geography of Western Europe
(REFERENCE 914.02 P578)

Class Assignment

Research Report: The Physical Geography of Anywhere
Points: 100

Overview

The purpose of this essay assignment is to investigate the unique physical geography of your favorite place. Your research will include a summary of the physical geography and a discussion of its most unique or interesting characteristic(s). I provide a worksheet to organize your research. The project will introduce you both to a specific place and to the main components of physical geography.

Step 1: Choose a location.
Select a region of interest. It need not be somewhere you’ve actually visited. Your goal in the paper will be to explain the unique physical geography of that place. Think about how your choice will affect your paper. It will usually be easier to discuss a small region. Imagine trying to explain U.S. geography in one short summary. Describing the physical geography of Panama, on the other hand, is manageable. However, if you choose too narrow a topic it may be difficult to find information. For example, it would be very difficult to research the native vegetation of a particular city such as Paris. Thus, if you choose a city you’ll need to research that region of the country for many of your answers. Do not choose a region or country where you have lived. I want you to learn about somewhere new.
HINT: Choose to focus on a place you genuinely find intriguing or exciting. If you don't enjoy researching and writing it, I won't enjoy reading it and your grade will suffer.

Step 2(a): Find your sources.

Your research will be referenced with at least seven (7) valid sources, of which only three may be high quality Internet sources and one may be the text for this class. Other possible sources include books, academic journals, magazines, and newspapers. Your goal is to become an expert on the physical geography of your selected place. Go find the information you need. This will take time. Rarely will the sources you find include the phrase “physical geography.” You have to be creative with your search phrases. Some of your books or articles may have to be ordered through Inter-Library Loan (ILL). That process can take many weeks. This process of searching for information is the essence of research. See my website for more info on finding sources for this project.

2(b): Find and carefully analyze good maps of the area for insight and information. Where are the mountains? Where are the rivers? How large are the valleys? Are there good bays? These kinds of questions are quickly answered by good maps. Be sure to include these maps in the paper and to refer to them in your answers.

Step 3: Read about the place and determine what are the most essential, interesting, and unique geographic features of the place.

What makes that place special? What characteristics of the physical environment must be understood if you are to really know what kind of place it is? Finally, by including the most representative, strangest, and most important features you will make your research more interesting for both you and your reader.

Step 4: Write a good summary and introduction that outlines the most important discoveries in your research. This introduction is the essential and personal summary of the place. It should be at least two typed pages long.

Step 5: The worksheet - describe the physical geography of the place.
Consider the physical geography of the place. The worksheet will serve as a guide, but you are encouraged to add any important details not listed in the worksheet. Think about each section of the outline carefully before you start writing. It is especially important that you really understand the answers for each section before you write the summary for that section. The summaries are where your writing skills and organizational abilities are essential. You will be graded on how well you write each of these sections. Ask yourself these questions: Is my writing clear and to the point? Have I touched on the most important aspects of this section? Is the answer thorough without being long-winded? Am I citing and referencing all paraphrases, quotes, and specific details?

Formatting the worksheet - Use carriage returns and the delete key to expand or contract each section as needed. When inserting images, graphs, and maps you will need to carefully reformat the worksheet. In Microsoft Word you can right click on any inserted image to access image layout tools, including text wrapping around the pictures. Look also under the “Advanced” tools for more options. Feel free to move things around until it looks right. Ask me if you need help with layout.

Very important: Research projects that are improperly documented (no citations and improper quotations, etc.) will, at minimum, lose significant marks. At maximum a paper that is found to be plagiarized in part or wholly will be failed and sent to the Dean of Instruction for further disciplinary action.

Sources: Students must use valid sources for their research. Print material is usually preferable to electronic sources. The Internet may be used, but it must not account for more than three of your sources (without permission from the instructor). Be sure to list the specific sources of all your information. Refer to the author and date in the text and list all sources at the end alphabetically by author.

Here’s the basic information on how to cite sources: http://www.umuc.edu/prog/ugp/ewp_writingcenter/modules/plagiarism/basics.html

Do not hand in your paper encased in those annoying plastic covers. The preferred format is plain paper, with a single staple in the top left corner (not three staples down the left hand side, or two staples on the top corners - and woe to the student who hands in loose sheets or sheets held together by a paper clip!

Physical Geography of Anywhere Project Student Name:_____________________

Location

Formal place Name(s):

Vernacular Place Name(s):

Region (name, size, and defining characteristics):

Absolute Location (degrees, minutes, seconds):

Relative Location (spatial relationships to other places):

General Purpose Map (attach map or image file):

Two or Three Photographs of the Region (attach photographs or image files)::

Physical Geography Summary and Highlights (complete this section last; refer to maps; aim for a minimum of two pages ):

Lithosphere (Topographic Features, Plate Tectonics and Rocks/Minerals)

Summary:

Topography (general description of relief and the region’s dominant landforms):

Arid, Glacial, Fluvial, or Coastal Topography (more than one of these may apply):

Famous or Unique Landforms:

Dominant Rock Types (sedimentary, igneous intrusive, igneous extrusive, and/or metamorphic)

Dominant Minerals:

Plate Tectonic Features (types of faults, specific faults, movements of land):

Specific Tectonic Plates in the Region:

Topographic Map (attach relief map or image file):

Plate Tectonic Map (if applicable):

II. Hydrosphere (Rivers, Lakes, Oceans and Seas, Groundwater, and Water Issues)

Summary:

Water Supply (Sources: rivers, glaciers, groundwater, lakes, man-made reservoirs):

Water Demand (urban, agriculture, vegetation):

Average Water Balance (surplus or deficit?, severe or moderate? How is demand met?):

Major Rivers:

Large and/or Important Floodplains (also note if flooding is common):

Lakes:

Oceans or Seas:

Hydrologic Map - Labeled Map Depicting Lakes, Rivers, and Oceans (attach map or insert image file):

III. Atmosphere (Climate, Unique Climate Conditions, and Air Quality)

Summary:

Climograph (insert or attach graph):

Köppen Climate Classification Type (2- or 3-letter code plus description):

Climate Statistics

Average Annual Total Precipitation:

Month of Peak Precipitation:

Month of Minimum Precipitation:

Average Annual Temperature:

Average July High Temperature:

Average January Low Temperature:

Prevailing Wind Direction:

Number of Days of Sunshine:

Storms Affecting the Region (frontal storms, hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes):

Unique Climate Conditions (monsoon, seasonal rains, unusual winds, wildfires, etc.) :

Air Quality Issues (describe any problems and their causes):

Precipitation Map (for the region or surrounding region):

Climate Map (for the region or surrounding region):

IV. Biosphere (Vegetation Types, Dominant Plants, Unique Plants)

Summary:

Dominant Vegetation Types (briefly describe each type and it’s location in your region):

Dominant Tree Species:

Unique or Characteristic Plants:

Vegetation Map (for the region or surrounding region):

Photographs of Typical Local Vegetation Types:

Writing Essentials: Research and Papers in Mr. Reed's Geography Classes

Essential To Do List

1. Organize your writing. Start with the big points. Use paragraphs to support these points.
2. Proof-read your work. Don't ever turn in anything you haven't read. Moreover, always have a better writer critique your work. Glendale College has a free Learning and Writing Center (http://www.glendale.edu/englishdivision/learningcenter.htm)
3. Include reputable references.
4. Include maps. It's a geography project, after all. Be sure to include a citation for the map.
5. Read the instructions for the project carefully. Read them again.
6. Start your research well in advance of the due date. It takes time. Moreover, interlibrary loans take two weeks. Get started and do a little bit today. It's easier that way.
7. Emulate the citations style, formatting, and reference list of a high quality book or journal article. This is the easiest way to see what a paper should look like.

Never Do List

1. Don't put your paper in those annoying plastic covers. I throw them away immediately. I despise them. Simply place one staple in the upper left corner of your work.
2. Avoid informal language and the first-person point of view. Don't use "I" and don't say "like," "It's all good," or "phat" anywhere in your paper.
3. Never plagiarize. You will fail. I can tell when your writing is not original. It's obvious. See my comments below. Many fail this way.

Citations and Plagiarism

When do I have to cite a reference?

1. Whenever you state something that is not common knowledge. You may place the citation in the text right after the statement (Reed, 2006). If a whole paragraph of information came from one source, you may place the citation at the end of the paragraph (Reed, 2006).
2. Whenever you quote information directly. Example: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal" (Lincoln, 1863).
3. Whenever you paraphrase someone else's writing. Example: Two hundred and thirty years ago our founding fathers established in America a new country that was dedicated to the idea of equality. (Lincoln, 1863).
4. Whenever you use someone else's photograph, image, or map. Unless you drew it or took the picture, you MUST cite the source.

Where and how do I include a reference citation?

• The easiest and best way to do this is to simply place the author’s name and the year of publication just after the information you are citing like so: (Reed, 2006).
• The author you reference must, of course, always have a corresponding entry in the alphabetical list of references.

What kinds of information can I use without a reference?

1. Anything truly original that you thought up. These thoughts are, of course, rare. Example: The world would be a better place if more people surfed. So much stress release can only help the world. It's my thought. No need to cite it.
2. A synthesis of many other people's ideas need not be cited, but often is. Example: Global Warming research is highly controversial with many authors supporting the theory while many others refute it. No need for a citation here. It's a synthesis and is also nearly common knowledge.
3. When in doubt, use a citation? There's an old academic joke that goes something like this: "What's plagiarism?" It's copying out of a book. "What's research?" It's copying out of two or more books. Of course, the citations are what make all the difference.

How do I format a reference list?

1. ALL references must include this essential information: Author, Title, Date, and Location.
2. The easiest way to do this is to refer to some other book or article's reference list and copy its format.
3. Internet references MUST include all of this information as well. Why would anyone trust a reference that has no name or date attached to it? Often the website's hosting organization will have to be used as the author since so much on the web is not attributed to a particular author (suggesting a lack of accountability).
4. Entries should be alphabetical by author.

References

Harvey, Michael. 2003. The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing. Hackett Publishing. http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/

Lincoln, Abraham. 1863. The Gettysburg Address. The National Archives http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=36&page=transcript.

Reed, Michael. September 21, 2006. Geography 106 Class Lecture Notes: Human Impact on the Environment. Glendale Community College. Glendale, CA. www.glendale.edu/geo/reed/