GEOG 1N - Global Parks and Sustainability
This is a sample syllabus.
This sample syllabus is a representative example of the information and materials included in this course. Information about course assignments, materials, and dates listed here is subject to change at any time. Definitive course details and materials will be available in the official course syllabus, in Canvas, when the course begins.
Overview
In this course, we will use parks and protected areas – both in the U.S. and internationally – as a framework for exploring broader themes of sustainability, conservation, and socio-ecological systems. We will use case studies that exemplify national (U.S.) and international parkscapes (i.e., parks and protected areas embedded within complex landscapes) that convey stories of evolving attitudes and approaches toward conservation. These stories will help explain the historical, transitional, and future role of conservation in societies shaped by local ecologies, conflict, and change. The course can be applied toward Penn State’s General Education “Social and Behavioral Sciences” (GS), International Cultures (IL) requirements.
Objectives
In this course, we will:
- Explore the history of parks and protected areas globally, including the development of the U.S. National Park system, and the globalization of conservation and sustainability ideas.
- Examine globally representative case studies to assess how parks and protected areas are part of both social and ecological landscapes (“parkscapes”).
- Assess new challenges and opportunities for conservation in an era of rapid change.
- Evaluate the history, current socio-ecological condition, and future approaches to sustainability for a particular global parkscape.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Describe why the idea of ‘wilderness’ is both influential and contested
- Explain temporal and spatial trends in national and international conservation management
- Compare and contrast modern conservation approaches
- Illustrate a parkscape as a coupled socio-ecological system
- Identify key drivers of future ecological change affecting park management
Specific learning goals are introduced at the beginning of each lesson.
Required Materials
Typically, there are no required materials for this course. If this changes, students will find a definitive list in the course syllabus, in Canvas, when the course begins.
Prerequisites
None
Expectations
- On average, most students spend eight to ten hours per week working on course assignments. Your workload may depend on your study habits. This class is taught asynchronously, meaning that there are no live lectures.
- Each week you will be expected to complete a quiz and reflection assignment based on the online content. There will also be additional elements included within the parkscape project due throughout the semester.
I have worked hard to make this the most effective and convenient educational experience possible. How much and how well you learn is ultimately up to you. You will succeed if you are diligent about keeping up with the class schedule and if you take advantage of opportunities to communicate with me as well as with your fellow students.
Major Assignments
This course will rely on a variety of methods to assess and evaluate student learning, including:
- Lesson Quizzes, 25% of the total course grade
At the end of every lesson, there will be an online quiz about course content that will be found in Canvas. Some of these quizzes will be based on an additional video, and this will be noted in the quiz assignment itself. It will be made available after the lesson is posted (usually on Friday) and will remain available through the following Sunday night (11:59 pm). - Lesson Reflections, 25% of the total course grade
Students are required to submit 6 lesson reflections over the course of the semester based on the online content. The reflections will be a 3-2-1 format, consisting of 3 things you learned, 2 connections you made to outside of course content, and one question you still have on the topic. Reflections should not exceed one page, and can be in list form (though should have full sentences). - Parkscape Project (Report, Timeline, Bibliography and Graph Description, Concept Map & Final Video), 50% of the total course grade.
This is an ongoing project, culminating in a final video and concept map submission. Information will be made available in advance of each assignment element as they are introduced.
Course Schedule
| Module | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Wilderness Concept |
| 2 | History of National Parks |
| 3 | Land and Water Rights |
| 4 | Sustainability and Climate Change |
| 5 | Issues in Park Management |
| 6 | Novel Parkscapes |
| 7 | Parkscape Concept Map & Final Video Project |