**Disclaimer**

This syllabus is to be used as a guideline only. The information provided is a summary of topics to be covered in the class.
Information contained in this document such as assignments, grading scales, due dates, office hours, required books and materials may be from
a previous semester and are subject to change. Please refer to your instructor for the most recent version of the syllabus.

GCU 322 GEOGRAPHY OF U.S. AND CANADA

ASU—3 credits Summer 2019—Session A

Instructor: Dr Shaeffer
Email: use the “Inbox” (email) function on Canvas

ASU Service: http://my.asu.edu/service

Textbook: Hardwick, Susan W.; Shelley, Fred M.; and Holtgrieve, Donald G. The
Geography of North America: Environment, Culture, Economy, 2nd ed.
Boston: Pearson. ISBN 0321769678. Access codes are not needed.

Grading: Top 15 Lecture Quizzes (30 points each) 450 points

Top 15 Reading Quizzes (20 points each) 300 points
Top 15 Map Quizzes (10 points each) 150 points
TOTAL POSSIBLE: 900 points

GRADE POINTS* GPA Calculation

A 855 4.0
A- 810 3.67
B+ 765 3.33
B 720 3.0
B- 675 2.67
C+ 630 2.33
C 585 2.0
D 450 1.0
(*minimum points needed for the grade)

Note: There is no C-, D+, or D- in the ASU grading system. An E

grade (failing) is for students who earn less than 450 points. There is
no extra credit.

**Course Time Commitment**—This 3-credit course (taught in a 6-

week format) requires approximately 135 hours of work. Expect to spend
around 22.5 hours each week actively working on this course (Yes, that
is a LOT!).

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Lecture Quizzes: There are 18 lecture quizzes (1 per module) worth 30 points each, with the
top 15 scores counting towards the final grade. Make-ups are not
allowed.

There are 4 lectures (labeled a-d) to view and listen to for each lecture
quiz. After paying close attention to all 4 lectures (and taking good notes
on them), study those notes thoroughly in preparation for the lecture quiz.

Each lecture quiz will be taken online through Canvas and has 15
multiple-choice questions (worth 2 points each), and you will have 15
minutes to complete it. To succeed on the lecture quizzes, be well
prepared ahead of time, and study your notes very thoroughly—ahead of
time—because you won’t have much time to look up answers in your
notes within the 15-minute time limit.

Reading Quizzes: There are 18 reading quizzes (1 per module) worth 20 points each, with
the top 15 scores counting towards the final grade. Make-ups are not
allowed.

Each reading quiz will cover reading material from the textbook—
with each quiz covering a single chapter. Read the text of each chapter—
prior to the quiz—in order to be fully prepared for the questions.

Each reading quiz will be taken online through Canvas and has 20
multiple-choice questions (worth 1 point each), and you will have 40
minutes to complete it. To succeed on the reading quizzes, be well
prepared ahead of time, because you won’t have much time to look up
answers in the text within the 40-minute time limit.

Be very familiar with the text before taking the reading quizzes. Do not
jump into the quizzes “cold” (without strong prior preparation)—as that
will almost ensure getting a poor score. Mark the text, use tabs or “post
it” notes, or otherwise delineate the text at key locations—do what it takes
to get good scores on these quizzes.

Map Quizzes: There are 18 map quizzes (1 per module) worth 10 points each, with the
top 15 scores counting towards the final grade. Make-ups are not
allowed.

Each map quiz will be drawn from a list of map quiz study items, which
are listed in each Canvas module, as well as the relevant maps from each
chapter in the textbook. Each map quiz will cover a single chapter. To
succeed on the map quizzes, get to know the location of the items well—

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 and the location of the items in relation to each other—prior to taking the
quizzes.

Each map quiz will be taken online through Canvas and has 10 multiple-
choice questions (worth 1 point each), and you have 10 minutes to
complete it. Be prepared by knowing very well the location of all the
study items ahead of time, because you won’t have much time for the
questions within the 10-minute time limit. This high level of preparation
will greatly help you receive good map quiz scores, even within the 10-
minute time limit.

Summary Calendar: All quizzes must be submitted by 11:59 PM (Arizona Mountain

Standard Time) on their specific deadline date. Work on all the quizzes
EARLY—get them done ahead of time!

Date Event
T May 28 Deadline for all 9 quizzes of Modules 1, 2, and 3
M Jun 3 Deadline for all 9 quizzes of Modules 4, 5, and 6
SU Jun 9 Deadline for all 9 quizzes of Modules 7, 8, and 9
SA Jun 15 Deadline for all 9 quizzes of Modules 10, 11, and 12
F Jun 21 Deadline for all 9 quizzes of Modules 13, 14, and 15
TH Jun 27 Deadline for all 9 quizzes of Modules 16, 17, and 18

Other dates:
SU June 9—course withdrawal deadline (the deadline to withdraw from a
single course in Summer Session A)
TH June 27—complete withdrawal deadline (the deadline to withdraw
from all courses in Summer Session A)

Keys for Success: Lecture viewing/listening—Pay close attention to each lecture. Doing this
for every single lecture is your biggest key to success.
Notetaking—Take numerous notes during the lectures in preparation for
the lecture quizzes.
Reviewing—Review your notes extensively before each lecture quiz.
Reading—Read the textbook thoroughly, mark it accordingly, and review
it in preparation for the reading quizzes.
Map Studying—Study the book’s maps carefully before taking the map
quizzes.
Get extra help—If you need help, please contact me by email (using the
“Inbox” function on Canvas).

Also:
 check the course daily
 read announcements

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  read and respond to course email messages as needed
 complete quizzes by the deadlines specified
 create a study and quiz schedule to stay on track
 access ASU Student Resources

Taking Canvas Quizzes: The following 9 points are important to your grade!

1. Make sure to complete each quiz after you start--as the timer starts
ticking when you begin, and doesn’t stop if you take any “breaks.”

2. You must complete all of the quizzes of each module before you can
move on to the next module. There are 3 quizzes per module—a
lecture quiz, a reading quiz, and a map quiz.

3. All quizzes are open until 11:59 PM (Arizona Mountain Standard

Time) on their specified deadline. Work on the quizzes early—DO
NOT wait until near the deadline to start working on them. In fact,
you are encouraged to take them early. With multiple quizzes
sharing the same deadline, it is absolutely imperative that you work
on them ahead of time.

4. You are not allowed any “retakes” on quizzes and you will need to
complete them the first time you click on them. You are not allowed
to “check out” or look at the questions ahead of time.

5. When you finish your quiz, click “submit.” After you do so, your
score is recorded automatically. Check under “Grades” right away
to make sure your score was posted. If something seems amiss,
email me within 30 minutes of your quiz attempt (see below).

6. You will be penalized if you take more than the 15 minutes allowed
for the lecture quizzes, the 40 minutes allowed for the reading quizzes,
or the 10 minutes allowed for the map quizzes. The penalty for going
overtime on your quizzes is 2 points per minute. Note that Canvas
quizzes do NOT automatically stop when you reach the time limit—
they just keep on going.

7. Have your computer set to see your elapsed time. For backup, keep
track of your elapsed time with a watch or a clock not dependent on
your computer. Not being able to see the elapsed time on your
computer is no excuse for going over the time limit. Again, use a
watch or clock for backup.

8. If you have any technical problems with the quizzes email me

within 30 minutes of your quiz attempt. If you experience any

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 issues, you may need a “reset.” Only I can reset quizzes. While
helpful with other matters, the technical support staff at
http://my.asu.edu/service cannot reset quizzes.

9. 3 “free” resets are allowed during the course for technical problems.
The 4th reset, and every reset thereafter, may or may not be granted (to
be used at my discretion), but if granted will “cost” you a 10-point
deduction on your quiz score. Resets may only be used for technical
problems. Again, all requests for resets must come within 30
minutes of the quiz attempt. Also counting as “resets” are occasions
when going over the time limit—due to a technical problem beyond
your control—does not result in a late penalty.

Course Description: Spatial distribution of relevant physical, economic, and cultural

phenomena in the United States and Canada.

SLN's: 42344, 42955

Prerequisites: None

Course Learning Objectives

1. Understand and get to know the physical and cultural nature of the 14 regions of North
America
2. Appreciate the physical and cultural similarities and diversities that exist between and
within the 14 regions of North America
3. Have a desire to travel to many, if not all, of the 14 regions of North America

Course Access
Your ASU courses can be accessed by both my.asu.edu and asu.instructure.com; bookmark both
in the event that one site is down.

Computer Requirements
This is a fully online course; therefore, it requires a computer with internet access and the
following technologies:
 Web browsers (Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari)
 Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
 Adobe Flash Player (free)
 Webcam, microphone, headset/earbuds, and speaker
 Reliable broadband internet connection (DSL or cable) to stream lecture videos.

Note: A smartphone, iPad, Chromebook, etc. will not be sufficient for completing your work in
ASU internet-based courses. While you will be able to access course content with mobile
devices, you must use a computer for all assignments, quizzes, and virtual labs.

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ASU Course Policies
View the ASU Course Policies page.

Accessibility Statements
View the ASU Student Accessibility page to review accessibility statements for common tools
and resources used in ASU internet-based courses.

Notes and Policies: Communicating with me—Use the “Inbox” function on Canvas to
email me a question. Prior to asking a question, please check this
syllabus. If you do not find an answer, or if your question is specific to
your situation, then please ask your question through the “Inbox” link.
When sending emails, subject lines should be clear and specific. Blank
subject lines, or subject lines with words such as “hey,” are unclear and
easily mistaken for spam.

ASU Email is the official means of communication between students

and faculty. Students are expected to read and act upon email in a timely
fashion. Students bear the responsibility of missed messages and should
check their ASU-assigned email regularly.

All instructor correspondence will be sent to your ASU email account.

If you use a non-ASU email address, you must connect that to your
@asu.edu address, and make sure your @asu.edu address is active &
working. You are responsible for following up if you are concerned you
missed a message due to your @asu.edu address not working correctly.

Computer and Internet Connection—If the computer and/or internet

connection you normally use are not working, then use a different
computer and/or a different internet connection. There are computers
available with internet at all ASU campuses (in libraries and at specific
computing facilities). Public libraries, other public offices, coffee shops,
fast food outlets, and internet cafes, all have computers and/or internet
connections available for your use. In short, there is no excuse for missing
quizzes because of computer and/or internet issues.

Honors Contracts—Students that are members of Barrett, The Honors

College, have the opportunity to earn credit for an Honors Contract for
GCU 322. Email me (using the “Inbox” function on Canvas) for further
details.

Disability Accommodations—I will make accommodations for students

with limitations due to disability, including learning disabilities. In order
to be accommodated for disabilities, students must be registered with the

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Disability Resource Center (DRC) at ASU. If you fall into this category, I
must be contacted by the DRC office no later than T May 28, and it is
your responsibility to make sure the DRC office contacts me by that date.

Academic Integrity—Academic honesty is expected from all students on

all quizzes. This means doing your own work SOLELY, completely on
your own, without any intervention (of any kind) from any other
person. The possible sanctions for violating academic integrity include,
but are not limited to, appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated
on the transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic
dishonesty (indicated on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of
registration privileges, disqualification and dismissal. For more
information, see http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity.

Additionally, required behavior standards are listed in the Student

Code of Conduct (https://eoss.asu.edu/dos/srr/codeofconduct) and outlined
by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
(https://eoss.asu.edu/dos/srr). Anyone in violation of these policies is
subject to sanctions.

Title IX—Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be

excluded on the basis of sex from participation in, be denied benefits of, or
be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.
Both Title IX and university policy make clear that sexual violence and
harassment based on sex is prohibited. An individual who believes they
have been subjected to sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can
seek support, including counseling and academic support, from the
university. If you or someone you know has been harassed on the basis of
sex or sexually assaulted, you can find information and resources at:
https://sexualviolenceprevention.asu.edu/

As a mandated reporter, I am obligated to report any information I

become aware of regarding alleged acts of sexual discrimination,
including sexual violence and dating violence. ASU Counseling Services,
https://eoss.asu.edu/counseling is available if you wish to discuss any
concerns confidentially and privately.

Syllabus Disclaimer—This syllabus is a statement of intent and serves as

an implicit agreement between the instructor and the student. Every effort
will be made to avoid changing the course schedule but the possibility
exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes necessary.

Any changes will be announced on the course Canvas site and sent
through class-wide emails, and students are responsible for being aware of
any such announced changes. Remember to check your ASU email and
the course Canvas site often.

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Agreement Policy—Students agree to accept and comply with all of these
requirements by choosing to remain enrolled after learning of these course
conditions. In addition, by remaining enrolled in the course, you agree to
abide by academic integrity standards, including not receiving any help, of
any kind, from any other person.

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