Time Schedule:
Sarah Starkweather
BIS 314
Bothell Campus
Topics/areas of study may include: cultural geography, physical geography, geography of globalization.
Class description
SPRING 2008: THE SEATTLE REGION
In this course, we will try to get a handle on the multifaceted and complex concept of "the region," using the Greater Seattle area as a case study. We will discuss the many systems and structures that make up an urban region - including the social, the cultural, the ecological, the political, and the economic - and how they interact.
** UPDATED INFORMATION 03.12.2008 ** THIS COURSE HAS A REQUIRED SERVICE LEARNING COMPONENT. We will be working with a Woodinville organization called 21 Acres. The entire class will participate in a Saturday work party on the 21 Acres site, and students will work in small groups on research projects related to the organization's initiative (such as a farm-to-cafeteria program, a new green-built farmers' market, promotion of community supported agriculture (CSA), monitoring of local land-use zoning, and so on).
Student learning goals
Articulate and understand the complex set of systems and structures that make up an urban region.
Develop a better understanding of the Greater Seattle region, in particular.
Draw upon service learning opportunities in order to better understand the role played by local and regional community organizations, and how they fit into "the region."
General method of instruction
Class meetings: mix of lecture and discussion. Outside class: service-learning through volunteer work in local/regional organizations.
Recommended preparation
There are no pre-requisites for this course.
Class assignments and grading
Assignments and grading practices will be finalized for the first class meeting. Grades will likely be based upon participation in in-class exercises, service learning assignments, and an end-of-term project.
