Schedule of Topics and Readings

Important note from Jim Fonseca: I will mail you updates several times during this semester. Mailings go to your address in the university computer. If you did not receive this mailing directly, please contact my office (993-8350) and make address corrections with the registrar (993-2441).

INTRODUCTION

1. AUG/26 LIVE CLASS: Introduction; Impact of Virginia's location; Virginia's uniqueness; Virginia as part of larger U.S. regions
READ: "The Nature of Virginia" by Woodward and Hoffman

THE LAND

2. AUG/28 LIVE CLASS: Demonstration of use of E-mail and World Wide Web.
READ: "The Physiographic Provinces of Virginia" by Bingham

SEPTEMBER 2ND - LABOR DAY RECESS - NO CLASS OR TV BROADCASTS ON THIS DATE.

3. SEPT/4 Virginia's regions in the context of U.S. regions; Introduction to Physical Geography; Coastal Plain; Piedmont; Triassic Lowlands
READ: "Virginia's Changing Topography: Parts I & II" by Smith
4. SEPT/9 River divides; "The Potomac" video
READ: "Nathan Cobb's Island" by Badger
5. SEPT/11 Physical regions: The Fall Line; Blue Ridge; Triassic Lowland; Ridge and Valley; Great Valley; Caverns; Appalachian Plateau
READ: "The Impact of the Flood of August 20, 1969 on Massies Mill" by Campbell, "Mudslides of Madison County" by Burton (mailed to you in syllabus package)
6. SEPT/16 Appalachian Plateau continued; introduction to climate; Virginia's climate in the world context, precipitation; Virginia's physical regions in the context of U.S. physical regions; continental vs. maritime influence
READ: "Laws of Nature: Environmental Legislation" by Hardin
MAP EXERCISE: complete "Nine Topographic Maps of Virginia" Exercise (Turn in on September 23rd). With this exercise use the Topographic Map Symbols pamphlet included in the mailing.
7. SEPT/18 Climate continued; review of climate influences; temperature; growing season; degree days; soils; vegetation; types of trees
8. SEPT/23 What is Geography? Eighteen themes of geography applied to Virginia
READ: "Will Mountain Goats Help Save the Southern Balds?" by Johnson
DEADLINE: Turn in "Nine Topographic Maps of Virginia" Map Exercise.
9. SEPT/25 Introduction to Virginia via computer mapping and GIS.
READ: "Abraham Wood and the Rivers of the West" by Gaines, "Life in America 400 Years Ago: When Algonquian Culture Ruled Our Region" by Hyslop (mailed to you in syllabus package)

SETTLEMENT

10. SEPT/30 LIVE CLASS: Topographic map solutions; vegetation review and conclusion; forested land; Native Americans--way of life and the environment
READ: "The Shenandoah Valley Frontier" by Mitchell, "Boundaries of Virginia" by Van Zandt
MAP EXERCISE: complete "Virginia Road Map" Exercise (Turn in on October 9th). Use the Virginia road map I mailed to you.
11. OCT/2 Native American settlement continued; African and British settlement; Upper and Lower South; Coal and other minerals
READ: "The Formation of the Virginia-West Virginia Boundary" by Winberry
12. OCT/7 Upper and Lower South review; land settlement in Virginia; Appalachia South; Shenandoah Valley settlement; West Virginia border
READ: "A Virginia Agricultural System in Transition" by Moon and Raitz

PRIMARY INDUSTRY AND RURAL AREAS

13. OCT/9 Forestry, fishing and recreation; coal; types of coal mining; dates of county founding; derivation of county names; African-American population; African-American historical sites
READ: "The Best Little Water Project by a Dam Site" by Coogan
DEADLINE: All students, turn in SUMMARIES OF CLASSES 1-12. Turn in "Virginia Road Map" Exercise. Turn in 5 Readings in the Geography of Virginia article summaries.

OCTOBER 14TH - COLUMBUS DAY RECESS - NO CLASS OR BROADCASTS ON THIS DATE.

14. OCT/16 LIVE CLASS: Blue Ridge settlement; non-coal minerals; coal mining
READ: "Of the Best Quality: Buckingham Slate" by Chambers
15. OCT/21 Explanation of Urban Newspaper Map Exercise; farms and agriculture; tobacco
READ: "Hopewell During World War I" by Crump
16. OCT/23 Virginia crops; "Persistence of Community" video (Harrisonburg's Mennonites)
READ: "Filipinos in Virginia" by Drake
MAP EXERCISE: Complete "Areas of Urban Influence Defined by Newspapers" in Readings in the Geography of Virginia (Turn in on October 30th).

POPULATION AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY

17. OCT/28 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Alice Andrews; religion, tourism and ethnic groups; ethnic groups in Northern Virginia READ: "Regional Aspects of Tourism in Virginia" by Andrews

18. OCT/3O Newspaper map exercise review; population geography; population pyramids READ: "Pocahontas: A Secluded Island Community " by Smith DEADLINE: Turn in "Areas of Urban Influence Defined by Newspapers" Exercise in Readings in the Geography of Virginia.

19. NOV/4 Population overview; population density; population growth rates; shifting center of population; voting population; U.S. migration to Virginia; block diagram of Virginia population; introduction to the Nine Regions READ: "The Nine Regions of Virginia" by Fonseca

NINE REGIONS OF CONTEMPORARY VIRGINIA

20. NOV/6 Chesapeake Fringe; Hampton Roads
READ: "Evacuation from Nuclear Attack in Hampton Roads" by Zeigler, "Metropolitan Development in Hampton Roads" by Ruchelman
21. NOV/11 "Hampton Roads Slides" video
READ: "Tidewater: A Metropolitan Toponym for Southeastern Virginia?" by Zeigler
22. NOV/13 LIVE CLASS: Economy and port activity in Hampton Roads; economic geography; Virginia political patterns; introduction to Southside
READ: "The Buying of Virginia" by Murray
23. NOV/18 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Marijean Hawthorne: Petersburg and Southside; Northern Piedmont
READ: "The Boydton-Petersburg Plank Road" by Hawthorne
24. NOV/20 Virginia's Native-Americans; Southside; Southern Piedmont-Valley industrial region; "Southwest Virginia" video
LISTEN TO: "Route 58 Atlas Audio Tape" available at Johnson Center Reserves Desk-2nd floor (Turn in Summary on November 27th)
25. NOV/25 Southern Piedmont-Valley industrial region (continued); comparison of Roanoke and Lynchburg; impact of interstate highways
READ: "Implications of High-Technology Manufacturing for a Community" by Knapp, et. al.
26. NOV/27 Southwest Virginia; regions of Southwest based on newspapers; economy and growth of Northern Virginia
DEADLINE: "A" and "B" students turn in Projects. All students, turn in SUMMARIES OF CLASSES 13-25. Turn in "Route 58 Atlas Audio Tape" summary. Turn in 5 article summaries. Turn in 10 news clippings and summaries.
PICK UP: Final Exam (Take home).

THANKSGIVING RECESS - NOVEMBER 28th through DECEMBER 1st

27. DEC/2 LIVE CLASS: Stages of Growth of Northern Virginia; commuting patterns; "Shenandoah Valley Slides" video
READ: "Virginia's Population: 1995 Estimates" by Martin and Tolson, "The Semi-Urban Landscape" by Fonseca
28. DEC/4 "Richmond Region Slides" video; Richmond
READ: "Richmond the Renaissance City" by Lingo

FINAL EXAM. Take home final exams must be RECEIVED on or before Friday, December 13th. Place the exam in my mailbox in King Hall or at the Prince William campus. If you mail them, they must be postmarked by December 11th. Attach SUMMARIES OF CLASSES 26-28 and any remaining exercises and assignments.

THIS CLASS OPERATES ON THE UNIVERSITY HONOR CODE. Please read the honor code policy in the university catalog.

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