Welcome to Geography 107

Introduction to Human Geography

Dr. Steve GravesCalifornia State University, Northridge

First day housekeeping

• Dr. Steve Graves

• Syllabus, Course Expectations, Schedules, Office Hours, Grades, Assignments, etc. all available at:

http://www.csun.edu/~sg4002/courses/107/107_home.html

• Better yet, Google “Steve Graves Geography” and look for my web pages there.

Who Am I?

• Title protocol

• “Dr. Coach”

Me

• top down desert burn

• 6th of 7 kids (not catholic)• Industrial upbringing in Ohio• Education

– BA Ohio State– BSed Ohio Univ.

• 2 years public school teacher

– MA Miami– PhD Illinois

• 5 yrs at Louisiana Tech• I love:

– Football, music, road trips– family

Nikobe

Elijah

Marta-Wedding Day

Why are you here?• It’s a requirement!• Why is geography a requirement?• Broaden horizons: new places, new ideas• Understand yourself and others better• Spatial thinking• Education…not…vocational training..but…• Life and death• Citizenship

– http://www.ncge.org/publications/resources/business/page1.htmlhttp://www.ncge.org/publications/resources/business/page1.html– http://www.satirewire.com/news/jan02/australia.shtmlhttp://www.satirewire.com/news/jan02/australia.shtml– http://satirewire.com/news/jan02/geography.shtmlhttp://satirewire.com/news/jan02/geography.shtml– geography.shtmlgeography.shtml

You don’t want to wind up…You don’t want to wind up…

What will you get out of this course?What will you get out of this course?

• 1. Knowledge: You will know more about the United 1. Knowledge: You will know more about the United States and the rest of the world than you did when you States and the rest of the world than you did when you began the course.began the course.

• 2. Skills: You will be able to “think like a geographer” 2. Skills: You will be able to “think like a geographer” and use some of the tools of the geographer by the end and use some of the tools of the geographer by the end of the semester.of the semester.

• 3. Disposition: Hopefully, you will be a better person and 3. Disposition: Hopefully, you will be a better person and a better global citizen after completing this course.a better global citizen after completing this course.