Geo101 Midterm Exam 1 Review Fall 2009

When is the Exam? Section A&B: Monday September 28.
Where is the Exam? In our regular classroom
What do I need to Bring? A pencil, a pen for essays if you wish, and your brain (appendix optional).
What the Exam will be like? The midterm will have 40 multiple choice and true false questions. 30 will cover concepts, terms, positions, etc. discussed in lecture, discussion, and in your text. 10 will be map identification questions. The first 30 will be divided into 3 sections: Definitions; Applications and Importance of Material; and Thinking and Logic Questions. Sample questions may be found on the web site. Finally, there will be 5 short answer questions very similar to those you have answered for discussion (though not necessarily on our discussion topics). You will have 50 minutes to take the exam, so budget your time accordingly. Places for which you will need to know the location are listed below as well as a link to a practice map.

How and what to study: Your first line of attack should be to carefully review your notes from lecture. The best way to do this is to read through your notes and the outlines provided on the web site for each day to remind yourself of the topics covered. Then put your notes aside and attempt to reconstruct in your head the main points covered-and what they mean. Obviously, the outlines indicate the main points. Next, you should carefully review the appropriate terms in the glossary (of both Knox and Marston and the discussion manual online). The summaries, key terms, and review questions at the end of each chapter in Knox and Marston should also be useful. The discussion manual glossary provides not only definitions, but also context for the terms developed in class. It is a good resource. Finally make sure you have carefully read each of the assigned discussion readings and can adequately answer the questions provided. As I write the exam, I will be reviewing those questions myself. I will also look at the various section headings in each article (and in Knox and Marston) as they often point to main ideas. For some of the discussions (but not all) I have also provided a list of concepts, ideas, and places that you might want to review. We have covered quite a bit of material. The key to effectively studying is to be able to grasp the main ideas and connect them with ideas and concepts that fall under them.

On the class home page there are links to several web sites (see WWW Study Skills Resources) that have useful information about preparing for multiple choice exams. As always come see me with any questions you might have. If you know that you have difficulty taking exams I encourage you to come see me before the exam so that we can work out some strategies for you to explore.

The following is a list of most of the topics we have covered. It is by no means all inclusive so be sure that you look at your lecture notes, outlines, the lists of concepts in the introduction to some of the discussions and the list of Key Terms at the end of each chapter in your textbook.

Geographical Concepts and the Global Context: definitions of Geography, why geography matters, pattern and process, the uniqueness and interdependence of places, the geography of breakfast, types of location (relative, site and situation, etc.), regions (3 types), place, scale, distance, diffusion, barriers to diffusion, spatiality, space (absolute and relative), economic crisis discussion, spatial fix, world system (core, periphery, and semi-periphery), imperialism, colonialism, international division of labor, new international division of labor, comparative advantage, globalization (and its causes), neo-colonialism.

Geographies of Environment and Population
Population: Geographical patterns, processes that lead to growth and decline, measures of population (Crude Birth Rate, Crude Death Rate, Total Fertility Rate), What TFR leads to replacement population?, Rate of Natural Increase, doubling time, etc.), types of population density (crude, nutritional, agricultural), overpopulation, population pyramids and, theories of population growth (including Malthus, Marx, Cornucopian, demographic transition model, and feminist ideas), Migration discussion, migration, push and pull factors, voluntary and involuntary/forced migration, immigration, emigration; Nature and the Environment theories or ways of looking at nature and their implications, Glacken's 3 conceptions, environmental determinism, What is Nature?, Humans role in the transformation of the earth, the production of nature, Project Plowshare, implications of locating atomic test sites and polluting industries, fallacy of remoteness, environmental justice, environmental racism, The Geography of Environmental Justice (Global Warming discussion), critical thinking.
In general the test will cover:

• Lecture material up to and including the lecture on environmental problems.
• Discussions up to and including Discussion 4: The Geography of Environmental Justice*
• Knox and Marston up to and including Chapter 4: Nature, Society and Technology

*The culture and landscape discussion will be on the next exam.

Places for which you need to know the locations
Southwest Asia has been especially prominent in the news lately (the War in Iraq, nuclear development in Iran, Bombings in India, Pirates in Somalia, etc.) so we are going to focus on this region for the exam. We'll do other regions on other tests. You'll find a practice map on the web site that you can print out. (Note that for the map section you only need to know locations, you do not need to know anything about the places):

Afghanistan, Kabul, Iraq, Baghdad, Iran, Israel, West Bank, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Pakistan, India, Mumbai, Somalia, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea (or what's left of it), Black Sea, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, China, Urumqi (China),

Suggestion for learning locations: Make several copies of the practice map (which is available online). Without the aid of a map, try to locate and label each of the places you need to know for the test on a blank map. Check your answers against a map. Make note of those that you couldn't locate and note their locations. Repeat until you get every location correct. Do this once a day until the day of the test and you'll pass the map section with flying colors!

Honor Code Issues: During the exam please put all class materials out of sight, do not use music players, and do not talk.

Final Comments
Above all, take some time to study for the test. But also make sure that you use your studying time wisely. Don't just stare at your notes for hours on end, come up with a studying strategy. If you have no idea where to start, come visit me! (Or call or e-mail and make an appointment.) I will do all I can to help you prepare for the test but I can not help you if you do not approach me for help.

 

Map of Asia