GE 269 - Africa: A Geographical Exploration

Description
This course is devoted to the geography of Africa. Students are tasked with exploring this fascinating continent, which is characterized by distinctive regions shaped by a unique blend of environments and people. The historical, cultural, political, and economic influences, as well as environmental conditions that have created both rich and barren landscapes, are discussed to foster an understanding of the places that create Africa today.

Credit Hours: 4
Contact Hours: 4

School: School of Liberal Arts
Department: Social Sciences
Discipline: GE

Major Course Revisions: General Education Review
Last Revision Date Effective: 20230223T16:17:35
Course Review & Revision Year: 2027-2028

Course Type:
General Education- Offering designed to meet the specific criteria for a GRCC Distribution Requirement. The course should be designated by the requirement it fulfills.
Course Format:
Lecture - 1:1

General Education Requirement: Social Sciences
General Education Learner Outcomes (GELO):
3. Critical Thinking: Gather and synthesize relevant information, evaluate alternative perspectives, or understand inquiry as a means of creating knowledge, 4. Cultural Competence: Understand diverse interpersonal and cultural perspectives through analysis of scholarly or creative works, 5. Information Literacy: Discover, ethically apply, or disseminate scholarly information

Course Learning Outcomes:

Develop an understanding of Africa’s natural environments with reference to climate, water resources, and zoogeography, and be able to discuss current environmental issues. (GELO 5)
Develop an understanding of sound environmental conservation practices, and be able to present viable solutions to addressing current environmental issues. (GELO 5)
Gain an understanding of the historical processes that influenced the shaping of societies, which typify current cultural landscapes. (GELO 4)
Develop an understanding of the political processes that have deeply affected the evolution of specific countries (e.g., apartheid in South Africa and Namibia). (GELO 3, GELO 4)
Develop an understanding of effective sustainable development strategies. (GELO 3)
Comprehend how changing social conditions have affected people throughout the continent during the current era marked by globalization. (GELO 4)
Clearly and completely describe a problem/issue.
Understand that there are different perspectives on community, national, and international issues. (GELO 4)
Apply social and human behavioral theory to understand alternative interpersonal or cultural perspectives of those that occupy different geographic regions, especially with regard to ethnicity, nationality, and gender. (GELO 4)
Identify questions and hypotheses important to understanding unique social phenomena, individual behavior, and/or that characterize different groups of people and the operation of societal institutions’ geographic regions they occupy. (GELO 3)
Comprehend how changing social conditions affect the behavior of individuals in different regions and the function of societal institutions. (GELO 4)
Articulate a theoretical perspective guiding the collection, analysis, and interpretation of demographic data used to investigate, which infer and illustrate various social phenomena, individual behavior, and or the function of societal institutions that typify distinctive geographic regions and people.
Apply social and behavioral theory to explore one’s own individual rights and responsibilities as part of civil society. (GELO 4)

Approved for Online Delivery?: Yes

Course Outline:
I. The Natural Environment

II. Historical Geography

III. Demography, Development, and Health

IV. The Cultural Landscape

IV. Political Geography and Leadership

V. Africa Today

VI. Reflections: Environment, People, and Problems

Mandatory CLO Competency Assessment Measures:
None

Name of Industry Recognize Credentials: None

Instructional Strategies:
Lectures or Films: 30-60%

Detailed Asynchronous Dialogue on Blackboard’s Discussion Board: 40-70%

Mandatory Course Components:
None

Academic Program Prerequisite: None
Prerequisites/Other Requirements: None
English Prerequisite(s): None
Math Prerequisite(s): None
Course Corerequisite(s): None
Course-Specific Placement Test:
Course Aligned with IRW: N/A
Consent to Enroll in Course: No Department Consent Required

Total Lecture Hours Per Week: 4
Faculty Credential Requirements:
18 graduate credit hours in discipline being taught (HLC Requirement), Master’s Degree (GRCC general requirement), Other (list below)
Faculty Credential Requirement Details: Master’s Degree in Geography in addition to demonstrated knowledge about the geography of Africa, including evidence of scholarship and fieldwork is required.

Maximum Course Enrollment: 36
Dual Enrollment Allowed?: Yes
Number of Times Course can be taken for credit:
Programs Where This Courses is a Requirement:
None
People Soft Course ID Number: 105041
Course CIP Code: 45.0701