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The Western Field Trip is built around
a course (Geog. 4760) whose purpose
is to study the geography of
the western United States. The trip is designed to
examine the cultural, physical,
and environmental geography of this region. Specific
topics change from year to year,
reflecting the emphasis and route of that year's trip.
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In 2007, our cultural focus will be on the Native Peoples of the southwestern US, as
well as looking at sacred landscapes.
Physically we will focus on the features
of several physical regions:
the Central Lowlands, the Great Plains, the
Middle Rocky Mountains, the Colorado
Plateau, the Sierra Nevada, and
the California Pacific Coast.
In addition, we will describe factors relating to climate
change, and will use areas in the Great
Plains to examine this topic. Environmentally
we will examine water use in the Great
Plains, Colorado Plateau, and California
(especially at Mono Lake), National
Park policy and issues relating
to public land use, and the impact
of the spread of human habitat.
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The western field trip is an excellent opportunity
to study the
various aspects of geography in a non-traditional
classroom setting.
The faculty will lecture periodically throughout the
trip. Students
will be evaluated based on a take-home exam, which
the students
have until the end of the summer session to finish.
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