121-222 Field Class in Geography

This subject is recommended for students who have completed at least 25 points of first year geography subjects and who intend to complete a major in geography in either an arts or science degree.

A quota of 25 students applies to this subject and application forms for a quota place are available from the SAGES office. Students will be required to meet expenses. In 2005 the field site will be in New Zealand.

Completion of 25 points of first year geography.

This subject is designed for students intending to major in geography. Over six days of field work in New Zealand, students will gain the knowledge and develop the research skills necessary to undertake further study in geography. The subject presents the disciplinary approaches used by geographers to investigate a wide variety of geographical phenomena. After introducing the questions that geographers ask about places, the subject introduces and develops the research skills and methods used by practising geographers, particularly skills in acquiring, analysing and presenting geographical data. During the field week students will identify questions about and methods of analysing social, economic, environmental and physical conditions at the field location. After the field work, students will complete projects based on their field work and subsequent reading. In semester one, there will be seminars at which student work is presented.

• be capable of identifying questions (about people and their environments);

• be capable thinking critically (about people and their environments);

• be capable of obtaining published and field-based information with which to answer questions (about people and their environments);

• be able to work in teams (to identify answers to practical problems);

• be able to write coherent and researched reports on research.

A 1500 word research proposal 35%, a 1500 word essay 35%, a 20-minute presentation 10% and a field diary 20%.