The purpose of the course is to help you understand what's going on in the world by learning something about world geography. Lectures, class discussions, the newspaper, and the textbook help accomplish the course goals, but there are many other ways of learning. As an incentive to you to explore some additional ways of learning about the world, there are several extra credit opportunities available in the course.

NOTE: I will not accept extra credit assignments during Summer Session courses.

Five basic rules apply to all extra credit assignments.

1. 1.You must have my approval before you embark on an extra credit project. So if you want to undertake an extra credit project, come and see me or e-mail me to let me know what you propose to do. (If I recommend a book, movie, or event in class that's an indication that it's acceptable for extra credit purposes, and you don't need to ask for my approval to review it. Similarly, if it's a book listed on the recommended readings page, you don't need advance approval either)
   

2. 2.You may turn in no more than two extra credit assignments during the semester If you submit two extra credit assignments, however, you must submit at least one of them before Spring/Fall Break.
   You may submit up to two extra credit assignments during the course of the semester But if you are going to undertake more than one extra credit assignment, one must be turned in before the mid-semester break. So please plan ahead! (Reason: Extra credit is not intended to be a last minute opportunity to cram in a few extra points. It's purpose is to help you think of ways to apply a geographic perspective to issues outside of the class. The sooner you start doing this, the better!)
   

3. 3.All extra credit projects must be completed no later two weeks before the last day of class. If this deadline falls over the Thanksgiving break, you must submit your extra credit review before the break. If you are writing a review of a talk or event, however, you must write and submit your review no later than two weeks after the event, while you still remember it clearly. (Reason: By the last two weeks of the semester, if you are worried about your grade, the best thing to do is concentrate your efforts on studying for the final exam, not write extra credit assignments.)
   

4. 4.You may not use for extra credit any piece of work that you are submitting for credit in any other course, or have submitted for credit in the past. Reason: Extra credit means that you are undertaking some work you would not otherwise do.
   

5. 5.You may not receive credit for extra credit assignments collectively worth more than 10 percent. This means that you may, for example, receive credit for two assignments each worth 5% extra credit, but no more. (Reason: Ten percent's worth of extra credit is plenty of work already.
   

Book or Movie Review

If you read a non-fiction book or movie related to the subject matter of the course, and write a 3-4 page book review, you may receive up to 5 percent extra credit. Be sure to check with me before you start reading; I must approve your choice of a movie or reading matter.

IMPORTANT: Remember that a book review is an essay written about a book for a reader who has not read the book. For examples of good book reviews, see the Sunday book review section of the Washington Post or the New York Times. The purpose of the review is NOT simply to summarize the book or movie. If you simply turn in a summary of the book or movie, you will not receive a good grade. Your review must make it clear how the contents of the book is related to the themes and content of the World Regional Geography course. Similarly, I'm not interested in whether you liked the book or not, I'm interested in why you think it's good and what it contributes to our understanding of its topic.

For some suggested readings, take a look at the readings page on this site

Event Review

From time to time, events take place on campus that are related to the subject matter of the course. A visiting speaker might give a talk on Iran or Germany, for example. If you attend such an event, you may write a critical review of the event. Your review must make it clear how the subject matter of the event is related to the themes and content of the World Regional Geography course. You can usually earn up to 3 percent for each event review you write. You MUST obtain my approval before undertaking an event review (unless I recommend the event in class.)

IMPORTANT: Remember that a event review is not simply a summary. It is a critical analysis of the ideas presented at the event, written for someone who was not there. If you simply turn in a summary of the event, you will not receive a good grade.

Blog Postings (New!)

You may earn extra credit for participating in discussions on the course blog Thoughts and Notes or on the Regional GeogBlog. The number of points you receive will depend on the quality, consistency, and timeliness of your participation. This means you won’t receive credit merely for posting comments on the blog. Your comments will have to be thoughtful and appropriate, and they should be posted in consistently throughout the semester (The blog is meant to be a forum for conversation throughout the semester, not a place to generate a few extra credit points at the end of the semester.)