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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
GEOD005.
Course Title (CB02)
A Geography of California
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
An exploration of California's diverse physical landscapes (land forms, climate, soil and resources) and analyzes its cultural landscapes created by human transformation of the environment through economic activities such as agriculture, mining, trade, industry and urbanization. Examines the remarkable physical and cultural regional differences within California. A study in the wealth of diversity of California's peoples while investigating the more disturbing aspects of discrimination and exploitation of various groups based on race, ethnicity, class and gender.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course meets a general education requirement for °®¶¹´«Ã½, CSU GE and IGETC. It belongs on the A.A. degree in Liberal Arts. It offers students a regional specialization in California's diverse physical and cultural landscapes. It investigates the formation of the physical features and the transformation of the environment through human interaction while exploring the diversity of the peoples of California.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
Yes
Foothill Course ID
GEOG F009.

Course Philosophy

Course Philosophy
A systematic investigation of the origins and patterns of California's diverse physical and cultural landscapes leads students to develop an appreciation and critique of the extreme regional variations within the state. Spatial analysis of natural and human interactions help students understand California's distinctive traits, contemporary problems and their effects beyond its borders.

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
°®¶¹´«Ã½ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GDX°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area D - Social and Behavioral SciencesApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGDYCSU GE Area D - Social SciencesApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG4XIGETC Area 4 - Social and Behavioral SciencesApproved
C-IDArea(s)StatusDetails
GEOGGeographyApprovedC-ID GEOG 140

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading and films shown in class

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Assignments

  1. Daily reading from a college level text.
  2. Take-home short essay assignments based on readings, films and class discussions involving application of geographic concepts studied in class.
  3. In-class exercises involving individual or group activities such as discussions of concepts, readings, responses to films, interpretation of data and maps, analysis of particular examples.
  4. Research or analytical paper(s) or project(s). Students work in a small group (or alone) on paper(s) or project(s) on designated California themes with a geographic focus. This requires the student to synthesize, integrate and analyze thematic material and relate them to course material. Sources can include articles from academic sources such as books, journals, news magazines, newspapers, and Internet sources. Students may utilize the research materials (including primary documents), and maps available in the California History Center.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Quizzes, mid-term exam/s, and one final exam including objective, short-answer, essay and map/graph related questions to be evaluated based on ability to summarize, integrate, interpret and critically analyze information and concepts examined throughout the course.
  2. Written assignments on designated topics to be evaluated based on the extent of mastery of course objectives.
  3. Participation in classroom discussions with individual and/or group oral presentations demonstrating comprehension, analyses and application of concepts.
  4. Research and/or analytical paper(s) or project (s) to be evaluated based on extent of mastery of course objectives.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • Wall maps, DVDs and audio, video and research materials in the California History Center

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
"Atlas of the Biodiversity of California". California Department of Fish and Game, 2003.
"California Atlas and Gazetteer." DeLorme Publishing, 2015.
Hyslop, Richard; Lin Wu and Sara Gardner. "California Eclectic: A Topical Geography." 2nd ed. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing, 2015.
Selby, William A. "Rediscovering the Golden State." 3rd ed. New Jersey: Wiley, 2012.
Walker, Richard A. and Suresh K. Lodha. "The Atlas of California: Mapping the Challenge of a New Era." University of California Press, 2013.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Almaguer, Tomas. "Racial Fault Lines: The Historical Origins of White Supremacy in California." Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994.
Barraclough, Laura R. "Making the San Fernando Valley: Rural Landscapes, Urban Development, and White Privilege." Geographies of Justice and Social Transformation Series. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2011.
Brechin, Gray. "Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin." 2nd ed. Berkeley: California Studies in Critical Human Geography series, University of California Press, 2006.
Bright, William. "1500 California Place Names: their Origin and Meaning." Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.
Davis, Mike. "City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles." New ed. New York: Verso, 2006.
de Lara, Juan. "Inland Shift: Race, Space, and Capital in Southern California." Berkeley: University of California Press, 2018.
Fradkin, Philip. L. "The Great Earthquake and Firestorm of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself." Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006.
Fradkin, Philip and Alex L. Fradkin. "The Left Coast: California on the Edge." Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011.
Garcia, Matthew. "From the Jaws of Victory: The Triumph and Tragedy of Cezar Chavez and the Farm Worker Movement." Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012.
Gilliam, Harold. "Weather of the San Francisco Bay Region." 2nd ed. California Natural History Guides, No. 63. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.
Guthman, Julie. "Agrarian Dreams: The Paragon of Organic Farming in California." 2nd ed. California Studies in Critical Human Geography series. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2014.
Harden, Deborah. "California Geology." 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2004.
Jones, Craig H. "The Mountains that Remade America, How Sierra Nevada Geology Impacts Modern Life." Berkeley: University of California Press, 2017.
Kahrl, Fredrich J. and David W. Roland-Host. "Climate Change in California: Risk and Response." Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012.
Matthews, Glenna. "Silicon Valley, Women, and the California Dream: Gender, Class and Opportunity in the Twentieth Century." Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2002.
Mc Phee, John. "Assembling California." New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994.
Mitchell, Don. "Lie of the Land: Migrant Workers and the California Landscape." Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996.
Pellow, David Noaguib and Lisa Sun-Hee. "The Silicon Valley of Dreams: Environment, Injustice, Immigrant Workers, and the High-tech Global Economy." New York: New York University Press, 2002.
Pitti, Steven J. "The Devil in Silicon Valley: Northern California, Race and Mexican Americans." Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.
Prothero, Donald R. "California's Amazing Geology." New York: CRC Press, 2016.
Pulido, Laura. "Black, Brown, Yellow, and Left: Radical Activism in Los Angeles." Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006.
Sloan, David. "Geology of the San Francisco Bay Region." 1st ed. California Natural History Guides. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006.
Stroshane, Tim. "Drought, Water Law, and the Origins of California's Central Valley Project." Reno: University of Nevada Press, 2016.
Thompson, Gabriel (ed.). "Chasing the Harvest: Migrant Workers in California Agriculture." Voice of Witness Series, Verso, 2017.
Walker, Richard A. "The Country in the City: The Greening of the San Francisco Bay Area." Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2010.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Examine the basic themes and traditions in Geography and discuss the relationships between the two major areas of inquiry: physical geography and human geography, using examples from California.
  • Assess the role of key geographic factors critical to our understanding of California, differentiate between California's diverse regions and discover their interconnectedness.
  • Examine geologic and geomorphic processes of plate tectonics, the rock cycle and erosion that have shaped and continue to transform California's physical landscape.
  • Discuss California's weather and climate, illustrate how climate variables act individually and collectively, and deduce their role in creating remarkably diverse micro-climates.
  • Classify the California floristic provinces (vegetation belts and animal life, or living communities), with a view to understanding California's uniqueness in the world with respect to biological diversity. Analyze the connectedness and changes of these living communities.
  • Analyze and critique the role of water in the making of California's landscapes.
  • Compare and contrast California's population distribution, growth, composition and migration patterns. Investigate the causes of social and political tension amongst ethnic groups.
  • Identify California's primary economic activities, critically evaluate their impact on the lives of people and spaces they occupy.
  • Identify California's modern, advanced economic activities, critically evaluate their impact on the lives of people and spaces they occupy.
  • Trace the growth and evolution of California's urban areas. Apply geographic insights to understand the complexities of current challenges facing cities.
  • Appraise how geographic concepts, approaches and methods have and can be applied to organize and plan for the challenges facing California.

CSLOs

  • Identify California's geographic provinces, appraise their significance and investigate their interconnectedness.

  • Analyze geographic patterns of California's diverse population.

  • Critically evaluate the impact of California's modern economic activities on the physical and/or cultural environments.

Outline

  1. Examine the basic themes and traditions in Geography and discuss the relationships between the two major areas of inquiry: physical geography and human geography, using examples from California.
    1. Examine the spatial approach in geography, demonstrate the linkages between physical and human geography.
    2. Compare the discipline's approach to other social sciences such as anthropology, history, sociology, political science, environmental studies and economics.
    3. Introduce careers in geography: what do geographers do?
  2. Assess the role of key geographic factors critical to our understanding of California, differentiate between California's diverse regions and discover their interconnectedness.
    1. Demonstrate the significance of key geographic factors such as location (site and situation), size and shape, in the making of California.
    2. Examine human-environment interactions and how they have shaped California.
    3. Describe in brief, California's geographic regions (physiographic and cultural) and recognize their interconnectedness. The regions are as follows:
      1. Klamath Mountains
      2. Cascade Mountains
      3. Modoc Plateau
      4. Basin and Range
      5. Sierra Nevada
      6. Peninsular Ranges and Southern California deserts
      7. Southern California Coast
      8. Transverse Ranges
      9. Coast Ranges (Northern Coastal Ranges and Southern Coastal Ranges including Diablo Range or Inner coastal ranges and Santa Cruz Mountains or outer coastal ranges)
      10. Central Valley
  3. Examine geologic and geomorphic processes of plate tectonics, the rock cycle and erosion that have shaped and continue to transform California's physical landscape.
    1. concept of geologic time
    2. plate tectonics in California
    3. rock cycle, minerals and ores in California
    4. San Andreas Fault System
    5. Volcanic activity
    6. Tectonic processes and modern mountain building
    7. Weathering and mass wasting (landslides)
    8. Landforms made by running water
    9. Landforms sculpted by glaciers
    10. Landforms carved by wind in deserts and in coastal tracts
  4. Discuss California's weather and climate, illustrate how climate variables act individually and collectively, and deduce their role in creating remarkably diverse micro-climates.
    1. Climate variables such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, winds and ocean currents.
    2. The global wind circulation and how this macro-scale phenomenon applies to California.
    3. How seasonal patterns of change affect different regions, particularly storm patterns and El Nino cycles.
    4. Air pollution and its regional impact.
    5. California's changing climate and global warming.
  5. Classify the California floristic provinces (vegetation belts and animal life, or living communities), with a view to understanding California's uniqueness in the world with respect to biological diversity. Analyze the connectedness and changes of these living communities.
    1. Diverse living communities
    2. Californians and fire
    3. Species introduction by humans
  6. Analyze and critique the role of water in the making of California's landscapes.
    1. Examine the distribution of water.
    2. Assess the extent of water re-distribution.
    3. Critically evaluate the struggles over water rights by various groups of Californians.
    4. Appraise the ecological and human impact of water diversion and consumption.
  7. Compare and contrast California's population distribution, growth, composition and migration patterns. Investigate the causes of social and political tension amongst ethnic groups.
    1. Sequent occupance of California, the nature of population change in numbers and composition.
    2. Migration patterns and their effects on the migrant streams, the host populations and the spaces they inhabit. Immigrant groups studied would include various streams of European Americans, Asian Americans, Latin and Central Americans and African Americans.
  8. Identify California's primary economic activities, critically evaluate their impact on the lives of people and spaces they occupy.
    1. Role of hunting and gathering and subsistence farming and the demise of these forms of livelihood.
    2. Dominance of agribusiness in modern California farming, the rise of California as the most productive agricultural state in the country.
    3. The role of labor in the creation of wealth; the prejudice, discrimination and exploitation of labor and the role of labor movements.
    4. Ecological impacts of modern commercial agriculture.
    5. Rise of alternative, sustainable farming.
  9. Identify California's modern, advanced economic activities, critically evaluate their impact on the lives of people and spaces they occupy.
    1. Manufacturing or secondary industries and their global linkages, case study of Maquiladoras of Mexico.
    2. Tertiary and advanced industry, the role of high-tech industry, innovation and Silicon Valley.
    3. Cultural trendsetting, export of popular culture and the role of Hollywood.
    4. The military-industrial complex in California.
    5. Role of labor, labor exploitation and the creation of socio-economic classes in California societies in relation to industry.
    6. Environmental impact of modern industry on the health of people and on land, air and water including wildlife corridors.
  10. Trace the growth and evolution of California's urban areas. Apply geographic insights to understand the complexities of current challenges facing cities.
    1. Contemporary problems of urban sprawl, racial and ethnic segregation in urban areas, urban blight, poverty and homelessness.
    2. Challenges of urban planning, balancing needs for urban growth and green zones.
  11. Appraise how geographic concepts, approaches and methods have and can be applied to organize and plan for the challenges facing California.
    1. Climate change
    2. Energy
    3. biodiversity crisis and habitat fragmentation
    4. Immigration and California's changing demographics
    5. California's leadership role in the country and in the world
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