Category: Geography

The Idea of the Map. Anne Godlewska.

Once you have selected your topic, you will then do research to see how each of the following geographic concepts affects or is related to your topic:

1. Regions

2. Cultural Landscape

3. Diffusion

4. Distance decay.

The first two concepts are covered in the first chapter of your textbook. Diffusion is covered in Chapter 8, Section 2 (page 484).

Distance decay refers to the fact that influence and interaction between locations decreases as the distance between them increases. As such, it has a significant influence on how things change as they diffuse away from their point of origin.

Be sure to address these specific geographic terms and concepts in your work. You don’t need to address them in this order, but you do need to address all of them.

You may use “subsets” of these definitions (e.g. contagious diffusion) if such subsets exist. Be sure to refer to your text and other reliable resources to ensure you completely understand these concepts.

You should be detailed in your treatment of these concepts – for instance, you should explain both how and why your choice varies by region, and how and why it has been affected by distance decay. Remember that geography, as an academic discipline, seeks to explain why things vary from place to place, not just describe how they do.

You will complete this project in 3 separate assignments: an annotated bibliography, an outline, and your final presentation. In this assignment, you will complete your outline.

Completing the project in separate assignments allows you to work your way up to the final presentation, and provides opportunity for feedback along the way.

Assignment Objective: Organize your thoughts and the main points of your research for your final presentation in outline format.

The required elements: Your outline should contain the following elements in this order:

I. The Introduction: This section previews your topic and the details you will cover in the body of your presentation. It should be very brief, but include:

A. The food, cuisine, invention or idea that you are going to discuss.

B. Why you chose this topic.

C. A preview of the regions where your topic has developed and then diffused to.

II. The Body (Content Sections): In the body, you must address how the four geographic concepts mentioned in the presentation instructions (regions, cultural landscapes, diffusion, and distance decay) relate to your topic.

A. Regions: Discuss the origin region or regions of your topic, with specific attention to the geographic qualities of the region that influenced the development of your topic.

B. Cultural Landscape: Discuss how the landscape in the region(s) described above have been shaped by the culture that gave rise to your topic, and how your topic might be reflected in that landscape.

C. Diffusion: Discuss how your topic has diffused from its origin. Where has it diffused to? What factors led to its diffusion there? What kind of diffusion has it experienced?

D. Distance Decay: Discuss how your topic has changed as it has diffused away from the region(s) of its origin.

III. The Conclusion Section: this section should contain four to six points that sum up the main points from the body of the outline.

Start your conclusion with one sentence summarizing some basic information about your topic.

Continue with a brief summary (1-2 sentences) about the important characteristics of its origin region(s).

Include a brief note about relevant cultural landscapes.

Include a brief summary (1-2 sentences) about the diffusion of your topic and the distance decay it experienced.

Wrap up the conclusion section with a closing note that provides brief information about why this topic was of interest to you, and a fact about your topic you found interesting.

IV. Reference section: This is not just the reference page; rather, referencing should occur throughout the outline as it will in your presentation.