Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for GEO 206 archive revision 202104

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Effective Term:
Fall 2021 through Winter 2025

Course Number:
GEO 206
Course Title:
Geography of Oregon
Credit Hours:
4
Lecture Hours:
40
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Explores the historical, social, economic, physical, and geographic factors that have contributed to the present Oregon landscape. Delineates the major cultural and physical divisions within Oregon in order to better understand the state's significant diversity. Emphasizes current issues and trends, and places the growth of Oregon into context with regional and national growth patterns. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

  • Apply geographic concepts and theories to explain historic and current events in Oregon.
  • Analyze human, cultural, and environmental processes and their prevailing geographic patterns in Oregon. 
  • Evaluate how changing cultural, social, and economic characteristics of Oregon affect public policy, urban growth, and the physical environment.

Social Inquiry and Analysis

Students completing an associate degree at Portland Community College will be able to apply methods of inquiry and analysis to examine social contexts and the diversity of human thought and experience.

General education philosophy statement

Regional geography courses examine the relationships of cultural and environmental phenomena within different areas of the world. Students study characteristics of the region including ethnic groups, religions, languages, physical landscapes, politics, and economies. Students are asked to examine their own place in the global community and their relationships with other regions of the world, providing a foundation to recognize and appreciate cultural differences as they appear on the landscape. This includes considering connections between resource use and human rights issues, to increase awareness of the condition of women, minorities, and foreign workers in other parts of the world. This will lead students to become more informed and engaged consumers and global citizens.

Course Activities and Design

Class will include lectures, films, reading assignments, map activities, quizzes, essays, student-led discussions, and a research project.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

Students will be expected to demonstrate mastery of themes, concepts, issues, competencies and skills by any combination of the following:

  1. In-class discussions

  2. Exams and quizzes

  3. Mapping activities

  4. Class assignments and exercises

  5. Conducting research

  6. Field observation exercises and projects

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes, Concepts, Issues:

  • Physical landscape and climate of Oregon

  • Indigenous people of Oregon

  • Colonization and early settlement 

  • Oregon statehood and political geographies

  • The Railroad Era and economic geographies

  • Population and urban geography

  • Contemporary issues in Oregon

Competencies and Skills:

  • Identify the distribution of different Oregon physical landforms and climates.

  • Identify the physical processes that produce distinctive Oregon landforms.

  • Demonstrate how patterns of Oregon settlements are associated with the location of natural resources.

  • Analyze the sequential occupancy of a selected Oregon settlement/county/region.

  • Demonstrate how Oregon population migrations are shaped by push and pull factors.

  • Identify the functions and significance of historic and present-day cities in Oregon.

  • Analyze the ways in which the character of an Oregon county/region relates to its economic, political and population characteristics.