GEOG 199: Geography of National Parks
Explores the 63 US National Parks through the physical, environmental, and cultural processes that make these places unique. Covers tectonics, vulcanism, and landform processes to aid understanding about how these landscapes came to be, and examines indigenous peoples’ historic use, and modern claims, to these lands. Explores how park managers are facing the challenges of climate change and record visitation as they promote sustainable approaches to cultural and environmental preservation.

This class was developed as an asynchronous online course during Covid-19 and meets QM Rubric Standards for Course Design.

GEOG 204: Earth’s Changing Landscapes
An introductory course required of environmental studies, geoscience, and geography majors. Covers the basics of weather, climate, biogeochemical cycles, landform processes including fluvial, glacial, coastal, and karst. A self-published lab manual accompanies the course and includes exercises in map and imagery interpretation, Excel data analysis and presentation, and Google Earth. Taught every semester from 2009-2021.

GEOG 324: GIS I
Introduction to GIS data creation, management, analysis and presentation using ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, and QGIS. Developed twelve original lab exercises using local, national, and global data to reinforce fundamental concepts. Course culminates with a self-directed project that demonstrates basic analytical and cartographic skills.
Taught in-person 1-2x/year 2009-2020; Online 2020-21.

GEOG 424: GIS II (Advanced GIS)
Advanced topics in GIS including model builder, network analysis, Python coding, and GIS project design. Includes work in ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, and QGIS. Semester begins where GIS I leaves off–habitat modeling; conceptual modeling, Model Builder, and Python are introduced to students to demonstrate the benefits of automating repetitive tasks and to test model sensitivity. Moves into network analysis, database design, and independent research projects. Taught 1x/year 2009 – 2020.

GEOG 325: Cartography and Geovisualization
Builds on introductory skills in ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Pro to immerse students in principles of map design. Reviews map projections and databases, and introduces color theory, generalization, as well as the design and use of choropleth, dot density, ‘heat maps,’ and general reference maps. Students develop and execute independent and group projects. Group projects are tied to campus and community mapping needs. Taught every other year 2009-2020.

GEOG 395 and 495: Geography Junior and Senior Seminar
Capstone course for all Geography majors. Junior Seminar covers job preparation and basic research skills, including cover letters, resumes, interviews, literature reviews. Senior seminar involves community-based projects co-led with an external advisor and culminating in a report with original maps and data visualizations.

Example Seminar Project Reports:
The Path Less Pedaled: An Examination of the Cheshire Rail Trail North in Southwestern New Hampshire (PDF 4.2 MB)

Perceptions and Practices of Sustainability Within Keene, New Hampshire (PDF 1.9 MB)

Air Quality and Home Heating Analysis of Keene, NH (PDF 5 MB)

The Ashuelot Rail-Trail: The ART of Commuting An analysis of trail attributes and commuting habits of local residents in southwest New Hampshire (PDF 7.5 MB)

Peterborough Parks and Recreation Inventory (4.6 MB)