GEOG 2243: SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY USING THE TEXTBOOK
( Bergman, Edward F. and Renwick, William H. Introduction to Geography: People,
Places, and Environment, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, Inc., 2005.)
Most students do not read and study the reading assignments in the
textbook
very efficiently or effectively. The suggested method takes work,
but it is very effective. It is more time consuming the "first time
through"
the chapter, but most students find that one time through is
sufficient;
thus, reducing re-reading and extensive review time.
Suggested method for reading/studying the chapters in the text:
- Read the brief overviews entitled "A Look Ahead" at the
beginning
of
each chapter to
get a mental framework of the main ideas that will be expanded upon in
the chapter.
- Take careful notes while
you read; I recommend the following method:
- Use the headings and subheadings in each chapter as an
outline
for
note-taking.
- As you read each sub-section of the chapter, stop when you
come
to a
term
in boldface print; these are new terms that are important to the
understanding
of the chapter. In your notes, based on the context of the paragraph in
which the boldfaced term occurs, develop your definition for the
term and
write it down in your
words (don't just copy a sentence from the text).
You'll remember your words better than the author's words.
- At the end of each sub-section, stop and review in your mind
the main
ideas
and concepts that were just explained. Summarize the sub-section in two
or three sentences, in your own words, and write your summary in your
outline.
- Give particular attention to the "Critical Thinking" and "Focus
On"
boxes in each chapter; these provide practical applications to current
events and critical topics.
- Read carefully the chapter "Summary" in the "Chapter Review" at
the end
of the chapter in order to
once again review what you've just read.
- Read through the list of key terms at the end of the chapter.
Based on
the work you did in item 2 above you should now know a definition for
each
of these terms. You can check the definition that you developed
by referring to the "Glossary" at the end of the book.
- The "Questions for Review and Discussion" at the end of the
chapters
are a good way to make sure that you understand the main concepts
covered in the chapter.
- After studying the chapters another good study aid would be to
review
the
multiple-choice questions in Exam #1, 2, 3, or 4 Study Guides under
Assignments on Blackboard.
The Companion Website at <http://www.prenhall.com/bergman>
provided by the textbook publisher has a variety of interactive quizzes
to check your comprehension of the concepts.
- As final preparation I recommend reviewing the "Thinking
Geographically"
questions at the end of each chapter. By determining and writing down
your
answers to these review questions you will solidify your understanding
of the major concepts covered in each chapter and see the practical,
real-world
context of these ideas.
- If you have any questions about the material covered in the
text, please
stop by my office or call or e-mail me to ask questions. I'll try my
best
to help you understand the material.
Last
revised January 7, 2007.