What will you learn in this class?

And you'll have the ability to analyze some of the geographic patterns, to explain the story behind what you see in local newspaper articles. You'll know how to use lots of research sources, especially those on the Internet.

Class Objectives: When we're finished after the last class, you will understand the unique character of Virginia and the "why of where" - why you see certain things in certain places, like volcanic lava on the top of the Blue Ridge, a threshing barn for wheat rather than a tobacco barn at Mount Vernon, the distinctive dress of Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley, coal trains in Roanoke, and two separate-but-equal lakes at Twin Lakes State Park.

As you drive around Virginia, you'll be able to answer "OK, so just why is this here?" inquiries and describe the:

physical geography of the state (Why are the mountains there and not here? After you finish washing the dishes, will the waste water end up in the Atlantic or go past New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico?) human geography of Virginia (Why are there so many families with German names in the Shenandoah Valley? Why did Harpers Ferry end up in West Virginia, but Bristol did not?) interaction between human and physical geography... and how it's reflected in Virginia politics (Why is there a line of cities running north almost in a straight line from Emporia to Alexandria? What's the problem with a pipeline taking Roanoke River water to Virginia Beach?) regions within Virginia and their relative influence (Why did the Tidewater dominate state politics until the western counties finally seceded in 1863 to form a new state? Will Northern Virginia's sprawling development transform Caroline and Frederick counties next?) patterns (spatial distribution) of Virginia's population, housing, income, schools, manufacturing, agriculture, etc.

Falls of the Little River (Floyd County)

This class will open a window for you to understand regional geography. You'll study a variety of aspects about one place. Such study will require using more than one discipline, and you'll discover that you can apply what you learned in biology, earth science, history, governments, economics, and other classes back in high school as well as in college. We will examine physical, historical, transportation, political, sectional, and transportation geography related to Virginia. At the end of this course, you'll be able to integrate information from different disciplines to answer the question, "What makes Virginia special?" You might even appreciate the unique value of Virginia in a different way.

We'll start the class with the physical geography, explore the geology and watersheds and biogeography of Virginia. Then we'll touch on the historical reasons why Virginia developed as it did.... and then we'll get stuck in traffic.

No, not really. But we'll look at the initial transportation patterns of Virginia settlement, and you'll discover the origins of Braddock Road, Route 123, Route 50, Route 15, Interstate 95 and Interstate 81, and a series of other highways where you may have wondered "Who were the engineers that laid out this crazy road!?"

Then we'll look at how the physical geography affected various military campaigns in Virginia, including the "late unpleasantness" in 1861-65. We'll look at the boundaries of the colony and the state, how the capital has migrated over the years before settling in Richmond finally in 1865, and the different ways in which people define the regions of Virginia. Virginia is not homogeneous, physically or culturally, so we'll spend considerable time exploring the different sections of the state and what makes those sections unique.

When we look at Virginia's political geography, we'll see what makes the whole state different from, say, Massachusetts. [Ugh, Massachusetts! The Pilgrims were latecomers, arriving 13 years after Jamestown was settled - and don't believe their propaganda about the First Thanksgiving being someplace other than Berkeley Plantation on the James River, either.]

Virginia's countryside offers natural beauty for tourists and a productive agricultural base. Arlington County may have, at most, one farmer... but there are still places where "farmer tans" outnumber "golfer tans." Here's where we'll talk about tobacco and it's importance to Virginia.

The "Fall Line" determined the location of many of Virginia's initial industrial sites, but how does that relate to textile manufacturing in Danville or Fries, Virginia? The location of manufacturing and energy facilities has a correlation with the location of Superfund sites, too. The geography of Virginia's solid waste is even more interesting. Trash is big business - did you know Virginia imports more garbage than all but 1 or 2 other states? You'll learn why New York City is shipping its garbage to Berkeley Plantation, and why politicians talk about importing garbage as a problem... but don't stop it. The Virginia is for Lovers advertisements never used landfills as a romantic background... but we're taking more than a shallow tourist-y tour of the state this semester.

Of course, there's a detailed class schedule and weekly quizzes using Blackboard. The primary material for the course is already defined in the week-by-week schedule, but I'm still learning about the state and I'll keep revising the VirginiaPlaces.org Web site. Until I'm planted 6 feet under in the family plot at Hollywood Cemetery, this site will be a work-in-progress.

After a semester of Virginia geography, you'll see a whole lot more when you drive through Virginia than you did when class started. With all your new perspective and expertise, you'll be able to entertain other passengers in the car as you creep through the Northern Virginia traffic jams. [You may even hear your relatives say "Hey, you're a great tour guide! Next year we'll hold the family reunion here, with all the second cousins, and you can entertain them all weekend. Gee, won't that be fun!"]