Fall 2025 - GEOG 162 OL01
Canada (3)
Class Number: 6608
Delivery Method: Online
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Online
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Exam Times + Location:
Dec 9, 2025
Tue, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Nadine Schuurman
nadine@sfu.ca
1 778 782-3320
Office Hours: Meeting times are available by appointment. A class discussion group will also be held online.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
The geographical character of Canada; the Canadian environment; regional differences in socio-economic growth. Breadth-Social Sciences.
COURSE DETAILS:
Canada is a vast geographical expanse, a nation state, a mosaic of First Nations, a patchwork of ecosystems and climatic zones and a concept that is understood differently depending on who and where you are. Space and geography are critical components in the formation of present day Canada. Every element of First Nations settlement, subsequent colonization and patterns of labour and resistance are influenced by the physical and human geography of this territory. In this course, we will begin to understand how this country called Canada was created and where we might be going as a nation.
Course delivery in Fall 2025
Lectures (asynchronous): Recordings of lectures (voice with PowerPoint) will be available each week. In addition, videos, books, poems and songs will be featured to accompany each lecture.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
| Learning Goal | How Goal is Assessed |
| Develop the ability to apply the concepts of unsettling, resistance, resilience and mapping to Canada | Incorporate the concepts of unsettling, resilience, resistance and mapping into assignments |
| Identify and describe major human geography changes in Canada over the past 30,000 years | Research Assignment, Exam |
| Characterize geographical regions of Canada now and in the past | Research Assignment, Final Exam Class Engagement Activities: • Be able to identify distinguishing historical, socio-economic, and physical characteristics of Canada’s regions; • Interpret and utilize maps to locate places, economic activity, urban areas, and geographic features of Canadian regions; • Review books, articles, videos songs and poems related to Canada’s geography |
| Critically reflect on role of colonialism in the geography of Canada, and critically evaluate narratives of Canada’s nation-building | In Mid-term film review and in Research Essay |
| Develop effective referencing skills to communicate research and argumentation. | Research Essay |
Grading
- Land acknowledgement 10%
- Mid-term film assignment 25%
- Research Proposal 5%
- Research Assignment 25%
- Final exam - remote, online, synchronous 35%
Materials
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.