I took the Basic Elements of Geography in the first semester of my Sophomore year. This course was taught by Dr. Hardin and was taught completely online. The objective of this course was to learn about the inner workings of the Earth, how the Earth continues to change internally and externally, and how to apply the knowledge practically.

The first half of the course was spent learning about the formation of the Earth and how the Earth continues to change. There was great emphasis put on the movements of landmasses, volcanic activity, forces of erosion, etc. The goal was to come to an understanding of the world around us in Virginia and abroad. Dr. Hardin took great strides to make what he was teaching applicable. To accomplish this, Dr. Hardin found an example of what we were learning first in Virginia, if possible, and then around the world. Dr. Hardin also went to great strides to show how geographic features affect the world around us on a daily basis; one example that stood out what how ridgelines affected the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.

Another element of the class was learning about the geography of other nations. This was accomplished through a “country profile.” Each student was assigned a country that they were to research and write about. This was a semester-long research project with multiple phases that culminated in a research paper and presentation. I was assigned Haiti, which was very difficult to find up-to-date statistical information about. Nonetheless, I did extensive research through government and independent databases regarding Haiti’s historical past and present, culture, religion, language, and geographic features. This was all compiled in the country profiled, which I have linked below.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iw9VSgFz9sVyJNbs4oEF8HTYWlM5ZwqWBPQp7jMbXIw/edit?usp=sharing