GEOG 2RC3GEOGRAPHY OF CANADAWinter 2013 Dr. W. G. PeaceAssignment Regional IssuesINTRODUCTION“Canada is a country of regions….Each geographic region is defined by its particular geography and historic evolution.” (Bone 2011, 2) Each region’s history and geography, in turn, are inevitably linked to its problems and challenges. As regional geographers, we are interested in finding out how regions work in order to “…gain a fuller appreciation of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectivity of our world.” (Bone, 2011, 3) The goal of this assignment is to better understand Canada’s regions by examining some of their unique problems and challenges.
ASSIGNMENTSuppose you are an advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada. In preparation for an upcoming round of federal/provincial meetings, the Prime Minister has requested a concise summary of a major problem or challenge facing three of the country’s regions. Your task is to select one regional issue from the following list and prepare a brief for the PM using the guidelines below.
Regional Challenges - Ontario-Economic Revival or Continued Decline?
- Atlantic Canada – Future Prospects
- Quebec – The Challenge of Separation
[You will select one of the above challenges and prepare a brief according to the following guidelines.]
Guidelines - A brief is a ‘concise summary’. The brief you prepare for your selected topic will consist of the following:
- title page;
- 3 to 4 pages XXXXXXXXXXwords) of text, of which: (1) not more than 1 page will be a summary of the issue; and (2) 2 to 3 pages addressing the question posed for your topic; (be sure to include recommendations (justified) on government action(s) you think are warranted;
- reference to at least two academic sources (in addition to the text)
- an annotated bibliography
- Your brief must be written in formal style (proper sentences and paragraphs) and be properly referenced with in-text citations. The use of subheadings is strongly encouraged.
- With respect to sources, the course text contains some discussion relevant to each of these regional challenges. You should consult additional sources (some of which may be found in each chapter’s bibliography) such that the bibliography for your brief contains the textbook and at least three additional sources, two of which are academic sources.
- This assignment is worth 25% of your final mark in the course.
- This assignment is due by 4:00 p.m., Friday, February 15, 2013. There will be a penalty of 2 marks (10%) per day for late submissions. Details regarding how the assignment should be submitted will be posted on Avenue.
- Be sure to retain a copy of your assignment which can be submitted in the event that the original is lost or misplaced.
- Academic dishonesty consists of misrepresentation by deception or by other fraudulent means and can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grad of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university.
It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty.For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically appendix 3, located at
http://www.mcmaster.ca/policy/Students-AcademicStudies/AcademicIntegrity.pdf
The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty:
- Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other credit has been obtained.
- Improper collaboration in group work.
- Copying or using unauthorized aids tests and examinations.