Geography 4 Assignments

GGH310 Geography of Terrorism

Core Assessment: Case Study Research Project

Core Learning Outcomes for GGH310:

1. Name and identify on maps the location of current “hotspots” of terrorist activity.

2. Identify and describe the basic characteristics of regions with common occurrences of terrorism or terrorist activity.

3. Analyze the root causes of terrorism using a geographic perspective.

4. Evaluate terrorism and its impact on the global community.

Description & Instructions: Case Study Research Paper:

This assignment will challenge you to become an “expert” on the causes, nature, and potential future of terrorist activity within a specific country, while at the same time demonstrating the extent to which you have achieved each of the Core Learning Outcomes for this course. You must prepare a PowerPoint presentation of at least 8 content slides (i.e., not including title, works cited, etc.), using a minimum of 6 sources, in which you conduct a geographic analysis of recent terrorist activity within a selected country. Your analysis must cover each of the three major scales of geographic study (as discussed in class): local, national/regional, and international/global. (Note: The instructor will announce specific guidelines and procedures for country selection in class, and it is your responsibility to confirm your selection with the instructor prior to beginning your research.)

The presentation must include at least 2 slides for each of the following sections:

1) Introduction/Overview: Provide a general overview of the geopolitical history of the country and its experiences/association with terrorism. You must include a clear thesis statement about the root causes of terrorism/terrorist activity within the country that you intend to “prove” through the evidence provided in the rest of the project. (Content of Communication)

2) Local Scale Investigation: Summarize at least 4 of the most recent terrorist activities within the country by briefly describing the locations where the activities have taken place, the type/nature of each of the activities, and briefly discussing the reasons why these particular locations were targeted/used. You should include a map in your report that, at minimum, identifies the location of each site discussed. [CLO#1; Application]

3) National Scale Analysis: Describe and analyze at least 4 of the elements of the country’s physical and/or human characteristics (political, economic, social/cultural, etc.) which contribute to the occurrence of terrorist activity within it (i.e., its “Contemporary Operational Environment”). In so doing, you should discuss the extent to which these elements illustrate the typical conditions found in areas where terrorist activity is most common. In addition, you should include at least one map or picture that illustrates the significance of one (or more) of these elements within the country. [CLO#2; Analysis]

4) International Scale Evaluation: Evaluate the impact terrorism has had within the country you are studying both regionally (i.e., in any neighboring countries) as well as globally (i.e., in countries outside the immediate region). You should discuss the extent to which the evolving world-system has played a role in the terrorist activity associated with this country and whether or not you think the terrorist actions taken were the most effective means for the group/organization to achieve its stated objectives. [CLO#4; Evaluation]

5) Case Study Lessons/Conclusion: Summarize what you believe this case study demonstrates about the root causes of terrorism, and propose an action plan that you think could be implemented in order to help diminish the threat of future terrorist activity within this country. [CLO#3; Synthesis]

6) Works Cited: List, alphabetically, any sources you cited within the paper (Note: You must have at least 6 different sources) using either APA or MLA documentation style. Be advised that this means you must also have used either footnotes or parenthetical citations within the project itself. [Technical Skill in Communication]