Geography of Kansas, GE 333

Fall Semester 2000.

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 What do you think of when you read “the Geography of Kansas”? Maybe it’ll be a pretty short class? What geography is there to study in “the flat state”? This class will examine the historical geography of the state: settlement patterns from the earliest residents back in the last ice age, contact between the first settlers and those of European descent who came later, and the impact of all these people on the environment around them. We’ll look at how things in Kansas have changed over time to get us to where we are now. I’m hoping we’ll do some field trips to see first hand how things have changed in Lyon and Chase Counties, how economic development has affected population growth and distribution, how the increasing diversity of the state’s population is changing Emporia and other Kansas communities, and how urban growth is affecting the state’s relationship to the rest of the Great Plains and the U.S. in general.   In October 2000, ESU will host the Flint Hills Regional Environmental Colloquium, and students will have a chance to hear local community leaders and invited academics discuss and debate these issues.  
For more information, contact:
Professor Ellen Hansen
phone: (316) 341-5576

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