Nature - autonomous learning

xxiv prefaceIt describes more than just the environment (or non-human world).Second, to reiterate a point made in passing above, a good deal of humangeography research on what is not natural has been important in disciplinaryunderstandings of what, apparently, is natural. Some readers might feel thatI’ve cast my net too wide. But my hope is that I show them why their currentthinking about the nature of geography – and the nature geographers study– is, perhaps, more limited than they know.HOW TO USE THIS BOOKI hope this book will be used rather than simply read. I have written Naturein such a way that it could be a core text in geography degree moduleson the subject. For students and their teachers I have included features inthe book that can sustain a course of study on the topic of nature and thediscipline of geography. First, each chapter (except the second) containsActivities.These aim to get student readers reflecting actively on the materialpresented in the book. Second, each chapter ends with a set of practicalExercises for students.These are designed to reinforce the arguments madeand to encourage some free thinking.Third, the Further Reading sectionsat the end of each chapter have been carefully compiled. In effect, they area set of reading lists that can be recommended to students as they studyup on the arguments of each chapter. Finally, I have included a set of essayquestions at the end of the book that can be used in exams and as termpaperassignments.To know quite what to read in order to answer thesequestions, students will need the guidance of faculty who can refer to thebibliography of this book as well as the recommended readings.Since most of Nature’s chapters are quite long I suggest that those whowish to use the book as a core text read them in two or three sittings,depending. For instance, Chapter 3 has three main parts that can be readseparately in conjunction with the several references mentioned both in thetext and in the Further Reading section.Tutors might like to know that Istructure a third-year undergraduate module around the book thatcomprises thirteen two-hour classes plus a revision class. Prior to each classthe students are asked to read a part of each chapter (excepting this Preface,which is read whole prior to the introductory class, as well as the final twochapters which are also read whole). Chapter 1 is read in two parts, Chapters2 and 3 in three parts and Chapter 4 in two parts.