** EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT **

This assignment is designed for students who want to improve their total scores toward their course grade. If you decide to do the assignment, you are required to write an essay on a topic from Human Geography. You may choose a topic from the list below, and you may also look for one on your own. If you come up with a topic on your own, you need to talk to the instructor of the course before you can proceed to write on it. To write on a Human Geography topic, you may use materials from any sources, including libraries, the Internet, government documents, and reports from public and private organizations. Your own observations and comments are also important part of the essay.

• Relationships between population, natural resources, and environment
• Comparison and contrast between Malthus' theory and Boserup's Thesis
• Pros and cons of immigration: the American case study
• Ethnicity and regionalism: where to draw the line?
• Is Comparative Advantage a theory for neocolonialism?
• The ever-changing ethnic landscape in the U.S.: who will Americanize whom in 2050?
• Central Place Theory: does it really work in reality?

Format requirements: 5-10 pages, double-spacing, 12-pt font neatly typed and spell-checked. Must have a title page with your name, course number and title, and the date the paper is written. Also must have references listed in the end of the essay. Stapled. No fancy plastic cover or folder, please.

The essay assignment is potentially worth 10 extra points toward the final grade. The extra credits you receive will depend on how well the essay is written in terms of content, structure, and presentation.