Africa, South of the Sahara
Examines physical and human distributions in Africa south of the Sahara, emphasizing spatial processes and patterns of modernization.
Summary
Past student reviews · Matt Turner
Tests were described as alright, and while debates were interesting, they were not always organized super well.
What you’ll be able to do
Describe the variation of biophysical characteristics across the continent (geology, soils, landforms, rivers, ecology) and how these characteristics influence rural livelihood practices and the economic history of the continent.
Identify features (and variations in) of African social organization and current dynamics of change.
Discuss the social and political history of the continent and current political and economic challenges facing African nations.
Explain major development challenges (including human health) and different approaches for addressing them.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapSophomore standing
- Sophomore standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Sophomore standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
MATTHEW TURNER is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Spring 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
No records available.
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Matt Turner
Past students found the class decent and educational, noting that the professor was passionate about Africa and used visual aids effectively to illustrate concepts.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2015: 3.07 GPA, 35.3% A/AB (n=34 letter grades); Fall 2016: 3.31 GPA, 57.7% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2023: 3.59 GPA, 72.7% A/AB (n=11 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Matt Turner
Tests were described as alright, and while debates were interesting, they were not always organized super well.
Past student reviews · Matt Turner
One student felt they learned a lot and noted the professor made frequent eye contact, which did not bother them.
Topics
- Physical and human distributions
- Spatial processes and patterns of modernization
- Biophysical characteristics including geology, soils, landforms, rivers, and ecology
- African social organization and dynamics of change
- Social and political history and challenges
- Development challenges and approaches
Skills
- Describe biophysical variations and their influence on rural livelihoods
- Identify features of African social organization
- Discuss social and political history and challenges
- Explain development challenges and approaches to address them
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2023— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2023
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
[]
Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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"requirements_status": "valid",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
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