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Unit VI. Agriculture (2 1/2 weeks)
Textbook: Rubenstein, Chapter 10: “Agriculture” pp.326-360
Essential Outcomes: 6.1 Origin of agriculture
6.2 Distribution of agricultural regions (at different scales)
6.3 Issues faced by farmers worldwide
Vocab and Concepts:
Subsistence agriculture
Commercial agriculture
Agri-business
Shifting cultivation
Slash and burn agriculture
Pastoral nomadism
Intensive subsistence agriculture
Wet rice, rice paddy
Double cropping
Crop rotation
Plantation
[Subsidies]
Dairy farming
Ranching/grazing
Horticulture
Truck farming
Von Thunen Model
Sustainable agriculture
Organic farming
Roundup ready
[Terminator seeds]
Bosserup thesis
Desertification
Green revolution
[GMO]
[Aquaculture]
AP Skills
2. Understand and Interpret Implications of Associations Among Phenomena in Places (in the same place)
Example: How does agribusiness and commercial agriculture affect a place? How did the Green Revolution
affect India?
3. Recognize and Interpret at Different Scales Relationships Among Patterns and Processes
Example: What’s the difference between agriculture in developed nations versus less developed nations?
4. Define Regions and Evaluate the Regionalization Process Examples: Where are agricultural regions
(global to local scale?)Where are the grazing areas ? What characteristics do these places have?
5. Characterize and Analyze Changing Interconnections Among Places
Example: How do various agricultural practices in developed nations affect those in less developed nations
Key Maps
The agricultural hearths of the world
The major agricultural areas of the world today. What crops are grown where?
Pastoral areas of the US/World
Grazing/meat production (US/World)
The major agricultural areas of the US (and Canada) today (Corn belt, wheat belt, etc.)
Key Models: Von Thunen’s Model of agricultural location
Case Studies: American corn
Brazilian agriculture (esp. soybeans)
India (Green Revolution)
West African cocoa