AP Human Geography
This is a UNIVERSITY level course. See the college board link below.
2021-22 Students - see list in right column below for suggested summer preparation
Cultural Landscapes 12th Ed.
AMSCO AP Human Geography 2nd Ed.
AP College Board overview of AP Human Geography
Students should be able to read college-level texts (books and articles) and apply the conventions of Standard Written English in their writing.
**ADD THE CALENDAR BELOW TO YOUR ACCOUNT BY CLICKING +Google Calendar**
Looking for how you can prepare for AP Human Geography over the summer?
1. Familiarize yourself with where countries are located. It is important to have a good mental map of the world. Use The CIA World Factbook maps. You can play games with Seterra.
2. Learn the AP Human Geography world regions. (Blank)
3. Build background knowledge about history that could reasonably be expected of a college freshman. Watch 10-12 minute videos on YouTube. While watching focus on causes & effects and advantages & disadvantages. Take notes in your own handwriting. Background Knowledge Playlist
4. Check out the APHG Resources page. It will be updated throughout the summer.
5. Be sure to purchase these supplies - AP Human Geography Supply list If there is a need for supplies you cannot afford, please contact Mrs. Sansonetti-Wood for assistance.
6. Click on the +Google Calendar button to the left and ADD the APHG calendar to your Google Calendar.
APHG Big Ideas
Big Idea 1: Patterns and Spatial Organization (PSO)
Spatial patterns and organization of human society are arranged according to political, historical, cultural, and economic factors.
Big Idea 2: Impacts and Interactions (IMP)
Complex relationships of cause and effect exist among people, their environments, and historical and contemporary actions.
Big Idea 3: Spatial Processes and Societal Change (SPS)
A spatial perspective allows for a focus on the ways phenomena are related to one another in particular places, which in turn allows for the examination of human organization and its environmental consequences.
Units of study
Unit Information and Course Timeline:
The Human Geography course will be broken into 7 units.
Big Ideas of the Course: The big ideas serve as the foundation of the course and enable students to create meaningful connections among course concepts. Often, these big ideas are abstract concepts or themes that become threads that run throughout the course. Revisiting the big ideas and applying them in a variety of contexts allow students to develop a deeper conceptual understanding.
BIG IDEA 1: PATTERNS AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION (PSO)
Spatial patterns and organization of human society are arranged according to political, historical, cultural, and economic factors.
BIG IDEA 2: IMPACTS AND INTERACTIONS (IMP)
Complex relationships of cause and effect exist among people, their environments, and historical and contemporary actions.
BIG IDEA 3: SPATIAL PROCESS AND SOCIETAL CHANGE (SPS)
A spatial perspective allows for a focus on the ways phenomena are related to one another in particular places, which in turn allows for the examination of human organization and its environmental consequences.
Unit 1: Thinking Geographically
Rubenstein, Ch. 1; Fouberg, Ch 1
Students learn the ways information from data sources such as maps, tables, charts, satellite images, and infographics informs policy decisions such as voting redistricting or expanding transportation networks. They also learn about how people influence and are influenced by their environment; the resulting impact on topography, natural resources, and climate; and the differences between and consequences of environmental determinism and possibilism.
Unit 2: Population & Migration Patterns & Processes
Rubenstein, Ch. 2,3; Fouberg, Ch. 2,3
Students learn about factors that influence changes in population as well as the long- and short-term effects of those population changes on a place’s economy, culture, and politics. For example, environmental degradation and natural hazards may prompt population redistribution at various scales, which in turn creates new pressures on the environment and on cultural, economic, and political institutions. The study of migration patterns allows students to examine factors contributing to voluntary and forced relocation and the impact of these migrating populations on existing settlements.
Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes
Rubenstein, Ch. 4,5,6,7; Fouberg, Ch. 4,5,6,7
Students consider the physical environment to determine the effects of geographical location and available resources on cultural practices. Visuals representing artifacts, mentifacts and sociofacts all shed light on cultural landscapes and how they change over time. Practice in analyzing images of different places at different times for evidence of their ethnicity, language, religion, gender roles and attitudes, and other cultural attributes builds students’ understanding of cultural patterns and processes.
Unit 4: Political Patterns & Processes
Rubenstein, Ch. 8; Fouberg, Ch. 8
Building on knowledge of populations and cultural patterns learned in previous units, students examine the contemporary political map and the impact of territoriality on political power and on issues of identity for peoples. Students also look at the different types of political boundaries, how they function, and their scale, as they consider both internal and international boundaries. The interplay of political and cultural influences may cause tensions over boundaries to arise, such as sovereign states making claims on what other states consider to be international waters. Students also examine forms of government and how forces such as devolution may alter the functioning of political units and cause changes to established political boundaries. Separatist and independence movements that challenge the sovereignty of political states may arise from economic and nationalistic forces.
Unit 5: Agricultural & Rural Land Use Patterns & Processes
Rubenstein, Ch. 9; Fouberg, Ch. 11
Students learn about the ways agricultural practices have changed over time as a result of technological innovations, such as equipment mechanization and improvements in transportation that create global markets. In addition, they examine the consequences of agricultural practices such as the use of high-yield seeds and chemicals, revisiting the human–environmental relationships
Unit 6: Cities & Urban Land-Use Patterns & Processes
Rubenstein, Ch. 12,13; Fouberg, Ch. 9
They examine the spatial distribution of the world’s largest cities, comparing them across regions and analyzing patterns of connectivity and accessibility. Within cities, students identify patterns of development and make inferences about their economic and political influences at regional, national, and international levels of scale. Students examine the hierarchy of urban settlements on the landscape, applying the rank-size rule and central place theory at regional and national scales to evaluate mobility patterns and economic and political relationships. Statistics such as census data are used to reveal the challenges of urban places, including density, sprawl, demands of infrastructure, and mobility.
Unit 7: Industrialization & Economic Development Patterns & Processes
Rubenstein, Ch. 10, 11; Fouberg, Ch. 10, 12
Students examine contemporary spatial patterns of industrialization and the resulting geography of uneven development—for example, the differences between urban and rural China or Brazil. They explore changes to places resulting from the growth or loss of industry and the role of industry in the world economy. Measurements of development provide the quantitative data to analyze the spatial relationships of the global market. Statistics and spatial data reveal the impact of development on individual populations, including the role of women in the labor market. Students explore strategies for sustainable development focused on women, children, health, education, the environment, and global cooperation.
Exam Review 2-3 weeks
*Chapter reading may be adjusted at the discretion of the instructor