Advanced Placement Human Geography 2015­2016 Course Syllabus COURSE OVERVIEW AP Human Geography is a year‐long course designed to fulfill the curriculum requirements of a university human geography course. The course introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the earth’s surface. Students will employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to study human social organization and its environmental consequences. The geographic concepts emphasized throughout the course are: globalization, diffusion, assimilation, acculturation, integration, interaction, location, space, scale, pattern, regionalization, and place. The course is organized into a prescribed set of topics: ❖ Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives ❖ Population and Migration ❖ Cultural Patterns and Processes ❖ Political Organization of Space ❖ Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use ❖ Industrialization and Economic Development ❖ Cities and Urban Land Use Note: The level of academic rigor in an Advanced Placement course is higher than students may be used to. Remember, the curriculum requirements for Human Geography reflects what the College Board deems to be appropriate college­level study. Students will be constantly exposed to information, expectations, and methods that embody a collegiate atmosphere. In order to show their dedication to this AP Human Geography course, students must: ❖ Be prepared with the necessary materials ❖ Be on time to class each day ❖ Actively discuss information derived from assigned reading material ❖ Be courteous in order to maintain a positive learning environment ❖ Utilize strong reading, writing, and cognitive skills (these skills will be emphasized throughout the entire course) COURSE OBJECTIVES: ❖ The student will develop a geographic perspective to better understand the relationship between people and events at varying degrees of scale. ❖ The student will use interpretive abilities to develop spatial concepts at different scales. ❖ The student will use spatial concepts, geographic terminology, and landscape analysis to examine human organization of space at multiple levels of scale. ❖ The student will use and interpret maps, data sets, and geographic models from different sources to evaluate the human landscape. This includes sources from GIS, aerial photographs, and satellite images and data sets from NGO’s and Government agencies. 1 COURSE MATERIALS The programs in this series are used for specific case studies within the required course themes. Additional case studies, reading from current resources, films, photographs, and field study work will supplement the main textbook. Rubenstein, James M. ​
The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography.​
11th ed. Pearson Education, Inc., 2014. Print. [Main Text] Wood, Ethel. ​
AP Human Geography: A Study Guide. ​
3rd ed. Woodyard Publications, 2012. Print [Class Set] Additional case studies, films, articles, and websites are incorporated in the units. In order to apply the concepts and illustrate the connectivity of people and places, continual incorporation of outside materials is essential. Some of the sources used in this course are: ●
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Human Geography: People, Places, and Change; Annenberg Films The Economist New York Times Foreign Policy Population Reference Bureau Census Department Earth Magazine SELECTED WEBSITES: ●
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United Nations Development and Trade Globalization 101 GlobalPolicy forum NASA Photo Gallery
Teaching Geography/Annenberg/CPB
The Lonely Planet
Population Pyramids & World Info
United States Census Bureau
Center for Immigration Studies
Economist.com
Human Development Reports
UNHCR Statistics
World Economic Forum
Environmental Protection Agency
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
National Agricultural Library
National Agricultural Statistics Main Page
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Foreign Policy Association
Foreign Policy Organization
The Carter Center
World Press Review
National Atlas.gov
www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/ http://www.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/index.html http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/geography/ http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ http://www.population.com/ www.census.gov http://cis.org http://www.economist.com/countries/ http://hdr.undp.org/reports/default.cfm http://www.unhcr.ch/cgibin/texis/vtx/statistics http://www.weforum.org www.epa.org www.iatp.org www.nal.usda.gov http://www.usda.gov/nass www.USDA.gov http://www.fpa.org/ www.foreignpolicy.com http://www.cartercenter.org http://worldpress.org/ www.nationalatlas.gov 2 ●
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The Living Earth, Inc./Earth Images
Earth Observatory
http://livingearth.com/ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ UNIT OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIES READINGS TIME I. Geography: Its Nature & Perspectives A. Geography as a field of inquiry B. Major geographical concepts underlying the geographical perspective: location, space, place, scale, pattern, nature and society, regionalization, globalization, and gender issues C. Key geographic skills i. How to use & think about maps and spatial data ii. How to understand and interpret the implications of associations among phenomena in places iii. How to recognize and interpret different scales in the relationships among patterns and processes iv. How to define regions and evaluate the regionalization process v. How to characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places vi. How to use GIS, remote sensing, online maps, and GPS D. Sources of geographical ideas and data: the field, census data, and satellite imagery Rubenstein, Chapter 1 3 weeks II. Population A. Geographical analysis of population i. Density, distribution, and scale ii. Implications of various densities and distributions iii. Patterns of composition: age, sex, race, ethnicity (pyramids) iv. Population and natural hazards B. Population growth and decline over time and space i. Historical trends and projections ii. Theories of population growth, including the Demographic Transition Model iii. Patterns of fertility, mortality, and health iv. Regional variations of demographic transitions v. Effects of population policies C. Migration i. Migration selectivity ii. Residential mobility Rubenstein, Chapters 2 & 3 4 weeks 3 iii. Major voluntary and involuntary migrations at different scales iv. Theories of migration, including push and pull factors, human capital and life courses III. Cultural Patterns and Processes A. Concepts of culture i. Traits ii. Diffusion iii. Acculturation, assimilation and globalization iv. Cultural regions B. Cultural differences i. Language ii. Religion iii. Ethnicity iv. Gender v. Popular and folk culture C. Cultural landscapes and cultural identity i. Values and preferences ii. Symbolic landscapes and sense of place iii. Environmental impact of cultural attitudes and practices Rubenstein, Chapters 4, 5 & 6 7 weeks IV. Political Organization of Space A. Territorial dimensions of politics i. Concept of territoriality ii. Nature and meaning of boundaries iii. Influences of boundaries on identity, interaction, and exchange iv. Federal and unitary states v. Spatial relationships between political patterns and patterns of ethnicity, economy, and environment B. Evolution of the contemporary political pattern i. Nation‐state concept ii. Colonialism and imperialism iii. Democratization C. Changes and challenges to political‐territorial arrangements i. Changing nature of sovereignty ii. Fragmentation, unification, alliance iii. Supranationalism and devolution iv. Electoral geography, including gerrymandering v. Terrorism Rubenstein Chapters 7 & 8 5 weeks V. Agricultural and Rural Land Use A. Development and diffusion of agriculture Rubenstein, 3 weeks 4 i. Neolithic Agricultural Revolution ii. Second Agricultural Revolution iii. Green Revolution iv. Modern Commercial Agriculture B. Major agricultural production regions i. Agricultural systems associated with bioclimatic zones ii. Variations within major zones and effects of market. iii. Linkages and flows among regions of food production and consumption C. Rural land use and settlement patterns i. Models of agricultural land use, including von Thunen’s model ii. Settlement patterns associated with major agriculture types iii. Land use/land cover change, irrigation, conservation (desertification, deforestation) D. Modern commercial agriculture i. Biotechnology, including genetically modified plants and animals ii. Spatial organization and diffusion of industrial agriculture iii. Organic farming and local food production iv. Environmental impacts of agriculture Chapter 10 VI. Industrialization and Economic Development A. Growth and diffusion of industrialization i. Changing role of energy and technology ii. Industrial Revolution iii. Evolution of economic cores and peripheries iv. Geographic critiques of models of economic localization (i.e. bid rent, comparative costs of transportation), industrial location, economic development and world systems B. Contemporary patterns and impacts of industrialization and development i. Variations of levels of development ii. Deindustrialization and economic restructuring iii. Globalization and international division of labor iv. Natural resources and environmental concerns v. Sustainable development vi. Local development initiatives: government policies vii. Women in development Rubenstein, Chapters 9 & 11 5 weeks VII. Cities and Urban Land Use A. Development and Character of Cities i. Origins of cities ii. Rural‐urban migration and urban growth Rubenstein, 5 weeks 5 iii. Global cities and megacities iv. Suburbanization and edge cities B. Models of urban systems i. Rank‐size rule ii. Central place theory iii. Gravity model C. Models of internal city structure i. Concentric zone model ii. Sector model iii. Multiple‐nuclei model iv. Changing employment mix v. Changing demographic and social structures vi. Uneven development, ghettoization and gentrification D. Built environment and social space i. Housing ii. Transportation and infrastructure iii. Political organization of urban areas iv. Urban planning and design v. patterns of race, ethnicity, gender, class Chapters 12 & 13 AP Exam Review AP EXAM 5/13/16 Rubenstein, Chapters 1‐13 1 week GRADING: Grades will be given in the following areas as described above: ❖ Homework Assignments ❖ Projects ❖ Written Assignments (article/journal reviews, short position papers, etc.) ❖ Reading and note‐taking ❖ Examinations (reading quizzes, multiple‐choice examinations and essay questions) Note: Examinations will be given in the AP format that they will see on the exam in May. This may lead to having exams split up over two days in order to have the accurate time allotment. ❖ Classroom effort, and participation Evaluation: ❖ Summative 70% (This category includes essays, and examinations) ❖ Formative 30% (This category includes homework, classwork, case studies, and participation) NOTE: All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Work received after that class period is late, and will have points deducted as a penalty. The amount of points is at the discretion of the teacher. These points will be converted into the following grade distribution: ❖ 90‐100%
A 6 ❖ 80‐89%
❖ 70‐79%
❖ 60‐69%
B C D Late Work and Make­Up Work/Examinations When a student is absent, they should see me immediately upon returning to school to obtain the missed assignment and turn it in by the date set by the teacher. Late work will be penalized by ten percent for each day after the assignment is due. Examinations must be made up within ​
one calendar week​
of the day they were originally given. A student may retest or redo failed summative assignments. A student must receive re‐teaching before being eligible to retest or redo. The reteaching and retesting will occur outside of the normal class time. The purpose of retesting or redoing an assignment is to demonstrate mastery. The maximum grade on a retest or redo is seventy percent (70%). The timeframe to retest or redo is five (5) school days after the original grade. All retesting must be complete prior to the end of the grading period. All summative assignments will have at minimum two days available for retesting. Semester exams are not eligible for retesting. A student will only be allowed to retest/redo a summative assignment once. AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY​
: This or any class promotes your growth only as much as you commit to learning. Cheating is devastating to your grades if you are caught, but it is always devastating to your learning and personal growth. COLLEGE BOARD: The College Board creates the Advanced Placement outline for each AP course offered in the country. The College Board website has many useful tips, strategies, resources, and general information on AP Human Geography and all Advanced Placement courses. It would be beneficial to navigate the site throughout the year in order to gain insight into how the course is outlined in order to be more prepared for the Human Geography National Exam. www.apcentral.collegeboard.com SOME FINAL THOUGHTS AND INSIGHTS ABOUT THIS COURSE & YOUR SUCCESS IN IT​
: Focus on the course material, not on the grade​
. Keep in mind, also, that the student who receives high grades in my course will not necessarily receive the top score on the AP examination, though the odds are good that they will. A good performance throughout the school year will translate into a sense of confidence that one has the skills necessary to conquer a rigorous one‐day examination for which there is no adequate way to examination, but that doesn’t guarantee that a student will receive a qualifying score on this one‐time examination. The only guarantee that comes with this course is that it will be the most rigorous geography course you will have the opportunity to take. 7 Reading is both essential and a necessity in the study of geography​
. Reading is to be done for the day assigned to complement the activities in class. Do not expect to gain a firm foundation reading the text material or other supplementary materials the night before an examination. One cannot rush through readings at the last minute and expect to grasp the more subtle aspects of the authors’ arguments, and that is where some of the most important material is likely to reside. Therefore, have the readings from the text and other assigned readings done by the date assigned. I urge you to take notes as you read. Your textbook is a well written secondary source that is entertaining to read, and it will help “fill in the gaps.” Ultimately, each student must put forth a college‐level effort to earn high grades in this class. My goal is to provide each student with the best geography education that one could hope for, and in the process, give each student the support they will need to perform well on the AP examination. Supplies Students will need a sturdy ​
2­inch three­ring binder ​
in which to collect and organize their work. Students will need to bring ​
8 dividers​
for their binder. Things like old manila folders or pieces of card stock will work wonderfully for dividers. ​
Colored pencils (at least 15 different colors) ​
will also be used in some sketch mapping. If there is any problem obtaining these items, students should see me. 8