AP Human Geography
Summer Assignment 2015
Mrs. Haines [email protected]
Ms. Horton- [email protected]
So what IS Human Geography anyway? - This course is different from most Social Studies courses that you have
had in the past. Instead of focusing on history, we instead focus on five basic themes of geography:
1. Location
2. Place
3. Movement
4. Regions
5. Human – Environment Interaction
These themes provide the basis for many questions: Why are people located at different places on earth? Where
and why have people migrated to and from different regions of the world? What are the unique aspects of world regions?
How does the physical environment of the earth shape human culture and how have humans shaped the earth’s landscape?
Course Note: First and foremost, AP Human Geography is a college-level program that goes well beyond the
memorization of facts and the simple recall of details. The reading and writing requirements are very demanding. In other
words, if you do not have a genuine interest in this material and a willingness to work hard, this is not the class for you.
We expect the at-home reading and all other assignments to be completed and active participation in class discussions. If
you are able to make this commitment, you should have little trouble being successful.
Each portion of the summer assignment will count as an individual test grade.
Please complete all assignments individually. We will not tolerate any instance of cheating.
Part 1: Book reading and guided questions
DUE ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS—NO EXCEPTIONS. (Fall- August 24, Spring- January 20)
You will need to purchase the book, Where Am I Eating? An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy by Kelsey
Timmerman.
Below, there are questions that you need to answer as you read the book. Answers should be handwritten, in blue or
black ink ONLY. Also, your answers must be written in complete sentences. This assignment will be collected on the
first day of class.
Where Am I Eating?
Chapter 1: The Starbucks Experience
1. Using the internet, describe what it means for a product to be “Fair Trade”.
2. What influence has American culture had on coffee exports and the lives of farmers?
3. If you have coffee in your home or recently purchased, where did it come from (Company and location
of beans)? Why did your family decide to purchase that coffee (on sale, good flavor, etc.)?
4. Do you feel that it’s fair for Starbucks to keep the information on farmers proprietary? Why or why not?
5. The Starbucks C.A.F.E. regulation program would not be defined as Fair Trade. Should farmers whose
farms have been certified as Starbucks C.A.F.E (with or without their knowledge) know the markup on
their coffee?
6. What is it about the geography and climate of Columbia that makes it ideal for coffee?
7. Since the beginning of coffee in Ethiopia to its evolution in Central and South America, climate has
played a major role in coffee. How is climate changing the coffee boom in present day?
Chapter 2: The Grande Gringo Picks Coffee
8. Once Kelsey had an eye of the Starbucks C.A.F.E emblem on farms, he noticed it everywhere. Farmers
report, however, that Starbucks has not returned to help. What is the responsibility of companies to stay
in communities for continuing education beyond initial setup?
9. Nespresso, operated by the European company Nestle, is beginning to take the lead in Columbia where
Starbucks has fallen short. Is there a difference in US regulations and standards and European
regulations and standards?
10. Coffee is the largest employer in Columbia. What is North Carolina’s largest employer?
Chapter 3: The Cup of Excellence
11. What is the definition of child labor according to the International Labor Organization? How has it
impacted trade agreements? Is it fairly monitored?
12. Starbucks C.A.F.E. third party inspectors practice has led to not so different conditions than nonC.A.F.E. practices, though clever marketing just continue to make Westerners feel good. How has
Western popularity of fairness in purchasing hurt farming? How as it helped?
Chapter 4: The Heart of the World
13. The Fair Trade movement and co-ops work well with the Arhuacan because of their belief in not taking
more than you give. How has our thirst for more cheap prices impacted the environment and balance of
the land?
14. What is monoculture farming?
15. As monoculture farming has continued to take a toll on the land, Genetically Modified Organisms
(GMOs) have been one way to continue to reproduce food in abundance, yet research showed that the
impact GMOs have on land and people is more negative than positive. Seventy percent of processed
foods consist of GMOs, but there is no ban or required labeling in the US. Research some of your
favorite foods. How often do you consume GMOs?
16. Cocaine production and drug cartels have led Plan Columbia to take extreme measures on the land to
decrease these activities, which in turn has hurt small farms. Are the Columbian government and the
government of countries that do farm business with Columbia responsible for returning balance to the
land?
Chapter 5: Solo Man
17. The Civil War in the Ivory Coast has changed farming in the country. What was the outcome of the
Civil War? How has it affected farming?
18. How did the World Bank’s takeover of the Ivory Coast post-1989 impact small farmers?
19. Nearly 10,000 children in West Africa are salve laborers. Major chocolate companies are aware, and by
2020 they claim they will source 100% certified cocao. Certified by whom? What lessons could be
learned from current Fair Trade practices in Columbia?
Chapter 6: Slavery and Freedom
20. There are 160,000 forced adult laborers in the Ivory Coast. Often this can be categorized as indentured
servitude and at times slavery- is there a difference among the terms?
21. If we paid and extra 0.0043 cents for our chocolate, farms could have a better living. What is keeping
the consumer from taking this action?
Chapter 7: Is it Price?
22. As Kelsey searches for Solo’s family, he crossed into Burkina Faso. Three to four million Burkinas live
in the Ivory Coast, leaving behind their families for $300 or less per year. What has caused this
migration?
23. What role did farming play in the change of climate for the Burkina Faso?
24. Burkinas have moved to the Ivory Coast for “better” opportunities, which is not uncommon in the rest of
the world. One-third of the world is on a journey from farm to city. How does this migration change the
way we eat?
25. What are solutions to keep farmers on farms while farming sustainably?
Chapter 8: The Banana’s Workers Commute
26. Dole, aka Standard Fruit, provides 25% of the bananas to the world. Bananas are considered a staple in
most US households. Why aren’t the lives of Standard Fruit banana farmers better?
27. Costa Rica is the anti-venom capital of the world, yet workers have been killed on the job due to snake
bites. How could the workers have better access to anti-venom?
Chapter 9: Banana Worker for a Day
28. EARTH University allowed Kelsey to work on the plantation for a day. What are some immediate
differences that you notice between Standard Fruit’s practices and EARTH’s practices?
29. Farming has become more about money than food. The more we demand, the more that is produced, the
more the prices fall. How has this demand impacted the environment?
30. Through the work of EARTH University, smaller farms are showing it is it more profitable to farm
small, sustainable farms. How is this helping the environment?
Chapter 10: Nowhere to Go But Bananas
31. The shift to no pesticides and chemicals has hurt the pay of farmers, though better for their health. Why
has the stop of pesticides created a drop in pay?
32. Banancros have no other opportunities in the area other than working for life in bananas. Juan advises
Mario to find something else while he can. What options are there for Mario? What role do US
consumers play in Mario’s future?
Chapter 11: Life, Death, and Lobster
33. In the 1970s, the Bahamas prohibited US ships from fishing in their waters. How has this changed the
way of life for modern day Nicaraguans?
34. How does the pay of lobster divers differ from that of other farmers previously mentioned?
35. On tenth of what a single diver makes they could have safe equipment, but coupled with fewer dives that
means less money. Would you pay more for a lobster if it meant safer farming for the divers?
Chapter 12: The Lobster Trap
36. Cocaine and lobster are the ticket to financial freedom for Nicaraguans. What has fueled the desire for
“white lobster”?
37. What options are there for young Nicaraguans farmers other than cocaine and lobster?
Chapter 13: The Future of Fish
38. Darden Foods, along with others, has developed the Global Fish Alliance to promote sustainable
fisheries. How is this helping the region?
39. How are sustainable fisheries damaging the environment?
40. Fifty percent of our lobster still comes from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil. Why are these regions to
avoid?
41. If we avoid purchasing lobster from Nicaragua, Honduras, and Brazil- how will that affect the lives of
farmers and divers in those areas?
Chapter 14: No Apples
42. Food imports from China have quintupled since 2003. What has caused this shift?
43. Two-thirds of U.S. apple juice comes from China, though China uses pesticides that have been banned
in the U.S. for nearly three decades. Apple crops in the US are declining. What role does the consumer
play in demanding stricter regulations?
44. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was established in 2011, the first major reform in over 70
years. What does this allow the FDA to do?
45. The farmers from Indiana Summer indicate that climate change has been part of this shift because it’s
impacted the crop in the U.S. What are alternative options for apple farmers in Michigan?
Chapter 15: Mr. Feng’s Apple Empire
46. Fifteen years ago, apple production began in China. How has apples helped change the face of China?
47. In 10 years farming has gone from a poor man’s job to providing a decent living in China. How has the
government changed profit sharing to provide better lives for farmers?
48. How is this profit sharing different from China in the past?
49. In China and in the U.S. children of farmers are having better lives and heading off for the cities. Who
will feed us in the future? How will farming sustain?
Chapter 16: As American as Apple Juice Concentrate from China
50. Apple juice concentrate has been an economic boom for China over the past decade. Chinese farmers
indicate that some of their crops are beginning to be affected by climate. What could China learn from
other farmers in the world to save their crop?
51. China’s current middle-class and the US middle-class are similar. How are our lives similar and
different?
Chapter 17: Food as Faith
52. What promoted the slow food movement?
53. How has this movement impacted the way we view food in the U.S.?
54. How are Amish farming practices similar to West African practices?
55. Steve claims that eating organic has made him and his family faster. What are benefits of eating organic
and local?
Chapter 18: Farmers No More
56. How has the American ideal of a perfect tomato changed tomato production?
57. How wave new technologies changed the lives of migrant workers?
58. How did the corn and ethanol boom change American agriculture?
Chapter 19: Imagined Futures
59. Many studies have been done on the impacts of foods causing disease and other health defects. Do you
think there is some correlation between what we consume and such diseases/health defects?
Chapter 20: Decisions about Man and Land
60. Faire trade is part of the solution. What are other ways you can make smart decisions about “man and
land”?
Part Two: Map Identifications
A large portion of this course is to be familiar with identifying certain political and physical locations around the globe.
You should be knowledgeable of each of these locations listed below by the time you start class. There will be a map test
during the first week of the semester.
1. The Americas
Countries
United States
Jamaica
Argentina
Chile
Bahamas
El Salvador
Belize
Venezuela
Uruguay
Honduras
Puerto Rico
Mexico
Panama
Bolivia
Paraguay
Haiti
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Peru
Cuba
Canada
Dominican Republic
Columbia
Ecuador
Brazil
Cities
New York City
Havana
Montreal
Caracas
Chicago
Mexico City
Quebec City
Lima
Atlanta
Washington DC
Toronto
Bogota
Seattle
Buenos Aires
Rio De Janeiro
2. Europe
Countries
France
Netherlands
Denmark
Austria
Switzerland
Hungary
Croatia
Lithuania
Germany
Luxembourg
Greece
Finland
Iceland
Romania
Albania
Belarus
Italy
Belgium
United Kingdom Ireland
Spain
Portugal
Sweden
Norway
Poland
Czech Republic
Bulgaria
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Estonia
Latvia
Ukraine
Greenland
Cities
London
Paris
Naples
Amsterdam
Helsinki
Lisbon
St. Petersburg
Edinburgh
Madrid
Belgrade
Copenhagen
Prague
Vienna
Kiev
Belfast
Gibraltar
Rome
Stockholm
Warsaw
Athens
Dublin
Budapest
Geneva
Oslo
Berlin
Moscow
3. Africa
Countries
Egypt
Ethiopia
Kenya
Somalia
Niger
Namibia
Malawi
South Africa
Libya
Sudan
Tanzania
Mozambique
Chad
Nigeria
Cameroon
Seychelles
Algeria
Congo
Rwanda
Madagascar
Angola
Ghana
Gabon
Swaziland
Morocco
Uganda
Burundi
Cote d’Ivoire
Zimbabwe
Sierra Leone
Lesotho
Cities
Cairo
Nairobi
Johannesburg
Tripoli
Cape Town
Freetown
Casablanca
Countries
China
South Korea
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Vietnam
India
Russia
Palestine
Singapore
Syria
Taiwan
Indonesia
Armenia
Israel
Thailand
Azerbaijan
Mongolia
Turkey
Iraq
Saudi Arabia
Japan
Malaysia
Pakistan
Yemen
Myanmar(Burma)
Kazakhstan
Jordan
Nepal
Iran
Bahrain
North Korea
Singapore
Bangladesh
Cambodia
Laos
Afghanistan
Lebanon
Georgia
Kuwait
Cities
Tokyo
Beijing
Islamabad
New Delhi
Seoul
Shanghai
Hanoi
Jerusalem
Pyongyang
Bangkok
Baghdad
Tehran
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Bombay
Mecca
4. Asia
5. Australia & Oceania
Countries
Australia
New Zealand
Guam
Cities
Sydney
Wellington
Auckland
Papua New Guinea
6. Physical Map Features
Lines of Latitude & Longitude & “Other”
North Pole
South Pole
Prime Meridian
Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
Mountains
Andes
Pyrenees
Appalachian
Alps
Himalayas
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Urals
Caucasus
Rocky Mountains Cascades
Deserts
Sahara
Kalihari
Gobi
Bodies of Water/Water Features
Great Lakes
Hudson Bay
Red Sea
Dardanelles Strait
South China Sea
East China Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Caspian Sea
Persian Gulf
Indus River
Yangtze River
Amazon River
Rio Grande
English Channel
Danube River
Aegean Sea
Rhine River
Equator
Great Victorian
Gulf of Mexico
Arabian Sea
Yellow Sea
Indian Ocean
Ganges River
Nile River
Baltic Sea
Black Sea
Volga River
Caribbean Sea
Bay of Bengal
Arctic Ocean
Bering Strait
Tigris/Euphrates River
Panama Canal
Mediterranean Sea
Adriatic Sea
If at any time during the summer you have a question, please don’t hesitate to email
(using WCPSS approved email only please). We will respond as quickly as
possible.
Have a wonderful summer and we will see you soon!
Mrs. Haines
[email protected]
Ms. Horton
[email protected]