URBANDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK OUTLINE
SUBJECT:
COURSE TITLE:
GRADE LEVEL:
PREREQUISITES:
Social Studies
Advanced Placement Human Geography
9th
None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography is a two-semester
course that is designed as an introductory college geography class. This course aims to introduce
students to the basic concepts of human geography and to provide a geographic framework for
the analysis of current world problems by the use of case studies. The course strives to introduce
students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have helped shape human
understanding, as well as the use and alteration of the Earth’s surface.
The course develops the ability to ask geographic questions, to acquire, organize and analyze
geographic information, and finally, answer geographic questions. Students employ spatial
concepts and landscape analysis to analyze human social organization and its environmental
consequences.
Successful completion of this course will prepare the student to succeed when taking the
Advanced Placement Human Geography exam. Taking the exam is not required for the course,
but it is recommended. Students who choose to take the exam are responsible for paying their
own exam fees.
CONTENT STANDARDS AND BENCHMARKS:
In order that students achieve the maximum benefit from their talents and abilities, the students
of Urbandale Community School AP Human Geography program should be able to...
Content Standard I.
Benchmarks:
Content Standard II.
Understand multiple perspectives that derive from different
cultures.
Compare and contrast the origins, development, and distribution of
different languages.
Compare and contrast the origins, development, and distribution of
different religions.
Benchmark:
Understand that people’s view of themselves has changed over the
course of history.
Evaluate the origin, distribution, and growth of settlements.
Content Standard III.
Benchmark:
Examine the interactions of people, places and environments.
Illustrate the building blocks of human geography.
Content Standard IV.
Develop an understanding that personal identity is shaped by
family, peers, school, community, and the world.
Differentiate the patterns of population distribution, growth, and
decline.
Benchmark:
Urbandale Community School District © 2009
AP Human Geography
Content Standard V.
Benchmark:
Content Standard VI.
Benchmark:
Examine the interactions among individuals, groups, and
institutions.
Examine the location of different people and activities within urban
areas.
Discover how people create and change structures of power,
authority, and governance.
Identify the factors that determine the power/influence that a nationstate has in the world community.
Content Standard VII. Analyze how people organize for the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services.
Benchmarks:
Compare and contrast the differences between intensive and extensive,
subsistence and commercial agriculture.
Illustrate the distribution pattern of industry.
Content Standard VIII. Explain the relationships among science, technology, and society.
Benchmark:
Apply the geographic methods to the contemporary issues of energy,
pollution, and food production.
Content Standard IX.
Benchmarks:
Analyze global connections and interdependence.
Analyze the different types of migration.
Analyze how economic development is measured.
Content Standard X.
Apply the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship.
not addressed in this course
Urbandale Community School District © 2009
AP Human Geography
URBANDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK OUTLINE
SUBJECT:
COURSE TITLE:
GRADE LEVEL:
PREREQUISITES:
Social Studies
Advanced Placement Human Geography
9th
None
CONTENT STANDARDS AND COURSE BENCHMARKS WITH INDICATORS FOR
AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY:
Standard I:
Understand multiple perspectives that derive from different cultures. The
students in AP Human Geography should be able to . . .
Benchmark:
Compare and contrast the origins, development, and distribution of different
languages.
Indicators:
Explain how language can be either a unifying or divisive factor.
Identify the differences between a language group, language branch, and language
family.
Explain how language can be a contributing factor to modern day problems.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Benchmark:
Compare and contrast the origins, development, and distribution of different
religions.
Indicators:
Explain how religion can be either a unifying or divisive factor.
Explain the difference between universalizing and ethnic religion.
Correlate the distribution of religions to migration patterns.
Explain how religion can be a contributing factor to modern day problems.
Identify the differences between folk customs and popular customs.
Identify the factors that influence the distribution of popular customs.
Explain the problems that result from worldwide convergence of popular customs.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard II:
Understand that people’s view of themselves has changed over the course of
history. The students in AP Human Geography should be able to . . .
Benchmark:
Evaluate the origin, distribution, and growth of settlements.
Indicators:
Identify settlements that started for economic reasons.
Identify settlements that started for non-economic reasons.
Explain the concept of urbanization.
Urbandale Community School District © 2009
AP Human Geography
Explain the difference between rural and urban settlement.
Explain the Central Place Theory.
Identify the importance of range and threshold in the location of retail activities.
Distinguish between basic and non-basic industries in an urban area.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard III: Examine the interactions of people, places and environments. The students
in AP Human Geography should be able to . . .
Benchmark:
Illustrate the components of human geography.
Indicators:
Explain the Five Themes of Geography.
Identify the role cause and effect plays in geography.
Compare and contrast two contradictory global scale trends that are occurring
uniformity and diversity.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard IV: Develop an understanding that personal identity is shaped by family, peers,
school, community, and the world. The students in AP Human Geography
should be able to . . .
Benchmark:
Differentiate the patterns of population distribution, growth, and decline.
Indicators:
Connect patterns to different stages of economic development.
Describe the clustering of people in the largest population concentrations.
Explain the relationship between resources and population.
Identify four components of population change.
Interpret graphs explaining the patterns of population.
Identify and explain the four stages of demographic transition.
Compare and contrast two opposing viewpoints of world population.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard V:
Examine the interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions. The
students in AP Human Geography should be able to . . .
Benchmark:
Examine the location of different people and activities within urban areas.
Indicators:
Explain why these people and activities display particular spatial patterns.
Describe the location of people and activities within urban areas.
Identify the causes and consequences of suburbanization.
Explain three models of social structures in cities.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Urbandale Community School District © 2009
AP Human Geography
Standard VI: Discover how people create and change structures of power, authority,
and governance. The students in AP Human Geography should be able to . .
Benchmark:
Identify the factors that determine the power/influence that a nation-state
has in the world community.
Indicators:
Define a nation-state.
Explain the difference between a state and a nation.
Trace the evolution of a nation-state concept.
Identify centripetal and centrifugal forces.
Explain the role of nationalism in the late 1990’s.
Explain the concept of devolution.
Identify the characteristics of a good boundary.
Identify the five basic shapes of states.
Explain the lack of correspondence between nations and states can lead to
problems.
Explain why states cooperate with each other.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard VII: Analyze how people organize for the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services. The students in AP Human Geography
should be able to . . .
Benchmark:
Compare and contrast the differences between intensive and extensive,
subsistence and commercial agriculture.
Indicators:
Explain the division of the world into two agricultural regions – subsistence and
commercial.
Explain the von Thuenen model of agricultural activity location.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Benchmark:
Illustrate the distribution pattern of industry.
Indicators:
Explain the factors underlying industrial location decisions.
Describe the origin and diffusion of the industrial revolution.
Locate the four main industrial regions of the world.
Identify the main factors involved in the location of industries.
Discuss the problems faced by industrialized countries.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard VIII: Explain the relationships among science, technology, and society. The
students in AP Human Geography should be able to . . .
Urbandale Community School District © 2009
AP Human Geography
Benchmark:
Apply geographic methods to the contemporary issues of energy, pollution,
and food production.
Indicators:
Apply geographic approaches to explain the energy crisis.
Apply geographic approaches to explain pollution problems.
Apply geographic approaches to explain food supply problems.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard IX: Analyze global connections and interdependence. The students in AP
Human Geography should be able to . . .
Benchmark:
Analyze the different types of migration.
Indicators:
Define the different types of migration.
Identify and explain the push/pull factors causing people to migrate.
Explain three types of intraregional migration.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Benchmark:
Analyze how economic development is measured.
Indicators:
Identify possible paths to economic development.
Identify five economic indicators of development.
Explain two fundamental perspectives with regard to development.
Identify the key social and demographic characteristics of development.
Identify the status of women as a measure of development.
Describe the methods that less developed countries use to become developed.
Assessments: Multiple choice and free response exams
Standard X:
Apply the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship.
not addressed in this course
No student enrolled in the Urbandale Community School District shall be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefi
fits of, or be subjected to discrimination in the District's programs on the basis of race,
color, creed, sex, religion, marital status, ethnic background, national origin, disability, sexual orientation,
gender identity, or socio-economic background. The policy of the District shall be to provide educational
programs and opportunities for students as needed on the basis of individual interests, values, abilities and
potential.
Urbandale Community School District © 2009
AP Human Geography