Summer Readings/Assignments
AP Human Geography
AP Human Geography, like every other AP course offered here at Milton High School, is
designed to be a college level course. In many college courses, students are required to
know the information in their text books as well as readings related to the course. Our
required reading over the summer will help us reach that goal while not overloading the
students during the school year. Those students taking AP Human Geography next year
need to complete the following assignments in preparation for next year’s class:
Part 1- Reading: Where am I Wearing – By Kelsey Timmerman
**This book contains a few (very few) instances of strong language. If you have concerns about this book, an alternate
reading can be assigned; please set this up via e-mail with your teacher**
Use the reading to complete the attached reading assignment.
Part 2 – Country Profile Notebook
You will be assigned a country and begin to compile a profile of your country this summer,
which we will reference throughout the school year. Please see the attached page for more
details.
Part 3 - Maps
Physical geography, while not the main focus of this course, is extremely important to our
study of human geography – the authors and graders of the AP Exam expect you to know
this information. Please take time to study different maps of the world. We will be taking
bi-weekly political map quizzes over the countries of the world (by continent) in the fall,
and bi-weekly physical map quizzes over the continents of the world in the spring. Please
familiarize yourself with the world’s physical & political geography. Blank maps can be
found at: http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/world.html There are many ways to practice
and quiz yourself online; one good quiz site is: http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/
Be prepared for quizzes and/or assignments the first week of school concerning the
summer work!
Please email all questions to [email protected] and I will get back to you
as soon as possible
Have a great summer!! I look forward to meeting you in the fall!
Where am I Wearing?: Assignment
Directions: Type each question and response in 11pt font (Arial or Times New Roman), 1.5 spacing. Be
sure to include your name – please rely solely on the book for question answers (unless looking up data)
Please type the question, then the response. Each response must be explained thoroughly – no less than 4
sentences per answer, at least! This assignment will be due upon your return to school in the fall!
1) Kelsey writes (pg. 4): “Globalization was a foreign problem of which I was blissfully unaware, for the most
part. I did know that it was a problem and that I was against it. Everybody was.” What do you think he
meant by that?
2) Can you think of any positive or negative effects globalization has had in your community? How does
globalization impact you on a daily basis, does it change your day-to-day life?
3) What is a sweatshop?
4) How does Kelsey feel about going undercover as an underwear buyer? Should Kelsey have presented
himself this way? Do you think he would have gotten inside the factory otherwise?
5) What role does a buying house play in the garment supply chain?
6) What is the per capita income of Bangladesh? What percent of the income is a ticket to Fantasy Kingdom?
7) How has the multi-fibre agreement affected Bangladesh? How has its lifting affected Bangladesh?
8) Why is the garment industry so important to Bangladesh?
9) On page 76 Kelsey writes, “I hope that if it passes, lawmakers will consider the results it could have on the
Bangladeshi worker and plan to assist those who lose their jobs.”
What could the US do?
What should the US do ethically?
What do you think the US taxpayer would be willing to do?
What, if any, is the US’s obligation to these workers if we pass the law?
10) Why aren’t Levi’s for sale in Cambodia? What does this say about the lives of the people who make blue
jeans?
11) “One person’s sweatshop is another’s opportunity?” What did Kelsey mean by this? Do you agree?
12) Is buying “Made in China” bad or good for America? Is it bad or good for China?
Country Profile Notebook
At the bottom of this page, you will find your assigned country for this assignment. You will become an
expert on this country over the course of the year and be sharing your expertise with the class. Please get a
3-prong folder in the color of your choice. On the front cover, creatively display the following information:
- Your name
- Country Name
- Region of the World your country is in
The first item in your Country Profile Notebook should be the CIA World Factbook’s Country Profile for
your country. This is available at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.
The print-out will be 9-10 pages long, but will allow you to quickly access important information about
your country.
The second item in your notebook will be a world map (attached to this assignment). On this map, label &
color in your country. In a different color, label & color the countries that border your assigned country.
Label any important land features in your country. If you lose or mess up your map, you may use any
blank world map downloaded from the Internet.
The final items in your Country Profile Notebook will be at least 4 news articles pertaining to your country.
These articles should demonstrate the IMPORTANCE OF GEOGRAPHY to your country’s development.
Possible topics to focus on are: agriculture, natural resources, economics, disputes with other countries,
culture, migration, refugees, natural disasters, population, etc…
For each article, write a paragraph (5-7 complete sentences) summarizing the content & explaining how it
illustrates the importance of geography. You may type your summaries or NEATLY handwrite them on
paper.
Good sources for the articles include:
The New York Times – www.nytimes.com
International Herald Tribune – www.iht.com
BBC World News – http://news.bbc.co.uk
Washington Post – www.washingtonpost.com
Foreign Policy Magazine – www.foreignpolicy.com
National Geographic – www.nationalgeographic.com
And many more!
Again, your articles can cover a variety of topics. Spread them out over the summer – 2 in June, 2 in July.
Each article should be printed out & include the proper citation information (publication, date, pages, etc…)
Your Country Profile Notebooks will be checked the first week of school. To summarize, inside your 3-
pronged folder should be: CIA World Factbook Country Profile Printout; World map colored & labeled; 4
articles about your country from the summer, with your summaries on each article.
Your assigned country is ___________________________________________
(if you are printing your assignment from the web, please email Mrs. K for your assigned country)