Advanced Placement Human Geography 2003-04



Advanced Placement Human Geography

Course Syllabus 2014-2015

Professor Elisa Meléndez

emelendez@

ElisaMelendez@

Required Texts:

Human Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities, Eleventh Ed. Fellman/Getis/Getis.  2006.

Barron’s AP Human Geography, Fifth Ed. 2014. (Check the One Stop Firebird Shop)

 

Supplemental Readings:

The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, J. Rubenstein.  2002.

Human Geography: Places and Regions in a Global Context, P. Knox/S. Marston.  2002.

Human Geography: Culture, Society and Space, Advanced Placement Student Companion, H. de Blijj/A. Murphy.  2002.

 

Course Objectives:  The purpose of the AP Human Geography course is to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the earth’s surface.  Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to analyze human social organization and its environmental consequences.  Students will also learn about the methods and tools geographers’ use in their science and practice, often through conducting fieldwork. 

 

The aim of this AP course is to provide the student with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory human geography courses.  Therefore, there is a heavy emphasis on the development of reading, writing, critical thinking and presentation skills.  In addition, and as a constant concern, this class will prepare students to take the AP Human Geography exam on Friday, May 15 2015. To aid in the preparation of the AP test, the course will be divided into seven four-week long topic areas. The 7 topics are: 

|1st Nine Weeks: | |

|1.  The Nature and Perspectives of Geography | |

|2.  Population Demography | |

| | |

|2nd Nine Weeks: | |

|3.  Cultural Patterns and Processes | |

|4.  Political Organization of Space (Geopolitics) | |

| | |

|3rd Nine Weeks | |

|5.  Agricultural and Rural Land Use | |

|6.  Economic Geography (Industrialization/Development) | |

| | |

|4th Nine Weeks | |

|7.  Cities and Urban Land Use | |

|8. AP Exam Review | |

Course Themes: Some of the most important themes of the course involve the following:

1. the ability to use and think about maps and spatial data

2. understanding and interpreting associations among phenomena in different places

3. recognizing and interpreting the relationships among patterns and processes

4. defining regions and evaluating the regionalization process

5. characterizing and analyzing changing interconnections among places

1. Using and Thinking About Maps and Spatial Data:

Geography is fundamentally concerned with the ways in which patterns on Earth's surface reflect and influence physical and human processes. As such, maps and spatial data are fundamental to the discipline, and learning to use and think about them is critical to geographical literacy. The goal is achieved when students learn to use maps and spatial data to pose and solve problems, and when they learn to think critically about what is revealed and what is hidden in different maps and spatial arrays.

2. Understanding and Interpreting Associations Among Phenomena in Different Places:

Geography looks at the world from a spatial perspective -- seeking to understand the changing spatial organization and material character of Earth's surface. One of the critical advantages of a spatial perspective is the attention it focuses on how phenomena are related to one another in particular places. Students should thus learn not just to recognize and interpret patterns, but to assess the nature and significance of the relationships among phenomena that occur in the same place and to understand how tastes and values, political regulations, and economic constraints work together to create particular types of cultural landscapes.

3. Recognizing and Interpreting the Relationships Among Patterns and Processes:

Geographical analysis requires a sensitivity to scale -- not just as a spatial category but as a framework for understanding how events and processes at different scales influence one another. Thus, students should understand that the phenomena they are studying at one scale (e.g., local) may well be influenced by developments at other scales (e.g., regional, national, or global). They should then look at processes operating at multiple scales when seeking explanations of geographic patterns and arrangements.

4. Defining Regions and Evaluating the Regionalization Process:

Geography is concerned not simply with describing patterns, but with analyzing how they came about and what they mean. Students should see regions as objects of analysis and exploration and move beyond simply locating and describing regions to considering how and why they come into being -- and what they reveal about the changing character of the world in which we live.

5. Characterizing and Analyzing Changing Interconnections Among Places:

At the heart of a geographical perspective is a concern with the ways in which events and processes operating in one place can influence those operating at other places. Thus, students should view places and patterns not in isolation, but in terms of their spatial and functional relationship with other places and patterns. Moreover, they should strive to be aware that those relationships are constantly changing, and they should understand how and why change occurs.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Identify major world regions, countries, cities, and points of topographic interest on maps, and analyze maps themselves as human documents.

• Describe the history of geography as a discipline and its interdisciplinary relationships.

• Compare and contrast the interaction between humans of varying global cultures and their environments, as well as the cultural and environmental impacts these interactions have.

Course Requirements and Grading Policies:

 

All assignments will be posted through the class website:

( Teachers and Staff ( Ms. Elisa Melendez ( Select your period

Send me an e-mail if you run into any difficulties accessing an assignment, or get it from a fellow classmate. There are no “technical issues” excuses allowed for missing an assignment.

Exams and Essays: 40%

• There will be one major exam every nine weeks covering the two major topics of that unit. The exam will have the exact same format of the AP exam (multiple-choice and free-response questions) and will be increasingly cumulative.

• You will also be asked to complete approximately two essays per nine week period. The topic and format are TBD.

Quizzes/Projects: 30%

• Map Quizzes: approximately 2 per nine-week period

• Pop Quizzes: You never know when they’ll pop! Based on both lectures AND reading assignments.

• Projects: TBD.

Home Learning/Classwork: 20%

• Questions linked to assigned readings and lectures

• Other work TBD.

Class Participation: 10%

"Class participation" refers to the degree to which the student takes part in the class discussions, and the quality of that participation. Be PRESENT in both body and mind! 

Attendance and Make-Up Work:  No make-up work will be given for unexcused absences or tardies to class.  Each student has 48 hours to bring an excused admit to the instructor and only then will make-up work be administered.

CURRICULUM OUTLINE

The following curriculum has been designed according to the major content areas covered in the AP Human Geography exam. The percentages are in accordance to the information given by the CollegeBoard. It is subject to change due to emergencies, student pacing, or instructor discretion.

FIRST NINE WEEKS (August 18th to October 23rd)

• Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives

o Historical Foundations

o Maps: Types, information, etc.

o The Five Unifying Themes

o The Six Elements

o Diffusion

o Distribution

• Population:

o Population Distribution and Density

o Population and Growth

o The Demographic Transition Model

o Population Structure

o Population Equations and Scientific Methods

o Historical and Global Perspectives

o The J- Curve

o Causes of Population Increases/Decline

o Immigration, Migration, and Refugees

o Theories on Migration

SECOND NINE WEEKS (October 27th to January 15th)

• Cultural Patterns and Processes

o The Meaning of Culture

o The Cultural Landscape

o Music and Culture

o Food and Culture

o Sports and Culture

o Architecture and Culture

o Language and Culture

o Religion and Culture

o Cultural Diffusion

o Observing Cultural Landscapes

• Political Organization of Space

o The Impact of Political Geography

o Understanding Political Geography

o Boundaries

o Colonialism and Imperialism

o Democratization

o The Five Shapes of Countries

o The Political Organization of Space

o Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

o The Historical Geography of the United States

o Issues in Geopolitics

THIRD NINE WEEKS (January 20th to March 19th)

• Agriculture and Rural Land Use

o A Historical Perspective

o Agricultural Hearths

o Agricultural Regions and Patterns of Change

o Von Thunen’s Model of Agricultural Land Use

o Economic Systems and Activities

o Rural Land Use and Settlement Patterns

o World Crop Regions

• Industrialization and Economic Development

o The Keys to Economic and Industrial Development

o Global Industrial Zones

o Two Views of Economic Development

o Ways to Describe Development

o Land Use Resources

FOURTH NINE WEEKS (March 30th to June 4th)

• Cities and Urban Land Use

o Defining Urbanization

o Urban Economies

o Urban Hierarchies

o City Types

o Characteristics of Cities

o Models of U.S. Cities

o Built Environment and Social Space

o Suburbanization in the United States

o Problems in Urban Areas

o Changing Employment Mix

** The rest of the time during these nine weeks will be dedicated towards a comprehensive review and the presentation on student projects.**

PARENT – STUDENT CONTRACT

STUDENTS AND PARENTS: After reading the above syllabus and the attached Curriculum Outline, please sign the statements below.

My signature below indicates that I have read and understood the Advanced Placement Human Geography Syllabus, given to me by Professor Meléndez. I acknowledge that a syllabus is a living document, and Professor Meléndez has the right to adjust the terms of this syllabus as needed. I understand, agree, and will comply with the classroom methods and guidelines, rules, and expectations of Professor Meléndez and the course stated herein.

The student is responsible for their textbook and agrees to return it to the instructor in the condition it was issued. Should the textbook be deemed “damaged beyond repair, the student will be issued a Financial Obligation for the full cost of replacing the book.

I understand this course is a Tier One University Level Course and is my (child’s) responsibility to:

• read the designated chapters before coming to class

• do all the work assigned

• get help early if the material is not understood

• not procrastinate, and

• try their best in this class

I also understand if I cheat in any way stated in the syllabus, I will not only receive a zero for that specific assignment but also a conduct grade of F for the nine weeks.

Should I need to contact you, please provide the following:

Daytime Phone Number: _______________________

Evening Phone Number:________________________

Best Time to Reach You: _________________________

Student Name: (please print) _______________________

Student Signature ___________________________

Parent/Guardian Name (please print) ___________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature _______________________________________

Dated _______________________________

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