Welcome to AP Human Geography
Mrs. Groothoff
2013 Summer Reading & Assignments
What is Human Geography?
Remember, this is not a History class that studies wars, dates or historical figures. Geography is one of the oldest fields of study, but only recently has it become more important in social science research. It has been concluded, in a variety of studies, that American students are unaware of their physical space and how it affects their daily lives and the lives of others peopling the earth. Americans are living in an interdependent world and our need for understanding geography has become extremely important.
Human Geography combines economic, social and cultural geography to explore the relationships between humans and their natural environment, and to track the broad social patterns that shape human societies. Featuring communities around the world that are facing major socioeconomic change, this course helps students understand present-day events within the scope of clearly recognizable trends, and realize the impact that government, corporate, and individual decisions may have on people and places near and far. We will discuss population trends, culture, political geography, agriculture, industry, urbanization and globalization.Prepare yourself for reading every night, note taking and fun projects!
On successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:
• Use and think about maps and spatial data
• Understand and interpret the implications of associations among phenomena in places
• Recognize and interpret at different scales the relationships among patterns and processes
• Define regions and evaluate the regionalization process
• Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places
Summer assignments are designed to build background knowledge before the class begins. Please remember: This is a college-level course that will be very demanding. Because of the amount of content that we must cover before the AP exam in May of next year, we will need to move at a pace that is more challenging than what most students have experienced up to this point. Please keep in mind that these assignments were designed to better prepare you for this course, not to ruin your summer. J
All of these assignments are due by the first day of school, Tuesday, August 20th. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at . Have a great summer, and email me with any questions.
Note: If you are unable to complete these assignments over the summer or if you find these assignments to be too demanding, then you should consider dropping this course and enrolling in Introduction to Social Science instead. Please contact the Guidance department for advising on how to initiate this process.
Looking forward to meeting you,
Mrs. G
Assignments:
You will have three different assignments for summer 2013.
1. Current Events
2. Reading assignment
3. Geography/Map assignment
Note: Within the first week of school you should expect an in class quiz and/or writing assignment based upon these three summer assignments.
1. Current Events
The study of Human Geography is both historical and contemporary. Therefore, it is essential that students remain aware of what is happening in the world. Knowledge of world affairs and national and international current events will enhance your performance in AP Human Geography. If you do not already follow the news, start now. Read
news websites and the newspaper, listen to the radio, and watch various news programs. Be curious about your world. Make it a point to learn about what is happening in the world and discuss current events with your family and friends.
Find one (1) RECENT news article for each of the following continents/regions: Europe, Asia, Africa, South America or Central America, and Australia or New Zealand. Use a newspaper, magazine, and/or visit an internet news site (for example, http://www.cnn.com ) Find articles that you think may relate to our course of study and that interest you.
Key words/phrases that may be helpful: Population, Population growth, Aging population, Demographics, Age, Migration, Immigration, Religion (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Animism, Shintoism), Language, Culture, Diversity, Ethnicity, Ethnic conflict, Political conflict, Borders, Sustainability, Commercial Farming, Organic Farming, Indigenous culture, Industry, Factories, Economics, Transportation, Development, Infant Mortality, Literacy, Standard of Living, Gender, Empowerment of women, Urbanization, Sprawl, Suburbanization, Eminent Domain, Urban Planning, Traffic, Central Business District, Pollution, Fossil Fuels, Environmental degradation, Green movement, Terrorism.
1. Print the article to hand in with your response. (5 articles)
2. In your own words, briefly summarize the article (at least 6 sentences).
3. Include your opinion on the article (at least 4 sentences).
4. List any terms/vocabulary that you do not understand or that you learned while reading.
5. Please use MLA format for citation of article! (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/)
2. Reading Assignment:
Please print out and read the following two articles: Why Geography Matters and Why Geography.
These articles provide background as to why the course was designed and why geography is something that is so incredibly important! Be prepared to discuss these articles the first week of school. Vocabulary is very important! Please highlight and look up the meanings of any words you do not understand. The meaning should be notated on the paper.
· Why Geography Matters: http://www.fpri.org/orbis/4702/mcdougall.geographymatters.html
· Why Geography: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/courses/teachers_corner/50150.html
3. World Culture Regions Map Assignment:
Use a blank world map to label the following culture regions, landforms and major bodies of water. Some items will need to be hand-drawn onto the map. Please color code. (A map has been provided on the website.)
A – CONTINENTS (Red) & OCEANS (Blue) - 5 points
North America, South America, Australia, Africa, Europe, Asia, Antarctica
Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic
B – LANDFORMS (Brown) - 15 points
Rocky Mts., Appalachian Mts., Great Plains, Canadian Shield, Andes Mts., Llanos, Pampas, Amazon Basin, Atacama Desert, Patagonia, Atlas Mts., Sahara Desert, Sahel, Great Rift Valley, Kalahari Desert, Alps, Pyrenees Mts., North European Plain, Caucasus Mts., Ural Mts., Siberia, Himalayas, Gobi Desert, Outback, Great Barrier Reef
C – RIVERS (Black) - 15 points
St. Lawrence, Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Rio Grande, Colorado, Columbia, Mackenzie, Amazon, Parana, Nile, Congo, Niger, Danube, Rhine, Thames, Volga, Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Ganges
D- OTHER BODIES OF WATER (Green) - 15 points
Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Bering Sea, Panama Canal, Lake Victoria, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal
Maps will be graded based upon THREE criteria:
1. Correct location of all items
2. Neat presentation of all lettering and coloring
3. Completion of assignment
Welcome to AP Human Geography