AP Human Geography
Course Syllabus 2013
Course Description:
This semester long course gives students an introduction to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration and adaptions of & to the earth’s surface. Student’s employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human organizations and institutions.
Course Objectives:
- To use and think about maps and spatial data.
- To understand and interpret implications of associations among phenomena in places.
- To recognize and interpret at different scales the relationship among patterns and processes.
- To define regions and evaluate the regionalization process.
- To give students practical experience in communicating understanding of various geographic issues.
- To understand the human experience in moving toward a sense of community is truly a long, complex, messy business.
- To develop critical thinking skills through using systematic, analytical decision making skills in discussing and solving problems.
Method of Presentation of material:
The primary mode of presentation is interactive Socratic dialogue. Students are expected to read and actively participate in the development of concepts and to demonstrate an ability to analyze concepts through synthesis of reading material, models & maps.
In order to model a college setting, Monday’s are reading days {preview of material for the week or AP micro review}-Tuesday through Thursday are discussion days-Fridays evaluation/analysis days.
Textbook:
Knox, Paul L. and Marston, Sallie A. Places and Regions in the Global Context Human Geography Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall
Supplementary Materials:
· Human Geography ,The Cultural Landscape , James M .Rubenstein
· Human Geography, Landscapes of Human activity, Fellmann,Getis McGraw Hill
· Independent Computer-Assisted instruction-
· “http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_knox_humangeo
· -http://www.mhhe.com/fellmann7e
· -http://www.prenhall.com/rubenstein
· Supplemental readings sources: National Geographic, Journal of Geography
· The Geographical Review,
Evaluations:
· Quizzes: Weekly Free response questions MAY BE GIVEN AT ANY TIME
· Map & Model drawing and analysis..
· Oral Presentations-comparing regions of the world.
· Group problem solving- using the concept of spatial analysis
· Computer assisted field trips-virtual geographies
· Field Experience-comparisons of local to global continuum
· Paper due Every 2 weeks {Feb.1,15, March 1 ,15, 28,April 19} Student will develop the question based on 2 weeks of study and completed in the A B C style found in the AP acorn book-1 page typed/single space
· 9 week Exam – Free Response Questions
Course Topical Outline:
Week 1 & 2{Jan. 14-Feb.1}-Geography: Its Nature & Perspectives
· Uniqueness of Place
· Interdependence in a Globalizing World
· Geographic Information System
· Fundamental geographic observations & basic concepts
· Regional concepts
· Concepts of Spatial Analysis
· Means of visualizing & analyzing spatial data
· Geographic Expansion, Integration and change
· Industrialization and geographic change
· Internal development of the core regions
· Organizing the periphery
· Types of Maps
· The fast world and the slow world
· World leadership cycles
· Global outlook/local prospects
· Changing face of the landscape
· Role of Human Geography
· Analyzing Models
· Evaluation of Space, Place, Region, Scale
· Making Geographic connections/thinking Geographically
Week 3 & 4{Feb.4-15}-Geographies of Population
· Major influences on population distribution
· Spatial interaction
· Spatial behavior
· Migration patterns-why do people migrate, migration distribution
· Population models
· Data & measurement
· Demographic transition
· Population distributions
· Population projections
· Population structure
· Population dynamics
· Population movement
· Population diffusion
· Population polices
· The baby boom and its impact
· Where is the World’s population distributed, where has it increased, why is population increasing at different rates in different places
· Over population?
Week 5 & 6{Feb.19 –Mar.1}- Cultural Patterns & Processes
· Nature of human-environmental relations/ Environmental change
· Historical transformation of the surface
· Global climatic change
· Structure of culture & cultural change
· Culture as a geographic process
· Cultural nationalism & complexes and systems
· Culture and the physical environment
· Globalization and cultural change
· Classification-families-origins/spread & distribution of language
· Language as cultural identity-preservation of local languages/distribution
· Role of religion/religious conflict
· Religion distribution/organized space & distinctive patterns
· Place Marketing \Landscape relics
· Semiotics in the landscape- Landscape as a text
· Cultural geography of cyberspace
· Cultural dissonance
· Ethnic diversity/conflict--nationalities
· Folk culture/Popular culture diffusion
· Folk clusters/housing types
· Patterns of Popular culture/Globalization- Towards a global culture?
Week 7 & 8{March 4-15} -The Politics of Territory and Space
· Geopolitical model of the state
· Location of states/Changing borders
· Shape of states
· Boundaries & problems
· National political units & cooperation
· Nationalism/nationalities
· Representation & fragmentation
· Frontier regions
· Boundary formation & concerns
· Theories and practices of the state
· Politics of geography/geography of politics
· Regionalism/sectionalism
· International political systems
· Law of the Sea
· State case studies
· Economic cooperation
· Adjusting to the future/scale & territory
Week 9 & 10{March 18-28}-Agriculture, Food Production & Rural Land Use
· Traditional agricultural geography/origins of Ag
· Agricultural Revolution/ Agricultural Industrialization
· Agricultural regions
· Distribution of Ag. in Developed nations
· Global agricultural systems
· Social and technological agricultural change
· Impact of environment on agriculture/ Impact of agriculture on environment
· Subsistence Agriculture/ Commercial Agriculture
· Non-Farming primary activities
· Environmental/Cultural factors
· Economic issues
· Future of Ag
Week 11- 12{April 8-19}-Geography of Economic Development
· Unevenness of economic development
· Distribution of development
· Distribution of industrial development/ Industrial Issues
· Role of services/service clusters
· Central place theory/model
· Market place analysis
· Obstacles to development
· Resources and technology
· Principles of commercial and industrial development
· Economic and agglomeration effects
· Regional economic cores
· Modification of core –periphery patterns
· Global assembly line/ Global office
· Political and cultural modifications of economic development
· Economic development of Space/ Spatial change/technology
· Economic Classifications
· Trade/national & international
· World patterns & economic regions
· Recent developments & impacts of world economic patterns
· Economic models of development/ Comparative advantage
Week 13 & 14 {April 22- May 3} -City Spaces & Urban Land Structures
· Nature of cities/ Defining urban settlements
· 3 Models of urban structures/use of models outside North America
· Peripheral model/ Distribution of people within urban areas
· Economic base of cities
· Patterns of urban change
· Developing world & urban diversity
· World urban trends/ Urban expansion
· Industrialization/ Projected urbanization
· Regional urban trends/ Environmental degradation
· Urban systems/transportation systems
· Urbanization & economic development
· Deindustrialization/decentralization
· Counter urbanization/suburbanization
· Unintended Metropolis/ Infrastructure problems
· Territoriality/congregation & segregation
· Functional clustering/ Planned urban design
· Comparative urban structures
· Symbolic landscapes/ Fiscal problems
Week 15{May 30-June 1}
Planning board simulation
· NH school District & county planning boards
· Raise the prospects of mapping future geography
· Committees established
· Panel reports given and future maps presented