AP Human Geography

Description

AP Human Geography introduces high school students to college-level introductory human geography or cultural geography. The content is organized around the discipline’s main subfields: economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. The approach is spatial and problem-oriented. Case studies are drawn from all world regions, with an emphasis on understanding the world in which we live today. Historical information serves to enrich analysis of the impacts of phenomena such as globalization, colonialism, and human–environment relationships on places, regions, cultural landscapes, and patterns of interaction. Students also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications.

The goal for the course is for students to become more geoliterate, more engaged in contemporary global issues, and more informed about multicultural viewpoints. Students will see geography as a discipline relevant to the world in which they live; as a source of ideas for identifying, clarifying, and solving problems at various scales; and as a key component of building global citizenship and environmental stewardship.

Segment 1

Module 1: Thinking Geographically
Identify types of maps, the types of information presented in maps, and different kinds of spatial patterns and relationships portrayed in maps.
Identify methods of geographic data collection.
Explain the geographical effects of decisions made using geographical information.
Define major geographic concepts that illustrate spatial relationships.
Explain how major geographic concepts illustrate spatial relationships.
Define scales of analysis used by geographers.
Explain what scales of analysis reveal.
Describe different ways that geographers define regions.

Module 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes
Identify factors that influence the distribution of human populations at different scales.
Define methods geographers use to calculate population density.
Explain the differences between and the impact of methods used to calculate population density.
Explain how population distribution and density affect society and the environment.
Describe elements of population composition used by geographers.
Explain that geographers depict and analyze population composition.
Explain factors that account for contemporary and historical trends in population growth and decline.
Explain the causes and consequences of an aging population.
Explain theories of population growth and decline.
Explain the intent and effects of various population and immigration policies on population size.
Explain how different causal factors encourage migration.
Describe types of forced and voluntary migration.
Explain historical and contemporary geographic effects of migration.

Module 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes
Define the characteristics, attitudes, and traits that influence geographers when they study culture.
Describe the characteristics of cultural landscapes.
Explain how landscape features and land and resource use reflect cultural beliefs and identities.
Explain patterns and landscapes of language, religion, ethnicity, and gender.
Define the types of diffusion.
Explain how the process of diffusion results in changes to the cultural landscape.
Explain how historical processes impact current cultural patterns.
Explain what factors lead to diffusion of universalizing and ethnic religions.

Module 4: Political Patterns and Processes
For world political maps: a. Define the different types of political entities; and b. Identify a contemporary example of political entities.
Explain the processes that have shaped contemporary political geography.
Describe the concepts of political power and territoriality as used by geographers.
Define terms of political boundaries used by geographers.
Explain the nature and function of international and internal boundaries.
Explain the nature and function of international and internal boundaries.
Define federal and unitary states.
Explain how federal and unitary states affect special organization.
Define factors that lead to the devolution of states.
Explain how political, economic, cultural, and technological changes challenge state sovereignty.
Explain how the concepts of centrifugal and centripetal forces apply at the state scale

Segment 2

Module 5: Agriculture and Rural Land Use Patterns and Processes
Explain the connection between physical geography and agricultural practices.
Identify different rural settlement patterns and methods of surveying rural settlements.
Identify major centers of domestication of plants. Explain how plants and animals diffused globally.
Explain the advances and impacts of the second agricultural revolution.
Explain the consequences of the Green Revolution on food supply and the environment in the developing world.
Explain how economic forces influence agricultural practices.
Describe how the von Thünen model is used to explain patterns of agricultural production at various scales.
Explain the interdependence among regions of agricultural production and consumption.
Explain how agricultural practices have environmental and societal consequences.
Explain challenges and debates related to the changing nature of contemporary agriculture and food-production practices.
Explain geographic variations in female roles in food production and consumption.

Module 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes
Explain the processes that initiate and drive urbanization and suburbanization.
Explain how cities embody processes of globalization.
Identify the different urban concepts such as hierarchy, interdependence, relative size, and spacing that are useful for explaining the distribution, size, and interaction of cities.
Explain the internal structure of cities using various models and theories.
Explain how low-, medium-, and high-density housing characteristics represent different patterns of residential land use.
Explain how a city’s infrastructure relates to local politics, society, and the environment. Identify the different urban design initiatives and practices.
Explain the effects of different urban design initiatives and practices.
Explain how qualitative and quantitative data are used to show the causes and effects of geographic change within urban areas.
Explain causes and effects of geographic changes within urban areas.
Describe the effectiveness of different attempts to address urban sustainability challenges.

Module 7: Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes
Explain how the Industrial Revolution facilitated the growth and diffusion of industrialization.
Explain the spatial patterns of industrial production and development.
Describe social and economic measures of development.
Explain how and to what extent changes in economic development have contributed to gender parity.
Explain different theories of economic and social development.
Explain causes and geographic consequences of recent economic changes such as the increase in international trade, deindustrialization, and growing interdependence in the world economy.
Explain how sustainability principles related to and impact industrialization and spatial development.

Additional Course Notes:

AP courses may require that students purchase a textbook to complete the course. eLearning Academy does not offer the AP exams or issue a teacher code for exam registration.  You do not have to take the course to register for the exam.  The course is to help  you prepare for the exam.  When you register for the exam, you can register as a homeschooler without a teacher code. If you have questions about this process, please call us before paying for the course.

Prerequisites: None

Suggested Grade Level: 10

Credits: 1