AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY- CYPRESS BAY HIGH SCHOOL
COURSE SUMMARY 2015 - 2016
***AP EXAM: Friday MAY 13, 2015***
Instructor: Mr. Derek Schweitzer
Email: derek.schweitzer@browardschools.com
Website: http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/DSchweitzer/
Phone Number: 754-323-0350
1. COURSE OVERVIEW.
Students enrolled in the Full Year course of AP Human Geography will study various aspects of the following
topics representing the seven interrelated units of study recommended by the College Board. (C1)
I. Nature of Geography (5/75 or 6% of 2011’s exam)
II. Population (12/75 or 16%)
III. Cultural Patterns (12/75 or 16%)
IV. Political Organization of Space (11/75 or 15%)
V. Agriculture and Rural Land Use (12/75 or 16%)
VI. Industrial and Economic Development (12/75 or 16%)
VII. Cities and Urban Land Uses (11/75 or 15%)
A full course description and more information about AP online can be found at
apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpf.
2. COURSE OBJECTIVES.
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The student will be able to use and analyze maps and spatial data. (C1)
The student will be able to understand and interpret the implications of associations about phenomena in
places. (C2)
Recognize and determine on different scales the relationships among patterns and processes. (C3)
Define regions and evaluate the regionalization process. (C4)
Characterize and analyze the changing interconnections among places. (C5)
3. TEACHING STRATEGIES.
The strategies used in this course are a mixture of lecture (accompanied by PowerPoint presentations),
instructional videos (with accompanying quizzes), individual and group activities (mapping, analysis, internet
exercises, and discussion/debate) and the use of an ongoing assessment of student learning which will consist of
but not be limited to verbal reviews, successful completion of assignments, chapter reading quizzes, and mid-term
and final exam. Quizzes and tests will consist of questions of the same type as will be encountered on the actual
AP exam. There will be multiple choice questions as well as Free Response Questions (FRQs) on the exams.
The students may also refer to the course calendar for the weekly/daily schedule, but this is a tentative calendar
and does not account for school closings, school activities or mandated school wide activities. These events,
activities and occurrences are beyond my control; please do not debate their relevance with me, I would
rather focus on your abilities and skills needed to do well on the AP Human Geography exam.
5. GRADING SCALE:
100 – 90 = A
89 – 86 = B+
85 – 80 = B
79 – 76 = C+
75 – 70 = C
69 – 66 = D+
65 – 60 = D
59 and lower = F
***Disclaimer: Failure to show up for the AP Exam
will result in full financial responsibility for the cost
of the exam as well as a loss of points to your GPA.
Tests = 45%
Quizzes = 25%
Homework and In-class assignments = 20%
Class Participation/Contributions = 10%
Class Participation Policy
1) Class participation is an important part of this course and is determined by your presence and actions
in the class. You will earn 10 points each week provided you arrive to class on time and participate in
class activities. You will lose points for the following: 1) Unexcused tardies 2) Unexcused absences
3) Having an electronic device out for inappropriate use (I determine what and when is
appropriate) 4) Needing to be asked more than once to comply to my request. Participation in class
activities includes but is not limited to: Reading, answering questions, asking appropriate questions,
suggesting appropriate classroom content related subjects for discussion/debate or lessons.
6. REFERENCE MATERIALS.
This list consists of the main textbook and materials used for the course. I will be using a multitude of websites,
articles, handouts and atlases, as they become available throughout the year.
Primary Text:
Rubenstein, James M.. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. 10th Edition. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. (With accompanying instructor’s manual, DVD, test item file, and
test prep guide)
MAKE SURE YOU ATTAIN A REVIEW/PREP BOOK. (KAPLAN, 5 STEPS TO A 5, BARRONS,
PRINCETON REVIEW) FOR THE COURSE…IT WILL BE AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE. Any of
the above mentioned review books are may be used. I will use information from a variety of review books
throughout the year.
Websites – a multitude of websites will be used throughout the semester, a list of these sites will be forthcoming
and also be available on my website. The web address will be posted in my classroom throughout the entire
school year.
7. TOPIC OUTLINE:
I. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives (2 Weeks)
Rubenstein, Ch 1 (C4), (C5)
 Geography as a field of inquiry
 How to recognize and interpret at different scales
the relationships among patterns and processes
 Evolution of key geographical concepts and
 How to define regions and evaluate the
models associated with notable geographers
regionalization process
 Key concepts underlying the geographical
perspective: location, space, place, scale, pattern,
 How to characterize and analyze changing
regionalization, and globalization
interconnections among places
 Key geographical skills
 New geographic technologies, such as GIS and
GPS
 How to use and think about maps and spatial data
 Sources of geographical ideas and data: the field,
 How to understand and interpret the implications
census data
of associations among phenomena in places
II. Population (4 Weeks)
Rubenstein, Ch. 2-3 (C2) (C3), (C4)
 Geographical analysis of population
 Theories of population growth, including the
Demographic Model
 Density, distribution, and scale
 Patterns of fertility, mortality, and health
 Consequences of various densities and
 Regional variations of demographic transitions
distributions
 Patterns of composition: age, sex, race, and
 Effects of population policies
ethnicity
 Population movement
 Population and natural hazards: past, present, and
 Push and pull factors
future
 Major voluntary and involuntary migrations at
 Population growth and decline over time and
different scales
space
 Migration selectivity
 Historical trends and projections for the future
 Short-term, local movements, and activity space
III. Cultural Patterns and Processes (6 Weeks)
Rubenstein, Ch. 4-6 (C2), (C3), (C4)
 Concepts of culture
 Traits
 Diffusion
 Acculturation
 Cultural regions
 Cultural differences
 Language
 Religion
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Ethnicity
Gender
Popular and folk culture
Environmental impact of cultural attitudes and
practices
Cultural landscapes and cultural identity
Values and preferences
Symbolic landscapes and sense of place
IV. Political Organization of Space (4 Weeks)
Rubenstein, Ch. 7-8 (C2), (C4)
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Territorial dimensions of politics
The concept of territoriality
The nature and meaning of boundaries
Influences of boundaries on identity, interaction,
and exchange
Evolution of the contemporary political pattern
The nation-state concept
Colonialism and imperialism
Federal and unitary states
MID-TERM EXAM DATES: DEC. 14-18
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Challenges to inherited political-territorial
arrangements
Changing nature of sovereignty
Fragmentation, unification, alliance
Spatial relationships between political patterns
and patterns of ethnicity, economy, and
environment
Electoral geography, including gerrymandering
V. Industrialization and Economic Development (4 Weeks)
Rubenstein, Ch. 9, 11, 14 (Key Issue 3) (C2), (C3)
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Key concepts in industrialization and
development
Growth and diffusion of industrialization
The changing roles of energy and technology
Industrial Revolution
Evolution of economic cores and peripheries
Geographic critiques of models of economic
localization (i.e., land rent, comparative costs of
transportation), industrial location, economic
development, and world systems
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Contemporary patterns and impacts of
industrialization and development
Spatial organization of the world economy
Variations in levels of development
Deindustrialization and economic restructuring
Pollution, health, and quality of life
Industrialization, environmental change, and
sustainability
Local development initiatives: government
policies
VI. Agricultural and Rural Land Use (4 Weeks)
Rubenstein, Ch. 10, 14 (Key Issues 1 and 2) (C3)
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Development and diffusion of agriculture
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
Second Agricultural Revolution
Major agricultural production regions
Agricultural systems associated with major bioclimatic zones
Variations within major zones and effects of
markets
Linkages and flows among regions of food
production and consumption
Rural land use and settlement patterns
Models of land use, including von Thünen's
model
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Settlement patterns associated with major
agriculture types
Modern commercial agriculture: the Third
Agricultural Revolution
Green Revolution and the beginning of the
biotechnologic revolution
Characteristics of the third revolution: blending
of primary, secondary, and tertiary activities,
intensification of mechanization, and
development of biotechnology
Spatial organization of industrial agriculture
Diffusion of industrial agriculture
Future food supplies and environmental impacts
of agriculture - hopes and fears
VII. Cities and Urban Land Use (4 weeks)
Rubenstein, Ch. 12-13 (C3), (C4)
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Definitions of urbanism
Origin and evolution of cities
Historical patterns of urbanization
Rural-urban migration and urban growth
Global cities and mega cities
Models of urban systems
Functional character of contemporary cities
Changing employment mix
Changing demographic and social structures
Built environment and social space
Final Exam Dates: June 6-9
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Comparative models of internal city structure
Transportation and infrastructure
Political organization of urban areas
Urban planning and design
Patterns of race, ethnicity, gender, and class
Uneven development, ghettoization, and
gentrification
Impacts of suburbanization and edge cities
Student/Parent Acknowledgment
I have read the course summary and understand the dedication needed to succeed in an AP class. I
acknowledge that if my child has a D or F, a conference and/or transfer may be advised. I also
understand that a pattern of non-attendance will have consequences for my child’s grade and for their
overall learning.
Student Signature/Date:
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Parent Signature/Date:
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Parent contact number & Email:
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