AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
(SECONDARY)
ESSENTIAL UNIT 3 E03
(Culture & Language)
(July 2015)
Unit Statement: The student will learn to distinguish between languages and dialects, and
popular and folk cultures, and to understand why each has a different geographic pattern. An
important emphasis of the unit is the way culture shapes relationships between humans and
the environment. Students learn how culture is expressed in landscapes, and how land use in
turn represents cultural identity. Built environments enable the geographer to interpret
cultural values, tastes, symbolism, and sets of beliefs. A central concern is to comprehend
how cultural patterns are represented at a variety of geographic scales from local to global.
Diffusion is a key concept in understanding how culture traits move through time and space
to new locations, where interactions between global and local forces result in new forms of
cultural expression.
Essential Outcomes: (must be assessed for mastery)
1. The Student Will compare the characteristics of folk and popular culture. (4.1)
2. TSW evaluate the degree of diffusion of sports amongst different culture groups. (4.3)
3. TSW explain how food preferences and restrictions are related to cultural preferences
and environmental influences. (4.5)
4. TSW describe how, in some cultures but not others, some plants and animals may be
thought to embody positive or negative forces in the environment. (4.5)
5. TSW describe how diffusion of the internet follows the pattern of diffusion of other
forms of media. (4.7)
6. TSW differentiate between language families, branches, and groups. (5.1)
7. TSW explain the geographic distribution of the largest language families. (5.2)
8. TSW compare the ‘war’ and ‘peace’ theories of the origin and diffusion of IndoEuropean. (5.4)
9. TSW explain how languages may become extinct by giving examples, and how some
are revived by using methods of preserving endangered languages. (5.7)
10. TSW describe the challenges that may be produced by a country’s language diversity. (5.9)
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Practiced/Ongoing Outcomes: (not formally assessed)
1. The Student Will interpret maps and analyze geospatial data.
2. TSW understand and explain the implications of associations and networks in places.
3. TSW recognize and interpret the relationships among patterns and processes at
different scales of analysis.
4. TSW define regions and evaluate the regionalization process.
5. TSW characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places.
Key Terms and Concepts: (also look at Ch.4 & Ch.5 glossary)
Adaptive
strategies
Folklore
Anglo-American
landscape
characteristics
Material culture
Architectural
form
Built environment
Folk culture
Folk food
Folk house
Nonmaterial
culture
Language group
Popular culture
Survey systems
Taboo
Folk songs
Language
Language family
Language
subfamily/branch
Lingua franca
Linguistic
diversity
Toponymy
Dialect
Creole
Indo-European
languages
Isogloss
Isolated
Language
Pidgin Language
Trade language
Terroir
Custom
Mono/multilingual
Official language
Suggested Materials/Resources:
 Rubenstein, Chapter 4 and 5: “Folk and Popular Culture” and “Language”
 Kuby, Harner, and Gober, Chapter 2: “Layers of Tradition: Culture Regions at
Different Scales”
 Pearson’s Human Geography video series, “Roma Rights” and “Gas, Gas, Gas”
 Pearson Online Support via www.MasteringGeography.com
Technology Links:
WebPath Express (found in school library)
Internet World Stats is an International website that features up to date world Internet
Usage, Population Statistics, Travel Stats and Internet Market Research Data, for over
233 individual countries and world regions.www.internetworldstats.com
OpenNet investigate, expose and analyze Internet filtering and surveillance
practicesopennet.net
Geography of Cyberspeace (last updated 2004) cybergeography.org
James R. Curtis, “McDonald’s Abroad: Outposts of American Culture,” Journal of
Geography, Vol. 81 (Jan.–Feb., 1982), pp. 14–20.
A Brief Introduction to Hasidism: http://www.pbs.org/alifeapart/intro.html
National Geographic Music:
http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/region/content.region/north_a
merica_4/en_US
The Making of Popular Music: Reggae: http://www.niceup.com/history/ja_music_59-73.html
www.ethnologue.com
Common Indo-European language words:
http://www.hinduwebsite.com/general/indoeuro.asp
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QSI AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY SEC E03
Copyright © 1988-2015
Other language families: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/languagefamilies.html
Separation Anxiety: The 1995 Quebec Referendum
http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/federal_politics/topics/1891/
Place Names U.S. Board On Geographic Names (BGN) http://geonames.usgs.gov/
Assessment Tools and Strategies:
 Assign students comparative research on type of folk and popular music. Part of this
research should include the origin, spread, and distribution of each type of music.
Students should include a map with their discussion.
 Place your students in several groups and provide them with the additional resources
regarding folk and popular music types, housing types, sports, and food and clothing
preferences. Each group should compare and contrast each of the named cultural
elements for folk and popular culture. They can make their presentation in another
class session.
 Have students discuss the influence of the television, the internet, and Facebook on
the creation of cultural landscapes.
 Have students summarize the article about McDonald’s below, then write a reaction to the
article. They should also evaluate the extent to which the article is a good example of the
effect of franchises such as McDonald’s on culture and geographic space.
 Discuss the differences in characteristics between folk and popular culture.
 For the below, find the language family, language branch, and language group to
which each belong.
English
Spanish
French
Japanese
Haitian Creole
Zulu


Ask students to create a map to show the origin and diffusion of English.
As a classroom activity, students can use a graphic organizer to explain the
differences between British English and American English. Students should give
examples of each variation.
Pronunciation
Spelling
Vocabulary
British
English
American
English







Discuss the possibility of another language replacing English as lingua franca. Which
language could it be?
Language generally, and toponyms specifically, are particularly useful mechanisms in
describing place. Explain how geographers can use toponyms to describe place.
Teacher created assessments
Teacher Observation
Generated Tests from textbook
Previous AP Exam Questions
Student created projects/presentation
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Copyright © 1988-2015
AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Suggested Essential Unit 3 (E03) Rubric:
Name _____________________________________Class________ Date _______________
• All TSW’s must be mastered for a ‘B’.
• 3 of 5 ‘A’-level blocks should be met for an ‘A’.
• Teachers may choose to use their own rubrics; however, all TSW’s must be assessed.
The Student Will
1. compare the characteristics of
folk and popular culture
2. evaluate the degree of diffusion
of sports amongst different
culture groups
‘A’ Above Mastery
evaluated sports that are preferred
by specific cultural groups, stated
why some sports diffuse widely
while others do not giving varied
examples
3. explain how food preferences
and restrictions are related to
cultural preferences and
environmental influences
4. describe how, in some cultures
but not others, some plants and
animals may be thought to
embody positive or negative
forces in the environment
‘B’ Mastery
compare the characteristics of folk
and popular culture
evaluated the degree of diffusion of
sports amongst different culture
groups
explain how food preferences and
restrictions are related to cultural
preferences and environmental
influences
describe how, in some cultures but
not others, some plants and animals
may be thought to embody positive
or negative forces in the
environment; comparing varied
examples
describe how, in some cultures but
not others, some plants and animals
may be thought to embody positive
or negative forces in the
environment
5. describe how diffusion of the
internet follows the pattern of
diffusion of other forms of media
describe how diffusion of the
internet follows the pattern of
diffusion of other forms of media
6. differentiate between language
families, branches, and groups
differentiate between language
families, branches, and groups
7. explain the geographic
distribution of largest language
families
explain the geographic distribution
of largest language families
8. compare the ‘war’ and ‘peace’
theories of the origin and
diffusion of Indo-European
compare the ‘war’ and ‘peace’
compare the ‘war’ and ‘peace’
theories of the origin and diffusion theories of the origin and diffusion
of Indo-European and argue in
of Indo-European
support for one or the other
9. explain how languages may
become extinct by giving
examples, and how some are
revived by using methods of
preserving endangered languages
explain how languages may become
extinct by giving examples, and
how some are revived by
identifying ways of preserving
endangered languages by applying
real examples
explain how languages may become
extinct by giving examples, and
how some are revived by
identifying ways of preserving
endangered languages giving an
overview
10. describe the challenges that may describe the challenges that may be describe the challenges that may be
be produced by a country’s
produced by a country’s language produced by a country’s language
language diversity
diversity comparing varied
diversity giving an example
examples
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QSI AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY SEC E03
Copyright © 1988-2015
Notes