Freshman AP® Human Geography
Mrs. Jennifer Castillo: Jennifer_Castillo@dpsk12.org
Office Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 2:45-3:20 and by appointment
Course Overview
AP® Human Geography is a yearlong course that focuses on the distribution, processes, and
effects of human populations on the planet. Units of study include population, migration, culture,
language, religion, ethnicity, political geography, economic development, industry, agriculture,
and urban geography. Emphasis is placed on geographic models and their applications. Case
studies from around the globe are compared to the situation in both the United States and locally
in Colorado. Internet and interactive activities are used to explore certain topics.
Goals
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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 practices.
Define regions and evaluate the regionalization process.
Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places.
Required Materials
 A 2 inch (or larger) binder devoted solely to this class
 Dividers (label and order as followed)
o Notes (with loose leaf paper)
o Map of Day
o Handout
o Vocabulary/Quizzes
o Tests
o FRQs
o Country Profile
o Human Geography in Action lab book
o Other
 Colored Pencils
Required Textbooks
Human Geography: People, Place, and Culture, 9th Edition (PLEASE DO NOT GET 10th)
by Erin H. Fouberg, Alexander B. Murphy, H. J. de Blij
ISBN: 978-0-470-38258-5
Human Geography in Action, 5th Edition by Michael Kuby, John Harner, Patricia Gober
September 2009, ©2010
ISBN: 978-0-470-55640-5
**Must get loose leaf version if possible to put in binder***
Any AP Review Guide, but KAPLAN is highly recommended!!!
Procedures and Expectations
Academic Integrity
Cheating and plagiarism in any form regardless of intent will not be tolerated. Any
students caught cheating will automatically receive a “0” on the assignment. Upon a
second occurrence the parents will be notified, and there is a possibility of your removal
from class. If you have any questions on what plagiarism includes or how to properly cite
sources, please let me know.
Reading
This is a college level course and therefore a great amount of scholarly reading is expected.
Almost all of the reading for this class will be completed outside of the classroom. You will be
responsible for taking notes on the reading from the text, for each chapter. The lecture notes in
class are meant as a supplement, NOT A SUBSTITUTE for reading the text. It is very important
that you keep up with the reading as well as it is easy to fall behind.
Evaluations
Daily Classwork
Students are required to maintain an exclusive three ring binder for this class. Students are
expected to keep all notes, homework, in class assignments, handouts, quizzes and exams
organized throughout the semester. In addition to the points earned on assignments mentioned, I
will conduct unannounced notebook checks. Notebooks are evaluated on completeness, effort
and organization. Bring your notebook, a writing utensil and paper to class every day.
Writing
You will be assigned a Free Response Question biweekly. The expectations I have for these
responses are high but with consistent practice you will become very proficient with them. You
will be given clear examples of various essays from previous year’s AP Exam, with a variety of
different grades and you will be instructed on how to create and grade these essays. More
information on FRQs will be given closer to their assigned date.
Projects
Each unit will have a specific project assigned with it. These will rotate between individual and
group assignments, and on average will amount to a test grade.
Mini Quizzes
Given over various field notes and case studies found throughout both textx
Testing
Students will have a test over each unit consisting of both multiple choice questions and Free
Response Questions (FRQ)
Map of the Day
Students must record a map of the day, each day it is given in class. If a student misses a day
they may use a different map to complete the assignment.
Homework
Students will have “homework” everyday. On days that no assignment is given, students
are expected to study and review their notes. On average you should be spending one hour a
night working on AP Human Geography.
Participation, Attendance and Punctuality
Students’ active and meaningful participation is the single most important element to
your learning. If you have an unexcused absence, you will not be able to turn in work due that
day, at a later time. If you have an excused absence, you will have two days, for each day
excused from my class, to turn in the work. It is your responsibility to contact me in reference
to make-up work and tests.
Late Work
No late work will be accepted after 1 week has passed since the due date. The maximum amount
of credit available on work turned in late is 50%.
Grading Scale
Grades are determined by a simple points system based on points earned against points
available. There is NO extra credit available in AP Human Geo, so do not fail to turn
in assignments. A biweekly general grade report will be posted on the door.
Classwork/Homework: 45% of total grade
Quizzes/Tests/Projects: 55% of total grade
A: 93-100%
A-: 90-92%
B+: 89-87%
B: 83-86%
B-: 80-82%
C+: 77-79%
C 76-73%
C-72-70%
Student Name (Printed):
Student Signature:
Parent/Guardian Name (Printed):
Parent/Guardian Signature:
****For course timeline please see syllabus tab on the website. Students will receive a KABAT
sheet at the beginning of each unit, stating what you should know and be able to do at the end of
each unit. The first one has been attached for you****
Course Timeline
*For all Kuby Readings students will be required to complete the activities which appear at
the end of each chapter. Some will be assigned as homework, while others will be
completed in class.
Pre-Work: What is AP? How can I be best prepared?
Time Frame: 2 weeks
 Quiz over summer assignments
 Review Syllabus and Expectations
 Review Summer Assignments
 Pre-test
 What is AP Human Geography?
 Formation of Study Groups
 Video: Guns, Germs, and Steel
Unit 1: Geography: Introduction to Human Geography (5-10% of test)
Time Frame: 3 weeks
Required Reading:
De Blij: Chapter 1 (pages 33-35)
Kuby, Chapter 1: “True Maps, False Impressions: Making, Manipulating, and Interpreting
Maps”
Activities:
Country Profile: Add Scale Map of Country
Power Point Lectures w/ Map Work
Exploring Geographic Models and Theories (Group Projects)
Case Study
Video
Power of Place video Series #1: “One Earth, Many Scales”
Unit 2: Population (13-17% of test)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Required Reading
De Blij: Chapters 2-3 (pages 36-109)
Kuby, Chapter 4: “Newton’s First Law of Migration”
Kuby, Chapter 5: “One Billion and Counting: The Hidden Momentum of Population Growth in
India”
Thomas Malthus’ Contributions to Geography
Activities
Country Profile: Add Population information
Population Pyramid Project
Using the Demographic Transition Model: Analysis and CRQ practice
Power Point Lectures w/ Map Work
Case Study
Videos
Power of Place video series # 21: “Population Geography”
People, Places and Change video series: “Population Transition in Italy”
Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes (13-17% of test)
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Required Reading:
De Blij: Chapters 4-7 (pages 110-236) and Chapter 13 (pages 410-439)
Kuby: Chapter 2: “Layers of Tradition: Culture Regions at Different Scales”
Kuby: Chapter 3: “Tracking the AIDS Epidemic in the United States: Diffusion through Space
and Time
Kuby: Chapter 12: “Do Orange and Green Clash? Residential Segregation in Northern Ireland”
Activities:
Folk vs Popular Culture and Cultural Landscape Group Project
A Hot Dog Program and essay
Architecture Project
Speakers on Religions
Country Profile: Add Cultural Patterns and Processes information
Power Point Lectures w/ Map Work
Case Study
Video
Power of Place video series #25: “Ethnic Fragmentation in Canada”
Unit 4: Political Organization of Space (13-17% of test)
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Required Reading:
De Blij: Chapter 8 (pages 237-273)
Kuby, Chapter 13: “The Rise and Fall of Nationalism and the Fall of Yugoslavia”
Activities:
Political Issues Project
Politics and the Cultural Landscape of Europe Group Assignment
Country Profile: Add political information
Power Point Lectures w/ Map Work
Case Study
Video
Power of Place video series #3: “Supranationalism and Devolution”
Unit 5: Agricultural and Rural Land Use (13-17% of test)
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Required Reading:
De Blij: Chapter 11: Pages (349-381)
Kuby, Chapter 8: “Food for thought: The globalization of Agriculture”
Activities:
Local, National, and World Landscape Analysis and Patterns
Models of land use CRQ creation assignment
Agricultural Products Project
Country Profile: Add Agricultural and Rural Land Use information
Power Point Lectures w/ Map Work
Case Study
Video:
Power of Place video series #16: “Rural and Urban Contrasts”
Unit 6: Industrialization and Economic Development (13-17% of test)
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Required Reading:
De Blij: Chapter 10 (pages 319-348), Chapter 12 (pages 382-409) and Chapter 14 (pages 441452)
Kuby, Chapter 6: “Help Wanted: The Changing Geography of Jobs”
Kuby, Chapter 7: “Rags and Riches: The Dimensions of Development”
Activities:
Using Weber’s Model of Industrial Location
Country Profile: Add Industrialism and Economic Development Info
Exploring effects of industrialism on various cultural landscapes
Power Point Lectures w/ Map Work
Case Study
Videos:
Power of Place video series #15: “ Global Interactions”
Power of Place video series #18: “Oil and Water”
Unit 7: Cities and Urban Land Use (13-17% of test)
Time Frame: 5 weeks
Required Reading:
De Blij Chapter 9 (pages 274-318)
Kuby, Chapter 9: “Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Market Areas and Urban Hierarchy”
Kuby, Chapter 10: “Reading the Urban Landscape: Census Data and Observation”
Kuby, Chapter 11: “The Disappearing Front Range: Urban Sprawl in Colorado
Activities
Field study of Denver
Country Profile: Add Cities and Urban Land Use information
Power Point Lectures w/ Map Work
Case Study
Videos:
Power of Place video series # 24: “Cityscapes, Suburban Sprawl”
Power of Place video series #11: “A Challenge for Two Old Cities”
Unit 1: Introduction to Human Geography
Know And Be Able To (KABAT)
KNOW
Human geography
Anthropogenic
Globalization
Physical Geography
Spatial Distribution
Medical Geography
Pandemic
Epidemic
Spatial Perspective
Location theory
Region
Place
Accessibility
Connectivity
Cultural landscape
Sequent occupance
Cartography
Reference Maps
Thematic Maps
Map Scale
Aggregation
Isoline map
Dot Maps
Absolute Location
Global Positioning System
Geocaching
Relative location
Mental map
Geographic information
systems
Formal region
Function region
Perceptual region
Culture
Cultural hearth
Cultural diffusion
Time-distance decay
Diffusion
Environmental Determinism
Isotherm
Possibilism
Ecology
Map Projection
Chloropleth Map
Proportional Symbol Map
Idiographic
Nomothetic
BE ABLE TO
BE ABLE TO
 Understand the history of geography and identify the people involved in its shaping.
 define geography and human geography and explain the meaning of the spatial perspective.
 explain how geographers classify each of the following and provide examples of each:
a) distributions
b) locations
c) regions
 identify how each of the following plays a role in mapmaking:
a) induction
c) simplification
b) symbolization
d) categorization
 identify types of scale and projections used in mapmaking - identify advantages and disadvantages of
different projections.
 list different types (models) of diffusion and provided examples/illustrations of each in the real world.
 distinguish between different types of mapped information (dot distribution, choropleth, etc.) and
provide explanations of strengths and weaknesses of each.
READINGS
De Blij (pages 1-35)
Kuby (pages 1-14)