AP Exam Preparation
Webinar
AP Human Geography:
Strategies That
Help Students Pass
The AP Exam
This one hour webinar session will:
1. Share review and study strategies
2. Give participants insight to using study guides &
test prep materials
3. Share how to read into multiple choice questions
4. Share how to best prepare for Stimulus Based
Questions
AP Human Geography Exam
Date: May 13
Format: Multiple Choice (M/C) 50%
75 questions/60 Minutes
Free Response (Essay)
50%
3 questions/75 Minutes
Units of Study & Weight:
5-10% Geography (least)
13-17% Population, Culture, Political Organization of
Space, Industrialization & Econ. Dev., Cities & Urban
Land Use
1. Share review and study strategies
Review Schedule
Things to Consider
• Spring Break
• Know Your Students
• Work With Other AP Teachers & Coaches
• AP Saturday Academy
Pacing
• Diagnostic Test Administration– 1-2 Session(s)
• Reviewing Diagnostic Test Results – 1 session
• Unit Practice Tests (7)
• Mock Exam
Plan Structured Reviews & Create a Calendar
Study Strategies
• Thoroughly study content
• Practice, practice, practice answering
questions similar to those on the test
• Review, review, review the answers on
practice tests, AND students should be
able to explain why an answer is correct or
incorrect
Sample Calendar
Sun
M
W
Th
F
Unit 2
M/C-7:30-8:30
FR- 3:30-5:00
•Timed practice test questions
•Integrate test taking skills/Strategies
Class Review
Unit ______
M/C amt. of time
FR amt. of time
Time to review
answers
S
Saturday Academy
9:00-12:00
Diagnostic Test
• Review Results
•Examine Results
Initial Meeting
•Homework – students
convert the course
outline into questions
and respond; define
terms, and concepts
use flashcards as
needed
April
3
10
T
Saturday Academy
9:00 – 12:00
Unit 3
•M/C – 75 questions
•FR --3 questions
17
Unit 4
Unit 5
24
Unit 6
Unit 7
Saturday Academy
9:00 – 12:00
Mock Exam
Saturday Academy
9:00 – 12:00
May
Mock Exam
1
EXAM
Get The Word Out
•
Announcements
!
– Fall Semester Students
– Post Time/Dates of Reviews
•
Incentives
– Notify Parents/Guardians
• Get them on board!!!
– $$$ College Tuition
– Quality Points & GPA
• Follow-up
– Attendance
– Results of Diagnostic test
• Help with Saturday Academy
– Snacks
– Transportation
– Furnish extra Test Prep Books
• They are Teacher’s Too!!
– Teach vocabulary
– Watch Power of Place videos as a family—case studies
– Time practice tests with No Distractions
– Extra Credit
•
Homework/Assignments
– Examine results of diagnostic test and target needs of individual students
√ Share review and study strategies
2. Give participants insight to using
study guides & test prep materials
3. Share how to read into multiple choice
questions
4. Share how to best prepare for
Stimulus Based Questions
2. Give participants insight to using
study guides & test prep materials
• Select Test Prep Book
– Diagnostic test
• Results driven
– Review Content – Re-teach/Homework – 30 minute
PPT reviews for each unit on website
– Vocabulary
– Models
– Theories
– Integration of Geographic Tools
– Case studies (Examples)
– Practice Tests
– An Outline (of Content Areas)
√ Share review and study strategies
√ Give participants insight to using study
guides & test prep materials
3. Share how to read into multiple choice
questions
4. Share how to best prepare for
Stimulus Based Questions
3. Share how to read into
multiple choice questions
• Format
– 75 multiple-choice questions
– Answer choices: A – E
•
•
•
•
•
•
Start with easy questions (why?)
Start with 5-10 questions (timed, 1.25 minutes)
Context clues
Word association
Eliminating answer choices
Scoring—guessing verses leaving blank
– Narrow to 2 answer choices
– First response
– “Go with what you know”
Sample Multiple Choice Questions
Roman Catholics are clustered in the U.S. southwest
mainly because of migration of
a. Roman Catholics from Latin America
b. Roman Catholics from Northeast United States
1. What do you
know about
c. Roman Catholics from Ireland
the SW?
2. What ethnic
d. Protestants to the North
group is
e. Protestants to the East Apply U.S. History
concentrated
Answer: A
Question Source: Rubenstein, 9e
or Civics &
Economics:
Colonial Period
Encourage
students to
apply prior
knowledge
there?
3. Encourage
students to
write on the
test/scrap
paper
A minisystem is a society with
a. a single cultural base
b. a modern economy
c. an extensive physical infrastructure
d. extensive urbanization
e. all of the above
What is the key word in the question?
Simply by identifying the key word, which answer choices were eliminated?
How did you eliminate “B”?
What is the answer?
Tips & Suggestions:
1. The answer is often in the question.
2. Assure students who do not know the answer immediately, that they have the skills to
find the answer.
3. Eliminate similar answer choices
Question Source: Knox/Marston, 8e
Answer is less than 1.25 minutes
The first phase of the internal geographic
expansion and regional integration of core
regions was based on this transportation
technology
a. railroads
b. aircrafts
c. tractors
d. trucks
e. canals
Answer: E
Why is “E” the correct answer?
Suggestions & Tips
• Allow time during study sessions to discuss correct answers
• Encourage students to share how they “figured-out” the correct
answer
Retired practice test questions:
– http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/r
epository/ap-human-geography-coursedescription.pdf
– Practice exams, available to authorized AP
teachers through their AP Course Audit
accounts
– Main page
• http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/humangeo
√ Share review and study strategies
√ Give participants insight to using study
guides & test prep materials
√ Share how to read into multiple choice
questions
4. Share how to best prepare for
Stimulus Based Questions
4. Share how to best prepare for
Stimulus Based Questions
What are stimulus based questions?
Read and interpret information contained on
– Maps
– Charts
– Graphs
– Models
Free Response
Go to:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/ex
am/exam_questions/2004.html?type=print
Select 2010: Free-Response Questions
1. Review the question
2. Review the rubric/scoring guide
From the review of the retired test
questions, should students
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
pace themselves and use the time wisely?
spend time “dissecting” the question?
spend time outlining responses?
define terms?
demonstrate mastery of concepts by using
examples found in case studies?
6. draw from current events for examples
and case studies?
7. ensure that they answer the question?
8. attempt to answer the question?
√ Share review and study strategies
√ Give participants insight to using study
guides & test prep materials
√ Share how to read into multiple choice
questions
√ Share how to best prepare for
Stimulus Based Questions
Open Discussion Questions
1. What strategies will you use to make
sure that your students know that they
will score a level 5?
2. How do you plan to get them to your
reviews?
3. How do you plan to partner with parents?
4. How do you plan to partner with other AP
teachers at your school?
References
• http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/humang
eo
• Human Geography in Action, Knox,
Marston (8e)
• Human Geography in Action, Rubenstein,
9e.
Contact Information
haithe@gcsnc.com
rerh@aol.com
Register for the AP Human Geography
listserve via discussion board
http://apentral.collegeboard.com/humange
o
Apply to be an AP Reader - go to above
address
End