AP Human Geography
Northern Secondary School
Toronto, Ontario
Merilyn McKelvey
Geography and Civics
Writing and Reading
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Why write the AP Human Geography exam?
Unit Review
Exam Format
Exam Reading
Sample Questions
Practice Exam
Quotes from Students
• “I’m ‘aceing’ my first-year Geography course.
We’re using the same text that we used in your
class last year. Thanks a lot!”
• “My university gave me a first-year credit because
of my good standing on the AP exam. I now have
more time to concentrate on my other courses.”
• “Even though my school doesn’t accept AP
standings, I was much less nervous during my first
university exam.”
AP Human Geography Outline
1. Nature and Perspectives
2. Population
3. Cultural Patterns and
Processes
4. Political Organization of Space
5. Agricultural and Rural Land
Use
6. Industrialization and Economic
Development
7. Cities and Urban Land Use
AP Human Geography Exam
• 2.25 hrs; multiple choice and free response
• 39,878 exams written in 2008
• 112,500 exams in 2013
• Credit accepted at SFU, UBC, Victoria, Calgary,
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Brandon, York,
Carleton, Guelph, Toronto, Brock, Ottawa,
Queen’s, McMaster, Waterloo, Western Ontario,
Wilfred Laurier, Laurentian, McGill, Concordia,
Bishop’s, St. Mary’s, Memorial
Canadian Exam Statistics
• AP in Canada
– 17,000 exams written in 2012
– 438 Human Geography exams in 2013
• AP in Ontario
– 137 Human Geography exams
• 2014 exam Tuesday noon, May 13
Pass Another Pile
• Follow the rubric!
• Consistency
checks
• Readers,
Table Leaders and
Question Leaders
• Sample
Responses
• Suggestions for
Students
Suggestions for Students
• Read the question
• Read the question again, looking for
– Stimulus material (graphs, maps, charts, diagrams)
– Key words
• Follow question structure when answering
– Blank line between sections
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Each question on a new page
Write legibly
Use key terms
Explain ideas and/or process
AP Exam
Multiple Choice
• 75 questions
• 1 hour
• Only one student out of
112,500 got 100%
3 Free-Response
questions
• Marks for content
• 1 hour and 15 minutes
• No penalty for guessing
https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-humangeography/exam-practice
http://www.mrsgoldsteinsclass.com/uploads/1/8/5/9/18597726/frqs_
2000-2010.pdf
Multiple-Choice Question
1. As an academic discipline, geography is principally concerned
with the
A. nature and meaning of place names.
B. impact of the environment on human understandings and
activities.
C. evolving character and spatial organization of Earth’s surface.
D. absolute location of places, peoples, and processes on Earth’s
surface.
E. construction of maps that depict places, peoples, and processes
as accurately as possible.
Answer: C
Multiple-Choice Question
OPEC is an example of a(n)
a)Supranational organization
b)Commonwealth
c)Confederacy
d)International organization
e)National organization
Answer: d
Free-Response Question 2007
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository
/ap07_human_geo_q1.pdf
Von Thünen’s Agricultural Model
The drawings reflect agricultural
activities in the hinterland of a
large urban area.
a)Apply the underlying principles of
von Thünen’s agricultural landuse model to predict the locations
of the activities shown in X and Y
relative to a large urban area.
X is located closer to the city and
Y is located further from the city.
1 Point
Von Thünen’s Agricultural Model
http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/6/2/9.html
Von Thünen’s Agricultural Model
The drawings reflect agricultural
activities in the hinterland of a
large urban area.
b) Choose either activity X or
activity Y and apply the
underlying principles of von
Thünen’s agricultural land-use
model to explain the location of
that activity.
Von Thünen’s Model
X represents intensive
agriculture, higher-value land,
perishable goods, accessibility to
market, where the farmer can
maximize profit
Y represents extensive
agriculture, lower-value land,
fewer perishable goods, less
accessibility to market, where the
farmer can maximize profit
1 point for identifying the concept
1 point for explanation
Von Thünen’s Agricultural Model
The drawings reflect agricultural
activities in the hinterland of a
large urban area.
c) Discuss two factors that explain
why agricultural land-use
patterns today differ from those
developed by von Thünen’s
model in 1826.
Von Thünen’s Agricultural Model
Changes to model since 1826:
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Refrigeration and food preservation
Improved transportation
Regional, global markets
Corporate decision making
Government policies
Agricultural products used for purposes other than food
Forests no longer occupy a zone close to the market
4 points:
1 point for the identification of each of two factors
1 point for each of the two discussions
Free-Response Question
In many cities in the Midwest United States,
abandoned and dilapidated warehouses and
factories can be found throughout the Central
Business District (CBD).
a) Describe the processes leading to the
abandonment of these facilities. What are the
likely current locations for the businesses
previously occupying these spaces?
b) Discuss at least two negative ramifications of the
deindustrialization process that led to these kinds
of urban landscapes.
Free-Response Question
Describe the processes leading to the
abandonment of these facilities.
1. Deindustrialization – moving to where
labour and other costs are cheaper
2. Suburbanization
3. Globalization – improved transportation and
communications technologies
2 points
Free-Response Question
What are the likely current locations for the
businesses previously occupying these
spaces?
EPZs – Export Processing Zones in Middle
America and Southeast and East Asia where
there is duty- and tariff-free production of
manufactured goods
SEZs – Special Economic Zones in China
1 point
Free-Response Question
Discuss at least two negative ramifications of the
deindustrialization process that led to these kinds of
urban landscapes.
• Unemployment
• Loss of tax base
• Brownfields
• Racial segregation
• 2 points for identification of negative ramifications
• 2 points for correct discussion of ramifications
Practice Exam
• Available online and in workbooks
AP Scores
Your score is a weighted combination of your
scores on the multiple-choice section and on the
free-response section. The final score is reported
on a 5-point scale as follows:
5 = extremely well qualified
4 = well qualified
3 = qualified
2 = possibly qualified
1 = no recommendation
Reading AP Human Geography
• June 2001
– 17 readers
• June 2009
– 200 readers in
Lincoln, Nebraska
1. Nature and Perspectives
Dorling Cartograms of 2008 Summer Olympics
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/04/sports/olympics/20080804_MEDALCOUNT_MAP.html
Dorling Cartograms of 2008 Summer Olympics
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/04/sports/olympics/20080804_MEDALCOUNT_MAP.html
1896 Games
Athens
1912 Games
Stockholm
Dorling Cartograms of 2010 Winter Olympics
http://2010games.nytimes.com/medals/map.html
Dorling Cartograms of Obesity in the United States
1995 - 2008
http://hci.stanford.edu/jheer/files/zoo/ex/maps/cartogram.html
Colour shows % of population who are obese by state
Size of circle shows absolute number of obese people by state
Animated.
Enjoy the World!