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Human Geography - Syllabus

Course Overview

Advanced Placement 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. Internet activities are used to explore certain topics.

Course Objectives

  • To introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth's surface

  • To learn about and employ the methods of geographers, especially including observation, mapmaking, data gathering and reporting, and technical writing

  • To employ spatial concepts, geographic vocabulary, and landscape interpretation to a variety of locations and situations around the globe and in local areas

  • To develop a geographic perspective with which to view the landscape and understand current events

Texts and Study Materials
  • Kuby, Michael, John Harner, and Patricia Gober. Human Geography in Action. 6th ed. New York: John Wiley, 2013.

  • The Power of Place: Geography for the 21st Century series. Annenberg/CPB Project, 2003. DVD.

  • Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. 11th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2013.

Course Planner


Fall

Unit 1: The Nature of Geography (Weeks 1 – 3)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 1: Basic Concepts
  • Kuby, Harner, and Gober, Chapter 1: True Maps, False Impressions: Making, Manipulating, and Interpreting Maps
  • Rubenstein, Appendix, pp. A1 - A7
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Define geography, human geography; explain the meaning of the spatial perspective.
  • Explain how geographers classify each of the following and provide examples of each:
    • distributions
    • locations
    • regions
  • Identify how each of the following plays a role in mapmaking:
    • simplification
    • categorization
    • symbolization
    • induction
  • Identify types of scale and projections used in mapmaking; identify advantages and disadvantages of different projections.
  • List different types (models) of diffusion and provide examples/illustrations of each in the real world.
  • Distinguish between different types of maps and mapped information (e.g., dot distribution, choropleth, etc.) and provide explanations of strengths and weaknesses of each.

Unit 2: Population (Weeks 4 – 6)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 2: Population and Health
  • Kuby, Harner, and Gober, Chapter 5: One Billion and Counting: The Hidden Momentum of Population Growth in India
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Map major and emerging population concentrations and describe demographic characteristics of each.
  • Consider the concepts of ecumene and non-ecumene, and consider:
    • Why do most people live where they do?
    • For what reasons have humans historically avoided certain areas?
    • Where do non-examples of each exist? Why?
  • Calculate arithmetic, agricultural, and physiological densities and describe the strengths and weaknesses of each for demographic analysis.
  • Explain the elements of a population pyramid and distinguish between characteristic shapes.
  • Explain the demographic transition model:
    • What are its components?
    • Which countries does it describe in each phase?
    • Why might it not predict the future for developing countries today?
  • Give examples of pro- and antinatalist policies and their effects in example countries.
  • Define key demographic terms and identify regions in which high and low extreme examples of each can be found.
  • Concerning natural hazards, do the following:
    • list various types of natural hazards and disasters
    • map the areas most affected by them
    • compare with the map of population distribution
    • hypothesize the degree of danger in various regions
    • discuss methods that are taken to adapt to these dangers
Video Case Study
  • The Power of Place, Program 18-1, Egypt: Gift of the Nile

Unit 3: Movement (Weeks 7 – 9)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 3: Migration
  • Kuby, Harner, and Gober, Chapter 4: Newton's First Law of Migration: The Gravity Model
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Distinguish between and give characteristics of the following types of human movement:
    • circulation and migration
    • forced and voluntary migration
    • push and pull factors
  • Discuss the contributions of Ravenstein to the study of human movement and migration.
  • Use the gravity model to predict migration and evaluate its efficiency and usefulness.
  • Map specific examples of historic and contemporary forced migrations, explaining push and pull factors associated with each.
  • Characterize a refugee and refugee populations.
  • Discuss the migration history of the United States through the following:
    • immigration history
    • immigration policy
    • historic and contemporary streams of migration
    • internal migration patterns
  • Explain how distance decay, intervening obstacles, and migration selectivity factors affect migration and circulation patterns.
  • Correlate migration patterns to the demographic transition model.
Video Case Study
  • The Power of Place, Program 21-1, Mexico: Motive to Migrate
  • The Power of Place, Program 20-1, Cote d'Ivoire: Cocoa and Change

Unit 4: Culture (Weeks 10 – 11)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 4: Folk and Popular Culture
  • Kuby, Harner, and Gober, Chapter 2: Layers of Tradition: Culture Regions at Different Scales
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Define culture and cultural geography.
  • Compare and contrast the following aspects of folk and popular culture:
    • origins
    • methods of diffusion
    • culture regions
  • Examine specific examples of folk culture and regions.
  • Examine examples of specific popular cultural traits and discuss their diffusion.
  • Discuss ways in which cultural traits are affected by and affect the natural environment.
  • Discuss the role of racism and ethnocentrism in the understanding of the cultural landscape.
Video Case Study
  • The Power of Place, Program 14-1, Indonesia: Tourist Invasion

Unit 5: Geography of Language (Weeks 12 - 13)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 5: Languages
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Discuss the importance and role of language as an element of culture.
  • Explain how languages are classified and related.
  • Map the distribution of major language families worldwide.
  • Show the division of Europe into the following language groups and give specific examples from major groups:
    • Germanic
    • Slavic
    • Romance
  • Describe the following characteristics of English:
    • origin and historical development
    • worldwide diffusion
    • spatial variation
    • role in cultural convergence
  • Explain the how, why, and where of language change.
  • Discuss the regional and local variety in language using the following terms:
    • slang
    • isogloss
    • accent
  • Explain how toponyms are derived and classified and give various examples.
Video Case Study
  • The Power of Place, Program 25-2, Montreal: An Island of French

Unit 6: Geography of Religion (Weeks 14 - 15)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 6: Religions
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Identify the following characteristics of all major religions:
    • point of origin
    • method of diffusion
    • current distribution
    • landscape expression
  • Map the religious regions of the United States.
  • Discuss the major branches, their origins, and their current distributions for the following religions:
    • Christianity
    • Islam
    • Buddhism
  • Distinguish between ethnic and universalizing religions:
    • holy sites
    • holy days
    • methods of diffusion
  • Describe ways in which the environment influences religion and ways in which religions affect the natural environment.
  • Discuss various specific religious conflicts around the world in terms of the following:
    • religion versus politics
    • religion versus religion—interfaith conflicts
Video Case Study
  • The Power of Place, Program 17-1, Jerusalem: Capital of Two States

Spring

Unit 7: Ethnicity, Gender, and Geography (Weeks 1 - 3)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 7: Ethnicities
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Describe the distribution of major ethnicities within the United States:
    • identify states/regions in which they are clustered
    • identify regions in which they are mostly absent
    • provide reasons for the present distribution
  • Examine case studies of ethnic conflicts from different regions.
  • Consider ways in which gender-related issues are expressed spatially, particularly in regards to:
    • economic roles and activity
    • health and reproduction
    • level of education
  • Discuss and illustrate with examples various nation-state configurations including:
    • nation-state
    • part-nation state
    • multinational state
    • stateless nation
Video Case Studies
  • The Power of Place, Program 24-1, Boston: Ethnic Mosaic
  • The Power of Place, Program 8-1, Dagestan: Caucasus Disconnect
  • The Power of Place, Program 19-1, South Africa: This Land is My Land

Unit 8: Political Geography (Weeks 4 - 6)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 8: Political Geography
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Explain the concept of state by:
    • identifying necessary qualifications and characteristics
    • listing examples of states in various regions
    • describing quasi-states
  • Describe the problems of multinational states and stateless nations.
  • List advantages and disadvantages of different types of boundaries and provide real-world examples of:
    • natural/physical boundaries
    • cultural boundaries
    • geometric boundaries
  • List advantages and disadvantages of different shapes of states and provide examples.
  • Discuss the concepts of imperialism and colonialism and illustrate some of their consequences on the contemporary political map.
  • Define irredentism and devolution and illustrate with examples.
  • Summarize the history of the United Nations and identify issues of current importance regarding it.
Video Case Studies
  • The Power of Place, Program 13-1, Laos: Isolated Heart
  • The Power of Place, Program 3-2, Slovakia: New Sovereignty

Unit 9: Economic Development (Weeks 7 - 9)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 9: Development
  • Kuby, Harner, and Gober, Chapter 7: From Rags to Riches: The Dimensions of Development
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Use examples of human welfare indicators to distinguish between relatively developed and less developed countries.
  • Use examples of economic indicators to classify countries as less developed or relatively developed.
  • Draw the Brandt line on a world or regional map.
  • Compare and contrast different theories and models of economic development and the relationship between less developed and relatively developed countries.
  • Provide examples of the different sectors of a country’s economy and explain the economic relationship between them.
Video Case Study
  • The Power of Place, Program 18-2, Oman: Looking Beyond Oil

Unit 10: Geography of Agriculture (Weeks 10 – 11)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 10: Food and Agriculture
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Explain how agriculture originated and identify its various hearths.
  • Describe the evolution of agricultural practices from their first use until today.
    • Neolithic Revolution
    • Second Agricultural Revolution
    • Green Revolution and biotechnology
  • Consider how each of the following correlates with specific agricultural regions:
    • climate
    • terrain
    • culture
    • situation with regard to world markets
  • Describe and apply the von Thünen model to both small-scale and large-scale situations.
  • Identify the predominant agricultural practices associated with various regions of the world.
  • Use agricultural practice to differentiate between less developed and relatively developed countries.
  • Compare and contrast different types of rural landscapes and settlements:
    • linear villages
    • cluster villages
    • dispersed settlements
Video Case Studies
  • The Power of Place, Program 12-1, Northern Japan: Protecting the Harvest
  • The Power of Place, Program 13-2, Vietnam: Fertile Dreams
  • The Power of Place, Program 16-2, Dikhatpura: Help through Irrigation
  • The Power of Place, Program 22-2, Chile: Pacific Rim Player

Unit 11: Geography of Industry (Weeks 12 - 13)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 11 : Industry and Manufacturing
  • Kuby, Harner, and Gober, Chapter 6: Help Wanted: The Changing Geography of Jobs
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Explain the Industrial Revolution by:
    • describing its origin
    • describing its diffusion and current pattern of industrial regions
  • Map regional manufacturing zones in each continent and identify the following for each:
    • origin and resources
    • current strengths and/or problems
  • Compare and contrast preindustrial, industrial, and postindustrial life and landscape.
  • Describe how site and situation factors influence the location of manufacturing and give examples.
  • Discuss the problems created by or associated with industrialization in:
    • developed countries
    • developing countries
  • Make graphic models that describe the inputs and connections of various industries.
Video Case Studies
  • The Power of Place, Program 8-2, Bratsk: The Legacy of Central Planning
  • The Power of Place, Program 26-2, U.S. Midwest: Spatial Innovations
  • The Power of Place, Program 9-1, Shanghai: Head of the Dragon

Unit 12: Urban Geography (Weeks 14 - 16)

Reading Assignments
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 12: Services and Settlements
  • Rubenstein, Chapter 13: Urban Patterns
Unit Objectives and Activities
  • Contrast European and North American cities:
    • central business districts
    • suburbs and suburban growth
  • Compare and contrast elements of the following urban models:
    • concentric zone
    • sector
    • multiple-nuclei
    • galactic city/edge cities
  • Describe the move of retail and industry to the suburbs.
  • Explain the growth of suburbs in terms of social, transportation, and economic changes.
  • Differentiate between three models of North American cities.
  • Compare and contrast spatial characteristics of cities in the following regions:
    • Latin America
    • Africa
    • Southeast Asia
  • List and evaluate the problems of the inner city.
  • Explain and illustrate important models dealing with the urban hierarchy for:
    • central-place theory
    • rank-size rule and primate cities
Video Case Studies
  • The Power of Place, Program 23-1, Sao Paulo: The Outer Ring
  • The Power of Place, Program 24-2, Chicago: Farming on the Edge
  • The Power of Place, Program 12-2, Tokyo: Anatomy of a Mega-City

Teaching Strategies

  • Each class period will open with a Map Openers Activity. This is a year-long process of learning over 300 states and territories in the world.
  • The remainder of class time will focus on the following:
    • discussion of key and concepts
    • examination of illustrative case studies - video, teacher presentation, or readings from online information
    • practice of key geographical skills - students examine a map(s) or graphed or textual information and respond to it using such concepts as scale, region, location and place, or association and interconnection.
    • practice of written expression via free-response questions

Student Evaluation

Student grades follow the school site mandated percentage categories.

  • 35% Practicing Standards - This includes homework and classwork.
  • 45% Mastering Standards - This includes all forms of assessment.
  • 20% Final - This is the cumulative final given at the end of each semester.