Adopted Country Portfolio Project

AP Human Geography

(a self-directed, self-initiated independent study project)

AP NATIONAL STANDARDS ADDRESSED: This portfolio project addresses all units of study and course objectives as outlined in the course description and correlation guide. It is designed as a vehicle for students to demonstrate mastery of the curriculum standards. It is also designed to be an invaluable review tool for the national AP exam.

Description: Each student will choose an LDC (less developed country with an HDI less than 0.7) to evaluate over the semester. The evaluation will correlate to unit content and must include relevant data support.

ü  Contained in folder with brads (preferable) or a three ring binder. NO plastic page covers.

ü  Remember that completion of this project is one of the requirements for this course. It is expected that students will work on this project unit by unit. Students will be self-monitoring as well as monitoring each other.

ü  There will be very little class time given to work on this project so students should be keeping up with it outside of class. Throughout the semester, students will be given suggested resources to help complete each unit of the project. Resources will be posted on teacher blogs (useful websites, etc.)

ü  Please note that completion of minimum requirements does not mean you will automatically earn an A. Quality of content and high levels of critical thinking must be present throughout the project to receive an A. If there is a list of topics after a heading, cover all the topics in the list! Explain the topic before applying to your country!

General Requirements:

q  Completion of all unit content (see “more guidelines” hand out)

q  Content of units applied to adopted country and fully explained

q  Data support included such as visuals, models, statistics, maps, articles

q  Organized, neat, visually pleasing, typed, contained in a binder, colorful

q  Student choice media presentation

q  Portfolio must be typed and contained in a three ring binder, nothing handwritten will be graded.

ALL portfolios MUST be finished and turned in on the due date

Due date for completed project: Wednesday, May 10th

My country is:______HDI:______






Guidelines for Adopted Country Project: Explanation of each topic is expected before showing the application of that topic to your country. Every topic must be addressed on these guidelines to obtain an average score. Minimum Requirements unit by unit…these are “guidelines.” Explanations, applications, and visuals need to go above minimum requirements to obtain an above average score. Pay close attention to topics that require data or statistics, visuals or photos. CHECK OFF THE BOXES AS YOU COMPLETE THE TASKS

Unit 1 – Country profile

q  Maps – minimum of three – political, physical, regional (colored), include at least 2 different scales

q  Select 15 demographic statistics that you think are important/interesting and list them– below the list make 3 inferences about what these statistics tell you about your country

q  Paragraph of how globalization has specifically affected your country, must include 1 example of a transnational corporation, 1 example of a specific organization that offers foreign aid, and 1 example of how globalization has negatively impacted your country/local diversity

Unit 2 – Population/Migration

q  Population pyramids – three (2000, current, future), inferences explained from each pyramid, explanation of issues related to population statistics (disease/epidemics, war, natural disasters, resource issues, etc.)

q  Demographic transition – explanation of model and application to country, include data/statistics to prove your country’s stage – at least 1 visual

q  Malthus Theory – explained and applied to your country, give examples and statistics (cannot write “does not apply”), 1 visual

q  Migration patterns, net in/out migration rates, examples of forced migration, voluntary migration, push factors, pull factors, refugee situations (where are they going or coming from?), immigration issues (address all topics!)– at least 2 visuals

q  Ravenstein’s Laws- explained and applied to migration patterns within/without of your country

Unit 3 - Culture

q  Folk culture, explain characteristics: examples must include all of the following: typical housing, food, clothing, music, leisure activities) –must have 4 visuals and explanations

q  Religion – explain origin of dominant religion and specify if it is universalizing or ethnic and why, explain at least 2 specific practices, diagram or chart to illustrate percentages of those practicing AND at least 1 photo

q  Language – show family, branch, and group of dominant language(s) (see language tree in textbook), major dialects, lingua franca, pidgin, chart or pie graph of percentages of speakers – minimum of 3 translations of English words

q  Education—explain literacy rates, gender issues, costs/budget, accessibility, other issues in education – at least 1 visual

q  Ethnicity – major groups(with description of ethnicity’s characteristics) explain any ethnic conflict, pie chart or other visual showing percentages of ethnic groups and at least 1 photo

Unit 4 - Political Organization of Space

q  State? Nation? Nation-state? Explanation of which one your country is & why – 1 visual

q  Type of government – brief explanation of government system, leaders, voting, citizenship, 1 photo

q  Colonial history? Colonized by whom and the effect of colonization on development

q  Shape – all shape types explained, boundaries of country explained, 1 visual

q  Membership in Supranational Organizations- Have an example of a social, economic, & political org. with an explanation of the goals of that organization

q  Explanation of political conflicts/military influence/wars -- at least 1 visual

Unit 5 – Agriculture

q  Explanation of land use patterns, including impact of climate and vegetation, use specific vocab we have discussed in class/textbook! – at least 1 visual

q  Explain subsistence or commercial farming activities, cash crops, major exports –2 photos

q  Von Thunen Model – 1 visual, explained and applied to farming in your country (can’t say, “it doesn’t apply”)

q  Issues associated with agriculture (problems of drought, underproduction, soil fertility issues, failed practices, necessary alterations of the environment to solve issue)

Unit 6 - Industry/Development

q  Human development (HDI) – discussion of indicators, must have data and statistics (chart/graph)

q  Gender development (GDI), discussion of indicators, must have data and statistics (chart/graph)

q  Explain self-sufficiency model AND international trade approach – which one is used and why?

q  Rostow’s Model of development – explain model and what stage your country is in and why?

q  Core Periphery Model – explain model and where your country fits in, at least 1 visual

q  Site – explain land, labor, capital—presence of transnational corporations and foreign investment, include 1 photo

q  Situation – explain accessibility to markets, transportation, include 1 visual

q  Problems with industry and providing services, what holds the country back?

q  Central Place Theory applied to the major urban area in your country, 1 visual

q  Environmental Issues – explain issue, 1 photo

Unit 7 – Urban Patterns/Services

q  World city models – choose the model that best explains your country’s major city, show model, show at least 1 “bird’s eye” photo or map of city to prove model theory

q  Describe CBD (central business district), where is it? What services does it offer? Issues? – 1 photo

q  Explain primate city and rank-size rule, explain which applies to your country and prove it with statistics

q  Services offered (be specific) – Private and public examples, BUSINESSES MUST BE REAL, ACTUAL EXAMPLES

q  Problems/conflicts facing the urban areas of your country, infrastructure, slums, lack of services, crime – 1 photo

Unit 8 - Current events (1 print news article)

q  Short summary of article

q  Hard copy of article including date, source

q  Important information of article must be highlighted

q  Relate article to a specific unit of study and how it relates to that unit. Be insightful! Make class connection, what unit? Vocab?

Unit 9 – Application: Issue and Possible Solution

q  You must identify what you consider to be your country’s most pressing problem. What is holding your country back from raising its development rating? Use specific data to back up your choice. Then propose a course of action that the government could implement in order to solve the problem and put your country on the road to raising their HDI. – 1 photo

EXPLAIN WHAT EACH TOPIC IS BEFORE YOU APPLY IT TO YOUR COUNTRY!!!!!!! EXPLAIN EVERYTHING AS IF THE READER KNOWS NONE OF THESE CONCEPTS!!!