Advanced Placement Human Geography – Course Syllabus
St. James High School – 2011-2012
Mr. Brett D. Mahaffey
Room F245
School Phone: (843) 650-5600 ext. 2645
E-mail:
Planning Period – 1st Semester: 3rd block; 2nd Semester: 4th block
Course Overview
AP Human Geography, as described in the most recent edition of the course description provided by the College Board, is intended to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Throughout this endeavor, students will employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental impacts on a local, national, and worldwide scale. Students will also examine and find practical uses for the methods and tools employed by geographers.
This course is designed to cover each of the major content areas prescribed by the College Board. Though the content has been divided into units of study, emphasis will be placed on the interconnectedness of these topics and the spatial reasoning skills that students will need to comprehend them.
Throughout the year, students will be engaged in higher-level, critical thinking. For instance, they will frequently be asked to make intricate comparisons among the topics they encounter, analyze and comment on complex social issues, synthesize ideas, and evaluate the value and validity of the geographic sources they are presented. Students will practice developing and defending complex arguments and defending their positions, both orally and in writing. Assignments, tests, and class discussions will be geared toward these specific goals. Ultimately, these skills will be essential tools in the student's farther study of social studies at an Honors/AP/IB level.
With this said, it is essential that students approach this class in a manner that is befitting of an Advanced Placement curriculum. Mere rote memorization cannot and will not suffice. At a minimum, all students are encouraged to read over the assigned material before coming to class and be ready to discuss their thoughts on the subject at hand. Any student with a true interest in any of the topics discussed in class is always encouraged to discuss their interest with their teachers and parents.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course students will have developed skills that enable them to meet the following objectives:
· 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 processes.
· Define regions and evaluate the regional process.
· Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places.
Texts and Videos
The primary textbook for this class is:
· Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010.
Students will also have access to exercises and articles from several other texts, including:
· Kuby, Michael, John Harner, and Patricia Gober. Human Geography in Action. 5th ed. New York: John Wiley, 2009.
· Pearce, Margaret, W. Exploring Human Geography with Maps. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 2003.
· The Introductory Reader in Human Geography. Ed. William G. Moseley, David A. Lanegran, Kavita Pandit. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
· The Dictionary of Human Geography. Ed. R.J. Johnston, Derek Gregory, Geraldine Pratt, Michael Watts. 4th ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
· Activities and Readings in the Geography of the United States. Washington, D.C.: Association of American Geographers, 1995.
Video resources include:
· The Power of Place: Geography for the 21st Century. Streaming video. Annenberg Media, 2003.
· Human Geography: People, Places, and Change. Streaming video. Annenberg Media, 1996.
In addition to these, many class activities will require the use of primary and secondary sources, such as newspapers, journal articles, maps, and documentary films. For instance, the class will have access to a monthly subscription to National Geographic magazine. Throughout the year, students will also personally investigate and be presented with information from numerous web resources, all of which are linked to the classroom homepage that has been created by the instructor.
Required Materials
All students in Advanced Placement Human Geography should have the following materials by the end of the first week school:
· Three-ring binder with an ample amount of loose-leaf paper
· Pens (blue or black in only)
· Pencils
· Date book/calendar for recording assignments
Throughout the year, students may require the use of markers, crayons, colored pencils, poster boards, and various other items. Some of these will be provided by the teacher, though advanced notice will be given when the student will require his or her own materials. In addition to these, an up-to-date edition of Goode’s World Atlas and any of a number of AP Human Geography review guides will prove to be INVALUABLE purchases.
Course Planner
Attached to this syllabus, you will find a comprehensive course calendar. This calendar contains a basic overview of topics covered during each class session, as well as dates for homework assignments, projects, quizzes and tests. Students and parents are expected to keep their calendar throughout the year and refer to it daily. While it may be modified at the discretion of the teacher, unless otherwise specified, it will be held as the final word on assignments and due dates.
In that vein, this is a general overview of the path the course will follow through the seven units of study:
TOPIC / % AP Exam / Key Readings/Activities / DatesI. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives / 5-10% / Rubenstein 1; Kuby 1; Pearce 1 / 8/22-9/16
II. Population / 13-17% / Rubenstein 2,3; Kuby 4,5; Pearce 7 / 9/19-10/21
III. Cultural Patterns and Processes / 13-17% / Rubenstein 4,5,6,7; Kuby 2; Pearce 2,3,4,5 / 10/24-12/9
Midterm Exam / 1/13, 1/14
IV. Political Organization of Space / 13-17% / Rubenstein 8; Kuby: 12, 13; Pearce 6 / 12/12-2/3
V. Agriculture and Rural Land Use / 13-17% / Rubenstein 10,14; Kuby 8; Pearce 8 / 2/6-3/2
VI. Industrialization and Economic Development / 13-17% / Rubenstein 9, 11, 14; Kuby 6,7; Pearce 9,12 / 3/5-3/30
VII. Cities and Urban Land Use / 13-17% / Rubenstein 12,13; Kuby 9,10,11; Pearce 11,12 / 4/2-5/4
Exam Review / 5/7-5/17
AP Human Geography Exam / 5/18
Teaching Strategies
This class has been designed to incorporate a number of pedagogical strategies, including lectures, class discussions and debates, instructional videos, computer lab and real-life activities, and field studies. The standard evaluations for each unit include homework assignments, reading quizzes, computer lab activities, map-of-the-week presentations, weekly current events quizzes, unit review note cards, and a two-part unit test. Students will also be presented with several other, unit-specific projects over the course of the year.
Throughout the year, special emphasis will be placed on critical reading within the content area and development of writing skills appropriate for an Advanced Placement-level class. In part, this will be accomplished by providing students with access to a number of pertinent journal articles, primary sources, and textbook selections. Also, students will be asked to complete a significant number of writing assignments, including analytical essays and free-response questions designed to prepare students for that portion of the Advanced Placement exam. In that vein, each unit test will also contain an AP exam-like multiple choice section. These will be designed and scored in a manner similar to College Board’s assessment.
Work Policy
This class will operate on a standards-based grading model. Any major assignments and/or assessments (e.g. tests, projects, and essays) that are not completed at a level which demonstrates mastery of content standards will be returned, and students will be required to redo their work until they have achieved a score of at least 77%. Daily activities and homework assignments will only be accepted late with penalty; specifically, the highest possible score for an assignment that is turned in late will be a 77%. Specific details of the re-do/revision policy will be discussed with students prior to each major assessment.
Major tests are assigned at the completion of each unit of study. These are also scheduled in advance, and students are responsible for taking the test on the designated day. Students absent on the day of the test due to an unexcused absence must make arrangements to complete the assessment on the day they return to class. Pursuant to school policy, students who are absent on the day of a major assessment due to an unexcused absence must complete the assignment within five (5) days of their return to school, or it will be recorded as a zero grade. Students who miss a test, quiz, or other class work due to a lawful absence will need to make up the work after school or at a time agreed upon with the teacher within five days of returning to school. If at all possible, a test missed due to a prearranged absence should be completed before the absence occurs.
Students are strongly encouraged to record all assignments, dates, and grades. Absent students are expected to contact the teacher or a classmate to collect the assignments they miss. Ultimately, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all work, especially assignments missed due to an absence, is completed in a timely manner.
Grading Policy
Letter grades will be assigned based on the point values found in the state’s uniform grading scale. Term grades will be determined using a weighted-type system, in which overall performance on different types of assignments is weighted to calculate the final score. Assignment types and their weights are as follows:
· Tests – 40%
· Major Projects / Essays / Presentations – 30%
· Quizzes (Reading-checks, Current Events, etc.) – 10%
· Homework – 10%
· Daily Grades (Shark baits, In-class assignments, etc.) – 10%
At the conclusion of each semester, students will take a cumulative exam, which will determine 20% of the student’s overall grade for the term. Each nine week grading period will also constitute 40% of the class grade during each semester.
Students are reminded that this is an Advanced Placement course. Based on the state’s uniform grading scale, it carries weighted G.P.A. points. It is the personal and professional philosophy of the instructor that the distribution of these extra points ought to be commensurate with an appropriate level of course work. In short, students who expect top marks in this course should be willing to put forth an appropriately correlated standard of work.
Finally, it is worth noting that students will have ample opportunities to amass points during the course of the year. Those students who choose not to put for the effort to earn these initial points should certainly not approach the teacher about the possibility of extra credit. Indeed, barring extenuating circumstances (e.g. health issues, bereavement, alien abductions, etc.) no extra credit opportunities will be offered.
The Advanced Placement Human Geography Exam
Students will sit for the AP Human Geography exam on Friday, May 13. This exam is written by the College Board, and it is used to determine whether or not students have acquired knowledge comparable to that which they would have received in an actual college setting. A passing score on this exam (i.e. 3, 4, or 5), should ensure that a student will earn exemption credit (usually for an introductory Geography course) from the college or university in which they eventually enroll.
Students and parents will learn more about the specifics of this exam as the year progresses. Indeed, nearly every in-class activity and test will be geared toward preparing students for it. In addition to this, afternoon and weekend workshops and review sessions will be scheduled throughout the course of the year to help students prepare for this exam. While performance on this assessment will ultimately not affect the grade that a student earns in this course, it is an opportunity that should not be easily dismissed!
Classroom Procedures
While it is impossible to list all of the various classroom procedures that the teacher and his students will experience throughout the course of the year, it is important to examine some of the more prominent ones. Procedures are not the same as classroom rules, and they should not be considered as such. Rather, these are ways of behaving that will better facilitate the teaching and learning process. Here are some of the more important classroom procedures students will encounter:
· Beginning of class – The class will begin promptly when the tardy bell rings. At this point students should be in their seats, working on the daily warm-up (Shark-Bait) that has been posted on the board. Please leave all personal belonging not necessary for class (e.g. purses, backpacks, etc.) at the back of the classroom upon entering. Students not in their seats at the bell will be considered tardy.
· Turning in assignments – When homework as been assigned, students will turn it in as they arrive in the classroom. A folder for each class has been designated at a location on the table near the door. Students are to put their work in this location every time they turn in an assignment. Any papers not in the appropriate folder at the tardy bell will be considered late and, therefore, will not be accepted for full credit.
· When the teacher needs your attention – In the event that students are working, either individually or in groups, or have become too loud, and the teacher needs to obtain students’ attention, he will stand at the front of the room and raise his hand. At this point all attention should be given to the teacher.
· To be recognized during class – Although most students have been told this since the beginning of their academic careers, in many cases it still has not taken hold. To be recognized during class, regardless of your intention to speak, ask for help, or be dismissed from class, raise your hand and wait to be called on.
· Bathroom/water breaks – Barring a personal and/or medical emergency, the teacher asks that students not visit the restroom during the first 15 minutes of class or last 15 minutes of class. Afterwards, students who wish to use the restroom or water fountain must follow the hall-pass procedure established by the school.