AP Human Geography

Mark Strickland
mark.stricklandjr@sweetwaterschools.org
Website:
Stricklandaphug.weebly.com
Office Hours: After school M-T 3-4pm, Lunch (M-F) and by Appointment
Course Description
AP Human geography examines why things are located where they are and the interaction
humans have on their environment. From these perspectives we will examine ethnic and
religious distribution, migration patterns, city development, industry and agriculture.

The AP exam will be on Tuesday, May 4, 2023

The exam will have two parts, each worth 50% of the final score;
➢ A 60 question multiple-choice test to be completed in 60 minutes
➢ An essay portion that will consist of 3 free response questions to be completed in 75
minutes.
O 1 with no stimulus, 1 with 1 stimulus, 1 with 2 stimuli
Course Objectives
● Introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped
human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surfaces.
● Study and use the methods of geographers including observation, mapmaking, data
gathering and reporting, and technical writing.
● Employ special concepts, geographic vocabulary, and landscape interpretation to a
variety of locations and situations around the globe and in local areas.
● Expand student’s perspectives to include geography and its effects on historical and
current events.
Text:
The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography (11th Edition)
Author: James M. Rubenstein
Course Planner
Unit Chapters in Book Time Frame

Geography: Its Nature and Perspective 1 4 Weeks

Population 2,3 4 Weeks

Cultural Patterns and Processes 4,5,6 4 Weeks

Political Organization of Space 7,8 4 Weeks

Agricultural and Rural Land Use 9,10 4 Weeks

Industrial and Economic Development 11,12 4 Weeks

Cities and Urban Land Use 13& throughout 3 Weeks

Grading Policy
 (Students and parents can check student’s grades and progress through their Jupitergrades
account)
Scholarship

A 100-90

B 89-80

C 79-70

D 69-50

F 50 and below

Assignments Points Available % of Grade

Tests 160 18%

FRQ and Peer Reviews 160 18%

Skills Tests 160 18%

Projects 150 15%

Maps and Vocabulary Quizzes 80 10%

Home Learning Packets 105 7%

Midterm/Final 140 14%

Late Work Policy:

Every day that work is late, starting from the day that students did not have it ready at the
beginning of class, I will take 5% off. This will happen until a student gets down to 75%.
Students may turn in any late work for up to a C credit at any time.

Retake Policy:
For Unit Tests, Skills Exams, and Map and Vocabulary Quizzes, students must complete an
error analysis. After students complete the error analysis they may retake the exam during lunch
or office hours. Students can still earn up to an A on this exam. For FRQs students simply need
to tell me that they have studied and would like a new question. I will give them a new question
from the same unit. They will not know what the question is beforehand. Students can earn up
to an A+ on this exam.

Extra Credit Policy:

There will be extra credit opportunities for every Unit. Each Unit will be align and weighted with
one of the assignment categories. The cutoff date for each unit will be the day of the Unit Exam.
After the exam, students will get a new series of Extra Credit opportunities.

Grading Policy
(Students and parents can check student’s attendance through their InfiniteCampus account)

Citizenship
A 100-90

B 89-80

C 79-70

D 69-60

F 59 and below

Assignments Total Points Available % of Grade

Attendance 100 33%

Behavior 120 34%

Preparation 100 33%

Tardy Policy
Students must be in the door in their assigned seat when the bell rings. If a student is late 3
days in a row or 6 times throughout the quarter, this will result in a maximum of a D in
Citizenship.

Absentee Policy
3 days or more, absent student needs a contract through the attendance office. Students are
responsible for all class work that they have missed. If a student is absent on the date
something is due, such as extra credit, projects, or home learning packets, they are considered
late. Due dates are simply the last day to turn it in, not the only. All work can be turned in before
the last day. Any test that was missed, students will take the following day or at lunch.

Rules and Expectations of the Classroom

1. Respect
2. Never talk when someone else is talking
3. You must participate
4. Always come to class prepared
5. Be in your seat when the bell rings
6. Always come willing to learn
Consequences
1. Verbal warning
2. Seat moved/ Detention
3. Phone call home
4. Referral

Skills to be taught throughout the course

● Use and think about maps and special date-use maps to pose and solve problems
● Understand and interpret the implications of associations among phenomena in places.
Compare and relate phenomena from place to place and how they work together to
create a cultural landscape.
● Recognize and interpret at different scales the relationships among patterns and
processes. How events and processes at different scales influence each other.
● Define regions and evaluate the regionalization process. Identify how the regional
process came about in specific regions
● Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places.Understand how
events and processes in one place can influence the other places.
● Integrate technology into all projects. Students will increase their proficiency in Microsoft
Office, Internet research, and web design.

General Day-to-Day Activities:

1. Activities: Practical applications of geography.

2. Quizzes: Map, Vocabulary, or Visual Interpretation
3. Skills Test: Students will analyze maps, graphs, photographs, and pictures. After
analyzing the figures, they will have to develop statements highlighting the association
between two sources.
4. Test: Test will be a three day process. Day one will be a 50 question multiple choice
exam to be completed in 40 minutes. Day two will be two free response questions to be
completed in 50 minutes. Day three, students will complete a peer review of a
classmate’s free response using a rubric provided. As a class, we will review the multiple
choice section of the test.
5. Projects: These projects are a collaborative effort where students must apply key
concepts of the class to create a presentable project.
6. There will be a packet assigned at the beginning of each unit to be completed
throughout the month as an ongoing home learning assignment. Parents or Guardians
are encouraged to help monitor the reading assignments to ensure that their student
does not fall far behind.

Materials List
*if student is unable to purchase these items please see instructor and the school will provide*

● 3 ringed binder with ● Pen/pencil (whiteout) ● Scissors

tabs to separate ● Highlighter ● Glue stick
course work ● Color Pencils ● Stapler
● 3 subject notebook
Accommodations for students with disabilities
If you have an IEP or a 504 plan and require accommodations/modifications, I encourage you to
discuss your accommodations and needs with me as early in the semester as possible. I will
work with you and the school support staff to ensure that accommodations/modifications are
provided as appropriate. If you have questions about what accommodations you are eligible to
receive, please talk to your case manager or school psychologist.

Support for students' learning and well-being

Well-being is paramount to student’s success and development. It is important for students to
be mindful about how they feel in order to help reduce stress and anxiety. Students need to
have a healthy balance between work and play in order to support their well-being. A healthy
diet, staying active, adequate sleep, and staying social are all ways to encourage a healthy
lifestyle. If at any point students feel too overwhelmed, there are outlets on campus to assist
students. These include our Counseling office, Nurse, Assistant Principals, Peer Mediators, Link
Crew Leaders, or any trusted adult on campus can help with sending students to the right
resource.

Advice to help students manage their learning

Time management is paramount to academic success in this class. Students should be
spending around 45 minutes a night on this course. This can be studying, working on
assignments, extra credit or error analysis. We have a calendar in the front of the class that has
everything we will be working on for up to a month in advance. Due dates are also on our
website’s calendar. In addition our website has study resources and tips under “Student
Resources”. Additionally, Students can receive tutoring during lunch or office hours after school
as well.