Lecture Notes: AP Human Geography Course and Exam Description

Overview

• Effective Date: Fall 2020
• Components Included:
  • Course framework
  • Instructional section
  • Sample exam questions

About College Board

• Mission: Connects students to college success and opportunity
• Founded: 1900 to expand access to higher education
• Members: Over 6,000 leading educational institutions
• Programs: SAT, Advanced Placement (AP)
• Advocacy: Research and advocacy for education community

Equity and Access Policy

• Encourages equitable access to AP by removing barriers for underrepresented groups
• Advocates for diversity in AP classes
• Emphasizes preparation before AP enrollment

AP Course Development

• Encourages alignment with college-level learning practices
• Courses and exams reflect challenging, research-based curricula
• Provides teachers with flexibility in curriculum design

Enrolling Students: Equity and Access

• All students should have access to challenging coursework
• Elimination of access barriers for underserved groups

AP Course Audit

• Schools must meet curricular and resource requirements to offer AP courses
• AP Course Audit ensures quality and alignment with college expectations

Course Framework

Introduction

• Focus: Introduces students to human geography's systematic study
• Themes: Economic, cultural, political, and urban geography
• Emphasizes spatial and problem-oriented approach
• Case studies cover globalization, colonialism, human-environment relationships

Course Skills

• Skill Categories:
  1. Concepts and Processes
  2. Spatial Relationships
  3. Data Analysis
  4. Source Analysis
  5. Scale Analysis

Big Ideas

• Patterns and Spatial Organization (PSO): Arranged by political, historical, cultural, economic factors
• Impacts and Interactions (IMP): Cause and effect relationships
• Spatial Process and Societal Change (SPS): Human organization and environmental impact

Course Content

• Organized into seven units covering key topics such as:
  • Thinking Geographically
  • Population and Migration
  • Cultural Patterns
  • Political Patterns
  • Agriculture and Rural Land Use
  • Urban Land Use
  • Industrial and Economic Development

Instructional Approaches

• Use diverse materials for comprehensive learning
• Develop skills through engaging activities
• Provide students with authentic geographic situations for analysis

Exam Information

• Structure:
  • Section I: Multiple Choice (60 questions, 50% of the exam)
  • Section II: Free Response (3 questions, 50% of the exam)
• Skills Assessed: Concepts and processes, spatial relationships, data analysis, visual analysis, scale analysis

Sample Questions and Scoring Guidelines

• Sample questions illustrate the type and format of exam questions
• Free-response questions assess application and analysis of geographic concepts

Notes Summary

This lecture provides an overview of the AP Human Geography course and exam description. Key features include the course's alignment with college-level expectations, emphasis on equitable access, and development of geographic skills. The course is organized into thematic units, and the exam assesses a range of skills through multiple-choice and free-response questions. Instructional strategies and diverse resources are recommended to support student success.