Mark Keppel High School

COURSE DESCRIPTION

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AP Human Geography [9th Grade: 2013  2014] An introductory college course in human geography is generally one semester in length, with some variation among colleges. An AP Human Geography course need not follow any specific college course curriculum but is taught as a yearlong course in most high schools. The aim of the AP course is to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college-level introductory human geography courses. The purpose of the AP Human Geography course is to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students learn to employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human socioeconomic organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications.

REQUIRED TEXTS

Rubenstein, J. (2011). The cultural landscape: An introduction to human geography. Boston, MA: Pearson Prentice Hall.

INSTRUCTOR

Mr. Tran, M.A. (Ed.) Single Subject Social Studies Credential, with CLAD

BIOGRAPHY

Mr. Tran has been a history teacher in AUSD for the past 19 years. Aside from being a full-time teacher, Mr. Tran is also a professor for the University of Phoenix. He received his MA: Education - New Media Design and Production from Cal State Los Angeles. He completed his undergraduate work at UCLA in history. Mr. Tran was also served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy.

CONTACT

Work (626) 943-6710; email [[email protected]]

AVAILABILITY

Call from 0730  1445

LOCATION

Room # B226, Mark Keppel High School

SCHEDULE

0740  1445 [Monday – Friday]

CALENDAR

August 15, 2013  May 30, 2014

ASSIGNMENTS

The lessons & assignments for each day / week are posted on the Plan of the Day / Week at https://mkhs-tttran.wikispaces.com/. It is the student’s responsibility to record the information into their Student Handbook.

GOAL

The particular topics studied in an AP Human Geography course should be judged in light of the following five college-level goals that build on the National Geography Standards developed in 1994 and revised in 2012. On successful completion of the course, students should have developed skills that enable them to: AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School

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• Interpret maps and analyze geospatial data. Geography is concerned with the ways in which patterns on Earth’s surface reflect and influence physical and human processes. As such, maps and geographic information systems (GIS) are fundamental to the discipline, and learning to use and think about them is critical to geographical literacy. The goal is achieved when students learn to use maps and geospatial data to pose and solve problems, and when they learn to think critically about what is revealed and what is hidden in different maps and GIS applications. • Understand and explain the implications of associations and networks among phenomena in places. Geography looks at the world from a spatial perspective, seeking to understand the changing spatial organization and material character of Earth’s surface. One of the critical advantages of a spatial perspective is the attention it focuses on how phenomena are related to one another in particular places. Students should thus learn not just to recognize and interpret patterns but to assess the nature and significance of the relationships among phenomena that occur in the same place, and to understand how cultural values, political regulations, and economic constraints work together to create particular landscapes. • Recognize and interpret the relationships among patterns and processes at different scales of analysis. Geographical analysis requires a sensitivity to scale, not just as a spatial category but as a framework for understanding how events and processes at different scales influence one another. Thus students should understand that the phenomena they are studying at one scale (e.g., local) may well be influenced by processes and developments at other scales (e.g., global, regional, national, state or provincial). They should then look at processes operating at multiple scales when seeking explanations of geographic patterns and arrangements. • Define regions and evaluate the regionalization process. Geography is concerned not simply with describing patterns but with analyzing how they came about and what they mean. Students should see regions as objects of analysis and exploration and move beyond simply locating and describing regions to considering how and why they come into being and what they reveal about the changing character of the world in which we live. • Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places. At the heart of a geographical perspective is a concern with the ways in which events and processes operating in one place can influence those operating at other places. Thus students should view places and patterns not in isolation but in terms of their spatial and functional relationship with other places and patterns. Moreover they should strive to be aware that those relationships are constantly changing, and they should understand how and why change occurs. WEIGHING OF ASSIGNMENTS

All assignments for this class will be given a point value based on the following scale. There are also history reports, projects, presentations and special assignments that shall be assigned throughout the course of the academic year. ASSIGNMENTS Due / Administered Points AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School  Lesson Homework [from textbook]  Portfolio Checks**  Chapter Quizzes  Chapter Tests  Current Events Notebook Checks  Documentary Lesson Notebook Checks  Movie Lesson Notebook Checks  Special Assignments

3 Next day TBA TBA End of Chapter 1st day of each school week End of Instructional event End of Instructional event At instructor’s discretion

5 25 50 100 10 25 25 **

End of Quarter May 2014 December 2013 & May 2014

100 *** 200

   

GRADING CRITERIA

Effort Grade AP Exam Final Exams

Grade A A-

B+ B BC+ C C-

D+ D DF

Description

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Excellent performance. Far exceeded the standard for all required work. All assignments are complete and submitted on time. Work quality is exemplary and follows all requirements and directions as given by the instructor. The student is able to evaluate the results or expected outcomes. Written work contains no grammar issues, and the correct format and style is accurately presented. Above average performance. Exceeded the standard for all required work. The student submits assignments that demonstrate understanding of the application of the concepts presented. Work exceeds the minimum expectations for the assignments as discussed in the curriculum. Written work is well organized and contains few grammatical and style errors. Average performance. Met the standard for all required work. Accomplishes only the minimum requirements as outlined in the curriculum. Oral and written communication is at an acceptable level for the student’s current position in the program. Assignments demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of the concepts. The student may not consistently demonstrate application of the concepts. Below average but passing. Did not meet the standard for all required work. The student demonstrates minimal competencies. Student’s work may demonstrate knowledge but lacks application and/or synthesis. Assignments may be incomplete or missing.

93 - 100

Failing. Student did not meet the standard for required work. Student did not meet the minimum standards for 8th grade Social Studies.

AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

90 - 92

87 - 89 83 - 86 80 - 82 77 - 79 73 - 76 70 - 72

67 - 69 63 - 66 60 - 62 0 - 59

Mark Keppel High School 4 The score-setting process is both precise and labor intensive, involving numerous AP EXAM psychometric analyses of the results of a specific AP Exam in a specific year and of the particular group of students who took that exam. Additionally, to ensure alignment with college-level standards, part of the score-setting process involves comparing the performance of AP students with the performance of students enrolled in comparable courses in colleges throughout the United States. In general, the AP composite score points are set so that the lowest raw score needed to earn an AP Exam score of 5 is equivalent to the average score among college students earning grades of A in the college course. Similarly, AP Exam scores of 4 are equivalent to college grades of A–, B+, and B. AP Exam scores of 3 are equivalent to college grades of B–, C+, and C. AP Score Qualification 5 Extremely well qualified 4 Well qualified 3 Qualified 2 Possibly qualified 1 No recommendation ATTENDANCE

Attendance is mandatory at all class sessions. If you miss a class, you must get the assignment from https://mkhs-tttran.wikispaces.com/. You must also submit the homework due upon return to class. PLEASE NOTE: Excessive absences will affect your grade negatively. MKHS’s Teaching/Learning Model is based on the assumption that in preparation for every course, students will satisfy all prerequisites. During the course itself, students will achieve certain learning outcomes. All performance assessment will depend upon the accomplishment of these outcomes. Students are graded on achievement rather than effort. It is the responsibility of the student to be prepared for each class.

COURSE STANDARDS

MKHS trusts each student to maintain high standards of honesty, ethical behavior, and academic integrity. It is assumed that students will perform to the best of their ability in preparing work required for this class. All assignments submitted in fulfillment of course requirements must be the student’s own work. All assignments, except those designated as “learning team,” are meant to represent the effort of each individual student. Learning Team projects and assignments should represent equal efforts by all team members.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Academic honesty is highly valued at the MKHS. You must always submit work that represents your original words or ideas. If any words or ideas used in a class posting or assignment submission do not represent your original words or ideas, you must cite all relevant sources and make clear the extent to which such sources were used. Words or ideas that require citation include, but are not limited to, all hard copy or electronic publications, whether copyrighted or not, and all verbal or visual communication when the content of such communication clearly originates from an identifiable source. Academic dishonesty could involve: Having a tutor or friend complete a portion of your assignments Having a reviewer make extensive revisions to an assignment Copying work submitted by another student AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School Using information from online information services without proper citation

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It is plagiarism to go to the Internet, find an article, copy it to the clipboard and then drop it into your word processor. Listing the article as a reference on the last page will not cover you. This is plagiarism. Note the following: 1. Anytime that you use the words or ideas of another person without giving credit, it is considered plagiarism, WHETHER YOUR ACTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL OR NOT! 2. Differences between direct and indirect quotes: A. Direct Quotes: Includes the exact wording from the source. B. Indirect Quotes: Summarizes or paraphrases the content from the source. 3. In-text requirements: A. Direct Quote: Author’s last name, publication date, and page number. B. Indirect Quote: Author’s last name, publication date. 4. Punctuation requirements: ALL word-for-word quotations MUST be placed in quotation marks. 5. When in doubt, CITE Any student misconduct that is determined to be in violation of MKHS School’s Student Code of Conduct may, if academic dishonesty is determined, result in a variety of consequences ranging from no credit being awarded for the assignment, to additional points deducted from your overall total, or to failing the entire class with appropriate documentation made in your permanent student file. ASSIGNMENT FORMAT

All written work needs to be formatted according to the instructor’s guidelines / requirements. Please refer to the Sample Homework Guide and Project Sheet handouts to clarify the procedures. Twenty percent of the grade will be based on style and format, including such items as clarity of communication, sentence and paragraph construction, spelling, and grammar. You should use a dictionary and/or spell and grammar checker on all papers; however so not rely solely on these programs for accuracy. Be sure to proofread all papers before you submit them. Quality is key. Your formal work, such as written papers, should be a professional product. Papers containing over two typos or spelling errors will receive a deduction in points. PLEASE NOTE: Submit only your best work. If you have questions, please clarify with the instructor prior to submission. Assignments may not be re-done for a better grade. Follow the Plan of the Week / Project Sheets for deadlines for all assignments.

LATE ASSIGNMENTS

NO LATE HOMEWORK WILL BE ACCEPTED! A 20% penalty will be assessed to reports and projects that are late. After one week, no report or project shall be accepted. All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Please talk to the instructor about any unusual circumstances that may affect the timely submission of your assignment.

PARTICIPATION Participation is graded on individual and Learning Team contributions to class discussions and participation in the Learning Team itself. For this reason, the development of oral skills is given a high priority in this course. The classroom should be considered a laboratory in which students can test their leadership ability as well as mastering course AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School materials.

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Example of things that cause one not to earn the full amount of participation points: Not paying attention to the instructor’s directions [oral or written] Not reading assigned material [not doing assigned individual work] Being disruptive [talking when not appropriate] Arriving late, excessive absences Not following MKHS School Rules [example: failure to follow District Dress Code] RECORD KEEPING

It is the student’s responsibility to accurately record & check all graded assignments.

MATERIAL MAINTENANCE

Any district issued instructional materials [books, forms, desks, chairs, computers, etc.] that are used by the student must be well cared for. It is the student’s responsibility to cover their books properly at all times. Failure to do so will constitute a loss of points [& loss of textbook usage] to the overall grade average and monetary fines at the end of the school year. A student who loses his/her textbook will not be issued a new one until the student’s parents have paid for the lost book.

COURSE TOPICS

I. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives The AP Human Geography course emphasizes the importance of geography as a field of inquiry. The course introduces students to the importance of spatial organization — the location of places, people, and events; environmental relationships; and interconnections between places and across landscapes — in the understanding of human life on Earth. Geographic concepts emphasized throughout the course are location, space, place, scale, pattern, regionalization, and globalization. These concepts are basic to students’ understanding of spatial interaction and spatial behavior, the dynamics of human population growth and movement, patterns of culture, economic activities, political organization of space, social issues, and human settlement patterns, particularly urbanization. Students learn how to use and interpret maps. They also learn to apply mathematical formulas, interpret models, and analyze quantitative and qualitative geographic data. The course teaches the concepts of space, place, and region; enables students to consider the regional organization of various phenomena; and encourages geographical imagination in order to understand processes in a changing world. For example, geographical perspectives on nature and society examine human alterations to the global and local environment, including impacts on land, water, and atmosphere, as well as effects on population, biodiversity, and climate. A significant outcome of the course is students’ awareness of geographic methods and the relevance of geospatial technologies to everyday life, planning and public policy, professional decision making, and problem solving at scales from local to global. This combination of the conceptual and the applied helps give students a sophisticated view of the world and an appreciation of the practical applications they have learned in the course.

AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School II. Population and Migration

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An understanding of the ways in which the human population is organized geographically provides AP students with the tools they need to make sense of cultural, political, economic, and urban systems. Thus many of the concepts and theories encountered in this part of the course connect with other course units. In addition the course themes of scale, pattern, place, and interdependence can all be illustrated with population topics. For example, students may analyze the distribution of the human population at different scales: global, regional, national, state or provincial, and local. Explanations of why population is growing or declining in some places center on understanding the patterns and trends of fertility, mortality, and migration. In stressing the relevance of place context, for example, students may assess why fertility rates have dropped in some parts of the developing world, examine how age–sex structures (shown in population pyramids) vary from one country to another, and comprehend the social, political, and economic implications of an aging population. Analysis of refugee flows, immigration, internal migration, and residential mobility helps students appreciate the interconnections between population phenomena and other topics. For example, environmental degradation and natural hazards may prompt population redistribution at various scales, which in turn creates new pressures on the environment. This part of the course also enhances students’ critical understanding of population trends across space and over time by considering models of population growth and decline, including Malthusian theory, the demographic transition, and the epidemiological (mortality) transition model. For example, as a country develops, the economic, social, and political roles of women in society change and influence levels of fertility, mortality rates, and migration trends. Given these kinds of understandings, students are in a position to evaluate the role, strengths, and weaknesses of major population policies, which attempt to either promote or restrict population growth. III. Cultural Patterns and Processes Understanding the components and regional variations of cultural patterns and processes is critical to human geography. In this section of the course, students begin with the concepts of culture and culture traits. They learn how geographers assess the spatial and place dimensions of cultural groups as defined by language, religion, ethnicity, and gender, in the present as well as the past. A central concern is to comprehend how cultural patterns are represented at a variety of geographic scales from local to global. Diffusion is a key concept in understanding how culture traits (e.g., agricultural practices, language, technology) move through time and space to new locations, where interactions between global and local forces result in new forms of cultural expression. Students learn that the concept of region is central to understanding the spatial distribution of cultural attributes. The course explores cultural interaction at various scales, along with the conflicts that may result. The geographies of language, religion, ethnicity, and gender are studied to illustrate patterns and processes of cultural differences. Students learn to distinguish between languages and dialects, ethnic and universalizing religions, ethnic political movements, and popular and folk cultures, and to understand why each has a AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School 8 different geographic pattern. Another important emphasis of the course is the way culture shapes relationships between humans and the environment. Students learn how culture is expressed in landscapes, and how land use in turn represents cultural identity. Built environments enable the geographer to interpret cultural values, tastes, symbolism, and sets of beliefs. For example, both folk and contemporary architecture are rich and readily available means of comprehending the cultural landscape and how different cultures view it in separate ways. IV. Political Organization of Space This section of the course introduces students to the nature and significance of the political organization of territory at different scales. Students learn that political patterns reflect ideas of territoriality — how Earth’s surface should be organized — which in turn affect a wide range of exercises of power over space and boundaries. Two major themes are the political geography of the modern state and relationships between countries. Students are introduced to the different forces that shaped the evolution of the contemporary world political map. These forces include the rise of nation-states in Europe, the influence of colonialism, the rise of supranational organizations, and devolution of states. Students learn about the basic structure of the political map, the inconsistencies between maps of political boundaries and maps of ethnic, economic, and environmental patterns. In addition students consider some of the forces that are changing the role of individual countries in the modern world, including ethnic separatism, terrorism, economic globalization, and social and environmental problems that cross national boundaries, such as climate change. This part of the course also focuses on subnational and supranational political units. For example, at the scale above the state, attention is directed to regional alliances, such as NATO, the European Union, ASEAN, and NAFTA. At the scale below the state, students are introduced to the ways in which electoral districts, municipalities, indigenous areas, and autonomous lands affect political, social, and economic processes. V. Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use This section of the course explores four themes: the origin and diffusion of agriculture; the characteristics and processes of the world’s agricultural production systems and land use; the impact of agricultural change on quality of life and the environment; and issues in contemporary agriculture. Students examine centers where domestication originated and study the processes by which domesticated crops and animals spread. This diffusion process makes clear why distinct regional patterns emerge in terms of diet, energy use, and the adaptation of biotechnology. The course also covers the major agricultural production regions of the world. Extensive activity (fishing, forestry, nomadic herding, ranching, shifting cultivation) and intensive activity (plantation agriculture, mixed crop/livestock systems, market gardening, horticulture, large-scale commercial agriculture) are examined, as are settlement patterns and landscapes typical of each major agriculture type. Students learn about land survey systems, environmental conditions, sustainability, global food supply problems, and the cultural values that shape agricultural patterns. In addition this section presents the roles of women in agricultural production, particularly in subsistence farming and market economies in the developing world. Explanations for patterns of rural land use and associated settlements (e.g., von AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School 9 Thünen’s land use model) are major concerns. Also important are the impacts of large-scale agribusiness on food production and consumption. The effects of economic and cultural globalization on agriculture and the need to increase food supplies and production capacity conclude this section. VI. Industrialization and Economic Development This section of the course presents the geographic elements of industrialization and economic development, including past and present patterns of industrialization, types of economic sectors, and how places acquire comparative advantage and complementarity. Students also learn how models of economic development, such as Rostow’s stages of economic growth and Wallerstein’s World Systems Theory, and programs like the Millennium Development Goals help to understand why the world is divided into a more-developed economic core and a less-developed periphery. Measures of development (e.g., gross domestic product [GDP] per capita, the Human Development Index [HDI], the Gender Inequality Index [GII], and the Gini coefficient) are tools to understand patterns of economic differences. The analysis of contemporary patterns of industrialization and their impact on development is the third major theme of this section. Topics to be studied include Weber’s industrial location theory and accounts of economic globalization, which accent time–space compression and the international division of labor. As an example, students study the reasons why some Asian economies achieved rapid rates of growth in the mid- to late 20th century, whereas most sub-Saharan African economies did not. In addition, students need to understand patterns of economic growth and deindustrialization in a region such as in North America, where the emergence of service sectors, high technology, and growth poles (e.g., Silicon Valley, the Research Triangle, universities, and medical centers) is transforming the contemporary economic landscape. Countries, regions, and communities must confront new patterns of economic inequity that are linked to geographies of interdependence in the world economy, including global financial crises, the shift in manufacturing to newly industrialized countries (NICs), imbalances in consumption patterns, and the roles of women in the labor force. Communities also face difficult questions regarding raw material, energy use, the conservation of resources, and the impact of pollution on the environment and quality of life. VII. Cities and Urban Land Use The course divides urban geography into two subfields. The first is the study of systems of cities, focusing on where cities are located and why they are there. This involves an examination of such topics as the current and historical distribution of cities; the political, economic, and cultural functions of cities; reasons for differential growth among cities; and types of transportation and communication linkages among cities. Theories of settlement geography, such as Christaller’s central place theory, the rank-size rule, and the gravity model, are introduced. Quantitative information on such topics as population growth, migration, zones of influence, and employment is used to analyze changes in the urban hierarchy. The second subfield focuses on the form, internal structure, and landscapes of cities and emphasizes what cities are like as places in which to live and work. Students are introduced to such topics as the analysis of patterns of urban land use, ethnic segregation, types of intra-city transportation, architectural traditions (e.g., AP Human Geography / Professor Tran

Mark Keppel High School 10 neoclassical, modern, postmodern), cycles of uneven development, and environmental justice (e.g., the disproportionate location of polluting industries in low-income or minority residential areas). Students’ understanding of cities as places is enhanced by both quantitative data from the census and qualitative information from narrative accounts and field studies. Students also study models of internal city structure and development in the United States and Canada (e.g., the Burgess concentric zone model, the Hoyt sector model, the Harris–Ullman multiple nuclei model, and the galactic city model) and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these theories. Topics such as economic systems, housing finance, culture, architectural history, and innovations in transportation can be useful in the analysis of spatial patterns of urban landscapes. Although much of the literature in urban geography focuses on the cities of North America, comparative urbanization is an increasingly important topic. The study of European, North African and Middle Eastern, East and South Asian, Latin American, and sub-Saharan African cities serves to illustrate how differing economic systems and cultural values can lead to variations in the spatial structures and urban landscapes. Students also examine current trends in urban development that are affecting urban places, such as the emergence of edge cities, new urbanism, smart growth, and the gentrification of neighborhoods. In addition, students evaluate sustainable urban planning design initiatives and community actions, such as the bikeways and walkable mixed-use commercial and residential developments that reduce energy use and protect the environments of future cities.

COMPLIANCE STATEMENT Instructor’s INT

I, ___________________________ have carefully read this course syllabus and understand all the provisions in it, as it was explained to me in class on _______________. I also agree to comply with all rules, procedures, and work to the best of my ability to attain the highest grade possible in this class. My signature below represents my testament and “word of honor” to this effect. I also ask my parent / guardian to sign in acknowledgement and support of my efforts. ______________________________ Student’s Signature

_______________________________ Parent’s Signature

AP Human Geography / Professor Tran