Items are subject to change. It is my intent to adhere closely to this document.

Brownsburg High School: Advanced Placement

Human Geography Course and Outline

2014-2015



Geography Means the World to Me.Gemma Pullen
Mr. Matt Walsh
Secondary Social Studies Department Head
Brownsburg High School
1000 S. Odell Street
Brownsburg, IN 46112
mwalsh@brownsburg.k12.in.us

Twitter: @geoeduktr
ScoopIt!: http://www.scoop.it/u/joseph-matthew-walsh
Web: http://geoeduktrbcsc.weebly.com/

Who is that Mr. Walsh?
I will begin my 23
rd
year as an educator during the 2014-2015 school year. My years of
teaching have taken me to a wide array of schools both near and far. I came to Brownsburg
Junior High School as a 7
th
Grade Global Studies Teacher. By 2005, I served Brownsburg West
Middle School as the assistant principal. In 2008, I had the opportunity to be BCSCs Director of
Curriculum. As that position went away in 2011, I took on the administrator role as BCSCs
Secondary Social Studies Department Head.

As the Department Head, my role as an administrator is to be the chief evaluator and coach for
social studies teachers in grades 6-12. Additionally, I am charged with developing and
maintaining the social studies curriculum for grades 6-12. Lastly, as the head instructional
coach, I do have the wonderful opportunity to be teaching two periods of AP Human Geogrpahy.

One highlight of my career came to me when I was a teacher at Brownsburg Junior High in
2003. That year, I was surprised to be selected as Indianas Milken Family Foundation
Educator. What a surprise and honor it was!

Introduction to the Course
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 Earths surface. Students learn to employ spatial concepts and landscape
analysis to examine human socioeconomic organization and its environments
consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their
research and applications.

Seven major units of study comprise this course. We will look at these themes through the
lenses of historical and modern distributions/patterns, processes, and effect of the human
population. In addition, we will use current problems to test and discover how these
geographical theories play out in the real world. The seven units are:

Foundations for Human Geography
Population and Migration
Cultural Patterns and Processes
Items are subject to change. It is my intent to adhere closely to this document.
Political Organization of Space
Agriculture, Food Production, and Rural Land Use
Industrialization and Development
Urban Patterns

Emphasis is placed on the critical use of multiple perspectives in geographic issues, theories,
and models, project-based learning, mapping, and case studies.

Textbooks
Fouberg, Erin Hogan., Alexander B. Murphy, and De Blij Harm J. Human Geography:
People, Place, and Culture. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2012. Print. (Student text)
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York, NY: Vintage
Books, 1989. Print (Support and Student materials).
Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. Print. (Support material)
Rubenstein, James M., John Philip Anthony Hurt, and Shanna L. Hurt. Pearson Education
AP Test Prep Series: AP Human Geography. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Prentice Hall, 2011. Print. (Support material)

Materials for Success
Textbook by (Fouberg, Murphy, and De Blij)
Three-ring, 1 binder with dividers
Spiral notebook
Notecards/index cards
Post-It Notes (any color)
Loose-leaf paper
Coloring Utensils
Email address
Twitter Account (not mandatory)
Google Account (document sharing/not mandatory)
Box of Kleenexes

Additional readings will be supplied by Mr. Walsh. These may be stored in a section of the
binder.

AP Exam
The AP course is not mandatory, but a majority of students take the AP Exam. The AP Exam is
designed by the College Board. Students with a passing score of a 3, 4, or 5 are most-often
rewarded with some type of college credit. This policy changes based upon the discretion of the
university the student plans to attend.

The APHG Exam is Friday, May 15
th
at 8:00 AM. The testing is held at the school.

Items are subject to change. It is my intent to adhere closely to this document.
For more information on the AP Exam for Human Geography:
https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-human-geography

Expectations
Outside of class This course will require that you work extensively outside of class.
You will be required to work sometimes with a group to accomplish relevant projects.
Additionally, study time with Mr. Walsh occur so that he can consult and review with
you. See your calendars for important dates about this.

Groups You will have some input into the HG groups that you will work with all year.
This is your team, your department. A majority of this work will take place in class as
you all have busy schedules, but there will be times that you must balance and manage
your time for group success.

Effective Habits
Use your calendar. Use your calendar. Use your calendar.
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
Plan. Plan. Plan.
Read. Read. Read.
Manage Time.
Adhere to deadlines.


Field Trip Policy
No student has an absolute right to a field trip. Students may be denied participation if they fail
to meet academic or behavioral requirements. AP/Dual Credit courses are college level
courses that require a higher standard for learning. If an AP/Dual Credit teacher feels that a
student would be harmed educationally by missing their class for a field trip, the AP/Dual Credit
teacher has the right to deny permission for the student to miss their class.

Course Planner

Topic Multiple Choice
Coverage on AP Exam
(See AP Description.)
Readings Time
I. Geography: Nature and
Perspectives
13-17% Chapter 1, Blij 4 Weeks

August 4 -
August 30
II. Population and Migration 13-17% Chapter 2, Blij

Chapter 3, Blij
5 Weeks

September 1 -
October 3
Items are subject to change. It is my intent to adhere closely to this document.
III. Cultural Patterns and
Processes
13-17% Chapter 4, Blij

Chapters 5, 6,
7, Blij
6 Weeks

October 6 - 10
Fall Break October 13-24
Cultural Patterns and
Processes
Chapter 4, Blij

Chapters 5, 6,
7, Blij Jigsaw
Teach
October 27 -
December 5
IV. Political Organization of
Space
13-17% Chapter 8, Blij

5 Weeks

December 8 -
17
Semester Exam December 18
& 19
Winter Break December 22 -
January 3
Political Organization of
Space
Chapter 8, Blij

January 5 - 30
V. Agriculture: Food
Production and Rural Land
Use
13-17% Chapter 11,
Blij
4 Weeks

February 2 -
February 27
VI. Industrialization and
Economic Development
13-17% Chapter 10,
Blij

Chapter 12,
Blij
4 Weeks

March 2 - 20
Spring Break March 23 -
April 3
Industrialization and
Economic Development
Chapter 10,
Blij

Chapter 12,
Blij
April 6 - 10
VII. Cities and Urban Land
Use
13-17% Chapter 9, Blij

4 Weeks

Items are subject to change. It is my intent to adhere closely to this document.
Select
readings,
Jacobs
April 13 - May
8
Exam Review (In-class) May 11-12
Final Exam May 13 -
approximate
Final Product Production
and Presentation
May 14 - 29


Grading Policy

To effectively assess achievement, a majority of this courses grade will be based upon
summative assessments (unit tests, projects, and writing). Other assignments such as
formatives and learning activities will impact the final grade to a much lesser extent. Formatives
are used to check for misunderstanding and practice mastery learning. All grades are based
upon point totals. The purpose of the assessment will dictate the number of points.

Your semester grades are calculated as follows: 40% from Quarter 1; 40% from Quarter 2; and
20% for Semester I Final. The same process follows for Semester II.

All grades can be accessed in PowerSchool.

Extra credit is not a typical practice for an AP course. Students will engage in enrichment work
that may result in additional points. Enrichment work extends student learning beyond the
curriculum and into a students area of interest. Students may also encounter optional work.
This work simply provides more practice with a topic and adds points to the gradebook.

I will follow the Absent Policy of the Student Handbook when completing assignments. I am
also understanding that life happens. We can work through anything.


Course Topics and Themes: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-human-
geography



Items are subject to change. It is my intent to adhere closely to this document.
Reading Assignments: These will be officially assigned at the beginning of the week.
Students should read nightly. Formatives to assess reading will occur weekly. A detailed list
will be provided by August 4
th
. The first chapter should be read by August 6
th
.






#bulldogtough
#Scholars4Lyfe


Items are subject to change. It is my intent to adhere closely to this document.
Parents and Guardians: AP Human Geography.

Please sign and return this document to Mr. Walsh. This simply indicates that you have seen a
copy of this syllabus for AP Human Geography. Please print and sign below. Use the lines as
needed.

Scholars Name:__________________________________________________________

P/G Name:_______________________________ Signature:_______________________

P/G Name:_______________________________ Signature:_______________________

Please indicate below if youd like to be on a Mr. Walsh Parent e-mail group. I will not share
your e-mail addresses.

Yes, Id like to be on a parent e-mail group for Mr. Walshs course.

Name:_____________________________________ Email:________________________

Name:_____________________________________ Email:________________________


Please feel free to follow Mr. Walsh on Twitter: @geoeduktr