AP Geography -- Proposed Course Outline

Textbook -- An Introduction to Human Geography (5th edition), James M. Rubenstein, Prentice Hall

The following outline is designed for an 18 week semester, using the 80 minute class block schedule.

Week Chapter Topics

1. Course Introduction Course topics

Course expectations

Reading requirements

Skills checks

2. World Regional Review (Prerequisites) Themes of geography

Geographic skills

Pre-test

3. Basic Concepts Ch. 1 Maps

Scale

Vocabulary

Geographic data

4. Physical Geography Landforms

Weather and climate

Human impact on the environment

5. Population Ch. 2 Using population data

Population trends and projections

Population policies

Demographic transition models

6. Migration Ch. 3 Barriers to migration

Migration patterns

Immigration and emigration

Spatial searches

7. Language Ch. 4 Language origins

Language spread and change

Distribution of languages

8. Religion Ch. 5 Universalizing and ethnic religions

Classification and distribution of religions Religious impact on the land

Religious conflicts

9. Social Customs Ch. 6 Innovation

Diffusion

Acculturation

Cultural diversity

10. Political Geography Ch. 7 Political systems

Boundaries

Geographic characteristics of states

Political cohesiveness

11. Development Ch. 8 Indicators of development

Regional development

Promoting development

12. Agriculture Ch. 9 Development and diffusion of agriculture

Subsistence and commercial farming

Intensive and extensive agriculture

Agricultural models

13. Industry Ch. 10 Origination and diffusion of industry

Locational considerations

Manufacturing regions of the world

Models of industrialization

14. Settlements and Services Ch. 11 Why are settlements established

Rural vs. urban

Growth of settlements

Central place theory

15. Urban Patterns Ch. 12 Urban land use and planning

Systems of urban settlements

Causes and consequences of suburbanization

World urban diversity

Inside the modern city

16. Resource Problems Ch. 13 Energy resources

Mineral resources

Food resources

Forest resources

17. Research Projects

18. Course Review All p[revious materials