Welcome to AP Human Geography!

Human Geography goes beyond where things are on the map. We examine the patterns and processes of how humans have interacted with the Earth's surface over time. By seeking to answer the "why of where" you will gain a deeper understanding of course topics. This course is a semester-long course. 

Why take AP Human Geography? This course is interdisciplinary and pulls concepts from many of the other courses you have taken in high school. It helps tie everything together. In the information era, employers value those who can examine data sets and trends to make informed decisions. By understanding patterns and processes, you will deepen your critical thinking skills and consider challenging topics

How do I Earn College Credit? AP courses are a great way for students to earn college credit. At Ragsdale, students have been very successful in this course with the class generally performing above the state and global averages. To earn college credit at any UNC System school students must earn a 3 on this exam. AP Credits are also taken at colleges throughout the United States, both public and private.

Interested in learning more about AP Human Geography? Contact Mr. Moss at mossm@gcsnc.com

In this course we will focus on the following topics:

• The Tools Geographers Use
  • The Five Themes of Geography, Map Projections, GIS, Remote Sensing, GPS, Scale
• Population and Migration
  • Population Clusters, Pronatalist vs. Antinatalist, Population Demographics, Push/Pull Factors, Immigration Policy
• Cultural Patterns and Processes
  • Key Elements of Culture, Types of Diffusion, The Spread of Language and Religion, Gendered Spaces, Ethnicity, and Race
• Political Geography
  • Border Disputes, Territoriality, Contested Land Claims, Electoral Geography, Ethnic Conflicts
• Agricultural and Rural Land Use
  • Agricultural Regions, Commercial v. Subsistence Agriculture, Commodity Chains, GMOs vs. Organic, Current Trends in Agriculture 
• Urban Land Use
  • The Growth of Cities, Urban Patterns, Infrastructure, Sustainable Development, Issues Cities Face
• The Geography of Economic Development
  • The Industrial Revolution, Economic Sectors, Theories of Development, The Global Economy

Human Geography Applications in the News

Here are just a few examples of the applications of the tools we discuss in AP Human Geography in the news:

• NY Times Article on GPS on Phones: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html
• Johns Hopkins Covid-19 Global Map: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
• Johns Hopkins Covid-19 US Map: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map
• The Washington Post: Borderline - https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/national/us-mexico-border-flyover/

Human Geography and the tools geographers use blend into topics like Public Health, Advertising, Policy Making, Urban Planning, Education, and Business to name just a few.

Human Geography Applications: Story Maps

One of the great examples of how we use maps and data in Human Geography can be seen using tools like ArcGIS and Story Maps. Thes maps use GIS software to break down complex topics and visually illustrate patterns and processes. 

Here are a few examples from ESRI:

• The Two Koreas (Political Geography and Development): https://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2017/two-koreas/index.html
• Green on Gray: Urban Agriculture (Agricultural Geography): http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2017/green-on-gray/index.html
• The Frontlines of Famine (Agricultural Geography): https://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2017/hunger-crisis/index.html
• The Atlas of Electricity (Economics Geography): https://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2016/electricity/index.html

Below is an example called "Wealth Divides" created by ESRI that demonstrates how we might use during the Urban Geography unit to examine census data and analyze issues our cities face.