Download File - AP Human Geo

AP ENVIROMENTAL SCIENCE
AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
I. Earth Systems and Resources (10–15%)
I.
A. Earth Science Concepts
 (Geologic time scale; plate tectonics,
earthquakes, volcanism; seasons; solar
intensity and latitude)
B. The Atmosphere
 (Composition; structure; weather and climate;
atmospheric circulation and the Coriolis Effect;
atmosphere–ocean interactions; ENSO)
C. Global Water Resources and Use
 (Freshwater/saltwater; ocean circulation;
agricultural, industrial, and domestic use;
surface and groundwater issues; global
problems; conservation)
D. Soil and Soil Dynamics
 (Rock cycle; formation; composition; physical
and chemical properties; main soil types;
erosion and other soil problems; soil
conservation)
II. The Living World (10–15%)
A. Ecosystem Structure
 (Biological populations and communities;
ecological niches; interactions among species;
keystone species; species diversity and edge
effects; major terrestrial and aquatic biomes)
B. Energy Flow
 (Photosynthesis and cellular respiration; food
webs and trophic levels; ecological pyramids)
C. Ecosystem Diversity
 (Biodiversity; natural selection; evolution;
ecosystem services)
D. Natural Ecosystem Change
 (Climate shifts; species movement; ecological
succession)
E. Natural Biogeochemical Cycles
 (Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, water,
conservation of matter)
Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives (5%–10%)
A. Geography as a field of inquiry
B. Major geographical concepts underlying the
geographical perspective: location, space,
place, scale, pattern, nature and society,
regionalization, globalization, and gender issues
C. Key geographical skills
D. Use of geospatial technologies, such as GIS,
remote sensing, global positioning systems
(GPS), and online maps
E. Sources of geographical information and ideas:
the field, census data, online data, aerial
photography, and satellite imagery
F. Identification of major world regions
I. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives (5%–10%)
A. Geography as a field of inquiry
B. Major geographical concepts underlying the
geographical perspective: location, space,
place, scale, pattern, nature and society,
regionalization, globalization, and gender issues
C. Key geographical skills
D. Use of geospatial technologies, such as GIS,
remote sensing, global positioning systems
(GPS), and online maps
E. Sources of geographical information and ideas:
the field, census data, online data, aerial
photography, and satellite imagery
F. Identification of major world regions
III. Population (10–15%)
A. Population Biology Concepts
 (Population ecology; carrying capacity;
reproductive strategies; survivorship)
B. Human Population
1.
Human population dynamics
 (Historical population sizes; distribution;
fertility rates; growth rates and doubling times;
demographic transition; age-structure
diagrams)
2.
Population size
 (Strategies for sustainability; case studies;
national policies)
3.
Impacts of population growth
 (Hunger; disease; economic effects; resource
use; habitat destruction)
II. Population (13%–17%)
A. Geographical analysis of population
1. Density, distribution, scale
2. Implications of various densities and
distributions
3. Composition: age, sex, income,
education, ethnicity
4. Patterns of fertility, mortality and
health
B. Population growth and decline over time and
space
1. Historical trends and projections for
the future
2. Theories of population growth and
decline, including the Demographic
Transition Model
3. Effects of national population policies
4. Environmental impacts of population
change on water use, food supplies,
biodiversity, the atmosphere and
climate
5. Population and natural hazards, impact
on policy, economy and society
C. Migration
1. Types of Migration
2. Major Historical migrations
3. Push and pull factors
4. Refugees
5. Consequences of migration:
socioeconomic, cultural,
environmental, and political
III. Cultural Patterns and Processes (13%–17%)
A. Concepts of culture
1. Cultural traits, diffusion, regions
2. Globalization and the effects of
technology on culture
B. Cultural differences and regional patterns
C. Cultural landscapes and cultural identity
1. Differences in cultural attitudes and
practices toward the environment
IV. Political Organization of Space (13%–17%)
A. Territorial dimensions of politics
1. Political ecology, impacts on law and
policy on the environment and
environmental justice
B. Evolution of the contemporary political pattern
C. Challenges to inherited political-territorial
arrangements
IV. Land and Water Use (10–15%)
A. Agriculture
1.
Feeding a growing population
 (Human nutritional requirements; types of
agriculture; Green Revolution; genetic
engineering and crop production;
deforestation; irrigation; sustainable
agriculture)
2.
Controlling pests
 (Types of pesticides; costs and benefits of
pesticide use; integrated pest management;
relevant laws)
B. Forestry
 (Tree plantations; old growth forests; forest
fires; forest management; national forests)
C. Rangelands
 (Overgrazing; deforestation; desertification;
rangeland management; federal rangelands)
D. Other Land Use
1.
Urban land development
 (Planned development; suburban sprawl;
urbanization)
2.
Transportation infrastructure
 (Federal highway system; canals and channels;
roadless areas; ecosystem impacts)
3.
Public and federal lands
 (Management; wilderness areas; national
parks; wildlife refuges; forests; wetlands)
4.
Land conservation options
 (Preservation; remediation; mitigation;
restoration)
5.
Sustainable land-use strategies
E. Mining
 (Mineral formation; extraction; global reserves;
relevant laws and treaties)
F. Fishing
 (Fishing techniques; overfishing; aquaculture;
relevant laws and treaties)
G. Global Economics
 (Globalization; World Bank; Tragedy of the
Commons; relevant laws and treaties)
V.
Agricultural and Rural Land Use (13%–17%)
A. Development and diffusion of agriculture
B. Major agricultural production regions
1. Agricultural systems associated with
major bioclimatic zones
C. Rural land use and settlement patterns
1. Models of agriculture land use
2. Settlement patterns associated with
major agricultural systems
3. Land use / land cover change:
irrigation, desertification,
deforestation, wetland destruction,
conservation efforts, global impacts
D. Issues in contemporary commercial agriculture
1. Biotechnology, GMO
2. Spatial organization
3. Environmental issues: soil degradation,
over grazing, water depletion, animal
wastes, pesticide use
4. Organic farming
5. Famine
VII. Cities and Urban Land Use (13%–17%)
A. Development and characters of cities
1. Urbanization, Suburbanization
2. Megacities
B. Models of urban hierarchies: reasons for the
distribution and size of cities
C. Models of internal city structure and urban
development: strengths and limitations of
models
D. Built environment and social space
1. Types of residential buildings
2. Transportation and utility
infrastructure
3. Political organization
4. Urban planning and design
5. Census data
6. Characteristics and types of edge cities
E. Contemporary urban issues
V. Energy Resources and Consumption (10–15%)
A. Energy Concepts
 (Energy forms; power; units; conversions; Laws
of Thermodynamics)
B. Energy Consumption
1.
History (Industrial Revolution;
exponential growth; energy crisis)
2.
Present global energy use
3.
Future energy needs
C. Fossil Fuel Resources and Use
 (Formation of coal, oil, and natural gas;
extraction/purification methods; world
reserves and global demand; synfuels;
environmental advantages/ disadvantages of
sources)
D. Nuclear Energy
 (Nuclear fission process; nuclear fuel; electricity
production; nuclear reactor types;
environmental advantages/disadvantages;
safety issues; radiation and human health;
radioactive wastes; nuclear fusion)
E. Hydroelectric Power
 (Dams; flood control; salmon; silting; other
impacts)
F. Energy Conservation
 (Energy efficiency; CAFE standards; hybrid
electric vehicles; mass transit)
G. Renewable Energy
 (Solar energy; solar electricity; hydrogen fuel
cells; biomass; wind energy; small-scale
hydroelectric; ocean waves and tidal energy;
geothermal; environmental
advantages/disadvantages)
VI. Industrialization and Economic Development
(13%–17%)
A. Growth and diffusion of industrialization
1. Changing roles of energy and
technology
2. Industrial revolution
3. Models of economic development
4. Geographic critiques of models of
industrial location
B. Social and economic measures of development
1. GDP, Human development index,
Gender Inequality index, changes in
fertility and morality, access to
infrastructure
C. Contemporary patterns and impacts of
industrialization and development
1. Spatial organization of global economy
2. Uneven development
3. Deindustrialization, rise of service
economy
4. Globalization, newly industrialized
countries, international division of
labor
VI. Pollution (25–30%)
A. Pollution Types
1.
Air pollution
o (Sources — primary and secondary; major air
pollutants; measurement units; smog; acid
deposition — causes and effects; heat islands
and temperature inversions; indoor air
pollution; remediation and reduction
strategies; Clean Air Act and other relevant
laws)
2.
Noise pollution
o (Sources; effects; control measures)
3.
Water pollution
o (Types; sources, causes, and effects; cultural
eutrophication; groundwater pollution;
maintaining water quality; water purification;
sewage treatment/septic systems; Clean Water
Act and other relevant laws)
4.
Solid waste
o (Types; disposal; reduction)
B. Impacts on the Environment and Human Health
1.
Hazards to human health
o (Environmental risk analysis; acute and chronic
effects; dose-response relationships; air
pollutants; smoking and other risks)
2.
Hazardous chemicals in the environment
o (Types of hazardous waste; treatment/disposal
of hazardous waste; cleanup of contaminated
sites; biomagnification; relevant laws)
C. Economic Impacts
 (Cost-benefit analysis; externalities; marginal
costs; sustainability)
VI. Industrialization and Economic Development
(13%–17%)
A. Growth and diffusion of industrialization
B. Social and economic measures of development
C. Contemporary patterns and impacts of
industrialization and development
1. Natural resource depletion, pollution,
and climate change
2. Sustainable development
3. Government developmental policies
VII. Cities and Urban Land Use (13%–17%)
A. Development and characters of cities
B. Models of urban hierarchies: reasons for the
distribution and size of cities
C. Models of internal city structure and urban
development: strengths and limitations of
models
D. Built environment and social space
E. Contemporary urban issues
1. Housing discrimination
2. Changing demographic, employment
and social structures
3. Uneven development, zones of
abandonment, disamenity, and
gentrification
4. Suburban sprawl and urban
sustainability problems, land and
energy use, cost of development
5. Urban environmental issues:
transportation, sanitation, air and
water quality, remediation of
brownfields, farmland protection
VII. Global Change (10–15%)
A. Stratospheric Ozone
 (Formation of stratospheric ozone; ultraviolet
radiation; causes of ozone depletion; effects of
ozone depletion; strategies for reducing ozone
depletion; relevant laws and treaties)
B. Global Warming
 (Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect;
impacts and consequences of global warming;
reducing climate change; relevant laws and
treaties)
C. Loss of Biodiversity
1.
Habitat loss; overuse; pollution; introduced
species; endangered and extinct species
2.
Maintenance through conservation
3.
Relevant laws and treaties
VI. Industrialization and Economic Development
(13%–17%)
A. Growth and diffusion of industrialization
B. Social and economic measures of development
C. Contemporary patterns and impacts of
industrialization and development
1. Natural resource depletion, pollution,
and climate change
2. Sustainable development
3. Government developmental policies
AP Environmental Science Introduction
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college
course in environmental science. Unlike most other introductory-level college science courses, environmental
science is offered from a wide variety of departments, including geology, biology, environmental studies,
environmental science, chemistry, and geography.
Depending on the department offering the course, different emphases are placed on various topics. Some courses
are rigorous science courses that stress scientific principles and analysis and that often include a laboratory
component; other courses emphasize the study of environmental issues from a sociological or political
perspective rather than a scientific one. The AP Environmental Science course has been developed to be most like
the former; as such, it is intended to enable students to undertake, as first-year college students, a more
advanced study of topics in environmental science or, alternatively, to fulfill a basic requirement for a laboratory
science and thus free time for taking other courses.
The AP Course Description and AP Exam have been prepared by environmental scientists and educators who
serve as members of the AP Environmental Science Development Committee. In both breadth and level of detail,
the content of the course reflects what is found in many introductory college courses in environmental science.
The exam is representative of such a course and therefore is considered appropriate for the measurement of skills
and knowledge in the field of environmental science.
The Course
The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts,
and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze
environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these
problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.
Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study. Yet
there are several major unifying constructs, or themes, that cut across the many topics included in the study of
environmental science. The following themes provide a foundation for the structure of the AP Environmental
Science course.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Science is a process.
• Science is a method of learning more about the world.
• Science constantly changes the way we understand the world.
Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.
• Energy cannot be created; it must come from somewhere.
• As energy flows through systems, at each step more of it becomes unusable.
The Earth itself is one interconnected system.
• Natural systems change over time and space.
• Biogeochemical systems vary in ability to recover from disturbances.
Humans alter natural systems.
• Humans have had an impact on the environment for millions of years.
• Technology and population growth have enabled humans to increase both the rate and scale of their
impact on the environment.
Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.
• Understanding the role of cultural, social, and economic factors is vital to the development of solutions.
Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.
• A suitable combination of conservation and development is required.
• Management of common resources is essential.
AP Human Geography
The purpose of the AP course in Human Geography 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 employ
spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental
consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice.
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, the student should be able to:
1.
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.
2.
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.
3.
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.
4.
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.
5.
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.
AP Environmental Science and AP Human
Geography in the Freshman Year

AP Environmental Science Course Overview
1

AP Human Geography Course Overview
2

APES and APHG Curriculum Comparison
3

APES Global Score Distribution 2015
9

APHG Global Score Distribution 2015
10

UHS APHG Score Distribution 2015
11

UHS Graduation Requirements
13

UHS Graduation with Honors Requirements
14

AZ Board of Regents Requirements
15

TUSD Graduation Requirements
16

Out of State University Science Recommendations
20
Out of State University Recommendations for High Schoolers
Harvard:

The study of science for four years: physics, chemistry, and biology, and preferably one of these
at an advanced level
Stanford:

Science: three or more years of laboratory science (including biology, chemistry and physics)
Berkley:


Two years (three years recommended) of laboratory science providing fundamental knowledge
in two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry and physics. The final two years
of an approved three-year integrated science program that provides rigorous coverage of at least
two of the three foundational subjects may be used to fulfill this requirement.
Score of 3, 4 or 5 on any two AP Exams in Biology, Chemistry, Physics (B, C, 1 or 2) and
Environmental Science; score of 5, 6 or 7 on any two IB HL exams in Biology, Chemistry or Physics
MIT:



One year of high school physics
One year of high school chemistry
One year of high school biology
Colorado School of Mines:

Science: three or more years of laboratory science (including biology, chemistry and physics)
Pomona College:

Four years of natural science, two of which should be lab science
Cornell University:

3 years of science
University of Southern California:

Two (2) years of natural science (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics)
Columbia University:

Three to four years of laboratory science