ap human geography ap cram sessions 2020 study guides

Key Concepts and Themes

• Spatial patterns and processes shape human societies and their interactions with the environment
• Globalization increasingly connects and integrates people, places, and cultures around the world
• Technological advancements (transportation, communication) have accelerated the pace and scale of human interactions and flows of goods, ideas, and people
• Cultural landscapes are shaped by the interplay of physical geography, human activities, and cultural practices
• Political boundaries and territorial control are central to understanding geopolitical conflicts and cooperation among nations
• Economic systems and development levels vary across regions, influencing patterns of trade, investment, and resource extraction
• Demographic patterns (population growth, migration, urbanization) have significant implications for resource distribution and social dynamics
  • Population pyramids visually represent the age and sex structure of a population
  • The demographic transition model describes changes in birth and death rates as societies develop

Geographic Models and Theories

• Christaller's Central Place Theory explains the size, number, and distribution of settlements in terms of the services they provide to surrounding areas
  • Settlements are classified as hamlets, villages, towns, or cities based on their centrality and functions
• Von Thünen's Model of Agricultural Land Use describes the spatial arrangement of agricultural activities around a central market based on land rent and transportation costs
  • Concentric rings represent different agricultural products (dairy, forest, grains, livestock)
• The Gravity Model predicts the interaction between two places based on their population sizes and the distance between them
  • Larger populations and shorter distances increase the likelihood of interaction
• Tobler's First Law of Geography states that "everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things"
• The Demographic Transition Model outlines five stages of population growth and societal development based on changes in birth rates and death rates
  • Stage 1 (high stationary): high birth rates and high death rates
  • Stage 2 (early expanding): high birth rates and declining death rates
  • Stage 3 (late expanding): declining birth rates and low death rates
  • Stage 4 (low stationary): low birth rates and low death rates
  • Stage 5 (declining): birth rates fall below replacement level, leading to population decline
• Rostow's Stages of Economic Growth model describes five stages of economic development that countries pass through
  • Traditional society, preconditions for take-off, take-off, drive to maturity, and age of high mass consumption

Important Terminology

• Globalization: the increasing interconnectedness of people, places, and economies worldwide
• Cultural diffusion: the spread of ideas, practices, and innovations from one culture to another
• Acculturation: the process by which a minority group adopts the cultural traits of the dominant group
• Assimilation: the process by which a minority group is absorbed into the dominant culture, losing its distinct identity
• Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by the standards and values of one's own culture
• Cultural relativism: understanding and evaluating a culture's practices and beliefs within its own context
• Imperialism: the extension of a country's power and influence through colonization or other means
• Neocolonialism: the economic and political influence of former colonial powers over their former colonies
• Balkanization: the fragmentation of a region or country into smaller, often hostile, units
• Supranationalism: the transfer of power from national governments to international organizations (European Union)

Case Studies and Real-World Examples

• The Silk Roads facilitated cultural diffusion and trade between China, Central Asia, and Europe
• The Spanish colonization of the Americas led to the exchange of crops (potatoes, maize), animals (horses), and diseases (smallpox)
• The Green Revolution increased agricultural productivity in developing countries through the use of high-yield crop varieties, fertilizers, and irrigation
• The rapid urbanization of China has led to the growth of megacities (Shanghai, Beijing) and the emergence of urban challenges (pollution, congestion)
• The European Union represents a supranational organization that promotes economic and political integration among its member states
• The Arab Spring uprisings (2010-2012) demonstrated the role of social media in facilitating political mobilization and regime change
• The One Child Policy in China (1979-2015) aimed to control population growth but led to unintended consequences (sex-selective abortions, aging population)
• The Rwandan Genocide (1994) exemplified ethnic conflict and the failure of the international community to intervene effectively

Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Population density maps show the spatial distribution of people per unit area (persons per square kilometer)
• Choropleth maps use color gradations to represent variations in a particular variable across geographic units (GDP per capita by country)
• Proportional symbol maps use scaled symbols to represent the magnitude of a phenomenon at specific locations (city population size)
• Pie charts and bar graphs compare the relative proportions or quantities of different categories within a dataset (religious adherence by country)
• Scatter plots reveal relationships between two variables (urbanization rate and GDP per capita)
  • Positive correlation: as one variable increases, the other also increases
  • Negative correlation: as one variable increases, the other decreases
  • No correlation: no apparent relationship between the variables
• Interpreting data requires consideration of the source, methodology, and potential biases or limitations

Exam Strategies and Tips

• Read the questions carefully and identify the key concepts or skills being assessed
• Eliminate clearly incorrect answer choices to narrow down the options
• Support your arguments with specific examples and evidence from the course material
• Use the process of elimination to make educated guesses on difficult questions
• Manage your time effectively by not spending too long on any single question
• Review your answers, if time allows, to catch any errors or omissions
• Practice active reading techniques (underlining, annotating) to engage with the material and improve retention
• Create concept maps or outlines to organize and connect key ideas and themes
• Collaborate with classmates to discuss and review course content, but ensure you can independently apply the concepts

Common Misconceptions

• Confusing correlation with causation: a relationship between two variables does not necessarily imply that one causes the other
• Oversimplifying complex geographic processes or phenomena (environmental determinism, cultural stereotypes)
• Assuming that development follows a linear, universal path for all countries and cultures
• Equating population growth with overpopulation, without considering the context and carrying capacity of a region
• Overemphasizing the role of physical geography in shaping human activities, while underestimating the influence of cultural, political, and economic factors
• Treating regions or cultures as homogeneous entities, ignoring internal diversity and variation
• Applying models and theories uncritically, without recognizing their limitations or the need for adaptation to specific contexts
• Neglecting the historical context and evolution of geographic patterns and processes

Connecting Topics Across Units

• Understanding population dynamics (Unit 2) is essential for analyzing the distribution and movement of people (Unit 3) and their impact on the environment (Unit 5)
• Agricultural practices (Unit 5) are influenced by physical geography (Unit 1), as well as cultural preferences and economic systems (Unit 4)
• Urbanization (Unit 3) is driven by economic development (Unit 4) and has significant implications for resource use and sustainability (Unit 5)
• Globalization (Unit 4) facilitates the diffusion of ideas, technologies, and practices across cultures (Unit 3) and transforms the relationships between people and places (Unit 1)
• Political boundaries and territorial control (Unit 4) shape the distribution of languages, religions, and ethnicities (Unit 3) and can lead to cooperation or conflict (Unit 4)
• Industrialization (Unit 4) has contributed to environmental challenges (Unit 5) and altered the spatial organization of economic activities (Unit 1)
• Migration (Unit 2) is influenced by economic opportunities (Unit 4), political factors (Unit 4), and environmental conditions (Unit 5) and can lead to cultural diffusion and change (Unit 3)