In our decades of combined teaching experience and attending AP® Readings, we have all come to the same conclusion: The AP® Human Geography course needs a new textbook -- one with pedagogy that focuses on essential content, where skills are presented in an accessible manner for all students.

   

As veteran AP® Human Geography teachers, table and question leaders, development committee leaders, and assessment specialists, we believe that we are uniquely positioned  to address this need. Like you, we have experienced firsthand the challenges in teaching this course, especially as the curriculum framework and student needs continue to change. 

 

Thus was born our new book: Human Geography for the AP® Course. This is not just another repackaged college textbook with a few AP® features. We crafted this text specifically for AP® students, with a narrative that is both engaging and rigorous. But we also wrote it for you -- this book’s organization aligns exactly with the seven Units in the new Course and Exam Description, which are broken into short Modules that cover every topic in the framework.

 

We don’t have to tell you that more than three quarters of AP Human Geography test takers are underclassmen, many of whom are tackling their first ever AP® course; therefore,we incorporate supportive background information before introducing complex ideas. This strategy prepares students to apply concepts in both theoretical and practical contexts. We also provide helpful AP Exam Tips to alert students of potential pitfalls and to place emphasis on concepts that frequently appear on the exam.

 

For any student, be they upper- or lower-classmen, analyzing quantitative and qualitative geographic data can be a steep learning curve. To help them learn how to interpret data, we’ve paired each map, graph, and chart throughout the text with questions to give students continuous practice with spatial, data, source, and scale analysis.  We also  provide opportunities throughout the textbook for engaging class discussion through the synthesis of thoughtful arguments and structured debates, as well as the analysis of geographical patterns and trends found in photos, because, well, human geography should be fun!

 

We invite you to open this sample and explore what Human Geography for the AP® Course can do for you and your students. We hope that along the way we’ll help to inspire a new generation of informed global citizens. 

 

Sincerely,

Barbara S. Hildebrant, Max Lu, Kenneth H. Keller, and Roderick P. Neumann