Unit Four: Political Organization of Space AP Human Geography ...

Unit Four: Political Organization of Space
AP Human Geography
11 Class Meetings
Essential Questions
What is power?
How did the concept of the state develop, and where are states distributed?
Why are nation-states difficult to create?
What different types of boundaries are used when assessing human geography
Why do boundaries cause problems?
Why and how do states cooperate and compete with each other?
How does modern terrorism operate within the context of political geography?
Enduring Understandings
EU #1: Governments are instituted and function in response to geographic realities.
EU #2: A state is a political unit with an organized government and sovereignty. Earth’s land
area is divided into nearly 200 states.
EU #3: A nation-state is a state whose territory matches that occupied by an ethnicity. It is
impossible to find a perfect match between the boundaries of a state and the area inhabited by a
single ethnicity.
EU #4: States are separated by boundaries, which are either physical or cultural. Boundaries
affect the shape of a country and affect the ability of a country to live peacefully with its
neighbors.
EU #5: Competition among states has been replaced in some regions by economic alliances,
especially in Europe. At the same time, violence has increased in the world because of terrorist
attacks.
Content
College Board AP Human Geography Topics:
V. Political Organization of Space
1. Territorial dimensions of politics
The concepts of political power and territoriality
The nature, meaning, and function of boundaries
Influences of boundaries on identity, interaction, and exchange
Federal and unitary states, confederations, centralized government, and forms of governance
Spatial relationships between political systems and patterns of ethnicity, economy, and gender
Political ecology: impacts of law and policy on the environment and environmental justice
2. Evolution of the contemporary political pattern
The nation-state concept
Colonialism and imperialism
Democratization
Fall of communism and legacy of the Cold War
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Unit Four: Political Organization of Space
AP Human Geography
11 Class Meetings
Patterns of local, regional, and metropolitan governance
3. Changes and challenges to political-territorial arrangements
Changing nature of sovereignty
Fragmentation, unification, and cooperation
Supranationalism and international alliances
Devolution of countries: centripetal and centrifugal forces
Electoral geography: redistricting and gerrymandering
Armed conflicts, war, and terrorism
21 st Century Learning Expectations
#1: Read and write effectively for a variety of purposes
#2: Speak effectively with a variety of audiences in an accountable manner
#6: Use technology responsibly to create, research, synthesize, and communicate information fluently
#7: Make decisions and solve problems in independent and collaborative settings
#8: Take responsibility for his/her own learning and behavior
#9: Value human, cultural, and natural diversity
#10: Meet their civic responsibilities to society and the natural environment
21 st Century Learning Skills
Common Core - Literacy in History/Social Studies:
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and
secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text
as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key
details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3 Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and
determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text
leaves matters uncertain.
Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the
course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.5 Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured,
including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.6 Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical
event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented
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Unit Four: Political Organization of Space
AP Human Geography
11 Class Meetings
in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address
a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by
corroborating or challenging them with other information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and
secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social
studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Connecticut State Standards
Standard 1: Content Knowledge
Knowledge of concepts, themes, and information from history and social studies is necessary to promote
understanding of our nation and our world.
1.1 – Significant events and themes in United States history
1.3 – Significant events and themes in world history/international studies
1.4 – Geographical space and place
1.5 – Interaction of humans and the environment
1.6 – Patterns of human movement across time and place
1.9 – The rights and responsibilities of citizens
1.10 – How limited resources influence economic decisions
1.11 – How different economic systems organize resources
1.12 – The interdependence of local, national, and global economies
1.13 – The characteristics of and interactions among culture, social systems, and institutions
Standard 2: History/Social Studies Literacy Skills
Competence in literacy, inquiry and research skills is necessary to analyze, evaluate and present history
and social studies information.
2.1 - Access and gather information from a variety of primary and secondary sources including
electronic media (maps, charts, graphs, images, artifacts, recordings and text)
2.2 - Interpret information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including electronic
media (maps, charts, graphs, images, artifacts, recordings and text)
2.3 - Create various forms of written work (e.g. journal, essay, blog, webpage, brochure) to
demonstrate an understanding of history and social studies issues
2.4 - Demonstrate an ability to participate in social studies discourse through informed discussion,
debate, and effective oral presentation
2.5 - Create and present relevant social studies materials using both print and electronic media (e.g.
maps, charts, models, displays)
Standard 3: Civic Engagement
Civic competence in analyzing historical issues and current problems requires the synthesis of information,
skills and empathic awareness.
3.1 - Use evidence to identify, analyze and evaluate interpretations
3.2 - Analyze and evaluate human action in historical and/or contemporary contexts from
alternative points of view
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Unit Four: Political Organization of Space
AP Human Geography
11 Class Meetings
3.3 – Apply appropriate historical, geographic, political, economic, and cultural concepts and
methods in proposing and evaluating solutions to contemporary problems
Objectives
Students will be able to…
Explain the concept of state by identifying necessary qualifications and characteristics and listing
examples of states in various regions
Explain the difference between a nation-state and a multinational state
List advantages and disadvantages of different types of boundaries and provide real-world
examples of: natural/physical boundaries, cultural boundaries, and geometric boundaries
Identify different shapes of states and provide real-world examples
Describe and apply the following concepts to the political map: federal and unitary states,
confederations, centralized government, and forms of governance
Define the concepts of imperialism and colonialism and illustrate some of their consequences on
the contemporary political map
Trace the evolution of the current political pattern
Define the concept of supranationalism and provide real-world examples of internationalism
alliances
Define the concepts of redistricting and gerrymandering as they relate to political geography
Explain the difference between centripetal and centrifugal forces as they relate to political
geography
Define irredentism and devolution and illustrate each with examples
Explain the concept of terrorism and describe ways that states have sponsored terrorism
Research a current political issue and apply the case study to prove or disprove a geographic thesis
Produce written work that reflects an understanding of geographic models and spatial concepts
Assessments
Reading Quiz: Political Geography (Chapter 8)
Place Geography Quiz
Lab: “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Nations, States, and Nation-States”
o Rubric 6: Technology – Student uses technology responsibly to create, research, synthesize,
and communicate information fluently.
Roundtable: Political Issues
o Rubric 2: Accountable Talk – Student speaks effectively with a variety of audiences in an
accountable manner
Essay: Guns, Germs, and Steel Application
o Rubric 1: Communication – Student reads and writes effectively for a variety of purposes
Unit 4 Vocabulary List
o Rubric 8: Student Ownership – Student takes responsibility for own learning and behavior
Midterm Exam (Multiple Choice and Essay)
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Unit Four: Political Organization of Space
AP Human Geography
11 Class Meetings
Resources
Textbook (The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography AP Edition)
Case Studies / Lab Manual (Human Geography in Action)
Guest Speaker: Mr. Steve Woods, Special Agent, U.S. Department of the Treasury
Supplementary Readings including Guns, Germs, and Steel
MSMHS School-wide Rubrics
Video Clips (How the States Got Their Shapes, 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes, Inside North
Korea)
Laptops
Internet
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