AP Human Geography course launched for freshmen

AP Human Geography students hold up mind maps they drew of their neighborhoods, putting into practice cartography skills they learned during class.

Presentation Academy students can now earn college credit during their freshman year. Select freshmen will be the first to take AP Human Geography, a course that explores how humans have understood, used and changed the surface of Earth.  

“Through the course, our students will use the tools and thinking processes of geographers to examine patterns of human population, migration and land use,” said social studies teacher Devin Roos, who will be teaching the course. Roos has taught government/economics and honors world civilizations for the past three years and attended a four-day AP Human Geography intensive training program over the summer.

​“I am very excited to teach this course because it is pretty much the end all be all of courses. It combines every type of social study, ranging from economics to sociology, into one master course,” Roos said.

“It’s a great opportunity to expose our freshmen to the complex, higher-order thinking skills that are integral to an AP course,” Principal Becca Noonan said. “It's important for Pres to offer this course because it's a great introduction to the "global citizenship" part of our mission and leadership program. Learning about the interconnectedness of other cultures, people and societies is essential to understanding the role we play in the larger world. And, of course, it doesn't hurt that students can earn college credit along the way!

Colleges and universities may require different scores, generally ranging from 3-5, to award college credit as the equivalent of an introductory college-level course in human geography, Roos said. The 2020 AP Human Geography exam will be administered May 5.

Students will learn to interpret models and maps, as well as to read charts and analyze data. They will be tested on the regions of the world and proven geographical patterns, Roos said.
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“Beyond all of this, our students will begin to understand how they are connected to the past and present; how they play a role in shaping the future of our physical, political and cultural environment; and that even from our classroom at 4th and Breck, they are an important part of our deeply interconnected global human family,” she said. “It is our responsibility to make sure that our students are an active part of the global community. In fact, it is part our mission to shape these young women into global citizens. Knowing who you are and where you are is of paramount importance, and I could not be more excited to watch our girls grow as compassionate, critically thinking and culturally aware citizens of the world.”