Grace Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I have often heard the AP Human Geography test is a great first AP test. Does anyone have any experience with it? Did your dc take an AP class or self-study with a review book? Which curriculum did you use? I was considering BJU Geography with the DVD (feel I may need the handholding...this high school stuff is scarying the pants off me!!) with a review book. But I have NO idea if this is a good choice for the AP exam. And remember, I know nothing about teaching High school or preparing for AP tests :willy_nilly: I am open for any other suggestions though... I also have the opportunity to have a friend teach them (who has a degree in Geography), along with her daughter, but she doesn't have any experience with the AP exam either. She plans on teaching them mapping skills using one of the mapping by art or mapping by heart or something, and then use the review book for the text on culture.... I don't know why but I Feel VERY uneasy about this.... I have also considered the PA Homeschoolers online class but I have twins so that would be quite costly (but not totally un-doable... but would rather save PA Homeschoolers later for "harder" AP tests, if needed) Please share with me your experience preparing your child for the AP Geography exam. I tried to search, but didn't come up with AP Geography specifically. :001_unsure::willy_nilly::001_unsure: Thanks, Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I have no experience with the class, but yesterday as I was searching colleges I noticed that some refuse to give credit for this course even if they give credit for other AP courses. If you're spending a bit of money and want the credit from whichever course you sign up for, it'd be wise to check with colleges of interest. It caught my eye that they singled this course out to specifically say they wouldn't give credit for it, so thought I'd mention it. I should also note that there are other reasons to have AP than just the potential for college credit. They do help when applying to get acceptances... but this one might not provide the same level of kudos others do considering what I found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 My oldest took AP Human Geography along with AP bio as his first intro into the AP world. Human Geo is definitely one of the easier exams and, I think, very manageable by a solid 9th grade student who will put in the time to study for the exam. I can't tell you much about how to structure the class since we outsourced to PAH -- and they do a *fantastic* job of teaching the material and preparing students for the exam. Mapping the World by Heart (or Art) will not be deep enough to cover all the elements on the AP exam. BJU may start to get there, but you really need to study the AP Human Geography section on College Board and find out what topics will be tested. Also, to get official AP credit, your dd will need to take an approved AP course. I find it's easier to use one of AP's recommended texts and readers for each class, since those are geared toward the exam and there is much less wheel-invention for the teacher. HTH, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grace Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Also, to get official AP credit, your dd will need to take an approved AP course. I find it's easier to use one of AP's recommended texts and readers for each class, since those are geared toward the exam and there is much less wheel-invention for the teacher. HTH, Lisa Hi Lisa, Thanks for the information. I have another question, if you don't mind. When you say "to get AP credit, you dd will need to take an approved AP course"... I thought you could put on your transcript 'Human Geography with AP test' and still get credit if you have an acceptable AP score. I know I can't call the class AP Geography but if you take the test, don't you still get AP credit? I have soooo much to learn!!!!! I am also considering AP Biology for them too. Did you go through PAH for that also? Where do I find acceptable AP texts and readers? Thanks so much!! Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 When you say "to get AP credit, you dd will need to take an approved AP course"... I thought you could put on your transcript 'Human Geography with AP test' and still get credit if you have an acceptable AP score. That's exactly right. There are two components here. What you put on your transcript, and the test score. The College Board has gotten persnickety about courses listed as AP on a transcript. If you list the course on the transcript as you mentioned, you will be fine. The credit comes from the score, not the course. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Also, to get official AP credit, your dd will need to take an approved AP course. My understanding (I am not 100% sure) is that a college awards AP credit based solely on the score a student receives on the AP exam, regardless of whether or not the student took an official AP class. In order to list the course as "AP" on your student's transcript, the class needs to be approved by the College Board. Based on what I have read, it is not unusual for homeschoolers to self-study for an AP exam and then list the course as "honors" on the high school transcript along with the corresponding AP score. It is assumed that the college admissions office can connect the dots.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 My understanding (I am not 100% sure) is that a college awards AP credit based solely on the score a student receives on the AP exam, regardless of whether or not the student took an official AP class. In order to list the course as "AP" on your student's transcript, the class needs to be approved by the College Board. Exactly. Here is a great College Board link that will help you see what score is needed for credit -- for the colleges you are interested in: AP Credit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Brigid, Thanks for the AP link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DebbS Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I created a syllabus that passed the AP audit and my son used it this year to prepare for the Human Geography test. Whether colleges will accept it or not for credit, it's still a really interesting course and gave my son a much deeper understanding how the world works. I hear many people on this forum dis AP Human Geography, but, it did require more time than other subjects for projects, labs, outside readings, etc. In addition, it's a more interdisciplinary course than most, and that in itself, is a worthwhile experience. Many high school (and college) courses will be studied for a semester or a year and then never used again but, the topics covered in human geography are integral parts of our lives, our communities and our world. You're description of what your friend is going to teach doesn't sound like human geography to me. There isn't much locational mapping though some knowledge of physical geography is a prerequisite that many kids lack. How geography affects culture is only about 1/6th of the content. You might want to go out to the college board site and read their description of the course so you can better evaluate whether what your friend is going to teach will be good preparation for the test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I created a syllabus that passed the AP audit and my son used it this year to prepare for the Human Geography test. Whether colleges will accept it or not for credit, it's still a really interesting course and gave my son a much deeper understanding how the world works. I hear many people on this forum dis AP Human Geography, but, it did require more time than other subjects for projects, labs, outside readings, etc. In addition, it's a more interdisciplinary course than most, and that in itself, is a worthwhile experience. Many high school (and college) courses will be studied for a semester or a year and then never used again but, the topics covered in human geography are integral parts of our lives, our communities and our world. You're description of what your friend is going to teach doesn't sound like human geography to me. There isn't much locational mapping though some knowledge of physical geography is a prerequisite that many kids lack. How geography affects culture is only about 1/6th of the content. You might want to go out to the college board site and read their description of the course so you can better evaluate whether what your friend is going to teach will be good preparation for the test. :iagree: We found the course to be worthwhile and quite challenging. I'm not sure where it gets the easy-AP moniker. Maybe it's because so many 9th/10th graders take the course and exam, so that makes it easier "competition" for the higher scores than the courses taken more traditionally by 11th and 12th graders. It was quite a different course than anything my ds had ever studied in his history/geography coursework. Eye opening and relevant. (We just though the book that ds used was a reeeeally hard text for a 9th grader. :blink:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 That's exactly right. There are two components here. What you put on your transcript, and the test score. The College Board has gotten persnickety about courses listed as AP on a transcript. If you list the course on the transcript as you mentioned, you will be fine. The credit comes from the score, not the course. ;) Yes, this is correct. I was thinking of many Florida universities that give a GPA bump for AP classes. But the college credit comes from the AP score. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I've been using a lot of AP Geography and AP Environmental Science materials in my self-education studies. I have no intentions of taking the test. I just like interdisciplinary courses that increase my basic literacy skills. These 2 courses are far more useful than many of the "more rigorous" courses. Just because something is rigorous doesn't make it useful :-0 The whole college entrance game is just nuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenC Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 My oldest dd will be doing the AP geography this year. I looked at a sample syllabus at collegeboard.com and I googled "AP geography syllabus". I found some great information online. We will be using two of the most common textbooks, The Cultural Landscape by James Rubenstein and Human Geography: People, Place, and Culture by H.J. de Blij. We'll also use the AP Study Guide by Blij. We haven't actually started this yet so I don't know how it will work out. Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kangato3 Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 My dd (10th) will be taking the AP Human Geography next year as her first AP and is signed up with PA Homeschoolers. She's working through suggested optional summer readings for the course, and I must say the books have sparked very interesting discussions about society and culture. I think the class is going to be terrific - and very relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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