AP Human Geography Reading and Writing Workshop
Reading & Writing Workshop: The Impact of Globalization on Human & Physical Geographies
Overview
This workshop explores how globalization influences economies, cultures, politics, the environment, and global disparities. Through case studies, geographic models, and critical analysis, students will evaluate how interconnectedness reshapes human and physical geographies.
Learning Objectives
Week 1: Foundations of Globalization
Reading Focus:
Week 2: Economic & Political Impacts of Globalization
Reading Focus:
Week 3: Cultural and Social Transformations
Reading Focus:
Week 4: Environmental Challenges & Global Disparities
Reading Focus:
Final Project: Globalization in Your Community
Students will research a local industry, cultural tradition, or environmental issue impacted by globalization. They will create a multimedia presentation (essay, podcast, or video) analyzing how interconnectedness has shaped their local geography.
Assessment Criteria:
This workshop encourages historical perspectives, geographic analysis, and writing across disciplines, equipping students to critically evaluate globalization’s effects.
Overview
This workshop explores how globalization influences economies, cultures, politics, the environment, and global disparities. Through case studies, geographic models, and critical analysis, students will evaluate how interconnectedness reshapes human and physical geographies.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze globalization's effects on different aspects of society.
- Apply geographic models to case studies.
- Evaluate primary and secondary sources to support arguments.
- Develop expository and argumentative writing skills.
Week 1: Foundations of Globalization
Reading Focus:
- Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776) – Excerpts (economic globalization, free markets)
- David Ricardo, Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817) – Comparative advantage
- Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto (1848) – Excerpts on capitalism & class struggle
- Socratic Seminar: How have early economic theories influenced modern globalization?
- Mapping Global Trade: Students analyze historical trade routes and their modern counterparts.
- Writing Task: Short response—How do Smith, Ricardo, and Marx predict globalization's impact on inequality?
Week 2: Economic & Political Impacts of Globalization
Reading Focus:
- John Maynard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace (1919) – Excerpts (economic interdependence, post-WWI economies)
- Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points Speech (1918) (internationalism, global governance)
- United Nations Charter (1945) – Preamble & Key Articles
- Case Study: How has globalization affected developing economies?
- Debate: "Does globalization strengthen or weaken national sovereignty?"
- Writing Task: Argumentative essay—Does Keynes’s warning about economic interdependence apply to today’s world?
Week 3: Cultural and Social Transformations
Reading Focus:
- Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (1835) – Excerpts on cultural exchange
- W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk (1903) – Excerpts on racial identity in a globalizing world
- Folk Tales & Myths from different cultures (Public domain stories to show diffusion of cultural narratives)
- Comparative Analysis: How do Tocqueville and Du Bois view cultural exchange and identity?
- Case Study: Globalization’s impact on language and indigenous cultures.
- Writing Task: Narrative essay—Describe how globalization has shaped a local tradition or cultural practice.
Week 4: Environmental Challenges & Global Disparities
Reading Focus:
- George Perkins Marsh, Man and Nature (1864) – Excerpts on environmental change
- Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (1962) – Introduction (public domain excerpts)
- United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – Articles on economic and environmental rights
- Geographic Analysis: Use maps to track deforestation, climate change effects, and pollution patterns.
- Roundtable Discussion: Should wealthy nations be responsible for environmental damage in developing countries?
- Writing Task: Research-based essay—What are the long-term environmental consequences of globalization?
Final Project: Globalization in Your Community
Students will research a local industry, cultural tradition, or environmental issue impacted by globalization. They will create a multimedia presentation (essay, podcast, or video) analyzing how interconnectedness has shaped their local geography.
Assessment Criteria:
- Critical Thinking & Analysis (application of geographic and economic models)
- Use of Evidence (public domain sources, case studies, and research)
- Writing Clarity & Organization
- Engagement in Discussions & Debates
This workshop encourages historical perspectives, geographic analysis, and writing across disciplines, equipping students to critically evaluate globalization’s effects.