In this episode of Byte-Sized Human Geography, we unpack the latest updates by the College Board with regard to AP tests for Spring 2020. We look specifically at dates, how the exam is structured, consequences of cheating, and ways to help you prepare for this year’s exam. This is Human Geography byte-sized - big concepts in small chunks of time for all learners at every level. It's Human Geography, made simple!
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Listener Notes:
Dates - students polled —wanted earlier exam dates -- didn't want to forget material
- May 12th - first date, everyone at same time taking it worldwide, check the AP website for your timezone
- June 1st backup date, you’ll have to get permission from AP administrators at school to do this.
Exam Structure - 2 FRQs
- FRQ 1 - 25 minutes to take, 5 minutes to upload - 2 stimuli
- FRQ 2 - 15 minute, 5 minutes to upload 1 stimulus material — stimulus material - maps, charts, graphs, any type of quantitative data - measurable data.
https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/educators/taking-the-exams/ap-exam-schedule
How are you taking it?
- College Board spent millions of dollars on a new platform
- You will have several choices - take it on a computer, tablet, phone, and type and respond, or you can take a picture of your exam and upload it.
- Practice, practice, practice
- CB will be releasing simulations and videos to help you practice
Cheating
- CB has lots of new tech to detect/prevent
- Exams are structured to not be able to cheat; not Googleable
- You won’t have time…if you spend all your time looking at your notes, you won’t be able to finish.
- CB reports you to all the colleges that you sent your info to. AND… you can never take another CB test ever again — no AP, CLEP, PSAT, SAT tests
How to prepare
- Vocabulary - understanding and applying main terms of course. Look at CED for this - highlight the terms you don’t know and find out what they mean. https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-human-geography-course-and-exam-description.pdf
- Review notes, teacher PowerPoints, maps - https://lizardpoint.com/ great website to help with that. Arizona alliance helps with that, too. https://geoalliance.asu.edu/maps/regions
- Big picture items
- Look for every opportunity to apply concepts of the class
- Coronavirus ->
- Population DTM; Epidemiological transition; migration laws, older people, development affecting countries respond
- Unit1 Nature & Perspectives - contagious diffusion, relocation diffusion, GIS, Maps - how many have you seen! distance decay
- Agriculture - food deserts, supply chains, food/cold chains, subsidies
- Political - supranational organizations, federalism/unitary, 9 dash line dispute; borders/sovereignty.
- Netflix has great documentaries:
- Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
- World’s Busiest Cities
- Any food or travel documentary
