Advanced Placement^® Human Geography: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

ABSTRACT

Over the past fifteen years, AP Human Geography has grown in numbers and spread to almost every state. This article synopsizes the early history of the subject, summarizes the course and the exam, highlights positive impacts on the discipline of geography, and focuses on the following three issues: teachers who come to the course having majored in other subjects, the large numbers of students taking the exam as ninth graders, and the need to incorporate more geospatial technologies and critical geography into the course outline.

Key Words::

• AP Human Geography
• geographic education
• geographic skills

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David A. Lanegran

David A. Lanegran is professor emeritus of geography at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. He also served on the Test Development Taskforce, a member and chair of the Test Development Committee and as chief reader for AP Human Geography.

Donald J. Zeigler

Donald J. Zeigler is professor of geography at Old Dominion University, Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA. He also served as a member and chair of the development committee and is currently chief reader for AP Human Geography.