Introduction to AP Human Geography
Introduction to AP Human Geography
Interaction: the relationship between humans and their environment.
Adaptation• How do humans adapt (adjust)
to better fit into their environment?• Clothing, housing, behavior
• New Yorkers often don’t own cars. • Too crowded, too hard to park
Modification
Interaction: the relationship between humans and their environment.
Adaptation• How do humans adapt/adjust
to better fit into their environment.• Clothing, housing, behavior
• New Yorkers often don’t own cars.
• Too crowded, too hard to park• Use the subway or walk
Modification• How do humans
modify/alter their environment to better suit themselves, examples:• infrastructure• public improvements• engineering
“God created the earth, but the Dutch created Holland” = “polders”
Cultural Ecology• Cultural ecology = study of human-env. relationships:
• how diff.cultural groups adapt to/modify env in distinctive ways; also, how major determinants of civilization, such as climate, effect development.
• Carl Ritter (1779-1859); “determinist”• Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859); “determinist”
• Determinism: break down the word. What do you think it means?• “pre-determined”
• Possibilism: break down the word. What do you think it means?• “anything is possible”
Env. Determinism vs. Possibilism•Environmental Determinism:
• Human advancements or lack thereof are caused by the possibilities/limits of the environment. In other words, the physical env caused social development.
• Environment determines success or failure of a civilization.• Carl Ritter + Alexander von Humboldt (1800s)
•Possibilism:• More modern / widely accepted; opposes determinism.• Physical environment can limit human actions, BUT humans
adjust, adapt + overcome environmental shortcomings.• Anything is possible!
Video: Env Determinism vs. Possibilism
Case Studies • Read Case Study #1: “Rising Seas: Will the
Outer Banks Survive?”• DO NOT WRITE ON ARTICLES!
• As you are reading, start completing graphic organizer, connecting the articles to the ideas of environmental determinism & possibilism.
• Share out answers with group.• A completed group worksheet will be collected
from each table.
SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTA
INA
BILITY
Cultural ecology
• The geographic study of human-environmental relationships
• Two main ideas:• Environmental determinism vs. possibilism
• Distribute handout summary.• Play video:• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsZBnHxu95w