1. Balanced Achievement and Accountability
Grade 9 Human Geography
February 3, 2009

2. What is Human Geography?
Human geography examines where people live and how this impacts their cultural development.
The development of human culture, including political and economic ideas, is determined by the geographic location of people.

3. Vision for Grade 9 Human Geography
The goal of Human Geography is to help students see the world’s cultures through a geographer’s eyes. The students will be able to make better sense of the world around them through development of an understanding of the intersection of the physical and human worlds.

4. Where does Human Geography fit into the departmental vision scaffold?
Human Geography is the foundational course on which the remaining content is built.
It provides students with the basic tools to explain social, political and economic development of regions and peoples.
Students learn to answer the “how” questions about spatial patterns of development - how the environment shapes cultural evolution.

5. Essential Components to be used in teaching Human Geography
Geography Alive! Regions and People
RHS PSSA Reading Initiative - supplemental articles and PSSA-style questions
RHS Writing and Vocabulary Initiatives
CFF Technology and Instructional Practices

6. Prioritized Curriculum
Essential/CCP
Important/CP
Compact/H/EA
Tools of Geography
Seeing the World Like a Geographer
Urban Sprawl in N.Am.
Land Use Conflict in Amazon Rainforest
Women in Developing Africa
Resources and Power in post-apartheid South Africa
Oil in Southwest Asia
Global Sneaker -Globalization in the World
Spatial Inequality in Mexico
Nigeria: A Country of Cultures
China
Enrichment -Middle East Conflict; Genocide in Africa
Tech Workers in India
Enrichment - Genocide in Africa, Middle East Conflict; Influence of Gandhi

7. Prioritization of Curriculum
CCP CP
H/EA
General
Ch. 1, 2
Ch. 1,2
Canada/NA
Ch. 5
Latin America
Ch. 12
Ch. 9, 12
Africa
Ch. 21, 23
Ch. 21, 22, 23 + EA
Ch. 21, 22, 23 +EA
Asia
Ch. 24, 32
Ch. 24, 30, 32 + EA
Ch. 24, 28, 30, 32 +EA

8. Semester Timeline for CCP
Chapter 1: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 2: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 5: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 12: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 21: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 23: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 24: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 32: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Total: days - instruction
8 days - summative assessment
1 day - final examination

9. Key Issues for CCP Chapter 1 - How to Use and Interpret Maps
Chapter 2 - Using Physical and Topographical Features
to explain human behavior and issue
development
Chapter 5 - Impact of Urban Sprawl Worldwide
Chapter 9 - Impact of Spatial Inequality and Urbanization
Chapter 12 - Causes and Solutions of Land Use Conflict
Chapter 21 - Micro-entrepreneurs in Developing Nations
Chapter 23 - Changes in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Chapter 24 - Impact of Natural Resources on the
Politics of the Middle East
Chapter 32 - Globalization

10. Semester Timeline for CP
Chapter 1-2: days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 5: days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 9 and 12: days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 21 and 22: 13 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 23: 6 days + 1 day assessment
Enrichment - Middle East: 6 days
Chapter 24: 5 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 30: 9 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 32: 6 days + 1 day assessment
Enrichment - Genocide: 6 days
Enrichment - United Nations 8 days + 1 day assessment
Total: days - instruction
9 days - summative assessment
1 day - final examination

11. Key Issues for CP Chapter 1 - How to Use and Interpret Maps
Chapter 2 - Using Physical and Topographical Features
to explain human behavior and issue
development
Chapter 5 - Impact of Urban Sprawl Worldwide
Chapter 9 - Impact of Spatial Inequality and Urbanization
Chapter 12 - Causes and Solutions of Land Use Conflict
Chapter 21 - Micro-entrepreneurs in Developing Nations
Chapter 22 - Cultural and Economic Diversity of Africa
Chapter 23 - Changes in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Chapter 24 - Impact of Natural Resources on the
Politics of the Middle East
Chapter 30 - Demographic Changes of Global Population
Chapter 32 - Globalization
Enrichment - Genocide; The United Nations; Middle East

12. Semester Timeline for Honors / EA
Chapter 1-2: days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 5: days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 9 and 12: days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 21 and 22: 10 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 23: 5 days + 1 day assessment
Enrichment - Middle East: 6 days
Chapter 24: 5 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 28: 5 days + 1 day assessment
Enrichment - Gandhi 4 days
Chapter 30: 9 days + 1 day assessment
Chapter 32: 6 days + 1 day assessment
Enrichment - Genocide: 6 days
Enrichment - United Nations 4 days + 1 day assessment
Total: days - instruction
10 days - summative assessment
1 day - final examination

13. Key Issues for Honors / EA
Chapter 1 - How to Use and Interpret Maps
Chapter 2 - Using Physical and Topographical Features
to explain human behavior and issue
development
Chapter 5 - Impact of Urban Sprawl Worldwide
Chapter 9 - Impact of Spatial Inequality and Urbanization
Chapter 12 - Causes and Solutions of Land Use Conflict
Chapter 21 - Micro-entrepreneurs in Developing Nations
Chapter 22 - Cultural and Economic Diversity of Africa
Chapter 23 - Changes in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Chapter 24 - Impact of Natural Resources on the
Politics of the Middle East
Chapter 28 - The Global IT Revolution
Chapter 30 - Demographic Changes of Global Population
Chapter 32 - Globalization
Enrichment - Genocide; U.N.; Middle East; Gandhi

14. Curriculum Specifics
Reading Notes section found in the Interactive Student Notebook
Graphic Organizers in designated chapters
Selected Mapping Labs
Selected Role Plays and collaborative investigations
Use of online resources at
Use of Geography Alive! structured common assessments that focus on mastery, application and analysis
Use of PSSA-style reading articles and questions as part of the RHS initiative
Summary Point and purposeful writing activities

15. New Departmental Electives for 2010-2011 School Year
Global Issues
Focus on contemporary world issues.
Medieval History
Focus on medieval world and its key figures and influence.
Ancient History
Focus on ancient India, China, Rome, Greece, Egypt and South American civilizations.

16. Professional Development Schedule Human Geography
June 15 and 16, 2009: Contractual time fulfillment for those teachers who have not yet completed this obligation. Summer stipend rate for those teachers who have met this obligation.