Transcript Howard Gardner: Five Minds

Synthesis: A Critical Skill for
AP Human Geography &
the 21st Century
JODY SMOTHERS
MARCELLO
SITKA HIGH SCHOOL,
SITKA, ALASKA
AP HUMAN
GEOGRAPHY READER
NATIONAL COUNCIL
FOR GEOGRAPHIC
EDUCATION
EDITOR, THE
GEOGRAPHY
TEACHER
WHY?
S
Y
N
T
H
E
S
I
S
Howard
Gardner: Five
Minds
o Disciplinary Mind: the
mastery of major schools of
thought, including
science, mathematics, &
history, & of at least one
professional craft.
o Synthesizing Mind: the
ability to integrate ideas
from different disciplines
or spheres into a coherent
whole & to communicate
that integration to others.
o Creating Mind: the capacity
to uncover & clarify new
problems, questions &
phenomena.
o Respectful Mind: awareness
of & appreciation for
differences among
human beings & human
groups.
o Ethical Mind: fulfillment of
one‘s responsibilities as a
worker & as a citizen.
(Speech at AP Annual
Conference, Seattle, 2008)
oSynthesizing Mind: the ability to integrate
ideas from different disciplines or spheres into
a coherent whole & to communicate that
integration to others.
Synthesizing
Discipline
o Human
geography
o Physical
geography
Human geography: the study of the
spatial organization of human activity and
of people’s relationship with their
environment (Knox & Marston)
21st
Century
oObserve,
synthesize,
present data
oWide range of
interdisciplinary
studies in the
21st century
http://www.p21.org/documents/21stcskillsmap_geog.pdf
21st
Century
oOutcome:
Frames, analyzes
and synthesizes
information in
order to solve
problems and
answer questions
http://www.p21.org/documents/21stcskillsmap_geog.pdf
Geographic
Skills
o Ask geographic
questions
 Ask: Identifies substantial geographic issues &
o Acquire
geographic
information

o Organize
geographic
information


o Analyze
geographic
information
o Answer geographic
questions

problems
Acquire: Systematically, accurately, & thoroughly
locates & gathers geographic information from a
variety of primary & secondary sources
Organize: Selects & designs elaborate and/or
multiple forms of maps, graphs, diagrams,
tables, & charts to organize geographic information
Analyze: Thoroughly & extensively uses complex
processes of analysis, synthesis, evaluation &
explanation to interpret geographic information
from a variety of sources
Answer: Formulates valid, complex
generalizations from the results of a full array of
geographic inquiry methods
WHY?
SYNTHESIS
IN
AP HUMAN
GEOGRAPHY
Any
Curriculum
or Course
Three
Enduring
Questions
Aligned
Curriculum
 Have I read the course outline?
 Intended curriculum
 Have I done the instruction?
 Delivered curriculum
 Have I given students the tools to be
successful on the exam?

Assessed curriculum
AP Human
Geography Course
Outline (Intended
Curriculum)
Key skills:
Maps & spatial
data
Associations
among
phenomena
Patterns &
processes
Regions
Changing
interconnections
How to:
 1. use and think about
maps and spatial data
 2. understand and
interpret the
implications of
associations among
phenomena in places
 3. recognize and
interpret at different
scales the relationships
among patterns and
processes
 4. define regions and
evaluate the
regionalization
process
 5. characterize and
analyze changing
interconnections
among places
AP Human
Geography Free
Response Items
(Assessed
Curriculum)
From the AP Central
Website:
o
Specific concept
and its application
to real-world
situations
o
Ability to pull
together and
synthesize material
from across the
course
o
Depth of
knowledge of a
topic + ability to
apply & analyze
concepts across
geographical
contexts
The Exam: Section II: Free-Response
 In the free-response section, you will be asked to write cogent
answers to three constructed response questions. The
questions may require you to interrelate different topical
areas and to analyze and evaluate geographical concepts.
Questions may be based on stimulus material such as verbal
description, maps, graphs, photographs, and diagrams. You
are expected to use your analytical and organizational skills
to formulate answers in writing your essays.
 The free-response section usually includes one question that
tests a specific concept in geography and its application to
real-world situations, one question that tests your ability to
pull together and synthesize material from across the
course, and one question that tests your depth of knowledge
of a topic and gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your
ability to apply and analyze geographic concepts across
geographic contexts.
 Remember to answer each question in the way it is
structured. Points are allocated for sub-parts of the question
and not for the overall answer. Your answer should be in
essay form. Outlines and unlabeled diagrams and maps are
not acceptable final answers. Learn to think outside of the
box, and you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your
understanding of key concepts in geography.
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/humangeo/exam.html?
humangeo
An
example
Course
Outline:
Intended
Curriculum
IV. Political Organization of Space . . . . …………………………….........13–17%
A. Territorial dimensions of politics
1. The concept of territoriality
2. The nature and meaning of boundaries
3. Influences of boundaries on identity, interaction, and exchange
4. Federal and unitary states
5. Spatial relationships between political patterns and patterns
of ethnicity, economy, and environment
B. Evolution of the contemporary political pattern
1. The nation-state concept
2. Colonialism and imperialism
3. Democratization
C. Changes and challenges to political–territorial arrangements
1. Changing nature of sovereignty
2. Fragmentation, unification, alliance
3. Supranationalism and devolution
4. Electoral geography, including gerrymandering
5. Terrorism
The modern state system is
engaged in a struggle between
the forces of supranationalism
and devolution.
1.
Past Questions
Analysis
2005 #1
• modern state
system
• supranationalism
A.
B.
• devolution
• political
geography
• economic
geography
• Europe
C.
Define both terms and give an
example of each.
With reference to the political and
economic geography of Europe,
briefly discuss three changes
resulting from supranationalism.
With reference to the political and
economic geography of Europe,
briefly discuss three changes
resulting from devolution.
Course
Outline =
Assessment
=Instruction
?
Do we have
alignment?
• Instructional
planning report as
one tool
• Multiple textbooks
• Examine own
teaching
• Search for/create
tools
Source: de Blij, Murphy, Fouberg, p. 238.
The viability of any state
depends on a balance between
centripetal and centrifugal
forces.
1.
Past Questions
Analysis
2006 #3
A.
• centripetal force
• centrifugal force
B.
• state
• region of South
Asia (Pakistan,
India, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Nepal)
C.
Define the concepts “centripetal
force” and “centrifugal force.”
Give a specific example and explain a
centripetal force that affects the
viability of any state shown on the
map above.
With reference to a different specific
example, explain a centrifugal force
that affects the viability of any state
shown on the map above.
No central core
area
Ambiguous
boundaries; high
population
density in
frontiers areas
Centripetal Forces
Human Group
STATE
Long history of occupation
Different
languages,
strong minority
groups
Short history of occupation
Centrifugal Forces
Territory
Source: Haggett, Peter. Geography: A Global Synthesis. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall, 2001. pp. 518-520.
Strong language,
common cultural
history
Strong polarizing,
core area
Well-defined &
uncontested
boundaries (e.g.
sea, mountain
ranges); low
population
density in frontier
areas
Let’s do an
example
1. Start
with
partners
2. Build to
groups
of 6
Source: Knox and Marston
Stop and discuss
HUMAN GROUPS
STATE
TERRITORY
Whole Picture???
Synthesizing Mind: the ability to integrate
ideas from different disciplines
or spheres into a coherent whole & to
communicate that integration to others.
Assessment
Scoring assessments:
projects throughout the
year
 Geographic Skills Scoring Guide
 Opportunity to improve (Palmer Wolf)
 Chance to revise (Darling Hammond)
 Learning trend (Marzano)
Offers the opportunity
to synthesize
information in each
unit
Construct knowledge
Source: Knox and Marston
Assessment
 Free Response Items: 2010 #3
 Demographic transition + population
pyramids + economic development
Scoring
assessments: free
response items
Can or did your
students make the
connections?
UK Geography
Source: Knox and Marston
Instruction
o Map Analysis
o Refugee Assignment
o Cultural Assignment
o HDI or China
Assignment
o Black Gold
o Geopolitical Diagram
o Urban Questions:
Canada/US (geo
questions on DC as
activity)
o Rwanda review
AP Human
Geography Course
Outline (Intended
Curriculum)
Key skills:
Maps & spatial
data
Associations
among
phenomena
Patterns &
processes
Regions
Changing
interconnections
How to:
 1. use and think about
maps and spatial data
 2. understand and
interpret the
implications of
associations among
phenomena in places
 3. recognize and
interpret at different
scales the relationships
among patterns and
processes
 4. define regions and
evaluate the
regionalization
process
 5. characterize and
analyze changing
interconnections
among places
How do we make the
match among the
intended, delivered,
and assessed APHG
curriculum & provide
opportunities for
synthesis?
How?
 Free response questions early

Key skills:
Maps & spatial
data
Associations
among
phenomena
Patterns &
processes
Regions
Changing
interconnections
7 units:

Nature
Population
Culture
Political
Economic
Urban
Agriculture


and often (Gillespie re:
Fellman, Getis, and Getis ?s)
Free response questions that cut
across units
Review not just by concepts or
units but across concepts and
units (Rwanda example)
Let students construct synthesis
Feedback (opportunity to
improve, revise, learn)
Sources
College Board. AP Human Geography Course Outline and Website.
de Blij, H. J., Murphy, Alexander B., and Fouberg, Erin H. Human Geography:
People, Place, and Culture. 8th edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., 2007.
Gardner, Howard. Presentation. AP Annual Conference, Seattle, July, 2008.
Geography and 21st Century Skills. Tuscon: Partnership for 21st Cenutry Skills,
May 2009. Accessed at:
http://www.p21.org/documents/21stcskillsmap_geog.pdf.
Haggett, Peter. Geography: A Global Synthesis. Harlow, England: Prentice
Hall, 2001.518-520.
Knox, Paul L. and Marston, Sallie A. Places and Regions in Global Context:
Human Geography. 4th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice
Hall, 2007.
Photos in presentation by Jody Smothers Marcello.
[email protected]