AP Human Geography (Sem 1)
Course Description:
This is the first semester of a two semester course sequence. AP Human Geography introduces high school students to college-level introductory human geography or cultural geography. The content is presented thematically rather than regionally and is organized around the discipline’s main subfields: economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. The approach is spatial and problem oriented. Case studies are drawn from all world regions, with an emphasis on understanding the world in which we live today. Historical information serves to enrich analysis of the impacts of phenomena such as globalization, colonialism, and human–environment relationships on places, regions, cultural landscapes, and patterns of interaction. Students also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications. The curriculum reflects the goals of the National Geography Standards (2012). There are no prerequisites for AP Human Geography; however, students should be able to read college level texts and write grammatically correct, complete sentences. The AP Human Geography Course and Exam Description from the College Board includes a content outline in the form of Unit Guides which is structured around, from most general to most specific, big ideas, enduring understandings, learning objectives, and essential knowledge pieces as per Understanding by Design® pedagogy. This leads to a thematic orientation of the course.
Course Details:
| Course Title (District): |
AP Human Geography (Sem 1) |
| Course Title (NCES SCED) : |
AP Human Geography |
| Course Provider : |
Michigan Virtual |
| Content Provided By : |
Florida Virtual School |
| Online Instructor Provided By : |
Michigan Virtual |
| Standards Addressed : |
CollegeBoard, National Collegiate Athletic Association |
| Alignment Document : |
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yUQ_cUvDpJVPB8nuTXAGjNQ0COOD_lEe/view?usp=sharing |
| Academic Terms : |
Semester |
| NCES SCED Code : 04004 |
| Subject Area : |
Social Sciences and History |
| Course Identifier : |
AP Human Geography |
| Course Level : |
High School (Secondary) |
| Available Credit : |
0.5 |
| Sequence : |
1 of 2 |
|
How To Enroll:
Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or
registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration
Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for
the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the
registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with
your school after submitting a registration request.
Start Registration Request
Additional Course Information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (888) 889-2840
Additional Cost Description:
None. The course contains all required content and materials to prepare for the AP subject area exam. If you are interested in supplemental texts, the following are appropriate college-level resources that support the College Board Course and Exam Description for AP Human Geography:
- Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
- Bjelland, Mark, Daniel R. Montello, Jerome Fellman, Arthur Getis, and Judith Getis. Human Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Analyze geographic theories, approaches, concepts, processes, or models in theoretical and applied contexts
- Analyze geographic patterns, relationships, and outcomes in applied contexts
- Analyze and interpret quantitative geographic data represented in maps, tables, charts, graphs, satellite images, and infographics
- Analyze and interpret qualitative geographic information represented in maps, images (e.g., satellite, photographs, cartoons), and landscapes
- Analyze geographic theories, approaches, concepts, processes, and models across geographic scales to explain spatial relationships
- Demonstrate geoliteracy and engagement with contemporary global issues, informed by awareness of multicultural viewpoints
NSQ National Standards for Quality Online Courses: Third Edition (2019)
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Rating
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Comments |
| A1. A course overview and syllabus are included in the online course |
Fully Met
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| A2. Minimum computer skills and digital literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated.* |
Fully Met
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| A3. The instructor’s biographical information and information on how to communicate with the instructor are provided to learners and other stakeholders. |
Fully Met
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| A4. Learner expectations and policies are clearly stated and readily accessible within the introductory material of the course. |
Fully Met
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| A5. Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided.* |
Fully Met
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| A6. Grading policies and practices are clearly defined in accordance with course content learning expectations. |
Fully Met
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| A7. The online course provides a clear description or link to the technical support offered and how to obtain it.* |
Fully Met
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| A8. Learners are offered an orientation prior to the start of the online course. |
Fully Met
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Rating
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Comments |
| B1. The online course objectives or competencies are measurable and clearly state what the learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of successfully completing the course.* |
Fully Met
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| B3. The online course content is aligned with accepted state and/or other accepted content standards, where applicable.* |
Fully Met
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| B4. Digital literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum.* |
Fully Met
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| B5. Supplemental learning resources and related instructional materials are available to support and enrich learning and are aligned to the specific content being delivered.* |
Fully Met
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| B6. The online course content and supporting materials reflect a culturally diverse perspective that is free of bias.* |
Fully Met
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| B7. The online course materials (e.g., textbooks, primary source documents, OER) that support course content standards are accurate and current. |
Partially Met
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Some articles used in the course are outdated by more than 10 years. (Example: Article used in 06.04 Assignment was originally published in 2004.) |
| B8. The online course is free of adult content and avoids unnecessary advertisements.* |
Partially Met
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Several lessons/assessments link to external news sites that contain advertisments. |
| B9. Copyright and licensing status for any third-party content is appropriately cited and easily found. |
Fully Met
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| B10. Documentation and other support materials are available to support effective online course facilitation.* |
Fully Met
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| B2. The online course expectations are consistent with course-level objectives or competencies, are representative of the structure of the course, and are clearly stated. |
Partially Met
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Course provider's standard alignment chart shows correlations between content standards and lessons or assessment activitites. Alignment to learning objectives and instructional materials and tools are not disclosed. |
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Rating
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Comments |
| C1. The online course design includes activities that guide learners toward promoting ownership of their learning and self-monitoring.
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Fully Met
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| C2. The online course’s content and learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies. |
Partially Met
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Course provider's standard alignment chart shows correlations between content standards and lessons or assessment activitites. Alignment to learning objectives and instructional materials and tools are not disclosed. |
| C3. The online course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. |
Fully Met
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| C4. The online course content is appropriate to the reading level of the intended learners.* |
Fully Met
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| C5. The online course design includes introductory assignments or activities to engage learners within the first week of the course. |
Fully Met
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| C6. The online course provides learners with multiple learning paths as appropriate, based on learner needs, that engage learners in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
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| C7. The online course provides regular opportunities for learner-learner interaction. |
Partially Met
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All courses include as their first activity an introductory discussion board as an opportunity to engage with the instructor and other classmates. Expectations for learner interactions are provided in the discussion instructions and rubric. |
| C8. The online course design provides opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including opportunities for regular feedback about learner progress.* |
Fully Met
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| C9. Online course instructional materials and resources present content in an effective, engaging, and appropriate manner.* |
Partially Met
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Course is text heavy and utilizes little to no audio/visual media as instructional material. Some articles used in lessons/assessments are outdated by more than 10 years. (Example: Article used in 06.04 Assignment was originally published in 2004.) |
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Rating
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Comments |
| D1. Learner assessments are linked to stated course, unit, or lesson-level objectives or competencies. |
Partially Met
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Course provider's standard alignment chart shows correlations between content standards and lessons or assessment activitites. Alignment to learning objectives and instructional materials and tools are not disclosed. |
| D2. Valid course assessments measure learner progress toward mastery of content. |
Partially Met
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Some assessments do not align with the lessons, assessing students on concepts that have yet to be covered in the course. (Example: 02.09 Assignment assess the topic of cultural landscape, while this topic is not fully covered until Lesson 3.02.) |
| D3. Assessment practices provide routine and varied opportunities for self-monitoring and reflection of learning.* |
Partially Met
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Rubrics provide minimual information for self-assessment and are at times vague regarding criteria. |
| D4. Assessment materials provide the learner with the flexibility to demonstrate mastery in a variety of ways.* |
Fully Met
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| D5. Rubrics that clearly define expectations for varied levels of proficiency are created and shared with learners.* |
Fully Met
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Rating
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Comments |
| E1. Online course navigation is logical, consistent, and efficient from the learner’s point of view.* |
Fully Met
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| E2. The online course design facilitates readability.* |
Fully Met
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| E3. The online course provides accessible course materials and activities to meet the needs of diverse learners.* |
Fully Met
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| E4. Course multimedia facilitate ease of use.* |
Fully Met
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| E5. Vendor accessibility statements are provided for all technologies required in the course.* |
Fully Met
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Rating
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Comments |
| F1. Educational tools ensure learner privacy and maintain confidentiality of learner information in accordance with local, state, and national laws for learner data. |
Fully Met
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| F2. The online course tools support the learning objectives or competencies.* |
Partially Met
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Course provider's standard alignment chart shows correlations between content standards and lessons or assessment activitites. Alignment to learning objectives and instructional materials and tools are not disclosed. |
| F3. The online course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate learners’ needs and preferences.* |
Partially Met
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Instructor role permissions within Michigan Virtual's learning management system permit instructors to add supplemental content and external or personally authored resources both within lesson folders and the Teacher Feed announcement forum on the class homepage. Instructors may also customize individual students' pacing due dates and to add automated communications based on learner behavior as well as accommodations such as extended testing time, multiple attempts, and scoring exemptions for extenuating circumstances. The primary course content is desgined by the content provider, however, to align to state and national content standards and provide a guaranteed and viable curriculum to all learners, and therefore there are restrictions on instructor permissions to modify content or the scope and sequence of course assessments. |
| F4. The course allows instructors to control the release of content.* |
Fully Met
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| F5. The course provides the necessary technical functionality to score and record assessments and calculate earned course points or grades.* |
Fully Met
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Rating
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Comments |
| G1. The online course uses multiple methods and sources of input for assessing course effectiveness. |
Fully Met
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| G2. The online course is reviewed to ensure that the course is current. |
Fully Met
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| G3. The online course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness based on the findings from ongoing reviews. |
Fully Met
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Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review:
03/26/2026
Module 1: Thinking Geographically
Module 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes
Module 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes
Module 4: Political Patterns and Processes
| Term Type |
Enrollment Opens |
Enrollment Ends |
Random Draw Date |
Enrollment Drop Date |
Course Starts |
Course Ends |
# of Seats |
Course Fee |
Potential Additional Costs |
|
Semester |
04/01/2026 |
09/18/2026 |
07/01/2026 |
09/11/2026 |
08/28/2026 |
01/15/2027 |
100 |
$450 |
|
| Drop Policy |
Completion Policy |
Term Type |
Enrollment Opens |
Enrollment Ends |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. |
Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. |
Semester |
04/01/2026 |
09/18/2026 |
Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/
Lightweight devices such as Apple iPads, Google Chromebooks, and tablets have limited support for Java or Flash which still appear in a small percentage of our catalog. While FLVS does not offer technical support for these devices, FLVS is working to remove Flash from their remaining course content. Students will need extra work-around steps or alternate browsers to engage with some portions of those courses. FLVS recommends students have a Windows or Mac based computer available to complete coursework in the event that your selected mobile device does not meet the needs of the course. Fully supported Operating Systems for FLVS courses include Windows (10 or higher) and MacOS (11 or higher). Supported Browsers include the most recent versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari on devices that support Java and HTML5. Browsers need to be up to date, and some FLVS courses may require installation or enabling of the following Plug-ins: JavaScript enabled, Cookies enabled, Java installed. https://www.flvs.net/student-parent-resources/more/system-requirements
