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