*UPDATE: February 6th, 2021. New segments in italics.

I am a “HuGe” (get it?) fan of our online PLT and the ingenious methods and procedures that help weave in course skills into content.

This past week, I reflected on the ways that I teach map skills in hopes of providing a more methodic way to get students into the mindset of various stimuli analysis. I viewed David Palmer’s 4-Level Map Analysis video where he breaks down how to attack a map, chart, graph, or aerial photo (14:44).  Inspired by this procedure, and finding myself beginning CED topic 2.1 (Population Distributions), I tried my hand at using the 4-step approach and walking students through it using maps alone.

This 4 step approach has its foundations in the AP Human Geography CED. You can find the 4-Levels progressively displayed on the Course Skills page of the CED. This method appears to have roots in South Dakota State University’s Charles F. Gritzner. College Board has a helpful introduction to this method.

Upon review, I decided to take it one level further and have students consider the limitations of the presented stimuli, which would require a 5th step. The ability to complete the 5th step really showcases mastery. I frame this multi-stepped approach to stimuli analysis that reflects how we grade our AP exams, but on a scale of 1-5. We all know that the first 1-2 questions of each FRQ are low-order (Identify and Define) and are the easiest ways that our students can score points. The high-order questions (Describe, Compare, Explain, Explain the extent/limitation/degree) start to really expose what a student understands, and where point awarding wanes.

Let’s take a closer look at this proposed 5-Step approach to stimuli analysis that builds off of the 4-level approach:

1. Who / What?
   • Here is where I ask students to be able to IDENTIFY the map topic, basic elements of the map, map type, region identification, when this data is from, (1st of a potential 5 points earned)
2. Where?
   • Consider geographic site and situation factors, and types of distributions. Any agglomerations of data that strike them should be noted. I also remind them that it is important to pay attention to places where they DON’T see agglomerations.  Scale, and scale of analysis at which the data is presented should also be considered.(2nd of a potential 5 points earned).
3. Why There?
   • Use your favorite acronym (S.P.E.E.D.S. or E.S.P.EN.D.C.) to have students identify the potential social, political, economic, environmental, or demographic causes for the spatial distributions observed in step 2. I tell students that they don’t need to do ALL of them, but that they should consider them, and identify their strongest 1-2 hypothesis. (3rd of a potential 5 points earned)
4. Why Care?
   • Here, students build on the previous step to suggest the potential social, political, economic, environmental, or demographic consequences, impacts, effects, outcomes of the spatial distribution observed in step 2. (4th of a potential 5 points earned).
5. Evaluations to Dare
   • This is the level that really showcases a student’s ability to stretch their mind past the presented stimuli in front of their faces. You will notice in the course skills that the highest order thinking skills are dedicated to identifying the possible limitations of the data and resources provided. The history courses will tell you that they’ve been doing this sort of thing for ages (pun intended), but this skill is relatively new to the APHG course (5th of a potential 5 points earned).

If I use the vernacular of a familiar app I use called Albert.io:

• 1 point = STRUGGLING
• 2 points = PASSING
• 3 points = PROFICIENT
• 4 points = EXCELLING
• 5 points = MASTERY

In the end, I told them that if they practice these steps enough, it becomes second nature and they begin to look at maps differently than before. At some point, they wouldn’t need to go through the 5-step analysis, it would just come to them (at least we hope).

I plan to expand this in further units using charts, graphs, and imagery. My first attempt went really well and I largely thank our online community for giving me the focus to investigate this topic further.

THANK YOU!

Below is the lesson that I used with my students if you are interested.

• I used these during remote learning with my students broken into random Zoom breakout rooms. After 15 minutes of collaboration, they came back into the main room, shared their maps full screen (or the teacher can), while each person of the team told the class about their map.
  • 5-minute instructions
  • 15 minute brainstorm session within breakout rooms/groups
  • 30-40 minutes of presentation (But honestly, you can drag this out for two 60-minute periods).
• Students can also complete on their own, though you might want to have them choose 3-5 to work with.
• or, students and teacher can do this as a class together.

Click for TpT Lesson

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