School Launch

Scope and sequence · History & Geography

Human Geography

An optional full-year, college-level high-school course that studies where people live and why: Malthus counting mouths and harvests in 1798, Ravenstein reading his laws of migration to the Statistical Society in London in 1885, the steamers that brought millions through Ellis Island, von Thünen measuring the rings of his farm in Mecklenburg, Christaller mapping the market towns of southern Germany and Burgess drawing his circles over Chicago, each model worked with real numbers, tested against the evidence and weighed for what it explains and what it leaves out.

Print / save as PDF Open the course Course PDF Year plan builder

School Launch is a free helpful tool, not an accredited school or curriculum provider. It does not issue credits, transcripts, diplomas or grades of record. Parents and schools are responsible for meeting their own state or local requirements. More

What to cover

40 of 40 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.

Unit 1: Thinking Geographically

  • MUST COVER 1.1 Maps and Projections · exam
  • MUST COVER 1.2 Spatial Concepts · exam
  • MUST COVER 1.3 Data and GIS · exam
  • MUST COVER 1.4 Scales of Analysis · exam

Unit 2: Population

  • MUST COVER 2.1 Where People Live: Density and Distribution · exam
  • MUST COVER 2.2 Growth and the Demographic Transition · exam
  • MUST COVER 2.3 Malthus and His Critics · exam
  • MUST COVER 2.4 Population Pyramids: Reading the Shape of a Nation · exam

Unit 3: Migration

  • MUST COVER 3.1 Why People Move: Push, Pull and Ravenstein’s Laws · exam
  • MUST COVER 3.2 Great Migrations of History: The Atlantic Crossings and Ellis Island · exam
  • MUST COVER 3.3 Internal Migration: Westward Movement and the Move to Cities · exam
  • MUST COVER 3.4 Migration and Policy: Laws, Borders and Several Views · exam

Unit 4: Culture: Language and Religion

  • MUST COVER 4.1 Language Families · exam
  • MUST COVER 4.2 The Spread of Christianity · exam
  • MUST COVER 4.3 The World’s Religions on the Map · exam
  • MUST COVER 4.4 Sacred Places and Pilgrimage · exam

Unit 5: Political Geography

  • MUST COVER 5.1 States, Nations and Sovereignty · exam
  • MUST COVER 5.2 Boundaries · exam
  • MUST COVER 5.3 Federal and Unitary States · exam
  • MUST COVER 5.4 Supranational Organizations · exam

Unit 6: Agriculture

  • MUST COVER 6.1 The First Farms · exam
  • MUST COVER 6.2 Von Thünen’s Model · exam
  • MUST COVER 6.3 The Agricultural Revolutions · exam
  • MUST COVER 6.4 Farming Regions of the World · exam

Unit 7: Cities

  • MUST COVER 7.1 Why Cities Grow · exam
  • MUST COVER 7.2 Central Place Theory · exam
  • MUST COVER 7.3 Urban Models · exam
  • MUST COVER 7.4 Transportation and the City · exam

Unit 8: Industry and Development

  • MUST COVER 8.1 The Industrial Revolution’s Geography · exam
  • MUST COVER 8.2 Weber’s Location Theory · exam
  • MUST COVER 8.3 Rostow’s Stages and Their Critics · exam
  • MUST COVER 8.4 Trade and Development · exam

Unit 9: Geography and Stewardship

  • MUST COVER 9.1 Resources and Their Use · exam
  • MUST COVER 9.2 Water: Rivers, Aquifers and Dams · exam
  • MUST COVER 9.3 Land Use and Conservation · exam
  • MUST COVER 9.4 Natural Hazards and Human Response · exam

Unit 10: Exam Review

  • MUST COVER 10.1 Free-Response Practice: Models · exam
  • MUST COVER 10.2 Free-Response Practice: Maps and Data · exam
  • MUST COVER 10.3 Multiple-Choice Review · exam
  • MUST COVER 10.4 A Full Practice Exam · exam

36-week pacing calendar

From the course’s own 27-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.

WeekPlanDoneNotes
Wk 1Day 1: Lesson 1.1 Maps and Projections: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 1.1: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 1.1: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Lesson 1.2 Spatial Concepts: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 1.2: project and map notebook
Wk 2Day 1: Lesson 1.2: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Lesson 1.3 Data and GIS: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 1.3: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 1.3: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Lesson 1.4 Scales of Analysis: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 3Day 1: Lesson 1.4: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 1.4: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Unit 1 test
Day 4: Lesson 2.1 Where People Live: Density and Distribution: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 2.1: project and map notebook
Wk 4Day 1: Lesson 2.1: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Lesson 2.2 Growth and the Demographic Transition: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 2.2: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 2.2: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Lesson 2.3 Malthus and His Critics: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 5Day 1: Lesson 2.3: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 2.3: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Lesson 2.4 Population Pyramids: Reading the Shape of a Nation: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 2.4: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 2.4: practice set and corrections
Wk 6Day 1: Unit 2 test
Day 2: Lesson 3.1 Why People Move: Push, Pull and Ravenstein’s Laws: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 3.1: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 3.1: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Lesson 3.2 Great Migrations of History: The Atlantic Crossings and Ellis Island: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 7Day 1: Lesson 3.2: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 3.2: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Lesson 3.3 Internal Migration: Westward Movement and the Move to Cities: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 3.3: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 3.3: practice set and corrections
Wk 8Day 1: Lesson 3.4 Migration and Policy: Laws, Borders and Several Views: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 3.4: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 3.4: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Unit 3 test
Day 5: Lesson 4.1 Language Families: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 9Day 1: Lesson 4.1: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 4.1: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Lesson 4.2 The Spread of Christianity: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 4.2: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 4.2: practice set and corrections
Wk 10Day 1: Lesson 4.3 The World’s Religions on the Map: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 4.3: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 4.3: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Lesson 4.4 Sacred Places and Pilgrimage: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 4.4: project and map notebook
Wk 11Day 1: Lesson 4.4: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Unit 4 test
Day 3: Lesson 5.1 States, Nations and Sovereignty: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 5.1: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 5.1: practice set and corrections
Wk 12Day 1: Lesson 5.2 Boundaries: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 5.2: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 5.2: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Lesson 5.3 Federal and Unitary States: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 5.3: project and map notebook
Wk 13Day 1: Lesson 5.3: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Lesson 5.4 Supranational Organizations: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 5.4: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 5.4: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Unit 5 test
Wk 14Catch-up and review week (no new lessons)
Wk 15Day 1: Midterm review
Day 2: Midterm exam (Units 1–5)
Day 3: Lesson 6.1 The First Farms: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 6.1: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 6.1: practice set and corrections
Wk 16Day 1: Lesson 6.2 Von Thünen’s Model: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 6.2: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 6.2: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Lesson 6.3 The Agricultural Revolutions: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 6.3: project and map notebook
Wk 17Day 1: Lesson 6.3: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Lesson 6.4 Farming Regions of the World: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 6.4: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 6.4: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Unit 6 test
Wk 18Day 1: Lesson 7.1 Why Cities Grow: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 7.1: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 7.1: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Lesson 7.2 Central Place Theory: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 7.2: project and map notebook
Wk 19Day 1: Lesson 7.2: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Lesson 7.3 Urban Models: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 7.3: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 7.3: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Lesson 7.4 Transportation and the City: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 20Day 1: Lesson 7.4: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 7.4: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Unit 7 test
Day 4: Lesson 8.1 The Industrial Revolution’s Geography: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 8.1: project and map notebook
Wk 21Day 1: Lesson 8.1: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Lesson 8.2 Weber’s Location Theory: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 8.2: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 8.2: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Lesson 8.3 Rostow’s Stages and Their Critics: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 22Day 1: Lesson 8.3: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 8.3: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Lesson 8.4 Trade and Development: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 8.4: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 8.4: practice set and corrections
Wk 23Day 1: Unit 8 test
Day 2: Lesson 9.1 Resources and Their Use: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 3: Lesson 9.1: project and map notebook
Day 4: Lesson 9.1: practice set and corrections
Day 5: Lesson 9.2 Water: Rivers, Aquifers and Dams: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 24Day 1: Lesson 9.2: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 9.2: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Lesson 9.3 Land Use and Conservation: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 9.3: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 9.3: practice set and corrections
Wk 25Day 1: Lesson 9.4 Natural Hazards and Human Response: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 9.4: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 9.4: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Unit 9 test
Day 5: Lesson 10.1 Free-Response Practice: Models: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Wk 26Day 1: Lesson 10.1: project and map notebook
Day 2: Lesson 10.1: practice set and corrections
Day 3: Lesson 10.2 Free-Response Practice: Maps and Data: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 4: Lesson 10.2: project and map notebook
Day 5: Lesson 10.2: practice set and corrections
Wk 27Day 1: Lesson 10.3 Multiple-Choice Review: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 2: Lesson 10.3: project and map notebook
Day 3: Lesson 10.3: practice set and corrections
Day 4: Lesson 10.4 A Full Practice Exam: warm-up, video, core ideas and worked examples
Day 5: Lesson 10.4: project and map notebook
Wk 28Day 1: Lesson 10.4: practice set and corrections
Day 2: Unit 10 test
Day 3: Final review
Day 4: Final exam (Units 1–10)
Wk 29Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done
Wk 30Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done
Wk 31Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done
Wk 32Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done
Wk 33Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done
Wk 34Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done
Wk 35Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done
Wk 36Year-end review, portfolio and records

Grading: Practice sets and written responses (completed and corrected) 15%, Map notebook (accuracy, neatness, notes) 10%, Unit projects 10%, Unit tests 35%, Midterm exam 15%, Final exam 15%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, F below 60.