Reading the AP Human Geography Textbook September 6, 2017 Reading the AP Human Geography Textbook

Reading a Textbook for true Understanding Multiply the number of pages you have to read by 5 minutes. That is the amount of time the average college student needs to spend on their reading assignment. Keep this in mind as you schedule time to do your reading. If you calculate four hours of reading, you might not want to read 7-11 p.m. straight through. Consider getting an hour in before class in the morning or over the lunch break - spread it out a bit. If something is not making sense, try reading it out loud. That can often help you process the material in a new way. Try to keep your notes in your own words, not the words from the book. This helps you avoid plagiarism in papers and helps you think more about the reading which will, in turn, help you retain the material for tests or when it comes time to write a paper.

4 steps to Reading a Textbook Quickly and Effectively Don’t read front to back (aka, READ BACKWARDS) Go to the questions at the end first. Read them, answer them to the best of your ability, and then begin your actual reading strategies. This will sort of “prime the engine” of retention. Next, read the final summary of the chapter. This will give you a general background as to the Big Ideas in the chapter. Third, look at the headings and subdivision of the chapter. Fourth, read the chapter introduction.

2. Read for Big Ideas In textbooks, Big Ideas are easy to spot because they are often in bold print or section headings. Look for the complete sentence thought that summarizes and drives each subdivision and you’ll have identified the Big Ideas. 3. Read for Key Details While this looks different in each subject, they should be relatively easy to pick out. Key people, places, and events often make up the key details in history books. Check your notes against the questions at the end of the chapter. If they reflect the same key details, you know you are barking up the right tree. 4. Read the book once but your notes multiple times You should never have to read a chapter more than once (in theory). If you’ve done your reading well and taken notes as you read, you have a record of the thoughts being communicated.

Textbook Scavenger Hunt With a partner, complete the textbook scavenger hunt. You will put your completed scavenger hunt in your Unit Portfolio behind the “Unit One” divider.