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The purpose of this article is to introduce two easy-to-use analytical tools--OPTIC (Overview; Parts; Title; Interrelationships; and Conclusion) and SCRAP (Spatial-Temporal; Conditions, Connections, or Comparisons; Region; Aura, Association, or Analog; Pattern or Exceptions)--that can help teachers guide student learning with maps and photos. OPTIC and SCRAP support students' higher-order thinking as they process and analyze photos and maps, rather than just look at them. Both are perfect tools for daily warm-up activities in Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) classrooms to facilitate student learning of geography while they practice the four F's. In using these tools for a systematic analysis of maps and photos, students can determine their own approaches to understanding the content and intersections between themes in geography. The acronyms help students remember the structure and steps and go through the strategies in a proper order. They are effective and help students avoid becoming overwhelmed in writing from geographical or spatial perspectives.

This paper introduces four local field studies designed and conducted by two Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) teachers. All of these activities were designed for ninth-graders taking APHG courses. Both teachers implement multiple instances of field study in different units of the APHG curriculum throughout the academic year (e.g., two times in each semester). The four activities were selected to introduce a variety of local field studies across different APHG topics and spatial scales. The aim of the field studies was to encourage students to experience the real world and apply APHG knowledge in their daily lives. The students are natural geographers, and field study can show the real connection and application of what they learn with the real world. The local field studies help students develop geographical and critical perspectives and understanding how the world works. The four field study examples will show how local field study can be conducted and intertwined with the APHG curriculum.