Download environmental science-ap - Mrs. Sturges APES and Environmental

AP Environmental Science 15-16
Mrs.
Sturges
[email protected]
Tutoring: PM- M,T, Th AM- M,W by appt
Website: bit.ly/mbhsapes
Remind 101 Account: text @mbhsapes be to 81010
Course Description:
APES is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college course in environmental science. The goal of
the course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to
understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems, both
natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine
alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. AP Environmental Science will incorporate themes from
geology, biology, environmental studies, chemistry and geography. It will address the interrelationships of the
natural world, identifying and analyzing environmental problems both natural and human-made. While
evaluating these problems it will examine alternate solutions. The topics that will be discussed are:
 Science is a process
 Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes
 The earth itself is an interconnected system
 Humans alter natural systems
 Environmental problems have cultural and social context
 Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems
These topics are included in the seven core content areas of:
1. The Living World
4. Land and Water Use
7. Global Change
2. Population
5. Energy Resources and
3. Earth Systems and
Consumption
Resources
6. Pollution
For a more detailed course description visit the College Board website:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/repository/05832apcoursdescenvsc_4317.pdf
Goals
- Academic goal: provide you with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodology required to understand
the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and
human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions
for resolving and/or preventing them to ultimately use this information to pass the AP exam and receive college
credit.
- Personal goal: provide you with information to make informed decisions, as a soon-to-be consumer, which
lessen the environmental impact on the planet. My hope is you change one small habit that, over your lifetime,
will have a huge impact.
Instructional Materials
 Textbook: ENVIRONMENT: The Science Behind the Stories, 5th ed, by Jay Withgott and Scott Brennan,
Pearson Publishing.
 Website – resource for calendars, notes, videos, assignments, updates, handouts
https://sturgesmbhs.weebly.com
Grades
30% formative including, but not limited to, daily assignments, quizzes, homework and labs
70& summative including, but not limited to unit tests and large lab reports
Make up work
In the event of an absence, you must turn in work the day you return to avoid a late work point penalty on
assignments that were due on the day you were out. It is your responsibility to keep up with due dates- you will
be provided a hard copy of a calendar and have access to a website to obtain assignments/view calendar.
Late work
You will have ONE day after a due date to turn in an assignment for up to a 70. After that you will receive a
zero for the assignment. You will be provided with “passes” that can provide you a 24 hour extension with no
point penalty (one per semester) and a 2 day extension of the late work policy to receive up to a 70 (one per
quarter).
Field Trips
A mandatory field trip permission form will be kept on file for each student. Parents should be aware that their
child will be leaving campus periodically as part of the course. In the past field trips have included Pecan Grove
cemetery, IESI recycling center, the sewage treatment plant and a landfill. We aren’t going to Disneyworld or
Six Flags, sorry.
The AP EXAM:
Monday, May 2nd, 2015 (morning session)
The A.P.E.S. exam created by the College Board and The Educational Testing Service will be administered in May.
The exam is three hours in length and consists of two parts: 100 Multiple Choice questions representing 60% of the
grade; and 4 Free-Response questions representing 40% of the grade. No calculators are allowed.
Unit
Topic
Chapters
1
2
SEMESTER I
Introduction to AP Environmental Science
Biodiversity
1
3 and 11
3
4
5
Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology
Land and Water Use
Human Population and Urban Sprawl
4, 5, 15 and 16
12, 15, 16 and 23
6, 8 and 13
6
Earth Systems
2, 17
SEMESTER II
8
Soil and Agriculture
9 and 10
9
Toxicology, Risk, Hazards and Pesticide
14
10
11
12
Waste Management and Resource Consumption
22
Pollution and Climate Change
Energy
15, 16, 17 and 18
19, 20 and 21
13
Legislation
7
AP Test Prep
**AP TEST - Monday, May 2nd, 2016
Film Festival, Final Projects
The Whole Enchilada