Download 2014-15 Syllabus - Montgomery County Schools

AP Environmental Science
2014 School Year
Montgomery County High School
Instructor: Glen Conyers
Planning Period: A Days: 3rd Block; B Days: 4th Block
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (859) 497-8765 ext. 1138
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION
This course is intended to give you a thorough overview of environmental issues, both
scientific and social. After successfully completing this course, you should be
“environmentally literate” and be able to give various informed statements about any
environmental topic. Environmental science is truly interdisciplinary and includes
aspects of biology, chemistry, geology, economics, politics, and ethics. Like all AP
courses, students will be given a great deal of responsibility for their own learning. It is
particularly important to keep up with the reading assignments as this will form the
foundation for everything else we do. It is my intention that all students will be prepared
for the AP exam in May, but you must do your part! Let’s work together to make this a
successful year! The following themes will be covered during APES!
1.
Science is a process.

Science is a method of learning more about the world.

Science constantly changes the way we understand the world.
2.
Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.


3.
As energy flows through systems, at each step more of it becomes
unusable.
The Earth itself is one interconnected system.

Natural systems change over time and space.

Biogeochemical systems vary in ability to recover from disturbances.
4.
Humans alter natural systems.


5.
Energy cannot be created; it must come from somewhere.
Humans have had an impact on the environment for millions of years.
Technology and population growth have enabled humans to increase both
the rate and scale of their impact on the environment.
Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.

6.
Understanding the role of cultural, social and economic factors is vital to
the development of solutions.
Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable
systems.

A suitable combination of conservation and development is required.

Management of common resources is essential.
Text: Living in the Environment, Miller, 15th Edition
EVALUATION AND GRADING (Each Nine Weeks
approximation)
Unit tests
Labs & activities
Class participation (discussion/debates)
Quizzes (AP questions)
Projects
20%
30%
10%
20%
20%
EXPECTATIONS
Students will be expected to adhere to all discipline policies/procedures as outlined in the
MCHS Handbook. Students are expected to participate and to take the AP
Environmental Science Exam in May.
CLASS MATERIALS
Pencils, 1.5 inch three ring binder with four labeled sections: notes, labs/handouts,
tests/quizzes, discussion/debates. Students are also asked to purchase a grid-line
composition notebook to keep all labs and data in.
ABSENT FROM CLASS POLICY:
Students are responsible for getting any missed work if they are absent from class. If a
test or lab is missed the student must schedule a time upon their return to complete makeup work within three school days or the work will be recorded as a zero.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
Week #
1-2
Chpt. Or page
Unit and Activities
Ch. 1
Environmental Issues/Scientific
Processes/Sustainability
*Tragedy of the Commons Activity
*The Lorax Video
*Ecological Footprint
*Students will design their own experiment
3-5
Chapter 15
Pg. 100-105
Pg. 440-441
S38-39, S4345
Chpt. 6, 14,21
Pg. 67-70
6-8
Chpt. 3
Chpt. 4
9-11
Chpt. 8
Chpt. 9
12-14
Chpt. 10
Chpt. 12
Chpt. 14
Earth Systems and Resources
Geology basics
* Plate Tectonics Simulation
Climate
* Students design climatograms of assigned
biomes
Atmosphere Basics
ENSO, Earthquakes and Volcanoes
 Earthquake and volcano activity
 El Nino Video
Water
Soil
*Soil Labs using soil collected locally
The Living World
Ecosystem structure
 Biomes Powerpoint presentation
 Wanted poster –
Energy Flow
 Using 25-30 organisms in the Daniel Boone
National Forest and the Cave Run Lake
Area, students diagram food webs and do
analysis.
 Owl pellet lab: students will assemble a
skeleton and calculate biomass required to
support the predator.
Ecosystem Diversity
Natural Ecosystem Change
Biogeochemical Cycles
* Chemical follies skit
Population Dynamics & Human Populations
 Mark/Recapture Lab
 Power of the Pyramids
 Drosophila – long term study
 ZPG video activities
Land and Water Use
 Effect of radiation on seeds lab
 Harvest of Fear
15-18
Chpt. 16
Chpt. 17
19-27
Chpt. 18
Chpt. 19
Chpt. 21
Chpt. 22
 Video: Assault on the Male
 Wise Land Use Lab Project
Energy Resources and Consumption
 Energy problem sets
 Cookie mining lab
 Half life problems
 Personal energy audit
 Chernobyl/3-mile Island/Alternative
sources of energy powerpoint
Pollution
Hazards and Human Health
 LD-50 Lab – Brine shrimp
 Love canal study
Air Pollution
 Airborne particles labs –
 Automobile exhaust calculations
 Air pollution video/smog
Water Pollution
 Ecocolumn lab
 Water quality labs at school farm
 No water off a duck’s back lab – Oil spills
 Water Treatment Plant Field Trip
Solid and Hazardous Waste
 Personal Solid Waste Inventory
 Decomposition lab –
 Landfill Field Trip
28-31
Chpt. 20
Chpt. 11
Pg. 602-605
Pg. 609
32-33
34-35
Water Resources, Pollution, Sustaining Aquatic
Biodiversity
Global Change (Climate, Ozone, Biodiversity Loss)
Apes in the News and Independent Projects
The outline given above gives the general overview of what and when topics will be
covered in the course.
Projects:
1)
We will have at least two greens and grains parties where students will bring a
‘dish’ from the producer level.
2)
We will be making ‘Earth Day’ T-shirts and celebrating Earth Day while in
this class.
3)
APES in the News project: Students are to collect news articles from the
beginning of class until May 1. Articles must pertain to any area of
Environmental Science.
4)
We will be beginning the year with an ‘Environmental Law’ share-a-thon.
Students will each research the important pieces of environmental legislation
and will share their findings with the rest of the class.
CHANGES
THE INSTRUCTOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE ASSIGNMENTS OR
ANY ASPECT OF THE COURSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE STUDENTS
We have read the APES course Syllabus and understand the general requirements and
content of this class. WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT THE STUDENT IS
EXPECTED TO TAKE THE AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM IN MAY.
______________________________
Student
________________________________
Parent