Download Advanced Placement Environmental Science - Course

Advanced Placement Environmental Science
A.P.E.S. Course Syllabus
Text
Living in the Environment, 14th Edition, by G. Tyler Miller. 2005
ISBN 0-534-99729-5
Class Profile
Class size is limited to 25 students and is open to anyone having previously taken both
biology and chemistry. Seniors are given scheduling preference. The course meets for
the entire academic year, which consists of three 12-week trimesters. The class periods
are 70 minutes long and meet five days a week. Approximately one class period per
week is devoted to hands-on laboratory activities. This generous amount of time is a
great advantage to the students, and provides the opportunity to study several local
issues in great depth.
Course Requirements
The Advanced Placement Environmental Science course is considered to be the
equivalent of a college-level semester course in Environmental Science. In order to
meet the expectations for college-level work, mastery of some content material must
occur outside of the classroom. This allows more class time for laboratory and field work.
Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Exam in the spring.
Research Projects and Field Work
The Colorado River Watch Network is an educational organization sponsored by the
Colorado Division of Wildlife and includes volunteers and students who agree to a
schedule of monthly water quality testing events. Students gain experience testing
water for alkalinity, hardness, pH, and dissolved oxygen. In addition, the river’s macro
invertebrates are inventoried both in the Fall and Spring. All data is submitted to State
agencies for use in water management decisions.
The recycling of resources is also a recurrent theme through out the year as our class is
responsible for organizing and implementing the school’s recycling plan each year. The
class also takes a spring field trip to the Eagle County Landfill to conduct a trash sort
and inventory. In the fall, as part of the Ecology unit, the class collects field data on the
area’s lodge-pole pine beetle infestation. This data is then compared to that of
previous years as students formulate a long term management plan to control the
spread of the beetle. The winter trimester is an opportunity to study snow science with a
snowshoe trip in the mountains to conduct a snow pack survey. Snow depth levels are
compared from year to year.
Evaluations
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Class participation
Lab reports
Activities/presentations
Reading notes
Science journal (Learning Log)
Book reports
Current events reports
Chapter study guides
Chapter quizzes
Unit tests
Essays – Test day and student corrected
Final Project
Grade Calculation
5%
5%
25%
25%
40%
Participation/Objectives
Free Response Questions
Homework/Readings
Laboratory
Tests and Quizzes
Course Schedule
 UNIT 1
Introduction, History, Matter and Energy
(4 Weeks)
Chapter 1: “Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability”
A.
A brief introduction to a variety of environmental issues and topics
including globalization, population growth, pollution, sustainability, and
environmental ethics.
 Lab: The Tragedy of the Commons
A simulation of the degradation of free-access resources.
 Lab: Ecological Footprint
Students calculate their individual consumption of resources.
 Lab: Exponential Growth
Graphing using a semilog grid.
 Video: (VHS) The Environmental Cost of Growth (ISBN 1-57807-170-4)
 Video: (DVD) The Lorax (ISBN 0-7832-9160-4)
Chapter 2: “Environmental History: Learning from the Past”
A.
A historical view of human cultural changes impacting the environment.
 Power point – Environmental History of the United States
 Video: (DVD) Guns, Germs, and Steel (ISBN 0-7922-9255-3)
B.
The history of land and wildlife conservation in the United States.
 Power point - Rocky Mountain National Park
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Video: (VHS) Champions of the Land (ISBN 1-56331-518-1)
“The Good Oak” from Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac.
Chapter 3: “Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy”
A.
A review of basic forms of matter and energy as well as the scientific laws
governing their changes from one form to another.
 Positive and negative feedback loops.
 Laws of Thermodynamics.
B.
Chemistry Review
 Ions and inorganic chemistry.
 Lab: pH and Concentration
The measurement of acidity as the concentration of hydrogen ions.
 Organic chemistry
C.
Nuclear Changes
 Radioactive decay
 Lab: Radioactive half-life simulation.
Unit 1 Test - Chapters 1, 2, and 3
 UNIT 2
Ecology
(4 Weeks)
Chapter 4: “Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work?”
A.
An Introduction to Ecology starting with an overview of the levels of
organization of matter and the Earth’s structure and support systems.
The interactions between abiotic and biotic components in an ecosystem
are also explored.
 Lab: Limiting Factor
Variables in plant growth.
B.
An overview of energy flow in ecosystems. Food webs and ecological
pyramids are analyzed with an emphasis on ecological efficiency. The
calculation of biomass and primary productivity are reinforced in the lab.
 Lab: Food webs activity
 Lab: Primary Productivity
The determination of GPP and NPP that occurs in test bottles
containing aquatic plants.
C.
An initial study of soils. Soil samples are collected at this time since the
ground is not frozen yet. Several samples are saved for further study later
in the course.
 Soil Types. Profiles and leaching.
 Soil Horizons.
 Lab: Soil Nutrient Testing
LaMotte test kit: pH, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous.
C.
Biogeochemical Cycles. Water, Carbon, Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Phosphorus
cycles are explored with an emphasis on how human activities are
affecting them.
 Student Research and Presentation: Nutrient Cycles
 Video: (DVD) How Ecosystems Work: Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycles
Great Pacific Media 2005
Chapter 5: “Evolution and Biodiversity”
A.
Evidence of the evolution and adaptation of species as seen from the
Earth’s fossil records. The concepts Natural Selection and Ecological
Niche help explain how each species in an ecosystem survive and coexist.
 Lab: Timeline for History of Life activity
 Lab: Generalists and Specialists activity
 Lab: Beluga Whale Case study – Inquiry Activity
B.
A look at the field of genetic engineering and examples of artificial
selection. Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are discussed.
 Video: (DVD) The Natural History of the Chicken (ISBN 0-7936-9850-2)
Unit 2 Test - Chapters 4 and 5
 UNIT 3
Weather, Climate, Biomes, and Communities
(4 Weeks)
Chapter 6: “Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity”
A.
A brief introduction to weather, relative humidity, fronts, pressure systems,
prevailing winds, and severe storms.
 Lab: Sling psychrometer and relative humidity
B.
The study of the Earth’s major climate zones, global air circulation patterns,
El Nino-Southern Oscillation, ocean currents, and the greenhouse effect.
 Video: (DVD) An Inconvenient Truth (ISBN 1-4157-2478-4)
C.
The Earth’s major biomes are each covered in detail. The generalized
effects of altitude and latitude on climate and biome type are discussed,
as are annual temperature, precipitation, resident flora and fauna, and
human activities.
 Lab: Climatograms
Precipitation and temperature data representing the major land
biomes on earth are plotted.
 Biome Grid Activity
 Video: (DVD) Terrestrial Biomes: Deserts, Grasslands, and Forests
Great Pacific Media 2005
Chapter 7: “Aquatic Biodiversity”
A.
An introduction to aquatic life zones and their representative organisms:
plankton, nekton, benthos, and decomposers.
 Video: (DVD) Aquatic Biomes: Oceans, Rivers, and Wetlands
Great Pacific Media 2005
B.
A detailed account of each of the Saltwater Life Zones in the oceans.
Special attention is paid to the costal zone and human activities in costal
wetlands, estuaries, and mangrove swamps worldwide.
 Coral reef project
C.
The Freshwater Ecosystems of lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. Lake
zones defined by depth are discussed. Local watersheds are mapped.
 Wetland Mitigation
 Eutrophication
 Eagle River Watershed Map Activity
Chapter 8: “Community Ecology”
A.
Types of species and the roles they play in communities. The distinction
between native and nonnative species is introduced as well as the
problems created by the world’s invasive or alien species. Keystone
species and their association with ecological health is also examined.
 Video: (DVD) Cane Toads
B.
Predation, competition, and other species interactions such as parasitism,
mutualism, and commensalism are reviewed. Defense mechanisms and
avoidance adaptations of local species are also discussed.
 Video: (DVD) Community Interactions: Competition and Predation
Great Pacific Media 2005
C.
Ecological Succession and how communities respond to change. The role
of pioneer species such as lichens on exposed rock and fire on local
lodgepole pine and aspen communities are both closely examined.
 Lab – Seed Design
Unit 3 Test – Chapters 6, 7, and 8
 UNIT 4
Population (4 Weeks)
Chapter 9: “Population Ecology”
A.
The study of Population Dynamics through investigations in density and
dispersion patterns, limiting factors and carrying capacity, biotic potential
and environmental resistance. Graphs of logistic and exponential growth
are evaluated as to their j-curve or s-curve pattern. The other general
types of population change curves found in nature are also examined; in
particular the Lynx-Hare Cycle as it pertains to the Colorado Division of
Wildlife’s efforts to restore Canadian Lynx populations to our area.
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B.
Video: (DVD) Populations: Biotic Potential, Environmental Resistance
Great Pacific Media 2005
Lab: Estimating Population Size
A tag and recapture activity with application of the Lincoln Index.
The reproductive patterns and survival mechanisms of several species are
examined. The distinction between r-selected and K-selected species and
their representative survivorship curves are outlined.
 Lab: Lynx Reintroduction
The use of Age Structure Diagrams to determine habitat suitability.
Chapter 10: “Applying Population Ecology: The Human Population”
A.
An introduction to the study of the human population with the calculation
of birth rate, death rate, growth rate, doubling time, and fertility rate. The
populations of many countries are compared by their life expectancy and
infant mortality rate as indicators of population health. The role of
immigration on worldwide population change is also evaluated.
 Video: (DVD) World in the Balance (ISBN 1-59375-143-5)
B.
Age Structure Diagrams as they relate to population growth rates. The
effects of each type of population structure on future populations is
examined as is the hypothesis known as demographic transition.
 Lab: Human Demographics
Population dynamics of several countries are considered.
Unit 4 Test - Chapters 9 and 10
 UNIT 5
Biodiversity and Endangered Species
(3 Weeks)
Chapter 11: “Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: Managing and Protecting Ecosystems”
A.
A closer look at the human impacts on terrestrial biodiversity and how
public lands in the United States are managed.
 What is Wilderness?
 The Heat of Noon – Edward Abby
B.
The U.S. timber industry and fire mitigation policies. The primary causes of
tropical deforestation and degradation are also examined.
 Healthy Forests Initiative
Chapter 12: “Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach”
A.
The intrinsic value of a species is examined as well as how biologists
classify species heading toward biological extinction.
 Thinking Like a Mountain
B.
An overview of specific extinction threats such as nonnative species,
poaching, and predator control.
 Bushmeat Trade
 Black-footed Ferret
C.
U.S. Endangered Species Act
Chapter 13: “Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity”
A.
An overview of the human impacts on aquatic biodiversity with a focus on
commercial whaling and the controversy surrounding the overfishing of the
world’s marine fisheries.
 Atlantic Cod Fishing
B.
Managing and protecting lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
 Lake Victoria
 Florida Everglades
 Columbia River Basin
Unit 5 Test - Chapters 11, 12, and 13
 UNIT 6
Food, Soil, and Water
(4 Weeks)
Chapter 14: “Food and Soil Resources”
A.
An analysis of how the world’s food is produced and how traditional and
green revolution methods are used to raise crops.
B.
A study of soil erosion and degradation caused by water, wind, and
human activities. The desertification of rangeland and the salinization of
cropland is examined through lab activities.
 Lab – Soil Salinization
An experimental design exercise in which varying concentrations of
salt water are correlated to bean germination rates.
 The Dust Bowl
C.
An introduction to soil conservation methods including terracing,
conservation tillage, strip cropping, and the use of wind breaks.
D.
The methods for increasing the production of crops, meat, and fish are
compared with the dangers of overgrazing and overfishing. The various
commercial fishing methods are also examined.
Chapter 15: “Water Resources”
A.
A review of the properties of water and its locations, abundance,
distribution, and uses. Examples of conflicts over water are considered
when evaluating freshwater shortages.
 Ogallala Aquifer
B.
The use of dams and reservoirs to supply more water.
 China’s Three Gorges Dam
 Video: (DVD) The Colorado River: Stolen Treasure (CL 1336-dvdx)
C.
Reducing water waste through more efficient irrigation systems and
encouraging conservation.
 Xeriscaping
Unit 6 Test - Chapters 14 and 15
 UNIT 7
Geology, Mineral and Energy Resources
(4 Weeks)
Chapter 16: “Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources”
A.
A review of the major geological processes including Plate Tectonics,
earthquakes, and volcanoes.
B.
An introduction to minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle.
 Video: (DVD) Rocks, Minerals, and Soils (ISBN 1-59527-530-4)
 Lab: Rock and Mineral Identification
C.
The removal, processing, and environmental impacts of nonrenewable
mineral resources.
 Video: (VHS) Mining
 Video: (VHS) Poison in the Rockies
Chapter 17: “Nonrenewable Energy Resources”
A.
This chapter evaluates fossil fuels and nuclear energy resources. Both the
advantages and disadvantages of all types of energy production are
considered. Petroleum oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy.
 Video: (DVD) The End of Suburbia (ISBN 0-9736947-0-x)
 Yucca Mountain
 Chernobyl and 3-Mile Island
 Lab: Coal Gasification
Chapter 18: “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy”
A.
A look at energy efficiency and the incentives for choosing a less wasteful
source of energy. The advantages and disadvantages of using renewable
energy as an alternative energy source are discussed. Solar energy,
hydropower, wind turbines, biomass, ethanol, hydrogen, and geothermal
energy are all reviewed.
 Video: (DVD) Who Killed the Electric Car? (ISBN 1-4248-1954-7)
 Video: (DVD) The Phoenix Project: Oil to Hydrogen (ISBN 0-9702502-1-5)
 Lab: Wind Turbine Design
 Lab: Electrolysis of Water
Unit 7 Test - Chapters 16, 17, and 18
 UNIT 8
Toxicology and Pollution
(4 Weeks)
Chapter 19: “Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health”
A.
This unit begins with an examination into the methods of assessing the
hazards and toxicity of chemicals.
 Lab – Toxicology
Testing the LD-50 of ammonia for Brine Shrimp.
B.
Biological hazards are explored in a series of case studies on topics
including infectious bacteria and germ resistance to antibiotics. Viral
diseases, malaria, and the threat of bioterrorism are also considered.
 Tuberculosis
 West Nile Virus
C.
A study of how many risks can be estimated, compared, managed, and
reduced.
 Risk Analysis Activity
Chapter 20: “Air Pollution”
A.
The structure and chemistry of the atmosphere is reviewed as are the major
classes of air pollutants and their sources.
 Lab – Particulate Collection
 Lab – Ozone
Measuring ozone levels around school using Schoenbein Paper.
 Video: (DVD) Human Impact on the Biosphere
Great Pacific Media 2005
B.
A look into what factors influence the formation of Industrial and
photochemical smog, and acid deposition.
C.
Indoor air pollution, in particular radon gas and formaldehyde exposure.
Chapter 21: “Climate Change and Ozone Loss”
A.
A review of how human activities are changing the world’s climate. Each
major greenhouse gas is individually examined with consideration to its
effect on global temperatures.
 Carbon dioxide storage (sequestering)
B.
Ozone depletion in the stratosphere and the risk of increased UV
radiation exposure to humans and earth systems.
Chapter 22: “Water Pollution”
A.
A look at the major pollution problems of streams, lakes, and groundwater.
The common diseases transmitted through contaminated drinking water
and how we measure water quality are all examined.
B.
Ocean pollution and urban runoff.
 The Chesapeake Bay
Chapter 24: “Solid and Hazardous Waste”
A.
The reduction of solid wastes through recycling and reusing. The major
types of plastics are reviewed as are some of the factors that hinder
recycling efforts.
 Field Trip: Eagle County Landfill – trash sort.
 Composting
B.
Hazardous waste production and management including discussions on
mercury, lead, and dioxins.
 Love Canal
 Bhopal, India
 U.S. Superfund Act
Unit 8 Test - Chapters 19, 20, 21, 22, and 24
 Course Review and Released A.P. Exam Testing
(2 Weeks)
Both the 1998 and 2003 released AP Environmental Science Exams are
reviewed. Testing conditions and strategies are discussed.
 A.P. College Board Exam
(TUESDAY, MAY)
 Environmental Science Final Project
(2 Weeks)
Because all students are required to take the A.P. Exam in the Spring, the
Final Project is viewed as an alternative to a cumulative written final exam.
Students are encouraged to explore an aspect of environmental science
that personally interests them. A project proposal is required, as is a written
report and formal presentation. Examples of past projects include
constructing a solar oven, coordinating end of school recycling efforts,
landscaping and school beautification, and River Watch training.