Download Mr. Sullivan Heath High School AP Environmental Sci. AP

Mr. Sullivan
Heath High School
AP Environmental Sci.
AP Environmental Science
2011-2012
Brief Description of Course
The course will prepare students by providing them with the scientific skills and concepts to
understand the relationships present in nature, to realize problems dealing with the environment, and
to provide solutions to solve the problems. The course will cover the following content areas: Earth
Systems and Resources, The Living World, Population, Land and Water Use, Energy Resources and
Consumption, Pollution, and Global Change. This class will provide at least one laboratory or field
experience per week to engage students in the course.
Unit Information
Unit Name or Timeframe:
Introduction to Environmental Science
Content and/or Skills Taught:
-Understanding Our Environment
-The Environment and Society
-Scientific Methods
-Statistics and Models
-Making Informed Decisions
-The Geosphere
-The Atmosphere
-The Hydrosphere and Biosphere
-Basic Chemistry
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Video and Written Assignment - The Lorax
Acid/Base/Salt Microchemistry Lab
Half-life Property of a Radioactive Element
Unit Name or Timeframe:
Ecology
Content and/or Skills Taught:
-Ecosystems
-Evolution
-Diversity
-Energy Flow
-Cycles
-Change in Ecosystems
-Biomes, land and Aquatic
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Plant symbiosis lab
Peppered Moth -Natural Selection Lab
Predator Prey lab
Research paper on an assigned biome
Unit Name or Timeframe:
Populations
Content and/or Skills Taught:
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Mr. Sullivan
Heath High School
AP Environmental Sci.
-Understanding Populations
-Human populations
-Biodiversity
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Power of Doubling Lab
Changing World Population Video
Age Structure Diagram Labs
Unit Name or Timeframe:
Water, Air, and Land
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Water
-Water Resources, Water Use and Management, and Water Pollution
Air
-Causes of Air Pollution, Air, Noise, and Light Pollution, Acid Precipitation.
Atmosphere and Climate Change
-Climate and Climate Change, The Ozone Shield, Global Warming
Land
-How We Use Land, Urban Land Use, Land Management and Conservation
Food and Agriculture
-Feeding The World, Crops and Soil, Animals and Agriculture
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Toxicology lab
Endangered Species Research Paper
Soil Salinization Lab
Airborne Particulates
Soil laboratories-porosity and permeability, soil test kits, chemical and physical weathering
Unit Name or Timeframe:
Mineral And Energy Resources
Content and/or Skills Taught:
Mining and Mineral Resources
-Minerals and Mineral Resources, Mineral Exploration and Mining, Mining Regulations and Mine
Reclamation
Nonrenewable Energy
-Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Energy
-Renewable Energy
Waste
-Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Reading River Sediments Lab
Cookie Mining
Exploring Physical Properties of Minerals
Hidden Energy Use
Research Paper on Alternative Energy Resources
Unit Name or Timeframe:
Our Health And Our Future
Content and/or Skills Taught:
The Environment and Human Health
-Pollution and Human Health, Biological Hazards
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Mr. Sullivan
Heath High School
AP Environmental Sci.
Economics, Policy, and the Future
-Economics and International Cooperation, Environmental Policies of the US, the Importance of the
Individual
Major Assignments and/or Assessments:
Research on Environmental Law
Textbooks
Title:Environmental Science 2008
Publisher: Holt/McDougal
Published Date: 2008-01
Author: Rheinhart And Winston Holt
Title:Environment:The Science Behind the Stories
Publisher: Pearson - Benjamin Cummings
Published Date: 2007-10-30
Author: Jay Withgott
Second Author: Jay Brennan
Possible Field Trips
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Sewage treatment plant
Water treatment plant
Wetland
KY Dam
Quarry
Lake
Massac Creek
Nature Preserve
USEC
TVA
Forest
Hidden River Cave
Garbage Transfer Station
Mine
Grading
Grades will be on a different scale than normal classes.
90-100 =A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, Below 60=F
Exams will be scored according to the AP Exam. Multiple choice questions will generally be worth 1 pt
for each correct answer. Essays will be scored on a scale of 1-10.
Final Exam
There will be a final exam for this class. Students are expected, but not required, to take the AP Exam in
May. If a student takes the AP Exam in the Spring, they will be exempted from the Final Exam. No
other exemptions will be given for the final.
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