Download AP Environmental Syllabus spring 2016

Environmental Science Honors/Advanced Placement Environmental Science
Spring 2016 Course Syllabus
Course Description
The goal of the Advanced Placement Environmental Science (APES) 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 (College Board, Advanced Placement Program). (Note: Students must
have taken Earth/Environmental Sciences prior to taking this course as these topics will only be briefly reviews as each topic is
discussed.)
The following themes provide a foundation for the structure of the APES course:
1. Science is a process.
2. Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.
3. The Earth itself is one interconnected system.
4. Humans alter natural systems.
5. Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.
6. Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.
Course Requirements
Students must be prepared to work outdoors for many of the laboratory investigations that will occur. Outdoor Investigations will
be announced in advance and students need to make sure they dress accordingly. Students will be required to keep a satisfactory
lab notebook which must include every lab performed throughout the year. In the event of an absence, work must be turned in the
next day or it will be considered late. Late assignments will incur a 10 point deduction for each day.
Course Textbook
Living in the Environment, 17th Edition, by G. Tyler Miller & Scott E. Spoolman
Other Resources
In addition to the textbook, we will draw information from supplemental environmental science textbooks, books, lab manuals,
periodicals, readings/case studies, and the Internet.
Materials
Students will need to bring the following materials with them to class every day.
 Pens, Pencils, and Coloring Pencils
 Flash Drive with free space
 Loose Leaf Notebook Paper
 Tape
 Composition book for (Starters, notes and classwork)
 Textbook Living in the Environment, 17th Edition, by
G. Tyler Miller & Scott E. Spoolman
 Index Cards
APES Information
Exam Date: Monday, May 2, 2016
 100 Multiple Choice Questions (60% of final grade)……….….90 minutes
 4 Free Response Questions (FRQ) (40% of final grade)……….90 minutes
--1 Data-Set, 1 Document-based and 2 Synthesis and Evaluation
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY vs. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Any kind of cheating undermines our learning environment and violates trust. Please be honorable. Any student found cheating
their course work will result in a zero.
ELECTRONICS
Personal electronics are not to be used or in view during class activities unless necessary for an approved class activity.
FOOD AND DRINKS
No food will be kept or consumed in the classroom unless it is related to academic activities or medically necessary by
documentation.
Composition Book Portfolios and Note Taking
Students need a composition book to hold notes, assignments, and worksheets. Students will be taking Cornell Notes on Chapters
assigned. -. These “student notes” will be required for the composition book portfolio.
Homework
 Reading the current unit covered and answering questions from that unit
 Reading articles that are based on current events and being prepared to discuss these in class
 Reading and responding to case studies
 Completing flash cards (used for vocabulary purposes)
 Completing lab write-ups
 Creating posters, surveys, presentations for various projects
 Studying for Unit Test
Midterm and Final Exam
The midterm will be given 2 days before the end of the 9 weeks. This will be a comprehensive exam and will model that of the AP
Exam given in May. The Final Exam will be project-based and will be assigned at a later date.
Tests/Quiz/Projects
Students will be assessed daily based on their understanding of the content. However, students will receive an assessment in the
form of and/or quiz or test weekly. Students will be required to do at least:
 2 Independent Projects per Nine Weeks and
 1 Group Project per Nine Weeks.
 1 Semester Long Project: Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project
These projects will include:
 Science Article Reviews
 Essays
 Current Event Correlations
 Book Review Term Paper: The Future of Life by E.O Wilson
 Independent Research Project
 Movie Maker on Environmental Topic Provided
 Additional Projects added throughout the semester
LABORATORY ACTIVITIES
Labs enrich the course content. All students are expected to follow laboratory rules and procedures. Failure to do so will result in a
referral and a zero for the lab activity grade. Students must have a safety contract on file, signed by themselves and the
parents/guardians, in order to participate and receive credit for labs.
A.P. Environmental Science (APES) formal lab reports: All lab activities will require a “formal lab” report.
Lab report due dates are announced well in advance. If a student is absent on the day a lab report is due, the
report should be delivered or emailed to the teacher that day.
ALL AP ENVIRONMENTAL COURSEWORK LATE POLICY
There will be homework assignments pertaining to each chapter or unit, such as book work, article research, worksheets, mini-labs,
etc. You will receive a 10 point deduction per week day for each day the assignment is late, with a maximum of 3 late days. After 3
days your assignment will not be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS. Once a progress report is given you will only have 3 weekdays to
make up any zero’s on the progress report.
ALL GRADED COURSE WORK WILL BE KEPT IN A PERSONAL FOLDER MAINTAINED BY THE TEACHER.
STUDENTS WILL HAVE INITIALED DATE TURNED IN AND IF AN ASSIGNMENT IS TURNED IN LATE IT WILL BE NOTED ON THE
ASSIGNMENT.
AP College Board Approved Grading Policy
 Test/Quiz/Project………………………....……60%
 Classwork/Homework…………………………10%
 Lab (Participation and Reports)…………..30%
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Final Exam……………………………………..25% of Final Grade
Course Outline
The APES course will be taught in units. There will be various activities and labs that will be included in each unit
and there will be a test after each unit is covered. Quizzes, announced and pop, will be assigned periodically
throughout each unit. The following is a tentative schedule of the units, activities/labs, and a time frame for each
unit.
Topics Covered
Activities/Labs
(1½ Weeks)
Environmental Problems &
Causes
Resource Use, Conservation,
& Human Society
2
(1 Weeks)
Science, Matter, Energy &
Systems
3
Air & Air Pollution
(1½ Weeks)
Climate Change & Ozone Loss
4
Evolution & Biodiversity
(1 Weeks)
Community Ecology
5
(1 Weeks)
Sustaining Wild Species
Terrestrial & Aquatic
Biodiversity
6
(1½ Weeks)
Water Resources & Water
Pollution
Project:
Lab: Ecological Footprint
Class Debate: Environmental Crisis
Video: The “11th Hour”
FRQ Practice
Laws
Lab: Tragedy of the Commons
Community Survey: Pollution Control
Lab: Considerations of Climate Change
Test: Chp 1, Chp 23(3-5), Chp 24-25
Lab: Acids and Bases (Inquiry Based)
Lab: Energy from Yeast
Lab: Predator/Prey
Lab: Irradiated Seeds
Project: Ecosystem Study
FRQ Practice
Field Study: Dissolved Oxygen Content in the Lumber River
Test: Chapter 2 and Chapter 3
Lab: Measuring Albedo
Lab: Air Quality Monitoring
Lab: Vehicle Particulate Collection
Lab: Acidification
Video: “Global Warming”
Video: “El Nino”
Video: “The Day After Tomorrow”
FRQ Practice
Speaker: Robeson County Environmental Health Specialist &
Meteorologist from the National Weather Service, Raleigh NC
Test: Chp 7(1,2), Chp 18, Chp 19, Chp 23(2)
Lab: Parking Lot Biodiversity
Lab: Biodiversity in Leaf Litter
Activity: Natural Selection
Lab: Jellybean Evolution
Book Review: Vanishing Frogs
Video: “Planet Earth”
Video: “A Bug’s Life”
FRQ Practice
Project: Biome Brochure
Test: Chp 4, Chp 5(1&3), Chp 7(3), Chp 10(5)
Project: Endangered Animal Poster
Video: “The Beaches Are Moving”
Video: “Last Journey for the Leatherback?”
FRQ Practice
Field Study: Dissolved Oxygen in Lumber River
Test: Chp 8,9,10(1-4), 11
Lab: Salinization
Lab: Fishing for the Future
Lab: Sewage Treatment or Personal Solid Waste Inventory
Field Study: Chemical Testing of Water Quality
Field Trip: NCSU Professor Dissolved Oxygen in the Lumber
River
Video: “Oil Spill”
FRQ Practice
Test: Chapters 13 & 20
Unit & Time
Frame
1
7
Population Dynamics
(1½ Weeks)
8
(1 Weeks)
Risk, Toxicology, & Human
Health
Pesticides & Pest Control
9
Geology
(½ Week)
10
(1 Weeks)
Soil
Food Resources & Urban Land
Use
11
(½ Weeks)
Energy Efficiency, Renewable
& Nonrenewable Energy
Solid Waste
Lab: Something Fishy
Activity: Gallery Walk Material World Posters
Activity: Demographic Transition
Activity: Histogram
Lab: Cemetery
Video: “Human Footprint”
FRQ Practice
Lab: Population Growth: Power of the Pyramids
School Survey: How Old Are They?
Test Chp 5(2), 6, 22(1)
Lab: Nicotine Toxicity
Lab: Toxic Tea Lab
Activity: Ant Collection
Book Review: The Future of Life
Current Event: The Love Canal Tragedy
Video: “Erin Brokavich”
Video: “A Civil Action”
Survey: Pesticides
FRQ Practice
Test: Chp 12(4) & 17
Lab: Rocks and the Rock Cycle
Lab: Graham Cracker Approach to Plate Tectonics
Video: Blood Diamond
FRQ Practice
Test: Chapter 14
Activity: M&Ms Are Just Like Soil
Activity: Soil Horizons
Lab: Water Holding Capacity
Lab: Cation Absorption
Video: “Food Inc.”
Field Study: Dissolved Oxygen in the Lumber River
Lab: Energy Transfer: Counting Calories
FRQ Practice
Test: Chp 12(1-3,5-6) & 22(2-5)
Lab: Watts the Cost
Lab: Disposal of Nuclear Waste
Lab: Effects of Radiation on Growth of Radish Seeds
Project: Design & Construct Solar Water Heater
FRQ Practice
Test: Chp 15, 16, 21
To ensure success in this course you should expect the following activities to occur each week. These activities can occur as a Class
Starter, throughout the class period or as homework. Participation and Completion is required.
Math Monday (No Calculators will be allowed because no calculators are allowed on the AP exam.)
Terminology Tuesday (Index Cards and Coloring Pencils are required)
What and Where Wednesday (Current Events and Or Case Studies to be kept in Notebook)
Technology and Experimentation Thursday (Lab Day)
Free Response Friday
I look forward to this upcoming school year. I ask that you do your very best on all assignments and if any questions arise feel free
to ask. I can be reached via email or by phone.
Thanks for all your assistance
I, ____________________________ the parent/guardian of _________________________ have seen and read this syllabus and
understand the expectation for my student.
Signed __________________________________ on ___________________