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AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2011-2012 COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Description
The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the scientific
principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the inter-relationships 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.
Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas
of study. Yet there are several major unifying constructs, or themes, that cut across the many
topics included in the study of environmental science. The following themes provide a foundation
for the structure of the AP Environmental Science course.
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5.
6.
Science is a process.
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Science is a method of learning more about the world.
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Science constantly changes the way we understand the world.
Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.
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Energy cannot be created; it must come from somewhere.
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As energy flows through systems, at each step more of it becomes unusable.
The Earth itself is one interconnected system.
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Natural systems change over time and space.
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Biogeochemical systems vary in ability to recover from disturbances.
Humans alter natural systems.
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Humans have had an impact on the environment for millions of years.
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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.
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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.
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A suitable combination of conservation and development is required.
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Management of common resources is essential.
Prerequisites
The AP Environmental Science Course is an excellent option for any interested student who has
completed two years of high school laboratory science with a grade of B or better – one year of life
science and one year of physical science (for example, a year of biology and a year of chemistry).
Due to the quantitative analysis that is required in the course, students should also have taken at
least one year of algebra. Because of the prerequisites, AP Environmental Science will usually be
taken in either the junior or senior year.
Text
Environment, 6th Edition, by Raven, Berg, Hassenzahl
Assessments
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Tests and Quizzes
Labs and Activities
Projects and Homework
Homework
including but not limited to:
 textbook reading
 textbook questions
 outlining chapter or section
 web based assignments
 printing PowerPoint presentations
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Introduction / Summer Work
Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainablilty Chapter 1
Tomorrow’s World Chapter 25
Labs / Activities
 Apple
 video: The Eleventh Hour (partial)
Unit One
Ecosystems and Energy - Chapter 3
 ecology
 the flow of energy
Ecosystems and Living Organisms - Chapter 4
 evolution
 communities
 interactions among organisms
 ecological niche
Preserving Earth’s Biological Diversity - Chapter 17
 loss of biodiversity
 wildlife management
 video: Cane Toads
Ecosystems and the Physical Environment - Chapter 5
 earth systems
 carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, hydrologic cycles
 solar radiation
 atmosphere
 global ocean
 geologic processes
Major Ecosystems if the World - Chapter 6
Land Resources - Chapter 18
 forests, rangelands, wetlands
Labs / Activities
 camouflage/survival
 adaptations
 niches
 tragedy of the commons
 terrestrial ecology field study
 carbon cycle demonstration
 earthquake
 Global Winds
 Climate in the Troposphere
 Biome Bags
 Biome Bingo
articles and case studies
lab write-ups
essays or projects
making and organizing study material
for tests and quizzes
Unit Two
Soil Resources - Chapter 15
 rock cycle
 soil types
 erosion
Food Resources: A Challenge for Agriculture - Chapter 19)
 agriculture
 fishing
 video: Food, Inc., King Corn
The Pesticide Dilemma - Chapter 23
 pesticides
Human Health and Environmental Toxicology – Chapter 7
Labs / Activities
 rock identification
 weathering, erosion, stream table
 soil permeability and identification
 fishing grounds
Unit Three
Population Change - Chapter 8
 population ecology
 population size
 reproductive strategies
 human population
 demographics
Addressing Population Issues - Chapter 9
 quality of life
 total fertility rate
 video: World in the Balance
The Urban World - Chapter 10
 urban ecosystem
 land use planning
Labs / Activities
 Too Many People
 Malthus
 world population
 Age Structure Histogram
Unit Four
Fossil Fuels - Chapter 11
 coal, oil, natural gas
 air pollution, acid deposition
 US energy strategy
 video: Burning the Future, Coal in America
Nuclear Energy - Chapter 12
 electricity production
 pros and cons
 safety
 waste
 video: Nuclear Energy and Destruction
Renewable Energy and Conservation - Chapter 13
 solar, wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal, tidal
 technology
 video: Who Killed the Electric Car?
Labs / Activities
 solar collector
 radioactive decay
 Primary and Secondary Oil Extraction
 Miles per Gallon vs. Gallons per Mile
Unit Five
Water: A limited Resource - Chapter 14
 water resources and use
 video: Blue Gold – World Water Wars
Water Pollution - Chapter 22
 types
 water quality
 Clean Water Act and other relevant laws
Labs / Activities
 Harmful Effects of Acid Rain
 Environmental Pollution kit
 field trip to Deer Island waste water treatment plant
 Water, Water Everywhere
 technological “leapfrogging”
 designing an Artificial Wetland
 groundwater profile model
 weathering, erosion, stream table
 fishing grounds
Unit Six
Air Pollution - Chapter 20
 sources, effects, control
 ozone depletion
 acid deposition
 Clean Air Act
Global Climate Change - Chapter 21
 greenhouse gases
 effects of global climate change
 relevant laws, treaties, protocols
 video: An Inconvenient Truth
Labs / Activities
 Particulates in MHS air
 Air Quality at Home and Away
Unit Seven
Minerals: A Nonrenewable Resource - Chapter 16
 mining and environmental impact
Solid and Hazardous Wastes - Chapter 24
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types, treatment, disposal
Labs / Activities
 Environmental Pollution kit
 What Happens to Trash and Garbage, Recycling kit
 ore identification