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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