Download Course Outline for AP Environmental Science

Course Outline for AP Environmental Science
CR*
UNIT
I-VII
1
TOPICS
 Studying the State of
TIME
1 1/2
weeks
Our Earth
 Environmental Systems
Content
Textbook: Friedland/Relyea, Environmental Science for
AP Ch 1 & 2
Mystery Land Activity

Environmental science offers important insights into
our world and how we influence it
Neuse River Brainstorm

Humans alter natural systems

Environmental scientists monitor natural systems for
Ecological Footprint
signs of stress
Video: “Science in Action

Human well-being depends on sustainable practices
for
Conservation”, The Field

Science is a process
Museum

Environmental science presents unique challenges
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I
2
 Ecosystem Ecology
 Global Climates and
Biomes
 Evolution of
Biodiversity
5 weeks
Sampling of
Activities
s Demo
Scientific Lab
Coriolis Effect

Ecosystem ecology examines interactions between
the living and nonliving world

Energy flows through ecosystems

Matter cycles through the biosphere

Ecosystems respond to disturbance

Ecosystems provide valuable services

Global processes determine weather and climate

Video: Evolution Lost, by
Variations in climate determine the dominant plant
Earth-Touch
growth forms of terrestrial biomes
Aquatic biomes are categorized by salinity, depth, and
water flow
6th Mass Extinction
Activity
Earth is home to a tremendous diversity of species
Evolution is the mechanism underlying biodiversity
Speciation and extinction determine biodiversity
Evolution shapes ecological niches and determines
species distributions

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The Impact of Human Disturbance
on Biodiversity
(Friedland, Chap 1)
Earth is a single interconnected system
All environmental systems consist of matter
Energy is a fundamental component of environmental
systems
Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes
Systems analysis show how matter and energy flow in
the environment
Friedland Ch 3,4, & 5

Major Labs
3-Biomagnification Through a Food
Chain (Wells #4)
Biodiversity Hotspots
Biomes Activity
Video: Nitrogen Cycle,
howstuffworks.com
3-Net Primary Productivity[carbon
cycle] (Molnar #15)
3-Owl Pellet Dissection (Wells #6,
Miller #3B)
Mark and Recapture (Friedland,
Chap 3)
3
II

Population and
Community Ecology

The Human
Population
3 weeks
Friedland Ch 6 & 7

Nature exists at several levels of complexity

Population ecologists study the factors that regulate
population abundance and distribution

Growth models help ecologists understand population
changes

Community ecologists study species interactions

The composition of a community changes over time

The species richness of a community is influenced by
many factors
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III
4
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Earth Systems
Water Resources
3 weeks
Field Trip to Cemetery
[population distribution
and survivorship]
7-Human Population (Molnar #22)
Video, World in the
Balance, NOVA
Website:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/no
va/worldbalance/
Demographic
Transition, Population
Connection
Scientists disagree on Earth’s carrying capacity
Many factors drive human population growth
Research Paper: Is
Many nations go through a demographic transition
Population size and consumption interact to influence Reproduction a Right or
a Privilege?
the environment
Sustainable development is a common, if elusive goal
Friedland Ch 8 & 9
Cookie Mining

The availability of Earth’s resources was determined
when the planet formed
Video: “How the Earth Was

Earth is dynamic and constantly changing
Made”, The History Channel

The rock cycle recycles scarce minerals and elements

Soil links the rock cycle and the biosphere
Groundwater Model

The uneven distribution of mineral resources has
social and environmental consequences
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6-Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index
(Molnar #18)
Water is abundant, but usable water is rare
Humans can alter the availability of water
Water is used by humans for agriculture, industry, and
household needs
8-Copper Extraction (Molnar #7)
8-Soil Extraction (Molnar #9)
Hawaii: Calculating Plate
Movement (Friedland, Chap 8)
Ecobottle Lab (Friedland, Chap 9)
IV
5
 Land, Public and

3 weeks
Private
Feeding the World
Friedland Ch 10 & 11
 Human land use affects the environment in many ways
 Public lands are classified according to their use
 Land management practices vary according to use
 Residential land use is expanding
Hunger Banquet
Video: Champions of
the Land, Discovery
10-Tragedy of Commons (Wells
#2)
10-Coyotes (Miller #9)
GMO Audit
Video: The Meatrix,
Free Range Studios
VII
V
6
 Global Change
1 week
Friedland Ch 19
 Global change includes global climate change and
global warming
 Solar radiation and greenhouse gases make our planet
warm
 Sources of greenhouse gases are both natural and
anthropogenic
 Feedbacks can increase or decrease the impact of
climate change
 Global warming has serious consequences for the
environment and organisms
Carbon Footprint
Climate Change Lab (Friedland,
Chap 19)
7
 Nonrenewable Energy
Resources
3 weeks
Friedland Ch 12 & 13
 Nonrenewable energy accounts for most of our energy
use
 Electricity is a convenient form of energy
 Fossil fuels provide most of the world’s energy
 Fossil fuels are a finite resource
 Nuclear energy is getting a second look
Home Energy Audit
13-Solar Absorption (Molnar
#26)
 Achieving Energy
Sustainability
 What is renewable energy?
 How can we use less energy?
 Biomass is energy from the sun
 The kinetic energy of water can generate electricity
 The Sun’s energy can be captured directly
 Earth’s internal heat is a source of nondepletable
energy
 Wind energy is the most rapidly growing source of
electricity
 Hydrogen fuel cells have many potential applications
 How can we plan our energy future?
Video: “ABC News
Nightline: Chernobyl
Nuclear Disaster”
(Amazon.com link)
Website:
http://www.worldnuclear.org/info/chernobyl/i
nf07.html
13-Alternative Transportation
Fuels (Wells #18)
VI
8
 Air Pollution and
Stratospheric Ozone
Depletion
 Waste Generation and
Waste Disposal
 Water Pollution
 Human Health and
Environmental Risks
8 weeks
Friedland Ch 15, 16, 14, & 17
Field Trip: Wastewater
 Air pollutants are found throughout the entire global
Treatment Plant and
system
Landfill
 Air pollution comes from both natural and human
sources
 Photochemical smog is still an environmental problem in Video: Legend of the Fox
the United States
 Acid deposition is much less of a problem than it used to
Guest Speaker: Kay
be
McKeen, SCARCE
 Pollution control includes prevention, technology, and
innovation
 The stratospheric ozone layer provides protection from Video: “Modern Marvels:
Trash”, The History
ultraviolet solar radiation
 Indoor air pollution is a significant hazard, particularly in Channel
developing countries
 Humans generate waste that other organisms cannot
use
 The three R’s and composting divert materials from the
waste stream
 Currently, most solid waste is buried in landfills or
incinerated
 Hazardous waste requires special means of disposal
 There are newer ways of thinking about solid waste
 Pollution can come from specific sits or broad areas
 Human wastewater is a common pollutant
 We have technologies to treat wastewater from humans
and livestock
 Heavy metals and other substances can pose serious
threats to human health and the environment
 Oil pollution can have catastrophic environmental
impacts
 Not all water pollutants are chemicals
 A nation’s water quality is a reflection of the nation’s
water laws and their enforcement
 Human health is affected by a large number of risk
factors
 Infectious diseases have killed large numbers of people
 Toxicology is the study of chemical risks
 Scientists can determine the concentrations of
chemicals that harm organisms
 Risk analysis helps us assess, accept, and manage risk
Cost-Benefit Analysis of
Recycling
Field Trip: Stream
Monitoring
14-Water Quality Index (Molnar
#12)
14-Determining the Health of a
Pond Ecosystem (Miller #8)
14-Sewage Treatment (Miller #20)
17-BioAssay Experiment (Molnar
#29)
Waste and Its Effect on
Atmospheric CO2 (Friedland,
Chap 14)
LD50 Lab (Friedland, Chap 17)
VII
9
 Conservation of Biodiversity
 Sustainability, Economics,
and Equity
3 weeks
Invasive Species Wanted
Friedland Ch 18 & 20
Poster
 We are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction
 Declining biodiversity has many causes
Conservation Timeline
 The conservation of biodiversity often focuses on single
species
Video: “The Lorax”, by Dr.
 The conservation of biodiversity sometimes focuses on
Seuss
protecting entire ecosystems
 Sustainability is the ultimate goal of sound
environmental science and policy
 Economics studies how scarce resources are allocated
 Economic health depends on the availability of natural
capital and basic human welfare
 Agencies, laws, and regulations are designed to protect
our natural and human capital
 There are several approaches to measuring and
achieving sustainability
 Two major challenges of our time are reducing poverty
and stewarding the environment
*Curricular Requirements
I Earth Systems and Resources
II The Living World
III Population
IV Land and Water Use
V Energy Resources and Consumption
VI Pollution
VII Global Change
Reading: The Truax
Scarcity Lab (Friedland, Chap 20)