Download AP ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS SYLLABUS

AP® Environmental Science
The goal of this course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies
to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems
both natural and human-made, and to evaluate the risks associated with these problems and examine
alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them.
Text
Living in the Environment, 16th Ed., G Tyler Miller, and Scott E Spoolman, Brooks/Cole
Lab Manual
Lab Manual for Environmental Science, 1st Ed. Brooks/Cole, and
Assorted Proven Materials
Course Description
The AP® Environmental Science course is a full-year course designed to be the equivalent of a onesemester, introductory college course in environmental science. Unlike most other introductory-level
college science courses, environmental science is offered from a wide variety of departments, including
geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography. The AP
Environmental Science course has been developed to be like a rigorous science course that stresses
scientific principles and analysis and includes a laboratory component; as such, it is intended to enable
students to undertake, as first-year college students, a more advanced study of topics in environmental
science or, alternatively, to fulfill a basic requirement for a laboratory science and thus free time for
taking other courses. In both breadth and level of detail, the content of the course reflects what is found in
many introductory college courses in environmental science.
The goal of the 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, to
examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them, and to develop and focus their own
political perspective.
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:
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.
• Energy cannot be created; it must come from somewhere.
• As energy flows through systems, at each step more of it becomes unusable.
3. 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.
• 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.
5. Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.
• Understanding the role of cultural, social, and economic factors is vital to the
development of solutions.
6. 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.
Methods
Instruction consists mostly of lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and written assignments—including
research projects, in-class assignments, and homework. Approximately one block per week is devoted to
hands-on laboratory experiences or fieldwork. All lab and fieldwork requires a written report.
Once a semester, assigned groups of students teach a chapter in a form of cooperative learning.
Tests
Tests will be given approximately as entered on the course calendar and they will be composed of
multiple-choice and essay questions. At the beginning of the year the tests will be multiple choice only.
Essays will be given as homework assignments. Between Thanksgiving and winter break, essays will be
incorporated into the tests, and after the break the essay portion of the test will be timed in order to make
the test environment as similar to the AP Exam as possible.
The majority of the multiple-choice questions will come from lecture notes, text questions, and
homework. We will work our way up to 100 questions as the AP Exam approaches.
You will be given four free-response (essay) questions on the AP Exam. To be effective, you’ll need to
organize your thoughts and construct an essay in 22 minutes (four questions in 90 minutes). In this class
we will take a very pragmatic approach to our writing. We’ll write training essays early in the year and,
again, incorporate timed essays into our tests by the middle of the year.
Possible essay topics will be given to you before the test to allow you to outline your answers.
• Students must pass a safety test before participating in labs.
• One quiz and one test are given per unit.
• We are on a block schedule. Each class meets every other day for 90 minutes.
• On average, a minimum of one period per week is spent engaged in lab and/or field work.
Course Outline
Textbook Chapters
1 & Appendix 5
2
3
Unit of Study
Introduction to global issues &
environmental history
Science, Matter and Energy
Ecosystems: food webs, trophic
levels, energy flow, soils,
biogeochemical cycles
Evolution & Adaptation: natural
selection, symbiosis, islands
4
5
Duration
2 Weeks
1 Week
2 Weeks
1 Week
Community Ecology & Ecosystem
Change: community interactions,
2 weeks
Population Dynamics & Human
Population Growth
Climate, Biodiversity & Biomes:
2 Weeks
7&8
atmospheric/ocean currents and
biogeography
9, 10 & 11
Terrestrial & Aquatic Ecosystem
& Biodiversity Management &
Conservation
2 Weeks
succession
6
SEMESTER EXAMS
12
14, 15 & 16
Food Production & Pest Control
Geological and Energy
Resources: mining, renewable &
2 Weeks
1 week
1 Weeks
3 Weeks
non-renewable energy
13 & 20
Water & Water Pollution: global
3 Weeks
17
18 & 19
Toxicology
Air Pollution & Climate Change:
Particulates, VOHC’s, O3, CO2,
2 Week
2 Weeks
Waste Management & Recycling
Sustainability, Economics, Politics
2 Weeks
1 Week
1 week
use, quality & human impacts
global warming, ocean currents
21
22-25
AP EXAM REVIEW & FINALS
Unit 1: Human Effects on the Planet
Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability
Topics:
A. Learning your area
B. Personal Decision-Making
C. Global Trends in Resource Use
D. Tragedy of the Commons & Historical Development of “Environmentalism”
Exercise: What am I?
Lab: Exponential Growth—A Toss of the Dice: Using random throws of dice, this activity
simulates population growth of a species. Factors such as life span, birthrate, resource
depletion, and population momentum are explored. Probability, and statistics are introduced to
the study of ecology
Video: “The Lorax” (Dr. Seuss)
Unit 2: Science, Matter & Energy
Chapter 2
Science, Matter, Energy, and Systems
Topics:
A. Science process skills
B. Thermodynamics
C. Different forms of energy and their importance
 Solar Cooker Design Competition (students design and test designs for cooking
eggs/hotdogs)
 Lab: Introduction to Experimental Design
Unit 3: Intro to Ecology
Chapter 3
Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work
Topics:
A.
B.
C.
Intro to Ecology, and Major Components of an Ecosystem
Energetics
Food chains and food webs
Lab: What’s in an Owl Pellet? Students gain insight into the habits and adaptations (such as
sources and preferences of prey) of an apex predator by examining owl pellets.
Video: “Deep Jungle” (PBS: Nature)
Unit 4: Evolution & Adaptation
Chapter 4
Biodiversity and Evolution
Topics:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Evolution history & Biogeography
Patterns & Evidences of Evolution
Ecological niches
Natural Selection & Speciation
Lab: Biodiversity in Leaf Litter: A Berlese funnel is used to collect organisms from leaf litter.
Biodiversity is calculated using the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index.
Video: “What Darwin Never Saw” (The New Explorers)
Unit 5: Community Ecology & Ecosystem Changes
Chapter 5
Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Population Control
Topics:
A. Species Interactions: Competition, Parasitism, Mutualism, and Commensalism
B. Natural Selection
C. Limits of Population Growth
Lab: Population Growth – Lab Manual
Unit 6: Population Dynamics & Human Population
Chapter 6
The Human Population and Its Impact
Topics:
A. Intro to Population Ecology
B. Population Dynamics
C. Human Population Growth or Decline
Video: “World In The Balance: The Population Paradox” (PBS: Nova)
Unit 7: Climate, Biodiversity & Biomes
Chapter 7 & 8
Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity
Aquatic Biodiversity
Topics:
A. Climate
 Atmospheric & Oceanic Currents
B. Terrestrial Biodiversity
 Biome Research Project (student research poster)
C. Aquatic Biodiversity
 Temperature, DO, Light, and Nutrients


Freshwater Ecosystems
Marine Ecosystems
Unit 8: Public Lands, Ecosystem and Species Conservation
Chapter 9
Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach
Topics:
A. Human Impacts on Biodiversity
B. Conservation Biology
C. Public Lands in the United States
 Federal Land Use Project: National Parks, National Forests, National Resource
Land, National Wildlife Refuges (student travelogue & research project)
 Conservation Priorities of Texas, Natural Area Preservation Association &
Environmental Defense
C. Managing and sustaining forests in the world and the United States
 Fire Ecology Computer Simulation
D. Tropical Deforestation & Sustainable Forestry
Chapter 10
Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach
Topics:
A. Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
B. Deforestation, Logging
C. Sustainable forest
 Old Growth vs. New Growth
 Sustainability
Lab: Community Ecology: Forest Plot Analyses
Chapter 11
Sustaining Aquatic Biodiverstiy
Topics:
A. Aquatic Biodiversity – Importance and research
B. Overfishing & Non-natives
 Article: A Primeval Tide of Toxins, Kenneth Weiss, Los Angeles Times, July 30,
2006
C. Managing and Protecting Marine Biodiversity
D. Managing and Protecting Marine Fisheries
 “Catch of The Day” (statistical analysis of global fishing trends)
E. Protecting, Sustaining, and Restoring Wetlands
 Case Study: Mississippi Watershed & Hurricane Katrina
F. Protecting, Sustaining, and Restoring Lakes and Rivers
Unit 9: Food Production and Pest Control
Chapter 12
Food, Soil, and Pest Management
Topics:
A. Food production and nutrition
 Article: The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race, by Jared Diamond
B. Increasing yields: irrigation, fertilization, GMO’s, The Green Revolution,
 “Beefing it Up” (statistical analysis of global grain production trends)
C. Soil Erosion, Degradation, Conservation
D. Sustainability
E. Types and Uses of Pesticides
F. Regulations
G. Alternative Pest Controls
 Integrated Pest Management
 Case Study: Imported Fire Ant Control in Texas
Lab: Soil Analyses Lab
Video: “Supersize Me”
Unit 10: Geological and Energy Resources
Chapter 14
Geology and Nonrenewable Minerals
Topics:
A. Geologic Processes
 Plate Tectonics (Molnar Lab)
B. Geologic Hazards: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
C. Minerals, The Rock Cycle, and Mining
 Mining Marbles Lab (geological mapping, EIS production, cost/benefit analysis)
Video: “America’s Tsunami” (Discovery)
Lab: Rocks and the Rock Cycle
Chapter 15
Nonrenewable Energy
Topics:
A. Nonrenewable Energy resources and Net Energy
B. Fossil Fuels:
 Petroleum Extraction and Refining;
 Coal;
 Natural Gas
D. Nuclear Energy
E. Environmental Radiation Levels
Alternate Approach Activity: Personal Energy Audit
Video: “Oil On Ice” (Sierra)
Chapter 16
Topics: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
A.
B.
C.
D.
Energy Efficiency: Compare Energy Resources (chart)
Renewable Energy Sources: Solar; Water; Wind
Alternative Energy Sources: Biomass; Geothermal; Hydrogen
Sustainable Energy Policy
Video: “Who Killed The Electric Car?” (Chris Paine)
Unit 11: Water Resources & Pollution
Chapter 13
Water Resources
Topics:
A. Global Water Distribution and Human Usage
B. Dams and reservoir systems, and Aquifers
 Personal Water Use Inventory
C. Desalination of the Sea
D. Role of Wetlands as Runoff Filters
Activity: Texas and It’s Aquifers: Where do we get our Water from??
Chapter 20:
Water Pollution
Topics:
A. Water Quality
B. Oil Spills & Bioremediation
 Gulf Oil Spill Episode
 Oil-Eating Bacteria Lab
C. Detergents & Fertilizer
 Eutrophication
D. Thermal Pollution
 Effect of Temp. on Dissolved Oxygen Lab
E. Groundwater Pollution
 Aquifers and Aquitards Lab (geological mapping, porosity & flow analysis)
 “A Grave Mistake” (forensic point-source groundwater pollution investigation)
F. Liquid Waste Treatment
Video: The Power of Water (National Geographic)
Field Trip



Georgetown Municipal Water Treatment Plant
Fieldwork: Invertebrate Water Quality Indicators
Fieldwork: Nitrate, Phosphate, Sulfate, pH, D.O., Turbidity and Fecal Coliform
analysis of the San Gabriel River and school drinking water
Unit 12: Toxicology
Chapter 17
Environmental Hazards and Human Health
Topics:
A. Biological Hazards That We Face
B. Chemical Hazards That WE Face
C. Toxicology of Chemical Hazards and Risks
Labs and Activities as Time Permits:




Serial Dilution & LD50 Lab (toxicity testing using Daphnia spp.)
Student-Designed Herbicide Lab (inductive investigation of commercial
pesticides, using leaf color as an indicator of plant health)
Total Ion Chromatography Lab (forensic point-source pollution simulation)
“Mad As A Hatter” Seafood Survey (analysis of Hg level trends in supermarket
seafood)
Unit 13: Air Pollution & Climate Change
Chapter 18
Air Pollution
Topics:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Air Quality Analysis
Acid Deposition and Coal Burning Power plants
Indoor/ Outdoor Air Pollution
Air Quality
 “A Tale of Two Cities” (TCEQ Ground-Level Ozone/Smog Survey 2000)
 Smog City (online urban smog simulator)
 Carbon Dioxide Emission


Air Chromatography Data Dig
Carbon Trading/Offset Calculation (accuracy assessment of different offset
companies)
Labs Depending On Time:
 Particulates (sampling for ground-level particulates)
 Ozone Detection (sampling for ground-level ozone)
 Air Sampling (detecting gaseous pollutants using air pumps & gas tubes)
Guest Speaker: TCEQ Air Monitoring: Field Operation Support Division
Chapter 19
Climate Change and Ozone Depletion
Topics:
A. Ozone Depletion
 Online Student Research Project
B. Global Warming
 Data Analysis Lab (ice cores & climate data investigation)
 Greenhouse Effect Lab (effect of increased CO2 on temp. in covered aquarium)
C. Climate Change
 Student Debate (after viewing AIT & reading opposing positions)
Video: “An Inconvenient Truth” (Al Gore)
Unit 14: Solid Waste Management
Chapter 21
Solid and Hazardous Waste
Topics:
A. History of U.S. Garbage
 Article: “Gone Tomorrow” (investigative report by Heather Rogers)
 Personal Trash Inventory (24hr collection and analysis of personal trash)
B. Landfills
 “Not In My Backyard” Debate (landfill location; cost-benefit analysis & debate)
 Energy from Landfills (generating electrical power from Texas landfills)
C. Recycling & Reclamation
Field Trip: Local Texas Disposal System location visit, Williamson County, Tx
Unit 15: Sustainability, Economics & Politics
Chapter 22-25
Topics: Sustainable Cities
Economics, Environment, and Sustainability
Politics, Environment, Sustainability
Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, Sustainability
Topics:
A. City Planning
B. Land Use Decision Making
 Dragonfly Pond (hypothetical town; students plan entire community)
Video: “Design E2: The Economies of Sustainability” (Green architecture & city planning)