Download AP Environmental Science Syllabus - Lexington

CHAPIN HIGH SCHOOL
http://www.lexrich5.org/ChapinHS.cfm
Course:
Advanced Placement Environmental
Science
Instructor:
Jessica Alderman
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site:
Length of Course:
1 year
Number of Credits: 1
Type: Advanced Placement
http://www.lexrich5.org/webpages/jalderman/
South Carolina
Uniform Grading
Scale
A= 90-100
B= 80-89
C= 70-79
D= 60-69
F= Below 60
Phone: 545-5570
Course Description:
Advanced Placement Environmental Science is the equivalent of a one-semester
introductory college course in environmental science. At the college level, environmental
science courses are housed in a wide range of academic departments including Biology,
Geology, and Geography, and this Advanced Placement course will provide an integrated
approach incorporating a wide range of disciplines.
AP Environmental Science is a fast paced class. We will cover the latest developments in
ecology, air and water pollution, earth science, and environmental impact assessment. You
will be applying the chemistry, math and biology from your other science courses, and also
learning about new topics such as federal and international environmental law. If we are
studying the environment we must go out and get into it: we will wade through streams
and wetlands, get dirty, and measure pollutants in car exhaust while completing labs
expressly designed for this AP course. Expectations will be high and students should
expect daily homework assignments, a quiz every class, a formal lab report every nine
weeks, and complex and open ended tests and projects.
Instructional Goals:
The instructional goals for this course are determined by the Advanced Placement Course Outline given
on pages 4-5. This course is designed to provide the student with a broad background in basic
Environmental Science topics and techniques.
Textbook/ Resources
Required Materials:
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Three-ring binder and paper
Notebook/Composition Book
iPad or equivalent device

Clothing and footwear appropriate
for fieldwork
Text: Environmental Science for AP – Friedland and Relyea, 2012.
Laboratory manuals and resources:
 Molnar, William., 2004. AP Environmental Science Laboratory Investigations
 Water Quality with Computers, Vernier
 Pasco: Laboratory Investigations in Earth and Environmental Science
 Carolina Biological Advanced Placement Environmental Science lab kit/ Air
pollution
 Project Learning Tree
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Supplementary Texts
- Barron's AP Environmental Science, 6th Edition
Scope and Sequence:
Semester 1
Intro – AP Info and Environmental History – Week 1
Unit I – Earth Systems and Resources – Weeks 2-4
Unit II – The Living World - Weeks 5 – 8
Unit IV – Land and Water Use – Weeks 9 – 13
Unit III – Populations – Weeks 14 - 17
Midterm – Week 18
Semester 2
Unit V – Energy Resources and Consumption – Weeks 19 - 22
Unit VI – Pollution – Weeks 23 -27
Unit VII – Global Change – Weeks 28 - 30
Review for AP Exam – Remaining time  5/1/17
Assessments/Grading:
Grades are determined using the following percentage system:



Tests and research papers 60%
Labs – 30%
Formative Assessments (Quizzes/Classwork/Homework) – 10%
Tests will be AP format, and will be timed. Most tests will include 50 multiple choice
questions and 2 free response items.
Absences from class and late assignments:
The regulations/policies adopted by School District 5 and CHS apply for make-up work.
The late work policy is the student handbook.
Enrichment/Academic Assistance:
Academic assistance:
Academic assistance is provided weekly during enrichment times.
M, W, Th 11:33 – 12:03
* I am also available before or after school by appointment.
The classroom honor system:
The instructor assumes that all students are aware of the School District’s code of
conduct governing academic dishonesty. Since APES is a college level class, students will be
held to the highest standard, with procedures modeled on those employed by the nation's
most prestigious colleges and universities. Students are responsible for properly citing the
work of others on all assignments and tests. Students who are found to plagiarize or
otherwise copy the work of others on tests, quizzes, projects and other class activities will
be given an automatic zero on the subject test, paper or lab and be referred to an
administrator if appropriate
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The AP Exam:
Monday, May 1, 2017; 8:00 AM
All students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes are required to take the AP
Exam for that course. The tests are paid for by the school district and the state of South
Carolina. Any student who fails to take the AP Exam will not be given AP weighting for
that course, and will be required to take a final exam in that course.
** Calculators ARE NOT allowed on the APES exam!
Class Rules, Consequences, and Parent Contact Information
Class rules:
1. Be on time
2. Bring necessary materials
3. Show respect to the teacher and fellow students
4. Follow instructions
Discipline Policy:
1. Warning
2. Parent contact
3. 30 minute teacher detention, parent contact**
4. Office referral
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APES Topic Outline
I. Earth Systems and Resources (10–15%)
A. Earth Science Concepts (Geologic time scale; plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism; seasons; solar
intensity and latitude)
B. The Atmosphere (Composition; structure; weather and climate; atmospheric circulation and
the Coriolis Effect; atmosphere–ocean interactions; ENSO)
C. Global Water Resources and Use (Freshwater/saltwater; ocean circulation; agricultural, industrial, and
domestic use; surface and groundwater issues; global problems; conservation)
D. Soil and Soil Dynamics
(Rock cycle; formation; composition; physical and chemical properties; main soil types; erosion and
other soil problems; soil conservation)
II. The Living World (10–15%)
A. Ecosystem Structure
(Biological populations and communities; ecological niches; interactions among species; keystone
species; species diversity and edge effects; major terrestrial and aquatic biomes)
B. Energy Flow (Photosynthesis and cellular respiration; food webs and trophic levels; ecological
pyramids)
C. Ecosystem Diversity (Biodiversity; natural selection; evolution; ecosystem services)
D. Natural Ecosystem Change (Climate shifts; species movement; ecological succession)
E. Natural Biogeochemical Cycles (Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, water, conservation of matter)
III. Population (10–15%)
A. Population Biology Concepts (Population ecology; carrying capacity; reproductive strategies;
survivorship)
B. Human Population
1. Human population dynamics (Historical population sizes; distribution; fertility rates; growth rates and
doubling times; demographic transition; age-structure diagrams)
2. Population size (Strategies for sustainability; case studies; national policies)
3. Impacts of population growth (Hunger; disease; economic effects; resource use; habitat destruction)
IV. Land and Water Use (10–15%)
A. Agriculture
1. Feeding a growing population (Human nutritional requirements; types of agriculture; Green
Revolution; genetic engineering and crop production; deforestation; irrigation; sustainable agriculture)
2. Controlling pests (Types of pesticides; costs and benefits of pesticide use; integrated pest
management; relevant laws)
B. Forestry (Tree plantations; old growth forests; forest fires; forest management;
national forests)
C. Rangelands (Overgrazing; deforestation; desertification; rangeland management; federal rangelands)
D. Other Land Use
1. Urban land development (Planned development; suburban sprawl; urbanization)
2. Transportation infrastructure (Federal highway system; canals and channels; roadless areas;
ecosystem impacts)
3. Public and federal lands
(Management; wilderness areas; national parks; wildlife refuges; forests; wetlands)
4. Land conservation options (Preservation; remediation; mitigation; restoration)
5. Sustainable land-use strategies
E. Mining (Mineral formation; extraction; global reserves; relevant laws and treaties)
F. Fishing (Fishing techniques; overfishing; aquaculture; relevant laws and treaties)
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G. Global Economics (Globalization; World Bank; Tragedy of the Commons; relevant laws and
treaties)
V. Energy Resources and Consumption (10–15%)
A. Energy Concepts (Energy forms; power; units; conversions; Laws of Thermodynamics)
B. Energy Consumption
1. History (Industrial Revolution; exponential growth; energy crisis)
2. Present global energy use
3. Future energy needs
C. Fossil Fuel Resources and Use (Formation of coal, oil, and natural gas; extraction/purification
methods; world reserves and global demand; synfuels; environmental advantages/ disadvantages of
sources)
D. Nuclear Energy
(Nuclear fission process; nuclear fuel; electricity production; nuclear reactor
types; environmental advantages/disadvantages; safety issues; radiation and
human health; radioactive wastes; nuclear fusion)
E. Hydroelectric Power (Dams; flood control; salmon; silting; other impacts)
F. Energy Conservation (Energy efficiency; CAFE standards; hybrid electric vehicles; mass transit)
G. Renewable Energy (Solar energy; solar electricity; hydrogen fuel cells; biomass; wind energy; smallscale hydroelectric; ocean waves and tidal energy; geothermal;
environmental advantages/disadvantages)
VI. Pollution (25–30%)
A. Pollution Types
1. Air pollution (Sources—primary and secondary; major air pollutants; measurement
units; smog; acid deposition—causes and effects; heat islands and temperature inversions; indoor air
pollution; remediation and reduction strategies; Clean Air Act and other relevant laws)
2. Noise pollution (Sources; effects; control measures)
3. Water pollution (Types; sources, causes, and effects; cultural eutrophication; groundwater pollution;
maintaining water quality; water purification; sewage treatment/septic systems; Clean Water Act and
other relevant laws)
4. Solid waste (Types; disposal; reduction)
B. Impacts on the Environment and Human Health
1. Hazards to human health (Environmental risk analysis; acute and chronic effects; dose-response
relationships; air pollutants; smoking and other risks)
2. Hazardous chemicals in the environment (Types of hazardous waste; treatment/disposal of hazardous
waste; cleanup of contaminated sites; biomagnification; relevant laws)
C. Economic Impacts (Cost-benefit analysis; externalities; marginal costs; sustainability)
VII. Global Change (10–15%)
A. Stratospheric Ozone (Formation of stratospheric ozone; ultraviolet radiation; causes of ozone
depletion; effects of ozone depletion; strategies for reducing ozone depletion; relevant laws and
treaties)
B. Global Warming (Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect; impacts and consequences of global
warming; reducing climate change; relevant laws and treaties)
C. Loss of Biodiversity
1. Habitat loss; overuse; pollution; introduced species; endangered and extinct species
2. Maintenance through conservation
3. Relevant laws and treaties
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