Download Subject: Integrated Science - Lake Worth Community High School

LAKE WORTH COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
1701 Lake Worth Road
Lake Worth, FL 33460
561-533-6300
Subject: AP Environmental Science SY2012-2013
Course #:
Instructor: Mr. Predmore
Syllabus
Description:
The goal of the AP Environmental Science 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,
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.
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.
Teacher Expectations:
Course Overview: Students will have the opportunity to learn “the scientific principles,
concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze
environmental problems both natural and man-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems and
to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or prevent them. “ (From the Course Description for AP
Environmental Science)
Study Guide to accompany the Text/ web site
A one -inch hard cover binder
A composition book/graphed
A calculator (Cannot use on the exam)
A “Want –to-learn” Attitude

Grading Policy:
Environmental Article Reviews and homework 10%
Tests 30%
Chapter Reviews, class work, Friday quizzes 20%
Lab Participation and Reports 20%
Employability 20%

Make-up Work/Tests/labs: School Policy states that students may have one day to complete make –up work for
each day of an excused absence. Assignments are kept in an assignment notebook and a file for handouts that
student may access before or after class. If you are absent for a test or quiz, you need to take it the day you get
back. If you have an unexcused absence, you will receive a zero for the work missed. Make-up tests are from
630am-720am and must be scheduled a day in advance. IT IS YOUR JOB TO TAKE CARE OF THESE THINGS!!!

NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED!!!!!

Reading the chapter that we are studying is a “given” even if it is not assigned

Communication: You can call or email me if you are absent to get assignments missed. (not the same day it is
due!!!! Or the middle of the night!!!!!!!!) Extra help is available during Advisory or after school until 3:00.

Each week on Monday a current event is due. Follow the format on the sheet given. It may not be more than
1 month old and must be related to the topic given and be from a reputable source.






Complete all assignments.
Study for tests and quizzes.
Turn in assignments on time.
Keep all work.
Be attentive and participate in discussions.
Be prepared for class.
th
Text Book: Environment 7 Edition, Raven, Berg & Hassenzahl
Student Companion Site: www.wiley.com/college/raven
AP Exam:
Grading Policy:
Grades will consist of scores, gathered from Tests, Quizzes, Homework, Class work, Study Guides, Labs, and
Projects. Quizzes will be given randomly and Tests will be given at the end of each Chapter and are cumulative.
Materials:
1. Composition book (Graphed)
Lab Reports/FRQs( Free Response Questions)
Grading Evaluation:
Environmental Article Reviews and homework 10%
Tests 30%
Chapter Reviews, class work, Friday quizzes 20%
Lab Participation and Reports 20%
Employability 20%
Grading Scale:
A=90-100%
B=80-89%
C=70-79%
D=60-69%
F=59% or below *** Minimum of 2.0 GPA is required club or sport participation.
Scope and Sequence:
Unit
Humans in the Environment
Weeks: 2
Labs: Tragedy of the Commons,
Ecological footprint,
Case Study: Frog Feminization
due to Atrazine Exposure
Chapters
1, 2
Quiz:
Test:
Topics
Introducing Environmental
Science and Sustainability,
Environmental Laws,
Economics, and Ethics
Practice AP Exam
The World We Live In
Weeks: 4
Labs: Ecosystems Identification,
Climatology Graphs, Cats in
Borneo, Biomes, Food chains
3,4,5,6,7
FRQ
Quiz
Quiz
Test:
A Crowded World
Weeks: 3
Labs: Population Pyramids,
Population distributions
activity.
The Search for Energy
Weeks: 3
Labs: Nuclear Power Plant,
Hydraulic Fracturing
presentations, Sustainability
Island Groups project, Wind
Turbine Blade design.
Our Precious Resources
Weeks: 6
Activity: Agriculture and
farming techniques, Soil
Texture Triangle activity,
Water Quality of Lake
Osborne, South West Florida
Water Management
Investigative Paper, Land
Usage for Sustainability Island.
Environmental Concerns
Weeks: 6
Field Trip: Waste Management
Land Fill PSL plant,
Point/nonpoint source
pollution lab
8,9,10
FRQ
Quiz
Test
Ecosystems and Energy,
Ecosystems and Living
Organisms, Ecosystems and the
Physical Environment, Major
Ecosystems of the World,
Human Health and
Environmental Toxicology
Population Change, The
Problems of Overpopulation,
The Urban World
11,12,13
FRQ
Quiz:
Test:
Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Energy,
Renewable Energy and
Conservation
14,15,16,17,18,19
FRQ:
Quiz:
Quiz:
Quiz:
Test:
Water: A Limited Resource,
Soils and Their Preservation,
Minerals: A Nonrenewable
Resource, Preserving Earth’s
Biological Diversity, Land
Resources, Food Resources: A
Challenge for Agriculture
20,21,22,23,24,
FRQ:
Quiz:
Quiz:
Quiz:
Test:
Air Pollution, Regional and
Global Atmospheric Changes,
Water Pollution, The Pesticide
Dilemma, Solid and Hazardous
Wastes
Summer Assignment
The purpose of this summer assignment is to prepare you for class in a few ways. First, you will begin your yearlong
project of becoming a-w-a-r-e of the environment! Second, you will get some really important background
information created that will become the basis of much that we will do in APES this coming year. Finally, you will
watch a movie and reflect on that movie.
Part 1: (40pts)
VIDEO REVIEW
1.
Watch the movie Home.
o It is a great introduction to this course as it covers a wide variety of environmental topics while
using a strong narrator (Glenn Close) and lots of aerial views from above.
2.
As you watch the video, write down 30 interesting facts you learn from throughout the video (not just
from
the first 30 minutes!!).
o
o
o
Then, write a short essay describing your thoughts on the film.
This can include how it made you feel, what surprised you, what made you think, etc. and
needn’t be more than a couple paragraphs.
Be prepared to discuss the movie during the first week of school
CURRENT EVENTS: EVIRONMENTAL ARTICLES
Find THREE articles that have been published this summer 2014 (from June-August).
•
Each article must be about a different environmental issue.
o Examples of some environmental issues: chemical contamination, oil spills, pesticides, air pollution, climate
change, rainforest deforestation, overpopulation, desertification, coral reef destruction, urban sprawl, introduction of
non-native/invasive species, endangered species
• Include each article printed from the internet, photocopied from a journal, or cut from a newspaper or magazine.
-OR• Create an electronic file, with the article (a hyperlink to the URL) and the summary and reflection and
send it to me by the due date
• The sources may be scientific publications, popular magazines, newspapers or the like. Try the NY Times
(especially Tuesdays), National Geographic, Discover Magazine, as well as the more scholarly Scientific American,
Science, Nature, etc.
o You may use an online newspaper or journal, as well as “.gov, .edu, or .org” sites as well.
Cite your sources properly (MLA or APA) on a reference page at the end of the section.
o Remember, maintain your integrity and write your original thoughts!
For each article answer the following questions. Please number your articles and answers.
1) Summarize the content in the article in your own words. (“cutting and pasting” from the article is not writing in
your own) words!) Focus on the questions below.
a. What is the problem? When did it begin?
b. Who are the responsible parties, if they are known?
c. How severe is the environmental impact?
2) Your reflection &/or reactions to/ on the article
a. What are your thoughts on the issue?
b. Does it support or refute other information you've heard or read? How so/in what way?
Part 2: (40pts)
Law Review Summer Assignment
Directions: Find the following for each of the laws and/or treaties listed below and put on a notecard. Feel free to hand
write or type. You will be quizzed on these laws throughout the school year so coming into the course with these already
done will be VERY helpful.
1. Draft Year, International or National
2. Description of Function; Environmental Issues Affected
3. Agency/Group Responsible for Regulation and Enforcement (i.e. United Nations, Department of Interior, EPA,
etc.)
Clean Air Act
Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Acts
Clean Water Acts
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation Liability Act
Consumer Product Safety Act
Hardrock Mining and Reclamation
Kyoto Protocol
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species
Emergency Planning & Community Right-ToKnow Act
Endangered Species Act
Energy Policy Act
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide
Act
Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act
National Energy Act
National Environmental Policy Act
Law of the Sea Convention
Marine Plastic Pollution Research
and Control Act
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act
Montreal Protocol
Occupational Safety and Health
Act
Ocean Dumping Ban Act
Oil Pollution Act
Oil Spill Prevention and
Liability Act
Pollution Prevention Act
Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Soil and Water Conservation
Act
Solid Waste Disposal Act
Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act
Toxic Substances Control Act
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
National Park Act
National Wildlife Refuge System
Act
Food Quality Protection Act
Nuclear Waste Policy Act
Wilderness Act
 This can be hand written or typed. Please leave room at the end as we may be adding more as the year
progresses.
 You will your first quiz on these laws the 2nd week of school.
Part 3
: (10pts)
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
You are expected to enter the course with a good understanding of basic scientific and mathematical
concepts and skills as well as strong, reading, writing and speaking abilities. Although we will
continue to develop these skills throughout the year, your success in the class is also dependent upon
what you bring to it at the onset. Over the summer, review the scientific concepts and mathematical
calculations below. We will be building upon and referencing them throughout the year. You
should be prepared to take a quiz on these skills and concepts during the first week of school.
Prerequisite Basic Scientific Concepts:
You should be familiar with the following terms/concepts from Biology, Chemistry, and Earth
Science:
Use note cards for each of the following:
Organic vs. Inorganic
Photosynthesis (reactants and products)
Natural vs. Synthetic
Cellular Respiration (reactants and products)
Kinetic vs. Potential Energy
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic
Radioactive decay
Adaptation
Half life
Mutation
Law of Conservation of Matter
Gene Trait
st
Chromosome
nd
2 Law of Thermodynamics
Gene pool
Entropy
Natural Selection
Organism
Biodiversity
Species
Extinction
Population
Plate Tectonics
Community
Weathering
Ecosystem
Climate Change
Producers/Autotrophs
Rocks vs. Minerals
Consumers/Heterotrophs
Climate vs. Weather
1 Law of Thermodynamics
Decomposers
The full name of each of these chemical abbreviations:
CO2, CO, C6H12O6, CH4, H2, H2O, N2, NOX, NO3-, NH3, 02, 0 3, P, P0 43-, S, S02, Cl, K, NaCl, Pb, Hg, Rn, U
Part 4: (10pts)
Prerequisite Basic Mathematical Skills
Percentage
17% = 17/100 = .17
- Remember that "percent" literally means divided by 100.
- Percentage is a measure of the part of the whole. Or part divided by whole.
-15 million is what percentage of the US population? 15 million / 300 million = .05 = 5%
- What is 20% of this $15 bill so that I can give a good tip? $15 x .20 = $15 x 20/100 = $3
Rates
Rise
Run
Y2-Y1
X2-X1
slope
change
time
y=mx+b
dX
dt
- All of the above are ways to look at rates. The second equation is the easiest way to calculate a rate,
especially from looking at a graph. Rates will often be written using the word "per" followed by a
unit of time, such as cases per year, grams per minute or mile per hour. The word per means to
divide, so miles per gallon is actually the number miles driven divided by one gallon.
- Rates are calculating how much an amount changes in a given amount of time.
Scientific Notation
Thousand = 103 =1,000
Million = 106 =1,000,000 (people in the US)
Billion = 109 =1,000,000,000 (people on Earth)
Trillion = 1012 =1,000,000,000,000 (National debt)
- When using very large numbers, scientific method is often easiest to manipulate. For example, the US
population is 300 million people or 300xl06or 3xl08
- When adding or subtracting, exponents must be the same. Add the numbers in front of the ten and
keep the exponent the same.
- When multiplying or dividing, multiply or divide the number in front of the ten and add the exponents
if
multiplying or subtract the exponents if dividing
Ex. 9xl06/ 3xl02 =
(9/3) x 10(6-2) = 3 x 104
Dimensional Analysis
You should be able to convert any unit into any other unit accurately if given the conversion factor.
Online tutorials are available:
http://www.chemprofessor.com/dimension_text.htm
http://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/fyp/mathrev/mr-da.html
Prefixes
m (milli)
c (cent)
k (kilo)
M (mega)
G (giga)
T (tera)
=1/1000
=1/100
=1000
=1,000,000
=1,000,000,000
=1,000,000,000,000
-2
= 10'
=103
=106
=109
=1012
=10-3
Sample Math Problems
Be sure you are able to complete the following types of problems.
1) What is one million times one thousand? Show your work in scientific notation. Give the answer in scientific notation
and in words.
2) A population of deer had 200 individuals. If the population grows by 15% in one year, how many deer will there be the
next year?
3) One year I had 40 AP Environmental Science students and the next year I had 50 Environmental Science students, what
percentage did the population of APES students grow by?
4) Electricity costs 6 cents per kilowatt hour. In one month one home uses one megawatt hour of electricity. How much
will the electric bill be? (be sure to look at the prefixes chart on the previous page for the conversion of kilo to mega)
5) Your car gets 15 miles to the gallon and your friend's car gets 25 miles to the gallon. You decide to go on a road trip to
Virginia Tech, which is 300 miles away. If gas costs $4 per gallon and you decide to split the gas money, how much
money will you save in gas by driving your friend's car?
6) Virginia Beach is 10 miles wide and 30 miles long. If one inch of rain falls on Virginia Beach, how many cubic feet of
rain fell on Virginia Beach. (Hint: convert all units to feet first).
7) An MP3 takes up about 16 kilobytes of memory per second of music. If you owned a one terabyte hard drive and filled
it with only mp3s, how many days worth of music would you have? (keep track of units: kilobytes to terabytes and
seconds to days)