Download APES Syllabus

AP Environmental Science Syllabus
Course description
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester,
introductory college course in environmental science. The goal of this interdisciplinary
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.
Exam Day: May 5, 2014
Prerequisites:
Scheduling:
Textbook:
Methods:
Biology, Chemistry, Physics and math through Algebra II.
The class meets 5 days a week for 59 minutes per period.
MWF: Lecture Days
TTh: Lab Days
Living in the Environment, 15th Ed., G. Tyler Miller (2007;
Thompson Brooks- Cole Pubs.)
Instructional methods include: lecture, discussion, debate, computer
simulations, journaling, current events, independent research, field work,
and hands-on laboratory investigation.
Grade Determination and Scale
The following represents potential grades collected during a school quarter:
Classwork/Daily Work: 20%
A = 90 and above
Labs/Projects: 20%
B = 80 - 89
Exams: 60%
C = 70 - 79
F = 69 and below
Foundational themes
 Science is a process.
 Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.
 The Earth itself is one interconnected system.
 Humans alter natural systems.
 Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.
 Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable
systems.
Long term labs and assignments
 Students will develop data collecting skills over an extended period of time.
This will hone their abilities to take qualitative as well as quantitative
measurements.
Course Outline
Unit
1
Textbook Chapters
1, 2
2
3
4
3&5
4 -7
9 & 23
5
5
6
6 and 12
7
7,10, 11
8
8, 9,
9
SEMESTER EXAMS
13
10
15, 16, 17
11
14, 21
12
18
13
19, 20
14
15
22
23, 24
Unit of Study
Environmental Problems,
Their Causes, and
Sustainability, Science &
Matter
Life on Earth part 1
Life on Earth part 2
Evolution & Adaptation:
natural selection, symbiosis,
islands
Climate, Biodiversity &
Biomes: atmospheric/ocean
currents and biogeography
Aquatic Biodiveristy and
Sustainability
Biodiversity, Species
Interactions, and
Sustainability
Population Dynamics &
Human Population Growth
Food Production & Pest
Control
Geological and Energy
Resources: mining, renewable
& non-renewable energy
Water & Water Pollution:
global use, quality & human
impacts
Environmental Hazards and
Human Health
Air Pollution, Climate Change
and Ozone Depletion
Solid and Hazardous Waste
Sustainability, Economics &
Politics
AP EXAM REVIEW &
FINALS
Duration
2 1/2 weeks
2 ½ weeks
4 weeks
1 ½ weeks
2 ½ weeks
2 weeks
3 weeks
3 weeks
1 week
2 weeks
3 weeks
2 ½ weeks
1 ½ week
2 weeks
2 weeks
2 week
1 week
Chapter by Chapter Outline
Subject to Change
Unit 1: Humans and Sustainability
Chapter 1
A. Learning your area
 Ecological scavenger hunt (students find abiotic and biotic factors in
environment)
B. Personal Decision-Making (students rank their personal consumption priorities)
C. Global Trends in Resource Use
 Ecological Footprint Calculator
D. Tragedy of the Commons & Historical Development of “Environmentalism”
 Hetch-Hetchy debate (students re-enact the groundbreaking discussion)
a. Hetch Hetchy Reenactment Lesson
b. Restore Hetch Hetchy Website
 Goldfish Activity
E. Environmental Time Line
Video: “The Lorax” (Dr. Seuss)
Unit 2: Science, Matter & Energy
Chapter 2
A. Science process skills
 Check activity (inductive reasoning)
 Jelly side down lab (deductive reasoning)
 Soil Salinization Lab (experimental design as a science process skill)
a. Soil Salinization Lab Write Up Example 1
b. Soil Salinization Write up Example 2
B. Matter & Energy
C. Thermodynamics
 Solar Cooker Design Competition (students design and test cooking
eggs/hotdogs)
a. Solar Cooking Archive (Website for Designs and Information)
Unit 3: Intro to Ecology
Chapter 3
 Intro to Ecology
 Terraqua-column lab (model of 3 interconnected ecosystems for long-term
study)
a. Terraqua Column Information
A. Energetics
 Owl Pellets, Food Webs, and Biomass Pyramids Lab (mathematical modeling
of ecological data)
 Energy Consumed for a Day (students determine amount of solar energy
required to sustain their body for one day)

Investigation 16: Eating at a Lower Trophic Level Lab (Molnar application
lab)
B. Biogeochemical Cycles
 Student Led Project Presentation
Video: “Planet Earth”
Unit 4: Evolution & Adaptation
Chapter 4
A. Evolution History & Biogeography
 Island Biogeography on the Canary Islands Lab
B. Patterns & Evidences of Evolution
C. Ecological niches
 Investigation 17: Predator-Prey Simulation (Molnar)
D. Natural Selection & Speciation
 Tiger Fur Lab (modeling gene frequency changes in species with strong
selection pressure)
 Goldfish Predator and Adaptation Simulation (modeling adaptive radiation)
 Evolution Flash Simulation Lab
C. Island Biogeography (Explorations in Biodiversity)
Video: PBS Evolution Series
Unit 5: Climate, Biodiversity & Biomes
Chapter 5
A. Climate
 Atmospheric & Oceanic Currents
B. Terrestrial Biodiversity
 Climatogram Construction
 Investigation 4: Formation of Deserts (Molnar Project)
 Biome Research Project (student research poster)
C. Aquatic Biodiversity
 Oceanic Light zones
 Aquatic Lifezone Project (student powerpoint project)
Video: “Planet Earth” Series
“The Living Sea” (IMAX)
Unit 6: Aquatic Biodiversity and Sustainability
Chapter 6 and 12
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
G. Personal Seafood Inventory
Unit 7: Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Sustainability
Chapter 7
A. Community Ecology
 Predator Prey Dynamics
a. Chi-Square Analysis Lab (statistical analysis of effect of predation on
a cryptic species within a varied environment)
1. Chi-Square and M&M’s
b. Wolves & Rabbits online simulation (manipulation of fecundity,
survival, predation and herbivory rates to produce different outcomes)
1. Rabbits and Wolves Webgame
 Community Structure & Species Interactions
a. Keystone Species Research Project & Environmental Impact
Statement
 Succession
a. Fieldwork: Kempner “Swamp” Transect Lab
Chapter 10
A. Importance of Wild Species
 Article Analysis: The 6th Extinction by Nile Eldridge
o Website
B. Species Extinction
 “Back from the Brink” project (student research/species action plan)
C. Extinction Threats: E.O. Wilson’s “HIPPO”
D. Protecting Species: Sanctuary vs. Legal approaches
Chapter 11
A. Human Impacts on Biodiversity
B. Conservation Biology
 Wolves of Yellowstone Project
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
D. Managing and sustaining forests in the world and the United States
 Fire Ecology Computer Simulation
E. Tropical Deforestation & Sustainable Forestry
F. Ecological Restoration

Case Study: Crystal Lake (land use town hall-style decision meeting)
Unit 8: Population Dynamics and Human Population Growth
Chapter 8 & 9
A. Intro to Population Ecology
 Something’s Fishy Lab (mark/recapture population sampling)
 Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index Lab (calculating diversity with real
population samples)
1. Schoolyard Ecology Lab
B. Population Dynamics
 Population Growth Strategies Inductive Lab (identifying unknown species
using long-term survivorship data)
 Lesson of the Kaibab (demonstrates real life example humans affecting
population dynamics and resulting crash as population exceeds carrying
capacity)
C. Human Population
 Power of the Pyramids activity
 Population Distribution and Survivorship lab (using obituary and cemetery
data to model human survivorship trends)
a. Investigation 22 Molnar Lab
 Global Population Trends lab
a. Investigation 21 Molnar Lab
 Doubling Times lab
a. Investigation 20 Molnar Lab
D. Field Work
 Cemetery (students study mortality rate)
Video: “World In The Balance: The Population Paradox” (PBS: Nova)
Unit 9: Food Production and Pest Control
Chapter 13
A. Food Production and Nutrition
 Hamburger, Fries, and a Cola Activity
 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)
 Detecting GMO’s Using PCR Lab (investigation of transgenes in “organic”
foods)
C. Soil Erosion, Degradation, Conservation
 Investigation 9: Soil Analysis Lab (Molnar)
D. Sustainability
E. Types and Uses of Pesticides
F. Regulations
G. Alternative Pest Controls
 Integrated Pest Management
 Pest Population Dynamics
 Case Study: Imported Fire Ant Control in Texas
Video: “Supersize Me”; “Storewars”; “The Meatrix”
Unit 10: Geological and Energy Resources
Chapter 15
A. Geologic Processes
 Plate Tectonics (Molnar Lab)
B. Geologic Hazards: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
C. Minerals, The Rock Cycle, and Mining
 Know your Minerals Lab
 Investigating Sedimentary, Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks.
 Cookie Mining Lab (geological mapping, EIS production, cost/benefit
analysis)
Video: “America’s Tsunami” (Discovery)
Chapter 16
A. Nonrenewable Energy Resources and Net Energy
B. Fossil Fuels: Petroleum Extraction and Refining; Coal; Natural Gas
 Personal Energy Audit (Molnar Lab)
C. Nuclear Energy
 Assessing Environmental Radiation Levels
a. Rosenthal Activity #28: Radiation Exposure
D. Energy Calculations (significant figures, conversions)
Video: “Oil On Ice” (Sierra)
Chapter 17
A. Energy Efficiency: Compare Energy Resources (chart)
B. Renewable Energy Sources: Solar; Water; Wind
C. Alternative Energy Sources: Biomass; Geothermal; Hydrogen
D. Sustainable Energy Policy
E. Carbon Wedges
Video: “Who Killed The Electric Car?” (Chris Paine)
Unit 11: Water Resources & Pollution
Chapter 14
A. Global Water Distribution and Human Usage
 Personal Water Use Inventory
 Global Water Use (study of aquifers)
B. Role of Wetlands as Runoff Filters
 Salt Marsh Model (sediment trapping and pollutant filtering lab)
Chapter 21:
A. Water Quality
 Fieldwork: Invertebrate Water Quality Indicators
 Fieldwork: Nitrate, Phosphate, Sulfate, pH, D.O., Turbidity and Fecal
Coliform analysis of local stream and school drinking water
B. Oil Spills & Bioremediation
 Monterey Bay Land Use Debate
 Oil-Eating Bacteria Lab
C. Detergents & Fertilizer
 Eutrophication Lab (creating algal blooms using different pollutants)
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
 Urine Remediation Systems (student research project)
Field Trip: Municipal Water Treatment Plant
Unit 12: Toxicology
Chapter 18
A. Toxicity Measurement
 Serial Dilution & LD50 Lab (toxicity testing using Daphnia spp.)
B. Herbicides
 Student-Designed Herbicide Lab (inductive investigation of commercial
pesticides, using leaf color as an indicator of plant health)
C. Phthalates
 Total Ion Chromatography Lab (forensic point-source pollution simulation)
D. Mercury in Marine Environments
 “Mad As A Hatter” Seafood Survey (analysis of Hg level trends in
supermarket seafood)
Video: “A Civil Action” (Touchstone Pictures)
Unit 13: Air Pollution & Climate Change
Chapter 19
A. Air Quality Analysis
 Particulates Lab (sampling for ground-level particulates)
 Ozone Detection Lab (sampling for ground-level ozone)
 Air Sampling Lab (detecting gaseous pollutants using air pumps & gas tubes)
B. Houston’s Air Quality
 “A Tale of Two Cities” (TCEQ Ground-Level Ozone/Smog Survey 2000)
 Smog City (online urban smog simulator)
C. Carbon Dioxide Emission
 Personal Carbon Inventory
 Carbon Trading/Offset Calculation (accuracy assessment of different
offset companies)
Chapter 20
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 22
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 Waste Management Landfill
Unit 15: Sustainability, Economics & Politics
Chapter 23
A. City Planning

“Tomorrow: Houston 2035” (students analyze population trends and plan
Houston’s future infrastructure)
B. Land Use Decision Making
 Dragonfly Pond (hypothetical town; students plan entire community)
 Human Sustainability
Chapter 24
A. Environmentally Sustainable Societies
 Research Countries Achieving Sustainable Economies
 Sustainability Project (students create an environmentally sustainable
society)
Video: “Design E2: The Economies of Sustainability” (Green architecture & city
planning)