AP Environmental Syllabus & Pacing Chart
Submitted by Fred Shubert,
[fshubert@pendletonschool.org]
The following information is from: AP Environmental Science Teacher’s Guide.
Copyright 2003 by the College Entrance Examination Board. Reprinted with
permission. All rights reserved.
THE COURSE
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a
one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science. 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. 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 or destroyed; 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.
LABORATORY AND FIELD INVESTIGATION
The laboratory and field investigation component of the AP Environmental Science
course will challenge the students’ abilities to:
. critically observe environmental systems
. develop and conduct well-designed experiments
. utilize appropriate techniques and instrumentation
. analyze & interpret data, including appropriate statistical & graphical
presentations
. think analytically and apply concepts to the solutions of environmental
problems
. make conclusions and evaluate their quality and validity
. propose further questions for study
. communicate accurately and meaningfully about observations and conclusions
. present results of experiment to class as a group
All lab experiments will start at the beginning of each new Part and will be presented to the group.
Field Trips:
Mote Marine – Red Tide – Date: TBD
THE EXAM
The AP Environmental Science Exam is two periods long ( 2 hrs. 40 min.) and is divided equally in time between a multiple-choice section and a free-response section.
The multiple-choice section, which constitutes 60 percent of the final grade,
consists of 100 multiple-choice questions that are designed to cover the breadth
of the students’ knowledge and understanding of environmental science.
Thought-provoking problems and questions based on fundamental ideas from
environmental science are included along with questions based on the recall of
basic facts and major concepts. The number of multiple-choice questions taken
from each major topic is reflected in the percentage of the course as designated
in the topic outline. This will require one full period so be on time.
The free response section emphasizes the application of principles in greater
depth. In this section, students must organize answers to broad questions,
thereby demonstrating reasoning and analytical skills, as well as the ability to
synthesize material from several sources into cogent and coherent essays. Four
free-response questions are included in this section, which constitutes 40
percent of the final grade: 1 data-set question, 1 document-based question, and
2 synthesis and evaluation questions. Again this requires one full period, so be on time.
The use of calculators is not allowed on either section of the exam.
==============
A-B Schedule:
Class meets Monday and Wednesday, one period each day, and Friday on alternating weeks.
Class meets Tuesday, Thursday, one period each day, and Friday on alternating weeks.
Class size – 10-15 students
Primary Textbook: Richard T. Wright. Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future 10th. Ed.; Prentice Hall
Laboratory Investigations: Wm. Molnar AP Environmental
Science (2005) Peoples Education ,
Supplementary:
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Class Grade Calculation:
30% Tests
20 Labs
10 Activities/Projects
10 Quizzes
10 Homework
20 Participation
Expect weekly quizzes, both announced and unannounced.
Since the use of calculators is not permitted on the AP Exam, it is also not
permitted on class quizzes and tests. You may use calculators for lab reports.
Extra help:
Tuesday, Room 135,
COURSE OUTLINE Semester One and two
Chapters 1-11 will cover Earth Science Concepts by studying the interactions of the population with the individual ecosystems (biomes) that have evolved through the history of our planet (Population in this sense includes all life that inhabit this planet). This will include the travels of life forms throughout the world and how plate tectonics have changed the oceans and rivers in the world itself and how it continues to change each day.
At the same time, we will study how man has used or misused land to improve the food supply to the population of the world and has affected the world’s water supply as well as its oceans with the run off from the immense farms in each country.
Chapters 12-23 will study the use of non-renewable energy sources and what humankind must do to prepare for the eventuality of running out of these resources. How is man preparing for renewable resources and is it sufficient to supply the whole world? How is man changing the way we are destroying these non-renewable resources? The greatest of these is our atmosphere for without it, mankind can not survive.
August 25 :
Chapter 1
Introduction: Toward a sustainable future
(Chapter 1- Section 1.1-1.4)
Part One
Ecosystems: basic units of the natural world.
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Earth’s systems-Flow of energy, Atmosphere, Biosphere
To be presented Sept. 25-26
Sept. 2:
Chapter 2 Ecosystems: What they are.
Sections 2.1-2.4
Sept. 8:
Chapter 3 Ecosystems How they work.
Sections 3.1-3.4
Sept. 15:
Chapter 4 Ecosystems: How they change
Sections 4.1-4.4
Sept. 22:
Chapter 4 Ecosystems
Finish Chapter 4 Review )
Sept. 25:
Group Presentations Begin Sept.25th –26th.
Sept. 29-30
Test 1 Ecosystems 1hr. 20 min.
Multiple choice
Oct. 1
Chapter 5 Human Population
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Human Population - History and Global Distribution; Cultural and Economic Influences
Group Presentations begin Oct. 13-14
Part Two
Molnar: World Population Growth-quantitative Lab 19
Dynamics of population growth and its causes
Sections 5.1-5.4
Oct. 6:
Chapter 6 Population and its development
Sections 6.1-6.4
Molnar: Doubling Time in Exponential growth Lab 20
Oct. 13 – 14th: Group presentations
Oct. 15-16
TEST
QUARTERLY EXAM
Oct. 20.
Chapter 7 Renewable Resources
Part Three
Human use of Water and its Hydrological cycle
Sections 7.1-7.4
Molnar: National and Local Water Use Lab. 11
Oct. 27:
Chapter 8 Foundations for Land Ecosystems
Sections 8.1-8.3
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Unit 3: Natural Resources
Water :Simulation Lab
Biological:Simulation Lab
Land:Standard Lab
TEST Nov. 5-6.
Multiple Choice
Nov. 7:
Chapter 9 Production and distribution of Food
Sections 9.1-9.4
Molnar: Eating at Lower Trophic Level
Nov. 17:
Chapter 10 Wild species and Biodiversity
Sections 10.1-10.4
Molnar: Predator-Prey Simulation Lab.
Nov. 24:
Chapter 11 Ecosystem Capital
Sections 11.1-11.4
Dec. 4:
Ecosystem capital: Sections 11.1-11.2
Dec. 15:
Biomes and ecosystems under pressure:
Sections 11.3-11.4
Group presentations
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Unit 2: Human Population Dynamics
History and Global
Distribution
Simulation Lab
Carrying
Capacity
Simulation Lab
Jan. 5–6
Review
Jan. 7-9
MID TERM EXAM
COURSE OUTLINE Semester Two
Jan. 12: Chapter 12
Group presentations
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Group Presentations Feb. 4-5
Part 4 Energy – Fossil Fuels
Nonrenewable energy
Sections 12.1-12.4
Jan. 19: Chapter 13
Energy – Nuclear Power
Sections 13.1-13.5
Jan. 26: Chapter 14
Renewable Energy
Sections 14.1-14.5
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Unit 3: Natural Resources
Non-renewable
Standard Lab
Renewable
Standard Lab
Molnar: Energy and recycling Lab 8.
Feb. 4-5:
Group Presentations-Energy
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Flow of Energy
Simulation Lab
The Atmosphere
Simulation Lab
The Biosphere
Simulation Lab
TEST Feb. 9-10
Feb. 11: Chapter 15
Part 5 – Pollution and Prevention
Group presentations Mar 25-26
Environmental Hazards and Human health
Sections 15.1-15.3
Feb. 23: Chapter 16
Sections 16.1-16.5
TEST Mar. 4-5
QUARTERLY EXAM
Mar. 6: Chapter 17
Water Pollution and its Prevention
Sections 17.1 - 17.4
Molnar: Acid Rain Lab. 28
Mar. 16: Chapter 18
Municipal Solid Waste
Disposal and Recovery
Sections 18.1-18.3
Molnar: Solid Waste Collection Lab 30
Mar. 23: Chapter 19
Hazardous Chemicals
Pollution and Prevention
Sections 19-1 – 19.4
Molnar: Auto and Truck Tires and the Environment Lab 31
Mar. 25-26
Group Presentations-Pollution
Group presentations
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Air, Water, and Soil
Simulation
Lab
Human Health
Simulation
Lab
Mar. 30: Chapter 20
The Atmosphere: Climate, Climate Change, and
Ozone Depletion.
Sections 20.1-20.5
Molnar: Global Climate Change Lab 33
Spring Break April 6 - 17
Apr. 20: Chapter 21
Atmospheric Pollution
Sections 21.1-21.5
Molnar: CO2 Emissions from Fossil-Fuel Burning Lab 24
May 4: Part Six
Toward a Sustainable Future
Economics, Public Policy, and the Environment
Chapter 22
Sections 22.1-22.5
Group Presentations-Economics
Group presentations
Lab UCCP Virtual Lab http://www.ucopenaccess.org/
Economic
Forces
Simulation
Lab
TEST
May 7:
May 14:
AP Exam Review
May 15:
AP Exam