Course Syllabus - Loudoun County Public Schools



AP Environmental Science

Course Syllabus and Outline

Textbook: Living in the Environment by G. Tyler Miller 17th Ed.

Outline of Environmental Topics: Chapters Suggested Labs/Projects

I. Environmental Issues and Problems Ch. 1 Measurement Lab

A. Human Population

B. Sustainability Environmental Name Droppers

1. Nonrenewable resources Environmental Timeline

2. Renewable resources

3. Biodiversity

C. Environmental History Ch2 Limiting Growth Debate

II Interdependence of Earth’s Systems and the Environment Ch. 3

A. Flow of Energy

1. Forms and quality of energy

2. Energy units and measurement

3. Energy flow through ecosystems Diagramming cycles

B. The Cycling of Matter

1. Water

2. Carbon

3. Major nutrients

a. Nitrogen

b. Phosphorous

Earth Ecosystems Ch. 4, 5. 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11

C. The Biosphere

1. Biodiversity

2. Ecosystems and ecosystem diversity Virtual Insect Diversity Lab

3. Components of an ecosystem Food Web Interactions

4. Succession Biome Power Point

5. Climate, Biomes Predator/Prey Lab

6. Population Ecology Demographic Data Charts

7. Aquatic diversity, terrestrial diversity

8. Public Lands Public Land Project

A. Multiple Use

1. National Forests

2. National Resource Lands (BLM)

B. Moderately-restricted use

1. National Wildlife Refuges

C. Restricted Use

1. National Parks

2. National Wilderness

III. Human Populations Ch. 6 Age-structured diagrams

Water

A. Water: Amount and Distribution Ch. 13, 20 Waste water trip or visual tour

1. Properties

2. Amount

B. Water cycle Water in the Classroom

C. Uses

D. Pollution/Nutrient Cycles

1. Major pollutants and processes

a. Nitrogen, Phosphorus Water Testing

b. Biomagnification and pesticides (DDT, etc)

c. Measurements and units of measure such as ppm, micrograms

d. Point and nonpoint sources (domestic, industrial, agricultural)

e. Dams Mapping

E. Effects of water pollution on:

a. Aquatic systems Macroinvertebrate as bioindicators

b. Vegetation

c. Natural features, buildings and structures Klamath Dams Debate

d. Wildlife

F. Treatment

a. Water Treatment

b. Sewage Treatment

G. Watersheds

a. Chesapeake Bay Watershed Mapping

b. Virginia rivers

H. Oceans

a. Composition and size

b. Pollution

c. Over fishing

V. Soils Ch. 12 Soil Lab

VI. Energy: Nonrenewable Ch. 14, 15 Debate

D. Resources and reserves

E. Fossil fuel formation: oil, coal, natural gas

F. Extraction and use

G. Pollution

Energy: Renewable Ch. 16 P.P Presentations of

H. Hydroelectric Power energy sources

1. Locations and use

2. Problems

I. Solar Power

1. Locations and use

J. Wind Power

1. Locations and use Wind Farm Locations

2. Problems

K. Tidal and Geothermal Power

L. Biomass conversion Lab: Methane Production

Nuclear Ch. 16 Nuclear Disposal Lab

M. Nature of nuclear energy Irradiated Seed lab

N. Nuclear reactors

O. Use

P. Nuclear power concerns

1. Radiation exposure

2. Storage

Air/Atmosphere and Aesthetic pollution Ch. 17, 18

Q. Atmosphere

R. Air pollutants

1. Primary

2. Secondary Air Lab

S. Indoor air pollution

T. Global Warming

U. Acid rain

V. Aesthetic pollution

1. Visual

2. Noise

3. Other

Economy/Politics/Environmental Ethics Ch. 24, 25

Letter to Representative

-----------------------

Environmental Field Work:

* Flowers/Trees/Birds/etc.

* Trail design/maintenance

* Wetland restoration

* Watershed improvements

Natural History Studies (Stressing the use of bioindicator species for environmental quality):

* Common Birds

* Raptors

* Amphibians

* Reptiles

* Mammals

* Wildflowers

* Trees

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download