AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SYLLABUS
AP Environmental Science Course Syllabus
Carter High School
Holly Baker
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 inter-disciplinary 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 course:
1. Science is a process.
2. Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.
3. The Earth itself is one interconnected system.
4. Humans alter natural systems.
5. Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.
6. Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.
The following outline of major topics serves to describe the scope of the AP Environmental Science course and exam. The percentage after each major topic heading shows the approximate proportion of multiple-choice questions on the exam that pertain to that heading; thus, the percentage also indicates the relative emphasis that should be placed on the topics in the course. For more detail on what will be covered in this course, visit AP Environmental Science’s Course Description on AP Central at the following website: Services/pdf/ap/ap-environmental-science-course-description.pdf
I. Earth Systems and Resources (10–15%)
II. The Living World (10–15%)
III. Population (10–15%)
IV. Land and Water Use (10–15%)
V. Energy Resources and Consumption (10–15%)
VI. Pollution (25–30%)
VII. Global Change (10–15%)
Long term labs and assignments
Students will develop data collecting skills over an extended period of time. These labs will hone their abilities to take qualitative as well as quantitative measurements as well as draw and justify conclusions based on those observations and results. A minimum of two long term labs (running for at least two weeks each) will be conducted in addition to various other labs which will occur a minimum of once per week.
Special environmental seminars
Speakers from the Oak Ridge National Lab, the University of Tennessee, the Knoxville Zoo, and/or the Adopt-A-Watershed program will enhance students’ learning experience.
Teacher’s Philosophy
The topics in AP Environmental Science do not lend themselves to short term memorization of facts. The emphasis of the course is on the understanding of systems and the processes. Participation in laboratory and field investigations will supplement the required reading, lectures, homework, and other assignments. The teaching of APES takes advantage of local environments and resources. Tennessee has deciduous forests, river systems, and clearly defined watersheds. Therefore, some laboratory activities will be conducted outside. Examples of this would be water quality testing, soil analysis, testing ozone levels, and biodiversity inventories.
In order to be successful in this course, students should come prepared every day. This means being present every day with all necessary supplies and completed homework and assignments ready to learn. To aid students, the course website will be updated regularly (a minimum of once per week). It will contain all PowerPoint presentations used in class, pertinent announcements, and grades (also updated weekly). For additional student support or parent/guardian questions and concerns, I can be contacted via telephone through the Carter High School office at (865) 933-3434 or via email anytime at holly.baker@
Description of Incoming Students
Students should have earned a B or better in biology, chemistry, and algebra 2, and the permission of the instructor. This prerequisite results in the students being juniors and seniors. All students, therefore, will already have a background in the scientific method and the skills to write effective lab reports. Students must be prepared to work outdoors for many of the labs.
Textbooks & Other Significant Resources
Necessary text for home use
Miller, G. Tyler. Environmental Science: Working with the Earth. 9th ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole, 2003.
Necessary for supplemental information
Various articles, recordings, film clips, relevant sites on the internet, and case studies.
Summer reading assignment
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Materials Needed
Supplies
• 3 ring binder, at least 2”
• Set of dividers
• Composition notebook
• Flash drive (can have other files on it) OR Google Docs account
Fees
• Labs for this course are very expensive and are funded entirely by student fees. Therefore, a fee of $30 is requested for lab supplies and other items to be used by students. Make checks payable to Carter HS. Fees for different classes must be paid separately.
• Students must undergo safety training during the first week of school and return a signed copy of the lab safety contract before engaging in any lab activities.
Course Grade & Assessments
All work in this course will be graded with a point value. Students’ grades will be determined by dividing the points earned by the total points available.
• Test & Quizzes: 50-100 points each
o Tests will consist of 75-80 multiple choice questions and 2 free response questions. Questions may come from lecture notes, textbook, current events, labs, student presentations, videos, and supplementary materials. AP style rubrics will be used when grading free response questions.
o Quizzes may be of any form, including but not limited to short-answer, true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and student created.
• Projects & Labs: 50-150 points each
o Including projects, lab reports, field work, presentations, and other major grades.
• Homework & Classwork: 25-50 points each
o Including homework, chapter reviews, reading quizzes, and other non-major grades.
Grading Scale
• A 93-100; B 85-92; C 75-84; D 70-74; F below 70
• Per CHS AP guidelines, 5 points will be added to the final grade at the end of the semester.
Lab Report Guidelines
Laboratory exercises will constitute a large portion of the course and may be cook book, inquiry, long term, or field studies. Lab reports must be typed in 12-point font, double-spaced, and have a cover page.
1. Title
2. Purpose: A simple statement of the purpose of the lab or activity.
3. Background: Use the introduction I have given you to get started. Do not copy the information I have given you. You should have a broad overview, so that someone who is unfamiliar with the subject matter will be able to understand what is going on.
4. Hypothesis: Make an “if . . . then” statement. What is the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable?
5. Materials: This can be a list.
6. Procedure: This has to be in detail so that you know exactly the protocol that you are following.
7. Data: The best way to report this is a data table. Always use the proper units. You should also make sure that you are recording both qualitative as well as quantitative data. Try to use graphs and charts to explain your data. Any anomalies during the running of the experiment should also be recorded.
8. Analysis: This is the most important part of your lab. If there are questions on the lab, use them as guides for what to include in this section. Explain what the data means and the source of errors. If there are ways to improve the lab mention them here.
9. Conclusion: This section can be fairly short and can respond to the purpose of doing the lab.
10. What did you learn from the experiment?: Write a short paragraph explaining what you learned from the experiment as it relates to AP Environmental Science.
Projects & Other Assignments
In addition to the lecture component of the course, which is always on PowerPoint and available on the course website, and the laboratory component, there are some additional requirements for the course. (These are examples of some of the assignments for the course and should not be considered a comprehensive list.)
• A summer reading assignment: Assigned at the end of the previous school year, students must read the assigned novel, keep a journal as they read, and be prepared to take an exam over the novel during the first week of school. Major themes from the reading will be referenced and tied in with the rest of the course.
• Two major presentations: Typically completed in groups, students will prepare presentations on assigned topics (ex. biomes, endangered animals, invasive species, alternative energy resources, etc.) once per 9 weeks.
• Two major lab write-ups: These lab reports must be six to ten pages minimum, include figures/charts/graphs, and adhere to the lab report guidelines. One will be completed per 9 weeks.
• APES in the News: A current events project requiring students to collect and summarize articles relating to the course. A position paper on students’ favorite articles will also be included in this assignment.
• AP exam review sessions: Held during the spring semester to help students prepare/review for the AP exam.
Classroom Policies & Expectations
Late Work Policy
All assignments are expected to be turned in on time. Incomplete assignments will not be accepted. If an assignment is turned in late, the student will receive reduced credit. Projects and labs will decrease by one letter grade for each day late. Homework and classwork will decrease by 10% for each day late.
Make-Up Work Policy
If absent, it is the student’s responsibility to find details about instruction that were missed. Handouts which are given out while you are absent will be placed in your folder in the box for your period. It is your responsibility to get notes from a reliable classmate. Only after exhausting these resources, you may ask me for help before or after class.
With one excused absence, you have three days to make up any missed assignments. If this time passes and missed assignments have not been completed, you will receive reduced credit as outlined in the late work policy. If an assignment is due the day of an absence, it is due immediately upon your return.
Test Policy
If you are absent the day of a test, immediately upon your return you must schedule a time with me to take the test. In order to be fair to other students, you must schedule your test make-up for before or after school no more than three days after your return.
For each test, students will have the opportunity to complete test corrections on the multiple choice section only. After this portion of the test is graded, students may see their grade (but not which specific questions were missed), and decide if they want to come before or after school on designated days to correct questions they missed the first time. Full credit will be restored for any correct answers. If students choose not to come during the designated time, their grade will stand.
Attendance Expectations
Students are expected to be present in class each day. Should you miss, see the make-up work policy (above).
Tardy Policy
Students are expected to be on time to class each day. This means you enter the classroom, check your box (for graded work, missed handouts, etc.), and begin work on the warm-up assignment for the day. According to the CHS tardy policy, if you are not in the room at the sounding of the late bell, you will sign the Tardy Log near the door and endure the consequences. If you are more than 10 minutes late to class, this action counts as a class cut and you will receive a disciplinary referral.
Exit Policy
Students are expected to be in class for the duration of the period in order to gain full benefit from the important instructional activities taking place. Students will be permitted to leave for emergencies only and must have a hall pass completed with name, date, time, destination, and my signature before leaving the room. No student may leave for any reason during the first or last 15 minutes of class.
Classroom Expectations
• Be respectful (of yourself and all others in class, students and teachers alike).
• Be prepared (have your homework, required materials, pay attention).
• Use your time wisely.
• No electronic devices or accessories (such as cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, etc.) are to be used during class time unless expressly directed by the teacher. Cell phones must be out of sight and silenced or off during instructional time (bell to bell).
• No food, drink, or fragrances, please.
• Follow all rules as outlined in the Carter High School Handbook.
Honor Code
Each student is expected to do his or her own work. Any work copied from anyone else, including plagiarism (presenting someone else’s ideas, research, or opinion as your own without proper documentation, even if it has been rephrased), will receive a zero for that assignment. Please be diligent and complete your own work. This honor code applies-but is not limited to-copy and pasting materials from the internet without proper citation given, copying work from another student, and cheating on tests/quizzes.
AP Exam & Preparation
This course will prepare students to take the AP Exam. The three hour long exam will be divided between a Multiple Choice and a Free Response Section. The multiple choice section consists of 100 questions to be completed in 90 minutes and constitutes 60% of the exam grade. The free response section emphasizes the application of the principles to a greater depth. It consists of 4 questions to be completed in 90 minutes and comprises 40% of the exam grade. The cost of the exam is $88.
Because this course will be completed during the fall semester and the AP exam is not until the spring, review sessions will be held twice a week before or after school starting after Spring Break up until the exam.
Course Outline
|Unit |Chapter(s) |Major Topics |Major Labs (indicated by bold font) & Activities |
|Intro | |Introduction to APES, Sci. Practices |Design Own Scientific Inquiry Investigation |
|I |1 |Ethics, Politics, & Sustainability |“The Lorax” & Packet |
| |2 |Environmental Law |Overfishing Activity & “The Tragedy of the Commons” Reading |
| | | |Environmental Survey |
| | | |Ecological Footprint |
| | | |Laws List Compiled from Individual Posters |
| | | |Each student will create a poster about one important environmental law. |
| | | |Pertinent information from these will be complied into a list and |
| | | |distributed to the whole class. |
| | | |"A Sand County Almanac" Test and Discussion |
|II |11 |Human Population |Power of the Pyramid |
| | |Land Use/Urbanization | |
|III |9 |Geology |Plate Tectonics Cut Outs & Earthquake/Volcano Mapping |
| |16 |Agriculture/Pesticides |Soil Lab (Chemical/Physical Weathering, Soil Profiles, Soil Triangle, |
| | | |etc.) |
| | | |Irradiated Seeds |
| | | |Rachel Carson “Silent Spring” Reading (selected excerpts) |
|IV |14 |Water Resources & Water Pollution |Eco-Columns (continue for 6 weeks) |
| | | |Stream Sample Testing w. Adopt-A-Watershed |
| | | |Water Quality Testing |
| | | |Personal Water Use Journal |
|V |12, 13 (part) |Air & Outdoor Air Pollution |Ozone Strips |
| | |Climate Change |Car Emissions Testing |
| | |Greenhouse Effect |Personal Fuel Consumption Log |
| | | |Design Own Greenhouse Gas Investigation |
|VI |12 (part) |Indoor Air Pollution |Particulate Strips |
| |15 |Solid & Hazardous Waste |LD 50 Brine Shrimp |
| |10 |Risk, Toxicology |Banana Peel Decomposition Lab |
|VII |2/3 |Science Systems & Energy |Fossil Fuels Lab |
| |19 |Non-Renewable Resources |Cookie Mining Lab |
| |20 |Renewable Resources |Alternative Energy Sources Presentations |
|VIII |4 |Ecosystems |Popcorn Relay |
| |7 |Community Ecology |Plan Something for Outdoor Classroom (w. Adopt-A-Watershed as Service |
| | | |Project) |
| |8 |Population Dynamics |Tomato Crowding |
|IX |6 |Climate |Food Web Poster on Ecosystem w. Appropriate Organisms |
| |17, 18 |Terrestrial & Aquatic Ecosystems |Invasive Species Eradication OR Endangered Species Recovery Plan |
|X |13 (part) |Stratospheric Ozone | |
APES
Carter High
Mrs. Baker
Items in this syllabus are subject to change throughout the semester. Students will be notified in class and via the course website of any vital changes. Please sign below indicating you understand all classroom routines, procedures, rules, and expectations outlined in the syllabus for AP Environmental Science. Then, detach at the dotted line and turn in to Mrs. Baker.
Student Name: ________________________________________________
Student Signature: _____________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Name: __________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _______________________________________
Date: _________________________
Please write any questions or concerns below and I will get back to you regarding those issues!
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