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AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SYLLABUS2018-19 Academic School YearMrs. Brandie BorgesContact InformationEmail:BLB8884@Phone: (310) 519-6501 (Olguin Campus)Room: E-203Important Websites: lms. (AKA Schoology)Course DescriptionThis AP Environmental Science class is intended to meet the same objectives as a first-year college based course. However, this course is unique when compared to other similar courses in the method of instruction as I have adopted a project based learning (PBL) approach. While PBL takes many forms, the approach involves student investigations and simulations that require students to think like scientists, policy-makers, farmers, and other adults in real-world settings. Students will engage in collaborative problem solving, argumentation, and deep exploration of the concepts and principles of the discipline. The goal for student learning is understanding rather than only rote memory, meaningful learning rather than simple recollection, and knowledge that is actionable, adaptive, and transferrable rather than inert.Students will work collaboratively and individually on tasks and products that are designed to help them succeed at complex, authentic challenges. They will alternate between two types of learning: learning to act and acting to learn. “Learning to act” is when students are in a more traditional mode of learning through textbooks and lectures. This is in contrast with when they are “acting to learn,” or when they are engaged in the projects with real-world goals. This is their opportunity to apply their understanding of topics and grapple with the implications of human actions and responses.Because challenges in the real world of environmental science rarely draw upon only one topic or short list of objectives, the challenges in this course will require students to draw from a broader knowledge base. This gives students the opportunity to learn about the same objectives multiple times throughout the course through different contexts and perspectives. The ultimate goal is that students gain a deeper understanding of these objectives than they would have through a more traditional lecture-based course.Scientific PrinciplesIn addition to addressing the content-based objectives outlined by College Board, this course will also address several skill-based objectives. In addition to several supporting activities, most cycles will include a scientific investigation where students will develop and refine the following skills:Students will learn how to design, conduct, and refine scientific investigations using the scientific method.Students will learn how to think critically and logically to analyze and interpret experimental data, and revise and reflect on scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence.Students will learn how to communicate and defend scientific arguments, explanations, and procedures through oral, written, and visual means.Students will understand and be able to communicate the larger implications and connections behind their explanations and conclusions. Students will learn how to identify and communicate sources of unavoidable experimental error and levels of uncertainty about data and explanations. Textbook and ReadingsThe following textbook will be used to support learning in this course: Miller Jr., G. T. (2007). Living in the environment. (15 ed.). Canada: Thomson.We will do a book report that will be due the first week of Semester 2 on the following:Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Mariner Books, print. 2002We will also be using additional reading resources, including newspaper and magazine articles and other online resources. Student Job Description (Expectations):Students will earn “dollars” not points toward their grade. (dollars = points)All students will earn a minimum wage of $10.00 per day.Students will earn the full hourly pay provided they:Attend Regularly (& clear absences)Be on time Bring all required materialsWork cooperativelyParticipate in class activitiesDo assigned readingCarry out investigations and complete laboratory reportsComplete class work and homework on timeShow respect to allBe responsible for make-up work when absentStudy on a regular basisOrganize and graphically display dataAdditional Staff Jobs (Recommended for students that want to achieve higher grades):Classroom staff will have specific roles used to make class time more efficient.Staff will earn an additional $3 per hour.Maximum 1 Staff Job a week per student.Always bring to class the following items:Interactive Spiral NotebookTimesheetSchool ID CardMetric RulerTextbookColor PencilsCalculator (Scientific Preferred) Blue and/or Black PensPencilsGlue / Glue stickGeneral RulesFollow all school rules and district policies (See Parent Student Handbook)Follow all California Lab Safety rules Respect others and yourselfFollow directions!!!Electronic devices must be turned off and put away (earphones included). I SEE IT! I HEAR IT! I TAKE IT!Be on time to classThe Academic Honor Code will be in affect at all times. Grooming (i.e. make-up or hair) must be done at home or between classes.Bags must be removed from laps. Food and drinks are NOT permitted. The only exception is water bottles or for lab/classroom activities.AssessmentsStudents will have periodic quizzes and a culminating test at the end of each cycle. These tests will include both free response and multiple-choice questions. They will also have multiple performance-based assessments in each project cycle that may take the form of debates, negotiations, oral presentations, and presentation of authentic products (books, pamphlets, etc.) among others. Grading:100-90%89-80%79-70%69-60%59-0%ABCDFGrades will be determined based on assignments, labs, quizzes, tests, projects, individual and group research, and other various activities and assignments. Grades will be calculated using the following format: 10% Timesheets15% Participation & Cooperation30% Classwork, Labs, & Homework20% Quizzes, Tests, & Projects25% Final Test ScoreBonuses (Extra Credit) may be available but should NOT be relied upon for your grade! Bonuses will NOT be offered during the last 2 weeks of each semester (with the exception coupon collection).A 10% bonus will be added to each semester grade provided the student receives a 4 or 5 on the AP Environmental Science exam. Student must inform teacher in July of APES exam score to receive bonus.Any questions about grades can be discussed with me by appointment during lunch or before/after school. DO NOT ASK ABOUT GRADES DURING CLASS TIME!AP ExamMonday, May 6th 2018 at 12 noon.The AP Environmental Science Exam, created by the College Board and The Educational Testing Service, is three hours in length and consists of two parts:Part I: 100 Multiple-Choice Questions in 90 minutes = 60% of scorePart II: 4 Free-Response Questions in 90 minutes = 40% of scoreSan Pedro High School Attendance PolicyA maximum of 7 full day absences/28 TOTAL class period absences are allowed during the current school year.At the 8th full day absence and/or 29th class period absence, FOR ANY REASON, the student’s name will appear on the Non-Participation STOP CLEARANCE LIST.Attendance & Make-up WorkSchool attendance is vital to student achievement. Students who develop patterns of good attendance are much more likely to be successful both academically and socially. It is the parent‘s/guardian‘s responsibility to provide documentation within ten (10) days after the student returns to school in order to prevent absences from being converted to truancies.A pupil absent from school for excused reasons shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can reasonably be provided and, upon satisfactory completion, shall be given full credit. The tests and assignments shall be reasonably equivalent to, but not necessarily identical to, the tests and assignments that the pupil missed during the absence. If you are absent for a school sponsored activity, proper permission must be established at least 24 hours in advance.Students with excused reasons will be allowed make-up time equivalent to the amount of days absent from school. (Example: student is absent one day then student has one day from return to make-up work. Two days absent = two days from return.) It is the responsibility of the student to obtain the While You Were Out Log from the absent folder in the student section of the classroom.Students must complete a Make-up Agreement Form for classwork/ lab work/ quizzes/tests that need to be completed in the classroom. Make-up Agreement Forms must be scheduled within one week of the absence. Forms can be picked up from the absent folder in the student section of the classroom.TardinessTardiness occurs when a student is not present, and ready to begin working, at his/her workstation at their scheduled time. Tardiness also occurs when a student leaves work prior to the end of class without prior approval. Unexcused tardy students will be docked $5 on their timesheet. Any work submitted or quiz/test started during the time of the unexcused tardy will be considered late work. Three (3) unexcused tardies will result in a lowering of the student’s work habits grade. Additional (3) tardies will further lower the student’s work habits grade. Late WorkLate work will NOT be accepted or given credit. Exception is made for the use of a Late Assignment Coupon. This coupon is good for one assignment per semester and is non-transferable to another semester. A bonus will be given to students that do not use their coupon and turn it in on the day of the final exam for each semester. Late Assignment Coupons can be used at any time BEFORE the final exam. This coupon CANNOT be used on projects, extra credit, missed quizzes/tests, or on missed make-up agreement assignments.Bathroom/Locker VisitsStudents will receive 4 restroom/locker passes per semester. A bonus will be given for each pass that is not used and turned in on the day of the final. When you need to use them, simply fill out the pass, hand it in, and go. You will have 5 minutes to return. Passes may not be used during exam or quizzes. Passes may only be used 10 minutes after the tardy bell rings and 10 minutes before the end of class.Rent:Just like in the real world, students must pay rent for use of materials (ex: tables and chairs). Students are responsible for maintaining their rented work station.Rent will be deducted on their timesheets for each week. ($10 per week)Taxes / PenaltiesUnexcused tardy students will be docked $5 on their timesheet. Breaking the rules may result in being docked the day’s pay ($10). Course OutlineCycle 1: Eco FootprintProject descriptionIn this project cycle students begin with a case study of Easter Island as an example of Tragedy of the Commons. Then they calculate their personal ecological footprint to get a sense of how their choices impact the environment. Following this activity, they delve deeper into some of the components of their overall ecological footprint by investigating the impacts of their family's transportation habits, waste generation, and their home energy and water use habits. Each student decides which component would contribute the most to minimizing their family's ecological footprint with specific behavioral changes. They then develop a persuasive oral presentation for their family to explain the motivation for making a change, what kind of behavioral changes need to be made, and what the potential impacts will be. Students also conduct a life cycle analysis on commonly used products at home or at school to begin to understand how to use systems thinking as an analytical tool for making sound environmental decisions and to learn content related to hazardous waste disposal, mineral and fossil fuel formation, and extraction techniques. Learning goals in this project cycle focus on collection and analysis of data, the proper use and conversation of units, and supporting claims with evidence. Duration5-7 weeks Topics coveredEarth Systems and Resources, including industrial and domestic use of global water, water conservation, and rock cycle. Land and Water Use, including mining and extraction, and Tragedy of the CommonsEnergy Resources and Consumption, including energy concepts, present and future global energy needs, and energy conservationPollution, including solid waste, hazardous chemicals in the environment, relevant laws, cost-benefit analysisLabs and ActivitiesEaster Island Case StudyStudents do a case study of Easter Island in which they explore how the social and economic decisions impacted environment. They then look at human population growth over time to think about current issues of sustainability. The case study helps them to begin to come to a beginning definition of the term sustainability and introduces the concept of Tragedy of the Commons. Ecological Footprint CalculationStudents will gather data on their lifestyle and consumption patterns to input into a computer program that will calculate their ecological footprint in global acres of land required. Students will analyze the results and identify solutions. Waste AuditStudents will collect their trash (or their classroom’s trash) for one day, measure the total amount and extrapolate waste produced in one year. They will identify environmental and human health problems associated with waste production and develop resolutions to minimize the environmental impact of waste.Transportation AuditStudents conduct a transportation audit for all members of their family for one week. Students will calculate fuel economy of the family’s vehicles and then determine amount of fuel consumed in one year by the family. Additionally, students will calculate fuel consumed for air travel. Ultimately, students will investigate the ecological, economic, and societal implications of these habits and propose a more sustainable alternative.Water and Energy AuditStudents will conduct a water and electricity audit for their family. They use these data to calculate the water and electricity use for one year, investigate the ecological, economic, and societal implications of these results and propose a more sustainable alternative.Presentation/Proposal to FamilyStudents will analyze the information gathered from their goods, waste, transportation, water and energy audits and determine a key area that will have an impact on reducing the footprint of their family. Students will develop a persuasive proposal to encourage their families to adopt lifestyle changes and determine methods to quantify their success.Life Cycle AnalysisStudents conduct a life cycle analysis on a specific product, investigating the sources of raw materials and the environmental impacts they have and the disposal practices and their environmental impacts. They use the information from the LCA to inform their proposal to their families. They display the life cycle analysis in a poster that can be shared with students at their school. Additional ResourcesPotential Field Trips Landfill and recycling centerWater treatment facilityRecommended BooksMike Reeske and Shirley Watt Ireton. Lifecycle of Everyday StuffJohn C. Ryan and Alan Thien Durning. Story of Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday ThingsJared Diamond. CollapseRecommended Films No Impact ManThe Last MountainBig Ideas for a Small PlanetBlue VinylThe WastelandCycle 2: My Community EcologyProject descriptionIn this project cycle, students will learn about basic ecology and urban and rural land management by analyzing the site of proposed development (e.g., planned housing, road creation, etc.) and creating a plan for sustainable development of the sites natural resources. In order to create a realistic, informed plan students will learn the basics of ecology through lab activities, guest speakers, conducting research on local ecosystems, and participating in local field trips. Duration5-6 weeks Topics coveredThe Living World, including ecosystem structure, energy flow, ecosystem diversity, natural ecosystem change, and natural biogeochemical cycles.Population, including population biology concepts.Land and Water Use, including forestry, urban land use, public and federal lands, land conservation options, and sustainable land use strategiesPollution, including air pollution, water pollution, cost-benefit analysis, and economic sustainabilityGlobal Change, including loss of biodiversityLabs and ActivitiesWater Quality TestingStudents will use water quality test kits to determine the water quality of a local body of water. Students will identify and analyze environmental problems and determine possible resolutions to the problem and how the problems could have been initially prevented. Mark-Recapture LabStudents will participate in a lab that simulates a population census technique commonly used by ecologists in the field by collecting a random sample of “animals” of a desired species, marking them and releasing them. They will then sample once again and will calculate a population estimate using a simple ratio.Field Trips to Site of Proposed Development-Bio & Ecosystem Services MapsStudents will create a bio-map of the proposed development site during a field trip to understand the ecology of the site. On the second trip students collect data to produce an ecosystem services map of the area. These data will inform the impact report and sustainable development proposal. Impact ReportUsing data from their field trips, literature, and research, students will create an impact report for local decision makers. The report details the impacts of the proposed development on the natural and cultural resources of the site.Sustainable Development ProposalUsing data from their field trips, literature, and research, students will create a realistic proposal to make the development of the site, and thus their community, more sustainable. Additional ResourcesGuest SpeakersEcology professor, Restoration ecologist, Community resource manager, urban plannerCycle 3: Food SystemsProject DescriptionStudents take on the role of farmers in this project cycle, designing and re-designing a farm to meet an evolving set of constraints including ecological, economic, and social factors. Students begin by designing a farm given basic information on soil and climate. They refine or revise it when asked to also manage potential pests for the particular crops they've chosen. To increase the complexity, they are randomly assigned a client to whom they must sell their crops. Each client has their own set of requirements for the produce or meat they will buy, so students may have to revise their farm to ensure they can make a living off it by selling to their particular client. Eventually they are asked to think about irrigation and water issues when they find out there is a river running through or nearby their land. Finally they are asked to consider how economic issues such as farm subsidies and food safety and security laws may impact their farms. By the end of the project cycle, students have a working farm that meets a complex set of real-world constraints. Duration5 weeksTopics coveredEarth Systems and Resources, including agricultural use of global water, surface and groundwater issues, global water problems, water conservation, and soil and soil dynamics.The Living World, including biological populations and communities, interactions among species, photosynthesis and cellular respiration, food webs and trophic levels, ecological pyramids, ecosystem diversity, and natural biogeochemical cycles.Population, including population ecologyLand and Water Use, including agriculture, rangelands, sustainable land use strategies, and Tragedy of the Commons.Energy Resources and Consumption, including renewable energy (biofuels and anaerobic methane digesters)Global Change, including loss of biodiversityLabs and ActivitiesExploring My FoodshedStudents will investigate the origin of three commonly eaten food items in their home and calculate the fuel used to transport those foods. They will then investigate the economic, societal, and ecological impacts of food transportation and suggest more sustainable alternatives.Soil Testing LabStudents will conduct seven different soil tests on three soil samples in a wet lab.Soil and Climate Farm DesignStudents will design a farm given constraints on soil type and climate. They will be required to identify and explain, using chemical equations, how the biogeochemical cycles and soil food web support their farm design.Pest Management Farm RevisionStudents will revise their original farm design to include a pest management system given information about native and non-native pests. They will be required to consider the environmental and human health advantages and disadvantages of their pest management system. Soil Salinization LabStudents will design and conduct a wet lab investigating the impacts of irrigation on soil salinity and the impacts of salinity on seed germination. They will learn methods for analyzing and interpreting the experimental data and suggest alternatives to minimize impacts of salinization.Food Production Methods Farm RevisionStudents will revise their farm design to meet the demands of a specific client who is buying food from them and to ensure that they can sustain their soil resources over the long term. They will evaluate the environmental advantages and disadvantages of the farming method they use and suggest more sustainable alternatives.Irrigation Plans RevisionStudents will add to their original farm design plans by designing an irrigation system to support their crops’ water needs. They will evaluate the pros and cons of various irrigation methods including their impact on soil health, groundwater use, and other aquatic ecosystems. Additional ResourcesGuest SpeakersFarmers and scientists to speak on pest management, soil conservation, and sustainable agricultureField TripsFarm Recommended BooksMichael Pollan. Omnivore’s DilemmaRachel Carson. Silent SpringRecommended FilmsFood, Inc.Running DryThe Future of FoodCycle 4: Ocean in ActionProject DescriptionIn this project cycle, students will take on various roles within a make-believe coastal community who will likely be impacted by the proposed construction of an offshore salmon farm, oilrig, or coastal gold mining operation. Students will write a series of short papers from the perspective of their character that indicates how the proposed fish farm, oilrig, or mine may impact the surrounding ocean ecosystem and their community. Students will participate in small group discussions to compare and contrast their perspective to others in preparation for the culminating Town Hall or Town Council meeting. At this final performance, students will present and debate their perspectives and suggest potential alternatives. After the Town Hall/Council meeting, the students will develop regulations or conditions under which aquaculture, ocean drilling, and coastal mining may occur in their coastal community.Duration4 weeksTopics coveredEarth Systems and Resources, including earth science concepts, weather and climate, atmospheric circulation and the Coriolis effect, atmosphere-ocean interactions, ENSO, and ocean circulation. The Living World, including ecosystem structure, food webs and trophic levels, ecosystem diversity, and biogeochemical cycles.Population, including population biology conceptsLand and Water Use, including fishing, mining, and Tragedy of the CommonsEnergy Resources and Consumption, including fossil fuels resources and use.Pollution, including water pollution, pollution impacts on human health, hazardous chemicals in the environment, and economic impactsGlobal Change, including loss of biodiversity and ocean acidification.Labs and ActivitiesDensity InvestigationStudents will investigate driving forces of ocean circulation patterns by making predictions about how water with different densities will mix (as determined by temperature or salinity) then carrying out their investigation. Students will then analyze and interpret this information.Eutrophication InvestigationStudents will design, conduct, and interpret a lab on cultural eutrophication where they will look at the impact of increased fertilizer concentration on algal growth in closed aquatic systems. In their interpretation of their results, they will identify resolutions, preventability, and sustainability of these solutions with respect to eutrophicationTragedy of the Commons Fishing GameStudents will participate in a small group simulation activity where they will investigate the use/overuse of common ocean resources by fishermen. They will then identify and develop possible solutions to the environmental problem of overfishing.Town Hall/Council MeetingIn this culminating activity, students will participate in a Town Hall meeting to determine how their hypothetical community should react to the proposal of a fish farm in their coastal waters. Students will be required to adopt a perspective that they may or may not be familiar with prior to the start of the unit and argue from that perspective. In the lead up to this activity as well as during the Town Hall meeting itself, students will learn methods for analyzing and interpreting information. Additional ResourcesGuest SpeakersFisheries or marine ecologistOceanographersFishermenGovernment officials familiar with Town Hall style meetingsRecommended BooksSylvia Earle. The World is BlueRecommended FilmThe End of the LineCycle 5: Global Climate SummitProject DescriptionThis project cycle mimics the process and atmosphere of an international environmental summit such as those of the Conference of Parties that are the basis for Climate Convention Framework negotiations. Students will take on specific and unique roles including a representative of a country or group of countries, non-governmental organization representative, oil and energy lobby representative, or a media representative. By meeting in various groupings, preparing presentations and writing drafts, students will (a) rationalize the participation of their country or group, (b) analyze environmental and economic consequences of climate change and possible remedial actions and (c) organize and articulate their arguments for the negotiations. Following the summit, students will compose an article for inclusion in the final protocol document. Through this cycle students will learn how Earth’s climate functions and how it responds to change. Additionally, they will explore how societies and economies have contributed to climate change, can adapt to such change and prevent additional harm through international economic and legal means. (Modified from Catherine Gautier, UC Santa Barbara)Duration6 weeksTopics coveredEarth Systems and Resources, including solar intensity and latitude, the atmosphere, and ocean circulation.The Living World, including ecosystem diversity, natural ecosystem change, and carbon cycles.Population, including all human population conceptsLand and Water Use, including urban land development, and global economics Energy Resources and Consumption, including energy consumption, fossil fuel world reserves and global demand, environmental advantages/disadvantages of fossil fuel sources, nuclear energy, hydroelectric power, energy conservation, renewable energy.Pollution, including air pollution and economic impacts. Global Change, including stratospheric ozone, global warming, and loss of biodiversity.Labs and ActivitiesPower of the PyramidsStudents will investigate population pyramid diagrams of developing and developed countries and analyze demographic information. They will then use this information to make inferences about the future of these countries.Climate Data Analysis ExerciseStudents will analyze and interpret several sets of data that may provide evidence of climate change across a variety of scientific disciplines. Students will draw conclusions from the data and communicate their results to their classmates.Lichen LabStudents will identify and measure lichens around their school grounds and analyze and interpret their data to provide an indicator of local air quality. Students will consider the implications of air quality on human health.Energy Summit PrepStudents will take on the role of government representatives of various nations to participate in a Conference of Parties-style mock summit on global energy use and demand. To prepare for this summit, students will conduct lifecycle analyses of various renewable and non-renewable energy resources and analyze and interpret this information. Energy SummitPrior to participating in the summit, students will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of current energy use and resources for the nation they represent and develop a proposal for more sustainable alternatives. They will participate in negotiations with other representatives in order to come to agreement on a final protocol for global energy use.Additional ResourcesGuest SpeakersPopulation Demography ProfessorPeace Corps VolunteerClimate ScientistsRecommended BooksWilliam Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. The Boy Who Harnessed the WindElizabeth Kolbert. Field Notes from a CatastropheRecommended FilmsWorld in the BalanceThe Big Energy GambleThe 11th HourAn Inconvenient Truth ................
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