AP Environmental Science
This year-long course will introduce students to the fundamental science and historical and societal connections of human interaction with both global and local environments. Topics studied will conform to the expectations of the AP Environmental Science course description as published by the College Board. Students will be expected but not required to take the AP Environmental Science exam in May. Students meet every other day on a block A/B schedule for 80 minute periods. Students will be juniors or seniors who have completed a one year chemistry course with a grade of C or better and have demonstrated competency in Algebra 1.
The class will be organized into two halves. Basic information acquisition will take place as homework, outside of class. Students will take Cornell notes from their textbook, read supplemental readings received in class and online, and view informational videos and presentations. Additionally, students will complete homework assignments, projects, and lab write-ups outside of class. During class time students will be able to clarify, discuss, and expand upon homework readings and assignments, debate environmental issues, engage in simulations and activities, perform prescriptive and inquiry labs, design experiments, listen to guest lecturers, take walking field trips to perform field studies, and take field trips to local environmental organizations and facilities.
During class discussion and activities, students will analyze and interpret information and be expected to arrive at conclusions based on evidence. During their laboratory/fieldwork, students will learn methods for analyzing and interpreting experimental data. This will include both qualitative and quantitative (mathematical) analysis. In drawing conclusions, students will base their conclusions on their data analysis and independent research. Students will be expected to identify, analyze, and interpret environmental problems from reading and research as well as conduct at least one original research study of an environmental problem and suggest a solution based on work done in the field. Students will spend a minimum of 25% of class time in the laboratory or field or with expert guest speakers. As a general principle, no lethality studies will be conducted on animals.
This APES course will focus on the following units of study:
This year-long course will introduce students to the fundamental science and historical and societal connections of human interaction with both global and local environments. Topics studied will conform to the expectations of the AP Environmental Science course description as published by the College Board. Students will be expected but not required to take the AP Environmental Science exam in May. Students meet every other day on a block A/B schedule for 80 minute periods. Students will be juniors or seniors who have completed a one year chemistry course with a grade of C or better and have demonstrated competency in Algebra 1.
The class will be organized into two halves. Basic information acquisition will take place as homework, outside of class. Students will take Cornell notes from their textbook, read supplemental readings received in class and online, and view informational videos and presentations. Additionally, students will complete homework assignments, projects, and lab write-ups outside of class. During class time students will be able to clarify, discuss, and expand upon homework readings and assignments, debate environmental issues, engage in simulations and activities, perform prescriptive and inquiry labs, design experiments, listen to guest lecturers, take walking field trips to perform field studies, and take field trips to local environmental organizations and facilities.
During class discussion and activities, students will analyze and interpret information and be expected to arrive at conclusions based on evidence. During their laboratory/fieldwork, students will learn methods for analyzing and interpreting experimental data. This will include both qualitative and quantitative (mathematical) analysis. In drawing conclusions, students will base their conclusions on their data analysis and independent research. Students will be expected to identify, analyze, and interpret environmental problems from reading and research as well as conduct at least one original research study of an environmental problem and suggest a solution based on work done in the field. Students will spend a minimum of 25% of class time in the laboratory or field or with expert guest speakers. As a general principle, no lethality studies will be conducted on animals.
This APES course will focus on the following units of study:
- Science as a Process—Science is a way of knowing. It can involve a discovery process using inductive reasoning, or it can be a process of hypothesis testing.
- Air Pollution and Global Warming
- Ecosystem Dynamics
- Evolution, Biodiversity, Biological Communities and Species Interactions
- Population Ecology
- Biomes Global Patters of Life
- Human Population Dynamics, World Hunger
- Conventional and Sustainable Agriculture Methods
- Threats to Biodiversity - Habitat Destruction
- Preserving Landscapes and Species & Restoration Ecology
- Earth's Resources
- Water Management, Pollution and Toxicology
- Geology Basics, Overexploitation and Waste Management
- What Then Shall We Do? Sustainable Development
- Environmental Ethics, Justice and Law