AP Environmental Science
Survival Guide
Welcome to AP Environmental Science (APES). This course was created and designed to engage and challenge students while providing a framework within which to learn the scientific underpinnings of some of the most pressing issues of our time. Because this is an AP course, students should expect to spend several hours each week outside of the classroom preparing for class and completing assignments—to ensure success, a good rule of thumb is to expect to spend about 1½ hours outside the classroom for every hour you spend inside the classroom. It is each student’s responsibility to read, know, and abide by the following information and policies. Any questions or concerns must be addressed at the beginning of the school year.
Syllabus
Semester 1 (13 chapters)
Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Science The first unit of APES will acquaint you with environmental science and provide you with an idea of what you may expect to learn this year. You will also learn about the dynamics of human populations and gain a general understanding of how humans cause environmental changes. (Ch. 1 & 6)
Unit 2: Systems Thinking: Global Warming and Ozone Depletion The second unit begins with a review of the scientific method and an introduction to systems thinking; you will learn that “systems thinking” is essential to evaluating and understanding environmental change. You will then apply what you learned about systems to two significant global environmental issues that are consequences of human activity – global warming and ozone depletion. (Ch. 2 & 19)
Unit 3: Life on Earth This is the first of two units which will introduce and/or reacquaint you with some of the concepts fundamental to understanding the ecology of the Earth. Ecosystems (Ch. 3 & 4)
Unit 4: Biogeography This is the second of the two units which will introduce and/or reacquaint you with some of the concepts fundamental to understanding the ecology of the Earth. (Ch. 5, 7 & 8)
Unit 5: Biodiversity This unit will culminate your learning about ecology with the study of biodiversity and the loss biodiversity which along with global warming and ozone depletion constitute the three most significant present-day global environmental changes that are consequences of human activity. (Ch. 9, 10, & 11)
Unit 6: Agriculture and Food This unit will introduce the study of agriculture. You will learn about artificial fertilizers, pesticides, soils, soil conservation and the “green revolution”. In addition, you will learn the basic nutritional needs of human beings as well as what is being done in an attempt to make certain that these needs are met for all people. ( Ch. 12)
Unit 7: Water This unit is especially relevant for environmental science students in Southern California. Many of the world's best examples of water development are in our backyards, and we will focus on these local examples. (Ch. 13)
Final Examination: A 90-minute exam designed to assess each student’s mastery of the material studied during the first semester.
Semester 2 (12 chapters)
Unit 8: Nonrenewable Resources This unit will focus on the use of minerals and fossil fuels (the most popular energy sources being used in the world today) both are currently being used at unsustainable rates. You will learn about the environmental consequences of the extraction and use of these nonrenewable resources. (Ch. 14 & 15)
Unit 9: Renewable Energy Sources This unit surveys the alternatives to fossil fuel use as an energy source. (Ch. 16)
Unit 10: Human Health and Pollution This unit will begin with the study of how environmental hazards affect human health. You will then learn the various mechanisms that result in the formation of indoor and outdoor pollutants and the resulting consequences of those pollutants on human health. (Ch. 17, 18, & 20)
Unit 11: Solid and Hazardous Waste This unit is all about garbage. You will learn what we throw away, where “away” is and what happens as a result of generating solid waste. (Ch. 21,
Unit 12: Human Societies and The Environment The final unit of the curriculum examines how human societies interact with the environment and the issues that underlie decision making that impacts the environment. Previously in the course, you learned much of the information contained within this unit. (Ch. 22, 23, 24, 25)
Unit 13: IB/APES Review This unit is a review of the topics studied during the course in preparation for the AP Environmental Science Examination.
Unit 14: Your World Project Completion Following the and AP Environmental Science Exam the students will complete the Your World Project.
Final Examination: A 90-minute exam designed to assess each student’s mastery of the material studied during the entire school year.
Classroom Rules
1. Always follow directions
2. Never talk while the teacher is talking
3. Never leave your seat without permission
4. Respect your fellow students
Consequences of Breaking the Classroom Rules
1. Warning
2. Phone call to your parents
3. Referral to your GLC
Laboratory Rules
The laboratory is a special situation that you will encounter in this class. Labs can be fun and rewarding learning experiences, however, they can also be dangerous.
Always follow safety rules…Think, safety first, safety last, and safety always!
When in doubt…Ask before you act!
q The consequence of breaking a laboratory rule is exclusion from the lab and no credit for the lab with no option to make up the lab.
Tardies
You are required to be in your seat, with all necessary materials for that day readily available, ready to work, on time.
q The school-wide tardy policy is in effect.
Absences
You are expected to attend class everyday. It is your responsibility to be aware when you need to make up an assignment, lab, or test and to be proactive in making it up.
If you are absent the following policies apply.
q Absent on the day an assignment is due, present when it was assigned—it is due your first day back.
q Absent on the day an assignment is due, and when it was assigned—it is due your second day back.
q Absent for part of a lab—obtain data from lab partners, it is due on time.
q Absent for an entire lab or activity—obtain an alternate assignment (2-3 page paper).
q Absent for a test—a cumulative make-up test will be offered during the last week of the grading period.
q Late assignments (not due to absence) may or may not receive partial credit, depending on the circumstances.
q Class cuts—no credit for assignments, labs, or tests that are due, performed or administered that day.
q There will be no make-up quizzes or in-class essays; for excused absences, the average quiz or in-class essay grade will be assigned.
Grades
Each assignment you complete and submit, on-time, will be graded with points assigned based on a universally applied, objective grading scheme for that assignment. Approximate point values for assignments follow.
Test / 5000 pts / Quiz / 200 ptsHomework
/100-1000 pts
/ Classwork / 100-500 ptsLab or Activity / 500-2000 pts / Final Examination / 6000 pts
ScrAPESbook
/3000-5000 pts
/ Your World / 8000 ptsIn-Class Essay / 400 pts
There will be approximately 40,000 to 50,000 total points available each semester.
Grades will be based on the percentage of total points earned and assigned according to the scale below.
A percentage will be determined for each student, and grades will be assigned based on the guidelines listed below.
Final grades will be calculated to two significant digits.
>97% – A+ 87-89% – B+ 77-79% – C+ 67-69% – D+
94-96% – A 84-86% – B 74-76% – C 64-66% – D
90-93% – A- 80-83% – B- 70-73% – C- 50-63% – D- <50% – F
Vocabulary
A Vocabulary List for each unit is due on the day of the unit test.
q The Vocabulary List must be handwritten, in your handwriting, and must be legible.
q The Vocabulary List must not be sloppily prepared and must be correctly formatted (see below).
q Vocabulary List Format:
" Write with pencil or pen.
" Write your name, period and “IB/APES” in the top right-hand corner of the paper.
" Title the paper "Vocabulary Unit ___"
" Provide complete unambiguous definitions for each of the words listed in the vocabulary list of the unit's study guide.
Quizzes
¿ Anywhere from zero to five quizzes may be administered during a week, but most often two or three quizzes will be administered.
¿ Quizzes are administered at the beginning of the period and they rarely take more than two minutes.
¿ There will be no make-up quizzes (for excused absences, the average quiz grade will be assigned).
Tests
? There will be a test at the conclusion of each unit.
? Each test will be equivalent in length and format to one-fourth of an AP Environmental Science exam.
I There will be 25 multiple choice questions worth 60% of the total score (3000 pts)
I There will be one free-response question worth 40% of the total score (2000 pts)
Notes
? Class notes will be collected at the conclusion of each unit.
? Class notes are worth 250 points; incomplete notes will receive no credit.
? Class notes must be correctly formatted (see below) and include all notes, diagrams, and charts from the unit to receive credit.
IB/APES Notes
Topic Date
Focusing
Questions
Summary
Write a few sentences in this area to summarize this page of notes.
Each page of notes must include a summary at the bottom.
Guidelines for Preparing and Maintaining the Lab Notebook
" Use a graph paper-filled Composition Book.
" Write only in ink.
" Do not tear pages out of the lab notebook.
" Number the top outside corner of both sides of each page of the lab notebook.
" Begin the first lab write up on page 3.
" The lab notebook must contain a record of all materials and procedures used in performing the lab (a scientifically literate stranger should be able to execute any of the labs within your lab notebook–without any additional information).
" Record all data directly into the lab notebook.
" Initial and date all data the day it is collected.
" Do not obliterate information. Strike out incorrect information and mistakes with a single horizontal line.
" Use the first two pages of the lab notebook for the Table of Contents.
" Begin the Table of Contents on page 1.
" After each lab is completed, add its name and page number to the Table of Contents.
" Be prepared to turn in your lab notebook at any time during a laboratory.
Guidelines for Planning and Completing a Scientific Graph
Draw the graph directly into the lab notebook, using the full extent of the page in each direction for the graph.
Do not squish the data into one area of the graph.
Include a title at the top of the graph.
Unless otherwise instructed, plot the independent variable along the x-axis, and plot the dependent variable along the y-axis.
Label both axes with the variable name and the units of measurement.
Evenly space the tick marks on both axes and clearly label them.
Do not plot data points on the axes.
Data points must be clearly visible, identifiable, and unambiguous.
If multiple sets of data are plotted on one graph, use a different symbol and line style or color for each data set, and include a legend that clearly identifies each set of data.
Data should be appropriately correlated, by drawing a best-fit line or smooth curve between the points. Connecting the data points is rarely appropriate (i.e. nearly always wrong) on a scientific graph.