Welcome to Environmental Science! Environmental Science provides students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.
Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study, yet there are several major unifying themes. This course includes a strong laboratory and field investigation component to intensify learning and enhance understanding. Experiences both in the laboratory and in the field provide students with opportunities to test concepts and principles that are introduced in the classroom. An emphasis is placed on students using critical thinking and analytical skills to make a positive impact on the environment by performing data collection, analysis, and drawing connections to real-world problems.
Students who take the AP Environmental Science Exam in May have the opportunity to earn Advanced Placement (AP) credit for college.
Course Objectives
- Learn a microscopic, macroscopic and global perspective of the environment.
- Learn what ecosystems are and how they work.
- Demonstrate the use of the scientific method to evaluate and solve environmental problems.
- Understand the balance between mankind's development of land for food, fiber and mineral resource production and maintaining strong biodiversity.
- Show understanding and sensitivity to impacts of energy, resource, and water use/waste, population growth and needs for a sustainable future.
- Illustrate anunderstanding of biodiversity and the need for truly sustainable personal and business activities.
AP Environmental Science is full-year course designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science. In both breadth and level of detail, the content of the course reflects what is found in many introductory college courses in environmental science. The emphasis on problem-solving dictates the course recommendation that the successful student will have completed Biology and one year of physical science (Chemistry, for example). Due to the quantitative nature of the course, at least one year of Algebra is also recommended.
Contact Information
Parent/Student/Teacher communication is vital to student success and is encouraged at any time and for any reason. I am happy to speak with students and parents, and welcome your e-mails and calls. I am available for make-up work and additional help during lunch on Monday - Friday, and before/after school by appointment. Please do not hesitate to ask for help! I recommend checking our class websiteregularly, as it will list important dates, resources, and other announcements.
Please allow 24 hours for a response (48 if it’s Saturday )
Miss Scott’s Mantra: If you have a question – Ask! If you need help – Ask! Don’t be afraid to ASK!
General Department Guidelines and Procedures
Class will primarily consist of the following components: Teacher and student-led instruction, group and individual projects, lecture, computer use, in-class and at-home review or summary of covered topics, problem-solving and concept practice. The course includes a laboratory and/or field investigation component. On average, a minimum of one class period, or its equivalent, per week is spent engaged in laboratory and/or field work. I am a big believer in making learning fun, so I will try to incorporate as many review games as appropriate for the course. In addition, technology will be used to enhance or supplement concepts.
Class Policy and Behavior Expectations:
Miss Scott has adopted a policy of mutual respect.
In order for our class to master the many topics in Environmental Science, we must all respect one another and collaborate together effectively.Students are expected to behave respectfully at all times, Beon time and fully prepared to participate and learn, Participate in class discussions, group efforts and activities, Be safe and contribute to a safe learning environment and Be cognizant of and adhere toClassroom Procedures.
Assignments and Class Work: (Keep all your work accessible and in class daily)
You are expected to come to class each day prepared to learn. Therefore, you must have your homework completed and have all materials in your possession when you come into the classroom.
- Homework is assigned and checked every day.
- Homework is due at the start of class – place it in the collection basket by the door. Assignments are considered late after the turn-in basket has been collected.
- A student may turn in a homework/classwork assignment late three times a semester for partial credit.Late passes must be attached to the assignment and turned in to the late bin.
- Late labs/projectslose 10% for each day late, and a “zero” after one week.
Collaboration is expected on HW, Lab assignments, group work and projects; however, copied work receives a zero for both parties involved. “We worked together” is not a valid (nor accepted) reason for why both assignments are identical. Learn to express your own thoughts!
Honesty and Integrity are expected of all students at Heritage High School. Any student found to commit or facilitate cheating on ANY assignment will receive a zero for the assignment with no chance to make it up accompanied by a parental notification. This includes copying of classwork, homework, test and the use of unauthorized electronic equipment during tests. Cheating includes allowing another student to copy work. Both students will be given zeroes. If the student cheats the student will be referred to the Administration.
Attendance and Make-up Policy
A student’s absence one or two days prior to a test will not excuse him/her from taking the test. Tests are planned sufficiently in advance so that the student should have time to adequately prepare for them.There is a 5% penalty for being absent on the day of an exam.
If you know that you will miss a test, quiz, or lab because of a school related obligation, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with Miss Scott to take the test prior to test day
If you are attending an extracurricular activity, it is your responsibility to turn in any assignments before you leave school and find out what your homework will be for the next class.
Homework is updated daily online (Check the class calendar) so students who are absent from class are still expected to come to the following class with that day’s assignment completed.
Only students with excused absences may arrange for Make-Up Labs, Quizzes and Tests. Make-Ups are by appointment, and must occur within 2 days of your return.
Unexcused absences or Truants receive “0”.
** YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHEDULING MAKE-UPS **
Miss Scott’s “Appropriate Use of Technology” Policy
The use of electronic equipment such as; cell phones, MP3s, tablets or any other personal electronic device; without permission of the instructor is considered disruptive behavior.
Personal electronic devices can be useful tools for education. It is imperative that students who choose to use a personal electronic device in class do so in a fair and effective way to enhance their learning experience, while not disrupting the learning experience of others. Students should adhere to the following guidelines for using personal electronic devices in class. Failure to comply with these rules could result in loss of privileges:
1) Students will have explicit permission from Miss Scott to use their personal electronic devices.
2) Students will use their device only to complete assignments that are related to the instructional lesson.
3) Students will keep devices on “silent” mode and put away when they are not being used for academic purposes.
Materials:
Students are expected to come to class prepared. Please bring a pen/pencil, a notebook* and a notebook/binder** to class every day.It is also recommended the student bring post-its and tape/glue. Colleges often require students to present their laboratory materials from AP science courses before granting college credit for laboratory, so students are encouraged to retain their laboratory notebooks, reports, and other materials. The textbook for this course is Environmental Science for AP*, Friedland/Relyea, BFW Publishing Group. The textbook will be supplemented by other internet resources and environmental documentary videos.
*The first notebook will be kept in class and used for Math and FRQ Practice
**Because of the breadth of material covered in this class, and the number of resources provided to help students successfully pass the AP test, a Binder or a large notebook are strongly recommended.
General Grading Guidelines:
This term grade is based on a cumulative grading period system. Points will be earned through tests, quizzes, labs, field work, in-class assignments and cooperative learning projects. Grades will be posted weekly or as assignments are collected and graded. The school issues progress reports at the end of each grading period and final grades at the end of the term.
The grading scale is A>90, B>80, C>70, D>60, F<59.9
A note about assessments…
Approximately one quiz and one test will be given for each unit on the course calendar (see below) and they will be composed of multiple-choice and essay questions. The majority of the multiple-choice questions will come from lecture notes and released AP exam test questions. We will work our way up to 100 questions as the AP Exam approaches.
You will be given four free-response (essay) questions on the AP Exam. To be effective, you’ll need to organize your thoughts and construct an essay in 22 minutes (four questions in 90 minutes). In this class we will take a very pragmatic approach to our writing. We’ll write training essays early in the year and, again, incorporate timed essays into our tests by the middle of the year.
Course Outline:
Topic / Accompanying Activities / Duration1. Introduction to Environmental Problems & the Living World – Matter Resources, Ecosystems & Ecosystem Processes
- Where are we now and where do we want to go?
- Scientific Method & Critical Thinking
- Thermodynamics, food chains and webs, biomes
- Biodiversity: Causes & Threats
- Calculating my Ecological Footprint
- Owl Pellet Energy Lab
- Place Project
- Biogeochemical Cycles Project
- Endangered Species Project
- Measuring Biodiversity Lab
- Habitat Fragmentation Simulation
- Ongoing throughout the year: APES in the news Project / *times are approximate and may change
4 weeks
2. Population Studies
- Population biology and dynamics: what causes changes in ecosystems
- Human population: demography and population distribution
- Tagging & Sampling Lab
- Factors that affect fertility graphing analysis / 2 weeks
3. Earth’s Systems
- Earth Science: Geologic Time Scale, plate tectonics, volcanoes and earthquakes,
- Climate & Weather: global air circulation, ocean currents, seasons, solar intensity & latitude
- Plate Tectonics Lab
- Coriolis Effect Lab / 2 weeks
4. Agriculture – Soil & Food
- Soil and Soil Dynamics: rock cycle, physical and chemical properties, soil problems & conservation
- Agriculture: Methods, over/undernutrition, GMOs, and pest control
- Food Production: Biological, physical, and social boundaries
- Soil Analysis Lab
- Erosion Simulation
- Salinization Lab
- GMO Debate
- IPM Case Study / 3 weeks
5. Land Use
- Rangelands & Forestry (Overgrazing and deforestation management)
- Urban Sprawl causes & effects
- Mining (Extraction and relevant laws)
- Succession Lab
- Cookie Mining Lab
- Land Planning Project / 3 weeks
6. Energy Resources and Consumption
- Nonrenewable energy
- Renewable energy: alternative sources of energy
- Consumption and conservation issues
- Alternative Energy Sources Project
- Energy Home Audit / 3 weeks
7. Global Change
- Ozone Depletion & Global Climate Change
8. Pollution
- Global Water Resources and Use (Freshwater vs. saltwater, surface and groundwater)
- Water pollution: Sources and types of pollution
- Air pollution: outdoor and indoor
- Air Particulate Lab
- Pollution Chalk Drawings / 7 weeks
9. Human Health & Hazardous Wastes
- Human health: toxic and hazardous substances, diseases and risk analysis
- Toxic and solid waste: disposal, regulations, prevention
- Risk Perception & Reality Survey
- Degradation of Plastic Lab
- Solid Waste Inventory / 3 weeks
10. Economics, Politics, Ethics and the Environment
- Dealing with environmental policy, problem-solving, and environmental education
Syllabus Acknowledgement and Contract
Please detach this page, sign and return it to Miss Scott.
The syllabus should be stored and kept as a reference.
AP Environmental Science is a rigorous college level laboratory science. None-the-less we believe every student is capable of succeeding. Parent/Student/Teacher communication is vital to student success and is encouraged at anytime and for any reason. Success in this course requires daily homework, review, and preparation. The calendar shows all reading, activities, labs, assessments, and their due dates. Copies of missed notes or lost handouts may be obtained from the class website.
Your signature below serves to acknowledge that you have read and understand the requirements and structure as outlined in the AP Environmental Science Class Syllabus.
Student:
I have read the syllabus and understand the classroom/laboratory expectations and discipline policy. I agree to abide by the expectations of this class and will commit to doing quality work the entire course. I understand I am responsible for my own behavior and actions. I also understand that cheating is unacceptable and occurs when:
a) I fail to do my own work and turn in something I did not personally complete
b) I use anything other than acceptable materials to complete assignments or a quiz/exam
c) I provide answers or work to another student
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Student Name
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Student Signature Date
Parent or Guardian:
I have discussed the classroom expectations and discipline policy on the previous pages with my son/daughter. I understand how to contact the teacher, what will influence my child’s academic performance in this course, and will make every effort to ensure his/her academic success.
______
Parent Name
______
Parent Signature Date