AP Environmental Science



Week of Oct 26-30th

Homework:
Prepare for Reading Circle- Competition- For Tues, Oct 26th
Insecticide Case Study- Due Mon, Nov 2nd 

Classwork:
Territory Game
Natural Selection Lab



Week of October 19th-23rd

Projects:
Hometown Population Study- Due Mon, Oct 19th
Human Population Regulation Presentations- Due Mon, Oct 19th
SSP Presentation- Due Tues, Oct 20th

Classwork: 
Penguin Breeding Activity

Homework:
Population Review Notecard- Due Wed, Oct 21st

Test:
Population Unit- Thurs, Oct 22nd



Week of October 12-16th

Projects:
SSP Presentation- Due Wed, Oct 14th
Human Popualation Regulation Project- Due Thurs, Oct 15th
Hometown Population Study- Due Mon, Oct 19th

Classwork: 
Penguin Breeding Activity

Week of Oct 5th-9th
Topic: Population

Homework:
Read pg. 126-128- Do pg. 129 (PQ 8-10)- Due Tuesday, Oct 6th




Week of Sept 28th- Oct 2nd

Homework:
Read pg. 134-136 and 141-147 and post to the Collaborize Classroom-  Due Tuesday, Sept 29th
Replies to Collaborize Classroom- Due Thurs, Oct 1st
(follow this link and use your log-in)

Lab:
Population Growth- Due Monday, Oct 5th
Mark & Recapture Lab- Due Thurs, Oct 1st

Field Trip:
Hometown Population Study
Field Trip Date- Thurs, Oct 1st
Report- Due Tues, Oct 13th

Human Population Project:
Presentations on Thurs, Oct 15th

Total- 45 points

Objectives:
Create a poster to describe the human population regulations in your given country.
Present this poster to the class.

What to include on your poster:
    What problems were experiences previous to this regulation program? (5 points)
     What was the population previous to this regulation program? (2 points)
     When was this program started? (2 points)
     What are the objectives of this program? (4 points)
     What are the components of this program? (10 points)
     What is the current population of this nation? (2 points)
      Have the objectives of this program been met?  If so, how?  If not, why not? 
(5 points)
      What effects have this program had on the people?  (5 points)

     Poster’s Appearance:
Colorful, Titled, Easily Read, Correct Grammar/Spelling  (5 points)

     Presentation:
             Spoke clearly, Easily understood, Good posture (5 points)


You must site your sources.  I will not accept a project without sources.






Week of Sept 21st-25th

Homework:
Read "From Species to Ecosystem" & "Organisms occur in populations, communities, and ecosystems" (pg. 61-62)- Define terms in your notebook (Start a new section for the POPULATION UNIT)- Due Monday, Sept 21st
Read pg. 118-123- for Wednesday, Sept 23rd
Data Analysis- pg. 130- Due Thurs, Sept 24th
Read Population Lab- for Mon, Sept 28th

Classwork:
Geese Population Activity



Week of Sept 14-18th

Homework:
Collaboarize Classrom- Due Wed, Sept 16th by 6:00 PM
Renewable Energies Pros and Cons Chart- Due Thurs, Sept 17th
pg. 443 (CT-2)- Essay- Due Fri, Sept 18th

Test:
Energy Unit- Fri, Sept 18th



Week of Sept 7-11th

Homework:
Do pg. 431- What Do You Think?- Due Mon, Sept 7th 
Pros and Cons Energy Chart- Fossil Fuels- Due Tues, Sept 8th
Read pg. 434-436- Do pg. 443 (PQ-7)- Due Wed, Sept 9th
Read pg. 439-441- Do Pros and Cons Energy Chart- Nuclear & pg. 443 (PQ- 3 and 5) -
Due Thurs, Sept 10th

Project:
Watt's the Cost (Energy Survey)- Due Thurs, Sept 10th

Online Debate (Collaborize Classroom):
ANWR Debate- Thurs, Sept 10th- Initial Post


ANWR Debate
40 points
The Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is 19.6 million acre reserve, in between the Arctic Circle and North Pole.   Of this area, eight million acres are officially labeled wilderness and nine million acres are officially labeled refuge.   Two native groups live within the borders of the reserve- the Gwich'in and Inupiat.  An area of 1.5 million acres (known as the 10-02 area, based on the section of the Congressional bill that allowed for its development) has been opened to oil and gas resource development.  The development of these resources is highly debated amongst environmentalists, politicians, and business components.  How this land and others like it are managed is a multi-faceted issue that must be explored from numerous points of view.

This debate will involve participants from five interest groups, each expressing their point of view.
1)        Oil company wishing to develop this area
2)       Energy independence politicians- looking for ways to reduce the US’ dependence on foreign oil resources and the influence of the nations from whom the oil is purchased
3)       Wildlife Conservation Society
4)       Gwich’in- who rely on food resources (caribou) who live in this area
5)       Inupiat- who may work in the oil fields

Each interest group must develop a written opening argument and points of debate that support their cause.  All points of debate should be based on research.  A list of references from which the information was drawn should be submitted.
Written work- Group Grade-
                Opening argument- defines the role of the group, along with a clear, concise argument-3 points
                Points of offense- Well researched and strong arguments that support their overall point of view- 10 points
                Points of defense- Well researched statements that defend their point of view against opposing points of view- 10 points
                Biblography- MLA formatted- 3 points
Debate- Individual Grade
                 Relevance of comments- 5 points
                 Strength of arguments- 5 points
                 Persuasive wording- 4 points
Debate Timeline:
Opening Argument- Thursday, Sept 10th by 8:00 AM
Response to Arguments- Be sure to comment to which argument you are responding- You must make at least 3 of these- Friday, Sept 11th by 8:00 AM
Response to Respones- Based on your classmates comments you must make an additional three responses- Wednesday, Sept 16th by 6:00 PM




Week of August 31st- Sept 4th



Homework:
 Pros and Cons Energy Chart- Fossil Fuels- Due Fri, Sept 4th
Do pg. 451- What Do You Think?- Due Mon, Sept 7th 

Classwork Project:
Solar Oven

Lab:
Toxic Tea Lab Report- Due Mon, Aug 31st

Project:
Waste Reduction Classroom Chats- Fri, Aug 28th & Mon, Aug 31st
Ecofriendly Lunch Day- Wed, Sept 2nd- Bring game & supplies

Test:
Waste Unit- Tues, Sept 1st




Week of August 24-28th



Homework:
 Read pg. 478-484 & Do pg. 491 (PQ- 5-7)- Due Tues, Aug 25th
Hazardous Waste Wkst.- Due Wed, Aug 26th

Debate:
Brownfield Debate- Thurs, Aug 27th

Lab:
Hazardous Waste Containment Lab Report- Due Wed, Aug 26th
Toxic Tea Lab Report- Due Mon, Aug 31st

Project:
Waste Reduction Classroom Chats- Fri, Aug 28th & Mon, Aug 31st
Ecofriendly Lunch Day- Wed, Sept 2nd

Test:
Waste Unit- Tues, Sept 1st



Week of August 17th-21st

Homework:
Read pg. 473-478 & Do pg. 491 (PQ- 3-4)- Due Thurs, Aug 20th


Read pg. 484-490 & Do pg. 491/492 (PQ-1,2,9 & CT-5)- Due Fri, Aug 21st

Do pg. 479 – What Do You Think? & pg. 485- Think About It & 
Read Case Studies- Due Mon, Aug 24th

Quiz:
Lab Safety Quiz- Tues, Aug 18th

Debate:
Brownfield Debate- Tues, Aug 25th

Lab:
Hazardous Waste Containment Lab- Wed, Aug 26th



ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (APES)

Course Overview:
AP Environmental Science is equivalent to an introductory environmental science university course, during which a student may earn three university credits.  During the course, students will explore how environmental issues integrate with various areas of science, such as biology, geology, and chemistry, as well as other areas of study, such as geography, politics, and economics.  Laboratories, field work, research projects, activities, debates, and discussions will be used as students gain skills in using the scientific method and problem solving skills to access and analyze these environmental issues.

Prerequisites:  Physical Science, Biology, and Algebra I

Resources:
 Textbook- Cummingham, William P. and Mary Ann Cummingham.  Environmental Science: A Global Concern.  11th Edition.  McGraw          
                    Hill.  2010.
Optional AP Exam Review Books-  Soos, Anne.  AP Achiever: Environmental Science.  McGraw Hill. 2010.
                                                              Wright, Richard T. AP Test Prep: AP Environmental Science.  Pearson. 2009.
 Movies- Strange Days on Planet Earth; Food, Inc; Medicine Man; Inconvenient Truth; Unstoppable Sun Cycles
                ** Other required and optional readings will be assigned throughout the school year.

Class:
Students are expected to attend all regular scheduled school days.  Class will meet six, 50-minute periods a week, including a double block class one day a week.  At least one of these periods per week will be used for lab and/or field work.  Students will need to maintain field work, laboratories, and projects by periodically taking data, observations, and/or completing parts of a project outside of class, during times such as before or after school, lunch, or break time.  In order to gain APES test taking skills, optional, outside of school workshops to prepare for the APES exam will be offered. 

Schedule of Topics:
Introduction and History of Environmental Science- August 12th -14th
                Chapter 1

Unit 1- WASTE MANAGEMENT- August 17th-Sept 1st
                Subtopics: Solid Waste Management, Hazardous Wastes, Landfills, Recycling, Composting, Human Health Concerns
                Chapter 21
                PROJECTS- Management of School’s Recycling Project (on-going project throughout the school year)
                                   Ecofriendly Lunch Day – An event to educate and encourage fellow students to bring waste-free lunches
                                   Brownfield Debate- Stimulating a community meeting, students will represent various opinions on brownfield                                                                             management
                LAB- Hazardous Waste Containment- Explore the effectiveness of various methods of containment
                          Toxic Tea- Evaluate the toxicity of tea and its impact on an invertebrate population, determining the lethal dose
                TEST- September 1st  

Unit 2- ENERGY- September 2nd- 18th  
                Subtopics: Conventional and Sustainable Energies- Obtaining Resources, Costs, and Pollution; Energy Conservation
                Chapters 19 & 20                               
                LAB- Energy Survey- Calculate the energy usage in one’s daily life
                TEST- September 18th

Unit 3- POPULATION ECOLOGY- September 21st-October 14th
                Subtopics: Natural Selection, Age Pyramids, Human Population History and Future, Population Growth Models, Population                                               Regulation, Demographic Transition, Population Conservation, Impacts of Population Growth
                Chapters 4, 6 & 7
                FIELD WORK- Cemetery Population Study- Using birth & death dates to calculate changes in life spans over time
                                         Population Size- At different sites, estimating population sizes of a species, using various methods
                PROJECTS- Human Population Regulations- Explore the human population regulations (laws and policies) of a                                                                                                                                  specific nation.
                                     SSP (Species Survival Plan)- Using data from the AZA, present the history of a captive population and devise a                                                                                                  plan for managing the future population
                LAB- Natural Selection- Simulate the impact of natural selection on a population when it is exposed to different habitats
                TEST- October 14th

Unit 4- COMMUNITY ECOLOGY- October 15th-November 11th
                Subtopics: Community Relationships, Biodiversity, Invasive Species, Niche, Biomes, Food Web, Keystone Species, Succession
                Chapters 4, 5, & 11
                MOVIE- Strange Days on Planet Earth- Invasive Species, Predators
                FIELD TRIP/WORK- La Tigra (Cloud Forest) National Park- Survey biodiversity in this forest compared to our school’s site
                PROJECTS- Food Web- Create a food web, linking the organisms within a specific biome, indicating community relationships,                                                                                such as predation, competition, and keystone species
                LABS- Predation- Explore how predation can shape a community
                             Food Web Disturbances- Explore the impact a disturbance to one place in a food web makes on the whole community
                             Competition- Explore how intraspecific and interspecific competition impacts a community
                TEST- November 11th
Unit 5- ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY- November 12th-December 8th
                Subtopics: Energy, Water, Nitrogen, Sulfur, Carbon, and Phosphorous Cycles; Energy Pyramid; Global Warming; Climate; Biomesf
                Chapters 3, 5, & 15
                MOVIES- An Inconvenient Truth; Unstoppable Sun Cycles
                LAB- Global Warming- Explore the impact of increased covering on temperature retention
                PROJECTS- Ecosystem Cycle Comic Book- Depict, through illustrations and captions, the stages through which an element                                                                                                       pass in its cycle
                                     Cause(s) of Global Warming Persuasive Essay- Using evidence from videos, readings, and your own research,                                                                                                                            develop a reasonable argument for the cause(s) of global warming
                TEST- December 8th  

SEMESTER EXAMS- December 14th-16th  (Review – December 9th-11th)

Unit 6- AGRICULTURE AND PEST MANAGEMENT- January 6th-Feburary 12th
                Subtopics: Soil Types, Formation, Quality, and Conservation; Human Nutrition; Agriculture Methods- Traditional and      Sustainable; Pest                                        Management; Genetic Engineering; Irrigation; Laws
                Chapters 9 &10
                MOVIE- Food, Inc.
                FIELD TRIP- Finca Loma Linda- training to maintain good soil quality for agriculture
                LAB- Soil Types & Nutrients- Evaluate the quality of soils for a range of factors
                PROJECT- Nutrient Poster- Display the sources of a particular nutrient, what it does for the human body, and the impacts of                                                                            the lack of the nutrient
                                   DDT Debate- Taking on the role of a specific town member, debate the use of DDT to control malaria in                                                                                                   a rural town in a developing nation
                TEST- February 12th

Unit 7- LAND USE- February 16th-March 4th
                Subtopics: Sustainable Management; Deforestation- Causes and Effects; Controlled Burns; Restoration; Overgrazing; Rangelands;                                     Urbanization
                Chapters 12 & 13
                LABS- A Burning Question- Explore the impacts of controlled burns
                            Urban Sprawling- Stimulate the impact of urbanization on the surrounding land
                FIELD TRIP- Zamorano University- Forestry Department- learn how local forests are managed
                TEST- March 4th

Unit 8- GEOLOGY- March 7th-18th
                Subtopics: Geological Time Scale; Plate Tectonics; Earthquakes; Volcanism; Rock Cycle; Mining- Conventional and Sustainable Methods,
                                  Environmental Impacts, Uses of Mined Materials
                Chapter 14
                PROJECT- Mined Material Poster- Present the methods for mining and processing desired materials, the environmental impacts of these                                            processes, and ideas for sustainable management of these processes
                LAB- Rock Types- Explore rock samples to determine type and formation
                          Mining for Minerals- Explore the financial and environmental costs of reclamation after mining
                TEST- March 18th

Unit 9- AIR AND WATER- March 29th-April 22nd  
                Subtopics: Atmospheric Composition and Circulation; Ocean Circulation; Pollution- Causes, Effects, and Controls; Water and Air
                                  Quality; Human Health Concerns; Laws; Freshwater Management
                Chapters 8, 16, 17, & 18
                MOVIE- Strange Days On Planet Earth- Dangerous Catch, Troubled Waters, Dirty Secrets
                FIELD WORK- Determine water and air quality at different places throughout the city
                TEST- April 22nd

AP EXAM- May 2nd (Review for AP exam- April 25th-28th)

Unit 10- ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT- May 3rd  –May 24th    
                Subtopics: Resource Management, Cost and Benefit Analysis, Development
                Chapter 23
                MOVIE- Medicine Man
                LAB- A Bee’s Economy- Stimulate the impact of pollinators on the supply, demand, and cost of a crop
                          Fishing for the Future- Stimulate how an open access system impacts the environment and economy
                TEST- May 24th

Grading:
     Homework- 15%
     Waste Reduction Project Involvement- 10%  (maintaining the school’s recycling and composting program)
     Labs & Projects- 40%
     Tests & Quizzes – 35%