Teacher: Liz Richter, Ph.D.
DeBakey HSHP 2015-2016
LRichter@HoustonISD.org
713-471-2410 DeBakey phone
AP Environmental Science
FALL SEMESTER BLOCK SYLLABUS
Text: Environmental Science for AP, Friedland and Relyea
Supplemental text: Living in the Environment. 17th edition, G. Miller and S Spoolman.
Online Text: Environmental Science for AP, Friedland and Relyea. PWD will be provided.
AP Exam Prep: AP Environmental Exam, Princeton Review.
Grading Policy for AP Science Students:
Tests / Projects
60% (AP style with half multiple choice and half essay)
Labs / Quizzes
30%
Daily work / homework
10%
TESTS:
Tests are modeled after the actual AP exam in all ways possible. The student has 40 minutes for the 50-55 multiple
choice section of the exam and 45 minutes for 2 free response questions. In addition, actual AP free response
(courtesy ofwww.collegeboard.com) questions from past tests are given and are graded with the actual College
Board rubrics. Tests are cumulative and will ask questions from previous units. The tests also cover lab materials as
does the real AP exam. This mirrors the actual test as closely as possible in that students are required to answer
appropriately rigorously and comprehensive questions at the same rate as the actual exam.
Projects:
Projects will be assigned approximately one per cycle (3 per semester). These may include presentation of the
project to the class as part of the grade. A project grade is a major grade and is equivalent to a test grade. Most
project work will be done outside of the class period. Projects are subject to the late policy - Late work will be
accepted for a maximum grade of 70% of the original possible points. The written or turned in part of a project may
be due before the scheduled presentation (if applicable).
LABORATORY:
Students will perform all investigations of the “College Board Recommended Labs” in a non-virtual, hands on, wet
lab environment. Students may perform additional labs as well. This DOES NOT include time spent preparing for
lab and writing up lab reports. Only data may be shared among lab partners, all of the rest of the lab write up
must be original work or will be considered plagerism and receive a “0”.
LAB BOOKS: Students are required to do full, college style write ups on several of the laboratories. These lab
notebooks are kept to ensure college faculty that students did indeed perform college level work when petitioning
for lab credit (if necessary).
Class rules:
Respect, Safety and Integrity are equally expected as your attributes that you should have acquired at this time.
Cheating and plagiarism are not expected. You may leave the room with my permission except during tests and
quizzes.
Retakes:
If the student fails a test or project, then the student has an opportunity to retake a similar assessment covering the
same topics or redo the project. If a student requests a retake, they will be assigned a day to complete the retake.
All retakes will take place outside of regular class time. Students who wish to complete a retake must attend one
tutorial session before the retake to get assistance on the material covered. Once complete, the student’s retake /
redo grade will be averaged with the original grade for a final assessment / assignment grade of no higher than
“70%”. There are no retakes for end of cycle exams or quizzes.
Late Work:
Projects, lab reports, and homework may be turned in ONE class day late at the beginning of the period. Late work
will receive a maximum score of 70%. No late work will be accepted beyond that time and the assignment will be
marked as a zero. Homework is a maximum grade of 50% if late.
Online Assignments
While in this class, you may have the opportunity to share and discuss topics online. We may use TurnItIn.com,
Edmoto, Google Forms, Google Docs, etc. TurnItIn.com is a website that will check for plagerism. There is no
particular “score” that is acceptable. I look at every submission to see where the score comes from. Many times,
the references will come up as a match and that is expected. It is NOT expected for sentences within the assignment
to match. Students may check their scores and resubmit until the due deadline . If internet is not available at home,
you can access that in the library.
Tutoring and Conferences:
I am available for classroom tutoring either during scheduled tutorials, or by appointment. To request tutoring,
please see me to make arrangements for a convenient time to meet. If at any time you or your parent would like to
discuss your progress, please request an individual conference with me by phone (713-741-2410) or E-mail
(lrichter@houstonisd.org) at least one day in advance. Students failing the class are responsible for attending
tutorials.
Unit 1 Energy Resources and Consumption (10-15%)
Day 1 Class Policies, Procedures, Introduction, Safety
Day 2 Introduction Environmental Science, Safety Test, scientific method activity
Day 3 Global economics, global laws, global change
Day 4 global policy, and policies and government
Day 5 Global policy test
Day 6 Energy concept, renewable energy, fossil fuels
Day 7 nuclear and hyrdoelectric power
Day 8 Solar power and nonrenewable energy
Day 9 Energy lab/field work
Day 10 renewable energy; energy math calculations
Day 11 Cycle 1 Energy Project
Day 12 Quiz: solar and non-renewable energy.
Day 13 Project presentation
Day 14 Energy Test (cumulative so includes Global policy also)………………….……….....…End of Cycle 1
Day 15 assessment debrief and AP exam prep method and strategy.
Unit 2. Earth Systems and Resources (10-15%)
Day 16 geologic time and geologic time and fossils
Day 17 Quiz: Ch., rocks and minerals
Day 18 plate tectonics; earthquakes & volcanoes
Day 19 APES lab /fieldwork/project
Day 20 Soil
Day 21 Soil AP BIO LAB lab work/field work
Day 22 Soil and Geology Test
Unit 3. The Living World (10-15%)
Day 23 Communities, Food webs/chains, energy flow/trophic levels , energy in the living world, Endangered/Invasive
Species
Day 24 Quiz: Ch., Natural Ecosystem Change & mechanisms
Day 25 Biospheres/Biomes; Ecosystem
Day 26 Ecosystem Diversity, lab
Day 27 Ecology and Living World test............
...............................................End of Cycle 2
Day 28 Biomes & Climate Change, Cycles and Feedback loops, Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Water Cycle,
Phosphorus Cycle, The chemistry of nutrient systems
Day 29 Climate, climographs
Day 30 climate shifts, climate change impacts,climate lab/fieldwork
Day 31 stratospheric ozone, global warming
Day 32 Nutrient
Cycles & Climate Change Test
Unit 4 Population (10-15%)
Day 33 climates: impact on populations
Day 34 population growth
Day 35 lab/field work
Day 36 Cycle 3 Project
Day 37 Population math and graphs
Day 38 Population math and graphs
Day 39 population lab/fieldwork
Day 40 Population Test
Day 41 Final review
Day 42 SEMESTER
EXAM-----------------------------------------------------------------End of Cycle 3
AP Environmental Science
SPRING SEMESTER BLOCK SYLLABUS
Unit 5: Land and Water Use (10-15%)
Day 43 atmosphere
Day 44 atmosphere
Day 45 land use
Day 47 land use, agriculture, forestry, beaches/tidal, marshes
Day 48 rangeland, aquatic
Day49 lab field work, fishing/hunting
Day 50 water use, sustainability, watersheds
Day 51 D1 lab/field work
Day 52 water cycle,water laws, water fieldwork
Day 53 lab
Day 54 Land & Water Use Test…………….................................……………………….End of Cycle 4
Day 55 Spring Break Assignments Cycle 5 project assigned: Global policy and US policy
Day 56 Global Policy Project Test
Unit 6 Pollution (10-15%)
Day 57 air pollution, ozone
Day 58 ozone
Day 59 air pollution
Day 60 air pollution lab/ field work
Day 61 pollution land, pollution water
Day 62 Atmosphere & Water Pollution Test
Day 63 landfills, hazardous waste, water/sewer treatment plants
Day 64 pest control, toxicity, biomagnifications, chemical formation & impacts graph
Day 65 Toxicity and Pollution Test................................................................................ End of Cycle 5
Day 66 Cycle 6 Self-inquiry research project Report
Day 66-79 Reviews with mock exams, mock quizzes, pratice inquiry lab tests. ( Many TAKS/ Staars off days )
Day 77 AP Review
Day 78 AP Review
Day 79 Final Review
Final Exam..................................................................................................…......………End of Cycle 6
APES EXAM first week of MAY, 2013 8AM
--Arrive at 7:40 with 2 sharpened #2 pencils & 2 black pens! No calculators allowed for
APES. DoNot eat during testing; elevated insulin lowers your brain function.