Environmental Science
SY: Autumn 2013
Mrs. Albrechtsen
Month
August
Day
Reading/Class Assignment
Major Labs or Assignments
21 Class Contract, Learning
Inventory, Welcome
Letter, Class Syllabus
22 What is Science?
DBQ for Lab Safety
23
26 Introduction; Many
Cupcake Geology Lab
Planets, One Earth
27 Reading Geologic Records;
Carbon Cycling and Earth's
Climate
28 Testing the Thermostat:
Snowball Earth
Septembe
r
29 Atmospheric Oxygen;
Early Life: Single-Celled
Organisms
Microscopy Lab
30 Trail - Field study
experience
3 The Cambrian Explosion
and the Diversification of
Animals; The Age of
Mammals
Explaining Fossil Footprints
4 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
5 Introduction; The Structure
of the Atmosphere
Toilet Paper Geologic Time Scale Activity
Unit 1 Assessment
6 Radiative Balance and the
Natural Greenhouse Effect;
Major Greenhouse Gases
Demonstrating the Carbon Cycle
9 Vertical Motion in the
Atmosphere; Atmospheric
Circulation Patterns
10 Climate, Weather, and
Storms
11 The Global Carbon Cycle;
Feedbacks in the
Atmosphere
Radiosondes
12 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 2 Assessment
13 Trail - Field study
experience
16 Introduction; Ocean
Structure and Composition
17 Ocean Currents
Mapping the Ocean Floor Activity
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/player/lesson08.html
18 Thermohaline Circulation;
Ocean Circulation and
Climate Cycles
19 Biological Activity in the
Upper Ocean
20 The "Biological Pump"
Marine Life Census Activity
23 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 3 Assessment; Progress Report
24 Introduction; Major
Terrestrial and Aquatic
Biomes
25 Energy Flow Through
Ecosystems;
Biogeochemical Cycling in
Ecosystems
26 Population Dynamics;
Regulation of Ecosystem
Functions
October
27 Trail - Field study
experience
30 Ecological Niches
1 Evolution and Natural
Selection in Ecosystems;
Natural Ecosystem Change
2 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Ecology Lab Simulation
Owl Pellet Lab
Unit 4 Assessment
3 Introduction; Mathematics
of Population Growth
4 Determinants of
Demographic Change;
World Population Growth
Through History
Spatial Demographics Activity
7 Population Growth and the
Environment; Urbanization
and Megacities
8 Other Consequences of
Demographic Change;
Demographic Convergence
and Human Lifespan
Trends
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/education/activities/3108_worldbal
.html
9 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 5 Assessment
10 Introduction; Risk
Assessment; Measuring
Exposure to Environmental
Hazards
11 Trail - Field study
experience
14 Using Epidemiology in
Risk Assessment; Cancer
Risk; Other Risks
15 Benefit-Cost Analysis and
Risk Tradeoffs; Risk
Perception
16 The Precautionary
Principle; Major Laws
http://www.cdc.gov/excite/classroom/outbreak/index.htm
(Epidemiology Lab)
17 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 6 Assessment
18 Introduction; Earth's Land
Resources
21 Key Inputs for
Photosynthesis; Increasing
Yields
Plant Lab
22 Combating Pests and
Disease; Livestock:
Growing Animals
23 Genetic Improvement and
Food Production
24 Agriculture and Energy
25 Trail - Field study
experience
29 Sustainable Agriculture;
Food for the Future
30 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
31 Introduction; The Global
Water Cycle; Distribution
of Freshwater Resources
Eutrophication Lab
Unit 7 Assessment
Novembe
r
1 Groundwater Hydrology:
How Water Flows; World
Demand for Water;
Depletion of Freshwater
Resources
Watershed Lab
4 Water Salinization; Water
Pollution; Water-Related
Diseases; Water-Related
Diseases; Major Laws and
Treaties
Desalinization Lab
5 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 8 Assessment; Early Release Day
6 Introduction; Defining
Biodiversity; Counting
Species
7 Biodiversity Hotspots;
Categories of Concern:
Critically Endangered,
Endangered, Vulnerable; A
Sixth Mass Extinction?
8 Trail - Field study
experience
11 Habitat Loss: Causes and
Consequences
12 Invasion by Exotic
Species; Other Drivers of
Biodiversity Loss
Timber Harvesting Community Role Play
13 Why Biodiversity Matters;
Biodiversity in Your Back
Yard
14 Major Laws and Treaties
15 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 9 Assessment
18 Introduction; Thinking
About Supply; Fossil
Fuels: Coal
19 Fossil Fuels: Oil and Gas;
Unconventional Fossil
Fuels and Technologies;
Nuclear Power
20 Biomass Energy and
Alternative Energy Lab
Feedstocks; Hydropower
and Ocean Energy;
Geothermal Energy; Wind
Power; Direct Solar Energy
21 Hydrogen Power; Material
Resources: Metals; Other
Material Resources;
Increasing End-Use
Efficiency of Energy and
Materials
22 Trail - Field study
experience
Decembe
r
25 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 10 Assessment
26 Introduction; Chemicals in
Motion; Primary Air
Pollutants; Secondary Air
Pollutants
Progress Report
2 Aerosols; Smog; Acid
Deposition; Mercury
Deposition
Air Pollution Lab
3 Controlling Air Pollution;
Stratospheric Ozone; Air
Pollution, Greenhouse
Gases, and Climate Change
4 Major Laws and Treaties
5 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
6 Trail - Field study
experience
9 Introduction; Tipping
Earth's Energy Balance;
Climate Change: What the
Past Tells Us
Unit 11 Assessment
10 Past Warming: The Eocene
Epoch; Global Cooling:
The Pleistocene Epoch;
Present Warming and the
Role of CO2
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/mt-st-helens.html
11 Observed Impacts of
Climate Change; Other
Potential Near-Term
Impacts; Major Laws and
Treaties
12 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
Unit 12 Assessment Final Project due
13 Introduction; Measuring
(and Reducing) the Human
Footprint
16 Multiple Stresses on
Interconnected Systems
17 Confronting the ClimateEnergy Challenge
18 3 current events related to
geological/environmental
news - summarized in
terms of <who, what,
when, where, why,
how …>
January
19
6 Project Presentations
7 Project Presentations
Unit 13 Assessment
8 Project Presentations
9 Project Presentations
10 Review for Final Exam
13 Review for Final Exam
14 Final Exam
15 Final Exam