AP Environmental Science 2011-2012
Mrs. Delli Paoli
 AP Exam is scheduled for May 7, 2012
 College Board Student Exam Information:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/envsci/exam.html?envsci
This is yearlong introductory college level course in environmental science is divided into two
16 week semesters each with 50 minute daily lessons. The course is designed to teach you to
become scientifically literate about environmental issues by analyzing and interpreting
information. Scientific literacy will be defined in this course by a student's ability to use the
scientific method to distinguish science from non-science in defining the environmental issue;
identify the costs and benefits of solutions to the issue; and finally to apply the learned
knowledge and problem solving skills to resolve environmentally science-based issues. During
each week there will be a minimum of one laboratory or field based lesson. The class is open to
students who have successfully completed biology and chemistry.
Topic ~ Semester One
Introduction to Environmental Issues: Identifying and analyzing environmental
issues, history of conservation movement, sustainable development.
Earth Resources and Systems I: Air, Weather & Climate. Structure and
composition of atmosphere, seasons, solar intensity and latitude, the Coriolis
Effect, ENSO is an ocean-atmosphere cycle, climate shifts
Air pollution: Primary & secondary sources of air pollutants, acid deposition,
analysis of solutions to air pollution
Earth Resources and Systems II: Global Water Use & Management.
hydrological cycle, agricultural, industrial and domestic use, surface and
ground water issues
Pollution: Water Pollution. Sources, causes and effects, cultural eutrophication
Geology and Earth Resources. Geologic time scale, plate tectonics, seasons,
solar intensity and latitude
Impacts on the Environment and Human Health. Hazards to human health,
movement, distribution & fate of toxins, measuring toxicity, risk assessment
and acceptance
The Living World: energy flow, natural biogeochemical cycles, conservation
of matter, Laws of Thermodynamics
Communities & species Interactions, ecological niches, keystone species
Terrestrial & aquatic biomes: natural selection, evolution, ecological
succession
Population: population biology, population ecology, reproductive strategies,
biological populations
Human Populations: human population dynamics, strategies for sustainability,
impacts of population growth.
Topic ~ Semester Two
Agricultural Land Use: human nutritional requirements, types of agriculture,
genetic engineering, irrigation,
Land use: Controlling pests, integrated pest management, types of and cost
and benefits of pesticides
16 Weeks
1
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2
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2
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16 Weeks
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Global Change: Loss of biodiversity, habitat loss, introduced species,
endangered species and extinct species; maintenance through
conservation, relevant laws.
Land Use: Forestry silviculture, tree plantations, old growth forests, forest fire
control, national forests, deforestation (REDD)
Land Use: Rangelands. Overgrazing, desertification, management, federal
rangelands, wildlife areas, wilderness areas, wetlands
Land Use: Land conservation options, preservation, remediation, mitigation,
restoration.
2
Conventional energy: History of Industrial Revolution, exponential growth,
fossil fuel resources and use, fossil fuel extraction and purification, nuclear
energy and hydroelectric power
Sustainable Energy: Energy efficiency, CAFÉ standards, hybrid electric
vehicles, mass transit, renewable energy and environmental advantages and
disadvantages
Solid, toxic and hazardous waste: hazards to human health, environmental
risk analysis, dose-response relationships, air pollutants, hazardous chemicals
in the environment, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes and
economic impacts of sustainability.
Urbanization & sustainable cities: planned development, urban sprawl,
urbanization and transportation infrastructure
Ecological Communities: Globalization, World Bank, Tragedy of the
Commons, relevant laws and treaties
2
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2
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Laboratory and fieldwork
Students will investigate scientific concepts through laboratory and field work at a minimum of
once per week during the year long course. The students will learn methods for analyzing and
interpreting scientfic information.
Students will be required to attend a minimum of one Saturday morning per semester that
involves collection of data. This could be, but is not limited to, monitoring of the buckthorn
removal site; water, air and soil sample collection and timber survey.
Semester One Laboratory and Field Work. All lab work is hands- on (wet) or identified as other.
1. Earth Resources: Field trip to collect soil and water samples for analysis of chemical and
physical properties from two Lake County Forest Preserves
2. Global Climate Change: Exploring the Relationship between CO2 and Temperature
using Brassica plants. Students will investigate global climate change with mathematical
analysis and interpretation of data.
3. Global Climate Change: Effects of UV solar radiation lab with analysis and interpretation
of data.
4. Air Pollution - Acid deposition lab with analysis and interpretation of data.
5. Earth Systems: Great Ocean Convection /Conveyor Belt Lab with analysis and
interpretation of data
6. Water Pollution, Drinking and Surface Water Quality Lab with analysis and interpretation
of data (coliform, pH, nitrogen, etc.)
7. Water Pollution: Cultural Eutrophication Lab with mathematical analysis and
interpretation of data
8. Water Pollution: Field trip to Water Treatment Facility and Drinking Water Purification
Plant
9. Earth Science Concepts:Virtual Earthquake Lab: mathematical analysis and
interpretation of data to determine the magnitude of an earthquake and to locate its
epicenter.
10. Pollution: LC50: Bioassay of Toxic Effects of an Algaecide (copper sulfate) on daphnia
with analysis and interpretation of data
11. EarthResources: Physical and Chemical Properties of Water Lab with analysis and
interpretation of data
12. Living World: Calorimeter Lab where students conduct the quantitative analysis of
calorie (energy) content in walnuts and cashews.
13. Living World: Photosynthesis lab
14. Living World: Cycling of Matter Lab which measure qualitatively the decompostion of
various materials over time
15. Living World: Interspecific and Intraspecific Variation of Species with mathematical
analysis and interpretation of data
16. Population: Rapid Radish Population Growth Lab with mathematical analysis and
interpretation of data
17. Population Estimates through Mark and Recapture techniques with mathematical
analysis and interpretation of data (hands-on dry)
18. Population: Life expectancy and Survivorship Curve Calculations
19. Population: Population Pyramid Lab with mathematical analysis and interpretation of
data (Hands-on dry)
Semester Two Laboratory and Field Work. All lab work is hands- on (wet) or identified as other.
1. Earth Resources. Physical and chemical analysis of soil. Students will analyze the
composition, texture, and other features soil through mathematical analysis and
interpretation of data.
2. Earth Resources. Students will design an experiment to assess how plants grow in different
soil conditions.
3. Land & Water Use. Bacterial Transformation Using GFP Lab. Students will understand how
gene transfer is applied in creating genetically modified organisms through
mathematical analysis and interpretation of data
4. Land & Water Use. Design a laboratory investigation to determine the effectiveness of a
biological control.
5. Living World. Species diversity lab. Using the Shannon- Weaver index students will
calculate species diversity in a suburban setting.
6. Living World. Non native invasive species early detection lab. Students will record the
changes in a community and identify successional changes using mathematical analysis
and interpretation of data. The data collected will be used for future classes.
7. Land & Water Use. Timber inventory lab. Students will cruise a woodlot and calculate the
board feet of select species.
8. Land & Water Use. Forest management. Students will design a multiple use strategy for a
suburban woodlot.
9. Land & Water Use. Wildlife management plan inventory. Students will research the
preferred habitat for quality species indicators for a local savannah. Students will
develop a multiple use plan for the area. It will also include a wildlife management plan
for the native species. (Hands-on dry)
10. Living World. Students will determine the number of spring ephemerals in a buckthorn
infested area before and after mechanical and chemical treatment to remove
buckthorn. The data will be used from year to year.
11. Energy Consumption. Fossil fuel lab. Students will calculate their use of fossil fuels.
12. Energy Resources. Fuel ethanol from corn lab. By performing germination, fermentation,
and distillation procedures, students will produce ethanol and other products.
13. Energy Resources. Photovoltaic cells capture solar energy lab.
14. Land and Water Use: Copper Extraction Lab. Students will measure the amount of
copper from carbonate and model an environmentally sound, modern method of
extracting copper profitably.
15. Energy Resources. Disposal of nuclear waste lab. Students will investigate the effects of
different methods of storing nuclear waste.
16. Energy Resources. Effects of radiation on the germination and growth of radish seeds.
17. Energy resources. Kill-a-watt lab. Students will calculate their electrical energy
consumption.
18. Pollution. Waste reduction lab. Students will develop a school wide copier paper
reduction program. They will estimate amount of copier paper used per student for
academic and non-academic uses. Students will develop and propose a plan to reduce
the amount of copier paper used. (Alternate lab)
19. Effects of Environmental Toxins Lab Activity. Students will understand how toxicity tests
are performed in areas of environmental distress using mathematical analysis and
interpretation of data.
Field trips
Per school regulations we will be able to have a limit of two field trips per year. The first field trip
will be to local forest preserves to collect water and soil samples for future analysis. We will also
survey the flora components from two local parks to evaluate their biodiversity. The second field
trip will be to a water treatment facility, waste treatment plant and a landfill.
Teaching Strategies
Students will be required to develop a yearlong project that promotes awareness of an
environmental issue and offers a viable solution to it. During the first semester students will
produce a research paper that identifies and explains how values, beliefs, and technology
create the environmental issue. During the second semester students will implement learned
problem solving skills to resolve the environmental issue.
Discussion Board:
Students will be required to respond to teacher website
(http://north.d127.org/teachers/tdellipaoli/apes) prompts focusing on current
environmental issues and AP frequently asked questions (FRQ’s). Their responses will be backed
by valid scientific data either obtained from class readings, lab activities and/or valid internet
resources. This will be completed weekly.
Grading
Laboratory = 30%
Exams & Quizzes= 30%
Final exam = 20%
Homework = 10%
Class work= 10%
Resources
Textbook
Cunningham, William and Mary Ann Cunningham. Environmental Science: A Global Concern.
New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2010. Print.