Course Title: AP Environmental Science
Instructor: Thomas Cooper
Email: coopert@thewalkerschool.org
Course Length: 36 weeks
Course Schedule: Periods C and D (2 hours)
Course Description: This course is designed to introduce important environmental issues that
are related to global populations. Emphasis is placed on the identification and classification of
environmental problems using various technologies, and how they relate to the laws of nature.
The growth of human populations, problems related to this growth, and depletion of natural
resources are explored. A review of hazardous pollutants introduced into the environment, and
their relationship to human health is examined. Technology related to the exploration of the
environment and its uses in our society are also explored.
Types of Assignments:
1. Readings: Students are encouraged to read the text and journal articles outside of class, and to
complete assigned review questions. Periodically students will be asked to review a series of
papers on a particular topic and to present a case analysis. Students should follow the
established cases analysis guidelines. Papers need to be written in American Psychological
Association (APA) format.
2. Lab Investigations: Students will complete 10 standard labs and 1 long-term research
laboratory investigation. Each investigation will be accompanied by a pre-lab quiz on the
material discussed in the lab. During the investigations, students are encouraged to take daily
notes on the progress of their investigation, either in their lab note book or in an e-portfolio.
As for the long-term research project, students are to provide 1) an initial design, 2) periodic peer
reviews of at least 2 other projects, 3) monthly progress reports, and 4) a final paper. A number
of projects are currently being conducted in conjunction with the National Park Service at
Kennesaw National Battle field in the areas of stream monitoring, biodiversity, forestry and
pollution control. Students may elect to continue a long-term research project previously
established by another student or to design a new project. All projects are subject to approval by
the instructor and the head ranger at the park. All investigations should follow the prescribed
design and collection criteria. Papers need to be written in American Psychological Association
(APA) format.
3. Research Projects: Each week students will be required to use the Internet and various
traditional library resources to investigate environmental topics about a state or particular
country. Students will be required use the APES blog (http://goapes.blogspot.com) to present
their.
4. Examinations: Unit examinations will be given every 2-3 chapters on work completed during
that period. Examinations will be formatted in the manor of an AP examination, consisting of
40-50 MCQ’s and 1 essay. A mock AP examination (consisting of 100 MCQs and 2 essays) will
be given at the end of the first term and again approximately 1 month before the examination.
Course Texts:



Living in the Environment by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. 15th Edition ISBN 0495015989
Environmental Issues: Measuring, Analyzing and Evaluating by Robert L. McConnell
ISBN 013092041
The Eternal Frontier: The Ecological History of North America and It’s People by Tim
Flannery ISBN 0802138888
Internet Resources:
Internet resources for APES include, but are not limited to the following sites. More online
resources can be found at http://goapes.blogspott.com, which provides a links to the course’s
social bookmarking site.
 US Environmental Protection Agency - http://www.epa.gov/
 US Geological Service - http://www.usgs.org
 National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association - http://www.noaa.gov/
 Global Issues - http://www.globalissues.org
 World Resource Institute - http://www.wri.org/
 APA - http://www.apa.org
Course Outline:
The course outline is based on a 7-day cycle; there being 12 cycles per semester and 1 traditional
week for examinations. During a typical cycle the course meets for 2 hours on 5 days and 1 hour
on two days of the cycle. There is 1 field day at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
Lecture days are used for traditional lectures, movies, and debates. Lab days are used for
experimental design lectures, analysis of field samples, critique of others research, and test
review. A traditional cycle follows the format:
A Day
Lecture
Lab
B Day
C Day
Environmental Lecture
Film
Lab
CYCLE
1
D Day
Field Day
Kennesaw
National
Park
E Day
Lecture
Lab
F Day
Does Not
Meet
Blogging on
Environmental
Issues
DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT
CLASS TIME
Environmental Problems
Readings: Chapter 1 (Miller)
Environmental History
Readings: Chapter 2 (Miller)
Article: The Challenges We Face, Time Sept. 2002
Film: Easter Island in Context: From Paradise to Calamity
http://www.films.com/id/4697/Easter_Island_in_Context_From_Paradise
_to_Calamity.htm
G Day
Lecture or
Test Day
Lab Does
Not Meet
ACTIVITY
Research Question
End of Chapter
Questions
Research Question
End of Chapter
Questions
2
Science, Systems, Matter and Energy + Experimental
Design
Readings: Chapter 3 (Miller)
Unit 1 Exam
Lab – Experimental Design for an Environmental
Problem
3
Ecosystems: What Are They?
Readings: Chapter 4 (Miller)
Handout: Ecosystems and Symbols
Film: Planet Earth, BBC – (2 episodes)
Lab - Field Observations
Topics Due for Long-Term Research Project Due
Research Question
End of Chapter
Questions
Measuring and
Analyzing
4
Evolution and Biodiversity
Readings: Chapter 5 (Miller)
Film: Prehistoric America, Part I & II
Lab – Summer Biomass Field Study
Unit 2 Exam
Pre-Lab Quiz
Research Question
End of Chapter
Questions
Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity
Readings: Chapter 6 (Miller)
Film: Planet Earth, BBC – (2 episodes)
Lab - Plant & Leaf Collection
Long-Term Lab Preliminary Research Design
Due
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
6
Aquatic Biodiversity
Readings: Chapter 7 (Miller)
Article: Sick Seas, Nature August 2006
Film: Blue Planet- Open Oceans and Coasts
Lab – Stream Collection
Unit 3 Exam
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
7
Community Ecology & Behavioral Ecology
Readings: Chapter 8 (Miller) + Handouts
Film: March of the Penguins, IMAX
Lab – Fall Biomass Study
Long-Term Lab Preliminary Research Design
Peer Reviews Due
8
Population Ecology
Readings: Chapter 9 (Miller)
Lab – Population Growth Study
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
5
Applying Population Ecology: The Human
Population
Readings: Chapter 10 (Miller)
Film: World in the Balance, Nova PBS
Lab – Population Growth Study (cont.)
Debate on Population Growth
Unit 4 Exam
Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: Managing
Ecosystems
Readings: Chapter 11 (Miller)
Article: Lush Life,
Lab – Biodiversity Field Study
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Measuring and
Analyzing
11
Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach
Readings: Chapter 12 (Miller)
Article: Let Them Run Wild, Time August 2002
Film: Wolves-A Legend Returns to Yellowstone,
National Geographic
Lab – Biodiversity Field Study (cont.)
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Measuring and
Analyzing
12
Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity
Readings: Chapter 13 (Miller)
Film: Blue Planet-Tidal Seas and Coral Seas
Lab – Stream Collection (cont.)
End of Chapter
Questions
Measuring and
Analyzing
9
10
Pre-Lab Quiz
End of Chapter
Questions
First Semester Exams – Mock AP Exam on
material covered to date.
13
Break
Pre-Lab Quiz
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
14
Food and Soil Resources
Readings: Chapter 14 (Miller)
Film: Land of Plenty, Land of Want, PBS
Pest Management
Readings: Chapter 22 (Miller)
Article: Testing Pesticides on Humans, Discover
December 2003
Lab – Physical or Chemical Characteristics of Soil
15
Water Resources
Readings: Chapter 15 (Miller)
Film: Running Dry, Chronicles Group
Lab – Stream Collection (cont.)
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Measuring and
Analyzing
Unit 5 Exam
16
17
Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
Readings: Chapter 16 (Miller)
Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Readings: Chapter 17 (Miller)
Film: Yellowstone Super Volcano
Lab – Mineral Identification
Long-Term Lab Preliminary Data Peer Reviews
Due
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Readings: Chapter 18 (Miller)
Film: Modern Marvels – Renewable Energy, The
History Channel
Lab - Spring Biomass Study
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Measuring and
Analyzing
Unit 6 Exam
18
19
Risk, Toxicology and Human Health
Readings: Chapter 19 (Miller)
Article: Our Preferred Poison, Discover March 2005
Air Pollution
Readings: Chapter 20 (Miller)
Film: Bioterror, Nova
Lab – Toxicity of Water or Air
Pre-Lab Quiz
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Water Pollution
Readings: Chapter 22 (Miller)
Film: China’s Mega Dam, Discovery Channel
Lab - Drinking Water Quality
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Unit 7 Exam
20
Climate Change and Ozone Loss
Readings: Chapter 21 (Miller)
Film: Global Warming, The Signs and The Science
PBS
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Debate on Global Warming
21
Solid and Hazardous Waste
Readings: Chapter 24 (Miller)
Film: The Recycled Life
http://www.recycledlifedoc.com/
Sustainable Cities
Readings: Chapter 25 ( Miller)
Film: The Urban Explosion, PBS
Unit 8 Exam
Research Questions
End of Chapter
Questions
Measuring and
Analyzing
22
Economics, Politics, Ethics and Environment World
Views
Readings: Chapter 26 (Miller)
Readings: Chapter 27 (Miller)
Readings: Chapter 28 (Miller)
End of Chapter
Questions
Presentation of Long-Term Lab Research Projects
23
Review and Mock APES EXAM
24
Final Exams (APES EXAM)
* The instructor reserves the right to alter the above schedule and assignments due to school restrictions
and/or new developments in environmental science.
Grading:
How students will be evaluated and what percentage will each item be toward the final grade for the
course:
Exams =
 8 unit exams
 2 mock AP exams
Case Studies and Measuring and Analyzing Questions
 4 short case studies (paper)
 2 discussion and debate sessions
 8 measuring and analyzing issues
Lab Investigations =
 6 pre-lab quizzes
 6 field lab investigations
 6 lab reports
 1 long-term investigation and report
 4 peer reviews
End of Chpt. Questions, Research Questions =
 12 question sets on states
 4 question sets on foreign countries and/or global issues
Total
35%
20%
35%
10%
100%
Transformation to a letter grade will be based on the following thresholds:
A
B
C
F
90 – 100 %
80 – 89 %
70 – 79%
69 % and below
Course Policies:
Ethics – All assignments submitted in fulfillment of the course requirements must be the student’s own
work. All assignments except those designated as “team projects” are meant to be individual efforts.
Project Team efforts are meant to be equal efforts of all team members.
Attendance - Students are expected to be in class for all regularly scheduled class periods. It is the
responsibility of the student to arrange with the instructor all matters related to student absences in
advance, whenever possible.
Homework - All work should be handed into the instructor at the beginning of the class on the date on
which it is due. All written homework should have a title page, according to the APA format
(http://www.apa.org). Any group assignments should have the name of each team member, as well as a
table of contents.
Make-up Work – Students may email the instructor on or before the class period on days they are absent
to prevent their work being considered late. To allow for unexpected illnesses, a minimum of one
assignment will be dropped in each category (except for a final exam). Students have one day for every
day they are absent to make up work. Students, who complete all assignments, may use these “dropped”
assignments as extra credit. Allowances will be made on a case by cases basis for long term illnesses.
Format for Case Analysis:
Because this is a college course in environmental science, students will be required periodically to write a
case analyzes on different environmental problems. Each of these papers should contain a thesis, and not
simple restate the facts. A thesis paper is one in which the student forms an opinion and supports their
opinion with documented facts from primary sources. Primary sources include environmental journals,
interviews from scientists and experiments that have been conducted on the subject Students may elect
to disagree with current ideas presented in the primary journals, as long as they can logically argue their
position.
Paper Format - Each paper should follow the American Psychological Association (APA) format, as
scientific papers are written in this style. A 2-3 page summary of the basic formatting rules can be found
at http://www.aga.org; the instructor has a class copy for reference. Suggested length for each of your
papers is 3-4 double spaced pages in a clear 12pt. font. Each paper must contain a cover page, and a
bibliography with at least five (5) references from primary journals. These articles must be copied and
attached to the back of your paper.
Choosing a Topic - Specific Case Analyzes will be chosen for the students that correspond to topics
currently being discussed in class. Students will be required to supplement the main article with other
references.
Suggested Outline
1. Describe the current problem, or situation. (1-2 paragraphs)
2. List the historical facts that have lead up to the current situation. (1-2 paragraphs)
3. Describe any experiments that were conducted to research the problem and describe the
significance of the data that was found. (2-3 paragraphs)
4. Describe what was done to solve the problem. (3-4 paragraphs)
5. Explain the risks that were associated with implementing the proposed solution. (3-4 paragraphs)
6. Describe what action (legislative, economic, technical or educational) was taken to prevent the
problem from occurring in the future. (2-3 paragraphs)