Welcome
Mr. Walls
Room 408
AP Environmental Science
APES
Email address: gwalls@pylusd.org
Phone (714) 986-7500 xt 14408
My dog Skipper
This is my fifth year at Yorba Linda
High School
My son
graduated from
YLHS
My daughter is a
Junior at YLHS
My wife is a
counselor at
YLHS
My dog Skipper
wishes he could
come to YLHS
Previously I worked 8 years at
Valencia High School teaching
Earth Science, Biology & Robotics
Prior to that I was a Biologist with
the California Department of Fish &
Game
I graduated from the University of
California at Irvine with a degree in
Environmental Biology, Political
Science and Modern European
History
I was also in the United States
Marine Corps.
I called in airstrikes and jumped out of
airplanes.
Semper Fidelis
Nobody gets
left behind.
Pros & Cons of AP Courses
Pros
1. Higher Grade point
avg.
2. Might make you
desirable to colleges
3. Worth about $1,000
4. If you like the subject
matter is should be
interesting.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cons
More work
College classes are
more fun than high
school classes.
You need sleep/you
have a life
If you do not like
biology & earth
science APES will
be boring!
The biggest problem students face
in APES is managing their time.
of my students took 4 or more AP classes in
2014-2015
44% of my students took 4 or more AP
classes in 2013-2014
Students with 3 or more AP classes and
sports and family commitments have many
conflicting responsibilities.
AP Environmental Science Potential based on PSAT Critical Reading
and Math Score
PSAT Critical Reading + Math Score
Probability of Scoring a 3 or better on
APES exam
128
90%
120
80%
114
70%
110
60%
106
50%
102
40%
98
30%
92
20%
84
10%
2015 YLHS AP Survey Data
48% of my students took 4 or more AP courses
this year. 6% took 1 AP class.
58% spent 1 hour a week studying, 25% spent 2
hours a week studying and 17% spend more
than 3 hours a week studying.
41% thought class was somewhat easy, 59%
thought the class was medium to somewhat
difficult.
81% of the students thought that class helped
them be a better student.
96% of the students would recommend the class
2015 Data on Stress
17% of the students found the class caused them no
stress.
50% of the students found the class caused them
some stress.
33% of the students found the class caused them
moderate amounts of stress.
No students found the class to cause high or extreme
amounts of stress.
2014 YLHS AP Survey Data
44% of my students took 4 or more AP courses
this year. 24% took 1 AP class.
49% spent 1 hour a week studying, 36% spent 2
hours a week studying.
40% thought class was somewhat easy, 34%
medium
76% of the students thought that class helped
them be a better student.
95% of the students would recommend the class
AP stands for Advanced Placement
Many students think AP stands for
Always Procrastinate.
APES 2014 Current Grade Distribution
36% A, 47% B, 14% C, 3% D, and
0% F
73% of my students passed the 2014 AP
exam. 60% of my students got a 4 or
better on the exam.
The national pass rate was 48%
College Board AP Topic Outline
1. Earth Systems and Resources (science concepts, atmosphere,
water, soil) Chapters 1-4 and 8 and 9. Represent 10-15% of the
AP test.
2. The Living World (ecosystems, energy flow, diversity,
biogeochemical cycles) Chapters 3-6. Represent 10-15% of the
AP test.
3. Population (population biology concepts and human populations)
Chapters 6 & 7. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.
4. Land and Water Use (agriculture, forestry, rangelands, mining,
fishing, economics) Chapters 8, 10, 11 and 20. Represent 1015% of the AP test.
5. Energy Resource and Consumption (energy concepts, consumption,
fossil fuels, nuclear energy, hydroelectric power, conservation and
renewable energy) Chapters 12 & 13. Represent 10-15% of the
AP test.
6. Pollution (water pollution, air pollution, ozone depletion, waste
disposal and generation, human health and environmental risks)
Chapters 14-17. Represent 25-30% of the AP test.
7. Global Change (ozone, global warming and loss of biodiversity)
Chapters 15, 18 and 19. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.
Textbook by Friedland & Relyea
Grading Policy
Labs every ten days. (20%)
Class work every two days. (10%)
Tests every two weeks. (60%)
Homework read 2 pages per night/vocabulary. (5%)
Surprise quiz once a week to ensure that you are
reading. (5%)
Quarter finals at the end of each quarter and Semester
finals at the end of each semester.
I accept late work – 10% penalty
for work 1-3 days late.
I usually post the grades to AERIES within 3 days
of assignment completion
APES exam on May 2, 2016
For Juniors, I will raise your 1st and 2nd
semester grades to an A if you score a 5
on the APES exam.
I will raise your semester 1 or semester 2 to
a B or give you a 5% boost (whichever is
better) if you score a 4 on the APES exam.
I will raise 1 semester grade by 3% if you
score a 3 on the exam.
Summer Work
1. Read Pages 1- 22 of your text,
Environmental Science for AP. Quiz on
chapter 1 on day 1.
2. Watch the 4 tutorials on dimensional analysis
and metric conversions.
3. Answer the 22 Summer Math Questions on
the syllabus.
4. Vocabulary (define and draw a picture for the
5 words on syllabus)
You make the difference.