Advance Placement Environmental Science Syllabus 2014-2015
Instructor:
Yvonne Gabriel
Email: Yvonne.gabriel@hcps.org
Room B302
Phone: 410-273-5500
Text:
Freidland, A. and Relyea, R. 2012. Environmental Science for AP. W.H.Freeman and Company/BFW, New York.
Online Support:
 http://bcs.whfreeman.com/friedlandapes/#t_668210____ includes practice assessments
 Quizlet flashcards at http://quizlet.com/subject/friedland-ap-environmental/
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is designed to be the equivalent of a college-level semester course in Environmental Science. Environmental Science is an
interdisciplinary field of study, and the goal in this class is to integrate the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Math, History, Geology,
Sociology, Economics, and Law to come to an understanding of the natural world and the forces that affect it. The AP Environmental
Science course is designed to be a rigorous science course that stresses scientific principles and analysis which includes a laboratory
component.
Students will be encouraged to use scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of
the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems, to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing
them, and to develop their own scientific/political perspective.
Students will have access to classroom computers with Internet connections as well as the library for additional resources. Graphing
and statistics are performed using graphing calculators. Standard laboratory Equipment, such as microscopes, balances, Bunsen
burners, and glassware, is also available. Our campus community consists of fields, forests, and a pond, which will be utilized in the
course of appropriate field studies.
Students will be assessed using a variety of methods, including quizzes, mock tests, lab write-ups, oral reports, multimedia
presentations, research papers, and textbook and online homework. In addition, students will prepare environmental science current
event reports. Additional assistance will be provided online and via after school structured tutorial sessions.
Environmental Science is interdisciplinary, yet there are several major unifying themes, that cut across the many topics discussed in
this course. The following themes provide a foundation for the structure of APES course:
 Science is a process
 Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes
 The Earth itself is one interconnected system
 Humans alter natural systems
 Environmental problems have a cultural and social context
 Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.
Go to http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/students/envsci/course00.2.html for an outline of major topics and any other additional
information you need or want to know about this course.
GRADING
Major Assessments: 60%
Laboratory Experiments and other classwork: 20%
Homework: 20%
*As a general rule, homework is only accepted on the date it is due because we go over it on that date.
Also essential to making the most of this course is submission of all assignments on time. If an assignment is not in on the due date,
your grade will be reduced according to the importance of the assignment and the number of days late. In general, the grade will be
reduced by 30% of the point value of the assignment for each day late (whether the class meets or not, including weekends and
vacation days).
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get the assignment and any missed notes from a classmate. You must see me the day your
return about make up work and missed material.
If you miss a quiz or test, it is your responsibility to make sure that you make up that quiz or test; not your teacher’s. You will
receive a zero if the work is not made up in a reasonable amount of time. Please review your student handbook.
If there are extenuating circumstances, make sure that I am aware and bring a written note from a parent, guardian, or advisor. I am
always willing to work with you if you have a problem.
GRADE SCALE
A
100-90
D
60-69
B
80-89
E
59-below
C
70-79
 Assignments are to be complete prior to entering class. Assignments not ready to be handed in at the beginning of the period
on the due day will not be accepted.
 Accepted late assignments will automatically lose 30% per day late for a maximum of 2 days (and then not accepted)
 Due dates will be known in advance; arrange to complete assignments on time and email them if you are absent.
 No extra credit points are given in APES. No grade(s) will be dropped in this course.
Unit Timeline
Chapters and Activities/Labs
We average one chapter quiz per week. Tests will be taken at the
end of each UNIT (in Bold). All assessments will include
material from book, from lecture, and from additional text and
online activities.
* In order to practice the scientific skills and processes used while investigating environmental science
topics, lab and activity simulations will be incorporated as often as they can fit into the timeline, and will be
based on the needs of the class. Note that NOT all the following activities and labs will fit into the schedule.
Ch 1: Studying the State of Our Earth
Ch2: Enviro Systems
The Living World
Ch3: Ecosystem Ecology
Summer work; will be assessed on the first day of school.
Ch4: Global Climates and Biomes
Ch5: Evolution of Biodiversity
Biological and Human Populations
Ch6: Population and Community Ecology
Ch7: The Human Population
Earth Systems and Resources
Ch8: Earth System
Ch9: Water Resources
Land Use
Ch10: Land, Public and Private
Ch11: Feeding the World
Energy Resources and Consumption
Ch12: Nonrenewable Energy Sources
Ch13: Achieving Energy Sustainability
Pollution
Ch14: Water pollution
Ch15: Air Pollution and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
Ch16: Waste Generation and Waste Disposal
Ch17: Human Health and Environmental Risks
Global Change
Ch18: Conservation of Biodiversity
Ch19: Global Change
Ch20: Sustainability, Economics, and Equity
Mock Test REVIEW
Case Study Review
MOCK EXAM
AFTER the MOCK
GIS Project
Wrap up project
Lab: Owl Pellet and Food Chains and Webs
Lab: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Activity: Biogeochemical Cycles
Lab: Dew Point; Convection; Albedo; Coriolis
Activity: Climatographs
Lab: Species Richness, Evenness, Diversity using Shannon Weiner Index
Activity Game: Succession
2. Population of Lemna Minor (pop growth and biotic potential – ongoing lab)
Activity: Age Structure Diagrams
Population Lecture series from Expert Demographers
Lab: Rocks and Mins
Lab: Weathering and Erosion of Rocks and Minerals
Lab: Chem Composition of Soil
Lab: Mining
Lab: Groundwater Contamination
Activity: Dam
Activity: Water Wars
1.Lab: Copper Mining
Activity: Tragedy of the Commons
Activity: calories, undernutrition, malnutrition, overnutrition, or anemia
Half life and persistence
1.Lab: NMSI Coal and coal mining FRQ
2.Labs: Stations on energy (solar, wind, electrical, different bulbs)
Activity: energy activity
Activity: Fracking
1.Lab: Acid Rain and the Environment
2. Lab/Demo: Wastewater treatment; FRQ
3. Lab on eutrophication, hypoxia, nitrates and phosphates
NOx and Acid Rain Demo
Lab: Soil and Acid Dep
Lab: Groundwater Pollution and Spill Assessment( lecture topos, profiles, drills, groundwater)
1.Lab: Bioassay on germination; LD50 and ED50
2.Lab: indoor air pollutants
Activity: Endangered species
Lab: Stream and Macro Sampling
Lab: Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
Research Project
Present Case Studies with terms and legislation
WILL COUNT in the GRADEBOOK.
Complete a diagnostic assessment of strengths and weaknesses to develop a strategy for exam prep
Students will learn basic skills to construct, analyze, and display maps for environmental analysis.
Students will complete a research project (like SRT4) specializing in Environmental Science
APES College Board Exam = = MONDAY, May 4th