AP Environmental Science

The A.P. Environmental Science course is similar in format and content to an introductory college-level Environmental Science course.  It provides students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships in the natural world.  It is a rigorous course involving strong laboratory and field investigation components and utilizes a combination of activities, discussions, technology, lectures, demonstrations and other visual aids to give students a solid background in a broad representation of environmental science topics.  Topics covered include:  Human Populations, Terrestrial Ecology, Aquatic Ecology, Biodiversity and Endangered Species, Non-Renewable Resources and Energy, Soil, Pest Management and Toxicology, Waste Management, Water Pollution and Sewage, and Air and the Atmosphere.  Upon completion of the course, students are encouraged to take the A.P. Environmental Science examination administered by the College Board.  Performance on that exam as well as the student's portfolio of laboratory reports will be considered by the college or university in awarding A.P. credit.  A.P. Environmental Science is currently offered only in even-numbered years.

Prerequisites:  Biology and Chemistry with grades of B or better.

Review the agenda for the week of 12/16/24.

Assignment List

Assignment   Assigned Due

Complete the Summer Assignment (you'll need Supp 4, Chapt 2, and environmental articles) 06/06/24 08/12/24

Read "Science Math" excerpt 08/12/24 08/13/24

Review Syllabus; Contract is due Monday 08/13/24 08/19/24

Read Section 5-3 08/15/24 08/16/24

Optional:  Review derivation of Rule of 70 08/16/24     --

Read Section 6-1 08/16/24 08/19/24

Read Section 6-2; prepare for quiz on Sections 5-3, 6-1, and 6-2 08/20/24 08/22/24

Read Section 6-3 and "Beyond 7 Billion - Fertility" 08/22/24 08/23/24

Absentees:  Watch "The People Paradox" up to 22:45 and fill in worksheet 08/22/24 08/23/24

Read Section 6-4 through page 121 and "Beyond 7 Billion - Hunger" 08/23/24 08/26/24

Absentees:  Watch "The People Paradox" from 22:45 to 36:38 and fill in worksheet 08/23/24 08/26/24

Absentees:  Watch "The People Paradox" from 36:38 to the end and fill in worksheet 08/26/24 08/30/24

Finish Power of the Pyramids Lab 08/29/24 08/30/24

Read the remainder of Section 6-4; prepare for quiz on Section 6-4 08/30/24 09/03/24

Finish the Material World Lab, referring to the linked posters 09/03/24 09/05/24

Finish Math Practice Activity 09/05/24 09/06/24

Review Math Practice Activity Key; finish Unit 1 Study Guide and prepare for Unit 1 Test 09/09/24 09/10/24

Read Section 3-1 and Section 3-2 through page 48 09/12/24 09/13/24

Read Sections 4-1 and 4-2 09/13/24 09/16/24

Finish writeup for Commons Lab 09/16/24 09/17/24

Absentees:  Read Tragedy of the Commons, watch TED Talk, and complete worksheet 09/16/24 09/23/24

Read Section 4-3 09/17/24 09/19/24

Finish Estimating Population Size Lab and read Section 3-3 09/19/24 09/20/24

Prepare for quiz on Sections 3-1 through 3-3 and 4-1 through 4-3; read Section 5-1 09/20/24 09/23/24

Read Section 3-2 from page 48 on 09/23/24 09/24/24

Read Section 5-2, review Soil Triangle, and prepare for quiz on Sections 3-2 and 5-2 09/24/24 09/26/24

Absentees:  Watch up to 14:01 in "Strange Days ... Predators" and fill in worksheet 09/24/24 09/26/24

Absentees:  Watch up to 34:58 in "Strange Days ... Predators" and fill in worksheet 09/26/24 09/27/24

Finish Food Web Lab 09/26/24 09/27/24

Read Section 3-4 09/27/24 09/30/24

Absentees:  Watch remainder of "Strange Days ... Predators" and fill in worksheet 09/27/24 10/01/24

Read Section 3-5 09/30/24 10/01/24

Prepare for quiz on Sections 3-4 and 3-5 10/01/24 10/03/24

Finish Carbon Cycle Lab; read Section 7-2 10/03/24 10/04/24

Read Section 7-3; prepare for quiz on Sections 7-2 and 7-3 10/04/24 10/27/24

Finish Unit 2 Study Guide; prepare for Unit 2 Test 10/07/24 10/08/24

Read Section 8-1 10/14/24 10/15/24

Read Sections 8-2 and 8-3 10/15/24 10/17/24

Read Sections 8-4 and 8-5; prepare for quiz on Chapter 8 10/17/24 10/18/24

Absentees:  Watch up to 24:40 in "Strange Days ... Waters" and fill in worksheet 10/17/24 10/18/24

Absentees:  Watch remainder of "Strange Days ... Waters" and fill in worksheet 10/18/24 10/25/24

Finish "Strange Days ... Waters" worksheet; read Sections 11-1 through 11-3 10/18/24 10/21/24

Read Sections 11-4 through 11-6; prepare for quiz on Chapter 11 10/21/24 10/22/24

Absentees:  Watch up to 25:06 of "The End of the Line" and fill in worksheet 10/22/24 10/24/24 

Absentees:  Watch up to 56:55 of "The End of the Line" and fill in worksheet 10/24/24 10/25/24 

Read Sections 13-1 through 13-3 10/24/24 10/25/24

Absentees:  Watch to the end of "The End of the Line" and fill in worksheet 10/25/24 10/28/24

Read Sections 13-4 through 13-7; prepare for quiz on Chapter 13 10/28/24 10/29/24

Finish Unit 3 Study Guide 10/29/24 10/31/24

Read Section 4-4 11/04/24 11/05/24

Read Section 4-5 11/05/24 11/07/24

Review Sections 4-2 and 4-3; prepare for quiz on Chapter 4 11/07/24 11/08/24

Read Sections 9-1 through 9-3 11/12/24 11/14/24

Finish Moose and Wolves Lab 11/14/24 11/15/24

Prepare for quiz on Sections 9-1 through 9-3 11/15/24 11/18/24

Absentees:  Watch through 25:00 of "Cane Toads" and fill in worksheet 11/15/24 11/18/24

Absentees:  Watch remainder of "Cane Toads" and fill in worksheet 11/18/24 11/22/24

Read Section 10-1 11/18/24 11/19/24

Read Sections 10-2 and 10-3; prepare for quiz on Sections 10-1 through 10-3 11/19/24 11/21/24

Read Section 10-4 11/21/24 11/22/24

Absentees:  Watch to 29:05 of "Planet in Peril" and fill in worksheet 11/22/24 12/02/24

Absentees:  Watch from 29:05 to 39:33 of "Planet in Peril" and fill in worksheet 12/02/24 12/03/24

Read Section 9-4; prepare for quiz on Sections 9-4 and 10-4 12/02/24 12/03/24

Absentees:  Watch to 1:17:34 of "Planet in Peril" and finish worksheet 12/05/24 12/09/24

Finish Unit 4 Study Guide; prepare for Unit 4 Test 12/05/24 12/06/24

Read Section 14-1 12/10/24 12/12/24

Read Section 14-5 12/12/24 12/13/24

Absentees:  Watch to 27:30 of "Japan's Killer Quake" and fill in worksheet 12/13/24 12/16/24

Optional:  Science Fair (see Guidance document, but only the poster is required) 12/16/24 01/27/25

Absentees:  Watch to 49:04 of "Japan's Killer Quake" and finish worksheet 12/16/24 12/17/24

Bring study materials to class, including previous Study Guides 12/16/24 12/17/24

Prepare for Midterm Exam 12/17/24 12/19/24

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.

Mahatma Gandhi (1947)