AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Contact Information: E mail allenp@dcpsmd.org Telephone (410) 228-9224 Class Location and Time: Room D-61B • Classes are 50 minutes in duration. • Advanced Placement Environmental Science is full year course. Teacher Planning Period 4 / 11:10 – 12:00 Period 5 (7-8) / 12:05 - 12:55 Barring meetings or other prior engagements I am also available most days after school for help sessions. Please check with me for available times. Introduction The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one semester, introductory college course in environmental science. T h e Course The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study. Prerequisites The AP Environmental Science course is an excellent option for any interested student who has completed two years of high school laboratory science—one year of life science and one year of physical science (for example, a year of biology and a year of chemistry). Due to the quantitative analysis that is required in the course, students should also have taken at least one year of algebra. Because of the prerequisites, AP Environmental Science will usually be taken in either the junior or senior year. TOPIC OUTLINE I. EARTH SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES A. Earth Science Concepts (Geologic time scale; plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism; seasons; solar intensity and latitude) B. The Atmosphere (Composition; structure; weather and climate; atmospheric circulation and the Coriolis Effect; atmosphere–ocean interactions; ENSO) C. Global Water Resources and Use (Freshwater/saltwater; ocean circulation; agricultural, industrial, and domestic use; surface and groundwater issues; global problems; conservation) D. Soil and Soil Dynamics (Rock cycle; formation; composition; physical and chemical properties; main soil types; erosion and other soil problems; soil conservation) II. THE LIVING WORLD A. Ecosystem Structure (Biological populations and communities; ecological niches; interactions among species; keystone species; species diversity and edge effects; major terrestrial and aquatic biomes) B. Energy Flow (Photosynthesis and cellular respiration; food webs and trophic levels; ecological pyramids) C. Ecosystem Diversity (Biodiversity; natural selection; evolution; ecosystem services) D. Natural Ecosystem Change (Climate shifts; species movement; ecological succession) E. Natural Biogeochemical Cycles (Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, water, conservation of matter) III. POPULATION A. Population Biology Concepts (Population ecology; carrying capacity; reproductive strategies; survivorship) B. Human Population 1. Human population dynamics (Historical population sizes; distribution; fertility rates; growth rates and doubling times; demographic transition; age-structure diagrams) 2. Population size (Strategies for sustainability; case studies; national policies) 3. Impacts of population growth (Hunger; disease; economic effects; resource use; habitat destruction) IV. LAND AND WATER USE A. Agriculture 1. Feeding a growing population (Human nutritional requirements; types of agriculture; Green Revolution; genetic engineering and crop production; deforestation; irrigation; sustainable agriculture) 2. Controlling pests (Types of pesticides; costs and benefits of pesticide use; integrated pest management; relevant laws) B. Forestry (Tree plantations; old growth forests; forest fires; forest management; national forests) C. Rangelands (Overgrazing; deforestation; desertification; rangeland management; federal rangelands) D. Other Land Use 1. Urban land development (Planned development; suburban sprawl; urbanization) 2. Transportation infrastructure (Federal highway system; canals and channels; roadless areas; ecosystem impacts) 3. Public and federal lands (Management; wilderness areas; national parks; wildlife refuges; forests; wetlands) 4. Land conservation options (Preservation; remediation; mitigation; restoration) 5. Sustainable land-use strategies E. Mining (Mineral formation; extraction; global reserves; relevant laws and treaties) F. Fishing (Fishing techniques; overfishing; aquaculture; relevant laws and treaties) G. Global Economics (Globalization; World Bank; Tragedy of the Commons; relevant laws and treaties) V. ENERGY RESOURCES AND CONSUMPTION A. Energy Concepts (Energy forms; power; units; conversions; Laws of Thermodynamics) B. Energy Consumption 1. History (Industrial Revolution; exponential growth; energy crisis) 2. Present global energy use 3. Future energy needs C. Fossil Fuel Resources and Use (Formation of coal, oil, and natural gas; extraction/purification methods; world reserves and global demand; synfuels; environmental advantages/disadvantages of sources) D. Nuclear Energy (Nuclear fission process; nuclear fuel; electricity production; nuclear reactor types; environmental advantages/disadvantages; safety issues; radiation and human health; radioactive wastes; nuclear fusion) E. Hydroelectric Power (Dams; flood control; salmon; silting; other impacts) F. Energy Conservation (Energy efficiency; CAFE standards; hybrid electric vehicles; mass transit) G. Renewable Energy (Solar energy; solar electricity; hydrogen fuel cells; biomass; wind energy; small-scale hydroelectric; ocean waves and tidal energy; geothermal; environmental advantages/disadvantages) VI. POLLUTION A. Pollution Types 1. Air pollution (Sources—primary and secondary; major air pollutants; measurement units; smog; acid deposition—causes and effects; heat islands and temperature inversions; indoor air pollution; remediation and reduction strategies; Clean Air Act and other relevant laws) 2. Noise pollution (Sources; effects; control measures) 3. Water pollution (Types; sources, causes, and effects; cultural eutrophication; groundwater pollution; maintaining water quality; water purification; sewage treatment/septic systems; Clean Water Act and other relevant laws) 4. Solid waste (Types; disposal; reduction) B. Impacts on the Environment and Human Health 1. Hazards to human health (Environmental risk analysis; acute and chronic effects; dose-response relationships; air pollutants; smoking and other risks) 2. Hazardous chemicals in the environment (Types of hazardous waste; treatment/disposal of hazardous waste; cleanup of contaminated sites; biomagnification; relevant laws) C. Economic Impacts (Cost-benefit analysis; externalities; marginal costs; sustainability) VII. GLOBAL CHANGE A. Stratospheric Ozone (Formation of stratospheric ozone; ultraviolet radiation; causes of ozone depletion; effects of ozone depletion; strategies for reducing ozone depletion; relevant laws and treaties) B. Global Warming (Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect; impacts and consequences of global warming; reducing climate change; relevant laws and treaties) C. Loss of Biodiversity 1. Habitat loss; overuse; pollution; introduced species; endangered and extinct species 2. Maintenance through conservation 3. Relevant laws and treaties SOME ADVICE This class is very challenging. To do well you must focus, pay strict attention, use your higher order thinking skills, take good notes, use your curiosity and STUDY every night! Vocabulary and other memorization can be best handled with the use of your text, handouts, notes, graded quizzes and by drilling with flash cards. Draw and redraw diagrams to clarify and practice processes or concepts. If you have questions or difficulty understanding anything, please ask me to explain. First and foremost, I am here to help. It is my hope that you will learn many interesting things and to come away from this course enriched and prepared to do well on the Advanced Placement Environmental Science Exam. GRADING POLICY Grades will be computed as follows: • Exams: 40% • Quizzes: 20% • Homework / class work: 20% • Labs: 10% • Projects: 10% Checking grades in Powergrade is the responsibility of the student, and any appeals to published grades must be accompanied by the work in question. It is advisable that you retain papers for the duration of the year to assist in studying for quizzes and exams. Make-up work is only available to those students with excused absences from class. All work must be made up within 5 days of receipt for full credit. Unexcused late work will not be accepted. This course satisfies one of the three science credits required for high school graduation. “Truth is the drive at the center of science: it must have the habit of truth, not as a dogma but as a process.” ~J. Bron