AP Environmental Science

The College Preparatory School

Adrianna Smyth

Hi class of ’08 APESters!!! Last year I had to write a very thorough syllabus to justify this class as an AP to the College Board. Below you will find what I sent to them (it was accepted with flying colors BTW!). It is perhaps more detail than you want, and it was written for a different audience, but look it over before the beginning of the year, while you still have enough brain space to think of questions you might have. Cautionary Note: If any of you have any illusions that this is in any way and “easy” course, either chuck them now or think about changing your schedule. Last year’s students were exhausted by the time they had their research presentation night, and many said this was the most intellectually demanding course they had at CPS. Most also did great on the AP exam and had a wonderful overall experience, so the work is worth it!

The class is still evolving, and pretty much every thing is subject to change if there is a reason to do so. There will most likely be changes made to the list of labs and field trips given below, for example. This should certainly give you a good general sense of what to expect though.

Class Profile

AP Environmental Science at CPS meets for the entire academic year. Classes meet five days a week for 45 minutes. While we do not have double periods for lab activities, the course meets adjacent to the lunch period, which can be used to continue activities that don’t fit in a regular period. In addition, the class takes off-campus field trips at least once a month. These trips alternate between meeting from 8:00 ñ 1:00, requiring the teacher and students to miss all morning classes, or from 11:00 to 3:00, requiring teacher and students to miss afternoon classes. The maximum number of students per class is 17, consistent with class sizes throughout the school

Course Prerequisites

Students taking AP Environmental Science must have Senior status and must have taken a year of Biology (which is taught as an Honors class at CPS) with a grade in both semesters on B or better. Physical Science and Chemistry are taken in the 9th and 10th grades at CPS, so all AP Environmental Science have taken these courses as well.

Course Overview

The course adheres to the objectives set forth in the Course Description for AP Environmental science, which says it is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science that includes a laboratory and field investigation component. Emphasis is placed on ìthe 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 association with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them.

Students enrolled in AP Environmental Science are required to complete a summer reading requirement; they are assessed on these readings through a series of class discussions during the first weeks of the school year. Students are expected to complete all reading assignments and take weekly quizzes on material discussed in class and in the text. In addition, a variety of assignments supplementing this material, including data and graph analysis, experimental design and hypothesis testing, group research and presentation, and lab and field investigations are completed by all students. There are two major tests during the first semester, a take-home midterm and a final exam. Both of these tests are designed to not only test the students knowledge of general content, but also to assess the ability of students to synthesize and apply the fundamental concepts discussed to practical problems in environmental science.

During the second semester, students are required to carry out an independent research project investigating some aspect of environmental science. The project requires that students find and research a topic, formulate testable hypotheses, gather data, use appropriate statistical methods to test their hypotheses, and come to logical conclusions. In lieu of a final exam, students must submit a formal report, written in standard scientific format, and also present their project to an audience composes of peers, parents, mentors, other teacher, and anyone else interested in attending.

Course Outline

Introduction to Environmental Science (2 weeks)

× Scientific method, data collection and analysis

× Case studies demonstrating challenges of studying

environmental problems

× Sustainability

Ecosystem Processes (3 weeks)

× Open and closed systems,

× Energy movement through systems

× Cycling of materials through systems: hydrologic cycle,

geologic cycle (including tectonic and rock cycles, mineral

and nutrient cycling

× Ecosystem Services

Ecological Principles in Natural Communities (4 weeks)

× Trophic Ecology: food webs, energy and biomass pyramids

× Species interactions: Predator-prey, competition,

mutualisms,

× Parasitism

× Species Diversity and Stability

× Disturbance Ecology

× Succession

Biodiversity (3 weeks)

× Definitions, patterns and how to measure

× Values of Biodiversity

× Origins of Biodiversity ñ Evolution and history of the Earth

× Threats to Biodiversity

Protection of Biodiversity (3 weeks)

× Parks and Reserves

× Principles of restoration

× Conservation Biology

× Fisheries and Forest Management

Human Populations (3 weeks)

Principles of Demography

Exponential and Logistic Growth

Demographic Transition

End of Semester 1

Feeding the World: Agriculture (2 weeks)

× Global Patterns

× The Green Revolution

× GMOs and current trends

× Environmental Impacts of Agriculture

Soil and mineral resources (1.5 weeks)

× Soil structure and formation

× Soil conservation

× Survey of mineral resources

× Mining techniques and environmental impacts

× Economic and ethical considerations of mining practices

Health and Toxicology (1.5 weeks)

× Measuring toxicity

× Overview of major pollutants

× Pesticides, heavy metals as example of bioaccumulation

Water Resources (2 weeks)

× Distribution of water resources

× Water pollution - types, remediation, legislation

× Dams: the costs and benefits

Air Pollution (1.5 weeks)

× Structure of the atmosphere

× Major types of atmospheric pollution, sources, distribution

× Ozone, acid rain, greenhouse gasses as examples of air

pollution issues

× Economic and legislative solutions: The Clean Air Act

Solid Waste Management (1 week)

× Recycling ñ assessing the true benefits

× Landfills

× Sewage treatment

Issues in Toxic Waste Management:

× Nuclear Waste

× Love Canal, Superfund, related topics

Energy (3 weeks)

ï Nonrenewable sources: patterns and problems

ï Renewable sources: possibilities and challenges

Global Warming: Summary (1 week)

(we discuss aspects of global warming throughout most units

of the course).

1 week

Economics, Politics, Ethics, and the Environment: Summary

(these topics are integral to most units of the class)

Lab and Field Activities

Semester 1:

Labs:

Environmental correlates of leaf stomata.

Estimating population size using Daphnia.

Effects of added nutrients on fast plant growth and reproduction.

Effects of eucalyptus extract on seed germination.

Effects of acid rain on seed germination and plant growth.

Measurement of primary productivity.

Computer simulation lab: Effects of keystone species.

Computer simulation lab: Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis.

Measuring physical and chemical qualities of freshwater.

Biodiversity of Strawberry Creek.

Field Trips:

1. 3 or 4 day trip to the University of California Angelo Preserve in Mendocino

County to study ecology of the Eel River and surrounding forest.

2. Half-day trip to local creeks to sample aquatic invertebrates.

3. Half-day trip to University of California Botanical Garden.

4. Half-day trip to local salt marsh to participate in restoration project (two of these

currently scheduled).

5. Half-day trip to local watershed to participate in stream restoration project.

6. Weekend Field Trip to Monterey County

Semester 2:

Labs:

The Rice Lab (modified from Environmental Literacy Council)

Soil horizons

Physical Characteristics of soils.

Chemical composition of soils.

Brine shrimp toxicity determination ñ estimating LD50s.

Solar energy lab.

Personal energy and water audit. How much energy and water do we use? What can we do to be more efficient?

Field Trips:

Half-day trip to local watershed land (EBMUD) to plant assemblages of native plants.

University of California Bioscience Library to use online journals for literature review.

Half-day trip to Lake Temescal to study water quality and pollution.

On-campus field project: native bee garden (with Urban Bee Project)

Local water treatment plant

Students also work on independent research projects throughout the second semester.

Teaching Methods/Strategies

This course employs a wide variety of teaching techniques and approaches. A case study approach is frequently used to illustrate the complex nature of environmental issues. Students work in groups to research these case studies, and then present their findings to each other using power point presentations and other visual displays. Role-playing and debates are used on several occasions, such as in the consideration of the pros and cons of distributing genetically modified crops. I often present students with graphs and other data displays and ask them to evaluate them as to the main information being conveyed, and guesses as to the hypotheses being tested by the data. Finally, peer evaluation of independent research projects is a major aspect of the second semester; all students are required to present their proposed work to the rest of the class, who grill them on the feasibility and rationale of their proposal. Guest speakers are invited to add their insight and expertise to the course as well. This year, Brent Blackwelder, the President of Friends of the Earth, visited our class, as did Dr. Sarah Kupferberg, who is working on the effects of pulsed releases of water from dams on native stream fauna.

Research:

This course places a strong emphasis on research into different aspects of environmental science. Early in the year, the class does lab exercises that require students to generate testable hypotheses, collect data to test these hypotheses, and use appropriate statistical tests and software to analyze results. This year, we participated in research being performed by consultants to the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC) to determine the impact of increased summer releases from northern California reservoirs on the survival and development of California yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylei), a Threatened Species in California. The summer releases are supported by river rafters and fishermen, groups generally considered to be environmentally friendly, yet the increase flows are strongly associated with negative impacts on the frogs. Participation in mark and recapture studies of the frogs helped students understand some basic aspects of field studies and project design, and our classroom discussions of the surrounding issues highlighted the role of values and education in environmental issues. In the second semester, we worked on a restoration project with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), which manages our local watershed. On field trips to watershed land, students were able to help design and implement stream and forest restoration efforts, and had lengthy discussions with local rangers on management issues critical to maintaining high water quality and to managing vast tracts of open space in an urban region.

Finally, a major requirement of the course is the Independent Research Project. Students are required to develop a question related to Environmental Science, research the question using primary sources, form a testable hypothesis, write a research proposal, and submit the proposal to the teacher and class. With feedback from peers, the teacher, and other mentors, students carry out the appropriate research to test their hypothesis. Suitable projects involve data collection and statistical analysis. At the end of the semester, students present a poster presentation, similar to those displayed at professional meeting, at an evening symposium to which parents, mentors, and the school community are invited. Examples of past projects include:

× Ecological impacts of goat grazing in local grasslands

× The effects of snowmobiles on water quality in the Sierra Nevada

× Mercury levels in fish purchased at supermarkets versus fished from San

Francisco Bay

× The presence of GMO markers in locally grown organic produce

× The impact of No Child Left Behind on environmental education in local

schools

Resources

Primary Reading:

Botkin, Daniel B., and Edward A. Keller. Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet. New York: John Wiley & Sons. (We also employ the online companion site frequently)

Diamond, J.M. Guns, Germs, and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies. New York: W.W. Norton Inc. (assigned as summer reading)

The Environmental Literacy Council http://www.enviroliteracy.org

Readings from local and national newspapers, periodicals, and online sources are also frequently assigned.

DVDs:

Nova: World in Balance (DVD)

PBS Evolution: Extinction

Cane Toads: An Unnatural History

NOW: Who Killed the Electric Car

An Inconvenient Truth