Mount Pleasant High School

Syllabus for Advanced Placement Environmental Science (A.P.E.S)

Teacher: Tony Verde

Email: Tony.verde@cabarrus.k12.nc.us

Length of Course:  One semester – Spring 2017 (block scheduling)

Meeting Time: The course is scheduled for 18 weeks with 90-minute class periods 5 days a week

Grade level: 11 – 12

Prerequisites: Students who wish do well and enroll in the AP Environmental Science course should have completed an honors course in Biology and Chemistry or Physics with an A or B grade. Completion or current enrolled in geometry is advised.  Students with an A in the standard courses will be considered.

Course Description

The A.P. Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science.  AP Environmental Science is a rigorous, inter-disciplinary course with a focus on the application of scientific concepts and principals to the understanding and methodologies regarding solution of environmental issues from a sociological or political perspective rather than a scientific one.  The course includes lecture, laboratory and field components through which students will learn about environmental issues while developing and applying critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills.

For a full description of the AP environmental Science please visit:

https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-environmental-science-course-description.pdf

Course Goals:

The student will:

• Identify and assess human impact, both directly and indirectly, on local and global ecosystems
• Be able to understand and apply ecological concepts (i.e. Carrying capacity, sustainability, thermodynamics, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity)
• Be able to invoke the scientific method and design experiments to test proposed solutions to problems
• Be able to address the relationship between nature and humans and our role in the biosphere
• Become aware of global environmental issues through the study of current events
• Make use of technology for scientific research.
• Be able to express their ideas in written form in a coherent, logical manner

Textbook and Supplemental Materials:

The text for the course is the eighteenth edition of Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions, by G. Tyler Miller. Ext.  The class will also use supplemental resources such as additional textbooks, lab manuals, periodicals, case studies and internet resources.

Material needed by students

• 2 – 3 ring binders
• 1 binder to be sectioned off into class notes, chapter questions, definitions, quizzes and lab notes
• 1 binder to be used as a current event notebook in which mounted articles will be displayed
• Dividers
• College rule filler notebook paper
• Pencils/pens (blue or black ink only)
• There is a $25.00 fee for lab supplies.
• Access to or ownership of the following book(s):

o    The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

• (Link to NY Times Book Review)

 2017 A.P. Test – Monday, May 01 morning session

Every student in this A.P. course is expected to prepare for and take the A.P. Environmental Science Exam on Monday, May 01, 2017.  By achieving a high score on Advanced Placement (AP) exam a pre-enrollment credit can be granted towards a college course.  The exam is three hours in length and consists of two parts: a multiple-choice section comprised of 100 questions and forming 60% of the exam grade, and a free-response section comprised of four questions and forming 40% of the exam grade. The multiple-choice section is designed to cover the breadth of your knowledge and understanding of environmental science and includes thought-provoking problems and questions based on fundamental ideas from environmental science as well as questions on the recall basic facts and major concepts. The number of multiple-choice questions taken from each major topic area is reflected in the percentage of the course as designated in the outline of topics. The free-response section emphasizes the application principles in greater depth; you will need to organize answers broad questions, demonstrating reasoning and analytical skills, as well as the ability to synthesize material from several sources into cogent and coherent essays. There are three types of free-response questions; data analysis, document-based, and synthesis and evaluation questions. A lot of information on this and other AP programs may be found at:  http://collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html

 Assignments/Homework (May include but not be limited to)

Assignments in this class will include a variety of projects and labs. Labs and lab reports, poster projects, Power point, and/or video projects are assigned throughout the year. All assignments should serve as a best work sample you have for this class. A list of expected projects and labs are listed at the end of this syllabus. However, the project list subject to change depending upon current events.

 Laboratory and Field Investigations 

Both lab and field work may be (a) open-ended, inquiry based, (b) long-term, running for 8 to 10 weeks, or (c) field studies experiments designed to complement the “indoor” classroom/lecture/discussion portion of the course.  These will provide opportunities to learn about our environment through firsthand observations, test concepts and principles which have been introduced in class, explore specific issues and problems in greater depth, and gain an awareness of the importance of variables which exist in the real world. Investigations will be diverse. The labs will invite the students to develop and conduct well-designed experiments and to think critically while observing environmental systems. Students will compose a formal lab report for each lab. Most labs will be completed as a team where each person will be responsible for the formal lab report.  The team grade issued will be divided based upon the individual performance and work completed by the group.  

Student Assessment:

Tests: Students will be evaluated through performance on topic/chapter exams, quizzes (announced and unannounced).  Tests will generally be given after every other chapter, about every two - four weeks, and will be worth 100 points.  At the beginning of the year the test will be multiple choice only. Essays will be given as homework assignments.  Later in the semester, testing will be similar to the AP Exam.  Possible essay topics will be given to you before the test to allow you to outline your answers.  Final exams will be given at the end of each semester and will count as two tests. 

Quizzes: Weekly math and/or vocabulary quiz week on the current topic of study.

Writing assignments (such as essays, responses and critiques of assigned essays and articles) and other individual and group projects. Notebooks will also be a part of the grade. 

Grading

Tests/Quizzes = 65%

Labs/Projects = 25%

Classwork/Homework = 10% 

Letter grades will be on a traditional scale: 

90-100=A, 80-89.9 1=B, 70-79.9=C, 60-69.9=D, below 59.9=F.

A.P.E.S. Course Outline

Laboratory and Field Investigations

Laboratory experiments and field investigations are designed to complement the

“indoor” classroom/lecture/discussion portion of the course by providing opportunities to learn about our environment through firsthand observations, to test concepts and principles which have been introduced in class, to explore specific issues and problems in greater depth, and to gain an awareness of the importance of variables which exist in the real world. Investigations will be diverse. 

Students will develop and conduct well-designed experiments and think critically while observing environmental systems.  Labs will be both quantitative and quantitative.  Students will routinely use mathematical techniques to analyze and interpret results from data. At least one class period per week is devoted to lab activities. 

Classroom needs: Students often request that these items be available for their use in class. Donations of these items would be appreciated. Thank you so much for your generosity. 

• Kleenex 
• Hand sanitizer
• Glue sticks
• White board markers
• Colored pencils
• Copy Paper!