AP Environmental Science Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 AP Environmental Science Course Syllabus Course Description Class Size and Scheduling This one term course will be equivalent to a one semester laboratory based introductory college course in environmental science. Class size is limited to 24 due to state safety guidelines for lab science courses. It will be offered during the fall term. Since our school is on the 4 x 4 block with 96 minute periods, the entire course content will be completed during the fall term. The class will meet for 480 minutes per week for 18 weeks. Labs are conducted every 5 to 8 days, and some of the field work requires two periods. This is the equivalent of having one lab per week on a traditional 7 period per day yearlong schedule. There will also be a 6 week to 9 week review period for the AP exam, days and times for sessions to be arranged during the winter/spring term. All AP students at our school are expected to take the AP exam in May. Financial aid will be available. Prerequisites Students taking this course must have completed a course in biology and chemistry plus at least Algebra I. Students should also have excellent reading skills. Students must be prepared to work outdoors, since many of the labs involve field work. Textbook The primary textbook for this course is Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions, 15 th Edition, by G. Tyler Miller, Jr., 2007, Thomson Brooks/Cole, Publisher. Laboratory Manuals Labs for AP Environmental Science come from a variety of sources including but not limited to those listed below: Beckway, Gregory W. and Earl Young. Investigations in Earth Science. Northbrook: Hubbard, Brower, James E. and H. Zar Jerrold. Field and Laboratory Methods for General Ecology. Dubuque: Wm. C. Brown, Ingram, Mrill. Bottle Biology. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt, 1993.

2 Krasney, Marianne E. and the Environmental Inquiry Team. Invasion Ecology Cornell Environmental Inquiry Series. Arlington: NSTA Press, Learning Through Legacy: Alabama s Environmental Education Guide for Grades Montgomery: Legacy, Inc., Partners in Environmental Education, Molnar, William. Laboratory Investigations in AP Environmental Science. AP Advantage, Trautman, Nancy M. and the Environmental Inquiry Team. Decay and Renewal Cornell Environmental Inquiry Series. Arlington: NSTA Press, Laboratory Equipment Equipment from Alabama Science in Motion available for AP Environmental Science Labs includes probe ware, laptop computers, and supplies. Other lab equipment that will be used in this class will include: Field guides and keys for living organisms Water, soil, and air pollution test kits Measuring tapes Buckets Assorted collection nets, screen sorters and trays Secci disc Flag markers and tape GPS devices Orienteering compass kit Labs kits for some labs are purchased from such suppliers as Carolina Biological Supply and Ward s. Students practice with various equipment throughout the term as they collect, analyze, interpret, and report data. Teaching Strategies lectures are delivered in PowerPoint presentations. Students receive these PowerPoint presentations via a class which they then download and print as a handout to bring to class for taking additional notes. Instruction also includes discussion, demonstrations, cooperative group work, individual in class work, and homework. The textbook chosen for the course has a multitude of up to date case studies that facilitate interesting class discussions and motivate students to learn more, since the case studies relate to real life situations. There is a

3 strong lab component, including traditional hands on labs, in class lab activities, and a good deal of field work. Two field trips are included, and invited speakers augment student learning about particular topics. Students also have the opportunity to serve as volunteers for the Gadsden State Community College s Annual Water Festival, an event at which all area fourth graders attend and receive training about water quality and conservation. AP Environmental Science students can actually conduct the workshops for the children or serve as guides. Course Goals The goal of this course is the same as that described by the College Board in the Course Description for AP Environmental Science. It 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 and/or preventing them. This major goal is consistent with the mission of Legacy, Inc., Partners in Environmental Education, a grass roots Alabama based organization with links to a variety of other environmental organizations. Legacy s stated mission is to create environmentally responsible citizens through balanced, fact based education that considers diverse environmental views. We use many of Legacy s resources and materials in our class. Course Topics Environmental science is interdisciplinary, covering a wide variety of topics from different areas of study which will be covered in this course. These topics, as listed in the AP Environmental Science Course Outline, include Earth Systems and Resources The Living World Population Land and Water Use Energy Resources and Consumption Pollution Global Change Detailed Course Information Grading System

4 In accordance with board policy, there are three 6 week grading periods. Grades for a given six weeks will be based on the percentage of total points earned and are assigned according to board policy: A ; B 80 89; C 70 79; D 60 69; F below 60. Summer Assignment Research on the Water Wars: students will collect newspaper articles and do research on the Internet on the history and current status of, and proposed solutions to the dispute over water use and rights among Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Students will then use collected articles to start their APES Scrapbooks. Detailed instructions, maps, guiding questions and scoring rubrics are in the teacher made packet. Any student who has not already done so should obtain an Alabama Virtual Library card at the Rainbow City Library. This will facilitate online searches. The completed assignment is due on the first day of school. Tests and Quizzes Tests will cover from one to three chapters at a time, depending on the unit being studied. Tests will be a combination of multiple choice questions and free response questions, and will be similar to the AP Test. Tests will comprise 50 60% of the final grade. There will also be a final exam. Quizzes between tests may be given on longer units. Lab reports and quiz scores will comprise 20 30% of the grade. Labs and Field Work Labs will be performed every five to eight days. Students will maintain a bound notebook for all laboratory work. It is checked weekly and graded as a test at the end of each six weeks. A formal, detailed lab report will be required once each grading period. Lab reports must follow the format described in the APES Student Handbook. Students will complete one lab report for each long term project that must include a research component. During the course we will conduct at least one field study lab using the Etowah County Outdoor Laboratory for Environmental Education (ECOL) located in Hokes Bluff, which is approximately 15 miles from our school. We will also do outdoor labs around our own school grounds as permitted by the weather. Field Trips Two field trips are planned for this class. One will include a trip to Little River Canyon and Desoto State Park to study benthic macro invertebrate populations. Students will collect, identify, and count organisms and use a formula to calculate the health of the

5 stream. The other field trip will be to the local water treatment plant to learn about the chemistry portion of water quality. Students will be trained as Alabama Water Watch Monitors during these field trips. Homework and Class Work Students are to review class notes daily and continue with their ongoing reading assignments. Practice essay questions will be assigned throughout the term. Study guides are also a component of required homework. These will be distributed at the beginning of each chapter or unit together with chapter outlines, specific objectives, and a journal prompt question for the chapter. Chapter homework will be checked weekly. Homework and class work will comprise 20 30% of the grade. Notebook/Portfolio Students will keep all completed and graded assignments in a notebook from which they select their best or most appropriate work to include in their portfolio. Especially important is maintaining the lab materials to take to prospective universities for determination of which science department may grant AP status. The final notebook/portfolio grade will count for one test grade. Other Projects Throughout the course students will complete group and individual projects on such topics as invasive species, environmental legislation, climate change, and biomes. Student groups will be changed every six weeks to give students the chance to work with different class members. Deadlines and Make up Work The Course Planner includes a pacing guide giving approximate dates of upcoming tests, and once the class begins, students will receive monthly calendars. Therefore extensions for tests are not given. If a student misses an exam, he must schedule a make up exam in accordance with board policy. If the student is absent the day before an announced exam, he is still expected to take the exam with the rest of the class. Technology Agreement and Academic Integrity All students sign a Technology Agreement the first day of school and are expected to adhere closely to it while using the Internet at school, but this type of integrity should extend to the use of the Internet outside of school as well. Any form of plagiarism is

6 unacceptable. All sources must be properly cited as per the standards delineated in the APES Student Handbook. Though students work closely together collecting data during labs and other projects, each student is expected to write his or her own report, and only the raw data may be copied. All other portions of the lab report must the student s own work. Students must write their own answers during tests without the use of notes, cell phones, or pre programmed calculators. Students must not ask any other students about a test he or she has not taken. This represents a breach of academic integrity, and consequences will be based on the severity of the infraction. In any case, parents will be informed of the incident. Additional Information for the Student Additional information on topics such as developing study skills and details of the summer assignment will be provided in the APES Student Handbook to be distributed in May of Course Planner Duration Topics and Concepts Unit 1. Introduction to Environmental Science Overview of topics covered throughout the term Chapter in primary text 7 days Environmental Issues, Their Causes and Sustainability Video: The Lorax. Students observe that environmental problems are common worldwide in this 30 minute video. LAB: What is Your Ecological Footprint? Students use a footprint calculator on the Internet ( or at other calculator sites) and relate their footprints to individual and family lifestyles. 1 Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy Review of basic chemistry 2

7 Matter and energy laws LAB Experimental Design and Analysis; writing hypotheses. Students complete a guided inquiry lab in pairs using appropriate parts of the scientific method and practical critical thinking skills. Test: Chapters 1 and 2 8 days for chapters 3 & 4 Unit 2. Ecology, Biodiversity, and Populations Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work? Energy flow in ecosystems Ecological succession Biogeochemical cycles Food chains, food webs Solar intensity from the Internet, latitude measurement with a GPS device, ambient temperature measurement LAB Schoolyard Ecosystems Walk to identify, measure, and map the living and nonliving components of ecosystems and estimate biodiversity. Evolution and Biodiversity Video: Evolution Series from PBS, segments examining the history of life on earth Ecosystem diversity Natural selection, speciation, extinction, biodiversity, climatic influences, geological processes and evolution Genetic engineering LAB Quadrat sampling to estimate biodiversity using a diversity index such as the Shannon Wiener Index 3 4 Test: Chapters 3 and 4 Climate and Terrestrial Biodiversity Climate, ocean currents, and biomes 5

8 7 days for chapters 5 & 6 ACTIVITY: Food Webs in Forest Biomes each group uses organisms from a different forest biome to construct a food web. Groups share and critique their findings Aquatic Biodiversity Population dynamics and carrying capacity Reproductive patterns LAB: Set up long term experiment Decomposition Column. Student groups research, design, and build soda bottle bioreactors for conducting indoor composting and landfill experiments. Students monitor their reactors for several weeks, collecting data for analysis and for a final lab report. 6 Test: Chapters 5 and 6 Community Ecology Species interactions Succession and sustainability Importance of wetlands Online Interactive Mystery Croak students investigate the disappearance of frogs from a town s lake; found at LAB: Owl Pellets (kit). Students study predator prey relationships and food webs days for chapters 7, 8, & 9 Population Ecology Population dynamics and carrying capacity Reproductive patterns ACTIVITY: Deer Populations and Carrying Capacity students calculate expected increases in deer populations in the absence of a predator; they interpret and graph their results. LAB: Grasshopper Mark and Recapture a population study asshopper.html 8

9 Applying Population Ecology Forced choice Ladder ACTIVITY. Students produce a living bar graph based on rankings of environmental problems. Human Population Population dynamics, survivorship curves, and age structure diagram Several case studies LAB Population Growth (kit). Students discover the contributing factors to population growth by studying live yeast cells. They use mathematical models to study parameters such as doubling time and carrying capacity, and then relate experimental data to human population growth rates. 9 Test: Chapters 7, 8, and 9

10 Unit 3. Sustaining Biodiversity Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach Forest management, overgrazing of rangeland, desertification, rangeland management National parks, nature preserves Land conservation, restoration Sustainable land use strategies ACTIVITY S*PARK*S (Legacy). Students investigate national, state and local parks and use map reading skills days for chapters 10, 11, & 12 Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach Species extinction, invasive species Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation Video: The Amazing Story of Kudzu, Alabama Public Television. Students learn the positive and negative aspects of one stubborn invasive species. LAB students conduct a transect survey to measure the growth and abundance of an invasive plant species 11 Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity Fishing techniques, aquaculture, over fishing; relevant laws and treaties Speaker from Gadsden State Community College on aquaculture techniques Field Trip to Little River Canyon Students will use various sampling methods to collect, interpret, and report data for the biological component of water quality. 12 Test: Chapters 10 and 11, and 12 Unit 4. Sustaining Key Resources Food, Soil Conservation, and Pest Management Food production, security, nutrition Soil erosion, degradation, conservation The Green Revolution 13

11 Pest Management Sustainable agriculture LAB Radiation and Seed Germination (kit). Students grow and compare irradiated seeds to a control group. 11 days for chapters 13, 14, & 15 Water Importance, availability, and renewal of water Groundwater depletion and contamination Dams and reservoirs ACTIVITY (Legacy) Lakes and Dams of Alabama. Students use a map of Alabama to locate lakes and dams in the Middle Coosa Watershed. Finding more fresh water desalinization of sea water, seeding clouds, towing icebergs Conservation measures ACTIVITY (LEGACY). Don t Flush It Away. Students and their families assess home water use and plan ways to conserve water. 14 Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Geological processes time scale, earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics Earth s seasons, solar intensity, and latitude The rock cycle Sustainable uses of mineral resources LAB: Exploring Chemical and Mechanical Weathering (kit). Students study factors involved in the natural processes of weathering by weathering selected rock samples. 15 Test: Chapters 13, 14, and 15 Nonrenewable Energy Types of nonrenewable energy resources Oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy History of energy consumption, present use, and future needs Formation, extraction/purification methods of fossil fuels 16

12 Production of and safety issues with nuclear energy 8 days for chapters 16 & 17 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Reducing waste and improving energy efficiency Alternate energy sources solar, hydroelectric, wind, bio fuels, geothermal, hydrogen Achieving a sustainable energy strategy LAB Solar Heating (kit) Students set up and conduct a controlled experiment to explore the heating potential of solar energy; they measure, record, graph, and analyze their results. 17 Test: Chapters 16 and 17 Unit 5. Sustaining Environmental Quality 10 days for chapters 18, 19, & 20 Environmental Hazards and Human Health Biological risks and hazards New and reemerging diseases Video Evolution (PBS), segment on multiple drug resistant tuberculosis Chemical hazards and toxicity Risk analysis LAB Toxicity Testing (kit). Students conduct a bioassay showing the toxic effects of a chemical on a culture of Daphnia; they gain experience with concentration units and lethal dose calculations. Air Pollution Structure and science of the atmosphere weather and climate, the Coriolis Effect, atmosphere ocean interactions Types of air pollution urban outdoor, indoor, acid rain Health effects and prevention LAB: How Clean is the Air in Our School? Students investigate particulate content of the air in different locations in the school, a new building in which the 18 19

13 windows cannot be opened. Climate Change and Ozone Depletion Past climate change and the greenhouse effect Human activities and climate change Dealing with greenhouse gas emissions The ozone layer and ozone depletion DVD: An Inconvenient Truth. Students are presented with evidence as to the role of human activity in global warming 20 Test: Chapters 18, 19, and 20 6 days for chapters 21 & 22 Water Pollution Pollution of freshwater streams and lakes Groundwater pollution Ocean pollution Pollution prevention and reduction Drinking water quality ACTIVITY: Are Those Fish Safe to Eat? Students investigate published fish advisories and identify toxic contaminants in local waters Solid and Hazardous Waste Wasting resources Integrated waste management Recycling Dealing with hazardous waste Achieving a low waste society Test: Chapters 21, and 22 Unit 6. Sustaining Human Societies PROJECT during this unit, students take on the roles of city planners, industrial leaders, politicians, environmental activists, and ordinary citizens to plan a model sustainable community. We have two mock city

14 planning meetings in which they can be heard. They will hopefully synthesize what they have learned through out the course about environmental legislation and about the home we all call Earth to devise feasible solutions to our environmental problems. 12 days for chapters Sustainable Cities Urbanization and urban growth Urban resources and environmental problems Transportation and urban development Urban land use planning and control Making urban areas more sustainable and desirable places to live 23 Economics, Environment, and Sustainability Economic systems and sustainability Economic tools for improving environmental quality Reducing poverty to improve environmental quality and human well being Moving toward more environmentally sustainable economies 24 Politics, Environment, and Sustainability Environmental Policy Dealing with environmental policy at home and abroad Environmental Law and Laws Environmental groups and their opponents Global environmental policy 25 Environmental Worldviews, Ethics, and Sustainability Environmental worldviews and values Human centered versus life centered worldviews Living more sustainably 26 Test, Chapters This test grade will come from the unit project and will be based on a scoring rubric given the first day of the unit.

15 FINAL EXAM Sample Laboratory: Grasshopper Mark and Recapture by Carolyn Nevin (Author s note: I originally adapted this lab in 1995 for Access Excellence from the 1993 Curriculum Guide of the Northeast Alabama Network of Environmental Educators) The full version of the lab can be found at Any instructor may download it, and alter it as needed for class room use only.) This activity helps students estimate the density of a population of insects (grasshoppers) at a given life cycle stage in a given habitat. Required of students: Students must work cooperatively in a group setting. They must be able to measure off a plot of land, handle an insect sweep net, paint a dot on the thorax of several grasshoppers, keep accurate records, and use a mathematical formula to calculate population density. Preparation time needed: Students should also be introduced to types of population studies, their purposes, and their applications in ecology and wildlife biology. It is preferable to gather materials the day before you do the activity, demonstrate the use of the equipment, and go over general procedures for the day of the activity. If the activity is to be done off site, travel arrangements must be made in advance. Summary/abstract: The Grasshopper Mark and Recapture (GMR) Activity is a method of estimating the population size (as in the Lincoln Peterson Estimate) of grasshoppers and other animals. The GMR activity is conducted outside in the fall, in an open field that will remain undisturbed for 3 to 5 days.

16 Students capture grasshoppers and mark them in a way that will not injure them. The marked grasshoppers from the first sample (M) are released where they were captured. A few days later, a second sample from the same population is taken (p). Some individuals will be marked, or recaptured (m) from the first sampling, while others will be captured for the first time, and thus will be unmarked. The ratio of marked animals (m) to the total number of animals in the second sample (p) is assumed to be the same as the total number of marked animals (M) is to the total population size (P). Mathematically m / p = M / P. Therefore, students can arrange the above equation and use P = (M x p) / m to arrive at a numerical estimate of the total population of grasshoppers. Materials needed for each group of 4 students: 2 insect sweep nets 4 flags or stakes to mark sampling plot 1 metric tape measure 1 large sheet 1 large plastic container with lid Paint, nail polish, or correction fluid Field guides to insects Paper and pencil 1. Procedure: 1. Mark off a grassy area that is 10m x 10m. Mark corners with flags Two student collectors move through the site vigorously sweeping their nets through the vegetation. Students begin at opposite sides of the site to avoid driving grasshoppers out of the sampling area Take the animals caught to the side of the sampling plot. Carefully open the net just enough to catch the grasshoppers one at a time. While one student holds a grasshopper, another puts a dot of nail polish or liquid paper on its thorax, being careful not to get the marking substance on the wings or the head. Put each grasshopper into the plastic container as it is marked. One student must keep a tally of how many grasshoppers are marked (M) Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times Release all grasshoppers into the center of the sampling plot Return to the same plot in 3 5 days and repeat the sampling. This time you will capture some insects that are marked, which have been recaptured from the original sampling, and some individuals that are unmarked, or captured for the first time.

17 7. 7. Calculate the population size estimate using the equation P = (M x p)/m, where M = the total number of individuals marked in the first sample, m = number of marked individuals in the second sample (marked + unmarked), P = population size estimate ((M x p)/m). Also calculate the standard error and confidence range using equations provided by the instructor. Method of evaluation: Write a formal lab report as per prescribed guidelines. Extensions: When you are counting the grasshoppers caught in your net, also count all the other insects and arachnids you catch. Using your field guide to identify the animals Identify the species of grasshopper you have caught. Take photos, make sketches, and find out what species live in other parts of the country via the Internet Make a computer database on grasshopper populations to be updated yearly Research other mark and recapture techniques for other animals.

18 Sample Project: Going APES for ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION Goal: To become familiar with environmental legislation that was passed to sustain Earth and its systems. Requirements: at the beginning of the course, each student will draw the name of a piece of important environmental legislation at random to research. Use your Alabama Virtual Library Card or go to to get started. Once all names have been drawn, the instructor will draw for order of presentations, and names will be posted on the class calendar. Each week, most frequently on a Friday, we will reserve minutes during class for students to present their findings to the class at a legislation summit. Presentations can be in the form of a poster or a PowerPoint, but each student must provide a one page summary handout of the legislation that can be reproduced for the class. On the next test there will be questions about the legislation presented since the last test. All grades will go on the grading period in which we finish the last presentation. Information required for each law includes: 1. The year in which the law was enacted 2. Events or situations that led to the enactment of the law 3. Any controversy connected to the law 4. What the law does 5. Impact(s) of the law, including at least one example, possibly a local example Evaluation: Presentation. Your PowerPoint or poster is worth 25 points. It must include at least 2 pictures that illustrate some aspect of the law. Pictures may come from magazines, books, or they may be downloaded from the Internet. The scoring rubric includes points for accuracy, completeness, organization, list of works cited, creativity, and readability (in the case of a poster). Handout. Your handout is also worth 25 points based on all the criteria as for the presentation. It should be typed on one side of a standard piece of copy paper with a minimum type size of 10 point. You may use single spacing if desired. The handout does not need to include pictures.

19 Other Resource Materials Textbooks Botkin, Daniel and Edward A Keller. Environmental Science. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Miller, G. Tyler, Jr. Living in the Environment, Fourteenth Edition. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning, Wright, Richard T. Environmental Science. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, Instructor s Bookshelf these are some of the books I draw from for additional reading material and inspiration for myself and for my students: Bryson, Bill. A Walk in the Woods. New York: Anchor Books, Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring 40 th Anniversary Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Christopher, Tom and Marty Asher. Compost This Book! San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1982 Dillard, Annie. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. New York: Harper Perennial, 1974.

20 Elkington, John, Julia Hailes and Joel Makower. The Green Consumer. Penguin Books, Fossey, Dian. Gorillas in the Mist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Fisher, Ron. The Earth Pack. The National Geographic Society, Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, Garrett, Laurie. The Coming Plague. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1994 Gonick, Larry and Alice Outwater. The Cartoon Guide to the Environment. New York: Harper Perennial, Goodall, Jane. In the Shadow of Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Larson, Gary. There s A Hair in My Dirt. New York: Harper Collins, Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: Oxford University Press, Leslie, Clare Walker and Charles E. Roth. Keeping A Nature Journal. North Adams: Story Books, Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. New York: Bantam/Turner, Van Matre, Steve and Bill Weiler, The Earth Speaks. Warrenville: Institute for Earth Education, Wilson, Edward O. Naturalist. Washington: Shearwater Books, Wilson, Edward O. The Diversity of Life. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, Periodicals I keep several years of back issues of Audubon, National Geographic, and National Wildlife magazines in my classroom to share with my students.

21 Internet Resources these are some of the web sites I frequently use and recommend to my students: Alabama Virtual Library: Access Excellence: Climate Change/U.S. EPA: Legacy, Inc., Partners in Environmental Education: Project Wild: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency: World Watch Institute: Videos and DVD s An Inconvenient Truth. Paramount Classics (DVD), Evolution. Boston: WGBH Educational Foundation, The Cane Toads: An Unnatural History. Written and directed by Mark Lewis. New York: First Run Features, The Lorax. Directed by Hawley Pratt. Twentieth Century Fox, This 30 minute video is out of print, but some libraries may have a copy.