AP Environmental Science Course Syllabus

Course Name: AP Environmental Science

I Course Information
Course Number: 4532
Level: Honors
Department: Science 

II Course Description
Prerequisite: 3 years of Science (Biology, Chemistry, & Physics) or Biology, Chemistry, and concurrent enrollment in Physics
Open to: Juniors and Seniors
Length: Year
Credit: 1
Summary: Advanced Placement Environmental Science is an accelerated, college level course designed 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, to evaluate the risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing environmental problems.  There is an extensive field research component to teach students the skills and processes of experimental design, instrumentation, and data collection methods used in environmental science.  At the end of the course, the student can take the College Board Advanced Placement exam.  Scoring on this test may enable the student to receive college credit for the course.

III Course Goals
1. Science as a process.
·Science is a method of learning more about the world.
·Science constantly changes the way we understand the world.
2. Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes.
·Energy cannot be created; it must come from somewhere.
·As energy flows through systems, at each step more of it becomes unusable.
3. The Earth itself is one interconnected system.
·Natural systems change over time and space.
·Biochemical systems vary in ability to recover from disturbances.
4. Humans alter natural systems.
·Humans have had an impact on the environment for millions of years.
·Technology and population growth have enabled humans to increase both the rate and               scale of their impact on the environment.
5. Environmental problems have a cultural and societal context.
·Understanding the role of culture, social, and economic factors is vital to the                development of solutions.
6. Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.

IV Textbooks and Materials
Living in the Environment, by: G. Tyler Miller, Jr.

V  Course Outline
First Semester
            Units of Instruction:
            I.           Scientific Analysis
            II.          Interdependence of Earth's Systems: Fundamental Principles and Concepts
            III.         Human Population Dynamics
            IV.        Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources: Distribution, Ownership, Use, and Degradation

            Major Assessments: unit tests and quizzes

Second Semester Units of Instruction and Assessments:
            Units of Instruction:
            V.        Environmental Quality
            VI.        Global Changes and Their Consequences
            VII.       Environment and Society: Trade-Offs and Decision Making
            VIII.      Issues and Options

            Major Assessments: unit tests and quizzes

(Parents and students: please consult individual teachers for grading policies, extra credit info, class procedures, etc.)