Course+Description+and+Syllabus

Course Description:
**The course will prepare students to take the AP Environmental Science exam.** It will also enable students to critically evaluate the latest environmental issues and to apply that understanding to situations and events in their everyday lives. It will explore the interactions of humans with the natural environment and probe issues thoroughly; examining their scientific basis, their history, and society’s response. The course will discuss development of public policy in terms of how they shape the present and future.

Textbook:
__Living in the Environment__, 17th edition by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. Thompson Learning, 2012 (This $180.00 book should always be protected with a cover).

Lab Notebook:

 * You are required to purchase composition style lab notebook (sewn binding) that will be used throughout the school year. All lab work must be completed in the lab notebook.

What to Bring to Class:
· Textbook (when reading homework is being reviewed) · A notebook of your choice for notes, class work and homework. In deciding upon your notebook, keep in mind that you do not have to hand it in. There will be some hard copy handouts so some type of 3-ring binder may be the best choice. · Pencils or pens · Colored pencil set with a minimum of 15 colors (used occasionally) · Calculator (used occasionally) · A kind and happy diposition- as much as possible

Grading:
Grades are based on tests, quizzes, labs, class work, homework and projects. Your grade for each quarter is calculated using straight points.

Daily Details:
**Leaving the Classroom:** If it is necessary for you leave the room during class for a bathroom emergency your planner acts as the pass. Show respect and courtesy by completing your task and returning promptly. **If this privilege is abused your name will be placed on a list that bans you from ever being in the hallway during class time.**

**Computers:** The computers in this classroom are for to assist you in the learning of science. **Any changes made to a computer’s desk top, hardware, or software is considered an act of vandalism.**

**Food and Drink:** Drinking water during hot weather can help to keep your mind sharp and your body hydrated. **Unless there are special circumstances no other drinks or food should be present in the classroom.**

**Cell Phones:** Cell phones must be silent and remain in your book bag or purse.

**Mosh Pit Rule:** Do not get up and crowd around the door during the last few minutes of class.

**On Time:** Arrive to class and be at your seat when it begins. You may hear a helpful reminder that class is starting but don’t count on it. You can still enter the class late without receiving a demerit if you have a signed planner.

Protocols:
**Homework:** · It is expected that all homework assignments will be completed before class. Text questions assignments are to be written in pencil of pen, not word processed. · Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class. · Homework left at home, in a locker, etc. will receive a grade of zero. · All answers must be written legibly and in some cases supported with clear thoughtful reasons. To receive credit, all work involving math must show calculated steps. · **Late homework or homework assignments missed due to an unexcused absence will be accepted __the following day__ for 50%. credit**

**Turned in Assignments:** · Name (first and last), date, period, and pod in the upper right hand corner.

**Tests and Quiz Free Response:** · **Calculations for all mathematical work must be clearly shown to receive full credit** (even if you do the problem in your head, you must write down the steps). · Written answers must be complete sentences to receive full credit.

**Labs and Activities:** · Assume that all lab partners must record their own data during labs. Students who copy from other groups will be penalized. · Lab report or activity work that **is turned in late is penalized 10% per day**. · Time is allotted for clean up after labs or activities. If you leave a mess behind, don’t clean up or forget to put materials back where they came from, you be penalized point-wise. If it becomes a habit, you will not participate in labs/activities. · If you engage in horseplay during labs or activities you will be asked to leave, and be required to finish the lab on your own time after school.

Make-up Work
· It is your responsibility to obtain assignments, materials, and notes that are missed due to an absence. · Find a study buddy who you can call if you are absent. **Please do not ask me for missed work during the first or last ten minutes of class.** · Make-up tests and quizzes are given after school or when you have some free time during the day. · On the day you return from an absence you must determine what needs to be done for make-up work · “Pop” quizzes cannot be made up; however the points will not be used to penalize you. · After one week the maximum credit any missed assignment can earn is 50%. · **__No makeup work is accepted after the marking period ends.__**

Help:
· If you need extra help I can make arrangements for you to stay after school.

Key to Success:
You are expected to do all of your assignments, including reading. If you keep up with assignments, you should have no problems with grades. **Hence, if the focus is on learning the material, the grades will be there.** There will be no extra credit at the end of the marking period- so don’t ask. Sometimes there may be extra credit on the tests and opportunities for extra credit on your class work. **Just do your work and you will succeed!!!**


 * Advanced Placement Environmental Science General Course Outline **

Miller chapter 7: page 127 to 141 ||  ||
 * **Unit** || **Topic** || **Resources** || **Time** ||
 * 1. Introduction || A. Environmental Problems: Their causes and sustainability, tragedy of the commons || Miller chapter 1: pages 5 to 18 ||  ||
 * || B. Environmental History: Learning from the Past || Miller chapter 2: pages 19 to 30 ||  ||
 * || C. Energy Consumption - History: Industrial revolution, exponential growth, energy crises || Miller chapter 2: pages 22 to 28 ||  ||
 * 2. Science, Systems, Matter and Energy || A. The Nature of Science: Models, matter and energy forms, Law of Conservation of Matter, Laws of Thermodynamics || Miller chapter 3: pages 32to 52 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **2 weeks** ||
 * 3. The Living World || A. Ecosystem Structure: Biological populations || Miller chapter 4: pages 55 to 64 ||  ||
 * || B. Energy Flow: Photosynthesis and cellular respiration, food webs and trophic levels, ecological pyramids || Miller chapter 4: pages 64 to 72 ||  ||
 * || C. Soil: formation, composition, physical and chemical properties, soil types || Miller chapter 4: pages 72 to 76 ||  ||
 * || D. Natural Biogeochemical Cycles: Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and water || Miller chapter 4: pages 76 to 84 ||  ||
 * || E. Ecosystem Diversity: Biodiversity, natural selection, evolution, ecosystem services || Miller chapter 5: pages 88 to 100 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **3 weeks** ||
 * 4. Climate and Biodiversity || A. Atmospheric Concepts: Seasons, solar intensity, latitude, weather, climate, circulation, coriolis effect, atmosphere-ocean interactions, ENSO, || Miller chapter 6: pages 100 to 110 ||  ||
 * || B. Biomes and Aquatic Life Zones: major terrestrial, aquatice environments, saltwater and freshwater || Miller chapter 6: page 110 to 125
 * || C. Ecosystem Interactions: communities, ecological niches, species interactions, keystone species, species diversity || Miller chapter 8: pages 144 to 156 ||  ||
 * || D. Natural Ecosystem Change: Climate shifts, species movement, ecological succession || Miller chapter 8: pages 156 to 161 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **4 weeks** ||
 * || End of Marking Period 1 ||  ||   ||
 * 5. Population || A. Population Biology Concepts: Population ecology, carrying capacity, reproductive strategies, survivorship || Miller chapter 9: pages 164 to 174 ||  ||
 * || B. Human Population- Human Population Dynamics: Historical population sizes, distribution, fertility rates, growth rates and doubling times, demographic transition, age-structure diagrams || Miller chapter 10: pages 176 to 187 ||  ||
 * || C. Human Population Size: strategies for sustainability, case studies, national policies || Miller chapter 10: pages 187 to 191 ||  ||
 * || D. Impacts of Human Population Growth: Hunger, disease, economic effects, resource use, habitat destruction || Miller chapter 10: pages 191 to 192 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **3 Weeks** ||
 * 6. Sustaining Biodiversity || A. Forestry: Tree plantations, old growth forests, forest fires, deforestation, forest management, national forests || Miller chapter 11 pages 195 to 197 and 199 to 220 ||  ||
 * || B. Public and Federal Lands: Management, wilderness areas, national parks, wildlife refuges, forests, wetlands || Miller chapter 11: pages 197 to 198 ||  ||
 * || C. Land Conservation Options: Preservation, remediation, mitigation, restoration || Miller chapter 11: pages 198 to 199 ||  ||
 * || D. Loss of Biodiversity: Habitat loss, overuse, pollution, introduced species, endangered and extinct species, relevant laws and treaties || Miller chapter 12: pages 225 to 239 ||  ||
 * || E. Loss of Biodiversity: Maintenance and conservation || Miller chapter 12: pages 240 to 249 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **3 Weeks** ||
 * 7. Land and Water Use || A. Agriculture- Feeding a Growing Population: types of agriculture, green revolution || Miller chapter 14: pages 274 to 278 ||  ||
 * || B. Soil Dynamics: Erosion, problems, overgrazing, desertification deforestation, irrigation, and conservation || Miller chapter 14: pages 274 to 286 ||  ||
 * || C. Food Production and Nutrition: Human nutrition requirements, genetic engineering and crop production, sustainable agriculture || Miller chapter 14: pages 274 to 294 ||  ||
 * || D. Meat Production and Rangelands: rangeland management, federal rangelands || Miller chapter 14: pages 294 to 297 ||  ||
 * || E. Fish and Shellfish Production: Fisheries harvest, over-fishing, fishing techniques, aquaculture, agricultural government policies, relevant laws and treaties || Miller chapter 14: pages 297 to 303 ||  ||
 * || F Global Water Resources and Use: Freshwater, saltwater, ocean circulation, agricultural, industrial and domestic use, surface and groundwater issues, global problems, conservation || Miller chapter 15: pages 305 to 330 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **3 Weeks** ||
 * || **End of Marking Period 2 / Midterm Exams** ||  ||   ||
 * 8. Earth Systems and Resources || A. Earth Science Concepts: Geologic time, plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanism, the rock cycle || Miller chapter 16: pages 332 to 338 ||  ||
 * || B. Mining: Mineral formation, extraction, global reserves, relevant laws and treaties || Miller chapter 16: pages 339 to 346 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **2 weeks** ||
 * 9. Energy Resources and Consumption || A. Energy Consumption: Present global energy use, future global energy needs || Miller chapter 17: pages 351 to 354 ||  ||
 * || B. Fossil Fuel Resources and Use: Formation of coal, oil, and natural gas, extraction and purification methods, world reserves and global demand, synfuels, environmental advantages and disadvantages of sources || Miller chapter 17: pages 355 to 366 ||  ||
 * || C. 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 || Miller chapter 17: pages 366 to 377 ||  ||
 * || D. Energy Conservation: Energy efficiency, CAFÉ standards, hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells vehicles, mass transit || Miller chapter 18: pages 380 to 386 ||  ||
 * || E. Hydroelectric Power: Dams, flood control, salmon, silting, other impacts || Miller chapter 18: pages 395 to 396 ||  ||
 * || F. Renewable Energy: Solar energy, solar electricity, biomass, wind energy, small-scale hydroelectric, ocean waves and tidal energy, geothermal, hydrogen fuel cells, environmental advantages/ disadvantages || Miller chapter 18: pages 387 to 407 ||  ||
 * || G. Energy Concepts:, power, units, conversions, || Miller appendix 1 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **3 weeks** ||
 * 10. Impacts of the Environment on Human Health || A. Hazards to Human Health: Environmental risk analysis, acute and chronic effects, biomagnifications, dose-response relationships, air pollutants, smoking and other risks || Miller chapter 19: pages 410 to 418 ||  ||
 * || B. Hazards in the Environment: Chemical and biological, relevant laws || Miller chapter 19: pages 419 to 427 ||  ||
 * || C. Economic Impacts: Cost-benefit analysis, externalities, marginal costs, sustainability || Miller chapter 19: pages 428 to 431 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **2 weeks** ||
 * 11.Air Pollution || A. Atmosphere: structure, composition || Miller chapter 20: pages 433 to 434 ||  ||
 * || B. 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 || Miller chapter 20: pages 434 to 459 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **2 weeks** ||
 * || **End of Marking Period 3** ||  ||   ||
 * 12. Global Change || A. Global Warming:: Greenhouse gases and greenhouse effect, impacts and consequences of global warming, reducing climate change, relevant laws and treaties || Miller chapter 21: pages 462 to 484 ||  ||
 * || B. Stratospheric Ozone: Formation of stratospheric ozone, ultraviolet radiation, causes of ozone depletion, effects of ozone depletion, strategies of reducing ozone depletion, relevant laws and treaties || Miller chapter 21: pages 484 to 489 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **2 weeks** ||
 * 13. Water Pollution || A. 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 || Miller chapter 22: pages 492 to 516 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **2 weeks** ||
 * 14. Solid Waste Pollution || A. Solid Waste: Types, disposal, reduction || Miller chapter 24: pages 533 to 560 ||  ||
 * || B. Types of hazardous waste, treatment/ disposal of hazardous waste, cleanup of contaminated sites, biomagnifications, relevant laws || Miller chapter 24: pages 549 to 554 ||  ||
 * 15. Noise Pollution || A. Sources, effects, control measures || Miller chapter 25: pages 568 to 569 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **1 week** ||
 * 16. Land Use Issues || A. Controlling Pests: Types of pesticides, cost and benefits of pesticide use, integrated pest management, relevant laws || Miller chapter 23: pages 519 to 531 ||  ||
 * || B. Urban Land Development: Planned development, suburban sprawl, urbanization || Miller chapter 25: pages 563 to 570 ||  ||
 * || C. Transportation infrastructure: Federal highway system, canals and channels, roadless areas, ecosystem impacts || Miller chapter 25: pages 571 to 576 ||  ||
 * || D. Sustainable Land-Use Strategies || Miller chapter 25: pages 576 to 581 ||  ||
 * 17. Global Environmental Policy || A. Global Economics: Globalization, world bank,, relevant laws and treaties || Miller chapter 27: pages 622 to 626 ||  ||
 * ||  ||   || **1 weeks** ||
 * || **AP Exam** ||  ||   ||