Welcome to AP Environmental Science

Course Description

The AP Environmental Science course is a full-year course designed to be the equivalent of an

introductory college course in environmental science. The goal of the course is to provide you

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 or preventing them. You will be prepared to take the

AP Environmental Science exam scheduled for May.

Major Topics in Environmental Science

I. Scientific Analysis

Scientific method, data collection, controlled experiments, applied math

II. The Living World

Ecosystem ecology, Global Climates and Biomes, Evolution of Biodiversity

III. Biological and Human Populations

Population and community ecology, human population

IV. Earth’s systems and resources

Earth systems, water resources, land use, feeding the world

V. Energy resources and consumption

Nonrenewable energy resources, achieving energy sustainability

VI. Pollution

Water pollution, air pollution and stratospheric ozone depletion, waste generation, waste

disposal, human health and environmental risks

VII. Global change and a sustainable future

Conservation of biodiversity, global change, sustainablility, economics

Required Supplies and Resources

• Text: Environmental Science for AP 2nd edition, Friedland and Relyea, 2015,

ISBN-13: 978-1464108686 (The cover has butterflies on it! This edition came out last

summer so you should be able to find a used edition that is cheaper.)

• Ipad or laptop is recommended

• Five subject spiral notebook

Class website: www.amatscience.net

Most of the videos and powerpoints I show in class are available on my class website

for easy access for you. Copies of assignments can be found there as well. Check it out

and use it to your advantage!

Attendance

Good attendance is essential to being successful in this course. A lot of material will be covered

at a fast pace. If you know about an absence in advance, please see me to discuss what you will

miss. Assignments will be due on the date given, whether or not you are present or class meets. If

you have been absent, it is up to you to find out what assignments or activities you may have

missed and to get any lecture notes from a classmate.

Grading

How do I get an A?

An ‘A’ means excellent, so be a student that excels. Plan on studying the material outside

of class, even when there’s not a test. Reread your notes, assignments, labs and handouts. Be able

to apply information to new situations, don’t just memorize facts. Make sure assignments are

neat, well thought out and on time. Don’t copy assignments. Form study groups with other hard

workers. Keep up on current environmental issues. Ask questions. Remember that a ‘C’ grade

means ‘average’. Putting in an average amount of effort will earn an average grade.

Grades will be determined by grades on tests, quizzes, homework, lab and field exercises,

classwork and projects. Tests are a significant part of that grade.

Homework will be assigned regularly, which includes reading. It is recommended that

you outline chapters. You should develop your own personal strategy for digesting textbook

material. There will be quizzes on each chapter assigned and those dates will be relayed to you

well in advance. For homework, classwork and lab assignments, do not expect to receive full

credit for incorrect, incomplete, poor quality or sloppy work.

Labwork will be done on a regular basis. Your participation is essential to your

understanding. In the event it is not possible to repeat the activity, you are still responsible for

knowing the purpose, procedure, results, calculations and conclusions of that experiment.

Quizzes and tests will be given periodically and will be announced. Quizzes will

be based on reading assignments. Expect to make up quizzes the day you return from an

absence. Tests will be multiple choice and FRQ’s with the multiple choice portion on

one day and the FRQ’s on the next.

Integrity

By your enrollment in this course, it appears that you are willing to challenge yourself.

This is a college level course. You are expected to complete your own work in your

own words. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated and will receive a grade

of ZERO. Administrative discipline may also occur. Simply because you worked with

a partner does not mean you submit identical assignments.

Is this course easy?

It’s an Advanced Placement course. AP ≠ easy. But……the concepts and topics

discussed and learned in this class are some of the most applicable concepts you will

learn in high school that will be useful to you in every aspect of your life. The more

engaged you are in the information, the ‘easier’ it will be!

AP Environmental Science Summer Assignment

This assignment will be due on the first day of classes, August 11th and covers the two chapters of

unit 1. Chapter 1 is an introduction to environmental science and chapter 2 should be a review

covering topics of chemistry and properties of water. Covering this unit before classes start will

allow us more review time before the AP exam in May. If you have any questions about this

assignment you may email me at lisa.amat@foundationacademy.net or lisaamat@gmail.com. I

check both throughout the summer but the gmail will get you a quicker response. If you are able to

turn in this assignment before August 1st, I will award bonus points.

1. Read and outline chapter 1.

2. Create flashcards for all vocabulary terms in chapter 1.

3. List several pros/cons of natural gas drilling after reading the opening case study and

watching “Communities Divided over Natural Gas Drilling”. This clip is available on

youtube or on my class website under chapter 1.

4. Create a venn diagram that compare/contrasts an environmentalist and environmental

scientist.

5. Explore the website that tells the story of Easter Island

http://mysteriousplaces.com/Easter_Island/html/tour1.html

6. Watch “The Mystery of Easter Island”. It is on my website under chapter 1 as well as

youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7omp-dYcClM) and write a summary of the

video and how it applies to environmental science. I’m looking at least one typed page or

two written pages.

7. List and describe the five key global indicators found in chapter 1.(pgs. 8-14)

8. “Do the math” pg 11, 14, and 46. Each purple box shows you an example of the problem

and then provides a chance for you to practice. Complete the “your turn” problems for

each page. You must show all work in order to receive credit.

9. Read and outline chapter 2 (no flashcards required for this chapter)

As you read, it’s always a good idea to answer the module questions at the end of each section.

We will go over the answers to these questions in class.