Course Syllabus

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Welcome to Advanced Placement Environmental Science 

Science offers an inquisitive mind a powerful lens to view this world, and I intend to use experiential and hands-on activities to explore our subject. The best resources you have to succeed in this course include:

Course Descriptions

The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the inter-relationships 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. Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study.

 Course Themes

  1. Science is 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.
    • Biogeochemical 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 social context.
    • Understanding the role of cultural, social and economic factors is vital to the development of solutions.
  6. Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.
    • A suitable combination of conservation and development is required.
    • Management of common resources is essential.

Unit Overview

  1. Humans and Sustainability
  2. Ecology 
  3. Biodiversity
  4. Resources
  5. Environmental Quality
  6. Society

Hands-On Components

  • beekeeping
  • urban farming
  • labs and field trips

 

The laboratory and field investigation component of the AP Environmental Science course will challenge the students’ abilities to:

  • critically observe environmental systems
  • develop and conduct well-designed experiments
  • utilize appropriate techniques and instrumentation
  • analyze and interpret data, including appropriate statistical and graphical presentations
  • think analytically and apply concepts to the solution of environmental problems
  • make conclusions and evaluate their quality and validity
  • propose further questions for study
  • communicate accurately and meaningfully about observations and conclusions

Assessment

Students will be assessed on:

  • Knowledge
  • Skills: inquiry, research, communication, evaluation, extrapolating,problem-solving, collaboration
  • Attitudes: responsible use of science,understanding of the nature of science with respect to technology, society, and the environment

 AP Environmental Science (Term 1 + Term 2 + Term 3 = 100%)

  • written assessments
  • labs and projects

 

Student Reminders

  • Hands-on component: all students should expect to get their hands dirty while gardening, raising salmon, and beekeeping
  • Workload: AP Environmental Science is equivalent to a first year university course and includes more material than I can cover in class. Because class time will be largely spent in labs and other learning activities, students must keep up with material at home. Students should expect to read ~10 pages of the textbook between each class from September to May.
  • AP Exam: is scheduled for early May and is encouraged, but optional.
  • Online Work: all course material, assignments, and activities will be posted on Canvas.
  • Missed work: Students must take personal initiative to catch up on missed or incomplete work: stay in contact with your classmates and follow Canvas.
  • Follow lab safety.
  • Participate and have FUN!

Contacting Me

Mr. Christian Duhme

Office: Senior School room 221B

Email: cduhme@stgeorges.bc.ca

Phone: 604-224-1304 

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due