ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Course Description Pre-requisites: Biology and/or Chemistry (a strong background in both will be needed) Instructor: Mr. Ryan Walsh Location: 120 C Text: Living in the Environment by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. (13th edition) Summer Reading: N/A This course is designed to be the equivalent of a college-level semester course in Environmental Science. Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary field of study, and the goal in this class is to integrate what you know about Biology, Chemistry, Math, History, Sociology, Law etc. to come to an understanding of the natural world and the forces that affect it. It will follow the curriculum recommended by the College Board, and students are expected (not required) to take the AP exam offered by the College Board in May. Independent work is an expectation of this course, and you will be required to master much content material on your own so that we have more time for laboratory and fieldwork. In addition, you will be required to do long-term observations outside of class time. Another important part of the course is data analysis, measurement, statistics, dimensional analysis and other operations that require mathematical skills. There are several major unifying themes for this course that cut across the many topics included in the study of Environmental Science (from the College Board Course Description - go to http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/pdf/cd_env_sci_02-03.pdf for a more complete description. Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems. OUTLINE OF TOPICS Go to http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/students/envsci/cours002.html for an outline of major topics. The order of topics in the outline is not necessarily the order in which the topics will be addressed, and many of the topics will be interwoven repeatedly throughout the course. My websites: http://walshearthsciences.wikispaces.com/ (daily lessons) www.quia.com (document archive) Textbook website: http://www.brookscole.com/cgi- wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=0534397980&discipline_number=22 LAB SAFETY During lab activities, you may be learning the use of new equipment and substances and working with different energy sources. It is important that you approach your work seriously, following all the guidelines and safety rules. ATTENDANCE Regular attendance is very important, as we will be completing laboratory activities on a regular basis. The student is responsible for any material or assignments missed while absent for any reason (athletics, appointment, illness, vacation, etc.). A few required guidelines: -If you think you will be sick you MUST email me by 3:30 of absence that you will be out the following day ([email protected]). If you do not, you will be penalized. If you cannot email, you must leave a voicemail: ext. #3123 -Make sure the absence is excused with school (you have 3 school days, then a cut is issued). -Late assignments (due to an excused absence) should be submitted the following day, each day late means that the assignment will lose daily points -Make up all work and tests before/after school/study halls—see me to arrange times. The number one reason for academic failure is not making up work!!
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ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Course Description Pre-requisites: Biology and/or Chemistry (a strong background in both will be needed)
Instructor: Mr. Ryan Walsh
Location: 120 C
Text: Living in the Environment by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. (13th edition)
Summer Reading: N/A
This course is designed to be the equivalent of a college-level semester course in Environmental Science. Environmental
Science is an interdisciplinary field of study, and the goal in this class is to integrate what you know about Biology,
Chemistry, Math, History, Sociology, Law etc. to come to an understanding of the natural world and the forces that affect
it. It will follow the curriculum recommended by the College Board, and students are expected (not required) to take the
AP exam offered by the College Board in May.
Independent work is an expectation of this course, and you will be required to master much content material on your own
so that we have more time for laboratory and fieldwork. In addition, you will be required to do long-term observations
outside of class time. Another important part of the course is data analysis, measurement, statistics, dimensional analysis
and other operations that require mathematical skills.
There are several major unifying themes for this course that cut across the many topics included in the study of
Environmental Science (from the College Board Course Description - go to
http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/pdf/cd_env_sci_02-03.pdf for a more complete description.
Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems.
OUTLINE OF TOPICS
Go to http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/students/envsci/cours002.html for an outline of major topics. The order of topics
in the outline is not necessarily the order in which the topics will be addressed, and many of the topics will be interwoven
** Chapter 27: Politics, Environment, and Sustainability will be covered throughout the course as laws
applicable to individual topics are discussed.
FINAL EXAM – Date to be announced
FIELD TRIPS- TBA
Name ________________________________ Date ___________
For the AP Student
How to Succeed in Your AP Environmental Course
Welcome to the exciting world of environmental science! When you signed up for Advanced Placement
(AP) Environmental, you took on a stimulating challenge. This college-level course will lead you to a new
appreciation for the Earth, increase your enjoyment of the natural world around you, and stretch your abilities in
ways that you may not even imagine. By the end of the school year, I’m sure that you will look back on this
experience with a sense of accomplishment and pleasure.
I am pleased to have this opportunity to share some of the lessons I have learned from my AP students, who
gained an excitement and curiosity about the natural world as well as more effective approaches to learning. In
particular, I offer you six secrets of success; effective strategies that will help you maximize your APES success
and enjoyment as well as meet the challenges of your APES course and other Advanced Placement courses you
choose to take.
Six Secrets to success
Be an active learner in class. It saddens me that many students labor under the false impression that just
BEING THERE in class is an achievement – perhaps even enough to be successful. Do not sit passively in
class, deluding yourself that you are fulfilling your obligations by taking good notes. While that may be the
mark of a good secretary, it is by no means sufficient for success as a student. Now don’t get me wrong, taking
notes can be useful, and your notes may certainly help you when studying. However, I am convinced that
someone who sits in class – even listening attentively – but who never takes part in the discussion is a minimal
learner at best. Think critically when you’re in class, ask questions and put your thoughts into words! In terms
of course grades, APES exam scores, and general appreciation for environmental science, my most successful
students are always the ones who jump right in and ask tons of questions. Finally, active participation in lab
experiments is critical.
Be an active learner outside of class. Students who invest hours underlining their textbooks, copying over
class notes, rereading chapter summaries, and memorizing every bold-faced term are understandably crushed
when they earn a low score on their first test. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that your academic success
will be directly proportional to the amount of time you spend studying! There might be a correlation, but I
contend that it is quality rather than quantity that matters. Try a variety of techniques to make the subject
“yours.” You might look for someone willing to play the role of student to whom you can explain a particular
subject. There is no better way to find your weak spots than to attempt teaching someone else. You can also try
creating your own test questions. Think about the topics that you wish to cover, look for major themes, and
write conceptual questions that require making connections. Don’t be picky in your focus – think big ideas.
When you create multiple-choice questions, keep these guidelines in mind:
Include five plausible answers (only one of which is correct)
Make the correct answer roughly the same length as the “distracters”
Avoid weak answers such as “all of the above” and absolute terms such as “always” and “never”
Try to make connections by integrating different topics into some of your questions. You can even
create some compare and contrast style questions to help you appreciate the relationships between
topics.
When you are finished, you can outline and create a written response for each, verifying your answer with your
textbook. You might try swapping questions with a friend. Find students with whom you are compatible and
form a study group. Avoid host/parasite interactions. Each member should have something positive to
contribute. You can quiz each other and work together in creating summary charts and other aids.
Use your resources. Your textbook includes many helpful study aids. Chapters are divided into major
concept sections. Use those concept section headings as an organizing device. At the end of each section, you
will find one or more Concept Check questions (with suggested answers in Appendix A at the back of the
book). Use these to check your understanding before you move on to the next concept. There are further
opportunities for quizzing yourself – at the end of each chapter, on the CD, and with the various online
resources. Previous students have confessed that they did not discover the book’s accompanying website until
the second half of the course. After they began using it, most developed a better understanding of the concepts
that we didn’t have time to cover in class.
Use the figures and tables, along with their legends in each chapter, to help you navigate the more complex
ideas. David, an insightful student of mine, discovered that such visual aids provide a quick review that is easy
to follow. In addition, there are numerous APES review books on the market. Go to your nearest bookstore
and browse through them for one that meets your needs. Another suggestion is to find other college
environmental textbooks to use as a reference, in addition to your assigned book. It can be helpful to keep one
on hand for an alternative approach to any topic giving you trouble.
Do not rely on memorization. To be mastered and appreciated, APES must be understood as a coherent way
of viewing the natural world. To enjoy APES is to understand the material, to really know it. Of course, there
will be some facts that you will have to know, just so you can communicate what you understand – but true
mastery and enjoyment of this course comes with flexibility, with the ability to take what you’ve learned and
apply it to new instances. Many students confessed that they struggled through the course. For the first time,
they realized that they had to “legitimately work.” Many find themselves getting bogged down in the details.
The lesson here is that even though there is an extensive environmental vocabulary to master, try not to
respond by memorizing, as you might do in a foreign language course. If you depend on rote learning, you may
find yourself locked into one interpretation. You must integrate terms into your conceptual understanding. Use
new words; juggle them around.
Hone your time management skills. Strive for a balance. It is not easy to juggle demanding classes, an
active sports program, leadership roles in extracurricular activities, and quality time for relaxing with friends
and family. Write out a schedule including all of your assignments and the order in which you would do them
along with some downtime for mental health. You want to always prepared for each class, even when you have
away games after school followed by play practice. This schedule will help make you very successful in APES.
Your AP course assignments will be more open-ended than what you have seen in previous courses. The
responsibility to work independently will rest with you. This means that you must not only keep up with the
reading assignments but also set aside time for long-range assignments such as lab reports. You might want to
consider taking a short time-management course or buying a book on the subject to help you get organized.
Another possibility is to talk to older students who have successfully passed AP courses. They can give you
valuable insight, based on their experiences.
Learning to recognize the themes that recur and unite science can help you make connections. The
College Board delineates eight such major themes in the AP Environmental course description. These themes
are introduced in Chapter 1 of this textbook.
So there you have it – six secrets to success, gleaned from my own personal experiences and the lessons I
have learned from my students. I hope these suggestions prove useful to you. As your passion for science
grows, you will find that your studies in this field offer opportunity and give you joy. I wish you many exciting
experiences this year in AP Environmental Science.
-. NAHE: ....--•/oPtJlATAJN
..ntroduction The impact humans have on the earth is often characterized by the following equation:
I=PxCxT I Impact OIl natural canh systems per unit time P = Human population C = Consumption per person per unit time T = Technology factor lhig~ for environmentally destructive technology, low for environmentally friendly technology)
It makes sense that larger numbers of people will have a greater effect on earth systems than fewer people. The equation (I =P x C X 1) captures this relation in a simple expression. Any change in the population (P) will have a major effect on-the impactll) unless consumption (C) or tecbnology (T) change significantly.
The study of population demographics concentrates on the descriptive characteristics of human populations, including issues such as changes in the size and structure of populations. and rates of population change. The worldwide human population is eurref!t1yexperiencing exponential growth. a condition in which the population increases at a faster and faster rate. As human population growth continues exponentially. the equation (I =P ~ C x T) would indicate that the resulting impact on earth's natural system... would also increase exponentially (unless consumption per person is reduced or environmentally friendly technology replaces current technology).
Demographers use the following equations 10 calculate the key factors that describe changes in population characteristics;
~ crude birthrate (binhsll.OOO) = (live binhs per year) x 1,000 mid-year population
dea ths per year ) crude death rate (deathsll.OOO) x 1,000 ( mid-year population
bin hr.lte ,-odeath rate)annual rate of population change % (
population doubling time (years) = ( . 10 )annual rate of population change (%)
Toc.al fcnility rate =number of children born per woman The Population growth rate has been correlated to a number of factors that affect the birthrate, the death rate, or both. The following factors appear to influence lhe birthrate;
I. Level of c~u_cation and wealth 2. Importance of children for family labor purposes 3. Urbanization-biPJer birthrates in rural areas 4. Cost of raising children 5. EduGition and employment opportunities 6. Average age at marriage 1. Availability of birth control devices 8. Cultural norms
Factors that innuencc death rates:
I. Nutrition 2. Sanitation 3. Advances in a\-ailable health care 4. Ability 10 alTord medical care
-J =
Docs lhe annual raeeof(l0pUblion change appear 10 be rdaled 10 population density? (Hinl: 11IeIWO faclors. populalion density and annual raIC of poPU'alion change, arc "elY slron;;ly correlated if you can dr:aw one SU'ai~bt line and .-!)nnect ;aUrtle poaus, If you can draw a line thaI most of lhe fluinls duster ncar. thc two f~k-...()r~ :ITC correlated less strongly. If there IS no straight line lhallhc poims
duster ncar, the Iwn faclllfS arc nOI corrclaicd.I J. Draw a ~r.lrh of llie rdaljon~hip between thc d(luhlin~ lilllC and the crude btrthrarc nn Ihe grdph pnlVidctJ. 011 the saine ~raph flrO(-the
rcl:lli'lfl.l'bip between crude death ral.: and dllublin~ lime. 1'101 Ih.: twosets of dlla with diff.:rcnt 1.'{.klTS. Which of the two (birthr.ltc or
dealh rate '. is flN1S1 closely.rcJ;lled III dnlloling. time ri,c .. which (If lhe lW(1 sell' or data is closer {(I a straighllinef!
i i I
I I 1 I"
700
650
600
550 ~
500 Iii.. ClI 450 ell .2: 400 ell
~ 350 0)
.5 300 ;0, ::J 2500
0 200
150
100
50
°0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Crude birthrate or Crude death rate
... Plollhc relation,..hip between total fcrtilily rate and annual rate of populalion growth on lhe graph below. Is lhere a slrong correlation between the number of birth... per woman and the annual rate orincrease?
5.0
4.5
4.0
~
~ ~ 3.5 ..c ~ e 013.0 c .Q Cii ~2.5 o a.. o ell 2.0 ~ Cii ~ 1.5 ~
1.0
0.5
o o
:
2 3 456 7 8 9"
TalaI fer1ilily rate
(births per woman per lifetime)
Population .pelTlographics
. Data Sheet
Name
Section
, _
_ ....".~\
,. ::
1
I. ~ the information in the table below and the formulas on page 87 to calculate the annual rate of population increase and the doubling time for the populations of the countrics listed. . .
Country Population densit~·
(people per square mile)
Total fertility rate
Crude birth rate (births per 1.000)
Crude death rate (deaths per 1.000)
IAnnual rate of population IDoubling change 1%) lime tyears)
I. Afghanistan 85 6.9 50 22
2. Bangladesh 2.384 3.7 31 II
3. Dominican Repu~lic
433 3.3 29 . 6
4. France 275 1.7 12 9
5. Hungary 286 1.6 II 14
6. Mexico 129 3.1 27 5
7. Netherlands 1.187 1.6 13 9
8. Russia 22 1.4 9 15
9. United States 75 2.0 15 9
10. Zimbabwe 77 4.4 35 9
2. Plot the relationship between annual rate of population growth and population density on the graph below.
3. What if population exceeds carrying capacity? Overshoot cc (reproductive time lag, dieback or crash)
a. Affected by competition of other species, seasonal fluctuations, natural and human caused events (i.e.
Ireland- 1845 1 million died, 3 million left due to potato famine)
4. How does pop. density affect growth? Density independent controls (kills all or majority)-floods, fires,
hurricanes, habitat destruction, pesticide spraying, density dependent- competition for resources, predation,
disease (swine flu, bubonic plague), parasitism
5. Population curves found in nature- stable (slightly above and below cc); irruptive (fairly stable but occasionally
explodes- house mice); irregular (certain populations poorly understood); cyclic (population rises and falls over
a few decades)
9.2 The Role of predation in controlling population size
1. Do predators control pop size- top down control hypothesis; Canadian lynx- prey on hares, shortage of lynx, hare
population increases, cyclical pattern
a. Bottom up control hypothesis- hare population control lynx population, other variable still need to be
considered
9.3 Reproductive patterns and survival
1. How do species reproduce? Asexual and sexual reproduction (97% of organisms- sexual rep)
a. Cons of sex rep- risk of genetic errors, time consuming courtships , male injuries
b. Pros- provides greater genetic diversity, team effort with male protection
2. R-selected species- have high intrinsic rate, reproduce early and have many offspring, short generation times, no
parental care, short lived, tend to be opportunists (cockroaches, dandelions)
3. K-selected species- reproduce late in life, have few offspring , nurture young (large mammals, birds of prey),
prone to extinction
4. Wolf and Moose Interaction on Isle Royale- good case study on populations (please read)
5. Survivorship curves- late loss- curve (K-selected species) early loss (R-selected species) constant loss
(intermediate species that constantly face threat of mortality)
Humans- on average women outlives men by 7 years therefore a 65 year male will pay more for life insurance
9.4 Conservation Biology – be able to list fundamental questions
1. Bioinformatics- computer databases on biodiversity to make sound biological decisions
9.5 Human Impacts on Ecosystems
1. How have humans modified ecosystems- fragmenting habitat, simplifying ecosystems, overgrazing
(overharvesting of renewable resources) interfering with biogeochemical cycles
2. Solutions- we need the Earth but she doesn’t need us, need to realize everything is connected, take no more
than we need
3. Ecological surprises (make sure to read)
Name __________________________
THE POWER OF THE PYRAMIDS
1. Look up the country assigned to you. (Before you come to class find out where your country is located.)
2. 2. Log onto the Internet and go to http://www.census.gov/ 3. Go to:
People International International Data Base (IDB) Data Access
3. What is the estimate of the population of the world today? _____________________
Countries are:
Afghanistan Austria Bangladesh Botswana Brazil
Cameroon Congo (Brazzaville) Denmark Ethiopia El Salvador
France Japan Ghana Mexico Nigeria
Qatar Senegal Saudi Arabia China South Africa
Zimbabwe India
My country is ______________________ and it is located ________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Answer the following questions:
What is the CBR? __________________________
What is the CDR? __________________________
What is the rate of natural increase? _______________________
What is the life expectancy? ___________________
What is the infant mortality rate? _______________________
What is the Total Fertility Rate (TFR)? ________________________
How has the growth rate changed since 1950? ______________________
What is the growth rate today? _____________________
Go to the chart labeled Midyear Population, by Age and Sex.
Use this data to make an age-sex histogram of your country. For this you will need:
1. A piece of graph paper (your own or pick up a sheet in class) 2. Colored pencils or markers 3. The data you copied from the Internet
To construct the country's pyramid, you must first calculate the percentage of the population made up of each gender's age group. You do this by dividing each segment's population by the total population - NOT EACH GENDER. For example, if a country has a total population of 263,119,000 and the population of males ages 0-4 was 10,515,000 then
10,515,000 / 263,119,000 = 0.04 or 4% You must first complete the calculations for each cohort or age group. The numbers should add up to close to 100%. Record these calculated values on the table included in this procedure. After you have calculated the % Males and % Females, use the graph paper to make an age-sex histogram. Then answer the questions that apply to your country.
POPULATION; Country = ________________
Age Group Male - M % Female - F %
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75+
TOTALS:
TOTAL POPULATION:
Questions. Answer all that apply to your histogram.
1. Which gender has the higher population in the youngest age groups on your pyramid?_______ Can you account for this? Explain.
2. Which gender has the higher population in the oldest age group? ____________ How can you account for this? Explain.
3. Does your country look like a pyramid? ____________
4. What can you tell about your country's growth rate by looking at your histogram?
5. If birth and death rates remain the same, what will your pyramid look like in 25 years?
6. What are some factors that could change the shape of your pyramid?
7. Determine the percentage of the population that has yet to reach childbearing age. ________ What do these numbers say about the prospects for future growth?
8. If your country is not increasing in population growth rate, what are some socio-economic problems that might occur?
9. Can you determine from your graph how many people make up the population of your country? Why or why not?
10. Does your country have a baby boom in it? (a bulge in somewhere in the middle of it) _____ What could account for this?
11. If you had a business and you wanted to capitalize on your information about the population age distribution, what would you sell? And why?
12. What % of your population is above age 65? ____________
13. Does your pyramid look like that of the World Population Pyramid? ____________
14. From the information graphed on your histogram, briefly discuss whether your country is increasing in population size, decreasing or at close to ZPG.
15. From your data and histogram, would you place it in the category of developing or developed country or mid- way? ____________________________
TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS
Introduction: The purpose of this simulation is to explore how resources are used and exploited when they are available to multiple parties. The 'ragedy of the commons- is the situation in which individuals use a common resource for their own personal gain and degradation of the common resources results, leading to a decrease in yield for both the group and the individual. The use of common resources is a tricky issue... who has rights to it? .How are responsibilities shared?
Procedure: 1. Divide into groups of 4-6. Each group should sit in a cirde around the "lake", The goal of this
activity is to see how each of you will behave when resources are not privately owned. 2. Each one of you represents the head of a family that is stalVing. In order for your family to
survive, you must catch enough fish for them to eat. The only food source is a small local lake which can accommodate 16 fish. You must fish by sucking up the "fish- from the -lakewith straws.
3. You will get a chance to fish once a yearo(which lasts one minute) and each time you fish you W~y take 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 fish from the lake. You should rotate your fishing order every year so that everyone has a chance togo first. It is your choice of how many fish you take, however, if you only take one fish, your family will starve. If you take more than 2 fish, you can sell them for a profit. The fish in your lake will reproduce once a year. [See your teacher at the end of each year - each remaining fish is able to spontaneously reproduce and make one new fish (4 fish become 8, l.e., to a maximum of 10)]. Keep the fish that you "catch- in front of you.
4. When your group runs out of fish, the game is over for you.
**Please do not talk or communicate while fishinglJ
Fish Data Tetble - GAME 1 Name of Lake: _
YEAR Number of fish in the
lake [after reproduction]
Number of fish caught per person
Number of fish caught per year
[by everyone]
1
2
3
4
5
TOTAL
....-' 1
Fish Data T eble - GAME 2 Name of Lake: .......... _
YEAR Number of fish in the
lake [after reproduction]
Number of fish caught per person
Number of fish caught per year
[by everyone]
1
2
3 . '.,
.. 5
TOTAL
Discussion Questions ' -
1. Did anyone in your group take too many fish? How did that affect.you? Did everyone try to ",Jtake as many as possible? Why or why not? Does society reward those with the "most"?
2. Did anyone sacrifice the # of fish, for the good of the community? Why or why not? Does society every reward that altruist type of person?
3. In game 2, how did your strategy change, if at all? Does it'make a difference to know what the rewards are?
4. Is it possible to maximize the number of fish caught/person AND the number of fish remaining in the pond at the same time? Why or why not?
5~ Think of a local commons that you are familiar with. [parking lots, hallways, bathrooms, seats in the new C.B. West auditorium, paoong spots in Doylestown, etc.] Do similar situations arise? Explain. HOW might those problems be solved?
6. What are some natural resources that are common resources?
7. What are some otthe global commons? Are these being used wisely? Why or why not?
8. .What can people do to use these resources most wisely? What can you specifically do to better utilize some of the global commons?
, Conclusion: How does this activity parallel the tragedy of the commons? How does the tragedy of the commons affect you and future generations?
Name _________________________
World in the Balance
1. Below please list the various challenges facing the populations of India, Kenya, and Japan.
2. What does the population pyramid for each country look like and why?
3. How might each country’s issues be addressed?
4. In 2050, there will be approximately nine billion people in the world, according to the most widely accepted estimate. Ask students what problems this might create for developing countries. What challenges will industrialized nations face? What problems will a nation like Japan, with a declining population, face?