Course Syllabus

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AP Environmental Science Syllabus

Porter Ridge High School 2023-2024

Teacher: Mrs. Sarah Wiles (sarah.wiles@ucps.k12.nc.us) 

Room: F205D

Required Materials: 1-1.5” Binder with 4 tabs, pen, paper,  access to a computer

Student Resources: Class notes, supplemental videos and links, digital documents, and general unit outlines can be found on Canvas. Any student that needs supplies can take whatever they need from Wiles' Walmart. 

 

Unit #

Unit Title

Topics Covered (Course Standards/Units)

Introduction to Environmental Issues & Policies

General overview of environmental topics, global economics, and environmental policies, 5.1 Tragedy of the Commons, 5.11 Ecological Footprints, 5.12 Introduction to Sustainability

1

Biosphere: Ecosystems

1.1-1.3 biomes, 1.4-1.7 nutrient cycling, 1.8-1.11 energy flow

2

Biosphere: Biodiversity

2.1-2.4, 2.6 species interactions, 2.5,2.7,9.9 biodiversity loss,9.8,9.10 human impacts

3

Populations

3.1-3.4, 3.6-3.8 population dynamics, 3.5 resource availability, 3.9 demographic transition

4

Earth Systems & Resources

4.1 tectonics, 4.2-4.3 soil formation, 4.4-4.5 atmosphere patterns, 4.6 watersheds, 5.13 urban runoff 4.7-4.8 climate, 4.9 El Nino/La Nina

5

Land Use

5.2 clearcutting, 5.3-5.8 industrial agriculture, 5.9 mining, 5.10 urbanization, 5.14-5.16 sustainable agriculture/solutions, 5.17 sustainable forestry

6

Human Health and Toxicology

8.1-8.2 pollution, 8.4 wetlands and mangroves, 8.5 eutrophication,8.6 thermal pollution, 8.8, 8.14 ecosystem and human impacts, 8.3,8.7 types of pollutants, 8.9-8.11 waste disposal and solutions, 8.12-8.13 dose and response, 8.15 infectious disease and pathogens

7

Energy

6.1-6.4 energy sources and consumption, 6.5 fossil fuels, 6.6 nuclear energy, 6.7-6.12 alternative energy sources, 6.13 energy conservation

8

Air Pollution and Climate Change

7.1,7.3 air pollution conditions, 7.2, 7.4, 7.7-7.8 types of pollutants, 7.5 indoor air pollution, 7.6 solutions, 9.1-9.2 ozone depletion, 9.3-9.4 greenhouse effect, 9.5 climate change, 9.6-9.7 oceanic impacts,

 

Grading Policy: Student grades will be determined using Category Weighting. The more points an assignment has the greater its weight in the overall grade. Quarter grades for each student will be calculated by taking points earned over the total number of available points. Assessments for the course will be formatted with multiple choice and free response questions. Students must enroll in AP classroom at the start of the course following directions given by their instructor. Students will use one College Board account to sign up for all AP classes. 

 

Student assignments and grades will be posted on PowerSchools. Grades will be updated at a regularly. Most assignments will be graded prior to the end of each unit but larger projects and labs may take longer to assess. 

Refer to the student handbook regarding other semester Grades, Policies, and Procedures.

 

AP Exam Information

Students have the opportunity to receive college credit at the completion of the course by scoring a 3 or above on the AP exam. Students must sign up for the exam through their College Board account. Practice for the exam will be built into the course. Assessments will be designed to give students an idea of what the exam may look like.

 

Exam date/time: Thursday, May 9th 8am

Section 1: Multiple Choice (60%)

1 hr 30 minutes to complete 80 MC questions

The multiple-choice section includes individual, single questions as well as sets of questions that refer to the same diagram or data presentation; these may include data tables, charts, graphs, models, representations, and text-based sources

Section 2: Free Response Questions (40%)

1 hr 10 minutes to complete 3 free response questions

1 question in which the student will design an investigation 

2 questions which will ask the student  to analyze an environmental problem   and propose a solution, one of which will require doing calculations (WITH a calculator)

 

Classroom Expectations:

  1. Be on time.  
  2. Be courteous. Respect others when they have something to say. Listen when the teacher gives instruction. Use appropriate language and dialogue in all class discussions or forums. Your behavior should never prevent another student from learning. 
  3. Be prepared. Come to class ready to learn. Limit distractions in your learning environment. Make sure you have completed all assignments that were assigned to be completed prior to each class session.
  4. Turn in authentic work. Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own. Plagiarism on any assignment will result in a zero for the assignment grade and a parent contact. This may result in a discipline referral depending on the offense. 

 

Keys for success:

  1. Have a positive attitude and an open mind!
  2. Ask for help. I am here to help you achieve success but you are your best advocate to let me know what you need.
  3. Ask questions. It’s likely that someone in class will have the same one. Questions are what make you a scientist so never hesitate to ask. 
  4. Use your time in class wisely. 
  5. Try. Effort does not guarantee success, but it is required to achieve it. If you feel overwhelmed with something ask around for assistance but never give up!
  6. Explore other resources available to expand your learning outside of what has been discussed in class. This practice will not only improve all of your effort in class but it will build positive skills for your future education.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due