AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

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1 AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SYLLABUS COURSE DESCRIPTION COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OUTLINE OF TEST TOPICS The course is designed to acq~aint the student with the physical,ecological,social and political principle of environmental science. The scientific method is used to analyze and understand the interrelationships between humans and the natural environment. The course shows how ecological realities and the material desires of humans often clash, leading to environmental degradation and pollution. The course consists of seven organizational areas, which encompass Twenty three chapters covering the following topics: Earth's systems, Human Population Dynamics, Natural Resources, Environmental Quality,Global Changes that effect the Environment and Society.

2 The course will meet students and class needs through laboratory experiences, classroom activities, student developed environmental projects and research papers.

3 Themes 1. Science is a process 2. Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes 3. The Earth itself is one interconnected system 4. Humans alter natural systems 5. Environmental problems have a cultural and social context 6. Human survival depends on developing practices that will achieve sustainable systems Students who take AP Environmental Science are expected to have had biology and chemistry, both laboratory sciences. Students should also have a good understanding of algebra. Textbook: Environment 2nded. Raven, Berg, Johnson, Saunders College publishing (Harcourt Brace College Publishers) New York, N.Y Case Studies in Environmental Science, Underwood, Saunders College Publishing (Harcourt Brace College Publishers) New York, N.Y Laboratory Investigations in AP Environmental Science, Molnar Publisher Peoples Publishing, Student Assessment: Students will be assessed using traditional methods as follows: 1. Written test essay and mathematically based. 2. Quizzes given randomly based on specific topics. 3. Power point presentation of Instructor selected topic.

4 4. Ecological project developed, designed and presented by assigned group. Student Assessment (cont.): 5. Laboratory reports 6. Required reading and case study assignments 7. Summer reading assignment and presentation. 8. Mid-Term and Final Exams The AP Environmental Science course is distributed over approximately 36 weeks of the academic year. Two weeks of the course is allotted to review for the AP Environmental Science Exam. AP Environmental Science Course Outline COURSE PLANNER: Number of days per week may vary due to weather-related and school holidays. closings Weeks 1-4 Part 1- Humans in the Environment Weeks 1-2 Chapter lour Changing Environment Introduction to Environmental Science Summer Reading Quiz Weeks3-4 Chapter2 Solving Environmental Problems Introduction to Environmental Issues Causes and Environmental History

5 Chapters 1-2 (ending page 34) Weeks 5-7 Part 2 -The World We Live In Review of Basic Chemistry, Themodynamics, Laws of Matter and Energy. Week 5 Chapter 3 Ecosystems and Energy Chapter 4 Ecosystems and Living Organisms Week 6-7 Chapter 5 Ecosystems and the Physical Environment Chapter 6 Major Ecosystems of the Wodd Chapter 7 Economics, Government, and the Environment Part 3 -A Crowded World Week 8-9 Chapter 8 Understanding Population Growth Chapter 9 Facing the Problems of Overpopulation Part 4 -The Search for Energy Week Chapter 10 Fossil Fuels Chapter 11 Nuclear Energy Chapter 12 Renewable Energy and Conservation

6 Part 5 -Our Precious Resources Week Chapter 13 Water: A Fragile Resource Chapter 14 Soils and Their Preservation Chapter 15 Minerals: A Nonrenewable Resource Chapter 16 Preserving Earth's Biological Diversity Chapter 17 Land Resources and Conservation Chapter 18 Food Resources: A Challenge for Agriculture Part 6 -Environmental Concerns Week Chapter 19 Air Pollution Chapter 20 Global Atmospheric Changes Chapter 21 Water and Soil Pollution Chapter 22 The Pesticide Dilemma Chapter 23 Solid and Hazardous Wastes Week Prep and Review for AP Exam AP Exam Part 7 -Tomorrow's World Week Chapter 24 Tomorrow's World Each Part will be supplemented with a case study relating to the topic

7 which will be read and analyzed by the student. Wet and Computer labs will be used extensively in Part 4,5,6. Computer labs will incorporate the use of Pasco Scientific Data Studio and Passport programs. Laboratories are scheduled once a week for periods totaling 80 minutes. Labs will be student conducted (hands on) both in the laboratory and in the field. Field labs will be at a state funded environmental center located in a wet lands area, adjacent to landfills. The field labs will be scheduled monthly. The total laboratory schedule encompasses 34 weeks. The laboratory and field investigations component of the APES course will challenge the students ability to: A). Critically observe environmental systems. B). Develop and conduct well-designed experiments. C). Utilize appropriate techniques and instrumentation (computer driven). D). Analyze and interpret data including appropriate statistical and graphical presentations. E). Make conclusions and evaluate their quality and validity. F). Propose further questions for study. G). Communicate accurately and meaningfully about observations and conclusions. Attached are representative examples of laboratories students will be assigned to complete.

8 SUN vs. SHADE LEAF LAB Back!!round: The size and shape of a leaf can significantly influence its temperature and thus its loss of water due to transpiration. Small leaves do not absorb as much heat energy as do large leaves. Shrubs and trees are capable of producing leaves of different sizes and densities to cope with the differences in heat and light that their leaves receive. This represents an ability, or plasticity, within an organism to adapt developmentally to conditions in local microhabitats. Those leaves that are exposed to a great amount of sunlight are known as "sun leaves"; those leaves that are exposed to a small amount of sunlight are referred to as "shade leaves". In this lab you will work together to formulate a hypothesis about the relative sizes and densities of sun and shade leaves on particular trees/shrubs on campus. You will then design an experiment to test whether your hypothesis is correct. What will your experimental question be? What hypothesis will you test? Below are some issues to consider when designing your experiment. We'll discuss them as a class: What materials will you need? From how many leaves will you collect data? Should you collect leaves from more than one tree/shrub? Is the type of leaf that you measure important? From which part of the tree will you obtain your leaves? How will you measure the size of each leaf? The density? How will you decide if your hypothesis is correct? What are other factors that might change leaf size/density other than amount of light?

9 Decomposition of Oak Leaves The decomposition of organic matter is an important process in the soil ecosystem. It supplies energy to soil heterotrophs and forms a necessary link in the recycling of nutrients. Decomposition takes a long time. It would not be feasible to station an observer beside a fallen leaf and tell the observer to record all the changes in that leaf over the next 12 months! In the first place, the observer could see only what happened while the leaf was above ground. In addition, the observer would be unable to see the microscopic changes. Besides, who would want such a job? Here is a more practical method for studying leaf decomposition. Leaves from the red oak, Quercus rubra, were collected and placed in bags made of nylon mesh, 20 leaves to a bag. Three bags were used, each having a different mesh size. Each bag was tied shut, labeled, and placed on a scale to find its mass. Then each bag was buried at a depth of 10 centimeters in a flower garden on June 1. At I-month intervals until frost came in November, the bags were dug up and placed on a scale to find their mass. They were then returned to the ground. When the ground had thawed in April, the routine was resumed. The results appear in the following graph. The Effect of Litter Size on Decomposition E 35 S g' 30 'E ~ 25 III It:... 20! ::i '0 15 <II <II ~ 10 5 o I I I t I I I t I I I _J I I L L_ 1 ~ IIII I I L I I I I I I ~ ---~ I I I I I I I I I I I I I J I I I I I 1 I,, r r T I I t I I I I I I I I I I I I I L_ ~ ~ L L ~ ~ I I I I I I I I t I I I L I I I I I I r, I I, r I T I I I I I I I I t I I I I I t L J J J I L L ~ I I, I I I I I I I I I ' I I I I I I ~ ~ ~-- --~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I T l 1 ~ ~ ~---r I I I I I I I I mm Mesh _1 mmmesh mm Mesh 1. Why does the mass of the leaves in all three bags change little between November and April? 2. a) What kinds of soil organisms can go through a IO-mm nylon mesh? A I-mm mesh? A O.005-mm mesh? (Check you text for reference)

10 b) What would have been a plausible hypothesis for this experiment? (Use the "If... Then..." format) 3. Using the information given, formulate a theory about the relative importance of various groups of soil organisms in the process of leaf decomposition. 4. In an average soil, more than three fourths of the energy flow is through microorganisms, which would be the only organisms to fit through the mm mesh. Why then, did the least decompositon occur in the mesh bag? Be thorough with your answer! 5. A particularly long-lived insecticide was sprayed on a deciduous forest. The insecticide adhered to the tree leaves and also percolated into the soil. What effect would this have on decomposition in the soil? Explain.

11 Dissolved Oxygen, Productivity,and B.O.D. Lab Most Jiving organisms, including aquatic organisms, require certain levels of oxygen to carry out normal metabolic processes. They are thus "aerobic" organisms. The D.O. (dissolved oxygen) of a healthy aquatic ecosystem typically ranges from about 4 to 8 ppm (mgljiter). In general, a D.O. of below 4 ppm (mglliter) in a river or lake represents a very unhealthy situation for fish and other organisms. The maximum amount of D.O. that a given aquatic ecosystem can hold depends on atmospheric pressure and water temperature. Water that is agitated comes in contact with the air, allowing it to be saturated with oxygen. The amount of D.O. in the system can also depend on the amount of organic material present. The B.O.D. (biochemical oxygen demand) is a measure of the amount of aerobic respiration in an aquatic ecosystem. Precisely defined, the B.O.D. is the amount of oxygen (mglliter) consumed by microorganisms in a sample of water kept at 20 C (about room temperature) over a 5-day period. Sterile water would have no RO.D. A water sample with healthy algae, bacteria, and other microorganisms will have a moderate RO.D. Raw (untreated) sewage usually has a B.O.D. of 100 to 200. One of the greatest challenges to the health of an aquatic community is the addition of large amounts of organic matter, such as sewage, garbage, or plant and animal wastes. Although these pollutants are highly biodegradable, (capable of being broken down by normal biological processes), a healthy aquatic ecosystem can handle only so much ofthem before it becomes overloaded. Organic material is oxygen demanding waste, which means that decomposer bacteria require oxygen to break it down. When a body of water becomes overloaded with oxygendemanding waste, oxygen-using bacteria can deplete the D.O. content of the water below the level needed to support the diversity of organisms characteristic of healthy ecosystems. Besides increasing RO.D. directly, organic wastes can also indirectly raise the demand for oxygen. Organic wastes generally contain high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, substances that act as limiting nutrients for plants. Because nitrogen and phosphorus are usually present in ecosystems only in very small concentrations they act as "fertilizers" when added to lakes and streams in larger amounts. Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution can cause unnatural blooms of algae and other aquatic plants. When these plants die and begin to decay, aquatic microorganisms consume large amounts of oxygen in the decomposition process. The resulting abrupt decrease in D.O. is called an "oxygen crash" and can, in turn, bring about massive fish dieoffs. Ultimately, this kind of pollution can reduce a healthy ecosystem to a smelly, virtually lifeless sewer inhabited by select bacteria or other organisms suited to anaerobic conditions. Continued on next page

12 The D.O. Test and Solubility 1. You will test a beaker of tap water with the dissolved oxygen meter. First make certain that the meter has been calibrated. Gently place the probe into the sample bottle, being certain not to agitate the water, for that motion could increase the D.O. Record the D.O. in the table. 2. Determine the percent oxygen saturation of the sample. Since the amount of oxygen that can be dissolved in water depends upon the temperature, you will compare the D.O. with the temperature to determine percent oxygen saturation using a chart called a Rawson.s nomogram. Place dots on the diagram to mark the temperature and the D.O. of a sample and, using a ruler, draw a line and connect the two dots. The point at which this line crosses the "% Saturation" line gives you the percent saturation of your sample. 3. Place your data in the data table. On the next line add 5 C to the temperature, and using the same DO, determine the % dissolved oxygen.

13 4. On the third line, subtract 5 C from your temperature reading and again using the same DO, determine the % dissolved oxygen. I o II I I I "111"" Water temperature (OC) Dissolved oxygen (mg per liter:: ppm) Water Temperature D.O. % saturation Part 1 D.O. conclusions 1. What is the effect of temperature upon dissolved oxygen? 2. If a sample of hot water and cold water have the same D.O., which sample is more likely to be saturated? 3. What happens to an open can of soda that is heated up? Why? 4. Based upon your D.O. results, which aquatic ecosystem could support a greater number of animals, arctic or tropical waters. Why? Part 2: The B.O.D. Test You will perform a simplified B.O.D. test on two bottles of water by comparing the D.O. of a water sample before and after 3 days (rather than the standard 5 days).

14 1. Fill two B.O.D. bottles with your water sample. Use the oxygen meter, and determine the D.O. ofthe samples. There should be no more than a 0.5 ppm difference between the samples, since they come from the same source. 2. Make certain that there are no air bubbles in the RO.D. bottle. Fill the bottle until it is overflowing, then firmly put on the stopper. Invert the bottle. If a bubble floats up, try again. Do the same for the second bottle. 3. Cover one bottle with aluminum foil, and leave the other uncovered. Place both bottles in the light of the environmental chamber. ISample: IInitial D.O. IFinal D.O. Light Dark 1. B.O.D. can be determined by Initial D.O. - Final D.O. of dark bottle The RO.D. reflects the amount of aerobic respiration in the sample. Usually a high RO.D. reflects the amount of organic waste being consumed by aerobic bacteria. Algae also carry on aerobic respiration. In addition to aerobic respiration, algae can photosynthesize. A sample with a lot of algae may have a high RO.D., yet still be very productive. Productivity is a measurement of the number of carbon atoms being fixed by photosynthesis. 2. The gross productivity can be determined by using the final D.O. of light bottle - final D.O. of dark bottle. Determine the gross productivity of your samples. RO.D. samole sources RO.D. Class Data Part 2 B.O.D. and Productivity Conclusions 1. Discuss the differences in B.O.D. of the each of the samples and suggest sources of microorganisms or oxygen-demanding wastes in the sources with a high B.O.D. 2. Discuss the differences in productivity of each of the samples and suggest reasons for these differences. 3. Does any of the data make no sense in terms of productivity or BOD? If so, what sources of error do you think are responsible? Part 3 Fecal Coliform Test 1. Using a sterile pipette, add ImL of sample water to the fecal coliform test vial (it's filled with either pink or purple liquid).

15 Wait 24 hours. the sample. If the color changes to yellow, there are fecal coliform bacteria present in

Dissolved Oxygen, Productivity, and B.O.D. Lab

Dissolved Oxygen, Productivity, and B.O.D. Lab Most living organisms, including aquatic organisms, require certain levels of oxygen to carry out normal metabolic processes. They are thus aerobic organisms.