River Valley School District Curriculum Template |
Course name: AP Environmental Science | Credit(s) or Grade Level: HS |
Academic Standards: College Board CED | Prerequisite(s): Chemistry |
Course Description: The AP Environmental Science course is designed to engage students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships within the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography. |
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Units: | Duration: | Essential Learning/Outcomes: |
- Intro to Ecosystems
| 3 weeks | - Ecosystems are the result of biotic and abiotic interactions.
- Energy can be converted from one form to another.
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- Intro to Biodiversity
| 3 weeks | - Ecosystems have structure and diversity that change over time.
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- Populations
| 3 weeks | - Populations change over time in reaction to a variety of factors.
- Human populations change in reaction to a variety of factors, including social and cultural factors.
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- Earth Systems and Resources
| 3 weeks | - Earth’s systems interact, resulting in a state of balance over time.
- Most of the Earth’s atmospheric processes are driven by input of energy from the sun.
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- Land and Water Use
| 3-4 weeks | - When humans use natural resources, they alter natural systems.
- Humans can mitigate their impact on land and water resources through sustainable use.
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- Energy Resources and Consumption
| 3-4 weeks | - Humans use energy from a variety of sources, resulting in positive and negative consequences.
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- Atmospheric Pollution
| 3 weeks | - Human activities have physical, chemical, and biological consequences for the atmosphere.
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- Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution
| 4-5 weeks | - Human activities, including the use of resources, have physical, chemical, and biological consequences for ecosystems.
- Pollutants can have both direct and indirect impacts on the health of organisms, including humans.
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- Global Change
| 4-5 weeks | - Local and regional human activities can have impacts at the global level.
- The health of a species is closely tied to its ecosystem, and minor environmental changes can have a large impact.
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