Westlake High School

2016-17 Academic Year

Environmental Science
Instructor: Ms. Reddick
Classroom Location: Room 281
Email: reddicka@fultonschools.org
Website: msreddick.weebly.com
School Telephone Number: 470-254-6500
Tutorial/Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 3:30 4:30

Prerequisites:
AP Environmental Science is open to any student who has completed Biology I, Chemistry, Physical Science or Physics,
and Algebra 2 with at least an 85% average or above in all. Also, students must have a teacher recommendation in order
to enroll in the class.

Course Description/Outline:
The AP Environmental Science course is designed to provide students with a learning experience equivalent to an
introductory one-semester college environmental science course. The course emphasizes the principles, concepts, and
methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of natural world, identify and analyze environmental
problems, evaluate relative risks associated with theses problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or
preventing them. Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study of how Earth works, how we interact with Earth, and
how we can deal with environmental problems we face. Because these issues affect every part of our lives, every concept
will be useful to you now and throughout your lives. You live in a challenging era. We are increasingly more aware that
during this century, we must make a cultural transition in which we learn how to live more sustainably by reducing the
degradation of our life support system.

Students are encouraged to keep copies of their laboratory work for use in determining college credit and/or placement
(http://apcentral.collegeboard.com). This course includes a rigorous Advanced Placement test given on May 1 st, 2017.
This exam includes 100 multiple choice questions (60% of the total score) and 4 free-response questions (40% of the total
score) with each section lasting 90 minutes. Dependent on the students result on the examination, some college credit
may be earned.

Per County and College Board policy, any student that does not take their AP exam FOR ANY EXCUSED
OR UNEXCUSED REASON is responsible for the returned/unused exam fee. Any student that is passing
their AP class, even if it is with a 70%, MUST take their AP exam.

In order to illustrate these themes, there will be rigorous lab and field component to this course. In addition to lecture,
reading, and computer simulations, students will complete weekly in-class labs and maintain several long-term ecological
research projects. Several weekend field trips are scheduled. Instruction in APES consists of a blend of lectures,
discussions, hands-on activities, and written assignments (research projects, in-class and home labs and homework
questions). Approximately 2 class periods per week are devoted to hands-on laboratory experiences or fieldwork. All lab
and fieldwork requires a written report. A test is given at the end of every unit.
FALL (AUGUST 8 -DECEMBER 20, 2016)

Week 1: Economies & Law

Week 2-5: Unit 1: Population
Week 6-9: Unit 2: Land
Week 10-
Unit 3: Water
14:
Week 15-
Unit 4: Atmosphere
17
Week 18: Final Exam Review & Final Exam

SPRING (JANUARY 10- MAY, 19, 2017)

Week 1-5: Unit 5: Energy

Week 6-
Unit 6: Ecology & Human Impact
11:
Week 12-
Unit 7: Land & Water Use
15:
Week 16: Review for AP Exam
Week 17-
Human Impact & Final Exam Review
18
 MAJOR TOPIC AREAS:
I. Earth Systems and Resources (10-15%) V. Energy Resources and Consumption
a. Earth Science Concepts A. Energy Concepts
b. The Atmosphere B. Energy Consumption
c. Global Water resources & Use C. Fossil Fuel Resources and Use
d. Soil & Soil Dynamics D. Nuclear Energy
E. Hydroelectric power
II. Living World (10-15%) F. Energy Conservation
a. Ecosystem Structure G. Renewable Energy
b. Energy Flow
c. Ecosystem Diversity VI. Pollution ( 25-30%)
d. Natural Ecosystem Change A. Pollution Types
e. Natural Biogeochemical cycles a. Air Pollution
b. Noise Pollution
III. Population (10-15%) c. Water pollution
a. Population Biology Concepts d. Solid waste
b. Human Population
B. Impacts on the Environment and Human
IV. Land and Water Use (10-15%) Health
a. Agriculture A. Hazards to Human health
b. Forestry e. Hazardous chemicals in the
c. Rangelands Environment
d. Other Land Use B. Economic Impacts
e. Public & Federal Lands
f. Land Conservation VI. Global Change (10-15%)
Options A.Stratospheric Ozone
g. Mining C. Global Warming
h. Fishing D. Loss of Biodiversity
i. Global Economics

Textbook:
Living in the Environment, 11th Edition by G. Tyler Miller

Materials:
3 ring binder with organized sections (for all class notes and assignments)
Lab composition book or spiral tablet #1 (for laboratory investigations)
Pens, #2 pencils, and eraser
Access to a computer with Internet connection and printing capabilities
Notebook (ruled) paper

Grading Policy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

County Grading Scale: A 100 90

B 89 80
C 79 70
F 69 and below

Course Weights:
 Category of Assignments Percentage of Cumulative Semester Grade
Final Exam 20%
Formative Assessment 0% (These assignments WILL AFFECT the portfolio grade.)
Performance Assessment 25%
Portfolio 20%
Summative Assessment 25%
Quiz 10%

Description of Assignments:

Final Exam - The goal of any final exam is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional period by comparing
it against some standard or formative assessment. Examples of final exams for this course include:
Fall Semester Final Exam
SLO posttest or EOC during Spring Semester

Formative Assessment - The goal of any formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback
that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. More specifically,
formative assessments:
Help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work
Help faculty recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately
Examples of formative assessments that will be used in this course include:
classwork and homework activities
district level benchmarks
common course assessments
unannounced (pop) quiz
exit tickets
Student Learning Objectives (SLO) pretest
* Note: Students please be forewarned, not taking Formative Assessments seriously will most likely result in failed
quizzes and summative assessments.*

Performance Assessment - The goal of any performance assessment is to measure student learning as to what students can
do with what they know, rather than how much they know. With performance assessment, students are engaged in tasks in
which they are crafting products. Student work is guided via rubrics, exemplar models, and teacher feedback all along the
way. Performance assessments are an excellent way to differentiate instruction based on student interest and learning
style. Examples of performance assessments that will be used in this course include:
Labs
Projects

Portfolio - The design of any portfolio is to be a purposeful collection of student work that tells the story of student
achievement or growth. Within this limited definition, a portfolio system should:
promote student self-assessment and control of learning
support student-led parent conferences
certify student competence
build student self-confidence
evaluate curriculum and instruction
Because there is no single correct way to do portfolios, there are really only two basic reasons for doing them,
(1) Assessment usage - keeping track of what students know and can do
(2) Instructional usage - promoting learning where students learn merely by assembling and reviewing the portfolio.
Examples of portfolio artifacts that this teacher will require for this course may include but are not limited to:
completion of mastery-based online computer assignments
student-corrected classwork/homework assignments (rubric will be given)
 student-corrected formative assessments (rubric will be given)
student-corrected quizzes (rubric will be given)

Summative Assessment - The goal of any summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an
instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or formative assessment. Examples of summative assessments for
this course include unit tests.

Quiz - The goal of any quiz is to evaluate student learning after instruction of a single learning task by comparing it
against some standard or formative assessment. Quizzes reflect the rigor of the course, so it is the responsibility of the
individual teacher to differentiate them based on course descriptions and student learning objectives. Examples of quizzes
for this course include:
unannounced (pop) quizzes
online quizzes
paper-based quizzes

Dress Code/Lab Dress Code: Due to the lab experiences involving chemicals and glassware, students must dress properly to
decrease chances of injury while preforming certain labs. Students will be required to wear closed-toe shoes, non-baggy clothes,
no dangling jewelry, and with long hair tied up. If this dress code is not met, the student will not be allowed to participate in the
lab experience and will receive a ZERO grade for the assignment.

Westlake High Honor Code

The Westlake High School Honor Code is in effect at all times. Cheating will not be tolerated!
Cheating is defined as giving or receiving information in any form that is related to a gradable experience including the
use of sources of information other than those specifically approved by the teacher either during or outside of class.
Students are required to sign honor pledges as applicable for major tests, projects, and/or papers.

Examples of Cheating include, but are not limited to:

Plagiarism using words or ideas from a published source without proper documentation; using the work of
another student (e.g. copying another students homework, composition, or project); using excessive editing
suggestions of another student, teacher, parent or paid editor.
Looking on someone elses paper during a test or quiz.
Cheat sheets of any kind.
Knowingly accepting or giving information concerning the contents of a test or quiz.
Changing the appearance of computer printouts.
Allowing another student to complete Web Assign or other web-based activities using your name and login
information.

Any student found to be in violation of the Honor Code on any assignment will receive a grade of a zero on the
assignment in question. The assignment may not be made up (students having zeros are not eligible for recovery).
Violations may be considered by faculty in making future recommendations. Memberships in honor clubs will be
jeopardized.
 Fulton County Policy

Make Up Work Policy:

If you have an excused absence on the day it is assigned, then you will have one day to turn the assignment in
without penalty. If you miss a test, you must make up the test after school within 5 days of your return to school.
(Make up work policy subject to change for Performance Assessments).

Late Work Policy:

If you are present when an assignment is given, then I expect you to turn in the work on the day that it is due. If you are
present in class and fail to submit an assignment upon teacher request on the day that it is due, then you will receive a
grade of a zero for that assignment. If you have an unexcused absence on the day the assignment is due, then you will
receive a grade of a zero for that assignment.

Recognizing the value of students being able to demonstrate their mastery of their learned knowledge, Westlake will
implement two school wide late work amnesty windows per semester. Assignments that can be submitted on these dates
fall under the grade weights of Class Work and Homework. The amnesty dates are as follows:
FALL- : October 17th- 21st SPRING- March 20th - 23rd

Recovery Policy:
Provision for Improving Grades
1. Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative grade will be allowed
when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to
meet all course requirements including attendance. Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery
opportunities. Teachers are expected to establish a reasonable time period for recovery work to be
completed during the semester. All recovery work must be directly related to course objectives and must be
completed ten school days prior to the end of the semester.
2. Teachers will determine when and how students with extenuating circumstances may improve their grades.

Classroom Expectations/Procedures: The teacher and the students will adhere to the Westlake Rules and Procedures Policy as
outlined in the Student Handbook as well as the following classroom rules:
Expected Classroom behaviors:
1. Please, keep all food and drink outside of class.
2. Be in your seat when the tardy bell rings.
 3. Leaving class is for emergencies only.
4. Respect others who are talking.
5. Show respect to other people, their ideas and opinions.
6. Only work on classroom (Environmental Science) assignments in class.
7. All laboratory safety rules must be followed in class.
8. Be prepared.
i. Bring materials to class - textbook, pencil, calculator, paper, and notebook.
ii. Bring ALL due assignments to class. Students will not be allowed under any circumstances to go to their
lockers or to their cars to retrieve assignments.
9. All work involving mathematical computations must be shown to receive credit.
10. According to Fulton County School Policy: Students shall not alter or attempt to alter school or private property including
technology hardware and software". This includes:
Changing desktop settings or control panels on computers.
Removing or damaging mouse tracking balls keyboard keys, cables, connectors, network jacks, or any
other hardware.
Modifying computer software, damaging computer disks, CD ROMs, or other media
Take care of books, desks, and lab equipment.

CONSEQUENCES:
The student that fails to follow safety or classroom rules will be subject to detention and/or referred to the administration for
further disciplinary action.

USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES:

Cell phones cannot be on or visible unless authorized by the teacher for instructional purposes.

HALL PASS:
Hall passes will be written for emergency restroom purposes only. They will not be written for counselor, student services, front
office, coach, teacher, or any other type of visitation.

*This syllabus is a general outline of the course and is subject to modification at any time without prior notification at
the discretion of the instructor. .

PLEASE KEEP THIS SYLLABUS IN YOUR NOTEBOOK!!

IMPORTANT DATES/FIELD TRIPS:

THE AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM WILL BE MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017 AT 8:00 AM

THE COURSE WILL INCLUDE 4-6 FIELD TRIPS. PLEASE REFER TO COURSE WEBSITE AS THE SEMESTER PROGRESSES TO KEEP
TRACK OF RELEVANT DATES
 Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science Syllabus Receipt
Confirmation and Contact Sheet

I acknowledge and have read all of the information contained in this syllabus and will work with my
daughter/son/parent/guardian/teacher to successfully complete this course.

Student Name (print):________________________________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Name (print):_____________________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Signature: _______________________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) E-mail Address (if applicable):____________________________________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) home phone number: _____________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) work phone number: ______________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) cell phone number: _______________________________

Alternate contact number (if applicable):_________________________________

At Westlake High School, we understand that you have busy schedules and respect your time. Therefore, we guarantee
that we will not abuse any of the given information and will contact you only when necessary (usually under the
conditions outlined in the syllabus or to let you know information that is pertinent to your students success at Westlake
 High School). All information is required to consider this form complete. A mass e-mail may be sent or a courtesy call
may be given to ensure that the information provided is accurate.

If you wish to contact me or set up a conference you can call the counselors office and the secretary will make an appointment
that meets your convenience. The best way to contact me directly is to e-mail me at:
reddicka@fultonschools.org

To keep up with the pacing of the course, you can visit the class website at msreddick.weebly.com