About this Unit:

Environmental science is the study of patterns and processes in the natural world and their modification by human activity. To understand current environmental problems, we need to consider physical, biological and chemical processes. This unit will give you the skills necessary to understand the environmental issues we are facing today by examining scientific principles and the application of those principles to natural systems. This unit will survey some of the many environmental science topics at an introductory level, ultimately considering the sustainability of human activities on the planet.

Environmental impacts on Earth come from the number of people and the amount and types of resources that they use. By applying scientific principles and considering real-world examples, we will examine:

• The field of environmental science and how to think like an environmental scientist
• The human population and the ways in which changes in the population affect the environment
• Non-renewable fossil fuels with a focus on coal, petroleum and natural gas and the benefits and consequences of using each
• The Water Cycle, with a focus on water conservation
• Renewable fuels such as wind and solar and identify that even renewable “green” energy sources have impacts as well as benefits
• Biodiversity and global change, which are the integrating units of environmental science

Required Labs/Activities:

Calculating Water Usage and Energy Consumption

Required Reference Tables for the aforementioned Activity

Natural Resources Plotting Lab

Factors Affecting Deposition Lab

Cookie "Mining" Lab

Bird Seed Mining Lab

Chemical Weathering

Homework!