In this unit, students will think critically about an environmental problem and evaluate a given solution, articulating the benefits and drawbacks. Students will also be able to propose their own solutions to environmental problems. In order to understand the implications of environmental legislation, students must see how policies are applied in different contexts. They also need to see the outcomes of those policies in context to fully address an environmental problem. Students will then be able to explain why those outcomes occurred and how the policy affected the outcomes.

Quantitative skills are also important in this unit and will be addressed by having students perform a variety of water quality laboratory investigations. This will provide the opportunity to perform calculations with the data collected. These lab experiences will also provide students contexts to evaluate environmental problems.

On the AP Exam, students must be able to explain concepts related to the different types of pollution that impact land and water. Students sometimes struggle to evaluate data related to pollution so students will be provided opportunities to practice this skill through hands-on laboratory activities related to pollution. Students will have the opportunity to discuss their observations and data within class and to share their data with a local watershed council. Students will benefit from the multiple opportunities they are given to analyze data by describing the relationships among the variables. Students will explain the meaning of the data and the implications the data illustrate about pollution.

Students will be provided computational practice in order to develop strategies to solve mathematical problems that require multiple steps to answer. Dimensional analysis will be practiced to demonstrate how a logical step-by-step methods can be used that shows how their problem solving ends with a numerical answer and appropriate units.