Environmental Science Syllabus

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Fall & Spring Semester 2017

Ms. Odom

odomsn@fultonschools.org

Room H101

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an understanding of how living organisms interact within their environment and the either harmful or beneficial relationship that exist between an organism and its habitat. Particularly the subject of environmental science incorporates human interactions with their associated environments. It is the goal of environmental science to provide the students with the tools necessary to build a sustainable society. This semester the area of focus will be on examining the natural resources available to man and identifying those that are sustainable and evaluate the relationships that exist in the different ecosystems. The students will also begin to correlate the relationship between population and pollution. Environmental science is a lab based course therefore the students will further their skills in science through the use of laboratory techniques and scientific research.

Textbook: Miller, G. Tyler (2009). Environmental Science: 16th Edition. Living in the Environment: Concepts, Connections, and Solutions.

UNITS

Standards

Chapters

Unit 1

SUSTAINABILITY

SEV5. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the effects of human population growth on global ecosystems.

a. Construct explanations about the relationship between the quality of life and human impact on the environment in terms of population growth, education, and gross national product.

d. Design and defend a sustainability plan to reduce your individual contribution to environmental impacts, taking into account how market forces and societal demands (including political, legal, social, and economic) influence personal choices.

Unit 2

ECOLOGY (FIELD)

SEV1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate the flow of energy and cycling of matter within an ecosystem.

a. Develop and use a model to compare and analyze the levels of biological organization including organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biosphere.

b. Develop and use a model based on the Laws of Thermodynamics to predict energy transfers throughout an ecosystem.

c. Analyze and interpret data to construct an argument of the necessity of biogeochemical cycles (hydrologic, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon) to support a sustainable ecosystem.

d. Evaluate claims, evidence, and reasoning of the relationship between the physical factors (e.g., insolation, proximity to coastline, topography) and organismal adaptations within terrestrial biomes.

e. Plan and carry out an investigation of how chemical and physical properties impact aquatic biomes in Georgia.

Chapters

1 & 2

Unit 3

COMMUNITIES

SEV2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to construct explanations of stability and change in Earth’s ecosystems.

c. Construct an argument to predict changes in biomass, biodiversity, and complexity within ecosystems, in terms of ecological succession.

d. Construct an argument to support a claim about the value of biodiversity in ecosystem resilience including keystone, invasive, native, endemic, indicator, and endangered species.

Chapters 3-6

Unit 4

WATER (RESOURCES AND POLLUTION)

SEV1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate the flow of energy and cycling of matter within an ecosystem.

e. Plan and carry out an investigation of how chemical and physical properties impact aquatic biomes in Georgia.

SEV4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to analyze human impact on natural resources.

  1. Construct and revise a claim based on evidence on the effects of human activities on natural resources.
  2. Design, evaluate, and refine solutions to reduce human impact on the environment including, but not limited to, smog, ozone depletion, urbanization, and ocean acidification.
  3. Construct an argument to evaluate how human population growth affects food demand and food supply (GMOs, monocultures, desertification, Green Revolution).

Chapters 7 and 11

Unit 5

POPULATION AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

SEV5. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the effects of human population growth on global ecosystems.

  1. Analyze and interpret data on global patterns of population growth (fertility and mortality rates) and demographic transitions in developing and developed countries.

SPRING SEMESTER

Unit 1

ENERGY (MINING AND RESOURCES)

SEV3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to evaluate types, availability, allocation, and sustainability of energy resources.

  1. Analyze and interpret data to communicate information on the origin and consumption of renewable forms of energy (wind, solar, geothermal, biofuel, and tidal) and non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels and nuclear energy).
  2. Construct an argument based on data about the risks and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. (Clarification statement: This may include, but is not limited to, the environmental, social, and economic risks and benefits.)
  3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate data to predict the sustainability potential of renewable and non-renewable energy resources.
  4. Design and defend a sustainable energy plan based on scientific principles for your location.

Unit 2

AIR POLLUTION & CLIMATE DISRUPTION

SEV2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to construct explanations of stability and change in Earth’s ecosystems.

b. Analyze and interpret data to determine how changes in atmospheric chemistry (CO2 and methane) impact the greenhouse effect.

Unit 3

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

SEV4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to analyze human impact on natural resources.

  1. Construct and revise a claim based on evidence on the effects of human activities on natural resources.
  2. Design, evaluate, and refine solutions to reduce human impact on the environment including, but not limited to, smog, ozone depletion, urbanization, and ocean acidification.
  3. Construct an argument to evaluate how human population growth affects food demand and food supply (GMOs, monocultures, desertification, Green Revolution).

Unit 4

CITIES, ECONOMICS, ENVIRONMENT, & SUSTAINABILITY

SEV5. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the effects of human population growth on global ecosystems.

  1. Construct explanations about the relationship between the quality of life and human impact on the environment in terms of population growth, education, and gross national product.
  2. Analyze and interpret data on global patterns of population growth (fertility and mortality rates) and demographic transitions in developing and developed countries.
  3. Construct an argument from evidence regarding the ecological effects of human innovations (Agricultural, Industrial, Medical, and Technological Revolutions) on global ecosystems.
  4. Design and defend a sustainability plan to reduce your individual contribution to environmental impacts, taking into account how market forces and societal demands (including political, legal, social, and economic) influence personal choices.

Grade Determination

Summative Assessments 40%

Quizzes 10%

Lab & Performance assessments 20%

Homework & Classwork 10%

Final Exam 20%

Grade Scale for Fulton County Schools

A= 100-90

B= 89-80

C= 79-70

F= below 70

Explanation of Grade Components:

  1. Summative Assessments: Assessments will include information from class notes, textbook, labs, handouts, homework, etc. Summative assessments could be one of the following: They project's, Field Journals (portfolio), Free Response, and Reflection Summaries.

  1. Quizzes: Quizzes are announced in advance. Quizzes will include information from class notes, textbook, labs, handouts, homework, etc.

Formative Assessments:

  1. Laboratory Activities: Lab activities are hands-on or interactive lessons. Missed labs must be made up within one week of return or it is a recovery grade. Formal lab reports will be written for selected labs. Absence from the lab is no excuse for not completing the lab reports or other lab related work.
  2. Performance Assessments: Performance assessment (PA) is typically used to refer to an assessment that is based on observation and judgment that results in an end product. PA allows a broad range of learning outcomes to be assessed, including conceptual understanding, problem-solving skills, and the application of knowledge and understanding to unique situations, and captures aspects of higher-order thinking and reasoning. Missed PA’s must be made up within one week of return or it is a recovery grade.
  3. Homework and Classwork: Homework will be assigned as needed and will be checked and collected. All Class work will be collected and graded.

Final Exam: There will be a cumulative final exam given at the end of each semester.

Make-up Policy:

Make- up work for an absence follows the Fulton County guidelines. For every one day absent you have one day to make up the work. Excused absences are at full credit, while unexcused absences receive a 10% reduction. It is your responsibility to get the make-up work from us and to schedule any labs, test, or quizzes missed before school or after school. Test not made up by the next test date will be graded as a recovery grade.

Expectations for Written Work Across the Curriculum

All written work should:

• be in complete sentences using formal language

• follow conventions of grammar, usage and mechanics

• accurately cite sources used with discipline-specific requirements (i.e. MLA, APA, etc.).

RECOVERY:

School Board Policy IHA Grading and Reporting System

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.

Chattahoochee High School Provision for Improving Grades

Students who complete a major assessment but fail to demonstrate mastery as evidenced by a grade below 75% on the major assessment may pursue an improvement opportunity to show proficiency. In the case of an honor code violation on a major assessment, the grade will stand as a zero with no eligibility for recovery on that assignment. What is classified as a major assessment is determined within the content area; consult your course syllabus for details.

  1. Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery opportunities within 5 school days of being informed of the grade on the assessment in class. Students are allowed one attempt at recovery per major assessment category listed in the course syllabus. All recovery work must be completed 10 days before the end of the semester.
  2. The grade on the recovery assignment will replace the original grade if the recovery grade is equal to or below 75%. If the recovery grade is above 75%, the original grade will be replaced with a 75%.

Extra Help:

Since science can be a difficult subject, please seek help immediately from me when you need it. It does you no good to wait till test time. I will make myself available Tuesdays and Thursdays before school or after school for individual help.

Classroom Behavior: All student handbook rules and policies will be enforced in class. The following rules are expected in the classroom:

1) Be respectful of others in class.

2) Be in your seat when the tardy bell rings.

3) Bring all materials to class daily. (I will not send you to your locker!!!)

4) All music devices and Cell phones are to be out of site or may be confiscated.

5) Follow all laboratory safety rules.

6) No rude behavior will be tolerated.

Failure to follow these rules will result in private detention, a phone call to your parents, or a referral to the appropriate administrator.

Honor Code Policy:

In an effort to encourage good study habits, fair competition and positive development in the area of academics, the Chattahoochee faculty supports a strong policy on cheating. Cheating is defined as “giving or receiving, in any form, information relating to a gradable experience, either inside or outside of class”. I will strictly enforce the honor code policy as described in your student handbook.