AP Environmental Syllabus

Hope Wilson
Fletcher High School
(904) 2475905 ext. 1301
wilsonh@duvalschools.org
Course Overview
AP Environmental Science is a yearlong course designed
to meet the curriculum requirements set by the college
board. As outlined in the AP Environmental Course
Description booklet, The AP Environmental Science course is
designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college
course in environmental science, through which students engage with the
scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand
the interrelationships of 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.

The course examines the following subfields:

- Environmental laws
- Ecosystems
- Toxicology
- Population
-Urbanization
-Renewable
-Non-renewable energy
-Diversity
-Land and food
-Pollution
-Climate change.

OBJECTIVES Students will be required to understand the

interrelationships of the natural world and use various
scientific disciplines.
Textbook Raven, Berg, and Hassenzahl. Environment,
7th edition
Additional resources Study guides such as AP Barons,
Kaplan or The Princeton Review.
Using the county grading scale Grades will be
calculated using total points/straight average:
A= 90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=59 and below
Warm ups- 20 points
Classwork- 30 points
Notebooks- 50-100 points
Quizzes/tests/labs - 50-100 points
Projects- 100-200 points
All late work will receive partial credit.
Homework, classwork, and warms will be graded
randomly.
Other Policies
Attendance
Class begins promptly when the bell rings. If a student is tardy to class
without a pass, it will be considered unexcused. The school procedure for

reporting excessive unexcused tardiness will be followed. 15 minutes and

beyond is considered skipping.
If a student is absent, he/she is expected to bring an excuse note on
the first day that he/she returns to school. Without the note, the absence will
be considered unexcused. School-wide procedures will be followed for
dealing with excessive absences. (Note: A student is considered tardy if
he/she arrives after the late bell rings. A student is considered absent if
he/she does not attend a class session).
Make up work WILL NOT be given without an excuse note. Students whose
tardies or absences are unexcused will receive a ZERO for any work they
miss or fail to turn in ON TIME. Late work due to unexcused tardies or
absences will not be accepted and the student will receive a zero for such
work. Make up work and homework will be posted for those students who
miss that day. Students who have an excused absence will have two DAYS
from the day they receive their make-up work/home work to turn it in.
Students who are absent the entire week will receive a ZERO for a weekly
participation grade. The grade will be excused if there is a note turned in
when the student returns.
QUIZ/TEST make ups will be given ONLY with an excused absence and
must be completed either upon the first day returned to school OR on the
Tuesday afternoon following the quiz/test (students must make arrangements
to stay after school). Any issues need to be discussed with Mrs. Strickland
BEFORE the assessment if at all possible. Failure to make up an assessment
according to this policy will result in a grade of 0.
ID Policy
Students are required to follow the Fletcher ID policy. Failure to abide
by the ID policy will result in implementing school-wide procedures for such
violations.
HomeWork/Home Learning
Unless stated otherwise, homework is due the next day that class
meets. Students WILL NOT be allowed to make up homework that is not
submitted on the date that it is due. Students who have an excused absence
will have two DAYS from the day they receive their make-up work/homework
to turn it in. If a student fails to present his or her homework assignments,
he or she will receive a ZERO for those missing assignments.
Contraband Items
Contraband items are items that are not allowed in the classroom.
These include: cell phones (should be kept out of sight unless allowed by
teacher for academic purposes), portable video games, playing or trading
cards or gambling paraphernalia (like dice) and any electronic devices as
specified by school rules. Hats are considered a contraband item. They are

not to be worn in class, with the exception of headgear worn for religious
reasons. In the case that contraband items are found in the classroom,
school-wide policies for dealing with such items will apply.
Hall Passes
No student will be allowed to leave the classroom without a pass.
Students will be given 4 passes per quarter. Students should use the
bathroom between classes. Repeated bathroom requests (for example every
class session) will be denied. Students MAY NOT use the hall pass during
the Teacher Instruction and 15 minutes before the end of class. If a
student goes to the bathroom during the Student Work Session, the
student is responsible for having the work done in the allotted time.
Unfinished work due to taking a hall pass WILL NOT be excused. If there are
extenuating circumstances, please bring them to the teachers attention.
Plagiarism and Cheating
Plagiarism is taking another persons work and presenting it as your
own. This includes copying homework assignments, copying from websites
without acknowledgement, buying or using internet term paper sites, using
essay writing services, allowing your parents to write your papers or
complete your homework, or copying from a textbook, encyclopedia or other
reference work without acknowledgement (How to cite sources will be
covered in this years curriculum).
Plagiarism is considered stealing in this class and will not be tolerated.
Students who plagiarize will receive a zero on the assignment. Students
caught cheating on will receive a zero. Using ANY electronic device during
an assessment (unless otherwise stated by the teacher) is considered
cheating (even if you are not), and your assessment will be given a zero.
Student Conduct During Tests and Quizzes
To ensure that tests and quizzes truly reveal a students mastery of
material, students WILL NOT communicate either verbally or non-verbally
(this includes talking, passing notes, using hand signals, etc.) during tests
and quizzes. A student who violates this conduct will be awarded a zero on
that particular test or quiz. Similarly, a student who disrupts testing
environment in any manner will be awarded a zero on that quiz or test.
Using ANY electronic device during an assessment (unless otherwise
stated by the teacher) is considered cheating (even if you are not), and your
assessment will be given a zero.
***The Student Code of Conduct will be enforced at all times***

Classroom Rules
1) Be Respectful. (That pretty much covers most things.)
2) Be Punctual.

3) Be Prepared.
4) Do the Right Thing Because Its the Right Thing to Do.

Consequences

1st Offense: Verbal Warning

2nd Offense: Removal from group/isolation
3rd Offense: 0 participation points/parents called.
4th Offense: Sent to the Deans office/ REFERAL

Supplies
Spiral or composition notebook
1 inch( or larger) 3 ring notebook with tab dividers
Loose leaf paper
Pens/ pencils
Index cards
Colored pencils
tissues/ hand sanitizer
AP Exam: All students will take the AP exam in the
Spring. Failure to take the exam will result in a zero for
the teacher final exam, which is a separate grade on the
report card. If an issue arises and you miss the exam,
you must contact me for a make up exam as soon as
possible, and failure to do so will then result in a zero
teacher final exam. Please consult the College Board
Website for the exam date and time:
www.apcentral.collegeboard.com

I have read the syllabus and understand the expectations

for AP Environmental Science.
Student signature

date

Parent signature

date