Environmental Science

Topics per quarter

1st quarter
I. Introduction (What comprises the study of Environmental Science?)
A. Develop interest in Environmental Science
B. Lab Safety
C. Develop the logic and sequence of the scientific process
D. Lab report writing and expectations

II. Earths Systems (How do the various spheres interact?)

A. Open vs closed systems
B. Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere
C. Feedback loops, inputs and outputs

III. Biogeochemical Cycles (How do carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through the various spheres?)
A. Carbon reservoirs
B. Carbon cycle
C. Carbon sinks
D. Nitrogen cycles
E. Water cycle

IV. Biodiversity (How does genetic diversity drive biodiversity?)

A. Biodiversity
B. Genetic diversity
C. Native, nonnative, and invasive species
D. Threatened and endangered species
E. Captive breeding, selective breeding, and cloning

V. Biomes and Aquatic Systems (What are the characteristics of the various types of aquatic biomes?)
A. Biomes
B. Climate
C. Salinity
D. Bogs and Wetlands
E. Intertidal, Mangrove, and Estuaries
F. Open-ocean ecosystems

2nd quarter
I. Human Population (How are human populations recorded and described?)
A. Demography/Census
B. Age structure pyramid
C. Sex ratio and total fertility rate
D. Infant mortality and life expectancy

II. Population Ecology (How do limiting factors affect biodiversity in a biosphere?)

A. Biosphere, ecosystems, habitats
B. Abiotic, biotic, and limiting factors
C. Individuals, communities, and populations
D. Distribution patterns, population density, and sex ratio

III. Population Growth (How do a variety of factors affect population growth?)

A. Biotic Potential
B. Population growth and carrying capacity
C. Migration, emigration, and immigration
D. Exponential and fluctuating logic growth
 E. Rise and crash survivorship curve
F. Biotechnology ethics

IV. Species Interactions (How do intraspecific and interspecific interactions affect a species?)
A. Intraspecific competition, interspecific competition, and competitive exclusion
B. Predation, parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism
C. Population cycle
D. Predation and evolution

V. Ecological Communities (How does energy transfer through trophic levels?)

A. Producers, consumers, decomposers
B. Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores, and decomposers
C. Primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers
D. Energy transfer through trophic levels
E. Food webs and biodiversity

3rd quarter
I. Evolution (How do the mechanisms of evolution function?)
A. Evolution
B. Diversity, natural selection, and speciation
C. Inherited variation, mutation
D. Artificial selection
E. Extinction

II. Toxic Substances (How do various toxic substances pose a danger to humans?)
A. Carcinogens, chemical mutagens, teratogens, neurotoxins
B. Allergens, asbestos, radon, carbon monoxide, lead
C. Hazards on land, in water, and in air
D. Bioaccumulation and bio-magnification

III. Uses of Water (What are the major uses of fresh water?)
A. Major locations of fresh water, renewable vs limited
B. Watershed and water table
C. Water use for agriculture, industrial, and personal
D. Groundwater depletion

IV. Water Pollution (How do various human activities add to water pollution?)
A. Point source and non-point source pollution
B. Major forms of ocean pollution
C. Groundwater pollution
D. Eutrophication

V. Municipal, Industrial, and Hazardous Waste (How do municipal and industrial waste differ?)
A. Municipal vs. industrial waste
B. Reducing solid waste
C. Waste recovery
D. Hazardous waste classification
E. Sources of hazardous waste
F. Hazardous waste disposal
G. Toxic waste dumping
4th quarter
VI. Succession and Community Stability (How does succession function in communities?)
A. Succession
B. Disturbances to succession

VII. Forestry Management (How resource management affect forests?)

A. Resource management
B. Maintaining renewable resources
C. Deforestation
D. Forest fires
VIII. Agriculture (How does agriculture benefit and harm humans and their environment?)
A. Sustainable farming
B. Factors that contribute to soil degradation
C. Pest Control
D. Importance of Pollinators
E. Pros/cons of monoculture

IX. Mining (How does benefit and harm humans and their environment?)
A. What materials are mined?
B. Types of mining
C. Pros/cons of mining

X. Non-renewable Energy (What are the benefits and harms of non-renewable energy sources?)
A. Fossil fuels
B. Pros/cons of fossil fuels
C. Fossil fuels and pollution

XI. Renewable Energy (What are the benefits and harms of renewable energy sources?)
A. Types of renewable resources
B. Pros/cons of renewable resources
C. Technology and renewable resources

XII. Atmospheric Pollution and Climate Change (How does atmospheric pollution lead to climate change?)
A. Primary and secondary air pollutants
B. Acid rain
C. Causes and effects of climate change