This course can help prepare students who wish to continue their scientific education after high school, as well as students who wish to perform exceptionally well on the SAT exam. The level of aptitude in this subject will assist students wishing to excel on the SAT and in college courses.
According to the College Board’s website, AP Environmental Science is designed to provide students with scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. It is also mean to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risk associated with these problems, and to research solutions and/or alternatives for these problems. Though there are no listed prerequisites for this course, it would be wise to take basic science or math classes in order to better understand the scientific aspects of the curriculum. Students should also be prepared to use superior study skills and organizational skills in order to stay on top of their coursework.
AP Environmental Science is a serious course and includes many course goals. According to the College Board’s website, by the time students take their AP Environmental Science exam (or the SAT exam) they should:
- Know that science is a process. Students should realize that science is a very important method of learning about our environment, and that it constantly changes the way we understand the world.
- Understand that energy conversions underlie all ecological processes. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. The more energy passes through the ecological system, the more it becomes unusable.
- Learn that the Earth is an interconnected system, with natural systems that change and adapt over time and space. Different systems operate under a different set of norms and regulations.
- Understand that humans alter natural systems. Humans have made a rather large impact on the Earth, particularly in the past few decades with our many leaps in technology, rapid population growth, and energy use.
- Learn that environmental problems have a cultural and social context, and are much more complicated than we give them credit for. Understanding how different cultures and social structures affect the environment is key to finding solutions for them.
- Know that Human survival depends on developing practices tat will achieve sustainable, economically, and ecologically friendly systems. This means being able to incorporate both conservation and development into a suitable balance. This also means being able to manage common resources.
- Appreciate that Environmental Science has many applications, both inside and outside of the classroom. Studying Environmental Science can lead to a greater understanding of the environment and how exactly to take care of it.
- Be able to use study notes and other study techniques in conjunction with various AP Environmental Science textbooks such as Living in the Environment and Barron’s AP Environmental Science.
Students interested in taking AP classes should recognize that these classes can have a substantial payoff, but they can also damage a student’s GPA if not taken seriously. Students that commit themselves will see a huge payoff when taking the SAT and when beginning their college career.
Students that wish to get accepted to the college or university of their choice should definitely consider looking into Advanced Placement courses. They will not only look excellent on a student’s high school transcript, but it will help students develop the study skills they need to excel in college and beyond. Anyone wishing to take advantage of the Advanced Placement programs should take to their high school counselor about which courses might best suit their interests. The sooner students begin to take their education seriously, the sooner they’ll begin seeing the results!
Here you will find AP Environemental Science vocabulary, formulas, environmental laws, and glossary terms. We are working to add more AP Chemistry resources such as outlines, unit notes, topic notes, study questions, and practice quizzes.
