Environmental Science

Environmental Science 1-2 is a laboratory science course designed to explore the interrelationship of humanity on the local and global environment. Emphasis is on helping the student make decisions based on facts about our ability to live in harmony with the environment. This course is activity-oriented and includes such topics as ecological relationships, use and consumption of our natural resources, energy and problems resulting from population growth.

Course syllabus with labs listed in each quarter:
Quarter 1
Essential Question: What are the essential steps of the scientific method?

Big Idea: The purpose of this unit is to review the scientific method.

Questions State Standards
Labs & activities WebSites
Methods of Science Strand 1: Inquiry processes
Concept 1: Observations, Questions and Hypotheses
Concept 2: Scientific Testing

Math Strand 1: Inquiry processes
Concept 1: Data Analysis
Env. Sci. Holt, 2000
1.1, 1.2, 1.3

Intro to Env Science Activities
Living the Good Life
Pizza Food Web
Tragedy of the Commons

Paper Towel Lab
Melting Ice Lab – Heat v. Volume
Current Events Lab

Data Analysis Activities

Nature of Science Resources
Ongoing Labs – These labs need time and are best started in the 1st quarter.
Biosphere Lab
Smog Lab
Garbage Lab
Winogradsky Lab
Microloan Project

What are scientific methods?
How would s scientist formulate and test a hypothesis?
How do graphs help scientist analyze data?

Essential Question: How do the different systems of the earth interact?

Big Idea: The purpose of this unit is to introduce the student to the biosphere and the biochemical cycles.

Our Environment
Strand 2: History and Nature of Science
Concept 2: Nature of Scientific Knowledge

Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 3: Interdependence of Organisms

Strand 6: Earth and Space Science
Concept 1: Geochemical Cycles

Concept 2: Energy in the Earth System (internal and external)
Env. Sci. Holt, 2000
4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 7.1

Moon Lab
Calculate Carbon Footprint
Water Cycle Lab
N Cycle Lab
Cell Respiration Lab
Photosynthesis Lab
Can Can Lab
Albedo Lab

Data Analysis Activities
Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum

Definition: Albedo

How are materials cycled (carbon, water, rock) within the Earth’s system?

How are the geochemical processes responsible for the concentration of economically valuable minerals and ores in Arizona?
How is the hydrosphere linked to the biosphere, lithosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere?
What is your carbon footprint?
What is the effect of heat transfer on climate and weather?
How does albedo affect heat transfer (convection, conduction, radiation) among the atmosphere, land masses, and oceans?

Essential Question: How do the biochemical cycles interact?

Big Idea: The purpose of this unit is to tie together the various biochemical cycles.

Matter and Energy Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society

Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 5: Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems (Including Human Systems)

Strand 5: Physical Science
Concept 4: Chemical Reactions

Concept 5: Interactions of Energy and Matter

Env. Sci. Holt, 2000
3.1, 3.2, 3.3

Conservation of Mass
Dry Ice Lab
Video: Why Care About Water
H20 Use
Dripping Faucet Lab
Water Absorption Lab
Every Drop Counts Lab
Water Purification Lab

Data Analysis Activities
National Geographic

Salt River Project Teacher Resources

Phoenix Tres Rios
Tres Rios

What is matter?
How does matter change states?
Why is water conservation important?
What are some methods of water purification?
How much water do you use?
Can matter be destroyed or created?
Where does most of the energy on earth originate?

How are matter and energy stored and recycled in living systems?
What are the consequences of removing limiting factors of population growth?
Quarter 2
Questions State Standards
Labs & activities WebSites
Climatology Strand 5: Physical Science
Concept 3: Conservation of Energy and Increase in Disorder
Understand ways that energy is conserved, stored, and transferred.

Strand 6: Earth and Space Science
Concept 2: Energy in the Earth System (Both Internal and External)
Understand the relationships between the Earth’s land masses, oceans, and atmosphere. Climate Notes

Climate Controls

Weather Lab
EPA Climate Change

What factors influence climate?
Why do different parts of the world have different climates?

What causes seasons?
What is the difference between climate and weather?
How would you describe the climate where you live?
What is a climate system?
Population Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Concept 1: Changes in Environment
Describe the interactions between human populations, natural hazards, and the environment
Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society
Develop viable solutions to a need or problem
Concept 3: Human Population Characteristic
Analyze factors that affect human populations.

Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 3: Interdependence of Organisms
Analyze the relationships among various organisms and their environment. S
Strand 5: Physical Science
Concept 5: Interactions of Matter and Energy
Understand the interactions of matter and
6 Billion Human Beings (Pop Growth)

Mold Population

Estimating Populations

Population Curve Lab

Population Growth Equations

Population Pyramids

Population Institute

US and World Population Clock

Why is providing adequate food for all of the world’s people so difficult?
What are the advantages and the disadvantages of the green revolution?
How do low-input and conventional farming compare?
How many people can the Earth Support?
What are the factors that affect a population’s size?
Why do populations grow?
What limits a population’s growth?
What is sustainable development?
How has the size of the human population changed?
What are the factors that led to changes in the human population?
What are the stages of population growth?
What are the problems stemming from population growth?
How can we slow human population growth?
Sustainability and our Environment Strand 2: History and Nature of Science
Concept 1: History of Science as a Human Endeavor
Identify individual, cultural, and technological contributions to scientific knowledge.

Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Concept 1: Changes in Environment
Describe the interactions between human populations, natural hazards, and the environment
Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society
Develop viable solutions to a need or problem
Concept 3: Human Population Characteristic
Analyze factors that affect human populations.

Food for Thought

Farming the Future

What is food security and why is it difficult to attain?
How is food produced?
What environmental problems arise from food production?
How can we protect crops from pests more sustainably?
How can we improve food security?
How can we produce more food sustainably?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified food?
How is our food produced and how might food production change?

Quarter 3
Questions State Standards
Labs & activities WebSites
Geology Strand 3: Science in Personal and social Perspectives
Concept 1: Changes in the Environment
Concept 2: Science and Technology
Concept 3: Human Population Characteristics

Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 5: Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems

Strand 5: Physical Science
Concept 3: Conservation of Energy and Increase in Disorder

Strand 6: Earth and Space Science
Concept 1: Geochemical Cycles
Env. Sci., Holt 2000.
8.1, 8.2, 8.3

Data Analysis Activities
Nature of Science Resources

Why is Urban sprawl a problem?
How do city planners relieve the urban crisis?
How do humans use non-urban land as a natural resource?
How do logging, ranching, and mining affect the land?
Can lands be logged, grazed, and mined sustainably?
How are public lands used in the United States?
What are the benefits of using public land for multiple uses?
Energy Env. Sci., Holt 2000.
11.1, 11.2, 11.3

Data Analysis Activities
How are fossil Fuels used to produce electricity?
What makes a resource renewable?
Why are our major sources of energy dwindling?
What is nuclear fission?
How does a nuclear power plant operate?
How are nuclear and fossil fuel power plants similar?
What are the advantages and dis-advantages of nuclear energy?
Can we conserve energy?
What are alternative sources of energy?

Quarter 4

Questions State Standards
Labs & activities WebSites
POLLUTION Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Concept 1: Changes in Environments
Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society
Concept 3: Human Population Characteristics Smog City

Greenhouse gases

Lesson 7 ALBEDO

Air
What are the major sources of air pollution?

What are some possible effects of air pollution?
How does a thermal inversion make air pollution worse?
What causes indoor air pollution and how can it be prevented?
Water Strand 5: Physical Science
Concept 1: Structure and Properties of Matter

Foul Water Lab 1
Foul Water Lab 2

Acid Rain and Plants

Acid Rain and Metals

What are the main sources of fresh water?
Can you classify different kinds of water pollutants?
What is the impact of water pollution on people and the environment?
How do polluted oceans effect humans?
What are the causes and
effects of acid precipitation?
Solid Waste (12.1, 12.2) Strand 6: Earth and Space Science
Concept 1: Geochemical Cycles
Concept 2: Energy in the Earth System (Both Internal and External)
Where do you stash your trash

How is most municipal solid waste disposed of?
If sending solid waste to landfills and incinerators is expensive and polluting, what are some other options?
Hazardous Wastes and Recycling (12.3)
How is most hazardous waste disposed of in the United States?
Strand 4: Life Science
Concept 3: Organisms and Environments

Recycle City

Global Change and Sustainability (7.3, 7.4)
Why are Earth and its atmosphere like a greenhouse? Glacier Thickness Graph
Lorax Questions with Link

Lorax Questions

Lorax and Easter Island Comparison

Go Zone Lab

Why do many scientists think that the Earth’s climate is getting warmer? Global Warming Activity

What are the damaging effects of excessive ultraviolet light? Sea Level Change