APES Course Overview

Welcome to APES!  Everything we do, from drinking a cup of coffee to driving our cars, has an environmental impact.  This course will take an in-depth look at how you as a citizen of planet earth have rights and responsibilities to the world resources.  It is my hope that you leave this class a changed person.  We will use scientific principles to understand the interrelations of the natural world and the impact of humans on natural systems. We will evaluate the risks and economic realities associated with environmental problems while working towards analysis of potential solutions.

                This is an AP course and will require that you are a dedicated learner.  The AP exam is comprehensive and rigorous.  The course will rely on heavily on activities and field studies to illustrate the general topics of the course. Hence, you must take the textbook and other readings assignments seriously so, as a group, we can discuss the many topics.  

Course Philosophy: 

This course is designed to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science.  The course is broadly interdisciplinary, covering topics in biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, sociology, political science, economics, and ethics.  Major themes throughout the year will be God’s omnipotence and creativity as Creator and Sustainer of Life, as well as man’s responsibility to be stewards over God’s creation. 

The goal of the course is the same as that described in the Course Description for AP Environmental Science: “to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them.”  A student must sit for the AP exam in order to receive the additional quality point over and above the Honors level course.

By the very nature of the topics and their relevance to current events, this course appeals to a wide diversity of students with wide ranging interests such as: nature, science, law, economics, computers, and literature.  This diversity lends itself to interesting discussions and presentation of scientific topics and concepts.