Environmental Science Curriculum

Environmental Science is a full-year study of the interrelationships between organisms and their physical surroundings focusing on the effects man has within the worldwide ecosystem. This course provides students with knowledge to evaluate choices that can reduce the negative impact man has made on the environment and optimize worldwide living standards. The course emphasizes the development of scientific principles, which allow students to identify and analyze environmental problems and associated risks. Students also examine solutions that can resolve/prevent ecological problems through critical and creative thinking skills.

• Quarterly Assessments Topic List
• Course Objectives - Printable Summary (Adobe PDF; 83 kB)
  
  1. Risk and Toxicity
  2. Recognizing Global and Local Environmental Issues
  3. Identify Humans' Adverse Effects on Our Environment
  4. Impact on the Planet of an Ever-Increasing Human Population
  5. Biotic and Abiotic Factors
  6. Cycles in Nature
  7. Energy
  8. Biomes
• Core Labs
  Summary (Word; 87 kB) |  Process Skills (Web; 484 kB)
  
  1. Testing a Hypothesis--The Black Box Lab
  2. Toxicity and Threshold Levels
  3. Study of a Pond Community/Biological Communities
  4. What is a Food Pyramid?
  5. Owl Pellet Analysis
  6. Population Ecology Exercise
  7. How Competition Establishes a Niche! / Finding a Niche
  8. Climatogram
  9. Oklahoma Grassland Biome
  10. It's a Small World After All
  11. Keep the Heat
  12. Energy Audit
  13. Why Are Some Soils & Lakes Damaged by Acid Rain?
  14. Parts of an Aquifer and Recharge Zone
  15. Soil Compaction
  16. Energy and Nutrients as Water Pollutants
• Textbook