The AP Environmental Science is a one (1) year course designed to engage students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships within the natural world. The course requires that students identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary, embracing topics from geology, biology, environmental studies, environmental science, chemistry, and geography. The AP Environmental Science course is intended to be the equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college course in environmental science. The AP Environmental Science course outlined in this framework reflects learning that analyzes environmental concepts and processes to achieve understanding in order to propose and justify solutions to environmental problems. The course teaches students how to apply science to the solutions of important social problems. It also provides opportunities to practice applying scientific methods to practical, real-life problems. The AP Environmental Science course provides students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world. The course helps students identify and analyze natural and human-induced environmental problems. It enables them to learn how to assess the risks associated with these problems and evaluate alternative solutions for resolving and preventing them.
Prerequisites
Students should have completed two years of high school laboratory science—one year of life science and one year of physical science (e.g., a year of biology and a year of chemistry). Due to the quantitative analysis required in the course, students should also have taken at least one year of algebra. Also, desirable (but not necessary) is a course in earth science.