AP Environmental Science 12

This course focuses on the fundamental ideas that shape ecological and environmental systems. Students examine how energy transfer and conversion underlie all ecological processes and how Earth functions as one interconnected system whose natural and biogeochemical processes change over time and space and vary in their ability to recover from disturbances. The course also explores interactions among different species and their environments, with particular attention to how humans have altered natural systems over millions of years. Emphasis is placed on sustainability and on developing practices that support the long-term survival of both human societies and natural systems. Students have the opportunity to develop critical and scientific thinking skills and explore a wide range of interconnected topics. The course helps build a framework of knowledge and concepts that provides a basis for examining complex ideas. Students will write the AP Environmental Science exam in May.