AP Environmental Science

The AP Environmental Science course is designed to be the equivalent of a college-level introductory course in environmental science. The course is interdisciplinary, incorporating topics from biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and environmental studies. The course covers four broad themes: (1) science and the environment, (2) the living world, (3) resources and pollution, and (4) solutions to environmental problems.

The course is structured around four big ideas, which are further subdivided into sixteen themes. The four big ideas are: (1) the Earth systems and resources are dynamic and interacting; (2) the Earth is home to a great diversity of life; (3) human activities have altered the Earth’s systems; and (4) solutions to environmental problems are available.

Each theme is explored through a combination of lecture, discussion, and hands-on laboratory and fieldwork. The course is designed to be engaging and to encourage critical thinking about environmental issues.