Welcome

Mr. WallsRoom 408

AP Environmental ScienceAPES

Email address: gwalls@pylusd.org

Phone (714) 986-7500 xt 14408

My dog Skipper

This is my fifth year at Yorba Linda High School

My son graduated from YLHS

My daughter is a Junior at YLHS

My wife is a counselor at YLHS

My dog Skipper wishes he could come to YLHS

Previously I worked 8 years at Valencia High School teaching

Earth Science, Biology & Robotics

Prior to that I was a Biologist with the California Department of Fish &

Game

I graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in

Environmental Biology, Political Science and Modern European

History

I was also in the United States Marine Corps.

I called in airstrikes and jumped out of airplanes.

Semper Fidelis

Nobody gets left behind.

Pros & Cons of AP Courses

Pros

1. Higher Grade point avg.

2. Might make you desirable to colleges

3. Worth about $1,000

4. If you like the subject matter is should be interesting.

Cons

1. More work

2. College classes are more fun than high school classes.

3. You need sleep/you have a life

4. If you do not like biology & earth science APES will be boring!

The biggest problem students face in APES is managing their time.

of my students took 4 or more AP classes in 2014-2015

44% of my students took 4 or more AP classes in 2013-2014

Students with 3 or more AP classes and sports and family commitments have many

conflicting responsibilities.

AP Environmental Science Potential based on PSAT Critical Reading and Math Score

PSAT Critical Reading + Math Score Probability of Scoring a 3 or better on APES exam

128 90%

120 80%

114 70%

110 60%

106 50%

102 40%

98 30%

92 20%

84 10%

2015 YLHS AP Survey Data

48% of my students took 4 or more AP courses this year. 6% took 1 AP class.

58% spent 1 hour a week studying, 25% spent 2 hours a week studying and 17% spend more than 3 hours a week studying.

41% thought class was somewhat easy, 59% thought the class was medium to somewhat difficult.

81% of the students thought that class helped them be a better student.

96% of the students would recommend the class

2015 Data on Stress

17% of the students found the class caused them no stress.

50% of the students found the class caused them some stress.

33% of the students found the class caused them moderate amounts of stress.

No students found the class to cause high or extreme amounts of stress.

2014 YLHS AP Survey Data

44% of my students took 4 or more AP courses this year. 24% took 1 AP class.

49% spent 1 hour a week studying, 36% spent 2 hours a week studying.

40% thought class was somewhat easy, 34% medium

76% of the students thought that class helped them be a better student.

95% of the students would recommend the class

AP stands for Advanced Placement

Many students think AP stands for Always Procrastinate.

APES 2014 Current Grade Distribution 36% A, 47% B, 14% C, 3% D, and

0% F

73% of my students passed the 2014 AP exam. 60% of my students got a 4 or

better on the exam.

The national pass rate was 48%

College Board AP Topic Outline1. Earth Systems and Resources (science concepts, atmosphere,

water, soil) Chapters 1-4 and 8 and 9. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.

2. The Living World (ecosystems, energy flow, diversity, biogeochemical cycles) Chapters 3-6. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.

3. Population (population biology concepts and human populations) Chapters 6 & 7. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.

4. Land and Water Use (agriculture, forestry, rangelands, mining, fishing, economics) Chapters 8, 10, 11 and 20. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.

5. Energy Resource and Consumption (energy concepts, consumption, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, hydroelectric power, conservation and renewable energy) Chapters 12 & 13. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.

6. Pollution (water pollution, air pollution, ozone depletion, waste disposal and generation, human health and environmental risks) Chapters 14-17. Represent 25-30% of the AP test.

7. Global Change (ozone, global warming and loss of biodiversity) Chapters 15, 18 and 19. Represent 10-15% of the AP test.

Textbook by Friedland & Relyea

Grading Policy

Labs every ten days. (20%)

Class work every two days. (10%)

Tests every two weeks. (60%)

Homework read 2 pages per night/vocabulary. (5%)

Surprise quiz once a week to ensure that you are reading. (5%)

Quarter finals at the end of each quarter and Semester finals at the end of each semester.

I accept late work – 10% penalty for work 1-3 days late.

I usually post the grades to AERIES within 3 days of assignment completion

APES exam on May 2, 2016

For Juniors, I will raise your 1st and 2nd semester grades to an A if you score a 5 on the APES exam.

I will raise your semester 1 or semester 2 to a B or give you a 5% boost (whichever is better) if you score a 4 on the APES exam.

I will raise 1 semester grade by 3% if you score a 3 on the exam.

(Sort of writte

n in stone)

Summer Work1. Read Pages 1- 22 of your text,

Environmental Science for AP. Quiz on chapter 1 on day 1.

2. Watch the 4 tutorials on dimensional analysis and metric conversions.

3. Answer the 22 Summer Math Questions on the syllabus.

4. Vocabulary (define and draw a picture for the 5 words on syllabus)

You make the difference.