AP Daily Live: Environmental Science, Day 2

Instructor: Lisa Bagley

Overview

• Review and clarification of concepts from Video 1
• Brief overview of Unit 3: Populations
• Free response question (FRQ) tips and practices
• Connecting FRQ answers to science practices
• Q&A session
• Link to live practice

How to Use AP Daily Live Videos

• Designed to help understand environmental science content via essential science practices expected by the College Board
• Not specifically content review videos, but references to AP Daily content videos
• Common pitfalls in exam questions and how to avoid them
• Best used alongside personal review

Helpful Links

• AP exam dates and times
• Specific information about the AP Environmental Science exam
• Digital testing guide and practice app

Feedback from Video 1

• Encouraged to watch AP Daily content videos for in-depth content
• Kahoots available indefinitely for practice
• Feedback solicited via Google form rather than live chat
• More math and "Make a Claim" type questions to be practiced
• Breakdown of exam content covered by each unit
• College Board measures to prevent cheating in digital exams
• Approach to multiple-choice questions with visual stimulus or data
• Specifics on answering "Identify" prompts
• Importance of reading questions carefully and answering what is asked
• FRQs will have multiple parts and science practices

Review of Unit 3: Populations

• Generalist species: Thrive in changing environments (e.g., raccoons)
• Specialist species: Thrive in stable environments (e.g., pandas)
• R-selected species: Small, many offspring, short lifespans (e.g., insects)
• K-selected species: Large, few offspring, long lifespans (e.g., elephants)
• Survivorship curves: Type 1 (high early survival), Type 2 (constant survival), Type 3 (low early survival)
• Carrying capacity (K): Maximum population an ecosystem can support
• Overshoot: Population exceeds carrying capacity, leading to resource degradation
• Age structure diagrams: Represent population growth rates
• Total fertility rate (TFR): Average number of children per woman
• Infant mortality rate: Deaths before age 1
• Demographic transition model: Stages from high birth/death rates to low birth/death rates
  • Stage 1: Pre-industrial
  • Stage 2: Industrializing
  • Stage 3: Mature industrial
  • Stage 4: Post-industrial

Key Do's and Don'ts for FRQs

Do's

• Dive into answering questions directly
• Use 23 minutes per question wisely
• Write legibly for paper exams
• Organize answers in the order questions are asked
• Provide complete thoughts and specific examples
• Show math steps and units
• Check calculations for reasonableness
• Read and follow instructions carefully

Don'ts

• Avoid long introductions or unnecessary information
• Don't use absolutes or vague terms
• Avoid writing in first person
• Don't ramble; get to the point
• Don't panic or leave questions blank
• Avoid excessive scratch-outs

Example FRQs and Answers

• Carrying capacity: Maximum population size an environment can sustain
  • Specific resource impact: e.g., availability of water affecting carrying capacity
• Clear-cutting: Negative effects include climate change, soil erosion, increased temperatures, and loss of habitat
• Mitigation strategies: Sustainable forestry, high-density dwellings, alternative fuels
• Demographic transition: Visual model stages and implications
• Population growth and data: Calculations using given data (e.g., percentage of global population, growth rates)
• Environmental solutions: Proposals to reduce water use and mitigate erosion

Practice and Q&A

• Preview of next video: Earth systems, visual models, more FRQ modeling
• Kahoot for interactive practice: [Kahoot URL and game pin]