AP Environmental Science - Review Session

Introduction

Presenter: Mr. Villareal (Mr. V) from Sherilyn Advanced Academic Academy, Mission, Texas.
Session: Third video this week, seventh video total.
Focus: Aquatic and terrestrial pollution, data analysis, multiple choice, free response, legislation.
Units Covered: Unit 8 (Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution).

Guided Notes: Post-lesson notes to be added in shared folder by the coming weekend.
Digital Testing App: Free Response Questions (FRQs) on digital app will be in separate screens; you can navigate within multi-part questions but not between different question numbers.
Responses in FRQs: AP readers grade only the first provided answer; ensure your best answer is first.
Legislation: Review of legislation relevant to AP Environmental Science will be covered today and tomorrow.
Pesticides FRQ Query: Pesticides are not accepted for certain answers as they contribute to air pollution.

Claims Example: A statement not needing explicit labeling as a claim; support comes later in questions.
Heat Island Effect: Urban areas with high temperatures compared to more natural surroundings due to structures like concrete roads.
Percent Change Calculation: Equation: Percent Change = [(Final - Initial) / Initial] x 100.

Multiple Choice: 80 questions in 90 minutes (60% of score), standalone questions, quantitative and qualitative data questions.
Free Response: Three questions in 70 minutes (40% of score), including design investigations, environmental problem analysis, and solutions involving math.
Calculator: Allowed a 4-function calculator that doesn’t connect to the internet.

Coral Reefs: Affected by higher temperatures, runoff, fishing practices, and acidification.
Oil Spills: Affect feathers of birds, kill fish, and have economic costs.

Dead Zones: Due to nutrient pollution causing hypoxic conditions leading to fish kills.
Litter: Unsightly, causes blockages, toxic materials involved, and heavy metals like mercury in water.
Wetlands and Mangroves: Provide significant ecosystem services; impacted by dams, overfishing, and pollutants.

Excess nutrients lead to algae blooms, death, and decomposition consuming oxygen, leading to hypoxic/anoxic conditions and fish kills.

Endocrine Disruptors: Chemicals affecting growth and reproduction in wildlife.
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): Such as DDT, stored in fat, travel through ecosystems, leading to bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Solid Waste: Generated from various sources, needs proper disposal to avoid ground and water pollution.
Electronic Waste: Contains hazardous chemicals, requiring careful recycling.
Landfills: Modern methods to control leachates and gas emissions, but still challenges exist.
Incineration: Reduces waste volume, but emits pollutants.
Sewage Treatment: Primary (large objects), secondary (bacteria breakdown), tertiary (remove final pollutants), and sometimes chemical treatment.
LD50 and Dose-Response Curves: Measures of toxicity and organism response to pollutants.
Pathogens: Diseases spread through lower income areas without proper sanitation, such as dysentery, cholera, and malaria.

Clean Water Act: Regulates pollutants in water bodies.
CERCLA (Superfund): Cleans up toxic waste sites.
Safe Drinking Water Act: Sets maximum contaminant levels in drinking water.
Delaney Clause: Bans carcinogenic food additives.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RIkra): Manages waste from creation to disposal.

Practice Areas: Data analysis, visual representations, environmental solutions.
Example Question: LD50 graph interpretation and oil spill free response.
Key Approaches: Best answer first, specifying units, explaining identified impacts.

Study Tips: Review graphs, data, and legislation. Use AP daily videos and practice multiple choice questions. Focus on clear, concise, and specific answers in free responses.
Interactive Learning: Join Kahoot challenges for live practice and further understanding.