Students cultivate their understanding of the interrelationships of the natural world through inquiry-based lab investigations and field work as they explore concepts like the four Big Ideas; energy transfer, interactions between earth systems, interactions between different species and the environment, and sustainability.
New AP Environmental Science LabsTen new laboratory investigations are available in AP Classroom to use with your students. These labs are in addition to the nine that were made available in the 2022-23 school year.
This is the core document for this course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general. The CED was updated in the summer of 2020 to include scoring guidelines for the example questions.
This resource provides a succinct description of the course and exam.
Learn more about the CED in this interactive walk-through.
Excerpted from the AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance document outlines the topics and skills covered in the AP Environmental Science course, along with suggestions for sequencing.
Based on the Understanding by Design® (Wiggins and McTighe) model, this course framework provides a clear and detailed description of the course requirements necessary for student success. The framework specifies what students must know, be able to do, and understand, with a focus on big ideas that encompass core principles and theories of the discipline. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced environmental science coursework.
The AP Environmental Science framework is organized into nine commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.
Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section)
Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems
Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity
Unit 3: Populations
Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources
Unit 5: Land and Water Use
Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption
Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution
Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution
Unit 9: Global Change
The AP Environmental Science framework included in the course and exam description outlines distinct skills, called science practices, that students should practice throughout the year—skills that will help them learn to think and act like environmental scientists.
Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section)
Exam Weighting (Free-Response Section)
1. Concept Explanation
Explain environmental concepts, processes, and models presented in written format
2. Visual Representations
Analyze visual representations of environmental concepts and processes
3. Text Analysis
Analyze sources of information about environmental issues
Not assessed in free-response section.
4. Scientific Experiments
Analyze research studies that test environmental principles
5. Data Analysis
Analyze and interpret quantitative data represented in tables, charts, and graphs
6. Mathematical Routines
Apply quantitative methods to address environmental concepts
7. Environmental Solutions
Propose and justify solutions to environmental problems