The goal of the laboratory and field investigation component of the AP Environmental Science course is to complement the classroom portion by allowing students to learn about the environment through firsthand observation. Experiences both in the laboratory and in the field provide students with important opportunities to test concepts and principles that are introduced in the classroom, explore specific problems with a depth not easily achieved otherwise, and gain an awareness of the importance of confounding variables that exist in the “real world.” In these experiences students can employ alternative learning styles to reinforce fundamental concepts and principles. Because all students have a stake in the future of their environment, such activities can motivate students to study environmental science in greater depth.
Although there is a great diversity in the laboratory and field activities that are appropriate for this course, they should include the following elements:
The relative magnitudes of these elements may vary from activity to activity. As a whole, the course’s laboratory and field investigation component should encompass all of the elements.
The laboratory and field investigation component should challenge every student’s ability to:
Colleges may require students to present their laboratory materials from AP science courses before granting college credit for the laboratory, so students are encouraged to retain their laboratory notebooks, reports, and other materials.