Explore the devastating impact of the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species that has rapidly decimated ash tree populations across North America. This APES Inquiry Brief guides students through real-world data analysis, ecological consequences, and potential solutions to mitigate the beetle’s effects.
🌿 Key Learning Objectives:
✅ Analyze population trends and survivorship curves using real-world data.
✅ Investigate the role of invasive species in ecosystem disruption.
✅ Evaluate conservation strategies to protect ash tree populations.
✅ Understand the importance of wetlands in mitigating environmental change.
What is an Inquiry Brief?
Inquiry Briefs are compact, targeted case studies designed for assessment purposes, closely aligning with the AP Environmental Science (APES) curriculum. Unlike traditional case studies, which provide background information to teach students before asking questions, Inquiry Briefs present a limited amount of information and require students to apply their prior knowledge - similar to the format of the AP exam. Each of the nine Inquiry Briefs corresponds to a specific APES unit and includes AP-style free-response questions (FRQs), making them effective tools for end-of-unit assessments or end-of-year review. Each brief includes both a student edition and a teacher edition with complete answer keys.
Emerald Ash Borer - APES Unit 9 (Teacher & Student Edition)
ZIP file containing 3 PDF files
(1 Teacher Edition, 1 Student Edition, 1 Science Outside Terms and Conditions)
AP® Environmental Science Learning Objectives
1.3 Describe the global distribution and principal environmental aspects of aquatic biomes.
1.10 Determine how the energy decreases as it flows through ecosystems.
1.11 Describe food chains and food webs, and their constituent members by trophic level.
2.2 Describe ecosystem services. Describe the results of human disruptions to ecosystem services.
3.2 Identify differences between K- and r-selected species.
3.3 Explain survivorship curves.
3.4 Describe carrying capacity. Describe the impact of carrying capacity on ecosystems.
3.5 Explain how resource availability affects population growth.
9.8 Explain the environmental problems associated with invasive species and strategies to control them.
AP® Environmental Science Practices
1.A Describe environmental concepts and processes.
2.B Explain environmental concepts and processes.
1.C Explain Environmental concepts, processes, or models in applied contexts.
2.B Explain relationships between different characteristics of environmental concepts, processes or models represented visually; in applied contexts.
2.C Explain how environmental concepts and processes represented visually relate to broader environmental issues.
3.A Identify the author’s claim.
5.A Describe patterns or trends in data.
5.B Describe relationships among variables in data represented.
5.C Explain patterns and trends in data to draw conclusions.
5.E Explain what the data implies or illustrates about environmental issues.
7.A Describe environmental problems.
7.B Describe potential responses or approaches to environmental problems.
7.C Describe disadvantages, advantages, or unintended consequences for potential solutions.
7.E Make a claim that proposes a solution to an environmental problem in an applied context.
7.F Justify a proposed solution, by explaining potential advantages.