Labs For Each Unit in AP® Environmental Science

This is a list of labs with links for each unit in the Course Exam and Description. There are many more great labs that APES teachers do. I chose these for the most “bang for the buck”–lots of concepts learned and/or science practices, feasible for many APES sections and large APES classes, feasible for my school’s outdoor area, and budget-friendly from year to year. I typically write small grants for equipment and then use over and over again.

For a list of other labs and their supplies, read this post.
For AP® Classroom labs #1-10, see this post.
For AP® Classroom labs #11-19, see this post.
For the 5 most important labs, see this post. 

If I have a post written about the lab, you are able to click on the title of the lab to read about it.

Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems

1. EcoColumns–this lasts for 3 months and covers topics in Units 1, 2, 4 & 8
2. Productivity Lab –I use a video lab to save time, but there are many versions for students to physically do.
3. Owl Pellet Lab
4. Light in the Deep Sea Activity from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
5. Primary Productivity in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom

Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity

1. Species Diversity in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
2. Habitat Loss and Transformation in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
3. Island Biogeography Lab–There are many wonderful shared variations of this lab. I have a longer, analytical, inquiry-based 5E version on TPT, if interested.

Unit 3: Populations

1. Cemetery Lab –Many good labs shared by many teachers. Mine is a 5E with data analysis, text analysis, and math calculations.
2. Human Population Dynamics: Cemetery Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
3. Population Estimation in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom

Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources

1. Soil Labs
   1. Chemistry of Soil (N,P,K,pH). Many good versions of this lab out there and many good kits . I do this lab with ecocolumns.
   2. Physical Properties of Soil (porosity, soil type, color, permeability). (My students do at their summer workshop at the local water agency. But there are many good versions and good kits for this lab.
2. Soil Microbial Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
3. Physical and Chemical Properties of Soil in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
4. Tree Rings and Climate Change (can be covered with El Nino in unit 4 or wait until Unit 9)–a post is coming soon!
5. Coriolis Effect and Atmospheric Circulation Lab from Carolina.

Unit 5: Land and Water Use

1. The Tragedy of the Commons Lab or the Sustainability Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
2. Soil Compaction Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
3. Trees and Forests Lab–Students go outside to measure trees and discover ecosystem services. Many shared versions are out there from teachers. A long, analytical 5E is on TPT, if interested.
4. Salinization Lab (This is my 1st controlled lab which is used as scaffolding for other experimental design labs). There is a similar Salt Toxicity Lab in Unit 8 in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom.
5. Cookie Mining
6. Climate Change and Cities Experimental Design Lab (or in Unit 9)–A post coming soon. Can be purchased on TPT, if interested.

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

1. Kill-A-Watt Lab
2. Energy Efficiency Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
3. Geothermal Heat Exchange in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom

Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution

1. Particulates Experimental Design Lab
2. The Effects of Sulfur and Nitrogen Oxides on Plants in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
3. Particulate Matter and Indoor Air Pollution in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
4. Tropospheric Ozone Virtual Picture Lab

Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

1. Water Quality Testing 5E Lab
2. Water Quality Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
3. Biomagnification Lab-This version is from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
4. Toxins Lab
5. Salt Toxicity lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
6. Eutrophication Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
7. Decomposition of Municipal Solid Waste in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom

Unit 9: Global Change

1. Tree Rings and Climate Change Lab (or in Unit 4)
2. Climate Change and Cities Experimental Design Lab (or in Unit 5)
3. Ocean Acidification Experimental Design Lab (if time, I have not had time the last few years)
4. Ocean Acidification Lab in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
5. Carbon Sequestration in Urban Trees in the AP® lab manual on AP® Classroom
6. Measuring Biodiversity. Many good choices out there including a Parking Lot Lab. I sometimes use quadrats for biodiversity.

After the AP Exam
1. Solar Cookers (usually done after the AP Exam as it takes several days). Many options shared from many teachers that are wonderful. I have a longer, analytical 5E on TPT, if interested.

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