Beaverton High School APES Summer Assignment 2015 Welcome to AP Environmental Science! I m excited to have you in this class and am looking forward to the fall when we will meet and begin our exploration of environmental science. Topics we will cover are: Earth Systems atmosphere, soil, groundwater, and geology The Living World ecology, ecosystems, biodiversity, & evolution Populations demographics, dynamics and growth Land and Water Use agriculture, forestry, mining, fishing and global economics Energy Resources and Consumption fossil fuels, nuclear energy, conservation and consumption Pollution & Waste Management types of pollution and its impact, waste disposal Global Change Global warming, climate change, & ozone depletion This summer assignment will serve as an introduction to some of the big ideas that will come up again and again during this class. Over the course of the year we will learn more about specific scientific, economic, political and social issues that often come back to these big ideas so a consideration of them is important. There are four required parts to the summer assignment, two of which are due at the beginning of August (1 & 2 below) and two of which will be collected the first week of class (3 & 4 below). There is some additional information in this packet that I will assume you have a basic understanding of before we start the course. Review the Prerequisite Basic Science Knowledge and Math Skills sections of this packet. If there are parts of this section that are unfamiliar to you do a bit of background research on your own to learn what you can If you have any questions about the assignment, feel free to email me at mark_geren@beaverton.k12.or.us. I will be out of town periodically so allow a few days for a response. The summer assignment consists of the following parts: 1. Personal Introduction - E-mail me with the following information by Saturday August 1st: a) Brief introduction: Tell me a little bit about yourself, family, hobbies, sports, academic interests, summer activities, post high school plans / dreams. b) Why APES?: Tell me why you are taking this course. Challenge? AP Credit? Passion for science? Passion for the environment? Other? Please explain in detail. c) Environmental Science: Without looking it up, define environmental science. What do people who work in this field do? d) Questions: Please give me any questions you have at this point and I will do my best to answer them quickly. 2. Defining a Personal Category: E- mail this by August 1. Think for a moment about the categories listed below in terms of which one or two apply most to you, your interests and potential future studies or careers. Once you have identified one or two write a paragraph that describes why this/these categories apply to you and how you think they might connect to environmental science or environmental issues. Economics: Interests include a future in business, marketing, sales, etc.; involved in BHS business & marketing classes. Politics/Law: Interests include a future in government or law; enjoy social studies, debate, etc. Human Health: Interests include medical or veterinary fields; involved in BHS Health Careers pathway. Science: Interests include research, fieldwork, lab work, experimentation, etc.; enjoy understanding the world through science Engineering: Interests include building things, solving problems, or improving on existing designs; could range from buildings to software to chemistry or biology. Social/Cultural: Interests include different cultures and countries, psychology, anthropology, geography, human development, and philosophy.
3. Ishmael Questions Due on the first day of class. Obtain a copy of Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, read it and answer the questions in this packet. Come to class prepared to discuss the ideas presented in this book as well as your impressions & opinions. Reading Questions for Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn Directions: Please respond to the questions below as you read this novel. Written answers should be clearly handwritten or typed and ready to turn in on the first day of class in September. Enjoy the book; it s a good summer read. This is not your typical science reading assignment but it brings up a number of ideas that come up again and again in this class. Think of how it applies to you and the kind of life you live day to day. 1. Ishmael presents a concept of captivity that he takes from Plato s Allegory of the Cave (feel free to look it up if you have never heard of it). In what way are we captive in our daily lives? Relate this to you personally. 2. Ishmael offers the student some definitions, which he calls tools to pack for the journey. Define these ideas in your own words and talk about how they relate to modern life. a. Leavers and takers b. Culture, story, to enact 3. Would you define yourself as a taker or a leaver? Explain. 4. What is your culture and story? 5. What is the story of the flying machine supposed to illustrate? Give an example of how you think this relates to modern life. 6. Why is diversity important to the survival of the community? 7. How does Ishmael define culture? Why does he say that takers are cultural amnesiacs? 8. What does it mean to give up a story? Why is it so hard for people to give up their story? 9. What is the student s nightmare vision of how our ancestors lived? Would you define this as a nightmare? Why or why not? 10. In what way do leavers live in the hands of the gods? Would you want to live this way? Why or why not? 11. Why will we not evolve if we continue to live as the takers,but evolve if we live as the leavers? 12. What is Ishmael s prescription for getting humans to see collectively that we cannot go on living as we presently do? Do you think this would work? Why or why not? 4. Issue Research - Due on the first day of class. Do a bit of research on current environmental issues that fall into one of the following categories: climate change, biodiversity loss, habitat loss, resource depletion (food, minerals, forests, water), pollution (water, air, or soil), or population growth. Prepare a short (1-2 minute) presentation of the issue for class in which you cover the following points: - Summary of the issue what is the story - Why is it of concern why should we care - Potential solutions what can we do 5. Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: AP Environmental Science is a college level course that combines content area from earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, math, and social studies. You are expected to enter the course with a good understanding of basic scientific and mathematical concepts and skills, as well as strong reading, writing, and speaking abilities. Although we will continue to develop these skills throughout the school year, your success in the class is also dependent upon what you bring to it at the onset. One goal of this summer assignment is to help you brush up on these skills and concepts. Over the summer, review the scientific & mathematical concepts in this packet. We will be building upon and referencing them throughout the school year.
Percentage 17% = 17/100 =.17 Prerequisite Basic Mathematical Skills - Remember that percent literally means divided by 100. - Percentage is a measure of the part of the whole. Or part divided by whole. - 15 million is what percentage of the US population? 15 million / 300 million =.05 = 5% - What is 20% of this $15 bill so that I can give a good tip? $15 x.20 = $15 x 20/100 = $3 - Rates Rise Y2-Y1 slope change y=mx+b dx Run X2-X1 time dt - All of the above are ways to look at rates. The second equation is the easiest way to calculate a rate, especially from looking at a graph. Rates will often be written using the word per followed by a unit of time, such as cases per year, grams per minute or mile per hour. The word per means to divide, so miles per gallon is actually the number miles driven divided by one gallon. - Rates are calculating how much an amount changes in a given amount of time. Scientific Notation Thousand = 10 3 =1,000 Million = 10 6 =1,000,000 (people in the US) Billion = 10 9 =1,000,000,000 (people on Earth) Trillion = 10 12 =1,000,000,000,000 (National debt) - When using very large numbers, scientific notation is often easiest to manipulate. For example, the US population is 300 million people or 300x10 6 or 3x10 8 - When adding or subtracting, exponents must be the same. Add the numbers in front of the ten and keep the exponent the same. - When multiplying or dividing, multiply or divide the number in front of the ten and add the exponents if multiplying or subtract the exponents if dividing Ex. 9x10 6 / 3x10 2 = (9/3) x 10 (6-2) = 3 x 10 4 **Dimensional Analysis (This skill is vital! There is no way to earn an A or B in this course without being very, very good at this. Need help? Ask for it and it s yours!) You should be able to convert any unit into any other unit accurately if given the conversion factor. Online tutorials are available: http://www.chemprofessor.com/dimension_text.htm http://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/fyp/mathrev/mr-da.html Prefixes m (milli-) =1/1000 =10-3 c (centi-) 1/100 =10-2 k (kilo-) 1000 =10 3 M (mega-) 1,000,000 =10 6 G (giga-) 1,000,000,000 =10 9 T (tera-) =1,000,000,000,000 =10 12
Prerequisite Basic Scientific Concepts You should be familiar with the following terms/concepts from Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science Economics, & Political Science. I strongly encourage you to look up terms that are unfamiliar so that when we talk about them in class you are not lost. Science Terms Organic vs. Inorganic Natural vs. Synthetic Kinetic vs. Potential Energy Chemical Abbreviations ** Know the full names & environmental importance of each of these molecules. Radioactive Decay CO 2 CO C 6 H 12 O 6 Half Life CH 4 H 2 H 2 O Law of Conservation of Matter N 2 NO x 1- NO 3 1 st Law of Thermodynamics NH 3 O 2 O 3 2 nd Law of Thermodynamics P 3- PO 4 S Entropy SO 2 Cl K Organism NaCl Pb Hg Species Rn U Population Community Ecosystem Producers/Autotrophs Consumers/Heterotrophs Non-Science Terms To Know Decomposers Economics Free Market Photosynthesis Capital Resources Cellular respiration Cost/Benefit Analysis Subsidies Aerobic vs. anaerobic True Cost Pricing Taxes Adaptation Tax Breaks Legislation Gene Penalties Enforcement Trait Regulation Eco-Labeling Chromosome Developed Countries Lobbyists Gene Pool Developing Countries Public Hearing Natural Selection Environmental Policy Boycott Biodiversity Election Finance Reform Corporations Extinction Public Advisory NGOs Plate Tectonics Special Interest Groups UNEP Weathering Environmental Law WHO Climate Change Environmental Groups UNDP Rocks vs. Minerals Environmental Ethics WTO Climate vs. Weather Environmental Worldview FAO
Additional Readings of Interest (Not Required) Below is a list of additional environmental books that are very much worth reading if you have the time and are inclined to do so. Please e-mail me and let me know if you read any of these. The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, 2008. A look at what would happen to Earth if humans ceased to exist. Not only does Weisman examine human made structures but he also is perversely optimistic about the remaining lifeforms without human intervention. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, 1962. This important book was instrumental in starting the modern environmental movement in Carson s disclosure of the harm done by pesticides on our natural environment. Conversations with the Archdruid by John McPhee A series of three conversations with David Brower, a founder of the US environmental movement and 3 individuals very much at odds with his efforts to protect wilderness and the environment. A very good presentation of the not so simple, multiple sides of these three issues. Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. This seminal work relates the beauty of the seasons in middle America and the shares Leopold s awe of nature. A classic of environmental literature. The view from a wildlife manager and farmer. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey A more modern version of A Sand County Almanac set in the desert southwest. Tells the story and thoughts of one of the more controversial figures in environmental thought as he worked in wildlife management. One of my favorites of all time. Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach A futuristic story the US in which the pacific northwest has formed its own country in which green technology and alternative lifestyles have created a society in which all current environmental issues have been addressed. An interesting and fun alternative view of the future. The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey Tells the story of a rag-tag group of individuals who come together to fight development in the desert southwest. By using eco-terrorist tactics they hope to slow and eventually halt development but have a good time doing so. The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba. Tells the story of an African boy who works to provide electricity for his village using common materials to build a windmill. A true story that provides an amazing role model and a good deal of hope. Gaviotas A Village to Reinvent the World In 1971 a group of Colombian visionaries and technicians decided to prove they could thrive in one of the most burtal environments imaginable using only homemade, local technology. This is now the setting for one of the most hopeful environmental success stories every told. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Taking a naturalist s point of view, Pollan follows the journey of four meals from farm to table: the corn-addicted path of McDonald's take-out, a home-cooked dinner of Whole Foods organics, a sustainably grown supper "off the grid" and a modern hunter-gatherer's feast. Our Stolen Future: Are We Threatening Our Fertility, Intelligence, and Survival?-A Scientific Detective Story, by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers, 1996. As an extension of Silent Spring (below) these authors offers evidence that synthetic chemicals may have upset our normal reproductive and developmental processes. Cradle-to-Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braumgart, 2002. These authors present a new way to make products. Rather than the cradle-to-grave mentality where things end up in landfills, we need to rethink and develop new ways so that out-dated products are used for new things. Good News for a Change by David Suzuki Tells the stories of many different individuals and organizations working to solve environmental issues around the world. As the title says, there is a conscious effort to focus on the things that are working in order to provide hope and direction for the future.