Beaverton High School – APES Summer Assignment 2016
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
[email protected]. 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 Monday 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. Environmental Choice Book – Due on the first day of class. Obtain a copy of one of the books listed below,
read it, and complete the assignment as described.
“Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. 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 all environmental
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 philosophy of one of the more controversial figures in environmental thought as he
worked in wildlife management. This is one of my all-time favorites.
Read the book you have chosen and create a written summary that addresses the questions below and be prepared to
work with a small group of people who also read your book to create a short presentation for the class.
1. Identify the central idea (thesis) of the book and provide three specific examples from the text that the author
uses to support this thesis.
2. In this class our discussions will often come back to one of the four central ideas listed below. Which of these
ideas would you say your book most related to? Give 3 specific examples from the text and explain how they relate
to the idea you have chosen.
a. Environmental issues happen because humans think short term while nature operates long term.
b. Environmental issues can be solved by technological innovation. This approach should be promoted
c. Environmental issues are often caused by technology. Solutions lie in conservation & simplification.
d. Environmental issues exist because we have lost our connection to nature and need to regain it.
3. Write 3 questions that you feel someone reading this book should be able to answer to show that they understand
the central ideas presented.
4. Review the book in a way that a student taking this class next year could use to consider reading this book.
Include a short summary and then discuss the aspects of the book that you liked and those that you did not.
4. Issue Research - Due on the first day of class. Tune in to the news over the summer and pay attention to
environmental issues that are there. Good on-line sources are OPBs Earth-Fix, High Country News, Environmental
News Network, National Geographic or many others. Identify 10 stories of interest to you, read them, and fill out a
3x5 card with the following information on it:
- Title of Story
- Summary of the issue – what is the story
- Stakeholders – who is impacted by the issue
- Positions – where does each stakeholder stand on this issue, what is their opinion
- Values – what does each stakeholder stand to lose or gain based on the outcome of this issue
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.
Prerequisite Basic Mathematical Skills
Percentage
17% = 17/100 = .17
- 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 = 103 =1,000
Million = 106 =1,000,000 (people in the US)
Billion = 109 =1,000,000,000 (people on Earth)
Trillion = 1012 =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 300x106 or 3x108
- 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. 9x106 / 3x102
=
(9/3) x 10(6-2)
=
3 x 104
**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 =103
M (mega-) 1,000,000 =106
G (giga-) 1,000,000,000 =109
T (tera-) =1,000,000,000,000 =1012
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
Radioactive Decay
Half Life
Law of Conservation of Matter
1st Law of Thermodynamics
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy
Organism
Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Producers/Autotrophs
Consumers/Heterotrophs
Decomposers
Photosynthesis
Cellular respiration
Aerobic vs. anaerobic
Adaptation
Gene
Trait
Chromosome
Gene Pool
Natural Selection
Biodiversity
Extinction
Plate Tectonics
Weathering
Climate Change
Rocks vs. Minerals
Climate vs. Weather
Chemical Abbreviations
** Know the full names & environmental
importance of each of these molecules.
CO2
CH4
N2
NH3
P
SO2
NaCl
Rn
CO
H2
NOx
O2
PO43Cl
Pb
U
C6H12O6
H2 O
NO31O3
S
K
Hg
Non-Science Terms To Know
Economics
Capital
Cost/Benefit Analysis
True Cost Pricing
Tax Breaks
Penalties
Regulation
Developed Countries
Developing Countries
Environmental Policy
Election Finance Reform
Public Advisory
Special Interest Groups
Environmental Law
Environmental Groups
Environmental Ethics
Environmental Worldview
Free Market
Resources
Subsidies
Taxes
Legislation
Enforcement
Eco-Labeling
Lobbyists
Public Hearing
Boycott
Corporations
NGOs
UNEP
WHO
UNDP
WTO
FAO