2013-2014 AP Environmental Science Summer Assignment

2013-2014 AP Environmental Science Summer Assignment

Welcome to AP Environmental Science!

I’m looking forward to working with you next year. In order to cover all the material for APES before the AP exam next May and to set the tone for the class you will need to complete some work during the summer.

The summer assignment will be  10% of your first six weeks grade.

The summer assignment will have four parts:

1.       article reviews  (email)

2.       outdoor activity and reflection ( email preview by August 19, share the first day of class)

3.       book reflection (email)

4.       math review (complete, staple, turn in)

Contact: tmegahan@dallasisd.org and http://adamsonenvironmentalscience.blogspot.com/

Grade Value: 10% of first 9 weeks

Due Date: August 26, 2013

Part I: Select and review three articles drawn from the following topics, making sure that you

address at least three different topics from the list:

1. Human population growth

2. Transgenic species

3. Non-native (invasive) species

4. Food production, food safety

5. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

6. Renewable resources (solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric)

7. Nuclear energy

8. Air quality

9. Water quality (surface or groundwater)

10. CO2 and global warming

11. Recycling, waste management

12. Endangered species

13. Deforestation

14. Ozone depletion

15. International treaties dealing with environmental issues (Kyoto Accord)

Articles must be:

·         at least 5 paragraphs long and no more than 1 year old.

·         should come from sources such as the following:

New York Times (On Tuesdays there is a special science section), Washington Post (On

Mondays there is a special science section), news magazines (ex. Newsweek), science magazines

(Discover, Scientific American, Nature, Science, Smithsonian, National Geographic).

Each article review will be typed in 12 point font, using Times Roman and double-spaced. The

format is as follows:

Article Title: Date:

Source:  include URL

Summary: In 250-500 words, address the following questions:

-What are the key points made in the article?

-What are the points of view presented about this issue?

-Does the article teach you something new?

-Does it support or refute other information you have heard or read? Explain.

A copy of the article (URL) must be attached to the review. Please be very careful to use your own

words.

Part II: Having an appreciation for the outdoors will help you understand the importance of this

course.

I would like you to spend 2 hours (or more) camping, hiking, canoeing/kayaking, visiting a state or national park, volunteering for an environmental group or learning center.  Check out my blog for ideas and examples. http://adamsonenvironmentalscience.blogspot.com/

Provide documentation of your visit (i.e., photos or drawings taken during the activity, literature collected if a preserve or park, or specimens collected if a wild location.)

We will start a nature exchange this year, so artifacts can be worth bonus points or exchanged for objects you like better.

Create a reflection of your visit, including any observations of wildlife, environmental  problems (pollution, etc.), and how you enjoyed the activity.  Your reflection can take the form of:

·         a three minute Prezi presentation.

·         a three minute documentary film (upload to Youtube).

·         a two page 12pt double-spaced typed reflection.

·         a blog that includes pictures and reflections at the time of the even and after.

·         a work of art you share with the class on the first day.

Be sure to email me documents, URLs, and pictures of your art work by August 19^th so I can pre-view. Email sooner if you need help or suggestions.

Part III: Write a 650 word summary and self-reflection of a book from the list. Please see below

for a list of books that you may choose from.

A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
A Green History of the World by Clive Pointing
An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore
A Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall
A Sand Country Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Atmosphere, Climate, and Change by Thomas Graedal and Paul Crutzen
Beyond Malthus by Lester Brown
Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
Collapse by Jared Diamond
Crimes Against Nature by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Death in the Marsh by Tom Harris
Deep Ecology by Bill Devall
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Earth in Mind by David Orr
Earth in the Balance by Al Gore
Earth Under Siege by Richard P. Turco
Ecology, Economics, and Ethics: The Broken Circle by F. Herbert Bormann and Stephen R. Kellert
Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis
Eco Warriors: Understanding the Radical Environmental Movement by Rik Scarce
Encounter With the Archdruid by John McPhee
Green Delusions by Martin Lewis
Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
How Many People Can the Earth Support? by Joel E. Cohen
In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers Run by Davis Brower and Steve Chapple
Life in Balance: Humanity and Biodiversity by Niles Eldredge
Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth by Williams Rees
Our Stolen Future, by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers
Road Ecology by Richard T. T. Forman (Editor), Daniel Sperling (Editor)
Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Silent Springs by Rachel Carson
Small is Beautiful by E.F. Schumacher
Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver
Sustainable Planet, a collection of essays on changing our ways
The Beak of the Finch, by Jonathan Weiner

The Burning Season by Andrew Revkin
The Coming Plague by Laurie Garret
The Control of Nature by John McPhee
The Diversity of Life by E. O. Wilson
The Hydrogen Economy* by Jeremy Rifkin
The Future of Life by E.O. Wilson
The Limits to Growth 2nd Edition by Donnella Meadows
The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich
Plan B by Lester Brown
The Old Ace in the Hole by Annie Proulx
The Population Bomb by Paul Ehrich
The Sixth Extinction : Patterns of Life and the Future of Humankind by Richard E. Leakey and Roger Lewin
The Stork and The Plow by Paul Ehrich
Tinkering With Eden by Kim Todd
Tracking the Vanishing Frogs by Kathryn Phillips
Walden; Or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau
A Wilderness Bill of Rights by William O. Douglas
Wolves of Isle Royale by Rolk Peterson

Part IV. Math Assignment http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/1549/APES%20Math%20Review.pdf

You will staple together and turn in an answer document.

Show all your work.

Circle your answers.

Label each section. Keep it neat and orderly.

No calculators (only for checking after you work the problem)