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.
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
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.