ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Reading Assignment #1
All Reading Assignments require you to thoroughly read the chapter. Do not simply skim
through the chapter to find the answers. Reading is imperative to be successful in this
course.
Assignment #1: Chapter 1 – Due Wednesday, September 17
You are to thoroughly read this chapter, answer the guided reading questions and complete the
top ten terms. Each group will complete the top 10 terms and then submit one typed copy per group
to me by e-mail by the assignment due date. I will also collect the guided reading questions from each
learner and grade them based on completeness and level of effort.
*As you are reading the chapter, fill out the guided reading packet and take notes for your Top Ten
Terms. Top ten terms will not just be found in one spot…you need to include everything about the
top ten terms/concepts from the entire chapter and from the screencasts. Only use information from
the chapter reading and screencasts– do not google or look up any additional information.
Questions???
You will probably have questions as you are working on this assignment. First, try to help yourself
(look up words you don’t know, google terms or ideas, use the text books index or glossary). Before I
will help you with any questions, I require that you first try figure out the answer to that question on
your own or with others in your group. Second, make sure your question isn’t already covered in the
directions. If you still need help, see me or send me an e-mail at asiegel@sof.philasd.org.
By the way, DO NOT send me “empty” assignments and claim you sent work. If I open any e-mails
with an empty attachment, it is assumed the assignment was not completed and will you receive a
zero.
HOW TO PROPERLY DO A TOP TEN
A top 10 is not just defining what the concept or term is. Although it does contain this component, you
must give much more than that such what are some examples that illustrate it and who does it affect.
Discussing why the term/concept is important to understand must also be included.
Top Ten terms/concepts are taken directly from the chapter readings. They may be found in bold
lettering in your textbook. However, the concept is throughout the entire chapter and must contain
everything from the chapter (not just the first section you found the term!). The concepts are also
discussed and illustrated in the screencasts. Do not look up these terms by “googling” them, as this
will not help your grade. These are graded only from the information in the textbook or screencasts.
When you are tested on these terms, these are “reading tests”…to make sure you did the chapter
readings and listened to the screencasts.
When writing the Top Ten’s, do not bullet the information. It must be in paragraph form and MUST
contain:


A thorough explanation of the term or concept
**The significance – why is this so important? Why do we still need to learn about it? **very
important to include!!
CHAPTER 1 READING: Biodiversity
Example:


Diversity of life forms in the
environment.
Exists on three scales:
genetic species and
ecosystem diversity.
NO! NOT ACCEPTABLE
Significance
Example of an acceptable Top Ten
Thorough
Explanation
Biodiversity is really just the variety of life that exists on earth. There are three main
types. This is just the amount of different kinds of species on earth or in a particular
place. Biodiversity as a whole is a very important indicator or sign of the health of our
planet. If the biodiversity of a place on earth is low, it probably means that the
environment is not healthy at that location. If the biodiversity of the earth as a whole
goes down – it indicates an unhealthy earth and we need to know about this because it
could affect us in negative ways.
I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS THAN THIS EXAMPLE
TOP TEN Terms/Key Concepts – Chapter 1
Term/Concept
Environment
Environmental
Science
Ecology
Agriculture
Natural Resource
Renewable
Resource
Non-Renewable
Resource
Pollution
Biodiversity
Industrial
Revolution
Definition/Meaning
Examples
Significance
School of the Future
Environmental Science – Holt (2008)
Chapter 1 – Science and the Environment
Guided Notes
Chapter 1: Science and the Environment
1.1 Understanding Our Environment

Environment includes the _____________ ___________ as well as things produce by
_____________

It is a complex web of _____________ that connect us with the _____________we live in.
A. What is Environmental Science?

Environmental Science ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
1. The Goals of environmental Science
o To understand and solve _______________________________________
o One area of study focuses on how we use __________________________
o The other area of study focuses on how our _____________alter our _____________
2. Many fields of Study
o An important field of study involved in environmental science is _____________
o Ecology is the study of how __________________________interact with each other and
with their _____________ environment.
o Chemistry helps understand the nature of _____________
o _____________ and _____________ provide information to preserve species
o Paleontology helps understand how Earth’s climate has
_______________________________________.
B. Scientists as Citizens, Citizens as Scientist

Environmental Scientist often asked to share their __________________________________

_____________ of nonscientists are the first step toward addressing an _____________
problem.
C. Our Environment Though Time

Wherever humans have _____________, _____________or _____________ they have changed
the _____________.
1. Hunter-Gathers
o Hunter-gathers are people who obtain food by ______________ ____________and by
hunting _____________ _____________or scavenging their remains.
o They migrated from ____________ ____ __________during different times of the year.
o Native American tribes hunted_____________ and set fires to burn _____________ and
prevent the __________________________.
o __________________________and __________________________ may have led to the
disappearance of some species of large mammals.
2. Agricultural Revolution
o Many hunter-gatherer groups began to collect the ______________ ____________and to
domesticate some of the _____________ in their _____________
o __________________________ is the practice of growing, breeding, and caring for
plants and animals that are used for _____________, _____________, _____________,
transportation and other purposes.
o This allowed human populations to _____________ at _____________ rate.
o As populations grew they __________________________ in smaller areas and increased
the _____________ on the local __________________________.
o Agricultural Revolution changed the _____________ we _____________. Farmers
collected the seeds form the plants that _____________ the _____________ they desired.
o Grasslands, forests and wetlands were replaced with _____________ and habitats were
_____________.
o Much of early farm land was _____________ poorly and is no longer _____________.
3. The Industrial Revolution
o Industrial Revolution involved a shift from energy sources such as _____________
_____________ and running water to _____________ _____________.
o Increased use of fossil fuels and _____________ increased the efficiency of
________________, _________________, and ________________.
o _______________ reduced the amount of land and labor needed for _____________
o Fewer people ________________ their own ________________and urban areas
________________ grew
4. Improving Quality of Life
o Industrial revolution improved our ________________ ____ ________________
o Sanitation, nutrition, and medical cared were improved.
o ________________ greatly improved our quality of life (light bulb,)
o ________________ enabled people to work and ________________ more easily
o Increase used of ________________ ________________ such as plastics introduced new
________________ problems.
o Much of environmental science is concerned with problems associated with the
________________ ________________
D. Spaceship Earth

Earth is a ________________ ________________with only energy from the sun entering and
________________ leaving.

Some resources are ________________ and may be ________________.

There is a chance that we will produce wastes more ________________ than we can dispose of
them.
1. Population Growth: A Local Pressure
o Agricultural revolution and Industrial revolution allowed the human population to
________________ ________________ ________________ than it ever has.
o Modern medicine and sanitation also ________________ the population
o Most scientists think that________________ population will almost ________________
in the 21st century before it ________________.
o Pressure on ________________ will continue to increase as human populations and its
need for ________________ and ________________ grows.
E. What Are Our Main Environmental Problems?
1. Resource depletion
o A ________________ ________________is any natural material that is used by humans
o ________________ ________________is a resource that can be replaced relatively
quickly by ________________ processes.
o Examples of renewable resources: ________________energy, water,
________________, soil, ________________and ________________
o ________________ ________________is a resource that forms at a much slower rate
than the rate that it is consumed.
o Examples of nonrenewable resources: ________________ and ________________
________________
o A resource is ________________ when a large fraction of the resource has been
________________ ________
2. Pollution
o Societies produce ________________ faster than the wastes could be disposed of
o ________________ is an undesired change in air, water, or soil that ________________
affects the health, survival, or activities of ________________.
o ________________ pollutants are pollutants that can be broken down by natural
processes, such as food wastes and human sewage
o ________________ pollutants do not break down easily and can build up to
________________ levels in the environment, such as mercury, lead, and types of
plastics.
3. Loss of Biodiversity
o ________________ refers to the number and variety of ________________ that live in
an area.
o A species that is ________________ is gone forever and can be considered a
________________ resource.
o Many scientists think that if current rates of ________________ continue it may cause
problems for ________________ populations in the future.