Advanced Placement® Environmental Science [APES]
Overview of Writing Styles
All work must have your name, date and course in the upper RIGHT
corner of first page.
Journal Entries – Informal
Each journal entry must include the date and time of the entry. If making an
observational entry, include the location of your observation, the weather at the
time of your observation and what you see, hear, smell and feel. If your entry is
in response to an article, picture or broadcast you have seen, include a copy of
the item observed (if possible) and indicate the source. Journal entries do NOT
require citations or supporting documentation. This is an appropriate media to
express opinions, ponder curiosities without reaching a conclusion, or express
points of discourse in your understanding. Your journal could be a bound
notebook or an electronic (preferred) journal.
Short Answer Questions – Scientific
Short answer questions are designed to both test your comprehension as well as
prepare you for the ‘essay’ portion of the AP® Exam. These are NOT English
essays. Do NOT restate the question. Do NOT include an introduction or
conclusion (unless expressly requested by the question). Write in complete
sentences; do NOT use bullets or lists. If the question requires mathematical
calculations, SHOW ALL WORK and INCLUDE UNITS of measure. You will be
completing short answer questions on homework assignments, quizzes and tests.
Lab Reports – Formal/ Scientific
Although some labs will not require a formal write up, we will complete several
formal labs and long-term studies. Formal labs will be indicated on your
assignment calendar and will follow a standardized report format (details found
on a separate handout). Never use the words ‘I’, ‘it’, ‘thing’, or ‘about’ in a lab
report. This is an informational, data driven document and should therefore be
written third person, never first person. Always use appropriate APA
formatting for citations.
Article Reviews (Current Events) - Informal
Article reviews must start at the top of the page with the APA citation for the
article being reviewed. This should be followed by a 5-sentence summary of the
article. Find a minimum of 3 additional scientifically reviewed resources related to
the article topic. List the citations (in APA) and include a 2-3 sentence summary
of each citation indicating if it supports or contradicts the original. Finally, write a
1-2 page reflective essay (see below) based on the original article. Each month,
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you will complete one teacher assigned and one self-choice article review. All
articles must be current (within the last 4 weeks) and from an acceptable source
(such as Scientific American, Time, National Geographic – see me if you are not
sure). You may use on-line versions of periodicals.
Reflection Essays - Informal
Reflection essays weave together your prior knowledge and experiences with
new learning and observations. Although some reflections will not require factual
information, essays should include references to what you have read or learned
previously. Source citations for information included in your reflection are
appropriate and must be in APA format. The primary purpose for a reflection
essay is to illustrate your cognitive connections to new experiences. As such, a
helpful planning tool for this type of writing is a mind map including experiences,
facts and world events. This essay should be written in first person ‘English-style’
with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Position Papers - Formal
Position papers (also known as argumentative research papers) defend an
opinion with supporting scientific research. Position papers differ from reflective
essays in that they are written in third person and require supporting work.
Position papers differ from research reports in that they expressly highlight one
side of an issue as dominant. Papers must include an introduction, body and
conclusion. The body of the text should include several sources of supporting
data for the position being argued. Alternative perspectives should be
acknowledged and references cited to demonstrate contradiction to such
alternatives. A separate ‘References’ page in proper APA formatting must be
included. A first draft and conference will be required for the first 2-3 assigned
position papers. This will be reflected on the assignment calendar.
Research Reports - Formal
Research reports summarize, discuss and connect work completed by
professionals in the field being studied. Writing should be third person and
should not include the author’s personal opinions. All aspects and perspectives
on a topic should be addressed; however, no inferred value should be assigned.
(The author must be an impartial observer) The report should begin with an
abstract and introduction and end with a conclusion. The paper must reference
several sources in proper parenthetical format and list citations in APA format on
a separate ‘References’ page. It is often helpful to start with the References page
as a working document. Students are encouraged to submit a first draft and
schedule a conference at least a week prior to the final due date.
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