NOTE/STUDY GUIDE: Unit 1-1, Introduction to Environmental Science
AP Environmental Science I, Mr. Doc Miller, M.Ed.
North Central High School
Name: ______________________________ ID#: ____________________
NORTH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
NOTE & STUDY GUIDE
AP Environmental Science I
Unit 1-1: Introduction to
Environmental Science
REQUIRED READING FROM ENVIRONMENTAL SCINECE: EARTH AS A LIVING PLANET
(BOTKIN & KELLER):
CHAPTER 1, KEY THEMES IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (PG. 1-21)
CHAPTER 2, SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING: CRITICAL THINKING ABOU THE
ENVIRONMENT (PG. 22-40)
Additional resources available at
www.mrdocsonlinelab.com
Grade Chart: (For Teacher Use Only)
Part
Description
NOTES 1-1: INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
1
2 SG 1-1: INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
3 NOTES 1-2: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
4 SG 1-2: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
5 NOTES 1-3: THE LIMITS OF SCIENCE
6 SG 1-3: THE LIMITS OF SCIENCE
TOTALOTAL
Grade
Out of
5
5
5
5
5
5
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NOTES 1-1: INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
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3
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SG 1-1: INTRO TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
_____ 1. Justification that sees some aspect of the environment as valuable because it provides individuals
with economic benefits:
a) utilitarian
b) ecological
c) moral
d) aesthetic
e) economical
_____ 2. Justification that has to do with the belief that various aspects of the environment have a right to
exist:
a) utilitarian
b) ecological
c) moral
d) aesthetic
e) economical
_____ 3. Justification that is based on the value of some factor that is essential to larger life support functions,
even though it might not benefit an individual directly:
a) utilitarian
b) ecological
c) moral
d) aesthetic
e) economical
_____ 4. One of the interesting correlates of population growth is that as the human population increases, the
effects on the environment:
a) are growing at a slower rate
b) proceed at about the same rate
c) are growing at an even faster rate
d) are completely unrelated to the actual numbers of people
e) cannot be determined
_____ 5. According to the Environmental Science text, the underlying issue underlying all environmental
problems is:
a) the rapid growth in human population
b) the refusal of developing nations to stop using CFCs
c) the Greenhouse Effect
d) contaminated soil and drinking water
e) that our generation does not have a global perspective on environmental problems and how to
solve them
_____ 6. Throughout history, the human population:
a) has always grown as rapidly as today
b) grew continuously as a result of the Industrial Revolution and improved health care
c) mostly increased, but included some decreases most notably during the Black Death (bubonic
plague)
d) was constant in its growth
e) has been in steady-state
_____ 7. Suppose you were studying the population of a geographic region and discovered that approximately
75% of the population lived in urban areas. How would you classify that region?
a) as an undeveloped region
b) as a developed region
c) as an agrarian region
d) as a declining region
e) this information is insufficient to classify the region
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_____ 8. The Gaia Hypothesis states that the dominant force that has shaped the global environment through
time is:
a) the oceans
b) the atmosphere
c) life
d) the Gaia species from Alpha Centauri
e) humans
_____ 9. Which of the following is not a major theme of environmental science?
a) human population growth
b) an urbanizing world
c) sustainability
d) science and values
e) all of the above are major themes of environmental science
_____ 10. According to the Environmental Science text, if recent human population growth rates continue, our
numbers could reach _________ by 2050.
a) 7.1 billion
b) 8.2 billion
c) 9.4 billion
d) 10 billion
e) 12.7 billion
_____ 11. The use of renewable environmental resources faster than they can be replenished would be
considered:
a) sustainable use of resources
b) sustainable use of an ecosystem
c) unsustainable
d) at maximum carrying capacity
e) sustainable growth
_____ 12. Aspects and limitation(s) of the early approach to environmental issues included:
a) a lack of scientific knowledge
b) a general recognition that real solutions to environmental problems depend on human beings
c) recognition that we must seek sustainability in the environment and our economic activities
d) a lack of understanding that environmentalism and economic progress are not contradictory
e) all of the above
_____ 13. The question “Which is more important, the survival of people alive today or conservation of the
environment?” is difficult to answer. Answering this question demands:
a) value judgments
b) sustainability
c) science and technology
d) a global perspective
e) a legal basis
_____ 14. Two arguments that justify human interaction with nature, by placing human survival above all other
considerations are:
a) utilitarian & aesthetic
b) ecological & moral
c) moral & aesthetic
d) utilitarian & economic
e) ecological & aesthetic
_____ 15. The maximum number of owls that can live in a certain forested region is defined as the
_____________ for that species in that environment.
a) utilitarian maximum
b) ecological maximum
c) functional maximum
d) carrying capacity
e) ecological capacity
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_____ 16. Which of the following criteria will not help in the development of a sustainable global environment?
a) it must be evolutionary
b) it must be attractive to people
c) it must exclude people who will not participate
d) it must be proactive
e) it must assist the disadvantaged
17.
Explain the difference between carrying capacity and sustainability.
18.
What needs to be done in order to achieve a sustainable global economy?
19.
What are the main lessons to take from Easter Island’s history?
20.
Why is there a convergence of energy, economics, and environment?
21.
The Amboseli National Reserve in Kenya has changed from a forested environment into a drier
grassland. Discuss why it is not correct to blame the cattle-herding activities of the Maasai tribes in the
area for these environmental changes.
22.
Programs have been established to supply food from Western nations to starving people in Africa.
Some people argue that such programs, which may have short-term benefits, actually increase the
threat of starvation in the future. What are the pros and cons of international food relief programs?
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NOTES 1-2: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
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10
11
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SG 1-2: THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
_____1.
_____2.
_____3.
_____4.
_____5.
_____6.
_____7.
An explanation for a natural phenomenon that relates and explains many observations and is
supported by a great deal of evidence is called a:
a) hypothesis
b) controlled experiment
c) technology
d) theory
e) fact
A scientific statement that can be proven or disproven is called a:
a) hypothesis
b) controlled experiment
c) technology
d) theory
e) fact
An experiment that can be compared to a standard is called a:
a) hypothesis
b) controlled experiment
c) technology
d) theory
e) fact
Which of the following is the correct sequence of steps, from beginning to end, in the Scientific
Method?
a) hypothesis –> controlled experiment –> inferences –> conclusions
b) conclusions –> controlled experiment –> observations –> hypothesis
c) controlled experiment –> inferences –> deductive proof –> hypothesis
d) observations –> hypothesis –> controlled experiment –> conclusions
e) conclusions –> observations –> alter observations to fit conclusions –> future research grants
and awards
Dr. Smith is stressed about waking up and making it on time to the airport in order to catch his
plane. He sets the alarm on his digital watch (reads to 1/100 of a second!) and arrives at
7:00:00.00 a.m. Unfortunately, every other clock on the airplane terminal reads about 7:20. Dr.
Smith is unable to make it through security in time and misses his flight. Which of the following is a
correct statement about Dr. Smith’s watch?
a) it is precise, but not accurate
b) it is accurate, but not precise
c) it is neither accurate nor precise
d) it is both accurate and precise
e) it is a lousy time piece
A scientist is testing the factors that lead to the growth of larger tomatoes. In one particular series
of experiments, she holds the moisture and the amount of fertilizer constant, but varies the soil type
and measures the resulting changes in tomato weight. Which of the following is the independent
variable in these experiments?
a) moisture
b) amount of fertilizer
c) tomato weight
d) amount of sunlight
e) soil type
Inductive proof:
a) is speculative
b) is based on hypotheses
c) begins with specific observations
d) begins with generalizations
e) is absolute
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_____8.
_____9.
_____10.
_____11.
_____12.
_____13.
Deductive proof:
a) is speculative
b) is based on hypotheses
c) requires that the premises be true
d) requires that the reasoning be foolproof
e) produces new knowledge
Unlike the Ancient Greek philosophers who developed a theoretical approach to science by asking
“why?”, modern scientists asked “how does it work”. What method of thinking was developed as a
result of this approach?
a) the modern method of science
b) the theory
c) the hypothetical method
d) the scientific method
e) method of validity
Premise: A straight line is the shortest distance between two points.
Premise: The line from A to B is the shortest distance between points A and B.
Conclusion: Therefore, the line from A to B is a straight line.
The above syllogism is an example of _________________
a) a scientific proof
b) a hypothesis
c) inductive reasoning
d) deductive reasoning
e) a scientific fact
A scientist wishes to test the effects of different amounts of water and fertilizer on yields of corn. In
a series of test fields, she varies the supply of water and the amount of fertilizer applied to a given
strain of corn and measures the weight of the crop that results. In this experiment, which is/are the
dependent variable(s)?
a) corn yield and variety of corn strain
b) water supply and supply of fertilizer
c) corn yield
d) water supply and effect of climate
e) supply of fertilizer and variety of corn strain
Using the Scientific Method in conducting an experiment is useful because:
a) following a standardized procedure allows a scientist to compare his/her data with the results of
other scientists
b) observations should only be done in a laboratory
c) when using the Scientific Method, it is not necessary to conduct controlled experiments
d) the results will always be useful quantitative data
e) the Scientific Method allows scientists to determine what their results will be before actually
doing any experiments
Science is the search for __________ of the natural world, while technology is implemented for
__________ the natural world for human benefit.
a) control; damage to
b) understanding; manipulation of
c) improvement; damage to
d) improvement; manipulation of
e) control; use of
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_____14. You weigh flour on a scale to find out how much you need for baking cookies according to your
recipe. But yesterday the scale fell from the counter onto the floor and is now off by 10.00 grams.
Your scale still reads two decimal places (for example (90.02 g), so it still gives a (n) ___________
measurement of the amount of flour
a) accurate
b) deductive
c) inductive
d) estimated
e) precise
_____15. You weigh flour on a scale to find out how much you need for baking cookies according to your
recipe. But yesterday the scale fell from the counter onto the floor and is now off by 10.00 grams. If
you do not correct for the effect of the fall, your cookies will come out like bricks because the scale
does not give a (n) __________ measurement.
a) accurate
b) deductive
c) inductive
d) estimated
e) precise
16.
Scientists at Deoxyribotech, a biotechnology company, believe that their new pet microorganism
can, under the right conditions, digest oil spilled into ocean water. They test this in a tank of oily
water, where they hold salinity constant, vary water temperature, and measure the amount of oil
present after two-days time. The results show that the most oil is consumed at water temperatures
between 25° and 30°C. The scientists conclude that the microorganism would be useful in fighting
oil spills in tropical oceans.
Identify the following in the example above:
A - the independent variable in the experiment:
B - the dependent variable in the experiment:
C - the hypothesis:
D - the inference:
E - the fact:
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NOTES 1-3: LIMITS OF SCIENCE
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SG 1-3: LIMITS OF SCIENCE
_____1.
_____2.
Dr. Smith is stressed about waking up and making it on time to the airport in order to catch his
plane. He sets the alarm on his digital watch (reads to 1/100 of a second!) and arrives at
7:00:00.00 a.m. Unfortunately, every other clock on the airplane terminal reads about 7:20. Dr.
Smith is unable to make it through security in time and misses his flight. Which of the following is a
correct statement about Dr. Smith’s watch?
a) it is precise, but not accurate
b) it is accurate, but not precise
c) it is neither accurate nor precise
d) it is both accurate and precise
e) it is a lousy time piece
Science and technology are often confused with each other. Which of the following is an incorrect
statement regarding science and technology?
a) science cannot be advanced without technology
b) technology leads to scientific discoveries
c) science is limited by the technology available
d) science leads to new technological advances
e) science is the search for understanding the natural world
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_____3.
_____4.
_____5.
6.
You measure the lengths of worms for your PhD dissertation. Your ruler is marked every millimeter
(10 marks per cm). One worm goes from the zero mark exactly to the 3.1 cm mark. The
measurement should be recorded as:
a) 3 cm
b) 3.0 cm
c) 3.1 cm
d) 3.10 cm
e) 3.100 cm
You weigh flour on a scale to find out how much you need for baking cookies according to your
recipe. But yesterday the scale fell from the counter onto the floor and is now off by 10.00 grams.
Your scale still reads two decimal places (for example (90.02 g), so it still gives a (n) ___________
measurement of the amount of flour
a) accurate
b) deductive
c) inductive
d) estimated
e) precise
You weigh flour on a scale to find out how much you need for baking cookies according to your
recipe. But yesterday the scale fell from the counter onto the floor and is now off by 10.00 grams. If
you do not correct for the effect of the fall, your cookies will come out like bricks because the scale
does not give a (n) __________ measurement.
a) accurate
b) deductive
c) inductive
d) estimated
e) precise
a. A teacher gives five students each a metal bar and asks them to measure the length. The
measurements obtained are 5.03, 4.99, 5.02, 4.96, and 5.00 cm. How can you explain the variability in
the measurements? Are these systematic or random errors?
b. The next day, the teacher gives the students the same bars but tells them that the bars have
contracted because they have been in the refrigerator. In fact, the temperature difference would be too
small to have any measurable effect on the length of the bars. The students’ measurements, in the
same order as in part (a), are 5.01, 4.95, 5.00, 4.90, and 4.95 cm.
Why are the students’ measurements different from those of the day before? What does this illustrate
about science?
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8.
What is fallacious about each of the following conclusions?
a. A fortune cookie contains the statement “A happy event will occur in your life.” Four months later, you
find a $100 bill. You conclude that the prediction was correct.
b. A person claims that aliens visited Earth in prehistoric times and influenced the cultural development
of humans. As evidence, the person points to ideas among many groups of people about beings that
came from the sky and performed amazing feats.
c. A person observes that light-colored animals almost always live on light-colored surfaces, whereas
dark forms of the same species live on dark surfaces. The person concludes that the light surface
causes the light color of the animals.
d. A person knows three people who have had fewer colds since they began taking vitamin C on a
regular basis. The person concludes that vitamin C prevents colds.
10.
Read the article “Clue Found in the Deformed Frog Mystery” by Michael Conlon on page 36 in the
Botkin/Keller text, and answer the following questions.
a. What is the major claim made in the article?
b. What evidence does the author present to support the claim?
c. Is the evidence based on observations, and is the source of the evidence reputable and unbiased?
d. Is the argument for the claim, whether or not based on evidence, logical?
e. Would you accept or reject the claim? Why?
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