A.P. Environmental Science (APES)

Summer Work

2015-2016

Ms. Rago

CLASS WEBSITE: – APES tab

Advanced Placement Environmental Science is a course with an extensive syllabus, being more interdisciplinary, than most other science courses you have taken. We will be incorporating aspects of Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Government, Math, Sociology, International relations, and more. It is important that you come to class in August with a basis from which to begin the year. Below you will find 4 assignments to work on over the summer.

All 4 assignments are DUE ON Wednesday, August 26th, 2015-the first week of school. All assignments will be graded.

1)The Lorax– watch the short video of the original Dr. Seuss story online.(see class website above for link)PRINT and answer the questions that follow(p. 2-3 below). Be ready to discuss the concepts duringthe first week.

2)1 Environmental Issue Current Events Story- Choose 1 interesting, shocking, creative, and/or innovative current events story, regarding an important environmental issue. Your story may be in the form of a video clip, newspaper article, scientific journal study, or news broadcast ANDMUST have been published within the last 6 months(January 2015- August 2015).

  • Write an analysis of the environmental issue being addressed in your current events story. Explain how this issue would relate to the story of the Lorax. Who are the key stakeholders involved in the issue? Is there a “Once-ler”? A “truffala tree”? Utilized details from the Lorax and your article in your analysis. Analysis should be at least one page, double spaced.
  • Print your chosen current events article or include the link to the story in your write up.

3)Read the 2Globalization articles (pdf file attached to email) and answer ALL Critical Thinking questions at the end of each article, on separate paper or typed.

  • Article 1 – Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World (U.S. National Intelligence Council Executive Summary, 2008, pp. 3-6)
  • Article 16- It’s a Flat World, After All.(Friedman, T. 2005, pp. 72-76)

4)Lab Safety Contract – Print the lab safety contract from my website and bring it, signed by you and your parent, on the first day.

The Lorax – Video QuestionsNAME ______

-> APES

Pre-read the questions below and answer while watching and/or after watching the Lorax video.You can print the questions and write your answers or type on the document, then print. For this assignment, answers only are sufficient.

The Once-ler’s Story: The Beginning

  1. The Once-ler moved across the land in his wagon. He came upon a new region with an important natural resource. (A natural resource is a plant, animal, or mineral that can be used by people.)
  2. What was this natural resource the Once-ler found?
  1. Name an important natural resource in Florida.

Setting Up Shop and Doing Business

  1. The Once-ler used the land’s natural resource to start a business which made and sold a product.
  2. What was the product?
  3. How was it used by buyers?
  1. The Lorax appeared at this point and asked the Once-ler some angry questions.
  1. What did the Lorax asked?
  1. What the Once-ler answered?
  1. The Once-ler, like other humans in business, organized a system to manufacture and distribute his product. Listed below are several parts of a manufacturing process. Describe how each of the following was used in the story. You may refer back to the video.
  1. Raw materials? ______
  2. Product design? ______
  3. Labor (workers)? ______
  4. Assembly line? ______
  5. Energy? ______
  6. Shipping, transportation? ______
  7. Communication? ______

Using Technology

Businessmen, like the Once-ler, sometimes try to make more money by increasing the number of products they can sell. Often, new machines and systems are invented to do this. Other people use machines to work faster, more easily, and more accurately. For example, students use of calculators. All of these machines are examples of “technology.” Technology can be simple machines, like pencils, and complicated like cell phones and computers.

  1. What technology did the Once-ler invent to increase the production of thneeds?______
  1. What are 3 other examples of technology presented in the story? ______

Environmental Effects

  1. The use of technology requires the use of natural resources. The use of natural resources often has an effect on the environment. How did the production of thneeds affect a key biotic natural resource, the truffula trees? ______
  1. Threatened and endangered species are those plants and animal populations facing extinction, often as a result of human activity. Name 3 threatened or endangered species in Florida. For each, describe why they face this condition.

1)______

2)______

3)______

  1. Certain animals depended on truffula trees.
  2. Name the animals. ______
  3. Explain why these animals needed truffula trees.

______

  1. Often, technological production creates “by-products.” For example, a by-product of sawing wood is sawdust. Sometimes the by-products of technology are unwanted or dangerous (for example, poisonous chemicals) and are pollutants in the environment. Sometimes by-products are useful. (For example, wood chips can be used to make particle board.) Name two by-products that resulted from making thneeds.

By-product #1?______

By-product #2? ______

  1. Were the by-products that resulted from the making of thneeds harmful or helpful to the environment? Explain the effect on animals. ______

************************************************************************

Have a wonderful summer and get excited for CHALLENGING, yet FUN,year!!!

1