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APES -- Summer Assignment 2021

Last updated over 3 years ago
26 questions

Advanced Placement Environmental Science Summer Assignment and Preparation - 2021

Lower Merion High School Mrs. Stevens, Ms. Campbell & Mrs. O’Bannon

Welcome & Expectations

Dear AP Environmental Science students, Welcome in advance to AP Environmental Science (APES). There will be 6 sections of APES for 2021-22. Besides making you aware and responsive to current environmental issues, a major goal in this course is to have each student score a 3 or higher on the AP exam in May 2022. Please realize this course will be taught with these goals in mind. Students who enroll in APES should be ready and willing to: 1) devote sufficient time, focus and energy to punctual, successful completion of class assignments; 2) frequently read text chapters and related articles; 3) prepare for, and successfully complete quizzes and unit tests; 4) check their email and blackboard frequently; 5) meaningfully participate in class discussions and labs; 6) write their own logical, detailed responses in their assessments; 7) conduct solo or small group presentations; 8) maintain effort throughout each quarter. Students who are not able to devote sufficient time, focus and energy to this course and its requirements should reconsider their course selection. APES is an immense field of study. Not only is it a science in the traditional sense, it is complicated by traditions, beliefs, economics, laws and ethics. If you want to succeed in APES, you’ll need to constantly embrace this interdisciplinary perspective. To prepare, we are requiring that you independently complete a summer assignment so we can complete the requisite coursework prior to the AP test in May 2022.
Course Themes The major themes of the class we will be learning about this year include:
  • Energy Systems and Resources - Atmosphere, soil, groundwater, and geology
  • The Living World - Ecosystems and Biogeochemical Cycles
  • 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 - Types of Pollution and their Impacts, Waste Disposal
  • Global Change - Global Warming, Loss of Biodiversity
  • Sustainability – How can we humans keep it all going? – Learning from nature

Summer Assignment

The summer assignment consists of 4 parts.
These must be completed prior to the first day of class and will be reviewed for a 1st quarter grade on the first day of class.
Be ready for the first quiz before the end of the first week of classes.

Summer Assignment Part 1 - "Home" Documentary & Questions

Directions: The documentary Home is a great introduction to this course as it addresses a wide variety of environmental topics through narration and aerial views. It is available to view for free via YouTube at HOME. As you view the video, answer the questions below.
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Describe the conditions on early Earth.

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What happened to the carbon that poisoned the atmosphere?

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How did the agricultural revolution change the Earth?

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How has Earth changed in the last 60 years since the use of oil has become more widespread?

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What is most of the grain in the US used for?

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What led to the dramatic decline in the biodiversity of agricultural crop species?

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How have cars shaped the way housing is laid out in the US and other developed countries?

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What are your thoughts on how the video portrays Dubai? Is it self-sustainable?

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Rainforests are cut down to make farmland for which products/crops?

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What makes the growth of Lagos different from how most other cities grow?

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Where does the water from Greenland’s melting ice sheet go?

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Why are the glaciers of mountains so important for the people in the lowlands?

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After watching the film, what topics are you most looking forward to learning about this year? Give reasons for your answers.

Summer Assignment Part 2 – Chemistry & Biology Review

Directions: Chapter 2 is a review of basic principles in general science, chemistry, biology, and some physics. Read the chapter and answer the following questions.
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What is the difference between an element and a compound? Provide two examples of each that can be found in nature.

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Draw a picture of a carbon atom and include the correct number and labels for the following: protons, neutrons, electrons.

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The pH scale is a logarithmic scale that measures the acidity of a solution based on its concentration of hydrogen ions (H+). What is a logarithmic scale?

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Draw the pH scale and include values and some examples of solutions that are extremely basic, extremely acidic, and neutral.

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What is the difference between an organic and inorganic compound? Give two examples for each.

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Cells are the basic units of life. What are the differing qualities of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?

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What does it mean to be a genetically modified organism (GMO) in terms of genes and DNA?

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What is a combustion reaction? Give 2 examples of combustion reactions by writing their equations.

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What is nuclear fission?

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Which radioactive elements are most commonly used to produce power using nuclear fission?

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How is fission different from nuclear fusion?

Summer Assignment Part 3 – Ecology Review

Directions: Chapter 3 (sections 3.1-3.3) is a review of the major components of an ecosystem.
Read those sections, then complete the following:
  1. Pick a national park in the United States and create a trophic level pyramid (i.e. energy pyramid).
  2. Using “Inspiration”, Microsoft Word graphics, PowerPoint, or other graphic-making software, construct a single page trophic level pyramid for a U.S. national park. Go online and find info about the national park and the life that exists there. The pyramid must be your own original creation; do not use a pyramid that is already created (sometimes they are wrong!)
  3. Make sure your pyramid is accurate, neat, and labeled with the following information:
  • 4 trophic levels with names of organisms that are native to, and actually exist in the park.
  • Correctly label each level as producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, or tertiary consumer.
  • Correctly label each organism as an autotroph, heterotroph, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, top carnivore, or scavenger.
  • Use arrows between organisms to show the flow of energy from one organism to the next (in other words, you will show a food web within your pyramid.)
  • Correctly indicate the amount of usable energy present at each trophic level, if the energy available at the producer level is 10,000 kilocalories (kcal).
  • The life forms you use in your pyramid should be specific. (e.g. Use ‘Grizzly bear’ instead of just ‘bear’ or ‘Norway spruce’ instead of ‘evergreen tree’.)
  • You need a minimum of 5 producers, 4 primary consumers, 3 secondary consumers, and 2 tertiary consumers.
  • Create an image (electronically) of your pyramid and insert it in the next formative box.
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Please check that you have included all required items in your trophic level pyramid, and that it is YOUR WORK, not just a downloaded image of someone else's creation. Click on Edit background and click on the image icon in the tool bar (mountains in a square) to add your image.

Summer Assignment Part 4 – Short Worldview Essay (500 words)

Directions: Chapter 25 in the textbook describes the concept of 3 worldviews (environmental wisdom, stewardship, and planetary management.) Read the chapter. Based upon your tendencies, beliefs, and actions, write a 500-word essay on which worldview you identify with best. Cite reasons for your choice; be specific. Use examples from your life, your beliefs, your actions, etc to support why you subscribe to a particular worldview. Your essay should be in a googledoc in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced and 1-inch margins. Share the googledoc with me without a notification and paste the link in the "Short Answer" formative item below.
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Please paste the link to your worldview essay googledoc in the answer field. MAKE SURE it is shared with me and I have editing priveleges. You may make a copy of the essay for yourself but I must have access to your original document to access the version history. Thank you!!

Please make sure to go back and double-check that you have finished all parts of this formative!

DO NOT PRINT OUT YOUR ASSIGNMENT, but make sure you print out the formative as a PDF to have a backup electronic copy.

See you on the first day of school!