AP Env. Science A Course Resources
Module 1: Introduction to Environmental Science
Instructor Information
Emily Kroutil
Email: Emily.Kroutil@gavirtualschool.org
Phone: 470-238-8663 (voicemail)
The resources in this newsletter are in addition to those found in MODULE 1: Introduction to Environmental Science of your course content. You should first go through the content and complete the quizzes and activities. These resources are to supplement your understanding of the concepts. Please contact me if you have questions!
ASSIGNMENT RESOURCES AND TIPS
ASSIGNMENT: Atrazine
- The video for this assignment can be found on page 6 of the module.
- AFTER watching the video, answer the following questions:
- How does atrazine kill some plants but not others like corn?
- How is the application of atrazine responsible for contaminating drinking water?
- What do you think the different colors (yellow, green, red, and blue) represent in the animation?
- Discuss ways in which you think atrazine contamination of the U.S. water supply could be prevented.
Discussion: Food Production
- Use the RUBRIC to help you write a discussion posting that will earn full points.
- Make sure when you respond to your classmates that you post AT LEAST a 4 sentence response. "I agree with..." or "I disagree with..." is not enough to earn full points for a response. You must say why you agree or disagree and back up your reasoning.
Assignment: Europe Returns to Coal
- The following links will be helpful in completing this assignment: Europe Turns Back to Coal, Europe's Dependency on Coal, Poland Pushes Coal. They can also be found on page 8 of the module.
- Answer the following questions:
- Many countries are turning to coal for electricity. Why? What are the advantages of using coal?
- What is "clean coal?" What is the biggest problem caused by burning more coal?
- Are oil companies greedy when they raise the price of oil? Argue that this is TRUE, and support your argument with facts (include reference or link to sources).
- Are oil companies greedy when they raise the price of oil? Argue that this is FALSE, and support your argument with facts (include reference or link to sources).
- DO NOT FORGET TO CITE YOUR SOURCES.
- Please be sure to read the rubric for this assignment closely to help you earn full points.
FRQ: Energy and Climate
- You can find the FRQ on page 13 of the Introduction to Environmental Science module.
- To receive full credit for the free response question, you will need to show all steps necessary to explain how the answer was found.
- The College Board used to offer 11 possible points for each FRQ, but a student can never earn more than 10 points on an FRQ. So your FRQs will be graded out of 10 points.
- Watch these videos for help answering FRQs: FRQ Tips and Tricks Part 1, FRQ Tips and Tricks Part 2
- FRQs may NOT be resubmitted for a higher grade.
TEST: Introduction to Environmental Science
- Do not begin your test until you have completed all self-assessments, assignments, and the review items and feel confident in your understanding of this material.
- For this test, you will need to know the following (not an exhaustive list):
- Intro to Environmental Science topics (populations, carbon/ecological footprints, fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, biodiversity, invasive species, etc.)
- How to write an abstract with a finite number of words, list the word count, list keywords, include link to source (free response)
- Decimal notation --> Scientific Notation
- Scientific Notation --> Decimal notation
- multiply and divide with scientific notation
- add and subtract with scientific notation
- Q: Can you tell me more the difference between keywords and key phrases?
- A: This test asks you to choose 10 keywords for your abstract, not 10 key phrases. For example, if I was writing an abstract about AP Environmental Science, I might choose “sustainability”, “AP exam”, and “green revolution” as three of my key words. These are things people might type into a search bar when looking for abstracts like mine. You want keywords to relate to the topic covered in your abstract so folks can find your abstract, but you don’t want to make your keywords key phrases because it is unlikely someone will search for that exact phrase when searching for information related to your topic.
Additional Resources
https://youtu.be/9sS8aGx8wfw
https://youtu.be/4xj1jgIE08Q
https://youtu.be/6B3z-e4h04Y
https://youtu.be/biWEM-m9bz8
https://youtu.be/oWiHNAfB5sQ
https://youtu.be/wQ2jeO-YIkk
https://youtu.be/3t_pZkABUpM
https://youtu.be/ByX1Bd9uae4
https://youtu.be/lMMK45D3H-U
https://youtu.be/9j8snvkOUEQ