Welcome to Environmental Science.

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*We will be studying the world around us, how it influences us, and how our actions affect it. We will be looking at organisms that share our world, at the atmosphere, water, energy considerations, and some of the current problems that are changing our environment---and how we can change our actions to help solve the problems.

*Each Monday you will bring an article, either from the newspaper or from the Internet, to class which has something to do with the Environment in the news. You will hand in the article, accompanied by two paragraphs: a summary of the article; and your evaluation/opinion of what the article deals with. You will also present these orally in class, and we will discuss them.

*We are starting with the beginning of Unit 1: Ecology

We will look at the relationships within ecosystems, food chains and food webs.

We will go outside to survey our environment, and see what lives on campus.

*We will then skip to Unit 4: Water as an Ecosystem, while the weather is still warm enough for outdoor activities involving a study of water quality.

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14th

Monday: You will receive the Course Expectations/Requirements sheet. You will receive the vocabulary sheet for Chapter 1 Section 1. On Friday there will be a brief vocabulary quiz.

You will also get the Chapter 1.1 studysheet and the accompanying reading assignment (Section 1.1, pages 2-11). This should be completed by Wednesday, when it will be checked in class. Late assignments will receive a reduced grade. All homework studysheets are worth 5 points.

Tuesday: Section 1.1 will be introduced via a powerpoint presentation

Wednesday: We will begin going over Studysheet 1.1 together in class. This will become the beginning of a corrected source of review for tests, quizzes and exams for you.

Thursday: we will finish the studysheet

Friday: Quiz on Section 1.1 vocabulary. We will begin a video on Ecosystems

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21st

Monday: You will hand in your Current Event (the article, one summary paragraph, one opinion paragraph. Value: 10 points)

Weather permitting, we will go outside to survey our campus environment. We will discuss our observations, and you will receive a question sheet due Tuesday.

We will finish our video on Ecosystems

Tuesday: Your question sheet on your outdoor observations will be due, and you will receive the studysheet for the next section, Section 1.2 on Food Chains and Food Webs, due Thursday.

Wednesday: We will have a class activity. You will receive the vocabulary list for Section 1.2, which should be completed by Friday.

Thursday: We will begin going over the studysheet for 1.2 in class

Friday: We will finish going over studysheet 1.2

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28

Monday: It's Current Events day. You will present your current event summary and evaluation to the class orally, and we will discuss the importance and implications of each.

Tuesday: We will watch a Poperpoint presentation about Rachel Carson, her life, works, writings, viewpoints and legacy.

Wednesday: We will look at the effects of population and how it impacts natural resources via the "Earth's Little Apple" activity

Thursday: We will watch the "Population" video

Friday: There will be a test on the summer reading of "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson. If you did not read it over the summer, now is the time to do it, or look it over again.

WEEK OF OCTOBER 5

Monday:  Current Events Day

Tuesday: We will begin our work on  Section 1.3, Predators, with a film on snakes and other predator reptiles.   Studysheet for 1.3 due Thursday.

Wednesday: We will continue our work on predators by beginning the "Defenders of Wildlife" film on the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park.

Thursday: We will finish the film, and look at the status of the wolves now, as well as the new laws delisting the wolves from endangered species status, and the hunting of wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.  We will begin going over Studysheet 1.3

Friday:  We will look at animals available for adoption through the Defenders of Wildlife, and discuss the various options.  We will vote on them on Tuesday. We will finish going over Studysheet 1.3 Studysheet 1.6, Energy in the ecosystem, due Tuesday.  Since there is no school Monday, there is no current event next week.

WEEK OF OCTOBER 13

Tuesday: We will go over studysheet 1.6

Thursday: We will do an exercise on the transmittal of energy through the ecosystem.

Friday: There will be a workpacket on energy.  Bring in the $2 for your animal adoption.