AP ENVIRONMENTAL Summer Assignment:Human Impact on the Environment

Due Date: September 8th, 2015

Point Value: This will be entered into the gradebook immediately when school starts and will be worth 10% of your grade

Purpose: Throughout AP Environmental, we will be discussing the way that humans impact the environment. Usually, we talk about it in a negative way. The two assignments you will be writing will give you a better insight into how the humans have impacted the environment we live in today. One essay will require you to watch a short video before you write the essay. The other will have you read 4 articles to write the essay. These learning opportunities will give you the background necessary to make connections to each topic we discuss during the class.

Rubrics: Please refer to the rubrics at the end of the packet for how your papers will be scored.

Checklist:

“Lorax” Video Guide “Lorax” Essay Read and Annotate 4 articlesHuman Impact essay Email both essays to amfleming1@cps.eduSign up for Remind101Turn in this packet to Ms. Fleming on day 1

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The Lorax Video Guide Name: _______________________________

While viewing the film, The Lorax, answer the following questions. You will find the video on youtube. 1. What did the Once-ler do when he found the truffula tree?

2. What did the Once-ler find in the tree stump?

3. Who does the Lorax speak for?

4. What is a “thneed”?

5. Why do thneeds become so popular?

6. How long does it take for a truffula seed to germinate (or sprout)?

7. How long does it take for a truffula tree to grow?

8. Why did all the Once-ler family move to the truffula forest? What real-life event does this represent?

9. What does the thneed factory do to the ecosystem? a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

10. Why do the brown barbaloots, swanee swans and humming fish leave their homes?

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11. What happens to animals in real life when their homes are destroyed?

12. What happened to the factory when the last truffula tree is cut down?

13. What does the word “UNLESS” mean in this movie?

14. There is a faint glimmer of hope at the end of The Lorax. What is the cause of this hope?

AFTER WATCHING:

1. Explain how the made-up world in The Lorax is similar to our world today.

2. Are we better at protecting the environment than the Once-ler or worse?

3. Who do you think that YOU would be in this land: the Lorax or the Once-ler? Why?

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The Lorax Essay

In a well developed essay, students must draw comparisons between the Dr. Seuss video, “The Lorax” and real-world situations where ecosystems are being disturbed by humans. Using evidence from “The Lorax” students will analyze the effects that humans have on the environment. All quotations must be cited and explained.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE ESSAY: INTRODUCTION, Paragraph 1: You will write an introductory paragraph highlighting the importance of preserving ecosystems on Earth. Introduce the issues and explain why it is important that humans take action to preserve the environment and our natural resources.

BODY WILL INCLUDE 3 PARAGRAPHS: Paragraph 2: Describe how one environment in “The Lorax” was destroyed by humans. Why is this lesson important for us to learn?Paragraph 3: Describe how a second environment in “The Lorax” was destroyed by humans. Why is this lesson important for us to learn?Paragraph 4: Describe how a third environment in “The Lorax” was destroyed by humans. Why is this lesson important for us to learn?

CONCLUSIONS, Paragraph 5: Summarize the essay and emphasize why your essay proves that ecosystems must be preserved on Earth.

THIS ESSAY MUST BE TYPED AND EMAILED TO MS. FLEMING at amfleming1@cps.edu

GRAPHIC ORGANIZER FOR PLANNING

Environment in “The Lorax” was destroyed by humans

Why is this lesson important for us to learn?

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

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How are humans impacting ecosystems in your community? : Persuasive Essay

THIS ESSAY WILL ONLY BE GRADED IF IT IS TYPED AND EMAILED TO MS. FLEMING at amfleming1@cps.edu . The guide at the end is for a written rough copy and is optional.

Not only is it important to examine human impact on ecosystems throughout the world, but it is essential to examine those located right outside your door. Chicago is a sprawling urban landscape, with huge skyscrapers, buildings constructed inches apart from one another, and roads that stretch for miles, crisscrossing all over the place. Now, has Chicago always looked like this? Have humans always been here? Imagine what the ecosystems would look like in Chicago in the absence of humans. Would it be any different?

Use the guiding questions below, construct a 300-word persuasive essay or letter to the mayor of Chicago, (about five, full paragraphs with multiple sentences in each paragraph), drawing in evidence from the sources that you examine and incorporating your own perspective. You may also think about how you see humans impacting the environment in your own communities.

Think about the questions above, and use the guiding bullet points below your selected question to construct your essay. Your answer should be written in complete sentences. DO NOT begin your answer with “No, because...” or “Yes, because…”. Write in essay or letter form, discussing issues and starting off with a claim (statement sentence). Be sure to cite all evidence that you reference from articles used in class, in addition to your own examples.

Before writing, you must first read and annotate the 4 articles. Your annotations should help you make sense of the article. Ask questions, define difficult words, indicate information that you may use in your paper, write connections to class and your prior knowledge and experiences. I will be looking for quality annotations.

(1) How are humans impacting ecosystems in your community?*******Your essay must include:********

Review of the problem: what is the issue and why it is important How humans are contributing to the problem Ways that you as an individual can reduce human impact on the environment Ways that your city or country can reduce human impact on the environment How science can be used to solve the problem Must address the following topics: Global warming, carbon dioxide, overpopulation, solutions Your own knowledge (anything from class, videos, or previous knowledge) & opinion Evidence from at least 3 of the 4 articles

Article 1: Hit Hard By Smogby Ann Flanders, taken from Sciencedaily.com

Smog is a kind of air pollution, originally named for the mixture of smoke and fog in the air. Classic smog results from large amounts of coal burning in an area and is caused by a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide. In the 1950s a new type of smog, known as Photochemical Smog, was first described.

Smog is a problem in a number of cities and continues to harm

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human health. The chemicals present in smog are especially harmful for senior citizens, children, and people with heart and lung conditions such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. It can inflame breathing passages, decrease the lungs' working capacity, and cause shortness of breath, pain when inhaling deeply, wheezing, and coughing. It can cause eye and nose irritation and it dries out the protective membranes of the nose and throat and interferes with the body's ability to fight infection, which increases susceptibility to illness. Hospital admissions and respiratory deaths often increase during periods when smog levels are high.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed an Air Quality index to help explain air pollution levels to the general public. Smog can form in almost any climate where industries or cities release large amounts of air pollution.

However, it is worse during periods of warmer, sunnier weather when the upper air is warm enough to inhibit vertical circulation. It is especially prevalent in geologic basins encircled by hills or mountains. It often stays for an extended period of time over densely populated cities or urban areas, such as London, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Houston, Toronto, Athens, Beijing, Hong Kong, the Randstad or Ruhr Area and can build up to dangerous levels.

Source: www.sciencedaily.com/articles/earth_climate/air_pollution/

Inflame: part of the body becoming red and swollen

Basin: a natural depression (or dip) in the earth’s surface

Article 2: Light Pollution: A Growing Problem for WildlifeZahra Hirji - July 9, 2010 (Discovery News)

Migratory birds are veering off course. Newborn sea turtles are crawling inland rather than moving towards the sea. Nocturnal insects are flocking to the cities.Why all the confusion in the animal kingdom? Artificial lights.

Researchers convened to discuss the increasing impacts of light pollution earlier this week at the 24th annual International Congress for Conservation Biology in Edmonton, Alberta.

Migratory: an animal that is moving from one habitat to another, usually in search of warmer weather

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In the past century, night lighting has increased substantially. In a Nature News article, Travis Longcore, organizer of the conference and director of the Urban Wildlands Group said, "We've turned major parts of the globe into permanent full moon, or more." And because of this, animals around the globe are suffering.

The most well known light pollution effects are on migratory birds. Bright lights distract and often disorient the birds, drawing them off course and sometimes leading them to fly into the sides of buildings.

But migratory animals are not the only victims. Night-foraging creatures, such as bats and mice, rely on the darkness to either hunt or provide protection from predators. The “permanent full moon” effect makes these animals more vulnerable to being eaten, and the sometimes adapt by spending less time foraging away from their dens.

In humans, scientists have discovered, nighttime overexposure to artificial light (by shift workers in particular) causes suppression of the hormone melatonin. Low melatonin levels are linked to breast cancer and other ailments. The World Health Organization even declared that artificial night light is a “probable” carcinogen.

The more researchers uncover about the startling effects of light pollution, the more obvious it is that something needs to change in the way humans use and direct light. Some cities, like Chicago, have implemented “lights out” programs where tall building lights are dimmed during bird migratory seasons. The effort is thought to save more than 10,000 birds each year.

These large-scale changes are crucial. But more can be done on an individual level, too. Turning off lights at night and changing outside light bulb directions — having the bulbs point down to the ground rather than up at the sky — substantially reduces glow.

Humans have mostly outgrown their dependence on the stars (save for astronomers, who have their own issues with light-pollution), but most animals have not.Maybe in helping out wildlife, we can restore our own appreciation for the night sky.

Suppress: to prevent something from growing or being produced

Carcinogen: a substance that can cause cancer

Article 3: The Costs and Benefits of Different Energy SourcesBy Jack Handly, taken from Conserve Energy Future websiteRenewable EnergyRenewable energy is the energy that is generated from natural sources like sun, wind, rain, and tides and can be generated again and again when required. They are available in plenty and by far the most clean sources of energy available on this planet. For example, energy that we receive from the sun can be used to generate electricity. Similarly, energy from wind, geothermal, biomass from plants, and tides can be used to fulfill our daily energy demands.Pros

The sun, wind, geothermal, ocean energy are available in the abundant quantity and free to use.

Geothermal: using the heat of the earth to heat water and create electricity

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The non-renewable sources of energy that we are using are limited and are bound to expire one day.

Renewable sources have low carbon emissions, therefore they are considered as green and environmentally friendly.

Renewable energy helps the economy by creating job opportunities. The money that is used to build these plants can provide jobs to thousands of people.

You don’t have to rely on any other country for the supply of renewable sources as in the case of non-renewable sources.

Various tax incentives in the form of tax waivers, credit deductions are available for individuals and businesses who want to “go green.”

Cons It is not easy to set up a plant as the initial costs are quite expensive. Solar energy  can be used during the daytime and not during night or rainy season. Geothermal energy, which can be used to generate electricity, has side effects too. It

can bring toxic chemicals beneath the earth’s surface onto the top and can create environmental changes.

Hydroelectric  energy provides a pure form of energy but building dams across a river is quite expensive and can affect natural water flow and affect wildlife

To use wind energy, you have to rely on strong winds therefore you have to choose the right location to operate them. Also, they can affect bird population as they are quite tall.

Non-Renewable EnergyNon-Renewable energy is the energy that is taken from the sources that are available on the earth in limited quantity and will vanish fifty to sixty years from now. Non-renewable sources are not environmentally friendly and can have serious effect on our health. They are called non-renewable because they cannot be re-generated within a short span of time. Non-renewable sources exist in the form of fossil fuels, natural gas, oil and coal.Here are some of the pros and cons of using non-renewable sources of energy:Pros

Non-renewable sources are cheap and easy to use. You can easily fill up your car tank and power your motor vehicle.

You can use a small amount of nuclear energy to produce large amount of power. They are considered as cheap when converting from one type of energy to another.

Cons Non-renewable sources will expire some day The speed at which such resources are being used can have serious environmental

changes. Non-renewable sources release toxic gases (such as carbon dioxide) into the air when

burnt which are the major cause for global warming. Since these sources are going to expire soon, prices of these sources are soaring day by

day.

Emission: the production or release of something

Hydroelectric: the use of water currents to generate electricity, usually with dams

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Article 4: Brazil's New Plan to Fight Climate Change: Coal and Oil Companies Must Plant TreesBy Brian Merchant, taken from Treehugger.com (2009)

In an unusual plan to combat climate change, the Brazilian government will require coal and oil companies to plant thousands of trees in order to offset their carbon emissions. If the companies don't comply? They lose their operating licenses. According to the Environmental News Service, Brazil's power plants are responsible for emitting around 14 million tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) a year. So in an attempt to moderate those damaging emissions, the Brazilian Environmental Service has come up with a plan that would require fossil fuel burning companies to plant a specific amount of trees a year. If companies don't plant the required number of trees, they'll be unable to legally renew their licenses or apply for new ones.

The plan would both help capture carbon and aid in Brazil's reforestation efforts, the government says.

Offset: an action taken to counter or balance another contrary action

Reforestation: planting trees to regrew an area where forests were cut down

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So how will the nuts and bolts of the measure, which is part of Brazil's National Climate Change Plan, actually work?

From ENS:

“The ministry’s estimates show that a power plant with capacity to generate 100 megawatts per hour, that operates during 25 percent of the year, will have to plant up to 600 trees.”

And at that rate, the Brazilian government has predicted that by 2017 the country's power sector will have planted some 3 million trees.While it's an interesting plan, and more trees planted is always good news, such carbon offset schemes are in no way an ideal long term solution--and combined with the fact that Brazil is planning on opening 82 new coal burning plants over the next 8 years, the plan seems more like a gesture than a solid way to curb emissions.

Time to write! Pay close attention to the notes & sentence starters on the left of the graphic organizer! Don’t forget that if you are writing a letter to Mayor Emanuel, address it to him! (Dear Mayor Emanuel…)

Introduction:Introduce the problem, briefly describe the ways humans impact the environment, and why it is important

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Evidence #1-In the text, it says…-The author states..-According to the author…-In-text citations (Author, paragraph #)

Reasoning #1-This shows…-This explains…-This is important because…

Evidence #2-In the text, it says…-The author states…-According to the author…-In-text citations (Author, paragraph #)

Reasoning #2-This shows…-This explains…-This is important because…

Solutions:

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-What are some ways that you as an individual can address the problem? -What can the city of Chicago do?-How can science be used to address the problem?

Conclusion:-Summarize the problem, why it is important, and your suggested solutions.-What questions do you still have?-What do you wish you could have learned more about?

TYPE THE FINAL DRAFT and email to amfleming1@cps.edu

LORAX PAPER RUBRIC

5 3 0Introduction Attention grabber, 2-3

sentences about the topic (history and background), thesis statement, sentence identifying what the main points are in your body paragraphs

Introduction is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Introduction is missing 4 or more of the requirements

Body paragraph 1

Transition language to start the paragraph, main idea

Body paragraph is missing 2-3 of the

Body paragraph is missing 4 or more

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sentence, evidence from the video, transition language for the evidence, brief explanation o the evidence, connection to human impact, own thoughts and interpretations

requirements of the requirements

Body paragraph 2

Transition language to start the paragraph, main idea sentence, evidence from the video, transition language for the evidence, brief explanation o the evidence, connection to human impact, own thoughts and interpretations

Body paragraph is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Body paragraph is missing 4 or more of the requirements

Body paragraph 3

Transition language to start the paragraph, main idea sentence, evidence from the video, transition language for the evidence, brief explanation o the evidence, connection to human impact, own thoughts and interpretations

Body paragraph is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Body paragraph is missing 4 or more of the requirements

Conclusion Transition language, rewording of the attention grabber, briefly touch on main supporting points, final conclusion statements

Conclusion is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Conclusion is missing 4 or more of the requirements

LETTER TO OBAMA RUBRIC

5 3 1Introduction Attention grabber, 2-3

sentences about the topic (history and background), thesis statement, sentence identifying what the main points are in your body paragraphs

Introduction is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Introduction is missing 4 or more of the requirements

Evidence and reason

Transition language to start the paragraph, main idea

Body paragraph is missing 2-3 of the

Body paragraph is missing 4 or more

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1 sentence, evidence from the video, transition language for the evidence, brief explanation o the evidence, own thoughts and interpretations

requirements of the requirements

Evidence and reason 2

Transition language to start the paragraph, main idea sentence, evidence from the video, transition language for the evidence, brief explanation o the evidence, own thoughts and interpretations

Body paragraph is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Body paragraph is missing 4 or more of the requirements

Solutions Provide 2 solutions: Solutions need to be practical, give details about implementation, who is responsible for implementing it, and who is responsible for assuring that it happens.

Solution paragraph is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Solution paragraph is missing 4 or more of the requirements

Conclusion Transition language, rewording of the attention grabber, briefly touch on main supporting points, final conclusion statements

Conclusion is missing 2-3 of the requirements

Conclusion is missing 4 or more of the requirements

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