Final Assessment

This may be done in any format except a paper--video to me, linoit, series of comics, etc.  120 points.

Benchmark: Sci.ES.01: Students will be able to identify and distinguish between the effects of population, pollution, natural resources, and cultural differences on the environment.

Pick a country (no one else can pick yours) and examine it's population pyramid, child mortality, life expectancy, culture, and top exports.  Comment on the sustainability of the country based on what you see.  Search the blog to see resources covered this past quarter.  Include a list of the web site URLs used.

Benchmark: Sci.ES.02: Students will be able to explain and contrast various biotic and abiotic relationships within an ecosystem.

Use your country and describe its major biomes, and a viable ecosystem for each.  Talk about the health of the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles currently, based on the stability and environmental safeguards in the country chosen.  How does this affect the formation or resolution of poverty traps? Search the blog to see resources covered this past quarter.  Include a list of the web site URLs used.

Benchmark: Sci.ES.03: Students will be able to compare and contrast the effects of population and economic factors on the biosphere.    Benchmark: Sci.ES.04: Students will be able to integrate the effect of pollution on the atmosphere and hydrosphere and the resulting affect on the environment.

Describe at least three commons issues in this course and provide at least 3 solutions to each.  Solutions must include a response to pollution, human health, ecosystem health in the commons chosen.  Search the blog to see resources covered this past quarter.  Include a list of the web site URLs used.

Benchmark: Sci.ES.05: Students will be able to summarize the effects of the industrialization of agriculture on the environment.

Talk about the benefits and perils of  fertilizers, pesticides, and insectides as applied to the water cycle.  Search the blog to see resources covered this past quarter.  Include a list of the web site URLs used.

Benchmark: Sci.ES.06: Students will analyze the development of energy resources and alternative energy resources.

Contrast the pros and cons of three of the following energy resources:  

• wind
• coal
• passive solar
• nuclear
• geothermal
• hydroelectric
• active solar

Benchmark: Sci.ES.07: Students will compare and summarize the initiatives necessary to sustain a quality of life on this planet.  Compare the United States to your country of choice regarding these items.

• Which country, in your opinion, experiences more evidences tragedy of the commons/NIMBY/LULU outlines in BM .03?  For example, if poverty is a tragedy of the commons, is it a bigger problem in the US or your country of choice.
• Which country has a better plan for sustainability, and why do you think so?
• Which country has more renewable vs. nonrenewable resources
• Which country is further ahead in renewable energy sources that are not carbon-based?
• Look back on these 4 bullet points.  See if you can identify any logical fallacies, bias, or applications of Occam's razor.  DO NOT restate the points above, but DO let me know your logic

Influential writings

No environmental class would be complete without a look at some of the excerpts of famous environnmentalists:

Please read the following and create a comparative visual (a t-chart, Venn diagrams, comparative mind-map) and be ready to discuss.

A  clip of the  readings from Aldo Leopold (developed the plan for deer management still used today):   http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977423292
1 reading from John Muir (developed the concept for the national park system): http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/writings/the_mountains_of_california/chapter_10.aspx

1 reading from Thoreau (argued for the need for wild places and civil disobedience):  http://thoreau.eserver.org/civil1.html

1 reading from Rachel Carson (founder of the modern environmental movement):  http://rachels-carson-of-today.blogspot.com/2009/11/silent-spring-rachel-carson-1962.html


======================

Questions

1. Which of the environmentalists has a viewpoint that most matches yours?  Extreme, Spiritual, Reflective, or Action-Oriented?

2.  How do these writers reflect a PROGRESSION in environmental thought?

3.  If you could choose one of these people as an ally in a fight against a tragedy of the commons, which one would it be?

4.  How are these view points related to the idea of "Think Globally , Act Locally?"

1 page reflection to be completed by the end of the day Friday.  We'll be talking about the individual readings tomorrow.

Go Bananas

Everyone has options for personal change, and there is much change that needs to happen in the world to make a sustainable future.  For the rest of this week, we'll be looking at a variety of case studies to see about how your choices impact the future.

Read through the following three case studies in a jigsaw fashion.   You will complete your case study. (30 min)

Is it Sustainable to Eat Bananas?

Is the Human Cost of Bananas Worthwhile?

Ecotourism:  An Alternative to Raising Bananas?

===================5-5-5 Claim-Evidence-Reason=================
Now that we have worked through the case studies, we need to decide to eat bananas or not to eat bananas.  You will make 5 Claims , supported it with Evidence from the case studies, and connect the claim and evidence through your Reasoning.  

1. Economy
2. Poverty Traps
3. Health Risk
4. Carbon Footprint from Transport
5. Other claim of your choice.

Present your case studies to the group in a digital fashion.

arguments

Find the flaw in the following:






We've always heated our house with wood. It's natural.

I can't eat a rabbit.  Dude, haven't you seen the movie Bambi?  You can't eat the Easter Bunny.

Having a snowstorm proves that global warming is false.

I'm not into helping Haiti children.  Sean Penn and Bill Clinton both have charities that work there.

God will not let the world fall into ruin and destruction.

If it's good enough for my Dad, it's good enough for me.

Meat-eating is the worst challenge to our world today.  Eating meat is grossly inefficent in terms of energy.

Ammonia compounds are found in our body.  Have you ever smelled a diaper?  That's why I know it's ok to use anhydrous on my field.


If a little bit of nitrogen is good, a lot must be better.

We've put so much time and effort into this already, we have to go forward.

I don't believe humans can cause climate change.

Increasing population doesn't change the planet much.

All countries need to decrease their birthrate.

If we get rid of the wolves, then we can control the environment better.

Trend data is not absolute proof.



http://yourlogicalfallacyis.com 



A second, less reliable site.


http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/ENGL1311/fallacies.htm


Occam's Razor

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/scientific-experiments/occams-razor.htm


Confirmation Bias

http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/23/confirmation-bias/

CLAIM-EVIDENCE-REASONING

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/science-inquiry-claim-evidence-reasoning-eric-brunsell


============Practice=============

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1860871,00.html

Housing

http://www.hgpho.to/wfest/house/house-e.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMansion

http://seattle.gov/dpd/codesrules/changestocode/micros/whatwhy/

http://safebangladesh.wordpress.com/activities/improved-slum-housing/

So, yesterday, we talked about housing, and the ratio between square footage and # of occupants.

1. Paired reflection questions (keep a list of any additional references you use)

• How much square footage do you need for a family of four to sleep, eat, live, and wash in NE Iowa?  Be specific.  Draw a housing sketch.
• How does that compare with two of  the traditional housing types in the first link above?
• Energy is not 100% efficient, so how do we create a comfortable environment for housing occupants?  What temperature is needed for the housing?  
• What role does insulation and R-values play in creating this temperature?  Is it evident in the traditional housing or the slum housing?
• Pick either micro-housing or McMansion and compare it to your current housing environment.  
• Estimate a square footage and draw a housing layout with a bathroom, living area, and bedroom. 
• Decide how many people will live in the space. 
• Calculate a ratio of sq foot/person.
• Estimate the housing cost for one of these spaces.
• Would you be willing to give up a traditional home that has about 400-700 sq. foot/person for the alternative you chose in the previous question.  Why or why not?
• Decide the ideal ratio of square footage/person for an environmentally-aware person.   THIS WILL BE YOUR CLAIM.
• As you head into the future, population keeps growing, and energy needs must shift away from a carbon-based heating system.  
• Sketch a box that meets this ratio that you made in the claim.
• Decide what combination of wind/solar/geothermal as a heating mechanism.
• Detail the insulation you will utilize, telling me the R-value needed.
• Show the location of windows and doors relative to N-S-E-W alignment.
• THIS IS YOUR EVIDENCE
• Reflect on how this house would be different or similar to the house you live in right now.  This will be your REASONING.

Turn this in before you leave, along with your reference list.

Hydrogen Energy

How likely is hydrogen to solve the global energy crisis?

What about wind, solar, or geothermal?

Research hydrogen and its applications, and share with the class.

Alternative Energy Friday

Personal Reflection 1/2 page

• How much of energy use is about NEED and how much is about CONVENIENCE?
• How is our engagement with energy in the 1st world different from energy in the 3rd world?
• When you have ores that are limited in supply or found in unstable locations that but are critical for your electronic devices, what should we do to help conserve that limited supply?

=====Friday============

Your job is to find out about a specific type of alternative energy.  You have been divided into groups based on your personal choice.  You may work by yourself or with your group to find out about the following topic.  This research should include the textbook reading, a wikipedia overview, a cost explanation, and a discussion of the application and usefulness of the technology.  Create a Linoit or other Web 2.0 tool (Pipes, Prezi)  and share with marciarpowellATgmailDOTcom by the end of the day on Tuesday

Click here to add your comments

=======Complete one of these with one partner and be ready to discuss on Tuesday.============

Ethanol or Biodiesel?

Does a pressure cooker save energy?