5/21 & 5/23

5/21:  Work on Environmental Point of View.

Prepare a written document that describes a shift in your thinking this year based on the materials, lessons, experiences you have had in this course.  Be prepared to share this with the class on Friday.  Your reflection should be at least 1 page , thoughtfully crafted and sincere.  

5/23:  Share Points of View with class!

Have you turned these assignments in?

Greetings APes students

About half of you have turned in all of this material. If you have not turned in these assignments please see the firm deadline below!

Please make sure you have the following materials handed in by Friday, May 16th:

1) Journals - They should include the following entries:

a) Biomimicry Reflection from Chapter 3

b) Specific article & reflection from your Energy Project (Wildcats for a Better Tomorrow)
(See hw on syllabus for 4/21)

c) Pre-Percy Reflection (See articles on syllabus entitled "The Trouble with Percy" and "The Conflict Setting the Stage").

d) Post-Percy Reflection. What are your reactions to hearing him speak hear on campus? What specific topics engaged you the most? Explain.

* This next Journal entry applies only to students who viewed "Who Killed the Electric Car?" in class and/or who are NOT taking the AP exam or are not on Senior Project.

e) Look up an article related to Alternative Vehicles. This can be an article about electric cars, NGV, hybrid, etc. Write an editorial reflection describing your perspective on the topic in your journal. Please include the article and source in your journal entry.

2) MAMA Discussion of Final Results
One page discussion of final results. This should be written as a formal scientific discussion of your results. Refer back to your hypothesis. Analyze the final results and discuss reasons why your hypothesis was correct/incorrect. Be sure to include the actual data/# in your discussion.

If you missed the Results in class here they are:

MAMA Results 2008
Crissy Field
Copper: 8.1 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: .009 micrograms/Liter

Phoenix Lake
Copper: 0.5 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: Not Detectable

Galilee Harbor
Copper: 1.7 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: Not Detectable

Fort Point
Copper: 8.8 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: 0.01 micrograms/Liter

Berkeley Marina
Copper: 8.2 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: 0.01 micrograms/Liter

Walker Creek
Copper: 2.7 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: 0.016 micrograms/Liter

Raccoon Straits
Copper: 8.0 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: 0.01 micrograms/Liter

Cesar Chavez Park
Copper: 36 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: .02 micrograms/Liter

THe EPA Limits for each of these elements:
Copper: 1500 micrograms/Liter
Mercury: 11 micrograms/Liter

HW: 5/7

AP examers:  Study for AP exam. Please email me questions tonight that you have about the exam and we will go over these on Friday.

Non AP examers:  Please find one article about electric cars or alternative fuel vehicles and write an editorial reflecting on the content.  This reflection is due in class next block.

AP Exam Takers

If you are taking the AP exam, check out this website.  It contains excellent review materials for major topics that may be covered on the exam.

Study Guide APes

Wildcats for a Better Tomorrow Resources

About the Links: If you have trouble with a link, please try searching for the information provided. The Science Friday links are not working currently, however if you do an independent search you should be able to find the program. Thanks


Geothermal Links:

Geothermal Heats Up: (Hills just north of Sonoma wine country. geothermal reservoir under rugged terrain. Largest tapped geothermal field in the world!)
*Radio program

Geothermal Energy Basics: NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Wind Energy Links:

The Science Friday File on Wind Energy
*Radio program

American Wind Energy Association: Wind Web Tutorial
(excellent resource for wide variety of content)

Wind Energy Basics: NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Solar Energy Links:

Solar Power Scales Up (March 14th, 2008)
*Radio program

Solar Energy Basics (NREL: National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Biomass Energy Links:

Scientists Seek New Ways to Produce Biofuel
*Radio Program

Biomass Energy Basics (NREL: National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Wave Energy Links:

Harnessing Energy From the Sea
*Radio program

PG & E, San Francisco and Golden Gate Energy Combine Efforts to Explore Tidal Power Options in SF Bay

Hydropower Links:

Thirst for Energy Fuels Controversial Power Project
*Radio program

Hydroelectricity (EPA)

Hybrid Links:

California Company Develops Plug-In Hybrid
*Radio program

Conversion Kit Allows Hybrid to Go Gas Free
*Radio program

APes Syllabus: April 15-May 2

APes Energy Syllabus

Wildcats for a Better Tomorrow Project
Focusing our energy on tomorrow's energy...

If you are 18 this might be a research project you can do:
Creating a Mini star here on Earth: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Requests for public tours should be directed to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Public Affairs Office at (925) 422-4599. Tours are limited to persons 18 years of age or older. The Public Affairs information line, (925) 422-4599, is also available to answer questions about the Laboratory's mission, programs, and activities.

Current Links to Check out

World Clock
(In particular check out world population, oil pumped, cars produced, species extinct!)

AP exam May 17
If you are taking the exam, please review the free response questions and answers found here.
Practice Multiple choice questions can be found here.
Our text book on line has great practice questions as well.

APes Links & Info

Greetings APes students

Here are some important resources/links related to our discussion/work/life:

1. Thursday evening San Francisco Event:
China & The Environment
Can you attend this?

2. My Green Electronics:
This page guides you on how to recycle your own electronic wastes. All you need to do is enter
your zip code and resource centers pop up in your area.
There is an Energy Calculator on this page.
And much more about reducing, reusing, recycling and rethinking electronics.

3. World Water Day
Did you know March 22 was World Water Day? Check out this web page. Lots of information about world water use, consumption and conservation can be found here!

4. KQED 3/26
Plastic Bag Ban -- One Year Later
San Francisco may have been the first city in the country to ban plastic bags, but one year after supervisors approved the landmark law it's clear that the City by the Bay won't be the last to yank plastic bags from major grocery stores. The ban has helped spawn a few cottage industries in California, and blazed a path that cities around the world are following.
Reporters:
• David Gorn

MAMA

Here are the details for MAMA

Please make sure you follow the requirements that are on this document.  There are specific assignments for each individual in the group and for the entire group.  If you have ANY questions please ask!

HW Due March 24 & March 28

Homework Due Monday, March 24th

Please read & respond to the following things:

1. Read about Mercury in your text pg. 541-543

2.  Look at pictures in this article entitled Metal Desert:  Mining's Toll on Human & Natural Resources

3.  Read & write a written reflection in your journal or via email about ONE of these articles below.  Please pick the article that is the most interesting to you.  Please tell me why you picked the article.  Be able to make connections, observations and questions that pertain to our studies and to the reading at hand within your reflection.  Thank you!

Gold and Mercury:  The Downside of a Golden Gold-Rush Opportunity

High Tech Wasteland:  Recycling Electronics

Fluid Values:  Battles Over Water Rights

Friday, March 28

Content Assessment (To be decided in class on 3/18)

Homework Due Next Class: 3/18/07

Hope Homework:

Please Read the first two short articles. Please also watch the 3 minute "video" below featuring David Rothenberg playing with beluga whales in Russia.

Respond briefly to each. How does each relate to our curriculum and class? What connections /inferences can you make? Which reading/video did you "enjoy" or get the most out of and why? (Your response should be at least 1 page long. No longer than 2 pages. This is just informal. However, I am looking for a content rich response that indicates you have witnessed/reviewed these 3 things! Thanks and Enjoy!) You may EMAIL hw or bring it into class on recycled/double sided paper. thanks!

Shy Affectionate SF: Kathleen Dean Moore

The Unsung Solution: By Bill McKibben (Middlebury Professor)
What rhymes with waste-heat recovery?
Making Low Carbon Energy a Precious Resource
can this reduce global warming?

David Rothenberg plays with beluga whales in Russia
video

"It sounded like the perfect place to continue my musical investigation. Over the years, I’ve come to think that animal sounds share more characteristics with music than with human language. Each phrase sung by birds, wolves, cicadas, or dolphins must be performed correctly to convey its message, but we humans can never translate exactly what is said. This has led me to believe that music might be a useful way to communicate with animals, and thus extend human art into the natural world, hoping for a connection, a response. I started testing this theory by playing with birds, and now I’m ready to try it with the most intricate musicians of the wild world: whales. Because they live underwater, there are additional challenges—such as how to do it without getting my clarinet all wet."

"The beluga whale, whose name means “the white one” in Russian, might be one of the best species to try to make music with. Called sea canaries by sailors who frequented the Arctic regions, their wide range of whistles, clicks, and buzzes is far more diverse than the vocalizations of dolphins, whose sounds and behavior have been studied the most.?
Serenading Belugas in the White Sea: Orion Magazine, by David Rothenberg

Water Disease HW

HW Due on 3/13:

1. Review the "Common Diseases Transmitted to Humans Through Contaminated Drinking Water" found in your book (Chapter 21).

2. Make a small chart organizing the source of the disease and the disease.

3. Pick one disease that you want to know more about it and write up a 1/2 page summary about what you learned about this disease. (Go one step deeper than the book goes--in terms of content!)

Entire HW should be 1 page total. This can be emailed to me on Thursday or printed on recycled paper/written on recycled paper and turned in during class time.

Notes from today's Water Bowl

Water bowl Notes (Chapter 14: Miller)

APes Surveys!

Please take both of the surveys below. They are anonymous so please be honest and thoughtful in your responses. Thank you!


Evaluation of instructor


Evaluation of course

Permission Slip for Friday's Field trip