Unit 4 Blog

Unit 4 Blog

Instructions for your unit 4 blog are below.  Please pay attention to changes in the assignments.  

Also, THE BIG IDEAS are to cover the ENTIRE UNIT.  

You should be discussing your reading, labs, current event AND anything else you can tie in that we learned during this unit.  

If you only discuss your article, POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED!

***Make sure you are just creating a new post on the blog you have already started.  We should not be posting a new blog every time we do this.  Work on your blog a little at a time over the next few weeks, save as a draft and publish it when you are done!  Not sure what I'm talking about?  Ask me in class!***

Unit Vocabulary-define each term in your own words and include a picture that ties in to the term to help you remember the definition.  The list is below:

Species Richness

Species Evenness

Microevolution

Macroevolution

Evolution by Natural Selection

Evolution by Artificial Selection

Allopatric Speciation

Sympatric Speciation

Genetically Modified Organisms

Fundamental Niche

Exponential Growth Model

Logistic Growth Model

Carrying Capacity

Keystone Species

Current Event- Instead of finding a current event for this unit, I'm sending you to a website.  Go to Biodiversity HotSpots and review pages 144-147 in your textbook.  Pick a hotspot on the website to discuss (when you click on one of the regions, a list of specific areas will come up, pick one of those.)  Discuss the following points specific to your chosen hotspot.  Be prepared to discuss this portion of your blog in class.

• What is a biodiversity hotspot and why are they important?
• Where is your hotspot located and what type of ecosystem is present there (posting a map showing where your hotspot is located could help you here).
• Describe at lease one endemic plant species and animal species found here.  Explain what it means to be an endemic species.
• Describe the human induced and/or natural reasons why biodiversity is decreasing in the area.
• Explain what is being done to protect the area.

Pick a Side- In a paragraph, using AT LEAST 5 of your vocabulary words (they don't have to be the ones listed above, just any words from chapter 5 or 6 in your book) describe the ideal conditions in which a species will either adapt to changes in it's ecosystem and evolve OR conditions that would lead to species extinction.

Big Picture Reflection-  This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT.  Please tie in information you learned in your reading, from completing your labs and from your current event.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.    

Turning it in- I should have the link to your blog at this point.  Verify that I have access to view your blog through your privacy settings with my school email address. I will continue to grade your blogs on the google doc I shared with you two blogs ago to give you specific feedback.  Do the math- there are 4 sections, out of 100, each section is worth 25 points.  Be thorough and don't skip a section!  Due Date: Nov. 3rd

Happy Blogging! 

~Kays

Unit 3 Blog- Ecosystem Ecology

Please read and follow instructions provided in each section.  There are 4 sections, your blog should cover each!

Vocabulary- define each term in your own words and include a picture that ties in to the term to help you remember the definition.  The list is below

Ecosystem

Gross primary Productivity

Net Primary Productivity

Biomass

Standing Crop

Ecological Efficiency

Trophic Pyramid

Biogeochemical Cycles

Macronutrients

Limiting Nutrient

Leaching

Disturbance

Resistance

Resilience

Instrumental Value

Intrinsic Value

Current Event- post the link to your event along with a summary.  

Note- If you connect your BIG picture ideas to your article only, I will take off points!

Environmental Quote- (yes this is a new section, I told you I would be switching it up every unit.)  Respond to the quote provided below.  Based on what you learned this unit, give your OPINION as to whether or not you think this statement is true.  This is not a simple yes or no response, support your argument with supporting facts.

Big Picture Reflection-  This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT.  Please tie in information you learned in your reading, from completing your mini-project and from your current event.  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  

Turning it in:  Your completed blog is due Monday October 6th.  Please copy/paste the link to your published blog into the file I pushed to you in your school google drive.  Make sure you have given my school email account (see whiteboard in my classroom) permission to view your blog post.  Not sure how to do all of this??  See me for help!  Happy blogging! 

Unit 2 Blog

Hey guys!  So we are starting unit two tomorrow (A day) and Monday (B day)!  Unit 2 covers chapter 4 in your book.  The reading is divided into two parts, with a reading quiz for each part due on Sundays.  Part 1 is pages 87-99 (quiz due by 9/14) and part 2 is pages 99-114 (quiz due by 9/21).  

Your blog for this unit needs to include the following items: 

Vocabulary- define each term in your own words and include a picture that ties in to the term to help you remember the definition.  The list is below

Climate

Troposphere

Stratosphere

Albedo

Hadley Cells

ITCZ

Polar Cells

Coloilis Effect

Gyres

Upwelling

Thermohaline Circulation

ENSO

Rain Shadow

Current Event-  Like before you need to post the link and summarize it.  Unlike before, you do not have to tie it in to the the four big principals, that will be for your reflection.

Reflection-  This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to this unit.  You can tie in information you learned in your reading, from completing your project and from your current event.  Not sure what those BIG PICTURE topics were??  Go back and look at your notes from unit 1 and your previous post!  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  

Remember, these blog posts will count as a test grade from this unit on.  The requirements will change as we progress through the school year (we may need to reflect on a lab or another activity we have completed in the unit), but the vocabulary, current event and reflection will be included in every unit!  Happy blogging! 

~Kays

Unit 1- Current Event Example

Hey guys!  Welcome to my APES BLOG!!!

You are required to maintain a blog throughout the school year for each unit we study.  Please take a moment to set up your blog using blogger. Feel free to personalize your blog as little or as much as you would like.  I'm not concerned about the format, only that the content is there.  After you have set up your blog, please complete your first assignment.  An example is provided for you below.  Your blog may be as public or private as you would like, the only requirement is that I have access to view it.  Please share your blog with me with your first assignment completed by Friday August 28th (A and B day students).

Assignment:  Your task is to find a current event (within the last 12 months) that relates to one of the topics covered in pages 3-14 in your text book.  Post the link to the article that you find (btdubs- make sure this comes from a reputable news source) and then comment below the article giving me a summary of the article and tying it in to our four BIG PICTURE topics.  Forgot those already??  Human Impact, Environmental Impact, Economic Impact, and Government Legislation.

Example:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/07/24/mass-extinction-study/13096445/

Summary- this part should be a summary of the article posted above and not opinion based  (posted 7/24/14) Scientists are warning that the Earth could be in the midst of a 6th mass extinction.  Studies show that although the human population is growing rapidly, many populations, especially those of invertebrates, are in rapid decline.  While larger species typically get most of the attention when the topic of extinction arises, the loss of lower level consumers can have a much larger impact as they play a critical role in terrestrial and aquatic food chains.  Earth has experienced 5 mass extinctions throughout it's history, the last being around 66 million years ago when the dinosaurs went extinct. Previous extinctions are typically contributed to meteorite impacts with the earth and massive volcanic activity.  Scientists believe the difference between previous extinctions and the current mass extinction is the introduction of anthropogenic or human activities such as overhunting, climate change and habitat destruction.  Scientists believe that plants and animals are dying out at least 1,000 times faster than they did previously due to these human activities.     

This is where you take information from the article and apply it to what you have learned in class
Human Impact- human activity such as urban and agricultural development has had a huge impact on species viability over the last few centuries resulting in a potentially catastrophic decline in the number of species on earth.  When we alter the ecosystems by building new structures or introducing pollutants into the air and water, this effects biodiversity of the ecosystem because these organisms must either adapt, move to another location or go extinct.    

Environmental Impact-  Loss of a seemingly minor species, like an insect, can have a potentially detrimental effect on an ecosystem because these species are all part of a larger food web.  The "little" species is more than likely a food source for a larger species.  If that food source is depleted, it will ultimately effect all higher level consumers within this food web leading to an overall loss of biodiversity within the ecosystem.  

Economic Impact- Loss of biodiversity can have an economic impact in a multitude of ways.  Tax money is spent to protect these endangered species.  Jobs can be lost and gained in this process.  Jobs created by the conservation efforts as a well as jobs lost in areas where biodiversity has been effected.  These could include jobs in the tourism industry and agriculture.

Government Legislation- The Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 in an effort to protect and recover declining species and their ecosystems.  These laws are enforced by the US fish and wildlife service (primarily terrestrial organisms) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (primarily aquatic organisms).

Welcome to Mrs. Kays' AP Environmental Science Blog!

A little about me: This is my seventh year teaching at CHHS. I was born in Texas, grew up in Myrtle Beach, SC and then graduated from high school from Spring Hill High School in Longview after my family moved back to Texas during my freshman year.  I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2003 with a BS in Biology. WHOOP! I completed my Masters in Secondary Education at the University of North Texas in May 2010.
I LOVE teaching and I LOVE science! My goal is to share my enthusiasm and excitement with my students every day in the hope that they will enjoy learning in my classroom and leave prepared for whatever life holds for them.
My husband and I live in Bedford. We are the proud parents of a wonderful 6 year old son named Brady and a 4 year old son named Levi. In addition to chasing my very active boys, I enjoy running, reading, painting, watching baseball (Go Rangers!) and football (Go Aggies and Cowboys!). I teach fitness classes at the local YMCA and am currently training to run in the Dallas Marathon in December!

Looking forward to an exciting school year! 

Gig'em!