Update May 22, 2020

Summer Assignment for 2020-2021 AP Environmental Science Students

Summer Assignment for AP Envrion Sci 2020-2021

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Update May 18, 2020

The Latest From the College Board re: AP Exams

Students who were unable to test last week or who reported technical issues to College Board will automatically receive a makeup exam entrance ticket. Those exams will happen in early June.

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Resources for APES Exam May 18, 2020

Agenda

1. Review APES Exam Logistics
2. Review Resources
3. Review Exam Content
4. Review Test Taking Strategies
5. Additional Suggestions
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1. Logistics
    Date/Time
        Monday May 18th, 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time
    Need your Exam ID (See Checklist Below)
    Sign On Early (See Checklist Below)

2. AP Exam Resources 

2020 AP Exam Testing Guide

2020 AP Exam Day Checklist

YouTube channel with ALL of the exam information you need

Special instructions for World Language Exams here
Special instructions for AP Art students here

Exam Demos. You and your students now have access to an exam demo. Students should use the demo to practice the different ways to submit exam responses. World language students will be able to practice with the AP World Languages Exam App beginning the week of May 11.

Required and recommended resource list 

Two days before each exam, students will receive an email with their unique exam e-ticket that includes their AP ID. On exam day, students will use their e-ticket to access the exam. If a student hasn't received their exam e-ticket by email, they can access it through their student account on My AP. E-tickets are nontransferable and shouldn't be shared with anyone. Students who haven't been receiving College Board emails still have time to confirm their contact information.

Remind students to click their e-ticket to check in 30 minutes before exam start time. Students should allot 80 minutes for each exam—30 minutes to enter their AP ID, name, and other information, and 50 minutes to draft and submit their responses. Make sure your students know their local testing time, since each subject's exam will be taken simultaneously worldwide.

Ensure your students know what to do if something goes wrong. If a student accidentally closes the browser, their device crashes, or they temporarily lose internet access, they can quickly click their exam e-ticket again to return to the exam. They should continue the exam, and if they feel at the end of the exam that the temporary disruption negatively impacted their performance, they can request approval to take the makeup exam at cb.org/requestmakeup. Students can also request a makeup exam if they've lost too much time due to a technical problem, can't connect to their exam, or experienced some other serious disruption.

Online AP Classes and Review Sessions will focus on the exam day experience and review new sample questions for all nonportfolio courses. These sample questions are available on each subject's course page.

AP College Board
"Get Ready for AP Exam Day"
"View the AP Exam Schedule"
"Build Your College List for chance to Earn $500 Scholarship"

AP Exam PowerPoint - R. Smart
Slide Show by Ruby Smart
AP Exams 2020 (by Ruby Smart)

3. Content

New this year, the AP College Board has restructured the Curriculum Content from the previous format of 7 Topics/Units to the now 9 Topics/Units.  Due to the school closures this Spring, the college board has said that it will not be testing students for the last 2 topics in APES (outlined below), assuming that we starting with Topic I and progressed in order.

These are the 7 Topics/Units of which you may be tested on:
1. The Earth
    -Geologic Time Scale (Precambrian Time [4.6B - 545M; Paleozoic Era [545M - 245M]; Mesozoic Era     'Age of Dinosaurs/Reptiles' [245M - 65M]; Cenozoic 'Age of Mammals' [65m - Present]), Earth Structure, Plate Tectonics (Convergent, Divergent, Transform Fault), Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Solar Intensity, Latitude, Seasons, Soil, The Rock Cycle (magma > Igneous Rock, Sedimentary Rock, Metamorphic Rock)
2. The Atmosphere
    -Structure (troposhere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere) Ozone Layer (region), Composition (78% N, 21% O, 1% Other), Weather vs. Climate, El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Atmospheric Circulation (Trade Winds, Westerlies, Easterlies), Coriolis Effect (air/water swirls in opposite directions above and below the equator)
3. Natural Biogeochemical Cycles
    - Carbon, Nitrogen (i.e. Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria), Phosphorous, Hydrologic (Water), Water Distribution and Properties (97% Ocean Water, 3% Fresh Water)
4. Ecosystems
    -Ecology, Law of Tolerance, Energy Flow (10% Rule), Biomes, Biodiversity, Riparian Areas (lands adjacent to waterways with ecosystems depending on that water), Ocean
Zones, Ocean Circulation (Gulf Stream Current; Great Ocean Conveyor Belt)
5. Populations
    -Population Ecology, Survivorship, Age-Structure Diagrams, Demographic Transition, Human Population (historical, exponential growth, J-Curve, S-Curve, projections to 2050)
6. Land and Water Use
    -Agricultural Practices (Traditional/Subsistence/Sustainable vs. Modern/Industrialized/Plantation), Single Cash Crop vs. Crop Rotation, Irrigation (drip irrigation best), controlling pests (pesticides), forestry, deforestation (tree harvesting, slash and burn), urban development, mining, "Tragedy of the Commons"
7. Energy
    -Energy Concepts (Forms of energy, Units of energy), Energy Conversions, Energy Consumption (past vs. present), Nonrenewable Energy Sources vs. Renewable Energy Sources, Energy Efficiency, Energy     Conservation, Transportation

(Not Covered)
8. Pollution
9. Global Change
*Labs
    -May be questions about your ability to interpret data and analyze graphs in lab investigations

4. Specific Test Taking Strategies for FRQs
i. Readability - Be sure info you write is organized in a way such that the answer(s) make sense
ii. Follow Through (even if you goofed up) - go back and fix mistakes
iii. Seeing is Believing - explain clearly in sentence(s) and/or graph
iv. Mandatory Drawing
v. Avoid Long-Winded Answers
vi. Capture Gems (opportunity to gain a point; point deceases if)
vii. Pick and Choose (there are many parts, don't panic if you don't know the answer to one)
viii. Time in a Bottle - Budget your time ... spend a minute or two reading the question then planning your response
ix. Points, Points, and more Points - FRQs have different parts with 1 to 3 points. It's important to at least TRY to answer each part... don't just skip a question... all questions need answers (even if they are not your best responses)
x. Circle The Wagons - Outlines are a good way to organize your thoughts and save time, even though the outline itself is not graded.
xi. Memory Game - Allow your mind to keep processing all questions if it chooses to ... go back and modify your previous responses if you later have a 'moment of genius'
xii. Answer What Is ASKED - With FRQ there are no answer choices to choose from (like in a multiple choice test), you either know the answer or you don't.  Concentrate on answering what is asked.

5. Additional Suggestions
I.  Study APES Exam Study Book if you have one.   
II. Go through practice exams if you can access (comes with APES Exam Study Books).  Do in real time.
III.  Answer in complete sentences
 Get plenty of rest the two days leading up to the exam ... get to bed early
IV. Eat light meals on day of test (prior to the test)
V. Try to relax and clear your mind the last hour immediately prior to taking exam.  Cramming immediately before an exam rarely turns out well.  It's important that your brain is relaxed and ready to work.

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Home Learning Plan Week Of May 11 - May 15

This Week
-In general will be a slowed pace/fewer assignments so students can
a) put a little more time into preparing for AP Exam coming up next Monday, and
b) catch up on missing assignments since April 13th for this 4th Quarter.

-"Energy Consumption and Use" Part II

APES Students NOW Is the Time To Crash Course That APES Exam Study Book
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Mon - Tue
"Nonrenewable vs. Renewable Sources Summarized"  TBA
"A 2nd Look At Nuclear Energy"  TBA

Wed - Thur
"Extreme Auto Challenge"  TBA

Fri
"Energy Quiz" for the content this week and last week  TBA
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Next Mon May 11, APES Exam via The College Board

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4th Quarter Progress Reports Update

4th Quarter 'Distance Learning' Progress Reports Have Been Made and Submitted 5/9/2020

Scenario 1 - You have 'passed' the 3rd Quarter with B or A grade and have begun to do the 4th Quarter Distance Learning Work assigned in Google Classroom = "Pass"

Scenario 2 - You 'passed' the 3rd Quarter with a C, B, or A grade and have done very little of the 4th Quarter Distance Learning Work Assigned in Google Classroom = "Inc" or "Pass"

Scenario 3 - You earned an F, D, C, B, or A for the 3rd Quarter Grade but have not done any of the 4th Quarter Distance Learning Work Assigned via Google Classroom = "Inc"


Key/Legend

"Pass" = C or Higher; You will earn 5 Credits attempted for the Spring Semester.

"Inc" = D or F; You will NOT earn 5 Credits attempted for the Spring Semester.  Upon the start of Fall Term 2020-2021 you will have 6 weeks to make up the missing work form the 4th Quarter.  If the work is not satisfactorily made of then the "Inc" becomes a "Not Passing" and you will forever loose the 5 Credits attempted for previous the Spring Semester 2020.  In other words, you will have failed the course.

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Spring Semester Grades Notice 5.1.2020

3rd Quarter Grades were submitted last Saturday 4/25.  They will constitute 1/2 of your Spring Semester Grade

4th Quarter started Monday 4/13.  We are now into the 3rd week (Wk 12?).  Next Friday May 8th is the end of the 4th Quarter Progress Report Period.  Mr. Gordon intends to send a progress report home to every household.  IF you haven't began the 4th Quarter Assignments then you will receive 'Danger of Failing' notification.  At the end of 4th you will receive a "Pass" or "Incomplete" for the 4th Quarter.

Spring Semester Grades will be made at the end of the 4th Quarter.  The 3rd Quarter Grade will be Averaged with the 4th Quarter Grade.  You will either be "Passing" and receive credits, or you will be marked "Incomplete" and will not receive credits.  You will have 6 weeks at the start of the Fall Semester to submit missing work otherwise your "Incomplete" will become a "No Pass" and you will have in essence failed the Spring Semester.

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Rumors

Perhaps you may have heard that the 3rd Quarter and 4th Quarter Grade Marks for this special Spring Semester will average to determine whether you receive "Passing" grade for semester or "Incomplete" (which will become No Pass in the Fall).  Assuming both quarters are graded equally, if you got an A the 3rd Quarter and an F the 4th Quarter that may average to a "C" which is passing.  Any grade less than an A for the 3rd Quarter could result in you receiving an "Incomplete" mark for Spring Term  which will translate into a "No Pass" mark during the Fall. 

To be even more clear ...

If your 3rd Qtr Grade is an A, and you do nothing the 4th Qtr, then you will likely earn a "Passing" with the equivalent of C-

If your 3rd Qtr Grade is less than an A (B, C, D, F), and you do nothing the 4th Qtr, then you will likely receive an "Incomplete" meaning No Credits.  You will have 6 weeks at the start of Fall Semester to make up 4th Quarter assignments.  If you do not make up the work, then the "Incomplete" becomes a "No Pass" and you will have basically failed the Spring Term receiving no credits towards graduation, college, etc. for this class.

Caution ...

For colleges D is not considered passing and you risk the possibility of receiving and "Incomplete."  As Environmental Science is a College Prep and/or Advanced Placement Course, such standard will be at play.  D/F = Not Passing ... C or higher = Passing

Reminder, though the school buildings are closed, the school year is not over yet. You are still a student enrolled in Spring Term (4th Quarter now).  Your job is to do the work that your teacher assigns. It would be safe for you to assume something similar for your other classes.  This is the ONLY way you can guarantee that you will receive a "Passing" Grade for the Spring Semester ... is to complete and turn in all assignments given by your teachers.

-M. Gordon

Update April 29, 2020

The 4th Quarter Grading Period has officially began as of April 13.  I will be using Google Classroom for this 4th Quarter.  These assignments WILL BE GRADED and will factor into whether or not you earn a "Passing" grade or "Incomplete" (which becomes "Not Passing") grade mark for the Spring Semester.  Please keep up from week to week.  Each week has a similar format consisting of 4-6 assignments then a quiz on Fridays.

Friday May 8th will be the end of the Progress Report Period for th 4th Quarter.  Notifications will be sent to homes whether you are keeping up and on track to pass the Spring Semester or have fallen behaind and are not on track to pass the 4th Quarter.

The District will loan to you a chromebook if needed.  Comcast/Xfinity, and at least one other internet service provider, has special internet packages in which you can get free internet service.  Check school mailings, Parent Square notifications, etc.

Update March 27, 2020

Try this!  Earth Day 2020 (the 50th Anniversary) is coming up April 22, 2020.  Quiz your knowledge of Earth Day related topics!  If you don't know the answers now then you will learn them as your online quizzes are corrected:

Earth Day Quizzes

Earth Day Info

Update March 21, 2020

APES Students, if you haven't already, please do check link below re: "AP Updates for Schools Impacted by the Coronavirus"

AP Updates for Schools Impacted by the Coronavirus

Berkeley/CAL News Link

UC Berkeley News re: Coronavirus

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Update March 19; 2020

Link to CA Official Website about Novel Coronavirus Covid-19

https://covid19.ca.gov/

Links to some educational resources:

https://abc7.com/education/coronavirus-and-kids-at-home-educational-resources-for-kids/6025501/

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J2WqO1_wrJLhJcEuCzSfkIqBr5UhVvS06o18hPRniQs/edit

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Updated March 18, 2020

For AP Studennts: See link below to info about "AP Udates for Schools Impacted by Coronavirus:

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update

There will be a major announcement on March 20.  Also, there will be online resources for AP Students.  Check in frequently.

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Updated March 17, 2020

Hello students, parents, families, community I truly hope that this message finds you well.  As we all face this unprecedented threat in our lifetimes of the novel Coronavirus pandemic we are instructed to shelter-in-place and practice "social distancing" when out in order to reduce risk of exposure to ourselves and our loved ones.  I encourage you to check news websites daily to monitor the situation i.e. abc7newsSF, Fox2Oakland, CNN, BBC, etc.

The school district faculty and staff will make a reasonable effort to maintain some degree of education via Home Learning Plan.  Likely within the next day or so the school/district will be sharing lessons created by teachers with parents & students.  The assigned textbook is all that is necessary to do the assignments I have crafted, though access to the internet may help as well.  I encourage all students to do as much of the assigned work as possible at a pace that is comfortable for you, though at present the work is optional learning and enrichment.

FYI in Environmental Science we had just started a Vermicomposting Project in class.  The Red Worms are fairly hearty and can survive tough times for a while.  Likely they will lay cocoons and there will be lots of baby worms when we return!  At worst, if our return to school gets postponed, the worms will donate their organic material to the compost itself ... the cycle of life continues.

Here are a few links with info about the novel Coronavirus:

LiveScience

CBS News Top 5 Covid-19 Q&A

Taiwan News

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Updated December 2019

Updated links to Conservation.org re: Biodiversity Hotspots

(1st Link is New/BEST)

https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots

https://www.conservation.org/priorities/biodiversity-hotspots

Link about Threatened and Engandered Species, Extinction Crises via "Center for Biodlogical Diversity"

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis/

Link to City of San Leandro Climate Action Plan Outreach Survey

Participation in the survey will only take 10 min and will help shape the plan development and outreach efforts. Thank you for your time and assistance!

https://forms.gle/1eY5wPJ9cYouZ9sAA

Link to Cengage, Publisher of our AP Text "Living In The Environment" (Link Updated 11/5/2019)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UCb866aQL_wBHXFA5MH18eZ5g0sGTSCX

Link to info about "Environmental Science" by Karen Arms (College Prep Course Textbook)

http://www.slader.com/textbook/9780030781360-holt-environmental-science/

Hello and Welcome to Mr. M. Gordon's Homepage   Mr. Gordon Teaches   Preparation Period Period 1 Environmental Science College Prep Periods 2, 3 Environmental Science Advanced Placement Periods 4, 5 Off Period Period 6   Block Day Office Hours Wednesdays After School 2:34-3:15 Other Office Hours Generally Before School, Lunchtime, Afterschool