Wednesday, October 9, 2013

10/9

Remediation of the Old School Ecosystem: How to use the cycles to fix the problem.


Why do living things need Nitrogen??

Why do living things need Phosphorous??


Which spheres of the Earth's environment contain most of the Nitrogen? (pg 56)

most of Phosphorous? (pg 56)


DOL: How can we move nitrogen from the atmosphere (78%) to the old school lithosphere where it can be assimilated in the biosphere without harming the hydrosphere?

Ask the nitrogen and phosphorous cycles. 

Why don't we just use fertilizer?

Eutrophication create a concept map.

How bad can this get?


What natural techniques can we use? Research and find out. Remember, in order to avoid upsetting the natural succession which can heal an ecosystem, we need to take our tips from the cycles. Study nitrogen, and phosphorous cycle to get ideas, and write a plan of action for improving the soil quality at the old school.

dmaic, six sigma, action plan













Just for fun!!!


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Dia De Los Muertos: Due Wednesday, October 30

Dia De Los Muertos: Due Wednesday, October 30

Create an offrenda for the Environmental Scientist of your choice. Groups of four, no two environmentalists alike. Sign up on the window in the hall. 

Here's some information about ofrenda's:


Ofrenda y Dia de los muertos Rubric

Las ofrendas del día de los muertos

As a class project, we will be creating ofrendas (or special remembrance tables) to venerate environmentalists, naturalists, and environmental scientist. This list includes KEY policy makers, and citizen scientists.
The Mexican tradition of creating ofrendas during the Day of the Dead is an ancient tradition of honoring, remembering, and celebrating the lives of those who have passed away. The creators customarily use a variety of objects and their own creativity to create a display that would attract and please the spirit of the loved one and bring back fond, pleasant memories for those that are celebrating. In Mexico, as in the Unites States, death is a painful, stressful time. The Day of the Dead, which is celebrated October 31st –November 2nd, is a way to temporarily put away the sadness that comes with death and truly rejoice in the memory of the deceased.
In creating our ofrendas, it is our purpose to create something that reflects the positive attributes of this traditional celebration and the people we choose to honor for the enrichment of our cultural understanding of the Mexican community. It is our goal to learn about the traditional elements of these ofrendas and to recreate the celebration as a way of experiencing authentic Mexican culture. It is not our purpose to define or celebrate any individual religion or belief, nor is it a means to glorify death.

Students may and/or should use the following in addition to traditional items:

  • 3 different levels
  •  cloth, lace
·
Remember to consult your notes over the traditional elements when planning!food, drinks
· flowers or plants (live or fake - especially marigolds)
· herbs (especially sage) and salt
· “papel picado”
· skeleton artwork, papier-machés, etc. (we will make calaberas)
· handmade signs, crafts, cards, etc.
· artwork (drawings, paintings, sculptures - original or famous)
· stories, poems, or letters
· photographs
· personal items (such as albums, clothing, books, etc.)
· music
· candles, incense and or lights

Día de los muertos will take place at the school, and the table or boxes used should be covered with cloth. Self-contained ofrendas will be easiest for clean up.


Set up times for your ofrenda:
Wednesday October 30th during class.
Ofrendas must be on display by 4:16 on Wednesday Oct.30th.
All ofrendas must be broken down and/or collected 6:00 pm Wednesday, Oct. 30th. Any left after six will be discarded.
Ofrenda rubric

In order to get a perfect score you must follow all directions. The ofrenda must be creative, original and neat. It should reflect the tastes of the person who it is honoring and show an understanding of this Mexican tradition by including at least ten traditional items.
The ofrenda contains:



1. At least ten cultural items (List to be attached to your ofrenda)
2. At least 5 personal items unique to the individual being honored (List to be attached)
3. At least three levels
4. An arch
5. Two paragraphs telling visitors why you choose to honor this person. Includes major contributions to Environmental Science.

6. Papel Picado
7. Dead Bread (pan de muerto)

An additional 20 points for: 
Set up and clean up: 5 points
Professional tours:15 points

CATEGORY
Master=4 points
Apprentice=3 points
Novice=2 points
Untrained=1 point
Score
Planning/organization
Student can describe the intent and plan of complete ofrenda and how his/her part will contribute to the whole. Works with team to come up with general plan of what will be done before beginning.
Student has carefully planned his/her part of the ofrenda and can describe how s/he will get the work done and a vision for his/her part. Gets team input on plan for his/her contribution before beginning.
Student has planned his/her part of the ofrendal and can describe how s/he will get the work done and a vision for his/her part. Does not solicit much group input when making plan.
Leaps into action without any evidence of planning or focus.
Thematic Accuracy
The group\'s ofrenda fits the theme of the assignment and all of the team\'s items are accurately placed on the background. Example: Student has drawn a dwarf palm and has placed it in the understory layer in a rainforest mural.
The group\'s ofrenda fits the theme of the assignment and most of the team\'s items are accurately placed on the background.
The group\'s ofrenda fits the theme of the assignment.
The group\'s ofrendal does not fit the theme of the assignment.
Craftsmanship
The team\'s portion of the ofrenda has been crafted with great care. The lines are sharp, colors clear, cutting crisp, and text aligned. No smudges, drips, tears or erasures are seen.
The team\'s portion of the ofrendal has been crafted with some care. Most lines are sharp, colors clear, cutting crisp, and text aligned. Smudges, drips, tears or erasures are few and do not detract.
The team\'s portion of the ofrenda has been completed, but it appears a little messy. Smudges, drips, tears or erasures detract from the overall appearance.
The team\'s portion of the ofrenda looks hastily thrown together or like it was wadded up in a desk. The mural seems quite messy.
Knowledge About Ofrenda
Student can accurately answer 5 questions from any of the following categories: a) purpose and use of ofrendas; b) the person being honored ; c) the person\'s contribution to the environment d) techniques for making a communal ofrenda.
Student can accurately answer 3-4 questions from any of the following categories: a) purpose and use of ofrendas; b) the person being honored ; c) the person\'s contribution to the environment d) techniques for making a communal ofrenda.
Student can accurately answer 1-2 questions from any of the following categories: a) purpose and use of ofrenda; b) the person being honored ; c) the person\'s contribution to the environment d) techniques for making a communal ofrenda.
Student cannot accurately answer 1 question from any of the following categories: a) purpose and use of ofrendas; b) the person being honored ; c) the person\'s contribution to the environment d) techniques for making a communal ofrenda.
Collaboration and Teamwork
The group worked well together with all members contributing significant amounts of quality work. All group members partiicpated in discussion and actively listened to others.
The group generally worked well together with all members contributing some quality work. All group members partiicpated in discussion and actively listened to others.
The group worked fairly well together with all members contributing some work. Most group members partiicpated in discussion and actively listened to others.
The mural appeared to be the work of only 1-2 students in the group AND/OR there was little discussion, working together or active listening.


Spheres of Earth's Environment

10/8
WWFBD?

Did Felix jump from outer space?

What happens to the human body in space?
video
What are the four spheres that make up the geosphere? 



Create a diagram in which define all four. Break into further layers: 

layers of the atmosphere?
what is the biosphere? 
where is the water in the hydrosphere?
layers of the lithosphere?

What are the six key elements for life?

Where are they found?






DOL: 
Choose one of the six essential elements, and write a paragraph explaining how this element cycles through the four spheres (ex: how does carbon get from the atmosphere to the biosphere)  





Monday, October 7, 2013

10/7/2013 
Biogeochemical Cycles Film Festival!!!
 
Project due 10/17/2013. You can earn +20 points by presenting on Friday, 10/11. 

Film festival winners will receive +5 points. We will vote in class.

Today, you will work on your Biogeochemical Cycles project in class. This is the research and planning phase. 
  • no more than five people per group.
  • decide who will cover what cycle.
  • decide how you will create the video (STORYBOARD on back of rubric)
  • decide when you will work on this together.

When you leave today, you will turn in a storyboard showing how the video will be put together.
 
Remember there are five cycles that you will talk about in your video:
  1. Carbon
  2. Nitrogen
  3. Phosphorous
  4. Rock
  5. Water
Here's a good example to give you some ideas:
 
http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=09_sWPxQymA

Here's the scoring rubric I will use during the videos.

SCORING RUBRIC
Biogeochemical cycles

PERIOD # __________
GROUP
MEMBERS: _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
POINTS EARNED
 
RUBRIC SUBMITTED (2pts.total)
0 2
TIMING
(3 pts. total)
Between 5 & 10 minutes

ACCURACY
(6 pts. total)
Correct information
0 2 4 6
 
COMPLETENESS (20 pts. total)
 
Chemical restatement of physical changes (water cycle)
0 1 3 5 
 
Chemical Processes involved (other cycles: ex: cellular respiration, photosynthesis, nitrification)
0 1 3 5
 
Inorganic & organic reservoirs for the element
0 1 3 5
 
Pathway of movement
0 1 3 5
 
Impact of human intervention on the cycle
0 1 3 5
 
QUALITY OF PRESENTATION (9 pts. total)
Ease of understanding
0 1 2 3
Neatness (if visual) 
0 1 2 3
 
Clarity (if auditory)
0 1 2 3
 
CREATIVITY ( Bonus! 3 pts. total)
0 1 2 3
TOTAL: __________ / 40

Friday, October 4, 2013

Phosphate and the rock cycle

10/4/2013 Phosphorous and the Rock Cycle
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/rocks-minerals-landforms/rock-cycle.htm
phosphoruscycle.gif
Phosphorous is necessary for all life processes. Phosphate is part of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) the energy molecule that is a product of cellular respiration. 

Phosphorous is released from rocks through weathering, a stage in the rock cycle. You will complete the weathering lab, looking at the effect of temperature on the weathering of limestone (represented by calcium carbonate tablets). Questions 1-8 on page 5 of the Global Science Textbook need to be answered. Remember, experimental design includes: independent variable, dependent variable, and the control. Make sure you talk about safety.

0 (1529×2048)





DOL: Write a quick expository essay explaining how the rock cycle works. You should start and end in the same place. Make sure you explain at which stages you would find sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock.

Answer the following for homework:

1.The reservoir of the element phosphorus exists in various rock and soil                       .

2. Plants absorb phosphate from the            or               solution.

3. Phosphate is first assimilated into organic compounds as              phosphate and then passed to various other organisms through the food chain.

4. At any point on the food chain, an organism may use organic phosphorus in respiration. when this occurs, the phosphate is released back to the environment in                .

5. Humans disrupt the phosphorus cycle by             and           .



Wednesday, October 2, 2013

10/2/2013

Nitrogen Cycle Questions
File:Nitrogen Cycle.svg


60. The main reservoir of N is in the air, which is about ______________ percent nitrogen gas.

61. Plants cannot assimilate nitrogen gas from the atmosphere. (true or false)

62. To be assimilated by higer plants, nitrogen must be present as a __________or __________ions.

63. A number of bacteria and certain blue green algae can convert nitrogen gas to the ammonium form, a process called nitrogen _________.

64. The bacteria have mutualistic relationship with the ___________ family of plants.

65. Once fixed, nitrogen may be passed down food chains, excreted as ________________, and recycle as the mineral nutrient called __________.

66. Nitrogen eventually  returns back to the atmosphere because certain bacteria convert the nitrate and ammonia compounds back to ___________.

Write a one paragraph essay explaining how earthworms cycle nitrogen back into the ecosystem.