1 page 8 x 10 poster that contains the following requirements!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Energy Debate
The goal: You need to know your electricity mix well! Your goal is to convince the audience on Presentation day (Tuesday 11/23 and Wednesday 11/24) that your electricity mix is the "best" way to go for a new country looking into an energy portfolio!
Due At the end of next class (Wed 11/17/Thur 11/18): Executive Summary & Pie graph! 1 paragraph summary of your location's electricity!
Fri 11/19 & Mon 11/22: 50 minute work class. Review Executive Summaries & prepare for "mini debate battles" & finish Poster!
Here are all the Requirements spelled out!
Monday, November 1, 2010
3 Assessments coming down the road...
Tuesday, November 23 & Wednesday, November 24
Energy Debate in Teams
Group Project
- Teams will each need to have a Table during the Debate to organize their arguments & counter arguments
Tuesday, November 23 & Wednesday, November 24
Very short in class quiz BEFORE the Debate
- Quiz will focus on Pros/Cons of Different forms of Renewable & Nonrenewable Energy
- 15 minutes MAX
"Sound bites" due Thursday & Friday, December 2 & 3
(See details on post below!)
- Field trip (Share & Tell & email)
- Carbon Calculation
- Letter
Sound bite # 3 Due: Thursday & Friday December 2 & 3
You will have an option to do one of the following sound bites for your next assessment. On Thursday, December 2 & Friday, December 3 we will use class time to share our work with one another!
Option #1
Option # 2
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Thursday's Lunch Time Guest rescheduled for Thursday, November 11
NO Lunch Time Session this Thursday
Instead
A block meets at 8:40 am (Thursday)
G block ends at 11:45 am (Friday)
Both classes will meet for half the class block to practice for the Democracy Conference. We will have a BIG practice with entire group Tuesday at lunch in the Theater! Please Save the Date & get ready for our trial!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Democracy Conference 2010
Please read the document linked above and sign up for your top 3 roles. Email Liz by Sunday at midnight and include:
- Your name
- Your top 3 roles
- 2 roles you absolutely could not do!
- Why you want to serve in these capacities
- Why you would be great in these roles
You have one other homework assignment to read! Please read the witness statements before Tuesday & Wednesday's class!
Important Twist to our plot:
Existing California law prohibits rearing of salmon in natural waters of the State, and existing law prohibits GM modified fish being grown in the State. It is a moot point. In addition, current federal law prohibits the commercial rearing of GM salmon as a food item. The AquaBounty case is still pending, awaiting an FDA ruling.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
If you are still working on your Sound bites...
Check out these documents:
California Department of Food & Agriculture (Tons of current statistics about CA agriculture!!!)
- For example on the Left hand side of the page check out the California Ag Highlights 2010 Brochure (page 2). Amazing stats!
California Fact Sheets (Demographic stats!!)
1) CA WATER PLAN 2009
Specifically look at these areas:
- Multiple Water Uses Section 2-7
- Box 2-1 "Lester Snow's Perspective on Challenges & Way Forward"
- Environmental Water pg. 12 last paragraph (The coho salmon...)
- Economic & Financial (pg 1) & Institutional & Political (pg 1) & Technology (pg 1) & Social Practices (pg 1)
- Definition pg. 5, Great overview of current water transfers in California pg 6 & 7 (pg 7 details restrictions due to biological opinions & cost conflicts).
- Potential Benefits of Water Transfers (improve economic stability & environmental conditions pg. 8)
- Economic Concerns (Due to "crop idling" pg. 10)
- Impacts of water storage pg. 8
6) Restoration
- Overview pg. 5 "California has lost more than 90% of the wetlands & riparian forests that existed before the Gold Rush."
- Current California water plan (government) restoration activities: pg. 6 (Delta plan), success stories about state helping to restore Chinook salmon populations on Battle & Clear creeks of the Sacramento River pg. 6
- Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) of 1992 (mandated changes in management of project for protection, restoration & enhancement of fish & wildlife). One component is the AFRP (Anadromous Fish Restoration Program). Check out this program - Very positive! pg. 7
- Environmental Water Use Efficiency pg. 12 "Study on the Shasta River, tributary to the Klamath River, examined how to improve the productivity & survival of coho salmon through habitat & other improvements aimed at reducing water temperature." (Check this out...related to our field trip!)
- Potential Costs of Ecosystem Restoration pg. 13 (The California Bay-Delta Authority's ecosystem restoration program (ERP) has funded about 800 projects for restoration, including planning, monitoring, and education, at a total cost of over $950 million!
- Several Recent bond measures (Props 204, 13, 50) have provided money for restoration.
- The largest current initiative is in Prop 84. $1.4 billion is set aside for protection & restoration of rivers, lakes and streams and to protect, conserve, and restore forests and wildlife habitat.
- The Department of Fish & Game (DFG) has legal mandates to determine flows that will assure the viability of fish & wildlife resources, identify the watercourses to evaluate first, initiate flow studies & develop recommendations to State Water Board for use in allocating water. In turn the State Water Board is responsible for allocating water to protect habitat for fish & wildlife. (pg. 15)
- Costs & Benefits of Watershed Management (pg 9)
- Life Cycles & Migration Patterns of Animals (pg 14) (Interesting perspective prior to NEPA & CEQA laws)
8) "California Constitution Article 10 Water (pg 1): It is hereby declared that because of the conditions prevailing in this State the general welfare requires that the water resources of the State be put to beneficial use to the fullest extent of which they are capable..."
9) Water Contracts: Both the SWP & CVP have contracts to deliver water to water agencies pg. 5
10) Releases of water for environmental uses. Fish & Game Code Section 5937 provides protection for fisheries... pg. 5 (link above)
11) Federal Endangered Species Act pg. 9 & California Endangered Species Act
12) Release of Water for Fish (Fish & Game Code Section 5937) pg. 10 & Streambed Alteration Agreements (Fish & Game Code Sections 1601 & 1603) pg. 11
13) CVPIA: 1992 Amended the Central Valley project's purposes to place fish & wildlife mitigation and restoration on par with water supply, and to place fish & wildlife enhancement on par with power generation! (pg 11) (Check out the major provisions of CVPIA on pg 12)
14) State & Federal Wild & Scenic Rivers System Act pg. 13 (same link above) Federal 1968, State 1972
15) NEPA: National Environmental Policy Act: Directs Federal Agencies to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for all major federal actions that may have a significant efffect on the human environment. (pg 14 - same link)
16) Agricultural Water Suppliers Efficient Management Practices Act pg. 16 -same link above. 1990. Required that DWR establish an advisory committee to review efficient agricultural water management practices!
17) Federal Power Act: Federal licensing system administered by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and required that a license be obtained for nonfederal hydroelectric projects proposing to use navigable waters on federal lands! pg. 16
Thursday, September 30, 2010
2 Lunch Time Talks & Field Trip NEXT Friday!
3 important announcements:
NEWS REPORTS: We are going to postpone news reports for the next three weeks! We will pick up News Reports again after the Conference on Democracy!
Next Thursday & Friday (October 7 & 8) we will not have regular class.
Thursday: Lunch time talk in our classroom 12:15
bring your lunch & be on time!
A block class: We will not be meeting. Please sign in with Lindsay when you arrive to school!
Friday: Field Trip to Lagunitas Creek Area (West Marin)
9:30 am to 2:30 pm
You will miss E, F and G blocks
Please check in with your teachers now to tell them you will be out!
The following Thursday & Friday (October 14 & 15) we will not have regular class.
Thursday: Lunchtime talk in our classroom 12:00
Please bring your lunch & be on time!
A & G block classes will not meet! A block you must sign in with Lindsay when you get to school on Thursday!
FOR MORE DETAILS SEE OUR SALMON SYLLABUS (UNIT 2)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Google Picks 5 Futuristic Idea Winners!
Listen to the story (1 min & 40 seconds) Morning Edition, NPR
Google has announced the winners of a contest that will give out $10 million to people with futuristic ideas. The Internet giant received more than 150,000 submissions. The picture to your left is a SCHWEEB
Schweeb: Pedal powered personal pod! (New Zealand amuzement park)
What's Greener, Flying or Driving?
Listen to the story (October 11, 2007, Morning Edition NPR- Climate Connections series with National Geographic)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sea of Trash & Haiti & Dominican Republic
Check out this 2 minuted and 19 second video that details the vast floating garbage dump in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Food for thought (inspired by the Earth Report 2009)
There was a competition to envision San Francisco as the city of the future...
More about the Vertical Farm
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Welcome!
In an essay entitled, "What is Education For?" David Orr contends that "all education is environmental education. By what is included or excluded we teach students that they are part of or apart from the natural world."
This year I am excited to explore our surroundings through an environmental lens. I hope that by year's end we can look at education, ourselves and our role and responsibility within our communities in a new light!
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