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Summary:
Human population, land use, the extraction of resources, and pollution have all been increasing. To understand how overpopulation is linked to the environmental crisis, one must understand how populations grow. In this experiment, students used dice to model human population growth. They started with a population of six dice. Then they rolled the dice. Rolling a “1” meant that person died and must be removed from the population. Rolling a “5” or a “6” meant that person had a child, and one die must be added to the population. After adding the births and subtracting the deaths, students then took their new population of dice and rolled again. They played the game for twenty rounds and the results were surprising. By the end of a game most students had a population of well over 100 dice. And therein lies part of human overpopulation problem. Exponential growth happens very, very fast.

Resources:
June 13 – Overpopulation Lab (pg718).docx

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Summary:
Today’s lesson was not a comfortable one. Overpopulation isn’t an easy subject to talk about. As Garrett Hardin said, “Saying this, one feels as uncomfortable as a resident of Salem, Massachusetts, denying the existence of witches in the 17th century.” But it’s important nonetheless, perhaps even more important because of this discomfort.

We started off with a PowerPoint (posted below) that introduced them to the topic of overpopulation. We discussed how it is the root of many environmental issues, the recent human population boom, reasons for the boom, and some of the effects. Then we ended class by revisiting some quotes from Mr. Hardin. Students picked a quote from the box in the center of the room, read it, analyzed it, and translated it into their own words. To see a list of the quotes, click the second link below.

Resources:
June 12 – Overpopulation Notes (pg717).pptx
June 12 – Garrett Hardin Quotes.pptx

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Summary:
Today we finally got around to testing our windmill designs. Each pair of students brought their windmill blades to the front of the class, placed them atop the tower, and hooked up a multimeter (which was used to measure voltage). We then used an electric fan to test their design in low, medium, and high winds. The winners for the cluster were Sabrina Souza and Kaleigh Lonergan. Their clean, sleek design generated 520 mV of electricity. The conversions are a little messy, as they deal with both voltage and current, but I think a life-size version of their design would be powerful enough to power the entire school at least. Great job, Kaleigh and Sabrina!

Resources:
May 30 – Windmill Testing (pg716).docx

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Summary:
During yesterday’s lesson on Dirty Energy, we discussed wind energy as one possible solution. Today, students put that lesson into practice. Harnessing the wind has been going on since at least the 9th century, but only recently have we begun to use wind to make electricity on a wide scale. So we began a competition where students will attempt to harness the wind and produce electricity. Students paired together and began building a small set of windmill blades that will be hooked up to an electric generator. The group whose design spins the fastest, thereby creating the most energy, will be the winner. Students will finish building their windmills tomorrow (I usually give them two days to build), and on then Thursday we will conduct our testing.

Resources:
May 29 – Building Windmills (pg715).docx
May 29 – Building Windmills Directions for Teachers.pdf

Summary:
We completed a WebQuest today that asked students to investigate mining, simply defined as the collection of Earth’s solid, underground resources. The assignment began by having students investigate some commonly mined materials. Then students read about how and why many minerals can be found at the edges of Earth’s tectonic plates. Lastly, they researched the different methods of mining and their environmental impact. To download a copy of the lesson, click the link below.

Resources:
May 26 – Mining (pg714).docx

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Summary:
Today we continued our study within the topic of “dirty energy” with a lesson fossil fuels. We went through the a PowerPoint which explained all of the benefits and drawbacks of burning fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. The lecture covered (1) what fossil fuels are, (2) how they form, (3) the effects of using them, and (4) when they will run out. Click the link below to download a copy of the lesson.

Resources:
May 25 – Good Old Fossil Fuels (pg713).pptx

Summary:
We started off today with a simple question: Where does the world get its energy? We use it for our cars, we use it to heat our homes, we use it to make electricity. But where does it come from? Unfortunately, over 85% of our energy comes from dirty, polluting sources. As we went through the PowerPoint, the next question students asked was “Why?” Why do we use sources of energy that create cancer-causing sulfur dioxide and greenhouse gases that warm our planet? Most people would say, “Because it’s cheaper. Powering homes with a coal power plant is cheaper than building a solar farm.” But is it really? When you look at the cost per megawatt, coal is cheaper. But when you look at the costs including pollution, it’s no contest. Solar wins in a landslide. The problem is that pollution is released into the air where it is spread around. And so are the negative effects. Increased cancer risk and global warming affect everyone, while the benefits of cheap electricity go directly to whoever pays for the power plant. Sound familiar? Dirty Energy is yet another example of the Tragedy of the Commons.

Resources:
May 24 – Dirty Energy Notes (pg712).pptx