Extra Credit Assignments
Quarter One Extra Credit:
Option one: Select an environmental activist from the list below to research, and write a one-page summary of their life and contributions to the environmental movement.
Option two: Same assignment as above, except instead of a one-page summary, make a Prezi or PowerPoint to present your research to the class.
Suggested activists: Rachel Carson, Wangari Maathai, Rodolfo Montiel, Henry David Thoreau, Julia Butterfly Hill, Gaylord Nelson, Al Gore, John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt
Option Three (new): Find a news article from a credible source reporting on the people's climate march (Sunday Sept. 22nd) and/or the UN summit on Sept 23rd. Create a visually appealing one-pager on either topic.
Option Four (new): Read the following article and share it with a friend, family member, or another teacher at WHS besides me. This person must not be taking Ecology. Discuss the article after reading and take notes about the discussion that you had. Write a brief summary of your discussion/conversation, including three topics that arose during the conversation. You can also share or post the article on social media, and if an online discussion takes place, provide me with screenshots or transcripts (can leave out usernames) of the conversation.
Option Five (new): Research a mutualistic relationship. Imagine that one of the species has "broken up" with the other and write a letter begging for the other species to come back to the relationship. Include facts about each species in this creative assignment.
Option Six (new): Research any organism and create a one-pager about its roles in its ecosystem, including trophic level, feeding relationships, competition, any mutualistic relationships, etc.
Article: Earth Lost 50% of Its Wildlife in the Past 40 Years
Quarter Four Extra Credit:
Water Unit: Read this article about artificial sweeteners found in surface water. Write a brief summary of the article and explain how the sweeteners got into the water. Make a prediction about one environmental consequence that could occur as a result. (1 - 3 points)
Soil Unit: Watch the video "The Importance of Soil" and create a one-pager about the information in the video. (1- 3 points)
Climate Change Unit: Visit this link and choose an article from the database that has to do with climate change. Write a one page handwritten or half-paged typed summary of the article. (1 - 3 points)
All Units:
- Future Educators, Elementary Education: Write a lesson plan about a concept learned in Ecology class appropriate for a specific age group. Include a general description about the activities for the lesson and what the students will learn. Be sure if your lesson is for younger children you adjust the content appropriately. You may bring in a "demo" of any craft or project that the students would create. (1 - 5 points)
- Future Educators, Secondary Education: Choose an Ecological topic that is related to, but not covered in depth in class and deliver a brief lesson to your classmates. You will give your classmates a short quiz at the end of your lesson to determine what they have learned. Topics could include: Alternative Energy (such as algae biofuel, etc.), plastic pollution in the oceans, noise pollution in the oceans, exotic wildlife pet trade, ocean acidification, or any topic of your choosing.
- Artistic: Create any piece of original artwork that demonstrates a concept learned in class this year. (1 - 5 points)
- Narrative: Write a narrative that describes your efforts towards meeting an environmental goal (creating a compost heap in your yard, growing a garden, eating more local food, throwing away less waste, etc.) Include pictures of your efforts.
- Photography: Take a picture of something in nature every day for many days. Print and create a "flip book" or use a computer to make the images into a GIF or brief movie. Subjects might include decomposing material, nests being built, plants growing, etc.
- Auditory: Visit the website http://www.naturesoundmap.com/ and listen to three soundscapes. Describe the organisms heard in each soundscape. Create a soundscape of your own using your cell phone or another device and describe it.