Welcome to our class blog!

Hi! This is Ms. Westbrook

Welcome to our APES class blog!

This blog serves several purposes for our class:

1. Literacy and science, believe it or not, have very important links.  As people of science, it is important to learn to speak and write the language of science in order for us to convey the essence and specifics of what we need to learn.  It is important to practice and learn how to talk about science in academic, yet engaging language.  This blog gives us a chance to practice and learn from each other.

2. APES is a class of immediacy.  There are relevant topics that surface in the media and in everyday life consistently.  Whether the topic is oil drilling, pipelines, climate change, plastic straws or testing on animals, environmental science is in the news!  We need to learn to read and discern the messages we are receiving and to find out what everyone's talking about.  This blog gives us a chance to discuss and challenge what we read and see.  It also allows us all to be able to help others understand what they are read and hearing if we are the experts in the discussions!  This is a class of current affairs!

3. This is about what interests YOU! What topic would you like to dig deeper on?  What would you like to research and know more about? Here is your chance to write about your passions.

4.   We only have 18 weeks to cover the material.  APES is a very broad class.  There is NO WAY I can cover everything.  So you get to help!  And this is important.  On last year's AP test, one of the FRQ's was about ocean acidification.  I barely grazed the subject in class but someone from each class wrote a blog about it.  And guess what? Everyone went into the test armed with knowledge about the subject. Yay!  I get to let you cover what I can't as just one person!

So here are the guidelines for writing your blog:

• Pick a topic that (hopefully) is relevant and timely.  Try to look at what we are studying and make your blog fit with the topics.  This isn't alway possible if your passions are for climate change and we are talking about biomes.  Go for your passions!!
• Make it personal.  Relate it to something in your life. Tell us why you are passionate about it! Use humor.  Make us cry! Make us angry enough to fight!
• Use photos. Make your blog look nice.
• Use proper grammar and check for spelling... please!
• It needs to be AT LEAST 4 healthy paragraphs.
• Ask questions at the end of the blog to stimulate discussion in the comments.
• Cite your sources.  There needs to be at least 3 good, reputable sources at the end of the blog.  Links to websites are fine. Plagiarism is a HUGE NO NO.
• Your name must be at the top of the blog. I will not give you credit until your name is at the top of the blog.