Teaching Environmental Science

CYNTHIA V. ANDAYAPhilippine Science High School

Main Campus

Why Teach Environmental Science? 1. Environmental topics relate to

everyday life.

Air Water Energy Resources Waste Management

2. It promotes environmental literacy among students.

So they can make informed decisions to protect themselves, their families, and their communities against environmental problems.

3. We live in a vulnerable world. How we care for the environment now

will determine our future.

How should we teach Environmental Science?

1. Conduct investigative activities.

Apply the methods of science – observe, determine the problem, gather and analyze data, infer, make conclusions.

2. Bring students outside the classroom. to observe and understand the local

environment

to know what’s going on in their community

3. Teach students how to think. Provide situations / exercises where they will

explore different perspectives of an environmental issue.

Role –play.

4. Do service – learning.Combine environmental lessons with community service:

waste recycling programs

water quality monitoring

cleanliness campaign

promote environmental awareness through various media

Create a Primer !

5. Watch videos.

6. Update using newspapers / magazines, the InternetKnow about what’s going on in the community.

Cebu City ‘not yet ready for plastic bags ban’

By Doris C. Bongcac, Cebu Daily News, 11:35 am, Sunday, June 3, 2012

www.inquirer.net

Climate Change is Happening http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/

Major Environmental Topics The Earth’s AtmosphereThe Earth’s HydrosphereSoil and Land Resources Energy ResourcesIntegrated Waste Management

The Earth’s AtmosphereActivities: Graphing the atmospheric layers (Distance from the earth’s surface vs.

Temperature) Understanding ozone formation and

depletion Air Quality Monitoring (particulate matter in air) Film viewing: The Inconvenient Truth

UVbradiation

Oxygen Molecule

Stratospheric UV Filtering

Ozone Molecule

O2 + UVb radiation O + OO2 + O O3 + Heat

Stratospheric Ozone Formation

Stratospheric Ozone Formation

Stratospheric Ozone Concentration

1mm = 100 dobson units Std: 300 dobson units

1 mm

Stratospheric Ozone Destruction

CFCl3 + UV CFCl2 + ClClO + O3 O2 + O2

A Single Atom of Cl can destroy up to 100,000 ozone molecules

The Earth’s Hydrosphere Tap water vs. Bottled water

Groundwater Movement

Water quality monitoring using the GLOBE protocols (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment)

Visit to a Water Filtration/Treatment Plant

Properties of Water

•Water is a polar substance, with hydrogen bonds that make the forces of attraction between the molecules of water stronger

Source: http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/H/HydrogenBonds.html

• It has a high heat capacity--it can store a large amount of heat without a large change in temperature.

It has a high heat of vaporization

(540 calories per gram of H2O).

It absorbs a large amount of heat energy as it evaporates.

It also releases a large amount of heat as it condenses.

•boiling point at sea level = 1000C

melting point = 00C

It has a high surface tension, and a high wetting ability.

Major Indicators of Water Quality

TransparencyWater temperatureDissolved oxygenpHElectrical ConductivitySalinityAlkalinityNitrate

Soil and Land ResourcesSoil CharacterizationGrowing a Vegetable GardenHydroponics

Energy ResourcesA Study of a Coal-Fired Power Plant

(Production and Distribution of Electricity)

Estimating Electricity Consumption

A Study of a Geothermal Power Plant

Integrated Waste ManagementTypes of Wastes – Biodegradable,

Nonbiodegradable Plastics in Our Lives (Comparing

Polymers)Reuse, Recycle

Published and distributed by C & E Publishing, Inc.