IB Environmental Systems and Societies Summer Assignment 2012-13

Becky Hutchins
becky_hutchins@georgeschool.org
215.321.7097 or 609.851.1699

Book: Environmental Systems and Societies Course Companion, Jill Rutherford.

For a deposit of $20 cash, you will be lent a copy of this for the year. You will get your $20 back at the end of the year if your text has all pages intact, all text/pictures legible, and cover in good condition.

Assignment: Read Chapters 1-2 (p. 7-26) in the Course Companion.

1. Be prepared for a test on Chapters 1 and 2 during the first week of class. Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the material and can explain the key words at the end of each chapter.

2. Please complete the following assignments contained in the text.

Each assignment MUST include reputable references.

a)	(p. 15) Look up the names of THREE of the authors quoted in Chapter 1. Write a brief summary on each person addressing what they did and explaining their influence in the field of environmental science.

b)	(p. 16) Research a local environmental issue where a group has been fighting for a cause. Describe the issue and state the argument of the group. What are the opposing arguments to their case? These may be economic aesthetic, socio-political or cultural. State your own position on this issue and defend your argument.

c)	(p. 22) After reading about the different environmental philosophies (ecocentric, anthropocentric and technocentric), create a table comparing each of their environmental management strategies, environmental philosophies, labels and characteristics, social movements and politics.

d)	(p. 25) Find two contrasting articles about any environmental issue (but different from the issue you discussed in (b) above). The best sources for this assignment are articles from scientific journals, newspapers such as The New York Times, and magazines such as E and Time. The articles should take different environmental views (ecocentric, technocentric or anthropocentric). Compare and contrast the articles and illustrate how the articles come from different viewpoints. Include the articles (these may be in electronic form) and make your comparison visually appealing.