AP Environmental Science: “Debunking myths and offering solutions” 

Environmental Science started as an elective at Mayfield, but there was such a demand last year for the subject, 科学系决定今年开设两个AP环境科学课程, and even then, the classes were so popular, there was a wait list. In the classroom before the outdoor lab, 讲师Lena Agulian向学生们讲述了为什么生物多样性对物种生存很重要. 海岛生物地理学教学被认为是环境科学领域的重要内容, 因为这直接关系到达尔文在加拉帕戈斯群岛的基础性工作. Ms. Agulian提出了岛屿生物地理学的决定过程以及该领域的“预期结果”:1)靠近大陆的岛屿比距离大陆较远的同等面积的岛屿拥有更多的物种;2)较大的岛屿比距离大陆相似的较小岛屿拥有更多的物种. 

 

凉棚草坪上的实验室被设计用来展示这些信息，并观察学生的实验与这些说法的关系有多密切. With black Sharpies, students had drawn both small and large “‘islands,” on the oversized pieces of paper, and every space outside of those islands were considered “ocean.” The marshmallows represented “plants,” the gummies represented “animals,” and as the squishy items were chucked from the ”mainland,学生们有机会想象真实的动物和/或植物是如何从源区迁移到岛屿的. The results of this exact experiment were mixed, 之后我们会讨论如何改进实验参数. But the hands-on lesson made the subject much more vibrant, in a way that allowed everyone to take part in the fun.

 

这门AP环境科学(APES)课程的两个部分由高年级学生和三年级学生组成，他们都是在气候紧急情况下出生的一代人. 阿古丽安巧妙地引导她的课程材料，尽可能多的学术和轻松. 这可能偶尔包括一个软糖公主作为实验材料，或者根据需要观看《十大赌博靠谱网站平台》的剪辑, but she describes her general approach simply as, “debunking myths and offering solutions.” Ms. 阿古莲鼓励学生经常在课程材料中寻找代理和切入点. Because, when it comes to approaching topics like climate change she says, “the solutions are going to come from our students.她在与学生的对话中也重申了同样的信息. “You are the scientists,” she tells them, 同时为他们配备工具，让他们感觉“有足够的能力承担那些关键的角色”.”

 

对环境科学课程需求的增加并不奇怪, 因为这些主题材料一直存在于Z世代的脑海中. 23岁的凯丽·皮珀特(Callie Pippert)非常积极地将堆肥倡议引入梅菲尔德校园，他非常渴望参加这门课程. “我决定上这门课，因为我对可持续发展和保护环境非常有热情,” she says. “我想上一门课，在那里我可以学到更多十大赌博靠谱网络平台环境和如何解决问题……这门课也帮助拓宽了我的世界观。.” 

 

 “I used to have a lot of climate anxiety,” confides Anna Pruyn ’23. But, she explains, “我发现，在气候变化问题上，教育和行动让我感觉不那么无力.” 

 

梅菲尔德现在提供25门独立的科学课程. Agulian has to read teacher comments for every single class. But she says she has a special affection for this specific course. “APES class is not based solely on any one science, but exposes students to a plethora of challenges and solutions, and incorporates many fields of study, from ecology to chemistry to legislation…it's writing, it's reading, it's comprehension,” she says. “I absolutely love the class. 我喜欢他们走出教室，对周围发生的事情有了更多的了解.”

 

甚至包括之前在梅菲尔德上过环境科学课的学生, like Grace Nguyen ’23, find this AP course helpful. “我相信这门课无疑对所有学生都是必不可少的，”格蕾丝说. “去年我参加了常规的环境科学课程. Agulian always said stuck with me: we need more legislators, lawyers, teachers, 在领导岗位上的人成为环境科学家.” Obviously, Ms. Agulian doesn’t expect all of her students to work in STEM fields, 但她希望他们批判性的科学思维能够丰富各个领域的工作, with actions to serve the planet in much more productive ways.

 

一种天主教、圣子式的管理意识在这个班级里无处不在. Ms. Agulian teaches her students to be “proactive instead of reactive.“很明显，这种信息正在影响这些萌芽中的科学思想, as they conceptualize their world, and their interaction with that world, in both the short and long term. Yasmeen Elrabat ’23 says, “我真的很喜欢了解环境，以及我们如何改变我们的日常活动来帮助减少我们的生态足迹. And Caroline Squire ’23 feels strongly that “Mayfield can prepare scientists of the future; individuals who might be able to help solve our environmental problems, and deliver proper care to the environment.”