Computers in Environmental Science

Good day! This week we will begin Unit 4 in the textbook, Computers in Environmental Science. Computers are very important in all sciences, but can be extremely important in Environmental Science because we can browse and search for unique, new, and informative research much more quickly than in the past. We can look up words in search engines, find interesting databases, open websites, cross-reference information, and modify search engine results. In a sense, with the advent of computers, the information world is at our fingertips.

Thank you for your presentations last week. They were very good. We will have at least one more similar project again in this semester, and I am already planning it. That topic will be based on Unit 5, or Energy Resources, and will probably concern designing your own solar energy plant. I will speak more about this in the next few weeks.

For this week, the homework was to prepare 4.1 vocabulary on page 30. You did not have to turn this in early. We will check it in class this Friday. However, I hope that you come to class with it prepared! That homework was: 4.1 A: 1 and 2; B all; C: 2; D: 1 and 2, and E all.

This week we will check the homework and review page 30. Then we will examine page 31 and learn computer words, abbreviations (short forms), and jargon. Jargon is specialized words or phrases relating to a certain topic or theme. We will also practice reading on page 33 and move onto the 4.2 reading section. We will do A, B, C, and F in class. Homework for next week will probably be 4.3 and 4.4 extending skills. I will talk more about that this week.

I will probably ask you to follow this blog so you know more of what will happen in each class. In addition, I will ask you to make at least one comment on this blog during the upcoming week. In fact, I will give one extra point today, tonight, or tomorrow morning for all of you who write one comment on this blog post before class tomorrow. See you then!