<p>Tomorrow is the APES exam (we get the honor of being one of the first AP tests of the year) and as a last-ditch effort to score high on the free response questions, I've compiled a list of some VERY GENERAL tips/ideas to look over and use if you're struggling to find something to write about on the exam.</p>
<p>(Note: Again, this is a very general list of quick tips to help ONLY if you can't think of anything else.)</p>
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<p>GENERAL TIPS:
- Rewrite the question you're answering it. (Ex: A consequence of global warming is ____ ).
- For each point that I expect to get, I write it as its own sentence. Less confusion for your grader.
- Never use bullets.
- Write in pen, or your essay won't be graded.</p>
<p>CALCULATION QUESTIONS:
- (always question #2), dimensional analysis + the bridge method is your best friend.
- <a href="http://www.alysion.org/dimensional/fun.htm">http://www.alysion.org/dimensional/fun.htm</a>. Making your units cancel out is key!
- You won't get points off for part (b) if you used a wrong answer from (a) but still used proper set-up.</p>
<p>DBQs:
- Sometimes they'll accept an answer that summarizes information from the document.
- Just make sure to get as much information from the document as you can to get credit.</p>
<p>CREATE AN EXPERIMENT FRQs:
- Hypothesis: If....then.... statements are the best.
- Use a null hypothesis (Ex: Increasing use of pesticides will not have an effect on crop yield).
- Remember your control group! Usually you'll have 3 experimental groups.
- ONLY ONE manipulated variable.</p>
<p>KEY WORDS:
- Questions that ask you to "discuss", they want you to name what you're discussing AND elaborate.
- "explain" questions, you'll have a chance to earn two points: one for a reason & one for an explanation.
- ECONOMICAL vs. ECOLOGICAL: Know the difference and circle them so you don't forget!</p>
<p>*** IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ANSWER A QUESTION, REMEMBER:</p>
<p>If they ever ask you to describe ECONOMICAL effects of something or other:
- Tourism: Loss in aesthetic value leads to less revenues from tourism.
- Loss or increase of job opportunities.
- Natural disasters: reducing these can result in less money needed to clean-up the destruction.
- Supply and demand and prices.</p>
<p>If they ask you what the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT can do:
- Decrease or increase subsidies.
- Decrease or increase taxes.
- Give tax incentives.
- Educational campaigns & PSAs to educate the public.
- Full on restrict or prohibit use.</p>
<p>If they ever ask you to describe ECOLOGICAL effects:
- Don't forget noise pollution (geothermal systems) & "aesthetically unpleasing" (wind turbines, PV cells).
- HIPPCO!!!! (Habitat loss, invasive species, pop. growth, pollution, climate change, over exploitation)
- Displacement of people/native species.
- Biodiversity! (How is it affected?)
- Eutrophication (algal blooms).</p>