In my AP environmental science class, one of the first assignments we do is a Design Your Own Experiment (pg. 27-28) and Lab Report (rubric pg. 5). This assignment centers on a few important AP Environmental Science concepts (they aren't called standards in AP): - Science is a process.
- Science is a method of learning more about the world.
- Science constantly changes the way we understand the world.
- Humans alter natural systems.
- Humans have had an impact on the environment for millions of years.
- Technology and population growth have enabled humans to increase both the rate and scale of their impact on the environment.
- Environmental problems have a cultural and social context.
- Understanding the role of cultural, social, and economic factors is vital to the development of solutions.
This assignment is their first foray into the critical thinking and experimental design that is necessary in science. The lab report is also one of the first times they've been asked to write scientifically. I provide them with the rubric and we discuss how to write scientifically, we look at scientific papers as style and formatting examples, and we "write" an example scientific lab report as a class. They submit these lab reports online and I comment on them. This first lab report is especially important because it sets the stage for all future lab reports. If I let something slide in this first lab report, they will continue to make those mistakes in the future. Below is a lab report with my written feedback: | 
