Helene MacBeth | Writer
February 7, 2022
With the wide variety of science courses offered to juniors and seniors at San Clemente High School, many students find it difficult to choose which class to take. AP/IB Environmental Science (APES) falls under the list of classes students can opt to take. Now taught by Mr. Rasor, the class touches on ecological processes, human impacts on the environment, and solutions to environmental issues.
For many students, the decision regarding which science class to take revolves around the necessity of information, the engagement and enjoyment of the course, and the difficulty level of the class.
Most students taking environmental science view the course as extremely valuable for their current and future lives.
“The class teaches extremely important topics that people should be educated on,” AP Environmental student and senior Hanna Willemsen said. “There are so many environmental issues in the world, and I think that our generation needs to take a step toward fixing them. I think this science class is one of the best at the school because of how useful it is in the outside world.
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Like Willemsen, many students who currently enrolled in AP Environmental Science see the value in learning about environmental issues and potential solutions for the planet’s future. Learning about important environmental problems brings many students satisfaction and makes them feel empowered. Knowing that they could play a part in helping the environment and preventing future concerns can be an inspiring feeling for many students.
For other students, AP Environmental is the ideal science course due to its moderate difficulty level and engaging curriculum. “The class is fairly easy for an AP class and all of the activities are very fun,” AP Environmental student and junior, Kayla Fishel said. “Mr. Rasor assigns a lot of group work and interactive labs which makes the class a lot more enjoyable and interesting.” The class is known for its laid-back atmosphere and fun activities, which most students seem to enjoy.
However, AP Environmental Science is no easy task. “The class was much more difficult than I expected,” junior Emily Ellinger said. “I enjoy the activities, labs, and Mr. Rasor’s fun teaching style, but the tests are very hard and require a lot of time and effort.”
Though the tests are considered difficult by most students, APES does provide students with a grade bump for their GPA. Since the class is an AP/IB class, students can maintain fairly high GPAs even if they do not perform as well as they would like to on tests or assignments.
For the most part, students taking AP/IB Environmental Science are satisfied with their science selection and believe that the overwhelming positives outweigh the negatives. “I’m so glad I took APES because Mr. Rasor teaches valuable lessons about the environment and about how to minimize our carbon footprint with fun and engaging labs and activities,” junior Shea Gallagher said.
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