Writing Samples

 

Proposal for creating an Environmental Club

Overview
I propose the creation of an Environmental Club at Kirk Lewis Career & Technical High School to provide students with opportunities to engage meaningfully with real-world environmental issues, develop leadership and advocacy skills, and give back to their community through sustainability-driven projects.

Why an Environmental Club?
High school students today are acutely aware of the climate crisis and eager to be part of the solution. Establishing an Environmental Club creates a structured, supportive space where students can channel that concern into informed action. It also aligns with our campus goals of increasing student involvement, promoting community partnerships, and supporting science literacy beyond the classroom.

Benefits to Students and Campus

  • Community Engagement: Students connect with environmental organizations and local efforts (e.g., beach cleanups, recycling campaigns) that foster a sense of contribution and civic responsibility.

  • Student Empowerment: Through hands-on initiatives, students build confidence in their ability to make tangible changes in their environment.

  • Academic & Career Connections: Club activities support TEKS-aligned science instruction and expose students to green careers in environmental science, sustainability, and policy.

  • School Beautification & Culture: Projects such as campus cleanups, native plantings, and recycling drives contribute to a cleaner, more positive school environment.

Planned Activities
Our pilot activities, which have already gained interest and momentum, include:

  • Weekly campus recycling pickups managed and tracked by student volunteers

  • Creation of advocacy posters displayed around the school to raise awareness of sustainability practices

  • Beach cleanup project in partnership with a local coastal foundation

  • Ongoing campus beautification projects focused on outdoor spaces

Conclusion
The Environmental Club is more than an extracurricular—it's a platform for leadership, advocacy, and engagement with one of the most pressing issues of our time. With administrative support, this club can empower students to take meaningful action, cultivate a stronger sense of purpose, and become lifelong stewards of their environment.

“escape room” narrative physics lessons

Link to entire “escape room” lesson

Example writing, introduction + 1 “clue”

Situation Report (SITREP):
A major systems failure has struck Epsilon Station. The power grid is down, and the communications relay has gone completely dark. Because of this, the 5,000 kg unmanned Epsilon probe Galileo is on a collision course with the station—and unless comms are restored, it will crash.

Making matters worse, the station's AI system, ORLAN (Operational Robust Learning Algorithm Network), has malfunctioned. ORLAN controls all logistics and maintenance on the station, including reactor safety protocols. Without ORLAN to run diagnostics, the nuclear reactors are at risk of overheating—potentially causing a chain reaction that could destroy the station.

With ORLAN offline, it’s up to the remaining crew of the Epsilon to step in and prevent disaster.

Mission Objectives:

  1. Gain access to ship systems

  2. Unlock Shuttle Bay and Main Engineering

  3. Realign the satellite communications array

  4. Calculate the correct docking velocity for the incoming probe

  5. Eject the unstable power core before reactor meltdown

  6. Initiate backup power systems to keep life support online


Epsilon Station Internal Communique
Subject: RE: Shuttle Bay STILL LOCKED!?

From: Systems Engineer Cobb
To: Captain Reynolds

Captain, will you keep your pants on? I will get to it, but right now I must help my son with his physics homework! Until that is done, I will be in my room! These teachers are really piling on the homework lately. Jeez. Here’s an example of a problem they gave my son last week! If you think you can solve it, then you can use the answer to open my lock box in my locker that has the key to the shuttle bay…not that you would be able to solve it…captain.

Respectfully,

Engineer Cobb

Attached Problem:
A 5 kg block is sliding up a 30° incline at constant speed while being pushed. If the applied force is 40 N, what is the coefficient of friction between the block and the surface?

Introduction to lesson about Earth’s seasons and solar radiation

Spring’s blossoms, summer’s heat, autumn’s colors, and winter’s chill—our planet’s seasons shape how we live. But have you ever wondered why we have them?

In ancient times, humans explained the changing seasons through myths and stories. One such tale comes from Ancient Greece. According to the myth, Demeter—the goddess of the harvest and life—had a daughter named Persephone, who was taken to the underworld by Hades. In her grief, Demeter plunged the Earth into a long, bitter winter. Eventually, a deal was struck: Persephone would spend half the year with her mother, and the other half with Hades. When Persephone returned each year, the Earth warmed again—bringing spring and summer. When she left, Demeter grieved, and autumn and winter returned.

As our understanding of astronomy advanced, people recognized that Earth orbits the sun in an elliptical path. Some assumed this varying distance explained the seasons—believing that we’re warmer when closer to the sun and colder when farther away.

But how could we prove—or disprove—that idea?

Here’s the problem: if distance from the sun caused the seasons, then both hemispheres would experience summer at the same time. But they don’t—when it’s summer in Canada, it’s winter in Argentina, even though they’re the same distance from the sun. Clearly, something else must be at play.

That “something” is Earth’s axial tilt—23.5 degrees off vertical. This tilt has been known for thousands of years. Ancient Chinese, Egyptian, and Indian astronomers understood it as far back as 1100 BCE. The Greek astronomer Eratosthenes measured it by 350 BCE. In 1437 CE, the Muslim astronomer Ulugh Beg offered the most precise estimate of 23 degrees from what is now Iran. Modern science has refined this number slightly, but it hasn’t changed much—though the tilt itself slowly shifts between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees over a 40,000-year cycle.

It’s this axial tilt that causes the seasons. As Earth orbits the sun, different parts of the planet receive varying amounts of sunlight. In summer, Texas is tilted almost directly toward the sun, receiving more direct solar radiation. Meanwhile, in Australia, the sunlight arrives at a sharper angle, delivering less energy and bringing cooler temperatures—winter.

Now that you’ve explored the history and science behind Earth’s seasons, let’s dig deeper into how solar radiation is distributed—and how that affects climate and ecosystems across the globe.