LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

QUARTER II/ SEMESTER I

Name:_______________________________________________ Score:_______

Grade & Section _________________________Subject: EARTH SCIENCE

Name of Teacher: GAYLORD BRENT R. RABANG Date: _____________

I. Title: pH Tourism
II. Type of Activity: Concept notes with formative activities

LAS for summative assessment ( Written Work Performance Task)

III. MELCs: Describe how rocks undergo weathering (S11ES-IIa-22)

IV. Learning Objective/s:

Explain chemical weathering through an experiment
Recognize threats on other aspects of society and earth
processes
Analyze data on the possible occurrence of acid rain in the
locality

V. Reference/s
For Print Material/s:

Olivar III, J. T. Rodolfo, R. S. & Cabria, H. Exploring Life Through Science Series-
Earth Science, pp. 105-119.

Background Fragment 1:
Did you know that some of the
Philippines’ oldest churches were
made from coral stones?
The fact that the Philippines,
together with its neighboring
countries in the West Pacific Ocean,
Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea, Timor Leste, and the
Solomon Islands, is located in the
Coral Triangle should explain why.
An example of an “earthquake
baroque” structure, the Saint Augustine Church, also known as the Paoay Church in
Ilocos Norte, was completed in 1710. Its walls’ lower parts were made from large
coral stones, while the upper parts were made from bricks. It has a three-story bell
tower, also made from large coral stones, which resembles a pagoda, a typical tower
in India and East Asia
Background Fragment 2:
Chemistry of Coral Skeleton and Mollusc Shells
The tiny coral polyps secrete a limey substance that hardens into the coral structure.
The substance is calcium carbonate (CaCO3) with a small amount of specialized
proteins also present in the coral skeleton. There are two forms of calcium
carbonate, aragonite and calcite. Their crystal shape differs though their chemical
formula is the same. Aragonite is the denser form and is found in the hard or
scleractinian corals. Whether the aragonite or calcite form is produced depends on
the “seed crystals” growth pattern and the proteins secreted by the polyps.
Background Fragment 3:

Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted
into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO2 and NOX
react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These
then mix with water and other materials before falling to the ground. While a small
portion of the SO2 and NOX that cause acid rain is from natural sources such as
volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels. The major sources of
SO2 and NOX in the atmosphere are:
 Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO2 and one
fourth of NOX in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.
 Vehicles and heavy equipment.
 Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.
Winds can blow SO2 and NOX over long distances and across borders making acid
rain a problem for everyone and not just those who live close to these sources.
Background Fragment 4:
Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6; it is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide (CO2)
dissolves into it forming weak carbonic acid. Acid rain usually has a pH between 4.2
and 4.4.
The natural acidity in rain is due to dissolved carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
But the rain that is now failing in many parts of the industrialized world, even in
regions remote from industry, is often much more acidic. The average pH of rain in
the northeastern United States has decreased over the past years and is now 4.3.
Rain with a pH as low as 1.5 has been recorded at Wheeling, West Virginia. The
Los Angeles basin routinely has fogs made up of suspended water droplets with a
pH of 2.2 – 4.0.
Background Fragment 6:
Fossil Fuel resources include Oil and Gas, Coal and Natural Gas. Service
Contractors performing exploration and development activities of these resources
may enjoy incentives or privileges under Presidential Decree (P.D.) 87 otherwise
known as the "Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972” and P.D. 1174
amending P.D. 972, otherwise known as “The Coal Development Act of 1976.”
Background Fragment 7:
Manila Bulletin Article on the Probability of the Philippines Building a Coal
Powerplant
As the country’s economy continues to grow and expand, the Department of Energy
(DOE) predicts that we will be needing 43,765MW of additional power-generation
capacity by 2040 to meet increasing power demand. And with the anticipated
completion of infrastructure projects under the government’s ongoing ‘Build, Build,
Build!” program, the country will soon need sufficient power supply.
The fact is the Philippines needs coal plants. By the sheer volume of the country’s
rising power demand, it needs reliable sources of power to provide it with a stable
baseload generating capacity. That will insulate major parts of the country from
shortages and prevent speculators from playing the wholesale electricity spot market
every time reserves become thin.
Today, coal is the least costly and most accessible fuel for some of the most
dynamic developing economies. It fuels 42% of global electricity production, and is
likely to remain a key component of the fuel mix for power generation to meet
electricity demand, especially the growing requirement in developing countries,
including the Philippines.
Unfortunately, the use of modern coal-fired power technology is an issue which leftist
leaders seem to be unable to wrap their heads around. In an ideal universe, it would
be hunky dory to have only clean energy. But the Philippine economy is not an ideal
universe.
The left-leaning organizations are barking up the wrong tree. Instead of blocking
private investors’ plan to build new and modern power plants to provide the country a
stable baseload generating capacity, they should look into power generation
companies’ (GenCos) “profiteering” in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market
(WESM).
These groups perhaps are not aware that GenCos are raking significant profits from
trading intervals at WESM when supply runs tight in the system. The series of recent
yellow alerts or power reserve-deficient conditions in Luzon grid propelled by forced
outages manifests imprudent operations of a power system due to ageing power
plants. While the spikes are happening, GenCos are gaining financially at the
expense of electricity consumers.
If the country were to shift to exclusively renewable energy (R/E) sources, the 24/7
availability of power could not be assured, and building a humongous R/E capacity to
replace more than 8,000 MW of power coming from coal and natural gas would be
very costly. This will hit not only the competitiveness of Philippine industries but also
the typical Filipino consumer.
No one disagrees with the use of R/E – except that right now, it is neither cheap nor
reliable.
Studies point out that an entirely renewable energy structure would take time to
build. The same studies propose an acceptable interim to allow the construction and
operation of power plants that produce cheap energy and utilize clean technology.
PROCEDURE: Soak the rock sample by 30-40 mL in the ROCK SAMPLE placed
on a beaker. Observe what happens.
RESULTS: Discuss among your groupmates your observations about the
experiment
Record Observations Here

ACID RAIN AT pH NORMAL RAIN Highest Recorded

Indicators
4.2 AT pH 5.3 pH acid rain of 1.5
Reaction Rate of Chalk
and the Solution

Color of the residue

Presence of Bubble
(please check)
Amount of chalk
remained

(A video will be forwarded for the actual experiment)

Guide Questions:
1. Explain briefly the experiment and how is it implied to the locality.
2. With the experiment at hand, relate how acid rain could be a potential threat to
tourism and cultural preservation. Explain what might happen if acid rain would occur
in the locality. What might cause such?

3. Suggest ways on how humanity could avoid this kind of phenomenon basing from
your readings

4. How does natural phenomenon like weathering threaten tourism most especially
heritage sites? Would all these be blamed to human acts?

5. Paoay Church had undergone restoration but notably looked little pale (you can
look into photos) by its façade. UNESCO had raised the need to restore the famous
baroque church to preserve a cultural and historic landmark. Do you agree to these
kinds of restoration projects to other heritage sites in the country even it sacrifices it
authentic and aesthetic substance?

VII. Notes to teachers:

Allot one hour for reading and understanding the concept notes, one hour in
answering the activities.
Rubrics for Essay

Category 4 3 2 1 %
Included events Most of the Some events Many major
are important and included events included are events are
Quality of interesting. No are important or trivial, and major excluded,
major details are interesting. One events are and too 25
content excluded. or two major missing. many trivial
events may be events are
missing. included.
The timeline The timeline The timeline The timeline
contains at least 5– contains at least contains at least contains 1 or
6 events related to 3–4 events 2-3 events no event.
Quantity of 30
the topic being related to the related to the
facts studied. topic being topic being
studied. studied.
Facts are accurate Facts are Facts are Facts are
for all events accurate for accurate for often
Accurac reported on the almost all events most (~75%) of inaccurate
25
y of timeline. reported on the the events for events
content timeline. reported on the reported on
timeline. the timeline.
 Events are placed Almost all Most (~75%) Most events
Sequence in proper order. events are of the events are
of placed in proper are placed in incorrectly 10
content order. proper order. placed on
the timeline.
Events are Events are Events are not Events are
clearly described well, described well described
Sentence described but language is and language is using vague
5
using accurate sometimes often vague or language or
fluency and vivid vague or inaccurate. inaccurate
language. inaccurate. information.
Punctuation, Punctuation, Punctuation, There are
spelling and spelling and spelling, and many
capitalization capitalization capitalization punctuation,
were checked were checked by are mostly spelling, and
Mechanics
by another another student correct, but capitalizatio 5
student and are and are mostly were not n errors.
correct correct. checked by
throughout. another
student.