Extra credit papers are due the same day as required projects (see Syllabus). Late extra credit papers will not be accepted.

Students may complete one extra credit assignment during the quarter. Throughout the quarter you will be notified via email of possible extra credit opportunities such as seminars, lectures and on-campus volunteer events.   Note: These opportunities may be limited during the summer term due to the accelerated timeline and lesser frequency of these events.

Or you may do an Option # 3: Environmental Service Project for extra credit.  You must follow the instructions for Option 3 below in order to receive extra credit.  If you attended an approved seminar, please follow the seminar instructions below.  Approved seminars are advertised to the class if they are available.  A maximum of 0.2 points can be added to your final grade for choosing this additional work.  Make sure that your email states that it is for the extra credit option.

Option 3

Environmental Service Option

This option involves choosing a local environmental organization/agency and volunteering (Volunteer opportunities).  You are required to work with the organization during the entire scheduled work party time (note that if the work party you attend is less than 2 hours you will need to volunteer two separate times to fulfill your project requirements). After this day's work, write a minimum of 2 completely full typewritten pages and greater than 700 words of your written text, double spaced, and 12 Times New Roman font about what you did and why the organization/agency needed this work and how this work contributes to our environment. Please include a cover sheet with your name and student number.  The 2 pages of your written text is the minimum to receive a grade. These typewritten pages are to be your own words and other material (photos, tables, reference section, quoted material, etc.) do not count toward the page total. Reports less than 2 pages can't receive any credit. Photos of your activity will add credit, particularly if they clearly explain what you did and how it helped the environment with good captions.

Research of your own that helps explain the history and environmental significance of your volunteer work is required to receive an average grade. Quotes, ideas and paraphrased material must have citations both in the body of the text and in a references section. If you reference any organizations or cite any information please include a literature cited section (bibliography) at the end referencing all your information sources (see below for examples).  Your report will be graded on completeness, content, environmental impact, organization, and writing (including English, grammar, spelling etc.) in addition to your volunteer effort.

Completion of the service work option will also require an email notification from the organization/agency that you did in fact contribute at least one entire scheduled work time and when that work was accomplished. Have this email sent to: eschelp@uw.edu.  The volunteer organization must indicate the number of hours you worked.  An incomplete volunteer shift will be given less than full credit. Reports that do not meet the minimum of 2 full pages of description of your project in your words cannot receive any credit.

After the required project is done (either option 1, 2 or 3), Option 3 can be repeated for additional credit. Follow the same instructions as above and submit it as an extra credit when the required project is due by contacting eschelp@uw.edu. A maximum of 0.2 points can be added to your final grade for choosing this additional work. 

Remember to reference all of your sources and be careful not to plagiarize (see plagiarism-policy.html for a description  of plagiarism and how to avoid it). 

To see a list of volunteer organizations, click here.

Important note: Do not sign up for a volunteer event and then not attend. Do let us know well in advance if you will not be able to attend after signing up. Many volunteer events will fill, and if you take up a spot from another student in a full event if you don't then attend. If you are a "no-show" 0.1 points will be deducted from your final grade. 

Seminar Instructions

If you choose to attend a seminar for extra credit, be sure to sign both in and out with the ESRM100 representative that is at the seminar so you can be given credit for being there.

For the writing assignment, students must submit at least 2 pages of text describing the seminar and its core themes.  A simple reiteration of what the speaker(s) said will garner 0.1 point of extra credit.  In order to earn 0.2 points of extra credit, students must choose an aspect of the seminar to do some extra research on and include discussion of this research in the writeup.  Keep in mind, this research does not need to be extensive as the assignment is only 2 pages.  The intent is for students to show they have thought critically about some aspect of the seminar and demonstrated it in their research and writing.  Be sure to cite any sources that are used and feel free to include pictures, figures, etc, but remember there needs to be at least 2 pages of written text.