| How
to email us (VERY important) Make sure and head up each message with a subject line as follows: ESRM100 "subject" "firstname" "lastname" "studentnumber" Where
"subject" is the subject of your message, "firstname" is your first name, "lastname"
is your last name and "studentnumber" is your student number,
particularly if you are not using a UW email address
to send your message. For instance, if I sent a
message to eschelp@uw.edu, it might read: ESRM100 project topic Rob Harrison 8734567 ESRM100 Project Instructions Note:
All projects sent by email must contain your first and
last name in the filename and the date submitted in the
format LastFirstYYMMDD. For instance, if you submit a
word document, the following format will be best: HarrisonRobert-120406-project.doc would
be the project name that Rob would submit on April 6,
2012, for instance. The project will entail some aspect of Environmental Science. The Odegaard Writing Center is a good resource for help on any writing assignments: http://depts.washington.edu/owrc/ You need to email eschelp@uw.edu
by the date on the class syllabus. Note: Life happens and sometimes there are
crises, but any request for changes
to project deadlines or exceptions to these instructions must be made before the
deadline on the syllabus, and must be made by email to eschelp@uw.edu
or to robh@uw.edu. Please do not ask
TAs at exams or during
office hours for exceptions to
project due dates. The project writeup is due
at the date on the class syllabus.
Please turn in your project writeup by email with the
project as an attached file. Late projects will
be deducted 10% for the first week after the due date
(Tuesday-Monday). Another 10% will be deducted
for every week late. Send to
eschelp@u.washington.edu. Make
sure that you receive and keep the response from
eschelp that shows that we received your project OK.
If there is any question about whether or not you
turned in your project on time, our email back to you
that we received it OK is your proof that you did.
Otherwise, any late Projects will need to be graded as
late in fairness to the students that did turn in
projects on time. Project Options Option 1 A Research Paper Choose an environmental topic/issue that interests you
and do a literature search on it. This research project
should involve some environmental science topic which is
important to human society. The paper should contain a
minimum of at least 8 typewritten pages (around 3000
words) of your own written text, double spaced and 12
Times New Roman font. Figures, tables, quoted text
and/or photos add to the paper, but do not count toward
the 8 page minimum (for any credit at all) of written
material. If the project is not at least 8 pages
long, it will be returned ungraded. It is best to write
more than 8 pages to make sure. (Please reduce the file
size of any photos you attach so that they are appropriate
for email.) Your report will be graded on content,
research effort, organization and writing (including
English, grammar, spelling etc.). 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). Additionally, this paper should include a
literature cited (bibliography) section at the end
referencing all your information sources (see below for
examples). You should cite at least 8 different
references in your paper for each participant; at least 4
of these references (per participant) must be from a
source other than a website. The content score will be negatively affected if the
paper is just a series of quotations. Quoted
material is also not part of the 8 pages of your text.
Though this is not plagiarism, it is poor writing.
The paper needs to portray the knowledge you have gained
from your research. Your opinion is welcome in this paper,
but it must be supported with more than just your opinion.
Published reference materials can greatly support an
opinion. If you wish to receive a 'W' credit for the course, the paper you write will count as your Project Option #1, but it will need to fulfill the criteria set forth in the 'W' Credit Requirements Page in addition to the criteria set forth on this page. We require that there be at least 10-15 pages of your written material for W credit. Figures, tables, quoted text and/or photos add to the paper, but do not count toward the 10-15 page minimum. If the project is not at least 10 pages long, it cannot earn W credit. It is best to write significantly more than 10 pages to make sure. Make sure and put "for W credit" both in the filename of drafts and final reports, and also on the first (title) page of your reports. Option 2 Book ReportThis option requires you to read a book from the list below. These fiction or non-fiction books cover an environmental issue. You will have to write a book report summarizing the main theme, the environmental message of the book, whether you agree with the message of the book, and if the environmental issue is still relevant. The book report must be 5 pages (around 1800 words), double spaced, and 12 point font. The 5 pages of written material is your own personal writing, and figures, tables, quoted text, and other material does not count toward this total. If the project is not at least 5 pages long, it will be returned ungraded. It is best to write more than 5 pages to make sure. Your report will be graded on content, organization and writing (including English, grammar, spelling etc). If you use references, please follow the citation examples below. 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). Environmental Books: A Sand County Almanac - Aldo Leopold The Botany of Desire - Michael Pollan Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond The Milagro Bean Field War - John Nichols The Monkey Wrench Gang - Edward Abbey Silent Spring - Rachel Carson Walden - Henry David Thoreau 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 your volunteer 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, 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. No-Shows: 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.
****************************************************************** Earning
an
average, above average, and excellent
grade: Some
students in the past have expressed that if
they follow the instructions, they expect a
perfect grade. Please don't think this, as
you are likely to be disappointed if you
make a modest effort and expect an "A"
grade. It is extremely difficult for a
student to earn a nearly perfect grade.
Remember that a 94% final percentage grade
(including any "curve" which is applied) is
a 4.0, the highest grade possible for the
class. It will be very hard to justify a
grade of 94% or higher unless the GoPost is
truly outstanding, unique (not repeating
material) and you can demonstrate that to
me. Here is an example of a research paper
with citations in the form we would prefer: http://soilslab.cfr.washington.edu/publications/Littke-etal-2011.pdf ************************************* |