| ESRM100/ENVIR110 Optional Project
Instructions
Completion
of student projects are encouraged, and can only improve your
grade. If you do an excellent project, it can improve your grade.
For instance, a good project can add 0.1 or 0.2 points to your final
grade (i.e. a 2.8 would become a 3.0 with 0.2 points). These projects
are individual efforts, though proposals for group projects can be
submitted well in advance of the deadline to eschelp@u.washington.edu
for consideration. If you decide to do a
project, you need to email eschelp@u.washington.edu by the date on the
class syllabus. The project writeup is due at the date on
the class syllabus. Please turn in your
project writeup by email, ideally as an attached file. No projects
will be accepted late. Send to eschelp@u.washington.edu 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 an equivalent of at least 6 typewritten pages of
text, double spaced and 12 Times New Roman font but no more than 10
pages. Also, you should insert an equivalent of at least 2 pages
of figures, tables and/or photos throughout the paper to enhance your
discussion of the topic (this will make the paper an equilavent of at
least 8 pages). Your report will be graded on content, research
effort, organization and writing (including English, grammar, spelling
etc.). Remember to reference all your sources and be careful not to
plagiarize (see http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm#plagiarism
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; at least 4 of these references 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. Though this is not plagiarism, it is
poor writing. The paper needs to portray the knowledge you have
gained from your research. 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 2-3 pages, double spaced, and 12 point font. 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. 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. You are required to work
with the organization during the entire scheduled work party time. After
this day's work, write at least 2 typewritten pages of text, double
spaced and 12 Times New Roman font but no more than 5 pages about what
you did and why the organization/agency needed this work and how this
work contributes to our environment. Photos of your activity
would be nice. 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 content, 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 day of volunteer work and when that work was
accomplished. Have this email sent to:
eschelp@u.washington.edu. We will check with the volunteer
organization that you have completed the whole volunteer shift.
An incomplete volunteer shift will given less than full credt. To see a list of volunteer organizations, click here. ****************************************************************** References must be
included underneath all figures, tables, graphs, and images. If you copy
written material word-for-word from a book, website, etc., you must put
quotation marks around the text and clearly CITE the author/source of
the material. You may do this in one of two ways: Example 1:
According to the EPA, "there is certainty that human activities are
rapidly adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and that these gases
tend to warm our planet" (EPA, 2002). Example 2:
"Figuring out to what extent the human-induced accumulation of
greenhouse gases since pre-industrial times is responsible for the
global warming trend is not easy. This is because other factors, both
natural and human, affect our planet's temperature" (EPA, 2002). You must also include
a full reference to ALL the sources you use by listing them in proper
bibliographic format (in alphabetic order) on a separate reference page.
Below are examples of proper MLA Style citations: |