Assingment

SCI 220 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview The Final Project for this course is a research paper on the energy mix of the United States. Throughout this course, we review fossil fuel energies, renewable energies, and the environmental impacts of all energies. Your task is to research and write a paper that looks at the historical and current U.S. energy mix, explains the issues with the current mix, and proposes a viable energy solution that balances the needs of consumers and the environmental impact of current and future use.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Critically examine current topics in energy production and use

 Demonstrate knowledge of issues associated with energy

 Describe the link between energy use and environmental issues

 Explain how the decisions people make regarding energy impact the environment

The final project includes two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course, providing the opportunity to draft sections of the final project and receive important feedback from your instructor. This will assist with your learning and ensure you have a quality final submission. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. Read the prompt below to get the details on what must be included in your final project.

Prompt

Throughout its history, the United States has used a variety of energy sources. The use of these sources has changed over time, typically spanning decades. The United States currently gets roughly 80% of its energy from fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. However, in the decades ahead there will be huge pressures to change due to the following:

 Non-renewable resources becoming harder to find and extract

 Environmental effects, like global warming, worsening from the continued use of fossil fuels

 Prices of increasingly scarce resources becoming too high for the consumer market

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The most desirable attributes for the future of the U.S. energy supply are:

 Affordability

 Stability of the resources

 The “green” element of the resources (clean both in extraction/development and use)

 Security of the resources (the resource is domestic rather than provided by other countries)

Considering the attributes listed above, write a research paper that reviews past and current energy use, and presents your vision of what the U.S. energy mix should be in 2050. Incorporate what you have learned in this course, as well as your independent investigation.

Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed below:

I. U.S. Energy Mix A. Relate the historical (1950–1990) mix of energy consumption in the United States. As a starting point, visit the U.S. Energy

Information Administration webpage summarizing energy sources for electricity in the United States. Specifically, speak on the non- renewable resources of coal, petroleum (oil), and natural gas, and the renewable resources of solar, wind, and hydropower. Cite your sources.

B. Describe how the U.S. energy mix has adjusted since 2010 to the present with respect to both non-renewable (coal, petroleum, natural gas) and renewable (solar, wind, hydropower) resources. This will be your description of the current U.S. energy mix. Cite your sources.

C. Explain the issues with the current U.S. energy mix and the effect on the environment. Cite your sources. II. Proposed Mix

A. Describe what you think the 2050 U.S. energy mix should be (with approximate percentages adding up to 100%). B. Justify why this mix is desirable and feasible in relation to the future attributes mentioned in the prompt. Support your justification

by citing appropriate resources. C. Formulate the pathway for the United States to get to your suggested mix. Explain what changes will need to be made socially,

politically, and to the infrastructure to support your proposed mix. Cite your sources. III. Research

A. Integrate and apply concepts and resources from course modules, citing appropriate sources. B. Incorporate information from at least 3 relevant and appropriate external resources (industry assessments, government resources,

and/or scholarly articles), citing appropriate sources.

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Milestones Milestone One: U.S. Energy Mix In Module Three, you will write and submit a paper that reviews historical and current U.S. energy usage, addressing the items in section I, U.S. Energy Mix, as listed above. Utilize course resources as well as external research to support your content. This paper will be graded using the Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric.

Milestone Two: Proposed Mix In Module Five, you will write and submit a paper that details your proposal for a future energy mix, including justification for your mix and an explanation of the path to get to your suggested mix by 2050, addressing the items in section II, Proposed Mix, as listed above. This paper will be graded using the Milestone Two Guidelines and Rubric.

Final Project Submission: Research Paper In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should also reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your Final Project must follow these formatting guidelines: double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one- inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. Page length requirements: 6–8 pages, excluding title and reference pages.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (65%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Energy Mix: History

Meets Proficient requirements and shows a sophisticated awareness of historical energy usage

Accurately relates the historical mix of U.S. energy consumption

Relates the historical mix of U.S. energy consumption, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not relate the historical mix of U.S. energy consumption

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Energy Mix: Current

Meets Proficient requirements and demonstrates in-depth knowledge of current mix

Accurately describes the current mix of U.S. energy resources

Describes the current mix of U.S. energy resources, but description contains inaccuracies

Does not describe the current mix of U.S. energy resources

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Energy Mix: Issues

Meets Proficient requirements and exhibits a complex grasp of the energy issues facing the United States

Accurately explains the issues with the current U.S. energy mix and the effect on the environment

Explains the issues with the current U.S. energy mix and the effect on the environment, but explanation contains inaccuracies

Does not explain the issues with the current U.S. energy mix and the effect on the environment

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Proposed Mix: 2050

Meets Proficient requirements and shows keen insight into a logical future energy mix

Describes what a logical U.S. energy mix should be in 2050 based on future attributes

Describes what the U.S. energy mix should be in 2050, but description is illogical in relation to future attributes

Does not describe what the U.S. energy mix should be in 2050

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Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (65%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Proposed Mix: Justify/Support

Meets Proficient requirements and makes cogent connections between desirability and feasibility of proposed mix

Justifies why this mix is desirable and feasible, with appropriate support

Justifies why this mix is desirable and feasible, but justification is illogical or unsupported

Does not justify why this mix is desirable and feasible

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Proposed Mix: Pathway

Meets Proficient requirements and displays exceptional insight into a pathway that achieves future attributes

Formulates the pathway for the United States to get to suggested mix

Formulates the pathway for the United States to get to suggested mix, but pathway is illogical based on future attributes

Does not formulate the pathway for the United States to get to suggested mix

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Research: Integration/application of

course concepts and content

Meets Proficient requirements and masterfully integrates and applies module content

Integrates and applies course module content and concepts correctly, with appropriate support

Integrates and applies some course module content and concepts, but some applications/interpretations are incorrect

Does not integrate or apply course module content or concepts

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Research: Incorporate external

resources

Meets Proficient requirements and incorporates numerous (4+) external resources that masterfully reflect depth and breadth of research

Incorporates at least 3 external resources that reflect appropriate depth and breadth of research, with citations

Incorporates fewer than 3 external resources, or resources don’t reflect appropriate depth and breadth of research

Does not incorporate external resources

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Articulation of Response Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy to read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

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Total 100%

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