Science Concepts We Should Know

Assignment

“The Sweet Spot in Time” by Sylvia Earle and “Out of the Wild” by David Quammen communicate science information with a sense of urgency. Each presents science concepts and implies audience responsibility to know about and to respond to the information. This assignment invites you to present a science concept that you already understand and believe should be common knowledge, to narrate your experience with the concept, and to research relevant numbers for your discussion. Use the narration and description techniques you practiced in Essay 1 to present the concept in context of its relevance. In addition, your essay must include two visual components (graphs, charts, images, illustrations). Write for a generally educated audience.

Further information:

•Write about a scientific concept that is not common knowledge and raises a question worth exploring. For example, after studying in nutrition class how bodies use calories, you may discuss this concept in context of your own good story. (“I eat and burn calories” isn’t a great story, but the story of how you eat for an endurance event may be interesting.) Like Essay 1, this essay also must recognize a larger context. Given a world imbalance of obesity and starvation related to food scarcity, why is understanding calories important?

•Review Earle’s and Quammen’s technical level as models. Also review the kinds and frequency of numbers they use. Research information must come from course textbooks, a reference source accessed through Credo General Reference, Oxford Reference, or a scholarly or credible government website (Center for Disease Control, for example). Paraphrase or quote, and cite according to the guide posted on Moodle.

•Include at least two original figures. Figures may be representative images, charts/graphs, or tables. Images must directly inform the narrative. Images pasted from an electronic source do not qualify. Find examples in The New York Times, Tuesday Science section.

•Structure your essay in a way that enhances story and reveals logic. BASNW essays are models.

•Make the story and the science come alive with detail and concise language.

Your essay should be approximately 5 pages to achieve these goals. The evaluation rubric appears on the back of this page. Your essay should be approximately 5 pages to achieve these goals. The evaluation rubric appears on the back of this page.

Evaluation

Essay 2 Rubric

Writer: _______________________________________Date: April 04, 2013

Satisfactory (S)Needs Attention (S-)Unsatisfactory (U)

The essay presents a science concept & explores a meaningful question.

The essay presents technical information for a generally educated audience.

The essay presents and accurately cites information accessed through an appropriate source.

The essay presents and discusses relevant numbers.

Original images directly inform the narrative.

Structure enhances the story and reveals logic.

Language and Grammar

Your essay should be approximately 5 pages to achieve these goals. The evaluation rubric appears on the back of this page.