2 different topics The 3rd Planet- Current Events in Science ((Core Assess Paper))

Objective addressed:

1. Communication skills, including effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written communication

2. Critical thinking skills, including creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

Student learning outcome:

1. For written communication, students will be able to describe geologic phenomena and/or environmental systems.

2. Students will be able to evaluate and interpret geologic and environmental problems, and communicate their analysis effectively to others.

Placement of activity within curriculum:

This activity can be incorporated at any point in the curriculum. Students may be allowed to choose their own topics, or be assigned specific topics according to the instructor’s wishes.

Assessment activity:

In this activity, students will be asked to research a current event in science. The topic(s) may be delineated by the instructor, or left to the students. Students then will write a brief (250-750 word) paper, in which they (1) give a brief summary of the research and findings, and (2) discuss the implications these findings will have for society, based on their reading, their own experiences, and/or information they learned in class.

The instructions for this assessment (to be given to students), as well as the rubric for grading are included here.

Criterion for successfully meeting objective:

At least 70% of students must demonstrate a proficiency of 3 or better on a scale of 1 to 4. In order to assess this objective, a rubric with this 4-point scale has been developed.

Current Events in Science (Due March 23rd, 2015)

Purpose:

Science is an ongoing and dynamic process. Scientific research and discovery are still occurring today, and in ways that are and will affect our everyday lives, potentially even altering the structure of our government, society, and/or culture as it does so. The purpose of this activity is to explore current events in science, and analyze how new scientific research is impacting or will impact our society.

Instructions:

Choose a research topic that interests you and has relevance to your life. Some examples of the types of issues you may want to choose:

· Should Texas put permanent water restrictions in place due to global climate change and the rapidly increasing population?

· Genetically modified foods: How do new food technologies, such as “round-up ready” seed, fit into today’s agriculture? How does it impact human populations? Health? Economics? Climate change concerns?

· Conservation vs. resource extraction: Which is more important? How do we determine when human necessity exceeds the importance of the plants, animals, or environments that will be negatively affected by our actions?

· How do alternative energy sources compare to fossil fuels, including extraction of rare earth metals and other resources? How will fossil fuel use change in the near future, and how will that affect the economy? Home and industrial energy usage?

· Space exploration: How important are the discoveries we are making in astronomy/space exploration? Do we need to expend resources to continue to probe Mars and other celestial bodies?

Note that these are very large issues, and your paper will NOT be able to address them in full. Rather, you will briefly summarize some of the current research, and explore the application this research has in society, culture, and your life.

Length and Content:

Your paper should be between 250 and 750 words in length. Approximately half of the paper should be devoted to a description of the research you are exploring, and the other half should be your analysis of the research, including the impacts this research may have on society and your life, as well as your own evaluation of the implications of this work and how this research should continue in the future.

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