Writing #3

(W3) Writing Assignment #3: Environmental Issues

Goals For this assignment, you have the choice to participate in a local service learning project and relate your work to the health of the oceans, or write an essay that analyzes a current issue affecting the health of our oceans. You have two choices for this assignment, please choose ONE option:

• SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT OPTION: Register for and participate in a Center for Earth and Environmental Science Service Learning Project. See page 2 of this worksheet to learn how to register for a project, and your essay guidelines, OR,

• ANALYZE AN OCEANIC ISSUE OPTION: Choose one of six US oceanic environmental problems to research and analyze. See page 3 of this worksheet for approved topics and essay guidelines.

Read the overarching requirements for both options below, then scroll down in the document for the specific guidelines for the option you’ve chosen.

Environmental Awareness Survey For either option above, you will be participating in and/or researching an environmental problem. IUPUI’s Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) is interested in learning how service learning and coursework affect student’s environmental awareness.

Before participating in your project, or before researching an issue, please complete the Canvas Survey titled “Environmental Awareness Survey”. Answer the questions honestly; you will not be graded on your answers, only on your completion of the survey..

Overarching Writing Guidelines for Both Options For either option, you will be required to write a researched essay. The guidelines for the essay vary for the two options – you may read the guidelines for the option you choose on the next few pages of this assignment worksheet. However, the following guidelines relate to BOTH options:

• Length: Service Learning Essays should be 500-750 words in length. Analyze and Oceanic Issue Essays should be 750-1000 words in length.

• Argument: Your essay should have a clear argument that is introduced in a clear thesis statement and supported throughout the paper. Here is an excellent resource on making an argument: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/argument/

• Content: Essays should have a title, a well-developed and well-supported thesis statement, and at least three images. Content must be scientific and oceanographic in nature. You should plan to use scientific terminology and ideas from your modules and readings.

• Resources: You should integrate and cite at least 3 quality primary resources. Your sources should be cited in MLA format http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/. Your sources should be properly cited in- text and in the “References and Further Research” section.

• Originality: Do not use any quoted material. Copying (plagiarism) anywhere within your description and from any source will result in a zero on the entire assignment!!

• Imagery: Your description should include at least 3 images that are captioned and referenced. Use graphics (photos, maps, charts) that support your thesis statement. Credit the source of your graphics and include a caption to describe the graphic.

You should submit your finished essay to Canvas “Assignments” as a Word or PDF document attachment. Submit the paper to the correct entry for the option you chose. If you don’t know how to upload documents to “Assignments”, see this link: How do I submit a Turnitin.com Assignment?

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT OPTION These guidelines refer specifically to the SERVICE LEARNING OPTION. Please read these guidelines carefully to ensure full credit for your project participation and essay.

Complete the Environmental Awareness Survey Complete the Environmental Awareness Survey in Canvas Quizzes BEFORE your project. Your instructor will get a list from CEES about each project and its participants. If you completed the survey after your project, you will earn no credit for the survey.

Register for a Project For this option, you will participate in a CEES sponsored service learning project, and write a brief essay that analyzes the experience. If you chose this option, register EARLY! Projects fill up fast once the weather warms!

To learn how to register for, and participate in, a CEES service learning project, please watch this video: Canvas Files – “2015 Spring Service Learning Presentation”

After completing the project, you write an essay that answers the questions: “What is sustainability? How does my project address the sustainability of Indiana waterways and the sustainability of Earth’s oceans?” Your essay should have a clear and arguable thesis statement that answers the question and is then supported by evidence and reasoning.

Write an Essay Your essay should be 500-750 words and should summarize your service learning experience, describe its importance, and analyze the project goals in terms of sustainability of waterways in Indiana and the oceans. Use the following writing prompts to help you compose your essay.

• A description of sustainability. You are allowed to use the first-person subject, “I,” in your writing as this is a reflective essay. Your thesis statement could have a structure like this: “I believe that the purpose of sustainability is _______.” Explain this. What is the purpose of this sustainability? Is it to protect future generations? How is sustainability related to the oceans? You can integrate your experiences here, or draw on course concepts or real-life examples here.

• A description of the project and what you did. Where did you complete your SLP? Include a description of the site. What did you do? What is the purpose of the work you did? Did you think it was successful? Include some research as to how restoration projects relate to the larger regional, national, or world environment.

• An analysis of how this is all related, both locally (Indiana waterways) and globally (the oceans). For example, how does picking up trash on a river bank in Central Indiana protect the health of the oceans? You should relate the work you did to both the broad (oceans) and local (Indiana waterways) applications of sustainability. You MUST relate your project to oceanography – consider asking your project leaders for ideas on how your project relates to the oceans.

• A Conclusion. Reflecting on your definition of sustainability, what is the ultimate conclusion that can be drawn from your project, research, and reasoning? Revisit your definition, decide if it is accurate and reflect on the purpose and goals of your project.

Grading Submit your essay to the “(W3) SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT OPTION” entry of Canvas. A rubric will be posted to Canvas Assignment with a breakdown of your grade calculation, but generally:

• 10 points for completing the Environmental Awareness Essay in Canvas Quizzes BEFORE the project. • 15 points for completing the project; CEES will notify me of your participation. • 10 points for choosing, citing and integrating quality primary sources. • 15 points for the quality, content, coherence, clarity, and argument of your essay.

Please contact your instructor prior to the due date if you have any questions or concerns regarding this assignment.

ANALYZE AN OCEANIC ISSUE OPTION These guidelines refer specifically to the ANALYZE AN OCEANIC ISSUE OPTION. Please read these guidelines carefully to ensure full credit for your research and essay.

Complete the Environmental Awareness Quiz Complete the Environmental Awareness Survey in Canvas Quizzes BEFORE you begin your paper. Your instructor realistically has no way to know that you completed the survey before your essay, but will generally be looking for surveys that were submitted several days to several weeks before the assignment due date. At the very least, your survey submission time should be BEFORE your essay submission time in Canvas.

Choose a Topic For this option, you will choose a current oceanic environmental issue for US coasts and marine areas. You should choose ONE of the following topics.

Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Overfishing of Atlantic Cod Loss of Coastal Wetlands in the Southeast US Offshore Drilling on the US Atlantic Coast Lionfish and the US Atlantic Coast Threats to Coral Reefs in the Gulf of Mexico Overdevelopment on East Coast Barrier Islands US Resource Rights in the Arctic Ocean

Research the topic You will provide an argument about the topic and support that argument with your research and imagery. For example, “The United States should not support drilling in the Arctic because of the irrevocable damage it could cause to native elk populations.” Note that this is not one of your approved topics; this is simply an example of an argument statement. Take the time to fully research the topic you chose so that you can write a compelling and convincing argument. Skim recent news and science articles online to get a good feel of the issue, and then search for primary sources to support your essay. Use the library resources posted in previous writing assignments to help you with your essay. Write an Essay Your essay should be 750-1000 words and should summarize the issue, describe its importance to the US and the Earth, and analyze the issue and proposed solutions in terms of sustainability our coastal and marine environments. Use the following writing prompts to help you compose your essay.

• A complete discussion and analysis of the problem. Consider the 5 w’s: who, what, when, where and why? • A discussion and analysis of the relationship of the issue to ideas of sustainability as discussed in your text. • The science behind the issue including a discussion of how scientists are involved in this issue. • A look at what effort is currently being made to mitigate the problem and who is involved in these efforts. • A look towards the future – what is the outlook for this particular issue? • Well-captioned and discussed graphs, tables or images that exemplify the issue where appropriate.

Grading Submit your essay to the “(W3) ANALYZE AN OCEANIC ISSUE OPTION” entry of Canvas. A rubric will be posted to Canvas Assignment with a breakdown of your grade calculation, but generally:

• 10 points for completing the Environmental Awareness Survey in Canvas Quizzes BEFORE your essay. • 15 points for choosing, citing and integrating quality primary sources. • 25 points for the quality, content, coherence, clarity, and argument of your essay.

Please contact your instructor prior to the due date if you have any questions or concerns regarding this assignment.