The "pages" should be supplemented by text, as needed, to explain what's in the images that contain graphics. Working groups have assigned in an attempt to distribute, as evenly as possible the scientific, presentation, and computer expertise, that resides within the class. Groups have the option of dividing into subgroups A1, A2, B1, B2....(as explained below) and they are free to divide the various responsibilities among their members as they wish. For example, one group might decide to have some of its members give the classroom presentation while the others take responsibility for the web presentation, while another group might divide the work between information gathering, text writing, and presenting. It is up to each group to find out where its skills lie and to organize in a way that makes best use of them. In rating the presentations, the primary consideration is educational value. All members of a group, regardless of how they participate, will receive the same base grade for the project, but some adjustments may be applied to take into account the differences in individual contributions to the group effort. Each class member will rate each presentation except the one for his/her own group. The instructors will take these ratings into account in assigning grades to the project. Students will be able to ascertain the ratings of their own projects.
INDIVIDUAL PAPERS will deal with the same topic areas as the group projects and they may overlap with the group projects to some degree. They should identify and expand upon the student's contribution to the group project. They should be at least 1000 words in length (equivalent to 4 double spaced typewritten pages). [Students taking ATMS 211 as a writing course will be required to submit a 10-page (2500 wd) paper which they will have the opportunity to edit in response to suggestions from the instructors.] Supplementary tables or figures are encouraged and datasets, references, and other sources of information used in the paper should be listed in sufficient detail at the end so that an interested reader will know how to locate them. It should be clear from reading the paper what piece of information came from what source.
Please be really careful about your referencing. If you copy any exact wording from one of your sources, you must cite the source in your text. If you fail to do so, you run the risk of being accused of plagiarism. Even if you're paraphrasing in your own words something that is clearly one scientist's idea or opinion, you must mention the source. But much of what you write in your papers will hopefully represent your own synthesis of what you've learned in your own reading and through talking with other members of your group. It will represent not just the opinion of one scientist but the prevailing views of the scientific community. This kind of writing does not (at least for this course) require extensive referencing within the text, but you still must include a list of references at the end of your paper.
Content and format of the group project: All group projects should have a descriptive title and should start with an introductory slide or web screen image defining what is interesting about the time frame that the group has been assigned. It might also place the assigned time frame in context by relating it to the climate phenomena in the neighboring scales or to the other presentation that deals with the same time scale. The introductory slide should be followed by a sequence of pages developing the topic. The final slide should summarize the major conclusions of the group project. The total number of pages is limited to 15.
Topics for individual papers: The individual paper must be related in some way to the group project. It could provide a more thorough written explanation of the ideas expressed in the group presentation or it might cover aspects of the climate or climate variability during the assigned time frame that were not reported on in the group project. If you want to check on whether the topic you're considering is appropriate, or if you need help in choosing a topic, feel free to contact the instructor or TA. The paper should start with a paragraph or two summarizing the highlights of the group project in the student's own words and defining his/her role in it. Then the objective of your paper should be defined, with perhaps a few words of motivation. From here the paper could go in a number of different directions, depending on just how you intend to expand upon the group project.
GROUP ASSIGNMENTS
Group A - Overview of history of Earth. Asteroid and meteor bombardment, evolution of atmosphere and life, continental drift. Might also consider the question of whether the earth may be unique (or nearly unique) as a habitable planet.
Group B - Past 100 million years. Recent stages of continental drift. K-T mass extinction; cooling of earth, formation of Himalayas, Rockies and the influence on climate.
Group C - Past million years. Alternating glacial and interglacial epochs of the Quaternary period. Extent of continental ice sheets, impact on sea-level. Temperature and rainfall in ice free parts of the earth. Carbon dioxide, dust, sulfate aerosols. Effects on land forms
Group D - Past 20,000 years. Emergence from the most recent ice sheets. Withdrawal of the ice sheets. Effects on land forms. The Younger Dryas Period. The Bond Cycle.
Group E - Past 2,000 years. Climates of the Roman period; the 'Dark Ages', the Medieval Warm Period; the 'Little Ice Age'. the 'Dust Bowl'. Does NOT include greenhouse warming and the 'ozone hole'.
Group X Evidence of past climates and conditions on earth on time scales (A, B, C, D, E) Geological formations, sediments, fossils, tree rings, varves, pollens, corals, ice cores... Instructor can provide an overview for getting started.
Group Y Impact on climate on human history. Coordinate with Groups D and E. A good starting point: Jared Diamonds's book "Guns, Germs and Steel"
GETTING STARTED:
Your text has a lot of relevant information scattered throughout the various chapters, especially 8 (group A, B), 11 (Group C, D) and 12 (Group E).
a good review article:http://www.gcrio.org/CONSEQUENCES/winter96/geoclimate.html
NOAA Paleoclimate home page: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/
W.S. Broecker and G.H. Denton: What Drives Glacial Cycles? Scientific American, January 1990.
J. Imbrie and K.O. Imbrie, Ice Ages: Solving the Mystery. Harvard University Press. 1986.
W.S. Broecker: The Ocean. Scientific American, September 1983.
W.S. Broecker: The Great Ocean Conveyor. Oceanography, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1991.
Ice age climate reconstructions http://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/nerc.html
Reference list for ice age climate http://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/refs.html
Global Climates Since the Last Glacial Maximum. ed.s; Wright H.E. Jr., Kutzbach J.E., Webb T. III, Ruddiman W.F., Street-Perrott F.A. & Bartlein P.J.: University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.
Soffer O. & Gamble G.: The World at 18,000 BP. (1990) Unwin Hyman, London.
Crowley T.J. & North G.R. (1991). Palaeoclimatology. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Denton G.H. & Hughes T.J. (Ed.s) (1981). The last great ice sheets. Wiley-Interscience.
Kasting, J.F., O.B. Toon, and J.B. Pollack, 1988: "How Climate Evolved on the Terrestrial Planets." Scientific American, p. 90-97.
Dyson, Freeman, 1992: "Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere and Biosphere." This is chapter 12 of Dyson's book, From Eros to Gaia. Pantheon Books, New York
previous class projects: http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~uli/project2/travis.htm
GETTING HELP: The instructors can offer suggested readings or web sites or experts who can be contacted for more detailed information.