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Climate and Climate Change http://www.atmos.washington.edu/2007Q1/211 |
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Suggestions for project topics Projects The research projects are an opportunity for you to learn about a climate-related topic in more depth and to share your knowledge with classmates and with the instructor. Please find two other group members as soon as possible. The Discussion forum is a good place to try to find group members; post which topics you might be interested and look for others with similar interests. If you are unable to find a group, we will help you connect with each other. Each person in the group must pursue a separate and unique idea that is related to the topic. The main purpose of working in groups is to enjoy discussing the project with your group members and to create a poster together. Learning to talk about science is an important part of this course. Use your small group to discuss homework assignments too if you would like. Start your research early to ensure success, and feel free to discuss your research or the rough draft of your paper with us at any point. This project forms 20% of your course grade, so you should expect to spend a lot of time on it. Your research must be extensive, your writing must be of high quality, and your presentation must be clear. Requirements You will be evaluated on two major components: the written report (15% of your course grade) and your poster presentation (5% of your course grade). The written report is due March 5. Individual papers should be 1200–1500 words in length (about 4–5 pages of double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman text), not counting the reference list and figure and table captions. Please pay strict attention to the upper word count limit. Students taking ATMS 211 as a writing course will be required to submit a 3000–3500 word paper (about 10–12 pages of double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman text) that must be revised in response to suggestions from the instructor before submission. In this case, the first draft will be due on March 5, with your revised version due by 8:00 AM Friday March 16. For more info on the "W" requirement, click here. Individual Papers The written paper must be a solid piece of writing. You will be evaluated primarily (75% of paper grade; 11.25% of course grade) on content, including structure, organization, and accuracy, but we also expect correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and construction (25% of paper grade; 3.75% of course grade). The paper should include a title, an introduction, a discussion of the subject matter, and a conclusion. 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. Use at least 3 references (unless you are commenting on a book, in which case the book alone is probably enough). At least two of your references must be textbooks, other reference or scholarly books, or articles from well-recognized journals or science-oriented magazines (e.g. Scientific American, Science, Nature, National Geographic). If you are unsure if your source will meet these criteria, check with us. Beyond these two references, you may include webpages with complete URLs and date accessed. You must list all of your references, and any direct quotes must be indicated as such. Travel websites often contain climate information, but please don't assume they are accurate. Also travel websites should not be one of your 3 primary sources. Please be very 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 plagiarizing. Even if you are paraphrasing in your own words something that is clearly one scientist's idea or opinion, you must mention the source. Much of what you write in your papers should represent your own synthesis of what you've learned in your reading and through talking with other members of your group. Poster Presentations You are required to present your findings in a poster that will be shown near the end of the quarter. One poster is required per group. Each group will be given a 4'X4' sheet of royal blue poster paper. It will be flexible enough to role up, so you can move it around easily. Members of the group should work together to choose a title and write an introduction and conclusion. Each person should have their name on the poster under the title. Each member of the group should then select at least two figures that illustrate their project. The figure can be a photograph, a graph, a sketch, or even a table. The figures should ideally coordinate somewhat. The point of your poster is to communicate your project to each other. You will take turns standing next to your poster during the poster symposium and explain your project to anyone who pauses to look at your work. There will be enough time devoted to showing posters so each person can stand by their poster for about 30 minutes. The remainder of the time will be devoted to looking at the posters of your classmates. Each person in class is required to write a half-page critique of two posters (NOT their own poster). This will be part of your participation grade. Check out this web site for some good ideas for poster construction. Further instructions will be given in class. |