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ATM S 211: Spring Quarter 2009
Climate and Climate Change
Extra Credit
SeaWiFS Views the Global Carbon Cycle TOMS: Antarctic Ozone Hole, 2000 The Blue Marble from Apollo 17 Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica SeaWiFS: North Pacific Low Gulf Stream's Brightness Temperature

EXTRA CREDIT


You can earn up to 100 extra credit points (equivalent to 10% of your grade) by attending lectures and other events around the campus.

During the course of the quarter, there are many seminars given around the campus on climate-related topics. Although most of these lectures are intended for staff scientists and graduate students, many of them are quite comprehensible in terms of the concepts developed in this course. They provide an excellent opportunity to learn about climate and climate change from the point of view of scientists actually engaged in the research.

To earn extra credit points (up to 10 points per lecture), you must attend the lecture and write up a description of it. Your write-up should be 1 page, double spaced (reasonable font size - 10 or 11 pt) and should include the following:
  • Date, time, place, speaker, title
  • Summary of the talk (or as much of it as you could understand)
  • Your own comments on the talk (for example, were the points made by the speaker clear and convincing? What did you find most surprising? Did anything conflict with what you have learned in class?)
  • Questions that the talk raised in your mind
The report must be turned in within 1 week of attendance! (Turning in a pile of these the last week of class is definitely NOT going to be accepted.)

You should certainly take notes during the talk, but DO NOT simply turn in your notes. To earn the full 10 points, your write-up must be coherent, organized, and grammatically correct (for example, using complete sentences and paragraphs).

By the way, do not be afraid to ask the speaker to clarify any points you do not understand. That is one of the best ways to learn, and most speakers will be very glad to find out that an undergraduate has taken the time to attend their talk.

Each Monday (or maybe by Friday!), we will post a list of possible seminars or other activities that you can attend to earn extra credit. The list will be posted in the announcement box on the home page. If you see some lecture or activity that you would like to attend and think might qualify, feel free to consult the instructor. Prior approval, however, is required to get credit.