The independent project gives each member of the class an opportunity to: (1) go beyond the course material and get a deeper understanding of a particular topic or area, (2) explore a topic or area that is not covered in class, and/or (3) practice research methods and gain experience in writing and editing reports. You are free to focus on any scientific, technical, historical, social, humanistic or artistic aspect of weather and/or climate and its connection with society.

The evaluation of your project represents a significant fraction (30%) of your final grade. You should submit a provisional title and a one-page plan for your work by Thursday, October 26th, and a final report (up to five (5) pages, excluding any figures and references) should be submitted on or before Tuesday, November 28th.

You will be evaluated on your choice of topic and plan (5%) and the overall quality of your final report (25%). The plan should include a title, a statement of why you think the topic is important and at least 5 sources or references that you plan to use in your work. The final report should represent your best effort. You will be graded on the quality and clarity of your English (1/4) as well as the organization (1/4), originality (1/4) and content (1/4) of the report.

Examples of possible projects include:

• A significant weather (Hurricane Andrew or Hurricane Mitch), climate (the Dust Bowl), or historic weather event (Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Great London Smog of 1952).
• An historical event that was influenced by weather or climate;
• A current topic in economics or public policy that relates to weather or climate; for example, an analysis of the economic consequences of the 1998 El Ninõ or the economic consequences of reductions of greenhouse gas emissions;
• The effects of weather or climate on health and/or the spread of disease; for example, disease outbreaks.
• The response of different cultures to weather or climate phenomena; lightning and ancient cultures, or climate change and the Native cultures of North America;
• Weather and climate in art and literature;
• Weather and climate considerations in the design of buildings or other structures (e.g. bridges);
• A biographical report on a famous or important weather personality or researcher and the impact of their discoveries on society;
• Climate change and its possible consequences to society, such as the effects of possible global warming on agriculture, sea-level change, etc.

BE CREATIVE and feel free to build on your outside interests and/or material in your major field of study.

Lori Critz at the Science Library created a an introduction to information resources to help you research information for your paper.

Also check out the Citation Guide : basic guidelines and examples to frequently asked citation questions from three major style guides.