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Several pictures courtesy of the NSSL photo library (www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/) |
NATS 101 Section 54 Writing Assignments |
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There will be four writing assignments due throughout the semester. In some cases you will be able to revise and resubmit your work after having received feedback from the instructor, however late assignments will not be accepted. Due dates are listed on the course homepage for Section 54 (link to the left). For each writing assignment you are to find one article about natural science (not health science except as it relates to an environmental issue) in a newspaper or a news magazine. Online government/private websites with educational materials about environmental science issues are not news sources. News - the writing, reporting, editing, and communicating of information in the public interest. Read the article and write a summary about the scientific issues being discussed and why it is in the news. For example, if the article is about the Kyoto Protocol (Global Warming Treaty recently ratified by several countries), you would describe what global warming is, what the treaty is meant to accomplish scientifically, and why such a treaty is relevant to the general public. The idea is to get you thinking critically about what you read, and to be able to apply some of your basic working knowledge of science to topics of relevance to your everyday life. Below are links to some nationwide newspapers and news magazines to get you started. Alternative press may also be accepted. Please see myself or the TA to double check that your source is acceptable for this assignment before spending all the time writing it up. If you do not check with us and you hand in an unacceptable article it will not be graded. Article(s) must be included with assignment to get a grade. Check to be sure all pages are printed and that the last few words on each line have not been cut off. Assignments without legible articles will not be graded. If it is more than 5 pages and you don't want to print it out you can just include a link to it. Make sure your link works before you hand it in. If the link does not work, you will not be graded. You can earn 3 extra credit points by finding your topic in more than one news source and comparing the way the topic is discussed among your sources. Are you left with the same impression about the topic from each of the articles? Does one leave some critical information out? Each assignment will be graded according to the following criteria:
Don't use these - they are examples only Sample article 1 - Error in scientific measurements brought to light Sample article 2 - East coast ozone levels Sample article 3 - local air quality issue Two articles if reviewed together good for extra credit Sample article 4a - Central Arizona Project - in favor Sample article 4b - Central Arizona Project - against |
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