Conservation Assignment (25 pts):
We had talked in my morning class about the IUCN Red list (link here: http://www.iucnredlist.org/search and it is a great resource for just about anywhere you want to start for the conservation assignment. I admit that I’m animal (and vertebrate) centric, but one of the more interesting aspects of the list is that when you begin looking at the data and information for organisms that are endangered or critically endangered, you start to see patterns in the causes of their declines. To take some time to explore it…you might find that there is a particular group of animals (or plants!) or a particular type of impact/cause (e.g. poaching, habitat destruction) that you are more interested in. Any of this is fair game.
In a nutshell, here’s the assignment: You can select any topic related to the environment or conservation, including endangered/threatened animals or ecosystems, pollution, run-off/erosion, habitat destruction or fragmentation, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, the great plastic patch, biomagnification etc. etc. This is a HUGE field of study, but as long as it is an existing concern it is a valid topic. I’d like for you to include at least one video (minimum 2:30 minutes) on the topic and a written overview of the issue (with MORE info than what is in the video. The video should complement/supplement but not serve as your base for your written part). Here’s the rubric:
- 5 pts video (pick a good one – I have to watch a LOT of boring/poor videos before I find one that is good enough for you all…but you’ll actually learn a lot in the process, even as you try to find the best one to include for me)
- 17 pts 2 typewritten pages (= 5OO words) – (2 pts)
– background on the topic and why it is a concern (6 pts)
– what “normal” would be in the situation (obviously it will vary depending on your topic) (3 pts)
– projected outcome if nothing changes (3 pts)
– what – if any – changes are being made to improve the situation (3 pts).
*** this rubric is flexible as long as you give me a well organized and well thought-out paper. Expand and tell me the whole story. You can ALWAYS go longer on these.
- 3 pts. At least 2 citations NOT including the video!! See my comments on the other assignment for citation details.
Again, go with what speaks to you and enjoy it!
