Welcome to Module 3, and congratulations on successfully completing Module 2! I hope you enjoyed applying your energy, sustainability, and critical analysis skills to the media selections from the last lesson.
In this lesson, you will begin reading the first of the two main artifacts that you will be analyzing this semester.
For this lesson, you have the choice of analyzing one of the following books. In your Lesson 6 journal post, you chose which one to analyze. You must analyze the book that you chose, unless you get approval from the instructor:
I want you to think critically about the book as you read it, especially with regards to how the content relates to sustainability (all 3 E's) and the ability of humans to live within the ecological limits of the planet. It is important that you think as objectively as possible, trying to see past preconceived ideas, and consider the science behind the writing. It is important that you look at the specifics of your self-reflection paper in Module 9 before you begin reading the book, because it will indicate key pieces of information to focus on.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
Note that per the syllabus [1], you are responsible for finding your own copy of the book. You are welcome to use any legitimate version, including e-books.
You have two assignments this week. You must analyze one thing that is presented as fact that you found surprising and/or challenging, and analyzing it. As always, I suggest reading through the assignment and rubric to see how you will be graded.
You will see that there is also one quiz for those who read The Sixth Extinction, and one for those who read Under a White Sky. Please only take the quiz for the book that you are reading.
Please note that the quiz can only be taken once. This quiz is timed - you have exactly 1 hour to complete it once you begin. You cannot stop and save - it must be completed in one sitting. Once you submit the quiz, you cannot change answers. All saved answers will automatically be submitted at the deadline if you have not submitted them. The test is not meant to be "tricky," or even to dig deeply into the material. It will consist of two components: First, a review of key concepts from Lessons 1 and 2. Second, it will cover major facts and/or themes from the reading. Again, these questions will be relatively straightforward. There will be no essay questions.
I strongly encourage you to look over at least the "Language of Energy and Sustainability" term list at the end of Lessons 1 and 2 to prepare for this week's quiz. I'm happy to help you review.
Requirement | Submission Location |
---|---|
Lesson 7 Quiz | Canvas - Modules tab > Lesson 7 |
Lesson 7 Analysis | Canvas - Modules tab > Lesson 7 |
If you have any general course questions or questions about this lesson's content, please post them to our HAVE A QUESTION? discussion forum located under the Modules tab. I will check that discussion forum regularly to respond as appropriate. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses and comments if you are able to help out a classmate. If you have a question but would like to remain anonymous to the other students, email me through Canvas Inbox.
If you have something related to the material that you'd like to share, feel free to post to the Coffee Shop forum, also under the Modules tab.
For this lesson, there is no content, other than reading the book. If you have any questions about the content, or what you are required to do please contact me. Since there is no content to post, I figured I'd share some energy- and sustainability-related photos with you from my time in Switzerland. I have taken students there a number of times, and plan to return in the future (possibly 2024). As ESP students, you can enroll in the course and get your 3 Foreign Studies credits, as the travel comes after an online 3-credit Alternative Energy Technologies course. If you are not an ESP student, you would still be welcome to enroll! You would learn a lot about renewable energy before you travel, then see a lot of renewable energy and sustainability installations first hand while traveling.
You can click on each image to view a larger image, if you are so inclined. Enjoy!
Hopefully, you are reaching this page because you have finished reading the first half of the book. I hope you have enjoyed it so far! You should be able to do the following after completing the Lesson 7 activities:
Check the list of requirements on the first page of this lesson and the syllabus to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed before the due date. Once you've ensured that you've completed everything, you are welcome to move forward with Lesson 9.
Complete all activities in Lesson 7, located under the Modules tab. The quiz may include a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, multiple select, ordering, matching, true/false. Be sure to read each question carefully. This quiz is meant to make sure that you have an understanding of the core concepts from Lessons 1 and 2, and have read the book and paid attention while doing so. The questions should not take a lot of thought, as long as you know the material and paid attention while reading the book.
For any other assignments (e.g., journal or discussion board), it will be helpful to look at the rubric before answering. You will see a button that allows you to view it below the assignment.
These activities are to be done individually and are to represent YOUR OWN WORK. (See Academic Integrity and Research Ethics [10] for a full description of the College's policy related to Academic Integrity and penalties for violation.)
The quiz is timed - you get exactly 60 minutes to complete it once you begin. Journal entries are not timed but do close at 11:59 pm EST on the due date as shown on the Course Calendar.
If you have questions about the assignment, please post them to the "HAVE A QUESTION?" Discussion Forum. I am happy to provide clarification and guidance to help you understand the material and questions. Of course, it is best to ask early.
In this lesson, you will finish reading eitherThe Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History or Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future. As in Lesson 7, I want you to think critically about the book as you read it, especially with regards to how the content relates to sustainability (all 3 E's) and the ability of humans to live within the ecological limits of the planet. It is important that you think as objectively as possible, trying to see past preconceived ideas, and consider the science behind the writing.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
You have a book analysis due this week (the same as last week), and a quiz. Again, please note that the quiz can only be taken once and to only take the quiz that covers the book that you are reading. This quiz is timed - you have exactly 1 hour to complete it once you begin. You cannot stop and save - it must be completed in one sitting. Once you submit the quiz, you cannot change answers. All saved answers will automatically be submitted at the deadline if you have not submitted them. The test is not meant to be "tricky," or even to dig deeply into the material. It will consist of two components: First, a review of key concepts from Lessons 3, 4 and 5. Second, it will cover major facts and/or themes from the reading. Again, these questions will be relatively straightforward. There will be no essay questions.
I strongly encourage you to look over at least the "Language of Energy and Sustainability" term list at the end of Lessons 3, 4, and 5 to prepare for this week's quiz. I'm happy to help you review.
Requirement | Submission Location |
---|---|
Lesson 8 Quiz | Canvas - Modules tab > Lesson 8 |
Lesson 8 Content Analysis | Canvas - Modules tab > Lesson 8 |
If you have any general course questions or questions about this lesson's content, please post them to our HAVE A QUESTION? discussion forum located under the Modules tab. I will check that discussion forum regularly to respond as appropriate. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses and comments if you are able to help out a classmate. If you have a question but would like to remain anonymous to the other students, email me through Canvas Inbox.
If you have something related to the material that you'd like to share, feel free to post to the Coffee Shop forum, also under the Modules tab.
Just like Lesson 8, there is not additional content for this lesson, other than finishing the book. If you have any questions about the content, or what you are required to do, please contact me.
Try to Figure out what this image is showing. Hint: It is energy-related, and it is underground. These pipes are about 1.5 feet in diameter and run for hundreds of feet.
Click the arrow below the image for the answer.
The videos below are optional, but it might be nice to put a face and voice to the words in the book. I think it's pretty interesting to hear her discuss some of the events in the books from a first-person perspective. Note that Paul Broun, whose comments are featured at the end of the first clip, is no longer in Congress. The last few minutes offer some interesting food for thought, I think. Feel free to post your thoughts to the Coffee Shop.
The first video is from a few years ago an focuses on the topics in The Sixth Extinction. The second is from 2021 and focuses on Under a White Sky.
FYI, Democracy Now! is a good source for independent media analysis, albeit with a left-leaning bias. They tend to speak truth to power no matter which political party is in power, though. Enjoy! This video is 12:45 minutes long.
I assume by now you've read the entire book. It is an interesting read and hopefully sparked some critical thinking. You should be able to do the following after completing the Lesson 9 activities:
Check the list of requirements on the first page of this lesson and the syllabus to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed before the due date. Once you've ensured that you've completed everything, you are welcome to move forward with Lesson 9.
Complete all activities in Lesson 8, located under the Modules tab. The quiz may include a variety of question types, such as multiple choice, multiple select, ordering, matching, true/false. Be sure to read each question carefully. This quiz is meant to make sure that you have an understanding of the core concepts from Lessons 3, 4, and 5, and have read the book and paid attention while doing so. The questions should not take a lot of thought, as long as you know the material and paid attention while reading the book. I strongly suggest having the course content and book available while you are taking the quiz.
For any other assignments (e.g., journal or discussion board), it will be helpful to look at the rubric before answering. Be sure to answer ALL elements that you are asked to do.
These activities are to be done individually and are to represent YOUR OWN WORK. (See Academic Integrity and Research Ethics [10] for a full description of the College's policy related to Academic Integrity and penalties for violation.)
The quiz is timed - you get exactly 60 minutes to complete it once you begin. Journal entries are not timed but do close at 11:59 pm EST on the due date as shown on the Course Calendar.
If you have questions about the assignment, please post them to the "HAVE A QUESTION?" Discussion Forum. I am happy to provide clarification and guidance to help you understand the material and questions. Of course, it is best to ask early.
During the final week of Module 3, you will have a robust discussion with your fellow students on Yellowdig. Please make sure you are only engaging in the discussion about the book you chose to read.
By now, you have read the book and had some time to reflect on how the information presented impacted your thinking (or not), in particular, the assumptions you had going into the book. Now, you will critically analyze the beliefs of other students in the course and, in turn, will have your belief(s) critiqued. I want you to keep two things in mind while having this discussion. These are absolutely essential, so please don't lose sight of them:
Remember that the context of this course is that we are investigating these artifacts in light of the ability of humans to live within the ecological limits of the planet! Do your best to stay within the framework of that theme.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
Requirement | Submission Location |
---|---|
Lesson 9 Critical Analysis Yellowdig discussion | Canvas - Modules tab > Lesson 9 |
If you have any general course questions or questions about this lesson's content, please post them to our HAVE A QUESTION? discussion forum located under the Modules tab. I will check that discussion forum regularly to respond as appropriate. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses and comments if you are able to help out a classmate. If you have a question but would like to remain anonymous to the other students, email me through Canvas Inbox.
If you have something related to the material that you'd like to share, feel free to post to the Coffee Shop forum, also under the Modules tab.
You should have provided critical, substantive feedback on another student's post, and received feedback on yours as well. You must also have provided an analysis of the rhetorical content of the book.
Respond to the feedback on your original post and comment on other student's rhetorical analysis to earn more points!
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
If you have questions about the assignment, please post them to the "HAVE A QUESTION?" Discussion Forum. I am happy to provide clarification and guidance to help you understand the material and questions. Of course, it is best to ask early.
Links
[1] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/syllabus
[2] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.emsc240/files/IMG_20150602_200821984.jpg
[3] http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/unesco-biosphere-entlebuch.html
[4] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.emsc240/files/DSC_0195.JPG
[5] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.emsc240/files/DSC_0204.JPG
[6] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.emsc240/files/DSC_0193.JPG
[7] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.emsc240/files/DSC_0154.JPG
[8] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.emsc240/files/DSC_1181.JPG
[9] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/emsc240/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.emsc240/files/DSC_1177.JPG
[10] https://www.ems.psu.edu/undergraduate/academic-integrity/academic-integrity-undergraduates