This assignment requires you to write a clear, well-organized paper (500-750 words) which responds to the prompt provided below and demonstrates you have read the material in the modules.
First and foremost, I am grading your comprehension of the course material. To get a good grade, you must show me that you have read and understood the content from the modules we have covered so far.
Second, I am grading for critical thinking and analysis. How well do you form and support your arguments with evidence from the course material or external sources?
Third, I am grading for clean and quality writing. This means your paper should be well-written, thoroughly proofread, answer all parts of the prompt, and cite and format any/all sources correctly (see course Orientation for guidance on the APA style we expect you to use in this class).
For this learning activity, you are going to analyze a human-environment scenario from the list below, discuss components of the human-environment system at work in the scenario, and then make an argument for or against a specific action based on an ethical position you have chosen.
Below is a list of human-environment scenarios. Choose one of the scenarios and assume it is taking place in your hometown.
Here are the scenarios:
Write a paper that is 500-750 words responding to the following questions:
You must engage at least three course concepts in your paper. Remember engaging a course concept means defining that concept and explaining how it helps you think about the theme of your paper. Please bold the concepts you engage in your response.
Review the grading rubric [1] before completing your assignment. If you need help getting started, please email me!
This assignment requires you to write a clear, well-organized paper (500-750 words) which responds to the prompt provided below and demonstrates you have read the material in the modules.
First and foremost, I am grading your comprehension of the course material. To get a good grade, you must show me that you have read and understood the content from the modules we have covered so far.
Second, I am grading for critical thinking and analysis. How well do you form and support your arguments with evidence from the course material or external sources?
Third, I am grading for clean and quality writing. This means your paper should be well-written, thoroughly proofread, answer all parts of the prompt, and cite and format any/all sources correctly (see course Orientation for guidance on the APA style we expect you to use in this class).
The global carbon cycle refers to the processes by which carbon is emitted, transferred, and stored within the Earth system. Carbon is usually emitted in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) or methane (CH4), often through the use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. These carbon emissions are first stored in the atmosphere and can be transferred out of the atmosphere via processes such as vegetation respiration, through which plant life absorbs carbon dioxide. Figure A.2 displays schematically other facets of the carbon cycle, such as carbon transfer from the atmosphere to the ocean.
The global climate cycle has become of heightened interest in recent decades, as fossil fuel burning has rapidly increased the amount of carbon stored in the atmosphere. Paleoclimate records – indicators of previous climate conditions – show us that the Earth has had drastic swings in atmospheric carbon levels throughout its 4.6 billion year history, which initially suggests that there is nothing abnormal about present atmospheric carbon levels. However, the rapid rate at which carbon is being stored in the atmosphere is leading to abrupt shifts in climate conditions. The speed at which these climate changes are occurring threatens the ability for animals – including humans – to adapt successfully. Accordingly, there is a pressing need to reduce carbon emissions from the industrial to the household level.
In this assignment, you will be examining your carbon footprint and how you and others like you can reduce their carbon footprint through individual or collective action. A carbon footprint is an indicator of the amount of carbon dioxide and methane we produce through various activities, either individually or collectively. It includes the carbon produced through how we travel (e.g., via car, airplane, or public transit), our home energy use, and even our diets. For example, consuming beef products produces carbon in multiple ways, including but not limited to: decreased carbon sequestration due to deforestation for cattle grazing, methane emitted by cows, and the emissions of vehicles transporting meat to a grocery store. An important takeaway is that although our actions may not always directly produce carbon, the choices we make can indirectly result in carbon emissions.
To write this paper, you must do some research. First, read about carbon footprints on The Nature Conservancy [4] carbon footprint calculator website and the Global Footprint Network [5] website. As you read, think about the spatial patterns of carbon footprints (i.e., how carbon footprints vary by individual, household, state and even country). Consider the international differences between net (i.e., total) carbon emissions and per capita (i.e., per unit population) carbon emissions. Feel free to find other external references on carbon footprints. Remember to in-text cite and reference all external sources.
Second, use either the United States EPA Carbon Footprint Calculator [6] or The Nature Conservancy Carbon Footprint Calculator [4] to estimate and analyze your carbon footprint. Note that most of your carbon footprint is indirect and will be determined by your lifestyle. Find out what choices (e.g., transportation, diet, etc.) have the most substantial carbon footprint.
Finally, consider individual and collective actions that can be made to reduce carbon emissions. Consider your personal carbon footprint as you propose ways to decrease carbon emissions. Feel free to research some ideas for these actions – just be sure to cite and reference your source(s).
Based on the previous activities, write a paper of 500-750 words responding to the following questions:
You must engage at least three course concepts in your paper. Remember engaging a course concept means defining that concept and explaining how it helps you think about the theme of your paper. Please bold the concepts you engage in your response.
Review the grading rubric [1] before completing your assignment.
This assignment requires you to write a clear, well-organized paper (500-750 words) which responds to the prompt provided below and demonstrates you have read the material in the modules.
First and foremost, I am grading your comprehension of the course material. To get a good grade, you must show me that you have read and understood the content from the modules we have covered so far.
Second, I am grading for critical thinking and analysis. How well do you form and support your arguments with evidence from the course material or external sources?
Third, I am grading for clean and quality writing. This means your paper should be well-written, thoroughly proofread, answer all parts of the prompt, and cite and format any/all sources correctly (see course Orientation for guidance on the APA style we expect you to use in this class).
In this assignment, you will examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted food security in two different countries—the United States and a developing country of your choosing. Start by familiarizing yourself with the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals [7] (SDGs), focusing particularly on Goal 2: "Zero Hunger." Consider how Goal 2 is being impacted by COVID-19 by reading the following report of the U.N. Secretary-General, specifically paragraphs 20-31: https://undocs.org/en/E/2021/58 [8]. After reviewing this report, research how COVID-19 has impacted the U.S. and one other country of your choice, making sure to gather information that can help you answer the questions listed below.
Write a 500-750 word paper responding to the following questions:
You must engage at least three course concepts in your paper. Remember, engaging a course concept means defining that concept and explaining how it helps you think about the theme of your paper. Please bold the concepts you engage in your response.
Review the grading rubric [1] before completing your assignment.
This assignment requires you to write a clear, well-organized paper (500-750 words) which responds to the prompt provided below and demonstrates you have read the material in the modules.
First and foremost, I am grading your comprehension of the course material. To get a good grade, you must show me that you have read and understood the content from the modules we have covered so far.
Second, I am grading for critical thinking and analysis. How well do you form and support your arguments with evidence from the course material or external sources?
Third, I am grading for clean and quality writing. This means your paper should be well-written, thoroughly proofread, answer all parts of the prompt, and cite and format any/all sources correctly (see course Orientation for guidance on the APA style we expect you to use in this class).
Select and research an urban neighborhood with which you are extremely familiar, preferably one you have visited a few times. In addition to your own experience with this urban neighborhood, you may also use Google Earth or Google Street View to analyze the location. Using course content and three outside sources, analyze this neighborhood from a social and environmental perspective. Please do not select State College for your analysis.
You will need to cite at least 3 reputable outside sources that do not include the course modules for this assignment. For help evaluating what constitutes a reputable resource, please consult this guide from the Penn State libraries [9].
After you have selected your urban neighborhood, write a 500-750 word paper which answers the following questions (divided into two parts):
You must engage at least three course concepts in your paper. Remember engaging a course concept means defining that concept and explaining how it helps you think about the theme of your paper. Please bold the concepts you engage in your paper.
Review the grading rubric [1] before completing your assignment.
This assignment requires you to write a clear, well-organized paper (500-750 words) which responds to the prompt provided below and demonstrates you have read the material in the modules.
First and foremost, I am grading your comprehension of the course material. To get a good grade, you must show me that you have read and understood the content from the modules we have covered so far.
Second, I am grading for critical thinking and analysis. How well do you form and support your arguments with evidence from the course material or external sources?
Third, I am grading for clean and quality writing. This means your paper should be well-written, thoroughly proofread, answer all parts of the prompt, and cite and format any/all sources correctly (see course Orientation for guidance on the APA style we expect you to use in this class).
In this assignment , you will apply concepts learned in Modules 8 and 9 to analyze the "natural disaster" of wildfires in California. You will need to engage relevant materials from the assigned readings, modules, AND outside sources. The objective of this assignment is to increase your understanding of the relationship between vulnerability, natural hazards, and disasters, and to help you develop a more complex framework for understanding how natural disasters unfold.
Write a 500-750 word paper that answers the following questions:
You must engage at least three course concepts in your paper. Remember, engaging a course concept means defining that concept and explaining how it helps you think about the theme of your paper. Please bold the concepts you engage in your paper.
Review the grading rubric [1] before completing your assignment.
This assignment requires you to write a clear, well-organized paper (500-750 words) which responds to the prompt provided below and demonstrates you have read the material in the modules.
First and foremost, I am grading your comprehension of the course material. To get a good grade, you must show me that you have read and understood the content from the modules we have covered so far.
Second, I am grading for critical thinking and analysis. How well do you form and support your arguments with evidence from the course material or external sources?
Third, I am grading for clean and quality writing. This means your paper should be well-written, thoroughly proofread, answer all parts of the prompt, and cite and format any/all sources correctly (see course Orientation for guidance on the APA style we expect you to use in this class).
First, please do some independent research on the links between biodiversity loss and the rise of zoonotic diseases, such as COVID-19. You will need to cite at least 3 reputable outside sources that do not include the course modules for this assignment. For help evaluating what constitutes a reputable resource, please consult this guide from the Penn State libraries [9]. Second, write a 500-750 word essay on the links between biodiversity loss and zoonotic disease which addresses the following questions:
You must engage at least three course concepts in your paper. Remember engaging a course concept means defining that concept and explaining how it helps you think about the theme of your paper. Please bold the concepts you engage in your response.
Review the grading rubric [1] before completing your assignment.
Criterion |
Excellent |
Good |
In progress |
Novice |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grasp of course content (15 points) |
14-15 pts: Shows full grasp of course content by correctly engaging 3 or more course concepts. Engaging concepts includes defining them and explaining how they help understand the theme of the paper. |
11-13 pts: Addresses at least 3 concepts. Shows understanding of roughly 2/3 to 3/4 of the concepts addressed. |
9-10 pts: Addresses at least 2 concepts. Shows understanding of half of the concepts addressed. |
0-8 pts: Understands less than half of the concepts addressed. 5 points given for trying to engage with 1 or more concepts. |
Critical thinking and analysis (20 points) |
18-20 pts: Argument is very well-formed with evidence from modules or other sources to support it. The argument and analysis respond directly to the assignment prompt. |
15-17 pts: Argument is thoughtful and has some evidence to support it, but it may have gaps or it may rely on unsupported assumptions. The argument is not convincing. |
12-14 pts: Argument engages poorly with course concepts or assignment questions. It may be contradictory or rely heavily on unsupported assumptions. Critical thinking is insufficient. |
0-11 pts: There’s hardly an argument, or it is difficult to follow. Alternatively, the argument and analysis may be good, but do not respond to the assignment prompt. |
Meeting assignment requirements (8 points) |
Paper Addressing 3+ course concepts: 4 pts Addressing all assignment questions: 4 pts |
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Writing and citations (7 points) |
7 pts: Paper is well-written and free of grammar and spelling errors. Paper is correctly cited. |
5-6 pts: Fair writing, with a few mistakes. Easy to understand. |
3-4 pts: Poor writing, several mistakes. Requires effort to understand. |
1-2 pts: Very poor writing, with several mistakes. Difficult to understand. |
Written assignments make up the bulk of your grade in this course. These should be high-quality short papers (500-750 words long) that are well-organized (i.e., with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion), thoroughtly proofread, carefully researched (you do not always have to do research outside of the modules, but your paper should demonstrate that you understand and can apply the material in the modules), and respond to ALL parts of the assignment prompt. Expect to work on each paper over the course of a few days (these are NOT assignments you can throw together 20 minutes before they are due).
Each paper must engage at least three concepts or ideas from that week's course material, which you should highlight in bold. It is not enough to just mention them. You must define them and explain why they are relevant to your paper.
Take time to understand the grading rubric before you begin the assignment. Your grade will depend on how well you meet the criteria and expectations outlined in the rubric.
Please take studying for these quizzes seriously. You need to have a thorough grasp of all the material covered in that unit in order to do well on the quiz. The quiz is open-book, so if you don’t know the answer, but know where to look in the modules, you can find the answer. But remember, the quizzes are timed - 25 questions in 60 minutes - so you do not have time to search around for answers if you did not study beforehand. If you want to do well on the quiz, you will need to have the answers in your head already without having to look back, so study is critical.
All questions in the quizzes are new this semester. The TAs and I created an entirely new question bank, so you can not count on knowing answers from previous semesters. When studying, pay particular attention to bolded, italicized, or otherwise key concepts, but don’t neglect the areas that don’t have bolded text. You should be able to summarize the key concept or argument from each paragraph in the text, and from each assigned reading, prior to taking the quiz.
Questions may be from any part of the online material including assigned readings and videos.
Links
[1] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog30/node/476
[2] https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/689-the-ocean-and-the-carbon-cycle
[3] http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz
[4] https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/
[5] https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/climate-change/
[6] https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/
[7] https://sdgs.un.org/goals
[8] https://undocs.org/en/E/2021/58
[9] https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/InformationLiteracyTutorial/links
[10] https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/#loc=5/39.1/-94.58
[11] https://items.ssrc.org/understanding-katrina/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-natural-disaster/