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ENVIR 100
Environmental Studies: Interdisciplinary Foundations
The final project for this class is a team
project where you will select an environmental issue of your choice and explore
the issue in more detail. The group
project involves researching the issue and creating a poster to describe and
display the relevant information. (The last two lecture days of the class will be devoted to a poster symposium during which you will display your poster and learn from the posters of other students.) There
is also an individual writing assignment about the issue you have selected.
Team poster assignment
With your group (no more than 3 people), select an
environmental topic that is: (1) relevant
at global and local scales, or otherwise can be "zoomed in" on; (2) something
you are interested in; (3) something
about which there are sufficient resources for you to explore in detail; and (4) not directly related to climate
change. (A topic with an indirect connection is fine.)
Your poster must explicitly address the scientific, social,
and ethical components of the issue, and the inter-relationships among
them. Scroll down or click this link for details.
Individual memo assignment
Your individual writing assignment is to select an
environmental topic that is:
- a
local issue related to your team poster assignment, the idea being that your
team poster can synthesize and draw on information from each of your individual
writing assignments;
- something
you are interested in;
- something about which there are sufficient resources for you to explore in
detail; and
- not directly
related to climate change. (A topic with an indirect connection is fine.)
Your memo should be addressed to your fellow team-members, i.e., to people who are familiar with your topic area in general but not the specific issue that you are focusing on. (If you'd like to think of it this way, you can imagine your fellow team-members designing and/or presenting the poster in your absence, in which case the purpose of the memo is to enable them to understand your part of the project and intelligently discuss your topic in a reasonable amount of detail.) Scroll down or click this link for details.
Preliminary assignment #1: Poster and memo proposal
In order to make sure that you're on the right track, your
group must submit a Poster and Memo Proposal that:
- identifies your team members (no more than 3
people);
- clearly identifies and describes your poster
topic and the topics for each of your individual papers; and
- (optionally) describes your approach and
identifies preliminary sources of information. (This optional item is just
thatoptionalbut if you do it then we will be better able to help you with
your proposal.)
Preliminary assignment #2: Memo paragraph
In order to make sure you're on the right track, you must submit a memo paragraph that
- describes your memo topic and what you have learned so far---this can be a brief paragraph, but should reflect researched
information, not just what you hope to learn;
- poses two questions you intend to answer in
researching and writing your memo; and
- includes a short bibliography of at least four
sources you will use.
Poster details
Your finished poster should:
- be designed in Microsoft PowerPoint or
Adobe InDesign (come talk to us if you want to use an old-fashioned
posterboard or or some other format);
- have text that is clear and easy to read (24+ font size)
- have a compelling visual presentation that balances text with pictures,
graphs, charts, headings, etc.;
- provide a background survey of your topic;
- clearly address the scientific, social, and
ethical aspects of the issue;
- clearly incorporate the global and local
dimensions of your topic or otherwise "zoom in" appropriately;
- have clearly labeled sections that align with
the assignment including Title, components for Scientific,
Social, and Ethical, and components for Local and Global or that otherwise "zoom in".
- provide citations to key sources, either in
footnotes or in a separate page that you can put on the back of your poster
(these can be in 10- or 12-point font)---here are two guidelines for author-date format (#1, #2),
but you can use another citation method if you prefer, and in any case
you should focus on the goal which is to allow your readers to figure out where you got your information and (if desired) attempt to track it down; and
- list your names and section number on the back
of the poster.
Samples of excellent work and other guidance - Here is an excellent poster from fall 2007 (in .ppt and .pptx, the later viewable only if you have Office 2007). Note that this does not include the page of references.
- Here are some excellent non-PPT posters from previous quarters, back when we didn't have the PPT requirement.
- Here is a comparison between two PPT posters on sea otters that Yoram created in fall 2007: otter draft #1 and otter draft #2, both of which go with this accompanying sheet of references.
- Online guidance documents for creating posters is available here and here.
- You
are strongly encouraged to use one of the posters above as a template
for starting your poster. If you do a poster on your own, make sure to
choose File-Page Setup and choose a 32x40 size for your poster.
Although you are expected to be prepared to
discuss your poster on the day you are scheduled to present it, your grade will
be based on the content of the poster itself. Printing information
- You are responsible for having your poster finished by the due date.
- You
can print drafts on 8.5x11 paper by choosing "Scale to Fit Paper" at
the bottom of the screen that comes up when you choose File-Print.
- When
you are ready to print the final copy of your poster, your best bet is
to use the printer behind the desk on the 2nd floor of the Odegaard
library. Bring your poster on a flash drive to the folks at the desk
and they'll print a color 32x40 poster in about 20 minutes for about
$17.
- Another printing option (if you want to pay more for a fancy laminated poster) is the
copy center on the 1st floor of the Odegaard Library, which provided the following
information in fall 2007: Printing costs $9 per linear foot, plus tax,
and can be paid for with Husky cards, credit cards, or cash. A poster
that is 32" by 40" will cost about $25. (You can also get an 11x17 page
proof for $3, but other than being shiny and full-color this might not
provide you with much more information than an 8.5x11 print-out.) You
can bring your file to them in the Odegaard Copy Center on a flash disk
or (probably easier) email it to them at ouglcc@u.washington.edu. (Make
sure to tell them if you want a full-size print or a smaller page
proof.) Turn-around time is no more than 24 hours; it might be less, but don't leave this to the last minute.
- You might
also be able to find other large-size "plotter" printers around campus,
or you can use the copy centers
on The Ave, which are almost certainly much more expensive.
Memo details
Your finished memo should:
- start
with three lines: a "From:" line that has your name and section; a "To:"
line that lists the group members to whom you are addressing the
memo; and a "Re:" line that clearly
identifies the issue you've selected;
- address
the scientific, social, and ethical aspects of the issue;
- analyze
your issue using examples and supporting evidence;
- summarize
and synthesize your main points in a concluding section;
- cite
all sources (see above);
- be
well-written, spell-checked, proof-read, and edited; and
- be
1,000-1,500 words (4-5 pages).
Research sources for the poster and report could include:
- Peer-reviewed journals (e.g. Science, Journal of Economic Principles)
- National or local news organizations (e.g. The Seattle Times)
- Government agency publications (federal, state, county,
tribal)
- Interviews with local officials, citizens, or
stakeholders
Samples of excellent work and other guidance
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