Objective: To help the student to consider various viewpoints on a controversial topic.

Each person will work in a group of 3-4 people and produce a poster that addresses an issue related to environmental science. Remember that for this class, "an issue is something for which informed people disagree". It must be controversial. For this assignment, the issue must also have some interesting environmental science associated with it. When presenting both sides of the issue, it is important that there is an environmental basis to support both sides. Ethics are important, but arguments that deal only with what is moral or ethical are not sufficient.

You will be asked to give a short presentation of your poster to the class but will be evaluated chiefly on the quality of your poster. The posters should be about 2 feet by 3 feet on posterboard or cardboard. It should include:

A title in large print. The title should grab peoples' attention.
An abstract that summarizes what the poster is about.
Environmental concepts necessary to make an informed decision.
Arguments for both sides of the issue.
Evaluation of the arguments.
Your group number (I shall assign numbers).


Presentation

All individuals in the group must take part in the presentation in some way. Presentations should be about 12 minutes with 3 minutes for questions. The form of your presentation is up to you. The presentation should include:

Statement of the issue.
Environmental concepts necessary to make an informed decision.
Arguments for both sides of the issue.
Evaluation of the arguments.

I shall grade the presentation based on the following rubric:

Poster Presentation Grade Check List - Total 20 Points

Face class (2 pts.)
Speak clearly (2 pts.)
State issue clearly (2 pts.)
Arguments for both sides (2 pts.)
Depth of knowledge (3 pts.)
Answer questions from the class effectively (3 pts.)
Creativity (3 pts.)
All group members participated (3 pts.)


Annotated Bibliography

Each group member will submit an annotated bibliography of a minimum of five (5) references. These can, and should, be the reference list for your poster. One reference MUST come from the Internet, one from the electronic index, EBSCOHOST, one from a current periodical. Do not use encyclopedias. Books should be used sparingly, because they are usually outdated when the material is printed.

Annotations should be no longer than three sentences. Each should include the name of the group member who submitted the references, two sentences describing the contents of the article and one sentence explaining why the reference is useful to the group.

Bogus, I. M. and B. A. Fraud (1977). Faking a bibliographic reference on short notice. Reader's Digest, 154:215-217.

Project Evaluation

Your project will be evaluated on the following:

1. Poster 20 pts.
2. Presentation of Poster 20 pts.
3. Journal 10 pts.
4. Class Evaluation 10 pts.
5. Annotated Bibliography 10 pts.
6. Contracts 10 pts.
7. Attendance 10 pts.
8. Written Summary of your part
of the Poster Project 15 pts.

Failure to attend all the presentation sessions will result in a 10% reduction in grade. The different parts of the poster project are due on date indicated in syllabus. Late contracts will result in 10% reduction in grade.


Contract and Journal

Each group will write up a contract which outlines the poster issue and the responsibilities of each member of the group. All group members MUST sign this contract.

Every time you work on your poster, in or out of class time, you will write a brief journal entry. This should include name of all group members present, what each member contributed that day, and any other comments you think are relevant. If a group member is not contributing his/her contracted amount, please state that in your journal entry for that meeting.

The journal should be shown to me every Monday. What you write in your journal is confidential; only you and I will see it. The purpose of the journal is to help out with the evaluation of the rest of your group. The last entry in your journal should include the grade you would assign yourself, and the rest of your group.


Class Evaluation

Each student will evaluate posters from your own section. I shall average those grades for the class evaluation grade. Students who do not turn in their evaluations of other posters will not receive this part of the grade.

Poster Evaluation

Group No. ____


Title (5 points) Points ______
Does it grab peoples attention?
Does it convey the subject of the project?


Issue (10 points) Points ______
Is the issue clearly stated?
Does the project stick to one main issue?
Did you present quality information about your chosen topic?
Does the issue relate to Environmental Science?

Abstract (10 points) Points ______
Does it summarize the project?


Environmental Background (20 points) Points ______
Is there the information necessary to understand the issue?
Is the information accurate?


Arguments (10 points) Points ______
Are arguments for both sides given?
What is the quality of the arguments?

Creativity (25 points) Points ______
What is the quality of the overall presentation/poster design?
Does the project grab your attention?
Is the poster clear and easy to read?
Is the poster free of spelling and grammar errors?
Is your poster well written?


Quality of Research (10 points) Points ______
Did you consult reputable sources?
Are you including the required number of references?
Is your bibliography complete?


Educational Value of the Poster (10 points) Points ______
Will your classmates learn from this poster?
Will your instructor learn from this poster?
Is your posted information interesting?