Week #7
Week #7
On with Week #7! This is the final unit of the course. It will take two weeks to complete. This week is a time to gather information, to think, and to react to problems faced by the environment. As with any issue, there are at least two points of view. You cannot be wrong with your personal opinion as long as you support that vision with evidence.
You will be writing a problem/solution essay for the final essay. In addition, there are several shorter writing activities designed to get you to think and to clarify your point of view.
Week #7 - Assignment #1 - A Walk with Mother Nature 50 points
Nature: What is Mother Nature Telling Us?
Take a 15 minute walk in nature. Search for messages from Mother Nature. Snap pictures or simply write descriptions of what you see and of the message you "hear." Feel free to describe your pictures instead of posting them. I must confess that for the example I had to borrow a picture from the Internet. Even that decided to evaporate! A photo from my camera came out huge and did not work either! This is not a photo or technology activity. If you are struggling with the picture posting, just describe or borrow. The goal is to get you to think about nature and the environment.
Description of the picture – what did you see?
1. Example:
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Message- what is Mother Nature saying?
Endure! Enjoy the spotlight or, in this case, the sun.
(Sometimes life is difficult, but we can take a message from the cactus and survive anyway. Did you know that these giants can live over 100 years? Perhaps struggles do make things stronger.)
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Activity #2 - Reading and Reacting (75 points total)
A. "Saving the Songs of the Sea" by Jean-Michel Cousteau who is the son of Jacques Cousteau. He is the president of Ocean Futures Society. (25 points)
· Read the article.
· Select the three most powerful lines or phrases.
· In a sentence or two, explain why you selected the lines and phrases.
· Write a reaction to the selection and explain why you agree or disagree with the author's message.
B. "The Bounty of the Sea" by Jacques Cousteau (25 points)
Note: There is a lot of extra "stuff" at this link. Just read the article and answer these questions:
Before you read, define trawlers, effluents, buffer, and plankton. You will get more out of the reading if you understand the terms.
· What is the message or thesis? Did Mr. Cousteau state it clearly in a sentence, or did he share the message differently. Explain.
· What evidence was provided that the ocean might be dying? Is the evidence convincing? Explain.
· In your own words, explain the greenhouse effect. (This term will come up again in this unit. )
· What will happen to humans?
C. "So Earth Had This Boyfriend" by Emily Levine (This is the original title of the article as it appeared in Detla Sky Magazine in April of 2010. ) (25 points)
Note: The author uses humor to make a point. Not all people find humor in the same things.
· What is the message?
· What examples are provided?
· Look at the organization. Was the use of a play format effective, or would some other pattern work better? Explain
· Was the use of humor effective? Explain.
· Locate three lines that you would rate as strong, funny, or memorable. Explain why you made the selections.
Activity #3 - Viewing - An Inconvenient Truth (75 points)
Note: The entire movie is no longer available on YouTube. You might be able to find it at a library, on NetFlix, Amazon Prime, or other on-line source. You might even be able to borrow it from a friend!
Fear not! There are 10 clips that will give you the information you need from the video to answer most of the questions below.
The link to the clips:
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Please note at the beginning of your post if you were able to watch the entire documentary or if you watched the clips only. Full credit is available either way.
This is an older award winning documentary on global warming. It brought the issue to the attention of the public. There has been much discussion about the topic ever since. Try not to let your politics, ether pro or con, get in the way of your viewing. Do, however, feel free to share your personal thoughts.
This topic is rife with pros and cons.
An Inconvenient Truth – Questions (50 points total - 30 for the viewing and answers/20 for the reaction)
After viewing the documentary, answer the following questions. Post your answers on CANVAS. You do not have to write the questions, but you do need to number your answers.
1. 1. Why does the film open and close with serene images of nature: lush green leaves and a gently flowing river on a sunny day, followed by Al Gore’s voice-over about this peaceful place? What is the impact on the viewer? (The clips do not show this. )
2. 2. In this film, Gore narrates a moment in 1989 when his six-year-old son dropped his father’s hand, ran into the street, and was severely injured. How does this personal story relate to Gore’s mission?
3. 3. Much of the film consists of scientific facts and charts. Think back and answer the following:
· 4. Why do we have global warming?
· 5. What is the relationship between carbon dioxide and temperature?
· 6. How does global warming contribute to an increase in the number and severity of storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and typhoons?
· 7. How can global warming cause both violent precipitation as well as droughts?
4. 8. Explain the significance of each of these references from the film:
· 9. The findings of core drills
· 10.The thawing of the permafrost, the splitting of the Ward Hunt ice shelf, and the disappearance of the Larson ice shelf
· 11. The Arctic ice cap disappearing
· 12. The image of a canary in a coal mine
· 13. The image of the frog in the cooking pot
5. 14. Cite three ecological consequences of global warming in the animal and plant communities.
6. 15. Gore used quotations from several memorable people. Explain how they apply to the topic of global warming.
· · Mark Twain: “What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know; it’s what we know that just ain’t so.”
· Upton Sinclair: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” Cite specific ways that this statement is illustrated throughout this film.
· · Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow in Science magazine: “Humanity alreadypossesses the fundamental scientific, technical, and industrial know-how to solve the carbon and climate problems.”
7. 16. Explain the significance of the film’s title An Inconvenient Truth.
Once you have finished, in two or three paragraphs explain your position on the issue of global warming. Is it real? Would it happen anyway? Has it happened before? Might it happen with or without human intervention? (20 points)
Activity #4 - Get started - (25 points)
16 Easy Steps to writing a problem-solution essay
Study the link.
Now, think of a problem related to nature that is important to you or that you wish to explore.
Start the process. Work through steps 1-5. In at least two sentences, tell me how you are progressing on the research. In addition, explain why you selected the topic.
Activity #5 - Discussion Board (50 points)
This week, discuss your favorite or least favorite place or experience in nature. Use your descriptive writing powers to show us the place or to help us to visualize the experience. Perhaps you remember vividly the first fish you ever caught. Maybe you want to write about what you did when you found a rattle snake on your porch. Whatever it is, make the experience or place come alive for us. (The rattle snake on my porch was NOT my favorite experience with nature!)
Original post by midnight on Thursday -
Other responses due by 6:00 am on Monday, July 17, 2017.
Activity #6 - Revised Technology Essay (100 points)
I am still working on the Technology Drafts. You will have until July 18 at midnight to revise your work. I will have your drafts ready for you by midnight on July 11.
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