ERSC 105, Earth Science

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Critical Thinking: Written Component (Winter 2007)

Assignment:	There are two main parts to this assignment. The first part is a reflective essay which describes precisely how you personally know when you truly understand a new concept and includes a demonstrative example. In the second part you will report on one particular Earth Science related topic, demonstrating that you have a clear understanding of the ideas involved as well has how they are supported by experimental evidence. This report will be submitted in stages as detailed below.
Purpose:	The purpose of this assignment is two-fold. First it provides each student the opportunity to self-critique the way he or she learns new things and compare that with the method “science” uses to incorporate new ideas into the existing framework. Secondly it gives students a chance to go beyond the survey nature of this course and expand their understanding more deeply in a particular area.
Possible Topics:	The topics chosen for either part of this exercise should not be general in nature, but fairly specific. Examples used in the first part do not need to be related to the subject matter in this course. On the other hand, topics covered in the second part of the assignment must be Earth Science related. In addition, they should be taken from areas that are not covered in depth in the lecture and reading materials.
Part 1:
Details:	The first essay should be 1 – 2 pages long, typewritten, double spaced, and written in a standard (and legible) font (12 point Times New Roman for example). It is to be submitted electronically, via turnitin.com, AND as a hardcopy. The first part of the essay should be a summary of how you approach a new concept and how you know when you have mastered it (or understand it). This should be accompanied by an example taken from your own experience where you have put this into practice. The example you use does not need to be related to science, nor does it even need to be academic in nature.
Grading:	This portion of the assignment will be worth 20 points (approximately one-fourth of the points in the Critical Thinking category). A score out of five points will reflect the mechanics (grammar, sentence structure, etc.) aspect of the paper and the remained score out of fifteen possible points will be my evaluation of clarity of idea, thoughtful discussion, and how well your example supports your ideas.
Part 2:
Details:	The second essay should be 3 – 4 pages long, typewritten, double spaced, and written in a standard (and legible) font (12 point Times New Roman for example). It is to be submitted electronically via turnitin.com. The submission of your topic and your paper are due according to the schedule shown below. This is to be a research-based essay in which you explore a specific aspect of an Earth Science topic in more detail than is covered in the class. You are to find out what the experts think about the topic and in addition, report on the rationale for their understanding – upon what experimental evidence and logic do they base their conclusions.
Topic:	You are welcome to choose most any Earth Science topic of interest to you. However make sure that it is a specific enough that you can cover it well in the allotted space. This is not to be a general, overview paper. For instance, “Damage Caused by Hurricanes” and “Famous Volcanoes” would not be good choices, while “Understanding Cephid Variable Stars” and “The Cause of Liquefaction During an Earthquake” would be good topics.
Research Basis:	I want your thesis to be supported by facts obtained from research. A minimum of four sources must be used. The nature of the sources you use will be determined to a great degree by the topic you choose. Some topics will likely have fewer book sources and more journal and web sources. In any case your list of sources should include at least one book other than the textbook or other reference book (either in print or in electronic format from the library database) and at least one credible web-based source. University-related and government agency websites generally have credible scientific information, while personal and business-related sites should be treated with healthy skepticism. Although you may not find books that directly addresses the issue about which you are writing, you may find one that addresses necessary background or general supporting information about your topic. Reference material (e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries, your textbook) do NOT count toward your four references, although you are welcome to use them. You should credit your sources whenever you quote from or paraphrase a source. Additionally, you should always cite your source for any a statements made in the essay that are not general knowledge (because you presumably obtained them from one of your sources). For instance if you state that 98 percent of all the fish in the ocean are green, you will want to cite your source.
Works Cited/ Bibliography Page:	A bibliography page, or works cited page, should be located on a separate page immediately following the body of your essay. It should contain the list of works used listed alphabetically by last name of lead author. Although I will not be extremely picky about the formatting of the works cited page, I do expect all the information needed to locate each source, and I expect it to roughly follow the standard formatting used in composition classes. Be sure to include the date of access for URL’s. Please be sure to double check spelling of authors’ names and URL’s!
Bibliographic Notes:	The final section of the essay is a brief description and analysis of the sources you used. It is to help you think critically about your sources as well as to help familiarize me with your sources and how you used them. It should begin on a separate page following the bibliography and include a few paragraphs summarizing 1) which sources were most useful and in what way, 2) where you located any non-web resources, and 3) what sources, if any, you would have liked but couldn’t locate. I will not accept a paper that does not include this page of bibliographic notes!
Formatting Instructions
Body:	Typed, double-spaced in a readable font style and size (~12 pt. Times New Roman for example)
Research References:	I do not require that every essay use the same formatting, but you should consistent with style throughout the essay. Here is an example of the type of formatting I expect. Example paragraph: There is general disagreement about the role butterfly sneezes play in climatic variations around the world. In one study, scientist determined that butterflies do not actually sneeze (Sneezeless), but Dr. Phil O. Sophie argues that sneezing was responsible for the El Niño extremes of 1994 (Sophie, 73). In another place, Dr. Sophie points out that the collective effects of thousands of butterflies in migration can amplify these effects (Sophie, 698). A recent study in the Department of Sneezology at Publish University demonstrated that although butterflies do sneeze, the probability of the effects extending more than a foot away from the butterfly is completely insignificant (Eyes). Bibliography(or Works Cited): B.D. Eyes, “Probabilistic determination of falloff in molecular reaction to butterfly sneezes at sea level”, http://www.PubUniv.edu/Sneezes/OurPubs/BSneeze.html, (Accessed October 7, 2005) I.M. Sneezeless, “Differentiating between proboscis tremor and sneezing in the Monarch Butterfly”, J. of Useless Research, p.23, (2002) P.O. Sophie, The Impact of Butterflies on History and Society, Random House, (1999) Note that abbreviated references are used when possible in the text and a page number or other specific information is included as well.
Schedule
Topic Due:	Wed. March 14. Fill out and submit the “Topic Proposal Form.” The form is available from the “Critical Thinking Component” page and includes a space for your topic and space for a few sentences describing the specifics about the issue you wish to explore about how you plan to approach the topic. In addition you need to list at least two sources you have consulted in choosing your topic. I will review your proposal and let you know if they are approved or if you need to change or refine it. You are welcome to change your topic until March 26 by simply submitting a new topic proposal. After that time no changes to the topic are allowed. You need to submit a topic by that time in order to be allowed to submit an essay.
Final Draft Due:	Mon. April 9. Your essay is to be submitted electronically via www.turnitin.com. Make sure the submitted document includes 1) your title, 2) your SAU ID number, not name, and 3) all the required elements listed above (including Bibliographic notes!).

Grading Criteria
Content:	Approximately 60% of the essay grade will be based on the quality of the content. I will evaluate 1) how well you covered the topic you said you would cover, and 2) how well you summarize the supporting experimental and/or logical basis behind your topic.
Mechanics:	Mechanical aspects of your essay will also be graded, making up approximately 40% of your essay grade. Attention to the mechanical details will, of course, likely help your content score by helping you focus on the topic you are discussing. Here is a breakdown.

	Grammar (5 pts):	5 – Clearly written sentences with correctly spelled words 4 – Sparsely scattered misspellings and/or sentence structure problems 3 – Several of the above 2 – Serious grammar problems or sections of list/outlines rather than sentences 1 – Few complete sentences or just a outline rather than an essay
	Thesis (5 pts):	5 – Clearly written thesis, which orients readers to the organization of the content 4 – Well written thesis, but lacking guidance to organization 3 – Poorly written thesis 2 – Thesis statement lacking, but implied in the organization 1 – Clearly no thesis
	Organization (5 pts):	5 – Clear organization of ideas, with transitions, making it easy to follow the main points 4 – Well organized, but poor placement of some material, or some poorly connected ideas 3 – Several organizational flaws 2 – Poorly organized or large sections lacking a framework 1 – Scattered ideas with little hint of organization
	References (5 pts):	5 – All important ideas and quotes/paraphrases referenced properly with required bibliographic elements, formatted properly 4 – All required bibliographic elements, but some ideas not referenced properly or formatting problems 3 – Bibliography missing some required references and/or several ideas/quotes missing proper references 2 – More problems than mentioned above 1 – Severe problems in references, nonexistent works/authors, etc.
Bibliographic Notes:	This section is worth 5 points, but is REQUIRED. Essentially, if you critique your sources and mention where you located your print sources as described in the “Bibliographic Notes” section above, you will get the credit.

Last updated by Chris Hansen on March 1, 2007