BIOLOGY 315 ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY
WEEKLY ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS DISCUSSION & SUMMARIES

Most Fridays during the semester (see specific dates below), you will be required to discuss and submit summaries of recent news items concerning the environment (minimum of 6 summaries per week, maximum of 10 summaries per week). These items can be taken from newspapers, magazines, internet, television, or radio. For each item, include:

a) the source (where you found it),
b) the date of the source,
c) the title of the article, and
d) a brief, one or two sentence summary.

Please number each summary 1, 2, 3, and so on. The summaries need not be typed, but if I can't read your handwriting, you won't get credit for your work, so be neat. The purpose of this assignment is to make you aware of the many things that are affecting our environment every day and to get you talking about these issues with your peers. We will spend time each Friday (~30 minutes) discussing these environmental current events.

Examples of news stories that you may find include:

- dolphins dying mysteriously along Atlantic coast
- chemical spill causes evacuation of residential areas
- industry fined for not meeting air pollution standards
- human population growth rate declining
- new cause of acid rain being investigated
- ozone hole growing larger
- new oil deposits discovered beneath metropolitan area
- local environmental group purchases land for nature preserve
- new law will reduce air pollution from outboard motors
- record corn harvest in Iowa

You will not receive credit for summarizing:

- the weather report
- automobile crashes
- rocket launches
- reports of planetary explorations, comets, etc.
- local fishing derby results

- cute animal stories,

unless the above have some profound, virtually unbelievable effect on the environment.

If you know you will not be attending class on some Friday (I am certain this will never happen, but just in case), you must turn in your  summaries early. Summaries turned in late (after I call for them in class) will be credited to the following week's assignment. Summaries delivered to me after class on Fridays will not be accepted for that week's assignment. Failure to participate in a weekly discussion will result in a loss of points (50% of points possible) for that week (see below).

These assignments will comprise up to 150 points. Each week's discussion and summaries will be worth up to 10 points.

To earn all 150 points for this class component, you must participate actively in each weekly discussion and turn in 10 written summaries each week. If you participate in each discussion, but turn in fewer summaries each week, the maximum points earned will decrease according to the following list:

<6 summaries per week (0 points for assignment) for 15 weeks = 0 points
6 summaries per week (6 points) for 15 weeks = 90 points
7 summaries per week (7 points) for 15 weeks = 105 points
8 summaries per week (8 points) for 15 weeks = 120 points
9 summaries per week (9 points) for 15 weeks = 135 points
10 summaries per week (10 points) for 15 weeks = 150 points

All students are expected to actively participate in discussions each week.  The instructor will keep track of weekly participation by students.  Participation will be worth 100 points total for the semester.  Failure to participate in a given week's discussion will result in no points earned for that week.

In addition to participating in each weekly discussion, students (in groups of three) or four will lead one weekly discussion during the semester.  Early in the semester and prior to leading a discussion, students will be given copies of the evaluation forms to be used by the instructor and students to evaluate the discussion leaders.  Evaluation will focus on the effectiveness of the discussion leaders in 1) engaging their peers in informal communication, 2) continuing the discussion and transitioning to different topics, and 3) summarizing the key points being made.  Discussion leadership will be worth 50 points.

Discussion Dates:

13 January - Mundahl

20 January - Paige S, Jenna H, Abby K

27 January - Sophia F, Vanessa A, Kayla W

3 February - Rylee M, Bennett O, Josh G

10 February - Jenna J, YiJie L, Tyler H, Cameron F

17 February - Alex G, Katie F, Cali R

24 February - Riley V, Finely W-O, Matthew L, Ayden B

3 March - Darya P, Arina M, Makayla U

17 March - Kailee G, Sarah C, Emmaline Z, Grace L

24 March - Gavin B, Savannah J, Lauryn C, Dawson M

29 March* - Delaney R, Hannah P, Sydney S

7 April - Katelyn C, Kali Winters, Hanah Y

12 April* - Emma E, Ash L, Justin J

21 April - Morgan H, Ella J, Karlie C, Lorel B

28 April - Reed C, Colby M, Amelia E