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Colloquium Assignments - Papers

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For Spring, 2013 there are 3 Essay assignments.

The research paper is a 1500 word essay that presents and defends a thesis.

The assignment is designed to allow you the opportunity to make progress, in your own way, toward the course goals and student outcomes as stated in the course syllabus.  In this paper, you are to articulate a thesis regarding one of the essay prompts listed.  The paper is a formal critical essay, using  APA citations and references. The articulation of the thesis is the most important dimension of the essay because it sets the stage for the assignment and organizes your supporting evidence and ideas Be sure you have a clear thesis that you can defend with specific examples and supporting evidence from course readings, other peer reviewed research and your own experiences.

In your essay, address one of the following prompts. Use the questions listed to frame your essay. Do not structure your essay to specifically answer each question!  Find a focus and develop a thesis based on the prompt.

• With respect to the topic you investigate for the State of the World group presentation, summarize or describe the topic, use examples to support your description. How does this topic relate to you?  your life? your work? your major? your university? How is this topic related to the other required readings (eg. Louv, Diamond, Carson, Orr, Leopold)?  Are the ideas/solutions presented in SOW realistic based on your experience? How does this topic relate to the concept of sustainability, ecological literacy and/or sense of place? Be sure to explain and defend your position using specific examples from the assigned readings/websites, peer reviewed research and your experience.

• What is the relationship between people and the environment in your Floridiana book? How does each character treat the land and/or how is the environment represented? How does this compare to your worldview? Do the courses in your major reflect or match your worldview? Can you relate the characters/ideas in your Floridiana book to what Louv, Leopold, Carson, Orr, Diamond the other readings are saying?  Are the concepts of sustainability, ecological literacy and/or sense of place demonstrated in your book? How does the FGCU campus design reflect the worldview of the University? How do the locations of our field trip reflect the worldview of the owners of those locations?  What is the worldview of the stakeholders in the Everglades Restoration? Use specific examples from the book, the readings, websites, your experience and other peer reviewed research to support your thesis and ideas.

• David Orr, in his book Ecological Literacy, claims “. . . all education is environmental education.  By what is included or excluded, emphasized or ignored, students learn that they are a part of or apart from the natural world.  Through all education we inculcate the ideas of careful stewardship or carelessness.” (Orr p. 90) What is the difference between stewardship, conservation and sustainability (Orr, Leopold, Shiva, Carson)? How has your education shaped your view of stewardship, conservation and sustainability? Do the courses in your major demonstrate stewardship, conservation and sustainability? Where and how should environmental education, ecological literacy and sustainability be taught? What is the role of environmental education in higher education? Is the “Biophilia Revolution” (Orr) present at FGCU? Does FGCU practice sustainability, conservation or stewardship? Use specific examples from the readings, websites, other peer reviewed research and your experience to defend your ideas.

  Submission Guidelines

  You must submit your essay as follows carefully following these guidelines below; failure to follow these guidelines may result in a zero for the assignment.

  • Your essay should be 1500 words, Include total word count at the end of your paper.
  • Make certain that you include a Bibliography or Works Cited page at the end of your essay and include a complete citation of the book, title, author, city of publication, publisher, and copyright year as well as any other resources consulted using APA style.
  • Use a minimum of 5 references from any of the following:  University Colloquium Reader, State of the World," The Earth Charter," "A Land Remembered" and other peer reviewed research are required. More are acceptable.  At least two additional references must be from other peer reviewed research outside of course reading.
  • You must submit your paper electronically via the drop box in the writing assignment folder on ANGEL by deadline outlined in syllabus and in the ANGEL module.
  • Your paper will automatically be submitted to www.turnitin.com through ANGEL
  • Do not use cover sheets, running headings or excess margins and spacing.
  • Do not write an abstract.

  Grading Rubric

  • Your essay will be graded based on the rubric posted on ANGEL.  It includes the elements of thesis development, critical thinking and essay organization, meeting course goals and providing supporting evidence for thesis, sense of place/personal connection, creativity and originality and writing mechanics.
  • Review the rubric throughout the writing process to be sure you are including all elements of the assignment in your essay.
  • Essay is worth 20% of your grade.

Essay 3 Service-Learning Reflection

This essay is a 500 word essay that presents and defends a thesis based on your critical reflection of your service-learning project.  The assignment is designed to allow you the opportunity to make progress, in your own way, toward the course goals and student outcomes as stated in the course syllabus and reflect on your service-learning experience.  In this paper, you are to articulate a thesis regarding your own critical reflection on your service-learning experience addressing the course outcomes.  The paper is a formal reflection essay, using APA citations. The articulation of the thesis is the most important dimension of the essay because it sets the stage for the assignment and organizes your supporting evidence and ideas.  Be sure you have a clear thesis that you can defend with specific examples and supporting evidence from your own experiences and examples.

You should address the following in your essay:

• What did I do for my service learning?  Why did I choose this project? How does it relate to my major (find a connection to your major, even if it is broad, all fields relate to many of the issues covered in the course) or other interests and hobbies?
• What is the mission of the organization/event that you worked with?  What are they doing in the community in terms of sustainability, ecological literacy, environmental education or sense of place?  What research backs up their causes? Use examples from the readings or other internet/scholarly research (Include at least 3 examples).
• How did my project connect with the natural world?  How did my project help me connect with the natural world, sense of place or understanding of sustainability and the natural environment?
• How did my project connect with what I learned in Colloquium? Be specific and emphasize specific class activities, field experiences, assignments, discussions or readings.

Submission Guidelines

You must submit your essay as follows carefully following these guidelines below; failure to follow these guidelines may result in a zero for the assignment.

• Your essay should be 500 words, Include total word count at the end of your paper.
• Three examples from the course readings or other scholarly research are required. 
• For any references you use, make certain that you include within text references and a Bibliography or Works Cited page at the end of your essay and include a complete citation of the book, title, author, city of publication, publisher, and copyright year as well as any other resources consulted using APA style.
• You must submit your paper electronically via the drop box in the papers writing assignment folder on ANGEL by deadline outlined in syllabus and in the ANGEL module.
• Your paper will automatically be submitted to www.turnitin.com through ANGEL
• Do not use cover sheets, running headings or excess margins and spacing.
• Do not write an abstract.

 

Grading Rubric

• Your essay will be graded based on the rubric posted on ANGEL.  It includes the elements of thesis development, critical thinking and essay organization, meeting course goals and providing supporting evidence for thesis, sense of place/personal connection, creativity and originality and writing mechanics.
• Review the rubric throughout the writing process to be sure you are including all elements of the assignment in your essay.
• Essay is worth 10% of your grade.