Transcript GEO300 - Oregon State University

GEO300
7/17/2015
Sustainability
for the
Common Good
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INTRODUCTION
 My name is Keith.
 I am tall.
 I’m married and have two dogs
(that’s Hazel to the right).
 Of fice: 249 Wilkinson
 Hours:
 Tuesday 2-3
 Wednesday 1-2
 I will be available to discuss your
papers and other assignments at
those times.
 Email: [email protected]
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SUSTAINABILIT Y AND ME
 Ride bikes everywhere
 Reusable water bottle and cof fee
mug
 Use recycled paper
 Compost
 Vegetable garden at home
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WHAT I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT
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Recitation schedule
Critical Thinking papers
Using the OSU Library website
Group project assignments
Energize Corvallis
Carbon footprint assignment (time permitting)
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RECITATION SCHEDULE
 Week 1
 Introduction and Critical Thinking papers
 Week 3
 Critical Thinking paper workshop
 Bring final draft of CT #1 for peer review (you need to have a draft for
review or you won’t get recitation points)
 Weeks 7, 8, 9, and 10
 Group project workdays and presentations
 All other weeks will be lectures with Dr. Cook.
 Remember – your recitation attendance counts towards your
overall grade.
 Please let me know in advance ([email protected]) if you will be
unable to attend and a make-up assignment will be given to you.
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WHY CRITICAL THINKING PAPERS?
 Because they are awesome.
 Reflection of real-world writing and reports.
 Lets you explore various topics in sustainability at a deep,
intellectual level.
 Teaches you how to make a concise, impactful point.
 Exposes you to peer-reviewed literature.
 Strict format of CT papers is relevant to real -world job
experience.
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CT INSTRUCTIONS
 All the information is posted online as a handy reference:
 http://www.geo.oregonstate.edu/classes/geo300 /
 Access:
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CT FORMAT
 Logistical stuf f:
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Name
Assignment due date
Recitation day/time
TA name (Keith Jennings)
CT#, question #, and your ID#
Word count
Title
 Example:
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CT SECTIONS
 All CT paper s must have an informative title.
 CT paper s have 6 separate writing sections and they must appear with the
proper heading in the following order:
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Interpretation
Analysis
Evaluation
Inference
Explanation
Self-regulation
 Word counts:
 The entire paper must have between 500 and 550 words.
 The analysis section must have between 400 and 450 words.
 The other sections must have between 100 and 150 words combined.
 Each section heading must have the word count next to it.
 Each section must appear in the paper in the order listed above and must
be labeled as such.
 If the above directions are not followed, you will get a zero.
 Also must include a literature cited section (more on this later)
 Literature cited does not factor into your word count
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TITLE
 Your position on the CT paper topic must be clear from your
title.
 Example prompt: Overconsumption by wealthy “elites” in
“developed” countries is the biggest threat to long -term
sustainability of the Earth? (Support or oppose this statement )
 Good: Emerging Global Middle-Class Poses Greater Threat to
Sustainability than World’s Elites
 Bad: Society Classes and Sustainability
 Very bad: I Like the Taste of Paste
 Yes, your paper must have a title and it counts towards your
point total!
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INTERPRETATION
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Short introductory paragraph
No more than 2 or 3 sentences
Should present the topic and your position.
Example:
Note proper heading and word
count—include these or you will
get a zero!
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ANALYSIS
 This is the meat of the paper (or the tofu, if you prefer).
 Use at least 4 books or peer-reviewed journal articles from
the 21 st century to support your position.
 Limit your ideas to two or three main points.
 You may have more points, but it will be impossible to adequately
explain them in 400 – 450 words.
 Write a paragraph for each point.
 Don’t waste space with superfluous information (e.g., “Kim
Kardashian is a wealthy elite who consumes a lot. Her lifestyle is
unsustainable. I know this from US Magazine.”)
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ANALYSIS CONTINUED
 My three points:
 The size of the emerging global middle-class (relative to the world’s
elites) makes it a large threat to sustainability.
 Middle-class citizens consume more products, leading to negative
impacts on sustainability.
 Middle-class citizens also eat more meat, which has a large
ecological footprint.
 Each point supports my position that the emerging middle class poses a greater threat to sustainability than the world’s
elites.
 Ask yourself if each of your points supports your position.
 If one doesn’t, get rid of it and replace it with a new one.
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ANALYSIS CONTINUED
 Use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph:
 “One hallmark of the transition from the lower to middle -class is an
increased consumption of material goods.”
 Each point should be supported with evidence from the
literature:
 “Across the globe, an increase in income is associated with an
elevated rate of consumption, particularly at lower wealth levels
(Banerjee and Duflo, 2008: page 5).”
 End each paragraph with a sentence that ties together the
evidence you presented to support your topic sentence:
 “This indicates that the increased income and the higher
consumption rates of nearly a billion individuals stands to have a
negative impact on the environment.”
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ANALYSIS CONT.
 Be concise and interesting.
 This is very hard, but your writing will dramatically improve once you
learn this skill. People will think, “Shucks, so -and-so is such a great
writer thanks to Dr. Cook’s sustainability class.”
 Example from a previous TA:
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EVALUATION
 Identify author biases in your peer -reviewed sources.
 Check where they are employed and past work they’ve done.
 Identify weaknesses in the methods of your peer -reviewed
sources.
 For example, were the statistical methods appropriate? What are the
limitations of the authors’ conclusions?
 Ideally mention at least two issues with your cited material.
 Example:
 “The conclusions of the Bussolo et al. (2011) and Fiala (2008) papers
rely on uncalibrated model data, which could undermine the validity
of the authors’ findings.”
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INFERENCE
 What are the broader consequences of your topic?
 List a potential consequence of your topic that wasn’t
discussed in the analysis.
 Apply a what-if scenario.
 Apply your analysis to a dif ferent location and/or scale.
 How might your topic influence other populations than the
ones(s) considered.
 Example:
 “Increased livestock cultivation to satisfy growing meat demands
could lead to water quality issues in countries with emerging middle
classes such as China and India.”
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EXPLANATION
 Concise conclusion.
 Hammer home your position.
 Example:
 “The expanding global middle-class is driving increased rates of
consumption, which is increasing greenhouse gas emissions and
negatively impacting environmental sustainability.”
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SELF-REGULATION
 State what your bias is (relevant to your topic) and what its
origins are.
 Example:
 “My bias in favor of sustainable initiatives is a result of my education
and familiarity with environmental issues.”
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RECAP OF THE SECTIONS
 Interpretation – introduce topic and your position.
 Analysis – discuss two or three talking points and back up
position with at least 4 peer -reviewed sources.
 Evaluation – identify author biases and/or weaknesses in
methods.
 Inference – apply lessons from analysis to a different context.
 Explanation – a concise, one-sentence, impactful conclusion.
 Self-regulation – identify your bias and its source.
 Remember:
 Each section must have a heading with the word count next to it and the
sections must appear in the proper order.
 The analysis must contain between 400 and 450 words, and all other
sections must have between 100 and 150 words combined.
 The paper must be between 500 and 550 words total, meaning if you use
the max number of words in analysis, you can’t use the max in the other
sections.
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LITERATURE CITED
 Your analysis must include at least 4 relevant references to peer reviewed journal ar ticles and/or books from the 21 st centur y.
 What does peer -reviewed mean?
 The article is not published until it’s been reviewed by other scientists.
 What does it not mean?
 Magazine articles
 Newspaper articles
 Your favorite website (including Wikipedia, obviously)
 How do I find these ar ticles?
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Whoa, we have a library?
Yes.
With a website?
Totally.
And I can search for peer-reviewed articles there?
You got it.
How?
Let me show you.
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LESSONS FROM THE LIBRARY
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LITERATURE CITED CONT.
 Citing literature in the body of the analysis:
 Always use the format of (Author, Year: page #)
 The page number is the exact page in the article where your cited
information can be found.
 Do not give me the paragraph #, just the page #.
 One author: (Fiala, 2008: page 14)
 Two authors: (Banerjee and Duflo, 2008: page 5)
 Three + authors: (Steinfeld et al., 2006: pages 84-97)
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LITERATURE CITED CONT.
 Citing literature at the end:
 Any standard style is acceptable (e.g., MLA, APA, etc.).
 Just be consistent.
 Remember that the library website can automatically generate
citations for you.
 List in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name in the
literature cited section.
 Example:
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LITERATURE CITED REVIEW
 Must have at least 4 approved sources from the 21 st century.
 This includes books and peer-reviewed journal articles.
 Each source must be cited in text using the format (Author,
year: page #).
 Each source must be listed in the literature cited section
using a standard citation format.
 Again, you can use the library website to automatically generate the
citation.
 You will get a zero if you don’t follow the citation instructions.
 Note: You can use additional sources (e.g. government
reports) once you surpass the 4 approved citations from the
21 st century.
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OTHER CT LOGISTICS
 CT papers must be typed! Handwritten papers will not be
accepted.
 CT papers must be printed double -sided or on reused paper.
 You will get 1 bonus point if your paper is printed double -sided or on
reused paper, and you will lose 2 points if it is not.
 CT papers must have the grading sheet attached.
 Or you will lose 15 points.
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CT GRADING
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DON’T GET A ZERO
 You will absolutely get a zero if you do one of the following:
 Unacceptable sources (not peer-reviewed)
 Not properly citing sources
 Not having 400 – 450 words in Analysis section and 500 – 550 words
for the entire paper.
 Not using the required headings and format
 Repeat after me:
 “I, your name, understand I will receive a zero if I do any of the above
4 items on my critical thinking paper.”
 During the week 3 recitation, your signature on the sign -in
sheet will count as an acceptance of the above terms.
Additionally, you will have to sign your CT1 grading sheet
indicating that violating any of the above items will earn you a
zero.
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CT: ONE MORE THING
Don’t plagiarize and/or cheat.
That is very bad.
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CT QUESTIONS?
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GROUP PROJECTS
 Is everybody signed up?
 Group projects listed on GEO300 website by recitation section.
 Sign up through BlackBoard.
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ENERGIZE CORVALLIS
 Takes 1 month to complete.
 Everything due by February 28 th .
 Meaning you must sign up by January 27 th .
 This is the bare minimum, start earlier if you don’t want to cram.
 What’s required:
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A preliminary assessment of your situation.
4 journal entries (one per week) – see instructions on GEO300 site.
Print out compilation page from Energize Corvallis upon completion.
Concluding 250-word essay.
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ENERGIZE CORVALLIS – HOW TO
 Link available on GEO300 website.
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ENERGIZE CORVALLIS – ME TOO
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CARBON FOOTPRINT
 How’d you do?
 My results (not good):
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