NOTE: All papers/projects must be submitted to me via attachment to email at steve.kluge@purchase.edu no later than Friday, July 25, 2008

Earning Undergraduate Content Area Credit through Purchase College, SUNY

In addition to full participation in all aspects of Purchase College's "Concepts in Earth Science" course, students wishing to earn undergraduate graduate credit in earth science content through Purchase College will be required to prepare a formal project in one of 3 forms:

1.  A 2000 word researched paper regarding some aspect of the geology of New York State  (use MLA rules, good overview at Perdue’s Online Writing Lab).   Possible topics:

·   A detailed descriptive examination of the geologic history of a landscape region or section of the State of your choice.

·   A detailed study of the economic geology of a particular area or areas of NY.

·   A detailed study of the impact of the physical geology/geomorphology of a particular region in NY on the cultural geography/human history of that area.

 

2.  A PowerPoint presentation regarding some aspect of the geology of New York State – NOTE:  The presentation must include detailed annotations (notes) for each slide, with all sources properly cited.  Suggested topics as above.

 

 

3.  An original, small scale research project using personally collected data, or real time data published on the internet.  Project must include the statement of a problem, a hypothetical answer, a properly designed experiment to test the hypothesis, and an analysis of the results of the experiment.   Possible topics:

·   A determination of the lag time between rainfall and discharge in a particular drainage basin

·   Sedimentation rates over time in a stream bed, pond, or lake

·   Change in discharge of a stream over time, especially as related to precipitation.

 

Please discuss possible other topics with me before you begin your project.

Earning 3 or 4 Graduate Credits in Education through Manhattanville College

In addition to full participation in all aspects of Purchase College's "Concepts in Earth Science" course, students wishing to earn 3 graduate credit in education will be required to do steps 1 and 2 below.  Students earning 4 graduate credits must do steps 1 – 4.

1. Develop a 1 to 2 class period inquiry based lab or exercise involving the thorough analysis of web based field data from any of the sources listed on the “links” page of the course companion web site, or from any other credible and reliable (us govt., .edu site, some commercial sites) source.

The exercise should be in MSWord (.doc) electronic format, with all supporting images, charts, etc. embedded in a single document

2. Develop a brief (15 minutes to 1 full period) lesson to introduce the lab. This lesson should help students to understand why the lab is important, and what background knowledge or skills they will need to complete it successfully

3. Provide keyed tie-ins to the New York State PS:ES Core Curriculum including "Process Skills Based on Standards 1,2,6,and 7" (page 4 of the Core Curriculum) and/or "Standard 4" (page 8 of the Core Curriculum) (in MSWord .doc format)

4. Develop a brief 'instrument' to assess students' mastery of the content of the exercise you've created. (in MSWord .doc format)

The materials you prepare must be submitted to me via attachment to email at steve.kluge@purchase.edu no later than Friday, July 25, 2008. You may submit drafts of your work before the due date for my comments.

Grading of your project will based upon this rubric (points pro-rated for 3 credit students):

(NOTE: Projects that are not complete (missing any of the required parts) will not earn any credit.)

Topic is relevant to the PS:ES core curriculum (5ptd)
Contains an Introduction that is clear, concise, and accurate, and that presents important information that students will need to complete the lab.(5 pts)
Instructions to students are clear and concise(5 pts)
Steps in the process students are to follow are logical and build upon each other (15 pts)
Questions to students are designed to build, bit by bit, greater understanding (you've "led them to water")(20 pts)
Contains relevant graphics and links (or hyperlinks) to additional supporting or interesting information (10 pts)
Tie in to Core Curriculum is accurate and specific (10 pts)
Assessment tests skills and/or concept mastery, not simply recall or repetition (20 pts)
Intro lesson effectively readies students' for efficient progress on the lab (5 pts)
Grammar and spelling are PERFECT, and layout is neat and functional (5 pts)