Climate Change Laboratory

[WLO: 3] [CLOs: 1, 3, 5]

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read the Climate Change investigation manual. This lab enables you to explore concepts related to global climate including, the greenhouse effect, albedo, and melting land and sea ice.

The Process

Take the required photos and complete all parts of the lab assignment (calculations, data tables, etc.). Use the Lab Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template. Transfer any answers and visual elements from the Lab Worksheet into the Lab Report Template. You will submit the Lab Report Template through Waypoint in the classroom.

The Assignment

Make sure to complete all of the following items before submission:

• Before you begin the assignment, read the Climate Change investigation manual; you may also wish to review the video, SCI207 – The Scientific Method(Links to an external site.).
• Complete all activities using materials in your kit, augmented by additional materials that you will supply. Photograph each activity following these instructions:
  • When taking lab photos, you need to include in each image a strip of paper with your name and the date clearly written on it.
• This lab will require you to make two line graphs and one bar graph. Should you desire further guidance on how to construct a graph, it is recommended that you review the Introduction to Graphing lab manual. (You are not expected to complete any of the activities in this manual.)
• Use the Lab Worksheet as a guide to complete the Lab Report Template.
• Must use at least two credible sources outside of the textbook and lab manual.
• Submit your completed “Lab Report” via Waypoint.

2. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IS MY TERM FOR THIS SECOND ASSIGNMENT

Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Our Atmosphere and Climate

[WLO: 3] [CLOs: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 7 and 8 in your course textbook.

The purpose of this assignment is twofold: first, to enable you to explore a term (concept, technique, place, etc.) related to this week’s theme of sustaining atmosphere and climate; second, to provide your first contribution to a collective project, the Class Sustainable Living Guide. Your work this week, will be gathered (along with that of your peers) into a master document you will receive a few days after the end of the course. The document will provide everyone with a variety of ideas for how we can all live more sustainably in our homes and communities.

To complete this assignment,

• Select a term from the list of choices in the Week 4 – Term Selection Table located in the course. Type your name in the table, next to the word that you would like to choose.
  • Do not select a term that a classmate has already chosen; only one student per term. If you choose a term that is hyperlinked to a source, that term is one that is not mentioned in our textbook. Instead of being required to use the text as your third source for completing the assignment, you will be expected to use the hyperlinked source provided for you.
• Download the Week 4 Assignment Template available in the course and replace the guiding text with your own words based upon your online research.
  • Please do not include a cover page. All references, however, should be cited in your work and listed at the end, following APA Style expectations.

In the template, you will

• Define the term thoroughly, in your own words. {CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION}
• Explain the importance of the term using evidence.
• Discuss how the term affects living things and the physical world.
• Suggest two specific actions that can be taken to promote environmental sustainability in relation to the term.
• Explain exactly how those actions will aid in safeguarding our environment in relation to your chosen term.
• Provide detailed examples to support your ideas.

The Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Our Atmosphere and Climate paper

• Must be a minimum of three paragraphs in length (not including title, any quoted text, or references) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Word 2013(Links to an external site.)
• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice(Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
• Must use at least two scholarly sources in addition to the course text. To receive optimal credit, use at least one scholarly source from a peer-reviewed academic journal. To aid you in your research, and particularly in locating scholarly sources via the Ashford University Library or using Google Scholar, please review the following Ashford videos and tutorials:
  • Scholarly and Popular Resources(Links to an external site.)
  • (Links to an external site.)Database Search Tips(Links to an external site.)
  • (Links to an external site.)Research, Keywords, Databases: An Overview(Links to an external site.)
  • Accessing Full text and citation in Google Scholar: SCI207 – Google Scholar(Links to an external site.)
• Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper(Links to an external site.)
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List(Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.

3.

Week 4: Ecological Footprint Update and Course Reflection

[WLOs: 1, 2, 3] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Prior to working on this journal, read Chapters 7 and 8 in your course textbook.

Throughout this course, you are keeping a journal about your experience in the class. The purpose of this activity is to enable you to reflect on your learning: what new things you have discovered, what surprises you have encountered, what topics or ideas you have found particularly challenging, and how the course is going for you. You should also be using the journal as a space for a progress report on your Environmental Footprint Reduction Project efforts. Your entries will be evaluated in terms of how well they met the topic and length requirements, and your writing clarity. Your entries should be a minimum of one typed page each (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font) and will be submitted through Waypoint.

Complete the following:

• In the first paragraph or two of your journal entry this week, provide a status report on your Ecological Footprint Reduction Project. Have you encountered success with implementing your intended changes? What challenges have you encountered? What have you learned so far from this activity?
• In another one or two paragraphs, share your thoughts about the fourth week of class. What did you learn? What experiences stand out for you? What tasks or content did you find difficult or frustrating? What activities did you find surprising or exciting? Looking ahead, what are your intrigued or concerned by in the final week of the course?