Environmental Controversy
- Choose an environmental controversy you care about – get it approved
- Find an article from the popular media discussing the issue and summarize it.
- How does the article’s beliefs affect society and the environment?
- Why is this topic controversial?
- Be NEUTRAL for this part
- Explain your opinion on the controversy.
- Take the opposing point of view and argue against yourself.
- Reconcile the controversy.
- Why do the two points of view exist? (Ethics? Credibility?)
- Is there any common ground from the two side? How best should we understand the controversy?
Example (disclaimer – the assignment I did was a bit different!)
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Does Not Meet 0-4 |
Not Fully Meeting 5-7 |
Meets 8 |
Exceeds 9-10 |
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| Assess the interpretations of geographic evidence after investigating points of contention, reliability of sources, and adequacy of evidence (evidence and interpretation) |
Only presents one point of view
Does not assess reliability
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Opposing views presented with few details
Assessment of reliability attempted but incomplete
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Outlines opposing points of view
Clear assessment of reliability of sources (author, bias, date) |
Outlines opposing points of view with corroborating references
Clear proof of depth of researching reliability |
| Make reasoned ethical judgments about controversial actions in the past and/or present, and determine whether we have a responsibility to respond (geographical value judgments) |
Does not identify how ethics shapes different points of view
Does not reconcile opposing points of view |
Identifies ethics that could shape different points of view but explanation is unclear
Attempts to reconcile opposing points of view but explanation is unclear |
Explains how ethics shapes different points of view
Clear explanation of how to reconcile opposing points of view |
Uses specific examples from different points of view to explain how ethics shapes the view
Can reconcile opposing points of view and offers a strong argument on how society should respond |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Bonus: Presentation |
Lacks organization
Simple presentation
Images and layout show little attention to aesthetics |
Engaging Clarity Originality Organization of information Creativity |
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