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GC Minor Home
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ASSIGNMENTS
ASSIGNMENT FOR SESSION #2:
[To be prepared for sharing in class on Feb 3rd.] TOPIC: Global Change & Climate Science Literacy 1. Definitions of "Global Change" (a) Collect various definitions of global change in the scientific literature and online (4 or 5 definitions). As you collect these, in addition to the standard and widely quoted definitions, see if you can uncover a few with a unique or especially interesting perspective. (b) Find one or more examples of how the term "Global Change" is used in your own major/discipline(s). (c) Write your OWN definition of global change.
(d)
Be prepared to share all of the above
in class and discuss whether common threads,
concepts, or themes seem to emerge. 2. READ: Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences U.S. Global Change Research Program / U.S. Climate Change Science Program (2009) Come to class ready to discuss your thoughts and critiques on this document: Is it a good summary? Is it missing some essential aspects of Climate Science? In what ways do Climate Science Literacy and Global Change intersect, overlap, complement each other, etc.? 3. START VIEWING: Climate Insights 101 Tutorials
Over the next 2-3 weeks, complete the short online
tutorials for a series titled
Climate
Insights 101 produced by the Pacific Institute for Climate
Solutions. Start with Climate
Science Basics (Lessons 1 - 4) and then go through
Mitigation (Lesson 1, then take a look at 2 and especially 3) (Mitigation
module new in 2014). [Items 1 - 4 to be prepared for class on Feb 10th.] TOPIC: Historical development of global change science in the context of the history & philosophy of science 1. Read Chapter 1 of Global Environmental Change: Research Pathways for the Next Decade (1999) (Although now 15 years old, this chapter contains a very good section on the historical development of the U.S. Global Change Research Program.) 2. Then read Chapter 11 Findings and Recommendations. The decade targeted by this report ended in 2010. Be prepared to share your insights about the following question in class on Feb 10th: Given what you know about the current state of your own subdiscipline in global environmental change, how much progress do you feel has been made over the past 15 years on the recommendations outlined in this report? 3. Read the following essays on Spencer Weart's THE DISCOVERY OF GLOBAL WARMING page:
4. Select a topic related to your global change interests:
5. To prepare for an upcoming class:
TOPIC: Global Change terms, jargon, & nuances
[To be prepared for sharing in class on
Feb 17th.] IPCC Glossaries of Terms used in the Third & Fourth Assessment Reports Climate Change Glossary - a multilingual IPCC glossary (1995) See the same definition listed in multiple languages! [pdf] (U.S. Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO) (Carbon Dioxide Information Center)NOTE: If you have a suggestion for a glossary that should be added to the list, send it to me! 2. Then do the following to prepare for class on Feb 17th:
(a) Make a list of about 3-4
TERMS / CONCEPTS specific to your own
subarea of global change that you think EVERY knowledgeable global
change scientist should be familiar with and understand. Be sure
to include any terms that seem to be commonly misunderstood, or
interpreted in a different way, by people in other disciplines or by the
general public.
(b) Do the same with ACRONYMS
You will be asked to explain the importance of your terms/concepts and
any nuances or caveats about them that you see as challenging or
problematic when global change scientists are trying to communicate
"across disciplines" or to the general public.
(c)
Submit your lists, either via flash drive or email so they can be
projected on the screen in class. Be prepared to share your lists in
class -- we'll go around the table 2 or 3 times, so have
at least two terms ready to explain clearly to
your fellow students. 3. GC Faculty Look-Up & Interview Candidate Selection as possible candidates for you to interview. At least 2 of these should be people who you do not already know and whose research areas do not overlap significantly with your own. The others can be GC Minor Faculty who would be good for you to meet in order to advance your own research or career interests. You may also want to google GC faculty or look at their homepage (if the homepage is not linked on our GC webpage, see the IE Affiliated Faculty Directory. We'll talk more about the details of these interviews in class on Feb 17th and decide who is going to interview who. 5. We will also have several 3-minute summary reports on the topics you selected from Weart's list. First come, first served -- want to get yours over with? WE'LL ADDRESS THE
FOLLOWING IN CLASS ON FEB 17th: Last year's template is posted HERE.
ASSIGNMENT FOR SESSION #5:
IMPORTANT: CLASS WILL BE HELD DOWNSTAIRS IN BANNISTER 110 ON FEB 24TH. TOPIC: Global change science “in practice,” research integrity and responsible conduct will be moved to Mar 3rd GUEST FACILITATOR: Prof Malcolm Hughes but you should still complete the reading below for the 24th!
REVISED TOPIC: On Feb 24th, Malcolm will talk about "Global Change at the
1. ON BEING A SCIENTST -To prepare for our discussion on "how science operates, read On Being a Scientist. Here's the link:
On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research
(3rd
edition) 2. Additional preparation TBA 3. Visit and look over UA's Office of Responsible Conduct of Research: http://orcr.vpr.arizona.edu/ 4.
Develop and practice your oral
"Academic Elevator Speech"
--
You'll use it to introduce yourself to our guest, Malcolm Hughes and the
faculty you are interviewing. 5. FACULTY INTERVIEWS - Begin to arrange your faculty interviews. These should be completed by the end of March.
An
updated LIST will
be posted here for the faculty each of you are interviewing. Substitutes may be made if
you are not able to set up an interview due to busy schedules. AFTER CLASS FOLLOW-UP: A short article on: Bringing Order to Authorship: How to resolve authorship disputes -- and avoid them altogether UA PRIE Newsletter Dec 2007 [To prepare for March 3rd] TOPIC: Global change science “in practice,” research integrity and responsible conduct GUEST FACILITATOR: Prof Malcolm Hughes will return! 1. Please make the following preparations for the March 3 session: a) Listen to the podcast at http://media.nap.edu/podcasts/nax47onbeingasc.mp3 b) read pages 1 to 7 of ‘On being a scientist….’. This can be found at at http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12192&page=1 paying special attention to the boxes: ‘terminology’, ‘a change of plans’, and ‘choosing a research group’. You will be discussing each of these in detail in this session. c) We are going to use materials concerning a controversy in forest science for discussion. You can find them at the password-protected readings area mentioned in the course syllabus, namely https://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/%7Emhughes/rcer/ Open the folder “Donato affair, and first read the document ‘Donato readings summary’. Then start with the two news pieces from Science magazine, namely items D and F. In this session, we will conduct some exercises in which each class member plays the role of one of the participants in the controversy. You’ll play a different role in each exercise. For example, you might be Dan Donato himself, his advisor, one of the faculty displeased with his publication, another scientist interested in some aspect of the research, or the editor of Science. So, plan the rest of your preparatory reading with this in mind. For this particular session, the scientific publications will likely be more central than the newspaper and congressional materials. Don’t worry if the scientific content is outside your field. Here we are interested in how the various parties behaved and how we think they should have behaved, as well as seeing what we can learn from their problems. You will be given the id and password for the /rcer/ site in class February 24. 2. CONTINUE WITH YOUR FACULTY INTERVIEWS 3.
GC TOOLKIT PLAN -
Develop an initial plan for what your personal Global Change Toolkit
might contain. See the
Toolkit Assignment FAQ to help. Come to class ready to share
your initial idea. Note that this will probably evolve as the
semester progresses!
ASSIGNMENT FOR SESSION #
7 TOPIC: Effectively Responding to Challenges and Communicating about Global Change Science GUEST: Professor Julia Cole 1. Read Communicating the science of climate change by Richard C. J. Somerville and Susan Joy Hassol in Physics Today (Oct 2011) 2. Read The Psychology of Climate Change Communication - A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public (2009) by Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) Columbia University. In the first 40 minutes of class, we will discuss these 2 articles with our guest, Julie Cole. Come with questions , insights, and observations of your own about these readings and the challenge of communicating global change science. 3. Presentation of GC TOPICS from Weart's text - [The assignment is shifting back to its original form. During the second half of class, we will have time for your presentations -- but only if you prepare well enough to stay on schedule! Remember that today's class topic is about effective communication so put it into practice, staying on topic with a focused message.] Prepare a 3 minute oral presentation that highlights selected key insights from your assigned topical essay that demonstrate the importance of this topic for global change -- No more than 3 slides. [Our guest, Julie Cole and the rest of the class will provide constructive feedback on each presentation -- so make this short presentation your very best work.] NOTE: Following is the presentation format used in the Institute of the Environment's Environmental Grad Blitz, which all GC Minors should consider as a forum for showcasing your own research. (The next one is scheduled for November 13, 2014). Use this assignment as a "dry run" to hone your "blitz-type" presentation skills.
Grad Blitz
Format
Blitz participants may present their results in one of two ways: 4. GC TOOLKIT PLANS - Develop and refine your plan for what your personal Global Change Toolkit will accomplish. See the Toolkit Assignment FAQ to help. Come to class with a title for your toolkit project and a short abstract of what its goals, format and proposed content will be. If we have time, we'll share these in class. 5. CONTINUE WITH YOUR FACULTY INTERVIEWS
Follow Up to today's topic. See the following websites for more resources on good climate change communication: "Climate
Communication Resources" (Univ of Colorado CIRES Education
Outreach Program)
Talking Climate Change
(Union of Concerned Scientists)
Communicating Science - Tools for scientists and
engineers (AAAS) Communicating
on Climate Change: An Essential Resource for Journalists, Scientists,
and Educators
(2008) by Bud Ward, edited by Sunshine Menezes A publication of the
Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting University of
Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography
www.metcalfinstitute.org See also: the
Teaching and
Training Resources of the
Aldo Leopold Leadership
Program, Stanford University The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication website Am I
Making Myself Clear: A Scientist's Guide to Talking with the Public
by Cornelia Dean (2009) Harvard University Press:
Selections from Dean (2009) (password protected - to be provided)
ASSIGNMENT FOR
CAPSTONE SESSION (DATE + TIME TBD) See the Toolkit Assignment FAQ |
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