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ASSIGNMENTS
ASSIGNMENT FOR SESSION #2:
[To be prepared for sharing in class on Jan 29th.] 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.g., 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.?
[Items 2 - 4 to be prepared for sharing in class on Feb 5th.] TOPIC: Historical development of global change science in the context of the history & philosophy of science 1. Over the next 2-3 weeks, complete: This online tutorial: Module 1: Climate Science Basics (the first in a series titled Climate Insights 101 produced by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.) It's an a good overview of the basics of global climate change. It will be a nice review for some of you, and for others a succinct mini-course to further develop your climate science literacy. 2. Read Chapter 1 of Global Environmental Change: Research Pathways for the Next Decade (1999) (Although now over a decade old, this chapter contains a very good section on the historical development of the U.S. Global Change Research Program.) 3. Then read Chapter 11 Findings and Recommendations. The decade targeted by this report has just ended. Be prepared to share your insights about the following question in class on Feb 5th: 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 last decade on the recommendations outlined in this report? 4. On Spencer Weart's THE DISCOVERY OF GLOBAL WARMING page everyone should read the following essays:
[To be prepared for sharing in class on
Feb 12th.] 1. ON BEING A SCIENTST -To prepare for our Feb 12th 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. CASE STUDY PRESENTATION & DISCUSSION - You will select one of the 12 case studies to present as "discussion leader" Prepare a short (verbal) overview summary of the key issues in your selected case studies, plus some compelling questions or ideas that will stimulate a rousing discussion about your case study. Suggestions: (a) Play "devil's advocate" on the topic to "jump start" the discussion; (b) ask around your department and/or question your friends on campus and elsewhere to learn about similar situations "first hand" which you can share (names changed of course!); (c) use an example specific to your subdiscipline that you think people in other areas of global change should be aware of; or (d) reframe the case study in terms of a situation more likely to be played out in a global change research setting (Climategate anyone?) 3. Visit and look over UA's Office of Responsible Conduct of Research: http://orcr.vpr.arizona.edu/ 4. 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. Some of the GC faculty are also featured under IE's Faculty Spotlight section. We'll talk more about the details of these interviews in class on Feb 12th and decide who is going to interview who. 5. We will also have two 3-minute summary reports on the topics you selected from Weart's list. First come first serve -- want to get yours over with? 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
ASSIGNMENT FOR SESSION #5:
TOPIC:
Global Change at the 1. INTERVIEW TEMPLATE -- Review the Interview Templates composed by the earlier toolkit classes and come with suggestions on how to update it (e.g., additional questions, wording changes) -- or if you'd rather use your own questions (as last year's class did). Some past templates are posted HERE. The revised interview template is posted HERE
2.
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. 3. FACULTY INTERVIEWS - Begin to arrange your faculty interviews. These should be completed by the end of March.
Here's the LIST
of the faculty you are interviewing. Substitutes may be made if
you are not able to set up an interview due to busy schedules.
5
[To prepare for February 26th] TOPIC: Global Change terms, jargon, & nuances 1. Do a quick review of the following glossaries (also linked to the Toolkit Webpage under Toolkit Links)
Climate Change Glossary - a multilingual IPCC glossary (1995) See the same definition listed in multiple languages! [pdf] Global Change Acronyms & Abbreviations (U.S. Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO) Global Change Acronyms (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 our next class:
(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) 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. Get going on your
interviews: The LIST
of
who you are interviewing is posted, along with the updated
interview template that we revised in class. 4. Also --
We'll have the presentations for the remaining "On
Being a Scientist" case studies
ASSIGNMENT FOR SESSION #
7 TOPIC: Effectively Responding to Challenges and Communicating about Global Change Science 1. Read Communicating the science of climate change by Richard C. J. Somerville and Susan Joy Hassol in Physics Today (Oct 2011)
2. Visit the following websites and collect 2-3
useful tips about climate change communicaton that seem
especially useful or effective to you and be ready to share them (we'll
go around the table): "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 3. Interview sharing (have your interviews completed for sharing with the class. What did your interviewee's think about the future of global change research? 4. Follow-Up readings on communication: 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)
OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL TOPIC: TOPIC: The future of global change research: defining gaps in current knowledge; critical new areas of research 5. Come in with your ideas about needed future research directions for global change: (a) what
one or two things do you think are
needed in future global change-related research tied to your
own sub-discipline
(i.e. something YOU might be able to contribute to) For (b) - think BIG & think outside the box!! One
of the papers I like to refer to as an example of this kind of "big
thinking" is the following short essay:
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