Earth Processes and Planets
COLL-C 105 Earth Processes and Planets
Instructions for Bi-weekly Papers – Paper I
Purpose
The purpose for the writing exercises is to provide feedback to you to improve (1) your ability to understand current science news reported in common news media, and (2) the precision of your writing. The exercises also replace the final examination for assessment.
General
Write a summary of the news item(s) the URL(s) of which appear at the end of this set of instructions. The summary should be in your own words (hence no quotes unless absolutely essential) and between 250 and 1000 words. Write a SINGLE summary, and not separate summaries of different items in different links.
Select another related but not the same news item from the web and write a précis of it in less than 100 words. The URL of your selection should be the heading of the précis.
Science Writing and Style
Identify the main theme of the assigned news item(s), which should be the main focus of your summary. The main theme usually is a discovery or the claim of a discovery worthy of public knowledge. If the news item discusses pros and cons of the “discovery”, briefly mention those. Break up the summary in about three or four paragraphs as necessary to keep the reader from having to jump from concept to concept or types of facts.
Consider the summary and the précis to be expository writing. Write precisely. Avoid flowery language – they only use up space without adding new content or new argument; treat this as a dry scientific presentation. For example, stay away from adjectives and adverbs for the sake of emphasis. Ask in class or send a message to Basu via Oncourse for further clarification.
We expect you to consider the objectives, methodology, key results, and major conclusions of the science project(s) that the news item(s) report.
Study Groups
We encourage you to form study groups. The groups may select the same “related news item”. But, you must write your own summary and précis. These are individual assignments and not “group papers”.
Submission
Prepare your submission in two parts in a single Word file – Summary and Précis.
IMPORTANT: Submit through “Assignment” in Oncourse. Please go to Assignment in Oncourse and check if you can open Assignment I or Paper I. If yes, please submit Paper I through “Assignment”. Please do NOT use Message and attach your paper unless we tell you to do so.
REVISE BEFORE YOU SUBMIT.
All assignments are due in about two weeks. See the class schedule in Oncourse Syllabus for the due dates.
Assignment – Combine the following three articles in one single summary (250-1000 words), and, a précis as directed above.
New photos of asteroid Vesta reveal surprisingly bright spots
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/22/new-photos-asteroid-vesta-reveal-surprisingly-bright-spots/#ixzz1prm0bJBy
NASA’s Dawn probe spies ‘Snowman’ on asteroid queen Vesta
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/03/22/nasa_dawn_vesta_pics/
Giant asteroid Vesta ‘resembles planet’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17481911
PLEASE BE AWARE OF: IU-Plagiarism
http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/definition.html
