Students will be analyzing, evaluating, and considering sustainability science using current news stories for their final project this semester. Students will identify 1 news story (article) and write a 2-3 page analysis.
Learning outcomes:
1. Students will be able to explore, analyze, and evaluate how things happening in the world connect specifically with the topics and materials explored in this course.
2. Students will be able to deconstruct and analyze a news story using the Four Ways Of Thinking and the topics of sustainability that we have learned about this semester.
Details:
Select a sustainability themed news story/article from the following required resources (listed below). Write a 3-4 page (double spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman font) review of each of this article. Email your instructor if you need clarification on the topic of the article.
Briefly describe the article in the first paragraph. In the next two paragraphs, identify the sustainability theme that is noted in the article. Justify how you know this is indeed the sustainability theme of the article. In the following paragraphs, analyze the news story using the following lenses:
1. Why would this article be related to the topic of sustainability?
2. Why is this topic of interest to those that are concerned with sustainability?
3. Who are they aiming to convince or share this information with (policy makers, fellow community members, non-profit organizations, the public, etc.)?
4. What larger sustainability topic explored in our course this semester does this article connect with (population, poverty, food, water, energy, new energy, etc.)? Demonstrate to me that you indeed see a clear connection.
5. How does the article connect to the Four Ways of Thinking used in our course (Futures, Values, Systems, Strategic)?
6. Justify the connections with details and data from the course. How did the information in this article reinforce or contradict the data, logic, and ideas in this course? Please use at least one specific example from the article and one specific example from the course online content to support your answer. Be specific and use details, facts, logic, and ideas from the course/point to them and let me know where you found the information. Show me what you have learned this semester.
To receive credit, you MUST include either the working link to the article’s permanent URL or attach the article you have reviewed to your analysis as a PDF. Reviews without the original article will be considered a zero. It is your job to ensure I can see and read the article you have selected upon your submission.
Final Project Article Review Grading Rubric:
200 Total Points
Required Materials – Final Project
Comments
Article
20 points
10 points
1. Article:
a. Source/Guidelines: A current sustainability-themed news story/article was selected from the following resources: National Geographic, New York Times, Science, Science Daily, Scientific American, News 360, or The Washington Post. Points will not be granted for any other news source, unless pre-approved by the instructor. The selected article covers a clear sustainability topic that has been explored in the course.
10 points
b. URL/PDF: A permanent URL or attached PDF of the
original article is included with the written review.
Reviews without the original article will be considered a
zero for the full project.
Written Review
30 points
10 points
2. Written Review:
a. Structure: Student turned in a well-developed review,
totaling 2-3 pages. The review is double spaced, and is
written in Times font, size 12 point.
20 points
b. Content: The first paragraph is a summary of the
selected article. The following paragraphs identify what
the sustainability point or theme is, and fulfils the
guidelines of section 3 in this rubric.
Analysis
120 points
40 points
3. Analysis:
a. Course Connection: Student identifies the larger
sustainability topic that was taught in the course
(population, poverty, food, water, etc.), and explores how
the information in the article reinforces or contradicts the
data, logic, and ideas that were covered in class. They cite
specific, detailed examples from both the article and from
our course content while also bringing in additional outside
resources to support their reasoning.
20 points
b. Four Ways of Thinking: Throughout the review, the
student deconstructs and analyzes their news story through
the Four Ways of Thinking (Futures, Values, Strategic and
Systems).
60 points
c. Sustainability: The student explores the following
questions, regarding their selected article: Why is this
article related to the topic of sustainability? Why is this
topic of interest to those that are concerned with
sustainability? What is the article trying to convey? Who
are they aiming to convince or share this information with
(policy makers, fellow community members, non-profit
organizations, the public, etc.)?
General
20 points
4. Review: The final project is submitted with a clear sustainability message, and was thoroughly reviewed and proofread for spelling, grammar, and flow.
10 points
5. Work Cited: An outline of all the resources/references used to prepare the student’s project is also submitted, in APA format. This does not count as one of the pages of the review.
Student Earned Points:
/200
