Lab Environmental Scienceteacher Guide for Tca #3

LAB ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCETEACHER GUIDE FOR TCA #3:

Weathering the Storm: A Study of Natural Disaster Preparedness

Students are asked to research different proposals to protect New York City from future hurricane damage in the wake of Sandy and determine the best option.

Unit 5: Watersheds, Topography and Water Quality

Topics: Land use, groundwater, wetlands, public policy

Common Core Standards:

Reading:

1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis ofscience and technical texts, attending to importantdistinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.

2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms

8. Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.

9. Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.

Writing:

1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

• Please distribute copies of TCA #3 on March4, 2013 for students to complete at home.
• YOU WILL ASSIGN ONE OF 3 PROPOSALS TO EACH STUDENT.
• The completed TCA is due March 21, 2013.
• Please remind students of the district late policy.

• An Answer Key and Scoring Rubric are included.
• The TCA must be scored by Monday, April 8th.
• Class time must be devoted to review student performance. Please post in your lesson plans.
• TCA #4 will be conducted in class on May 31st.

Note: If you wish to post the TCA to your teacher website, I made sure that each article title is an active link. That way students won’t have to type in the long URLs.

TCA#3: LAB ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

“Arriving in Venice years ago, Robert Benchley, the New York journalist and wit, is said to have sent a mock-panicked telegram to his editor: “Streets flooded. Please advise.” This is the opening line of an article published on November 3, 2012 by the New York Times entitled ‘Protecting the City, Before Next Time.’ Is it possible to protect ourselves from the damage caused by hurricanes and natural disasters so we don’t have a repeat of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy?

In this Through-Course Assessment, you will investigate one of three proposals made to protect New York City from future storms and natural disasters.

Part I: Article

Visit the New York Times website to read the article “Protecting the City, Before Next Time” by Alan Feuer

Please read all three pages. In it is a description of three proposals made to reduce the effects of storms like Hurricane Sandy on three especially vulnerable New York neighborhoods. Summarize all three proposals in the space provided.

Answer the following questions after reading:

1. Why does New York City need protection from future storms?

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2. What plan did Governor Andrew M. Cuomo support immediately after the storm? Why? Did Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg agree? Explain.

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Part II: Investigation of One Proposal

You will be assigned one of the three proposals made in the article by your teacher.

Proposal One: Marshes and Spongy Streets could offer protection and buffer the effects of floodwaters.

• The Protective Role of Coastal Marshes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
• Storm Surge Protection by Wetlands
• Environmental Protection Agency: Wetlands Homepage

Proposal Two: Storm Surge Barriers could be constructed at the entrances to waterways leading to the city to block huge tidal surges that might threaten New York City. The barriers could be dam-like structures with sea gates.

• Should New York Build Sea Gates?
• New York Is Lagging as Seas and Risks Rise, Critics Warn
• Hydrologic Feasibility of Storm Surge Barriers to Protect the Metropolitan New York – New Jersey Region

Proposal Three: Oyster Reefs, engineered as “oyster-tecture,” have been proposed as a natural approach to protecting low-lying areas by using oysters to weaken waves before they cause damage to neighborhoods like Red Hook in Brooklyn.

• Oyster-tecture
• Protecting Coastal Areas With ... Oysters
• NOAA: Oyster Reefs

Using the links provided as a starting point:

1. Complete the Pro/Con Chart for your assigned proposal. The links provided are more informational and more pro than con. You will have to do additional internet research for the con side. Research areas to think about: cost, environmental concerns, moving existing housing and/or businesses, length of time to complete project, availability of materials, etc. You MUST site any source you use in MLA format if it was not provided to you above. An easy way to site sources in MLA format is to plug your info into

2. Write an essay of 750 words that explains your opinion of whether you feel your assigned proposal is feasible or not. You MUST use information from the Pro/Con chart to support your opinion. Remember the FRHSD policy regarding plagiarism found in the Student Handbook on page 26-27:

“Plagiarism is not permitted in term papers, essays, reports, images, take-home examinations, homework, and other academic work. Plagiarism is defined as stealing or using ideas, words, formulas, textual materials, on-line services, computer programs, etc. of another person without acknowledgment or in any way presenting the work of another person as one's own.”

Name: ______Pd: ______Date: ______

TCA#3: LAB ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Part I: Article – Brief Summary of the Three Proposals

Proposal 1: Marshes and Spongy Streets

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Proposal 2: Storm Surge Barriers

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Proposal 3: Oyster Reefs

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Part II: Investigation of One Proposal

Proposal Assigned: ______

Pro or Affirmative / Con or Negative
1.
Supporting Evidence: / 1.
Refuting Evidence:
2.
Supporting Evidence: / 2.
Refuting Evidence:
3.
Supporting Evidence: / 3.
Refuting Evidence:
Sources Cited in MLA Format for Con or Negative Research (use
ex. Feuer, Alan. "Protecting the City, Before Next Time." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Nov. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.

TCA#3: LAB ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Scoring Guide

Total Points Possible: 28 points (see chart for grade conversion):

Part I: Article (10 points)

- Each article question is worth 2 points (4 points total)

- Each proposal summary is worth 2 points (6 points total)

Part II: Investigation of One Proposal (18 points)

- Pro/Con Chart - 2 points per block (12 points total)

- Research cited in MLA Format (2 points)

ex. Feuer, Alan. "Protecting the City, Before Next Time." The New York Times. The New York

Times, 04 Nov. 2012. Web. 05 Feb. 2013.

- 750 Word Position Essay (4 pts) – use rubric below

Essay HOLISTIC RUBRIC

4pt
Strong
(100%) / 3pt
Meets
Standard (87%) / 2pts
Emerging
(73%) / 1 pt
Beginning
(65%) / 0 pt
Beginning
(0%)
Clearly identifies their side and important features of the argument and analyzes them in a generally thoughtful way
Develops 3claims clearly, organizes them logically, and supports and connects ideas with strong textual evidence.
Demonstrates facility with the conventions of standard written English but may have occasional flaws / Identifies their side and analyzes important features of the argument
Develops and organizes 2-3 claims satisfactorily and supports and connect them with textual evidence
Generally follows the conventions of standard written English but may have some flaws / Does not identify or analyze most of the important features of the argument, although some analysis of the argument is present
Does not organize claims logically and devotes most of their time to analyzing irrelevant evidence. May cite 1-2 textual evidence that is not relevant.
Contains occasional major errors or frequent minor errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics / Does not present a critique based on logical analysis, but may instead present the author's own views on the subject
Does not develop ideas or is disorganized
Provides little, if any, relevant or reasonable support
Contains numerous errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics that interfere with meaning / Not complete

SCORING GUIDE FOR TCA #3

LAB ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

TCA #3 is worth 20% of the student’s final examination grade. Depending how you set up your Genesis Profile will determine whether you use the Adjusted Point Score or % score.

Raw point Score
(out of 28) / Teachers Using the Point System in their Genesis Gradebook
Adjusted Point Score (max. 20pts) / Teachers Using Percentage System in their Genesis Gradebook
Equated %
28 / 20.00 / 100
27 / 19.3 / 96
26 / 18.6 / 93
25 / 17.9 / 89
24 / 17.1 / 86
23 / 16.4 / 82
22 / 15.7 / 79
21 / 15 / 75
20 / 14.3 / 71
19 / 13.6 / 68
18 / 12.9 / 64
17 / 12.1 / 61
16 / 11.4 / 57
15 / 10.7 / 54
14 / 10 / 50
13 / 9.3 / 46
12 / 8.6 / 43
11 / 7.9 / 39
10 / 7.1 / 36
9 / 6.5 / 32
8 / 5.7 / 29
7 / 5 / 25
6 / 4.3 / 21
5 / 3.6 / 18
4 / 2.9 / 14
3 / 2.1 / 11
2 / 1.4 / 7
1 / 0.7 / 4
0 / 0 / 0