Instructions for Solar House Modules (Team) & Fact Sheets (Individual), Rubric & Timeline Provided

Your final project spans from Midterm until the end of the semester. It is worth 30% of your total grade. Your team is responsible for creating an interactive module to present at the Solar House for a Family Day Event & individually you are charged with completing a supporting fact sheet.

Modules (20% of your total grade):

With your team, you should create an interactive module addressing a climate change solution for a family day event at the Westcott Solar House. You have already received some training from COSI on informal science education, & will be iterating with COSI experts as you create your module.

Rubric Overview:

1)Address an individual household, community climate change solution.

Great modules will illustrate conceptsthat support solutions in Springfield, or the Midwest. And/Or great modules relate to the homeowner level solutions present within the Solar House.

2)Include an interactive component: the audience must do least 2 things with your module; you are encouraged to ask guiding questions, but the module itself must be compelling enough to draw an audience to it. A great module encourages further questions from the audience interacting with it.

3)Communicate terminology to your audience in an accessible way. (Families)

4)Convey enthusiasm and/or curiosity for science. The students interacting with your module want you to be excited.

5)Meet all deadlines

Module Rubric (out of 100%)

Objective Criteria / Poor / OK / Good / Excellent
1) (30%) The module features solutions applicable to our presentation venue (the Solar House), or our community (Springfield, the Midwest) / The module did not address global climate change solutions / The module was vaguely linked to solutions. / The module was explicitly linked to solutions, but the tie the Solar House or our community is loose or missing / The module was explicitly linked to solutions in the Midwest, Springfield, or concepts present in the Solar House
2) (40%)The demonstration is engaging to a Solar House audience and encourages at least 2 interactions / Module presenters struggle to achieve audience interaction. / The module only includes one obvious audience interaction or does not invite interactions without prompting. / The module includes at least 2 audience interactions (may require some prompting from module presenters). / The module includes at least 2 audience interactions and the audience asks questions (promotes inquiry)
3) (10%) You define all terminology used for a general audience / The audience was not considered in the presentation of terms. / Some terminology is not translated to a general audience / Most terminology is translated to a general audience / All terminology is translated to a general audience
4) (20%) Presenters were clear and easy to hear & enthusiastic (encouraging interaction) / Lacked enthusiasm & clarity / Tone was clear & enthusiastic
5) Team Evaluation
*Deduction of up to 30% / You will receive full credit if your team evaluation reflects that you contributed in meaningful ways to this project: 1) attended planning meetings, 2) suggested revisions, 3) conducted background research, 4) presented ideas for consideration.
6) Meeting deadlines
*Deduction of up to 15% / You iterated with experts & were prepared for prototype review on time. Failure to miss one of these deadlines results in a loss of 15%

Individual Fact Sheet (10% of your total grade):

1)Overview Section: Introduces a climate change solution that is a good fit for Springfield/the Midwest

2)Supporting Facts: Includes 3 figures from at least 2 peer reviewed articles, or a government websites that synthesize your climate change solution to the Springfield audience.

3)Visual Balance/Layout: Look like a fact sheet

See examples:

4)Is well-written & organized; bibliography appears at the end.

Fact Sheet Rubric (out of 100%)

Objective Criteria / Poor / OK / Good / Excellent
Overview (25%) / Intro is vague & the solution is not obvious. / Introduces a climate change solution that doesn’t directly relate to the audience, but that is easy-to-follow. / Introduces a climate change solution that is a good fit for Springfield or the Midwest. Some word choice or audience accessibility issues. / Introduces a climate change solution that is a good fit for Springfield, or the Midwest. Clear & accessible introduction. Terms that need explanation are defined.
Supporting Facts (40%) / Poor sources or no figures are shown. / The sources are mostly unreliable, or they are largely synthesized incorrectly. Or a few of the figures lack explanation, or do not tie to the solution. / One source is not reliable, but 3 figures are included & described in a manner accessible to a general audience. Facts selected supports the solution posed. OR all figures are from scholarly/government sources but they are not clearly described and/or linked to the solution. / At least 3 scholarly or government figures are included & described in a audience accessible manner. Facts directly support the solution you have overviewed.
Visual Balance (20%) / Not visually balanced. / Mostly lacks visual balance & layout was not considered, except in a minor way (e.g. nice title bar) / Looks like a report, includes figures that are easy –to-read. / Looks like a fact sheet, well-conceived. Polished, nice visual balance between text & figures.
Writing (15%) / There is a combination of missing or inconsistently formatted references & poor writing / There are many writing mistakes that distract from central message or sources are not credited. / Writing is clear & organized, but sources are not credited in a consistent manner, or sources are credited, but writing lacks professionalism. / Writing is clear, organized, & professional (e.g. considers audience, but is not informal). A consistently formatted bibliography is included (use any style).
6) Meeting class draft deadline / You will lose 20% of your final fact sheet score if you do not bring a draft for peer review on Friday November, 21st.

To achieve these goals:

1)Your team will have classroom time to brainstorm

Your team is required to iterate with COSI’s Courtney Price (), Leonard Sparks () You may consult with COSI or Dr. Fortner beyond the requirements if it is helpful to you as you develop a module.

2)You will undergo a prototype review at Wittenberg. COSI is going to bring additional reviewers & Marta Wojcik from the Solar House will also offer feedback.

3)Your fact sheet will be peer reviewed before final submission.

Timeline:

1)Establish groups, brainstorm potential module topics (Friday, Oct 17th)

2)Finalize module topic & brainstorm potential modules and interactions (Monday, October 27th)

3)Provide preliminary details on your module/or modules you are considering to COSI Experts (by Monday, November 3rd)(evidence of iteration = 10% of your module grade)

*Note that I need evidence of this interaction; it can be an email exchange, or an email setting up a phone conference. Courtney will be out of the office between Oct 28th & 31st, so make sure that you email Leonard if you want answers during that window. I suggest emailing both experts.

4)Revise your module. Incorporate feedback from COSI Experts; Consult with Dr. Fortner; groups can use time to create prototypes of their modules (Wednesday, November 5th)

5)Bring your prototype module for feedback from COSI/MartaWojcik (Friday, November 7th)

6)Upload draft 1 of your fact sheet (Friday, November 21st); we will review these in class, so also bring a copy to class.

7)Final Modules Due: We will present these in class on December 1st & 3rd. Each group has 15 minutes. (Monday, December 1st)

8)Final Fact Sheet Due (Friday, December 12th)

Tips:

1)Follow rubrics

2)Consult with experts & follow deadlines

3)Be creative*

*Dr. Fortner is open to suggestions that depart from the provided rubric if you believe they deliver a better product to COSI and meet our class learning goals.