CZO Course-Long Project
In Unit 1.1, the instructor will meet individually with each student to begin to explore potential semester project topics of interest to the student and acceptable to the instructor. The instructor will highlight that the project must be linked to at least one of the course-level goals as well as address an issue(s) relating to sustainability of Critical Zone resources, environmental (CZ) stability, and/or human quality of life, health and safety. The semester project will develop over the following schedule:
a) clearance of a final topic with the instructor by the end of week 3;
b) a 2-page outline due by the end of week 6;
c) a 2 slides/2 minutes update presentation in week 12; and,
d) a 10-15 minute presentation, and a 10-pages, double-spaced, properly-referenced report of the topic in class during week 15.
Students will have had the whole course to build their understanding of Critical Zone Science and develop more specific interests, both geographically and in terms of CZ methods. This report will serve as a grand summary of what they have learned and how it is important to them individually. In short, the assignment is:
· Select a general, critical-zone related topic that you would like to investigate. This topic should be in the form of a question
· If appropriate for your topic, Describe and characterize how interaction among the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and soil (The Critical Zone) support and influence life
· A 10-15 minute presentation, and a 10-pages, double-spaced, properly-referenced report of the student-identified, and instructor approved, topic that addresses one of the grand challenges in geosciences and the role the Critical Zone plays.
The course-level goals are, by the end of the course, students will be able to:
· Identify Grand Challenges that face humanity and societies and the potential role of Critical Zone science to offer solutions for these challenges.
· Use and interpret multiple lines of data to explain Critical Zone processes.
· Evaluate how the structure of the Critical Zone influences Critical Zone processes/services.
· Analyze how water, carbon, nutrients and energy flow through the Critical Zone and drive Critical Zone processes.
· Identify ways in which humans depend upon and alter processes within the Critical Zone and explain how anthropogenic actions can minimize the magnitude of changes within and to Critical Zone processes.