Unit 8Project Report
Your project assignment for Unit 8 is to write a short paper on a decision you have made, planning on making, or just one you make up. Your paper must have all the elements listed on the rubric below, including a decision matrix, which we will have practiced several times in class. It is important that you do a good job on this and turn it in on time because your Unit 8 test will be very similar to this assignment.
The due date for this report is Monday May the 11th. The report will be graded on the elements listed below. On the back is an example of what I expect.
Exceeds Expectations = 4 / Meets Expectations= 3 / Satisfactory
= 2 / Unsatisfactory
= 1 / No evidence = 0
Title
Introduction
State the purpose of this project, including the product you want to purchase and why (e.g. gaming system because the old one is obsolete). / Provides additional background information as to why the purchase is necessary, which may include economic reasons. / States the purpose of this decision-making process and a brief explanation of why the purchase is necessary. / States the decision to be made and why. / States only what decision is to be made.
Criteria
Explain the criteria you used to make your decision (e.g. wireless service coverage, download speed, and rate plan). / Explain more than three criteria. / Explain three criteria. / Explain
Two criteria / Explain
One criteria.
Data
Show your decision matrix that includes possible choices, criteria, data, and totals. / Decision matrix includes weighted criteria. / A simple and complete decision matrix. / Errors in totals. / Missing elements.
Conclusion
Clearly state your decision based on the evidence. / A paragraph explaining the decision made and why the alternatives are might or might not be considered. / A paragraph explaining the decision made. / One sentence conclusion. / Conclusion is contradictory to the data presented.
Readability / No noticeable spelling, grammar, and/or sentence construction errors. / One or twospelling, grammar, and/or sentence construction errors. / 3 or 4 errors. / 5 or 6 errors. / More than
6 errors.
Grading: The rubric scores will be averaged and grades will be assigned as follows: 4=100, 3=93, 2=84, 1=80
What should I plant in my first vegetable garden?
Introduction
I want a garden but I don’t have a lot of time or money to put into it. That is to say, I want it to be easy, I want instant results, and I want it to reward me all season long. So, I need to make a decision on which plant will satisfy my criteria.
Criteria
Easy to Start - I have learned that planting from seed takes planning and time. That’s a lot more work than simply buying a seedling (young plants). Seedlings are available from a plant nursery and are sold as ready to transplant in your garden. According to the nursery, tomato and pepper plants are available and would satisfy my desire for immediate gratification.
Easy to Manage - I have also learned that some plants sprawl and need something to climb on. I do not have time to train plants. Nor do I have money to buy special materials like stakes or trellis. I need an easy to grow plant that I can put in the ground and forget about for days at a time.According to my gardening book, carrots, lettuce, peppers and squash are easy to manage.
High Yield - Of course along with immediate gratification, I want continuous gratification! I have learned that some plants produceonly one crop per season. However, there are some that produce several crops each season. The best plant for my garden would please me time and time again.According to my gardening book, tomatoes, peppers and squash are high yield.
Decision Matrix
Below is a simple decision matrix I used to help me make a decision. The scoring method is as follows:0 = does not satisfy the criteria, 1 = might satisfy the criteria (depending the variety of plant selected), and 2 = absolutely does satisfy the criteria.
Easy to Start / Easy to Manage / High Yield / TotalCarrots / 0 / 2 / 0 / 2
Beans / 0 / 1 / 0 / 1
Lettuce / 0 / 2 / 0 / 2
Cucumbers / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Tomatoes / 2 / 1 / 2 / 5
Peppers / 2 / 2 / 2 / 6
Squash / 0 / 2 / 2 / 4
Conclusion
If I could grow only one vegetable, I would grow peppers. Peppers are easy to start, easy to manage, and high yielding. Peppers score a perfect“6” on my decision matrix. In fact, they are the only plants that scored a perfect “6”. Tomatoes come in a close second and would be tied with peppers depending on the variety. What I have decided to do is grow both peppers and determinate (bush) tomatoes that require limited amount of staking. Then, I’ll make salsa!
Disclaimer: It would be an oversight if I did not consider the environmental conditions where my garden is located. If my garden’s climate, soil type, and hours of sunlight does not support my decision then I have made terrible mistake.