Hot TopicsHot Topics in Global Warming in Global Warming

An Information Literacy and An Information Literacy and Science Writing ProjectScience Writing Project

Elizabeth A. Johnson and Gerald L. GillElizabeth A. Johnson and Gerald L. GillJames Madison UniversityJames Madison University

johns2ea@jmu.edujohns2ea@jmu.edu

Why a course project?Why a course project?

• GGEOL115: Earth Systems & Climate Change

• Help students achieve two General Education objectives:– Find, evaluate, and use scientific resources.

– Communicate information [about climate science] correctly and in an understandable, interesting way.

Why a course project?Why a course project?

• Allow students to develop their own interests in climate change

• Textbooks can’t keep up with new results

Project GoalProject Goal• Turn this…

Project GoalProject Goal• …Into a newsletter or blog article

(audience = general public or JMU students)

Project TimelineProject Timeline• Project instructions and librarian visit to

class (Jan 31)• Part 1: Find a scientific research article

using IPCC report (Feb 28)• Part 2: Peers edit and comment on article

draft in class (April 8)• Part 3: Final article due / present to group

in class (April 22)• Post to a Wiki

Intergovernmental Panel on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)Climate Change (IPCC)

• 2007: Fourth Assessment Report

• Working Group II: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability

• http://www.ipcc-wg2.org/

Part 1: Pick an interesting topic and Part 1: Pick an interesting topic and find a citationfind a citation

Part 1: Locate and read the peer-Part 1: Locate and read the peer-reviewed journal articlereviewed journal article

• Complete citation

• Describe data collection or model construction methods

• Why choose this paper?

• Discourage procrastination

• Encourage thoughtful choices

Part 2: Edit draft in classPart 2: Edit draft in class

• Two other students read and make suggestions based on grading rubric

• Divide class into full draft, incomplete draft, outline only

• Peers don’t actually grade paper

• Discourage procrastination

• Improve writing

Part 3: Newsletter articlePart 3: Newsletter article

• Provide style examples from Geotimes

• Length guidelines

• Present findings informally in a group in class

Post to a Wiki….Post to a Wiki….• Wetpaint http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/• PB wiki http://www.pbwiki.com/

Potential Hang-upsPotential Hang-ups• Pick “unreadable” paper in Part 1

– Review article– Look up more than one citation?!?

• Difficulty using library resources• “Quoting parts of scientific paper to avoid

interpretation”• Peer review effective and helpful?• Writing in a newsletter style difficult even with

examples provided• Do not ask for help

AdaptationsAdaptations• Different course = different primary

resource– i.e. Geology instead of IPCC

• Peer editing on Wiki before final article due– 100+ students online?

• Focus on writing- you choose a set of articles for students