(1) Stream Morphology Laboratory
Prior to beginning work on this lab, read the Stream Morphology investigation manual. This lab enables you to construct a physical scale model of a stream system to help you understand how streams and rivers shape the landscape and how human actions can affect river ecosystems. This lab is done with materials that you will need to supply; the list of items you will need to obtain is in the Stream Morphology investigation manual.
The Process
Take the required photos and complete all parts of the lab assignment (calculations, data tables, etc.). Use the Lab Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template. Transfer any answers and visual elements from the Lab Worksheet into the Lab Report Template. You will submit the Lab Report Template through Waypoint in the classroom.
The Assignment
Make sure to complete all of the following items before submission:
· Before you begin the assignment, read the Stream Morphology investigation manual and review SCI207 – The Scientific Method (Links to an external site.) presentation video. https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/SCI207+-+THE+SCIENTIFIC+METHOD/1_5325onvq
· Complete all activities using the materials that you supply. Photograph each activity following these instructions:
o When taking lab photos, you need to include in each image a strip of paper with your name and the date clearly written on it.
· Use the Lab Worksheet as a resource to complete the Lab Report Template.
· Must use at least two credible sources outside of the textbook and lab manual.
· Submit your completed “Lab Report” via Waypoint.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
(2) Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 1 and 2 in the course textbook. The purpose of this assignment is twofold: first, to enable you to explore a term (concept, technique, place, etc.) related to this week’s theme of sustaining Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystems; second, to provide your first contribution to a collective project, the Class Sustainable Living Guide. Your work this week, and in the weeks that follow, will be gathered (along with that of your peers) into a master document that you will receive a few days after the end of the course. The document will provide everyone with a variety of ideas for how we can all live more sustainably in our homes and communities.
To complete this assignment,
· Select a term from the list of choices in the Week 1 – Term Selection Table located in the course. Type your name in the table, next to the word that you would like to choose. (MY TERM IS – ANTHROPOCENE –
o Do not select a term that a classmate has already chosen; only one student per term. If you choose a term that is hyperlinked to a source, that term is one that is not mentioned in our textbook. Instead of being required to use the text as your third source for completing the assignment, you will be expected to use the hyperlinked source provided for you.
· Download the Week 1 Assignment Template available in the course and replace the guiding text with your own words based upon your online research.
o Please do not include a cover page. All references, however, should be cited in your work and listed at the end, following APA Style expectations.
In the template, you will
· Define the term thoroughly, in your own words.
· Explain the importance of the term using evidence.
· Discuss how the term affects living things and the physical world.
· Suggest two specific actions that can be taken to promote environmental sustainability in relation to the term.
· Explain exactly how those actions will aid in safeguarding our environment in relation to your chosen term.
· Provide detailed examples to support your ideas.
The Sustaining Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems paper
· Must be a minimum of three paragraphs in length (not including title, any quoted text, or references) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.)
· Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.) resource for additional guidance.
· Must use at least two scholarly sources in addition to the course text. To aid you in your research, and particularly in locating scholarly sources via the Ashford University Library or using Google Scholar, please review the following Ashford videos and tutorials:
o Scholarly and Popular Resources (Links to an external site.)
o (Links to an external site.)Database Search Tips (Links to an external site.)
o (Links to an external site.)Research, Keywords, Databases: An Overview (Links to an external site.)
o Accessing Full text and citation in Google Scholar: SCI207 – Google Scholar (Links to an external site.)
· Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)
· Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.
(3) Week 1: Ecological Footprint Update and Course Reflection
Prior to beginning work on this journal, read Chapters 1 and 2 in your course textbook.
Welcome to SCI207! Throughout this course, you will be asked to keep a journal about your experience in the class. The purpose of this activity is to enable you to reflect on your learning: what new things you have discovered, what surprises you have encountered, what topics or ideas you have found particularly challenging, and how the course is going for you. During the five weeks in which you are participating in the Environmental Footprint Reduction Project, in Week 2 through Week 4 you will also use this journal as a space for a progress report on your efforts. Your entries will be evaluated in terms of how well they met the topic and length requirements, and your writing clarity. Your entries should be a minimum of one typed page each (double-spaced, Times New Roman, and 12-point font) and will be submitted through Waypoint.
Complete the following:
· In the first paragraph or two of your first journal entry, please reflect on your previous experiences, if any, with environmental science and environmental issues. What new things do you hope to learn in this course? What concerns or fears do you have about this class? What strategies to you plan to put in place to address them?
· In another one or two paragraphs, share your thoughts about the first week of class. What did you learn? What experiences stand out for you? What tasks or content did you find difficult or frustrating? What activities did you find surprising or exciting? Looking ahead, what are your intrigued or concerned by in the second week of the course?
· Finally, make a list of at least five lifestyle changes you plan to commit to making for your course-long Ecological Footprint Reduction Project. Once you have recorded them in your journal, you should begin taking those steps and keeping a weekly journal record of your efforts. You will report on the results in a class discussion in Week 5.
Required Resources
Text
Bensel, T., & Carbone, I. (2020). Sustaining our planet. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
· Chapter 1: Understanding Environmental Science and Sustainability
· Chapter 2: Understanding Ecology and Biodiversity
Multimedia
Ashford University. (2018). SCI207 – The scientific method (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from https://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/SCI207+-+THE+SCIENTIFIC+METHOD/1_5325onvq
· This video provides information on the scientific method that will assist you in completing your Stream Morphology laboratory activity this week. This video has closed captioning.
Moovly. (2015, January 8). The ecological footprint explained (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/fACkb2u1ULY
· This video provides information about what ecological footprints are and why they are measured, and will assist you in your Ecological Footprints discussion forum this week. This video has closed captioning and a transcript. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
National Public Radio. (2010, August 28). “˜The sound of a snail’: A patient’s greatest comfort (Links to an external site.) [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=129475625
· This recorded interview provides information on how a nature experience can happen anywhere and despite overwhelming obstacles, and will assist you in completing your Nature Experience Project you will begin this week. The full project is due in Week 5. This podcast has a transcript. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Web Pages
Global Footprint Network. (n.d.). What is your ecological footprint? (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from http://www.footprintcalculator.org/
· This web page provides an interactive calculator for determining your resource consumption and is necessary for completing your Ecological Footprints discussion forum this week. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Carbon footprint calculator (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/
· This web page provides an interactive calculator for determining your greenhouse gas emissions and is necessary for completing the Ecological Footprints discussion forum this week. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Website
Water footprint calculator (Links to an external site.). (https://www.watercalculator.org)
· This website provides an interactive calculator for determining your water consumption and is necessary for completing your Ecological Footprints discussion forum this week. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Supplemental Material
Carolina Distance Learning. (n.d.). Stream morphology [Investigation manual]. Retrieved from https://ashford.instructure.com
· The Stream Morphology investigation manual is available in the online classroom. This lab manual provides background information on stream morphology and will assist you in your Stream Morphology Laboratory assignment.
Laboratory Supplies
Carolina Biological Supply Lab Kit
· This lab kit provides lab supplies and materials for the hands-on labs that you will conduct for this course. Although the lab kit provides most of the lab supplies for the labs, there will be materials that you need to purchase independently for a few labs. For instance, you will be expected to supply all materials for the Week 1 Lab. Be sure to prepare a list of what you will need to purchase independently by viewing the lab investigation manuals and lab kits in advance. To see a checklist of the additional lab supplies that you will need each week for this course, access the Additional Lab Supplies Checklist.
Recommended Resources
Article
Carrington, D. (2018, March 12). What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us? (Links to an external site.) The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/12/what-is-biodiversity-and-why-does-it-matter-to-us
· This article from The Guardian provides information about our global biodiversity crisis and may assist you in completing the Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems assignment. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Multimedia
HHMI BioInteractive [biointeractive]. (2015, April 8). Humans, biodiversity, and habitat loss””HHMI BioInteractive video (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/1drkFgHbcWY
· This video provides information about biodiversity loss and how people are contributing to it, and may assist you in completing your Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems assignment. This video has closed captioning and a transcript. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
TED-Ed. (2015, April 20). Why is biodiversity so important? – Kim Preshoff (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/GK_vRtHJZu4
· This video provides information about biodiversity and why it is important, and may assist you in completing your Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems assignment. This video has closed captioning and a transcript. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.) Privacy Policy (Links to an external site.)
Web Page
GreenFacts. (n.d.). Biodiversity & human well-being (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from https://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/l-3/1-define-biodiversity.htm
· This web page provides detailed information about global biodiversity issues and may assist you in completing the Sustainable Living Guide Contributions: Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystems Assignment. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy

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