ACC 275 All Assignments

Week 1

CheckPoint: Local Environmental Issue

Many environmental problems, such as depletion of natural resources, air pollution, and overpopulation, exist throughout the world. The root of most of these global problems stems from the local environment and decisions made at local levels that are based on lifestyles choices such as those regarding food, transportation, and housing.

Due Date: Day 5 [post to the Individual forum]

Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following: Discuss an environmental problem that you feel is significant in your town or city. What are some causes? Are any of these causes related to human values and environmental ethics? Explain.

Week 2

Assignment: Risk Assessment

You are a member of the Genericville City Council. A proposal has been brought forth to use the insecticide spray, Malathion. Currently, the council is split on its decision, and your vote will determine whether Malathion can be used in the city.

Resources: Appendix B and Ch. 4 (p. 73) Figure 4.1 of Visualizing Environmental Science

Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

Read Risk Assessment of Malathion in Appendix B.

Create an outline of the risk of using Malathion according to the four steps of risk assessment presented in Ch. 4, p. 73, Figure 4.1:

Hazard identification

Dose-response

Exposure

Risk characterization

Decide your vote for the city council based on your outline.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper that presents your evaluation of the risk of Malathion based on your outline. Explain the reasoning for your vote based on the four steps of risk assessment. Consider any relevant political, social, and economic aspects involved.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Post your paper as an attachment.

CheckPoint: Conservation and Preservation

Both conservation and preservation activities are currently part of all national forest management programs. The Bridger Teton video discusses one controversy between those who want to harvest the resources of one section of the forest in an environmentally friendly way (conservation) and others who believe it should be left in its original state (preservation).

Resource: Ch. 2 Bridger Teton Video Learning Resource (VLR)

Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

View the Ch. 2 Bridger Teton VLR located under the Week Two Materials section of your aXcess page.

Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following: Provide a brief summary differentiating conservation and preservation. Do you believe that humans can harvest forest resources in an environmentally friendly way? Or, should national forests be left in their natural state in which resources are not used to benefit humans? To which side are you inclined? Provide specific examples from the Bridger Teton video as you defend your position.

Week 3

CheckPoint: Succession and Natural Selection

Resources: Ch. 6 of Visualizing Environmental Science and Ch. 6 Succession animation

Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

View the Ch. 6 Succession animation located under the Week Three Materials section of your aXcess page.

Post a total of 200 to 300 words in response to the following items:

View the succession of the ecosystem in the Succession animation. Is it primary or secondary succession? Explain your answer.

Respond to question 9 under the Critical and Creative Thinking Questions on p. 153 of the text. Review Ch. 6 (pp. 144-145) on natural selection to help you with your response. If you need additional help with your hypothesis, refer to the following article to see an explanation of how evolution could have occurred in a population of

Week 4

Assignment: Urbanization

Resources: Ch. 7 of Visualizing Environmental Science and the Dubai Web site

Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

Week 5

CheckPoint: Atmospheric Issues

Resources: Ch. 8 & 9 of Visualizing Environmental Science and Appendix D

Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

Review Ch. 8 & 9 of the text.

Complete the Air Pollution Chart in Appendix D and respond to the questions provided at the bottom of Appendix D.

Post as an attachment.

Review Ch. 7 which discusses the benefits and challenges of urbanization and how the U.N. Conference gave awards for urban development projects that improved human settlements.

Read summaries of the 1996 Winners of the Dubai awards on their Web site at http://dubai-award.dm.gov.ae/winner96.htm

Create a 7- to 10-slide PowerPoint presentation that describes environmental benefits and challenges of urbanization. In your own words, include descriptions of two 1996 award winners, discussing how they overcame one of the challenges mentioned in your presentation.

Include detailed speaker notes.

Include APA guidelines for any citations and references used.

CheckPoint: Population Size

Resource: Ch. 7 Alien Invasion VLR

Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

View the Ch. 7 Alien Invasion VLR located under the Week Four Materials section of your aXcess page.

Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following: Explain the four factors that produce changes in population size. Which factors are affecting the population size in the video? What do you predict will happen to the nutria population after all the land is depleted of the nutrias food resource?

Week 6

CheckPoint: Water Resource Challenges

Resource: Appendix E

Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

Complete the Water Resource Challenges table in Appendix E by briefly identifying three fresh and three ocean water resource issues. Then, respond to the questions provided at the bottom of Appendix E.

Assignment: Water Resource Plan

For this assignment, you can choose to conduct either Part A or Part B.

Part A

Resources: Ch. 10 of Visualizing Environmental Science , Declining Fish Stock VLR, and

Appendix F

Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

View the Declining Fish Stock VLR located under the Week Six Materials section of your

aXcess page.

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in APA format that includes the following:

A brief description of the water resource problem in the video and how it originated.

A management and sustainment plan that you think will benefit both sides of the issue.

How your plan will be viewed, both negatively and positively, by the environmentalists and the fishermen.

Other problems, besides declining fish stock, that result from fishermens techniques for catching fish.

How your plan affects the community. Consider issues relating to jobs, resources, and lifestyles. Explain your answers.

Use Appendix F as a guide when developing your sustainment plan.

Include a minimum of two outside references.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Post your paper as an attachment.

Part B

Resources: Ch.11 (p. 275) Figure 11.12 of Visualizing Environmental Science and

Appendix F

Due Date: Day 7 [Individual forum]

Review Ch. 11, p. 275, Figure 11.12 and choose one of the ocean water resource issues pictured. Or, choose a freshwater resource issue from the following list:

Flooding

Aquifer Depletion

Overdrawing surface water

Saltwater intrusion and salinization

Water Pollution

Eutrophication

Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in APA format that includes the following:

A brief description of your selected water resource issue and how it originated.

A management and sustainment plan that you think will alleviate the problem.

Any opposing views of the issue.

Other water or land resource problems that might result from your issue; for example, nonpoint source pollution contributes to eutrophication in freshwater resources or the destruction of coastal estuaries impacts marine life and ocean resources. Explain your answers.

Any challenges, limitations, or implications of your plan.

How your plan affects the community. Consider issues relating to jobs, resources, and lifestyles. Explain your answers.

Use Appendix F as a guide when developing your sustainment plan. Include a minimum of two outside references.

Format your paper according to APA guidelines.

Week 7

CheckPoint: Terrestrial Resource Plan

Resources: Ch. 12-16 of Visualizing Environmental Science and Appendix F

Due Date: Day 5 [Individual forum]

Choose a terrestrial resource issue discussed in Ch. 12-16 of the text.

Post a 5- to 7-slide PowerPoint presentation according to the following:

A brief description of the terrestrial resource issue

A management and sustainment plan for the terrestrial resource

Challenges or implications of your management and sustainment plan Use Appendix F as a guide when developing your sustainment plan. Use speaker notes to provide the details of your plan.

Include APA guidelines for any citations and references used.

Post as an attachment.