Homework 2: Create a Presentation on a Controversial Issue:

Activities: This homework consists of TWO activities.

1. Create a presentation on a controversial, course-related topic that you would like to explore (9 points) and upload it in the discussion board titled "Presentations" by Wednesday, Sept 25th, 11:59 p.m. Read the Guidelines for Discussions under Course Information.

2. Look at the presentations of at least TWO of your classmates about a different topic than yours and post an answer to their questions by Friday, Sept. 27th , 11:59 p.m.

Choose the topic: Below is a list of possible topics.

What are the environmental effects of cryptocurrency? How does it compare to paper money?

What are the environmental effects of electric vehicles? How do they compare to traditional vehicles?

What are the environmental effects of organic farming? How does it compare to traditional farming?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar power?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of wind farms?

Should we use nuclear energy to replace fossil fuels?

Is ecotourism a sustainable practice?

What are the environmental effects of big shopping malls (like the Mall of America)?

What are the environmental effects of fast fashion?

Find good sources: you must use at least TWO reliable sources, which you must cite at the end of your presentation.

Decide what you want your reader to learn: Make sure that your presentation contains a good amount of high-quality, in-depth information. I don't want to read a lot of "BS" or a political diatribe. Make sure that the reader learns something by going through your presentation. And remember: This is a science class.

Compose the presentation:You can use Power Point or Word to make the presentation (avoid Prezi, which makes me dizzy).Your presentation must be completely written in your own words (do not copy and paste from another source), and it must have at least 11 slides, including

- One slide containing the title and your name.

- At least 8 content slides full of meaningful information, where you will

o present the topic

o offer some scientific background: clearly explain the science and the facts behind your topic.

o If there are different sides on this issue, describe the different positions on the controversy.

- One slide where you will pose a question for your classmates to answer. Make your question specific: try to avoid yes/no questions or vague questions like "is this right/wrong?". Do not use the topic of your presentation as the final question.

- A slide with your references.

What would make your presentation better?Include in your presentation specific cases. Support your claims with data and graphs. These elements should be well integrated into the presentation and not there to check a box.