Degradation and Development in
Tropical Forests
Tutorial - Fall 2003
J. Montgomery Roper (Monty)
(roperjm@grinnell.edu)
Goodnow Rm 204
x3017 |
| Overview
of Assignments
and Assignment Support
|
Assignments
By Date
September:
2, 4, 9,
11, 16, 18,
23, 25, 30
October: 2,
7, 9, 14,
16, 28, 30
November: 4,
6, 11, 13,
18, 20, 25,
December: 2, 4,
9, 11
Final
Exam Slot = Dec 16, 2:00 pm
|
Overview
of Assignments
Presentations and Discussion Leading
One of the skills that the tutorial
is intended to help develop is oral communication and presentation. In this course, we will take several opportunities
to work on this. In addition
to the daily discussions that will take place (graded separately under
class participation) we will have at least a couple of more formal activities. For example, groups of students will be given
responsibility for leading discussion on some days. On some days, individuals will be asked to present
the status of their research to the class. In addition, everyone will present their final
research in a public poster presentation.
These posters will also be made available on the course webpage, which is accessible to a much broader public. Other activities may be developed as time permits.
Reading & Writing Journal
Everyone is required to keep an electronic journal
using the journal template
that I provide. This will be
used to summarize the readings and prepare questions for class discussion.
At the least, this will involve identifying the main argument,
five key points of the reading, and three questions or comments that
you have as the reader (the "basic summary"). For some days, I will ask that you prepare a
more formal written summary, compare two or more of the readings, or
do some other brief writing assignment.
The purpose of the journal is to practice and refine both your
reading and writing skills and learn habits that will help in other
courses. The journal will be turned in electronically
and is due by noon each day
before classes in which we will discuss the relevant readings.
Support for this assignment
Annotated Bibliography
Everyone will build an annotated bibliography for their
research paper over the semester. This
will be turned in with each research paper section. We will focus on building a draft bibliography
– which will identify books, journal articles, web-based articles,
and websites – in the second week of the semester. This will be revised and added to over the course
of the semester. The first draft of the bibliography will be due with
the first section of the research paper.
At least five of the identified resources must be annotated (this
means that you take notes on them) for this first draft. This must include a mix of books, academic journal
articles and websites. The bibliography
must be turned in with each subsequent section of research paper, each
time with five new resources annotated.
Annotation entries should be dated so that I can distinguish
which ones are new, and assess improvement over the semester. The final bibliography will thus include at
least 25 annotated entries.
Support for this assignment:
Research Paper
The focus of this course is to write a single research
paper concerning tropical forest degradation and development. Each student will choose a particular country
or region of the world for their focus by the end of the second week
of the semester. We will develop
the research paper in a series of independent sections, each of which
will address a particular aspect of the broader paper.
At the end of the semester, these 5 sections will be added together. Each student will work on transitions between
the sections and will develop an introduction and conclusion that supports
a theses related to a solution for forest degradation and/or deforestation. I will review the first section of the paper
by myself and return it with comments.
This paper will not be graded, but should provide everyone with
a clearer understanding of the expectations.
For each of the four subsequent sections of the research paper,
we will spend a full week of class time revising and editing the papers
by working in small groups. In
addition to providing time for thoughtful rewriting, this will also
help everyone to develop critical reading and editing skills as well
as to think about what constitutes a clear and well written paper.
Paper sections will be graded on the basis of the quality of
the first draft, the editing work, and the quality of the 2nd
draft.
The basic question of your research paper
is: How should the problem of deforestation and tropical forest degradation
be addressed in your focus country or region?
Sections of the paper will be two to three
pages in length and will include:
- What
is current state of the tropical forests in your country/region and
how have these changed over time? (Baseline data – setting up
the issue).
- What
are the consequences of tropical forest loss and degradation globally
and locally? (So what, why
should we care)?
- What
are the causes of deforestation and forest degradation in your country/region?
(Ok, so how did this happen)?
- Who
are the stakeholders involved in the causes and consequences of tropical
forest degradation and deforestation and how do they relate to one
another? (Who needs to be taken
into account in coming up with solutions?)
- What
efforts have been made and are currently being made to address deforestation
in your country/region, and what do you think would be the most appropriate
solution (or at least one effective solution)?
More detailed instructions for each paper section can be found
on the paper instructions page.
Support for this assignment:
-
- Grinnell College's Writing Lab is available to review
drafts of papers by appointment. This is an excellent resource available
on campus. They are located in ARH 132. To make an appointment,sign
up on posted schedule sheets, call the lab at 269-3117, or send an e-mail
(writing@grinnell.edu).
Their website
also has a good deal of information on the lab resources available,
as well as writing and citation suggestions.
- Library
Workshop: the materials covered in the library workshop
are located here.
- Everyone should follow the following instructions for the first group
editing meetings. Editing Instructions.
Comments on paper drafts. There are often general issues
or problems that I experience in a number of papers. I have provided a
list and detailed description of these at the blackboard
site under course documents. Please read these over and be sure to
take note of them in future papers.
View poster presentations
of the final papers!
Assignments
By Date
(the assignment should be completed for the date by which it is entered)
| Sept 2 |
Read the information about citations. Read the article on
deforestation in the tropics. Provide a basic summary (main point,
5 key points, 3 questions) of the deforestation reading, |
| Sept 4 |
1. Read the introduction to your book "Tropical Rainforests."
Complete the academic honesty take-home exercise using the two
paragraphs that appear on either side of Map (or the paragraphs
that begin "The American tropics..." and "Humans
have cleared...".. This is your writing assignment for today.
Enter the assignment in your writing journal.
2. Choose a focus country for your research. Identify all of
the books available on campus that have information related to
the tropical forests of this country (either concerning the forests,
development in the forests, or the people that live there). Come
to class prepared to discuss any questions that you have, or problems
you are experiencing regarding the search. You do not need to
make a formal bibliography for today, but should have a list of
the books that you have identified. |
| Sept 9 |
1. Paper 1 Due. See paper instructions.
2. Bibliography due with 20-30 sources (this is about 3 pages).
5 of the identified sources must be annotated. Your annotation
should be at least 1-2 paragraphs. This must include a mix of
books, journal articles, and websites. (For more information and
resources on creating an annotated bibliography see bibliography
instructions above.)
3. Read chapters 1-3 of your book "Tropical Rainforests:
Latin American Nature and Society in Transition." You do
not need to make a journal entry on these, but be prepared to
discuss the articles in class. Questions to consider:
- What are the different views of the author's concerning the
forest?
- How might these views affect the way that the people holding
them would approach the forest?
- Are some of these views more likely to lead to deforestation?
|
| Sept 11 |
1. Read chapters 4-6 of your book "Tropical
Rainforests". Provide a basic summary
for two of these articles. Questions to consider for class discussion:
- What are the different views of the author's concerning the
forest?
- How might these views affect the way that the people holding
them would approach the forest?
- Are some of these views more likely to lead to deforestation?
|
| Sept16 |
1. Read Chapters 13, 14, & 15 in your book
"Tropical Rainforests." In your writing journal, provide
an abstract of no more than 200 words for the chapter that was assigned
to you in class. Here are some suggestions on
writing an abstract. |
| Sept 18 |
1. Read Chapters 16 and 17 in your book "Tropical Rainforests."
There is no journal assignment due.
2. Work on the Revision of paper 1 (due 9/25) and 1st draft of
paper 2 (due 9/22). See paper
instructions. |
| Sept 23, 25 |
1. Group editing of first draft of paper 2. Please follow the
instructions provided.
2. Revision of paper 1 due 9/25. |
| Sept 30 |
1. Read the Introduction to section II,
and chapters 7 (Fraginals) and 8 (Howard) from your textbook.
Write a 150 word abstract of chapter 8. Please look over the suggestions
on writing an abstract before doing so.
2. The rewrite of the 2nd paper is due on WED, OCT 1 by noon.
Please send this by e-mail.
3. Begin researching the causes of deforestation in the country
and region you have selected. You should also continue to build
your annotated bibliography - 5 more annotations will be due with
the next paper. |
| Oct 2 |
1. Read chapters 9 and 10 in your textbook. Provide a basic
summary for each chapter.
2. Remember: The rewrite of the 2nd paper is due on WED, OCT
1 by noon. Please send this by e-mail. |
| Oct 7 |
See Oct 2 |
| Oct 9 |
1. Write an abstract for article 11
in your textbook. Read article 12 for discussion.
2. Remember that paper 3 is Due by noon on Monday, October 13.
See directions. |
| Oct 14, 16 |
Group editing work. Please follow the instructions
provided.
Tuesday
8:00 am: Kelly, Mike, Liza
8:55 am: Andrea, Emre, Michele
Thursday
8:00 am: Annie, Georgi, Alicia
8:55 am: Emma, Trymore, Bryan |
| Oct 21, 23 |
Fall Break! Have Fun |
| Oct 28 |
1. 2nd Draft of Paper 3 on causes of deforestation is due
at Noon on Monday, Oct 27.
2. Assignment of discussion leaders for Amazon Journal.
3. Film. They Kayapo |
| Oct 30 |
Panel-led discussion on Amazon Journal: Mike,
Bryan, Alicia, Kelly |
|
Nov 4 |
Panel-led discussion on Amazon Journal: Michele, Emma, Georgi,
Andrea |
| Nov 6 |
Panel-led discussion on Amazon Journal: Anne, Trymore, Liza, Emre |
|
|
| Nov 11 |
Editing Group Work. Please follow instructions.
Group 1. 8:00-8:55 a.m.:
Group 2. 8:55-9:50 a.m.: |
| Nov 13 |
Due by Noon: Annotated bibliography
revision. Annotated bibliography with 10 new citations
and 5 additional annotations.
Editing Group Work. Please follow instructions.
Group 3. 8:00-8:55 a.m.:
Group 4. 8:55-9:50 a.m.: |
|
Monday,
Nov 17th, 5 pm - Draft 2 of Paper 4 Due. |
| Nov 18 |
Read articles 18, 19, and 20 in your book. |
| Nov 20 |
Read articles 21, 22, and 23 in your book. |
| Nov 25 |
Read articles 24, 25, and 26 in your book |
|
Tuesday, December 2. Draft 1 of Paper 5 due in class. |
| Dec 2 |
Read articles 24, 25, and 26 in your book. Come prepared to discuss
these and 22 and 23, which we did not get to last time.
|
| Dec 4 |
- Redo the citation exercise, fixing the noted errors. I have
placed this in campus mail to you. (Everyone is doing this.)
- Read over your returned papers and the drafts of the ones
that you have not received back and do the following:
- Make a list of "To Dos" related to preparing
the final paper. This should include such information as:
what additional information/data you need to find; where
you need to strengthen your argument; what restructuring
needs to be done. This should be in response both to the
comments that I made on your papers, as well as to changes
in ideas that you have had over the semester, or additional
information that you have come across. You should note down
anything substantial (besides basic grammar or awkward sentences).
- Outline your final paper. Everyone's paper should have
the same basic structure: I. Introduction, II. Forests and
deforestation, III. Actors/Players, IV. Consequences, V.
Causes, VI. Solutions, VII. Conclusion (you may name these
as you like). What you need to do is fill out the categories
of information and the main areas of data provided under
each of these.
|
| Dec 9 |
Editing Meetings with Prof. |
| Dec 11 |
Editing Meetings with Prof. |
| Dec 16 |
2:00 pm. Final Presentations |
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