Assignment:

For your final project of the semester, we want you to explore the environment and ecosystems of the planet with particular attention being paid to recent changes that result from human activity. Just based on the sheer numbers of people, humanity exerts an immense force in the environment. In addition, the expansive nature of our industry has accelerated that impact. Your task with this assignment is to research and present the impact of humanity in a specific part of the world.

Listed here are areas for environmental concern. Each has additional information to highlight possible focus for your research:

1. Availability of Ground water : aquifers, resource usage
2. Coastal Waters : flooding, erosion
3. Industrial impact : pollution, CO2
4. Water, health and diseases : spread of disease, pollutant contamination of water sources
5. Ocean Chemistry : pH changes and cause/impact
6. Urbanization : population, air quality, resource usage, land usage
7. Changing weather patterns : global climate, large weather events
8. Agricultural practices : runoff, land use, resources use, habitat destruction
9. Invasive Species : management
10. Waste Management : contamination of water, antibiotics and hormone meds, water recycling
11. Ocean biodiversity : reef habitats, garbage, levels of ocean with CO2

After choosing one of the above topics, you and a partner will conduct your research, looking specifically for the following concentrations:

• A description of the environment without human impact, and how we know
• The scope of human impact, providing two different examples
• Each example detailed with source or cause of impact and consequences that follow
• Plans/efforts underway intending for remediation.
• Your potential solutions

Your presentation will be submitted as a video. The video will be captured in front of the green screen. Your presentation script will be visible to you during the session using a teleprompter. You will be able to view the background visuals you choose to complement your oral presentation during the session. The duration of your presentation should be about 4-5 minutes.

This is a research project. Anything that you read to gather pertinent information for your presentation must be listed in a bibliography (submitted separately, APA format please). Citations must be made orally in your presentation.

Video in this series was taken by the Instructional Technology and Media Center (ITMC).