4_ES_CaseStudAssignEB

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Chapter Case Studies / Focus Readings

This is not a "hub page". There are no links to the Case Studies / Focus Readings Assignment.
All Case Studies (Environmental Biology) and the Focus Readings (General Biology) are in the textbook, and the Assignment is a discussion on Blackboard.

It is the students' responsibility to read these instructions -- CAREFULLY.

The Case Study / Focus Readings discussion assignment for the online and hybrid class.

You must submit two (2) Case Studies (Environmental Biology) / Focus Readings (General Biology) postings one in each of two bulletin boards. The Case studies are located at the beginning of each chapter in the Environmental Biology textbook, and the Focus Readings at various places in the General Biology textbook -- and at the beginning of both books is an index.

The points are EARNED as "all or nothing" (no partial points -- you either do it correctly following the instructions on this page, or don't do it at all).

For each bulletin board you must post a minimum of 2 postings -- one posting must be your original ORIGINAL (composed) selection posting (NOT A REPLY), and one posting must be a REPLY to another students posting (it can be a reply to another students posting about a different case study or the same case study as you selected). You can make as many replies as you wish, but ONLY ONE ORIGINAL MESSAGE. (These postings also count towards your Class Discussion / Reflection grade, so some students may wish to do more than one reply...)

The ORIGINAL posting must --

-- be minimum 150 words (about the case study).
-- be spell-checked with a computer spell checker.
-- include BOTH a short summary (paraphrased text from the textbook case study) AND your reaction (your own worded opinion) to the case study.
-- include the title, chapter number and textbook edition. (The subject and the title must be the same as the title in your textbook. You MUST include the textbook chapter number and the textbook edition -- since we now have two editions for the class, e.g., Case Study: Stabilizing Our Climate. Chapter 9. Ed. 4.)

The REPLY posting must --

-- be minimum 50 words (about the case study).
-- be spell-checked with a computer spell checker.
-- have the same subject as the message you reply to

Possible deductions:

Note 1: The lowest grade you can EARN is 40. Even if you submitted "junk" you still submitted something some students didn't.
But the instructions are easy and the deductions are few. Only ONE deduction (except for plagiarism) will EARN you the minimum grade.
NO EXCEPTIONS. PAY ATTENTION!

Note 2: The original deductions posted at the beginning of the semester was - 60 (minus 60). This has been modified to -40 for selected deductions if there is only ONE (1) deduction.
If more than two deductions the original -60 applies.
NO EXCEPTIONS. PAY ATTENTION!

Note 3: If you REPEAT the same (one or all) mistakes on Case Study 2 it will EARN a ZERO (0) on that case study.
NO EXCEPTIONS. PAY ATTENTION!

-- Case Study / focus reading not selected (sometime students don't understand what is the case studies in the textbook) -- 60 percent deduction.

-- Original case study / focus reading posting not minimum 150 words -- 60 percent deduction (40 if only one deduction).

-- Reply posting not minimum 50 words -- 60 percent deduction (40 if only one deduction).

-- Postings not spell checked with a computer spell checker (computers catch everything -- ONE misspelling or typo will EARN you a ZERO, because it means you IGNORED this instruction) -- 60 percent deduction (40 if only one deduction).

-- Posting plagiarized -- copying the textbook, copying text on the Internet, or by copying other student's work -- 100 percent deduction. (Also see the plagiarism warning below.)

-- Original case study / focus reading posting without title, chapter number and textbook edition (not in the subject, nor in the paragraph) -- 60 percent deduction (40 if only one deduction).

Grading Note 1: Misspelled messages, original messages shorter than 150 (149 words or less) words, and replies shorter than 50 words (49 words or less) -- discovered by the instructor -- will at some point be removed from the bulletin board. Do not reply to such a message, because of the nature of Blackboard, your reply will (must) also be removed -- and you must repost for points. Therefore, to be on the safe side, DO NOT REPLY TO short messages and misspelled messages. (The instructor will not have time to scrutinize all messages, but if I suspect a message is too short I will use the computer word counter, and if you write like a 3rd grader your message will stand out and cannot be missed.)

Grading Note 2: You can ONLY POST ONE ORIGINAL MESSAGE. However, you may REPOST if you note that you misspelled a word or made the message too short. THE LAST POSTING COUNT FOR YOUR GRADE! The instructor will at REMOVE, all duplicate messages and only allow the LAST posted message (you better make sure your last message is the correct message). As per the grading note 1 above, don't reply to other students' incorrect duplicate messages (you know how to spot spelling errors, and you know how to count to 150, right?). Good Advice: TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, DON'T REPLY TO PEOPLE WHO CANNOT POST CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME.

Perhaps you should look at this assignment as a small group project -- you all will help each other out and make sure all students spell check their messages and post according to instructions!

PLAGIARISM WARNING:

Copying other students' work in any bulletin board and presenting it as if the students own work is plagiarism (CHEATING). Plagiarism will result in a zero on this assignment, but ALSO in the Class Discussion assignment, and depending on severity may result in an F as the course grade.

Copying text from the textbook and from the Internet, and presenting it as if the students own work (short quotes are allowed, if marked as quotes, and the source is given), will also result in a zero on this assignment, and on the Class Discussion assignment, but will be treated milder as far as the course grade, because some students don't -- unfortunately, from previous lack of education about how to present material published by other people -- understand what plagiarism is. It should, however, be very clear, to anyone, that copying other student's work and presenting it as your work is CHEATING.

Dr. Nilsson

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Copyright 2007, 2008, 2009 Jan A. Nilsson. Web page layout and design © and intellectual property Jan A. Nilsson. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. Page created 28.VIII.2007, last updated 29.V.2009, most likely during the wee hours of the morning on a G3 PowerBook owned by Jan A. Nilsson.