Course Integrated Project (CIP)
Course Integrated Project (CIP): Planet Earth (3 Parts)

You will complete one integrated project in three stages (parts) during this eight-week session. This term-long project will deal with the analysis of data related to planet Earth. The project is designed to help you apply the concepts you learned in this course. Refer to the course schedule and note the due date for each stage (part).

Part 1: Vital Signs of Planet Earth (CIP1)

Activity Description

1. Go to: "NASA Global Climate Change Eyes on Earth" site located at http://climate.nasa.gov/.

2. Review the vital signs of planet Earth.

3. Select one vital sign that can be represented by a graph. (i.e., Arctic Sea Ice, Carbon Dioxide, Sea Level, Global Temperature, Land Ice, etc...). Identify this vital sign as the focus for this exercise.

4. For your selected vital sign, thoroughly respond to each question or direction:

a. When was the data last updated?

b. Who (person or organization) collected the data?

c. Is the collection entity a reliable source for data? Do you trust the data? Explain.

d. How was this data collected? Identify and explain/summarize the process with references beyond the main site. Reference correctly.

e. Describe the data. Describe the graph. Tell the "story" that the graph represents. Is there a relationship between variables (concepts, quantities) present? What units (measurements) are involved?

f. Why are scientists interested in this data?

g. Conduct informational research on the topic. Summarize the results of this literature search and include references

h. Free write (not content scored). What do you think of the data? Does it have any connection or importance to your life? Is it meaningful to you in any way? Since this (part "h" only) is a free write assignment designed to elicit student reflection and self-assessment, it will not be assessed based upon content, but rather it will be assessed based upon effort and honest reflection consistent with responses per the weekly Forums.

5. Submit your work to the Assignments Folder by due date. Feel free to openly discuss this assignment in the weekly Forums.



Evaluation/Rubric

Consistent with course policy and with all prior and future evaluations, this work will be scored based upon the general rubric distributed at the beginning of this course. This general rubric encourages you to strive to demonstrate maximum understanding and not just meet minimum requirements. Keep this rubric in mind for every assignment you do. Make it R.EA.L. -- Reach. Expand. Achieve. Learn.