Biodiversity in the News

(optional for extra credit)

One role of a professional biologist is to pay attention to accuracy and potential biases in how science is reported in the popular press.  For extra credit you may turn in up to three (3) current topics reports--one can be submitted anytime before each of the three midterm exams.  Each report should (a) relate to material covered in that part of the course and (b) cover material that appeared in print during the semester.   To complete a current topics report, do the following:

1)  Find a recent newspaper article that relates to material we have covered in this course.  The article may be print or online, but must be from an actual newspaper (e.g., Post and Courier, New York Times).  Articles from newsmagazines or online-only sources are not appropriate.  The article must have been published since August 1, 2013.

2)  Read the article thoroughly and critically. 

3)  Write a two-paragraph response to the article, covering the following information (no more than one page single spaced).

  • Paragraph 1:  Summarize the article and evaluate the evidence for the critical conclusions drawn by the article.

  • Paragraph 2:  Discuss how the article illustrates concepts from Biology 211.  Be sure to identify specific concepts you’ve learned and how they relate to information in the article.

4)  Turn in one typed hard copy of your report, with a copy of the article (i.e., a clipping or print-out) stapled to the back of your report. 

 



Biology 211 home
CofC Biology home