Invasive Species Research Paper
Biology 101 –Fall
2013
This writing assignment is designed to provide opportunities for the
student to find, evaluate, select, synthesize, organize, cite, and present
information and arguments clearly and effectively for understanding scientific
issues on personal, societal, and global levels.
Your Uncle Joe, a self-proclaimed “foodie”, has proposed
replacing your traditional food with an invasive species, such as the lionfish,
for your family’s big holiday dinner. He
got the idea after reading an article about eating invasive species as a way of
controlling their environmental impact.
Your extended family, especially your Grandma, is very concerned about
his idea. Knowing you are enrolled in a
biology course, your Grandma wants you to explain this approach that your uncle
has proposed and your opinion on the holiday meal. Remember your Grandma is smart but has not
taken a biology course in many years.
Your response to her needs to be concise and clear, but understandable
by a non-scientist.
Write a well-researched letter to
your grandmother that addresses the following key points (allocate 1 – 2
paragraphs for each point):
- Select one invasive species (such as the lionfish, Asian carp or European green crabs) and describe its native home and role in that environment. Then discuss where it has been relocated to and how it arrived there.
- Describe the impact the invasive species has had in the new environment (consider its impact on other organisms, the overall food web and the physical environment.) In addition to environmental impacts, also explain any economical impacts this species has had.
- Explain the current approaches to handling this invasive species (and invasive species in general).
- Explain your opinion of the current approaches to dealing with invasive species and your uncle’s plan for the holiday menu. You may also recommend other suggestions to dealing with invasive species.
*NOTE: Your entire paper, even parts that ask for your opinion, must be
well supported by evidence. Having a
good number of quality references will help in this regard.
Assigned article (must read
and use in your paper):
Rosenthal, E. (2011, July 9).
Answer for Invasive Species: Put It on a Plate and Eat It. New York Times
Total number of references (3):
You must use and reference the
above article and at least two additional sources for this paper, making
the minimum number of references for your paper 3. You may review relevant chapters in your
textbook and use other sources to fill in missing information.
It is important that your response to your grandmother be thoroughly
researched and clearly written. You
should define all your terms and be concise (1,000 words maximum). This assignment is designed to give you the
experience of applying your knowledge of biology to a current controversy or
topic of interest. You will use the same
sort of method that you will later use as an informed citizen and consumer when
making decisions that involve biology.
Other resources
Primary Sources: You
will find information in the “primary literature,” which is where the research
was originally published. You can find
these articles by using CSUF’s on-line search engines, or by asking for the
help of a CSUF librarian. Examples of
the primary literature include Science,
Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy, and Genetics.
Secondary Sources: You
may also find relevant articles in recent newspapers, popular magazines, or
popular science journals. These are
referred to as “secondary” sources, since they describe research that was
published elsewhere. Examples of these
include The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Time, Scientific American,
Discover, New Scientist, and Science
News.
Websites: If you
choose to use a website, be aware that most websites are not peer-reviewed, and
often present inaccurate information.
Examples of excellent websites include those of the National Academy of
Science, the National Institute of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and
WebMD. If you are unsure of the appropriateness of a website, check with your
instructor. Alternatively, the CSUF
library has an excellent guide to evaluating websites at http://library.fullerton.edu/
under Guides for Undergraduates.
The structure of your paper
- Be sure to cover all four points mentioned above and define all technical terms that you use.
- Your paper must be between 750 to 1000 words (not including references). Your paper should be double-spaced with one-inch margins, using 12 point Times New Roman font. No cover page is required.
- You are not allowed to include any quotes in your paper. All of your writing must be original. You must paraphrase ideas from the literature, even if you provide an in-text citation.
- Information and ideas that are paraphrased must be accompanied by proper in-text citations in the body of your paper and a corresponding reference in APA format.
- You need to review your paper for format, spelling, grammar and usage errors before you submit it, or you will lose points.
- Please also review the grading rubric before submitting your paper to make sure that you have done everything you can to receive a good grade.
Guidelines for citing references
In-Text Citations
In-text
citations should be in APA format. You
can find a summary of APA guidelines for your reference page at: http://www.lscc.edu/library/Documents/apacite.pdf
Reference Page
Your
bibliography should be formatted using APA (American Psychological Association)
guidelines. You can find a summary of
APA guidelines for your reference page at:
Submitting your response
Late papers will not be accepted. You must submit an electronic copy of your paper
to Turnitin.com before the beginning of class on the day it is due.
1. Submitting your response to Turnitin.com
An electronic copy of the paper
with references is due to Turnitin.com through TITANium by the beginning of
your class on November 21, 2013. Turnitin.com will not accept papers
after the start time of your class. If you do not submit your paper to
Turnitin.com by November 21, 2013 you will receive a zero for the assignment.
Your response must be submitted to Turnitin.com, which is a plagiarism
detection program, in order for your paper to be graded. All submissions will
be evaluated, but if you submit a paper with a similarity index greater than
10% you will probably be reported to the Vice President for Student Affairs and
receive a zero for the assignment. Refer
to the attached instructions on how to submit your paper to Turnitin.com.
Preparing your paper for submission
Turnitin can accept files in the
following formats: MS Word, WordPerfect, PostScript, PDF, HTML, RTF, and plain
text. Be sure that you save your paper
in one of these formats.
The beginning of your paper
should include the following information:
Your name
The date the assignment is due
Biology 101, and your section number
Your instructor’s name
Your paper title
NOTE: Your electronic submission should include all
in-text citations as well as your reference page.
HOW TO
SUBMIT YOUR BIOLOGY 101 PAPER TO TITANium’s TURNITIN APP.
1.
Go to the “Invasive
Species Research Paper” tab on TITANium.
- Click on the link that says “Invasive Species
TURNITIN Assignment”
- Click on the link at the top that says “Submit
Paper”
- Select which file type you will be using (either
Text or File Upload).
- Add a name for your file, this can be as simple
as Invasive Species Paper
- If you are uploading a file, click “choose file”
and select your file.
- Click Add submission
- YOU MUST click submit on your paper.
If you have problems, please
email me.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST
MINUTE TO DO OR TURN IN YOUR PAPER.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT!
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