Research Report Directions

Research Report


choose one of these topics for your report	When did plate tectonics begin operating on Earth? Was there a Snowball Earth? What caused the Cambrian Explosion? What caused the mass extinction at the end of the Permian? When and how did humans first enter the Americas? Will another glacial age begin within the next few thousand years?
research the topic	Describe the scientific controversy represented by your topic. Use a library and the internet to find evidence and arguments supporting the various positions geologists have taken in the controversy. Ask a librarian to help you find relevant printed information. Use a search engine, such as Google, to find additional information on the web. Limit yourself to sites that appear to be scientifically trustworthy. Indicate which position you find most convincing in the controversy and justify your choice.
write your report	Type up the report using your choice of word processing software. In addition to the title page and any images, the report should contain at least five pages of text, formatted 8.5 by 11 inches, with one-inch margins, single-spaced lines, and 10 to 12-point font. Specify all sources of information, whether printed or electronic, including images. Place quotation marks around any direct quotes.
submit your report	Use your VCCS Student Email account to send me a message with your report included as an attached document. My address is at the bottom of the page. I will return an acknowledgement within twenty-four hours that I have received your document.
due date	Your email message must be sent on or before 6 p.m., Friday, December 12, 2008.
grading	If you submit a well-constructed report that follows all the directions given above, your grade will be 100. If you submit a readable report that ignores some of the directions, your grade will be 85. If you ignore most of the directions, or if you submit an incomplete or incoherent report, your grade will be 70. If your report is late, your grade will be reduced by ten points. If you submit no report, you will receive a grade of zero.