Learning on your own requires a great deal of independence and self-motivation. Choosing a topic to study, finding information relating to it, and then presenting what you have learned to others involves many skills. You are being given the responsibility of doing a research project because you already possess many basic research skills and because the experience of learning on your own teaches things a teacher cannot provide in a lecture.
Keep in mind that the topic you will be studying will develop skills that will help you a great deal in future courses and possibly your career as well.
You will gain experience in the following areas:
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1. Finding sources of information about a topic you choose to study.
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2. Making notecards and bibliography cards while doing research.
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3. Organizing the information form notecards into a written report
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4. Creating an interesting way to teach the rest of the class about your topic.
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5. Designing a visual display that is eye-catching, informative and complementary to your oral presentation.
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6. Working from an outline to complete the requirements
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7. Meeting deadlines and timely disciplining yourself to pace your work.
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8. Managing your study time to derive the maximum benefit from efficient use of this time.
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9. Solving problems as they arise and changing plans as needed.
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10. Presenting your work to others in the form of a brochures or newsletters.
The specific requirements of your research project are outlined on a separate handout so that you can see the entire plan and organize your work accordingly. Once you are able to complete an assignment like this on your own, it is logical that you could choose almost any topic and go about studying it. All subjects cannot be taught in school, but this shouldn’t keep you from learning about those that are of special interest to you. Apply the skills presented in the project and learn on your own.
Student Assignment Sheet
The subject of this research project is environment pollution. You will select a pollution to study, identify one specific cause, and conduct a research project about that topic.
After a pollution is selected, follow this assignment outline to complete the project:
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1. Study the pollution ( in encyclopedias and other general references) and identify at least three topics that you would be interested in investigating further. This list of topics will be handed in.
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2. From this list choose one topic that you want to study.
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3. Use a variety of sources (at least five) for your research. No more than three of these can be encyclopedias.
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4. Carefully and accurately record a minimum of ten facts about the topic on notecards.
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5. Make a bibliography card for each source.
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6. Write a three-to-four-page report after using your notecards to organize an outline. Writing skills will be carefully graded on this report.
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7. Make a presentation to the class about your topic. Design an interesting brochure for this presentation that includes your ten facts
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and any other information you want to show visually.
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8. At the conclusion of your presentation turn in these things:
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A. Written report (three to four pages)
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B. Ten notecards
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C. Five bibliography cards (or a bibliography sheet)
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D. Brochure
Lead Information
The data shows the sites that had the highest quarterly lead average from the years 1983 through 1995. Data is given for New Haven and Bridgeport. The quarterly average is given because that is the value regulated in the national standard. The first quarter of the year is January through March, the second quarter is April through June, the third is July through September and the fourth is October through December. The highest quarterly average is the highest of the four quarters.
Activity
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1. Using the “New Haven Data” plot the highest quarterly lead averages for New Haven from 1983 through 1995. These can be found in the last column of the data file. Plot years along the X-axis and micrograms per cubic meters along the Y-axis. From the data given, locate the highest quarterly average for each of the years 1983 through 1995 to see the trend.
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2. Using the “Bridgeport Data”, create the same plot for data collected in Bridgeport.
Highest lead averages/year quarter
Measurements in micrograms per cubic meter
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Year
|
City
|
|
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New Haven
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Bridgeport
|
|
1983
|
0.37
|
4.9
|
|
1984
|
1.48
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6.66
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1985
|
2.01
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4.31
|
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1986
|
1.41
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1.58
|
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1987
|
1.38
|
1.38
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1988
|
0.87
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0.39
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1989
|
1.76
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0.42
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1990
|
1.61
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0.42
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1991
|
1.11
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0.46
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1992
|
0.91
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0.26
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1993
|
0.99
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0.23
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1994
|
0.58
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0.14
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1995
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0.69
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0.19
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Carbon Monoxide
The data shows the eight-hour average concentration standard has been exceeded occasionally in Bridgeport, New Haven, and Stamford during 1975 through 1995, during the months when very stable atmospheric conditions exist.
Activity
The data contains the highest measurements of carbon monoxide taken each year for the past twenty one years in Bridgeport, New Haven, and Stamford areas. The EPA eight-hour standard is 9 parts per million. Students can plot the carbon monoxide measurements on the Y-axis and the years on the X-axis to show how carbon monoxide levels have changed from year to year in these areas and compare the levels in each city. Students also can mark the standard of 9 parts per million with a dotted line and compare the measured levels to the standard. Students can write report, comparing the cities’ measurements taken over the 21-year period to the standard.
Carbon monoxide in three Connecticut cities
Measurements in part per million
|
Year
|
City
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|
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Bridgeport
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New Haven
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Stamford
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1975
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8.3
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7.8
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8.5
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1976
|
4.7
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4.2
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7.5
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1977
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4.7
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5.4
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12.2
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1978
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5.8
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7.6
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8.1
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1979
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5.9
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4.6
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9.9
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1980
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5.4
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4.6
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11.1
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1981
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6.4
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5.1
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9.3
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1982
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6.6
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5.1
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14.6
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1983
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6.3
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6.0
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11.1
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1984
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6.1
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5.1
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11.3
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1985
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6.4
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5.0
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11.8
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1986
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6.7
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5.6
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10.3
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1987
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6.1
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5.6
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15.3
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1988
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5.3
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5.5
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11.3
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1989
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4.1
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6.0
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10.8
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1990
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5.6
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4.7
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13.9
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1991
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5.3
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3.5
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9.7
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1992
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6.7
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4.2
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9.4
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1993
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7.4
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5.1
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7.4
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1994
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7.4
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4.3
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9.9
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1995
|
6.9
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4.5
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15
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SAMPLE GRAPH
Carbon Monoxide
|
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1975
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1976
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1977
|
1978
|
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Bridgeport
|
8.3
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4.7
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4.7
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5.8
|
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New Haven
|
7.8
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4.2
|
5.4
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7.6
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Stamford
|
8.5
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7.5
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12.2
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8.1
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(figure available in print form)
Lead Information
|
|
1983
|
1984
|
1985
|
1986
|
|
Bridgeport
|
4.9
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6.66
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4.31
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1.58
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New Haven
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0.37
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1.48
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2.01
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1.41
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(figure available in print form)
