Extra Credit Option

Observations I have about this genre….

This option encourages you to makes connections from class with the outside world. There are two parts: the journal/written component and the oral/discussion part. Begin noticing as you watch the news, read science magazines (Scientific American, Discovery, etc.), pay attention in your social studies and science classes, notice the tabloids in the supermarkets, watch televisions, see movies – how “things” relate to the topics we discuss. Your mission this semester is to recognize where we are, where we are going, how others see these topics, and overall make connections from outside our class to the literature and discussion we generate.

THE COMMENTARY SECTION OF YOUR NOTEBOOK

Create a Commentary section in your journal-notebook. Allow yourself about 10 pages and visit this section periodically throughout the term. When I collect your notebooks, your effort and insight will boost your journal grade.

Clearly date and label your observations: What do you see as the biggest danger(s) for our future? What should we do about it? If we don’t what might happen? Use this four part structure for your commentary, either as a table or paragraph format [see below]. Be thoughtful.

THE DISCUSSION COMPONENT

Each time you bring a relevant observation/commentary to the class discussion, you will get “Commentary Checks” in my book. These will boost your discussion average.

Description of what I observed that made me think of utopias/dystopias or end of the world.

What might be a danger to our future? What is the fear? (Mine, pop culture, author’s, etc.) If I let my mind wander, this makes me think about…

What should we do? Can we stop it? Can we prepare for it? Of what might we want to be aware?

Description of the future. What if we don’t do anything? What does the future look like? Questions? Is there any evidence in the real world today that this could happen?

EXAMPLE:

Description of what I observed that made me think of utopias/dystopias or end of the world.	What might be a danger to our future? What is the fear? (Mine, pop culture, author’s, etc.) If I let my mind wander, this makes me think about…	What should we do? Can we stop it? Can we prepare for it? Of what might we want to be aware?	Description of the future. What if we don’t do anything? What does the future look like? Questions? Evidence from the real world today?
The table of contents for Scientific American (June 2006) lists several articles about pollution. “Wading in Waste” graphically shows how unchecked development along our coasts is leading to disease-causing microbes in our coastal waters.	Shell fish and other organisms are becoming infected and thus are inedible. Humans can get sick swimming in the fecal matter. They can die, too. This also makes me think about how deforestation and manmade clearings in regions makes us more vulnerable to storms. In Haiti, lethal mudslides are the result of the eradication of trees. Or how New Orleans’ damage may not have been as extreme if we hadn’t destroyed the wetlands.	There needs to be more regulation of coastal building.	Will there be any coastal areas without buildings? If humans find their coasts polluted, where will they swim? Could “boat islands” be the future? Wouldn’t those get polluted, too? For example, Arabs are building 'The World' off the coast of Dubai trying to re-create the geography of the globe (made up of 300 man-made islands grouped roughly into continents and countries). Wouldn’t the waters of the world become polluted entirely solely for our water sports/leisure? If coastal areas are so populate, the amount of life lost during storms or tidal waves could be apocalyptic. Everybody could literally have beach front property.