Group Paper/Project Instructions
Economics 343
Fall 2008
The
project will count as 20% of the course grade and will consist of a paper and a
class presentation based on the paper. You will work in groups (probably of
three) and be assigned a relevant environmental topic in class on Monday,
September 1. Part of your grade will depend upon how other members of your
group assess your contribution. At the end of the process you will be asked to
assign each other member of your group a specific grade accompanied by an
explanation.
Presentation
You
should provide students with a handout that gives an overview of the major
points of your paper. The presentation should roughly follow your paper.
However, PLEASE DO NOT READ YOUR PAPER. Try to use a conversational style and
make eye contact with other members of the class. The presentation should take
about 15-20 minutes. Students (and the professor) will have an opportunity to
ask questions or discuss any issues when you finish.
Paper
Each
group will write a paper based upon their presentation. The body of the paper
should be about 7-9 double‑spaced typewritten pages in length. Each paper
should begin with a brief introduction to the issue. It should then proceed to
the main body of research and end with a section of conclusions or a summary.
Headings and subheadings will make the paper easier to follow and I encourage
you to use them.
All
ideas, quotes, etc. must be appropriately cited. In addition, a bibliography
with an alphabetical listing of all sources you consulted must be placed at the
end of the paper. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you have any
questions about what might constitute plagiarism in a specific instance, ask me
ahead of time.
Dates
Presentations will begin on approximately Monday, October 13. We probably will
do two each day and a more specific schedule will be distributed at a later
date. Although it is not required, I strongly encourage each group to submit an
outline of what they plan to present along with a list of the sources they are
using two weeks before their scheduled presentation. This will allow me to
provide feedback on your direction and suggest additional resources that might
be useful.
I must
receive a hard copy of your paper no later than the end of class on Wednesday,
November 19. One letter grade per day (including weekends) will be deducted
from the project score for each day this is late.