Assignment Description
News Article:
Warmer winters causing more ice-free lakes in Northern Hemisphere, study finds
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/warmer-winters-ice-free-lakes-1.5851815
:Issues related to ecology are presented in the news every day, usually under the pretence of an alarming environmental problem or catastrophe. You will select a headline from the news (must be from 2020or 2021) based on a story with ecological relevancefrom one of the following news sources:CBC, CTV, Global TV, City TV, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, BBC
Then do the following for your report:
1.Describe the news article by summarizing the main points of the story. Most importantly, highlight why it is newsworthy(10marks).
2.Learn about the science behind the headline by going into the peer-reviewedscientific literature. Based on your reviewof the scientific literature (30 marks):a.Summarize the ecological conceptsand/or theoryrelated to the news story item (e.g.,for the issue of coral reef decline, you could talk about the importance of coral reef biodiversity to coastal ecosystems).Make sure to cite your sources here (this section can include textbooks and review papers)
b.Concisely summarize the relevant details(purpose, methods, results, conclusions) of 2 scientific peer-reviewed studies that have contributed to our understanding of the ecological problem/issuehighlighted in the news article. Make sure that you show a link between the ecological issue in the news article with your peer-reviewed studies.Also make sure that your 2 studies are from peer-reviewed scientific journals.
3.Offer insights on the quality of the news article (i.e.,Was it misleading? Down-right wrong? An excellent piece of journalism?). Be sure to compare and contrast claimsmade in the article with what has actually been found/stated in the scientific literature (10marks).
ReportGuidelines:
Pick your ecology related headline from one of the previouslymentionedmainstreammedia sources.If you are unsure that your headline is appropriate for this assignment, be sure to ask your instructor.Once selected, post a link or copy of your news article to the relevant Canvas discussion page so other students do not pick the same news article
.The two scientific studiesyou pick must be from the peer-reviewed literature(i.e., a scientific journal) and be a primary research article(NOT A REVIEW PAPER).Papers published more recently may be of highest relevance but older publications are acceptable.
Be sure to include proper citations in the main text of your report, as well as a complete list of references at the endof your report.Also make sure to use a consistent referencing format (e.g.
Assignment 1BIOL 3660UAPA). Go to the OntarioTechlibrary website for information on literature searching and referencing.The library will be your greatest asset and resource to assist you with this assignment.
Yourreport should be between 6 -8pages(not including title page and references) in length, using12pt. font and double-spacing.
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