There are various ways for students to earn extra-credit during the quarter. Below are the guidelines and, when applicable, samples of the kinds of extra-credit assignments that generally come up each quarter.
The fundamental purpose of these extra-credit options is to provide students varied opportunities to apply and expand upon the course content, to investigate further what “sustainability” might mean, and to learn more about the ways in which sustainability theories are put in to practice.
The categories of extra-credit will expand, and this page will be updated, as appropriate. Additionally, students are encouraged to approach the instructor with extra-credit ideas and share these ideas with other students in class.
Categories:
- ** Film & Video
This category includes attendance and reflection upon various sustainability-related events. Events can include film premiers, film + discussions, book launches, seminars, and conferences. For these events, students can earn up to 20 extra-credit points for:
- 1) Attending the event.
2) Sharing the experience and reflecting upon the event in class.
3) Writing a ~500 word blurb for the SHP website. This write-up should include:
- a) a brief description of the event, event sponsor, and the film content, lecture topic, etc. (as appropriate) — i.e., “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why”
b) identifying why you chose this particular event — i.e., what drew you to this event; does it relate in any way to your personal or career goals and/or interests?
c) identifying how did the event or what you learned at the event relates to the content of the course — i.e., how did the event contribute to your understanding of sustainability?
(Images always welcomed but not required for the SHP website content.)
A sample extra-credit assignment from a student who attended one of these events can be found here.
Students can earn up to 10 extra-credit points per class session by sharing with the class news articles, websites, secondary sources, and other relevant readings. 5 extra-credit points will be awarded when the student provides the following verbally in class:
- 1) an overview of the source(s):
a) title, publication source and date, author’s credentials
b) purpose, thesis, main point(s) (as appropriate)
b) types of data and evidence used, and what implications this might have to our understanding of the author(s) assertions and conclusions
2) why the student chose this particular source (i.e., does it relate to the student’s essay topic, interviewee, major, career goals, etc.?)
3) identify what this source has to say about the topic of “sustainability” — i.e., critique, qualify, support; contribute to theoretical and/or practical understanding; etc.
An additional 5 extra-credit points will be awarded when the student provides the above in class and in a ~250-500 word write-up for the SHP website. (Images always welcomed but not required for the SHP website content.)
This extra-credit opportunity is similar to the Extra Readings option: To earn up to 5 extra-credit points, students can choose from one of the options listed below and provide an in-class overview of the content and relevance; for an additional 5 extra-credit points, students can write up this reflection for the SHP website (for full details of content required in these presentations, see the Extra Readings assignment criteria). Options:
- 1) Documentary films
2) Full presentation on TED, Cooking Up A Story, or similar, substantive, Internet sources
3) Substantive content on YouTube, Hulu, websites, blogs, or other Internet sources
Similar to attending and reporting on events, students can also earn up to 20 extra-credit points for volunteering at an event. Since the course requires at least five hours of community service, students won’t be able to count event volunteering as extra-credit unless it is above and beyond the hours required for community service. To earn extra-credit for more than five hours of volunteering/community service, students must provide the same basic criteria as attending and reporting on events. (Images always welcomed but not required for the SHP website content.)
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