Seminar Report Reference
The major issues of environmental science were developed into seminars. The information presented in each seminar is divided into five sections which are used to develop a seminar report. For this course the structure of each seminar report will be the same.
Your seminar report will be evaluated using a Grading Rubric or grading sheet which is based on this document. The rubric will be used to evaluate your assignment and will be returned to you for your review and can be used as a guideline for improving future reports. There will be no surprises and you will be kept informed as you proceed.
This document is divided into three sections. The first section is the "Seminar Template" which allows you to copy the template and paste it directly into your word processor in order to give you a quick start on your seminar report. The second section is the "Discussion of the parts of the Seminar Report" which discusses the parts, structure and content of the report. The third section is the "Example Seminar Report" which illustrates the layout of a completed report. Please note the example report provided is not a complete report in terms of content.
Copy the template, between dotted lines,, and paste
into your word processor. Fill in each section using directions provided in the
seminar.
Seminar Title:
Student Name:
Part A- Objectives
Guide Questions OR “Taking Test"
Part C -
Application Project
Summary of
Application:
Part D – Web
Research
Summary of
Contents:
How this site
relates to the seminar:
Facts from the Article (Web Site):
Opinions from the Article (Web Site):
Part E - Summary
and Final Thoughts
Summary of
Seminar:
Final Thoughts:
Discussion of the Parts of a Seminar Report
Part A - Objectives/ Guide Questions
OR Quiz.
Purpose:
To establish the information basis or foundation for
the seminar read the Objectives/Guide Questions. These questions represent the
learning that each student is expected to obtain from the seminar. Make a
personal learning checklist out of them so it can guide your learning on this
seminar.
You have two choices to
demonstrate you have obtained the skills presented in the questions. Your first
choice is to prepare detailed answers to each question including references.
Your second choice is to take a quiz. (For the first section, of your report
indicate “Taking Quiz”.) The quiz must be taken before the assignment “DUE
DATE.” and is available in the virtual classroom. The
quiz is multiple-choice with 20 questions. Each student will take a unique
computer generated quiz
Part B - Discussion Questions
Purpose:
To present your analysis of an "idea" (discussion
question) to your peers, which you have researched, and must defend/explain.
(Use of facts and opinions) Also, post to the Virtual Discussion Board.
You will be assigned one
discussion question to fully research, using the internet, assigned readings,
and your personal experiences to develop a complete answer including references.
Directions for the selection of your Discussion Question are included with the
Discussion Questions.
The answer for your “Discussion Question” should
also be posted to the Virtual classroom/Discussion Board.
Part C - Application Activities
Purpose:
To apply the knowledge and understandings obtained
in the seminar to an environmental problem. (Scientific research)
Read the application provided with the seminar, perform the indicated activity
and obtain the required information. Include any data sheet provided,
appropriate data, answers to questions, and a summary indicating “what you did”
and “what you found out”.
Part D - Internet or Web
investigations
Purpose:
To find the most current information available
regarding the seminar
Select a web site of your choice, from the ones provided and:
a) Include a picture that
includes the URL and part of the Web Page with the URL or web address
clearly readable.
b) Describe the contents of the site.
c) List a minimum of two facts.
d) List a minimum two opinions.
e) Indicate how the website relates to the seminar.
Part E - Summary and Final Thoughts
Purpose: To draw together all the ideas, concepts and outcomes of the seminar.
This part is composed of two paragraphs. The first paragraph is a summary of the
concepts presented in the seminar.
The second paragraph draws together your final thoughts, feelings, and how this
seminar relates to your life. The answer for your “Summary and Final
Thoughts” should also be posted to the Virtual classroom/Discussion Board.
Example of Seminar Report
(Below
this line)
Title:
The
Environment and Ecosystem
Name:
010500 Exceptional
Student
Part A:
Objectives Guide Questions
1.
State, and explain two scientific laws, sometimes referred to as the Laws of
thermodynamics, that describe what happens to energy as it is changed from one
form to another.
Two scientific laws that describe what happens to energy as it is changed from
one form to another: the first law of thermodynamics. These laws are also known
as the law of conservation of energy.
The First Law States energy states that energy is never created or destroyed,
but simply transformed into one state or another.
The second law of thermodynamics states that no reaction
involving the transforming of energy from one form to another occurs without
some form of energy transferring into a less usable form (heat). This basically
says that no form of transferable energy is 100% efficient. (Environmental
Science Textbook, Thirteenth Addition, page 88)
.
.
.
14. Describe how geothermal can be used as an energy resource.
Geothermal energy can be used as an energy resource by it
being used to heat homes or water with, and also can be used as a power to spin
turbines and create electricity. How is it harnessed?
The most common way geothermal energy is harnessed
is through hydrothermal reservoirs, where steam is obtained from wells reaching
1200-1500 feet into the ground. The steam is used to drive turbines which are on
the surface.
(Environmental
Science Textbook, Thirteenth Addition, page 125)
Part B:
Discussion Question
5. What laws govern changes of energy?
The first law of thermodynamics also known as the law of
conservation of energy states whenever energy is converted from one form to
another in a physical or chemical change, no energy is created or destroyed.
This means that no matter how hard we try we can
never get more out of a physical or chemical change than we put into it because
energy input always equals energy output.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. The second
law of thermodynamics states that lower quality energy usually takes the form of
heat given off at a low temperature to the environment.
There it is dispersed by the random motion of the
air and water and becomes less useful as a resource. When energy is changed from
one form to another, it always goes to a much less usable resource.
Essentially, the first and second laws of
thermodynamics govern changes of energy.
(Environmental
Science Textbook, Thirteenth Addition, page 35)
Part C:
Application
1. Electrical Production In Your Community (Include references for each answer)
a)
What is the current cost of residential electricity per kWh? (Found on your
electric bill). This will look something like $0.08000 kWh.
As of 2009 the cost for residential energy is .1155
cents per kWh.
b)
Compare the cost of electricity to general inflation. Obtain the cost of
electricity per kWh in 1970.
In 1970 energy cost 2.2 cents, and has inflated to
$12.02 in 2009.
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Developed by: Dr. Michael H. Suckley |
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January 26, 2011
7:24 PM |
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Enter cost per KWH: |
0.11000 |
Weighting (WT): |
1.00 |
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Name of room |
Type |
Watts |
Hours/Day |
WT |
Watts/Day |
Watts/Year |
KWH/Year |
Cost |
End Use BTU |
Total BTU |
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Bedroom #1 |
I |
60 |
6.00 |
1.00 |
360.00 |
131,400.00 |
131.40 |
14.45 |
450,702.00 |
1,609,650.00 |
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1.00 |
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Bedroom #2 |
I |
60 |
6.00 |
1.00 |
360.00 |
131,400.00 |
131.40 |
14.45 |
450,702.00 |
1,609,650.00 |
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1.00 |
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Bedroom #3 |
I |
60 |
6.00 |
1.00 |
360.00 |
131,400.00 |
131.40 |
14.45 |
450,702.00 |
1,609,650.00 |
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Kitchen |
1.00 |
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Dining Room |
I |
45 |
10.00 |
1.00 |
450.00 |
164,250.00 |
164.25 |
18.07 |
563,377.50 |
2,012,062.50 |
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Family Room |
I |
45 |
10.00 |
1.00 |
450.00 |
164,250.00 |
164.25 |
18.07 |
563,377.50 |
2,012,062.50 |
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Bathroom #1 |
I |
70 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
70.00 |
25,550.00 |
25.55 |
2.81 |
87,636.50 |
312,987.50 |
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1.00 |
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Bathroom #2 |
I |
70 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
70.00 |
25,550.00 |
25.55 |
2.81 |
87,636.50 |
312,987.50 |
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1.00 |
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Garage |
I |
45 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
45.00 |
16,425.00 |
16.43 |
1.81 |
56,337.75 |
201,206.25 |
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Basement |
I |
60 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
60.00 |
21,900.00 |
21.90 |
2.41 |
75,117.00 |
268,275.00 |
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Total: |
515.00 |
42.00 |
1.00 |
2,225.00 |
812,125.00 |
812.13 |
89.33 |
131,454.75 |
469,481.25 |
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Application Summary
What I Did:
In this application I collected electrical data for my home. I then entered it into a spreadsheet where I could investigate different situations. We investigated the cost for my normal use then at %75 next %50 and %25. We then investigated an alternate type of bulb (compact fluorescent). We then invesitgated electrical use in our community.
In this application I learned the true cost for energy. Not only is it
expensive, but it’s also bothersome to me now that I know how my energy company
is obtaining the energy, through burning of coal. This is going to motivate me
to really turn off the lights when other people in my home aren’t using them and
be more conscious of things like cell phone chargers, when they’re plugged into
the walls. I don’t think I would pay as much attention to useless power wasting
if our power company was using a cleaner way to provide us all with energy.
Part D:
Web Research
Contents of site.
This website is all about different sources of energy and
is run by the federal government. It discusses different energy sources such as
“clean coal and natural gas power systems” and oil, and the efficiency of each.
List a minimum of two facts.
-Oil is the lifeblood of America's economy. Currently, it supplies more than 40% of our total energy demands and more than 99% of the fuel we use in our cars and trucks.
-Hydropower (also called hydroelectric power) facilities in the United States can
generate enough power to supply 28 million households with electricity, the
equivalent of nearly 500 million barrels of oil.
List a minimum two opinions.
- Ensuring that we can continue to rely on clean, affordable energy from our
traditional fuel resources is the primary mission of DOE's Office of Fossil
Energy. This is opinion because essentially none of the energy we use these days
to me is clean OR affordable. Gas is too expensive, and coal burns dirty. This
statement actually made me laugh when I first read it.
- DOE's Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has a key role in helping America meet its growing need for secure, fairly priced, and environmentally sound fossil energy supplies. Again with this nonsense, it’s all a matter of opinion. For instance, I think this website is probably a huge reason why many Americans are so ignorant towards our fueling situation. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is true, however.
How the website relates to the seminar.
This website relates to the similar because it is all about energy and the
different sources of attaining that energy. It also speaks to the ignorance of
many people about how our energy truly works. Nowhere on this website did they
even hint at an oil crisis or comment on how not all forms of energy are crystal
clean. I found that they had much written about oil and coal, but when it came
to the clean and renewable sources of energy, they hardly had anything written
at all. Basically this relates to the seminar in almost every way, and the only
way it doesn’t, is that it doesn’t press the importance of using clean and
sustainable energies.
Part E:
Summary and Final Thoughts
Summary:
In this seminar we learned about all the different kinds of fuels, how we use
them, how they are obtained from the ground and refined for our use, and how
long we can expect to be able to use them. We learned about the ways renewable
resources are growing and the ways nonrenewable resources are being limited. We
learned about the different states of matter and the difference between a
chemical and physical change. We also learned about laws of thermodynamics and
how they apply to the environment. We got to see the ways that energy has changed throughout the years in
cost, and in ways of producing it. We also learned that the most plentiful ways
of creating fuel aren’t necessarily the healthiest for the earth and the people
who live on it.
Final Thoughts:
All in all, I think this seminar was my favorite yet. I was really interested in
learning about all the different fuel sources and how they are used. Most of
all, I was interested in learning why the more renewable sorts of fuels aren’t
being used. One thing that I learned most about was nuclear waste. I had always
thought that it was a relatively clean way of producing fuel and that it was
worth all the potential risks involved in creating it. Now, I feel a very
different way upon having it all placed into perspective for me. The second most
important thing in this seminar was me learning how my power company and the
companies my friends get their power from are creating electricity.