Project Phase 1: Foundation & Ideas

Updates 5/30/26

Timeline: Weeks 1-4

Back to Main Project Page

Overview

Phase 1 includes your own work (chapter review, environmental values assessment, and TPG project ideas) and group work (group presentation of one of the textbook chapters. Use AI only as specified below.

  • You will receive an email with your assigned chapter and other students assigned the same chapter (for presentation)

Combine Part A, B, and C below into a single, 6-pageĀ document

    • Formatting and other information on Main Project Page under Assignment Document Details
    • Name it: “Chapter Review – [Your Name]”
    • Due Wednesday, September 16
    • AI Worksheet 1 (see below) also Due Wednesday, September 16

Part A: Chapter Review (4 pages)

Your Assigned Chapter

You will be assigned a chapter from the course text, Paul Robbins, John Hintz, and Sarah A. Moore, Environment & Society: A Critical Introduction (3rd edition; RHM for short). Watch your email.

Writing your Chapter Review

Page 1: Header

    • Your name, course name, assignment name, and date.
    • Cite your chapter: Paul Robbins, John Hintz, and Sarah A. Moore, Environment & Society: A Critical Introduction (3rd edition). Wiley/Blackwell 2022.

Page 1: Chapter Summary

    • Key concepts and issues related to your chapter
    • Major theoretical perspectives from the first half of the book (chs. 2-10) that apply to your chapter topic. You may have to dig into the material in the first half of the book

Pages 2-4: Detailed Analysis

    • Choose and write about three key aspects of your chapter topic
    • Show how different theoretical perspectives (again, from first half of book) illuminate the topic
    • Analyze the environmental and social context of the topic
    • End with your assessment of the chapter’s major takeaways

Part B: Environmental Values Assessment (1 page)

Understanding Your Values

Before developing project ideas, it is essential to understand what drives your environmental thinking. Values shape what projects and approaches will genuinely motivate you.

Complete the Assessment

Review the Environmental Values page and identify:

    • Your top 3-4 values from Schwartz’s 10 types
    • Your environmental values profile using Bouman’s 4 categories
    • How these values connect to your academic/professional interests

Write Your Analysis

Honestly assess your values – this isn’t about having the “right” environmental values, but understanding your authentic motivations.

Part C: Three Project Topics (1 page)

Generating Ideas

A viable project idea is vital! Use your instructor, the Science Librarian, potentially other OWU faculty and staff, or off-campus professionals to discuss your ideas. Develop three potential TPG project topics that could become funded undergraduate research. Each topic idea should:

    • Connect to your values and interests
    • Be feasible as a TPG-funded project (focused, doable, within cost parameters)
  1. For this section, write three potential topic ideas. Don’t spend too much time on the original three ideas, and write up a few sentences on each. I’ll have you talk about your favored topic in class. See the schedule.
  2. Go to the AI Worksheet 1 and complete it and converse with Gemini (see below)
  3. Also for this section, add your three refined topic ideas, after your work with AI, and note your favored topic. Email these to Krygier (see the schedule).
  4. AI Worksheet 1 is due the same day as the 6-page chapter review, values, and topics

Part D: Group Presentation of Chapter

You’ll present your chapter content with several of your fellow kids assigned the same chapter.

  • Your fellow presenters are included in the email with your assigned chapter
  • Check the schedule for your presentation date.
  • Check the presentation date page (on schedule) for a page of sources and a set of Google Slides you can modify and use
    • one group member:
      • download the chapter slides as PowerPoint to your computer
      • reupload to your shared class folder and convert to Google Slides
      • share the slides with every student in the group
    • develop a 20-minute presentation
      • include the chapter topic and all group member names
      • divide up the work as your group sees fit
      • you can’t include everything – remove some content and emphasize other content you think is important
      • enhance the slides with images or other content (avoid video of more than 10 seconds)
      • anticipate questions from the audience
  • Be a good group member
    • Contact me if a group member is being a jackass
  • Pay attention to deficits in your presentation you can improve for the final presentation