Instructions
The assignment has two sections:
Section A: Short Critical Reflections (30 marks)
Section B: Essay (70 marks)
Complete both sections in one document.
Review the Criteria for Evaluating Assessments to learn about the expectations for your responses and how marks will be awarded.
Section A: Short Critical Reflections (30 marks)
Select one of the assigned readings in each topic in Module 1 and write a short critical reflection (about 250 words) for each (approximately one page, double-spaced). See below for a list of assigned readings (refer to Module 1 for complete Activity details):
Topic 1: Introduction to the Science of Natural and Anthropogenic Climate Change and a Look at Skepticism to Climate ScienceActivity 1a: What Controls the Earth’s Climate?Earle, S. (2021). A brief history of the Earth’s climate: Everyone’s guide to the science of climate change (pages 1–14).
Activity 1b: Introduction to Basic Climate ScienceRead FAQs 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2 in Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis:IPCC. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions.
Activity 2a: A Plague of HumansEarle, S. (2021). A brief history of the Earth’s climate: Everyone’s guide to the science of climate change (pages 115–126).
Activity 2b: Human Impacts on Climate and an Introduction to Impacts of a Changing ClimateIPCC. (2021). Summary for policymakers (pages 6–11).
Activity 3: Impacts of Climate ChangeRead the following sections in the IPCC’s Climate Change 2021: The Physical Basis, “Frequently Asked Questions.”FAQ 2.1
FAQ 2.2
FAQ 3.2
FAQ 4.1
FAQ 4.3
FAQ 6.1
FAQ 11.3
FAQ 12.2
Topic 2: Tipping Points and Abrupt Climate ChangeActivity 5: Tipping PointsEarle, S. (2021). A brief history of the Earth’s climate: Everyone’s guide to the science of climate change (chapter 10).
Activity 6: Too Risky to Bet AgainstLenton, T. M., Rockström, J., Gaffney, O., Rahmstorf, S., Richardson, K., Steffen, W., & Schellnhuber, H. J. (2019, November 28). Climate tipping points — Too risky to bet against.
Activity 7: Tipping Points and Ice Sheet CollapseHulbe, C. (2020, February 2). Guest post: How close is the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to a ‘tipping point’? CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Topic 3: Climate Modelling and Projected ImpactsActivity 8b: Climate Model PrimerEltahir, E., & Krol, A. (2021, January 8). Climate Models. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Activity 9a: Introduction to SSPsGovernment of Canada. (2023). CMIP6 and Shared Socio-Economic Pathways Overview.
Activity 9b: Modeling Scenarios Using SSPsIPCC. (2021). Climate change 2021: The physical science basis—Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
You will hand in a total of three critical reflections (3 pages). There are 10 marks for each reflection. You may find it helpful to use one or more of the focus questions included in the activity as a guide.
The critical reflection should present your own thoughts and responses to the reading. Thus, it is an interaction between the ideas in the reading and your own interpretation and response to what you have read.
The critical reflection is a polished piece of writing that will be assessed using the criteria specified in the Criteria for Evaluating Assessments. It should include an introduction, a body that presents your thoughts clearly and logically, and a conclusion. You may write in the first person, but be sure to refer to some of the ideas that are introduced in the reading.
OptionalIf you would like, you have the option of interviewing an elder or older person and using the interview as your source for one of your critical reflections.
During the interview, you should ask the elder about their perception of how the weather has, or has not, changed during their lifetime.
Section B: Essay (70 marks)
Given what you now know about the science of climate change, write an essay of 750–1000 words (3–4 pages) on why you think (or do not think) climate change caused by anthropogenic sources is occurring. You may also (and are encouraged to!) use figures and tables to illustrate your key points.
There are different ways of approaching this topic. You may answer the question “This essay will examine key evidence that anthropogenic-caused climate change is occurring by…,” or you may take the approach of a conversation with a person who is not quite convinced that this is true.
Please see the Criteria for Evaluating Assessments to guide you for how marks are assigned.
You may use content from the required readings (any module), but you must include at least two new references as well. Course resources that are not required reading may be regarded as new references. For example, parts of the IPCC report that were not required reading for Module 1 may be considered as a new reference in your essay.
A good place to start looking for additional material is the TRU Library. As an online student, you have access to all the journal articles and databases. The staff can also be contacted if you need support.
Be sure to reference your work and paper format using APA Citation Style. See TRU Library’s “APA Citation Style Guide (7th Edition).”
Assignment Submission
When you have completed your responses, submit the document to your Open Learning Faculty Member by clicking the “Add submission” button below. You should upload one word-processed document with all your responses clearly labelled. Use a file naming protocol that contains: YourName_Assignment1_GEOG3991.