Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

The following is an example of how writing activities can be used to help you organize your thoughts regarding a socioscientific issue. Socioscientific issues are of social concern and are grounded in science; they are multi-faceted and do not necessarily have a right or wrong solution. For you classwork, you will consider what you have been learning in your cell biology course while reading short articles about cancer to construct short essays about cancer treatment. The following examples are about the socioscientific issue of fertilizer run-off into rivers, which can cause aquatic hypoxia. There are pros and cons of using fertilizers to increase crop yield, and there is no clear right or wrong solution. These are presented to serve as an example of HOW to use the pre-writing tools. There is no one right tool; choose which tool helps you best organize your thoughts. The purpose of this activity includes: 1) 2) 3) 4) Finding relevance in learning science content Recognizing that there are trade-offs when making decisions about socioscientific issues It is beneficial to explore socioscientific issues from different perspectives Writing can help individuals organize their thoughts about socioscientific issues.

Each of your THREE writing assignments will include four parts after you read the assigned respective articles.

A. Knowing (what scientific knowledge do you have about the reading) B. Reactions/ Connections (what personal connections can you make to the reading) C. Decisions (using what you know, both scientifically and personally, how might you
resolve the problems discussed in the readings) a. Review what you know, react/connect to, and want to do in your final pre-writing tool b. Receive Peer Feedback D. Persuasive Essay (using your final pre-writing tool and any peer feedback to draft a 1-2 page essay). a. Consider the peer feedback you received.

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

Goal of this assignment: You will be writing an article on aquatic hypoxia for which you will be drawing on different sources of evidence. To produce this article you will create three collections of thoughts. The purpose of this assignment is to help you make sense of ecological big ideas discussed in lecture, your textbook, and journal articles, while helping you find relevance of these big ideas in your personal lives. Prompt 1: Many farmers use nitrogen-based fertilizers to increase crop yield, but environmental scientists argue that fertilizer run-off into river systems is responsible for dead zones along the coast. In dead zones very few fish can survive, and commercial fishermen suffer economic losses. Using the information from the articles (Raloff 2004a, 2004b), the textbook, and your lecture notes, gather your thoughts about what you know about eco-systems and trophic levels. What information might a friend or relative need to know about why fertilizer run-off has become an important environmental issue? Strategy: The following Pre-Writing Tools (found in SmartArt within Microsoft Word) were used to help organize one writers thoughts as she wrote about aquatic hypoxia and the ecological principles that explain dead zones:

A i. Bullet Points

big idea(s) from textbook reading limiting resources trophic webs

big idea(s) from lecture bioaccumulation "nature abhors a vaccum"

big idea(s) from assigned article reading bacterial population explosions leave anoxic waters river systems connect to oceans bringing accumulated chemicals

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

A. ii. Map/ Cluster

fertilizers ialso incrase algal growth; fertilizers acculmulate in rivers

plants need nitrogen and phospherous for increased growth

increases in limiting resources impacts multiple tropic levels)

limiting resources; trophic webs

bacterial population explosions leave anoxic waters, impacting coastal waters

A. iii.Table
EVIDENCE (the pieces of info that support the big idea) Lecture Textbook Assigned article Prior knowledge CLAIM (big idea) Fertilizer run-off is responsible for hypoxic coastal waters Fertilizer run-off results in algal blooms

Fertilizers contain limiting resources, like nitrogen. Chemical runoff accumulates in river systems

Limiting resources are required by organisms to grow. Organismal populations are affected by limiting food resources or by changes in consumer populations Dead zones are found along coastal waters

Nature abhors a vacuum; when there is an extinction event, invasive species move in

Algae are plants and their populations spike when fertilizer drains into rivers Algae produce oxygen, like all plants do after photosynthesis. The surge in oxygen fuels bacteria, which suddenly consume available oxygen The drop in oxygen kills aquatic invertebrate and vertebrates

Farmers are dependent on fertilizers to increase crop yield Lakes near farms usually have algal blooms along the edges and stink.

Bioaccumulation of nitrogen in rivers can impact trophic levels (algae, bacteria, invertebrates, fish).

Jellyfish are replacing extinct native fish populations in coastal areas, causing economic losses for gulf coast fishermen.

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

A. iv. Cladogram Chart

Jellyfish are replacing gulf coast fish, which are dying in hypoxic waters.

fertilizer run-off can cause anoxic coastal waters, killing native fish algae produce a sudden spike in oxygen, increasing bacterial populations, which consume all of the oxygen oxygen is a limiting resource for bacteria oxygen is a byproduct of photosynthesis, which algae use to make food

farmers use nitrogen-fertilizers on their corn fields

algal blooms are caused by nitrogen-based fertilizer run-off from farmland nitrogen is a limiting resource for all plants, including algae

A. v. Free-write (without the use of an outline or other pre-write tool)

Farmers must fertilizer their crops in order to harvest high enough yields. Fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. These chemicals are called limiting resources because all plants need them in order to grow. Because most farmers use fertilizers, the extra runs-off their fields and often lands in rivers. The fertilizer chemicals accumulate and flow downstream and dump into lakes, bays, and gulfs. Farmers along the Mississippi River contribute to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The nitrogen in the fertilizer ends up increasing the algal populations, which produce an abundance of oxygen, a by-product of photosynthesis. Algae, like agricultural crops, make their own food by using water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in the presence of sunlight. Oxygen is a limiting resource for aquatic bacteria, which experience a sudden population explosion. Because bacteria have faster reproductive rates than invertebrate and vertebrate animals, the bacteria use up all of the available oxygen, leaving none for the zooplankton, shrimp, and fish. Along the coast, these animals die, allowing invasive jellyfish and sharks to move into the territory. This situation not only negatively impacts native animals; it impacts local fishermen, who are no longer able to harvest enough fish to make a living.

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

Prompt 2: What personal connections or reactions do you have to what you know/ have learned? Think about your feelings as you communicate your knowledge to your imaginary friend or relative who lives in agricultural area near rivers. Consider your personal connections and reactions to this issue, whether you farm or not. Strategy: Use one of the following Pre-Writing Tools, or the ones previously presented in Prompt 1 to help you collect and organize your thoughts about your personnel connections or reactions to this set of knowledge

B. i. Gears

farmers aren't concerned about fishing industry

fishermen lose jobs saddened that if farmers benefit, fisherman don't. Ulitmately, native fish may go extinct! Isn't there a compromise?

B. ii. Series of event chain

farmers need fertilizers

fertilizer accumulates in water

too much fertilizer kills fish, affecting fishermen's jobs

saddened that if farmers benefit, fishermen don't. Ultimately, native fish may become extinct! Isn't there a compromise?

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

B. iii. Concentric Circles

Saddened that if the crop yields are to be high, native fish and commercial fishermen both suffer. Isn't there a compromise!? native fish may go extinct and fisherman lose money too much nitrogen affects the tropic levels and kills native fish

farmers fertilize their fields, but this drains into rivers

B. iv. Cycle

farmers must fertilize

too much fertilizer kills fish

saddened that a compromise benefitting farmers, fishmermen, and fish can't be found

2D2D2

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

B. v. Free Write
Having lived in the Midwest I have grown up around farms (corn, soybeans, wheat, etc.) I know that fertilizers are essential for farmers. I also know that where there is a lot of rain, any pesticides or fertilizers will wash off and end up in streams, lakes, and rivers. However, having lived in Louisiana and going there regularly to visit family, I also know that fishing is essential to economy of the Gulf states. When reading these articles I immediately realized that the U.S. is a large system and that by polluting waters in one place it is inevitable that there will be impacts in other places. I feel saddened and frustratednot that this happens (watersheds have always carried pollutants downstream) but that many Americans are either oblivious or uncaring about environmental and economic impacts that they cannot immediately see but participate in causing. I hope that more than just environmentalists participate in discussions about this type of pollution. I am not sure if there is a quick fix solution, but I do believe that if there is not enough communication between farmers, fisherman, home-owners who fertilize their own lawns, economists, policy makers, and scientists, the dead zone issue will not improve. This issue makes me want to reconsider my own fertilizing activitiesis it necessary for me to fertilize my lawn?

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

Prompt 3: What actions might you take as you consider what you know about fertilizer run-off and the ecological impact it can have? Consider what you know and how you feel about why fertilizer is important to farmers. Identify any tensions or dilemmas you may face as you weigh the importance of various sources of evidence. Strategy: Use one of the following Pre-Writing Tools, or the ones previously presented to help you collect and organize your thoughts about what decisions you may make.

C. i. Flow Chart

Evidence: dead zones exist all over the world where rivers dump into oceans Knowledge: nitrogen fertilizer in rivers can lead to dead zones Decision: Campaign for reduced fertilizer use is needed Reaction: makes me frustrated but I believe we can change this Evidence: studies on limiting resources support that N is the cause of deadzones

Evidence: reading about the losses that Gulf State fisherman have due to choices of homeowners and farmers upstream

C. ii. Cause and Effect

Nitrogen is a limiting factor for algae hypoxic waters caused by changes in trophic levels
N run-off can result in dead zones

Frustrated and saddened Farmers need N but need to change ways Fishermen are losing business

People need to care People can't care unless they know about it and consider their own actions Education Campaign is needed!

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

C. iii. Balance

Pros

Cons

C. iv. FREE-WRITE (this pre-writing tool could be expanded for the essay assignment).
The solution to this problem is to organize an education campaign to convince people to change their behaviors. To achieve this we need a consortium of interested stakeholders to come together to address how nitrogen run-off causes changes in trophic interactions. The education campaign should help stakeholders understand both the environmental and economic consequences of too much nitrogen in river systems. Farmers need to fertilize their crops, but perhaps new recommendations can be made regarding reducing the rates applied, when applications occur, and alternative fertilizers, and strategies to capture run-off fertilizers before they end up in rivers. Its frustrating to see farmers blamed but equally frustrated to see that nobody seems to want to change! Maybe people are unaware of what hypoxia is. When too much nitrogen ends up in rivers, algae populations skyrocket, followed by an increase in bacterial populations that feed on the oxygen produced by the algae. However, the sudden surge of bacteria quickly depletes the water of oxygen, causing invertebrates to die. Scientific studies need to be conducted by agricultural scientists to determine the practicality of alternatives. At the same time, home-owners and business owners should be educated about the impact of fertilizer run-off so that farmers are not considered the only culprits. I believe that environmental scientists need evidence of whether non-farm fertilizers also contribute to dead zones before more blame is cast on hard-working farmers. Those living in Gulf States have most likely seen the economic and environmental damage that dead zones have caused, but they too may be able to change their behaviors to reduce any contribution to dead zones. Most importantly, people will not want to change or care about changing behaviors unless they understand the science behind aquatic hypoxia and unless they care about the consequences (environmental and economic) that it can cause.
9

Balgopal & Wallace_EXAMPLE: How collection of thoughts can help you prepare for writing your essay

1. Return to each of your last Pre-Writing Tool and highlight the big ideas 2. Return to each of your last Pre-Writing Tool and bold your reactions 3. Return to each of your last Pre-Writing Tool and underline dilemmas/tensions and any resolutions to those dilemmas.

D. PERSUASIVE ESSAY:
a. Review the Peer Feedback regarding your final pre-writing tool. Remember to list two bullet points listing how you used (or did not use) the feedback from peers to construct your essay. b. Use your three Pre-writing tools and peer feedback to construct a short essay (~12 pages) about the decisions you will make (i.e. what will you do) regarding fertilizer use and run-off now that you have considered what you know and your personal connections/reactions to the imaginary scenario of communicating with a friend or relative who might be impacted by fertilizer use (as a farmer or as a fisherman).

10