Jacqueline Scallan

Binghamton High School

Binghamton, New York

Introduction

53% of the US population (153 million people) currently lives in the coastal zone. Evidence from the past and the present shows that sea level is rising, with some studies predicting a 20 inch (51cm) rise and the flooding of 13,000 square miles of land by the year 2100. The effects of this rise in sea level include beach erosion, flooding of low lying land, movement of salt water up into rivers and change in the ecosystems along the coast

President Bush has put together a blue-ribbon panel to give him and the Congress advice on preparing for the predicted rise in sea-level. Scientists and policy makers from all over the US will be contributing and you have been chosen as the Earth Scientist representative.

Task

Your task is to present your recommendations on preparing for the effects of sea level rise. You will write a 3-4 page long paper that is 1.5 times spaced and grammatically correct. Your paper should include the steps in the PPA process (outlined below). You must include a list of the references you use, which will not be counted as one of the pages.

The guidelines to be used for evaluating you paper are listed under the Evaluation section of this web page.

Process

The President has requested that you follow the steps in the PPA process and present them in your paper. The parts of the process are:

1. Define the problem (Worksheet 1)

2. Gather evidence (Worksheet 2)

3. Identify causes (Worksheet 3)

4. Evaluate a policy (Worksheet 4)

5. Develop solutions (Worksheet 5)

6. Select best solution (Worksheet 6)

You should have each of these headings in your paper.

Complete the worksheets that make up the PPA Process. To do this you should print out the worksheet and then go to the websites listed under the Resources section to find what you need to complete the worksheet.

Resources

To complete the worksheets and write your paper you should use the web sites listed below. You may also use any other websites you find or information from class readings etc., but you must make sure to reference them.

Floodsmart

FEMA

EPA

Google

British Antarctic Survey

Environment Agency

· How much is sea level rising?

· Effects of sea level rise

· Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet

· Costs of holding back the sea

· Effects around the US

· Different causes of sea level rise

· Federal Insurance Management Agency policy

Evaluation

	Excellent 3	Good 2	Fair 1	Unacceptable 0	Score
Research	You did extensive research from the recommended and other sites.	You did research primarily from the recommended sites.	You did a minimal amount of research from sites.	No or very little research was done.
Citations	At least five citations were made from your researched sources including ones you found.	At least three citations were made from your researched sources including ones you found.	At least two citations were made from your researched sources including ones you found.	No citations were made from your researched sources including ones you found.
Arguments	You made very convincing arguments for the policies that you have recommended	You made convincing arguments for the policies that you have recommended	You made few convincing arguments for the policies that you have recommended	You made unconvincing arguments for the policies that you have recommended
Grammar/Style	There were no significant grammar or style errors.	There were few significant grammar or style errors.	There were many significant grammar or style errors.	There were very many significant grammar or style errors.

Conclusion

When you are finished your paper you should be able to describe the causes and effects of sea level rise in the

United States. You should always be able to discuss the current policies (or lack of policies) to deal with this problem and give some suggestions as to how to prepare for sea level rise.

Math Science and Technology Standards

Standard 4 - Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Standard 5 - Technology

Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

Standard 6 - Interconnectedness: Common Themes

Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.

Standard 7 - Interdisciplinary Problem Solving

Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.