Intro to Geography Essay
Date: January 2018 – May 2018
Competencies: Information Literacy lv. 1,2,3&4, Information Synthesis lv. 1,2&3
Competencies: Information Literacy lv. 1,2,3&4, Information Synthesis lv. 1,2&3
Summary
During the spring of my freshman year, I took an Intro to Geography class as part of my general education requirements. We covered both physical and cultural geography, and during the semester I had two big projects. For my second project, I had to do research on a geographical area of my choosing, as a way to share the information we had learned about the subject of geography throughout the semester. As a certified scuba diver, I decided to do my research project on systematic destruction of the Great Barrier Reef, located right off of Queensland, Australia. I had a lot of fun researching and writing a paper for a topic of my choosing, since I had a little more creative freedom than I usually would get.
During the spring of my freshman year, I took an Intro to Geography class as part of my general education requirements. We covered both physical and cultural geography, and during the semester I had two big projects. For my second project, I had to do research on a geographical area of my choosing, as a way to share the information we had learned about the subject of geography throughout the semester. As a certified scuba diver, I decided to do my research project on systematic destruction of the Great Barrier Reef, located right off of Queensland, Australia. I had a lot of fun researching and writing a paper for a topic of my choosing, since I had a little more creative freedom than I usually would get.
Reflection
When I began researching information for my topic, I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information I found for it. I began by looking at articles and studies on the library’s digital archives and started pulling quotes and sections from the articles that were both useful to my topic (Literacy lv. 1) and from well-reviewed and respected sources (Literacy lv. 2). Once I finished my initial literature search, I began writing the body of my essay. As I incorporated others’ information in with my own writing, I had to remain cognizant of answering the question “does it add value?” (Literacy lv. 3). I learned that, though all the information I gathered agreed on the conclusion that the Great Barrier Reef was being destroyed, they came to different conclusions on how or why it was happening. I had to discern which articles best suited my research and purpose without using the information out of context (Synthesis lv. 1&2). I also was able to learn, by looking at the essay as one big narrative, that I needed my essay to agree and create one cohesive argument, not a bunch of little arguments segmented by paragraph breaks (Synthesis lv. 3). After I submitted my final paper, I was proud of the way my time and effort had turned into a well-formulated and articulated look at a beautiful place that I still hope to visit one day (Literacy lv. 4).
As we are bombarded daily with more and more information of increasingly lower value, it is so important to be able to discern what is quality and what is not. I will continue to use and grow my ability to discern and synthesize information in both my career and daily life in this increasingly connected world.
When I began researching information for my topic, I was initially overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information I found for it. I began by looking at articles and studies on the library’s digital archives and started pulling quotes and sections from the articles that were both useful to my topic (Literacy lv. 1) and from well-reviewed and respected sources (Literacy lv. 2). Once I finished my initial literature search, I began writing the body of my essay. As I incorporated others’ information in with my own writing, I had to remain cognizant of answering the question “does it add value?” (Literacy lv. 3). I learned that, though all the information I gathered agreed on the conclusion that the Great Barrier Reef was being destroyed, they came to different conclusions on how or why it was happening. I had to discern which articles best suited my research and purpose without using the information out of context (Synthesis lv. 1&2). I also was able to learn, by looking at the essay as one big narrative, that I needed my essay to agree and create one cohesive argument, not a bunch of little arguments segmented by paragraph breaks (Synthesis lv. 3). After I submitted my final paper, I was proud of the way my time and effort had turned into a well-formulated and articulated look at a beautiful place that I still hope to visit one day (Literacy lv. 4).
As we are bombarded daily with more and more information of increasingly lower value, it is so important to be able to discern what is quality and what is not. I will continue to use and grow my ability to discern and synthesize information in both my career and daily life in this increasingly connected world.
Artifact
Attached is the research project essay I completed for my Intro to Geography class.
Attached is the research project essay I completed for my Intro to Geography class.