Assignment Instructions

Assignment 2: The Outline Objective:  Organize your thoughts and the main points of your research for your final presentation Assignment Instructions:  To help you complete Assignment 3: The Presentation, you will first submit an outline to organize your thoughts and main points. Your outline should be formatted a specific way and must contain the following elements as described below.  To prepare for this assignment, I recommend that you do the following:

• Read these directions carefully.
• Review the sample outline. 
• Read the grading criteria.  The grading criteria is a detailed evaluation that I will use to assess your performance.  It also will help you understand what is expected of you as you prepare your assignment.
• Message me with any questions!

Be sure to add your name and course number to your outline.The outline format:  Your outline must be formatted as described and exemplified in the example attached.  Please note that this format will be assessed in your grade:

• Use an alphanumeric sequence 
• Sections should be indented and aligned
• Follow the suggested order of the required elements
• Use brief but detailed and descriptive phrases.  

The required elements: Depending on the type of organism you have chosen you will address different sets of questions.  Please see the category that responds to your selection. Your outline should contain the following elements in this order, and please note that some of these should be your personal observations. Also remember that your presentation (Assignment #3) should only be 10-15 slides, so you need to be concise and clear with your information.

PLANTS/FUNGI:

I. The Introduction Section
A. Organism Introduction

1. The common and scientific name of your organism. Please see this link to help with scientific names if needed: How To Write Scientific Names
2. Where you observed your organism (country, state, park, zoo, etc.)
3. A brief discussion on why you chose your organism
4. If possible, a picture and/or video of you safely observing your species in the field. If not possible, search the Internet for an image (and remember to cite your source for the image) in a typical habitat.

II. The Body

A. Physical Description

1. You must include a brief physical description. You can use your personal observations. If you cannot safely observe your organism, you must research.

a. Size, Coloring, Leaf arrangement, flower color, etc.

B. Life Cycle and Reproduction

1. Life Cycle: describe the life cycle of your organism.  The life cycle refers to the series of changes that happens from the beginning of life as your organism develops and grows into a mature organism.  Please see here for some hints on the Life Cycle. Plants can be a bit more complicated, so if you have any questions please feel free to ask!

2. Reproduction: You must discuss the reproductive strategies of your organism. Are there any specific structure or cells involved in reproduction? Are the flowers specialized?

C. Structure and Function

1. Please select one organ system of your organism that you find to be particularly interesting and describe both the anatomy and physiology of that system.

2. If your organism is a plant, here are a list of the general plant organ systems

3. If you have selected a fungus the concept can be more complex.  Please contact me directly for more help if needed.

D. Energy Ecology

1. If you can observe these, that is best. If not, research.

2. How does your plant harvest the energy from the sun? How does it store the energy?

E. Habitat

1. Where your organism lives. This does not refer to a city or state, but rather the natural environment in which your organism lives. 

2. You should consider abiotic factors, such as soil, water, etc., as well as biotic factors, such as predators, hosts, etc.

III. The Conclusion Section
A. This section should contain four to six points that sum up the main points from the body of the outline.
B. Start your conclusive section with one sentence summarizing some basic information about your chosen organism (name and geographical distribution).
C. Continue with a brief summary (1-2 sentences) about the life cycle and any particular body structures.
D. Include a brief summary (1-2 sentences) about the ecological role of your chosen organism in its ecosystem.
E. Wrap up the conclusive section with a closing note that provides brief information about a unique fact and/or behavior of your chosen organism.

IV. The Reference Section:  

A. This is not just the reference page; rather, referencing should occur throughout the outline as it will in your presentation.  Therefore, your outline should include both a separate reference page containing a minimum of five sources listed in proper APA reference list format AND internal citations throughout the outline where appropriate.  Please be sure to see the resources below for assistance regarding in-text citations and reference list formatting, and/or ask me if you have any additional questions.