public service announcement and book summary

PART 1

Overview

For this project, you will have the opportunity to apply what you are learning in this class, and dig deeper into a topic that you are especially interested in.

Make a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about a physical geography hazard such as earthquakes, flooding, fires or responding to or adapting to climate change. This can take the form of a video, an animation, or a poster with an infographic. Your PSA can use natural hazards or events in any part of the world. It has to be contemporary – meaning something that has occurred within the last 5 years.

Requirements

Due March 8

• The product: an infographic o. If it is an infographic it must be large enough to easily read on my computer. If the print is so small I can’t read it I cannot give you a grade.
• Citations: The project needs to have three cited sources (one of which may be our Hess textbook). Use MLA formatting (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the citation. Include the citations both in the project (either as credits on the video or on your infographic) as well as in your summary.
• Summary: In addition to the infographic you need to write up a one page summary of the information in your presentation. A second page will be a reflection about doing the project, how you felt about it, whether you would be interested in sharing it on social media or some other public forum, and how the project and sharing with your classmates has affected your feelings about taking a leadership role in your community.
• Maps: Your infographic presentation must include at least two maps.
• Share: You need to share your project (only infographic, not the summary) with your classmates in a Discussion window. I will open a window for this purpose. You will also upload the assignment to Assignments.

Resources

Here are some good resources to start thinking about potential topics:

• Ready.govLinks to an external site.: Information on what to do before, during, and after a disaster or hazard.
• CDC Natural Disasters and Severe Weather Links to an external site. Many tips and useful details on how to prepare and survive natural disasters from the Center for Disease Control
• Cal-adapt.orgLinks to an external site.: Information on how climate change will affect California and tools to help us adapt.
• CalclimLinks to an external site.: The California Climate Data Archive with lots of data and maps of California documenting temperature and precipitation on a weekly or monthly basis.
• Association of Bay Area Governments Resilience ProgramLinks to an external site.: A map viewer focusing on hazards in the Bay Area.
• NOAA Natural Hazards ViewerLinks to an external site.: Create maps of tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquakes around the world.
• Land Remote Sensing Image Collections (USGS)Links to an external site.: Track changes to the surface of the earth using satellite images
• ChangeMatters Viewer (ESRI)Links to an external site.: See change in vegetation between two different dates anywhere in the world.
• Audubon’s Birds and Climate Change ReportLinks to an external site.: Information and maps showing how the range of many species of North American birds is being affected by climate change.

Things to consider

To build an engaging and thoughtful original PSA, you need to be really interested in the topic/area. If you care about it, it will show through in your project. What has really sparked your interest in this class? What did you want to learn more about? Consider our book club readings, as well as the different topics that you have learned about in lectures. Is there a current event related to a topic in class that really interests you?

Tools to build your project

Here are some good online tools that can help you complete your project (Note: for most of these sites, you will need to create a free account):

• Google EarthLinks to an external site.: The world in your hands!
• ArcGIS Storymaps (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.: Make your maps tell a unified story. Use your ArcGIS Online maps!
• Screencast-o-maticLinks to an external site. and Screencastify.comLinks to an external site.: A good way to record what’s on your screen
• Powtoon.com Links to an external site. and Mysimpleshow.comLinks to an external site.: Create your own animations
• Story MapsLinks to an external site.: Tell a story through maps, text and multimedia
• Prezi.comLinks to an external site.: Create dynamic presentations
• PiktochartLinks to an external site.: Make an infographic

Sample projects to inspire you

• Take Action: Tools to Understand and Prepare for Extreme HeatLinks to an external site.
• A Sky Without StarsLinks to an external site.
• Western Wildfires and Climate Change InfographicLinks to an external site.
• Sea Level Rise and Global Warming InfographicLinks to an external site.
• Natural Hazards Google Earth Field Trip (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Loading media…Minimize embedded content

What to turn in

March 8 (85 points)

• The product (PDF ): either an infographic or with citations (minimum of 3) and a minimum of 2 maps.
• Summary (PDF or Word format): In addition to the infographic you need to write up a one page summary of the information in your presentation. A second page will be a reflection about doing the project, how you felt about it, whether you would be interested in sharing it on social media or some other public forum, and how the project and sharing with your classmates has affected your feelings about taking a leadership role in your community.
• Share: You need to share your project ( infographic, not the summary) with your classmates in a Discussion window. I will open a window for this purpose. You will also upload the full assignment to Assignments.

PART 2