Homework
#1. Models
Homework #2.Data
Homework #3.Correlations
Homework #4.Experiments
The class web site provides examples of good
and bad homeworks for #1, #2, and #3.
1. Typewritten assignments are preferred but not required. If, however, you decide to submit handwritten work, it must be neat and legible.
2. The newspaper or magazine article should be stapled to the assignment (not dog-eared or folded into the assignment).
3. The article should be less than 9 months old.
4. Some assignments require you to quote from the article. Mark all such quotes on the copy of the article you turn in with the assignment, either by putting an X or similar mark in the margin next to the quote, or by highlighting the quote with a colored pen.
5. The completed assignment should be no longer than two pages. Be succinct. Do not add unnecessary wording, especially when quoting from the article. For example, if the question asks for a quote describing a correlation, the quote
"babies sleeping on their stomachs learn to crawl earlier"
is preferred over the longer quote
"A recent study of 1200 babies showed that babies sleeping on their stomach learn to crawl earlier"
because the latter quote contains information not relevant to the question.
Failure to follow any of the above format guidelines may result in points being deducted.
1. Informative articles will receive the most points (all else equal). The selected article should contain sufficient depth. Ideally, the article should contain enough information so that the information requested by the template is specifically mentioned. Do not use really short articles. Tiny newspaper blurbs will not contain enough information to satisfactorily complete an assignment.
A common mistake is to use an article that talks about the consequence of a study but does not go into detail about the study itself. Such articles are difficult to fit into the class formats, because they are too removed from the actual studies.
2. Good sources for articles include the following:
New York Times (click on the SCIENCE section)
The Wall Street Journal
The Austin Chronicle
Time
Newsweek
Discover
Pubmed (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/)
Newscientist.com
MSNhealth
3. Because they often contain brief and incomplete articles, the following are discouraged:
The Austin American-Statesman
Dallas Morning News
The Daily Texan
USA Today
Homework #1. Models
Homework #2.Data
Homework #3.Correlations
Homework #4.Experiments
bio301d@bull.biosci.utexas.edu
Copyright 1996- 2000 Craig M. Pease & James J. Bull. All rights reserved.