CURRENT EVENTS PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES

A Portfolio is a purposeful collection of papers, work, and prints, usually unbound. Your current events portfolio could include newspaper clippings, current magazine and journal articles relating to chemistry and class topics. All articles must include the date and publication reference, and must be published on or after the first day of the semester. You may use photocopies of these articles, (especially when using library materials).  Please use a binder or folder (no larger than 9" by 12 "), so that pages won't fall out and to make them easier to handle, review, and carry. A minimum of fifteen articles are required for a "C" grade; 20 articles for "B" grade; and 25 articles for an "A" grade.  To develop an appreciation for the diversity of scientific writing, you must include a minimum of 3 articles form the Internet, and 3 articles from research journals. Please do not include class notes, advanced organizers, or lab reports.

Part of the learning experience of a portfolio is deciding, and evaluating what things to include, as well as seeing how chemistry fits into a scientific and technological world. To complete this learning process, it is important for you evaluate your own portfolio. You should write an analysis for each article, that includes the validity (is it fact, fiction, or fantasy?) of the article and its impact on science and/or society.

For the midterm and end of the semester, you will write a summary of your portfolio. Please review your work and address the following questions in your summary. Place the summary as the first page of your portfolio.

· Which article did you consider to be the most valuable? Why did you select it? What impact will it have on science and society?

· What do you consider to be the best aspect of your portfolio (organization, cover, design, etc.)? How valuable would you consider this process?

· What score (scale: 1 - 10 with 10 the highest) would you put on your portfolio and why does your portfolio deserve this score?

 Portfolios will be evaluated on quality of the articles (primary sources are weighted higher than review articles or condensed reports), number of articles, completeness of the citation references, apparent effort, and overall organization and appearance. You should be prepared to present and defend your Portfolio summary to your colleagues in the class for the midterm.