Brief lecture summaries for Senior Seminar – Spring 2014

 back to: Kanat's home page or course home page

Click on a week for the lecture summaries:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

F

 

Block the text you want to print, then click: file > print > selection > print.
See the PC Productivity Guide for help with a lot of software and hardware available at JSC.

 

 

---

 

20 - 24 January 2014

One of the challenges that you face this semester is to create a suite of web pages that defends your thesis on an environmental issue of great importance for which long-term data exists. Your topic may not be adapted, modified, cribbed, or copied from a paper or project that you, your friend, or an acquaintance previously developed at JSC. Furthermore, each student must have a unique topic. Another challenge is to create a poster that summarizes your web page. There will be other challenges, including numerous deadlines... look up the American Sign Language sign for the word 'like'.

What are some of the key issues facing us today? See the 'Get Involved' page to learn about current issues in the news, think tanks & public awareness groups, and obtain contact information.

Some topics that could be considered this project include:

• Use and Disposal of Dry Cell Batteries.
• Use of Depleted Uranium in the Military.
• Drug Resistant Bugs.
• GM Foods: Labeling, Seed Sterilization, and Cross Fertilization.
• Nuclear Power.
• The US Position on Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
• Transportation.
• Value of Increased CAFE Standards.
• Energy Efficiency.
• Water Resources in the Middle East.
• Electrical Power Distribution.
• Use of Older Power Plants.
• Logging.
• Fish species on the brink of extinction due to exploitative fishing.
• Others?

Consider the Grand Challenges for Engineering for the 21^st Century as defined by the National Academy of Engineering:

• Make solar energy economical.
• Provide energy from fusion.
• Develop carbon sequestration methods.
• Manage the nitrogen cycle.
• Provide access to clean water.
• Restore and improve urban infrastructure.
• Advance health informatics.
• Engineer better medicines.
• Reverse-engineer the brain.
• Prevent nuclear terror.
• Secure cyberspace.
• Enhance virtual reality.
• Advance personalized learning.
• Engineer the tools of scientific discovery.

The content, style, and professionalism of the web pages to be developed should be similar to a properly researched, well-referenced, excellent term paper. Be sure to follow all writing, referencing, and figure labeling guidelines for this course. Each person must find an environmental problem for which long-term data is available. Each person will select one problem and develop an Internet site that:

• Defines a problem and states a thesis;
• presents the data;
• presents the President Obama's policy;
• presents evidence and interpretations that both supports and refutes the thesis;
• provides a lot of data;
• provides appropriate and adequate reference material;
• provides form letters and addresses; and
• provides links to appropriate Internet sites.

Some of the features of each web site will include:

• Use of HTML page titles.
• Use of HTML tables.
• Use of CSS (cascading style sheets).
• Use of thumbnails and larger pictures (use Photoshop).
• Development of your own graphs and figures (use Excel and Illustrator).
• Links to other web sites.
• References and figures must be hyperlinked to the reference page; all Internet references on the reference page must be hyperlinked to the source.
• The format of the site must follow a structure similar to the one presented in Figure 1.

Very simple web pages can be developed with little HTML code. Notepad can be used to edit the HTML (hypertext markup language) code however, we will be using FrontPage to build the web pages. JavaScript applets will also be incorporated in some of the pages.

See the basic page example, and be sure to figure out how to view the source code.

All web pages will initially reside on the JSC server in the following location U:\ENV4730S14\lastName. Each student will have his or her own folder designated by their last name. Keep only those files that are related to your web page in this folder above. Please make ample backup copies of your files to your thumb drive.

Some important notes about web design:

• Your home page must be saved with the following name: default.htm
• A template for your default.htm file for your home page may be found here; the linked file must be renamed from myDefault.htm to default.htm.
• A template for the CSS file may be found here.
• Right-click on each of the two links above and save the files to your folder on U:\ENV4730S14\lastName.
• Never use spaces in filenames.

See the Web Design Links page and learn how to write HTML code. I will assist you in the development of the code, but you must take the initiative.

We will be using CSS (cascading style sheet) coding with HTML so avoid formatting text in the html files.

Assignment (due 23 Jan 2014): Email [1 point]

Send a properly written email that describes your research project.

 

Assignment (due 28 Jan 2014): References and Word [3 points]

Please develop a two-section document that addresses your research topic and has the following properties:

• Appropriate and informative title page (Section 1; no footer)
• Body of text with appropriate subheadings (start in Section 2; use an appropriate footer)
• References (force new page; yet use the same as footer Section 2)
• The document must have at least two properly cited and referenced statements � be sure to follow the referencing guidelines.
• Send me a proper email with the attached document.
• Print and staple the document; submit it at the start of class.

27 -31 January 2014

Introduction to FrontPage, linking files, formatting, and file properties.

Continue to build your web site and show me something new on Thursday.

Assignment (due 4 Feb 2014): Expansion of the document [6 points]

Please build on the work submitted on 28 Jan 2014:

• Use subheadings � create subheadings for content areas that will eventually have text.
• Include a thesis statement.
• Use at least four properly cited references.
• Include at least two properly cited images using the following format for the figure caption: Figure X. Title (Author, year)
• Send me a proper email with the attached document.

3 - 7 February 2014

For HTML, add hanging indents by adding the following script in front of each reference (be sure to do this in the code):

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -.5in; line-height: normal; margin-left: .5in">

Learn keyboard shortcuts in order to increase productivity: ^a, ^c, ^v, ^x, ^f, ^h, ^s, ^n, ^o, alt-tab, windows-tab, and alt-F4.

For Word, to group a figure (or figures) with a caption:

1. Select a figure, then right-click > wrap text > tight.
2. Create a text box: insert > text box > simple (be sure text box is the same width as the figure).
3. Edit the text, center text, and remove border.
4. Right-click on text box > wrap text > tight.
5. Group figure and text: click on the figure, then shift-click the text box.
6. Click "group" to make it one object.
7. Right-click on the group > wrap text > tight.
   
    

Assignment (due 11 Feb 2014): Expansion of the web page [5 points]

Please build on the web pages already started; bring in the information from the Word document (including text, figures, and references).

Be sure to have an informative and relatively short title – this will be the title posed on the student page.

 

10 - 14 February 2014

Assignment (due 13 Feb 2014): Anchors [5 points]

Create three unique anchors (from citations in text or figure captions) and link them to appropriately formatted references in the reference list.

See the PC Productivity Guide for help on this topic.

Try BlueGriffon or Microsoft Expression to edit HTML files.

Assignment (due 20 Feb 2014): Anchors again [10 points]

• Clear thesis
• Sections (words are clear, professional, informative, relevant and impressive)
• All links function.
• Upload the files.
• CSS only − therefore, not <font> codes in HTML files.
   

17 - 21 February 2014

Assignment (due 6 Mar 2014): Resume and List of References [15 points]

• Create a letterhead that will be used for your resume, list of references, and cover letter.
• Footers for the resume:
  page 1: no footers
  all but the last page: last name on the left side and page number on the right side of the footer
  last page: in addition to what's above, include the date the resume was completed
• Choose appropriate subheadings and few font decorations.
• Align everything with tabs (avoid spaces) – right align dates.
• Use past tense when describing your history.
   
• Create a resume and send me a copy (as a .docx file).
• Print your resume and reference list and submit both documents in class.
• Print the resume to a .pdf file and link it to your web site.

24 - 28 February 2014

Winter Break – please be careful.

3 - 7 March 2014

Assignment (due 13 Mar 2014): Long-term data [20 points]

• Acquire and use appropriate long-term data that supports the thesis of your web page.
• Place a well-written thesis on the title page (default.htm).
• Refer the reader to the figures and discuss the figures.
• Use ^superscripts and _subscripts as appropriate.

JSC was closed on 13 Mar 2014 – please submit the assignment on 18 Mar 2014.

NOTE for all assignments:

• Assume continuous improvement of existing materials.

• Loss of two points for a variety of errors – see spreadsheet below.

Check your typing speed at http://typing-speed-test.aoeu.eu/.

10 - 14 March 2014

The references in one's reference list should have the following format:

Full name, title
   street address
   city, state zip
   phone number
   email
   web site
   relationship

Assignment (due 20 Mar 2014): Resume and List of References [25 points]

• Finalize your resume and list of references.
• Print your resume and reference list and submit both documents in class.
• Print the resume to a .pdf file and link it to your web site.
• Send copies of your resume and list of references to Beth Walsh (cc Kanat on the email).

17 - 21 March 2014

Assignment (due 3 Apr 2014): Video [10 points]

• Prepare a 15-second spot that introduces your web site; be ready to be recorded on video.

PLEASE, continue to build your web site. Do a LOT of research. Make your website informative.

24 - 28 March 2014

Individual discussions about web site.

Met with Beth Walsh regarding resumes.

31 March - 4 April 2014

All PowerPoint presentations will follow the assertion-evidence format. Carefully review the following two sites about the design of PowerPoint slides:

• A video by Michael Alley regarding PowerPoint presentations.
• A web site by Michael Alley entitled "Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides: The Assertion-Evidence Structure".

Assignment (due 17 Apr 2014): First PowerPoint presentation [20 points]