How large is the park? What types of wildlife are found there? What kind of recreation is present? Have you ever visited in person? What are the ecological advantages of the park? What are the economic advantages of the park?

Assignment Question

Overview: This week, we will understand our impact on National Parks and what we should be doing to preserve them. National parks can be a controversial topic, so make sure that you keep your post and your replies respectful! National Parks can be defined as an entity that: “preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world” (NPS, 2018). We all have probably enjoyed a National Park, and if you would like more information, take time to look around: https://www.nationalparks.org/ Instructions: There are two required elements to every weekly discussion: Main Post (See Requirements section below for details) Weeks 2-8 (due by Wednesday) Reply Posts (See Requirements section below for details) Weeks 1- 8 (due by Sunday) Reply to a minimum of two classmates’ main posts Monitor your main post and reply to those who commented within the active discussion week Participate throughout the week (on more than one day)

Evaluation: Refer to the STEM Discussion Grading Rubric for a detailed breakdown of the grading criteria requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements noted above will not result in a score of 100. To understand how to maximize your overall Discussion grade, I suggest you refer to the “Exemplary” criterion column in the grading rubric to learn more about what is expected. NOTE: All listed requirements in a given criterion box must be met to achieve that criterion score. Contact me should you have any questions. Late posts: Main and reply posts submitted after the scheduled due dates may be assessed a penalty according to the late policy in the syllabus. Main Post Requirements: Find a National Park (not a State Park): https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm Choose a national park in the state where you reside, or one that you have visited or are interested in visiting, whether in your state or not. If you are deployed, you can choose a national park in the country where you currently find yourself or one in the U.S. There are a lot of national parks, so make sure you select one that is different from your classmates and use it in the title of your post. You will not receive credit for a park already chosen or for a state park. Choose only ONE national park to discuss. Recall that this is a biology class; therefore, please select a park that allows you to discuss the wildlife (plants and animals) and ecological and economic advantages as your priority. National monument parks do not have sufficient information.

Discuss: How large is the park? What types of wildlife are found there? What kind of recreation is present? Have you ever visited in person? What are the ecological advantages of the park? What are the economic advantages of the park?

Reply Posts Requirements: Replies should be focused on the week’s topic and biology. They should be substantive* and demonstrate understanding to be eligible for maximum credit. Respectful and professional discussion is expected. *”Substantive” means comments that contribute something new and relevant to the discussion. Thus, a reply that simply conveys agreement or reiterates the original poster’s thoughts is not substantive. Rather, a best-practice reply: contributes a new idea or perspective asks good follow-up questions to points made provides examples or illustrations of a key point points out inconsistencies in an argument shares a new and relevant resource to further the discussion Additional Resources: Wida, E.C. (2018, Mar. 30). Unhappy campers continue to protest Yosemite National Park’s first Starbucks. Today Online.

Retrieved from https://www.today.com/food/starbucks-opens-first-national-park-despite-backlash-t126209 National Park Service. (2018). About Us. https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm

Attribution Requirements and Academic Honesty: It is expected that most discussion topics will require the use of course materials or other outside sources. Those must be properly attributed so that the reader understands the source of the information (e.g., source URL). Cutting-and-pasting text from any source is unacceptable unless properly displayed as an attributed direct quote; however, the use of direct quotes should be very limited (less than 10%). It is expected that the bulk of any post will be in your own words (paraphrase). Review the sections on Academic Integrity in the Student Handbook, as you are required to comply with the standards described therein.