Group projects will produce two "products": a 30-40 minute classroom presentation and a web display
that will serve as a set of notes for the entire class to use in preparing for the final exam. Both
will be built around a set of not more than 15 "pages" that will take the form of viewgraphs in the
classroom presentation and screen images on the Web.

The "pages" should be supplemented by text, as needed, to explain what's in the images that contain
graphics. Working groups have assigned in an attempt to distribute, as evenly as possible the
scientific, presentation, and computer expertise, that resides within the class. Groups have the
option of dividing into subgroups A1, A2, B1, B2....(as explained below) and they are free to divide
the various responsibilities among their members as they wish. For example, one group might decide to
have some of its members give the classroom presentation while the others take responsibility for the
web presentation, while another group might divide the work between information gathering, text
writing, and presenting. It is up to each group to find out where its skills lie and to organize in a
way that makes best use of them. In rating the presentations, the primary consideration is
educational value. All members of a group, regardless of how they participate, will receive the same
base grade for the project, but some adjustments may be applied to take into account the differences
in individual contributions to the group effort. Each class member will rate each presentation except
the one for his/her own group. The instructors will take these ratings into account in assigning
grades to the project. Students will be able to ascertain the ratings of their own projects.
 

Individual papers will deal with the same topic areas as the group projects and they may overlap with
the group projects to some degree. They should identify and expand upon the student's contribution to
the group project. They should be at least 1000 words in length (equivalent to 4 double spaced
typewritten pages). [Students taking ATMS 211 as a writing course will be required to submit a
10-page (2500 wd) paper which they will have the opportunity to edit in response to suggestions from
the instructors.] Supplementary tables or figures are encouraged and datasets, references, and other
sources of information used in the paper should be listed in sufficient detail at the end so that an
interested reader will know how to locate them. It should be clear from reading the paper what piece
of information came from what source.

Please be really careful about your referencing. If you copy any exact wording from one of your
sources, you must cite the source in your text. If you fail to do so, you run the risk of being
accused of plagiarism. Even if you're paraphrasing in your own words something that is clearly one
scientist's idea or opinion, you must mention the source. But much of what you write in your papers
will hopefully represent your own synthesis of what you've learned in your own reading and through
talking with other members of your group. It will represent not just the opinion of one scientist but
the prevailing views of the scientific community. This kind of writing does not (at least for this
course) require extensive referencing within the text, but you still must include a list of
references at the end of your paper.

Content and format of the group project: All group projects should have a descriptive title and
should start with an introductory slide or web screen image defining what is interesting about the
time frame that the group has been assigned. It might also place the assigned time frame in context
by relating it to the climate phenomena in the neighboring scales or to the other presentation that
deals with the same time scale. The introductory slide should be followed by a sequence of pages
developing the topic. The final slide should summarize the major conclusions of the group project.
The total number of pages is limited to 15.

Topics for individual papers: The individual paper must be related in some way to the group project.
It could provide a more thorough written explanation of the ideas expressed in the group presentation
or it might cover aspects of the climate or climate variability during the assigned time frame that
were not reported on in the group project. If you want to check on whether the topic you're
considering is appropriate, or if you need help in choosing a topic, feel free to contact the
instructor or TA. The paper should start with a paragraph or two summarizing the highlights of the
group project in the student's own words and defining his/her role in it. Then the objective of your
paper should be defined, with perhaps a few words of motivation. From here the paper could go in a
number of different directions, depending on just how you intend to expand upon the group project.
 

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

Group A - Overview of history of Earth.
Asteroid and meteor bombardment, evolution of atmosphere and life, continental drift. Might also
consider the question of whether the earth may be unique (or nearly unique) as a habitable planet.

Group B - Past 100 million years.
Recent stages of continental drift. K-T mass extinction; cooling of earth, formation of Himalayas,
Rockies and the influence on climate.

Group C - Past million years.
Alternating glacial and interglacial epochs of the Quaternary period. Extent of continental ice sheets,
impact on sea-level. Temperature and rainfall in ice free parts of the earth. Carbon dioxide, dust,
sulfate aerosols. Effects on land forms

Group D - Past 20,000 years.
Emergence from the most recent ice sheets. Withdrawal of the ice sheets. Effects on land forms.
The Younger Dryas Period. The Bond Cycle.

Group E - Past 2,000 years.
Climates of the Roman period; the 'Dark Ages', the Medieval Warm Period; the 'Little Ice Age';
the 'Dust Bowl'. Does NOT include greenhouse warming and the 'ozone hole'.

Group X Evidence of past climates and conditions on earth on time scales (A, B, C, D, E)
Geological formations, sediments, fossils, tree rings, varves, pollens, corals, ice cores... Instructor can
provide an overview for getting started.

Group Y Impact on climate on human history.
Coordinate with Groups D and E. A good starting point: Jared Diamonds's book "Guns, Germs and Steel"
 

GETTING STARTED:

Your text has a lot of relevant information scattered throughout the various chapters, especially 8
(group A, B), 11 (Group C, D) and 12 (Group E).
A good review article: http://www.gcrio.org/CONSEQUENCES/winter96/geoclimate.html

NOAA Paleoclimate home page: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/

W.S. Broecker and G.H. Denton: What Drives Glacial Cycles? Scientific American, January 1990.

J. Imbrie and K.O. Imbrie: Ice Ages: Solving the Mystery. Harvard University Press. 1986.

W.S. Broecker: The Ocean. Scientific American, September 1983.

W.S. Broecker: The Great Ocean Conveyor. Oceanography, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1991.

Ice age climate reconstructions http://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/nerc.html

Reference list for ice age climate http://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/refs.html

Global Climates Since the Last Glacial Maximum. ed.s; Wright H.E. Jr., Kutzbach J.E., Webb T. III,
Ruddiman W.F., Street-Perrott F.A. & Bartlein P.J.: University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.

Soffer O. & Gamble G.: The World at 18,000 BP. (1990) Unwin Hyman, London.

Crowley T.J. & North G.R. (1991). Palaeoclimatology. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Denton G.H. & Hughes T.J. (Ed.s) (1981). The last great ice sheets. Wiley-Interscience.

Kasting, J.F., O.B. Toon, and J.B. Pollack, 1988: "How Climate Evolved on the Terrestrial Planets."
Scientific American, p. 90-97.

Dyson, Freeman, 1992: "Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere and Biosphere." This is chapter 12 of Dyson's
book, From Eros to Gaia. Pantheon Books, New York

previous class projects: http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~uli/project2/travis.htm

GETTING HELP: The instructors can offer suggested readings or web sites or experts who can be
contacted for more detailed information.