A Guide to the
Geology 113 Portfolio Project

This document outlines the expectations and criteria for the portfolio project. The length of the document reflects the complexity of the project, its importance as a learning experience for future teachers of science, and the contribution that the project makes to your course grade (20%). Read it, work to understand it, and seek clarification.

  1. What is the basic problem we are being asked to solve for the portfolio project?

  2. What is the difference between the portfolio, the report, and the presentation?

  3. What should our report look like?

  4. How do we construct valid scientific arguments in our report?

  5. How do we prepare and give an effective group presentation?

  6. What if one member of our team does not contribute his or her fair share to the project?

  7. How do I get on the World Wide Web to search for information?

  8. What do you mean by "web sites" and URL's?

  9. We can't find any information on volcanoes in Delaware on the Web!!

  10. Why do group presentations in the laboratory? Won't that get boring?
  1. Will you tell us what labs and web sites are relevant for our report and presentation (i.e., arguments and explanations)?

  2. What do we have to do to earn a high grade on the report and the presentation?

  3. Are we limited to web sites and lab exercises to construct arguments?

  4. Can we ask scientists at the Delaware Geological Survey about this project?

  5. What were some common problem you saw in previous reports?

  6. We are not covering hurricanes in class until the end of April. Should our team start investigating hurricanes on the web now?

  7. I am going to teach elementary students. Why would a portfolio project like this be useful to me?

  8. How do I cite Internet sources?

Geology 113 Home Page