See Attached
Overview
Students will research and prepare a paper and design and deliver a presentation on the USDA Mission Area of Farm Production and Conservation
https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/mission-areas
Objectives
The objectives of the presentation assignment are to:
· Summarize the history of the issue
· Identify future work related to the mission area
· Detail why this topic is a USDA Mission Area
· Describe why you selected the mission area
· Use a rubric
· Evaluate the quality of a peer’s presentation
Time
The approximate time to complete the assignment is 2-3 hours.
Instructions
· In groups, prepare a paper and Power Point presentation on the current USDA Mission Areas. The mission areas can be found https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/about-usda/mission-areas
· Formatting and Structure of the paper are given below.
· Scoring and Rubric information for all components of the assignment are provided below.
· The Power point presentation should be 5-8 minutes in length and will be presented during in-person lecture. It should summarize the information provided in the paper.
· Complete the Group Assessment form.
· Only one student in each group needs to submit the paper and presentation slides. All students should submit the Group Assessment form.
·
Paper Formatting
Your report should be at least 4 pages of text double-spaced using Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri in 12 pt font (excluding abstract, title, and references pages). Use APA formatting
Paper Structure
Your document should have the following structure:
· Cover page providing an appropriate title, your name, date, course title, and course section number.
· Abstract that succinctly summarizes the paper.
· Introduction that describes the purpose of the paper.
· Section summarizing the history of the USDA Mission Area.
· Section describing why the specific topic is a USDA Mission Area and its importance.
· Section identifying future work related to the USDA Mission Area.
· Section describing why you selected this specific USDA Mission Area.
· Conclusion summarizing the USDA Mission Area discussion.
· Reference section citing at least 3 references
RUBRIC
CRITERIA / SCALE Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Needs Improvement Inadequate
Structure (20% of grade)
• Organization
• Flow of thought
• Transitions
• Format
• Paper is logically
organized
• Easily followed
• Effective, smooth, and
logical transitions
• Professional format
• Paper has a clear
organizational structure
with some digressions,
ambiguities or
irrelevances
• Easily followed
• Basic transitions
• Structured format
• There is some level of
organization though
digressions, ambiguities,
irrelevances are too many
• Difficult to follow
• Ineffective transitions
• Rambling format
• There is no apparent
organization to the paper.
• Difficult to follow
• No or poor transitions
• No format
Grammar/mechanics
(20% of grade)
• sentence structure
• punctuation/mechanics
• Manipulates complex
sentences for effect/impact
• No punctuation or
mechanical errors
• Uses complex sentences
• Few punctuation or
mechanical errors
• Uses compound sentences
• Too many punctuation
and/or mechanical errors
• Uses simple sentences
Language (20% of grade)
• Vocabulary; use of
ularyvocab
• Tone
• ates
•
iate
• ect
ocabulary
•
y appropriate to
audience
• bject
ocabulary
•
of audience
sensitivity
•
vocabulary too sparingly
• Vocabulary is
sophisticated and correct
as are sentences which
vary in structure and
length
Uses and manipul
subject specific
vocabulary for effect
Writer’s tone is clear,
consistent and appropr
for intended audience
• Vocabulary is varied,
specific and appropriate
Frequently uses subj
specific v
correctly
Writer’s tone emerges and
is generall
• Vocabulary is used
properly though sentences
may be simple
Infrequently uses su
specific v
correctly
Writer’s tone exhibits
some level
• Vocabulary is
unsophisticated, not used
properly in very simple
sentences.
Uses subject specific
Content/information
(40% of grade)
•
of
•
ght
•
while focus remains tight
• of
t throughout the
•
•
g examples and
evidence
•
tained throughout the
• al,
• ples
ence, though
general
• of
pressed
•
or
•
they are mostly irrelevant
•
•
Clarity of purpose
Critical and
original thought
Use of examples•
Central idea is well
developed and clarity
purpose is exhibited
throughout the paper
Abundance of evidence of
critical, careful thought
and analysis and/or insi
Evidence and examples
are vivid and specific,
Central idea and clarity
purpose are generally
eviden
essay
Evidence of critical,
careful thought and
analysis and/or insight
There are good, relevant
supportin
The central idea is
expressed though it may
be vague or too broad;
Some sense of purpose is
main
essay
Some evidence of critic
careful thought and
analysis and/or insight
There are some exam
and evid
Central idea and clarity
purpose are absent or
incompletely ex
and maintained
Little or no evidence of
critical, careful thought
analysis and/or insight
There are too few, no
examples and evidence or
