Discussion 1 – Demographic Changes

 

Each group of 6 people is to answer the following two question sets.  Maximum size of answer is one page for each set of questions (single spaced, Times New Roman font size 12 with 1 inch margins on all sides). In addition to the two answer sheets you may have an additional page for references and two pages of maps (optional).  Your answers are due at the time of the quiz on Tuesday.  You can divide the work on this report in any way your group desires.  Just make sure that it all fits together as a logical whole.  We will have the first 30 minutes of class time on Thursday to begin work and the last 20 minutes to discuss preliminary ideas by groups.

 

 

Question Sets:

  1. The Issue:  What is the problem that Italy is facing?  Is this unique or common to some group of countries, that is can you describe or map a geography to this problem? 
  2. The Solution: What solution might you propose?  Be certain to explain in some detail why you believe this will work.  Finally using the Scientific Approach, over time how could it be determined if the proposed solution is working?  That is how could you test your solution?

 

 

A bit more detail:

Part 1: What is the issue in Italy?

Succinctly state the problem then provide evidence from the readings or elsewhere (including the video and maps if you desire.  The video is on reserve at Wilson Library – please share viewing this, there are viewing rooms available).  Also, if you have any additional sources of information or wish to obtain some you are free to do so.  For your evidence provide citations.  I highly suggest the APA method of in-text citations as one of the easiest and most complete (to see the library’s examples go to: http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/apamsw.doc ).

 

Next state and discuss and demonstrate whether this is a common problem for some region of the world or group of countries or unique.  Again succinctly state your conclusion and then provide as much evidence as possible again as always with citations.

 

Remember you may also include and refer to maps to help illustrate your case if you so desire (be sure to provide a citation for any map you use).

 

Part 2:  What solution do you propose?

Again start with a succinct statement and follow it with details.  Explain why your solution will work, this can be done with a combination of citations to evidence from scholars that support your approach or evidence demonstrating approaches that will not be successful (that is what can be shown not to work and should be avoided).  The key here is to state a solution and then defend it by drawing upon the work of scholars.

 

Finally, using the scientific method how could your solution be tested over time?  Whenever Einstein came-up with a new theory he never published it until he had thought of a way that it could be tested.  Some of his experiments were impossible to perform during his lifetime, nevertheless he felt it was important to state a way that his idea could be tested, verified, and if necessary improved.  You must do the same here.  Start with point 1 and state carefully what characteristics you will be measuring.  Then for point 2 concisely state your hypothesis (this may be a reprise of things already stated in your report).  For point 3 make a broad prediction.  For point 4 state how the experiment will be run to test your prediction (remember owners of baseball teams run experiments all the time when they buy a new player – so you can suggest that your experiment can be run in the real world or in a laboratory setting).  For point 5 explain how you will evaluate the results.  How will you determine if your prediction is upheld?

 

Let me give you an example.  A baseball owner wants to win and believes that the fewer hits opposing teams get, the less likely they are to win and his team to lose.  Further, he thinks that there could be a relationship between whether a batter facing a pitcher uses the same hand or the opposite hand.  So for point 1 he will measure the number of hits and whether the pitcher is right handed or left handed and the same for the batter.  For point 2 based on past experience he hypothesizes that it is more difficult for batters to hit a ball thrown by a person with an opposite dominate hand then the same dominate hand (i.e. harder for a righty to hit a lefty and vice versa).  For point 3 he predicts that since more people in the world are right handed, if he can use more left handed pitchers, then the number of hits opposing teams will get off his team for the current season will decrease.  For point 4 he decides on the following experiment, he will trade away all of his right handed pitchers and only keep or acquire left-handers of equal quality.  If his hypothesis and prediction are correct, then he expects opposing teams will get less hits.  For point 5 the owner will deem the experiment successful if the number of hits by opposing teams decreases by 10% this year when he is using only lefty’s as opposed to when he had both left and right handed pitchers in the previous season.

 

Remember you may also include and refer to maps to help illustrate your case if you so desire (be sure to provide a citation for any map you use).

 

Report Write-up

 

Page 1.  Answer the first question.

Page 2.  Answer the second question

Page 3.  Provide full references for readings, videos, websites… that you used in the previous two pages.

Page 4 & 5 (optional).  Any maps that help illustrate your report.

Finally On the back of the last page – Neatly list all group members in alphabetical order, the assignment title, course number and date.