1.6 Students will be able to apply knowledge of biology to one or more contemporary issues in society

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yb0Qo8fGGbOP6j2YWwd1-BVFavcy2-mCcXaqFKYSKqQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1arK6T5o8dlNcAfKBDBMd8XHiBl19n_OYtNmNRuCoySI/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17dMxvIhmA1NOZbFzIz_JzNDcr02yyZ90X-XffzHVqfc/edit?usp=sharing

Goal 1.6 Reflection

Contemporary issues in society can reference to many things. In the biology world it can range from conservation issues, water/drought issues, healthcare and pharmaceutical issues, deforestation, etc. In my biology 288 class I had to write about a contemporary issue that wasn’t well known. I chose to write about sloths. In this paper I discussed issues with habitat loss, deforestation, diseases, captivity, and endangerment. This in my eyes as a conservationist is a huge red flag that needs to be addressed. In order for me to address it to the class I had to relate my biology background to the information that was found. In doing this I was able to share the potential threats that can happen to not only sloths, but other species as well as ways to reverse some of the damage.

Next, in my English 400 class we had to write about water conservation issues in the town of Farmville. To create an informational report with factual evidence to support conservation we were required to collect data and scientific reports on water usage in the cities and towns that the students of the class resided in. We then compared that data among other students to show where the water came from, how much is being used, and how much is being wasted as well. With all of this information we were able to write a paper, but before the paper was done, we were asked to interview someone of importance in the town or local area. We chose Dr. Dina Leech to interview because she had valuable knowledge of conservation efforts and ways to reduce water usage. She was a valuable perspective on contemporary issues in Farmville.

Lastly, my last contemporary issue that I wrote about was the impact of plastic on modern day life. Common citizens don’t realize the detriment that they cause by using and improperly disposing of plastic. Large companies don’t care about the issues that plastic causes because it leads them to large profits for cheap. In this paper we wrote about ways to implement recycling and using biodegradable products instead of plastic. This is a large contemporary issue in society, and though this paper is very factual, it still barely scratches the surface of the issues.

I feel that using this skill is going to be very valuable to my career. Being a conservationist means that you work on and bring light to the contemporary issues that are happening. Since writing these papers, I feel that I am confident enough to write project proposals and even speeches to raise awareness in communities.