collegewriting6e

Chalk Talk: Tragedy of the Commons

The National Science Foundation

Created in 1950, the National Science Foundation (NSF) <<pop: www.nsf.gov>> has a mission to promote scientific progress, primarily by providing funding to researchers. The NSF provides over 20% of the federal funding given to college and university research in America in all fields of science, engineering, and mathematics except for medicine. NSF also invests in educating the next generation’s scientists. The NSF’s Chalk Talk video series, hosted by Science360.gov <<pop: http://science360.gov/files/;jsessionid=5F91E36582DE83BB6517E65DAB71864F>>, animates scientific terms in an easy to understand and engaging way. This video defines the concept known as the tragedy of the commons.

National Science Foundation

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Download transcript. <<pop: 18_NSF_transcript.pdf>>

Analyzing the Writer’s Technique

After watching Tragedy of the Commons<<pop: 18_NSF from \\Fozzie\newmedia\@Drop_Box\Content_English\McWhorter, Successful College Writing, 6e\BIM Files >>, answer the questions below. Then submit your responses.

29. What is the thesis of the Tragedy of the Commons video? In other words, what is the point of the video and why is the term worth reading about?

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Possible Answer: The video defines the term tragegy of the commons in hopes that understanding about the concept will help us learn how to protect our resources. The video’s conclusion mentions the importance of learning about how people interact with their environments in order to prevent the destruction of resources.

30. What other patterns of development are used in the video to define the “tragedy of the commons”? Use specific examples to support your answer.

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Possible Answer: The Tragedy of the Commons video uses illustration to give examples of the tragedy of the commons, including farmers and cows depleting grass, fishermen threatening cod and tuna populations, people draining aquifers, and drivers clogging roads. The video also uses cartoons to visually illustrate its point, such as when people drinking from a glass diminishes the water level.

Thinking Critically about Definition

31. Consider the video’s introduction. Has the video defined its terms specifically enough? For example, can you think of any of the definition’s three parts (term, class, distinguishing characteristics) that could have been clearer? What terms would you use to clarify the definition?

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Possible Answer: The video defines the tragedy of the commons (term) as a “dilemma” (class) “that develops when a group shares a limited resource” (distinguishing characteristic). The word used for class, dilemma, is too broad and could apply to something as abstract as moral philosophy or as mundane as which cereal to eat for breakfast. It should be replaced by a narrower terms such as “social or environmental problem.” Another word that could be replaced is group. It’s unclear what the group consists of, though the conclusion of the video implies that it is people or animals.

32. The video uses hypothetical situations to describe the tragedy of the commons. Do you think this is the most effective way to define the term? Would using real world situations change the audience’s reaction to the video? Why or why not?

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Possible Answer: The video uses hypothetical examples because it wants to remain objective. Since it was created by the National Science Foundation for educational purposes, its goal is to inform and make people aware of the issue to prevent further depletion of “the commons.” Real world examples could be effective if the video meant to expose a particular group’s overuse of common resources in order to condemn them or to get them to change their ways, but as an educational tool disseminated by a government agency such examples could be seen as “politicking.”

Point per question: 10pts
number of attempts on quiz as a whole: 1 or unlimited?
ability to edit and re-submit (i.e. subsequent attempts use prior attempt as a starting point): yes or no?
view all questions at once, or one at a time?
view feedback during, or after submitting, or only visible to instructors
word count requirement: no or yes, if so provide number
set which score reports to Gradebook: first, most recent, highest, or average

[Reading/Media followed by questions (on the same page):]