WEEKLY HOMEWORK

Overall guidance

• Discuss the week's questions in depth with your Brightspace Discussion group. (Click here for more on Discussions.)
• Use information from the textbook, on-line sources, and discussion to develop your answer. I am looking for evidence that you engaged with the material, understood it, and are able to clearly summarize your understanding.
• Be thorough. Show me what you learned from the week's reading, discussion, and other materials.
• Do not "google" the question or use AI and then copy and paste an answer from a web site. Your answer should be your own work in your own words.
• Informal citations are required.
  • If you are using information from the textbook; indicate the page number 
  • If you are using information from the discussion; indicate so
  • If you are using sources other than the textbook, you should indicate the source.
  • Format examples: "According to [source], [followed by the information]" OR "[information] [followed by source in parentheses]"

Weekly Hazards (Units 3-11)

Each hazard unit will include three questions for discussion and homework. You should answer them using the following guidence:

• Be specific to the week's hazard. Avoid answers that could be applied to any hazard.
• Synthesize the material as you understand it and present it clearly and succinctly.
• Your goal is to provide me with evidence that you understand the hazard, how it works, and the risks posed.

Would you live in an area subject to (hazard)? What level of risk is acceptable?

• What about the hazard concerns you? Why?
• What about the hazard does not bother you? Why?
• If you live in or near an area that is currently at risk for the hazard, you should acknowledge that and discuss how you feel about living with the hazard.
• If there is a method of catagorizing the hazard, you should use that to describe the level of acceptable and unacceptable risk.
• After several weeks, you can compare the hazard to hazards already discussed.

How would you know if the risk is was assessed accurately? What are the characteristics of a good risk assessment?

• You should discuss the information and techniques experts use to assess risk.
• You should incorporate what is known about the hazard and how it works.
• You should discuss how both long term and short term risk are assessed.
  • Long term: How can we determine if a place is at risk for this hazard?
  • Short term: How can we determine if the hazard is likely to happen in the near future? (within the next few hours, days, or weeks)
• You do not need to write "You can know if the risk was assessed accurately by comparing the results of the assessment with the actual outcomes..." This question is about determining the accuracy of a forecast or prediction before an event has occurred. While it is true that we do not know the accuracy of any risk assessment until after a hazardous event has happened; we can assess risk based on what we know about the specific hazardous process.
• If you were to see a prediction or forecast about the hazard, how would you know if it was legit?
• Referring to a government or other authoritative source is not enough; you should discuss what information they would use to produce a good risk assessment.

What should be done by people and communities at risk for this hazard to prepare for the hazard and prevent catastrophe?

• You focus on responses that are specific to the hazard.
• You should discuss both personal and community responses.
  • Personal: What should individuals do to stay safe and protect their belongings?
  • Community: What should the state and local government do to keep people safe?

Critical Thinking Resources

• Foundation for Critical Thinking

GRADING

Homework (total = 20 pts.)