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Example Portfolio Plans

Several suggestions for acceptable portfolios projects follow. This document only outlines example portfolio plans: make sure to read the complete directions for each pre-approved activity at Portfolio Overview section. Note that you are not limited to what is proposed here; we present these example plans to give you an idea of what you can use the portfolio project to accomplish. When designing your own portfolio plan, you should choose to substitute other activities for any of the six units that make up the “Portfolio Activities of Your Choice.” For a list of other pre-approved activities see: Portfolio Overview. If you would like to create your own activity, TA approval is required prior to undertaking the activity.

Example Portfolio A. Sustainability of the Oceans
Example Portfolio B. Energy Sustainability
Example Portfolio C. Sustainability of Water Resources
Example Portfolio D. Tragedy of the Commons
Example Portfolio E. The Scientific Method
Example Portfolio F: Sustainability of Air Quality
Example Portfolio G: Science and the Media
Example Portfolio H: Sustainability and Business
Example Portfolio I: Roadmap for a Sustainable Lifestyle
Example Portfolio J: Climate Change
Example Portfolio K: Sustaining Biodiversity
Example Portfolio L: Sustainable Food

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: The 2006 red tide
    in the Gulf of Mexico
3. [OTC] Port Aransas field trip and 750-word summary (4 Units)
4. Choose to watch one of the following archived webcasts and write a 250-word reflection essay: “The History and Future of
     Whales,” “Voyage of the Turtle,” or “Brave New Ocean” (1 Unit).
5. Sustainable seafood list that describes types of seafood for which harvesting practices are sustainable (1 Unit).

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: TXU’s proposal to     build new coal-fired power plants in Texas.
3. [OTC] UT Power plant field trip and 250-word summary essay (1 Unit)
4. Book review of Coal, by Barbara Freese (1 Unit)
5. Reflection essay (250 words) on the class lecture on energy (1 Unit). (Note that only one reflection essay that summarizes
    a class lecture may be used as a component in your portfolio.)
6. [OTC] Design an engaging educational flyer to teach dorm residents or apartment dwellers how to reduce their energy use; post 20 flyers (1 Unit)
7. [OTC] Home energy audit (2 Units)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: Effects of the
    anomalously high total annual rainfall in 2007 on local businesses.
3. [OTC] Go to Bull Creek (a relatively non-urbanized watershed) (field-trip) and perform water quality sampling in
    the same fashion as will be done for the Waller Creek Discussion Section activity (1 Unit)
4. [OTC] Innerspace Caverns field trip (November 1, 2008) and 250-word summary/reflection essay (2 Units)
5. [OTC] Texas Disposal Systems field trip and 250-word summary/reflection essay (2
    Units)
6. Book Review: Living Downstream (1 Unit)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: Predicted
    collapse of the world’s fish populations.
3. Sustainable seafood list that describes types of seafood for which harvesting practices are sustainable (1 Unit).
4. Choose one of the following two books to review: Ishmael or Collapse (1 Unit per book)
5. [OTC] Join an Environmental Action Component, contributing eight hours of work to the team goal (4 Units).

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: Recent
    controversies over teaching intelligent design and evolution in Kansas schools.
3. [OTC] Attend any of two lectures (1 Unit)  as part of the Hot Science Cool Talks lecture series through ESI.
4. [OTC] Carry out experiment designed for Home Inquiry Discussion Section and write up lab report (3 Units)
5. Read and review an article on a relevant subject that has been published in a peer-reviewed publication (e.g., Nature,
    Science) (1 Unit)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: China’s proposal
    to shut down local factories and power plants to improve air quality during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
3. [OTC] Home Air Quality Audit (2 Units)
4. [OTC] Track Air Quality Monitoring Data and report one conclusion regarding Austin air quality (2 Units)
5. Journal Article Review from Science (1 Unit)
6. View and summarize archived Hot Science – Cool Talk on “Big, Beautiful Sky” (1 Unit)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: Revelation that
    the National Institutes of Health employed scientists to give free advice to TV and Movie producers on how to more
    accurately represent science.
3. Film screening (1 Unit) “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
4. Film screening (1 Unit) “The Eleventh Hour”
5. [OTC] Attend lecture (1 Unit) “The Indiana Jones movies & Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto” presented September 24, 2008, (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/lsl/StudyBreak/SSB.html).
6. [OTC] Design and produce a public service announcement regarding water conservation (3 Units)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: Local residents
    protest the construction of a new Wal-Mart off of Anderson Lane.
3.  Visit boggy creek farm and conduct an interview about sustainable business practices (1 Unit)
4. [OTC] Tour of Texas Disposal Systems (date: tba) and reflection essay (2 Units)
5. Sustainability and Business speaker series lecture (1 Unit)
6. [OTC] Join the Environmental Action EcoReps team, contributing four hours of  work to the team goal (2 Units)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: Austin proposes
    a new bicycle bridge on the southern portion of MoPac to encourage alternative commuting options.
3. [OTC] Join the Ink and Toner Cartridge Recycling Team, contributing 8 hours of time toward the overall project goal (4
    Units)
4. [OTC] Attend the Green Living Resource Fair (Sept. 24, 2008) and write a summary essay (2 Units)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread). Example news thread topic: Scientists debate
    connection between the recent severe hurricane seasons and global warming.
3. Film screening: “The Eleventh Hour” (1 Unit)
4. Choose and reflect upon one of the following archived Outreach Lectures: “Is Climate Change increasing Hurricane
    Activity?”, “Austin's Power: Green Power is Clean and Renewable,” or “Come Ice or High Water: How Will Global Warming
    Affect Antarctic Ice Sheets and Sea Levels?” (1 Unit)
5. [OTC] Natural Bridge Caverns field trip (Oct. 19, 2008) (2 Units)
6. [OTC] Tour of Austin Green Building (2 Units)

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a     synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread. Example news thread topic: Predicted collapse     of the world’s fish populations.
3. Choose to watch and reflect on one of the following archived lectures: “The History and Future of Whales,” “Brave New     Ocean”, “Voyage of the Turtle” (1 Unit per lecture)
4. [OTC] Assessment of change in local amphibian population and biodiversity using assistance from the Texas Natural     History Collection (2 Units)
5. [OTC] Cave field trip, with particular focus on animal species living in local caves (2 Units)
6. Film screening: The Cane Toad Documentary: An unnatural history (1 Unit).

1. SYNTHESIS ESSAY (3 Units) – integrates ideas and themes of portfolio activities (all student portfolios must contain a
    synthesis essay)
2. NEWS THREAD (1 Unit) (all student portfolios must contain a news thread. Example news thread topic: Predicted collapse     of the world’s fish populations.
3. Book review (1 Unit): Fast Food Nation.
4. [OTC] Self-guided visit to Austin’s organic farm and market, Boggy Creek Farms (2 Units)
5. [OTC] Green gardening workshop and reflection essay (2 Units)
6. Sustainable seafood list (1 Unit).