In order to get a head start on the upcoming school year I am assigning a mandatory summer assignment. It will introduce you to the foundation of this course and help get you in the right frame of mind. In addition, it will free up several class periods that we will be able to use for field trips, labs, or other important activities. Please contact me via email or personal message if you have any questions. The assignment is to be completed and turned in by the end of the day on Friday, September 10, 2010.

There are four scheduled study sessions to enable me to provide students extra help with the assignment. We will meet at school where we have access to the resources needed to do the assignment. It is suggested that students attend at least two of the sessions, but not mandatory.

• Session 1: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 from 10:00am to 1:00pm
• Session 2: Thursday, August 5, 2010 from 10:00am to 1:00pm
• Session 3: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 from 10:00am to 1:00pm
• Session 4: Thursday, August 12, 2010 from 10:00am to 1:00pm
• Session 5: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 from 10:00am to 1:00pm
• Session 6: Thursday, August 19, 2010 from 10:00am to 1:00pm

Assignment - Tragedy of the Commons:

Download and read Hardin's complete article.
Download and read Crowe's complete article.

Type a response or summary of the articles. It must be a minimum of 3 pages, typed using APA or MLA format, and include no more than 6 direct quotes properly cited. Include a title page with the title "Tragedy of the Commons," your name, and institution.

In addition to the summary paper, answer questions based on what you read in the articles. Questions are to be answered completely using full sentences or paragraphs.

• Who wrote the article and when?
• How does population growth play a role in the tragedy of the commons?
• What does it mean when Hardin says there are no technical solutions to a particular problem?
• Explain how Hardin came up with the statement that "the optimum is, then, less than the maximum"?
• Describe and propose solutions for the greatest tragedy of the commons that you believe exists in: your household, your neighborhood, the City of Virginia Beach, the State of Virginia, the United States, and the World.

To complete the assignment, find 5 current event articles that are based on tragedy of the commons. The event must have occurred within the past 3 months. Explain each event in terms of tragedy of the commons.

Answers to "Common" Questions

• Question: I've read both articles over and over again and they still don't make any sense, can you help?
• Answer: I could explain it to everyone now but that would defeat the purpose of giving this assignment. What I will do for now is offer a suggestion and point you to a source that can help. A dictionary is essential to understanding the language used and Wikipedia is an excellent resource for additional information about the Tragedy of the Commons.
• Question: What does APA or MLA format mean?
• Answer: APA or MLA refers to two widely accepted writing styles. APA style is from the American Psychological Association and the preferred writing style used in social sciences. MLA style is from the Modern Language Association of America and the preferred writing style used in the humanities.

Summer assignments are to be turned in to guidance or electronically as an attachment to an email sent to mratkinson(@)earthfathom.com. Save the trees!