Painted Butterfly Project

This assignment consists of two parts.
1. 25% of the grade will come from a column graph showing the average number of days in a chrysalis for each temperature. The graph does not have to be computer-generated, but should be neat, accurate, and properly labeled. It will need a descriptive title, labels for the X and Y axes, and the graph should accurately reflect the data. Don’t overcomplicate the graph; although the table shows detailed data, the only data you need for the graph are the three temperatures and three averages!
Below is an example of a simple column (or bar) graph. This particular graph shows the number of students preferring four different juices; you will be plotting the average number of days in the chrysalis for each temperature: cool, room, and warm. For your graph, you will have three “bars” or “columns.”
2. 75% of the grade will come from a paper of between 1000 and 1500 words, a minimum of 1000. The first part of the paper will focus on an analysis of the data to draw an informed conclusion about the experiment. This section will include ideas about how and why different temperatures affect the speed of metamorphosis. It should also include information from at least one similar study that validates or invalidates your conclusion and it should be cited at the end of the paper.
The second part of the paper will focus on the effects of a changing climate on, not only insects, but also the communities and ecosystems they are part of. The paper should conclude with your ideas about the interconnectedness of all species in a community, and communities in an ecosystem, etc. This section should use two references. You may use one from the papers listed below. You may also use your textbook as a reference.
Part of this assignment (valued at 5 points) is to visit the Stone Writing Center
http://dmc122011.delmar.edu/swc/ for help with your paper (either in person in the White Library or online) at some stage of writing your paper. I should get confirmation of your visit directly from the SWC, but you may want to pick up a confirmation from them in the form of an email or a SWC Tutorial Verification Form.
At the end of your paper, list a minimum of three references (one from an article about a similar study, two from articles about the more far-reaching effects of climate change). You may use either MLA or ALA format to cite the references, as long as the information is complete. The following websites will help you with citations.
http://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/apa-format/quick-guide/
http://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/mla-format/quick-guide/
IMPORTANT: PARAPHRASE, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! After reading related articles, put them into your own words! You may quote articles in your paper if the author is cited,
but don’t overdo it. No more than 10% of your paper should be direct quotes. The program called Turnitin will be used to check for plagiarism.
Your paper will be graded on length, punctuation and sentence structure, correct interpretation of data, and inclusion of required topics. Look at the grading rubric on the following page for details. Note that length of the paper is not included on the rubric, but it is important. If your paper is half the length it is supposed to be, you may get only half the points.