Each student is asked (well, required) as part of this course to make a presentation to the class. This is an opportunity for students to share their research with others and to learn from each other. It is also great experience for presentations you will be making before Congressional committees (or local government boards) when, after graduation, you are highly regarded (and highly ethical) experts in environmental issues.

The topic of the presentation is to be chosen by the student with the advice and consent of the instructors. The topic should, of course, be something relevant to the course. It should not be a rehash of something we have done in class, although it could take significantly further some issue that arose in class. From time to time during the semester we may suggest possible term paper topics.

Here are some possibilities:

• take some topic from the syllabus and offer to "teach class" that day by covering the material instead of having the instructors at the front of the room
• work through a "case study" in environmental ethics, perhaps one on line or some case of local interest
• offer, with another student, a debate wherein background is given (by you together) and each offers a different position on an issue within environmental ethics

Presentations of the first sort will typically last thirty minutes; presentations of the second sort typically fifteen minutes; and debates typically twenty minutes. (We'd like to allow each to be longer, but there is the practical issue of giving everyone in the class a chance -- and time is limited.)

In some cases further developed (and footnoted) presentations may be worked into a term paper.