Capstone Project: In-Person (Blended)

Final Presentation/Project Rubric and Expectations

The final presentation assignment is a 10-slide presentation (no more) and 2-page written summary (extended abstract with at least 5 significant references) focused on a specific water problem.

A key element of the presentation will be an independent evaluation and analysis of: (1) data collected from the scientific literature, publicly accessible databases (e.g., USGS or USDA, City/County or State data); or (2) economics, cost/benefits, or pros and cons of active or proposed policies.

Instructions

This project will build on the initial work you did in Module 8 on Phoenix.

1. Pick a city from the list below or propose one (note: you must check with us and get an ok to prevent duplication).
   • Los Angeles
   • Las Vegas
   • Denver
   • Dubai
   • Delhi
   • Cairo
   • Benghazi
   • Mexico City
   • Khartoum
   • Addis Ababa
   • Tehran
2. Develop a water portfolio for the future that you believe will solve the problem of water scarcity. Note the percentage of water from each of the sources (including re-use or conservation), and provide a rationale for each component using bullet points or brief text.
3. Outline the estimated costs, the risks (financial, natural, environmental, political), the benefits, and any issues (e.g. cultural, psychological, religious) you anticipate you will need to confront.

The presentations should follow a standard overall structure as shown below:

• Topic overview, identification of problem
• Study location (if relevant)
• Data or policies that form the basis for analysis
• Independent analysis & discussion
• Recommendation(s) or statement of position supported by the analysis
• List of References (minimum of 5; the majority of these cannot be non-peer reviewed or websites)

Submitting Your Files

The presentations and extended abstract must be uploaded to the LMS by the due date provided in your syllabus.

Implementation

The order of presentations will be randomly selected, and will be determined in class. The presentation will constitute 65% of your grade for the project, the extended abstract and relevant references 25% and the 3 reviews you complete will constitute the remaining 10%.

Key elements to consider in your own presentation and your evaluations of others:

1. Overview of problem or issue:
   1. Summarize relevant historical context
   2. Technical background and hydrologic processes
   3. Importance/motivation
2. Setting and/or detailed exposition of topic or case study:
   1. Details of case study: geography, economics, description of hydrologic processes of concern (i.e. technical details)
   2. Explanation of current or proposed solutions or actions
3. Analysis – will vary depending on project, but this must be your own contribution and analysis of the issue. Examples may include – but not limited to:
   1. Evaluation of pros and cons of proposed or implemented solutions
   2. Quantitative analysis of water quality data to support a position or recommendation
   3. Water budget analysis to demonstrate or compare importance/efficacy of different courses of action
   4. Cost/benefit analysis of issue or solution(s)
   5. Comparison of multiple example systems or locations
4. Recommendation or position/closing argument. Again, this will vary depending on individual project or topic, but should include one of the following, and must be supported by drawing upon your analysis:
   1. Recommendation(s)
   2. Take a position for/against existing plans/solutions
   3. Discussion of future impacts or problems – sustainability of solutions currently in play
5. References cited

Files to Download

Download the Evaluation Sheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 80kB Mar28 17) to use when reviewing presentations.

Scoring and Rubric