Vulnerability of Human and Natural Systems

Assignment 2: Vulnerability of Human and Natural Systems (10%)

Introduction

Now that you have completed the activities and discussion for Module 2, you are ready to do Assignment 2.

This assignment is out of 100 marks and is worth 10 per cent of your final course grade.

The assignment has two sections:

• Section A: Short Critical Reflections (30 marks)
• Section B: Essay (70 marks)

Details of each section follow.

Section A: Short Critical Reflections (30 marks)

Select one of the assigned readings in each topic in Module 2 and write a short critical reflection (about 250 words) for each (a total of three critical reflections; ten marks for each reflection). You may find it helpful to use one or more of the focus questions included in the activity as a guide.

The critical reflection should present your own thoughts and responses to the reading. Thus, it is an interaction between the ideas in the reading and your own interpretation and response to what you have read. The critical reflection is a polished piece of writing that will be assessed using the same criteria as any piece of writing. It should include an introduction, a body that presents your thoughts clearly and logically, and a conclusion. You may write in the first person but be sure to refer to some of the ideas that are introduced in the reading.

Section B: Essay (70 marks)

Using some of the concepts introduced in Module 2, write an essay of 750–1000 words on a topic related to vulnerability of human or natural systems. You may use content from the required readings (any module), but you must include at least two new references as well. Course resources that are not required readings may be regarded as new references. For example, if you are examining the impact of climate change on Arctic wildlife, you may consider the ACIA report as a new reference provided you are using content beyond the required reading. A strong paper will incorporate the concept of vulnerability and associated terms that were introduced in this module.

If you are having a hard time deciding what to write about, here are just a few examples of topics you might consider within the context of the potential impacts of climate change:

• Rising sea levels and a vulnerable location (e.g., Florida, Bangladesh, small island states)
• Canadian sovereignty issues in the Arctic and the implications for Indigenous peoples
• Arctic wildlife in general, or you may want to focus on a particular species such as polar bears or caribou
• The culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Mackenzie basin
• Alpine plants, cloud forest species, coral reefs, or any other vulnerable species or ecosystem
• Drought-prone countries (or country) in Africa or Asia
• Ocean acidification and the potential impacts on shell forming organisms