Step 4:
Complete Activity 2 - The Hazard City Earthquake Damage Assessment. After you have solved this problem you should submit your answers to Dr. King using the Answer Submission Form. (10 points)

(This activity is on the CD-ROM in the back of your textbook.)

I expect each student in the course to become an expert on TWO of these questions and post a thoroughly researched and carefully composed answer for each of them. Your answers should be posted early in the week so that your classmates will have an opportunity to read them and respond. (Please do not post answers to all of the questions. Instead spend extra time on two of them. During this course I am going to randomly select questions from these conferences for part of your grade. You want two very strong answers out there rather than ten that were done in a rush. If you have ten answers posted it is very possible that one of your weaker ones will be randomly selected for a grade.)

Your answers should be entirely in your own words and clearly demonstrate that you know what you are talking about. Your score will be determined mainly on how accurately and completely you answered the questions. Deductions will be made if your posting has grammar, spelling or clarity problems. A deduction will also be made if you only post one answer.

In addition to posting answers of your own, you should also carefully read the answers posted by your classmates and assist them with improvement where possible. I will "observe" these discussions but will not post responses or corrections to your work. It is up to you and your classmates to build a correct and detailed collection of answers for these questions. This activity will help you prepare an important study resource for your quiz. If you encounter an impasse or a detail that can not be resolved through student debate, please post a message in the "Helping Each Other Conference." I will use that as a signal that you need my assistance.

Don't skip doing these assignments. On at least two occasions in the course I will randomly select one of your messages from a specific study question conference for a class participation score.

VERY IMPORTANT: Be certain that you compose your own answer. The words that you post should be your own with no quotations, paraphrasing or adaptation from a website, textbook or from any source written by another person. Presenting the work of another person as your own is plagiarism and doing that will result in a significant penalty in this course and a report filed with the Provost's Office.

The key to doing a good job is to read the question carefully, study the web or textbook resources that are available, then explain the answer in your own words. When you are finished reread the question, reread your answer and review your resources again to be sure that you have done a complete and accurate job.

If you would like an extra detailed look at how your postings will be scored you can see my Study Question Rubric.

Step 6:
Have you thoroughly prepared for your quiz? Here is some very specific guidance on what you should focus on while you are doing your work for this lesson.

• the "Key Terms" listed in the back of each textbook chapter
• the topics covered in the "Study Question" Conferences
• the topics covered in the "Review Questions" and "Critical Thinking" questions listed in the back of the textbook chapter
• key concepts from the "Activities" of each lesson
• key topics covered in the website readings
• photos and illustrations in the text (some of them could appear within your quiz).

Your quiz will be given at the scheduled time. You should be ready to answer any questions on the topics above. The quiz will have about fifteen questions and you will have about 15 minutes to complete them. This will be plenty of time if you are prepared (15 points).