This document provides guidelines and a rubric for an assignment in ENV 101 that requires students to analyze a peer-reviewed journal article relating to their final course project topic. To complete the assignment, students must select a peer-reviewed article, address questions in a worksheet about the article's citation, purpose, methods, results and additional features, and cite another related article. The rubric evaluates students' responses on correctly citing the article, thoroughly describing its various components, and explaining how a second article connects, in order to practice skills needed for analyzing research for their final projects.

1. ENV 101 Module Four Worksheet Guidelines and Rubric
Overview: Each worksheet activity in this course provides you with an opportunity to engage deeply with a environmental science concept or skill. By engaging
in these activities, you will also be practicing some of the key skills necessary to analyze the environmental science issue you choose for your final project.
Complete each question fully—not only to have the opportunity to receive full points for the question, but also to gain valuable feedback from your instructor on
honing your skills moving forward.
Peer-reviewed journal articles will comprise an important part of your research for your final project. Peer-reviewed articles have been written and reviewed by
experts in the field to ensure validity and reliability of the information. For Milestone Two, due in Module Five, you will need to identify and describe a
sustainable solution to your selected environmental issue that has been proposed by the scientific community. In order to support your decision, you will need
to reference peer-reviewed articles.
Prompt: In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to practice reading peer-reviewed articles and deciphering what information is important to your task,
using. First, review the Peer-Reviewed Research videos and take the ungraded quizzes. Then, in the provided Module Four Worksheet, select an article from the
list that relates to your final project topic, or another topic that interests you. Follow the steps to practice interpreting the information provided in the article.
For the assignment, complete the following steps:
1. Select a resource from the list of peer-reviewed resources provided.
2. Use the peer-reviewed resource you selected to address each question in the Module Four Worksheet, or in a separate Word document.
A. Refer to your module resources and the Peer-Reviewed Research videos for more information on how to use peer-reviewed resources in
research.
B. You should provide a response for each question by either entering your response in the box provided on the worksheet, or by using a separate
Word document that numbers each response to match the questions in the worksheet. Ensure that you provide sufficient detail in your
responses and that your responses are in your own words. (Paraphrase the information; do not quote or copy and paste from the text).
3. Once you have completed the assignment, save your worksheet file or Word document and upload it to submit.
Tip: You may decide to use the peer-reviewed article used in this worksheet to inform your final project, but it is not necessary.
Note: You may complete this assignment in a separate Word document. If you choose to do so, be sure to number your responses to match the questions
provided in the worksheet.

2. Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Submit your worksheet with all sections completed, or submit a Word document that numbers each response to match the
questions in the worksheet.
Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Citation Correctly cites peer-reviewed
article
Cites peer-reviewed article, but
citation contains inaccuracies
Does not provide citation for
peer-reviewed article
10
Purpose Describes the purpose of the
article including what the
researchers were trying to
accomplish
Describes the purpose of the
article, but description does
not demonstrate
understanding of what the
researchers were trying to
accomplish
Does not describe the purpose
of the article
15
Methods Outlines the methods used in
the research study
Outlines the methods used, but
outline contains inaccuracies
Does not include the methods
used
15
Results Summarizes the results of the
article including potential for
follow-up research
Summarizes the results of the
article, but does not include
potential for follow-up research
Does not summarize the results
of the article
20
Additional Feature Describes one additional
feature of the peer-reviewed
article including its importance
in environmental research
Describes one additional
feature of the peer-reviewed
article, but its importance in
environmental research is not
clear
Does not describe one
additional feature of the peer-
reviewed article
20
Additional Article Cites an additional article that
could be used to find more
information on the topic and
explains how the two articles
are related
Cites an additional article that
could be used to find more
information on the topic, but
relation to initial article is not
clear
Does not cite an additional
article that could be used to
find more information on the
topic
20
Total 100%