Writing 20

The Billion Dollar Problem of Aquatic Invasive Species

Fall 2010  SW2:  Response to “Strange Days on Planet Earth”

DUE: Fri 9/10 before class

Please post a brief (~300-500 word) response to the film on the WordPress blog.  Your “response” can be structured as one of the following:

Option 1:  Movie Review

Write a short review of the film.  The primary purpose of a movie review is to tell a general audience what the film is about, but film critics often use their reviews as “a means to voice [their] political, social, or moral” opinions (http://courses.washington.edu/webrhet/engl281/handouts/genreguidech1.pdf).  You may also wish to comment on how well you think the film was made.  Did the film adequately portray the range of impacts that invasive species can have on ecosystems and society in general?

– OR –

Option 2:  Commentary

Write a brief commentary, similar to SW1, on Jim Carlton’s work, the termite problem, the Miconia invasion, or the invasion-extinction connections highlighted by the film (we’re saving the water hyacinth problem for SW3, so please focus on a different issue from the episode).  The film’s website may be helpful: http://www.pbs.org/strangedays/episodes/invaders/experts/index.html

Suggested structure:  a short summary of the issue, followed by how the investigators approached the problem, and your assessment of their approach (e.g., does it appear sustainable, do you question how the situation has changed since the movie was made, etc.)

To receive full credit, please:

• comment on at least one classmate’s post (at least 3 sentences)
• provide references to any sources you use (if you use them – you do not need to reference the film)
• give your blog post a brief but creative headline
• categorize the blog entry as SW2 and add a couple descriptive and useful keywords

Some notes:

• This film was released in April 2005.
• As mentioned previously, pay attention to the water hyacinth problem because SW3 will involve an update of this issue.