The essay module consists of research and writing that must address an ecological issue at the road or urban scale 

selected as a topic by the student.

The essay must be an analytical and critical, not just descriptive, response to the selected topic

.  The length of the 

essay must be six pages or fifteen hundred words, excluding notes, citations, references, quotations, and illustrations. 

The style of the essay, including the citation of primary and secondary sources using footnotes, must follow The 

Chicago Manual of Style or similar format.

The required minimum number of sources cited from academic books and journals is four. These sources may be 

from the further-study suggestions in each module. If appropriate, professional magazines and academically 

unpublished internet sources may be used as sources, but they do not count toward the required minimum number of 

sources.

Printable essay size is 8

½

by 11 inches. 

Descriptive aspects of the essay— the who, what, when, where, as they relate to the topic—one third of assignment grade

Analytical aspects of the essay—the how, why, as they relate to the topic—one third of assignment grade

Critical aspects of the essay—the how significant, as they relate to the topic—one third of assignment grade