CSCI150 FINAL PROJECT
Acid Rain Data Analysis
This final project is due the day of the regularly scheduled exam for your class. Consult the final
exam schedule for details. All components of the final project will be posted to your website and
then demonstrated to the instructor the day of the final exam.
This is not a group project. The work you do on this project must be your own. If any plagiarism is
suspected and proven, you will receive a zero for the final.
Goals
• Investigate the causes of and solutions for a serious environmental problem, acid rain.
• Use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources
• Use technology tools to process data and report results.
Objectives
• Use the Internet to research pH levels of rainwater for their state and collect data from their
community.
• Enter data in an Office Excel spreadsheet, create a Line Chart, and analyze the data.
Part I: Data Collection (10 points)
In this project, you will research acid rain, collect data on acid rain in your state, create a line
chart of that data in Office Excel, and analyze your data.
Step 1 - Research acid rain in your state
Look at the images of the effects of acid rain at the United States Geological Survey site
(http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/acidrain.html). Save these images as they may be useful in a latter
part of this project.
On the Internet, go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acid rain Web site
(http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/index.html).
Read the information on the Web page regarding acid rain.
Go to the National Atmospheric Deposition Web site
(http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/sites/ntnmap.asp?) to collect data for the pH levels of rainwater for
your state.
On the map, click your state. Click each NTN (National Trends Network) site in your state, and
record the longitude, latitude, and pH level for all of the years shown. To get the pH level for
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each year, on the bottom right of the specific site, click Trend Plots; in the Analyte list, select
Field pH; and then click Create Plot. Record the information in an Office Excel spreadsheet.
Part II: Data Analysis (40 points)
In Office Excel, create a Line chart of your data to show trends over time. Add any coloring,
labels and titles to the graph to make the data clear.
Also look through the different chart styles of Excel to see if a different style (i.e. bar, pie,
scatter-plot) would make more sense with the data given. Pick the chart style that makes the data
easy to understand.
Part III: Report Your Analysis (30 points)
□ Using MS-Word, write a report on your analysis of acid rain. Include a brief discussion of the
following:
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What is the definition of acid rain?
What are the causes and effects of acid rain?
How is acid rain measured?
Name three ways to reduce acid rain. Give a short description of each.
□ Insert any charts and graphs in your report.
□ Based on the data you found and analyzed, answer the following questions:
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How does your state compare to "normal" rainwater pH of 5.5?
What trends in the data do you see for your state?
What are the major contributors of acid rain in your state?
What is your state government doing to reduce and prevent acid rain? Check
your state’s Department of Ecology Web site or other related sited.
What can you do to help prevent acid rain in your state?
□ Include a section in your analysis that discusses the use of technology in not only the study of
acid rain and its effects, but also in your collection of data and reporting your findings.
 Specifically how does the use of technology help (or hinder?) the study of acid rain? Can
technology be used (or is it being used) to either create awareness of the dangers of acid
rain or to prevent further problems?
 What COULD be done with technology to further research and awareness of acid rain
problems that is currently not being done?
 Did technology make your research into acid rain easier or more difficult? What process
would you have to go through in order to do this same project without the use of the
Internet and computer-based resources?
 With regards to your academic work (for this class and for others) how has technology
helped you? Include specific examples.
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Part IV: Present Your Analysis (10 points)
□ Create a PowerPoint presentation to present your analysis.
Include the following slides:
- 1-2 Slides on the introduction to your state and information that you collected
- 1-2 Slides displaying and explaining any graphs/charts you created
- Several Slides summarizing the data you analyzed in Part 3
- Several Slides summarizing the use of Technology you discussed in Part 3
Also be sure to include your contact information and any style/graphics/coloring you deem
important.
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Part V: Compare and Present Your Results (10 points)
□ Create a new web page in your E-Portfolio called final.htm that contains the following
information. Be sure there is a link to this page from your CSCI150 page.
□ A description of the project and your findings. Include details about which state you chose, its
highest monthly average and year and its lowest monthly average and year. Also include its
record high and low and their respective dates.
□ A link to the Excel document from Parts 1 and 2.
□ A link to the Word document from Part and 3.
□ A link to the PowerPoint document from Part 4.
Decorate and choose a color scheme appropriate to the content of the final project. Be sure your
name appears on this page somewhere.
EMAIL YOUR INSTRUCTOR the URL to your
E-PORTFOLIO when finished
BE SURE your name is on
EVERYTHING that you SUBMIT!!!!
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