readwrt

Each semester, seven or eight Reading and Writing assignments are required of students in my course. Multiple copies of books containing the reading portion of the assignments are put on reserve in the university library.

These assignments have several purposes: (1) Supplement content either not found in the text or not presented in class. (2) Expose students to different styles and methods used to present information and concepts. (3) Inform students of different opinions, priorities, and values. (4) Use writing for learning. (5) Use different writing techniques and processes. To achieve the last purpose, writing assignments instruct students to write using one or more of the following: identify enumerate specific facts and types of information; identify and express personal impressions and reactions; summarize and synthesize; compare and contrast; identify themes and formulate generalities; evaluate critically; apply information and ideas.

Sometimes students in other disciplines (e.g., nursing) take my course for graduate credit. In addition to being graded on a different scale, these students must also complete several Journal Reading and Writing Assignments. These assignments expose graduate students to current information, concepts, methodologies, and methods of thinking about aging on a cellular, molecular and/or genetic level.

The elements of each assignment specify and clarify what the students are to do and how their work will be evaluated. The writing assignments are kept short so that they do not become over burdensome for students to complete or for the instructor to evaluate and return to students quickly. The students' responses are classified and tabulated. After graded assignments are returned to the students, I explain the overall class results and comment about what the written assignment should have contained or achieved.

The course syllabus explains how the Reading and Writing assignments are graded. I provide students with a list of due dates for all assignments at the beginning of the semester. I select the assignments for each semester from the set below. page numbers from the text are from the first edition of my book, and there is a new edition of the book Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (1991). I have not yet developed new assignments from this book. I also plan to develop assignments using the Internet.

Overview of the elderly
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In: “A Profile of Older Americans: 2018” or a different year at
https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Aging and Disability in America/2018OlderAmericansProfile.pdf

Read: The main statements in the sections with the following headings. You may choose to look at the graphs, which present similar information in a different form. Go to on each heading to read its contents.

Highlights
The Older Population
Future Growth
Marital Status
Living Arrangements

Employment
Education
Health, Health Care, and Disability
Special Topic: The Foreign Population

Racial and Ethnic Comp.
Geographic Distribution
Income
Poverty
Housing

Due Date: Feb. 5 (Thursday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to: (1) give you a broad overview of aging and the elderly by introducing you to many facts and figures; (2) help you and I discover some of your prior knowledge and attitudes about aging and the elderly; (3) dispel some false information, myths or stereotypes you may possess, (4) have you use the Internet to obtain information about aging.

Audience: Your instructor

Content: Your report should state the feelings, reactions and impressions you have (1) while reading and (2) after reading and considering the assigned material. It should conclude with two or three general statements about aging and the elderly that you can make after reading the assigned material. You should not attempt to summarize the material.

Length and Format: Your report should be 2 -1 page in length on 82"X11" paper. It should be typed using a standard font (e.g., courier 12 - no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand-print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 1: Overview of the Elderly). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Clarity;
Organization;
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)0
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

For more sites like the one in the assignment that have more details and graphs, go to

Statistics and Demographics

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Defining Biological Aging
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In: How and Why We Age by Leonard Hayflick, Ph.D., Ballantine Books (1994) ISBN-13: 978-0345401557 ISBN-10: 0345401557

Read:    pp. 11-16

In:          Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (second edition 1998)
Read:    pp. 9-13
             (NOTE: A later edition is 2006, Oxford University Press, Incorporated ISBN-10 0195167392 ISBN-13 9780195167399)

In:          Textbook
Read:    Text pp. 3-11

Due date:       Feb. 19 (Thursday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) help you understand what biological aging is and why it is difficult to define, (2) improve your skills at comparing and contrasting information, (3) improve your skills at evaluating ideas, and (4) improve your skills at formulating and stating your opinions.

Audience: Your instructor.

Content: Your report should list and describe the similarities and list and describe the differences among the three author's definitions and descriptions of biological aging. The more you list, the better. Your report should conclude with your own working definition of biological aging, even if it is similar to one presented by the authors.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than two pages (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 2: Defining Biological Aging). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness; *
Organization;*
Clarity; *
Student's demonstrated understanding of material; *
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

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First In:        Textbook
Read:            Text pp. 11-13

Then In:        Adult Development and Aging by D. Papalia, et. al, McGraw-Hill, 1996
Read:            pp. 61-68 (Pages 37-61 have interesting background)

Or in the new edition:     Adult Development and Aging by D. Papalia, H. Sterns, R. Feldman, C. Camp, McGraw-Hill, 2002
Read:          pp. 55-63 (Pages 32-55 have interesting background)

Due date:       Mar. 4 (Thursday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) increase your knowledge and understanding of the cross-sectional and longitudinal methods of studying aging as well as variations on these methods and (2) improve your ability to identify specific points while reading.

Audience: Your instructor.

Content: List all the items or facts that a person could learn or understand from reading Papalia’s book that could not be learned or understood from reading the assigned text pages. Also list what features in Papalia’s book assisted you.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than one page (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219) your name, date, name of report (Reading 3: Methods of Studying Aging) Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness; *
Organization;
Clarity; *
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;*
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

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Upper Level/Graduate Students         BIOLOGY OF HUMAN AGING           Spring 2004

NOTE: THIS ASSIGNMENT COUNTS TWICE AS MUCH
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Methods of Studying Aging

First In:        Textbook
Read:           Text pp. 11-13

Then In:      Adult Development and Aging by D. Papalia, H. Sterns, R. Feldman, C. Camp, McGraw-Hill, 2002
Read:          pp. 55-63 (Pages 32-55 have interesting background)

Or in the new edition:     Adult Development and Aging by D. Papalia, H. Sterns, R. Feldman, C. Camp, McGraw-Hill, 2002
Read:          pp. 55-63 (Pages 32-55 have interesting background)

Due date:     May 4 (Tuesday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) increase your knowledge and understanding of the cross-sectional and longitudinal methods of studying aging as well as variations on these methods and (2) improve your ability to identify specific points while reading, 3) gain exposure to journal articles focused on normal age changes or age-related changes in diseases as age increases, 4) evaluate and apply different study methods in developing a research proposal.

Content: (1) List all the items or facts that a person could learn or understand from reading Papalia’s book that could not be learned or understood from reading the assigned text pages. Also list what features in Papalia’s book assisted you. (2) For each of the following study methods, find one journal article on research that uses the study method as defined in the text or the other reading; (a) cross-sectional, (b) longitudinal. The research must examine normal age changes or age-related changes in diseases as age increases. (3) Summarize each article briefly by listing or stating the article’s bibliographic reference, the objective of study, the sample groups or populations included, the study method and analyses of data used, the duration of the study, and the conclusions. (3) Design a research study on normal age changes or age-related changes in diseases as age increases and that would be relevant to your area of specialization. Use one of the study methods listed in content part (2) above. This is a hypothetical study. However, it should be realistic, though not too tightly restricted by time limitations, money, support staff, etc. (4) Explain why you chose the specific study method you chose and how it is better than the alternatives for the study being proposed. Include beneficial and detrimental aspect of study methods that were included in the reading.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than six pages (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219) your name, date, name of report (Reading 3: Methods of Studying Aging) Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)
Content; *                             Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Completeness; *                    Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Organization;                         Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Clarity; *                               Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;*
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)
NOTE: THIS ASSIGNMENT COUNTS TWICE AS MUCH

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Biomarkers of Aging
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In:          Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (second edition 1998)
Read:    pp. 85-88, 95-100, 103-105
           (NOTE: A later edition is 2006, Oxford University Press, Incorporated ISBN-10 0195167392 ISBN-13 9780195167399)

Due Date:       April 1 (Thursday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) teach you about the concept of biomarkers of aging and (2) help you understand some of the benefits and difficulties in applying them, (3) improve your skills at finding specific information within a written passage. (This is a difficult reading. Look for and note the main ideas needed for the four points you need for the Content part of your report (below). Avoid the details and examples!)

Audience: Your instructor

Content: Your report should include (1) the author’s definition of biomarkers of aging, (2) a description of how they are used, (3) a list of the benefits from applying them, and (4) a list of difficulties in applying them. (5) What advantage would there be to identifying whether an experimental manipulation or intervention influences aging rate? Provide and example.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than two pages (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 4: Biomarkers of Aging). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness; *
Organization;
Clarity;
Student's demonstrated understanding of material; *
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

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Read: pp. 83-88, 113-114, 279-287
In: Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (1991)
(NOTE: A later edition is 2006, Oxford University Press, Incorporated ISBN-10 0195167392 ISBN-13 9780195167399)

READ: pp. 258-262
In: How and Why We Age by Leonard Hayflick, PhD, Ballantine Books (1994)

Purposes: The purpose of this assignment is to help you understand types of theories of aging and the importance of having theories of aging. This introduction includes exposure to the evolutionary and proximate approaches to such theories, and it provides a cursory overview of most of the current proximate theories of aging.

Content: Your report should state (1) the difference between evolutionary (ultimate) and the proximate (physiological) types of theories of aging and what is meant by (2) intracellular theories, (3) intercellular theories, (4) stochastic theories, and (5) programmed theories. (6) It should also state why it is important to develop theories of aging.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than one page (8½"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one inch margins with left justification. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following information on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course number (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 5: Theories of Aging).

Content; *
Completeness;
Organization;
Clarity;
Student's demonstrated understanding of material; *
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate) Non-Text Reading and Writing Assignment

Read: Chapter 2
In: Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (1991)
(NOTE: A later edition is 2006, Oxford University Press, Incorporated ISBN-10 0195167392 ISBN-13 9780195167399)

Purposes: The purpose of this assignment is to help inform you about interactions between the size of a population and aging and other factors affecting survival.

Content: You should summarize the main points in the material using not more than three sentences for each section with a heading (but not the Summary). Also state in words what the Gompertz equation says about populations. Be sure to include the headings of each section in your report.

Length and Format: Your report should be typed using standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one inch margins with left justification on 8½"x11" paper. You should staple pages together in the upper left corner. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following information on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course number, your name, date, name of report (Reading 6: Aging, Survival, and Populations).

Content; *
Completeness; *
Organization;
Clarity;
Student's demonstrated understanding of material; *
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate) Non-Text Reading and Writing Assignment

Due date: Apr. 8 (Thursday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) increase your ability to find relevant information using the Internet, (2) evaluate its usefulness, and (3) evaluate its reliability.

Audience: Your instructor.

Content: Your report should contain the URLs for five web sites related to the biology of aging of humans or any organisms. The URLs may not be ones included on any of the assignments, notes, or instructor's recommendations. They may not be web pages for this course (i.e., pages starting with www.biologyofhumanaging). You are allowed to find URLs using links in the disallowed URLs. For each site (a) use a very few sentences to summarize the content of the site (b) use a very few sentences to state good, useful or desirable features about the site, (c) use a very few sentences to state undesirable features about the site, (d) state if you believe the information in the site is reliable and why you think so. Include the URL address for each site in your report. Send the instructor all the URLs by E-mail, also.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than three pages (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 5: Internet Resources). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness;
Organization;
Clarity; *
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

In: How and Why We Age by Leonard Hayflick, Ph.D., Ballantine Books (1994)
Read: pp. 43-48

Due date: Anytime before May 4 (Tuesday)

(This paper will be returned to students on or after May 14)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) help you understand possible relationships between aging, disease, and death and (2) improve your skills at identifying and summarizing main points.

Audience: Your instructor

Content: Your report should state concisely the author’s opinions about the relationships between aging, disease, and death.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than one-half page (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font, double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand-print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 8: Aging, Disease, and Death). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness;
Organization;
Clarity; *
Student's demonstrated understanding of material; *
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

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Demographics of the Elderly
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In:          How and Why We Age by Leonard Hayflick, Ph.D., Ballantine Books (1994)
Read:    pp. 53-62

Due date:       Apr. 22 (Thursday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) increase your understanding and appreciation of demographics involving the elderly, (2) increase your awareness of your personal reactions to information, and (3) improve your skills at applying information about elders.

Audience: Your instructor.

Content: Your report should contain your personal impressions and reactions from the demographics involving the elderly. State your impressions and reactions using one or more sentences for each of each of the four sections with headings. Include the topic headings in your report. Then, in one paragraph, list or describe a few practical implications or applications you can derive from this demographic information that are not stated in the chapter. (Though the specific data in this book may be somewhat outdated, the general features remain. If you want more current specific data for purposes beyond this report, visit web sites mentioned under Demographics at www.biologyofhumanaging.com or visit sites from the US Census Bureau.) For example, go to Statistics and Demographics

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than one page (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 6: Demographics of the Elderly). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness;
Organization;
Clarity; *
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

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The Future and Gerontology
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NOTE: THIS ASSIGNMENT COUNTS TWICE AS MUCH AS ANY OTHER ASSIGNMENT

In:          A Means to an End: The Biological Basis of Aging and Death by William R. Clark, Oxford University press, (1999)
Read:    pp. 197-219

In:          How and Why We Age by Leonard Hayflick, Ph.D., Ballantine Books (1994)
Read:    pp. 322-342

Due date:       May 4 (Tuesday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) expose you to concepts about and relationships between gerontology and the future of humanity and the biosphere, (2) improve your analytical and evaluative skills at (a) identifying authors’ opinions (b) comparing and contrasting different opinions and perspectives, (c) analyzing writing, and (d) evaluating writing.

Audience: Your instructor.

Content: Your report should summarize each author's views about the future of (1) gerontology (i.e., the study of aging), (2) humankind, (3) altering longevity, and (4) the biosphere (i.e., global ecology). It should include comparisons and contrasts (similarities and differences between) their views. Finally, it should contain your evaluation of their views and a statement of your own views, even if you agree with either author.

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than two pages (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font, double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. You should staple your pages together in the upper left corner. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Biol 219), your name, date, name of report (Reading 7: The Future and Gerontology). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)
Content;                                             Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Completeness;                                           Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Organization;                                      Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Clarity;
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

(A similar reading is in Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles, 2nd edition, by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (1998), pp. 520-528.)

NOTE: THIS ASSIGNMENT COUNTS TWICE AS MUCH AS ANY OTHER ASSIGNMENT

(A similar reading is in Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles, 2nd edition, by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (1998), pp. 520-528.)

Read: pp. 7-20
In: Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles by Robert Arking, Prentice Hall (1991)
(NOTE: A later edition is 2006, Oxford University Press, Incorporated ISBN-10 0195167392 ISBN-13 9780195167399)

Purposes: The purpose of this assignment is to help inform you about what aging is and how it is measured and studied.

Audience: Intelligent people who are uninformed about aging and your instructor. (Hopefully, there is a difference).

Content: You should summarize the main points in the material using not more than three sentences for each section (but not the Summary). Be sure to use the titles of each section in your report.

Length and Format: Your report should be typed using standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one inch margins with left justification on 8½"X11" paper. You should staple pages together in the upper left corner. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following information on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course number, your name, date, name of report (Reading XX: Measuring Aging).

Read: pp. 1-7
In: How and Why We Age by Leonard Hayflick, PhD, Ballantine Books (1994)

Purposes: The purpose of this assignment is to acquaint you with the history of the science of gerontology.

Content: Your report should contain your impressions, reactions, or opinions of the history of gerontology. Some extra credit will be given if you compare the time line of the history of gerontology with that of some other branch of biology or other science (e.g., genetics, cell biology, anatomy, organic chemistry).

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than a few sentences or one-half page (one page if you add a section on comparisons). Your report should be typed using standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one inch margins with left justification. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following information on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course number, your name, date, name of report (Reading XX: History of Gerontology).

Content; *
Clarity;
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

Read: Three articles reporting research on aging at the cellular, molecular, and/or genetic levels in any animal cells or animal species. Each article must be at least three pages long and must include typical sections (e.g., introduction, materials, methods, results, discussion). These articles must be published during or after 1993. The articles must be on different topics and must stress normal aging rather than disease.

Purposes: The purposes of these assignments are to expose you to and help you learn about current information, concepts, methodologies, and methods of thinking about aging on a cellular, molecular and/or genetic level.

Content: Each report will include a summary of each section in the research article (except Abstract or Summary), though emphasis should be placed on the Introduction, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion sections. Your report should start with the complete bibliographic reference for the article and should include the titles of each section in the article.

Length and Format: Each report should be two-three pages long. Each should be typed using standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one inch margins with left justification on 8½"X11" paper. On the front of your report, attach a photocopy of the entire page of the article showing its Abstract or Summary. You should staple pages together in the upper left corner. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following information on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course number (Biol 501- 092), your name, date, name of report (Journal Article 1 {2 or 3}).

Content; *
Completeness; *
Organization;
Clarity; *
Student's demonstrated understanding of material; *
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate) This is a sample of the list of due dates I provide to students at the beginning of each semester.

Demography Assignment BIOLOGY OF HUMAN AGING Spring 2004

Special Assignment 1: Controlling Aging: What Would/Could/Should Happen?

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Due date: Feb. 19 (Thursday)

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are (1) to prompt you to reflect on the significance of altering future statistics and demographics on aging, (2) to have you examine and express your beliefs and values about consequences from altering life expectancies and life spans, and (3) to improve your skills at formulating and stating your opinions.

Audience: Your instructor.

Content: You should answer each of the following questions briefly from your own current knowledge base. Do not seek additional information or any opinions from others.

(NOTE: ML = mean longevity, XL = maximum longevity)

1. How accurate are population projections?
2. Would increasing ML have substantial effects on the size or other characteristics of future populations? If so, what would the effects be like?
3. Would increasing XL have substantial effects on the size or other characteristics of future populations? If so, what would the effects be like?
4. Would increasing both ML and XL have substantial effects on the size or other characteristics of future populations? If so, what would the effects be like?
5. Should people be concerned about possible increases in ML or in XL and if so, why?
6. Which is more important, research into preventing and treating diseases regardless of the effects on ML and XL or research into increasing ML or XL? Why?
7. What is "quality of life?" How is it measured or determined?

Length and Format: Your report should be not more than three pages (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, hand print neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Graduate Gero. Course), your name, date, name of report (Special Assignment 1: Controlling Aging: What Would/Could/Should Happen?). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness;*
Clarity; *
Organization;
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

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Graduate Gero. Course        BIOLOGY OF HUMAN AGING             Spring 2004

Final Project: Using literature on biology of aging
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Due date: May 6 (Thursday) You may turn in a draft of you report for constructive criticism any time before April 22. Suggestions will be returned to you in a timely manner.

Purposes: The purposes of this assignment are to (1) have you use and improve your skills for searching the scientific literature, including using electronic search techniques, to find information on a specific topic, (2) expose you to professional literature on the biology of aging, including periodicals, journals, and recent books, (3) expand your knowledge and understanding of biological aspects of aging beyond those contained in the basic course, (4) allow you to explore in depth a topic of special interest or importance to you, (5) provide opportunities for you to correlate biological aging with other types of aging or other aspects of humanity, (6) improve your skills at evaluating, selecting, and organizing the information and opinions you find into a coherent document.

Assignment: Carry out a small literature search and write a paper on a selected and approved topic from one of the following topics.
    Use of supplements: Benefits and drawbacks (e.g., dietary, hormonal, herbal)
    Anti-aging therapies: Pro and con
    Anti-aging therapies: The biological bases
    Biological theories of aging
        Overview of many theories
        In depth analysis of one or a few theories
    Caloric restriction: Its implications for humans
    Biological aging: basis for social interventions
    Biological aging: basis for psychological interventions
    In depth examination of aging of a specific aspect of the body (e.g., specific system or organ).
    How biological aging of body systems often alters ways we commonly interact with young adults
        versus older adults.

Alternate assignments:
    Prepare an annotated library bibliography on a selected and approved topic.
    Prepare an annotated Internet bibliography on a selected and approved topic.
    Discuss how biological aging of body systems often alters ways adults interact with each other.
    Discuss how you can use your knowledge of biological aging of body systems to improve your effectiveness
        in your professional activities.

NOTE: Your instructor is available to help you understand or to interpret articles you find that you believe to be relevant but that you have trouble understanding because of the technical nature its contents.

Audience: Your instructor.

Content: Your report should include a discussion of the topic you select based on cited references you find. You should also include an abstract (i.e., summary) of your report.

Length and Format: (1) Your report should be approximately 3½ - 4½ pages but not more than 5 pages (82"x11"). Your report should be typed using a standard font (no draft mode), double-spacing, and one-inch margins with left justification. (2) In addition, you report should include a brief list or description of the techniques you used to find information (e.g., specific search engines, specific library software, specific indices of literature, specific web sites, specific published bibliographies) and a bibliography of references that contained information or ideas that you actually used in writing your report. (3) Also, attach a copy of the abstract from each paper or article you use and cite in your bibliography.

Do not use word contractions or quotes. Using pen or pencil, handprint neatly the following on the back of your report in the upper right corner; course (Graduate Gero. Course), your name, date, name of report (Final Project: Using literature on biology of aging). Put no title or name on the front of the report.

Evaluation Criteria: (* = main features)

Content; *
Completeness;*
Clarity; *
Organization; *
Student's demonstrated understanding of material;
Neatness; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Style; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Writing techniques; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Following instructions; (points subtracted if inadequate)
Meeting deadlines; (points subtracted if inadequate)

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These are the dates on which written assignments for the reading and writing assignments are due. Points will be subtracted from grades for assignments that are turned in late.

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Previous print editions of the text Human Aging: Biological Perspectives are © Copyright 2000, 1994 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and 2020 by Augustine DiGiovanna.
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