Creation II Essays - Creationism, Pseudoscience, Denialism

Creation II Mrs. Brew 13 May 1996 Intelligent Design of the Universe The search for knowledge about the origin of humanity is as old as its inhabitants. Since the early 1800's mankind has narrowed the debate to creation by a Supreme Being and the theory of evolution. Ever since then, science has been at odds against religion. Now it appears that science is returning to religion. Scientists are finding proof that the universe was created by a Supreme Being. The word evolution refers to the change of something over a period of time(Webster's 634). In biology, the theory of evolution is "the complex of processes by which living organisms originated on earth and have been diversified and modified through sustained changes in form and function"(Valentine). This theory proposes that between 4 million and 10 million years ago, all organisms on earth had a common ancestor and that through a process of evolution, all living organisms descended from this common ancestor(Coyne). Chevalier de La marck, a French naturalist proposed a theory of evolution in 1809. His idea did not get much scientific consideration until Charles R. Darwin announced his theory of evolution(Coyne). Darwin published "his most famous book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection"(Valentine) in 1859. Darwin stated that offspring resemble their parents, yet they are not exactly identical to them. He also noted that some of these differences were not effects of their environment, but actually were passed down from parents to children(Valentine). Darwin is the most well known scientist to write on evolution. There are many different variations on the theory of evolution. Darwin states that natural selection is the main reason for the evolution of life. The fight for food, water and other necessities benefits those creatures who are well adapted for the struggle. Those that cannot survive, die with no offspring to continue their genetic line. Natural selection is also called survival of t he fittest. Another related idea to evolution is gradualism. "Gradualism is the idea that evolutionary changes do not occur suddenly but over large amounts of time, ranging from decades to millions of years"(Coyne). Genetic drift is another way that scientists define evolution. When two of a species mate, their offspring gets 23 chromosomes from both parents. When a gene does not split and combine correctly, a mutation occurs. This mutation will get passed down from the creature to its offspring. In this way a species can permanently be changed(Coyne). Scientists who have accepted the general theory of evolution as fact disagree among themselves about the ratio of importance between natural selection and genetic drift. They also disagree about what caused the apparent gaps in fossil layers. New species "abruptly"(Valentine) appear in the fossil record with no apparent mutation from another species, then remain unchanged for long periods of time. They do not seem to exhibit the gradu al changes that would be expected by modern evolutionists(Valentine). Many people, including those in the scientific community, do not accept the theory of evolution as fact. When Darwin was alive, his theory was attacked by many scientists and religious leaders(Coyne). In the 1900's, United States public high schools began teaching evolution in science classes. By the 1920's, laws in twenty states to ban the teaching of evolution in public schools had been proposed by people who did not want their children being indoctrinated. "They considered the teaching of the theory to be part of a dangerous trend toward the separation of religious beliefs from everyday life"(Coyne). Several of the proposed laws were passed into effect in states including Arkansas and Tennessee. "The ACLU challenged the Tennessee law in 1925 by defending a teacher named John T. Scopes, who had volunteered to stand trial on the charge of teaching evolution"(Coyne). The ACLU lost the case but because of bad pres s, creationists appeared ignorant to science. However, in 1968 the Supreme Court of the United States "ruled that laws banning the teaching of evolution were unconstitutional because they made religious considerations part of the curriculum"(Coyne). The courts continue to give rulings on creation and evolution in schools, some have come as recently as 1987(Coyne). The fight to keep evolution out of the classroom is still persevering. Those who are

Claude McKay essays

Claude McKay essays Claude McKay was born Festus Claudius McKay in Sunny Ville, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, on September 15, 1890. He was born one of the eleven children of Thomas Francis McKay and Hannah Ann Elizabeth Edwards, farmers. Claude was sent at a young age to live with his oldest brother, who was a schoolteacher, so that he could get the best education possible. After Claude began to read more and more, he started writing poetry at age ten. McKay went to a trade school in 1906 until the school was destroyed by an earthquake, then he became an apprentice to a carriage and cabinetmaker, and a brief period in the constabulary followed. In 1907, Claude McKay began to be mentored by Walter Jekyll, and English gentleman from Jamaica, who encouraged him to write dialect verse. In 1912, McKay immigrated to the United States and established himself as a poet, publishing two volumes of dialect verse, Songs of Jamaica, and Constab Ballads. Claude McKay had never encountered the racism of America until he enrolled in the Tuskagee Institute to study agronomy. The racism of America was the spark that started the fire of McKays subsequent basis of writing. He later moved to New York, invested in a restaurant, and married Eulalie Imelda Lewars. After publishing two poems there, he gained recognition as a lyric poet particularly from Frank Harris, editor of Pearsons magazine, and Max Eastman, editor of The Liberator, a socialist journal. During the period of racial violence against blacks known as the Red Summer of 1919, McKay wrote one of his best known poems, entitled, If We Must Die. The poem became an anthem of resistance later quoted by Winston Churchill during World War II. The poems, Baptism, The White House, and The Lynching are examples of some of McKays best protest poetry. Between the years of 1919 and 1934, McKay moved to England, back to America, to Morocco, and again b ...

Workplace Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Workplace Issues - Assignment Example However, whether such belongingness affects the reputation of the nursing profession positively or negatively really depends upon the performance of a union as different unions vary in their response, activities, and proceedings. One disadvantage is that many nurses tend to make negative use of the protection that comes with association with these unions. They are lazy and yet cannot be fired. The day-shift and night-shift nurses are involved in a constant blame game where they hold each other responsible for the faults and mistakes. Another disadvantage for nurses is that they have to depend upon the union for everything. While an independent nurse may switch days with a coworker, the one associated with a union has to get the holidays preapproved from the union which may be an inconvenient process. Taking everything into consideration, the overall effect of association with a collective bargaining association on the nursing practice is generally more negative than positive particul arly because it comes in between the patient and the nurse, and has the ability to erode the status and freedom of a

The positive, beneficial functions of IR law Essay

The positive, beneficial functions of IR law - Essay Example 114). The losses suffered from World War I and World War II caused the international community to review international laws and this brought about the creation of the United Nations, a body that is charged with upholding international laws and preventing such conflicts from reoccurring. For instance, the UN peace keeping missions have brought about sustainable peace in conflict regions, like in the Ethiopia – Eritrean war and the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. If international laws were absent in such cases, it is most likely that there would be never ending conflicts in such parts of the world. International laws also regulate the conduct of states that have competitive advantage over others with regard to commons. Likewise, these laws are useful in terms of protecting the position of disadvantaged parties in such situations as Hoffmann (1968) has pointed out (p. 115). It would be difficult for landlocked countries to have access to sea ports if the international laws were non-existent. It is therefore great that the United Nations Convention put in place the Law of the Sea which provides landlocked countries with access to sea ports and therefore allows them to trade competitively. In the end, international law allows disadvantaged states end up with a fairly level playing field similar to that of their more advantaged counterparts. Additionally, Hoffmann (1968) emphasizes that international laws allow for the gathering of support from the international community on matters of interest (p. 115). International laws recognize that a states sovereignty does not necessarily translate to the protection of laws and upholding of values. Human rights and environmental conditions can easily be victimized when a states activities go on unquestioned or unchallenged. The reason for the invasion of Iraq by the United States, although highly criticized, was argued to be a mission to disarm the Saddam Husseins regime off weapons of

ESL classroom modification Essay Example for Free

ESL classroom modification Essay English as a second language students need modification and accommodation in the mainstream in order to be successful, because they pose problems to the teacher as most of them are not up to the academic level of other students. Research has shown that many teachers have not had training on how to successfully teach these students in the classroom. This article synthesizes what we as educators believe are the most important principles that teachers should support English as second language student to perform better in their academic field Modifications are individualized strategies posed on student for their success. They are appropriate when a student have learning difficulties in classroom. Implementing modifications that are parts of the student’s education plan are required by law. Modifications are necessary to any student that is not being successful with the regular method of instruction. They are important since not all students learn alike this help students be successful in their academic field. Research shows that social language is developed by students known as Basic inter personal communication skills (BICS) through informal and formal interaction with peers. The skills acquired are distinctive since they are not used in academic field. Academic language termed as Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) can take up to five to eight year to master (Cummins, 1984), Cummins notes in his classic work that (BICS) is typically acquired over a period of one to two years. Student who are yet to develop (CALP) in English, teachers need to be careful in choosing task that provide relevant information of cognitive complexity and contextual support. For student to complete activities that are cognitively complex they need to posses CALP to complete them. English language learners may lack the language skills to comprehend explanations of complex concepts and to express their thoughts yet they may have cognitive capacity to grasp material in such situation teachers may make comprehension of instruction through the use of contextual support such as gestures, hands-on learning, visuals, and other non-verbal accompaniment of instruction. The more instruction is contextualized, the better chance the English language learner has to develop understanding of complex concepts and the language used to explain them (Cummins, 1984). How can a teacher ensure that ESL students experience the same level of comprehension as the native English speaking students? The answer involves most of the teachers time but result are well worth it. Since the first aspect of language is aural or listening, read aloud session held after school could help for the beginning ESL students. The teacher can employ more students involvement and leadership by supervising a reading group in which the more advanced ESL student read to the beginning student. This method helps the beginner to feel more comfortable with the text as well as encourage advanced students to work on oral communication skills. However, one does not want to segregate students; the teacher should therefore stress the basic the basic learning strategies of making prediction, taking notes, inferring word meaning, and asking questions as they read. The simple strategies provide focus for reading and engage the learner in active reading (spangenberg-Urbschat 95). Fair assessment is one of the biggest questions concerning incorporation of ESL students in to regular English class. Should ESL student be held to the same grading standard as the native English speakers? Solution is yes, but methods of assessment should be different. With modification ESL students should demonstrate understanding of text, grammar skills and vocabulary. Standardized tastes do not show how well ESL students have comprehended the information and also overwhelm them. Assessment of all choice of student should be portfolio assessment as it tracks students improvement through sample quizzes, projects, reading log and journals. Providing equal education for the ESL student did not always mean those students were getting fair education. The courts found that Chine students involved in the suit were being excluded from educational opportunities since even though they were provided with the same instructional and materials as the native English student, they could not take the advantages since they lack adequate English language skills. Since ESL learners cannot take equal advantage of those opportunities, it is therefore not fair nor equal to them to use the same instructional strategies as the native English student. A model portfolio that has implications features for the ESL classroom can be used as a systematic tool in instructional planning and student evaluation. The potential for determining the depth and breadth of a students capabilities can be seen through analysis and comprehensive data collection. A comprehensive, focuses on both the processes and products of learning; uses both formal and informal assessment; seeks to understand student language development in the affective domains, cognitive, metacognitive, and linguistic; stress both formal and academic language development. Contains teacher, student, and objective input. The teacher should take some strategies on how to handle newcomers and emergent student. For the newcomers create climate of acceptance, use manipulative visuals, realia, props and games, use cooperative learning group, display print to support oral language , the teacher should also set model activities for the students to boost their understanding. Use of bilingual students as peer helpers is necessary he/she should adjust his rate of speech to enhance comprehension. In addition, he should ask yes/no questions to test if they can recall what they have been taught, ask them to draw/show/point various parts that have been taught during the lesson. He should test the new comers more on area dealing with vocabulary and terminologies. The teacher should simplify the language and not the content, moreover, the teacher should design the lesson in such a way as to motivate student to talk. As the teacher watch student improve, he should start asking them questions that require one or two words response for example who? What? When? Which one? How many. His lessons should expand on the vocabulary. Sensitizing mainstream students to the newcomer challenges is one of the suggestion for supporting ESL newcomers. The teacher should prepare native English students for the arrival of the newcomers. The teacher should brainstorm them on how they would feel if their parent took them to another country to study. student may demonstrate physical ailment or display a wide variety of unusual behavior such as aggression, depression, tantrums, tendency to withdraw, crying and sleeplessness. The teacher should therefore be aware of the culture shock and know how to handle such situations. The teacher should create frequent opportunities for their success in the classroom, give a lot of encouragement and praise on what the student can do and be careful not to call on them to perform what is above their level of competence. In this way the teacher create a nurturing environment for the student the teacher should establish a regular routine for the newcomers by giving them help in organizing space, time and material. he can achieve this by giving the a copy of daily schedule have them keep it at the front of their ESL notebook or tape it to their desk. From the beginning engage newcomers in language learning. the teacher can achieve this for example rote learning whereby students learn sight words, chants, poems, songs, list and spelling words through rote learning. Include them in class authority so that they can also see they are important members in the group, areas of expertise include math, computers, origami or art work. At first, student may not talk at all therefore the teacher needs to recruit volunteers to work with newcomers. It is critical to provide student with aural input in plenty in order to familiarize themselves with the English language. Students using headphones should be isolated from the rest of the class; this is a word of caution about the use of tapes and tape recorders. Appropriate reading materials for the ESL learners should at least include the following; story plots that are action based little text on each page, text that contains repetitive and predictable phrases, high-frequency vocabulary and useful words, text that employ simple sentenced structure, and numerous illustration that help clarify the text. when the teacher is reading to the ESL beginners he should make sure language is comprehensible therefore he should use reading strategies to increase students’ comprehension for example using expressive tone, reading sentence at a slow-to-normal pace. Literate and preliterate newcomers who speak a language that does not use Roman alphabet need direct instruction in letter recognition and formation as well as the phonetic beginners. The teacher teach phonetics in context the teacher can introduce and reinforce letter recognition beginning and ending sounds, rhyming words, blending silent words, homonyms etc through the use of authentic literature . since phonetic worksheets present new vocabulary out of context, they are generally useful to the newcomers. There are ten things the mainstream teacher can do to improve instruction for the ESL students. To begin with, the teacher should add gestures, point directly to objects, or draw pictures when appropriate, enunciate clearly, but do not raise his voice. Secondly, write legibly, clear, and in print . thirdly, he should try to avoid slang words and idioms; in addition, he should present new information in the context of known information and present information in a variety of ways. He should announce the lesson’s activities and objective, and list instructions step-by-step. Moreover, he should always emphasize key vocabulary words and provide frequent summations of the salient points of a lesson. The teacher should also recognize student success frequently and overtly, individual praises in some cultures are considered inappropriate and therefore embarrassing or confusing to the student. The teacher should use clear and consistent signals for classroom e should therefore develop and maintain routine. Finally If a student does not understand information you are delivering to them, try rephrasing or paraphrasing in shorter sentences and simpler syntax have students demonstrate their learning in order to show comprehension instead of asking them Do you understand? in this manner the teacher will check their understanding through repeating information and reviewing it frequently. The teachers need to know various teaching strategies when dealing with ESL student. Cooperative is one of the strategies. Robert E. Slavin (1995) has shown cooperative learning can be effective for students at all academic levels and learning styles. This method give all student frequent opportunities to speak this boost spirit of cooperation and friendship amongst students, student benefit from observing learning strategies used by their peers through shared learning activities. Language experience approach also known as Dictated stories is another strategy. Student’s words are used to create a text that will be used as a material for reading lesson. In this method students learn how their language is encoded as they watch it written down. It help student bring their personal experience in to classroom most important to culturally diverse student. Total physical response (TPR) is another strategy it. in reading comprehension the teacher should reduce the quantity of student reading at a time to be able to attend to individual level he should also modify materials to student’s decoding level, in addition, he should have students paraphrase verbally what has been read in the lesson . He should also eliminate visual distraction on page this is to enhance concentration span of students use of personal experience is important since it enhance understanding for example the teacher can encourage student to give their own experience after giving the his own to give them clue on what is meant in the lesson Conclusion Teachers are now responsible for education of student that they were not originally trained on the old adage of ‘good teaching will work for everyone is too simplistic to address the very real challenges that these teachers face. Teachers should take heart and work fully on their profession. Remember that when we are deliberate and informed about the learning that is taking place teaching becomes most powerful. This is usually true when we are teaching a student a completely different language their growth t are validated in the effort they put forth in your class and in life. ESL student can bring a wealth of information resources and culture with them yet they need our help in order to contribute to our classroom and society. By understanding some of the basic concepts that English as a second language specialists have known for years, content area teachers can tap into the resources that LEP students bring with them, making the transition to the mainstream classroom not only easier for the ESL student but also the content area teacher as well. Reference 1. Cummins, J. (1984).Bilingualism and special education: Issues in assessment and pedagogy. San Diego, CA: College-Hill. 2. Classroom modification http://www. spavinawok. net/CLASSROOM%20MODIFICATIONS. pdf. 3. Krashen, S. Terrell, T. (1983). The natural approach: Language acquisition in the classroom. Oxford: Pergamon Press. 4. Short, D. J. (1993). Assessing integrated language and content instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 27, (4), 627-656. 5. Teacher Discussion Forums: forums. eslcafe. com/teacher/viewtopic. php? t=448 44k Cached Similar pages

Early Erectus Tools Found in China :: essays papers

Early Erectus Tools Found in China In the January/February issue of Archaeology magazine, the article "Early Homo erectus Tools in China" holds additional, yet questionable information about the foundations of the genus Homo. After recent findings of stone tools and animal bones at Renzidong (Renzi Cave) in Anhui Province, eastern China, Chinese scientists have concluded that Homo erectus may have been established there 400,000 years earlier than formerly believed, almost 2.25 million years ago. Besides this site being one of the oldest for findings of early hominins, it has fueled, "[†¦] a debate on the origins of our genus Homo, with some Chinese scientists proposing an evolution of H. erectus in China parallel to that [†¦] in Africa"(14). A limestone cave at Longgupo ("Dragon Hill") in Sichuan Province is also in the spotlight for the "[†¦] East-West debate [†¦]", over Homo origins (14). This cave has produced a 2 million year old mandible fragments with features supporting both ideas of origins from the Chinese and West, not yielding to a single, simple explanation. As to where these apes made their signature development onto the open, flat land is debated indefinitely. Approximately 1.7 million years ago, Homo erectus arose in Africa and shortly thereafter spread to other continents, as most scientists believe. As they expanded their range and increased in population, H. erectus may have exterminated H. habilis. Then transition from H. erectus to H. sapiens occurred about 400,000 years ago, and the dispute is over the place of origin of modern humans. "There is considerable controversy among scientists as to whether the transition to H. sapiens took place only in Africa, or the evolution of modern humans occurred simultaneously on three continents" (Purves 515). With little information that we have now, a strong, clear hypothesis with support is lacking. But these newly recovered fosiils and tools in Renzidong may change things around. The "out of Africa" hypothesis suggests a single origin in Africa followed by several dispersal’s. The "multiregional" hypothesis, in contrast, proposes parallel origins of Homo in different regions of Europe, Africa, and Asia. But the Chinese believe in the "Asian Hypothesis", or Asian origins of the genus. Both sides agree that plate tectonic movements caused climatic changes from East Africa to East Asia. The weather tended to be more "[†¦] seasonal and arid", instigating arboreal apes to move onto the savannah and evolve into upright hominins (Ciochon 15).

Aquatic Flora of Pulicat Lake Essay

Pulicat lake derived its name from a vernacular name ‘Palaverkadu’ means plants with many number of roots. Those plants are mangroves with aerial roots called Pneumatophores. The word mangrove is considered to be a combination of the Portuguese word â€Å"Mangue† and English Word â€Å"Grove†. These are salt tolerant plants and are rich in this area and might be the reason for that name. The lake harbours rich and valued floristic wealth because of its varied ecological habitat viz., salt marshes, canals, mangroves, islands, low lying areas etc. A careful study of literature revealed that the lake has hardly received attention by the botanical explorers and hence it has remained botanically under-explored so far. But its fauna was extensively studied by many zoologists Nanda Kumar et.al . A.R.KSastry and T.A. Rao (1973) in their extensive study on the flora and vegetation of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, have recorded about 15 species from the island of the lake. Pulicat lake derived its name from a vernacular name ‘Palaverkadu’ means plants with many number of roots. The lagoon’s boundary limits range between 13.33 ° to 13.66 ° N and 80.23 ° to 80.25 °E, with a dried part of the lagoon extending up to 14.0 °N.; with about 84% of the lagoon in Andhra Pradesh and 16% in Tamil Nadu. The large spindle-shaped barrier island named Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal. Area Three major Rivers which feed the lagoon are Arani river, Kalangi river and Swarmukhi river. The Buckingham Canal, a navigation Channel is part of the lagoon on its western side. It is connected to the sea through three tidal inlets, one each at Tupilipalem, Rayadoruvu and Pulilcat villages respectively, from north to south. Study was undertaken in the Pulicat lake and data of aquatic flora collected by frequent visits during 2009-2010. Close up Photographs of as many as possible and associations depicting the richness of the macrophytes of the lake were taken. Herbaria of various aquatic plants also collected for future reference. Herbaria-specimens are preserved at N.B.K.R. Medicinal Plant Research Centre, Vidyanagar, Nellore District. Results and Discussions Brackish water is more saltier than fresh water and less saltier than sea water. Hence it is biologically more productive than either freshwater or sea water. It shows very rich aquatic population diversity including free floating, submerged, suspended, marginal, amphibious plants along with halophytes and mangroves. Region of pulicat lake includes salt marshes, canals and mangroves. Salt marshes often inundated by backwaters are mostly occupied by halophytes. They include Aleuropous lagopoides, Etriplex repens, Cressa cretica, Crotalaria retusa, Cyparus haspan, Fimbristylils ferrugenea, Salilchornia brachiata , Sesuvium portulacastrum Etc. Similar halophytic species scattered along the banks of Buckingham canal and Vapenjeri canal flowing with brackish water. Halophila ovalis popularly called sea grass belong to the family Hydrochariticeae appear prominently all along the margins Buckingham canal. Small mangrove pockets are located at two places namely near Vepenjeri canal close to Chandrasikuppam, and near Chengalpalem. Four species of mangroves belonging to four families are prominent over here. They include Aegiceras corniculatus of Myrsiraceae, Avicennia marina of Aviceiniaceae, Excoecaria agallocha of Euphorbiaceae and Lumintzera racemosa of Combretaceae. They develop pneumatophores in response to oxygen deficient conditions Significance of macrophytes to the lake: Macrophytes provide cover for fish and substrate for aquatic invertebrates, produce oxygen and act as food for some fish and wild life. Established mangrove roots provide an oyster habitat and slow water flow, there by enhancing sediment deposition. The fine anoxic sediments under mangroves act as sinks for a variety of heavy (trace) metal with colloidal particles in the sediments scavenged from the water. They protect coastal areas from erosion, storms and tsunamis. Their massive root systems are efficient at dissipating wave energy. Conclusion A decline in the macrophytic population may indicate water quality problem. They may be the result of excessive turbidgidy, pollutants including herbicides or salinization. It may lead to a major socio economic problem. One village in Tamilnadu was protected from tsunami destruction. That village is Naluvedapathy planted 80.244 saplings to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. This created a kilometer wide belt of trees of various varieties. When the tsunami struck, much of the land around the village was flooded but the village escaped form minimal damage. Many conservative methods have to be practiced to protect the macrophytic flora of the lake.