Reflection on Research Project

Reflection on the Research Project

The initial problem I ran into was locating references relevant to what I wanted to write about. When I had finally found the required amount using Consortium Library tools, I read over part two directions once more only to find that 10 of the 15 sources had to be dated 2007 or 2008. This was disheartening, because most of mine were much older than this. I had taken a short workshop freshman year on using the online databases the UA system offers like EbscoHost, but it had been so long that I couldn’t figure out how to do a refined search for current publications. To solve this issue, I trudged over to the library and sat down with the gentleman at the research desk. There, he showed me the ins and outs of the library website and I was able to track down several much-needed sources that met the date guidelines and contained support for my thesis. The hardest step for me was part two, because of the hurdles I ran into that I just explained. For some reason I found it hard to explain how each source would benefit my paper without having started writing the paper yet. Another difficulty for me was obviously the MLA formatting of citations- and I know this was due to never having the Writer’s Reference with me while working on the bibliography. I know now that I don’t have a Writer’s Reference built into my brain and I should probably follow directions a little better. I wouldn’t say the paper was an uphill struggle. At first, I was really overwhelmed with all the journal articles I had in front of me and had no idea where to start. My aha! moment occurred when I figured out a system for how to read through each article and be able to pull out the most important points to use for my argument. I read through each one before even starting to write the paper and organized them into categories according to which part or parts of my thesis they corresponded to. This made the paper a lot easier to write. I feel like one strength of the paper is that the components of my thesis complemented each other which facilitated a well-rounded paper. The ideas of direct and indirect pollution causing harm to these animals go hand and hand with each other, and it made it easier for me to lead into different topics. In the beginning, I was thinking to do a paper about sea turtles but do more of a hardcore biochemical analysis of the chemicals and how they harm the animal. Thinking this over, I decided that the paper wouldn’t really be an English paper, it would be a paper I’d write for a science class. And that just didn’t seem like very much fun. I wanted to be able to reach a more broad audience, and relay the “big picture” of this problem as best I could. If I had done the biochemical analysis one, I would have bored anyone who read it, including myself. There’s several things that I could do if I had more time. While searching for references, I found many that pertained to nesting areas of sea turtles being demolished and poisoned due to pollution. I could add another section about this topic, and link it to the maternal-egg transfer idea I wrote about. I could talk about how in addition to receiving pollutants from the mother, eggs undergo harsh environments in nesting areas that are polluted as well. Overall, I could further improve how the essay flows. I could find ways to link the different research publications a little better, and expand more on the big picture view of sea turtle endangerment. Although I feel like I’ve improved, I still need to keep working on improving mechanical and grammatical usage in addition to paragraph transitions and fully expanding my ideas.

Research Part 4 Workshop. A little late.

Workshop for research part 4.
Michael Nelson- http://flyingfireman.blogspot.com/

Overall
1. The part of the paper I liked best was the history the author incorporated. It made both sides of the argument feasible and convincing.
2. No email

Thesis
1. The author indeed makes their point clear. The thesis is saying that instead of focusing on the harmful effects of global warming, we should look at the positive aspects of it.
2. The author says that politics seem to misconstrue the idea of global warming into a huge, human-driven idea that the world is going to see deleterious effects from. He references several researchers who show gradual climate change as a natural occurance.
3. The thesis possibly needs a little work- there is an “although” part but no “because.”
Content
1. 6
2. It seems like the research took a turn somewhere in the middle from the history of climate change to expansion of oil rigs in the Arctic. If the author could better tie in the two aspects of global warming, the paper would be more well-rounded.
3. Any hardcore environmentalist type might not agree with this argument. In addition, there are many ignorant people who believe everything that they hear, and a lot of what we hear is these negative ideas about global warming. Thus, the author might find that the average person might not agree with his idea.
4. Yes, the author addresses several important objections
5. Paragraph transitions were well written.

Style
1. Though transitions seem fine, the ideas, as previously mentioned, could probably be tied in a little better. I got a little lost once the subject changed from climate to oil. Perhaps talking about how expanding oil production is related to climate issues would be beneficial.
2. The introduction paragraph is sound. It is interesting to me, and likely fellow Alaskans, due to its incorporation of Alaskan-related issues.
3. The conclusion could be improved. A recap of each of the ideas touched on and a discussion of future ideas would help the conclusion.

Research
1. I found three references within the paper, but no citations were used.
2. The author seems to have gathered information from an array of sources, but needs to incorporate citations.
3. The author does not utilize direct quotes, which I think is suitable for this paper.
4. No.
5. Any of the history or statistal data should be cited, as this information is likely from a source. Just go through and cite the source that was used for each idea in the paper.
6. No quotes are used, but the ideas that are used are well-explained and commented upon.

Essay #3 Cause/Effect Final

Private Health Care for Better Health Care

Anyone current on America’s biggest issues would know that our health care system is experiencing some serious issues. Prices of receiving adequate health care are soaring and unfortunately quality of care hasn’t followed in this growth. Another impeding issue is the amount of uninsured people there are who end up costing the medical system millions of unnecessary dollars a year. There are still positive entities within the system, though, that need to be replicated and expanded on to improve the overall system. Particularly the private sector of medical care has elements within it that illustrate the qualities and potential of the American healthcare system. Although costs are unnecessarily high, privatization of health care results in improved health care outcomes because it creates patient-driven competition among providers, better doctor-patient relationships, and incentives for physicians to maintain high standards of medical care delivery.

Healthy competition between providers comes in the forms of excellent outcome statistics, maintaining the newest and best technology, and overall patient satisfaction. When a certain facility or provider is known to be the best at what they do they often strive to maintain their recognition. Additionally, providers who purchase and use the most update technological equipment for diagnoses and procedures generally lure more patients into choosing them for their care. For example, when the Norplant birth control implant recently resurfaced as an option for women, younger doctors had to go through a special training for certification in the implant procedure. The health facilities with doctors who received this training then gained all of the consumers desiring Norplant birth control. This patient – driven competition is especially evident in highly specialized areas. When a doctor, a practice, or hospital focuses on one area of research or treatment of a disease, they often have the highest ranked outcomes out of any more broad practice or hospital for that same disease or condition. For example, Fairview-University Children’s Hospital in Minnesota focused in on improving treatments for patients living with Cystic Fibrosis and because of this have become the top Cystic Fibrosis treatment facility in the nation- their patients having a life expectancy of 12 years more than that of the national average (Porter 4).

Private health care allows for patient satisfaction on a greater level than a fully public system. Patients can choose their own physician and appointment times. Patients are also sometimes heavily involved in the treatment method that is chosen for their particular disease. (Jindal 1). A physician being able to give the patient options and talk about each one with them strengthens the relationship between the doctor and the patient. The fact that the patient is not aggravated with having to come at a designated time or wait for hours in waiting room- common for public health facilities- also contributes to the betterment of the doctor-patient relationship. Improved doctor-patient relationships are key in better quality health care because they allow the patient to trust the doctor. Trust causes the patient to be more open during conversations about health and life-issues, which makes it more likely that the patient will reveal something key to their diagnoses that the doctor will pick up on. Overall, chances are better that the correct diagnoses will be made and proper treatment delivered.

When doctors know that the care they provide will directly affect how many patients choose to see them and consequently how much money they make, they are encouraged to provide better care. A private health care system allows the doctor to set up and grow their own practice based on the level of standard they want to achieve. Supporters of a one-hundred percent government-ran public health care system may argue that private health care drives up costs and leaves uninsured individuals in the dust. They say that paying each type of doctor the same to provide the same services equally to every individual will result in every individual receiving adequate health care. Unfortunately, with this system there would be no incentive for doctors to go above and beyond for patients, strive for better outcomes, or to continue improving their doctoring skills, because there would be no lucrative benefits. It is true that there are some entirely altruistic doctors who satisfied with nothing more than correctly diagnosing and treating a patient to a full recovery. There are also doctors who want to be rewarded for all of the time they spent in school and for improving their skills and patient outcomes (which doesn’t necessarily make them bad doctors). Overall, better health care is a direct effect of privatization of health care.

A private health care system is crucial in maintaining and improving health care outcomes today and in the future. Our current private health care system is not perfect, mostly because of uncontrolled insurance companies raising prices and reimbursing less. However, there are many aspects of the system that can be fostered and expanded to reach our country’s full potential in providing the best quality and most affordable health care.

Works Cited
Jindal, Surinder. “Privatization of Health Care: New Ethical Dillemas.” Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. 13 Nov. 2008
Porter, Michael. “Competition the Cure for Health Care.” Harvard Business School. 13 Nov 2008

Re-Post of Part Four Research Proj., Minus the commas in citations.

Sea Turtles: Pollution Effects on a Threatened Species


Pollution in the world’s oceans has only recently become a complex issue that scientists and environmentalists are becoming increasingly aware of. Before the 1950’s, most human litter disposed of in the ocean was biodegradable, which meant it was broken down by the ocean water into organic, non-harmful components. The recent increase in the widespread use of plastics, with its durability and inexpensive qualities, has resulted in the accumulation of these materials in the oceans. Unfortunately, the durability that makes it useful to humans makes plastic detrimental to the ocean waters and the life within it. The buoyant characteristic of plastic also makes it especially harmful because it is able to travel for long distances in ocean currents (Sheavly 301). Plastic accumulation puts marine life and ecosystems at severe risk. Plastic debris includes things like plastic bags, ropes, nets, and rings from six-packs of soda. Other harmful marine debris that is present in massive amounts are styrofoam, oil, tar, and glass (Mascarenhas 354). Perhaps one of the most adversely affected and thus most extensively researched examples of this is the marine turtle. Although pollution items have historically not always been a direct threat to sea turtles, marine pollution is having a deleterious effect on the well being of these animals because of plastic ingestion, toxic chemical retention in tissues, and ingestion of several other anthropogenic materials.

Sea turtles, with a lifespan of up to 80 years, live predominantly in aquatic environments, except when females use beaches to lay their eggs. They live in both tropical and subtropical oceans, in many different areas of the world’s oceans. Unfortunately, these once abundant creatures’ populations are decreasing, and all seven species of sea turtle are now either classified as threatened or endangered species (NOAA.gov). One of the main reasons behind this dwindling in their populations is being accredited to anthropogenic issues; the deposition of oil and the “persistent plastics” that are disposed of in our oceans. Ingestion of plastics that may resemble prey to the turtle, especially species with a low discrimination in what they feed on, can cause direct affects to the turtle (Tomas 211). These items also have implications in altering feeding habits, and degrading their habitats (Bugoni 1330). When sea turtles ingest debris, the nature of the debris can be directly harmful, or it can make the turtle feel full and have no appetite. They then become nutrient deprived and more susceptible to sickness and death (Tomas 211). Additionally, fishing nets have also become a pollutant in the waters and are harmful to turtles because the often get caught in them and drown because they cannot swim up to breathe (Sheavly 302). In fact, it is estimated that oceans are the depot for about 52 metric tons of fishing gear per year (Pichel 1207).

The ingestion of debris is a common cause of sickness and death in marine turtles. A significant amount of debris ingestion research has been done on turtles found dead on beaches, or turtles that are illegally captured by fishermen. In one study, a research team analyzed 54 sea turtles that were captured illegally in the Spanish Mediterranean Ocean. Upon dissection of the sea turtles’ bodies, several types of debris were found in nearly 80% of the turtles. The debris items included tar, paper, hooks, lines, and nets; the most abundant material, though, was plastics, accounting for 75% of the total debris (Tomas 211). In another area of the world, in east and west coastal areas of Florida, another study was performed using 51 sea turtles that washed up dead onto beaches. 56% of the total turtles were found to have debris in their stomachs. They concluded that two of the turtles had died as a direct result of the debris clogging the digestive tract and mangling of gut tissue (Bjorndal 154).

Two studies conducted using sea turtles from Brazilian waters showed debris intake by the animals. One small study documented the analysis of two turtles, one dead, one alive, found on the shore of Paraiba, Brazil. The turtle that was deceased was dissected and was noted to have several pieces of hard plastic and a part of a plastic bag. Two weeks later, the turtle expelled debris, became lethargic, and died after nearly one month. Necropsy showed that the turtle had died from a perforation in its duodenum causing it not to be able to process the food in its stomach (Mascarenhas 354).

A second Brazilian study was conducted on the coast of the Rio Grande do Sul State in Southern Brazil. A group of university researchers from the area utilized 50 sea turtles that were found dead on the beach for an analysis of stomach contents. Three different species were involved. Upon analysis, plastic bags were found to be the debris that was most predominantly ingested by the sea turtles. The debris found within the sea turtles’ stomachs and intestines was the direct cause of death in 13.2% of the green turtles (the species that was the majority of the sample). Moreover, the researchers found an astonishingly large amount of fishing hazards to be the cause of death for the sea turtles (Bugoni 1330).

In addition to being a direct threat to sea turtles by mere ingestion, ocean debris can cause more indirect harmful effects. Anthropogenic material is often slowly broken down into toxic chemical components that can build up in animal tissues (Andreani 287). A few of the toxins that have been studied include trace metals like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and cadmium, as well as mercury, methylmercury, organochlorine, and polychlorobiphenyls (PCB’s) (Andreani 287; Day 1421; Kampalath 1816; Gardner 1082). One study by a group of researchers in South Carolina looked at blood mercury levels in loggerhead sea turtles and their correlation to key health characteristics of the turtles. To conduct this study, they took blood samples from the turtles and analyzed the blood for total mercury levels, as well as levels of several types of indicative cells. Findings showed that high mercury levels were a likely cause of a decrease in lymphocyte cell levels, which are important immune system cells. High mercury levels in the marine environment are shown to be toxic to overall immune system function of sea turtles (Day 1425).

A study that took place on the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Adriatic seas quantified the amounts of zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, and cadmium present in loggerhead and green sea turtles. By analyzing tissue samples from these turtles, they were able to get a good look at toxic metal concentration in the ocean waters. What they found alarming was high copper and iron levels, which both play crucial roles in oxygen transport but if they are over-abundant can cause degradative damage to cells. The researchers suggested that feeding habits are the most common cause of the heavy metal build-up in sea turtle tissues. Plants and other organisms lock in these metals as well, which are consumed by the turtles (Andreani 292). This study corresponded to a similar one conducted in Magdalena Bay of the Baja California Peninsula area. The researchers took algae and other plant samples from select areas, and obtained tissue samples from several accidentally drowned sea turtles in the same area. Liver and kidney samples were analyzed, as well as the stomach contents of each turtle. What they were looking for was a coorelation between the plant contents found in their stomachs, and the metal concentrations present in their tissues (Talavera-Saenz 101). They found a pattern of high concentrations of cadmium in liver tissue, as well as zinc in liver, kidney, and stomach tissue. Additionally, turtles in the Mediterranean area have been shown to have polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), very toxic chemicals, present in their tissues. Although the toleration level of sea turtles to this chemical has not been studied thoroughly, the fact that these chemicals are present is very alarming (Corsolini 954). This data is important because it illustrates the indirect effects of ocean pollution. Sea turtles not only ingest and get caught in garbage, but their main food supplies are ridden with chemicals that end up building up in their tissues as well.
Pollutant residues can be transferred from mother to baby in utero. Trace elements such as copper, zinc, selenium, cadmium, lead, and mercury have all been studied in maternal transfer experiments. Cadmium, when transferred to the turtle embryo, has been suggested to be harmful to gonad development and reproduction in later life (Guirlet 273).

It seems that the world’s increasing population and urbanization is having very serious consequences on the world’s oceans. When creatures that have thrived for millions of years are suddenly becoming rarities in the waters, there is obviously something very wrong with their environment. This could have serious impacts on our world in the future. Imagine going to the beach and having to lie a towel out amongst piles of trash. Imagine not being able to swim without coming into contact with milk jugs and plastic bags. What might happen once the ocean is completely ruined? The land might start eroding, and then gradually we’ll lose our Earth.

Big cities, especially in coastal areas, and the industries that are booming within them need to establish stricter regulations on waste disposal. The fishing industry needs to become more aware of the hazards posed to marine life by fishing nets, hooks, and other gear. Marine pollution currently places a huge impact on sea turtles because of what they ingest and the chemicals that pollutants release. If action is not taken to clean up the oceans, sea turtle population will continue to dwindle until extinction. Who knows what might go extinct next.



Works Cited

Andreani, G. "Metal Distribution and Metallothionein in Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) and Green (Chelonia Mydas) Sea Turtles." Science of the Total Environment 390 2008: 287-294.Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008

Bjorndal, Karen. "Ingestion of Marine Debris by Juvenile Sea Turtles in Coastal Florida Habitats." Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 1994: 154-158. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Bugoni, Leandro. "Marine Debris and Human Impacts on Sea Turtles in Southern Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 2001: 1330-1334. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Corsolini, S. “Presence of Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and Coplanar Congeners in the tissues of the Meditteranean Loggerhead Turtle Caretta Caretta.” Marine Pollution Bulletin 40 2000: 952-960. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Day, RD. "Relationship of Blood Mercury Levels to Health Parameters in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta)." Environmental Health Perspectives 115 2007: 1421-1428. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008 >

Gardner, Susan. "Organochlorine Contaminants in Sea Turtles from the Eastern Pacific." Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 2003: 1082-1089. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008

Guirlet, E."Maternal Transfer of Trace Elements in Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys Coriacea) of French Guiana." Aquatic Toxicology 88 2008: 267-276. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008

Kampalath, Rita. "Total and Methylmercury in Three Species of Sea Turtles of Baja California Sur." Marine Pollution Bulletin 52 2006: 1816-1823. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008

Mascarenhas, Rita. "Plastic Debris Ingestion by Sea Turtle in Paraiba, Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 2004: 354-355. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 26 Oct. 2008 United States.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Fisheries- Office of Protected Resources. Aug. 2007. 10 Oct. 2008 . .

Pichel, William G. "Marine Debris Collects within the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone." Marine Pollution Bulletin 54 2007: 1207-1211. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Sheavly, SB. "Marine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions." J Polym Environ 15 2007: 301-305. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 18 Oct. 2008

Talavera-Saenz, A. "Metal Profiles Used as Environmental Markers of Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Foraging Resources." Science of the Total Environment 373 2007: 94-102. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 18 Oct. 2008


Tomas, J. "Marine Debris Ingestion in Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Caretta Caretta, from the Western Mediterranean." Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 2001: 211-216. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008


Please note I did not add the web address for Ebsco host on to the end of Ebsco citations because blogger does not like them and messes them up.

Research Project Part 4, Second Rough Draft

Sea Turtles: Pollution Effects on a Threatened Species


Pollution in the world’s oceans has only recently become a complex issue that scientists and environmentalists are becoming increasingly aware of. Before the 1950’s, most human litter disposed of in the ocean was biodegradable, which meant it was broken down by the ocean water into organic, non-harmful components. The recent increase in the widespread use of plastics, with its durability and inexpensive qualities, has resulted in the accumulation of these materials in the oceans. Unfortunately, the durability that makes it useful to humans makes plastic detrimental to the ocean waters and the life within it. The buoyant characteristic of plastic also makes it especially harmful because it is able to travel for long distances in ocean currents (Sheavly, 301). Plastic accumulation puts marine life and ecosystems at severe risk. Plastic debris includes things like plastic bags, ropes, nets, and rings from six-packs of soda. Other harmful marine debris that is present in massive amounts are styrofoam, oil, tar, and glass (Mascarenhas, 354). Perhaps one of the most adversely affected and thus most extensively researched examples of this is the marine turtle. Although pollution items have historically not always been a direct threat to sea turtles, marine pollution is having a deleterious effect on the well being of these animals because of plastic ingestion, toxic chemical retention in tissues, and ingestion of several other anthropogenic materials.

Sea turtles, with a lifespan of up to 80 years, live predominantly in aquatic environments, except when females use beaches to lay their eggs. They live in both tropical and subtropical oceans, in many different areas of the world’s oceans. Unfortunately, these once abundant creatures’ populations are decreasing, and all seven species of sea turtle are now either classified as threatened or endangered species (NOAA.gov). One of the main reasons behind this dwindling in their populations is being accredited to anthropogenic issues; the deposition of oil and the “persistent plastics” that are disposed of in our oceans. Ingestion of plastics that may resemble prey to the turtle, especially species with a low discrimination in what they feed on, can cause direct affects to the turtle (Tomas, 211). These items also have implications in altering feeding habits, and degrading their habitats (Bugoni, 1330). When sea turtles ingest debris, the nature of the debris can be directly harmful, or it can make the turtle feel full and have no appetite. They then become nutrient deprived and more susceptible to sickness and death (Tomas, 211). Additionally, fishing nets have also become a pollutant in the waters and are harmful to turtles because the often get caught in them and drown because they cannot swim up to breathe (Sheavly, 302). In fact, it is estimated that oceans are the depot for about 52 metric tons of fishing gear per year (Pichel, 1207).

The ingestion of debris is a common cause of sickness and death in marine turtles. A significant amount of debris ingestion research has been done on turtles found dead on beaches, or turtles that are illegally captured by fishermen. In one study, a research team analyzed 54 sea turtles that were captured illegally in the Spanish Mediterranean Ocean. Upon dissection of the sea turtles’ bodies, several types of debris were found in nearly 80% of the turtles. The debris items included tar, paper, hooks, lines, and nets; the most abundant material, though, was plastics, accounting for 75% of the total debris (Tomas, 211). In another area of the world, in east and west coastal areas of Florida, another study was performed using 51 sea turtles that washed up dead onto beaches. 56% of the total turtles were found to have debris in their stomachs. They concluded that two of the turtles had died as a direct result of the debris clogging the digestive tract and mangling of gut tissue (Bjorndal, 154).

Two studies conducted using sea turtles from Brazilian waters showed debris intake by the animals. One small study documented the analysis of two turtles, one dead, one alive, found on the shore of Paraiba, Brazil. The turtle that was deceased was dissected and was noted to have several pieces of hard plastic and a part of a plastic bag. Two weeks later, the turtle expelled debris, became lethargic, and died after nearly one month. Necropsy showed that the turtle had died from a perforation in its duodenum causing it not to be able to process the food in its stomach (Mascarenhas, 354).

A second Brazilian study was conducted on the coast of the Rio Grande do Sul State in Southern Brazil. A group of university researchers from the area utilized 50 sea turtles that were found dead on the beach for an analysis of stomach contents. Three different species were involved. Upon analysis, plastic bags were found to be the debris that was most predominantly ingested by the sea turtles. The debris found within the sea turtles’ stomachs and intestines was the direct cause of death in 13.2% of the green turtles (the species that was the majority of the sample). Moreover, the researchers found an astonishingly large amount of fishing hazards to be the cause of death for the sea turtles (Bugoni, 1330).

In addition to being a direct threat to sea turtles by mere ingestion, ocean debris can cause more indirect harmful effects. Anthropogenic material is often slowly broken down into toxic chemical components that can build up in animal tissues (Andreani, 287). A few of the toxins that have been studied include trace metals like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and cadmium, as well as mercury, methylmercury, organochlorine, and polychlorobiphenyls (PCB’s) (Andreani,287; Day, 1421; Kampalath, 1816; Gardner, 1082). One study by a group of researchers in South Carolina looked at blood mercury levels in loggerhead sea turtles and their correlation to key health characteristics of the turtles. To conduct this study, they took blood samples from the turtles and analyzed the blood for total mercury levels, as well as levels of several types of indicative cells. Findings showed that high mercury levels were a likely cause of a decrease in lymphocyte cell levels, which are important immune system cells. High mercury levels in the marine environment are shown to be toxic to overall immune system function of sea turtles (Day, 1425).

A study that took place on the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Adriatic seas quantified the amounts of zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, and cadmium present in loggerhead and green sea turtles. By analyzing tissue samples from these turtles, they were able to get a good look at toxic metal concentration in the ocean waters. What they found alarming was high copper and iron levels, which both play crucial roles in oxygen transport but if they are over-abundant can cause degradative damage to cells. The researchers suggested that feeding habits are the most common cause of the heavy metal build-up in sea turtle tissues. Plants and other organisms lock in these metals as well, which are consumed by the turtles (Andreani, 292). This study corresponded to a similar one conducted in Magdalena Bay of the Baja California Peninsula area. The researchers took algae and other plant samples from select areas, and obtained tissue samples from several accidentally drowned sea turtles in the same area. Liver and kidney samples were analyzed, as well as the stomach contents of each turtle. What they were looking for was a coorelation between the plant contents found in their stomachs, and the metal concentrations present in their tissues (Talavera-Saenz, 101). They found a pattern of high concentrations of cadmium in liver tissue, as well as zinc in liver, kidney, and stomach tissue. Additionally, turtles in the Mediterranean area have been shown to have polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), very toxic chemicals, present in their tissues. Although the toleration level of sea turtles to this chemical has not been studied thoroughly, the fact that these chemicals are present is very alarming (Corsolini, 954). This data is important because it illustrates the indirect effects of ocean pollution. Sea turtles not only ingest and get caught in garbage, but their main food supplies are ridden with chemicals that end up building up in their tissues as well.
Pollutant residues can be transferred from mother to baby in utero. Trace elements such as copper, zinc, selenium, cadmium, lead, and mercury have all been studied in maternal transfer experiments. Cadmium, when transferred to the turtle embryo, has been suggested to be harmful to gonad development and reproduction in later life (Guirlet, 273).

It seems that the world’s increasing population and urbanization is having very serious consequences on the world’s oceans. When creatures that have thrived for millions of years are suddenly becoming rarities in the waters, there is obviously something very wrong with their environment. This could have serious impacts on our world in the future. Imagine going to the beach and having to lie a towel out amongst piles of trash. Imagine not being able to swim without coming into contact with milk jugs and plastic bags. What might happen once the ocean is completely ruined? The land might start eroding, and then gradually we’ll lose our Earth.

Big cities, especially in coastal areas, and the industries that are booming within them need to establish stricter regulations on waste disposal. The fishing industry needs to become more aware of the hazards posed to marine life by fishing nets, hooks, and other gear. Marine pollution currently places a huge impact on sea turtles because of what they ingest and the chemicals that pollutants release. If action is not taken to clean up the oceans, sea turtle population will continue to dwindle until extinction. Who knows what might go extinct next.







Works Cited
Andreani, G. "Metal Distribution and Metallothionein in Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) and Green (Chelonia Mydas) Sea Turtles." Science of the Total Environment 390 2008: 287-294.Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008

Bjorndal, Karen. "Ingestion of Marine Debris by Juvenile Sea Turtles in Coastal Florida Habitats." Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 1994: 154-158. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Bugoni, Leandro. "Marine Debris and Human Impacts on Sea Turtles in Southern Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 2001: 1330-1334. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Corsolini, S. “Presence of Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and Coplanar Congeners in the tissues of the Meditteranean Loggerhead Turtle Caretta Caretta.” Marine Pollution Bulletin 40 2000: 952-960. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Day, RD. "Relationship of Blood Mercury Levels to Health Parameters in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta)." Environmental Health Perspectives 115 2007: 1421-1428. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008 >
Gardner, Susan. "Organochlorine Contaminants in Sea Turtles from the Eastern Pacific." Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 2003: 1082-1089. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008

Guirlet, E."Maternal Transfer of Trace Elements in Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys Coriacea) of French Guiana." Aquatic Toxicology 88 2008: 267-276. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008
Kampalath, Rita. "Total and Methylmercury in Three Species of Sea Turtles of Baja California Sur." Marine Pollution Bulletin 52 2006: 1816-1823. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008

Mascarenhas, Rita. "Plastic Debris Ingestion by Sea Turtle in Paraiba, Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 2004: 354-355. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 26 Oct. 2008 United States.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Fisheries- Office of Protected Resources. Aug. 2007. 10 Oct. 2008 . .

Pichel, William G. "Marine Debris Collects within the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone." Marine Pollution Bulletin 54 2007: 1207-1211. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Sheavly, SB. "Marine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions." J Polym Environ 15 2007: 301-305. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 18 Oct. 2008

Talavera-Saenz, A. "Metal Profiles Used as Environmental Markers of Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) Foraging Resources." Science of the Total Environment 373 2007: 94-102

Tomas, J. "Marine Debris Ingestion in Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Caretta Caretta, from the Western Mediterranean." Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 2001: 211-216. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008





Please note I did not add the web address for Ebsco host on to the end of Ebsco citations because blogger does not like them and messes them up.

Cause/Effect Peer Workshop Week 11

Workshop for Kenny Widmer
http://widmer111.blogspot.com/

Cause/Effect Workshop

1. Although there are arguments that illegal immigrants help the economy by doing the jobs nobody else wants to do, immigrants cause problems for the country because they still end up costing the country and individual tax payer thousands of extra dollars.
2. Yes the thesis states a direct link between cause and effect.
3. Illegal Immigrants pay little or no taxes, they strain social and health services, and take jobs away from Americans.
4. Illegal immigrants have an overall negative effect on America’s economy.

Audience
1. Counterarguments include: illegal immigrants fill jobs that Americans do not want. Also, the majority of people in the country are offspring of illegal immigrants. Lastly, they do pay sales taxes and property taxes. The author adequately addresses these arguments as they are the main defense for illegal immigrants. One thing I might suggest is not to use the term “illegals” in referring to illegal immigrants. Although they’re illegal, they’re still human, and “illegals” sounds a little apolitically correct (In my opinion). Maybe just write out “illegal immigrants.”

Title
Illegal Immigrants: When Low Prices Just Isn’t Enough

Introduction
I love the lead sentence because of its applications to real life. I love the brutal honesty of this paper.
Conclusion
The author concludes his paper by going back to his original example about the cost of strawberries, and how even though they’re cheaper because they’re picked by cheap labor, the cheap labor is overall having an expensive toll on the country. I like it. It’s simple and to the point.

Flow/Transitions
The author ties together the paragraphs well; Each one leads into the next smoothly. All of the supporting ideas used throughout the paper are in support of the causes mentioned in the thesis.

Essay 3 Cause/Effect Draft

Private Health Care for Better Health Care

Anyone current on America’s biggest issues would know that our health care system is experiencing some serious issues. Prices of receiving adequate health care have sky rocketed and unfortunately quality of care hasn’t followed in this growth. Another impeding issue is the amount of uninsured people there are who end up costing the medical system millions of unnecessary dollars a year. There are still positive entities within the system, though, that need to be replicated and expanded on to improve the overall system. Particularly the private sector of medical care has elements within it that illustrate the qualities and potential of the American healthcare system. Although costs are unnecessarily high, privatization of health care results in improved health care outcomes because it creates patient-driven competition among providers, better doctor-patient relationships, and incentives for physicians to maintain high standards of medical care delivery.
Healthy competition between providers comes in the forms of excellent outcome statistics, maintaining the newest and best technology, and overall patient satisfaction. When a certain facility or provider is known to be the best at what they do they often strive to maintain their recognition. Additionally, providers who purchase and use the most update technological equipment for diagnoses and procedures generally lure more patients into choosing them for their care. For example, when the Norplant birth control implant recently resurfaced as an option for women, younger doctors had to go through a special training for certification in the implant procedure. The health facilities with doctors who received this training then gained all of the consumers desiring Norplant birth control. This patient – driven competition is especially evident in highly specialized areas. When a doctor, a practice, or hospital focuses on one area of research or treatment of a disease, they often have the highest ranked outcomes out of any more broad practice or hospital for that same disease or condition. For example, Fairview-University Children’s Hospital in Minnesota focused in on improving treatments for patients living with Cystic Fibrosis and because of this have become the top Cystic Fibrosis treatment facility in the nation; their patients having a life expectancy of 12 years more than that of the national average (Porter, 4).
Private health care allows for patient satisfaction on a greater level than a fully public system. Patients can choose their own physician and appointment times. Patients are also sometimes heavily involved in the treatment method that is chosen for their particular disease. (Jindal, 1). A physician being able to give the patient options and talk about each one with them strengthens the relationship between the doctor and the patient. The fact that the patient is not aggravated with having to come at a designated time or wait for hours in waiting room- common for public health facilities- also contributes to the betterment of the doctor-patient relationship. Improved doctor-patient relationships are key in better quality health care because they allow the patient to trust the doctor and the doctor more likely to make a correct diagnoses.
When doctors know that the care they provide will directly affect how many patients choose to see them and consequently how much money they make, they are encouraged to provide better care. A private health care system allows the doctor to set up and grow their own practice based on the level of standard they want to achieve. Supporters of a one-hundred percent government-ran public health care system may argue that private health care drives up costs and leaves uninsured individuals in the dust. They say that paying each type of doctor the same to provide the same services equally to every individual will result in every individual receiving adequate health care. Unfortunately, with this system there would be no incentive for doctors to go above and beyond for patients, strive for better outcomes, or to continue improving their doctoring skills, because there would be no lucrative benefits. It is true that there are some entirely altruistic doctors, satisfied with nothing more than correctly diagnosing and treating a patient to a full recovery; but there are also doctors who want to be rewarded for all of the time they spent in school and for improving their skills and patient outcomes (which doesn’t necessarily make them bad doctors). Overall, better health care is a direct effect of privatization of health care.
A private health care system is crucial in maintaining and improving health care outcomes today and in the future. Our private health care system is not perfect today, mostly because of uncontrolled insurance companies raising prices and reimbursing less. However, there are many aspects of the system that can be fostered and expanded to reach our system’s full potential in providing the best quality and most affordable health care.

Works Cited
Jindal, Surinder. “Privatization of Health Care: New Ethical Dillemas.” Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. 13 Nov. 2008
Porter, Michael. “Competition the Cure for Health Care.” Harvard Business School. 13 Nov 2008

Reading response Week 10

Page 652, #1
Carr article


The argument being made by Carr is that even though our nation has veered away from race being an issue, magazine covers are still not featuring minorities on the covers nearly as much as they should. Our country has seen a huge growth in nonwhite citizens but this is not being reflected in mainstream magazines. The fact that it was in the business section of the newspaper suggests that they’re treating this matter in a consumer-like way instead of a human way. The article makes it a point to say the reason why black people aren’t featured on covers as much is because sales go down. They interviewed editors in chief and directors of big magazines and authors for opinions and statements. If the article were written for the lifestyle section, the interviewees probably would have been the more common person; a typical middle or lower class black American. The reason for this is because in comparison to the business section, the Lifestyle section likely gets more of these average American readers. In the business section, you’re targeting corporate America and saying “Here’s the facts and the stats.” In the Lifestyle section, you’re targeting Americans in general and saying, “Hey, this is a problem. There’s still very much a racial issue present in this field.” This would probably elicit a response from minority people of wanting equality no matter what the predicted sales of the magazine were. In contrast, Business readers might respond with a “Hmm, that’s interesting.”

Research Proj Part III Re-post of the Re-Post

Sea Turtles: Pollution Effects on a Threatened Species

Pollution in the world’s oceans has only recently become a complex issue that scientists and environmentalists are becoming increasingly aware of. Before the 1950’s, most human litter disposed of in the ocean was biodegradable, which meant it was broken down by the ocean water into organic, non-harmful components. The recent increase in the widespread use of plastics, with its durability and inexpensive qualities, has resulted in the accumulation of these materials in the oceans. Unfortunately, the durability that makes it useful to humans makes plastic detrimental to the ocean waters and the life within it. The buoyant characteristic of plastic also makes it especially harmful because it is able to travel for long distances in ocean currents (Sheavly, 301). Plastic accumulation puts marine life and ecosystems at severe risk. Plastic debris includes things like plastic bags, ropes, nets, and rings from six-packs of soda. Other harmful marine debris that is present in massive amounts are styrofoam, oil, tar, and glass (Mascarenhas, 354). Perhaps one of the most adversely affected and thus most extensively researched examples of this is the marine turtle. Although pollution items have historically not always been a direct threat to sea turtles, marine pollution is having a deleterious effect on the well being of these animals because of plastic ingestion, toxic chemical retention in tissues, and ingestion of several other anthropogenic materials.

Sea turtles, with a lifespan of up to 80 years, live predominantly in aquatic environments, except when females use beaches to lay their eggs. They live in both tropical and subtropical oceans, in many different areas of the world’s oceans. Unfortunately, these once abundant creatures’ populations are decreasing, and all seven species of sea turtle are now either classified as threatened or endangered species (NOAA.gov). One of the main reasons behind this dwindling in their populations is being accredited to anthropogenic issues; the deposition of oil and the “persistent plastics” that are disposed of in our oceans. Ingestion of plastics that may resemble prey to the turtle, especially species with a low discrimination in what they feed on, can cause direct affects to the turtle (Tomas, 211). These items also have implications in altering feeding habits, and degrading their habitats (Bugoni, 1330). When sea turtles ingest debris, the nature of the debris can be directly harmful, or it can make the turtle feel full and have no appetite. They then become nutrient deprived and more susceptible to sickness and death (Tomas, 211). Additionally, fishing nets have also become a pollutant in the waters and are harmful to turtles because the often get caught in them and drown because they cannot swim up to breathe (Sheavly, 302). In fact, it is estimated that oceans are the depot for about 52 metric tons of fishing gear per year (Pichel, 1207).

The ingestion of debris is a common cause of sickness and death in marine turtles. A significant amount of debris ingestion research has been done on turtles found dead on beaches, or turtles that are illegally captured by fishermen. In one study, a research team analyzed 54 sea turtles that were captured illegally in the Spanish Mediterranean Ocean. Upon dissection of the sea turtles’ bodies, several types of debris were found in nearly 80% of the turtles. The debris items included tar, paper, hooks, lines, and nets; the most abundant material, though, was plastics, accounting for 75% of the total debris (Tomas, 211). In another area of the world, in east and west coastal areas of Florida, another study was performed using 51 sea turtles that washed up dead onto beaches. 56% of the total turtles were found to have debris in their stomachs. They concluded that two of the turtles had died as a direct result of the debris clogging the digestive tract and mangling of gut tissue (Bjorndal, 154).

Two studies conducted using sea turtles from Brazilian waters showed debris intake by the animals. One small study documented the analysis of two turtles, one dead, one alive, found on the shore of Paraiba, Brazil. The turtle that was deceased was dissected and was noted to have several pieces of hard plastic and a part of a plastic bag. Two weeks later, the turtle expelled debris, became lethargic, and died after nearly one month. Necropsy showed that the turtle had died from a perforation in its duodenum causing it not to be able to process the food in its stomach (Mascarenhas, 354).

A second Brazilian study was conducted on the coast of the Rio Grande do Sul State in Southern Brazil. A group of university researchers from the area utilized 50 sea turtles that were found dead on the beach for an analysis of stomach contents. Three different species were involved. Upon analysis, plastic bags were found to be the debris that was most predominantly ingested by the sea turtles. The debris found within the sea turtles’ stomachs and intestines was the direct cause of death in 13.2% of the green turtles (the species that was the majority of the sample). Moreover, the researchers found an astonishingly large amount of fishing hazards to be the cause of death for the sea turtles (Bugoni, 1330).

In addition to being a direct threat to sea turtles by mere ingestion, ocean debris can cause more indirect harmful effects. Anthropogenic material is often slowly broken down into toxic chemical components that can build up in animal tissues (Andreani, 287). A few of the toxins that have been studied include trace metals like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and cadmium, as well as mercury, methylmercury, organochlorine, and polychlorobiphenyls (PCB’s) (Andreani,287; Day, 1421; Kampalath, 1816; Gardner, 1082). One study by a group of researchers in South Carolina looked at blood mercury levels in loggerhead sea turtles and their correlation to key health characteristics of the turtles. To conduct this study, they took blood samples from the turtles and analyzed the blood for total mercury levels, as well as levels of several types of indicative cells. Findings showed that high mercury levels were a likely cause of a decrease in lymphocyte cell levels, which are important immune system cells. High mercury levels in the marine environment are shown to be toxic to overall immune system function of sea turtles (Day, 1425).

It seems that the world’s increasing population and urbanization is having very serious consequences on the world’s oceans. When creatures that have thrived for millions of years are suddenly becoming rarities in the waters, there is obviously something very wrong with their environment. Big cities, especially in coastal areas, and the industries that are booming within them need to establish stricter regulations on waste disposal. The fishing industry needs to become more aware of the hazards posed to marine life by fishing nets, hooks, and other gear. Marine pollution currently places a huge impact on sea turtles because of what they ingest and the chemicals that pollutants release. If action is not taken to clean up the oceans, sea turtle population will continue to dwindle until extinction.

Works Cited

Andreani, G. "Metal Distribution and Metallothionein in Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) and Green (Chelonia Mydas) Sea Turtles." Science of the Total Environment 390 2008: 287-294.Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008

Bjorndal, Karen. "Ingestion of Marine Debris by Juvenile Sea Turtles in Coastal Florida Habitats." Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 1994: 154-158. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008

Bugoni, Leandro. "Marine Debris and Human Impacts on Sea Turtles in Southern Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 2001: 1330-1334. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008 <http://search.epnet.com>

Day, RD. "Relationship of Blood Mercury Levels to Health Parameters in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta)." Environmental Health Perspectives 115 2007: 1421-1428. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008 >

Gardner, Susan. "Organochlorine Contaminants in Sea Turtles from the Eastern Pacific." Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 2003: 1082-1089. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008 <http://search.epnet.com>

Kampalath, Rita. "Total and Methylmercury in Three Species of Sea Turtles of Baja California Sur." Marine Pollution Bulletin 52 2006: 1816-1823. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 15 Oct. 2008 <http://search.epnet.com>

Mascarenhas, Rita. "Plastic Debris Ingestion by Sea Turtle in Paraiba, Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 2004: 354-355. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 26 Oct. 2008 United States.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Fisheries- Office of Protected Resources. Aug. 2007. 10 Oct. 2008 . .

Pichel, William G. "Marine Debris Collects within the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone." Marine Pollution Bulletin 54 2007: 1207-1211. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 17 Oct. 2008 <http://search.epnet.com>

Sheavly, SB. "Marine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions." J Polym Environ 15 2007: 301-305. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 18 Oct. 2008 <http://search.epnet.com>


Tomas, J. "Marine Debris Ingestion in Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Caretta Caretta, from the Western Mediterranean." Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 2001: 211-216. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UAA/APU Consortium Lib., Anchorage, AK. 25 Oct. 2008

Reading Responses #7

Bernstein- #1
Bernstein’s argument is that while America experienced “a third-world disaster” during Hurricane Katrina, Europe had less sympathy than they had previously shown other countries experiencing equivalent disasters. Although statements and actions of help were offered, Europe’s response was meek- there was no sizeable amount of empathy for the people affected by the disaster. There was actually a response of dismay, as if Europeans were disappointed that a country, that is known to be so successful and the people within it so privileged, could let so many people die and be displaced. The author expresses several reasons behind this. Because America is such a rich and prosperous country, Europe didn’t feel as sorry for Americans in distress as they did when natural disasters ruin the lives of people who already have nothing; like in third-world countries. Also, there was a notion that this hurricane was predicted but American leaders didn’t do anything-or enough- to prepare a disaster plan for the worst possible scenario. Another European entity that was hesitant to show empathy to the American disaster was the environmentalists. Because the Bush Administration hadn’t signed the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement to lower greenhouse gases and emissions, environmental leaders didn’t feel sorry that a hurricane had hit America so hard. These reasons seem to be basically saying to America, “This was your fault- this is what you get for not preparing and not wanting to make an effort to lower your emissions.” Lastly, the hurricane disasters revealed to Europe and the world the hidden inequalities that are very real in America, showing that the glitz and glamour everyone thinks is America isn’t really the whole story.

Visual arguments Page 639 #3
It is certainly peculiar how stereotypes can be the basis of so much humor in the world today. Most of my favorite comedians are black, and I’ve found that the majority of their humor is making fun of their race- whether it be how black people are stereotyped as poor, or “ghetto”, or the way they talk, or their names…all sorts of things. However, if a white person makes any jokes about these things, obviously it would become a racist thing. There’s not a whole lot at stake if someone makes a joke, or dresses up as a stereotype they’re a part of. If an Asian girl dressed up as a Geisha, people would probably think that was fine. One of my friends from highschool, who’s from Saudi, dressed up as Bin Laden one Halloween and walked around school yelling “BOMB!” Everyone thought it was hilarious. I don’t doubt that there’d be some controversy if a white person dressed up the same way. It is entirely dependent on the certain situation and the groups of people involved whether or not someone would take offense to someone else trying to act in their stereotype. People trying to mock a different stereotype that they wouldn’t be associated with could be considered extremely rude, out of line, or “making fun” of another race, culture, etc. Therefore, there’s the stake of being considered racist, or sexist, or judgmental if one performs a stereotype that they’re not a part of.

Workshop for L. Lyle Research Draft

Workshop for Lyle, Logan
Address: http://logster-engl111.blogspot.com/
Overall:
1) I liked best the detailed introduction the author gave. It outlines coral’s function as the aquatic home for many types of fish, its use in medicines, and in tourism. I found the medical part especially interesting.
2) The author expressed concern in… (haven’t received an e-mail back)

Thesis
1) Yes, the author clearly expresses his concern for the survival of coral in his thesis. He is saying that it is crucial that coral be saved given that it provides shelter for many aquatic organisms, has biomedical uses, and that it provides protection against storms.
2) Environmental activists and scientists would agree with the authors point of view; some groups of people, possibly those who are the perpetrators of coral death, maybe would not agree with this point of view.
3) The thesis indeed utilizes the although-because format.

Content
1) A solid 7.
2) Possibly expanding on medicinal uses might be valuable for this paper. The author does a great job with explaining how fish need coral, but the entire argument might seem more relevant to a wider audience if he explained in greater detail what medicines/treatments exactly come from coral. Also, a little more detail about coral protecting coastal communites might be valuable as well- especially since we’ve seen so many devastating natural disasters, like tsunamis, in the last several years around the world.
3) I can’t think of any objections one would have against the author’s thesis.
4) The relationship is clear, for the most part, between the thesis and paragraph. The author does mention something about how tourism is a major reason we need to watch out for the survival of the coral, and that is not mentioned as a defense in the thesis. So that might need to be tied in somehow.

Style

1) There are a few choppy paragraph transitions. The transition between explaining how the coral protects against tsunamis and how human interactions and fishing are causing such big problems needs to be smoothed out. Throwing in some sort of sentence to tie them together would help.
2) The opening is definitely interesting and capturing for the reader. However, the “science is trying hard to keep up” argument is a little vague. This should be expanded on just a little in the opening to explain it a little better. Otherwise, it sounds a little out of nowhere.
3) The ending paragraph wraps up the essay nicely overall. However, the ending sentence is a little random. It would sound great if it ended with the second-to-last sentence: “coral destruction is a fight that everyone must take part in.” Except maybe it should be “coral conservation is a fight…” since that’s what the main goal is.


Research
1) Four different works were cited in the essay.
2) It seems like the works were used equally. A few more should probably be incorporated, though.
3) There aren’t any quotes, so this isn’t an issue for the author.
4) No.
5) The essay sometimes goes several paragraphs without a citation- it may be that all of that information came from the next citation, or possibly that citations need to be added.
6) No quotes were incorporated so this isn’t a problem for this paper.

Research Proj. Part 3 Re-Post

Sea Turtles: Pollution Effects on a Threatened Species


Pollution in the world’s oceans has only recently become a complex issue that scientists and environmentalists are becoming increasingly aware of. Before the 1950’s, most human litter disposed of in the ocean was biodegradable, which meant it was broken down by the ocean water into organic, non-harmful components. The recent increase in the widespread use of plastics, with its durability and inexpensive qualities, has resulted in the accumulation of these materials in the oceans. Unfortunately, the durability that makes it useful to humans makes plastic detrimental to the ocean waters and the life within it. The buoyant characteristic of plastic also makes it especially harmful because it is able to travel for long distances in ocean currents (Sheavly, 301). Plastic accumulation puts marine life and ecosystems at severe risk. Plastic debris includes things like plastic bags, ropes, nets, and rings from six-packs of soda. Other harmful marine debris that is present in massive amounts are styrofoam, oil, tar, and glass (Mascarenhas, 354). Perhaps one of the most adversely affected and thus most extensively researched examples of this is the marine turtle. Although pollution items have historically not always been a direct threat to sea turtles, marine pollution is having a deleterious effect on the well being of these animals because of plastic ingestion, toxic chemical retention in tissues, and ingestion of several other anthropogenic materials.

Sea turtles, with a lifespan of up to 80 years, live predominantly in aquatic environments, except when females use beaches to lay their eggs. They live in both tropical and subtropical oceans, in many different areas of the world’s oceans. Unfortunately, these once abundant creatures’ populations are decreasing, and all seven species of sea turtle are now either classified as threatened or endangered species (NOAA.gov). One of the main reasons behind this dwindling in their populations is being accredited to anthropogenic issues; the deposition of oil and the “persistent plastics” that are disposed of in our oceans. Ingestion of plastics that may resemble prey to the turtle, especially species with a low discrimination in what they feed on, can cause direct affects to the turtle (Tomas, 211). These items also have implications in altering feeding habits, and degrading their habitats (Bugoni, 1330). When sea turtles ingest debris, the nature of the debris can be directly harmful, or it can make the turtle feel full and have no appetite. They then become nutrient deprived and more susceptible to sickness and death (Tomas, 211). Additionally, fishing nets have also become a pollutant in the waters and are harmful to turtles because the often get caught in them and drown because they cannot swim up to breathe (Sheavly, 302). In fact, it is estimated that oceans are the depot for about 52 metric tons of fishing gear per year (Pichel, 1207).

The ingestion of debris is a common cause of sickness and death in marine turtles. A significant amount of debris ingestion research has been done on turtles found dead on beaches, or turtles that are illegally captured by fishermen. In one study, a research team analyzed 54 sea turtles that were captured illegally in the Spanish Mediterranean Ocean. Upon dissection of the sea turtles’ bodies, several types of debris were found in nearly 80% of the turtles. The debris items included tar, paper, hooks, lines, and nets; the most abundant material, though, was plastics, accounting for 75% of the total debris (Tomas, 211). In another area of the world, in east and west coastal areas of Florida, another study was performed using 51 sea turtles that washed up dead onto beaches. 56% of the total turtles were found to have debris in their stomachs. They concluded that two of the turtles had died as a direct result of the debris clogging the digestive tract and mangling of gut tissue (Bjorndal, 154).

Two studies conducted using sea turtles from Brazilian waters showed debris intake by the animals. One small study documented the analysis of two turtles, one dead, one alive, found on the shore of Paraiba, Brazil. The turtle that was deceased was dissected and was noted to have several pieces of hard plastic and a part of a plastic bag. Two weeks later, the turtle expelled debris, became lethargic, and died after nearly one month. Necropsy showed that the turtle had died from a perforation in its duodenum causing it not to be able to process the food in its stomach (Mascarenhas, 354).

A second Brazilian study was conducted on the coast of the Rio Grande do Sul State in Southern Brazil. A group of university researchers from the area utilized 50 sea turtles that were found dead on the beach for an analysis of stomach contents. Three different species were involved. Upon analysis, plastic bags were found to be the debris that was most predominantly ingested by the sea turtles. The debris found within the sea turtles’ stomachs and intestines was the direct cause of death in 13.2% of the green turtles (the species that was the majority of the sample). Moreover, the researchers found an astonishingly large amount of fishing hazards to be the cause of death for the sea turtles (Bugoni, 1330).

In addition to being a direct threat to sea turtles by mere ingestion, ocean debris can cause more indirect harmful effects. Anthropogenic material is often slowly broken down into toxic chemical components that can build up in animal tissues (Andreani, 287). A few of the toxins that have been studied include trace metals like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and cadmium, as well as mercury, methylmercury, organochlorine, and polychlorobiphenyls (PCB’s) (Andreani,287; Day, 1421; Kampalath, 1816; Gardner, 1082). One study by a group of researchers in South Carolina looked at blood mercury levels in loggerhead sea turtles and their correlation to key health characteristics of the turtles. To conduct this study, they took blood samples from the turtles and analyzed the blood for total mercury levels, as well as levels of several types of indicative cells. Findings showed that high mercury levels were a likely cause of a decrease in lymphocyte cell levels, which are important immune system cells. High mercury levels in the marine environment are shown to be toxic to overall immune system function of sea turtles (Day, 1425).

It seems that the world’s increasing population and urbanization is having very serious consequences on the world’s oceans. When creatures that have thrived for millions of years are suddenly becoming rarities in the waters, there is obviously something very wrong with their environment. Big cities, especially in coastal areas, and the industries that are booming within them need to establish stricter regulations on waste disposal. The fishing industry needs to become more aware of the hazards posed to marine life by fishing nets, hooks, and other gear. Marine pollution currently places a huge impact on sea turtles because of what they ingest and the chemicals that pollutants release. If action is not taken to clean up the oceans, sea turtle population will continue to dwindle until extinction.



Works Cited

1) Andreani, G. "Metal Distribution and Metallothionein in Loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) and Green (Chelonia Mydas) Sea Turtles." Science of the Total Environment 390 (2008): 287-294.
2) Bjorndal, Karen. "Ingestion of Marine Debris by Juvenile Sea Turtles in Coastal Florida Habitats." Marine Pollution Bulletin 28 (1994): 154-158.
3) Bugoni, Leandro. "Marine Debris and Human Impacts on Sea Turtles in Southern Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 42 (2001): 1330-1334.
4) Day, RD. "Relationship of Blood Mercury Levels to Health Parameters in the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta Caretta)." Environmental Health Perspectives 115 (2007): 1421-1428.
5) Gardner, Susan. "Organochlorine Contaminants in Sea Turtles from the Eastern Pacific." Marine Pollution Bulletin 46 (2003): 1082-1089.
6) Kampalath, Rita. "Total and Methylmercury in Three Species of Sea Turtles of Baja California Sur." Marine Pollution Bulletin 52 (2006): 1816-1823.
7) Mascarenhas, Rita. "Plastic Debris Ingestion by Sea Turtle in Paraiba, Brazil." Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 (2004): 354-355
8) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA Fisheries- Office of Protected Resources. Aug. 2007. 10 Oct. 2008 .
9) Pichel, William G. "Marine Debris Collects within the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone." Marine Pollution Bulletin 54 (2007): 1207-1211.
10) Sheavly, SB. "Marine Debris & Plastics: Environmental Concerns, Sources, Impacts and Solutions." J Polym Environ 15 (2007): 301-305.
11) Tomas, J. "Marine Debris Ingestion in Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Caretta Caretta, from the Western Mediterranean." Marine Pollution Bulletin 44 (2001): 211-216.

Grammar Girl- Run-on sentences

In summary, the grammar girl lesson this week gave a quick overview on identifying and fixing run on sentences. A run on sentence can be a really, really long sentence, or simply a short sentence without the proper grammar. I must admit that I commit the run -on sentence crime here and there, but usually end up editing my writing to split up the sentence. Most of the time I’m just trying to get way too much information in between two periods. I really like using fancy descriptive words and though this may not always make my sentence a run-on, it sometimes makes them sound congested and inundated with nonsense. Actually, earlier today I was working on an abstract for a research proposal and was having a hard time with a sentence that I knew in my heart of hearts was a run-on, but I didn’t want to face it. This is what the sentence ended up as: “Using an in situ hybridization procedure, we are investigating the effects of WSTF knockdown on the expression of two genes - Bone morphogenic protein 4 (Bmp4) and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) - both involved in early neural patterning and later differentiation and development in Xenopus and other vertebrates.” I don’t think this is a run-on sentence, but it definitely sounds like it needs to be split up. What I thought was cool about this grammar girl lesson was that she explained how different punctuation can be used to obtain different effects in the writing. I plan on utilizing this new tool in the future.

Research Project Part III- 1st Draft

Sea Turtles: Pollution Effects on a Threatened Species


Pollution in the world’s oceans has only recently become a complex issue that scientists and environmentalists are becoming increasingly aware of. Before the 1950’s, most human litter disposed of in the ocean was biodegradable, which meant it was broken down by the ocean water into organic, non-harmful components. The recent increase in the widespread use of plastics, with its durability and inexpensive qualities, has resulted in the accumulation of these materials in the oceans. Unfortunately, the durability that makes it useful to humans makes plastic detrimental to the ocean waters and the life within it. The buoyant characteristic of plastic also makes it especially harmful because it is able to travel for long distances in ocean currents (Sheavly, 301). Plastic accumulation puts marine life and ecosystems at severe risk. Plastic debris includes things like plastic bags, ropes, nets, and rings from six-packs of soda. Other harmful marine debris that is present in massive amounts are styrofoam, oil, tar, and glass (Mascarenhas, 354). Perhaps one of the most adversely affected and thus most extensively researched examples of this is the marine turtle. Although pollution items have historically not always been a direct threat to sea turtles, marine pollution is having a deleterious effect on the well being of these animals because of plastic ingestion, toxic chemical retention in tissues, and ingestion of several other anthropogenic materials.

Sea turtles, with a lifespan of up to 80 years, live predominantly in aquatic environments, except when females use beaches to lay their eggs. They live in both tropical and subtropical oceans, in many different areas of the world’s oceans. Unfortunately, these once abundant creatures’ populations are decreasing, and all seven species of sea turtle are now either classified as threatened or endangered species (NOAA.gov). One of the main reasons behind this dwindling in their populations is being accredited to anthropogenic issues; the deposition of oil and the “persistent plastics” that are disposed of in our oceans. Ingestion of plastics that may resemble prey to the turtle, especially species with a low discrimination in what they feed on, can cause direct affects to the turtle (Tomas, 211). These items also have implications in altering feeding habits, and degrading their habitats (Bugoni, 1330). When sea turtles ingest debris, the nature of the debris can be directly harmful, or it can make the turtle feel full and have no appetite. They then become nutrient deprived and more susceptible to sickness and death (Tomas, 211). Additionally, fishing nets have also become a pollutant in the waters and are harmful to turtles because the often get caught in them and drown because they cannot swim up to breathe (Sheavly, 302). In fact, it is estimated that oceans are the depot for about 52 metric tons of fishing gear per year (Pichel, 1207).

The ingestion of debris is a common cause of sickness and death in marine turtles. A significant amount of debris ingestion research has been done on turtles found dead on beaches, or turtles that are illegally captured by fishermen. In one study, a research team analyzed 54 sea turtles that were captured illegally in the Spanish Mediterranean Ocean. Upon dissection of the sea turtles’ bodies, several types of debris were found in nearly 80% of the turtles. The debris items included tar, paper, hooks, lines, and nets; the most abundant material, though, was plastics, accounting for 75% of the total debris (Tomas, 211). In another area of the world, in east and west coastal areas of Florida, another study was performed using 51 sea turtles that washed up dead onto beaches. 56% of the total turtles were found to have debris in their stomachs. They concluded that two of the turtles had died as a direct result of the debris clogging the digestive tract and mangling of gut tissue (Bjorndal, 154).

Two studies conducted using sea turtles from Brazilian waters showed debris intake by the animals. One small study documented the analysis of two turtles, one dead, one alive, found on the shore of Paraiba, Brazil. The turtle that was deceased was dissected and was noted to have several pieces of hard plastic and a part of a plastic bag. Two weeks later, the turtle expelled debris, became lethargic, and died after nearly one month. Necropsy showed that the turtle had died from a perforation in its duodenum causing it not to be able to process the food in its stomach (Mascarenhas, 354).

A second Brazilian study was conducted on the coast of the Rio Grande do Sul State in Southern Brazil. A group of university researchers from the area utilized 50 sea turtles that were found dead on the beach for an analysis of stomach contents. Three different species were involved. Upon analysis, plastic bags were found to be the debris that was most predominantly ingested by the sea turtles. The debris found within the sea turtles’ stomachs and intestines was the direct cause of death in 13.2% of the green turtles (the species that was the majority of the sample). Moreover, the researchers found an astonishingly large amount of fishing hazards to be the cause of death for the sea turtles (Bugoni, 1330).

In addition to being a direct threat to sea turtles by mere ingestion, ocean debris can cause more indirect harmful effects. Anthropogenic material is often slowly broken down into toxic chemical components that can build up in animal tissues (Andreani, 287). A few of the toxins that have been studied include trace metals like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, and cadmium, as well as mercury, methylmercury, organochlorine, and polychlorobiphenyls (PCB’s) (Andreani,287; Day, 1421; Kampalath, 1816; Gardner, 1082; Corsolini, 952). One study by a group of researchers in South Carolina looked at blood mercury levels in loggerhead sea turtles and their correlation to key health characteristics of the turtles. To conduct this study, they took blood samples from the turtles and analyzed the blood for total mercury levels, as well as levels of several types of indicative cells. Findings showed that high mercury levels were a likely cause of a decrease in lymphocyte cell levels, which are important immune system cells. High mercury levels in the marine environment are shown to be toxic to overall immune system function of sea turtles (Day, 1425).

It seems that the world’s increasing population and urbanization is having very serious consequences on the world’s oceans. When creatures that have thrived for millions of years are suddenly becoming rarities in the waters, there is obviously something very wrong with their environment. Big cities, especially in coastal areas, and the industries that are booming within them need to establish stricter regulations on waste disposal. The fishing industry needs to become more aware of the hazards posed to marine life by fishing nets, hooks, and other gear. Marine pollution currently places a huge impact on sea turtles because of what they ingest and the chemicals that pollutants release. If action is not taken to clean up the oceans, sea turtle population will continue to dwindle until extinction.

Essay # 2 Final Draft

Integrating Science Back Into Elementary Schools in Anchorage

Since the No Child Left Behind Act was put into action in 2001, Anchorage elementary schools have been slowly pushing science out of their curriculums. They are doing this because they have to meet certain standards in reading, writing, and math under this law- meaning test scores have to be at a certain level- in order for the state to receive funding for its schools. This means teachers have to put creative and exploratory-type learning on the back burner, and basically teach children how to do well on a standardized test. Learning math, reading, and writing skills are undoubtedly crucial for any child’s success, but something is missing in what these kids are learning. Although they are doing a proficient job in teaching math, reading, and writing, Anchorage School District elementary schools should incorporate more science into their curriculums because it fosters early imagination, hands-on learning, and is pertinent for later careers in a state where careers in science and technology is one of the largest industries.

From week three as an embryo until early twenties, the human brain is continually growing and developing. The most crucial times for this development is the younger years until about age ten. It is these younger years then, when the formation of young minds is at its peak, that the most exploratory learning should be taking place. Previous learning studies have shown that children not only learn better if they are figuring things out for themselves, but also end up having the most creative minds and better test scores later on. This is why science, where experiments with trial and error are being conducted, needs to be implemented as a larger part of young childrens’ education.

Looking more closely at the Anchorage community in particular, this large city is the industrial hub of the state. With the largest population in the state, it puts the most kids through the public school system and out into the workforce. This is why we need to begin with Anchorage schools. The biggest Alaskan industries are things like commercial fishing, oil and gas, environmental and geological work, and health care- all of which have a large foundation in a science related field. With the pipeline project beginning, Alaska will be hurting for engineers, environmental and wildlife biologists, electricians, and hundreds more professionals. Alaska is also one of the states in the US most deficient in physicians because of the situation with rural areas and not having road access to all of them. To fill this void in much needed positions, and to help keep our state prospering and functioning, it is vital that we implement science early to get kids excited about making discoveries and pursuing their curiosities.

If we could start with Anchorage schools, it could later set a model for other school districts in the state. It is not likely that No Child Left Behind act is just simply banished from the school system, so it will have to be worked around. Each grade level should have a committee that consists of several teachers, administrators, and several types of professionals in a science-related field. Together, the committee could come up with six age-appropriate experiments to be done throughout the school year, involving six different concepts that have to do with nature, the environment, simple chemistry, etc. For example, kindergarteners could go outside and pick flowers, grass, and weeds in the fall, and learn about what kinds of things grow outside. First graders could do an experiment where they learn about the different forms of water. They could go gather a little snow outside, and have an ice cube, sink water and the snow in different containers and observe how they all end up like sink water. In later grades, kids could learn about circuits and electricity by getting to set up small circuits with batteries.

The heart of this operation really would be the expertise of the committees, which overall would be called “The Committee for Science Advancement in Primary Education (CSAPE). Meeting once every two months, the teachers, administrators, and scientists would lay down the groundwork for the experiments to be taught to that grade level. The scientists would inform the teachers about the concepts behind the experiment, and then the teachers would put together a logical way to teach it. The lessons would then be distributed to all teachers of that grade level.

The heart of the committee and putting this operation into effect is funding. The expense would be the major argument against the implement of more science in elementary schools. The Anchorage School District would need additional money allotted in their budget to pursue this endeavor. A way to help this issue is to bring to light the fact that science experiments involves all three subject areas the state is most concerned about -reading, writing, and math- and it teaches them in more dynamic ways. Taking data, analyzing data, learning new vocabulary words, and writing conclusions are all a part of the scientific method. This argument will help schools receive the additional funding for CSAPE.

We are coming up on a very trivial period of time in the world, with many huge issues at hand. More than ever, we’ll be relying on the future generations to take on these problems if things are going to get solved. Kids in Alaska need to be given all the opportunities they can to succeed, and because we are a state with such a high demand in the science field, that’s where we need to start. Anchorage elementary schools need more science in their curriculums to foster the growth of creative young minds and to help fill the voids in Alaskan industries that are to keep this state thriving.

Reading Responses WEEK 7

Reading Response Week 7: #1
Pg. 644 #1

In this essay Han explains the difficulties gay Asian men face in comparison to white gay men. Because society and the media have made the Asian heritage into a feminine, meek appearance, Asian men, especially gay Asian men, find themselves having to deal with stereotypes that the gay white male has surpassed. Also due to this stereotype, Asian men have often been excluded from ‘masculine’ positions in the workforce, and other leadership positions. Gay Asian men are often pressured to conceal their sexuality because of family pressures, where families would reject them if it came out that they were gay. This pressure, in addition to the already existent negativity radiating from general society, makes for two marginalization’s of gay Asian men.
The picture of gay white men has recently morphed into a macho, chiseled appearance. Asian gay men then feel an added pressure in trying to obtain this look too, but have trouble getting past the feminine, inferior stereotype that is placed on them. Gay Asian men often have difficulty finding partners, and when they do they have been shown to be the subordinate person in the relationship, taking the role of the ‘woman’ perhaps.
Largely because of already placed racism and stereotypism towards Asian Americans, gay Asian males are in a particularly stressful position. They do not fit into the “macho-stud” category that white gay males do, and have the added pressure of familial pressures and expectations.

Reading Response Week 7 #2
Pg. 755 #1

Marquez brings up a very real issue that many can relate to. When a different language is being spoken around them, one may feel annoyed that they cannot understand the conversation. Typical American behavior seems to be very nosy- this can be seen in the way we are obsessed with any drama in anyone’s lives, especially celebrities. When a conversation is happening that we cannot understand, it can be perturbing. It also conjures up feelings that they are talking about them, which can definitely be uncomfortable. Marquez mentions this in her essay. She explains that her and members of her family are going to talk in Spanish because it’s their right, it’s a part of their culture, and America is home to many different cultures, and many different languages. She says that speaking in their native tongue shows that they aren’t ashamed of who they are and where they came from.

Marquez makes it a point to comfort those who may not like when she and her parents speak Spanish around them. She understands that English is vital to success in America, she is not purposefully not using it to criticize or rebel against it. It is just a within-her-family thing, and solely for maintaining the rich tradition and culture of her Cuban roots. At the end, her tone turns very serious when she explains that she would never put someone she knew who just knew English in an uncomfortable position by speaking in Spanish around them.

Reading Response week 7 # 3
Pg. 908 #2

The U.S. Government likely had some issues with discrimination, harassment, or searching of Muslim people before this add came out. The informational poster has the purpose to educate those who don’t know about the Muslim culture, and especially to make sure people don’t automatically think these individuals have something to do with terrorism because of their attire. The images supplement the text by showing that these are normal people, they’re young and old, and there’s different ways Muslims utilize the head scarf. The people in the pictures are all gentle looking people, with smiles on their faces. This kind of gives people the comfort of knowing that Muslims are simply humans with a different way of dressing. If there were only the verbal descriptions, they wouldn’t be as effective as having the pictures. People respond to seeing pictures more than they do to simply a big paragraph of text, because the pictures draw the attention and itiate the curiosity to read the accompanying text. The credit at the bottom about the source of some of the pictures being from the Arab Anti Discrimination Committee doesn’t appear to be detrimental to the credibility of the ad. It is obvious that this ad could be classified as a type of anti – discrimination add, or at least an awareness add, so the fact that they retrieved some of the images from the Arab Anti Discrimination Committee doesn’t really ignite any suspicions about the integrity of the ad.

Grammar Girl # 45 Comma Splices

The comma splice passage was very informative. I do think I make this mistake every now and then in my writing. Mostly it is with sentences with “maybe.” Like: “I didn’t know what it was, maybe a tiger.” I’ll do that every so often, but now I’ll be alert to the dreaded comma splice and be able to fix them, or better yet, not write them at all. That sentence could be fixed by saying: “I didn’t know what it was; maybe a tiger.” Or: “I didn’t know what it was. It might have been a tiger.” Something like that. Commas are so tricky. I think I might just stop using them all together. Nonetheless, I learned something from this little lesson that now I’ll have with me for the rest of my writing career. I could pick out a comma splice from a million sentences. I understand comma splices so well that I could get a PhD in Comma Spliceology. I could then be the chair of the Comma Splice Department at UAA. In fact, Harvard University is actually having me fly down to make a speech called:”The 21st century and Comma Splices: Where do we go from here?”

Essay #2, Proposal Essay Rough Draft

Since the No Child Left Behind Act was put into action in 2001, Anchorage elementary schools have been slowly pushing science out of their curriculums. They are doing this because they have to meet certain standards in reading, writing, and math under this law- meaning test scores have to be at a certain level- in order for the state to receive funding for its schools. This means teachers have to put creative and exploratory-type learning on the back burner, and basically teach children how to do well on a standardized test. Learning math, reading, and writing skills are undoubtedly crucial for any child’s success, but something is missing in what these kids are learning. Although they are doing a proficient job in teaching math, reading, and writing, Anchorage School District elementary schools should incorporate more science into their curriculums because it fosters early imagination, hands-on learning, and is pertinent for later careers in a state where careers in science and technology is one of the largest industries.

From week three as an embryo until early twenties, the human brain is continually growing and developing. The most crucial times for this development is the younger years, until about age ten. It is these younger years then, when the formation of young minds is at its peak, that the most exploratory learning should be taking place. Previous learning studies have shown that children not only learn better if they are figuring things out for themselves, but also end up having the most creative minds and better test scores later on. This is why science, where experiments with trial and error are being conducted, needs to be implemented as a larger part of young children’s education.

Looking more closely at the Anchorage community in particular, this large city is the industrial hub of the state. With the largest population in the state, it puts the most kids through the public school system and out into the workforce. This is why we need to begin with Anchorage schools. The biggest Alaskan industries are things like commercial fishing, oil and gas, environmental and geological work, and health care- all of which have a large foundation in a science related field. With the pipeline project beginning, Alaska will be hurting for engineers, environmental and wildlife biologists, electricians, and hundreds more. Alaska is also one of the states in the US most deficient in physicians because of the situation with rural areas and not having road access to all of them. To fill this void in much needed positions, and to help keep our state prospering and functioning, it is vital that we implement science early to get kids excited about making discoveries and pursuing their curiosities.

If we could start with Anchorage schools, it could later set a model for other school districts in the state. It is not likely that No Child Left Behind act is just simply banished from the school system, so it will have to be worked around. Each grade level should have a committee that consists of several teachers, administrators, and several types of professionals in a science-related field. Together, the committee could come up with six age-appropriate experiments to be done throughout the school year, involving six different concepts that have to do with nature, the environment, simple chemistry, etc. For example, kindergarteners could go outside and pick flowers and grass and weeds in the fall, and learn about what kinds of things grow outside. First graders could do an experiment where they learn about the different forms of water. They could go gather a little snow outside, and have an ice cube, sink water, and the snow in different containers and observe how they all end up like sink water. In later grades, kids could learn about circuits and electricity by getting to set up small circuits with batteries. The heart of this operation really would be the expertise of the committees, which overall would be called “The Committee for Science Advancement in Primary Education (CSAPE). Meeting once every two months, the teachers, administrators, and scientists would lay down the groundwork for the experiments to be taught to that grade level. The scientists would teach the teachers the concepts behind the experiment, and then the teachers would put together a logical way to teach it.

The heart of the committee and putting this operation into effect is funding. The expense would be the major argument against the implement of more science in elementary schools. The Anchorage School District would need additional money in their allotted budget to pursue this endeavor. A way to help this issue is to bring to light the fact that science experiments involves all three subject areas the state is most concerned about -reading, writing, and math- and it teaches them in more dynamic ways. Taking data, analyzing data, learning new vocabulary words, and writing conclusions are all a part of the scientific method. This argument could help schools receive the additional funding for CSAPE.

We are coming up on a very trivial period of time in the world, with many huge issues at hand. More than ever, we’ll be relying on the future generations to take on these problems if things are going to get solved. Kids in Alaska need to be given all the opportunities they can to succeed, and because we are a state with such a high demand in the science field, that’s where we need to start. Anchorage elementary schools need more science in their curriculums to foster the growth of creative young minds and to help fill the voids in Alaskan industries that are to keep this state thriving.