Circus Elephant Training Abuse by Trainers

Circus Elephant Training Abuse by Trainers It is important to note that the elephant is highly endangered. There were once millions of African elephants who roamed the entire continent. Now their numbers are estimated at around 300,000 and mainly found in sub-Saharan Africa. The Asian elephant is even more critical. Its numbers are down to only about 30,000. There were at one time millions. Not only are some animal acts harming and killing elephants, but they are also doing this to a highly endangered species. In order to train an 8,000-11,000 pound animal – who can be very deadly to humans – to perform tricks seen in circuses such as headstands, tightrope walking, roller skating and the such, often it is believed that the fierce application of negative reinforcement is required. Physical punishment has often been a standard training method for animals in circuses. Elephants are sometimes beaten, shocked, and whipped in order for them to perform repeatedly the routines of circus performance. The Animal Welfare A ct (AWA) does not prohibit the use of bullhooks, whips, electrical shock prods, or other such training devices. The elephants are beaten by several people for up to fifteen minutes at a time with bull-hooks. Their skin being as sensitive as humans, one can understand the torture this entails. Beatings According to congressional testimony provided by former Beatty-Cole elephant keeper Tom Rider, [I]n White Plains, N.Y., when Pete did not perform her act properly, she was taken to the tent and laid down, and five trainers beat her with bull-hooks. Rider also told officials that [a]fter my three years working with elephants in the circus, I can tell you that they live in confinement and they are beaten all the time when they dont perform properly (Rider). To hide this from circus goers, lacerations from bull-hooks are often covered up with wonder dust, a type of theatrical pancake makeup (according to ​circuses.com). The public does not see the violence and abuse some of these elephants endure. Not all animal trainers are abusive; some do care deeply for the animals in their trust. Nonetheless, from the easily accessible literature on the web, it appears abuse does happen. Confinement Possibly even worse than the negative reinforcement, though, is the confinement performing elephants endure. Remember elephants sometimes walk up to 50 miles a day and they are often confined to spaces no bigger than a standard American one-bedroom apartment. In states which require chaining of elephants when not performing, elephants are chained in spaces the size of an average automobile by two legs for up to twenty hours a day. Circuses.com reports: During the off-season, animals used in circuses may be housed in traveling crates or barn stalls; some are even kept in trucks. Such unrelieved physical confinement can have harmful physical and psychological effects on animals. These effects are often indicated by unnatural behaviors such as repeated head bobbing, swaying, and pacing. (Epstein) A study of circuses conducted by Animal Defenders International in the United Kingdom found abnormal behaviors of this kind in all of the species observed. Investigators witnessed elephants that were chained for 70 percent of the day, horses that were confined for 23 hours per day, and large cats that were kept in cages up to 99 percent of the time (Creamer Phillips). Danger Other than the beatings and the chaining, another reason pop culture should consider not attending animal circuses is a human danger. Eventually, after years and sometimes decades of circus life, these large animals sometimes will go mad, rampage, and kill trainers, circus members, and audience members just as Tyke did in Hawaii. In a worst-case scenario situation, an elephant named Janet rampaged with children on her back during a performance of the Great American Circus in Palm Bay. The officer who finally killed her after shooting 47 rounds into the elephant who supposedly had been chained and beaten for years said, I think these elephants are trying to tell us that zoos and circuses are not what God created them for ... but we have not been listening...this is the kind of stuff people protest about (Sahagun, Louis. Elephants Pose Giant Dangers, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 11, 1994).

The Invention of American Agriculture in Tehuacan Valley

The Invention of American Agriculture in Tehuacan Valley The Tehuacn Valley, or more precisely the Tehuacn-Cuicatln valley, is located in southeastern Puebla state and northwestern Oaxaca state in central Mexico. It is the southernmost arid area of Mexico, its aridity caused by the rain shadow of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Annual mean temperature averages 21 degrees C (70 F) and rainfall 400 millimeters (16 inches). In the 1960s, the Tehuacn Valley was the focus of a large-scale survey called the Tehuacn Project, led by American archaeologist Richard S. MacNeish. MacNeish and his team were looking for the Late Archaic origins of maize. The valley was selected because of its climate and its high level of biological diversity (more on that later). MacNeishs large, multi-discipline project identified nearly 500 cave and open-air sites, including the 10,000-year-long, occupied San Marcos, Purron, and Coxcatln caves. Extensive excavations in the valleys caves, particularly Coxcatln Cave, led to the discovery of the earliest appearance at the time of several important American plant domesticates: not just maize, but bottle gourd, squash, and beans. Excavations recovered over 100,000 plant remains, as well as other artifacts. Coxcatln Cave Coxcatln Cave is a rock shelter that was occupied by humans for nearly 10,000 years. Identified by MacNeish during his survey in the 1960s, the cave includes an area of about 240 square meters (2,600 square feet) beneath a rock overhang about 30 meters (100 feet) long by 8 m (26 ft) deep. Large-scale excavations conducted by MacNeish and colleagues included about 150 sqm (1600 sq ft) of that horizontal range and vertically down to the bedrock of the cave, some 2-3 m (6.5-10 ft) or more to bedrock. Excavations at the site identified at least 42 discrete occupation levels, within that 2-3 m of sediment. Features identified at the site include hearths, cache pits, ash scatters, and organic deposits. The documented occupations varied considerably in terms of size, seasonal duration, and number and variety of artifacts and activity areas. Most importantly, the earliest dates on domesticated forms of squash, beans and maize were identified within Coxcatlns cultural levels. And the process of domestication was in evidence as well- especially in terms of maize cobs, which are documented here as growing larger and with an increased number of rows over time. Dating Coxcatln Comparative analysis grouped the 42 occupations into 28 habitation zones and seven cultural phases. Unfortunately, conventional radiocarbon dates on organic materials (like carbon and wood) within the cultural phases were not consistent within the phases or zones. That was likely the result of vertical displacement by human activities such pit-digging, or by rodent or insect disturbance called bioturbation. Bioturbation is a common issue in cave deposits and indeed many archaeological sites. However, the recognized mixing led to an extensive controversy during the 1970s and 1980s, with several scholars raising doubts about the validity of the dates for the first maize, squash, and beans. By the late 1980s, AMS radiocarbon methodologies which allow for smaller samples were available and the plant remains themselves- seeds, cobs, and rindscould be dated. The following table lists the calibrated dates for the earliest direct-dated examples recovered from Coxcatln cave. Cucurbita argyrosperma (cushaw gourd) 115 cal BCPhaseolus vulgaris (common bean) cal 380 BCZea mays (maize) 3540 cal BCLagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd) 5250 BCCucurbita pepo (pumpkins, zucchini) 5960 BC A DNA study (Janzen and Hubbard 2016) of a cob from Tehuacan dated to 5310 cal BP found that the cob was genetically closer to modern maize than to its wild progenitor teosinte, suggesting that maize domestication was well underway before Coxcatlan was occupied. Tehuacn-Cuicatln Valley Ethnobotany One of the reasons MacNeish selected the Tehuacn valley is because of its level of biological diversity: a high diversity is a common characteristic of places where first domestications are documented. In the 21st century, the Tehuacn-Cuicatln valley has been the focus of extensive ethnobotanical studies- ethnobotanists are interested in how people use and manage plants. These studies reveal the valley has the highest biological diversity of all the arid zones in North America, as well as one of the richest areas in Mexico for ethnobiological knowledge. One study (Davila and colleagues 2002) recorded over 2,700 species of flowering plants within an area of approximately 10,000 square kilometers (3,800 square miles). The valley also has a high human cultural diversity, with Nahua, Popoloca, Mazatec, Chinantec, Ixcatec, Cuicatec, and Mixtec groups together accounting for 30% of the total population. Local people have amassed an immense amount of traditional knowledge including the names, uses, and ecological information on nearly 1,600 plant species. They also practice a variety of agricultural and silviculture techniques including the care, management, and preservation of nearly 120 native plant species. In Situ and Ex Situ Plant Management The ethnobotanists studies documented local practices in habitats where the plants naturally occur, called in situ management techniques: Tolerance, where useful wild plants are left standingEnhancement, activities that increase the plant population density and availability of useful plant speciesProtection, actions which favor permanence of particular plants through care Ex situ management practiced in Tehuacan involves seed sowing, planting of vegetative propagules and transplanting of entire plants from their natural habitats into managed areas such as agricultural systems or home-gardens. Sources Blancas J, Casas A, Lira R, and Caballero J. 2009. Traditional Management and Morphological Patterns of Myrtillocactus schenckii (Cactaceae) in the Tehuacn Valley, Central Mexico. Economic Botany 63(4):375-387.Blancas J, Casas A, Rangel-Landa S, Moreno-Calles A, Torres I, Pà ©rez-Negrà ³n E, Solà ­s L, Delgado-Lemus A, Parra F, Arellanes Y et al. 2010. Plant Management in the Tehuacn-Cuicatln Valley, Mexico. Economic Botany 64(4):287-302.Dvila P, Arizmendi MDC, Valiente-Banuet A, Villaseà ±or JL, Casas A, and Lira R. 2002. Biological diversity in the Tehuacn-Cuicatln Valley, Mexico. Biodiversity Conservation 11(3):421-442.Farnsworth P, Brady JE, DeNiro MJ, and MacNeish RS. 1985. A re-evaluation of the isotopic and archaeological reconstructions of diet in the Tehuacan Valley. American Antiquity 50(1):102-116.Flannery KV, and MacNeish RS. 1997. In defense of the Tehuacn project. Current Anthropology 38(4):660-672.Fritz GJ. 1994. Are the first American farmers getting younger? Cur rent Anthropology 35(1):305-309. Gumerman GJ, and Neely JA. 1972. An Archaeological Survey of the Tehuacan Valley, Mexico: A Test of Color Infrared Photography. American Antiquity 37(4):520-527.Janzen GM, and Hufford MB. 2016. Crop Domestication: A Sneak-Peek into the Midpoint of Maize Evolution. Current Biology 26(23):R1240-R1242.Long A, Benz BF, Donahue DJ, Jull AJT, and Toolin LJ. 1989. First Direct AMS Dates on Early Maize From Tehuacan, Mexico. Radiocarbon 31(3):1035-1040.Long A, and Fritz GJ. 2001. Validity of AMS dates on maize from the Tehuacn Valley: A comment on MacNeish and Eubanks. Latin American Antiquity 12(1):87-90.MacNeish RS, and Eubanks MW. 2000. Comparative analysis of the Rio Balsas and Tehuacn models for the origin of maize. Latin American Antiquity 11(1):3-20.Smith BD. 2005. Reassessing Coxcatln Cave and the early history of domesticated plants in Mesoamerica. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102(27):9438-9445.

Physical Education in Primary Schools Dissertation

Physical Education in Primary Schools - Dissertation Example   Thus it is a key course and primary schools ought to have a coach of the physical education program. Even though the physical education teachers are educated in various public and private physical education institutions, the key points of the curriculums are the same (Thompson, 1996).   Appreciate the fact that all of the Physical Education programs for the eight-year mandatory primary schools are monitored and constituted through the ministry of education. on the other hand, the P.E. curriculums for education coaches are administrated centrally and monitored by the ministry of education. A few special programs for training and preparing quality physical education and sports coaches to train high-level physical education and sports subjects at 8-year compulsory primary education schools are needed.   The effectiveness of the current programs that applied at majority primary schools is an important concern of this study. One of the main the purposes of this research is to find out to what extent the physical education coaching programs that are presently used by those higher institutions are effectively and successfully training preparing physical education coaches to train sports at primary schools (Armour & Yelling, 2004).   Educations can be said to be a planned and programmed process which is applied in order to achieve the desired changes in the behavior of a pupil. The main basic and elements of education are the student and the teacher. In addition to lecturing the role of a teacher should be directed mostly towards guiding and advising the pupil. The same applies when it comes to coaching physical education and sports.

Body Mass Index Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Body Mass Index - Assignment Example Although it is mainly used for medical diagnosis, it was primarily not intended for that but for classifying sedentary people from the active ones. Body composition on the other hand is a calculation that involves fat percentage as well as bone and muscular variables. Its goal is to calculate the leanness of a body thus two bodies that may look exactly alike may give two different results in fat percentage by up to about 4kgs. Risk of fatal diseases and mortality can definitely be calculated by BMI. Professionals have proven that a BMI of over 85 percent which is considered overweight can and will have health consequences on a patient greatly affecting his or her mortality. However, the BMI is not entirely accurate for someone with heavy bones may be put as overweight. It also gives wrong results for children for its logic is entirely based on weight and not age. It also does not recognize body types and may put physically fit persons as being

The characters in eastenders Essay Example for Free

The characters in eastenders Essay The characters in Eastenders are very stereotypical Londoners, the accent, the clothes and the way of life. Where as in Emmerdale theyre country farm type people. Their way of life is completely different that goes without saying the setting is completely different Eastenders is based in Albert Square and the Queen Vic-everything happens within these limitations and Emmerdale is based on a village and the Woolpack this is a much wider limitation. The story lines in theory are very similar but are conveyed completely differently. The camera angles used in Emmerdale arent as good as Eastenders because in Emmerdale it seems theyre limited to two cameras in each scene and theyre usually close ups of faces but in Eastenders they use 3+ cameras per scene and use a mix of tracking and close ups! In both soaps the characters all seem to have problems and big mishaps in their lives. In Eastenders ALL the characters are linked in one way or another which is done very cleverly. Its pretty much the same in Emmerdale the characters are mostly linked due to past history or such like. Using the limitations in both soaps causes intensity as everything is happening in the same place! In both shows you generally see the same faces. The shows are both based on roughly 25+ characters. The story lines are very dramatic and the acting in Eastenders is that bit better than Emmerdale but theyre both done so well. It seems inn both soaps life always goes on and story lines are forgotten with the click of a finger by characters and the audience. This happens in nearly all soaps! The audience Eastenders is aimed at is roughly 10+ due to the timing of 7:30-8pm where as Emmerdale is aimed at 8-9+ as its on at 7 O clock! In real life we have our ups and our downs but I feel it seems in Eastenders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street for that fact that everybody just has downs!!! In real life people do have complicated social relationships but in Eastenders AND Emmerdale it seems no one ever doesnt have them.-This is very fake. The television presents soaps very well and its clear lots of thought goes into all soaps but I feel that more thought and money go into Eastenders rather than Emmerdale. The meanings of most big story lines are to help others who are either in the same situation or having a bad time to boost their confidence or to draw in viewers. Eastenders story lines are more OTT and they are easily leaked to TV mags and newspapers I think this is to draw viewers but it just spoils the story lines because 99% of the time you know exactly whats happening! The audience find it appealing to watch others lives being messed up and problems happen because it makes them feel better and see their problem from another perspective and think maybe my lifes not so bad! This is good and is conveyed in all soaps. Both Eastenders and Emmerdale have a couple of really bitchy characters, which are really amusing to watch. The props in the scenes in both well thought out and in Eastenders the endings(cliff-hangers) are extremely well thought out to make you want to watch the next episode. There are several Genres within soaps these include comedy, horror mainly reality and many more. Some scenes in Eastenders and Emmerdale are funny and cheer you up and you can look back on them and still chuckle but, then again some of the scenes and story lines thought up are horrific and disgusting and you feel you dont want to watch any more but youre dying to find out what happens! There are themes within Soaps, these are the story lines within Genres! Themes are used to support views. The style in Eastenders of story lines is to take a story line and over dramatises it x10. Where as in Emmerdale the story lines are less dramatised and more realistic but this isnt what people want to see they want to see big problems and arguments. This is what makes Eastenders more popular soap of the two. The scene setting sets a basis of the soap i.e.: in Eastenders the common accents and in Emmerdale the farms etc! The presentational device is much better conveyed in Eastenders. The cast size in both soaps is roughly the same and there are about 15 main characters in each! These play the superior roles and the others play large roles but are labelled extras. In both soaps there are swines and people that are just gits and theres also the sort of people who are lovely and friendly to everyone weather they like them or not! Not everyone has someone to fall back on in soaps and this is realistic and usually leads to them doing something stupid or bizarre. Eastenders and Emmerdale are two very different, popular and competitive soaps! They both have a good narrative structure and convey stories and problems brilliantly. But thats what most of the story lines are stories and not facts or real life situations. The denotation(what is seen) is always done to a high standard in Eastenders and a good quality in Emmerdale and usually gives a clear connotation (what the denotation means!) They have a variety of Genres, which define the conventions of each story line. This forms on going story lines which isnt always a good thing because sometimes they drag on and put people off the soap! The general over exaggeration, dramatisation, tone and imagery form the presentational device within soaps. This is deep in both soaps. This causes the effect of addiction. You watch one episode and find yourself asking questions like what happened between so and so and is she always that bitchy etc then you find you cant wait until the next episode! We get so caught up in the lives of the characters their lives take priority over ours and we make time to see what is happening. The characters in both soaps use different facial expressions and tones of voice to form the structural device. This is built in to convey a point this is regularly used in both Emmerdale and Eastenders! The audience identification(what makes the audience like the soap) is the characters, you become loving or hatred towards them with characters like Little Mo(EASTENDERS) and Kathy(EMMERDALE) you want to give them a hug and some friendly advice but with characters like Trevor(EASTENDERS) and Kaine(EMMERDALE) you want them to be locked up and the key thrown away. The content of the soaps on a basis of realism is surprisingly very low because the realism of story lines is probably 90% but the way theyre conveyed takes them down to about 40% this isnt a bad thing as the audiences do love it! To round up my essay Id say Eastenders isnt realistic, it is addictive, the actors and actresses are brilliant, it has the most dramatic story lines, its camera work is more effective and its the most popular soap at the moment. To round up Emmerdale Id say its a nice location, the actors and actresses are good and very realistic, the camera work could be improved by an extra camera and the story lines could be dramatised a little more this would make the soap a lot more popular!

The Apollo 11 Space Flight: Man Explores the Moon and Gains Perspectiv

The 1960's brought cultural transformation through outbreaks of violence and contention. The "Love and Peace" slogan led to a bloody fear of "War and Hate." It was an era of protest and revolt. The decade began with the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., escalated with the viciousness of Vietnam, and ended with the suspicion of Watergate. And somewhere in the terror of freedom, we saw two Americans walk on the moon. It was while staring at that crystalline sphere hovering above us that we pondered the scope of our opportunity. On that warm summer night it was a miracle of technology, a step into a new world, a celebrated triumph. We engaged in a political race to the moon against the Communists with a democratic pride that launched us to a new age of scientific exploration. They were footsteps that would be talked about for centuries bringing information that would influence us for decades. America's Race for the Moon Following the Atomic Bomb of World War II, the United States was a recognized "Superpower," the technological king of advancement. Through our new Elvis albums and poodle skirts, we were enjoying the satisfaction of being the "winning team." However, in 1957, our pride was pierced when news hit that Russia had successfully launched "Sputnik," the first artificial satellite to circle the earth. As President Kennedy said, "We are behind and will be for a period in the future" (Sullivan 142). We were no longer the superior champions we once were. The Soviet Union seemed unstoppable; by 1961 Russian Major Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the earth in a spaceship. Less than two months later, the United States publicly announced their 20 billion dollar space program, Project... ...s. By viewing the Earth as a whole, we discovered truths about humanity that sparked a new perspective of thought and understanding for our generation and the generations to come. "We touched the face of another world, and became people without limits" (Chaikin ix). Works Cited Chaikin, Andrew. A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Folger, Tim, Sarah Richardson, and Carl Zimmer. "Remembering Apollo." Discover July 1994: 38-58. Spirit of Apollo: A Collection of Reflective Interviews. AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1989. Sullivan, Walter, ed. America's Race for the Moon: The New York Times Story of Apollo. New York: Random House Publishers, 1962. Wilford, John Noble. We Reach the Moon; the New York Times story of Man's Greatest Adventure. New York: Bantum Books, 1969.

Ethics and Research in Professional Contexts

Introduction Ethics play a pivotal role in a variety of contexts, such as decisions in personal contexts (e.g. family, friends) and professional contexts (e.g. workplace). This essay considers the role of ethics in the case study of a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Drawing on and synthesising work from philosophy, law and current medical practice, the essay will discuss ethical issues on abortion from three different viewpoints. These viewpoints will be reviewed and discussed in order to reach a conclusion. Case study Mrs K is a 37-year-old woman and has four children. She consults her doctor for irregular periods. She had been using a diaphragm as contraception after having stopped taking birth control pills because of their negative side effects. Her doctor informs her that she is pregnant. She does not want another child. She breaks down and says she already has as many children that she can cope with. Mrs K also suffers from depression. Her doctor considers her circumstances that fall within the Abortion Act 1967 and refers her to a clinic. However, her husband (Mr K) disagrees with the abortion. This essay will investigate ethical issues central to this case study. Ethical issues arise from situations in which there is no satisfactory solution that can be applied to an ethical dilemma. Opposing courses of action may seem equally desirable or all possible solutions may seem undesirable. In the aforementioned case study, the ethical dilemma addresses two opposing views on abortion and discusses whether it is the right decision given the circumstances. This essay will explore this ethical dilemma by outlining three different viewpoints and discussing whether each viewpoint is justified. Discussion There are three key individuals involved in this case study: Mrs. K, Mr. K and the doctor. Mrs K. is at the centre of the dilemma as she wishes to have the abortion, Mr K. is Mrs K’s husband and disagrees with the idea of abortion, and the doctor assesses and guides Mrs K’s decisions. Mrs K Prior to assessing Mrs K’s viewpoint, it is important to outline her circumstances. Mrs K had been on contraception because she was very clear that would not be able to cope with the responsibility of having one more child. However, her contraception failed and the doctor notified Mrs K that she was indeed pregnant, prompting her to take a decision on having an abortion. Firstly, under the philosophical principles of Utilitarianism, it may be argued that Mrs K is justified in taking the decision to have an abortion for a number of reasons. Utilitarianism was first conceived by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), and was later developed by John Stuart Mill (1806-73) in the middle of the Industrial Revolution. Mill established the â€Å"greatest happiness principle† which posits that actions are right when they promote happiness, and wrong when they produce the opposite (Tschudin, 1994). According to Mill’s principle, with regard to people’s own lives and bodies, pe ople can do whatever we want, so long as others are not harmed (Feiser, 2009). In other words, each individual has the ability to choose what they feel is moral or immoral. In fact, virtue ethics does not hand out specific rules of behaviour that need to be adhered to but instead develops characteristics that help individuals decide on moral decisions, e.g. whether or not to have an abortion. Virtue ethics does not see abortion as right or wrong as it depends fundamentally on a person’s character. In accordance with this theorising, Mrs K’s decision to have an abortion is justified as it is an action that that involves her own life and her own body and therefore, rests on her decision. Secondly, in Utilitarianism, â€Å"Act Utility† states that the greatest good is that which brings most happiness and least pain (Feiser, 2009). Using a â€Å"Hedonic Calculus†, individuals can calculate which decision produces the greatest balance of good over evil and the refore, apply this reasoning to individual dilemmas (Bentham, 1789). With this Act Utilitarianism in mind, Mrs. K’s decision to have an abortion can be seen as the right decision as having a child would cause her unhappiness and pain in the future, as well as be a huge risk in exacerbating her existing depression and anxiety. Additionally, bringing a baby into a home of four children would take away time and attention from her other children which could be potentially traumatic for them and impede their development. Therefore, if Mrs K were to use a hedonic calculus, an abortion would certainly amount to the right decision as it maximises the quality of her well-being and that of her children.A third argument in favour of Mrs K’s decision is the fact that as an autonomous human being, Mrs K has to right to make decisions about her own life and body without coercion by others (Beauchamp & Childress, 2001). Although researchers have suggested that autonomy is not a †˜univocal concept’ (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001), in the context of respect for reproductive choice, it does have a specific meaning. At a minimum, autonomy affords respect to an individual when making certain choices and taking actions based upon their personal values and beliefs. If a pregnant woman is forced, against her will, to endure nine months of physical, psychological and emotional turmoil, it is difficult to describe her as an autonomous individual. This argument also draws on philosophical principles on free will. That is, free will considers humans as agents who have the ability to make their own choices freely (Caruso, 2012). Therefore, in the case of Mrs K, it can be argued that as a free agent, she should have the final say in her actions and decisions that includes her pregnancy. If she chooses to end her unwanted pregnancy for her own reasons, then she has the right (and the free will) to do so. This reasoning is in fact, reflected in the Universal Declar ation of Human Rights Act (1948) article 1, ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’ (Williams, 1981) that establishes human rights as inherent to every human being. However, it must be noted that this article may also be used as an argument against an abortion if a foetus is considered to be a human being, and therefore having its own individual right to life. Many anti-abortion supporters (i.e. pro-life) do indeed support this argument and highlight that an unborn child is an innocent human being and abortion is therefore wrong. However, pro-choice supporters have retorted this position by upholding the concept of â€Å"personhood†. In other words, supporters argue that a foetus does not meet the criteria of personhood and therefore does not have a right to life. This position is echoed in philosophy by Mary Ann Warren who outlines a set of criteria for personhood that include: 1) consciousness of objects and events external and interna l, 2) reasoning, 3) self-motivated activity, 4) a capacity to communicate, 5) the presence of a self-concept (Warren, 1996). By these criteria, it is clear that foetuses, although they have the ability to eventually meet these criteria, would not have a right to life until they are born. Similarly, Peter Singer posits that only a moral agent is capable of having their rights violated, and as the foetus is not a moral agent, it cannot have its rights violated (Singer, 1995). In other words, as a foetus cannot make moral judgements of what is right or wrong, it does not have the same rights as human beings. Although both Warren and Singer propose controversial ideas, the arguments of personhood and moral agency adds further justification to Mrs K’s decision to have an abortion. Mr K In the case study, whilst Mrs K has decided to have an abortion, her husband is against it. From his perspective, he has always wanted a large family and therefore, feels very strongly against an abortion. Given his views, Mrs K’s decision to have an abortion could lead to considerable anger and resentment in her husband which could manifest in marital discord and eventually divorce, all of which would be extremely harmful for their children. Returning to the hedonic calculus, it is therefore important to take into account these potential consequences as they may outweigh the reasons for having an abortion in terms of the happiness of Mrs K and her children. However, at the same time, if Mrs K chose not to have an abortion because of her husband’s views, this could lead to considerable anger and resentment in her and increase her depression and anxiety, which could all negatively impact her children’s welfare. The decision is therefore not clear-cut.A second reas on that Mr K does not agree with the abortion is because of his own religious views. He believes that human pregnancy happens for a divine reason and that man and woman both create a baby and therefore should have an equal say in what happens to that baby. From the Roman Catholic view, the wrongness of abortion is rooted in the Natural Law view that innocent life (i.e. from conception) must be preserved (Hunanae Vitae, 1965). However, it must be noted that in 1993, the Church of England produced â€Å"Abortion and the Church†. In this document, abortion is described as a great moral evil but can be allowed in circumstances in which the foetus endangers the life of the mother or if there is severe foetal disability. Whilst having a baby does not physically endanger Mrs K’s life, it can be argued that it endangers her mental life given her depression and anxiety, thereby, justifying an abortion. Moreover, it is important to note that legally, Mr K has no right to demand or refuse a termination under the Abortion Act (1967) & Human Rights Act (1998) that place the entire responsibility to the woman. Doctor Health care professionals have a number of responsibilities such as a duty of care to provide women with all the information they need in order to make an informed choice about how to cope with their unplanned pregnancy. The doctor in this case study had the responsibility of making an assessment. Specifically, the doctor must assess the potential impact of pregnancy and birth on Mrs K’s physical and mental health. In fact, the Abortion Act 1967, as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (House of Commons, 2006), clearly says that a registered medical practitioner has the power to lawfully terminate a pregnancy. However, it is difficult to apply blanket rules when dealing with considerably sensitive and difficult decisions, which require a deeper understanding of a woman’s individual needs and desires. Given the difficulties shrouding a pregnancy termination, doctors play an important role in ensuring that a patient always feels supported. Doctors ar e also responsible for giving appropriate information and counselling about all the options available to patients (BMA, accessed 10/01/13).In this case study, Mrs K strongly felt that having an abortion would be the best decision and her doctor should therefore be able to respect her decision. Her doctor should act as a guide and act in the best interest of Mrs K (Pfeffer, 2002). The 1967 Abortion Act also refers to a doctor’s â€Å"rights to follow the dictates of their own conscience† (Pfeffer, 2002). The Doctor therefore, obviously considered Mrs K’s depression and mental capacity and found it suitable to refer her to a clinic. The doctor also was able to see that Mrs K was mentally fit to understand the procedure and its alternatives (BMA, accessed 10/01/13). Conclusion There is no doubt that abortion is a controversial and hotly debated topic in a variety of academic and professional spheres, and different viewpoints are infused with biological, moral and societal complexity. It is clear that there are numerous positions that people can adopt such as a Utilitarian point of view, a religious perspective, or a personal view when seeing an action as moral or immoral. In this particular case study, given Mrs K’s depression, her current family situation and her strong wishes to have an abortion, I believe that her decision is the right one. As a woman, Mrs K has a right to make her own choices and lead her own life in equality with, not under the control of her husband. Moreover, the fact that Mrs K has become pregnant as a result of a contraceptive failure strengthens her decision, as her pregnancy did not come about from carelessness, but from forces outside of Mrs K’s control. References Bentham, J. (1789). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. London. Beachamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2001). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (5th Edition). Oxford University Press. British Medical Association, The law and ethics of abortion. Accessed 10/01/13 from: www.bma.org.uk/-/media/Files/PDFs/†¦/Ethics/lawethicsabortionnov07.pdf Caruso, G. D. (2012). Free Will and Consciousness: A Determinist Account of the Illusion of Free Will. Lexington Books. Fieser, J. (2009). Ethics. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Accessed 10/01/13 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/ House of Commons: Science and Technology Committee. Scientific Developments Relating to the Abortion Act 1967. (Volume 1). Accessed 10/01/13 from: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmsctech/1045/1045i.pdf Humanae Vitae: Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Paul VI, on the regulation of Births (1965). Pfeffer, N. (2002) ‘Fertility counts: from equity to outcome’ in S. Sturdy (ed.), Medicine, Health and the public sphere in Britain, 1600-2000 (pp. 260-278). Routledge. Singer, P. (1995). Animal Liberation (2nd Edition). Pimlico. Tschudin, V. (1994). Deciding Ethically: A Practical Approach to Nursing Challenges. London: Bailliere Tindall. Warren, M. A. â€Å"On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion† in T.A. Mappes and D. DeGrazia, (Eds.), Biomedical Ethics (1996), New York, McGraw-Hill, Inc, pp. 434-440. Williams, P. (1981). United Nations. General Assembly. The International bill of human rights. Entwhistle Books.

Guns Should Not Be Banned in the US Essay

Just a few weeks ago a man with the name Adam Lanza decided to take the guns of his mother and take the life of 20 children and 8 adults, including his mother’s and his own. This atrocity hasn’t been the first one. In the weeks since the massacre, gun control supporters have called for a new federal ban on assault weapons and for reductions in the number of concealed-carry permits issued to private citizens. However, to blame assault weapons for this tragedy makes as much sense as blaming airplanes for the 9-11 attacks. The problem lies with the perpetrator, not the tool used to commit the crime. It is an illusion that further gun control will protect the public since no law, no matter how restrictive, can protect us from people who decide to commit violent crimes. Guns should never be banned in the United States, because the possession of guns ultimately helps improve public safety. Embodied in the Second Amendment to the Constitution is the truth that self-governing i ndividuals should bear the responsibility for defending themselves. The Amendment states, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† Many heated controversies in regard to the Second Amendment have been generated among legal scholars. The most vigorous debate among all is the correct meaning of the phrase. Some argue that the right of bearing arms only applies collectively to those in the militia. However, Pratt indicates that many scholars ignore the foundational principles in the Amendment, including the law of self-government and the right of self-defense. His argument is supported by a quote from one founding father, â€Å"a primary law of nature, which . . . (is] the immediate gift of the Creator.† Pratt indicates that, self-defense is a God-given right that is unalienable and incapable of being surrendered or transferred. Many pro gun control supporters adhere to the belief that the availability of guns make violent crime happen and, more importantly, that criminal violence in general can be reduced by limiting access to firearms. This is a testable empirical proposition. Research shows that disarming the public has not reduced criminal violence. For example, in Washington, D.C. and New York City, severe gun control laws had been applied, yet Washington D.C. is the â€Å"murder capital of the US† and New York City ranks among the most dangerous places in the country. In both cities, violent criminals can easily obtain the most deadly weapons on the streets within minutes. Legal scholar John Lott presents the most rigorously comprehensive data analysis ever done on crime statistics and right-to-carry laws. Lott had sat the agenda on the impact of guns on crime in America by creating a massive dataset of all 3,054 counties in the United States during 18 years from 1977 through 1994. He proposed a powerful statistical argument that state laws enabling citizens to carry concealed handguns had reduced crime (18). There are two reasons why concealed handgun laws reduce violent crime. First, they reduce the number of attempted crimes because criminals are uncertain about the possibility of potential victims defending themselves. Second, victims with possession of guns are in a much better position to defend them. Lott also presented the strong negative relationship between the number of law-abiding citizens with permits and the crime rate, which declines as more people obtain permits (59). The ultimate question that concerns everyone is whether allowing law-abiding citizens to own guns will save more lives or not. While there are many anecdotal stories illustrating both good and bad uses of guns, Lott answered this question by illustrating his data analysis and conclude the net effect. This timely and provocative work comes to the startling conclusion: more guns mean less crime. Possessing guns is one of the major methods for citizens to defense themselves. Some people may use guns in illegal ways, but more have the purpose of preventing horrible things from happening to them. Making guns illegal will primarily disarm peaceful citizens. At the same time, criminals will always find the weapons they need to carry out their crime. This situation leaves a green light for violent criminals to attack everyone, leaving potential victims defenseless. Every day, thousands of peaceful Americans successfully use guns to defend themselves. A study conducted by Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck found that Americans use guns defensively 2.5 million times a year based on 16 national surveys of samples of the U.S. population. Prior to Kleck’s study, thirteen other surveys indicated a range of between 800,000 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses annually. Given that there are far more gun-owning crime victims than there are gun-owning criminals and that victimization is spread out over different victims while offending is among a relatively small number of offenders, Kleck arrived at the conclusion that defensive gun uses are substantially more common than criminal gun uses (102). This claim has been repeatedly confirmed, and remains one of the most consistently supported assertions in the guns-violence research area. Through years of research, Kleck has found strong evidence that â€Å"crime victims who use guns during a crime are less likely to be injured or killed, and less likely to lose property than crime victims who adopt any other strategy, including non-resistance.† The intent of some advocates of gun control can be misleading. As the debate over the 1976 District of Columbia gun ban demonstrates, â€Å"gun control† often covers for a hidden agenda. British Cabinet papers declassified in 1969-70 demonstrate that contrary to claims made in Parliamentary debates, the intent of the Firearms Act 1920 was not to reduce or prevent crime, but to prevent a feared Bolshevik revolution in Britain. Direct statements by members of the Cabinet demonstrate an intent to mislead the public about their objectives. There are reasons other than the possession of guns that could cause the high frequency of shooting. Being one of them, Cramer’s article, Ethical problems of mass murder coverage in the mass media examines the way in which statistically disproportionate coverage of mass murders by Newsweek and Time from 1984 to 1991 encouraged at least one copycat crime, and may have caused others. Cramer uses a copycat crime Joseph Wesbecker convicted after Patrick Purdy as an example. Initial coverage of Purdy’s crime was relatively restrained, and only the essential details were reported. But a week later, Patrick Purdy’s name continued to receive press attention, and consequently his fame increased. Articles referencing Purdy or his crime continued to appear in for many months. On September 14, 1989, Joseph Wesbecker, using the exact same weapon as Purdy did, conducted a massacre of his own. After reading about the destructive power of Patrick Purdy’s weapon, Wesbecker clipped out a February Time magazine article on some of Purdy’s exploits, in order to describe the gun to a gun dealer. Fame and infamy are in an ethical sense, opposites. Functionally, they are nearly identical. The human need to celebrate human nobility, and to denounce human depravity, has caused us to devote tremendous attention, both scholarly and popular, to portraying the polar opposites of good and evil. The pursuit of fame can lead people to acts of great courage and nobility. It can also lead to acts of great savagery. Other than the long-time debates on gun control law itself, it is necessary for the public to think about other issues regarding public safety. In all cases, gun bans have been ineffective, expensive, and even counter-productive. If properly issued, registered, monitored and stored, guns will help defense US citizens’ safety. The fact is that we live in a dangerous world and the government cannot protect us for every single minute. We must ultimately rely upon ourselves and only by having the necessary tools can we make it realizable. Therefore, guns should never be banned in the United States.

How to Write a College Application Essay - Blog at EssaySupply.com

How to Write a College Application Essay How to Write a College Application Essay College application time can be stressful for both students and their parents. There are so many things to juggle. Students have to study for the SAT, JLPT, or ACT, sometimes both. There are applications to fill out, and scholarships to pursue. Then there are the campus visits, sessions with guidance counselors, and nervous trips to the mailbox in hopes of gaining admission to a great school. For many students, successful completion of the college application process involves writing a killer admissions essay. That’s a challenging task to take on by yourself. However, if you want placement in the best schools, it is also necessary. If you are preparing to apply to schools, we can help you learn how to write a college essay that can help guarantee your acceptance into a great program at an amazing school. The Importance of Good College Entrance Essays Imagine that you are in charge of admissions into an honors program at a very sought after university. There are thousands of students who want to gain entry into your school. You receive many applications from great students.   You narrow those down to the best of the best. Now, how do you compare each app and pick the winning students? If you go by grades and activities, it is still difficult to make a choice. These are all students who make excellent grades, who are active in their schools and have impressive test scores. The application essay is the tiebreaker. It helps schools to identify students who will be a perfect fit. How to Write The Perfect College Essay: Choosing a Great Topic Before we dig any deeper into how to write a college essay for an application, you need to gather a bit of information. Specifically, which type of an essay should you write.   Your first step is to look at your application paperwork. You need to know if the college you are pursuing uses the common application. If it does, you will be writing an application essay based upon one of the common application essay prompts. While you may be frustrated that you don’t get to write on any topic you want, you can still share a lot of your personal story if you are creative. If your school does not use the common application, you can take this as an opportunity to select a topic that allows you to introduce yourself and discuss your values and accomplishments. Just remember that you are not writing an autobiography or memoir. An effective paper will highlight your personality and show that you are a great fit for that school. If you are free to pick your own topic, you have many choices. You could write about a single experience that you feel had a great impact on you. Another option is to detail a few different experiences that are examples of your showing characteristics that you believe are valuable to the school where you are applying. Just remember that your narrative should be sincere. Don’t try to create a persona that does not exist. How to Write a Good College Essay: The Introduction As with any other paper, you need to open with a great hook. You only have a few words to get compelling. The key is having a few traits you want to highlight. For example, perhaps you want to write a persuasive paper showing that you have leadership skills, are passionate about community service, and are capable of handling an academically rigorous level of courses. The rest of your essay will cover why the statements in your introduction are true. How to Write a Good College Essay:   Steps For Writing The Body This is the meat of your essay. It is your chance to make a statement about yourself. Before you start, take some time to learn about your school. Review everything you can find. What are the school’s values? Do they have a mission statement? Who is the average student who gets into the school? What traits do they exemplify? Do a bit of research. You may be able to find examples of essays from other applicants. Ask yourself this question. ‘What can I tell this school about myself that will make me stand out, and prove that I belong here.’ How to Write a College Application Essay: The Conclusion Every word in your conclusion should tie everything together. Your essay is an argumentative one sharing autobiographical information to outline your best characteristics. It should only be a paragraph or so but should tie all of the claims you made in the rest of your paper together. How to Write a College Application Essay: Other Tips This is such a challenging assignment for so many students. Forget about those guides for dummies. Instead, check out these other tips. If you have a friend or family member who has gotten into a great school ask them for a sample essay. Get creative with your topic ideas. For example, is there a book that changed your life? Did you grow up in a household where English was not spoken? Pay attention to spelling and grammar mistakes, but don’t worry too much about format. Unless it is specified, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not your essay needs to use APA or MLA style citations. Just write sincerely and accurately. Get help if you need it. Contact us anytime and place an order. Just say ‘Write my application essay!’ and we will be there for you. We Can Help With All of Your Admissions Needs We do more than college entrance essays. We can also help with scholarship essays and personal statements. Our goal is to help you get into a great school and help you pay for it. We even help graduate students as well as transfer students. While you are considering the application process, take some time to research scholarships that may be available to you. Then, remember that many ask you to write an essay. It’s a lot of work, but winning a couple of scholarships can really open up your options when it comes to choosing schools that you can afford. Conclusion It’s time to prove that you are the ideal student for the school of your dreams. With careful planning and good writing, your application essay can be a true asset to your application pamphlets. Be sincere, show off the traits your school is interested in, and ask for help if you need it. We are here to help at any stage of the college admissions process.

SAT Curve Is It Real

SAT Curve Is It Real SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Many high school tests are curved, but what about the SAT? Is the SAT curved? Canwhen or whom you take the exam with affect your final SAT score? In this article, we'll answer all ofyour questions about the SAT curve. First, we'llclosely examine whether there actually is an SAT curve and discusshow the SAT is scored. We'll then look at SAT curve trendsand give you tips on how you canuse SAT curves to your advantage. Is the SAT Curved? Contrary to what you may believe, there is no SAT curve. This means your SAT score willnever be affected by how other test takers perform on thetest. So even if everyone you took the SAT with were to performpoorly on it, the College Board would not raise everyone's SAT scores to account forthe surplusof low test scores. In other words,you will never receive an SAT score higher than what you actually earned on the test, regardless of whom you took the test with. But if the SAT isn't curved relative to other test takers, how does its scoring system work? Is an 800 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) on one SAT the same as a perfect EBRW score on another? Or is it more difficult to score highlyon certain test dates? To account for slight differences in difficulty among SATs, the College Board uses a system known asequating. This processensures that SAT scores areconsistent across tests and will always indicate the same level of ability no matter when youtake the SAT.Soa 650 Math score on one SAT will always correspondto a 650 Math score on another SAT- even if one test contains easier Math questions. Inthe College Board's words: â€Å"This [equating] process ensures that no student receives an advantage or disadvantage from taking a particular form of the test on a particular day;* a score of 400 on one test form is equivalent to a score of 400 on another test form.† *Emphasis mine. Through this equating process, or "SAT curves," the College Board can account for slight variations in difficulty among SATs to give test takers on different test datesthe same opportunityto achievetheir goal scores. As a result, there is no single besttime to take the SAT. Regardless of how easy or difficult a test may be,all SATs are equated so that getting a certainscaled score will always require the same amount of effort and level of ability. So how is the SAT scored? Andhow is it equated? Read on to find out. How Do SAT Curves Work? Before we get into the SAT equating process, let's do aquick recap of the scoring system. Both theEBRW and Math scores use scales of 200-800andcombine to give youa composite score range of 400-1600. But you likely know therearen't 1,600 total questions on the SAT. So then how are these scaled scores calculated? On the SAT (excluding the Essay), you earn one point for every question you answer correctly. (You do not lose any points for incorrect or blank answers.) All of your correct answers combine to give you araw score for each section. If you were to correctly answer 45 out of 58 Math questions, your raw Math score would equal 45. This raw score is subsequently converted into a Math section score (i.e., your final scaled score). But the process is a little more complicated for the Reading and Writing sections. Like the Math section, your Reading and Writing performancesare assigned raw scores based on the number of questions you answered correctly. Theseraw scores are then converted into test scoreson a scale of 10-40. Finally, the test scores are added together and multiplied by 10 to give you an EBRW score (on a scale of 200-800- the same as it is for Math). But here's the caveat: raw scores on one SAT willnotnecessarily convert into the same scaled scores on another. Why is there this discrepancy? Each SAT varies slightly in content and difficulty, and so to account for these variations, the College Board translates raw scores into scaled scoresusing individualequating formulas for each test. This essentially meansyou'll never be able to know before you take the SAT how a raw score will convert into a scaled score. That said,by looking at ascore conversion table from an official SAT practice test, we can get a rough idea as to how the equating process works for each SAT. These conversion tables- which differ slightly with each test due to differences in equating formulas- show us how raw scores convert into scaled scores for different sections of the test. The two tables below are based on the score conversion tables forPractice Test #6and Practice Test #7(both of which are copies ofreal SATs!). SAT Practice Test #6 Raw Score Conversion Chart Raw Score Math Section Score Reading Test Score Writing and Language Test Score 0 200 10 10 1 200 10 10 2 210 10 10 3 230 10 11 4 250 11 11 5 260 12 12 6 280 13 13 7 290 14 14 8 310 15 15 9 320 15 16 10 330 16 16 11 340 17 17 12 350 17 18 13 360 18 18 14 380 18 19 15 390 19 20 16 400 19 20 17 410 20 21 18 420 20 22 19 430 21 23 20 440 21 23 21 450 22 24 22 460 22 25 23 470 23 25 24 490 23 26 25 500 24 27 26 510 24 27 27 510 25 28 28 520 25 28 29 530 26 29 30 530 26 30 31 540 27 30 32 550 27 31 33 560 28 31 34 570 28 32 35 580 29 33 36 590 29 34 37 590 30 34 38 600 30 35 39 610 31 36 40 620 31 36 41 630 32 38 42 640 33 39 43 650 33 39 44 660 34 40 45 670 35 46 670 36 47 680 37 48 690 37 49 700 38 50 710 39 51 720 40 52 730 40 53 740 54 760 55 770 56 780 57 790 58 800 Source: Scoring Your SAT Practice Test #6 Overwhelmed by all of the numbers? Time for kitty therapy. SAT Practice Test #7 Raw Score Conversion Chart Raw Score Math Section Score Reading Test Score Writing and Language Test Score 0 200 10 10 1 200 10 10 2 210 10 10 3 230 10 10 4 250 11 11 5 260 12 12 6 280 13 12 7 290 14 13 8 310 15 14 9 320 15 15 10 330 16 15 11 350 17 16 12 360 17 17 13 370 18 18 14 380 18 18 15 390 19 19 16 400 20 19 17 420 20 20 18 430 21 21 19 430 21 22 20 440 22 22 21 450 22 23 22 460 23 24 23 470 23 25 24 480 24 25 25 490 24 26 26 500 25 26 27 510 25 27 28 510 26 28 29 520 26 29 30 530 27 29 31 530 27 30 32 540 28 31 33 550 28 31 34 550 29 32 35 560 29 32 36 570 30 33 37 580 30 34 38 590 31 34 39 590 31 35 40 600 32 36 41 610 32 36 42 620 33 37 43 630 34 39 44 640 35 40 45 650 35 46 660 36 47 670 37 48 680 37 49 680 38 50 690 39 51 700 39 52 720 40 53 730 54 740 55 760 56 770 57 790 58 800 Source: Scoring Your SAT Practice Test #7 Just byglancing at these charts, you can probablytell there are several minor differences in how the raw scores for Math, Reading, and Writing convert into scaled or test scores. For Math, a raw score of 40 would net you 620 on Test #6 but only 600 on Test #7! This hints thatthe Math section on Test #7 is a little easier than thaton Test #6. How can we tell? OnTest #7, you must answer more questions correctly (and obtain a higher raw score of 42) to get a scaled score of 620. The trends are similar for Reading.You could get a perfect 40 on Reading on Test #6, even if you were to miss a question (and earna raw score of 51). On Test #7, however, missing just one question reduces your Reading test score to 39. Once again, we can see a minute difference in difficulty: the Reading section on Test #6 is slightly more difficult than that on Test #7, and has thus been equated so that even if you were to miss aquestion you willstill get a perfect score. You'll find similar differences among the Writing scores, too.A raw score of 42 will nab you a near-perfect test score of 39 on Test #6 but a noticeably lower 37 on Test #7. Ultimately, through these tables, we can confirm thatraw SAT scoresdo not consistently convert into the same scaled scores for each test. So while you can't know for sure how many questions you'll need to answer correctly on the SAT in order to get the scaled scores you want, you can use the tables above to give yourself an ideaas to how your raw scores may translate into scaled scores on test day. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! How Has the SAT Curve Changed Over Time? Because the new SAThasn’t been around that long,we can't determine yet how much the SAT curves have changed with each testing year. That being said, we can look at some of the officialscore range tables for previous testing years (for the old, pre-2016 SAT) to get a feel for how the new SAT might experience similar trends. Score range tables show us how raw scores convert into scaled scores for entiretesting years. For this analysis, we'll be looking at a10-year difference using the 2005-06and 2015-16raw score to scaled score range tables. 2005-06 SAT Score Range Table Raw Score Critical Reading Raw Score Mathematics Raw Score Writing (Multiple Choice) 67 800 65 790-800 60 710-740 55 660-680 54 800 50 620-640 50 710-750 49 800 45 580-600 45 650-690 45 700-770 40 550-570 40 610-640 40 630-670 35 520-530 35 570-600 35 570-610 30 490-500 30 530-550 30 520-560 25 460-470 25 490-510 25 480-510 20 420-440 20 450-470 20 440-470 15 390-410 15 410-430 15 400-430 10 350-380 10 370-390 10 350-380 5 290-330 5 310-340 5 300-330 0 200-270 0 210-260 0 210-260 -5 200 -5 200 -5 200 Source: SAT Raw Score to Scaled Score Ranges 2005-06 2015-16 SAT Score Range Table Raw Score Critical Reading Raw Score Mathematics Raw Score Writing (Multiple Choice) 67 800 65 790-800 60 710-740 55 650-680 54 800 50 610-630 50 700-730 49 800 45 570-590 45 650-670 45 690-720 40 540-560 40 600-620 40 620-650 35 510-520 35 560-570 35 560-600 30 480-490 30 520-530 30 510-550 25 450-460 25 480-490 25 470-500 20 420-430 20 440-460 20 420-460 15 380-400 15 400-420 15 380-410 10 340-360 10 350-380 10 340-370 5 290-320 5 300-330 5 280-320 0 200-240 0 220-260 0 200-240 -5 200 -5 200 -5 200 Source: SAT Raw Score to Scaled Score Range 2015-16 Before we analyzeeach SAT curve chart, keep in mind that these tables are for the old SAT; therefore,the Reading and Writing scores are not combined for an overallEBRW score asthey are currently. In addition, unlike the new SAT, on the old SAT you could score lower than a 0 due to penalties for incorrect answers. Let's start with the SAT Math curve. According to the data above, araw Math score of 50gave test takersas high as 750 in the 2005-06 testing year but onlyas high as 730 in the 2015-16 testing year. Similarly, if you look at the highest possible scaled score for each Math range, you'll findthat the 2005-06 maximums are consistently (albeit only marginally) higher than those on the 2015-16 table. What thispattern tells us is that, on average, the Math sections on the 2005-06 SATs were slightly harderthan those on the 2015-16 SATs. This is evidenced by the fact youtypically needed to score more raw points in 2015-16 to get the same scaled Math scores in 2005-06. But what about the other sections? On Writing,you used to be able to earn up to 49 raw points. In 2005-06, you could score as high as 770 with a raw score of 45 but only as high as 720 with the same raw score in 2015-16. And with theSAT Critical Reading curve, the 2005-06 and 2015-16 ranges are mostly the same, give or take10 points. Based on all of this information, then, what can we conclude about the SAT curve? The tables indicate that the number of questions you must answer correctly to get certain scaled scores has stayed roughly the same over the years. Generally speaking, the variations among scaled scores on each section are minimal- usually only 10- or 20-point differences at most. Therefore, these patterns- along with the fact thatSAT percentiles hardlychange each year- imply that the difficulty of the SAT has stayed relatively consistentover time. Using theSAT Curve to Your Advantage: 5 Do's and Don'ts By now you may be wondering how theSAT curve can helpyou, personally. Below, I give you thedo’s and don’ts of what to do with this knowledge about the SAT equating system,so thatyoucan give yourself a better shot at getting the SAT scores you needfor college. Do: Use raw score conversion tables toestimatehow many correct answers you’ll need to get the scaled scores you want.My recommendation is tofirst figure out your SAT goal scores.Once you have these scores, use any raw score conversiontable from anSAT practice test (or multiple tests) to get a feel for the raw scores you'll need on each section in order to hityour (scaled) goal scores on test day. (Tests #5, #6, and #7 are all former SATs, so these are great tests to use!) Take the SAT curvewith a grain of salt. Although the equating process can be helpful, at the end of the day nobody (except the College Board!) knows the exact equating formula for the SAT you’re going to take. So don’t worry too much about raw scores and how they convert into scaled scores- just know that while you can use equating tablesto help you estimate the number of correct answers you'll need, this data will never be 100-percent applicable to your particular test. Don't: Confuse the SAT equating process with a regular curve. As I mentioned before, there is no SAT curve- at least not in the traditional sense. On the SAT, how other test takers score has zero bearing on your score (though it does affect your SAT percentile).The only factor that influencesyour scaled score is the equating process, which varieswith each SAT to ensure scaled scores represent the same levels of ability across tests. Assume when you take the test willaffectyour score. Again, this is a common misconception. Many people believe certain tests areeasier to score higher on than others due to variations in difficulty or different abilities of test takers. But this isn't true! The equating process makes it so you don't gain or lose any likelihood of attaining a certain score, no matter when or with whom you take the SAT. Try togame the system.Because you can't know for certainhow your raw SAT scores will convert into scaled scores, it's impossible to use what we know about theequating process to cheat the system and guarantee yourself a higher score.Anyone who claims this is possible is flat-outwrong! Now, sit back and grab your popcorn- it's time for the recap! Recap: What Is the SAT Curve? How Does It Work? So is the SAT curved? In short, no, the SAT isn't curved.However, the College Board does use an equating system, which ensures scaled SAT scores always correlate tothe same levels of ability, no matter when you take the test. Although there's no way of knowing forsure just how your raw scores will convert into scaled scores, you can use raw score to scaled score range tables from official SAT practice tests to help you approximate the number of questions you'll need to answer correctly on test day, so you can get the scaled scores you want. Unfortunately,these tables aren't a hundred percent reliable, as each test uses a different equating formula (that only the College Board knows). Lastly, don't try to use the SAT curveto cheatthe SAT. As long as youstudy hardand usehigh-quality resources, you'll be on your way to a high SAT score (and hopefully the college of your dreams) in no time! What’s Next? You understand how the SAT curve works- but what about the scoring system? Read our in-depth guide to how the SAT is scoredto learn more about theequating process andhow subscores and cross-test scores come into play. Want to learn more about SAT scores?Find your goal score with our step-by-step guide and learn about the current averages. Once you're finished with those, check out my article on SAT scores for colleges to see what kinds of scores you'll need for popular schools! If you enjoyed this article, you'll love myanalysisof the ACT curve! Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Impact of Language Barriers on Refugees Education Research Paper

Impact of Language Barriers on Refugees Education - Research Paper Example The paper stresses the issue of language barriers among refugee students is inadequately addressed by current academic programs in the United States. When refugee students enroll in schools, they are separately taken through intensive language acquisition programs before being merged with the mainstream student population. At the end of the intensive programs, which last for approximately six months, instructors presume that the refugee students are sufficiently proficient in the instruction language. However, these students do not acquire substantial skills within the 6-months programs that will enable them to compete objectively with other proficient students. In this case, I agree with the purpose of intensive programs in facilitating language literacy among refugee students. In conclusion, it remains evident that language barriers, specifically the issues of second language instruction and limited confidence in social language, are undermining the education of refugee students in US schools. Language barriers, which could be pre-immigration or post-immigration in nature, compromise on the eventual outcomes of refugee students’ academic journeys. Despite the presence of adaptive instructional programs to enhance the proficiency of language among refugees in US schools, more still needs to be done to neutralize obstacles presented by pre-immigration and post-immigration language barriers. Undeniably, research of such topics is important in improving the education lives of refugees living in non-native cultures across the world.