TOWARD UNDERSTANDING E -PRIME
Robert Anton Wilson
E-PRIME, abolishing all forms of the verb "to be," has its roots in the field of general semantics, as presented by Alfred Korzybski in his 1933 book, Science and Sanity. Korzybski pointed out the pitfalls associated with, and produced by, two usages of "to be": identity and predication. His student D. David Bourland, Jr., observed that even linguistically sensitive people do not seem able to avoid identity and predication uses of "to be" if they continue to use the verb at all.
Bourland pioneered in demonstrating that one can indeed write and speak without using any form of "to be," calling this subset of the English language "E-Prime." Many have urged the use of E-Prime in writing scientific and technical papers.
Korzybski felt that all humans should receive training in general semantics from grade school on, as "semantic hygiene" against the most prevalent forms of logical error, emotional distortion, and "demonological thinking." E-Prime provides a straightforward training technique for acquiring such semantic hygiene.
To understand E-Prime, consider the human brain as a computer. (Note that I did not say the brain "is" a computer.) As the Prime Law of Computers tells us, GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT (GIGO, for short). The wrong software guarantees wrong answers. Conversely, finding the right software can "miraculously" solve problems that previously appeared intractable.
It seems likely that the principal software used in the human brain consists of words, metaphors, disguised metaphors, and linguistic structures in general.
The Sapir-Whorf-Korzybski Hypothesis, in anthropology, holds that a change in language can alter our perception of the cosmos. A revision of language structure, in particular, can alter the brain as dramatically as a psychedelic. In our metaphor, if we change the software, the computer operates in a new way.
Consider the following paired sets of propositions, in which Standard English alternates with English-Prime (E-Prime):
lA. The electron is a wave.
lB. The electron appears as a wave when measured with instrument-l.
2A. The electron is a particle.
2B. The electron appears as a particle when measured with instrument-2.
3A. John is lethargic and unhappy.
3B. John appears lethargic and unhappy in the office.
4A. John is bright and cheerful.
4B. John appears bright and cheerful on holiday at the beach.
5A. This is the knife the first man used to stab the second man.
5B. The first man appeared to stab the second man with what looked like a knife to me.
6A. The car involved in the hit-and-run accident was a blue Ford.
6B. In memory, I think I recall the car involved in the hit-and-run accident as a blue Ford.
7A. This is a fascist idea.
7B. This seems like a fascist idea to me.
8A. Beethoven is better than Mozart.
8B. In my present mixed state of musical education and ignorance, Beethoven seems better to me than Mozart.
9A. That is a sexist movie.
9B. That seems like a sexist movie to me.
10A. The fetus is a person.
10B. In my system of metaphysics, I classify the fetus as a person.
The "A"-type statements (Standard English) all implicitly or explicitly assume the medieval view called "Aristotelian essentialism" or "naive realism." In other words, they assume a world made up of block-like entities with indwelling "essences" or spooks- "ghosts in the machine."
The "B"-type statements (E-Prime) recast these sentences into a form isomorphic to modern science by first abolishing the "is" of Aristotelian essence and then reformulating each observation in terms of signals received and interpreted by a body (or instrument) moving in space-time.
Relativity, quantum mechanics, large sections of general physics, perception psychology, sociology, linguistics, modern math, anthropology, ethology, and several other sciences make perfect sense when put into the software of E-Prime. Each of these sciences generates paradoxes, some bordering on "nonsense" or "gibberish," if you try to translate them back into the software of Standard English.
Concretely, "The electron is a wave" employs the Aristotelian "is" and thereby introduces us to the false-to-experience notion that we can know the indwelling "essence" of the electron. "The electron appears as a wave when measured by instrument-1" reports what actually occurred in space-time, namely that the electron when constrained by a certain instrument behaved in a certain way.
Similarly, "The electron is a particle" contains medieval Aristotelian software, but "The electron appears as a particle when measured by instrument-2" contains modern scientific software. Once again, the software determines whether we impose a medieval or modern grid upon our reality-tunnel.
Note that "the electron is a wave" and "the electron is a particle" contradict each other and begin the insidious process by which we move gradually from paradox to nonsense to total gibberish. On the other hand, the modern scientific statements "the electron appears as a wave when measured one way" and "the electron appears as a particle measured another way" do not contradict, but rather complement each other. (Bohr's Principle of Complementarity, which explained this and revolutionized physics, would have appeared obvious to all, and not just to a person of his genius, if physicists had written in E-Prime all along. . . .)
Looking at our next pair, "John is lethargic and unhappy" vs. "John is bright and cheerful,' we see again how medieval software creates metaphysical puzzles and totally imaginary contradictions. Operationalizing the statements, as physicists since Bohr have learned to operationalize, we find that the E-Prime translations do not contain any contradiction, and even give us a clue as to causes of John's changing moods. (Look back if you forgot the translations.)
"The first man stabbed the second man with a knife" lacks the overt "is" of identity but contains Aristotelian software nonetheless. The E-Prime translation not only operationalizes the data, but may fit the facts better-if the incident occurred in a psychology class, which often conduct this experiment. (The first man "stabs," or makes stabbing gestures at, the second man, with a banana, but many students, conditioned by Aristotelian software, nonetheless "see" a knife. You don't need to take drugs to hallucinate; improper language can fill your world with phantoms and spooks of many kinds.)
The reader may employ his or her own ingenuity in analyzing how "is-ness" creates false-to-facts reality-tunnels in the remaining examples, and how E-Prime brings us back to the scientific, the operational, the existential, the phenomenological--to what humans and their instruments actually do in space-time as they create observations, perceptions, thoughts, deductions, and General Theories.
I have found repeatedly that when baffled by a problem in science, in "philosophy," or in daily life, I gain immediate insight by writing down what I know about the enigma in strict E-Prime. Often, solutions appear immediately-just as happens when you throw out the "wrong" software and put the "right" software into your PC. In other cases, I at least get an insight into why the problem remains intractable and where and how future science might go about finding an answer.
This text comes from:
D. David Bourland, Jr. & Paul Dennithorne Johnston, "To Be or Not: An E-Prime Anthology," International Society for General Semantics, 1991, pp. 23-26
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Reading Interrogatives
Ask yourself the following questions as you read:
What is the topic of the book or reading?
What issues are addressed?
What conclusion does the author reach about the issue(s)?
What are the author's reasons for his or her statements or belief?
Is the author using facts, theory, or faith?
Facts can be proven
Theory is to be proved and should not be confused with fact
Opinions may or may not be based on sound reasoning
Faith is not subject to proof by its nature
Has the author used neutral words or emotional words?
Critical readers look beyond the language to see if the reasons are clear
Be aware of why you do, or do not, accept arguments of the author
Characteristics of Critical Thinkers
They are honest with themselves
They resist manipulation
They overcome confusion
They ask questions
They base judgments on evidence
They look for connections between subjects
They are intellectually independent
Flash exercise contributed by Jennifer Kelly and Dr. Brad Hokanson, Interactive Media (DHA 4384) School of Design, University of Minnesota.
See also:
Mindquest Academy's free course "Effective Reading" with sections on
Reading Profile, Building Vocabulary, Understanding, Using Patterns.
See the index if you wish to register with an instructor
Ruth Sunda & Kyrene de las Brisas: Bloom’s Critical Thinking/Questioning Strategies (9/26/02)
Wakefield, D.V., From a paper to the Governor's Teaching Fellows, Athen,s Georgia, November 19, 1998.
What is the topic of the book or reading?
What issues are addressed?
What conclusion does the author reach about the issue(s)?
What are the author's reasons for his or her statements or belief?
Is the author using facts, theory, or faith?
Facts can be proven
Theory is to be proved and should not be confused with fact
Opinions may or may not be based on sound reasoning
Faith is not subject to proof by its nature
Has the author used neutral words or emotional words?
Critical readers look beyond the language to see if the reasons are clear
Be aware of why you do, or do not, accept arguments of the author
Characteristics of Critical Thinkers
They are honest with themselves
They resist manipulation
They overcome confusion
They ask questions
They base judgments on evidence
They look for connections between subjects
They are intellectually independent
Flash exercise contributed by Jennifer Kelly and Dr. Brad Hokanson, Interactive Media (DHA 4384) School of Design, University of Minnesota.
See also:
Mindquest Academy's free course "Effective Reading" with sections on
Reading Profile, Building Vocabulary, Understanding, Using Patterns.
See the index if you wish to register with an instructor
Ruth Sunda & Kyrene de las Brisas: Bloom’s Critical Thinking/Questioning Strategies (9/26/02)
Wakefield, D.V., From a paper to the Governor's Teaching Fellows, Athen,s Georgia, November 19, 1998.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Story A
STORY A
(1)A certain west coast university scientist chartered a ship for exploration purposes.
(2) When a large white bird was sighted the scientist asked permission to kill it.
(3)He stated that white albatrosses are usually found only off the cost of Australia.
(4)He wanted the bird as a specimen for the university museum.
(5)The crew protested against the killing of the bird, calling the scientist’s attention to the old sea superstition that bad luck followed the killing of a white albatross.
(6)Nevertheless the captain granted permission to kill the bird and the bird was killed.
(7)These mishaps happened after the bird was killed:
(8)The net cables fouled up three times.
(9)The net caught on the bottom and was ripped to shreds.
(1O)The shaft on the main winch snapped and it took the crew members five hours to reel in by hand 1700 feet of cable.
(1 1)A rib was broken when Jackie Larson, a scientific aide, fell down a hatch ladder.
(12)The scientist became seasick for the first time in his life.
(13)Lost gear forced the ship to head for land.
(14)The cook left his job.
(1)A certain west coast university scientist chartered a ship for exploration purposes.
(2) When a large white bird was sighted the scientist asked permission to kill it.
(3)He stated that white albatrosses are usually found only off the cost of Australia.
(4)He wanted the bird as a specimen for the university museum.
(5)The crew protested against the killing of the bird, calling the scientist’s attention to the old sea superstition that bad luck followed the killing of a white albatross.
(6)Nevertheless the captain granted permission to kill the bird and the bird was killed.
(7)These mishaps happened after the bird was killed:
(8)The net cables fouled up three times.
(9)The net caught on the bottom and was ripped to shreds.
(1O)The shaft on the main winch snapped and it took the crew members five hours to reel in by hand 1700 feet of cable.
(1 1)A rib was broken when Jackie Larson, a scientific aide, fell down a hatch ladder.
(12)The scientist became seasick for the first time in his life.
(13)Lost gear forced the ship to head for land.
(14)The cook left his job.
Story A Questions
Questions on Story A
1 .The scientist had never been seasick before.
2.The purpose of the voyage was primariiy pleasure and sight-seeing.
3.The story lists various incidents which follow the killing of a bird.
4.After the scientist shot the albatross the troubles happened.
5.No scientist’s name was mentioned in the story.
6.The scientist was surprised to see a white albatross in the vicinity.
7.The scientist was not from a university or college.8.The scientist asked the captain for permission to kill the bird.
9.It took the crew members less than five minutes to reel in the seventeen hundred feet of cable,
1O.A lost gear made it necessary for the ship to return to the west coast.
11 .Fortunately, the net cables never fouled up.
12.A ship was chartered by a scientist.
13.The net was ripped in the bottom of the sea.
14.The cook was fired because of his objection to the killing of the bird.
15 .Larson broke a leg.
1 6.After the bird was killed the mishaps occurred.
17.The white albatross was sighted near Australia.
1 8.When an albatross was sighted flying near the ship the scientist asked permission to kill it.
19.The net was not damaged.
20.The troubles happened after the albatross was killed.
21 .The scientist was less influenced by the old sea superstition than were the members of the crew.
22.The ship, propelled by a motor, was in difficulty after the gear broke.
23 .Permission to kill the bird was given by the captain.
24. Seventeen hundred feet of cable were reeled in by hand.
25 .The bird that was killed was an albatross.
26.The sailors were not disturbed when the scientist violated the old sea superstition.
27.The person who fell down a hatch ladder was a man named Larson.
28.Larson broke one of the ribs of the ship.
29.The scientist did not want the bird as a specimen for the university museum.
30.The naturalist did not charter the ship.
31 .The scientist did not asked the crew for permission to kill the albatross.
32.The scientist attention was called to the old sea superstition that bad luck follows the killing of the white albatross.
33.The naturalist did not ask permission to kill the bird on order to secure it as a museum specimen.
34.The scientist expected to see a white albatross in that vicinity.
35 .The scientist was influenced by the warning of the crew.
36.The cook did not leave his job.
37.The captain broke one of his ribs.
38 .The bird was killed against the captains orders.
3 9.The crew members were only to frighten the scientist by protesting against the killing of the bird.
40.A lost gear was not the reason the ship landed.
41 .The crew protested against the killing of the bird.
42.Jackie Larson became seasick before the albatross was killed.
43.The scientist’s aide was Jackie Larson.
44.The bird was not killed.
45.The bird was killed by scientist.
46.The cook helped reel in the seventeen hundred feet of cable.
47.While the crew men were undoubtedly upset by the scientist’s action the cook was the only man to actually leave his job.
48.A scientist fell down a hatch ladder.
1 .The scientist had never been seasick before.
2.The purpose of the voyage was primariiy pleasure and sight-seeing.
3.The story lists various incidents which follow the killing of a bird.
4.After the scientist shot the albatross the troubles happened.
5.No scientist’s name was mentioned in the story.
6.The scientist was surprised to see a white albatross in the vicinity.
7.The scientist was not from a university or college.8.The scientist asked the captain for permission to kill the bird.
9.It took the crew members less than five minutes to reel in the seventeen hundred feet of cable,
1O.A lost gear made it necessary for the ship to return to the west coast.
11 .Fortunately, the net cables never fouled up.
12.A ship was chartered by a scientist.
13.The net was ripped in the bottom of the sea.
14.The cook was fired because of his objection to the killing of the bird.
15 .Larson broke a leg.
1 6.After the bird was killed the mishaps occurred.
17.The white albatross was sighted near Australia.
1 8.When an albatross was sighted flying near the ship the scientist asked permission to kill it.
19.The net was not damaged.
20.The troubles happened after the albatross was killed.
21 .The scientist was less influenced by the old sea superstition than were the members of the crew.
22.The ship, propelled by a motor, was in difficulty after the gear broke.
23 .Permission to kill the bird was given by the captain.
24. Seventeen hundred feet of cable were reeled in by hand.
25 .The bird that was killed was an albatross.
26.The sailors were not disturbed when the scientist violated the old sea superstition.
27.The person who fell down a hatch ladder was a man named Larson.
28.Larson broke one of the ribs of the ship.
29.The scientist did not want the bird as a specimen for the university museum.
30.The naturalist did not charter the ship.
31 .The scientist did not asked the crew for permission to kill the albatross.
32.The scientist attention was called to the old sea superstition that bad luck follows the killing of the white albatross.
33.The naturalist did not ask permission to kill the bird on order to secure it as a museum specimen.
34.The scientist expected to see a white albatross in that vicinity.
35 .The scientist was influenced by the warning of the crew.
36.The cook did not leave his job.
37.The captain broke one of his ribs.
38 .The bird was killed against the captains orders.
3 9.The crew members were only to frighten the scientist by protesting against the killing of the bird.
40.A lost gear was not the reason the ship landed.
41 .The crew protested against the killing of the bird.
42.Jackie Larson became seasick before the albatross was killed.
43.The scientist’s aide was Jackie Larson.
44.The bird was not killed.
45.The bird was killed by scientist.
46.The cook helped reel in the seventeen hundred feet of cable.
47.While the crew men were undoubtedly upset by the scientist’s action the cook was the only man to actually leave his job.
48.A scientist fell down a hatch ladder.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Prepositions: Spaptial Relationships
pre-position
post-position
re-position
Prepositions of Position
at the back of
at the bottom of
at the top of
behind
between
in the corner of
in the middle of
next to
to the left of
on the other side of
to the right of
on the side of
on top of
opposite
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Unit 5: Weather Vocabulary
from http://www.bom.gov.au/info/wwords/
Description of Phenomena
Fog: Suspension of very small water droplets in the air, reducing visibility at ground level to less than a kilometer.
Smog: Smog ( contraction for 'smoke fog') is a fog in which smoke or other forms of atmospheric pollutant have an important part in causing the fog to thicken, and have unpleasant and dangerous physiological effects.
Mist: Similar to fog, but visibility remains more than a kilometre.
Frost: Deposit of soft white ice crystals or frozen dew drops on objects near the ground; formed when surface temperature falls below freezing point.
Precipitation: Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid (e.g. rain, drizzle) or solid (e.g. hail, snow), that fall from a cloud or group of clouds and reach the ground. (See Drizzle, Rain)
Drizzle: Fairly uniform precipitation composed exclusively of very small water droplets (less than 0.5 mm in diameter) very close to one another.
Rain: Precipitation of liquid water drops greater than 0.5 mm in diameter. In contrast to showers, it is steadier and normally falls from stratiform (layer) cloud.
Showers: Usually begin and end suddenly. Relatively short-lived, but may last half an hour. Often, but not always, separated by blue sky.
Blizzard: Violent and very cold wind which is laden with snow, some part, at least, of which has been raised from snow covered ground.
Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms are one or more convective clouds in which electrical discharge can be seen as lightning and heard as thunder by a person on the earth's surface.
A severe thunderstorm produces one or more of :-
hail at the ground with diameter of 2 cm or more;
wind gusts at the ground of 90 km/h or more;
tornadoes; or
very heavy rain likely to cause flash flooding.
Tornado: A tall, rapidly rotating column of air between 5 and 1000 metres in diameter which is attached to the base of a cumulonimbus or large cumulus cloud and which is capable of producing damage at the earth's surface.
Precipitation
Duration
Brief: Short duration.
Intermittent: Precipitation which ceases at times.
Occasional: Precipitation which while not frequent, is recurrent.
Frequent: Showers occurring regularly and often.
Continuous: Precipitation which does not cease, or ceases only briefly.
Periods of Rain: Rain is expected to fall most of the time, but there will be breaks.
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Intensity
Slight or Light:
Rain: Individual drops easily identified, puddles form slowly, small streams may flow in gutters.
Drizzle: Can be felt on the face but is not visible. Produces little run off from roads or roofs. Generally visibility is reduced, but not less than 1000 m.
Snow: Small sparse flakes. Visibility generally reduced but not less than 1000 m.
Hail: Sparse hailstones of small size, often mixed with rain.
Moderate:
Rain: Rapidly forming puddles, down pipes flowing freely, some spray visible over hard surfaces.
Drizzle: Window and road surfaces streaming with moisture. Visibility generally between 400 and 1000 m.
Snow: Large numerous flakes and visibility generally between 400-1000 m.
Hail: Particles numerous enough to whiten the ground.
Heavy:
Rain: Falls in sheets, misty spray over hard surfaces, may cause roaring noise on roof.
Drizzle: Visibility reduced to less than 400 m.
Snow: Numerous flakes of all sizes. Visibility generally reduced below 400 m.
Hail: A proportion of the hailstones exceed 6 mm diameter.
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Distribution of Showers(or other weather phenomena)
Few: Indicating timing, not an area.
Isolated: Showers which are well separated in space during a given period.
Local: Restricted to relatively small areas.
Patchy: Occurring irregularly over an area.
Scattered: Irregularly distributed over an area. Showers which, while not widespread, can occur anywhere in an area. Implies a slightly greater incidence than isolated.
Sporadic: Scattered or dispersed in respect of locality or local distribution. Characterised by occasional or isolated occurrence.
Widespread: Occurring extensively throughout an area.
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Wind Terms
The wind is a continuous succession of gusts and lulls associated with equally rapid changes of direction over a range which may exceed 30°. The mean wind speed over a period of time is therefore the mean of many gusts and lulls. Usually only the mean wind is forecast, unless the gusts are expected to be a significant feature. For instance, Fresh, gusty southwest winds indicates that the mean wind speed will be between 17 and 21 knots and the mean wind direction will be from the southwest, but that there will also be gusts to speeds significantly higher than the mean.
Gust: A gust is any sudden increase of wind of short duration, usually a few seconds.
Squall: A squall comprises a rather sudden increase of the mean wind speed which lasts for several minutes at least before the mean wind returns to near its previous value. A squall may include many gusts.
Wind descriptions (derived from the Beaufort Wind Scale) Wind speeds are given as the equivalent speed at a standard height of 10 metres above open flat ground
Description of Phenomena
Fog: Suspension of very small water droplets in the air, reducing visibility at ground level to less than a kilometer.
Smog: Smog ( contraction for 'smoke fog') is a fog in which smoke or other forms of atmospheric pollutant have an important part in causing the fog to thicken, and have unpleasant and dangerous physiological effects.
Mist: Similar to fog, but visibility remains more than a kilometre.
Frost: Deposit of soft white ice crystals or frozen dew drops on objects near the ground; formed when surface temperature falls below freezing point.
Precipitation: Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid (e.g. rain, drizzle) or solid (e.g. hail, snow), that fall from a cloud or group of clouds and reach the ground. (See Drizzle, Rain)
Drizzle: Fairly uniform precipitation composed exclusively of very small water droplets (less than 0.5 mm in diameter) very close to one another.
Rain: Precipitation of liquid water drops greater than 0.5 mm in diameter. In contrast to showers, it is steadier and normally falls from stratiform (layer) cloud.
Showers: Usually begin and end suddenly. Relatively short-lived, but may last half an hour. Often, but not always, separated by blue sky.
Blizzard: Violent and very cold wind which is laden with snow, some part, at least, of which has been raised from snow covered ground.
Thunderstorms: Thunderstorms are one or more convective clouds in which electrical discharge can be seen as lightning and heard as thunder by a person on the earth's surface.
A severe thunderstorm produces one or more of :-
hail at the ground with diameter of 2 cm or more;
wind gusts at the ground of 90 km/h or more;
tornadoes; or
very heavy rain likely to cause flash flooding.
Tornado: A tall, rapidly rotating column of air between 5 and 1000 metres in diameter which is attached to the base of a cumulonimbus or large cumulus cloud and which is capable of producing damage at the earth's surface.
Precipitation
Duration
Brief: Short duration.
Intermittent: Precipitation which ceases at times.
Occasional: Precipitation which while not frequent, is recurrent.
Frequent: Showers occurring regularly and often.
Continuous: Precipitation which does not cease, or ceases only briefly.
Periods of Rain: Rain is expected to fall most of the time, but there will be breaks.
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Intensity
Slight or Light:
Rain: Individual drops easily identified, puddles form slowly, small streams may flow in gutters.
Drizzle: Can be felt on the face but is not visible. Produces little run off from roads or roofs. Generally visibility is reduced, but not less than 1000 m.
Snow: Small sparse flakes. Visibility generally reduced but not less than 1000 m.
Hail: Sparse hailstones of small size, often mixed with rain.
Moderate:
Rain: Rapidly forming puddles, down pipes flowing freely, some spray visible over hard surfaces.
Drizzle: Window and road surfaces streaming with moisture. Visibility generally between 400 and 1000 m.
Snow: Large numerous flakes and visibility generally between 400-1000 m.
Hail: Particles numerous enough to whiten the ground.
Heavy:
Rain: Falls in sheets, misty spray over hard surfaces, may cause roaring noise on roof.
Drizzle: Visibility reduced to less than 400 m.
Snow: Numerous flakes of all sizes. Visibility generally reduced below 400 m.
Hail: A proportion of the hailstones exceed 6 mm diameter.
Back to Menu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distribution of Showers(or other weather phenomena)
Few: Indicating timing, not an area.
Isolated: Showers which are well separated in space during a given period.
Local: Restricted to relatively small areas.
Patchy: Occurring irregularly over an area.
Scattered: Irregularly distributed over an area. Showers which, while not widespread, can occur anywhere in an area. Implies a slightly greater incidence than isolated.
Sporadic: Scattered or dispersed in respect of locality or local distribution. Characterised by occasional or isolated occurrence.
Widespread: Occurring extensively throughout an area.
Back to Menu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wind Terms
The wind is a continuous succession of gusts and lulls associated with equally rapid changes of direction over a range which may exceed 30°. The mean wind speed over a period of time is therefore the mean of many gusts and lulls. Usually only the mean wind is forecast, unless the gusts are expected to be a significant feature. For instance, Fresh, gusty southwest winds indicates that the mean wind speed will be between 17 and 21 knots and the mean wind direction will be from the southwest, but that there will also be gusts to speeds significantly higher than the mean.
Gust: A gust is any sudden increase of wind of short duration, usually a few seconds.
Squall: A squall comprises a rather sudden increase of the mean wind speed which lasts for several minutes at least before the mean wind returns to near its previous value. A squall may include many gusts.
Wind descriptions (derived from the Beaufort Wind Scale) Wind speeds are given as the equivalent speed at a standard height of 10 metres above open flat ground
Student Blogs
Mathew's Blog for Reading Comprehension:
http://4rc.blogspot.com
Eve's Blog for Reading Comprehension:
http://eve4rc.blogspot.com/
http://4rc.blogspot.com
Eve's Blog for Reading Comprehension:
http://eve4rc.blogspot.com/
Inference discussion items
Humans automatically "fill-in the blanks" whenever we hear a story, and don't usually try to separate what we know "for sure" from what we infer "for sure". Once a person makes an inference, s/he is reluctant to accept that it might not be true.
Uncritically accepting an inference makes it easier to accept related inferences as true.
Uncritically accepting an inference makes it likely a person will reject conflicting inferences.
Arguments, even wars, can result from a failure to examine and verify inferences.
Any given inference can prove to be true.
Any given inference can prove to be false.
Once you begin thinking about an observation, many possible inferences from it come to mind.
Contradictory inferences can be drawn from the same observation.
Uncritical Inference Test: Billy and Tom
The Story
Billy and Tom were lifelong friends. Everything they did was with the other in mind. They had even considered going into the ministry together, but had decided against it at the last minute.
Both were happy with the way things had worked out for them in the army. They had joined on the "buddy system" to insure that they could stay together, and that their friendship would continue. Currently, they were stationed at Camp Bingo, a minor supply base in a war zone, miles away from enemy action.
Things couldn't have been more perfect for the two of them.
One day while the two were on a routine patrol just outside the camp, an enemy soldier suddenly appeared in the bushes and opened fire. At least one of the bullets hit Billy.
Seeing Billy fall, Tom turned just in time to witness the sniper run off. Tom raised his rifle and took aim. He pulled the trigger, but there was no shot. His rifle had jammed. In an instant, he was in pursuit.
Moments later, he spotted the sniper who lay writhing in pain on the ground. The sniper had fallen after breaking a leg when he tripped on a prominent tree root overgrown with weeds. As Tom approached, the sniper began to yell, "I surrender! I surrender!"
Tom glanced over his shoulder in Billy's direction, then approached the sniper.
The Statements
____ 1. Billy and Tom had been friends all of their lives.
____ 2. Both had doubts about their religious beliefs.
____ 3. The sniper spoke English well.
____ 4. Tom and Billy graduated high school together.
____ 5. When the sniper opened fire, Billy and Tom were side by side.
____ 6. Tom walked with a limp.
____ 7. In his anger over Billy's death, Tom wanted to kill the sniper with his bare hands.
____ 8. Tom and Billy were unhappy in the Army.
____ 9. Had the sniper not lost his rifle when he tripped, he would not have wanted to surrender.
____ 10. Tom cleaned his rifle regularly.
____ 11. Camp Bingo was not in the United States.
____ 12. Camp Bingo was a dangerous place.
____ 13. The sniper was working alone.
____ 14. Another member of Billy and Tom's patrol stopped the sniper by shooting him as he was running off.
____ 15. Tom approached the sniper as he lay writhing in pain on the ground.
Billy and Tom were lifelong friends. Everything they did was with the other in mind. They had even considered going into the ministry together, but had decided against it at the last minute.
Both were happy with the way things had worked out for them in the army. They had joined on the "buddy system" to insure that they could stay together, and that their friendship would continue. Currently, they were stationed at Camp Bingo, a minor supply base in a war zone, miles away from enemy action.
Things couldn't have been more perfect for the two of them.
One day while the two were on a routine patrol just outside the camp, an enemy soldier suddenly appeared in the bushes and opened fire. At least one of the bullets hit Billy.
Seeing Billy fall, Tom turned just in time to witness the sniper run off. Tom raised his rifle and took aim. He pulled the trigger, but there was no shot. His rifle had jammed. In an instant, he was in pursuit.
Moments later, he spotted the sniper who lay writhing in pain on the ground. The sniper had fallen after breaking a leg when he tripped on a prominent tree root overgrown with weeds. As Tom approached, the sniper began to yell, "I surrender! I surrender!"
Tom glanced over his shoulder in Billy's direction, then approached the sniper.
The Statements
____ 1. Billy and Tom had been friends all of their lives.
____ 2. Both had doubts about their religious beliefs.
____ 3. The sniper spoke English well.
____ 4. Tom and Billy graduated high school together.
____ 5. When the sniper opened fire, Billy and Tom were side by side.
____ 6. Tom walked with a limp.
____ 7. In his anger over Billy's death, Tom wanted to kill the sniper with his bare hands.
____ 8. Tom and Billy were unhappy in the Army.
____ 9. Had the sniper not lost his rifle when he tripped, he would not have wanted to surrender.
____ 10. Tom cleaned his rifle regularly.
____ 11. Camp Bingo was not in the United States.
____ 12. Camp Bingo was a dangerous place.
____ 13. The sniper was working alone.
____ 14. Another member of Billy and Tom's patrol stopped the sniper by shooting him as he was running off.
____ 15. Tom approached the sniper as he lay writhing in pain on the ground.
Monday, June 25, 2007
SQ3R - A Reading and Study Skill System
SQ3R - A Reading and Study Skill System
Classic system presented by way of Virginia Tech: http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/sq3r.html
SURVEY - gather the information necessary to focus and formulate goals.
- Read the title - help your mind prepare to receive the subject at hand.
- Read the introduction and/or summary - orient yourself to how this chapter fits the author's purposes, and focus on the author's statement of most important points.
- Notice each boldface heading and subheading - organize your mind before you begin to read - build a structure for the thoughts and details to come.
- Notice any graphics - charts, maps, diagrams, etc. are there to make a point - don't miss them.
- Notice reading aids - italics, bold face print, chapter objective, end-of -chapter questions are all included to help you sort, comprehend, and remember.
QUESTION - help your mind engage and concentrate.
One section at a time, turn the boldface heading into as many questions as you think will be answered in that section. The better the questions, the better your comprehension is likely to be. You may always add further questions as you proceed. When your mind is actively searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in learning.
READ - fill in the information around the mental structures you've been building.
Read each section (one at a time) with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and notice if you need to make up some new questions.
RECITE - retrain your mind to concentrate and learn as it reads.
After each section - stop, recall your questions, and see if you can answer them from memory. If not, look back again (as often as necessary) but don't go on to the next section until you can recite.
REVIEW - refine your mental organization and begin building memory.
Once you've finished the entire chapter using the preceding steps, go back over all the questions from all the headings. See if you can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memory, then continue.
REMEMBER: THE INFORMATION YOU GAIN FROM READING IS IMPORTANT. IF YOU JUST "DO IT" WITHOUT LEARNING SOMETHING. YOU'RE WASTING A LOT OF TIME. TRAIN YOUR MIND TO LEARN!!!
Critical Thinking Links from Text
Text Online site:
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072473762/information_center_view0/
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072473762/information_center_view0/
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Student Blogs
Joey's CT Blog:
http://joeyblink.blogspot.com/
Irene's CT Blog:
http://aiyuncheng.blogspot.com/
Arleigh's Blog:
http://ablog4ct.blogspot.com/
Mathew's Blog:
http://mathewct.blogspot.com/
Yolanda's Blog:
http://yolandayuan.blogspot.com/
Bobby's Blog:
http://bmopn.blogspot.com/
Josh's Blog:
http://mycriticalthinking.blogspot.com/
Mogi's Blog:
http://onon-onon.blogspot.com/
Cook's Blog:
http://2cookie.blogspot.com/
Noom's Blog:
http://noomcthink.blogspot.com/
Fuat's Blog:
http://fuatscritic.blogspot.com/
Jade's Blog:
http://jadequianalearn.blogspot.com/
Benji's Blog:
http://tempo-benji.blogspot.com/
http://joeyblink.blogspot.com/
Irene's CT Blog:
http://aiyuncheng.blogspot.com/
Arleigh's Blog:
http://ablog4ct.blogspot.com/
Mathew's Blog:
http://mathewct.blogspot.com/
Yolanda's Blog:
http://yolandayuan.blogspot.com/
Bobby's Blog:
http://bmopn.blogspot.com/
Josh's Blog:
http://mycriticalthinking.blogspot.com/
Mogi's Blog:
http://onon-onon.blogspot.com/
Cook's Blog:
http://2cookie.blogspot.com/
Noom's Blog:
http://noomcthink.blogspot.com/
Fuat's Blog:
http://fuatscritic.blogspot.com/
Jade's Blog:
http://jadequianalearn.blogspot.com/
Benji's Blog:
http://tempo-benji.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Extreme Sports
Definitions of extreme sports on the Web:
Extreme sports (now also known as action sports) is a general, somewhat hazily-defined term for a collection of newer sports involving adrenaline-inducing action. They often feature a combination of speed, height, danger and spectacular stunts. Levels of danger vary widely, but there is always an element — an "extreme" factor — that causes an adrenaline rush which keeps participants loyal to their sport. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_Sports
Extreme sports (now also known as action sports) is a general, somewhat hazily-defined term for a collection of newer sports involving adrenaline-inducing action. They often feature a combination of speed, height, danger and spectacular stunts. Levels of danger vary widely, but there is always an element — an "extreme" factor — that causes an adrenaline rush which keeps participants loyal to their sport. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_Sports
TFY Text Link
Companion site for TFY 7th Edition
http://www.heinle.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=141301772X&discipline_number=300
http://www.heinle.com/cgi-wadsworth/course_products_wp.pl?fid=M20b&product_isbn_issn=141301772X&discipline_number=300
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Student Work (examples: Picasa, html, Flash)
Map album at Picasa:
Irene CRCB C1 PDF:
http://www.docsyl.com/Cthink%20Maps/CRCB%20C1.pdf
Irene Flash:
http://www.docsyl.com/Cthink%20Maps/Irene%20CRCB%20C1%20f9%20flash1.html
Joey TFY C1 Gloss PDF:
http://www.docsyl.com/Cthink%20Maps/Critical_Thinking_[Joey][1].pdf
 |
| CThink Maps |
Irene CRCB C1 PDF:
http://www.docsyl.com/Cthink%20Maps/CRCB%20C1.pdf
Irene Flash:
http://www.docsyl.com/Cthink%20Maps/Irene%20CRCB%20C1%20f9%20flash1.html
Joey TFY C1 Gloss PDF:
http://www.docsyl.com/Cthink%20Maps/Critical_Thinking_[Joey][1].pdf
Links
To get Freemind:
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Links for getting Java Runtime:
From Sun -- http://www.download.com/Java-2-Platform-Standard-Edition-J2SE-Runtime-Environment-JRE-5-0/3000-2417_4-10495818.html?tag=lst-0-1
From Download -- http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html
Link for prepositions: http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/sentence/preposit.htm:
Link for Freemind tutorial: http://www.geocities.com/shaila_kishore/Freemind
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Links for getting Java Runtime:
From Sun -- http://www.download.com/Java-2-Platform-Standard-Edition-J2SE-Runtime-Environment-JRE-5-0/3000-2417_4-10495818.html?tag=lst-0-1
From Download -- http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html
Link for prepositions: http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/sentence/preposit.htm:
Link for Freemind tutorial: http://www.geocities.com/shaila_kishore/Freemind
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Reading Exercise: Sehtolc Gnihsaw
Sehtolc Gnihsaw
The procedure is actually quite simple. First, you arrange the items into different groups. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then, one never can tell. After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life.
The procedure is actually quite simple. First, you arrange the items into different groups. Of course one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then, one never can tell. After the procedure is completed one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is part of life.
Box Quiz
1. exxposure | 2. dashotrk | 3. left chicken | 4. the ears wet |
5. gegs sgeg ggse | 6. YYY men | 7. f f r r i standing i e miss e n n d d s s | 8. s t street e e t |
9. fi$$$st | 10. p i a n o | 11. dark fun | 12. sec ond |
13. nia g a r a | 14. tified with iron tified with iron tified with iron tified with iron | 15. p a y m e n t | 16. Get me |
17. s a n d s a a n n d d s a n d s | 18. cycle cycle cycle | 19. 0 Ph.D. M.A. B.A. | 20. t o w n |
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Work Ethic
The Protestant work ethic, or sometimes called the Puritan work ethic, is a Calvinist value emphasizing the necessity of constant labor in a person's calling as a sign of personal salvation. Protestants beginning with Martin Luther had reconceptualised work as a duty in the world for the benefit of the individual and society as a whole. The Catholic idea of good works was transformed into an obligation to work diligently as a sign of grace.
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestant_work_ethic
Unit 3: Work
work
NOUN: 1. Something done: act, action, deed, doing, thing. See DO. 2. Activity pursued as a livelihood: art, business, calling, career, craft, employment, job, line, métier, occupation, profession, pursuit, trade, vocation. Slang : racket. Archaic : employ. See ACTION. 3. Something that is the result of creative effort: composition, opus, piece, production. See MAKE. 4. Physical exertion that is usually difficult and exhausting: drudgery, labor, moil, toil, travail. Informal : sweat. Chiefly British : fag. Idioms: sweat of one's brow. See WORK. 5. An issue of printed material offered for sale or distribution: opus, publication, title, volume. See WORDS. 6. Informal. An amount or quantity from which nothing is left out or held back. Used in plural: aggregate, all, entirety, everything, gross, sum, total, totality, whole. Idioms: everything but (or except) the kitchen sink, lock, stock, and barrel, the whole ball of wax (or kit and caboodle) (or megillah) (or nine yards) (or shebang) . See PART. 7. A building or complex in which an industry is located. Used in plural: factory, mill, plant. See MAKE, PLACE. 8. The technique, style, and quality of working: craftsmanship, workmanship. See WORK.
VERB: 1. To react in a specified way: act, behave, function, operate, perform. See ACTION. 2. To introduce gradually and slyly: edge, foist, infiltrate, insinuate, wind2, worm. See ENTER. 3. To exert one's mental or physical powers, usually under difficulty and to the point of exhaustion: drive, fag, labor, moil, strain1, strive, sweat, toil, travail, tug. Idioms: break one's back (or neck) . See WORK. 4. To control or direct the functioning of: manage, operate, run, use. See CONTROL. 5. To turn out well: come off, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work out. Slang : click. See THRIVE. 6. To prepare (soil) for the planting and raising of crops: cultivate, culture, dress, tend2, till. See PREPARED, TOUCH. 7. To arrive at an answer to (a mathematical problem): solve, work out. Informal : figure out. See REASON. 8. To force to work: drive, task, tax. Idioms: crack the whip. See WORK. 9. To handle in a way so as to mix, form, and shape: knead, manipulate. See TOUCH. 10. To perform a function effectively: function, go, operate, run, take. See THRIVE.
PHRASAL VERB: work out To plan the details or arrangements of: arrange, lay out, prepare, schedule. See PLANNED. work out 1. To form a strategy for: blueprint, cast, chart, conceive, contrive, design, devise, formulate, frame, lay1, plan, project, scheme, strategize. Informal : dope out. Idioms: lay plans. See PLANNED. 2. To subject to or engage in forms of exertion in order to train, strengthen, or condition: drill, exercise, practice, train. See WORK. 3. To turn out well: come off, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work. Slang : click. See THRIVE. 4. To arrive at an answer to (a mathematical problem): solve, work. Informal : figure out. See REASON. work up To stir to action or feeling: egg on, excite, foment, galvanize, goad, impel, incite, inflame, inspire, instigate, motivate, move, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, set off, spur, stimulate, touch off, trigger. See CAUSE, EXCITE.
Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
NOUN: 1. Something done: act, action, deed, doing, thing. See DO. 2. Activity pursued as a livelihood: art, business, calling, career, craft, employment, job, line, métier, occupation, profession, pursuit, trade, vocation. Slang : racket. Archaic : employ. See ACTION. 3. Something that is the result of creative effort: composition, opus, piece, production. See MAKE. 4. Physical exertion that is usually difficult and exhausting: drudgery, labor, moil, toil, travail. Informal : sweat. Chiefly British : fag. Idioms: sweat of one's brow. See WORK. 5. An issue of printed material offered for sale or distribution: opus, publication, title, volume. See WORDS. 6. Informal. An amount or quantity from which nothing is left out or held back. Used in plural: aggregate, all, entirety, everything, gross, sum, total, totality, whole. Idioms: everything but (or except) the kitchen sink, lock, stock, and barrel, the whole ball of wax (or kit and caboodle) (or megillah) (or nine yards) (or shebang) . See PART. 7. A building or complex in which an industry is located. Used in plural: factory, mill, plant. See MAKE, PLACE. 8. The technique, style, and quality of working: craftsmanship, workmanship. See WORK.
VERB: 1. To react in a specified way: act, behave, function, operate, perform. See ACTION. 2. To introduce gradually and slyly: edge, foist, infiltrate, insinuate, wind2, worm. See ENTER. 3. To exert one's mental or physical powers, usually under difficulty and to the point of exhaustion: drive, fag, labor, moil, strain1, strive, sweat, toil, travail, tug. Idioms: break one's back (or neck) . See WORK. 4. To control or direct the functioning of: manage, operate, run, use. See CONTROL. 5. To turn out well: come off, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work out. Slang : click. See THRIVE. 6. To prepare (soil) for the planting and raising of crops: cultivate, culture, dress, tend2, till. See PREPARED, TOUCH. 7. To arrive at an answer to (a mathematical problem): solve, work out. Informal : figure out. See REASON. 8. To force to work: drive, task, tax. Idioms: crack the whip. See WORK. 9. To handle in a way so as to mix, form, and shape: knead, manipulate. See TOUCH. 10. To perform a function effectively: function, go, operate, run, take. See THRIVE.
PHRASAL VERB: work out To plan the details or arrangements of: arrange, lay out, prepare, schedule. See PLANNED. work out 1. To form a strategy for: blueprint, cast, chart, conceive, contrive, design, devise, formulate, frame, lay1, plan, project, scheme, strategize. Informal : dope out. Idioms: lay plans. See PLANNED. 2. To subject to or engage in forms of exertion in order to train, strengthen, or condition: drill, exercise, practice, train. See WORK. 3. To turn out well: come off, go, go over, pan out, succeed, work. Slang : click. See THRIVE. 4. To arrive at an answer to (a mathematical problem): solve, work. Informal : figure out. See REASON. work up To stir to action or feeling: egg on, excite, foment, galvanize, goad, impel, incite, inflame, inspire, instigate, motivate, move, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, set off, spur, stimulate, touch off, trigger. See CAUSE, EXCITE.
Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Spelling and Pronunciation
| Spelling Rules | |
| syllables | Every syllable has one vowel sound. |
| c | C can be pronounced as /k/ or /s/. |
| c | C is pronounced as /s/ before an e, i, or y (cent, city, cycle). |
| c | It is pronounced as /k/ before everything else (cat, clip). |
| g | G is pronounced as /g/ or /j/. |
| g | G may be pronounced as /j/ before an e, i, or y (gem, giant, gym). |
| g | It is pronounced as /g/ before everything else (garden, glad). |
| q | Q is always followed by a u (queen). |
| f, l,s | Double the consonants f, l, and s at the end of a one-syllable word that has just one vowel (stiff, spell, pass). |
| k | To spell the sound of /k/ at the end of a word, we use ck or k. Use ck after a short vowel (sick). After everything else, use a k (milk). |
| a,e,o,u | A, e, o, and u usually say their name at the end of a syllable (a-pron, me, go, u-nit). |
| v, j | Words do not end in v or j. We add a silent-e at the end of the word (have). |
| I,o | I and o may be pronounced as /i/ and /o/ before two consonants (kind, sold). |
| j | /J/ is spelled dge after a short vowel (edge). |
Mind Maps Links
Freemind link
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Cmind from Institute for Human and Machine Cognition
http://cmap.ihmc.us/
Theory underlying concept maps and how to construct them
Tony Buzan's Mind Map:
http://www.buzan.com.au/
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Cmind from Institute for Human and Machine Cognition
http://cmap.ihmc.us/
Theory underlying concept maps and how to construct them
Tony Buzan's Mind Map:
http://www.buzan.com.au/
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Musical Instrument Vocabulary
From http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/lists/c/words.php?f=musical_instruments
accordion
agogo bells
bagpipes
banjo
baritone
bass drum
bassoon
bell lyre
bongos
bugle
castanets
celeste
cello
chimes
clarinet
claves
conga
cornet
cowbell
crash cymbal
cymbal
drum
drum set
electric guitar
euphonium
flugelhorn
flute
French horn
glockenspiel
gong
grand piano
guitar
harmonica
harp
kettledrum
lute
mandolin
maracas
marimba
oboe
orchestra bells
piano
piccolo
recorder
ride cymbal
saxophone
scraper
sizzle cymbal
snare drum
sousaphone
splash cymbal
steel drums
tenor drum
timbales
timpani
tom-tom
triangle
trombone
trumpet
tuba
vibraphone
violin
xylophone
accordion
agogo bells
bagpipes
banjo
baritone
bass drum
bassoon
bell lyre
bongos
bugle
castanets
celeste
cello
chimes
clarinet
claves
conga
cornet
cowbell
crash cymbal
cymbal
drum
drum set
electric guitar
euphonium
flugelhorn
flute
French horn
glockenspiel
gong
grand piano
guitar
harmonica
harp
kettledrum
lute
mandolin
maracas
marimba
oboe
orchestra bells
piano
piccolo
recorder
ride cymbal
saxophone
scraper
sizzle cymbal
snare drum
sousaphone
splash cymbal
steel drums
tenor drum
timbales
timpani
tom-tom
triangle
trombone
trumpet
tuba
vibraphone
violin
xylophone
Required text for class
Required text:
Richards, Jack C. and Samuela Eckstut-Didier. Strategic Reading 1: Building Effective Reading Skills. Los Angeles, CA: Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0521555809.
Richards, Jack C. and Samuela Eckstut-Didier. Strategic Reading 1: Building Effective Reading Skills. Los Angeles, CA: Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0521555809.
Where do you stand?
Where do you stand
FEET: What do I stand for as a foundation of reading comprehension?
STOMACH: What upsets me about reading comprehension?
HEART: What do I love about reading comprehension?
HANDS: What do I feel about reading comprehension?
EARS: What do I hear about reading comprehension?
EYES: What do I see about reading comprehension?
BRAIN: What do I think about reading comprehension?
FEET: What do I stand for as a foundation of reading comprehension?
STOMACH: What upsets me about reading comprehension?
HEART: What do I love about reading comprehension?
HANDS: What do I feel about reading comprehension?
EARS: What do I hear about reading comprehension?
EYES: What do I see about reading comprehension?
BRAIN: What do I think about reading comprehension?
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Syllabus
ENGLISH 75 Syllabus Lincoln University
CRITICAL THINKING
Dr. Sylvia Y. R. Schoemaker profsylvia@gmail.com
Units: 3
Office hours: T-Th, 9-9:30, 12:15-1, by arrangement
Phone: 510.628.8036
Course Blog: 4cthink.blogspot.com
Objectives:
Students will develop their cognitive skills and enhance their communicative strategies for defining, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information. The course will incorporate the following University learner and institutional goals:
University learner goals 1 -6, and specifically (3.2) To examine objectively various sides of issues; (3.3) To utilize the procedures involved in systematic problem solving; and in English:: To develop basic academic and professional skills(1); To develop the ability to communicate effective in English, oral and in writing, and to read with understanding (1.1) and institutional goals , especially 1,(1.1-1.4), 2.4
Catalog Course Description
ENG 75- CRITICAL THINKING (UNIVERSITY COURSE LISTING) Consideration of cognitive skills and communicative strategies for defining, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information. Course includes structural and operational approaches to task/mission analysis, decision-making, change forecasting, adaptation, and evaluation. Systems approach to analysis and solution of complex problems. Conceptual issues in problem definition, goal determination and measurement of effectiveness. (3 units)
Methods and Materials
A cooperative learning model will be employed. Small group and individual discovery exercises and presentations will augment lectures, class discussions and applications.
Emphasis will be on a systems approach to analysis and solution of complex problems, a conceptual approach to issues in problem definition, goal determination and measurement of effectiveness.
Required Texts:
(TFY) Mayfield, Marlys. Thinking for Yourself. 6th Edition. Boston: Heinle, 2004. (ISBN: 0-8384-0735-8)
(CRCB) Daiek,Deborah and Macomb, Nancy. Critical Reading for College and Beyond. McGraw-Hill, 2004. (ISBN: 0072473762)
Recommended Text:
(CPS) Harris, Robert. A. Creative Problem Solving. Los Angeles: Pyrczak Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 1-884585-43-4
Student Responsibilities:
Students are expected to attend class, be punctual, follow classroom decorum, complete assignments, participate in the course in a productive manner, and to take personal responsibility for meeting the objectives of the course.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on the basis of all assignments, exercises, class participation, portfolios, midterm and final presentations; extra credit work/journals. Student course productivity will be averaged in appropriate proportions in determining the final grade along the following guidelines:
Classroom work:
Attendance, punctuality, decorum 10%
Productive classroom participation 10%
Class quizzes, exercises 15%
Individual/ group presentations 10%
CRITICAL THINKING
Dr. Sylvia Y. R. Schoemaker profsylvia@gmail.com
Units: 3
Office hours: T-Th, 9-9:30, 12:15-1, by arrangement
Phone: 510.628.8036
Course Blog: 4cthink.blogspot.com
Objectives:
Students will develop their cognitive skills and enhance their communicative strategies for defining, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information. The course will incorporate the following University learner and institutional goals:
University learner goals 1 -6, and specifically (3.2) To examine objectively various sides of issues; (3.3) To utilize the procedures involved in systematic problem solving; and in English:: To develop basic academic and professional skills(1); To develop the ability to communicate effective in English, oral and in writing, and to read with understanding (1.1) and institutional goals , especially 1,(1.1-1.4), 2.4
Catalog Course Description
ENG 75- CRITICAL THINKING (UNIVERSITY COURSE LISTING) Consideration of cognitive skills and communicative strategies for defining, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information. Course includes structural and operational approaches to task/mission analysis, decision-making, change forecasting, adaptation, and evaluation. Systems approach to analysis and solution of complex problems. Conceptual issues in problem definition, goal determination and measurement of effectiveness. (3 units)
Methods and Materials
A cooperative learning model will be employed. Small group and individual discovery exercises and presentations will augment lectures, class discussions and applications.
Emphasis will be on a systems approach to analysis and solution of complex problems, a conceptual approach to issues in problem definition, goal determination and measurement of effectiveness.
Required Texts:
(TFY) Mayfield, Marlys. Thinking for Yourself. 6th Edition. Boston: Heinle, 2004. (ISBN: 0-8384-0735-8)
(CRCB) Daiek,Deborah and Macomb, Nancy. Critical Reading for College and Beyond. McGraw-Hill, 2004. (ISBN: 0072473762)
Recommended Text:
(CPS) Harris, Robert. A. Creative Problem Solving. Los Angeles: Pyrczak Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 1-884585-43-4
Student Responsibilities:
Students are expected to attend class, be punctual, follow classroom decorum, complete assignments, participate in the course in a productive manner, and to take personal responsibility for meeting the objectives of the course.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on the basis of all assignments, exercises, class participation, portfolios, midterm and final presentations; extra credit work/journals. Student course productivity will be averaged in appropriate proportions in determining the final grade along the following guidelines:
Classroom work:
Attendance, punctuality, decorum 10%
Productive classroom participation 10%
Class quizzes, exercises 15%
Individual/ group presentations 10%
| Week | TFY | CRCB | ||
| 1 Th 6/7 | Observation | 1 | Reading | 1 |
| Word Precision | 2 | Vocabulary | 2 | |
| 2 Th 6/14 | Facts | 3 | Memory | 3 |
| Inferences | 4 | Time | 4 | |
| 3 Th 6/21 | Assumptions | 5 | Main Ideas | 5 |
| Opinions | 6 | Details | 6 | |
| 4 Th 6/28 | Evaluations | 7 | Inference | 7 |
| MT Portfolio | Review | Texts | 8 | |
| Viewpoints | 8 | PSR Strategies | 9 | |
| 5 Th 7/5 | Argument | 9 | Marking Advanced Strategies | 10. 11 |
| 6 Th 7/12 | Fallacies | 10 | Arguments | 12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 11 | Cognitive Domain | 13 | |
7 T /17
| Deductive Reasoning Final | 12 | Evaluating Internet Resources | 14 |
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Dreams
from http://www.dreams.ca/
Dreams - Do they have Meaning?
Every person on earth dreams every night – every mammal in fact. It follows then that something extremely important must be going on while we sleep and dream, yet in the industrialized world, the majority of people pay little attention to dreams, and sometimes shortchange themselves on sleep because it is perceived as lost time, or at best unproductive.
How astonishing that we generally ignore this third (and possibly far more) of ourselves. An appropriate analogy to the grandeur of this mass misunderstanding is the incredible inertia in the middle ages against the idea of earth being other than flat until repeated point-blank evidence like Galileo’s observation of other planets and their moons and the journeys of Columbus and other explorers across the ocean proved conclusively otherwise. The challenge was that people’s everyday experience contradicted the idea of a spherical earth because nobody had yet gained perspective from outside of the system. Airplanes and especially photographs from space were not yet available, so there was little first hand evidence of a new paradigm that was quite a great leap beyond the old. Fortunately, people eventually began to come around, and the shift triggered an ensuing surge of exploration as the realization and acceptance finally dawned that our world really isn't flat after all.
Dreams, in the same way, encompass yet another entire dimension of experience, a world as yet unexplored by most, where a fascinating sphere of activity awaits investigation and possible harvest for greater fulfillment in waking life. The challenge is again the same — common daily experience for the average person offers little proof of this other reality, let alone the possible value of this other dimension of experience, unless one can gain perspective from outside the 9-to-5 work day framework and a scientific purely-objective system.
Dream related mental skills such as dream recall or dream interpretation and information on subjects such as the meaning of nightmares or precognitive dreams isn’t often taught in our schools, and the majority of our parents knew or passed on little about the value of dreams as we grew up. So it's no big surprise that many adults remember few or no dreams, and even more rarely contemplate or set out to interpret the guidance and mine the jewels of creative inspiration hidden just below the surface of consciousness in dreams. Basically, nobody told us or showed us how dreams can be extremely practical.
The result of where this long-standing trend of disregarding dreams has brought society is that the current misguided concepts about the value of dreams are not only crucial misunderstandings, but also represent and even bring about a lack of connection with the subconscious and our own deeper nature. This artificial rift may indirectly, or even rather directly be the source for many of our current personal, cultural and planetary social, political, and environmental challenges.
One solution towards rebalancing and integration on a personal and eventually a planetary level, is for each of us to realize and begin to investigate how our personal dreams, at very least, each night offer a direct means to explore inner reality and gain unique, undeniable experiences of deep personal value. Further, there is overwhelming evidence that they can be applied in many ways to improve waking life, supporting Shakespeare's age-old claim by MacBeth that sleep and dreams are the "chief nourishers in life's feast". Dreams do indeed offer opportunities for fun, adventure, wish fulfillment, creativity, deep personal insight and healing — and dreams offer all this at no cost and with no line-ups!
Dreams - Do they have Meaning?
Every person on earth dreams every night – every mammal in fact. It follows then that something extremely important must be going on while we sleep and dream, yet in the industrialized world, the majority of people pay little attention to dreams, and sometimes shortchange themselves on sleep because it is perceived as lost time, or at best unproductive.
How astonishing that we generally ignore this third (and possibly far more) of ourselves. An appropriate analogy to the grandeur of this mass misunderstanding is the incredible inertia in the middle ages against the idea of earth being other than flat until repeated point-blank evidence like Galileo’s observation of other planets and their moons and the journeys of Columbus and other explorers across the ocean proved conclusively otherwise. The challenge was that people’s everyday experience contradicted the idea of a spherical earth because nobody had yet gained perspective from outside of the system. Airplanes and especially photographs from space were not yet available, so there was little first hand evidence of a new paradigm that was quite a great leap beyond the old. Fortunately, people eventually began to come around, and the shift triggered an ensuing surge of exploration as the realization and acceptance finally dawned that our world really isn't flat after all.
Dreams, in the same way, encompass yet another entire dimension of experience, a world as yet unexplored by most, where a fascinating sphere of activity awaits investigation and possible harvest for greater fulfillment in waking life. The challenge is again the same — common daily experience for the average person offers little proof of this other reality, let alone the possible value of this other dimension of experience, unless one can gain perspective from outside the 9-to-5 work day framework and a scientific purely-objective system.
Dream related mental skills such as dream recall or dream interpretation and information on subjects such as the meaning of nightmares or precognitive dreams isn’t often taught in our schools, and the majority of our parents knew or passed on little about the value of dreams as we grew up. So it's no big surprise that many adults remember few or no dreams, and even more rarely contemplate or set out to interpret the guidance and mine the jewels of creative inspiration hidden just below the surface of consciousness in dreams. Basically, nobody told us or showed us how dreams can be extremely practical.
The result of where this long-standing trend of disregarding dreams has brought society is that the current misguided concepts about the value of dreams are not only crucial misunderstandings, but also represent and even bring about a lack of connection with the subconscious and our own deeper nature. This artificial rift may indirectly, or even rather directly be the source for many of our current personal, cultural and planetary social, political, and environmental challenges.
One solution towards rebalancing and integration on a personal and eventually a planetary level, is for each of us to realize and begin to investigate how our personal dreams, at very least, each night offer a direct means to explore inner reality and gain unique, undeniable experiences of deep personal value. Further, there is overwhelming evidence that they can be applied in many ways to improve waking life, supporting Shakespeare's age-old claim by MacBeth that sleep and dreams are the "chief nourishers in life's feast". Dreams do indeed offer opportunities for fun, adventure, wish fulfillment, creativity, deep personal insight and healing — and dreams offer all this at no cost and with no line-ups!
Chocolate and Health, Facts and Myths
Miscellaneous Chocolate Facts...
Creative Chocolates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many of the old myths about chocolate and health and crumbling under the weight of scientific fact. The once-prevalent believe that something that tastes so good just can't be good for you has given way to a more balanced picture of chocolate and cocoa products and their relation to health and nutrition. Here are brief reviews of recent findings that correct common misperceptions of the effects of chocolate on health.
Myth: Confectionery is a major cause of tooth decay.
Truth: Tooth decay is primarily the result of poor oral hygiene. Dental caries (another word for cavities) are caused by any foods containing fermentable carbohydrates that are left on the teeth for too long. In fact, there are ingredients found in chocolate products that may retard the tooth decaying process.
Myth: Chocolate is high in caffeine.
Truth: The amount of caffeine in a piece of chocolate candy is significantly lower than that in coffee, tea or cola drinks. For instance, a 5 oz cup of instant coffee has between 40 and 108 mg of caffeine, while a one oz milk chocolate bar contains only 6 mg and many confectionery items have no caffeine at all.
Myth: Confectionery has a high fat content and will lead to weight gain.
Truth: "Candy, in moderation, can be part of low-fat eating. In fact, an occasional sweet treat helps you stick to a healthy eating plan." - Annette B. Natow, Ph.D., R.D., author of The Fat Counter and The Fat Attack Plan.
Cholesterol
Q. What is the level of cholesterol in a 1.65 oz. bar of milk chocolate?
A. The American Heart Association recommends that daily cholesterol intake not exceed 300 mg. A chocolate bar is actually low in cholesterol. A 1.65 oz. bar contains only 12 mg! A one oz piece of cheddar cheese contains 30 mg of cholesterol - more than double the amount found in a chocolate bar.
Sodium
Q. What is the level of sodium in a one oz milk chocolate bar?
A. According to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the maximum Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for sodium is 1,100 to 3,300 mg daily. A 1.5 oz milk chocolate bar contains 41 mg, while the same size dark chocolate bar contains only 5 mg On the other hand, a 1.5 oz serving of iced devil's food cake has a whopping 241 mg - many times more than chocolate bars.
Fat
Q. How much fat is there in a 1.5 oz. chocolate bar?
A. Health professionals and nutritionists suggest that calories from fat should account for no more than 30% of your daily caloric intake. A 1.5 oz. milk chocolate bar contains 13 grams of fat; a dark chocolate bar of the same weight contains 12.
Acne: No Link to Chocolate
Over the past two decades, clinical studies have exonerated chocolate as a cause or exacerbating factor in the development or persistence of acne. In fact, many dermatologists doubt that diet plays any significant role in acne.
At the University of Missouri, student volunteers with mild to moderate acne each consumed nearly 20 ounces of chocolate over a 48 hour period. Examination of lesions on the fifth day of the test and again on the seventh day showed no new lesions other than those that might be expected based upon the usual variations the subjects had exhibited during several weeks of observation prior to the test.
In a research study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, a group of 65 subjects were fed chocolate bars containing nearly ten times the amount of chocolate liquor as a normal 1.5 oz commercially available chocolate bar. A control group ate a bar that tasted like chocolate, but actually contained no chocolate liquor. At the conclusion of the test, the average acne condition of those eating the chocolate was virtually identical to that of the controls, who had eaten the imitation bars.
Chocolate and Allergy
It is possible for a person to be allergic to any food, including chocolate. But recent evidence suggests that allergy to chocolate may be relatively rare.
The actual incidence of allergic sensitivity to chocolate is far less common than positive reactions to skin scratch tests would seem to indicate. In at least one double-blind study to determine the correlation positive skin tests for chocolate allergy and the manifestation of clinically observable symptoms, researchers could find only one patient out of a possible 500 who showed both a positive response to the skin test and an objective clinical reaction after eating chocolate.
To confirm food allergy or food sensitivity, a "challenge" of the food in question is administered. To yield accurate results, the challenge should be conducted under double-blind conditions; that is, neither the investigator nor the patient knows in advance whether the food administered is the suspected substance or a placebo. This allows for objective evaluation of clinical symptoms.
According to S. Allan Bock, M.D., a researcher in food allergy at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, evaluation of hundreds of patients at that institution has shown no confirmed allergic reaction to chocolate during double-blind challenges.
Caffeine and Theobromine
Caffeine and theobromine belong to a group of substances known as methylxanthines. Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee, tea, cola and, to some degree, cocoa beans. It may also be added to cola drinks and is a component of certain over-the- counter and prescription medications. Theobromine is found in cocoa beans; tea contains trace amounts.
Caffeine
The amount of caffeine ingested when people eat chocolate in normal quantities is very small. One ounce of milk chocolate, for example, contains 6 mg of caffeine, little more than the amount found in a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Moreover, there have been no reports in the scientific literature of any health problems among children or adults as a result of the caffeine consumed in chocolate.
Theobromine
Although theobromine is chemically related to caffeine, it lacks caffeine's stimulant effect on the central nervous system (CNS). In fact, theobromine is virtually inert as a CNS stimulant.
Despite the weakness of theobromine's effect on the brain, many people have mistakenly assumed that it is effective in warding off fatigue and sleep, especially when it is consumed in combination with caffeine, as in chocolate.
To test this assumption, researchers compared the effect of caffeine, theobromine and a placebo in a clinical study. They found that theobromine administered in a dose of 500 mg (the amount of theobromine in approximately 11 oz of milk chocolate consumed in one sitting) did not increase pulse rate significantly more than the placebo. Caffeine, when compared to theobromine and the placebo, produced significant CNS stimulation.
In a double-blind clinical study, subjects ingested measured quantities of caffeine and theobromine, separately and together, at random. Caffeine altered the subjects' own estimates of the time it took to fall asleep, as well as the soundness of sleep, in a dose-dependent fashion. A dose of 300 mg. of theobromine, however, had no detectable effect on sleep. When administered in combination with caffeine, theobromine neither increased nor decreased the sleep effects of caffeine.
Dental Caries
Tooth decay has become less of a problem for American children over the last 25 years. Between 1960 and 1980 the incidence of cavities dropped by 50%. Today, one-third of all Americans of college age have never had a single cavity, thanks largely to fluoride delivered in water systems, toothpastes and professional fluoride treatments.
Fluoride, good oral hygiene, and professional check-ups and prophylactic treatments are keys to minimizing the incidence of tooth decay. Diet is another factor.
It is widely accepted that all foods containing "fermentable carbohydrate" have the potential to contribute to caries formation. Fermentable carbohydrate is present in most starches and all sugars, including those that occur naturally in foods and those added in processed foods. The frequency and duration of tooth exposure to fermentable carbohydrate have been identified as a factor in caries.
Although chocolate contains fermentable carbohydrates, a number of dental research studies suggest that chocolate may be less apt to promote tooth decay than has been traditionally believed.
Research at the Forsyth Dental Center in Boston has shown that chocolate has the ability to offset the acid-producing potential of the sugar it contains. Acid, produced by certain oral bacteria that digest, or "ferment", sugars, may damage tooth enamel and cause decay.
Other theories have been advanced to explain the fact that chocolate appears to be less cariogenic (cavity-producing) than its fermentable carbohydrate content would seem to indicate. In a study conducted at the Eastman Dental Center, certain chocolate products tested were found to be among the snack foods contributing least to tooth decay. The researchers reported that milk chocolate's protein, calcium and phosphate content may provide protective effects on tooth enamel. In addition, because of its natural fat content, chocolate clears the mouth relatively faster than other confections; this is important because the time fermentable carbohydrate remains n contact with tooth surfaces has a bearing on the food's cariogenic potential.
Weight Control
Contrary to popular stereotype, most overweight people do not eat excessive amounts of cake, cookies, confections or other foods containing sugar. Their sugar intake tends, in fact, to be below average.
More important in controlling weight is the total number of calories consumed each day and the amount of energy expended in physical activity. Overweight children, for example, are generally less active than those of normal weight; thus, they may remain obese even when their caloric intake is reasonable or even limited.
Moreover, many people overestimate the calories in chocolate. A 1.5 oz milk chocolate bar contains approximately 220 calories, low enough to incorporate into a weight control diet. The occasional chocolate confection may also reduce the possibility of severe bingeing, which can occur as a result of feeling deprived of highly satisfying foods such as chocolate.
From Chocolate Facts on Health and Nutrition for Educators and Health Professionals, published by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, and The Sweet Truth About Confectionery, published by the National Confectioners Association.
Creative Chocolates
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many of the old myths about chocolate and health and crumbling under the weight of scientific fact. The once-prevalent believe that something that tastes so good just can't be good for you has given way to a more balanced picture of chocolate and cocoa products and their relation to health and nutrition. Here are brief reviews of recent findings that correct common misperceptions of the effects of chocolate on health.
Myth: Confectionery is a major cause of tooth decay.
Truth: Tooth decay is primarily the result of poor oral hygiene. Dental caries (another word for cavities) are caused by any foods containing fermentable carbohydrates that are left on the teeth for too long. In fact, there are ingredients found in chocolate products that may retard the tooth decaying process.
Myth: Chocolate is high in caffeine.
Truth: The amount of caffeine in a piece of chocolate candy is significantly lower than that in coffee, tea or cola drinks. For instance, a 5 oz cup of instant coffee has between 40 and 108 mg of caffeine, while a one oz milk chocolate bar contains only 6 mg and many confectionery items have no caffeine at all.
Myth: Confectionery has a high fat content and will lead to weight gain.
Truth: "Candy, in moderation, can be part of low-fat eating. In fact, an occasional sweet treat helps you stick to a healthy eating plan." - Annette B. Natow, Ph.D., R.D., author of The Fat Counter and The Fat Attack Plan.
Cholesterol
Q. What is the level of cholesterol in a 1.65 oz. bar of milk chocolate?
A. The American Heart Association recommends that daily cholesterol intake not exceed 300 mg. A chocolate bar is actually low in cholesterol. A 1.65 oz. bar contains only 12 mg! A one oz piece of cheddar cheese contains 30 mg of cholesterol - more than double the amount found in a chocolate bar.
Sodium
Q. What is the level of sodium in a one oz milk chocolate bar?
A. According to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the maximum Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for sodium is 1,100 to 3,300 mg daily. A 1.5 oz milk chocolate bar contains 41 mg, while the same size dark chocolate bar contains only 5 mg On the other hand, a 1.5 oz serving of iced devil's food cake has a whopping 241 mg - many times more than chocolate bars.
Fat
Q. How much fat is there in a 1.5 oz. chocolate bar?
A. Health professionals and nutritionists suggest that calories from fat should account for no more than 30% of your daily caloric intake. A 1.5 oz. milk chocolate bar contains 13 grams of fat; a dark chocolate bar of the same weight contains 12.
Acne: No Link to Chocolate
Over the past two decades, clinical studies have exonerated chocolate as a cause or exacerbating factor in the development or persistence of acne. In fact, many dermatologists doubt that diet plays any significant role in acne.
At the University of Missouri, student volunteers with mild to moderate acne each consumed nearly 20 ounces of chocolate over a 48 hour period. Examination of lesions on the fifth day of the test and again on the seventh day showed no new lesions other than those that might be expected based upon the usual variations the subjects had exhibited during several weeks of observation prior to the test.
In a research study at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, a group of 65 subjects were fed chocolate bars containing nearly ten times the amount of chocolate liquor as a normal 1.5 oz commercially available chocolate bar. A control group ate a bar that tasted like chocolate, but actually contained no chocolate liquor. At the conclusion of the test, the average acne condition of those eating the chocolate was virtually identical to that of the controls, who had eaten the imitation bars.
Chocolate and Allergy
It is possible for a person to be allergic to any food, including chocolate. But recent evidence suggests that allergy to chocolate may be relatively rare.
The actual incidence of allergic sensitivity to chocolate is far less common than positive reactions to skin scratch tests would seem to indicate. In at least one double-blind study to determine the correlation positive skin tests for chocolate allergy and the manifestation of clinically observable symptoms, researchers could find only one patient out of a possible 500 who showed both a positive response to the skin test and an objective clinical reaction after eating chocolate.
To confirm food allergy or food sensitivity, a "challenge" of the food in question is administered. To yield accurate results, the challenge should be conducted under double-blind conditions; that is, neither the investigator nor the patient knows in advance whether the food administered is the suspected substance or a placebo. This allows for objective evaluation of clinical symptoms.
According to S. Allan Bock, M.D., a researcher in food allergy at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, evaluation of hundreds of patients at that institution has shown no confirmed allergic reaction to chocolate during double-blind challenges.
Caffeine and Theobromine
Caffeine and theobromine belong to a group of substances known as methylxanthines. Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee, tea, cola and, to some degree, cocoa beans. It may also be added to cola drinks and is a component of certain over-the- counter and prescription medications. Theobromine is found in cocoa beans; tea contains trace amounts.
Caffeine
The amount of caffeine ingested when people eat chocolate in normal quantities is very small. One ounce of milk chocolate, for example, contains 6 mg of caffeine, little more than the amount found in a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Moreover, there have been no reports in the scientific literature of any health problems among children or adults as a result of the caffeine consumed in chocolate.
Theobromine
Although theobromine is chemically related to caffeine, it lacks caffeine's stimulant effect on the central nervous system (CNS). In fact, theobromine is virtually inert as a CNS stimulant.
Despite the weakness of theobromine's effect on the brain, many people have mistakenly assumed that it is effective in warding off fatigue and sleep, especially when it is consumed in combination with caffeine, as in chocolate.
To test this assumption, researchers compared the effect of caffeine, theobromine and a placebo in a clinical study. They found that theobromine administered in a dose of 500 mg (the amount of theobromine in approximately 11 oz of milk chocolate consumed in one sitting) did not increase pulse rate significantly more than the placebo. Caffeine, when compared to theobromine and the placebo, produced significant CNS stimulation.
In a double-blind clinical study, subjects ingested measured quantities of caffeine and theobromine, separately and together, at random. Caffeine altered the subjects' own estimates of the time it took to fall asleep, as well as the soundness of sleep, in a dose-dependent fashion. A dose of 300 mg. of theobromine, however, had no detectable effect on sleep. When administered in combination with caffeine, theobromine neither increased nor decreased the sleep effects of caffeine.
Dental Caries
Tooth decay has become less of a problem for American children over the last 25 years. Between 1960 and 1980 the incidence of cavities dropped by 50%. Today, one-third of all Americans of college age have never had a single cavity, thanks largely to fluoride delivered in water systems, toothpastes and professional fluoride treatments.
Fluoride, good oral hygiene, and professional check-ups and prophylactic treatments are keys to minimizing the incidence of tooth decay. Diet is another factor.
It is widely accepted that all foods containing "fermentable carbohydrate" have the potential to contribute to caries formation. Fermentable carbohydrate is present in most starches and all sugars, including those that occur naturally in foods and those added in processed foods. The frequency and duration of tooth exposure to fermentable carbohydrate have been identified as a factor in caries.
Although chocolate contains fermentable carbohydrates, a number of dental research studies suggest that chocolate may be less apt to promote tooth decay than has been traditionally believed.
Research at the Forsyth Dental Center in Boston has shown that chocolate has the ability to offset the acid-producing potential of the sugar it contains. Acid, produced by certain oral bacteria that digest, or "ferment", sugars, may damage tooth enamel and cause decay.
Other theories have been advanced to explain the fact that chocolate appears to be less cariogenic (cavity-producing) than its fermentable carbohydrate content would seem to indicate. In a study conducted at the Eastman Dental Center, certain chocolate products tested were found to be among the snack foods contributing least to tooth decay. The researchers reported that milk chocolate's protein, calcium and phosphate content may provide protective effects on tooth enamel. In addition, because of its natural fat content, chocolate clears the mouth relatively faster than other confections; this is important because the time fermentable carbohydrate remains n contact with tooth surfaces has a bearing on the food's cariogenic potential.
Weight Control
Contrary to popular stereotype, most overweight people do not eat excessive amounts of cake, cookies, confections or other foods containing sugar. Their sugar intake tends, in fact, to be below average.
More important in controlling weight is the total number of calories consumed each day and the amount of energy expended in physical activity. Overweight children, for example, are generally less active than those of normal weight; thus, they may remain obese even when their caloric intake is reasonable or even limited.
Moreover, many people overestimate the calories in chocolate. A 1.5 oz milk chocolate bar contains approximately 220 calories, low enough to incorporate into a weight control diet. The occasional chocolate confection may also reduce the possibility of severe bingeing, which can occur as a result of feeling deprived of highly satisfying foods such as chocolate.
From Chocolate Facts on Health and Nutrition for Educators and Health Professionals, published by the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, and The Sweet Truth About Confectionery, published by the National Confectioners Association.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Review Assignment
OAQS
For each presentation/report in each of the areas (humanities, social sciences, physical sciences), your own as well as those of your fellow students, write a brief review following the OAQS format:
1. Observation
2. Appreciation
3. Question(s)
4. Suggestions
Topic
Presentation
Review
(Start with your own)
For each presentation/report in each of the areas (humanities, social sciences, physical sciences), your own as well as those of your fellow students, write a brief review following the OAQS format:
1. Observation
2. Appreciation
3. Question(s)
4. Suggestions
Topic
Presentation
Review
(Start with your own)
Monday, April 9, 2007
Course text link
Written Communication -- our course textbook, The College Writer, has the following excellent web site: http://college.hmco.com/english/vandermey/college_writer/1e/students/
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Documentation
from: http://www.sfu.ca/criminology/termpaperstyle.htm
TERM PAPER STYLE REQUIREMENTS
Students of [social sciences] are required in most courses to write term papers, formal essays and/or research reports. Only those submissions that look and read like formal reports, term papers or essays can be marked fairly. The aim of a paper is to clearly and succinctly communicate ideas, such as the methods, results and significance of a study. Therefore, each student should have a clear idea, before writing, of what is expected by the School of Criminology.
Social scientists often report their ideas and research findings in a format outlined in the fifth edition of the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual (2001). Legal scholars typically comply with the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, also in its 5th edition (2002) which uses a different referencing style. Students should ensure their essays conform to the style required by their course instructor. Some basic aspects of standard report formats are presented in this summary. Its focus is on the APA style. If you adopt this referencing method, the Publication Manual should be consulted regarding details not covered here. At S.F.U., the Publication Manual is available in the Library at the Third Floor reference desk.
A RESEARCH REPORT
Research reports consist of several sections where appropriate, such as: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, References (and, occasionally, Appendix), which are briefly described here.
Title Page: Includes the title, your name, course number and date.
Abstract: A 100-175 word summary.
Introduction: Explains the purpose of the paper. In most cases this summarizes the theoretical importance and previous research in the area and includes a clear statement of the research hypotheses or aims of the paper.
Method: Describes the study in enough detail to permit another investigator to replicate it. The Method section is often divided into three subsections: Subjects, Apparatus or Research Instruments/Tools (if necessary), and Procedures.
Results: Summarizes the data and the statistical treatment of them. Graphs and tables should be included if they make the results more intelligible.
Discussion: Evaluation and implications of the research, including how the results support or do not support the argument; comparison of results with previous research; and problems with the research.
Appendices: Includes supplementary material not appropriate in the body of the report.
References: In the research report, all references to previous research or ideas will be accompanied by a reference citation to the original author. Students should ensure they provide a full citation in every instance, including a reference to the page from which the material being used to write your essay was obtained.
Citations of authors within a sentence take the form “Freud (1928, p. 106) contended that....” with the year in parentheses and the page number included. For sentences not mentioning the author’s name, you should put the entire citation in parentheses: “...according to social learning theory” (Bandura & Walters, 1962, p. 64). Each author’s work cited in the report must be listed in the reference section, in alphabetical order. See the additional discussion of referencing below, under the “Text” heading, in the context of formal essay writing.
The Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, References and Appendix begin on new pages. The other sections (Method, Results and Discussion) begin on the same page as the preceding section if there is space. All sections of the report are double-spaced except the references (each entry is single spaced with double spacing between).
A FORMAL ESSAY
1. A formal essay has a logically structured explanatory form that attempts to clarify a writer’s single dominant idea or thesis relevant to a specific subject in criminology.
2. A formal essay has a specific and standardized format consisting of
(a) a title page,
(b) an introduction,
(c) adequately spaced pages,
(d) a concluding section,
(e) an endnote page(s) (optional and not required if footnotes are used), and
(f) a reference page(s).
3. A formal essay, thus, has a structure consisting of a clearly recognizable introduction, developmental sections, and conclusion.
Essay FormDouble spacing is required for all materials, except indented block quotations, references cited, notes, captions, and headings. Do not break or hyphenate words at the end of lines to keep the right-hand margin regular. Essays must be typed (printed) on one side of the sheet only, on good quality paper. Pages must be 8 ½ by 11 inches (21.6 by 28 cm.). At least a one-inch margin is required on all four edges of each page. Essays must be typed or word processed.
Sections of the EssayThe sections should be ordered as follows, with pages numbered consecutively, starting with the first text page after the title page:
(1) Title page
(2) Text
(3) Endnotes (if used)
(4) References cited
Title Page Include thetitle, your name, course number, and date.
TextIf the APA referencing format is adopted, references are placed in the body of the text, not in notes. Whether paraphrasing or quoting directly from another work, you must credit the source.
- · Endnotes are confined to elaborating on points that are not appropriate to retain in the body of the text.
- · For direct quotations and paraphrased summaries of the work of others, the information that you must provide will vary depending upon whether you are citing from an electronic or a print source. When drawing on a print source, the citation is placed in parentheses, with the author’s name, followed by the year of publication of the work quoted or referred to, and the page or pages cited in the following manner: (Klein, 1988, p. 122), (Rowe, 1993, p. 115-119), or (Smith & Jones, 1991, p. 21-22). This is done following, or before each quotation (even an indented one) or any statement derived from the work of another.
- · If the author of the quotation is clear from the text, then the sentence concluding the reference should cite the year of publication and the page(s). For example:
H.L.A. Hart’s approach to law involved a critique of those earlier positive law theorists’ who viewed law as the command of a sovereign because that earlier approach failed to account for the “variety of laws” that exist (1961, p. 226).
- · Paraphrased work still requires citation to the source, including a specific page number.
PDF reproductions of printed journals may be cited the same as print journals, since they typically contain page numbers. Most electronic sources do not contain page numbers, therefore alternate means are used to identify the source of the material. If paragraph numbers are given, these should be used: (Myers, 2000, ¶ 4) or (Myers, 2000, para. 4). In some cases, it may be necessary to cite to an electronic document without a specific location reference, however this will be a rare occurrence. - · Chapters from edited books are cited to the author(s) of the chapter, not the editor of the book. Accordingly, if you rely on Richard Schneider’s chapter on “Sentencing Mentally Ill Offenders” in the book edited by Julian Roberts and David Cole, Making Sense of Sentencing, you would cite in the text of your essay to (Schneider, 1999, p. 161), not (Roberts & Cole, 1999, p. 161). If you are referring to the book as a whole, reference is made to the editors of the book. For example: “A recent effort to collect a wide range of commentary on sentencing was carried out by Roberts and Cole (1999).”
Notes: Any endnotes follow the text of the essay and begin on a new page. They are restricted to material that cannot be conveniently included in the text. Avoid, unnecessarily long notes. Notes are numbered consecutively through the text by superscript (raised) numbers.
References Cited: The text and notes are followed by References Cited—which do include any publication not cited in the text of your paper; the list is not a comprehensive bibliography of materials that you have discovered that pertain to your essay topic. The list should begin on a separate page, and all entries must be single-spaced, (double spacing between entries), listed alphabetically by last name of the first author, and chronologically, from oldest to newest, for two or more titles by the same author(s). In listing an unusual reference, include all information needed to enable a reader to identify and locate the source; when in doubt, include details. The following are examples of appropriate layout, using the A.P.A. format:
Periodical (Journal) Reference:
Atkinson, R.C., & Shiffrin, R.M. (1991). The control of term memory. Scientific American(2), 82-90.
Turk, A.T. (1996). Law, conflict and order: From theorizing toward theories. Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 23(3), 282-294.
Book Reference:
Barash, D.P. (1997). Sociobiology and behavior. New York: Elsevier.
Southwell, E.A., & Feldman, H. (Eds.). (1989). Abnormal psychology: Readings in theory and research. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Schmeiser, D.A. (1988). The native offender and the law. Ottawa: Law Reform
Commission of Canada.
The entries have the following elements: author(s); year of publication; title; and source (i.e., publisher and place of publication in the case of books and reports only). Book titles are italicized; titles of articles are not enclosed with; journal titles are italicized. The journal title is followed by the volume number, then the number within the volume (or the month or season, depending upon the journal’s style), and then the page numbers. Chapters from edited books are listed by the author of the chapter, but include the editors as part of the reference:
Schneider, R.D. (1999). Sentencing mentally ill offenders. In J.V. Roberts & D.P. Cole (Eds.), Making sense of sentencing (pp. 160-172). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
If the book as a whole is also referred to in the text of your essay, then the book is listed separately in your reference list, with the editors in the author position:
Roberts, J.V. & Cole, D.P. (Eds.). (1999). Making sense of sentencing. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Note that a hanging indent is used in your reference list. Accordingly, the second and subsequent lines of the reference are indented from the left margin.
CITING INTERNET SOURCES
The internet provides students with access to a wide array of resources that are not available in a print medium. Caution must be used in selecting internet sources. Since almost anyone can put up their own Web page, the quality of Web sources varies widely. Some reputable peer-reviewed journals publish on the web. Additionally, many useful government reports are available on the Web. However, many web sites contain uninformed opinion, and miscellaneous ramblings that should not be relied upon in writing a formal academic term paper. It is incumbent on the student to use only appropriate web sources, and to ensure that their instructor is willing to allow reliance on Web-based sources.
Citation styles for Internet publications are still evolving. However, printed style manuals have begun to offer considerable guidance in recent years. The current edition (5th) of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001) gives examples for citing documents available via the World Wide Web. Sometimes reports will contain most of the information you would use in a typical non-electronic reference. In such cases, the usual format is followed, with the addition of the date the source was retrieved and the URL used to access the source, and no reference need be made to publication information if the document was not otherwise published. For example:
Chemerinsky, E. (2000). An independent analysis of the Los Angeles police department’s board of inquiry report on the rampart scandal. Retrieved January 14, 2002, from http://www.usc.edu/dept/law/faculty/chemerinsky/rampart_finalrep.html
Some reports and journals duplicate print versions of the same document, typically via a PDF document format. If page numbers are available and the print and electronic versions are the same, you are free to cite the electronic version the same as the print version. Like most references, a Web document should ideally have a title, an author, and a date, but things are not always so easy. For example, a date may not be available, in which case, (n.d.) should be used. For example:
United States Sentencing Commission. (n.d.). 1997 sourcebook of federal sentencing statistics. Retrieved December 8, 1999, from http://www.ussc.gov/annrpt/1997/sbtoc97.htm
CITING LEGAL CASES AND STATUTES
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001) provides an Appendix dealing with citation of legal materials. However, different conventions have arisen among legal scholars in Canada than those prevailing in the United States. Accordingly, students should adopt the common referencing format for Canadian legal materials found in the current edition (5th) of the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (2002), modified to fit the APA format otherwise used in their papers.
Cases
Cases decided in different courts in various jurisdictions have been collected and printed in a series of law reports, and many are available electronically. When referring to a case reported in a law report series, the citation of the case is provided so that the reader may find the full text of the decision if they so desire. The full citation will be provided in a list of cases included after the references cited list. In the text, cite the name of the case (parties names italicized) and the year of the decision. For example: “In Feeney (1997), the Supreme Court of Canada addressed the power of the police to arrest a suspect in a dwelling.” Note that the Crown (Regina in Latin) is commonly a party in criminal cases, and by convention is abbreviated as in Canada. Direct quotations and references to a specific part of a judgment should identify the paragraph number where it is available: e.g. (para. 14). If paragraph numbers are not used in the case, reference should be made to the relevant page number from which the quote is drawn: e.g. (p. 3).
Following the list of references, a list headed Cases Cited should contain the full references to the cases used in the essay. This list should be alphabetical by parties to the case (in italics), and contain the year, volume number, law report, series (if any), page on which the case begins, and abbreviated court name (in parentheses) if this is not apparent from the law report. For example:
v. Feeney (1997), 7 C.R. (5th) 101 (S.C.C.)
v. Kokesch, [1990] 3 S.C.R. 3
Note that some law reports use round brackets, or parentheses, while others use square brackets. Those law reports using square brackets begin each new year with volume 1, while those using round brackets continue higher each year until the series is ended and a new series begun, at which point they will return to volume 1. Square bracket citations place a comma before the opening of the bracket, thereby showing the year to be an integral part of the law report citation. The year denotes the year of publication of the law report and may or may not coincide with the year in which the case was decided. Indeed, it is necessary to readily track down the case in such a law report to have the appropriate year in which the case was reported. Round bracket law reports use a comma after the close of the bracket. The year denotes the year in which the case was handed down, but it is not an integral part of the citation. The case could easily be tracked down with the balance of the citation, regardless of the year. Note also that the first citation contains an abbreviation for Supreme Court of Canada at the end of it. The law report, C.R. or Criminal Reports, covers cases handed down in a broad range of courts across the country, so the identification of the court is helpful in this instance. The second citation makes no reference to the court, however the law report is S.C.R., or Supreme Court Reports. This law report only publishes cases handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada. Accordingly, including the case at the end would be redundant.
Statutes
Legislation mentioned in the body of the text should be identified by the statute’s short title and italicized. Reference should also be provided in a list of Statutes Cited, appearing after the Cases Cited list, containing the statute’s citation, incorporating the jurisdiction, the year, and the chapter number. For example:
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19.
Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-34.
Police Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 367.
Note: In law-related courses, some instructors may allow or even require you to fully conform to the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation as applied in law journals. This is a significantly different format from APA, requiring all source citations to appear in either footnotes or endnotes, with only superscript numbers appearing in the text, and no parenthetical citations of authors and publication dates. You are encouraged to look at a current Canadian law journal employing this citation style and consult the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation when writing essays with such requirements.
Academic Dishonesty
All students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the School of Criminology’s “Statement of Intellectual Honesty”. This document is available from the general office. That document contains a summary of the University’s “Code of Academic Honesty” accessible at http://www.sfu.ca/policies/teaching/t10-02.html on the SFU Web site. In the context of essay writing, students must be particularly careful not to engage in conduct amounting to plagiarism. This occurs where an individual submits or presents the work of another person as his or her own.
- · When direct quotations are used, these should be enclosed in quotation marks and kept in the body of the text of your paper if they are less than 40 words long.
- · The author, year and page number must clearly attribute the source of the quote.
- · Longer quotes are indented from the body of the text and single-spaced. These too must be clearly attributed to the source by proper referencing.
- · Failure to use quotation marks or indent longer direct quotes may be interpreted as a form of plagiarism, even if the source of the material is vaguely identified in your paper.
- · You must include a pinpoint reference to directly quoted material and paraphrased material.
- · Paraphrasing the work of others does not make it your own; it too must be referenced to the original author, year of publication and page number.
If a source you are using makes reference to another source that you want to incorporate into your essay, you should not cite directly to that original source if you have not read the work cited yourself. For example, if Glanville Williams’ The Mental Element in Crime is cited in Simon Verdun-Jones’ text on criminal law, and you did not read the work cited, list the Verdun-Jones reference in your reference list. In the text, your citation may look as follows:
Glanville Williams considers recklessness to involve subjective foresight of risk and an unjustified assumption of that risk (as cited in Verdun-Jones, 2002, p. 123).
Your reference list would then contain only:
Verdun-Jones, S. (2002). Criminal law in Canada: Cases, questions, and the Code (3rd ed.). Toronto: Harcourt Canada.
Other Styles
Students should ultimately consult with their professor or teaching assistant regarding their preferred essay style. You may be encouraged to adopt a different style than the one presented here. In this regard, the library has prepared a useful guide to “Bibliographies and Footnotes” available at http://www.lib.sfu.ca/researchhelp/writing/biblio.pdf that will lead you through the MLA and Chicago styles of referencing, as well as the APA format.
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