Life on Earth During the Precambrian Time Span

Life on Earth During the Precambrian Time Span The Precambrian Time Span is the earliest time period on the Geologic Time Scale. It stretches from the formation of the earth 4.6 billion years ago to around 600 million years ago and encompasses many Eons and Eras leading up to the Cambrian Period in the current Eon. Beginning of Earth The earth was formed about 4.6 billion years ago in a violent explosion of energy and dust according to the rock record from Earth and other planets. For about a billion years, the earth was a barren place of volcanic action and a less than suitable atmosphere for most types of life. It wasnt until about 3.5 billion years ago that it is thought that the first signs of life formed. The Beginning of Life on Earth The exact way life began on Earth during the Precambrian Time is still debated in the scientific community. Some theories that have been posed over the years include the Panspermia Theory, Hydrothermal Vent Theory, and Primordial Soup. It is known, however, there was not much diversity in organism type or complexity during this extremely long period of Earths existence. Most of the life that existed during the Precambrian Time span were prokaryotic single-celled organisms. There is actually a pretty rich history of bacteria and related unicellular organisms within the fossil record. In fact, it is now thought that the first types of unicellular organisms were extremophiles in the Archaean domain. The oldest trace of these that have been found so far is around 3.5 billion years old. These earliest forms of life resembled cyanobacteria. They were photosynthetic blue-green algae that thrived in the extremely hot, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. These trace fossils were found on the Western Australia coast. Other, similar fossils have been found all over the world. Their ages span about two billion years. With so many photosynthetic organisms populating the earth, it was only a matter of time before the atmosphere started to accumulate higher levels of oxygen since oxygen gas is a waste product of photosynthesis. Once the atmosphere had more oxygen, many new species evolved that could use oxygen to create energy. More Complexity Appears The first traces of eukaryotic cells showed up about 2.1 billion years ago according to the fossil record. These seem to be single-celled eukaryotic organisms that lacked the complexity we see in most of todays eukaryotes. It took about another billion years before the more complex eukaryotes evolved, probably through endosymbiosis of prokaryotic organisms. The more complex eukaryotic organisms began living in colonies and creating stromatolites. From these colonial structures most likely came multicellular eukaryotic organisms. The first sexually reproducing organism evolved around 1.2 billion years ago. Evolution Speeds Up Towards the end of the Precambrian Time period, much more diversity evolved. The earth was undergoing somewhat rapid climate changes, going from completely frozen over to mild to tropical and back to freezing. The species that were able to adapt to these wild fluctuations in climate survived and flourished. The first protozoa appeared followed closely by worms. Soon after, arthropods, mollusks, and fungi showed up in the fossil record. The end of the Precambrian Time saw much more complex organisms like jellyfish, sponges, and organisms with shells come into existence. The end of the Precambrian Time period came at the beginning of the Cambrian Period of the Phanerozoic Eon and Paleozoic Era. This time of great biological diversity and rapid increase in organism complexity is known as the Cambrian Explosion. The end of the Precambrian Time marked the start of the more quickly progressing evolution of species over Geologic Time.

Breaking Down the Pros and Cons of Grade Retention

Breaking Down the Pros and Cons of Grade Retention Grade retention is a process in which a teacher believes that it would benefit a student to keep them in the same grade for two consecutive years. Retaining a student is not an easy decision and should not be taken lightly. Parents often find the decision agonizing, and it can be difficult for some parents to climb entirely on board. It is necessary to note that any retention decision should be made after much evidence is collected and after several meetings with parents. It is essential that you do not spring it on them at the final parent/teacher conference of the year. If grade retention is a possibility, it should be brought up early in the school year. However, intervention and frequent updates should be the focal point for most of the year. What Are Some Reasons to Retain a Student? There are many reasons that a teacher may feel that retention is necessary for a particular student. The biggest reason is typically the development level of a child. Students enter school at around the same chronological age but with ​varying developmental levels. If a teacher believes that a student is behind developmentally compared to the majority of students in their class, then they may wish to retain the student to give them â€Å"the grace of time† to mature and catch up developmentally. Teachers may also choose to retain a student because they simply struggle academically when compared to students at the same grade level. While this is a traditional reason for retention, it is necessary to note that unless you figure out why the student is struggling, it is likely that the retention will do more harm than good. Another reason teachers often retain a student is due to the student’s lack of motivation to learn. Retention is often ineffective in this case as well. Student behavior can be another reason that a teacher chooses to retain a student. This is especially prevalent in lower grades. Poor behavior is often tied to the developmental level of the child. What Are Some Possible Positive Effects? The biggest positive effect of grade retention is that it provides students who are truly behind developmentally a chance to catch up. Those type of students will begin to thrive once they are developmentally on grade level. Being in the same grade two years in a row can also provide a student with some stability and familiarity, especially when it comes to the teacher and the room. Retention is most beneficial when the child that is retained receives intensive intervention specific to the areas in which they struggle throughout the retention year. What Are Some Possible Negative Effects? There are many adverse effects of retention. One of the biggest negative effects is that students who are retained are more likely to drop out of school eventually. It is also not an exact science. Research says that students are more negatively impacted by grade retention than they are positively affected by it. Grade retention can also have a profound impact on a student’s socialization. This becomes especially true for older students who have been with the same group of students for several years. A student who has been separated from their friends could become depressed and develop poor self-esteem. Students who are retained are likely physically bigger than their classmates because they are a year older. This often causes that child to be self-conscious. Students who are retained sometimes develop serious behavior issues, especially as they age. What Grade(s) Should You Retain a Student? The rule of thumb for retention is the younger, the better. Once students reach fourth grade, it becomes virtually impossible for retention to be a positive thing. There are always exceptions but, overall, retention should be primarily limited to early elementary school. There are so many factors that teachers need to look at in a retention decision. It is not an easy decision. Seek advice from other teachers and look at each student on a case-by-case basis. You could have two students who are remarkably similar developmentally but due to external factors, retention would only be appropriate for one and not the other. What Is the Process for a Student to be Retained? Each school district typically has its own retention policy. Some districts may oppose retention altogether. For districts that do not oppose retention, teachers need to make themselves familiar with their district’s policy. Regardless of that policy, there are several things a teacher needs to do to make the retention process much easier throughout the year. Identify struggling students within the first few weeks of school.Create an individualized intervention plan to meet that students individual learning needs.Meet with the parent within a month of initiating that plan. Be straightforward with them, provide them with strategies to implement at home, and be sure you let them know that retention is a possibility if significant improvements aren’t made over the course of the year.Adapt and change the plan if you are not seeing growth after a few months.Continuously update the parents on their child’s progress.Document everything, including meetings, strategies used, results, etc.If you do decide to retain, then follow all school policies and procedures dealing with retention. Be sure to monitor and comply with dates concerning retention as well. What Are Some Alternatives to Grade Retention? Grade retention is not the best remedy for every struggling student. Sometimes it may be as simple as providing a student with some counseling to get them going in the right direction. Other times it is won’t be that easy. Older students, in particular, need to be given some options when it comes to grade retention. Many schools provide summer school opportunities for students to attend and make improvements in the areas in which they struggle. Another alternative would be to place a ​student on a plan of study. A plan of study puts the ball in the student’s court sort of speak. A plan of study provides students with specific objectives that they must meet over the course of the year. It also provides assistance and increased accountability for the student. Finally, a plan of study details specific consequences for not meeting their specific objectives, including grade retention.

Humanities Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Humanities Ethics - Coursework Example Application of this understanding is equally to restate that human sexuality is to exhibit divine purpose that justifies why it is immoral to engage in sexual activities without the slightest intention and obligation to deliver the finality of the act. In other words, sexual activities are only mandated to be used for purposes of procreation. This one and the only end desire as evinced by the moral discourses. It is explained that only people in marriage that have the absolute authority of giving birth to offspring. Reproduction is essential in human life for the extensions of lineage (White 264). The family owns the moral objective ensuring that human beings multiply to fill the world as stated in the bible. The declaration does not however provide adequate information on giving birth to offspring outside the wedlock, but rather offers a poignant illustration on the danger of having children outside binding relationships that are sanctioned and approved by the society. For instance, if premarital sex can be used to raise offspring then there is a huge possibility that the family as a unit and a value will crumble (White 263). There will be immoral binding between such couples hence families will disappear and no one would take care of children. Sexual activities must therefore be for purposes of achieving the moral finality bestowed upon such an act, and this finality is procreation or reproduction. Other sexual engagements like homosexuality, pre-marital sex, masturbation are immoral since they do not possess any bit of the sexual moral teleology. They are meant simply for entertainment and recreation hence not justified by a moral discourse. There is no form explanation that can support sexual engagements outside marriage since they are not only valid for such important engagements b9ut most of them lack the ability to do so. It is immoral and unjustified by any available moral discourse. They do not meet the expectation of sexual activities as important and divine act given by the most high. 2. Explain the two sides of the debate regarding homosexual marriage and traditional heterosexual marriage, citing arguments both for and against. Which side appears to carry the weightiest arguments? Why? In a balance of acts, the society has undergone extremely severe changes. Many issues have not only cropped up, but they have delivered with them â€Å"moral justifications† for the respective acts. A huge proliferation of sexual acts has made the society succumb to a state of confusion. Many people are engaging in sexual activities such as homosexuality and masturbations. Homosexuality has gone to an extent of being integrated and accepted as a normal sexual act, hence people engaging in such kind of sexual activities should not be demonized or punished. In one way, this reasoning may be right because all human beings have the natural rights and freedom. They also have the constitutional right of liberty hence things that they do in thei r private lives should not be used against them as long as such acts do not affect others or those around them (White 274). On the other hand, these acts beat the logics of sexual morality. They do not see sexual engagements as unique phenomenon that is only entitled to provide the medium of reproduction or procreation. They defy the holiness that the religious moral emphasize in many occasions. Most of the religious mor

Explaining a Concept Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explaining a Concept Research Paper - Assignment Example rism because there were differences in believes and opinions amongst its members because of the liberation movements that were occurring all over the world, and the right to self-determination. Because of the emergence of these differences, it was very difficult for the UN to come up with a single definition of the term terrorism. A term that is acceptable to all the countries forming the United Nations, and one that is legally binding to all the states that form the United Nations. Despite the inability of the UN to come up with a single definition of the term terrorism, the International Community has developed a series of definitions to depict the various forms of terrorism, criminalizing them in the process. In condemning terrorism attacks in various parts of the world, the UN General Assembly usually use a political description to the term terrorism (Fisher, 15). According to this political description, terrorism is a criminal act whose intention is to create a situation of terror to the public, a particular individual, or a group of individuals for political reasons. These acts are unjustifiable, no matter the philosophical, political, religious, or ethnic reasons given to justify the terrorist act under consideration. Scholars denote that it is possible to define the term terrorism by analyzing its var ious characteristics. The following are the various characteristics of terrorism; A definition by Fisher (26) stresses the importance of tactical and psychological aspects of terrorism. According to this definition, terrorism is a political violence, which occurs in an asymmetric conflict, designed to create psychic fear, and terror. This will occur by violently victimizing and destroying non-combatant areas/ targets. Through such activities, the terror group will be sending a message to the government or relevant agencies concerned about their demands and desires. On this note, terrorists aim at exploiting the media, with the intention of achieving maximum

Escape to the Impossible - Original Writing :: Papers

Escape to the Impossible - Original Writing They’d been crawling for what seemed like days, or hours. How could they know? They could no longer contemplate the time, it seemed a long time ago when something as alien as time came into their lives. Even if they cared how would they know anyway? It was always dark down here, darker than anything the pair had ever known. Always on your sore hands and knees trudging through sewage pipes holding the faeces of an entire city’s population, each of them blissfully unaware of what was going on in their own spotless backyard. Simon accidentally sniffed before a sneeze, he instantly regretted it, the smell hit him like a shock wave, and he gagged, then explosively threw up into the suffocating darkness. But nothing came out, just a dribble of what was left of his acidic stomach juices, they had not eaten in days and were both famished and weak. â€Å"Simon, are you all right?† said Jasmine, his younger sister, who used to be very pretty until the day they had taken her and Simon away to the Camp. Now her eyes spoke of wordless horrors and her sleep was tormented by the private tortures she had endured. Now her cheeks were thin, her beautiful blonde hair straggly and dirty, and she had bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep her nightmares produced. â€Å"Yeah, in a minute.† Simon croaked, his throat burning still from his vomiting. They carried on crawling in silence. Oh and the silence, they dreaded it, imagine silence in the pitch black and then hearing the distant echo of footsteps, squelching through the unpleasant remains of dead rats and drunken takeaways. Not knowing whether they were real or unreal and that these might be the footsteps of someone tracking them – they too may be lost in the underground maze of pipes and sewers. Sometimes one of the two would try to hum a tune, but the silence like an animal instantly smothered them, until their humming

Edgar Allen Poe “The Tell Tale Heart” and ” Cask of Amontillado” Comparison

Edgar Allen Poe: The Tell – Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† Edgar Allen Poe’s â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† deals with a man’s mental deterioration and decent into madness. The story focuses on the narrator and his obsessions. The story is told from the first person point of view. So the reader knows what the narrator thinks and sees. The narrator reveals his insanity through his obsessions. The narrator’s obsessions include obsessions with the old man’s eye, beating heart and the narrator’s own sanity. The story is about the narrator who for eight consecutive nights goes to the bedroom of an old man. He stands at the door and watches the man sleep with a single ray of light pointing to the old man’s pale blue film covered evil eye. On the eighth night the man hears something in his room and sits up on his bed with his evil eye open and racing heartbeat consumes the narrator and he races to the bed and suffocates the old man. After the murder the narrator dismembers the body and buries the old man in the floorboards. The murder of the old man illustrates the extent to which the narrator separates the old man’s identity from his physical eye. The narrator sees the eye as completely separate from the man, and as a result, he is capable of murdering him while maintaining that he loves him. As the story progresses, the narrator expresses that he is not mad but he is really trying to convince himself he is not insane. For instance, the narrator, at one point simply says, â€Å"If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. † The narrator also has an unusual obsession with the old man’s eye. The idea of the â€Å"evil eye† carries on throughout the story, until finally the narrator snaps, and does something about it. The narrator had no real motive for killing the old man. He even states this at the beginning saying, â€Å"Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. I think it was his eye! Yes, it was this! † It’s almost as if the narrator, as he is retelling the story, attempts to make up a motive for the murder. The narrator’s paranoia and guilt make it inevitable that he will give himself away. The police arrive on the scene to give him the opportunity to betray himself. The more the narrator proclaims his own cool manner, the more he cannot escape the beating of his own heart, which he mistakes for the beating of the old man’s heart. As he confesses to the crime in the final sentence, he addresses the policemen as â€Å"villains,† indicating his inability to distinguish between their real identity and his own villainy and mental deterioration. In the short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the story is told from the first person and features revenge by means of murder. Montresor claims that Fortunato has insulted him a thousand times. Montresor uses â€Å" Thousand injuries† and â€Å"insult† to make himself judge, jury and executioner like in the story â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† when he uses the old man’s vulture like evil eye as excuse to murder the old man, which makes him an unreliable narrator. The name Fortunato that means â€Å"fortunate one†is a use of irony in the story because Fortunato is by the end of the story unfortunate. Montresor chooses to murder Fortunato during a carnival where Fortunato is dressed as a jester I think says something about Fortunato’s character. It may suggest that Fortunato is a jokester that Montresor took far too serious to want to murder him. There are also elements of foreshadowing taking place. For example, Montresor leading Fortunato down to the depths of the catacombs is like leading him down to hell and death to come. Also when Fortunato says, â€Å"I shall not die of a cough† and Montresor says â€Å"true† foreshadows Fortunato’s death not by cough but by suffocation and dehydration. Fortunato’s conversation with Montresor about Free Masons foreshadows his demise. Fortunato challenges Montresor’s claim that he is a free mason is the last insult thrown at Montresor. Montresor shows him a trowel, which means he is a stonemason in the literal sense. To go though these great lengths to kill someone because of insults shows Montresor’s diabolical insane nature. Fortunato is like the old man where they are innocent of any major wrongdoing, unable to defend themselves, entombed in the home, and murdered by an insane man. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allen. â€Å" The Cask of Amontillado. † Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing. 7th ed. Kirszner & Mandell. Boston, MA Wadsworth Cage Learning, 2007. 331 – 336 Print. _. â€Å" The Tell Tale Heart. † Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing. 7th ed. Kirszner & Mandell. Boston, MA Wadsworth Cage Learning, 2007. 677 – 680 Print.

What A Journey It Has Been This Semester - 917 Words

What a journey it has been this semester! A lot of growth has happen within myself. Entering English 1301 wasn’t anything new to me, because I’ve taken this course before and didn’t pass it. My expectation coming into this course, that the instructor would be just as hard as the previous instructor I had. I knew of the load of work that I would have to do for this course, but I never image that it would be this light. There was a lot of work to be done, but it wasn’t stressful for me. I was aware of my writing that I can write and present the information, but I have many grammar and fragment issues. During this course, and writing different essay I got to see my writing in different styles and able to see where I need to work on. The course started off with Essay one and my thoughts are â€Å"here an essay†, but to my surprise this essay was very unique than other essay I’ve previously have written. The first part of essay one was to select a television that is geared toward the writer age range. Watching TV as part of a school assignment was something new to me, but there was more to the assignment. Notes have to be taken on the show of which the show is directing to and then put together a analysis. The show is chose was Law and Order: SVU and I did an analysis on an episode entitle â€Å"Angel†. I watch the episode as it appear live on TV, and then I rewind it to make sure I gather all my information together. The essay causes for an argument to see the side that have the strongestShow MoreRelatedMy Journey Of Becoming A Better Writer848 Words   |  4 PagesA semester has passed since I started college and my journey of becoming a better writer. It has been a very important semester for my future college career, and I would not be here without the things I have accomplished. The composition program has really helped me to prepare for what college writing is all about. Now standing here and looking back I could not imagine how it would be without that class. I believe my English, and my writing is better than it has ever been, and all thanks to the compositionRead MoreMy Experience At High School1120 Words   |  5 PagesCurrently, my academic journey has been filled with very difficult trials and tests of my resilience. During high school, I was not very motivated or responsible when it came to academics. I did not believe in my intellectual capabilities and did not consider college as an option for me. None of my friends or family had been to college; so I did not see it as a likely avenue for me as well. In my experience, graduating high school was a major accomplishment within my family and nothing more was expectedRead MoreFormal Request For A Waiver Polic y Of Ninth Semester Financial Aid868 Words   |  4 Pages As requested, I am submitting a formal request for a waiver policy of ninth semester financial aid. My goal is to graduate from the University of Tulsa. For a variety of reasons, I need a ninth semester to complete the course work. I am pursuing an Accounting degree and expect to graduate in Spring 2017. Since I became aware on May 9 that I would not have financial aid, I have spoken to advisors in the Business College, Rick Arrington and Ralph Jackson, my accounting advisor Dr. Miranda and JeanRead MoreMy Goals That I Have For Myself937 Words   |  4 Pagesmy grades up. As I have started my journey through college goals of mine have started to form. Writing them down and setting a time to complete them will help me better my journey and accomplish what I want to accomplish. My first goal is to pick a major I enjoy. As of right now, I am undeclared. I am currently exploring and plan on exploring more options of different majors/careers that I am interested in to continue with and graduate with. This compass class has helped me narrow down more of myRead MoreMy First Semester Of Nursing885 Words   |  4 Pagesinto the swing of your last semester of school, I d like you to do a little reflection and planning. How is entering your last semester of nursing different than entering you first semester of Foundations of Nursing? I am very excited that this is my last semester of nursing school. I have been waiting for this day for over four and a half year. It is such a big relief to know that this long nursing journey is about to end in just few months. Entering the last semester of nursing is both stressfulRead MoreMy Academic Success At Miami Dade College929 Words   |  4 PagesCollege I would never forget the real reason for enrolling in this institution. Any other individual who is a current student should know that education is the knowledge of putting potential to maximum use. Throughout the semester I have been given various assignments and objectives to comprehend making it challenging. At Miami-Dade College, the professors offer a variety of ways that can ensure academic success. My academic success this semester came with being able to be self-motivated, communicate withRead MoreSocial Studies Reflection1199 Words   |  5 PagesDuring this semester I have learned a lot about teaching practices , methods, and focuses for social studies education. It has taught me a great deal about what it really means to teach, not only students but the importance of social studies within the educational system. Being a teacher is more than just a nine to five kind of job its about shaping the world and to quote a great singer Phil Collins â€Å"In learning you will teach, and teaching you will learn†. The focus of this semester has been to betterRead MorePersonal Statement : Leadership, And Time Management859 Words   |  4 PagesThe strengths that I have gained this semester in psychology are: assertion, leadership, and time management. At the beginning of the semester my assertion level was in the develop stage. I was not able to clearly communicate my thoughts to others in an effective way that promoted a better understanding of my feelings. I am typically a shy individual when I am introduced to people I have never met I am not able to properly communicate with them. After im proving on this skill level; I am able to makeRead MoreAchieving Academic Success For College Students912 Words   |  4 Pageseducational institution. Everyone, including myself knows that education is the knowledge of putting potential the maximum use. Throughout the semester I have been given various assignments and objectives to comprehend making and this makes it challenging. At Miami Dade College, the professors offer a variety of ways that can ensure success My academic success this semester came with being able to be self-motivated, talk to professors, and use available resources throughout the campus. In order to academicallyRead MoreI Am As A Teacher873 Words   |  4 PagesProject Reflection This whole class has been a journey that I have found myself in the midst of towards a greater discovery of who I am as a teacher and how best to improve as a future teacher. This final project, a class syllabus, has been no exception and indeed has been the culmination of a semester’s worth of reflection. I worked to create a syllabus that is not hypothetical, but an active and live project that I will use to guide student learning in the Spring semester. The process