Sunday, May 24, 2020

Amazon River Basin Countries

The Amazon River is the second longest river (it is just shorter than the Nile River in Egypt) in the world and it has the largest watershed or drainage basin as well as the most tributaries of any river in the world. For reference, a watershed is defined as the area of land that releases its water into a river. This entire area is often referred to as the Amazon Basin. The Amazon River begins with streams in the Andes Mountains in Peru and flows into the Atlantic Ocean about 4,000 miles (6,437 km) away.The Amazon River and its watershed encompass an area of 2,720,000 square miles (7,050,000 sq km). This area includes the largest tropical rainforest in the world - the Amazon Rainforest. In addition parts of the Amazon Basin also include grassland and savannah landscapes. As a result, this area is some of the least developed and most biodiverse in the world. Countries Included in the Amazon River Basin The Amazon River flows through three countries and its basin includes three more. The following is a list of these six countries that are part of the Amazon  River region arranged by their area. For reference, their capitals and populations have also been included. Brazil Area: 3,287,612 square miles (8,514,877 sq km)Capital: BrasiliaPopulation: 198,739,269 (July 2010 estimate) Peru Area: 496,225 square miles (1,285,216 sq km)Capital: LimaPopulation: 29,546,963 (July 2010 estimate) Colombia Area: 439,737 square miles (1,138,914 sq km)Capital: BogotaPopulation: 43,677,372 (July 2010 estimate) Bolivia Area: 424,164 square miles (1,098,581 sq km)Capital: La PazPopulation: 9,775,246 (July 2010 estimate) Venezuela Area: 352,144 square miles (912,050 sq km)Capital: CaracasPopulation: 26,814,843 (July 2010 estimate) Ecuador Area: 109,483 square miles (283,561 sq km)Capital: QuitoPopulation: 14,573,101 (July 2010 estimate) Amazon Rain Forest Over half the world rainforest is located in the Amazon Rain Forest which is also called Amazonia. The majority of the Amazon River Basin is within the Amazon Rain Forest. An estimated 16,000 species live in the Amazon. Although the Amazon Rain Forest is huge and is incredibly biodiverse its soil was not suitable for farming. For years researchers assumed that the forest must have been sparsely populated by humans because the soil could not support the agriculture needed for large populations. However, recent studies have shown the forest was much more densely populated than previously believed. Terra Preta The discovery of a type of soil known a terra preta has been found in the Amazon River Basin. This soil is the product of ancient jungle foresty. The dark soil is actually a fertilizer made from mixing charcoal, manure and bone. The charcoal is primarily what gives the soil its characteristic black color. While this ancient soil can be found in several countries in the Amazon River Basin its primarily found in Brazil. This isnt surprising as Brazil is the largest country in South America. Its so large it actually touches all but two other countries in South America.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The Role of the Death Penalty on Preventing Future Crime...

Does the death penalty prevent future crime? We are scared. Surveys find that the fear of crime is high and perhaps rising. So the question of prevention is important. General deterrence is the idea that punishing an offender deters others from committing similar crimes. But does the threat of the death penalty actually discourage others from killing and thus make us safer? If so, does it do so significantly better than other forms of punishment? Dozens of studies have examined the relationship between murder and the death penalty in Canada, the United States and elsewhere. They have compared murder rates in areas with the death penalty to those in areas without the death penalty. They examined what happened to murder rates†¦show more content†¦Rather than preventing violence, capital punishment may have a brutalizing effect that increases the level of violence in our society. It may in fact raise, not lower, murder rates. How could the threat of death fail to prevent -- and possibly even cause -- violence? To understand this phenomenon, we must look at the theory of general deterrence, especially as it relates to the death penalty. The idea of deterrence assumes that: 1. Each of us decides our actions by weighing the cost of these actions against the benefits. When the cost -- in this case the threat of death -- outweighs the potential benefits, we are discouraged from committing crimes. Crime is the result of conscious, rational choices. 2. People have a good idea of costs and a high degree of certainty that they will suffer the costs. 3. The consequences are seen as a significant cost at the time of the act. 4. A potential offender identifies with those being punished. These assumptions of deterrence theory fail to take into account the nature and meaning of interpersonal violence. They are often unrealistic when applied to the death penalty. Lets examine these assumptions. 1. Some crimes, such as tax evasion, involve considerable rational planning and deterrence may have relevance to them. What we know about murder, however, indicates thatShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Effects of the Death Penalty781 Words   |  4 PagesThe Effects of the Death Penalty The effects of the death penalty can be divided into three main groups: public safety, deterrence, and retribution. The death penalty is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, most often first-degree murder. Prisoners who have been sentenced to death are usually kept separate from other prisoners pending their execution. However, isolation and eventually, the death of a convicted inmate, playRead MoreThe Death Penalty in Decline Essay716 Words   |  3 Pages The Death Penalty in Decline The United States adopted the capital punishment from England for more than three centuries ago. Not only had the punishment been adopted but also the methods of execution. 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Many people claim that allowing such a punishment will help decrease the crime rate, and also give closure to the victim’s family, but if you as American citizens analyze this situation in more detail you can see that taking a life for taking a life is moreRead MoreCapital Punishment : A Deterrent Effect On Crime Essay2970 Words   |  12 PagesWhether the Death Penalty Has Any Real Deterrent Effect on Crime Name Institution Abstract The question of capital punishment has been stirring heated debate in regards to whether it indeed does or doesn’t deter criminal activities. By exploring findings from various studies, this paper aims at validating whether death penalty has a deterrent effect on crimes. Various studies are explored with the objective of understanding which side of the debate is stronger. The findings of this

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory Free Essays

Going back to the previous stages of Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory of Development I have been, I think I have been fixated at my Latency Stage during my elementary years because I was not that free to explore things on my own. I do not mix up with my other grade school friends back then that much. I didn’t even play basketball with my nearby neighbors that’s why until now, I do not know how to play basketball. We will write a custom essay sample on Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory or any similar topic only for you Order Now I and my siblings used to stay at home all day, all night even our parents were not around. We are not allowed to go out of the neighborhood just to roam around and talk around. Maybe this is the reason why I do not know how to socialize totally with other people, keeps me of not being hooked up with some of naughty things and vices. And gets me out of danger and trouble in the way. I think I am a well-rounded person already, regardless of being my unsociable behavior wherein I can’t and I don’t easily get involved nor caught up with the jests of my friend and when it’s my turn, they always find me corny and some sort of out-of-the-world guy. But then, I still thank my parents for raising me up like this. In such a way that it’s only me and my family can understand each other. It’s quite selfish though, but I like it that way. How to cite Sigmund Freud’s Psychosexual Theory, Papers

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Formative Assessment and Assessment for Learning Essay Example For Students

Formative Assessment and Assessment for Learning Essay It is in large part responsible for the widespread focus in education on the particular kind of assessment known as formative, Their research review (AAA) examined studies that collectively encompassed kindergà ¤rtners to allege students; represented a range of subject areas including reading, writing, social studies, mathematics, and science: and were conducted in numerous countries throughout the world, including the United States. The gains reported in the studies they describe are among the largest found for any educational intervention, Typical effect sizes were between 0. And CO, In other words, the achievement gains realized by students whose teachers rely on formative assessment can range from IS to AS percentile points, or two to four grade equivalents, on commonly used standardized achievement test score scales. In broader terms, this kind of score gain, if applied to performance on recent international assessments, would move the United States rank from the middle Of the pack Of 42 nations tested to the top five (Black William, Bibb). An additional outcome common among the studies they analyzed is that certain formative assessment practices greatly increased the achievement Of IOW- performing students, in some cases to the point of approaching that of high achieving students. Not surprisingly, a plethora Of formative assessment Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning orgasm and products has surfaced, due in part to the achievement gains and gap-closing powers reported by Black and William and other researchers. The adjective formative now appears frequently in titles Of commercially prepared tests and item banks, interim and benchmark tests, short-cycle assessments, and classroom assessments. Does calling a product or practice formative make it so? Are all of the tests and practices labeled as formative truly formative? And most importantly, what is it about formative that gives it its power? What led to the gains these researchers uncovered? What Is Formative Assessment? First lets look at what is and what isnt formative. For Black and William, and for many other experts in the field, formative assessment is not an instrument or an event, but a collection of practices with a common feature: they all lead to some action that improves learning. Well-known educational researchers emphasize this point when they describe what is at the heart of formative assessment: Formative assessment, therefore, is essentially feedback (Armadas, 1983) both to the teachers and to the pupil about present understanding and skill placement in order to determine the way forward (Harlan James, 1997, p, 369). Deformation assessment] refers to assessment that is specifically intended to provide feedback on performance to improve and accelerate learning (Sadler, 1998, p. 77). An assessment is formative to the extent that information from the assessment is fed back within the System and actually used to improve the performance of the system in some way [William Alley, 2007, p. 31). Formative assessment is defined as assessment carried out during the instructional process for the purpose of improving teaching or learning.. What makes formative assessment formative is that it is immediately used to make adjustments so as to form new learning (Sheppard, 2008, p. 281). The common thread woven throughout formative assessment research, articles, and books bears repeating: it is not the instrument that is formative; it is the use of the information gathered, by whatever means, to adjust teaching and learning, that merits the formative label (Figure I . 1). Figure 1. Aggregative Assessment Gorham and informal processes teachers and students use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning In the classroom we assess formally through assignments, tests, quizzes, performances, projects, and surveys; or informally through questioning and dialogue, observing, and anecdotal note taking. In any of these instances, we may or may not be engaged in formative assessment: the determining factor is not the type of assessment we use, but rather Howe and our students use the information. Summation Assessment When the information from an assessment is used solely to make a judgment about level of competence or achievement, it is a summation assessment (Figure 1. 2). At the classroom level, an assessment is summation when it is given to determine how much students have learned at a particular point in time, for the purpose of communicating achievement status to others. The communication Figure 1. Assessments that provide evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness usually takes the form of a symbol, a letter grade or number, or a comparison to a standard such as Meets the Standard or Proficient, that is reported to students and eventually to parents. Sometimes an assessment intended to be used formatively can be used cumulatively, such as when the evidence indicates hat students have attained mastery. And sometimes an assessment intended to be used cumulatively can be used formatively, such as when a test reveals significant problems with learning that we address through reattaching. At the program level, an assessment is summation when results are used to make judgments such as determining how many students are and are not meeting standards in a certain subject for purposes of accountability. The data may be reported to educators within the system, the school board, and the community, Summation assessments arent bad or wrong. Thefts just not formative: they eve a different purpose?to report out level of achievement, Misleading them as formative will not cause them to generate the achievement gains noted in research studies. Aggregative or Summation? An important reason to distinguish between formative and summation assessment is that achievement gains credited to formative assessment practices will not materialize unless certain conditions are met, and at least some of these conditions are often not met by assessments whose primary purpose is summation. The conditions are as follows: 1. . 3. The assessment instrument r event is designed 50 that it aligns directly vivid the content standards to be learned. All of the instrument or events items or tasks match vat has been or will be taught. The instrument or event provides information Of sufficient detail to pinpoint specific problems, such as misunderstandings, so that teachers can make good decisions about What actions to take, and With Whom. The results are available in time to take action with the students who generated them. Teachers and students do indeed take action based on the results. COMPASSION FOR THE SOULS WHO INHABIT HELL EssayThe seven strategies fulfill Saddlers three conditions, phrased as questions from the students point of view: Where am going? : Where am I now? ; and How can close the gap? As you read through these strategies, note that many are not new ?they reflect practices that have been around for years (Figure 1. 4). What may be new is their intentional use, focusing on the student as the most influential decision maker in your classroom. Where Am I Going? Strategy 1: Provide students with a clear and understandable vision of the learning target, Motivation and achievement both increase when instruction is guided by clearly fined targets. Activities that help students answer the question, Whats the learning? Et the stage for all further formative assessment actions, 11 Figure Strategy I: Provide students With a clear and understandable vision Of the learning target. Strategy 2: Use examples and models of strong and weak work. Where Am I Now? Str ategy 3: Offer regular descriptive feedback. Strategy 4: Teach students to self- assess and set goals. How Can Close the Gap? Strategy 5: Design lessons to focus on one learning target or aspect of quality at a time, Strategy 6: Teach students focused revision, Strategy 7: Engage students n sellreflection, and let them keep track of and share their learning. Source: Adapted with permission from R, J. Stinging, J, A Rater,J. Chapeaus, and S, Chapeaus, Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing It Right?using It Well (Portland, OR: TEST Assortment Training Institute, 2004), p. 42. Strategy 2: use examples and models of strong and weak work. Carefully chosen examples of the range of quality can create and refine students understanding of the learning goal by helping students answer the questions, M/hat defines quality work? and M/hat are some problems to avoid? Where Am I NOW? Strategy 3: Offer regular descriptive feedback. Effective feedback shows students where they are on their path to attaining the intended learning. It answers for students the questions, M/hat are my strengths? ; What do need to work on? ; and Where did go wrong and what can do about it? Strategy 4: Teach students to self-assess and set goals. The information provided in effective feedback models the kind of evaluative thinking we want students to be able to do themselves. Strategy 4 teaches students to identify their strengt hs and weaknesses and to set goals for further earning It helps them answer the questions, What am I good at? ; What do need to favor on? ; and Math should I do next? How Can Close the Cap? Strategy 5: Design lessons to focus on one leaning target or aspect of quality at a time. When assessment information identifies a need, we can adjust instruction to target that need. In this sweater, we scaffold learning by narrowing the focus of a lesson to help students master a specific learning goal or to address specific misconceptions or problems. Strategy 6: Teach students focused revision. This is a companion to Strategy 5?when a concept, skill, or competence proves official for students, we can let them practice it in smaller segments, and give them feedback on just the aspects they are practicing, This strategy allows students to revise their initial work with a focus on a manageable number of learning targets or aspects of quality. Strategy 7: Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track of and share their learning. Long-term retention and motivation increase when students track, reflect on, and communicate about their learning, In this strategy, students look back on their journey, reflecting on their learning and sharing their achievement with others. The seven strategies are not a recipe to be followed step by step, although they do build on one another. Rather, they are a collection of actions that Will strengthen students sense Of self-efficacy (belief that effort will lead to improvement), their motivation to try, and ultimately, their achievement. They represent a use Of assessment information that differs from the traditional practice of associating assessment with test, and test with grade. These assessment practices Will not result in more grades in the graduated.