Constellations - 3730 Words

Constellation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms (which themselves are generally referred to in non-technical language as constellations), which are patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earths night sky. There are 88 standard constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) since 1922. The majority of these go back to the 48 constellations defined by Ptolemy in his Almagest (2nd century). The remaining ones were defined in the 17th and 18th century; the most recent ones are found on the southern sky, defined in Coelum australe†¦show more content†¦The Greeks adopted the Babylonian system in the 4th century BC. A total of twenty Ptolemaic constellations are directly continued from the Ancient Near East. Another ten have the same st different names.[9] Graeco-Roman [citation needed] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation 1/4 There is only limited information on indigenous Greek constellations. Some evidence is found in Hesiod. Greek astronomy essentially adopted the older Babylonian system in the Hellenistic er introduced to Greece by Eudoxus of Cnidus in the 4th century BC. The original work of Eudoxus is lost, but it survives as a versification by Aratus, dating to the 3rd century BC. The most c existing works dealing with the mythical origins of the constellations are by the Hellenistic writer termed pseudo-Eratosthenes and an early Roman writer styled pseudo-Hyginus. The basis ofShow MoreRelatedConstellations5203 Words   |  21 Pages------------------------------------------------- Constellation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the star grouping. For other uses, see  Constellation (disambiguation). | | | | * Top: Baroque drawing of the constellation  Orionfrom  Johannes Hevelius  celestial catalogue * Bottom: Contemporary map of Orion from the  IAUand photography of the night sky | In everyday usage, a  constellation  is a traditional or recognizable group of stars in the night sky,Read MoreObservation of Earth’s Constellations Essay526 Words   |  3 Pageseras bygone such as the Greeks, Romans, and Babylonians, and bestowed most, if not all of the titles upon the constellations as we know them today. Earth’s atmosphere comprises eighty-eight constellations, of which I have chosen the following five to discuss for my laboratory report: Andromeda, Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Draco The most notable characteristic of the constellation Andromeda its appearance resembles the letter â€Å"V†. It’s position, adjacent to the North Pole, means that toRead MoreA Constellation Of Vital Phenomena877 Words   |  4 Pages Constellation of Vital Phenomena In a Constellation of Vital Phenomena the final chapter of the book contains both joy and tragedy. Ultimately, the message of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is that love trumps all. Love trumps hate, the interior ministry, starvation, and even death. The ending brings both sorrow and the hope for humanity to heal and forgive. The final chapter of the book was as profound but also delicately intricate as the rest ofRead MoreGemini Constellation Of The Sky1112 Words   |  5 Pages Gemini constellation is located in the northern hemisphere of the sky. Its name means â€Å"the twins† in Latin. Gemini is one of the zodiac constellations, first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The constellation represents the twins Castor and Pollux (Polydeuces), also known as the Dioscuri in ancient times, in Greek mythology. The constellation’s symbol is ♊. Gemini is known mainly for its two bright stars, Castor and Pollux, the neutron star Geminga, and severalRead MoreAn Introduction Of Navajo Constellations1358 Words   |  6 PagesAn Introduction to Navajo Constellations Throughout our existence, mankind has looked up to the stars with a fantastical wonderment that excites a feeling of the unknown. In order to understand the heavens above us, ancient cultures created grand mythologies utilizing valiant heroes, gods, and life practices and then imbedded these stories into the stars in the form of constellations. One of these cultures is the Navajo Native American tribe that resided in the southwest region of the United StatesRead MoreConstellations Character Analysis1507 Words   |  7 PagesConstellations, an absurdist and post-modernist performance by the Queensland Theatre Company, perceptively explored what the play’s title suggests; a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern. More plainly, though, it revealed that fate will prevail. This was evident through the relationship of characters Marianne and Roland’s, where conflicting predicaments of their romantic connection were explored in many alternate universes that each align ed with each other and correlatively led to the sameRead MoreThe Cool Constellation of Orion556 Words   |  2 PagesMy favorite constellation just so happens to be Orion. Orion is a very cool constellation that has many interesting facts associated with it. For example, Orion is one of the most famous constellations in the sky. It is also one of the brightest constellations, making it very easy to spot. Orion takes up an area of approximately 594 square degrees, making it the 26th largest constellation. Orion can be spotted between the latitudes +85 degrees and -75 degrees. Its location is in NQ1, or the firstRead MoreThe Seated Queen And The Wish Granting Dragon1160 Words   |  5 Pagescatalogued Cassiopeia among his original 48 constellations recorded in The Almagest, and it still shines brightly to this day. Visible year-round, Cassiopeia is easily identified by its â€Å"W† shape. This distinction, also known as an asterism, made Cassiopeia one of the first constel lations I could identify in the night sky. Each time I spot those five stars I am hit with a wave of nostalgia and this has caused Cassiopeia to be among my favorite constellations. While predominantly appearing in the NorthernRead MoreBiome are Constellations of Adaptations847 Words   |  3 PagesBiomes are appropriate conditions for organizing the natural world because the organisms that live in them common constellations of adaptations, particularly the climate of each of the areas and the characteristic vegetation types that develops in these divisions. It should be understood that the climate is perhaps the most important in determining classes of individuals who may live in an area and the ways they should be amended to live under different conditions of temperature and precipitationRead MoreA Short Note On The Constellation Of Cancer1680 Words   |  7 PagesCancer (constellation) ♋ The constellation of Cancer is one of the 88 modern constellations: located between the constellations Leo, Hydra and Gemini at between 07h 55m 19.7973s and 09h 22m 35.0364s right ascension and 33.1415138 ° and 6.4700689 ° declination. It is also one of the 12 Zodiac constellations and one of the original 48 listed by the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy. Its name is Latin for crab and its astrological symbol is ♋, which represents crab pincers. This constellation attracted

Knowledge is made through writing Free Essays

Introduction Writing is indicative of knowledge about language and proficiency in the subject the student discusses in context. The current teaching orthodoxy focuses clearly on the improvement of sentence structure and uses extensive ‘knowledge about language’ and increased language awareness as a means to help pupils to write better English (Andrews, Torgerson, Beverton, Freeman, Locke, Low, Robinson Zhu, 2006). As such, knowledge is gained through understanding the meaning of derivates and shown through writing and understanding the aspects of teaching and learning grammar. We will write a custom essay sample on Knowledge is made through writing or any similar topic only for you Order Now Aspects of teaching grammar revolve around why the student should learn grammar and how he should learn it. Writing is then the basis of exemplifying knowledge in grammar. Construction of correct syntax and proving correlation of all aspects of proper syntax and tense in the syntax is the measure of knowledge in principal. According to Kane (1997), the whole point is to get students to use language correctly and well, so why not use examples from people who use language well? Her argument is the basis of using writing what others to showcase knowledge and level of knowledge of what has been understood have authored. Burgess, Tony, Turvey, Anne, Quarshie, Richard, (2000) argue that, grammar works as a level in the understandings that we bring to language and–as important–to reflection on where this knowledge comes from and how it can be acquired. Much of what we write reflects to proficiency in what we have learnt, knowledge is seen within the context of what we show we know and much of it is through writing. A critical pedagogy Grammar and writing are linked; to study one is to study the other. This is where grammar instruction in high school requires critical pedagogy. Lack of knowledge on students putting down their thoughts down on paper is due to lack of grammar and writing skills. This is the reason why, students have problem with their readings, revisions and communication. Teaching grammar in high school requires a cognitive rather a communicative methodology due to the learner variables. The students are difficult to teach due to their age. Age is a variable which onsets attitudes towards grammar. 15yrs-25yrs old are very poor due to stereo typing it (attitudes towards grammar). Most teachers opt to seek communicative methodology as their basis of teaching. However, Murcia,    Hilles (1988) argue that,   no actual empirical studies have been conducted that prove that â€Å"communicative† classrooms produce better language learners than the more traditional teacher-dominated classroom. Richards, Rodgers (1986) points out that in spite of its intuitive appeal and anecdotal evidence which supports it, there is equally appealing and convincing evidence that a communicative approach can lead to the development of a broken, ungrammatical, pidginize form of the language beyond which students can never really progress. Knowledge is explicit; it is shown through language structures or rather sentences. The student’s ideas are communicated through sentences which if properly constructed show proficiency and knowledge. This is efficiency in syntax formation. According to (Burgess, Tony, Turvey, Anne, Quarshie, Richard, (2000) experience of language work is gained in assisting children with their writing, especially in helping with the drafting and re-drafting of written work arising in the context of ongoing schemes of work. This makes writing integral in teaching and makes it the principal method to impart proficiency. In high school attitudes towards grammar as discussed by Krashen, 45% of high school students are good writers and listeners hence very good speakers and writers when taught cognitively. Speech is dependent on writing and listening skills, to impart knowledge to use these skills a cognitive approach is used. A Teaching and grammar instruction is more effective is approached through advocating writing and revision. The   teacher should aim at achieving coherent, clear and effectively written papers and should always emphasize on the students taking enough time to improve their work through revising them and drafting them to quality. It means the teacher employ hearing, speaking, writing and reading as the integral basis of learning. This methodology is comprehensive in improving the essentials of understanding and use of grammar easily through self-evaluation. The Speaking and writing form the basis of integrated learning and play a pivotal role in creating able learners of grammar.   The benefits of writing as the mechanism of imparting knowledge in high school students is that there is improved understanding of subject base, evolving subject base, ways of understanding, developing and applying knowledge; wider-discussion and examination of the inclusion of more writing within English programs. Burgess, Turvey Quashire (2000) argue that teachers should understand that there has to be a principled framework about the sort of knowledge grammar is. What is also needed is the opportunity for reconsidering their knowledge about the formal structures of language. When teaching grammar in a high school, it’s notable that the problem of tenses is high in class even with the smart kids knowing how to speak grammar fluently. Writing becomes problematic with kids only being able to write present tense but failing to identify other tenses and having proficiency in syntax formation. ‘What teachers should be understood is that, ability in grammar is more related to composition in some other subjects than in English. (R Andrews et al, p 40) Apart from syntax formation and tenses teaching the teachers experience difficulties in managing learning skills in the students and also improving on their skills. This is associated with the speech aspect of learning grammars that demean and stereotype the unable students; it creates a gap that the teacher has to fill through inducing enthusiasm and creating atmospheres that make learning grammar easy. The need for rules, order and discipline is particularly acute in large classes of unruly and unmotivated teenagers. In this sort of situation grammar offers the teacher a structured system that can be taught and tested in methodical steps. The alternative – allowing learners simply to experience the language through communication – may simply be out of the question. This means that putting teaching grammar first as a priority is quite important and also making the enthusiasm of learning grammar felt is also important. Kane (1997), point out that this is based on the teacher’s background when learning. Teachers can achieve a lot through teaching cognitively and making use of language instruction just by reading well-crafted texts to their students. Research has shown that teachers remember their own school grammar instruction without enthusiasm or pleasure, yet they tend to repeat that pattern with their own students (Brosnahan Neuleib, 1995). Knowledge of grammar is seen only through comprehension (writing) and its measured through the correctness of syntax. ‘Syntax is constraints which control acceptable word order within a sentence, or dominance relations (like head noun relative clause); and sentence combining as meaning: teaching techniques for splicing together simple sentences to make compound or complex ones. It can also cover sentence-embedding and other techniques for expanding and complicating the structure of sentences’ R. Andrews et al, p 42. Most important is to understand other variables so as to make teaching grammar effective. It therefore requires a particular kind of methodology, taking into account cultural, social and other contextual issues. Tentatively, high school students can learn the principles of generative grammar; knowledge of generative grammar enables such students to increase the proportion of well-formed sentences they write; and that knowledge of generative grammar can enable students to reduce the occurrence of errors in writing, R. Andrews et al, p 46. Teachers should comprehensively cover ‘sentence combining instruction which is effective in improving the sentence-combining skills’ and has a positive impact on writing quality. The teacher should realize that sentence combining is an effective means of improving the syntactic maturity of students in English between the ages of 5 and 16.    Teaching grammar as the key to having knowledge is one thing but there is need to identify the theoretical positions adopted in the study of English inform or challenge notions based on the practice and study of writing. The association of knowledge with the subject of English and with the subject of Writing need to be understood and their philosophic and pragmatic dimensions comprehensively researched English and Writing fall under the same cluster of studies and they form the basis of portraying knowledge and evaluating level of knowledge in the student, there is need understand what are there pedagogic developments that occur through having shared and comprehensive learning of writing and grammar for the purpose of attaining knowledge,. According to Knights Harper (2007) there is need to understand (so that we can apply); in what ways does the association of English and writing produce what might be called â€Å"responsive critical understanding† (ie. critical understanding that responds to the needs of the â€Å"critic† [ie. those applying critical consideration], in terms of explanation, an approach to truth, requirement. Conclusion Teaching grammar in high school should be based on a participatory approach due to learner variables and attitudes towards grammar in high school students. Systematic review of the effect of grammar teaching in English on 5–16-year-olds’ accuracy and quality in written composition has been the most extensive undertaken. Sources (Burgess, Tony, Turvey, Anne, Quarshie, Richard, 2000), Teaching Grammar: working with student teachers. Changing English: Studies in Reading Culture, Mar2000, Vol. 7, Issue 1(http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/offdb.htm) (Burgess, Tony, Turvey, Anne, Quarshie, Richard, 2000): Teaching Grammar: working with student teachers: Studies in Reading Culture Mar2000, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p7-21, 15p(http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/offdb.htm) (Kane, 1997): Teaching skills within meaningful contexts: Grammar in action; (in ‘The Reading Teacher’ Vol. 51, No. 1) pp 70-72 (http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/offdb.htm) (Brosnahan,I., Neuleib, J, 1995). Teaching grammar affectively: Learning to like grammar. In S. Hunter R. Waliace (Eds.), The place of grammar in writing instruction (pp. 204-212) Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook. (http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/offdb.htm) (Burgess, Tony, Turvey, Anne, Quarshie, Richard, 2000): Teaching Grammar: working with student teachers (in ‘the editors of Changing English) pp 7-17(http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/library/offdb.htm) How to cite Knowledge is made through writing, Essay examples

A Defense of Abortion free essay sample

Thomson argues that in some though not all cases, women have a right to abortion due to property rights in regards to their body, and the undue burden against these rights that would be placed on women if they are to be made responsible for any and all pregnancies. Thomson uses a variety of sometimes strange analogies to make her point that even if we give in to the argument that a fetus is a person, and thus has a right to life, this right to life does not necessarily ensure a right to sustain that life by using another person’s property, in this case the mother’s body, against her will. Thomson first asks us to consider the following case. You wake up and find yourself in a hospital bed hooked up to a famous violinist. It is then explained to you that you’ve been kidnapped by the Society of Music Lovers because you happen to be the only person whose blood type is compatible with the violinist’s, who is suffering from a kidney disease, and will die unless you remain plugged into him for nine months. We will write a custom essay sample on A Defense of Abortion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Keeping in mind that both you and the violinist are innocent parties, and that both you and the violinist will walk out of the hospital alive and unharmed when the nine months are up, are you morally obligated to remain connected to the violinist, who in the case of pregnancy would be the fetus? First we must consider the given analogy and its relativity to the primary scenario, being the morality of abortion. There are no other cases quite like pregnancy, where one’s ability to sustain life is directly dependent on the use of another’s body. This is why Thomson must create the violinist analogy. There are surely many similarities between the case of the violinist and the case of the fetus. As stated before, both parties, the fetus/violinist and the mother/donor are innocent. The cause of their connection is based on the actions of a third party, in this case the Society of Music Lovers. The fact that the donor was kidnapped presents a distinguishing factor, allowing the analogy to be applied in cases such as pregnancy because of rape, where it is clear that the mother did not consent in any way to becoming pregnant. There are also dissimilarities. The kidnapping itself has not traumatized the donor, while in the case of a young girl being raped and becoming pregnant, the rape itself is very traumatic. However, Thomson discounts this by saying that if those who oppose abortion based on the grounds that a person’s right to life is more important than a mother’s property right to her body, make an exception in the case of rape, they are saying that those who come into existence because of rape have less of a right to life than others, which sounds somehow wrong. Furthermore, many who oppose abortion on this ground do not make an exception for rape. Thus, the primary question remains, is it morally permissible to disconnect yourself from a person, even if doing so will kill them? Thomson then takes the violinist scenario a step further, asking us to imagine that it turns out that supporting the violinist is putting additional strain on you, and if you continue to remain plugged into him, you will die. Some would say that it is still impermissible, because unplugging yourself would be directly killing the innocent violinist which is murder, and always wrong. Thomson vehemently denies that you are obligated to sacrifice your own life in order to save the violinist, saying that in this case â€Å"if anything in the world is true, it is that you do not commit murder, you do not do what is impermissible, if you reach around to your back and unplug yourself from that violinist to save your life. † (Vaughn, 175) Many of Thomson’s other analogies deal with the concept of a woman’s property rights to her body making a case for abortion being permissible. She gives the analogy of a young boy being given a box of chocolates, and eating them before his envious brother. Of course the boy ought to share his chocolates with his brother, as most of us would agree. However, Thomson claims that if he doesn’t, he is simply being selfish and greedy, but not unjust. He is not unjust in denying his brother the chocolates simply because they were given to him, and thus are his property. If the box had been given to both of the brothers, it would be a different story. Distinguishing between what one ought to do and what one is morally obligated to do ties back to the violinist analogy. Even if the violinist only required use of your body for one hour, while you ought to allow him to use your body, as it requires little effort on your part, you are not unjust if you refuse. You are perhaps callous and selfish, yes, but not unjust. As Thomson states â€Å"Except in such cases as the unborn person has a right to demand it-and we were leaving open the possibility that there may be such cases-nobody is morally required to make large sacrifices, of health, of all other interests and concerns, of all other duties and commitments, for nine years, or even for nine months, in order to keep another person alive. (Vaughn, 181) The criticism I would make of this argument is that she does not specify in which cases the unborn person has a right to demand use of a mother’s body, only that they can occur. She does clearly state however, that having a right to life does not inherently give one the right to be given the use of or allowed continued use of another’s body, even if one needs it for life itself. (Vaughn, 178) Some who oppose abortion argue that because pregnancy is preventable, if one happens to become pregnant they must take responsibility, which gives the fetus special rights that a stranger, such as the violinist would not have. Thomson points out that this theory only gives a fetus a right to a mother’s body if the pregnancy resulted in a voluntary act, leaving out instances of rape. She uses the people-seed analogy to further discuss the implications of holding women responsible for all pregnancies. She asks us to imagine people as seeds, innocently drifting around the world, sometimes even into your home, getting stuck to furniture and carpets. To prevent this from happening to you, you put the best screens on your windows you can buy. As we all know, sometimes screens are defective, and a seed finds its way in and takes root, despite your preventative measures. Does that seed have a right to use your house to develop into a person? It is true that it could have been prevented from taking root if you lived your life in a house without furniture or carpeting, but this seems ridiculous. By the same token you could say that women who are raped have a responsibility to the fetus because rape could be prevented by never leaving home without a reliable army, or never leaving home at all. This is far too high of a burden to put on individuals. When evaluating these analogies and the argument Thomson uses them to make, certain questions arise. For example, if I am not morally obligated to give my property to someone who depends on it for survival, is it morally permissible to let someone starve to death because I refuse to share my food that I bought earlier from the grocery store? Given her analogies, such as the instance of the boy who refuses to share his chocolate, it would seem that Thomson would say that it is permissible to let someone die of starvation. After all, you are not morally obligated to share what is rightly yours. She would say you are selfish and greedy, like the little boy, but not unjust or immoral. However, letting an innocent person starve to death, when doing something as little as giving them some of our food, does not sit well with the average person. This is where Thomson’s concept of the Good Samaritan vs. the minimally decent Samaritan comes into play. In the biblical story, the Good Samaritan saw a man dying in the road, abandoned by others who passed. He cleaned the dying man’s wounds and took him to an inn, paying for his stay. He went out of his way to help someone in need, at some cost to himself. Thomson illustrates the other extreme by using the case of Kitty Genovese, who was murdered while thirty-eight people stood by and did nothing to help. In this case the Good Samaritan would have rushed to her aid, putting his own life on the line in order to save a stranger’s. While Thomson seems to say that this is too much to ask of people, and they are not morally required to risk their own life to save another’s, she does say that the Minimally Decent Samaritan would have at least called the police. Because no one even called the police, they are not even minimally decent Samaritans, and their actions are monstrous. While the Good Samaritan gives aid they are not obligated to give, the Minimally Decent Samaritan fulfills their minimal obligations. Just as watching a person be murdered and doing absolutely nothing to help is falling below the standard of minimally decent Samaritan, I would have to believe that watching a person starve and doing nothing to help is also monstrous. After all, using Thomson’s analogies we could say that the people who watched Kitty Genovese get murdered ought to have used their cell phones to call the police at the very least, but being that their cell phones are their property, they can use them as they wish, and are not morally obligated to use them to save a life, even if the cost it would bring to them seems extremely insignificant. Thomson seems to distinguish between situations such as letting someone starve to death because you refuse to share your food, or letting someone be murdered because you refuse to use your phone, and aborting a fetus. She claims that many laws prohibiting abortion compel women to be Good Samaritans (Vaughn, 181) as opposed to minimally decent. This claim suggests that she believes that harboring a fetus is an act of a Good Samaritan, not a minimally decent one. Furthermore, by calling the people who watched Kitty Genovese die â€Å"monstrous† it suggests that she does in fact believe that watching a person die and doing nothing to help is immoral. By these tokens, it seems that she would in fact view letting another starve as immoral, suggesting that her argument of property rights is inconsistent. Thomson somewhat accounts for these inconsistencies in her closing argument, simply by conceding that the analogies she uses are not fool proof or meant to be applied to all cases. She states â€Å"while I do not argue that abortion is not impermissible, I do not argue that it is always permissible. There may well be cases in which carrying the child to term requires only minimally decent Samaritanism of the mother, and this is a standard we must not fall below. † (Vaughn 182) For example, she believes it would be immoral for a woman to abort her child late in the pregnancy because she had a vacation planned. By asserting that her analogies and arguments are not meant to make an absolute case for or against abortion, they do in fact only help her to prove her somewhat tentative point that women do have a right to abortion, in some though not all cases, because of property rights and the undue burden against these rights that would be placed on women if forced to carry all pregnancies to term.