Thursday, January 30, 2020

Thinking skills and processes in the inquiry method of teaching Essay Example for Free

Thinking skills and processes in the inquiry method of teaching Essay There is an array of ideas and sometimes bewildering lists of terms used to describe the ways people think. But, what does thinking mean? What are thinking skills? What are higher –order thinking skills? Form the many definitions that have been provided, most include statements which describe abstract intellectual processes and operations. For example, †¢ Thinking is a process involving such mental operations as induction, deduction, classification, and reasoning; †¢ Thinking is a process of dealing with abstractions and discovering the essential principles of things, as contrasted to remaining on the concrete level of facts and specific cases; †¢ Thinking is the ability to analyze and criticize and to reach conclusions based on sound inference or judgment. Most contemporary statements about thinking recognize that thinking skills are not the same as skills associated with more concrete behaviors or physical activities. Consider the following statements provided by Lauren Resnick (1997) about what she calls higher-order thinking: †¢ Higher order thinking tends to be complex. The total path is not â€Å"visible† (mentally speaking) from any single vantage point. †¢ Higher order thinking often yields multiple solutions, each with costs and benefits, rather than unique solutions. †¢ Higher order thinking is effortful. There is considerable mental work involved in the kinds of elaborations and judgments required. From these definitions, obviously, thinking processes and skills people need to activate them are highly complex. Hyde and Bizar (1999) have provided another conception of thinking. Based on recent research in cognition, Hyde and Bizar write about thinking as intellectual processes instead of skills. Like Resnick, Hyde and Bizar point out the complexity of thinking. They also emphasize the importance of thinking about thinking in context. That is, although thinking processes have some similarities, they also vary according to what one is thinking about. For instance, the processes we use when thinking about mathematics differ from those used when thinking about poetry. Because of their complexity, thinking processes cannot be taught using only approaches suitable for teaching concrete ideas and skills. Thinking skills and processes are, however, clearly teachable and most programs and curricula which have been developed rely heavily on classroom discussions. Main Features of Inquiry Method of Teaching Instructional Effects of Inquiry Method of Teaching The inquiry method of teaching is not designed to cover a large amount of learning materials or convey huge quantities of information to early childhood education students. The model has been developed primarily to accomplish three important instructional effects: (1) to help students develop the intellectual skills of asking important questions and seeking answers; (2) to help students acquire the inquiry process skills associated with various domains of human learning, and, most importantly; (3) to help students become independent, autonomous learners confident and capable of learning on their own. Syntax of Inquiry Method of Teaching There are five major phases in the inquiry method of teaching science and mathematics. However, skillful inquiry teachers often vary particular sequencing and syntax. But the general flow of a science or mathematics inquiry lesson consists of five major phases: establishing set and explaining the procedures, presenting a puzzling situation or the problem to the students, helping students gather data about the problem, helping students hypothesize and explain the problem, and helping them analyze their thinking and inquiry processes. Structure of the Learning Environment Unlike the very structured learning environment required of the presentation and direct instruction methods, or the use of small groups required in cooperative learning method, the learning environment in an inquiry method is characterized by wholeclass instruction, open processes, and active students roles. In fact, the whole process of helping students become independent, autonomous learners and of assisting them in becoming confident in their own intellectual skills requires active involvement. Although the teacher and students proceed through the various phases of the lesson in a somewhat structured and predictable fashion, the norms surrounding the lesson are those of open inquiry and freedom of thought and expression. The teacher’s role is not one of dispensing knowledge and truth but instead acting as helper and guide. Procedures for using Inquiry Method of Teaching Conceptually the inquiry teaching model is quite straightforward, and it is easy for beginning teachers to grasp. Effective execution of the model, however, is more difficult. It requires considerable practice, and it requires making specific decisions during the preinstructional (includes deciding on purposes for an inquiry inquiry lesson, choosing and designing a puzzling situation); interactive (includes conducting the lesson, establishing set and explaining inquiry procedures, presenting the puzzling situation, data gathering and experimentation, hypothesizing and explaining) and postinstructional (consists of some type of feedback, assessment, and evaluation) stages of the lesson. Conclusion This research fairly consistently points out that it takes inquiry teaching and strategies associated with higher-level thinking to produce growth in the thought and inquiry processes of early education students. This growth brought about by any inquiry teaching is hoped to give both the teacher and the students the skills they need to become lifelong learners. The researcher further believes that acquiring such inquiry skills builds up self-esteem and confidence and leads to greater academic success. The challenge of using the inquiry method of teaching especially in the sciences and mathematics in the early childhood education is enormous. However, one has to look up to the change you will make in the set of children entrusted to your care. References Bruner, J. (1996). A study of thinking (rev. ed). New York: Wiley. Dewey, J. (1993). How we think (rev. ed). Lexington, Mass. : D. C. Heath. Duckworth, E. (1997). Twenty-four, forty-two, and I love you: Keeping it complex. In K. Jervis and C. Montag (eds. ), Progressive education for the 1990s: Transforming practice. New York: Teachers College Press. Fenton, E. (1996). Teaching the new science and mathematics in elementary schools: An inductive approach. New York: Holt, Rinehart Winston. Hyde A. Bizar M. (1999). Thinking in context: Teaching cognitive processes across the elementary school curriculum. New York: Longman. Newton, F. (1992). Facilitating inquiry in the classroom. Portland, Oregon: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Resnick, L. B. (1997). Education and Learning to think. Washington, D. C. : National Academy Press. Suchman, R. (1992). The Elementary school training program in scientific inquiry. Report to the U. S. Office of Education. Urbana, III: University of Illinois.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Evolution of Jousting Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Evolution of Jousting Picture, if you will, a knight in shining armor charging on his noble steed down the open stretch toward his enemy. From his great helm, (Jousting Helmet) a detachable sleeve whips in the wind at approximately 30 miles per hour. Just before the two knights meet, they each brace themselves for the impact they know awaits them. The wood splinters fly, and one of the knights is knocked from his steed, spilling his life's blood on the ground. Jousting was a medieval war tactic that later evolved into a sport, testing skill in horsemanship as well as balance and accuracy. Jousting has changed in its use over the years. It was once used in battle, but is now mainly a competitive form of entertainment. Jousting was a mounted form of combat used by knights beginning in the 11th century. It was used mainly to knock the enemy from their horses so they were an easier target for the footmen and could be easily trampled by the horsemen. The point of aim during the most basic form of joust was either the four nails of the opponents shield, or the helm or throat of his armor. The church didn't like the savagery of it because the knight was a Christian warrior whose job was to protect their priests and the church; therefore, jousting was occasionally banished by some churches. It was common belief in this time period that a priest shouldn't die by the sword, so the knight was a sworn protector of them. The knights lived by a code of ethics known as chivalry. This code not only governed their daily life but also the way they fought Despite the banishments and the savagery of the joust, a form of it is still around today. The style jousting is the same today but the price is no longer blood i t is now money. It... .../www.scotfest.com/joustingterms.html JOUSTING: What was it? http://www.jousting.com/jousting.htm Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms http://www.chronique.com/Library/Glossaries/glossary-KCT/gloss_j.htm#judicial%20duel Medieval History. About.com The Devil's Horsemen Jousting at Warwick Castle http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/jousting.htm The Free Lancers. Styles of Jousting http://www.faire.net/freelancers/jousting.html The Free Lancers. Gath of Baal National Combat Jousting Tournament http://www.faire.net/freelancers/gath.html US Inernational Jousting Competition 2002 http://www.scotfest.com/jousting.html yahoo. search http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=armour Vale, Malcolm. War And Chivalry. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1981. The Evolution of Jousting Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers The Evolution of Jousting Picture, if you will, a knight in shining armor charging on his noble steed down the open stretch toward his enemy. From his great helm, (Jousting Helmet) a detachable sleeve whips in the wind at approximately 30 miles per hour. Just before the two knights meet, they each brace themselves for the impact they know awaits them. The wood splinters fly, and one of the knights is knocked from his steed, spilling his life's blood on the ground. Jousting was a medieval war tactic that later evolved into a sport, testing skill in horsemanship as well as balance and accuracy. Jousting has changed in its use over the years. It was once used in battle, but is now mainly a competitive form of entertainment. Jousting was a mounted form of combat used by knights beginning in the 11th century. It was used mainly to knock the enemy from their horses so they were an easier target for the footmen and could be easily trampled by the horsemen. The point of aim during the most basic form of joust was either the four nails of the opponents shield, or the helm or throat of his armor. The church didn't like the savagery of it because the knight was a Christian warrior whose job was to protect their priests and the church; therefore, jousting was occasionally banished by some churches. It was common belief in this time period that a priest shouldn't die by the sword, so the knight was a sworn protector of them. The knights lived by a code of ethics known as chivalry. This code not only governed their daily life but also the way they fought Despite the banishments and the savagery of the joust, a form of it is still around today. The style jousting is the same today but the price is no longer blood i t is now money. It... .../www.scotfest.com/joustingterms.html JOUSTING: What was it? http://www.jousting.com/jousting.htm Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms http://www.chronique.com/Library/Glossaries/glossary-KCT/gloss_j.htm#judicial%20duel Medieval History. About.com The Devil's Horsemen Jousting at Warwick Castle http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/jousting.htm The Free Lancers. Styles of Jousting http://www.faire.net/freelancers/jousting.html The Free Lancers. Gath of Baal National Combat Jousting Tournament http://www.faire.net/freelancers/gath.html US Inernational Jousting Competition 2002 http://www.scotfest.com/jousting.html yahoo. search http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=armour Vale, Malcolm. War And Chivalry. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1981.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Coach Carter Essay

Coach Carter wasn’t your average coach. He was also a teacher and mentor for these young boys. He gave these boys a sense of hope in life that no one ever gave them. The book has sold over 3 million copies. The movie has made approximately 42 million dollars as a movie. Coach Carter novel and film both proved to be a huge hit all over the world, but most important to people who enjoy basketball and love the game. While I was reading the book you could clearly see that the movie and the book plots are relatively similar, but their are a few minor differences between the book and the movie. Although their quite similar Coach Carter movie and the Coach Carter book are pronounced. â€Å"Coach Carter† movie was an excellent representation of the book, but had a few modifications in order to clarify several concepts of the book which was written by Jasmine Jones. To interpret this idea, Coach Carter movie was altered so the viewers could understand the ideas that Jasmine Jones wrote, and also the viewers could understand the movie perspective side. This is where we see many difference arise. To illustrate this point, this book was written as a whole. What I mean by that it had a lot of first person narrative between the characters. (Coach Carter, Ken Carter, Kenyon Stone and the rest of the basketball team.) When watching the movie there are several voice overs over the characters in the movie. This is where their are different lines that fit with what the characters are saying, but there’s no way of showing it when you are reading the book. Although in the movie there are several types of voice overs the actions that the characters use to incorpor ate into the movie doesn’t really follow along the same lines with what they are saying in the book but has that general idea to it. This is clearly shown that you can’t see what the different type of actions or movement when you are reading the book. This leads to my next point, Mr.Carter was trying to teach the boys good values. Respect, discipline, responsibility and commitment. Their boys were great ball players but on the other hand was not keeping up in their own education. There are several cut scenes showing the basketball gym and seeing each individual player practicing or even a live game going on. The cut scenes that were incorporated in the movie were much different to the book the reason being  is that not only the book is followed the exact same way as the movie there are always minor differences. Although you can’t see it visually by reading it and understanding the settings between the book and movie there are major differences between the two. On the other hand, The Coach Carter Book and the Coach Carter movie similarities were unquestionable. â€Å"His own son which he has placed at St. Francis, who would rather go to Richmond High so he can play for his father (Coach Carter). This places a hard decision on Coach Carter and has a big affect on both him and his family. It creates arguments and some tension between father and son. Coach Carter being the main teacher in the film that is strict and formal, with some of his actions proving to have both good and bad results. His son did end up going to Richmond High school as the author states it in the book and which was shown in the movie. In the book and movie there were a lot of plots that corresponded with the book and movie. Coach Carter being the main character is set in Richmond, California in the USA. It focuses on an inner-city public school called Richmond High, which is in a very low-like status and has a reputation for not having many students go off to college. Most of the scenes were based of this high school and most importantly took place in this area and high school. The detail in the movie was outstanding to be more specific the detail the court had, it had that shine to the court to make it more authentic and the area that they it was located. But most importantly the characters that took place in the book and movie. Although you can’t visualize the looking of the characters by understanding the detail the author has said you can really see the similarities. In the book and movie there was a lot of school failure. In terms of not meeting the requirement, on average each player who played with Richmond high school their average was a 2.3 gpa. Mr Carter (The Coach) wanted a 3.5 gpa. This grade level had to be reached or if not he would close down the gym and stop them from playing basketball. Summing up, Coach Carter book and movie was outstanding. Their similarities between the two were striking. The movie incorporated the majority of the book but did not follow the same exact lines as the book. The movie didn’t want to express the same story as the book that’s were the differences  really played a good role to determine the similarities and differences. It is evident that the Coach Carter book and the Coach Carter movie had much more similarities than differences between the two.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Human Sacrifice Is Important Matter And Human Behavior

Human sacrifice Yizhuo Chen 12/21/2016 Human sacrifice is an important matter and human behavior in prehistory in the evolution of ancient civilization. It is the act of killing human. Usually human sacrifice comes with deity as a ritual activity. Throughout history, human sacrifice has been practiced in diverse cultures and different civilizations. As far as I know, there are some bizarre methods of human sacrifice in history. In Ancient Egypt, pharaohs had the highest positions in Egyptian society not only in religion but also in politics. In early pharaonic civilization, as long as pharaohs deceased, pharaohs were buried with their servants and retainers. This behavior is cruel and violent because servants and retainers were still alive when they were buried. All the people in Ancient Egypt had a common view with the belief that servants and retainers still could serve their owner after they had been dead. There are evidences show that servants and retainers were forced to take some drugs which can make them in a drug-induced state. So they were just walking into the tomb without revolt [1][2]. In the low-land Yucatec Maya especially in Chichen Itza, there are some natural limestone pits and sinkholes which were called cenotes. Archaeologists have already found human remains in these areas. Cenotes were called â€Å"virgin water† that were places of Maya human sacrifice. Ball game was always held by Mayans in Chichen Itza, and it always cameShow MoreRelatedHuman Sacrifice And The Gods Essay1360 Words   |  6 Pagesdripped down off the sacrificial table as the priest cuts out the man’s heart to offer it to the gods.â€Å" The occurrence of human sacrifice can usually be related to the recognition of human blood as the sacred life force†(â€Å"Human Sacrificing†). The thought of human sacrificing may seem inhuman or uncivilized; however, in the ancient times, it was considered a prayer for better times. Human sacrificing was not only a ritual act to earn a god s favor, but also for a greater cause. Usually people would benefitRead MoreScience Fi ction Disaster Thriller Film, Directed By Michael Bay, Produced By Jerry Bruckheimer1418 Words   |  6 Pageswith earth and threatens human existence. Early in the film, it presented a series of events, beginning with a massive meteor shower that ultimately destroys the orbiting space shuttle Atlantis. Later NASA reveals the sad news that planet earth will make contact with this asteroid in eighteen days to the point it will cause an extinction event and even destroy the smallest particles including bacteria. This calls for extremes measures to prevent such collision and save the human race. Armageddon (1998)Read MoreHuman Sacrifice vs. Ritual Murder in The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson914 Words   |  4 Pagescomplete, but in this village, there were less people ,which allowed the lottery an opportunity to be completed faster ( 247; chap. 7 ). At this point, the readers of the story may be thinking maybe someone is going to win a trip or something of that matter or perhaps even enough money to pay for all the souvenirs that they would be sending to their families and friend while on their summer vacation. It is possible, that the thought of someone winning a brand new shiny car could have crossed the mindRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1510 Words   |  7 Pagesaspects of the darker side of human nature. The townspeople in Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† unquestioningly adhere to a tradition which seems to have lost its relevance in their lives. The ritual that is the lottery shows how easily and willingly people will give up their free will and suspend their consciences to conform to tradition and people in authority. The same mindless complacency and obedience shown by the villagers in Jackson’s story are seen in human behavior throughout history and are stillRead MoreThe Dignity Of Human Life Essay1412 Words   |  6 Pageswas a professor of University of Minnesota. He is well-known to the public for his publication of th e article called â€Å"The Dignity of Human Life†, which was originally published in 1949 and currently still could be found in many philosophy books (Klemke, 2008). The article of â€Å"The dignity of Human life† contains several different valuable ideas of the subject to human life and also includes some great conclusions at the final. One of David’s conclusion is that people besides learning and acquiringRead MoreThe Epic Poem, The Iliad by Homer879 Words   |  3 PagesImmortality is the main crucial distinction between humans and gods. That being said, another interesting thing about them is how similar they are to human beings. They make mistakes, become jealous, and get their feelings hurt unlike our modern conception of god as infinite, omniscient and omnibenevolent. The Iliad literature on the gods does not display such of what we perceive how a god should be nowadays. Throughout the literature, the gods and humans may have similarities, but the role of the godsRead MoreIs Confucius And Other Ancient Educators As A Representative Of Extensive And Profound Chinese Culture? Essay1633 Words   |  7 Pagesexists in reality, it turned out to be something that observable and feasible emotions. There are some analects that related to learning that I read and my impression about it. The first statement was well known in Chinese traditional culture, no matter elder people or primary school students, it is seems that everyone knows this statement. The master said â€Å"To learn, and then have occasion to practice what you have learned—is this not satisfying? To have friends arrive from afar— is this not a joyRead MoreSacrifice- in today’s culture, the word is rarely associated with something positive. You might800 Words   |  4 PagesSacrifice- in today’s culture, the word is rarely associated with something positive. You might think of a human sacrifice or giving up something you really want to keep. However, in ancient greek culture, ritual sacrifice (although the act wasn’t particularly good) had a positive connotation because of the benefits for the individual and the community the sacrifice was happening for. The importance of ritual sacrifice to ancient Greece is displayed by the passage from the Odyssey in whichâ€Å". .. theRead MoreWhat Makes A Self?1655 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is a self? Is A considered a self? To answer whether A is human we must first define what a self is. Each individual experiences and reacts to life and situations differently, and collectively, we do not have anything within us that is black and white, so that would lead to the conclusion that self cannot be explicitly defined. However, at the same time, that complexity in itself is a definition; the fact that we exist as gray areas ultimately proves that we are a living contradiction. So aRead MoreDifferences Between the Laity and Monastic Worshippers Within Buddhist Tradition 1744 Words   |  7 Pagesfollow the middle-way as taught by Buddha. Typically, in order to have a functional Buddhist society, there must be the devout, and those who support the devout, giving aid in the form of food, monies, shelter, transportation, etc. The devout who sacrifice the purity of a true monastic lifestyle in order to support the community (who in turn are the recipients of merit or punya; a bank of ‘good’ actions tied to ‘good’ karma) (Gethin 101), from the monastic worshippers, are called the laity; upasakas

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Advertising An Important Necessity For Everyone

Introduction In today’s world, shopping is an important necessity for everyone. People spend a lot of time shopping. Especially teens and young adults. Correspondingly, companies keep releasing new products every once in a while. New phones, laptops, watches, clothes, and many other products that people, especially teens and young adults, are interested in buying regularly â€Å"The teenage market is growing and becoming more powerful† (Furlow, 2008, p.20). Although companies are producing the same products repeatedly, with adding some significant upgrades, customers never hold from rushing behind every new release. To get into the interests of customers, companies study their viewpoints. Conducting researches and studies based on viewers’†¦show more content†¦More visual and auricular elements. Customers in the time being are striving over almost every product that is being advertised. People are beginning to acquire less knowledge in the field of marketing. And peo ple are no longer looking into the products, but rather attracted to the side elements. They have lost control over what their eyes are following and what their ears are hearing. Advertising has developed, but we did not. That is why â€Å"Marketing Literacy† is necessary for our society. It’s a competition between consumers and companies â€Å"The only sustainable competitive advantage we have, as individuals as well as enterprises and organizations, is our ability to learn more and learn it faster than competitors† (Stokes, 1993, p.76). The world needs to acknowledge the methods and strategies that are being used by marketing companies. They need not to look aimlessly towards advertisements, but rather learn more about the product itself. Companies are learning. Will we? Literature Review Trends are habits, directions, ideas. That can be followed by multiple individuals, or in this case, authors. When writing about specific topics, or even divers ones, a pattern can be seen between some of these writings. . In this literature review, there are some trends that are followed by all of the four articles cited by the end of this writing. Although they might not discuss the same subject, but the ideas are still the same. The

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Cardiff 6 Point Tool Kit - 1725 Words

Communication is incredibly important, it underpins any professional relationship with a patient. In any given specialty there is a need for good communication and there is an increasing emphasis placed on communication skills during undergraduate training programmes (both medical and nursing) however it is especially important within palliative medicine where patients are going through massive life changing events, often facing frightening times ahead in their not distant futures. Patients will have their own thoughts and agendas when entering a consultation and it is important to illicit what this is and to establish their own ideas, concerns and expectations as well as considering how much information they would like to receive from the professional. The Cardiff 6-point tool kit highlights the following areas to consider during consultations: 1. Comfort 2. Language 3. Listening and Silence 4. Question Style 5. Reflection 6. Summary Throughout the consultation I observed a typical set up with a clinician behind a desk and the patient sat off to their side. There was a table between them however it did not look uncomfortable apart from the times when the patient got distressed and the clinician wanted to move closer but the table was between them, she managed to overcome this by moving towards the patient and putting her hand on his arm as well as offering tissues. I did not hear an introduction as the clinician said â€Å"we’ve met before† but it may have been useful to theShow MoreRelatedAcca F5111177 Words   |  445 Pages....... iv Topic index ..................................................................................................................................................................... vii Using your BPP Learning Media Practice and Revision Kit .......................................................... ix Passing F5 Revising F5 ..................................................................................................................................................................Read MoreThe End of Global Strategy9044 Words   |  37 Pagesclaims, these individuals often point to the fact that foreign sales account for more than European Management Journal Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 333–343, August 2001 THE END OF GLOBAL STRATEGY is not so. MNEs are not monolithic; in fact, the largest 500 multinationals are spread across the triad economies of NAFTA, the EU, and Japan/Asia. Recent research shows that of these 500, there are 198 headquartered in NAFTA countries, 156 in the EU, and 125 in Japan/Asia.6 Additionally, these triad-basedRead MoreMarketing Management130471 Words   |  522 PagesDBA 1652 Marketing Management UNIT -- I Unit No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Unit Title Marketing management – an introduction Marketing environment Marketing with other functional areas of management Market segmentation Market targeting and positioning Product management Brand management Pricing Channel design and management Retailing and Wholesaling Integrated Marketing Communication Advertising management Sales promotion Personal selling PublicRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesintroduction to the heterogeneous study of organizations, including chapters on phenomenology, critical theory and psychoanalysis. Like all good textbooks, the book is accessible, well researched and readers are encouraged to view chapters as a starting point for getting to grips with the field of organization theory. Dr Martin Brigham, Lancaster University, UK McAuley et al. provide a highly readable account of ideas, perspectives and practices of organization. By thoroughly explaining, analyzing and exploringRead MoreIntangible Asset Accounting and Accounting Policy Selection in the Football Industry85391 Words   |  342 PagesSigning-on Fees 4.5 Stadium Redevelopment 71 5 Accounting Policies in the Football Industry 5.1 Accounting for Player Registrations and Transfer Fees 5.2 Accounting for Signing-on Fees 5.3 Capital Grants 5.4 Depreciation of Stadia 106 6 Theoretical Framework for Studying the Selection of Accounting Policy Choice 6.1 Theories of Accounting Policy Choice 6.2 Explanatory Variables 6.3 Statement of Hypothesis 138 7 Methods of Data Collection and Analysis 7.1 Sampling 7.2Read MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesthe richness and complexity of real-life management situations and we would also encourage readers and tutors to take every possible opportunity to explore the live strategic issues of organisations – both their own and others. The following brief points of guidance should prove useful in selecting and using the case studies provided: ââ€"  The summary table that follows indicates the main focus of each of the chosen case studies – together with important subsidiary foci (where appropriate). In general

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Life Science free essay sample

Through fossil records from Hyracotherium to Mesohippus to Merychippus to Pleshippus to the Equus, one can see the development of dentition, limbs and skull based on the environment that the horses adapted to with time. Environmental changes from the Eocene to the Holocene brought about natural selection as the horses’ initial characteristics could not adapt. In order to survive, horses evolved traits such as stronger limbs, tougher teeth and others that best fit and adapted to their surroundings. In this lab, we examined these five horse evolution fossils to understand the change in equine morphology in relation to the habitat and the natural selection within the horse population. Hyracotherium, one of the fossils observed, has morphologic characteristics that suggest life in thick, closed canopy forests. The species’ dental characteristic, bunodont, is an indication of a browsers eating habit. In addition, the small skull, small rostrum and a short masseter implies a diet of easily chewable and digestible soft foods, like berries and nuts, mainly found in forests. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Science or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also, their digitgrade limbs are most adaptable to a habitat requiring more maneuverability than speed. In a thick canopy forest, speed would be unnecessary as there would be obstacles of trees, shrubs and wet grounds. Rather, maneuverability would be much more efficient in a forest where the surroundings are bushes, shrubs and trees. This type of limb also becomes easily fatigued and while that is dangerous in an open grassland, this quality is acceptable in a thick canopy forest where running is limited to short periods of time. Beginning in the Miocene, as the climate became drier and cooler, the increase in grasslands influenced the morphology of horses teeth and jaw. Before the Miocene, horse populations showed signs of bunodont teeth that were meant for living in forests or areas plentiful of soft foods. However, the increase in grasslands evolved the horses’ teeth from bunodont to laphodont and then to selenodont. In order to eat, the horses evolved their dentition and jaws to adapt to the grasslands. As the only available food source became grass, their masseter needed to be longer so that the muscle would be able to chew and digest the tough grass. In addition, data shows the evolving trend of longer skull lengths and increasing side placements of eyes which can be attributed to the grasslands from the Miocene. Because their food source was low on the ground, horses evolved longer jaws so that they can bend down slightly to eat but keep their heads relatively high up from the ground to use peripheral vision for protection. As horses began to increase in size, trends show that limbs go from digitigrades to unguligrades; from short weak limbs to longer and stronger limbs. As size increased from the Hyracotherium species to the present Equus species, their limb bones became thicker with higher width/length ratios to adjust to support the added size weight. The number of toes also decreased and the internal struts also strengthened the internal limb bone. As the forests died away, giving way to Miocene’s vast grasslands, horses required legs to give them agility and speed in order to run quickly for long periods of time without fatigue. To adapt, horses evolved long, columnar limbs that end in a small number of functioning digits but have springy tendons which were highly durable and efficient at transferring muscular energy into forward motion. Despite their speed, the long limbs lacked the muscles aiding rapid locomotion. As the horse limbs became longer, the trade off was the loss of direction and easy maneuverability. Needing to adapt to the new grasslands, horses required speed more than maneuverability to survive.