Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Other courses

Fundamentals of Ecology

Ecology is the scientific discipline in which the relationships among living organisms and the interactions they have with their environments are studied.

Key Concepts

The biosphere consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere. A habitat is an area where an organism lives.

Ecosystem Components

Abiotic factors are nonliving factors in an organism’s environment, while biotic factors are living factors in an organism’s environment.

Levels of Ecological Organization

Ecological studies focus on several levels:

• Organism
• Population
• Community
• Ecosystem
• Biome
• Biosphere

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

Producers and Consumers

Autotrophs (producers) make their own food, while... Continue reading "Ecology Essentials: Interactions, Energy Flow & Cycles" »

Definition of Law

• A body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by the controlling authority and having legal binding force (Black Law Dictionary).
• Rules enacted by a government authority that govern individuals and relationships in society.

Purposes of Law

1. Keeping Order
2. Influencing Conduct
3. Honoring Expectations
4. Promoting Equality
5. Law as the Great Compromiser

Sources of Law in the United States

Constitutions

• The fundamental law of the land.
• Includes state law as well.

Legislatures and Statutes

• Example: The Clean Water Act.
• Federal (U.S. Congress).
• State Legislatures.
• Local Government (City/County).

Administrative Agencies and Regulations

1. Congress creates a statute.
2. The statute names an administrative agency.
3. The agency makes regulations.
4. These regulations significantly

Reflections on Grief and Betrayal

“O that this too solid flesh would melt”

He wished that his body would just melt, turn to water, and become like the dew. Or that the Almighty hadn’t made a law forbidding suicide. Oh God, God! How weary, stale, flat, and useless everything about life seemed! He moaned. It was terrible. The whole world was like an unweeded garden that had gone to seed – only ugly, disgusting things thrived.

He couldn’t believe what had happened. Only two months dead; no, not even two. Such an excellent king he had been, compared with this one. It was like Hyperion, the sun god, compared to a lecherous satyr. He’d been so loving to his mother that he wouldn’t even allow the gentle breeze of heaven to blow too roughly... Continue reading "Communication Strategy: Analyzing Audience and Emotional Depth" »

SBQ: United Nations

1. UNGA

• Characteristics

> 193 members with one vote each → equality

> Tendency for voting groups/blocs/alliances, especially with superpower rivalry

> Composition of members will determine if a resolution is passed

> Struggle for power between the GA and SC in issues of peace and security

• 45-60: pro-West (Cold War context)

> Growth of GA

> Accelerating decolonization

> Increased influence, bypassing SC with Uniting for Peace Resolution in 1950

> Can recommend the use of force

> Easier for the US to push its own agendas

• 65-91: anti-West (↑ Third World, decolonization, pro-Soviet)

> 3rd world own agenda, members were unstable, poor & socially divided

• Post 1991: open universal membership

> Marginalization... Continue reading "Understanding the United Nations: Key Bodies and Functions" »

Text 1 is a public service announcement conceptualized and designed by Terremoto Propaganda, a creative ad agency based in Curitiba, Brazil. The title of the PSA is “Stop the Violence: Don’t Text and Drive”. Text 2 is a newspaper article written by Barbara Ortutay, a technology writer for the Associated Press. The title of the article is “Distracted Driving is Rampant Across North America”. Both texts share many commonalities and differences with regards to context, purpose, audience, and formal and stylistic features.

Each text has a unique context that is different from the other. The context of Text 1 is a PSA created as part of an ad campaign for the bus rapid transit system, Ecovia. The PSA, published in January 2013, was created... Continue reading "Understanding the Impact of Texting and Driving Awareness" »

Learning and Teaching Concepts

Understanding Learning Styles

Visual Learners: Characteristics and Benefits

• Will have very good visual memory and be able to visualize remembered scenes, objects, or faces years later.
• Will enjoy and benefit from visually presented information such as graphs, posters, maps, and more.
• Will utilize a visual spelling strategy and thus "see" words and their constituent shapes as they spell them.
• Will look upwards when accessing remembered information.
• Will use visual predicates: "I see what you mean," "just imagine," and similar phrases.

The Role of Motivation in Learning

Defining Motivation

Motivation has traditionally been used to describe and explain differences in the intensity and direction of behavior. It is the state... Continue reading "Effective Learning: Styles, Motivation, and CLIL in Education" »

September 2009 Analysis: Abortion Law & Public Opinion

Understanding Abortion Legislation

Question 1: Legal Status and Parental Consent

• 1a: Currently, it is a crime to have an abortion... [related to] her physical or mental health.
• 1b: The new abortion law would... [allow] abortion without parental consent.

Question 2: Provisions and Public Opposition

• 2a: True with a provision that would allow girls over 16 to have an abortion without parental consent.
• 2b: False. Hundreds of doctors, scientists, and other Spanish professionals also signed a manifesto earlier this month rejecting the government's plans.
• 2c: True. Only 15% of Spaniards oppose abortion under any condition.

Question 3: Related Terminology

• 3a: Support
• 3b: Clash
• 3c: Demonstrations
• 3d: Endangers

Answers

Consumer Society and Environmental Impact

It is often said that we live in a Consumer Society; we consider it important to buy products and services. Companies need to be aware of the impact of this on the Environment, the natural world around us.

Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

Many companies use Packaging (boxes, bottles) which has been Recycled, that is, made using old materials. Pollution, such as smoke in the air, can be reduced if companies use trains instead of road transport.

Raising Capital: Stocks and Bonds

A company can raise money on the Stock Market or Stock Exchange (a marketplace for buying and selling shares) in two different ways:

1. Issuing Shares (US Stocks), or units of its capital, to Institutional Investors.
2. Issuing