What Is the Theory of Human Evolution and What Evidence Appears to Substantiate the Theory free essay sample

Evolution is defined as â€Å"any process of progressive change†; and the theory is complex life forms from our time have descended from earlier ones that existed long ago (Hunt, p. 29). The theory of evolution was first made popular by Charles Darwin an English Biologist, he spent a good amount of his time trying to find evidence to support his many ideas. It is believed that the human species has its origins in Africa. Scientists share the belief that a human like creature originated from the apes and over time, through many changes the final result was a group of hominids, they do however disagree on when and why the different characteristics begun begun to show themselves. It had been discovered that humans and the other primates do have some differences, for one humans have a larger brain, we walk on two legs, go through a longer periods childhood and juvenile life stages, we have the ability to speak and to form culture (Parker, p. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is the Theory of Human Evolution and What Evidence Appears to Substantiate the Theory? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ). Evolution occurs through a series of processes, including sexual reproduction and mutation, where some more desirable traits may be passed on to the next generation either by chance or natural selection. Natural selection played a major role in the understanding of evolution, it meant that individuals that have traits more favorable to adapting to its environment are more likely to survive and pass on those traits to their offspring. This led to the notion of â€Å"survival of the fittest†. The trait selected to move on showed up in the next generation and defines which direction evolution will take. Over time the theory of evolution has grown to include findings that were discovered from other scientists, between the 1970’s and 1990’s fossils were found, they had smaller brains, long arms, short legs and did not use stone tools and they were known as australopithecines. Also between 1992 and 2002 more fossils were dug up that predated the australopithecines, making scientist re-evaluate their earlier theories (Parker, p. 9). Our Ancestors Life is believed to have originated billions of years ago and over time organisms mutated and evolved into other more complex life forms. It is stated that humans came from earlier primates from about 65 to 70 million years ago. Humans are the only species (as a basic biological classification containing individuasl that resemble one another and may interbreed) of Homo sapiens who are still around today; the other two Homo habilis and Homo erectus are extinct. Below are the stages of human evolution and the order they came in. The LCA is a term used to represent our Last Common Ancestor with the apes, this group includes the Dryopithecus, they lived in Africa and were not typically a two-legged animal. (2)The Basal Hominins are some of the earliest fossils found and are dated seven to four million years ago. This class included the Sahelonthropus and the Orrorin tugenensis, they also lived in Africa and evidence was found that they might have stood upright. (3)Fossils dating 3. 5 to 2. 4 million years ago were found to be the Early Human Ancestors, they include the Australopithecus anamensin, Australopithecus Africanus. Garhi and Homo habilis they also lived in Africa and were discovered to have used simple stone tools. There were skeletal changes found in them which indicated that they walked on two legs. (4)Next we have the Middle Period Human Ancestors, they lived 1. 9 million to 300,000 years ago and included the Homo erectus and Homo ergaster, they made and used stone tools as well. This group left Africa for China, Georgia and Jara. They were found to have been larger, walking on two legs, and had a larger brain. 5)The Recent human Ancestors lived from 800,000 to 250,000 years ago; this group included the Homo antecessor and Homo neanderthalensis. Fossils of Homo sapiens were also found and dated about 160,000 years ago. This group also moved out of Africa and went to the Middle East, South East Asia and Europe. They had larger brain sizes and their cultural remains were similar to preliterate living humans. The term Human Ancestor is used to categorize all fossils dated between the split of ancestral African apes, to the earliest hominin and then to the modern humans. More up to date evidence suggests that the last common ape ancestor of the African apes and humans actually lived in Europe first and not in Africa; anthropologists found that no ape fossils existed in Africa before four million years. This means that their ancestors actually left Europe and went to Africa when the climate changes forced them to move. What is the Concept of Culture? Name Two Theoretical Perspectives and the Proponents of those theories. The term culture has many meanings to a lot of people, it is hard sometimes to determine what culture is there has been debates of what it really means. But culture is defined as being â€Å"the total pattern of human behavior and its products, embodied in thought, speech, action and artifacts† (Hunt, p. 68). It is a way of life for many, It’s how we think, and do things that is passed down from the parents to their children, and so on, some might also say that it is having an education, having better knowledge og the finer things of society this they may term as being cultured. Edward Tylor an anthropologist says that culture is complex and includes knowledge, belief, art, law and habits acquired by man as a member of society. His definition of culture highlights says that it is a product of people living together and learning from each other while committing them to memory and passing them on (Parker, p. 2). We acquire knowledge, religion, skills, and morals from our environment, and we get them through socialization, which then shape our personalities, allowing us to fit in properly in our different societies. Just about everything in our lives we learn from listening to others, and reading about the experiences of others. Cultural Evolution Cultural evolution describes the establishment and growth of culture. Anthropologists of the 19th century who studied culture wanted to develop a â€Å"science of culture† that could include the universal laws of human nature. During their revisions they established some rules (1) Cultures all over the world developed progressively over time, (2) that cultural progress took place from simple to complex forms, and (3) that cultural evolution led to the growth of civilization. It was also said that in cultural advancement all cultures went through the same stages as evolution, and the reason for the differences in cultures was on account of the different stages they were in at the time, because the rate of evolution was different for everyone with some slow at times and fast at others. Edward Tylor believed in â€Å"the psychic unity of man† and he thought that all cultures are capable of progression because of this. Tylor also came up with the comparative method that defined the notion of survival as a process, customs, and opinions which are carried on by force. Diffusionism Diffusionism was an attempt to understand how the traits of culture came about and how they spread from one society to another, it is defined as the spread of a cultural detail from its source to other places. One version is called heliocentric diffusion, it is the believed that all cultures originate from just one, another culture circles is that there was once a very limited number of cultures that the many we have today came from, last every society was influenced by other and the process of diffusion is contingent and arbitrary. In the 19th century two different notions presented themselves, one was again the â€Å"psychic unity of mankind† which states that all humans have similar psychological traits that make them equally likely to transform. But evolutionists believed that growth in culture was constant or caused by outside variables, this caused many to say that developments occurred independently of each other and that diffusion had nothing to do with cultural development. In the 20th century Acculturation even though its roots are set it diffusionism began to overshadow it. Acculturation is the process of organized cultural change of a certain society carried out by someone of a more dominant one, the change happens because the two are in direct contact with each other, and those of the less dominant society are exposed to the language and practices of the other and are then assimilated into that society. According to Milton Gordon assimilation has three stages that a person has to go through. (1) Behavioral assimilation, (2) structural assimilation and (3) marital assimilation which is the coming together of people of the lesser society with those of the dominant one.

EFL Classroom

CALL Use in the ESL/EFL Classroom There has been much debate over the use of computer assisted language learning (CALL) in the ESL/EFL classroom over the past decade. As you are reading this feature via the Internet (and I am writing this using a computer), I will assume that you feel that CALL is useful to your teaching and/or learning experience. There are many uses of the computer in the classroom. As a teacher, I find that CALL can be successfully employed not only for grammar practice and correction, but also for communicative activities. As most of you are familiar with the programs that offer help with grammar, I would like to focus on the use of CALL for communicative activities. Successful communication learning is dependent on the students desire to participate. Im sure most teachers are familiar with students who complain about poor speaking and communication skills, who, however, when asked to communicate, are often reluctant to do so. In my opinion, this lack of participation is often caused by the artificial nature of the classroom. When asked to communicate about various situations, students should also be involved in the actual situation. Decision making, asking for advice, agreeing and disagreeing, and compromising with fellow students are all tasks that cry out for authentic settings. It is in these settings that I feel CALL can be used to great advantage. By using the computer as a tool to create student projects, research information and provide context, teachers can employ the computer to help students become more involved in the task at hand, thereby facilitating the necessity of effective communication within a group setting. Exercise 1: Focus on Passive Voice Generally, students coming from around the world are more than happy to speak about their native country. Obviously, when speaking about a country (city, state etc.) the passive voice is required. I have found the following activity using the computer to be of great assistance in helping students focus on the correct use of the passive voice for communication and reading and writing skills. Inductively review the passive structures in class (or introduce the passive structures)Provide a text example, focusing on a specific location, that includes many passive voice structuresHave students read through the textAs a follow-up, have students separate passive voice and active voice examplesUsing a program such as Microsoft Encarta or any other multimedia encyclopedia, (or the Internet) have students working in small groups find information about their own nation (or any city, state etc.)Based on the information they have found, students then write a short report together at the computer (using a spell check, communicating about formatting etc.)Students then report back to the class presenting their report created at the computer This exercise is a perfect example of involving students in an authentic activity that focuses on communication skills while at the same time including a grammar focus, and uses the computer as a tool. Students have fun together, communicate in English and are proud of the results they achieve - all ingredients for successful inductive learning of the passive voice in a communicative manner. Exercise 2: Strategy Games For younger learners of English, strategy games can be one of the most effective ways to get students to communicate, agree and disagree, ask for opinions and generally use their English in an authentic setting. Students are asked to focus on the successful completion of a task such as solving riddles (Myst, Riven) and developing strategies (SIM City). Choose a strategy game such as a SIM or mysteryHave students divide into teamsCreate a specific task in the game itself, such as the completion of a certain level, the creation of a certain type of environment, the solving of a specific riddle. This is important for providing a framework and specific language needs/goals for a common ground in the classroom.Have students complete the task.Have students come together in the classroom and compare strategies. Once again, students who find it difficult to participate in a classroom setting (Describe your favorite holiday? Where did you go? What did you do? etc.) generally become involved. The focus is not on their completing a task which can be judged as correct or incorrect, but rather on the enjoyable atmosphere of teamwork which a computer strategy game provides.

Protecting the homeland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Protecting the homeland - Essay Example There is no specific way to determine that being prepared will eliminate signs of trouble, disaster, or negative effects. The process simply adjusts the mindset of the individuals involved to meet the adversity head on and with as much resistance that can be managed. In the nations past a preparedness program was successfully demonstrated by President Woodrow Wilson. President Wilson was against the United States being involved in World War I. However, he was denied any advances for an agreement of peace amongst the U.S. and Germany. When terms were not agreed upon the President decided to focus attentions on preparing the Army, marines, and navy for being forced into the war. At the time some individuals felt as though Wilson was planning to push the U.S. into war because of his strategy. In 1917, the President was drawn into the war on Germany despite his â€Å"He Kept Us Out of War†, campaign. The major event here was the amount of readiness the President possessed on behal f of the U.S. With the determination of his armies, Wilson retrieved an Armistice from Germany in efforts to further a peace agreement. With these efforts the President was able to deliver his Fourteen Points speech that would be a big factor to ending the war completely (Woodrow Wilson, p. 1). Based on earlier arguments, it is conceived at this point that although President Wilson took necessary steps to avoid the United States interaction in World War I, he also prepared us for war. Not only did he get his troops in line, the President was well enabled to produce a solution to the issues that spawned a full war in the first place. Wilson was not able to stay out of battle. It actually took him well over a year to get Congress to sign off on his Fourteen Points. This tactic is a good example of what preparedness is about. Fighting and disagreement may not always be completely avoidable, but a solution and plan should readily be prepared to produce a means for an end. It should also be acknowledged that even with preparedness concept efforts there have been several terrorist attacks focused on United States soil. More importantly, there have been attacks directed at symbols of the nations success and power such as the World Trade Center. These types of attack demonstrate a will of terrorists to damage the United States image as a major authority. Being able to defy that authority at whatever level is a specific aim by any attack. The message that terrorists deliver will not be one that seeks to minimize damage to the U.S. or its citizens. In February of 1993 a bombing attack was demonstrated on the World Trade Center. There was a truck positioned beneath the North Tower intended to collapse the North and South Towers of the Trade Center. The bomb did not successfully kill thousands but it did manage to kill nearly ten individuals and injure over one thousand. Then again on September 11 of 2001 there was another significant attack on the World Trade Center. In this case planes hijacked by terrorists were aimed at taking out the Towers. Of the four planes taken two hit the mark and leveled the Twin Towers. This time the terrorists attempts managed to bring about the demise of over three thousand individuals. Attacks like these have attempted to crumble the United States position for decades. In light of all the attempts at the expense of