Is Learning How To Speak Spanish Worth It Professor Ramos Blog

Is Learning How To Speak Spanish Worth It I was put into dual immersion when I was five years old. Dual immersion is a program in school where you learn Spanish and English at the same time. I remember not knowing a word of Spanish but having to take a test to see if I qualified. My parents put me in this program because they felt that it would benefit me more in the future. They always told me that theres a lot more opportunities when it comes to knowing a second language. In this program, from kindergarten to 5th grade, for the most part we were spoke to in Spanish, the only time we ever spoke English is if we absolutely needed to. Leaning Spanish was really difficult for me because not a single person in my family knew how to speak it. I had literally nobody to help me with my homework whether it was to translate something or even my math because that was also in Spanish. I was adopted when I was four years old into a family that was all white, but thats a story for another time. They never really realized how them not knowing how to speak Spanish effected me. My whole life ive always been told that school comes first no matter what. Everyday after school my mom would always say, â€Å"Vyla you better get your homework done first.† That meant no video games, no playing with friends, not even doing my chores. My parents were very strict and made sure to push me to my limits when it came to academics. I remember countless nights sitting at the table for hours trying to finish my homework. Looking back at those times I realize that doing my homework without any help at such a young age benefitted me because it help me retain everything better. Elementary school was critical because thats when you learn literally everything so during this time I always asked my teachers as many questions possible. I struggled a lot with remembering certain words and not knowing how to use the tenses correctly. My favorite teacher was from 1st grade, her name was Ms. Aja. She was so nice to me and made sure to give me all the help I needed. She always had crazy hair that was different colors and she loved to give out candy, she made the learning environment fun. I can honestly say that she probably had the biggest effect on me because she was always there for me and made sure I was understanding everything she was teaching. I enjoyed dual immersion so much, I created unbreakable bonds with teachers and friendships that will last a lifetime. I have friends that Ive Known for more than eight years now all because I met them through this program. Its such a special thing when you share a learning experience with multiple people just like you. I remember having to overcome so many obstacles like presenting in front of the Spanish speaking school board and being scared out of my mind. In all honesty it made things better knowing I had classmates going through the same things, trying to impress the same people. Learning a new language takes a lot of dedication and interest, but over time you develop a passion for it. Being completely fluent in Spanish by the time I was in middle school was convenient because now instead of learning in Spanish in one classroom all day, I was learning English in multiple classrooms throughout the day. With that being said I began to realize that my family not knowing how to speak Spanish was going to be an issue again. Since all my classes were now in English I wasnt using my ability to speak Spanish anymore like I was in elementary school. Speaking from experience, the saying, â€Å"If you dont use it, you lose it† is completely true without a doubt. Therefore when I graduated to high school and had to take Spanish again to meet certain requirements, I was beyond rusty. Being fresh out of high school, going to college and getting a job is something that many people do, to me it was a necessity. I was so excited filling out applications and being able to say im bilingual on them. Something that blows my mind is that even though both teachers and my parents told me opportunities would come, I didnt think much of it until something happened to me recently. Not too long ago I got hired on the spot at subway, and it wasnt until after the interview that my boss told me he was for sure going to hire me all because I knew how to speak Spanish. When he told me that, my face lit up with the biggest smile on it, ive never been more proud and so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn Spanish. With that being said, my journey with learning Spanish definitely had its ups and downs but at the end of the day had, and will continue to have a great outcome with nothing but possibilities. I feel blessed being able to learn a different language because it made me see things in different perspectives and became a part of me that ill be able to take wherever I go.   Ã‚  Ã‚  

American Black Bear Facts

American Black Bear Facts The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a large omnivore that inhabits the forests, swamps, and tundra throughout the more northerly reaches of North America. In some areas such as the Pacific Northwest, it commonly lives at the edges of towns and suburbs where it has been known to break into storage buildings or cars in search of food. Fast Facts: American Black Bear Scientific Name: Ursus americanusCommon Name: American black bearBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 4.25–6.25 feet longWeight: 120–660 poundsLifespan: 10–30 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Forested areas in Alaska, Canada, the United States, MexicoPopulation: 600,000Conservation Status:  Least Concern Description Black bears vary considerably in color throughout their range. In the east, bears are usually black with a brown snout. But in the west, their color is more variable and can be black, brown, cinnamon, or even a light buff color. Along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska, there are two color morphs of black bears that are distinct enough to earn them nicknames: the whitish Kermode bear or spirit bear and the blue-gray glacier bear. Although some black bears may be colored like brown bears, the two species can be distinguished by the fact that the smaller black bears lack the dorsal hump characteristic of the larger brown bears. Black bears also have larger ears that stand more erect than brown bears. Black bears have powerful limbs and are equipped with short claws that enable them to break apart logs, climb trees, and collect grubs and worms. They also claw apart beehives and feed on the honey and bee larvae they contain. Habitat and Range The American black bear lives in forested areas throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico and in at least 40 states in the U.S. They used to live in almost all forested areas of North American, but now they are restricted to areas that are less densely populated by  humans. In Canada, the American black bear still lives in most of its historic range, other than the central plains. These bears also once inhabited the mountainous regions of northern Mexico, but their numbers have dwindled in this region. Black bears are one of three bear species that live in North America; the other two are the brown bear and the polar bear. Of these bear species, black bears are the smallest and most timid. When encountered by humans, black bears often flee rather than attack. Diet Black bears are omnivores. Their diet includes grasses, berries, nuts, fruit, seeds, insects, small vertebrates, and carrion. In northern regions, they eat spawning salmon. American black bears will also occasionally kill young deer or moose calves. In the colder parts of their range, black bears seek refuge in their den for the winter where they enter a winter sleep. Their dormancy is not true hibernation, but during their winter sleep, they refrain from eating, drinking, or excreting waste for as long as seven months. During this time, their metabolism slows and heart rate falls. Reproduction and Offspring Black bears reproduce sexually. They reach reproductive maturity at 3 years of age. Their breeding season occurs in spring but the embryo does not implant in the mothers womb until late fall. Two or three cubs are born in January or February. The cubs are very small and spend the next several months nursing in the safety of the den. Cubs emerge from the den with their mother in spring. They remain under the care of their mother until they are about 1 ½ years old at which time they disperse to seek out their own territory. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the American Black Bears conservation status as least concern.  And, the black bear is the most common bear in North America. However, all large mammals who eat meat- big cats, wolves, and bears- face threats stemming from the loss of prey and habitat. This includes black bears, though they are less affected because 95 percent of their diet is plant-based. American Black Bears and Humans American black bears across North America are also facing a decline in forest areas where they once lived due to the rapid expansion of urban areas. Indeed, most of the challenges black bears face in North America come from humans. American black bears are intelligent and learn quickly where they can find garbage left by people as well as where human food is easily accessible. This makes for the perfect conditions for human-bear conflict, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. The problem is particularly pronounced in backcountry areas where humans hike and camp as well as populated forest areas, leading to dangerous conditions for black bears and humans alike. Sources â€Å"Black Bears.†Ã‚  WCS.org.â€Å"Basic Facts About Black Bears.†Ã‚  Defenders of Wildlife, 10 Jan. 2019.â€Å"Carnivore Collapse.†Ã‚  Defenders of Wildlife, 10 Jan. 2019.

Choose a pathogen Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Choose a pathogen - Assignment Example The disease burden caused by rotavirus is so huge that intervention needs to be taken. Each year rotavirus causes 114 million episodes of gastroenteritis patients, necessitating primary health care and hospitalization. Studies done recently indicative that 41 % of diarrhea in children is mostly caused by rotavirus. If it is controlled, then a bigger portion of hospitalization cases on diarrhea will be reduced drastically, and subsequent deaths cabbed. To this effect, studies have been done on how the virus can be put into control in causing all this epidemiological diseases. The vaccines that were introduced have played an integral role in handling the havoc and the capability of this virus to human population diseases. Rotavirus vaccine has been one of the major breakthroughs in the field of medicine especially pediatric medicine (Bhojwani, 2009). The microscopy of rotavirus is usually done under electron microscope staining procedure. The integrity and the result largely depend on the type, pH and the time of the stain. The three aspects must be put into perspective for the positive finding during observation. Prior to microscopy, the virus must first be isolated, cultured and stained before it can be viewed on the electron microscope. The cultivation of the virus sound technical but also interesting in doing it. The isolation of the virus is done on the stool taken from the human being who is suffering or suspected to have the virus. For example, avian rotavirus strain, CH2, is cultivated in embryonated eggs. It can be done on the yolk sac, amniotic, allantois in combination with membrane of inoculation. After cultivation, the virus will multiply in huge numbers given the multiplying capability. It is from this inoculated culture of the chicken rotavirus virus that a sample undergoes examination via the electron microscope (Parashar et al., 2009). The virus appears as a wheel where the spikes seen are the virulence factors that the virus uses to