In The Year 2000, Only 32 Percent Of Fourth-Graders Could

In the year 2000, only 32 percent of fourth-graders could read skillfully at grade level (â€Å"ed.gov/importance†, 2002). This is a staggering number, but all we see is that 62 percent have are able to read at grade level and that’s still a decent percentage considering it’s the entire US population. These statistics are all taken using adults ages 25 and up. To reach over the age of 25 without having attained at least your HS degree in today’s society is astounding. In 2008, when Barack Obama was still a US Senator, he campaigned to get the No Child Left Behind act fixed. During this campaign, he gave a speech at Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts located in Thornton Colorado. The speech was entitled â€Å"What’s Possible for our†¦show more content†¦He stated that the No Child Left Behind’s program, which was introduced in 2001 wasn’t working as well as it promised it would when it was introduced by former Preside nt Bush. By speaking the truth about the act, and its failures he now had the educators on his side. Obama takes a quote directly from Thomas Jefferson: â€Å"Talent and virtue, needed in a free society, should be educated regardless of wealth or birth† (The Denver Post, 2008). What better way to sway people’s opinions in your favor than by quoting not just a past president, but president who has his likeness carved into the side of a mountain, that mountain being Mt. Rushmore. He was attempting to show that his methods were in line with Thomas Jefferson’s. At this point we can further see that he used logic to expose the flawed education system. To show the deteriorating effects the poor education system has had on the US economy, He dropped a quite staggering metaphor in his speech by stating that â€Å"If the more than 16,000 Colorado students who dropped out of high school last year had only finished, the economy in the state would have seen an additional $4.1 billion in wages over these students’ lifetime† The Denver Post, 2008). This is an extreme example of cause and effect but it definitely drives his point across. The link between education and profits is quite obviously seen here, if you want to make moneyShow MoreRelatedThe Extent at Which Peer Group Affect Students Academic Performance5181 Words   |  21 Pagesactually help improve the overall academic performance of the peer group. †¢ In a comparison of students surveyed, 34% of African American students said that their friends make fun of people who are smart or do well in school. However, by 8th grade only 23% agreed with that statement--regardless of ethnicity. †¢ Another rather large study done by CREDE (the Center for Research in Education, Diversity and Excellence) suggests that peer groups are highly influential during early adolescence but thatRead More Should a child be put in a small class or a large class? Essay2639 Words   |  11 Pagesa small class or a large class? So as a parent would you send your child to a class with over 30 kids? Many people have advocated that children, especially those in grades K-6, should not have to be in a class of 30 kids. A child’s first couple years of school should be a place of comfort to these kids, not a place of distress and confusion. Studies have shown that children who are taught in small classes are likely to achieve more later on, whereas those who begin school as a part of a largerRead MoreSteve Jobs Essay2155 Words   |  9 PagesHe made a bet with his friends that he would be able to find a wife within two weeks. He met Clara Hagopian, who was born in New Jersey after her parents fled the Turks in Armenia, and the couple was engaged within ten days. Clara realized that she could not have children, so the married couple looked at adoption (Issacson 28-29). Joanna Schieble was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin. She lived within a strict household where her father was extremely strict about dating. When JoannaRead More America’s Drug War Essay3563 Words   |  15 PagesThe War on Drugs, like the war on Terrorism, is a war that America may not be able to afford to win. For over forty years the United States has been fighting the War on Drugs and there is no end in sight. It has turned into a war that is about politics and economics rather than about drugs and criminals. The victims of this war are numerous; but perhaps they are not as numerous as those who benefit from the war itself. History of U.S Drug Policy: While laws prohibiting the use of drugs, in oneRead MoreSupporting the Development of English Literacy in English Language Learners22851 Words   |  92 Pagesliving in the United States more than doubled, from 3.5 to 8.6 million. As the number grew, immigrant children represented a larger percentage of students in U.S. schools, increasing from 6% in 1970 to 16% in 1995 and 19% in 1997 (Ruiz de Velasco Fix, 2000). While their numbers have increased, English language learners (ELLs) lag significantly behind their fluent English-speaking peers in reading. For example, in California, ELLs participating in statemandated standardized testing performed worse atRead MoreFactors Affecting Class Attendance of Selected Bachelor of Science in Cruise Line Operatons Students6991 Words   |  28 Pagesassessment of the respondentson the attendance problems when grouped according to sex. Scope and Limitations of the Study This study was focused to the following: This study will focus on the assessment to theattendance problems of selectedstudents. Only the students ofBS Cruise Line Operation (BSCO).The venue of the study was at Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science andTechnology (EARIST). This study will be form November 2012 toMarch 2013. Significance of the Study This study willRead MoreInstrumentation in Mathematics8575 Words   |  35 PagesReading a Tape Measure 25 Reading a Decimal Ruler 26 Reading a Metric Ruler 27 Reading a Standard Ruler 28 Measuring in Inches 29 Measuring in Centimeters 30 Converting Feet to Inches 31 Converting Fahrenheit to Celsius 32 Find the Temperature for each Thermometer in Degree Celsius 33 What is the reading in milliliters for each graduated cylinder? 34 Liquid Measure Quiz 35 Conversion Factors 36 Converting English to Metric 37 Read MoreInstrumentation in Mathematics8559 Words   |  35 PagesTape Measure 25 Reading a Decimal Ruler 26 Reading a Metric Ruler 27 Reading a Standard Ruler 28 Measuring in Inches 29 Measuring in Centimeters 30 Converting Feet to Inches 31 Converting Fahrenheit to Celsius 32 Find the Temperature for each Thermometer in Degree Celsius 33 What is the reading in milliliters for each graduated cylinder? 34 Liquid Measure Quiz 35 Conversion Factors 36 Converting English to MetricRead MoreGrade 12 National Assessment Of Educational Progress6761 Words   |  28 Pagesthe NAEP mathematics scale, and students scoring at or above 302 on the NAEP reading scale are likely to possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities in the core subjects that would make them academically prepared for college coursework. In 2013, only 39% and 38% of students tested in mathematics and reading, respectively, demonstrated that they were academically prepared for college coursework. ACT (2014) reports that 57% of that year’s graduating class took the ACT college readiness assessmentRead MoreFruit Tree Diversity And Fruit Consumption9387 Words   |  38 Pagesand food security of smallholder land users are often at risk from unpredictable harvests, land degradation and climate change (Paumgarten and Shackleton, 2011; Mertens et al., 2000; Ndoye and Kaimowitz, 2000; Sunderlin et al., 2000). Of about one billion hungry people globally, 98% live in developing countries. Seventy percent of chronically hungry people are smallholder farmers, 43% of total farmers worldwide are women and 38% of youths in Africa are working in agriculture (Conway and Wilson, 2012;

E-Portfolio Concepts Of Competency And Self Assessment - Regulation

Question: How does improving your skills with an e-portfolio link to the concepts of competency, self-assessment and self-regulation? Answer: E-Portfolio of nursing professional is an online portfolio, which contains documents related to academics, certificates, skills, developed knowledge, career graph, and their competencies. The e - portfolio includes presentation, published articles and volunteer work related to the profession. Self-assessment is a self-directed program, which help students in learning. This helps nursing professionals in identifying their area of expertise, strength and learning needs. Self-assessment helps in developing learning goal, which you develop nursing practice standard. Once you decide and develop your skills, you can linked by e-portfolio to apply for jobs. Self-assessment is divided into two components, one is a reflection which helps in discovering the strength, skills and learning needs. This will help in building nursing competencies (EDCAN, 2008). When reflecting, consider how changes in elements have an impact in your nursing practice. The introduction of advanced technology or innovative technique, process or skill in nursing practice should be learned. Nurses should adapt, to learn changes occur in practice environment, which require additional knowledge and wisdom in delivering safe and ethical nursing care. The results from practice reflection should be utilized in developing goals and learning plan (Green, J., et al. 2013). The second component is developing and maintaining learning plan, to achieve success in a nursing career. Practice reflection forms the initial base of learning plans. Learning plan has recorded task which a nurse do to maintain his/her competencies (Green, J., et al. 2013). Competencies for nurses is defined as knowledge, skill, attitude, sound wisdom and judgement required for safe and ethical nursing practice. Registered nurse should have these core competencies like to describe the action and responsibility for own decision, fulfilling the role of the registered nurse as a member of nursing and health care team, professional accountability and responsibility to provide ethical practice of nursing and give standard and ethical services to public to gain their trust. These competencies must be mentioned in the linked e - portfolio, which work as a reflection of nurse in achieving goals (Competencies for entry-level Registered Nurse practice, 2014). Self-regulation finds individuals among nursing professional, who are capable of determining and standards of nursing education and practice. Self-regulation involves nursing regulatory body which maintains standard in nursing practices for the trust of the public. These nursing regulatory bodies provide best possible environment where nurses can meet their standards and ethical obligation. Nurses are abiding by standards of practice and ethical values of the nursing profession. When nurses stand upright and hold values for standards, then they gain public interest and respect (Nursing now, 2007). Self-regulation is a privilege granted by government and easily taken away by them. To maintain this privilege, a nursing profession is accountable and responsible for government and public. One way to maintain this privilege by nursing professionals is to involve the public in a discussion organized by the health care team and nursing regulatory body or to appoint public representative among nursing societies or health care society. Self-regulation, self-assessment and competency are linked to e- portfolio in improving nurses' skills. As portfolio consists of document related to these three concepts, which help in building a professional image among hiring committees, nursing regulatory body and public because this portfolio is visible online. References 1. College of Nurses of Ontario, 2012, Davenport, Toronto. 2. Competencies for entry-level Registered Nurse practice, 2014, Davenpoet, Torrento. 3. EDCAN, 2008, Competency Assessment in Nursing: a Summary of the Literature. 4. Green, J., et al. 2013, Electronic portfolios in nursing education: A review of the literature, Nurse Education in Practice. 5. Nursing now, 2007, Canadian nurses association, Ottawa.

Personal Statement1 Essay Example For Students

Personal Statement1 Essay â€Å"So, sweetheart, what would you like for Christmas,† my dad asked while I was sittingdown flipping through some catalogs one December afternoon. As I put the last of thecatalogs down, I went into my room and thought about what I wanted. I never trulydesired anything until that year. I was eleven. Within the past couple months in school,we had received new computers. While being introduced to Photoshop and the Internetsimultaneously, I knew what I wanted out of my life. The way Photoshop manipulatedpictures and backgrounds, and overlapped them with the transparency command, I knewLater on that evening as I scooped up the mashed potatoes from my plate and putthem into my mouth, I heard my mothers voice, â€Å"Hunny, your father and I are goingshopping tomorrow, have you decided what you want for Christmas yet?† I gentlynodded my head up and down, and responded, â€Å"Yes, but its too expensive, so I’ll pass.† They requested my answer again saying they w ill decided if it costs too much money. So, Itold them that I wanted an Internet ready computer with Photoshop and otherWeeks had gone by and Christmas crept closer. Finally, it was 6:00AM Christmasmorning as my younger brother began to bang on my door singing Christmas carols. Myparents and I arose quickly, and ran to the Christmas tree. As I opened to what I thoughtwas my last gift, a sweater of course, my dad had disappeared. I could hear him callingmy name from the empty room down the hall. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, yet when Iswung the door open I was in shock. There stood a seventeen inch monitor, tower, colorprinter, flat bed scanner, and a wire connected to the phone line. I didn’t know whether tosit at the computer or to thank my parents. I questioned them, â€Å"Mom? Dad? why would you spend so much money on aChristmas gift?† My Mom replied, â€Å" well, Ani (my nickname), we know that computersare your passion, and as with everything else we want to help you reach your goals. Wewould do anything to make it possible to pursue the things you want.† I ran to my parentsand gave them the biggest hug anyone could ever imagine. Bibliography:

Marriage in Saudi Arabia

The institution of marriage in the world has gone through tremendous revolution throughout history. Saudi Arabian marriages have not been any different, and the population is slowly departing from the traditional procedures and religious demands, previously followed, to more liberal processes. For example, â€Å"while it was customary to marry paternal first cousins or other patrilineally related kin, today fewer close cousin marriages are taking place† (Saudi Arabia Jeddah Weddings Para. 3).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, the fiancà ©e and fiancà © rarely met before the wedding, but today the contrary is happening where the two communicate with each other before the wedding day. Marriage in Saudi Arabia remains a celebration worth tracing right from the time of the proposal until the end of the celebrations. Families and relatives a bsolutely organized marriages in Saudi Arabia. The groom’s family chose the bride, and as aforementioned, the two were not allowed to meet until the wedding day. Since the ideal marriage was tribal, the groom womenfolk found it easy to spot the right bride for him. Families encouraged the young people to marry their cousins to strengthen the tribe and improve their authority in a particular society (Muslim Marriage in Saudi Arabia Para. 1). These marriages were also encouraged because each family knew the background of the prospective bride well. The elders of the prospective bride propagated marriage in Saudi Arabia, and afterward, it was the responsibility of either the groom or the groom’s parents to propose to her father. Subject to the bride parent’s agreement, a meeting would be organized between the two partners and their respective families. However, this step was optional and mainly performed by the more religious families as compared to some tribal fam ilies. This ceremony has been called as the unveiling ceremony’ mainly because the bride, who is normally veiled completely except the eyes, unveils (Saudi Arabia Jeddah Weddings Para. 7). Traditionally, it is referred to as shawfa, meaning ‘the seeing.’ An engagement party is then organized if the groom likes what he sees in the bride. If he accepts ‘what he sees,’ his consent is indicated by the gifts he offers to the bride who on the other hand retains the right to accept or refuse the gifts. Consent of both parties provides a nod to elders to begin negotiations on the amount to be paid as dowry for the bride.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sometimes, the negotiations are carried out between the groom and his father-in-law to be. The charges for the dowry may include monetary terms but extends to jewels, gold, perfume, and incense. The rural folks also include livestock like cows and sheep (Saudi Arabia Jeddah Weddings Para. 11). Mainly, the bride carries out several ceremonies before the actual wedding day. The ceremony is known as Ghurma where her friends come and apply henna on her. Further, she is prepared for the wedding by being anointed with traditional oils and perfumes all over her body (Muslim Marriage in Saudi Arabia Para. 2). However, some of these events are fading away with time mainly because of modernity. This event takes place exactly three days before the wedding day. The men conspicuously miss such occasions although the groom is sometimes allowed in the beginning for photographs. In Saudi Arabia, the wedding ceremony is a fairy tale altogether because it involves two different but concurrent rituals. The men and women do not attend the party together, hence the two ceremonies: each for the two groups. The dressing of both parties is unique; the groom wears traditional Saudi dress viz. white robe, whi te headdress with iqal or something to keep the headdress on, and finally a bisht, which is a long cover. However, with changes in the society, contemporary Saudis wear business suits and traditional western clothing during wedding ceremonies as well (Muslim Marriage in Saudi Arabia Para. 4). â€Å"The bride is usually adorned with traditional dress known as Zaboun and yashmak, which is embroidered with silver thread† (Muslim Marriage in Saudi Arabia Para. 4). The theme color of the marriage ceremony might vary depending on one’s taste especially the bride. The dressing is an essential aspect of the overall ceremony; thus, a lot of attention is given to it. The actual wedding party may go on for up to two days. The men reserve their room separately from the women. Traditionally, the main wedding ceremony is regarded as a women thing, but the men tend to have a small party where they have dinner together and sometimes dance traditionally. One of the most popular traditi onal dances is known as the sword dance where men dance holding swords.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A legal or religious representative conducts the marriage contract, and the couple may sometime be required to register their wedding with the government. According to ‘Muslim Marriage in Saudi Arabia,’ three witnesses, two male, and one female, or three male, may accompany the religious leader (Para. 3). Since the wedding is conducted in different locations, the bride is asked whether she agrees to the marriage in the absence of the groom. The same question is posed to the groom and after the agreement; the groom joins hands with the father-in-law and two more witnesses as a sign of the marriage. A variety of dishes crowns the wedding, but the women party usually has a tremendous variety of dishes. The women party is large and extends late into the night; therefore, they are justified to have more food. Traditional meat dishes are usually on the menu, but the occasion cannot be complete without rice prepared in different styles. Moreover, â€Å"Lamb or chicken is prepared with rice, spice and water are barbecued in a deep hole in the ground† (Muslim Marriage in Saudi Arabia Para. 5). Generally, most dishes are made of rice and a variety of ingredients. Marriages in Saudi Arabia, as discussed by Cherlin, follow the traditional route where one married to love unlike the modern trends of marrying the one you love (353). The fact that the bride and groom rarely meet before the wedding is a testimony that one is not marrying someone s/he loves or has necessarily fallen in love with. The family organized the marriage contradicting today’s belief that everyone is entitled to make his/her own choice of the person s/he will marry. In another note, the Saudi men are polygamous, and one man can take up to four wiv es but on condition that the husband will uphold equity amongst the many wives (Cole Para. 35). The issue of gender roles and division of labor are sanctioned by both state and society where specific jobs are exclusively for men. Women’s duties include to stay at home and to perform household chores.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Saudi Arabian marriage has remained mainly conservative as compared to other countries and cultures. The process and the institution of marriage remain more or less the same as it was centuries ago courtesy of the strong cultural influence as well as enforcement by the government agents. Works Cited Cherlin, Andrew. â€Å"American Marriage in Transition.† Research Composing in the Disciplines. Eds. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman, 2011. Cole, Powell. Countries and Their Cultures: Saudi Arabia, 2011. Web. https://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Saudi-Arabia.html Muslim Marriage in Saudi Arabia. â€Å"Preludes of the Wedding.† Nikahnama.com, 2006. Web. http://www.nikahnama.com/saudi_arabia/index.html Saudi Arabia Jeddah Weddings. Qusay, 2010. Web. This essay on Marriage in Saudi Arabia was written and submitted by user Tyson O. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sample Essay Lesson Plan

Sample Essay Lesson PlanA sample essay lesson plan can give you a much better idea of what you're going to be writing. It will also help you understand and prepare for what you are going to be doing when you're writing the essay. You will also be able to use it as a tool to help you write your essay as well.It's important that you choose a topic for your essay that you find interesting. You don't want to choose a topic that is boring. A good way to start is to figure out what type of subject you would like to write about. Then choose a topic that has meaning to you. The first step is to decide what subject matter you want to write about.For example, if you have a passion for the art then you would likely want to focus on art as a topic. However, if you have a passion for politics you might choose a topic like history. This is because each has a different type of subject matter that you could write about.Your topic could consist of a variety of different essays, as it relates to you, your passions, or interests. When choosing a topic, try to keep it interesting for you by making sure that it is relevant to the focus of your essay.This can be done by focusing on the topics of the essay, what you will be writing about, and what kind of essay you want to create. One of the things you need to do is to go through and start writing. This is a great way to ensure that you have a good experience with the essay and you can see what it is going to be like to write your essay.Using an essay lesson plan can be a good starting point. This will give you a good overview of what you're going to be writing about and help youto come up with some ideas and start a writing process. You will also be able to see what type of essay that you want to write and how to go about the process. After you have a good idea of what you want to write, you can begin to prepare yourself for this process.You will want to learn about some of the things that you can do in order to help you write your essay. It's a good idea to get some practice in before you actually begin writing your essay. One of the things you can do is to use a sample essay plan. This can help you prepare yourself and help you become more comfortable with writing.By using an essay lesson plan, you can be certain that you are going to be ready for whatever type of essay that you will be writing. This is a good way to ensure that you won't run into any difficulties when you write your essay. You can also use this plan as a good starting point to help you get started on your essay.

EKG

EKG To understand the electrocardiograph, otherwise known as the "ECG"  or "EKG" , one must first get to know the human heart. Most people know that the electrocardiogram measures the electrical impulses of the heart, but have no idea of how or why the heart produces these impulses and what they mean. Next, a brief history of the events that led up to the invention of the electrocardiograph is in order. It is always insightful to delve into the thought processes and/or events that resulted in the formation of the tools used in present day. Upon completing these two exercises, one can move on to the details surrounding the electrocardiograph itself. Only then, will there be an appreciation of the important function it serves and a true understanding of how it works.The human heart is in actuality a four-chambered pump for the circulatory system. The ventricles perform the main pumping function of the heart.FASHION : KHOI QUAN + HAIR STYLISTThe atria are blood storehouses while the v entricles are pumping. This resting/filling phase is called the "diastole" . The contractile, or pumping, phase is called "systole" . A series of electrical events take place in the heart during both of these phases. A specific pattern of electrical activation in the musculature of the atria and ventricles causes the contraction of these structures. The electrical activation patterns are initiated by a coordinated series of events that take place in the "specialized conduction system"  of the heart, which is very small in comparison to the total mass of the heart. Several different types of tissue make up the heart: SA and AV nodal tissue, atrial, Purkinje, and ventricular. Each tissue is electrically excitable and exhibits different characteristics which makes their rhythm distinguishable in measurement. Each heartbeat of the normal human heart originates in the SA node. A normal heart...

How To Attack ACT Essay Prompts andRaiseYour Score

How To Attack ACT Essay Prompts andRaiseYour Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The update to the ACT Writing test has many students confused about how best to prepare. With so much more information to read before you start writing, the ACT essay's got to be more complicated right? Nope, not necessarily. Join me as I journey deep into the land of ACT essay prompts. feature image credit: The President of the Academy by indiamos, used under CC BY 2.0. What Does An ACT Writing Prompt Look Like, Anyway? Here’s the prompt I’ll be discussing and dissecting in this article: Public Health and Individual Freedom Most people want to be healthy, and most people want as much freedom as possible to do the things they want. Unfortunately, these two desires sometimes conflict. For example, smoking is prohibited from most public places, which restricts the freedom of some individuals for the sake of the health of others. Likewise, car emissions are regulated in many areas in order to reduce pollution and its health risks to others, which in turn restricts some people’s freedom to drive the vehicles they want. In a society that values both health and freedom, how do we best balance the two? How should we think about conflicts between public health and individual freedom? Read and carefully consider these perspectives. Each suggests a particular way of thinking about the conflict between public health and individual freedom. Perspective One: Our society should strive to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. When the freedom of the individual interferes with that principle, freedom must be restricted. Perspective Two: Nothing in society is more valuable than freedom. Perhaps physical health is sometimes improved by restricting freedom, but the cost to the health of our free society is far too great to justify it. Perspective Three: The right to avoid health risks is a freedom, too. When we allow individual behavior to endanger others, we’ve damaged both freedom and health. Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives on the conflict between public health and individual freedom. In your essay, be sure to: analyze and evaluate the perspectives given state and develop your own perspective on the issue explain the relationship between your perspective and those given Your perspective may be in full agreement with any of the others, in partial agreement, or wholly different. Whatever the case, support your ideas with logical reasoning and detailed, persuasive examples. What ACT Wants to See in Your Essay: A Short Summary Before we dive deep into the depths of ACT Writing prompts, I wanted to quickly mention four key things that you need to do in your essay in order to score above average. These four points are taken from both ACT prompt instructions (as above) and the ACT Writing rubric. To score at least a 6/12 (or an 18/36 if you took the test September 2015-June 2016), your essay must... Pick a point of view. If you don't have a clear thesis that states what your opinion on the issue is, then it will be difficult to get above a 2 in the Ideas Analysis and Development Support domains (for more information on these, go to our articleexplaining the ACT Writing rubric). Discuss all three perspectives. Again, if you fail to address all three perspectives, it will be very difficult to get above a 2 in the Ideas Analysis and Development Support domains. Be organized clearly and logically. If you jump back and forth between ideas without transitions or a logical structure, it will be impossible for you to get above a 2 in the Organization domain on your essay. Be written in standard written English. Some grammatical errors are okay, but the more problems there are, the lower your score in the Language Use domain. For more information like this, read our 15 tips and strategies to use on the ACT essay. Why Are ACT Writing Prompts Written This Way? Now you know what an ACT Writing Prompt looks like, and what the ACT is looking for in your essay. Next question: why are ACT Writing prompts worded the way they are? There are few answers to this question, all of which have to do with why ACT, Inc. changed the essay in the first place. The new ACT Writing Test aligns more closely with the Common Core Writing Standards, which are designed as benchmarks that indicate students are ready for college. Hypothetically, by preparing for the ACT Writing Test, students will also be preparing for college and the type of writing they'll have to do there. Finally, the new ACT essay is designed to get more information about where students are and what areas they’re weak in. If, for instance, a student can analyze and support an argument about an issue, but has difficulty organizing his ideas and using proper grammar, the ACT Writing Test will identify these issues and provide feedback. More important than ACT, Inc.'s motivations for changing the Writing Test, however, are the effects the new ACT essay prompts will have on you. Are the new ACT Writing prompts going to be harder than the old ones? Not exactly. The way ACT Writing frames the essay prompts does a lot of the work for you. Previously, the rubric rewarded students who placed the prompt issue in a broader context, but didn't really provide any guidelines for how to go about doing this. Now, to some extent, the prompt does provide you with a broader context in which to set your argument. A second major change is the inclusion of three different perspectives. ACT Writing always provided two points of view for students to consider, but didn’t necessarily make it clear that you needed to address the view opposite yours and provide multiple points to back up your point of view. Now, by telling you that you have to discuss all three perspectives, ACT, Inc. is being clearer about its expectations. Additionally, each perspective provides not only a point of view, but the beginning of some reasoning to back it up. Rather than struggling to come up with a reason someone would agree with a perspective that you think is completely unreasonable, you now will at least have a starting point for explaining why a perspective might be true to some extent. ACT Writing Prompts: Patterns To Prepare For Purple Textile Pattern by Sherrie Thai, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. The next step is to go into the patterns of topics and perspectives that comprise the ACT Writing prompt. ACT Writing Prompt Topics, Dissected Here's an example of a topic paragraph and title of an essay prompt from an official ACT practice test: Public Health and Individual Freedom Most people want to be healthy, and most people want as much freedom as possible to do the things they want. Unfortunately, these two desires sometimes conflict. For example, smoking is prohibited from most public places, which restricts the freedom of some individuals for the sake of the health of others. Likewise, car emissions are regulated in many areas in order to reduce pollution and its health risks to others, which in turn restricts some people’s freedom to drive the vehicles they want. In a society that values both health and freedom, how do we best balance the two? How should we think about conflicts between public health and individual freedom? In addition to providing introductory material about the topic, this paragraph includes possible examples that can be used in your essay. Even if you didn’t know about the topic before the test, there are enough possible starting points there that a lack of knowledge shouldn’t negatively affect you too much. So what's the pattern behind each ACT Writing topic paragraph? The basic topic is always something along the lines of "How humans are changing the world," or "The way the world is changing?" You're then told about a conflict that has arisen as a result of the change and asked to discuss it. Take the "Public Health and Individual Freedom" prompt. The title gives you the general topic area. Next, the first two sentences lay out the basis of the conflict described in this prompt. In this case, the conflict is between being healthy and being allowed to do whatever you want. Most people want to be healthy, and most people want as much freedom as possible to do the things they want. Unfortunately, these two desires sometimes conflict. The paragraph will go on to provide multiple examples of the prompt in action in the world today. These are all possible examples that you can use in your essay to support your discussion of the three perspectives (more on that later). For example, smoking is prohibited from most public places, which restricts the freedom of some individuals for the sake of the health of others. Likewise, car emissions are regulated in many areas in order to reduce pollution and its health risks to others, which in turn restricts some people’s freedom to drive the vehicles they want. The prompt will usually end with an explicit statement of the conflict - in this case, how can a balance be struck between individual freedom and right to health? You'll be asked to discuss how humans are changing the world (in this case, society and its rules, rather than the physical world). In a society that values both health and freedom, how do we best balance the two? How should we think about conflicts between public health and individual freedom? Finally, you are charged with examining multiple perspectives on the issue, which is restated (the conflict between public health and individual freedom). Write a unified, coherent essay in which you evaluate multiple perspectives on the conflict between public health and individual freedom. Conformal Cats by Steve Jurvetson, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped resized from original. Some see the glass as half-full, some see it as half-empty, and some see it and say, "Why is a cat drinking out of my glass?!" ACT Writing Prompt Perspectives, Dissected There are three basic views that underlie the three perspectives you’re given in the ACT essay prompt. I've titled them based on three different philosophical stances so that they're easier to refer to (rather than calling them A, B, and C). 1. Conservatism Perspectives that fall into this category are not conservative in a political sense. Instead, these perspectives claim that change is not good or positive, or that things are better the way they are (or were). Here are two examples of what this looks like in action: Perspective on "Intelligent Machines": What we lose with the replacement of people by machines is some part of our own humanity. Even our mundane daily encounters no longer require from us basic courtesy, respect, and tolerance for other people. Perspective on "Public Health and Individual Freedom": Nothing in society is more valuable than freedom. Perhaps physical health is sometimes improved by restricting freedom, but the cost to the health of our free society is far too great to justify it. 2. Utilitarianism This perspective takes a practical view of whatever issue is presented in the topic paragraph. It will always be in favor of the most efficient choice that provides the most benefits for as many people as possible. Here are two examples of utilitarian perspectives: Perspective on "Intelligent Machines": Machines are good at low-skill, repetitive jobs, and at high-speed, extremely precise jobs. In both cases they work better than humans. This efficiency leads to a more prosperous and progressive world for everyone. Perspective on "Public Health and Individual Freedom": Our society should strive to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people. When the freedom of the individual interferes with that principle, freedom must be restricted. 3. Progressivism The last perspective is one that is in favor of progress (hence, "progressivism"). It takes the view that the change in the world caused as a result of the issue or conflict is positive. Both of these perspectives from official ACT prompts fit into the "progressivism" category: Perspective on "Intelligent Machines": Intelligent machines challenge our long-standing ideas about what humans are or can be. This is good because it pushes both humans and machines toward new, unimagined possibilities. Perspective on "Public Health and Individual Freedom": The right to avoid health risks is a freedom, too. When we allow individual behavior to endanger others, we’ve damaged both freedom and health. progress by Sean MacEntee, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. How Can I Use This Info In My Essay? 1. Prepare Evidence Ahead of Time Because you know you’ll be asked about ways in which the world is changing, it's possible to come up with examples to use on the test ahead of time. Where should you look for examples? Current events. Pay attention to what's happening in the news and the world today. History. If you're going to be writing about how the world has changed, it helps to know what was true in the past. Think about the ways things have changed in your personal life as you’ve grown up. For instance, in my lifetime, I've seen the change from cassette tapes to CDs to MP3s to streaming music. What are big shifts that you've seen occur? Maybe it's the change from regular cellphones to smartphones, or the election of the first black President of the United States. Make sure that you're able not just to identify the changes, but to discuss WHAT changed before and after these shifts. Since the ACT cannot fact-check you on your own experiences, you can also, as always, make up examples from your own life to support your point. Some students find this option intimidating because it requires being able to quickly think of an example that logically supports a point. If the thought of doing this on the ACT makes you nervous, you should try it out on a practice test first; if it doesn't go well, then you'll know to stick to current, historical, and personal events as examples in your essay. 2. Plan Your Organizational Strategy Since you have to cover three perspectives (at least) on the ACT essay, making sure your essay is organized is more important than ever. But how can you practice being organized on your essay? Using the three core perspectives (conservatism, utilitarianism, and progressivism), figure out what the easiest and most logical way to organize your essay is for you. You might decide that you'll always take the conservative point of view and combine the utilitarian and progressive points of view into one contrasting paragraph, as this sample 6 essay from the ACT website does. Take a look at my step-by-step construction of a top scoring ACT Writing essay for another possible organizational strategy. 3. Try to Construct Your Own ACT Writing Prompts If you really want to get good at answering the ACT essay prompts, try making up your own prompts that adhere to the guidelines I’ve laid out in this article. Thinking up your own ACT essay prompt will force you to come up with the three perspectives on your own and become even more familiar with the way the prompts are constructed. As a bonus, you can then write practice essays in response to these prompts. See if you can get a bunch of friends to do this and swap prompts for practice†¦and FUN! Wedding Ready Boy by ND Strupler, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. Okay, I may be twisting the definition of fun here. Don't give me that look. What’s Next? Now that you understand the central ACT essay question and the three core perspectives, you probably want more prompts to practice with, right? These six ACT Writing prompts are a great place to start! Delve into the steps you need to take to get a perfect 12 on your ACT essay. What’s important in your ACT essay†¦and what’s not? Find out what will have the greatest impact on your essay score with this full analysis of the ACT Writing grading rubric! 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