The use of practical resources for supporting learning within Essay

The use of practical resources for supporting learning within Mathematics - Essay Example It could help those students that have special needs, like those who have difficulties with the other resources (such as having a hard time in seeing the board due to eyesight problems). It could also help in the development of understanding number and mental calculation for as long as the correct type of resource has been used (Resources to Support Teaching and Learning Mathematics, n.d.). To support develop and learning, the use of primary resources is very important. Recent studies show that the provision of resources helped kinaesthetic learners in making sure that they learn best through movement and manipulation (Education Review Office New Zealand, 2007). Thus, so much attention has been given to such studies who aim to look into the purposes of resources in supporting learning in various subjects such as mathematics. Aside from aiding the learning of students who learn best through manipulation and movement, resources also have different purpose. Firstly, resources provide a visual image. A visual image allows mathematical concepts to be seen and understood clearly by students. As this paper focuses on primary school students, this is vital in explaining to them the different concepts in mathematics together with the different mathematical operations. Secondly, resources could help in supporting a calculation. Using practical sources in supporting calculation c ould help learners follow the process of calculating something (Tanner and Jones, 2000). At the same time, it will guide them through every stage that you have been through, making it easier for him or her to perform the same calculation. This is also necessary in teaching primary school students as they are just beginning to learn the different processes in performing the different mathematical operations. The teacher could make use of number lines in showing how calculations could be broken down in different steps, and that each ‘jump’

Public Governance in England Essay Example for Free

Public Governance in England Essay Governance can be defined as how local government bodies operate and control structure and processes of local authorities to manage their communities under one umbrella. These local bodies ensure quality service to the people and lead communities in a responsible way (Governance). The role of governance is to give clear directions, facilitate new projects, acts and take steps for any foreseen danger to the community.   Public governance deal with public sector and is kept under constant review. It sets out clear principles for the administration to arrange for public regulation. The treasury report states that UK spending had increased to  £500 by the year 2005 and 2006. Public governance would include policy making and providing quality service to public related issues including housing, sanitary, health, education, sewage and water supply management. Public governance ensures quality services to the citizens and taxpayers.   In public governance there is no combined code or any equivalent code of principles. However, there is an alternative individual codes and guidance that are specifically made for individual specific public bodies.   In 2004 a commission comprising key leaders from public was established by three different institutes, Chartered institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), the Office of Public Management (OPM) and Joseph Rowntree foundation. The goal was to establish good governance principles for public services equivalent to Combined Code. These principles would support publicly funded bodies.   The Good Governance Standard For Public was published in 2005 by the commission that addressed issues for the members of public, governing bodies, public services, organizations, governors and those who develop codes for governance (Good Governance Briefing).   The governance of both public and private sector are combined and supervised by the unitary board model. This board is formed by executive and non-executive directors who are responsible for management of daily business and those tasks that are independent of the management respectively. The board functions to monitor both the governance.   The role of the boards of public governance and private governance is somewhat similar, but public sector is more complex. In public governance there is no standard organisational shape and no legislation operate public bodies. That is, public services do not work under any legislative framework instead they have unified boards of independent executive and non-executive directors.   Most non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are exclusively comprised of non-executive directors. Some organizations have both executive and non-executive, while some other operate under one chief executive who is the top level member of the board and there is no other equivalent executive with him (Good Governance Briefing).   Supervisory boards are formed by the members from diverse stakeholders and are much larger than unified boards. Good governance is very important for successful public administration. Public sector failure results from poor governance. However, the poor governance is not just the result of any poor performance in single issue or service (Governance). But poor governance results from a number of factors that when combined pose several problems in the public sector administration. The quality of service by the public governance matters a lot for the people to gain trust in that government. To gain trust from its people public governance must offer quality service and assure them proper security, health, education to live in prosperous society. Loss of public trust is of immense importance for the public government. Once people do not support that government then it can threaten their accomplishment as a strong government.   Public governance must follow good governance policies and its main goal is to have a lot of trust from its people. Public government can have good image by having good support from its people. In forming rules and regulation public government will always keep in mind the facilities for the people of community. Public governance strives for quality service in education and health to its people. Once people choose not to support that government and not to participate in voting or vote against it then it can be fragmented (Governance).   Public government is also responsible for health and sanitary conditions in the community. It is involved in operating public hospitals and is responsible for maintaining high standard of medical treatment, medical services, cleanliness and sanitation of the hospitals. Public run hospitals must have proper healthcare system in order to provide proper health to the community and its people (Stolzenber). It is the responsibly of the governance to adopt strategies to preserve its viable function and also improve its structure to attain high health standards.   Characteristics of public governance must be strong enough to participate in the market-driven economy. The infrastructure of the governance must be efficient and flexible to operate independently of the bureaucratic impediments. Only high standards of governance can lead to successful and prosperous communities.   In public governance some departments have independent lay members and magistrates. These include police authorities. The Local Government Act 2000 developed three different types of political structures to be followed by local authorities. Each local body will develop proposals to adopt any of the three structures either as an executive role or scrutiny role. The council of higher education mainly adopts the executive role.   There are around 450,000 governors in the public service organizations. Every governor is responsible for leading and directing the workforce, organizing their tasks and fulfill their main objectives. They work for the public interest.   References   New Charity Regulation. http://lawreview.kentlaw.edu/articles/80-2/Morris.pdf Stolzenber, Edward A. Governance Change for Public Hospitals. Retrieved from http://www.ache.org/mbership/advtofellow/caserpts/governance99.cfm Governance. Retrieved from http://www.improvementnetwork.gov.uk/imp/core/page.do?pageId=1007044

Online Education And Traditional Education Education Essay

Online Education And Traditional Education Education Essay Thousands of people turned to online teaching them to complete their education to rise to the high level in their jobs and them to take qualifying courses or improve their level of education .It has influence in our society such as helped a lot of people who can not come to the seat of education, and it has its pros such as gives us with an chance to develop technology skills for teachers and students, and cons such as It is known that online education is not for all people, not for the uncontrolled educated or inflexible instructors , and there is a difference between online education and traditional education, and it has types. It is highly important to say that learning is no longer confined within the four walls of a classroom. The instructor, armed with a textbook, is no longer the sole source of educational experience. It is also known that Information resources are everywhere, often separated from the learner by time and space. Online Education defines the process of connecting learners with these remote resources. No one can deny that Learning is a lifelong pursuit where training and retraining become strategies for both individual and corporate success. It is noted that there are a variety of Online Education solutions for every educational need. It is thought that some people agree that Online Education has come a long way and opened new vistas in the field of education, some researchers are still questioning the value of learning through non traditional means. Whatever is the case, there are various opinions to consider and they are all true in their own right. This search for the purpose of to show people different between online education and traditional education .Many people prefer traditional education than online education. Introduction Online Education can be defined as a media based, remote, or asynchronous and supported by some instructional systems, it vans also be defined as it is a formalized teaching and learning system dedicated Because it can learn through electronic media and the Internet, and online education low cost and do not require specific places for education. It is noted that Online Education offers more opportunities Cases where it is difficult to traditional education of students with difficulty scheduling or distances as well as distance education can be easier and more flexible in terms of time and place There are three popular Online Education technologies include: is Voice-centered technology, such as CD or MP3 recordings, is Video technology, such as instructional videos, DVDs, and interactive videoconferencing, and Computer-centered technology delivered over the Internet or corporate intranet. Many surveys, studies and researched highlight the fact that Online Education Can be online education such as traditional education to provide appropriate ways for teaching assignments, and no interaction between student and teacher, and can be for students and teachers formulation their opinions in a timely manner. No one can deny that this type of education has merits and demerits, in our research, we will focus on that fact, we will do our best to discuss it I a manner that helps us to develop the Saudi educational system and upgrade its output. One of the most important benefits of Online Education is that beneficial for gifted and slower Students for many reasons such as : one hand, Provides advanced education and good for all ages, especially for students who have been deprived of the school environment . On the other hand, it provides students with individualized Online Education classes allow interactive. Stimulate and support and boost the morale of students that will enable them to progress in our time. Help develop and expand the horizons of children from gifted students through improved curricula. On the other hand, one can not deny that online education works to save money, and one of its advantages. While in traditional education to provide a budget for many requirements such as housing and gas, and other needs of students both in online education do not need them, with the students ability to full education at But, we can conclude that Become rare to use and transport, and they only need a computer and a quiet place suitable for the study, and there are a lot of students dream to go to the headquarters of the study. In our research we will identify the importance of online education and the pros and cons, and its effects on society and types. Figure 1.1 Online Education. Discussion First of all, we a student group would like to say that our research report will be forwarded to all people who want to complete their education, but they still have some problems in time or anything, also for student in higher education or secondary student in some country. Due to the developments in Information Technology and the industrial revolution as well, it is agreed that there are many new ways and modes of transfer and accommodate materials for students .Which make education floppy in nature ,and also not strictly obliged by time and place . Some studies mentioned the fact that: there is information already collected by the researchers and findings reached can be extrapolated across all the universities imparting education in Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, the applicability of certain previous studies in gathering data and then inferring concrete results may not be quite fully applicable to Saudi Arabia, Taking in to consideration that any comprehensive On-line Education solution will often be a combination of technology options, creating a set of learning tools that meet the needs of both the instructor and the learner. It is worthy mentioned to say that Distance education is divided in terms of transportation into two types: Direct contact and indirect contact .It Is allows the possibility of combining start work life and study at the same time, its to reduce cost and its use the technical means and advanced technologies, such as the printed word , or recorded on cassette tape , or recorded on videotape or on CD and make the links between teacher and student and the delivery of material to the last . Online education not relies on the actual attendance but in traditional education you must attend every day for the study. Online education is reducing the administrative burden for the teacher .its a good way to teach some people because it has multiple ways . It is of paramount importance to mention the advantages and disadvantages of On-line Education in order to utilized the advantages and avoid disadvantage in the soon future to develop the Saudi educational systems a whole: First let us talk about the advantages: These advantages of online education include the following: Firstly, Gives us with an chance to develop technology skills for teachers and students . Secondly, It also gives us access to World Resources And experts through Internet connection and Internet resources. Thirdly, It states for an increase in access to education for those who otherwise have no other chances because of the labor , family or financial constraints. in addition, It give us for a modality of instruction best appropriate for certain students . Fourthly It states greater elasticity to schedule education students can select the time and Location of class time. Fifthly, It also gives greater elasticity in location for study . Sixthly, learners can participate course at house or labor or on campus or at library. Seventhly, bearing in mind that it is student Centered -DE places responsibility for learning with the student who should be more active and self directed. Eighthly, It facilitates greater learner instructor interaction, it also increased interaction with classmates. Ninthly ,Facilitates Pedagogic Development-Individual Instructor Development, Produces a carryover effect into the regular classroom of improved pedagogic techniques, and it allows for the internationalization of learning opportunities. Finally, it has the ability to equalize get to education. . Second, we will talk about the disadvantages to be avoided in order to reach our own target to develop and upgrade the Saudi educational system: These disadvantages of online education include the following, firstly, It is known that online education is not for all people, not for the uncontrolled educated or inflexible instructors. Secondly ,It provides us with sentiments of solitude from time to time . Thirdly, Is likely to be less group uphold for educated resulting to isolation and potential non-completion of the program .Fourthly, It requires a great voltage to establish and maintain the technological infrastructure .fifthly, It also requires considerable effort and cost to develop suitable materials.sixthly, It is noted that education design for group activities and group interaction more require on the teacher . Seventhly , it is also noted that learner should be more proactive and self-directed in online education environment. Eighthly, It depends on individual motivation and initiative .Online Education takes gap time between learner participation and feedback time interval between need for student support and decisi on .ninthly, It also needs occasional internet provider downtime and Finally, we can say that one of the big disadvantages of Online Education is time and frustrations participate learning how to access online for beginner. There are four types of Online Education but it is highly important to understand the difference between different types of Online Education when choosing the right course for you, you can choose the one that best suits your learning style and personal circumstances. Distance Learning: It has a lot in common with the original correspondence .Students can study in anytime, and at any place of their choice , and without face-to-face with a teacher. Self Study: It can be defined as a minimalist form of distance learning. , and considers a good method of education so that the person learns and understands himself. Enables person to take responsibility in the planning and implementation. E-Learning: e-learning gave to people many opportunities to learn through the Internet and to benefit Blended learning: It can be defined as a combination of Online Education and traditional classroom teaching. . Figure 2.2 Self Study . Conclusion Our research is focused onà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  Online educationà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ã‚  , therefore, It is of paramount importance to mention the pros and cons of Online Education in order to utilized the advantages and avoid disadvantage in the soon future to develop the Saudi educational systems a whole. It is agreed upon the fact that Online Education Presents more opportunities in situations where traditional education has difficulty running. Students with scheduling or distance problems can benefit, as can employees, because distance education can be more flexible in terms of time and can be delivered almost anywhere and anytime. Online Education is the provision of academic courses and entire degree programs when instructor and students are geographically separated. Many surveys, studies and research highlight the fact that Online Education be as effective as the traditional format when the methods are appropriate to the teaching assign , there is interaction between student and teacher, and the teachers supply students with the appropriate and timely feedback. Online Education it has different types . It is highly important to understand the difference between this types when choosing the right course for you, you can choose the one that best suits your learning style and personal circumstances Finally, the success of the On-line Education depends basically on the environments surrounding us, many nation has succeed to follow this system as they apply it as appropriate, while others failed to do this but this is an important type of education to be observed and followed.

Russia Essay -- European Politics, Bilateral Relations

The change witnessed in modern day society can be traced back to the period of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is in this period that Western Europe achieved rapid economic growth and development. This was through the Agrarian and Industrial revolutions that swept across Europe, mostly Western Europe, causing in its wake rapid development and changing gender roles and lifestyles in general (Collins, 2006). It is also in Western Europe that events such as the French revolution brought about massive changes in society, completely altering the lifestyles of its citizens. However, the change did not end in Western Europe, but spread to other countries of the Eastern bloc, such as Russia. This was mostly through the influence brought about by bilateral relations. The changes thus brought forth cut across all spheres of peoples lifestyles including legal rights, access to education and positions of power, family size, fashion and ways of socialization. The society during this time was male dominated. Men enjoyed positions of power and responsibility and made all the decisions regarding the family. Access to education was also a preserve of the male child. Rights such as those of inheritance and land were allocation bestowed on the male offspring because of the continuity of the family. However, with the changes in the Western society, women started enjoying some of these rights, though initially in minimal ways. In France, the French revolution caused changes in the French educational system (Tuminez, 2000). The French government was committed to creating an educational system that would produce engineers, medical doctors and economists that would help the country achieve economic power. In changing the educational system, the Fren... ...ovell, 2010). Finally, the world continually celebrates women. In western countries, the Valentines Day, which is observed on the 14th day of February, celebrates lovers in a union but places emphasis on the woman as men traditionally buy flowers and gifts to please their women. This day was special even before the 19th century. This must have inspired the International women’s day in Russia, which is marked on the 8th day of March every year. The society values the role of women together with their contributions, in the community. Men buy their women flowers or even send cards to female colleagues and friends to appreciate them. The changes that took place in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries played a key role in influencing women in Russia and their roles in society with regard to fashion, education, religion, family and occupation have greatly changed.

The Crimes of Crime and Punishment :: Dostoevsky Crime and Punishment

The Crimes of Crime and Punishment Our topic for this paper is Crime and Punishmet, by Fyodor Dostoevsky   . There are several different issues on this subject.   We chose three main points to talk about: The Crimes, the People who solved them, and the different types of punishments.   These are the topics we chose for our report.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Crime in the nineteeth century was rapid though out London.   But because of all of the poverty and sickness in the streets, crime was the only way to survive.   Most of the crimes that took place in London were crimes that involved stealing.   Pickpocket gangs and street gamblers were a regular sight when walking down a major London street.   Prostitution was also a big money maker on the streets, done by both girls and boys.   But crimes though out the middle class and rich were mostly property crimes and disputes which made up 90% of all crimes committed by the upper-class.   In Victorian England and like   today there a two categories which crimes fall under.   "Indictable" which is the same as our felony crimes that make up all of the major crimes.   These crimes consist of: Murder,   armed robbery, burglary, larceny, rape, and assaults on the police.   The next called category is called " Summery " crimes which is equal to our misdemeanor crimes. Summery crimes were all minor crimes such as: Property crimes, Vagrancy, Drunkenness, Prostitution, Minor Larceny , and all other minor offenses.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probably the most famous criminal in the Victorian period was " Jack the Ripper ". Jack the Ripper was " the first modern sexual serial killer" ( Sugden, pg.2) Jack's trademark was the killing of female prostitutes.   But not only did he kill them, he would surgically remove organs and intrails and place them near the dead body. "Jack the Ripper" wasn't his only nickname, he was also called " the Whitechaple murder " because   the body's were found near the Whitechapel Road, and " The Leather Apron" because of a man that would come by and beat up the prostitutes for no reason.   Jack the Ripper is credited for 9 killings, but police think that he might be responsible for more.   All of the killing accrued with in one square mile.   Jack is described as carrying a long knife in which he would cut open his victims, and a black Gladstone bag, the contents of   which is unknown.

Math Is Worth Learning

Every person on this planet earth needs to know at least simple math to live a normal life style. Learning math can be a daunting task when you do not have the right tools or the right materials, especially if you grew up believing that math is hard and that you will never understand it. All humans need to get rid of any negative thinking that teachers, friends, or even a caring relative helped you build over the years and start believing in yourself. Learning Simple math is worthwhile because every job opportunity, every household responsibly, and most every personal interest involves mathematics to some degree, also with math you can know many pattern recognition and application to basic skills. Math is about recognizing patterns, and patterns occur in everything from traffic to weather to eating and sleeping. It is obvious that these pattern-containing topics affect a person’s daily life. Patterns also occur in nature – in the ripples on the surface of a pond, in the sun’s path across the sky, and even in snowflakes, zebra stripes, and broccoli buds. Though these patterns occur in such ways that an understanding of them is not necessary for survival or success in life, it is important to consider that mathematics are essential to even the most overlooked details. Math gives order and structure to what would otherwise be random and chaotic. Who can deny the importance of mathematics when human genetics rely on them? Thus, in these examples, it can be seen that math is everywhere, even if math is not necessary for survival. Having a general understanding of mathematics yields to immeasurable benefits. Math can be put to use in the grocery store and at the mall but also while watching television or reading the newspaper. For example, without mathematics, grocery shopping becomes much more expensive than it has to be. A person without knowledge of mathematics may assume that bulk purchases save money, but this is not an intelligent assumption; according to an article in the Sunday Times, 2010, buying in bulk is often intentionally made more expensive that buying individually. Specifically, â€Å"the newspaper found that the difference can be as much as 30%! † When applying for credit cards, many customers do not take into account the interest rates they are being charged. Many do not understand where their credit scores come from! Similarly, a weak statistics background may mislead an ad reader into believing a faulty success rate. For example, the fact that â€Å"eight out of ten women prefer† a specific brand of shampoo is not a valid reason to purchase it. What if two of the women surveyed lost all of their hair or developed a skin disease as a result of using this brand? How would the statistics look if the reader knew the whole story? Even for merely common-sense purposes, a general understanding of mathematics is necessary. The vast majority of high school and college students despise mathematics; it is difficult for this majority to realize that various seemingly-unrelated areas of study include math as a foundation. Music, art/design, and even athletics are built on mathematics. A pianist can benefit from patterns and sequences when composing much the same way that a golfer can benefit from math-based physics, trigonometry, and even statistics when driving. No matter which avenue a student pursues, math will somehow be present. It is not only the responsibility of a nurse, an engineer, or a physicist to know mathematics. Rather, it is in each student’s best interest that they apply, or at least consider, mathematics in all areas of life. The universal language of the world is math, and people have been using it for thousands of years across the world. Today’s society would not be in existence without the application of mathematics. By there example we now know why does simple math apply to most of the population. Without math our lives would be very different, and difficult In closing, I think that ideally, every person should strive for proficiency in as many different academic disciplines as possible. In a perfect society, everyone would be intelligent and posses the ability to succeed in any endeavor. Realistically this is completely impossible. With this being said, I think that it is more important to focus on an individual’s strengths instead of attempting to exploit his or her weaknesses. I enjoy math, and have traditionally done well in it. However, this does not imply that others should feel the same. Everyone has different talents and abilities and should not be penalized for a lack of ability or interest in a specific area of study. All individuals must be responsible for their academic choices but should also be encouraged to challenge themselves to reach their full potential.

How Aerial Travel and Cabin Pressure Adversely Affects the Human Body Essay

The idea of humans traveling to the Moon or other areas out side of the Earth’s orbit is mostly scientific. However, when astronauts remain in space, having to re-balance the body to suit less or no gravity compared to the Earth could bring about many changes to the body. Scientists have found that the time required for recovery depends on the time spent in zero-gravity conditions. The longer one stays off of the Earth’s surface, the more damage can be caused. Strictly speaking, even a trip in an Airplane would require safety precautions to minimize damage to the body of this. For example, cabin pressure increased to maintain balance and prevent feeling different to a lower pressure. This essay will consist of two sections. The first will be of flight effects within the Earth’s hemisphere, and how to perhaps prevent damage to the body. The second, and longer section deals with space travel through Zero-gravity and effects of weightlessness on the body and the cou nter-measures to prevent damage to the body. Section 1, flight effects on the passengers, specifically dealing with cabin pressure: Airplanes fly at the cruising altitude of around 33’000 feet, or approximately 10’000 meters. Because the cruising altitude has a cabin pressure lower than air pressure on ground or even under sea-level, the oxygen availability is less and gases within the body expand. This causes the oxygen saturation level of the blood to reduce, which can lead to mild hypoxia, the reduced supply of oxygen to the tissues around the body. Due to the effects of hypoxia, alcohol consumption would affect the brain much more than it would on Earth. As the aircraft makes its decent back to Earth, air must be allowed to flow into the middle of the ear to equalize pressure differences. Passengers often can feel this change in air pressure. People with ear, nose and sinus infections are usually advised to avoid flying because of these changes in air pressure. Air travel in airplanes has less thank 20% humidity. This causes discomfort to the eyes, mouth and nose but does not risk the passenger’s health. This discomfort can be prevented by drinking liquids (water recommended) before and during the flight, and using skin moisturizers. Also passengers with short-sightedness or long-sightedness are advised to wear eye-glasses rather than contact lenses during flight as the contact lenses may dry out. In order to avoid de-hydration, passengers should drink non- alcoholic beverages. Section 2, how traveling through space affects humans Astronauts often experience â€Å"Zero- Gravity† during their travels through space. This zero gravity or micro gravity can bring about health concern to the body if astronauts remain in space for a long period of time. It would be much healthier for crews to live under artificial gravity. In order to prevent any biological changes in the body when experiencing zero gravity, scientists recommend a force of artificial gravity equal to a third of the Earth’s level of gravity. However, scientists still haven’t research affects of artificial gravity on humans but they know for a fact and there is an imbalance in the body due to the shifts of gravity levels. Artificial gravity prevents physiological changes from occurring. In zero-gravity, the body deteriorates. It takes less muscle to move around, so after a long period of time in space, muscles weaken so the body bends. Because there is no tension in space, muscles relax and after a while they atrophy as a result of disuse and eventually disappear. To prevent the fracture of bones, limbs and muscles, all space shuttles give the opportunity for astronauts to do rigorous exercise everyday to keep the muscles strong. Staying in Zero-gravity for months causes bones to lose mass and get thinner, as they are not carrying any weight. This means astronauts must go through rigorous trainings in the spacecraft everyday in order to keep muscle and bone strength. â€Å"When a great deal of the crew’s precious time in space is spent exercising rather than doing science, money and potential knowledge are being squandered for the sake of health. It is a sacrifice, but a necessary one1† In space, receptors in the inner ear allow humans to sense direction. In space, ear receptors don’t receive the same cues and the mind gets used to ignoring the inner ear’s feelings about balance. Hand-eye coordination, posture and balance are all affected by the disorientation of the mind. When astronauts return to earth, they are often â€Å"overwhelmed by dizziness† and have difficulty in maintaining balance. An example of the mind adapting to the new gravity less surroundings would be with Shannon Lucid, who was on board the Russian space Station MIR for six months. The astronaut said â€Å"You just sort of get used to floating around† but we also know that floating around is not all that astronauts do- they must resist the effects of micro gravity on the body. Also, no gravity means no resistance from growing, so some astronauts return to earth some 6 inches taller than when they left. It is only after a few months that they grow down/ shrink back to normal height. This is because of the unloading of spinal discs- because of lack of gravity, the discs in the spine are not holding up or don anything, so they tend to stretch rather than contract. Traveling through micro gravity causes bodily fluids to shift from the lower body to the cephalic area (head), and so people’s faces tend to swell and become rounder than they are on earth. When the brain senses a higher amount of blood than usual, it interprets the situation that there is now an overall increase in the total volume of fluids in the body. The brain responds by triggering the excretion of fluids, making astronauts prone to dehydration. Also, the fluid redistribution can shrink legs as the bones are weaker. These fluids pass through the kidneys, causing kidney filtration rate to increase, bone loss can cause Kidney stones. Fluids that leave the body include calcium loss and bone demineralization. The loss of blood plasma causes temporary Anemia upon the return to Earth. Some crew members get â€Å"space anemia.† Scientists are concerned about the affects of catching this disease on over all crew performance. Blood volume may decrease by 10 percent. The increase of fluids in the head causes the same feeling as when one has a cold and feels blocked in. in space astronauts begin to lose their sense of taste, causing the craving for strong flavorings in the food such as horseradish, mustard and taco sauce. Fluid loss, lack of exercise and diminished appetite cause weight loss as astronauts tend not to eat as much as they would on earth. Meals and exercise are planned to prevent excessive loss. Zero-gravity affects the cardio-vascular system. On earth we must cope with gravity, which sustains or slows down the blood-flow. In zero gravity, there is no gravity force, causing the heart to slow down due to the decreased demands of blood as it travels more freely. The immune system in the body is also affected by weightlessness. In space, one is exposed to illness as the immune response lowers and numbers of anti-bodies decrease after a long exposure to micro gravity. Approximately half of all astronauts are affected by this unpleasant syndrome which affects nausea, headache, lethargy and sweating (taken from NASA sources). Also, minor effects of weightlessness on the body include puffiness in the face, flatulence, weight loss, nasal congestion and often sleeping disturbances. Upon returning to earth, recovery time depends on the duration of stay in space. Muscles are weak and the body is not used to gravity forces, (causing them to feel dizzy) and so some astronauts are taken back in stretchers. This shows why astronauts need to be â€Å"at the peak of fitness.† If in the near future the human race would build space stations as tourist resorts, some would prefer hotels with zero-gravity and some would want partial gravity, which would bring about competition like hotels on earth, which would drive prices low. As gravity affects all biological, physical and chemical processes on earth, building an International Space Station gives new opportunity to study a world without gravity and its affect on animals and other living organisms. Observing the weightlessness effect on these living organisms could teach scientists about biological processes on earth, such as aging and osteoporosis. In the end, we can see that human travel through space is safer under artificial gravity when compared to astronauts being exposed to weightlessness, micro gravity or zero gravity (all three mean the same). Most of the problems mentioned such as fluid loss and muscle deterioration would not cause problems as long as the crew remained in a weightless environment. Remaining in a zero-gravity environment for over a long period of time could cause problems, however. In 1987, in the later stages of his 326-day mission, Russian Yuri Romanenko was fatigued both physically and mentally due to traveling through space. The majority of his day was spent sleeping regaining strength, in the meantime his bones were deteriorating. Some say if many like Romanenko stayed in space for much longer, he may not have survived re-entry to the Earth. Returning to Earth could cause problems as the body is much weaker due to demineralization and atrophy of the bones and shortage of red blood cells. Oneâ€℠¢s balance must now again be readjusted causing many astronauts to feel dizzy when back to a strong â€Å"g† force gravity on earth. Whether or not the large amount of time and money spent on keeping astronauts fit during space flight is worth the scientific findings is debatable. Physiological effects need to be prevented as much a possible. Again, this is usually prevented by rigorous exercise and micro gravity could still be a danger to the astronaut’s health. Many scientists believe that the benefits of transporting/sending out machines (robots) and humans to space, despite the health issues, are nothing compared to the huge benefit that society will receive. Humans will not be perfectly suited to living in a weightless environment, but that won’t stop Astrobiologists and many other research firms like NASA from exploring space. The many benefits of space exploration such as technological knowledge and inspiration easily outweigh the negative aspects. Bibliography: Sources were from Newspapers, CDs, web sites and a large extract of a book in one of the web-pages. Most web sites accessed on the 11th December 2003 and 9th January 2004. 1) http://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php?page=adapt02 2) www.permanent.com/s-nograv.htm 3) http://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php%3fpage=adapt02 4) www.spacefuture.com/habitat/zerog.shtml 5) http://mos.org/cst/article/77/6.html 6) http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/spacestation/basics/why.html 7) www.relaxincomfort.com/zerogravity_benefits.html 8) http://experts.about.com/q/2540/2677459.htm 9) www.uclas.ac.uk/facs/science/physastr/courses/space/ssyear1/sc1201.htm 10) http://www.who.int/ith/chapter02_01.html 11) Definitions from Microsoft Encarta 2003 Premium Suite CD 12) http://library.thinkquest.org/2606/Environmental_problems/water_pollution_-_effects.html (used for first idea of project) 1 http://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php%3fpage=adapt02