Current Event 6

Westerholm, Russell. "Ancient Stick Insects Used Plant Cloaking Mechanism at Least 126 Million Years Ago." University Herald. Np, 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2014 <http://www.universityherald.com/articles/8258/20140320/ancient-stick-insects-used-plant-cloaking-mechanism-at-least-126-million-years-ago.htm>.
A stick like like fossil was found that dates back to a 126 million years. The discovery puts stick insects ahead of flowering plants. Unlike modern stick animals the ancient stick insects were a lot smaller. The ancient stick insects males were only about two inches and the female were about the same.+

This is really cool. It kinda makes me think though because stick animals were suppose to have copied plants as camouflage. The crazy part is that the fossil is older then the first flowering plant. Unless flowering plants are older then we really think. This relates to my biology class because we learned a lot of things about fossils and flowering plants. This article effects me because maybe what we were taught about flowering plants was wrong or the insect.

"Stick insect, Penang, c.1820 - BL Add.Or.4988." Photogragh. wikimedia Commons. Mediawiki, nd. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stick_insect,_Penang,_c.1820_-_BL_Add.Or.4988.jpg>.

• How does the author support his claim? Use evidence from the selection to support your answer.
  
  
  The author in this article supports her claim in many ways. One way the author supports her claim is using quotes from the people who studied the fossil. The author claims about the insects coming before we though. One quote she uses is when co-author Olivier Bethoux said "Our grand-cousins were already fooled by grand-cousins of stick and leaf insects 126 million years ago"(Wsterholm). The author also uses The Los Angeles Times Report to support her article. The Los Angeles Times Report said "The researchers found the fossilized insect would have lived in the Cretaceous Jehol biota period."(Wsterholm). This supports the authors claim that the insect came way earlier than we thought. The author used quotes from reliable sources to support her claims throughout this article.

Current Event 5

Sonawane, Vishakha. “Philadelphia School District Sued for Religious Discrimination.” HNGN. HNGN, 6 Mar. 2014. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. <http://www.hngn.com/articles/25910/20140306/philadelphia-school-district-sued-religious-discrimination.htm>.


A worker for a Philadelphia School district has been “discriminated” against. The school has a new policy where no employee could have a beard more than a quarter length. The employ explained that it was part of his religion and that he could not cut it. The school employ of 27 years was rebuked.

This related to our world history class. We talked about many different occasions where people were discriminated for their religion. We talked about how the Jews were discriminated on many occasions.

I think if you can not comply with the work place rules you should not work there. I think to be fair the employ should be grandfathered in. If the rule was made before he had the job it would be understandable. This event affects me because I have been victim to religious discrimination. I do not see this as religious discrimination. Yes the beard is part of his religion the rule was made because of reasons that do not pertain to religion.

What is the central idea of the passage and how is it developed and refined throughout the selection? 

The central idea is to inform readers on what had happened to a school employ and why it matters. The author gives facts that allows the readers to understand why the issue is important. One way the author does this is by including how long the victim had worked at the school. The author said “he started working for the school 27 years ago” (sonawane). The author allows you to realize that he is a worker that devoted a lot of his time to that school by that quote. Also the author said “Siddiq Abu-Bakr, the school police officer, said his religion required him to maintain a beard and he cannot cut it” (sonawane). The author said that the man was a school officer so that you will know that he is a good man that helped out. Also the author lets you know that he can not cut it because of his religion. The central idea was to get you on the side of the employ and the author did that with developed facts.

Nevit, Dilmen. “Fear ignorance hate.” Photograph. Wikimedia commons. Mediawiki, 2011. Web. 6 Mar 2014. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fear_ignorance_hate.gif>.