Individual Essay (First Draft)

UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGOGICA EXPERIMENTAL LIBERTADOR

INSTITUTO PEDAGOGICO "RAFAEL ALBERTO ESCOBAR LARA"

The Right to Live

“We are going to heaven and our enemies will rot in hell; there is no God but Allah and I testify that Mohamed is the messenger of God” were the last words Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said before being executed on December 30th, 2006. Hussein was sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of crimes against humanity by a Baghdad court. Now, with Hussein death, Iraqis may say that their days of violence and murders have just finished. Nevertheless, is applying capital punishment an action of justice? What is true is that capital punishment is not a deterrent for criminals; it is not a solution to abolish murders. Apart from that, what was given to people by God was the right to live, and they can not give back the life of the victims by killing another person because it would result on a chain of murder. On the other hand, what is needed to be taken into consideration is that criminals who are sentenced to death penalty do not suffer the same pain than their victims’; the best way to punish someone is giving him a fair punishment according to the crime committed. Sentencing a criminal to live in prison would be better than sentencing him to be executed. Therefore, capital punishment should be banned.
According to Glenn Dunehew “Murder, is not just a crime against man, it is a crime against God, who created man. For that reason, only the death of the murderer can satisfy God's justice. But, what if an innocent person is killed? Professor Nathanson of the University of California said: “To maintain the death penalty is to be willing to risk innocent lives” Many convicted murderers are later found innocent and have been pardoned. Moreover, death penalty is irrevocable, if a person is innocent about the crime he was executed for, nobody can regret it because the injury is already done. On the other hand, there are many cases and kind of injustice when death penalty is applied, for instance, in 2000, a lethal injection ended the life of Thomas Provenzano, a 51-year-old killer who was mentally ill, and said that he was Jesus Christ. Even though Provenzano’s lawyer said that his client’s mental condittion was deteriorated, and asked for time to have him examined by psychiatrists, the Supreme Court denied the request and sentenced Provenzano to death by lethal injection. Instead of sentencing criminals such as Thomas Provenzano to death penalty, society should promote the idea of applying psychological treatment in order to try to make them better and sane people.
Despite of being a fact that goes against human rights, most of the people believe that death penalty works as a deterrent for criminals. What is said is that taking into account the punishment would be applied to a murderer, criminals would think twice before committing murder. If that were true, why do criminals still continue killing people? What is true is that criminals do not care about their victims’ life, and they do not even think about what can happen to them after committing murder. Moreover, society finds it comfortable the idea of applying death penalty to murderers in order to satisfy the desire of revenge people may have, but what they do not take into consideration is that the fact of killing a criminal does not get victims’ life back to the world; even after executing a murderer, the pain and suffering he could have caused is going to be kept in people’s mind and heart. On the other hand, criminals could find the choice of dying better than staying in prison for the rest of their lives; in this way, death would not be a punishment but a way to escape from the crimes they have committed.
Capital punishment is inadmissible from any point of view; it is unmoral, cruel, and arbitrary in many cases. If history is checked out, some racial and cruel events regarding to capital punishment will be found; for example, in 1990, at least 18.000 people were executed, where most of them were black or poor people who did not have any idea of what their rights were. In this way, does capital punishment mean justice? Does it work? Death penalty should not be considered a way of decreasing crime, because this kind of punishment does not fit the crime, and people have the right of living and pay for the mistakes they have committed in a better way.
Overall, what people do wrong during their life, during their life it has to be paid. It is clear that criminals prefer to die instead of seeing themselves in prison for the rest of their lives; even if they have killed another person without compassion, they do not deserve to die. It would be better if they were sentenced to prison or another punishment different to death. For these reasons capital punishment should be banned.


Author:
Fernando Sanchez C.I.: 16.763.972
Reading and Writing I
Prof. Manuel Arrioja
Prof. Diana Feliciano

Essay (Final Version)

REPÚBLICA BOLIVARIANA DE VENEZUELA

MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR
UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGÓGICA EXPERIMENTAL LIBERTADOR
INSTITUTO PEDAGÓGICO "RAFAEL ALBERTO ESCOBAR LARA"

Have you already talked to your girls about sex?

“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk about sex to their girls before they reach puberty in order to avoid premature pregnancy.
Puberty is the time when a girl's body grows into a woman's body, and it may begin as early as seven or eight years old or as late as fourteen years old. The physical changes are necessary for a girl to reproduce (have babies) later in life. During puberty, hormones are released from girls’ brain, and it cause their ovaries (organs that hold eggs) to produce estrogen, which is the main hormone that starts the body changes, such as pubic, underarms and legs hair growing, and breasts development. In addition to this, girls may start having strong sexual urges and feelings they had not had before. Girls may also develop a romantic attraction to someone and begin dating, it is natural to have changing feelings. Sometimes during puberty, girls may feel distanced from their parents. Parents may feel the same way and may be uncomfortable talking with their girls about intimate issues. Sigel (2003).

One of the biggest problems girls face when they are about to reach puberty is the lack of comunication between their parents and them. Most of the times, talking to their girls about a complex topic such as sex, represents a difficult job for parents, and what they do not take into consideration is that puberty represents the begining of sexual curiosity, and the precise moment at which information about sex and premature pregnancy should be provided. Here two questions are needed to be answered, first of all, why is it difficult for parents to talk about sex to their girls? Sometimes it could be because they do not pay attention to their girls physical and behavior changes, or they do not consider that their girls are mature enough to understand issues related to sex and sexuality, so they avoid answering the possible questions or doubts their girls might have. As a result, girls lose their parents trust, and they choose to search information in different places except their own home. Moreover, parents think they have solved a big problem, but here it is where the second question appears, have they really done it? What they do is to push their girls into a world that can affect their beliefs without realizing it. Nowadays young girls can get information about sex everywhere they go; seeing women who sell their bodies in the streets, or pornography on the web shows clearly how drastic society has changed, and how a sexual relation can be misunderstood. Consequently, girls keep in their minds a wrong concept about what a sexual relation really is, and have no idea about how dangerous it can finish.
According to The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry “It is important to talk about the responsibilities and consequences that come from being sexually active such as pregnancy and feelings about sex; it can help them make the decisions that are best for them without feeling pressured to do something before they are ready” Most parents could delay having conversations related to sex with their girls maybe because they think it is easier for them to promote the choice of abstinence among their girls than provide reliable information to them. Even though parents believe that their “little girls” should not have sex until they get married, they must consider providing them basic information before they reach puberty; for instance, how feelings can take part in any sexual activity or not, contraception, etc, and as a result, avoid irremediable consequences such as unwanted pregnancy.
Simon Forrest, Director, Sex Education Forum, UK and Annabel Kanabus, Director, AVERT, UK said: “The precise age at which information related to sex should be provided depends on the physical, emotional an intellectual development of the young girls as well as their level of understanding” However, in most of the cases, girls who have not reached puberty, specifically at eight years old, can be considered as people ready to start talking about sex and sexuality. Nowadays, it must be relevant for parents to keep a healthy communication with their daughters, although, it is necessary to start as earlier as possible and talk freely about sex in order to get their daughters’ trust. Also it is known that is complicated for parents to take a sit with their girls and explain issues associated to sex, for instance, where babies come from, but the important thing is to discard the same old story about the stork and start putting their feet on the ground, and realize that their girls are able to know more than they can expect. Maybe parents could look for professional help so they can feel less stressful when puberty has come to their girls.
Overall, the sooner parents start talking about sex to their girls the better. What they have to take into account is that the main role they have to play is providing the necessary information about sex in order to keep their young girls away from negative influences that can affect their sexual development, an also their lives. For this reason, parents should start raising issues about sex and sexuality to their girls before they reach puberty and before anybody else does it for them.



“Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today”
Benjamín Franklin.



Authors:
Pérez Stephanie C.I.: 17.570.260
Rojas Mayerlyn C.I.: 17.197.850
Sánchez Fernando C.I.: 16.763.972
English IV. Section 801.

Essay (second draft)

Have you already talked to your girls about sex?

“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk openly about sex to their girls before they reach puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior.One of the biggest problems girls are facing today is the black hole that exists between their parents and them. Most of the times, talking to their girls about a complex topic such as sex, represents a difficult job for parents, and what they do not take into consideration is that nobody can play this role better than them. Here some questions are needed to be answered, why is it difficult for parents to talk about sex to their girls? Sometimes it could be because they do not know when to start raising issues about sex and sexuality, or they do not consider that their girls are mature enough, and they avoid answering the possible questions or doubts their girls might have. As a result, girls lose their parents trust, and they choose to search information in different places except their own home. Moreover, parents think they have solved a big problem, but, have they really done it? What they do is to push their girls into a world that can affect their patterns of behavior and beliefs without realizing it. Nowadays young girls can get information about sex everywhere they go; seeing women who sell their bodies in the streets, or pornography on the web shows clearly how drastic society has changed, and how a sexual relation can be misunderstood. Consequently, girls keep in their minds a wrong concept about what a sexual relation really is, and have no idea about how dangerous it can finish.According to Simon Forrest, Director, Sex Education Forum, UK and Annabel Kanabus, Director, AVERT, UK, “The precise age at which information related to sex should be provided depends on the physical, emotional an intellectual development of the young girls as well as their level of understanding” However, in most of the cases, girls who have not reached puberty, specifically between the age of nine to eleven years, can be considered as people ready to start talking about sex and sexuality. Most parents could delay having conversations related to sex with their girls maybe because they think it is easier for them to promote the choice of abstinence among their girls than provide reliable information to them. Even though parents believe that their “little girls” should not have sex until they get married, they must consider providing basic information about what a sexual relation involves; for instance, how feelings can take part in any sexual activity or not, contraception, etc, and as a result, avoid irremediable consequences such as sexual transmission diseases, viruses that can attack their bodies, and unwanted pregnancy.Nowadays, it must be relevant for parents to keep a healthy communication with their daughters, although, it is necessary to start as earlier as possible preferably between nine to ten years old and talk freely and openly about sex in order to get their daughters’ trust. Also it is known that is complicated for parents to take a sit with their girls and explain issues associated to sex, like for instance, where babies come from, but the important thing is to discard the same old story about the stork and start putting the feet on the ground, and realize that their girls are able to know more than they can expect. Maybe parents could look for professional help so they can feel less stressful when puberty has come to their girls.Overall, the sooner parents start talking about sex to their girls the better. What they have to take into consideration is that the main role they have to play is to try to keep their young girls away from negative influences that can affect their development, an also their lives. For this reason, parents should start raising issues about sex and sexuality to their girls before they reach puberty and before anybody else does it for them.

Essay Lab Activity

1. What is the purpose of the title of the essay?

A. :-) To indicate what the composition is about. It makes the reader feel interested in the composition.
B. ? To show the author's point of view.
C. ? To advise the reader not to read the essay.

D: ? It does not have any connection with the essay.

2. Which transtion word can you use to add ideas?

A. ? First.
B. ? Consequently.
C. :-) In addition to.
D. ? Thus.

3. Where do you usually find the thesis statement?

A. :-) At the end of the introductory paragraph.
B. ? In the supporting paragraphs.
C. ? At the begining of the introductory paragraph.

D. ? At the begining of the concluding paragraph.

4. What is the thesis statement?

A. ? It's a general sentence.
B. ? It's the title of the essay.
C. ? It is the first sentence of the paragraph. It gives the reader an idea of what the paragraph is going to be about.
D. :-) It's a sentence that contains the main idea of the composition. It identifies the purpose of the paper.

5. What is the purpose of the introduction?

A. :-) The introduction grabs the reader's attention and sets up the topic.
B. ? The introduction lets your teacher get to know you better.
C. ? The introduction restates the assignment exactly as the teacher explained it.
D. ? The introduction gives details about all of the points you will make in your essay.

6. Which transition word can you use to show cause and effect?

A. :-) Therefore
B. ? In addition to
C. ? Also
D. ? Even though

7. Where do you have to write the title of the essay? How should it be written?

A. ? In a separate page, and it has to be written as big as possible.
B. ? In the last page, on the left side. It has to be underlined.
C. :-) It is written in the upperpart of the page and centered. It has to be written with capital letters except prepositions and articles.
D. ? At the bottom of the page. It has to be written with capital letters including prepositions and articles.

8. Which of the following is not a correct function of the thesis statement?

A. :-) It asks a question of the reader.

B. ? It states the main idea of the essay.
C. ? It indicates the organization of the essay.
D. ? It sets limits on the topic.

9. Which of the following is a good example of the thesis statement?

A. ? The aborigines in Autralia tear the young boys from their mother to tell them the mythology of the tribe.
B. ? The earliest evidence of anything like myths is connected with graves.
C. ? The Blackfoot tribe tell of the buffalo fall in a myth about a young girl.
D. :-) The death penalty should be abolished.

10. When do you have to set the title of the essay?

A. ? Before you start writing the essay.
B. :-) After you finish the essay.
C. ? At the same time you are writing the essay.

D. ? At the same time you are writing the conclusion.

11. What is an essay?

A. ? It is an informal kind of letter that people usually send to the Major to complain about the city situation.
B. :-) It is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes, or analyzes one topic.
C. ? It is a personal letter to a friend or to a relative.

D. ? It is a song.

12. Transitions help the essay's:

A. :-) Coherence.
B. ? Unity.
C. ? Citations.
D. ? Introduction.

13. How many paragraphs does an essay contains?

A. :-) It deppends on the topic.
B. ? Just 1.
C. ? More than 5 but less than 20.
D. ? 5.

14. What is the purpose of the conclusion?

A. ? To introduce new information.
B. :-) To tie together all of the main points of the essay.
C. ? To restates the thesis in the exact same words.
D. ? To leave at least one issue unresolved, so the reader can continue to think about it.

15. What is the purpose of a compare/contrast essay?

A. :-) To discuss the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc.
B. ? To persuade the reader to the writer's point of view.
C. ? To provide details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds.
D. ? To explain why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event.

Developmental Paragraphs

Sex Education that Works

“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, but what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk openly about sex to their girls before they reach puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior.
The lack of communication between parents and their daughters is one of the biggest problems girls are facing today; in fact, girls find it very difficult to talk to their parents about issues that are affecting their lives on a day-to-day basis. Many of them really want to talk to their parents on sex-related topics, but the minute anything that has to do with comes out of their mouths, their parents automatically put themselves in a defense mode and turn their girl’s questions into accusations. The first thing parents think when they are asked about sex is that their girls are having a sexual relationship or they are pregnant. Parents automatically jump to conclusions without even thinking about it. Furthermore, these kinds of parents accusations will eventually turn off their girls, and as a consequence they go to the next best thing, their friends, and what parents do not take into consideration is that sex education has to start at home.
Sex education that works start early and at home, but sometimes it can be difficult for parents to know when to talk about sex to their girls. What is important for parents is to maintain an open mind in order to gain their daughter’s trust, and provided them with opportunities to ask questions related to a sexual relation. However, when to start? The precise age at which information about sex should be provided depends on the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of the young girls, as well as their level of understanding. It is important not to delay providing information to girls but to begin when they are young. At this age, girls can be informed about how people grow and change over time, and how babies become children and then adults. It is also important for girls to be in touch with information related to viruses and germs that attack the body. Even if parents believe that young girls should not have sex until they are married, this does not imply withholding important information about sex and contraception. Rather than trying to frighten young girls away from having sex, effective sex education includes work on attitudes and beliefs, coupled with skills development that enables young girls to choose whether or not to have a sexual relationship, taking into account the potential risks of any sexual activity.
Nowadays young girls can get information about sex and sexuality from a wide range of sources including each other, through the media including advertising, television and magazines, as well as books and websites. Society has changed drastically; for instance, it is normal for young girls to see in the streets women who sell their bodies in order to get some money, and it can affect them negatively because they can take it as a concept about what a sexual relation is. Thus, to avoid negatively consequences, sex education has to start at home in order to provide young girls with an opportunity to explore the reasons why people have sex, and to think how it involves emotions, respect for oneself and other people and their feelings, decisions and bodies.

Introductory Paragraph (Final Version)

Sex Education that Works


“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, but what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk openly about sex to their girls before they reach puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior.

Introductory Paragraph (First Version)

"I was never told about sex before" said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve year old girl from El Limón-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parentes said that they had not talked to her about sex because they consider it as an embarrassment and a topic very complex to explain at this age. It is known that sometimes it can be difficult for parents to know when to talk about sex to their children, but what they have to take into account is that sex education has to start at home, before the young people reach the puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior, and parents have to provide their children opportunities to ask questions when they have them. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. For this reason parents should talk openly to their children about sex before they reach the puberty, but after they have developed patterns of behavior.