Term 2 Week 5 (Weekend Assignment)

Term 2 Week 5 (Weekend Assignment)

Write a short essay of about 300 words on the following question:

'Students should be given more freedom in deciding school rules.' What are your views?

Post your essay on your blog. This will be a good practice for your common test. Think about what I've taught you about writing a good essay.

---

School rules are conduct which the student of a particular school has to follow. Various reason are behind the rules, some reasons maybe; to uphold school reputation, to prevent students from going astray and many more. Students in the schools have a different view. The student thinks that these rules are too restrictive, and think that by deciding on their rules would benefit them better. However if we allow the students to decide on the school rule, they would decide it based on their interests, thus I think that students should not deciding on the school rules is for the greater good.

Students in schools always claim that the rules restrict their freedom. One good example would be the school uniform. All schools in Singapore have a uniform which is compulsory for all their students wear. Students say that by wearing the same uniform as each other restrict their personality. However in the school point of view, by wearing a uniform shows that you are part of the school, you are all equal and finally you are all committed to the same cause. By wearing the same uniform also reduces unnecessary distractions to the pupils. Therefore wearing a common school uniform will benefit the pupils more.

Another school rule that is commonly debated on is the issue of punctuality. Everyday, there are bound to be people late. When reasons are asked for, they would cook up some that are ridiculous such as “The road leading here is jammed.” Or “My parents woke up late so they sent me here late.” These reasons cannot be accepted as they are depicting one that is pampered and spoilt. The main reason for having a school rule regarding punctuality is because the school wants to instill the habit of being on time in the student. Being on time is very important now and later on when we start working. When student enter the working world, being late will not just result in a few demerit points, instead it may lead to deals not being closed, leaving a bad impression and finally tarnishing the company’s name. Thus, by having a rule on punctuality would benefit the students now and later on in their lives.

Students being the ones studying in the schools will obviously want to have the best of both worlds. They would like their school to be a conducive environment to studying in, and a comfortable environment. Following these two wants, they would if given the opportunity to decide on their own school rules, would surely mould it in a way that it would benefit them. With the children having this mindset, would they be able to decide on the right rules? I do not think so. That’s why the school management must come in to decide on the school rules. The school management community knows what is good for the students, and it is their duty to make sure that that happens.

In conclusion, I think that it is a necessity to compromise some of our freedom to achieve a higher level of success in our students. The rule system in Singapore is decided in a way that order will be preserved in the studying environment. To me restrictive triumphs over disorder, what do you think?

War Photo

In this lesson, you will be exploring the theme of 'war'.

View the slideshow of war photos (the link below). Choose one photo and describe the photo. Your descriptive piece should focus on the mood and atmosphere of the photo chosen. Your objective is to evoke emotions of your reader through the description of the mood and atmosphere of the picture.

Your descriptive piece should be about 250 words long.

Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8492000/8492777.stm

Post your work on your blog.

---

---

                 A camera is a tool that would be able to capture a moment that would last for all eternity. I chose this picture from the slide show because I think that it has been through a lot when it was used to photograph the war.

                Now, this camera is all the photographer, Don McCullin, have left as a memento of his job as a war photographer. The camera tells its own story. The story depicted a scene in which life was much more chaotic, more violent than the one we know now. Imagine the camera you are holding has been hit by an AK47 bullet, missing your head by merely a few centimetres, would that affect you, I think so.  The exterior of the camera is very battered showing that it has been through a lot. The camera is some sort similar to Don McCullin, its exterior is spoilt but what it took picture of was of a worst condition, just like Don McCullin. Though he was injured on the outside, what he saw in the war-plagued country will stay with him forever.

                Throughout the slide show, Don McCullin was narrating his story where he went to many wars to take pictures, in his voice, there was a discernable tone of relief and sadness. This may also be what the camera was “feeling” when the war ended, it was relieved that it did not need to go and photograph the war anymore, however at the same not wanting to remember what it photograph.   

Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment)

18 April 2011

Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment)

You have read about the nuclear crisis in Japan; you have also probably read about the nuclear crisis that happened in Chernobyl in 1985.

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

Write a response of about 250 words in length. Post it on your blog.

---

 Deadline: 18 April 2011 (Monday)

           

              

                Nuclear energy definitely has a part to play in this energy-based world. We mostly depend on fossil fuels for a majority of the earth’s energy. However, fossil fuel and coal is limited on our earth. If we continue to burn fossil fuels and coal, one day they would all run out. Though hydroelectric energy and solar energy is an alternate source for renewable energy, they are not constant unlike nuclear energy which has been for 40 years.

                With the recent incident in Japan in which the Fukushima Dai-Chi Power Plant exploded due to the earthquake and the tsunami definitely has once again started the debate whether nuclear energy is more harmful then good to the world that we are living in. In the case of the nuclear plant incident in Japan, radioactive substances such as radioactive iodine and cesium are being leaked all over the world. Though radioactive iodine those not last long in the environment, it may cause typhoid cancer if absorbed by typhoid gland.On the other hand, radioactive cesium will remain in our environment for a longer period of time.

                However in Chernobyl in the year 1986 the cause of the earthquake was due to a sudden surge in output which caused an explosion. The explosion caused released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over to Western Russia and Europe. The Chernobyl disaster was considered by many as the worst nuclear power plant accident in all history. The explosion cause the people living nearby to evacuated. An example of this incident is the city of Pripyat, after the evacuation, the town was left deserted till now.

In conclusion, I think that nuclear energy has its own advantages, however we should not bank on it as an alternate source unless we can have a fool-proof method of preventing any disastrous accidents. Therefore, I think that nuclear energy should not play a part in the current world due to its many risks, but I do not rule out the possibility of it becoming an alternate source in the future.            

               

Informal Letter

27 Sailor Road

4/4/11

Dear Mum,

How are you? As you may have known, I experienced an 8.9 earthquake in Japan recently. Please do not worry as I am fine living at a temporary shelter. On the day of the earthquake, I was coming home from school when the ground started to shake. Knowing that an earthquake was forthcoming, I quickly sprinted towards my hostel and crouched beneath a sturdy dining table.

A few of the people were already there. After an hour, the earthquake died down. My friend and I came up from underneath the table. Part of the hostel roof collapsed, but luckily none of us were injured.  As we gathered together to listened to the radio for further news, we found out that a tsunami has hit north-east of Tokyo.

After a couple of hours more, the authorities gave us the green light to come out of the buildings. When we came out, I saw buildings destroyed, and cars wrecked. We were then evacuated to a safe area where temporary houses were then set up. From there, we found out that the earthquake was not the worst disaster. The tsunami was the disaster that hit Japan the hardest. It almost hit the whole of Japan. From the short clip shown on the television, we show ships and boats being washed away as though they were nothing.

 I am now living with people who were also impacted by this disaster. Though the death rate increases every day, we are still living our lives without any theft or crime. I do not think that this would happen in other countries under the same type of situation. As we have little food and water, life has been very hard on us.  

Although we are still feeling the aftershock of the calamity, I am confident that the Japanese being a discipline group of people will be able to rebuild their beloved country in the very near future.

Your Son.