Moon

Two poems by Archbishop Jien (Carter, p. 171, poem 327; p. 172, poem 330) and two by Shunzei’s Daughter (Carter, p. 175, poem 341; p. 176, poem 342) “plumb the depths of your intent without laying it [the situation] bare” (Kamo no Chomei, p. 3, No. 6) to depict mankind’s paradoxical approach to the moon: seeking reassurance and companionship in its permanence and predictability, despite it being an uncertain mystery, inaccessible directly and impossible to control nor fully understand.

The poets merely provide a stark glimpse of the situations in which the speakers find themselves, so that the reader must fill in with his or her resonance to complete the poetic experience. The speakers’ attempts to escape their predicament by seeking fulfillment in the deceptive permanence of the moon are left hanging incomplete, creating in turn for the reader an atmosphere embroiled with lack of fulfillment and the mystery of the moon, which probes the reader’s depths of intent to understand as best he can.

The sense of lack of fulfillment upon which the poems end creates a vacuum into which any careful reader fills to restore the equilibrium. The lingering sense of incompletion creates an atmosphere that “hovers over the poem” (Fujiwara no Shunzei, p. 3, No. 7), “plumb[s] the depths of [their] intent”, thereby extending the reader’s frame of mind into a realm “distinct from its words” (Shunzei, p. 3, No. 7). All four poems possess this quality.

In Jien’s poem 327 (Carter, p. 71), the moon sets before a lone traveler has had enough of the moon’s company and beauty manifested in its reflection in the mountain spring water he was drinking, as his cupped hands suggest. As honkadori from Ki no Tsurayaki’s poem 171 (Carter, p. 105) on “Parting, composed upon bidding farewell to someone with whom he had talked near a spring on a mountain road”, it reaffirms the instinctive human desire for any type of company, human or not-Monk Saigyo even makes a companion of solitude: “If not for solitude,/how dismal my life would be! ” (Carter, p. 167, poem 318).

In this case, the floating, unanswered to last line “leaving me still wanting more” conveys the speaker’s loneliness and desire for his trustworthy but only temporarily graspable (through reflection) companion the moon. The consciousness of such emotional attachments and desires indicates the timelessness of the emotions, perceptions, and aesthetic sensibilities of past poets, to which humanity has been responding even till now. Furthermore, the experience is not restricted to one specific context; Tsurayaki’s speaker was not satisfied with the brief human contact, but Jien’s speaker made do with the inanimate moon.

That the experience transcends not only minds but also contexts reinforces it. All this was not laid out bare. The speaker in Jien’s other poem (Carter, p. 172, poem 330) calls out for someone to understand his sorrow and looks to the moon for an answer. His exposure to the indiscriminate, sharp and harsh “bright gleam” of the moon suggests through a heightened monochromatic contrast and the fact that no one responds to the speaker’s resounding question spoken out loud in this darkness delineates the individual alone in the stark, empty world, on a clear, dark night.

Whether or not he answers his question remains ambiguous until one recalls that the moon shining in the darkness has long since been a symbol of Buddhist enlightenment within this transient world of suffering and sorrow. He wonders till he gazes up and his senses seem to drown in the bright gleam of the moon. The reader can imagine that he will follow the gleam of the moon-the moon which is always there, but still subject to mutability and likely to bring sorrow until one arrives at the point of detachment.

In Shunzei’s Daughter’s poem 341 (Carter, p. 75), a lover departs such that his bodily absence creates a vacuum for which the lady tries to compensate by opening the door to let the moonlight stream into the room. The man has his attachments elsewhere, so despite being “reluctant” to leave, there is nothing he can do, and his body allows him to be only at one place at one time. In stark contrast, right after he leaves, the moon floods the lady’s room, detached, impartial and fair to all, sharing its infinite light with all beings everywhere. The moonlight automatically streams in through open doors-there is no need to wait, as a woman then had to wait for a lover who might not come.

Hence, in place of any explicit sadness the lady might harbor due to her lover’s absence, the moon in the sky at the break of day (as well as the lover’s absence) creates a sense of aware that anticipates the sun’s drowning out of the moon with the start of another day. This quiet, stark morning atmosphere, again distinct from the words of the poem and was not laid out bare, invites introspection before the day wakes up the rest of the living beings. Lastly, Shunzei’s Daughter’s poem 342 (Carter, p. 176), the speaker, with “wait! ” calls for the autumn moon not to proceed into the course it follows as autumn deepens and winter approaches.

Familiarity with the moon has made the speaker comfortable with personifying the moon as if it is a friend. However, the constant upon which the speaker has always relied-the moon’s nightly cruise through the sky-will now change with the seasons. The speaker is thus confronted with the difficulty of reconciling the uncertainty of the future with the comfortable familiarity of the past. This foreboding uncertainty of the future is embodied in “Now I cannot be so sure/ of seeing you travel/through the same old sky again/as I did so long ago” which is left hanging with no suggested solution.

The only constant is change, and every change results in more uncertainty. That the poem does not lay everything bare points toward the uncertainty it embodies. In all four poems, the tendency to search for a resolution in the seemingly permanent and dependable moon is a paradox the speakers in the poems face. The moon’s circular shape is itself symbolic of its predictable cyclical patterns, rising and setting, waxing and waning at specific times. Appearing nightly in the sky, people know that it is always there, and is the same one seen from anywhere, anytime.

In fact, despite its predictability, it is still mutable and hence subject to unpredictable changes, for instance, in its course (poem 342). In addition, the moon cannot be grasped tangibly, only accessed indirectly through its reflection in the water (poem 327), its visible presence in the sky (poems 330, 342) and its moonlight filling in the room (poem 330, 341). As a result of all this, its fluidity of movement and appearance across time and its inaccessibility contradicts the widespread believed-in permanency of the moon’s being.

Furthermore, due to its inaccessibility, the moon was to past peoples an object of mystery they could neither control nor fully understand. Nevertheless, many, as illustrated by the speakers in the poems, turned towards it for answers and understanding. The moon does not argue, frustrate, or make you wait. Visible from anywhere in the world, its constancy, predictability and amorality make it an easy source of solace, reminiscent of Izumi Shikibu’s “What am I to do/if the man I have waited for/should come to me now–/not wanting footsteps to disturb/the snow of my garden court” (Carter, pp. 23, poem 218). The empty hands (327), empty mind (330), empty room (341) empty future (342) in all four poems respectively, and the prominent, mystifying, quiet figure of the moon-the paradoxical emblem of mutability and permanence-prove that without “laying it bare,” a lingering bareness distinct from the words “plumb[s] the depths of your intent”, invoking a reaction.

An experience may be eternalized in the words of a poem, but it is what has been left unsaid that triggers the common biological response that ties all humanity. It is the collective resonance by readers across temporal, spatial and situational contexts to the experiences depicted in the poems, and to the universal, ironic attraction to the all-embracing moon that demonstrates the timeless universality of these emotions amongst humanity these past poets illuminate.

Assessment 3: Final Essay Question What is the relationship between technology, science and the visual? Analyse a text of your choice (Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon) in a way that demonstrates your understanding of the connections between bodies, technologies and visual reproduction. Josephine Polutea, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (2011) The relationship between technology, science and the visual I believe is that they all interconnect with each other. The technological invention of the lithographic device for example enabled numerous visual reproductions for magazines and newspapers.

This then opened up the door to the revolutionary technological shift in visual reproduction from lithography to photography that enabled replications to cater for the masses. This ability to produce multiple copies of any one image came about with the revolutionary development of the ‘negative’. (Lecture 5 / Technologies of the Visual Reproduction, 2011) This is evident in the movie Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon where the use of the images and footage from the Apollo 11, Lunar Landing are used to encapsulate the viewer to identify and empathise with the historical event that is used as a “spectacle” in the movie.

Science wise this was a breakthrough in all history of mankind although there is speculation and scepticism that the event in fact never took place (Lecture 5 / Visuality, History, Event Spectacle, 2011) in an effort to gain capital for funding of the NASA space program approximately estimated at thirty billion dollars. (Lecture 14 / Visuality, History, Event Spectacle, 2011). On the contrary this is problematic in any evidence documented in history for history although makes for a good story line in a movie about technology, science and the “bodies” involved in this visual reproduction of the “historical event”.

As this event spectacle was used in the movie as the basis of the visual narrative which was what I gathered to be that the American government discovered an unidentified object that crashed on the moon’s surface and the Presidents reaction to send the astronauts to the moon as he quotes in the movie “You get there before the Russians” and “Well you tell NASA to move heaven and earth. ” Gives the impression that Mr President is very patriotic and based on “actions speak louder than words”?

There is a sense of urgency where one would assume that there was a conspiracy to cover up a “top secret mission” to discover if there really were any alien life forms present on the moon or to cover up discoveries of such encounters. A reason of state would account for the manipulation of such evidence to enforce the protecting public morality, educating the population, looking after national interests and promoting community values. (Schirato, Webb 2007, p 174).

The news media’s job is to report the facts clearly, with as much accuracy as possible. Unfortunately this isn’t the case. Science and reason are a good arsenal to have in the battle against pseudoscience, but in most cases they take a back seat to history and tradition. Plait (2002) These technological experiments and discoveries speak from the investigations of science and other certain unexplained issues for example extra-terrestrial, the supernatural or the unexplained “other” unidentified flying objects or mechanical beings.

The images of an “alien” life form are visual reproduction of a circulated urban myth ‘so to speak’ rather there are no actual scientific evidentiary to substantiate claims from victims of the so called alien abductions or alien encounters. The descriptions given are used to form this visual that an alien has a big coned head, with big black oddly shaped eyes, a mouth and no nose but seem to be smaller in height then an average person.

The greatest influence over visual practices in the contemporary Western world are what we call normalisation, which is associated with the fields of science, bureaucracy and government, and capitalism. (Schirato and Webb 2004) So why is it, that in the movies they look familiarly tall and strong and awfully unattractive? Or those in Transformers that are referred to as aliens? The “other” bodies I will refer to the ‘transforming robots’ in the movie Transformers and the government “bodies” that are directly involved in this highly classified special operations task and the power role they play in the movie.

According to Schirato and Webb (2004) scientific categories of truth and reality are circulated throughout popular culture, particularly in the media. This is the main reason why we have used the term “normalising” rather than ‘scientific’ to designate this particular visual regime. The movie begins with the notion of a race soon to be extinct by war. In an opening statement that says, “We were once a peaceful race of intelligent mechanical beings, but then came the war. ” A war between the Autobots and Dicepticons on their planet called ‘Cybertron’.

This ‘mechanical being’ or what post-modernist film directors would call “aliens” freely roam the universe and eventually take refuge on planet Earth. This concept of machine life and human life co-existing and living in harmony is reinforced in the movie as a political opportunism point of view. For instance their alliance with the autobots to serve and protect America and the world from breach of national and international security. Optimus Prime quotes “In a year since our arrival, our new “home” Earth has seen much change. Energon’ detectors guard its cities now. Long range defense systems watch the skies. So now we assist our allies in solving human conflicts, to prevent mankind bringing harm to itself”. The normalisation of scientific revolution and bureaucratic power only serves a purpose that politically we as a society, a community we don’t really have a say in what happens but only that we are shaped and influenced to conform to what we should be expected to behave, believe or feel towards a certain situation.

This brings to surface the subjectivity that we are familiar with in our everyday lives. For example if we are pulled over by a policeman for a random breath test or for surpassing the speed limit we autonomously adjust our attitudes and stature to address the officer because we know that the ‘body’ or ‘other’ serves a purpose to the law and its people and therefore the power relationship is automatically referenced to the officer.

This power relationship between the bureaucracy and the people is displayed in the movie when Sam is attacked by laser beak, a side kick of Megatron and escapes in his efforts to assist the autobots before the decepticons take over the world. He is confronted by Director of National Intelligence Miriam who questions Coronel Lenick. “ I know his name, I wanna know who gave him clearance? ” and later argues “we cannot entrust national security to teenagers unless I missed the policy papers, are we doing that? I didn’t think so”.

As Schriato and Webb explains (2004) when a soldier saw something that signified a superior officer (a particular uniform, stripes), he was required to behave, quite automatically, in a submissive manner. Similarly, the idea was that when the population saw signs of state’s authority (buildings, functionaries in uniforms, titles, letter-heads) they would see, without questioning or hesitation, something that was greater, more powerful and more knowledgeable than themselves, and adjust their behaviour to comply with these manifest signs of the state.

In the movie these signs are visible especially in reference to the government bodies, President and the Pentagon – Bureaucratic and Political Division, NASA – Science Division, and the National Security Intelligence – Defence Division & Department of Health & Human Services which is signified as a body that serves a purpose to the people although take authority from the government, science, and defence divisions. As global cultural flow of images are circulated through the public media sphere and as such the Lunar Landing were celebrated through the United States and the world as a great historical accomplishment.

We are conformed to believe this is true because we generally believe that “seeing is believing” and that the images provided we take as ‘photographic truth’. The mechanical nature of image-producing systems such as photography and film, and the electronic nature of image-making systems such as television, computer graphics, and digital images, bear the legacy of ‘positivist’ concepts of science (Lecture 6 / Technologies of Visual Reproduction, 2001). Plait (2004) states that people confuse the far side with the dark side.

You almost never hear the phrase “far side of the moon”. It’s always “dark side of the moon”. This phrase isn’t really wrong but it is inaccurate. If movies were the only purveyors of scientific inaccuracies, there would hardly be a problem. After all it’s their job to peddle fantasy. In conclusion the connections between science and technology is a relationship between the global media sphere and the reason of state that governs all scientific, bureaucratic, political and capitalist fields that form and shape our views of how we perceive the world we live in.

Therefore my understanding is that science and technology have a strong relationship in the realm of the ‘visual regimes’ and there connections to our world views of government ‘bodies’, scientific technologies and the shift in technological visual reproductions. The reference list Plait, P C 2004, Bad Astronomy Misconceptions and Misuse Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing “Hoax” John Wiley & Sons Inc. , New York.

Schirato, T & Webb, J 2004, Reading the Visual, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest. CLT120, Vision, Visuality and Everyday Life, Lecture 5 – Technologies of the Visual Reproduction, Macquarie University, 2011. CLT120, Vision, Visuality and Everyday Life, Lecture 6 – The Myth of the Photographic Real, Macquarie University, 2011. CLT120, Vision, Visuality and Everyday Life, Lecture 14 – Visuality, History, Event Spectacle, Macquarie University, 2011

The wreckage of the ship and the remains of her seven crew members were strewn all across Texas and parts of Louisiana. Even the most staunch NASA believers contemplated their support for the agency as fire rained from the sky. It had been nearly 17 years since the last fatal disaster of the Challenger explosion, and this served as another frightening reminder that space travel till is not safe.

The incident caused the question that everyone asked themselves that day: Is the journey Of space travel and exploration worth the sacrifice of human lives? This line of thinking has ultimately lead to the debate over whether we, as American tax payers, should continue to fund NASA in its mission to explore and understand the universe. I propose that NASA is not only an important part of our government, but an absolute critical piece of our development as a human species. We are a race destined for the stars, and the formation of agencies like NASA were the first steps to that end.

To better understand NASA, we have to look at the agency from its inception. NASA was essentially born out of fear of Soviet space superiority. On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launch the worlds first artificial satellite into space by the name of Sputnik (Gerber, Lanais). As a direct result, almost exactly one year later NASA was formed with 8,000 employees and a 1 00 million dollar budget. The initial goal of NASA was to make up lost ground on the Soviets in the space race, but on May 25, 1961 President John F Kennedy gave NASA its prime directive: put a man on the moon and bring him back feely before the end of the decade.

With an astonishing pace and efficiency, that goal was achieve on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon and gave his famous “One Small Step for Man” speech. At that time, the whole country was behind NASA and its mission. The very act of putting a man on the moon changed our society in many ways. Man was no longer bound to the Earth, and it changed our perception of the universe. Exploration of space and the stars seemed within our grasp. It looked like only a matter of time before the common man would be colonizing the moon. Fast forward almost forty years later and we find that Man has not been back since.

The notion that we were able to send a man to the moon in eight years, but spend the next forty idly by on Earth and our low orbit space stations does not sit well with some. And, if you are just looking at the small picture of manned space travel, it would seem that NASA is moving at a snails pace. Since the last moon landing, Man has not moved an inch past our low orbit space stations. When looking at faults, there are many to be found as to why this has occurred. The first thing we can look at is the faltered support NASA received from our entry in the past few decades.

When Americans started dying for the cause, we all slowly started losing our taste for space travel. This also occurred when we realized the high cost of sending man into space. The public does not see the benefits of sending a man to the moon again, as the “been there, done that” mentality has prevailed. This is especially apparent as of late when Obama just recently canceled the Constellation Program, which aimed at getting a man back on the moon by 2020 (Atkinson). The ultimate goal was to start towards building a lunar base from which we could launch other space sessions from.

Yet, even though we had already spent 9 billion dollars on the project, it was axed. NASA was cited as “over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation due to a failure to invest in critical new technologies. ” Instead, NASA was urged to invest and inspire the centralization of space flight (Belton). This comes about because the space shuttle fleet will be retiring this year, and the US will be entirely reliant on the Russian space agency to ferry our astronauts to the International Space Station for the next few years. It is suggested that spurring growth in this sector will achieve

Beam’s angle of creating jobs and will be better economically than sending our money to Russia. While I find the centralization of space flight a step in a good direction, I believe the cancellation of the Constellation program shows an enormous lack of foresight on the Obama administration’s part. While this move harkens back to when the government spurred growth in commercial aviation sector by use of the Airmail initiative (Simmers 2), one must realize that the money is just not there yet for commercial study and exploration.

The projects NASA have undertaken have required massive budgets with usually very little monetary return. This is not necessarily the arena for private industry, who have a bottom line to worry about. There has been much outcry as to the cost of supporting NASA through public funding. This year Anna’s budget actually increased 6% to just under 18 billion dollars, which to some, are not being spent wisely. It is unfortunately true that NASA has become the government agency that nobody wanted it to be: big, bloated, inefficient and expensive.

It seems it has fallen into the pit that most other government agencies have. For proof of this e can look at Anna’s latest Mars rover project, the Mars Science Laboratory (MS). The rover was supposed to launch near the end of 2009 and now has been delayed (twice) to 201 1 (Chance). The budget for this project was approved at 1. 6 billion but now is projected to surpass 2. 2 billion by launch. Even if you look at Anna’s more recent success stories the public has been asking “is it worth it? ‘ The Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity launched in 2003 and were expected to last only 6 months.

Six years later and we find they are still operating on Mars and sending back data. At a total cost of -? 944 million for a six year mission, you could say that’s a bargain (Chivies). Yet, there are many who wonder how soil samples and weather patterns on Mars help us when there many more issues down on Earth that need attention. Some have urged for the slashing and outright abolishment of NASA in favor of shifting its budget to other social programs like well fare, national health care or education.

While I am not debating the whether or not these programs need more funding, I am stating that diminishing Anna’s budget and overall presence would be a huge blow to the development of the IIS and he human race as a whole. When looking at the overall governmental spending budget, NASA is only a drop in the bucket, totaling only less than 1% (Change). Compare that to the height of the Apollo missions that took 5% of the budget, it shows that today’s program is affordable. The national defense budget is nearly 40 times that of Anna’s.

While NASA does not directly work towards the hyphenation of space (that is the Air Force’s domain), maintaining space superiority does lend to our country’s defense. One can only imagine if Russia or China gains the upper hand. Regardless, the minute anis we might see by diverting Anna’s funding elsewhere would be greatly outweighed by the detrimental effects this would have on our country and perhaps the world. So far you might say there haven’t been many pro’s for NASA that have been presented. The fruits of Anna’s labors really fall into two categories: tangible and intangible.

The intangible gifts that NASA has given us are really the hardest to defend as they may not directly benefit us. For instance, NASA has discovered more than 300 explants (planets orbiting stars outside our solar system) and are still finding new and better ways to detect them Cowmen). They recent launched the Keeper space telescope that will aid us in finding even more explants. The knowledge that there are definitively more planets outside our solar system, while not surprising, does nothing for us now and helps no one at the moment.

Yet, the information we might glean from these explants may perhaps unlock how planets are formed in our universe; and may even give a glimpse into how life is formed. One cannot put a price tag on expanding the human understanding of the universe. But, knowing how life or planets are formed do not help the starving or the dying. For those who do not care that Uranus has 1000 MPH wind speeds or that at the center of every galaxy there may be a super massive black hole; we must look at the direct and tangible presents that NASA has bestowed on our society.

Many, many innovative technologies have been directly and indirectly created by NASA is pursuit of its goals. If you get lost in the woods and your GAPS leads you back to safety; you can thank NASA for that. If MR. scan catches the early stages of cancer and you get to live a full life because of it, you can thank NASA (Change 2). If your fire alarm goes off and you can get out of your souse before it is engulfed in flames; again, you can thank NASA. If you have an ear thermometer, cell phone, satellite TV or cordless drill; you can thank in whole or in part, NASA.

The technologies NASA has given the world has not only made life easier, but has saved countless lives as well. Let’s not forgot Anna’s enormous contributions to meteorology either, which have not only saved lives but have help the agricultural sector as well. All these things we may not have come about if NASA hadn’t help create them as a means to their end. If all of Anna’s contributions to humanity have not swayed you than reaps nothing will. You must take into account this though; that the fate of the entire world and the human race may be on Nanas shoulders.

I’m sure you have all seen movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact, and believable or not these Earth striking comets are a very real possibility. The only way we will have fair warning if this comes to pass will be through the efforts of agencies like NASA. The only organizations even considering the possibilities and contingency plans are those like NASA This is not fear mongering either; the widely accepted notion that Earth has been hit by a comet before exulting in the extinction of species like the dinosaurs is proof enough that it is possible.

It may very well be that one day NASA saves the Earth from destruction, and We will breath sigh of relief that we kept them around. When its all said and done, we need NASA. They have given us so much in the way of knowledge and tech analogical advancements that we shouldn’t turn our backs on them now. Granted, they are not perfect and do have many glaring flaws. Perhaps they need a restructuring or new leadership to get them back on the path. The fact remains that we are indebted to NASA for eloping us grow technologically and as humans looking up wide eyed at the sky.

FISHPOND ENGINEERING 1. INTRODUCTION Fishpond Engineering is the science of planning, designing and constructing ponds including water control structures. Although not entirely new in the Fish Farm industry, it has gained international acceptance and plays an important role for the efficiency of the farm management as well as in attaining higher farm production. Fishpond Engineering takes into consideration most especially the physical structures and economy of construction based on the proper engineering procedure and application. . SITE SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF EXISTING AREAS 2. 1 Water Supply Water supply is the first and most important factor to consider in the suitability of a fishpond site. Usually, water supply comes from a river, a creek or from the sea. It must meet the quality and quantity requirement of the pond system throughout the year. Water quality is affected by the physical, the chemical, and the biological parameters.

Such parameters are affected by the 1) by-products and wastes resulting from urbanization, 2) agricultural pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers, 3) industrial wastes from pulp mills, sugar, oil refineries, and textile plants, 4) radio-active wastes, 5) oil pollution arising navigational activities, uncontrolled spillage, and oil exploration. Some of these parameters are discussed in detail under fishpond management. Poor quality water sometimes causes the fouling of gates, screens or metal pipes. This happens when heavy dredging is being conducted in an area.

Heavy dredging increases turbidity and causes the release of organic substances embedded in the soil. Once these organic substances are released, they use up oxygen causing high biological oxygen demand (BOD). Higher BOD causes oxygen depletion which in turn makes the water foul. Similar conditions also occur during floods. Water supply in tide-fed farms must be adequate especially during some months of the year when the height of high water is at minimum. This problem can be solved by proper gate design and by the use of pumps.

The rate of volume flow of nearby tidal stream needs also to be considered; measurement is made during the dry stream flow and during floods. The data obtained give the developer the minimum and maximum rates of discharge. These are important requirements in fish farm design. For details, refer to Annex I. 2. 2 Tidal Characteristic and Ground Elevation The suitability of a tide-fed area for a “bangus” fishpond project depends on the relationship between the tidal characteristic of the area and its ground elevation.

The only free source of energy that could be tapped for flooding a brackishwater coastal pond is tidal energy which is available once or twice a day depending on geographical location. Five reference stations in the Philippines exhibit five peculiarly different patterns during some months of the year. Figure 1 shows in a graphical form the relationship of natural ground elevation to tidal characteristic. Tables 1 and 2 show such relationships as they are applicable to the six stations of reference. [pic]

Figure 1 – Suitability of Proposed Fishpond Site Based on Tidal Characteristic and Ground Elevation. |LOCALITY |Elevations in Meters Above Mean Lower Low H20 | | |Mean High Water (MHW) |Mean Sea Level (MSL) |Mean Low Water (MLW) | |Pier 13, South Harbor, Manila |0. 872 |0. 479 |0. 104 | |Pier 2, Cebu City |1. 50 |0. 722 |0. 183 | |Legaspi Port, Legaspi City |1. 329 |0. 744 |0. 165 | |Sta. Ana Port Davao City |1. 405 |0. 753 |0. 101 | |Port of Poro, San Fernando, La Union |- |0. 372 |- | |Jolo Wharf Jolo, Sulu |0. 631 |0. 38 |0. 034 | Table 1. List of Primary Tide Stations and Datum Planes |  |Highest |Lowest |Absolute |Normal daily fluctuation |R E M A R K S | | |recorded tide |recorded tide|annual range |low/high(range) (m) | | | |(m) |(m) |(m) | | | |PHILIPPINES |1. 4 |(-)0. 21 |1. 25 |(-)0. 03/0. 61(0. 64) |Tidal fluctuation too | |San Fernando, La | | | | |narrow for proper | |Union | | | | |fishpond management | |Manila City |1. 46 |(-)0. 34 |1. 8 |0. 14/1. 05(0. 1) |Tidal fluctuation | | | | | | |slightly narrow for | | | | | | |proper fishpond | | | | | | |management | |Legaspi City |1. 83 |(-)0. 4 |2. 23 |1. 09/1. 40(1. 9) |Tidal fluctuation | | | | | | |favorable for proper | | | | | | |fishpond management | |Cebu City |1. 98 |(-)0. 4 |2. 38 |(-)0. 03/1. 49(1. 52) |-do- | |Davao City |1. 98 |(-)0. 49 |2. 47 |(-)0. 03/1. 77(1. 80) |-do- | |Jolo, Sulu |1. 19 |(-)0. 12 |1. 31 |(-)0. 03/0. 98(1. 1) |Tidal fluctuation | | | | | | |slightly narrow for | | | | | | |proper fishpond | | | | | | |management | Table 2. Suitability of Six Tidal Stations of Reference for Fish Farms Areas reached only by the high spring tides should be ruled out as it is costly to move large quantities of soil during the process of excavation.

There is that other problem of where to place the excess materials. While these can be solved by constructing high and wide perimeter dikes, putting up more dikes will create narrow compartments resulting in less area intended for fish production. Low areas on the other hand will require higher and more formidable dikes which may mean that earth will have to be moved long distances. The pond bottom should not be so low that drainage will be a problem. The best elevation for a pond bottom therefore, would at least be 0. 2 meter from the datum plane or at an elevation where you can maintain at least 0. meter depth of water inside a pond during ordinary tides. This index should satisfy the requirements of both fish and natural fish food. 2. 2. 1 Tides The attractive forces of both the moon and the sun on the earth surface which changes according to the position of the two planets bring about the occurrence of tides. Tides recur with great regularity and uniformity, although tidal characteristic vary in different areas all over the world. The principal variations are in the frequency of fluctuation and in the time and height of high and low waters.

When the sun, the moon and the earth are in a straight line, greater tidal amplitudes are produced. These are called spring tides. Tides of smaller amplitudes are produced when the sun and the moon form the extremes of a right triangle with the earth at the apex. These are called neap tides. When high and low waters occur twice a day it is called a semi-diurnal tide. When the high and the low occur once a day it is called a diurnal tide. The moon passes through a given meridian at a mean interval of 24 hours and 50 minutes. We call this interval one lunar day.

Observations reveal that the mean interval between two successive high (or low) waters is 12 hours and 25 minutes. Thus, if there is a high water at 11:00 A. M. today, the next high water will take place 12 hours and 25 minutes later, i. e. , 11:25 P. M. and the next will be at 11:50 A. M. of the following day. Each day the time of tide changes an average of 50 minutes. The difference in the sea water level between successive high and low waters is called the range. Generally, the range becomes maximum during the new and full moon and minimum during the first and last quarter of the moon.

The difference in the height between the mean higher high and the mean lower low waters is called the diurnal range. The difference in the tide intervals observed in the morning and afternoon is called diurnal inequality. At Jolo, for instance, the inequality is mainly in the high waters while at Cebu and Manila it is in the low waters as well as in the high waters. The average height of all the lower of low waters is the mean lower low (MLLW), or (0. 00) elevations. This is the datum plane of reference for land elevation of fish farms.

Prediction of tides for several places throughout the Philippines can be obtained from Tide and Current Tables published annually by the Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey (BCGS). These tables give the time and height of high and low water. The actual tidal fluctuation on the farm however, deviates to some extent from that obtained from the table. The deviation is corrected by observing the time and height of tidal fluctuation at the river adjacent to the farm, and from this, the ratio of the tidal range can be computed. From the corrected data obtained, bench marks scattered in strategic places can be established.

These bench marks will serve later on as starting point in determining elevations of a particular area. 2. 2. 2 Tide prediction There are six tide stations in the Philippines, namely: San Fernando, Manila, Legaspi, Cebu, Jolo and Davao stations. Reference stations for other places are listed under the “Tidal Differences” and “Constants” of the Tide and Current Tables. The predicted time and height of high and low waters each day for the six tide stations can be read directly from the table. Tide predictions for other places are obtained by applying tidal differences and ratios to the daily predictions.

Tidal differences and ratios are also found in the Tide and Current Tables. Let us take for example, the tidal predictions for Iloilo on 23 Sept. 1979. Looking through the tidal differences and constants of the Tide Tables, you will find that reference station for Iloilo is Cebu. The predicted time and height of tides for Cebu obtained from the tide tables on 23 Sept. 1979 are as follows: |High |Low        | |Time |: |Height |Time |: |Height | |0004 |: |1. 3 m |0606 |: |0. 14 m | |1216 |  |1. 52 m |1822 |  |0. 18 m | (The heights are in meters and reckoned from mean lower low water (MLLW); 0000 is midnight and 1200 is noon). Again, from the table on Tidal Differences and Constants, the corrections on the time and height of high and low waters for Iloilo are as follows: |Time |Height of High Water |Height of Low Water | |+ 0 hr. 05 min. |+ 0. 09 |+ 0. 3 | Thus, the corrected time and heights of high and low waters for Iloilo are: |High |Low        | |Time |: |Height |Time |: |Height | |0009 |: |1. 52 m |0611 |: |0. 17 m | |1221 |: |1. 61 m |1827 |: |0. 21 m | 2. 2. 3 Height of tide at any given time

The height of the tide at any given time of the day may be determined graphically by plotting the tide curve. This can be done if one needs to know the height of the tide at a certain time. The procedure is as follows: On a cross-section paper, plot the high (H) and the low (L) water points between which the given time lines (see Fig. 2). Join H and L by a straight line and divide it into four equal parts. Name the points as Q1, M and Q2 with M as the center point. Locate point P1 vertically above Q1 and P2 vertically below Q2 at a distance equal to one tenth of the range of the tide.

Draw a sine curve through points H, P1, M, P2 and L. This curve closely approximates the actual tide curve, and heights for any time may be readily scaled from it. Figure 2 shows the curve on 23 Sept. 1979 for Iloilo. H is 1. 61 m at 12:21 hr and L is 0. 21 m at 18:27 hr. Since the range is 1. 40 m, P1 is located 0. 14 units above Q1 and P2 is located 0. 14 units below Q2. The height of the tide at 14:30 hr is given by point T to be 1. 22 m. [pic] Figure 2. Height of Tide at any Given Time for Iloilo on 23 Sept. 1979. 2. 3 Soil Properties

Most of our fishponds are constructed on tidal lands consisting of alluvial soils which are adjacent to rivers or creeks near the coastal shores and estuaries at or near sea level elevation. If you pick up a handful of soil and examine it closely, you will find that it is made up of mineral and organic particles of varying sizes. The mineral particles are the clay, silt, and sand while the organic particles are plant and animal matter at various stages of decomposition. Soils are assigned with textural classes depending on their relative proportion of sand, silt and clay.

Each textural class exhibits varying colors which are based on their chemical composition, amount of organic matter and the degree of decomposition. U. S. Department of Agriculture Classification System has classified soil as: |GENERAL TERMS | |Common Names |Texture |Basic Soil Textural Class Names | |1. |Sandy Soils |Coarse |Sandy | | | | |Sandy Loam | |2. Loamy Soils |Moderately Coarse |Sandy Loam | | | | |Fine sandy Loam | | | |Medium |Very fine Sandy Loam | | | |Moderately fine |Loam | | | | |Silty Loam | | | | |Silt | |3. |Clayey Soils |Fine |Sandy Clay |Clay Loam | | | | |Silty Clay |Sandy Clay Loam | | | | |Clay |Silty Clay Loam | Many properties of soil, which are related to its texture, determine how well suited it is for fishpond purposes.

A sandy loam, for instance, is more porous than silty loam and the latter will hold more nutrients than the former. Clay or sandy clay may be the best for dike construction but not as good as clay loam or silty clay loam in terms of growing natural food. So, in general, finer textured soils are superior for fishpond purposes because of their good water retention properties. Each soil texture exhibits different workability as soil construction material. Studies conducted show that clayey soil is preferred for diking purposes. Suitability of a soil class as dike material decreases with decreasing percentage of clay present in the mixture (see Table 3). CLASS |RELATIVE CHARACTERISTIC |COMPACTION CHARACTERISTIC |SUITABILITY FOR DIKE | | | | |MATERIAL | | |PERMEABILITY |COMPRESSIBILITY | | | |Clay |impervious |medium |fair to good |excellent | |Sandy clay |impervious |low |good |good | |Loamy |semi-pervious |high |fair to very |fair | | |to | | | | | |impervious |high |poor | | |Silty |semi-pervious to |medium to |good to very |poor | | |impervious |high |poor | | |Sandy |pervious |negligible |good |poor | |Peaty |- |- |- |very poor | Table 3. Relationship of Soil Classes and Suitability for dike material Sediments are a dominant and observable characteristic in lower areas of brackishwater swamplands.

Field observations and laboratory analysis of soil samples taken reveal that the majority have a thick layer of loose organic sediments which make them unsuitable for fishpond development and other infrastructures. Engineering and other technical considerations indicate that areas having this type of soil are rather difficult to develop because it is directly related to future land development problems such as (1) subsidence and related flood hazards, (2) unavailability of stable and indigenous soil materials for diking, and (3) unavailability of land with adequate load bearing capacity for future infrastructures such as buildings for storage and production facilities.

Areas dominated by organic and undecomposed sediments are expected to experience considerable subsidence which eventually result to loss in effective elevation of the land after development as a result of drainage or controlled water table. Since elevation of most tidal lands converted to brackishwater fishponds are generally one meter above MLLW, any future loss of elevation due to subsidence shall predispose the area to severe drainage and flooding problems due to blocking effect of seawater during high tides. Organic and undecomposed sediments are not a good foundation for dikes nor for diking material. Fishpond areas dominated by this type of soil will mean that there is an inadequacy of indigenous soil materials for diking or filling of lower areas.

In the absence of good soil materials, the site under consideration will require importing of soils from the adjoining areas which will make the system of development a very expensive process, or considerable excavation for diking will cause (1) unnecessary exposure of acid organic layers, (2) difficulty in leveling, (3) high cost of dike maintenance and (4) technical problems on seepage losses which will cause difficulty in maintaining water levels in the pond. 2. 3. 1 Field method for identification of soil texture Sand – Soil has granular appearance. It is free-flowing when in a dry state. A handful of air-dry soil when pressed will fall apart when released. It will form a ball which will crumble when lightly touched. It cannot be ribboned between thumb and finger when moist. Sandy Loam – Essentially a granular soil with sufficient silt and clay to make it somewhat coherent. Sand characteristic predominate. It forms a ball which readily falls apart when lightly touched when air-dry.

It forms a ball which bears careful handling without breaking. It cannot be ribboned. Loam – A uniform mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Grading of sand fraction is quite uniform from coarse to fine. It is soft and has somewhat gritty feel, yet is fairly smooth and slightly plastic. When squeezed in hand and pressure is released, it will form a ball which can be handled freely without breaking. It cannot be ribboned between thumb and finger when moist. Silty Loam – It contains a moderate amount of finer grades of sand and only a small amount of clay; over half of the particles are silt. When dry, it may appear quite cloddy; it can be readily broken and pulverized to a powder.

When air-dry, it forms a ball which can be freely handled. When wet, soil runs together and puddles. It will not ribbon but has a broken appearance; it feels smooth and may be slightly plastic. Silt – It contains over 80% of silt particles with very little fine sand and clay. When dry, it may be cloddy; it is readily pulverized to powder with a soft flour-like feel. When air-dry, it forms a ball which can be handled without breaking. When moist, it forms a cast which can freely be handled. When wet, it readily puddles. It has a tendency to ribbon with a broken appearance; it feels smooth. Clay Loam – Fine texture soils break into lumps when dry. It contains more clay than silt loam.

It resembles clay in a dry condition. Identification is made on physical behaviour of moist soil. When air-dry, it forms a ball which can be freely handled without breaking. It can be worked into a dense mass. It forms a thin ribbon which readily breaks. Clay – Fine texture soils break into very hard lumps when dry. It is difficult to pulverize into a soft flour-like powder when dry. Identification is based on cohesive properties of the moist soil. When air-dry, it forms long thin flexible ribbons. It can be worked into a dense compact mass. It has considerable plasticity, and can be moulded. Organic Soil – Identification is based on its high organic content.

Much consists of thoroughly decomposed organic materials with considerable amount of mineral soil finely divided with some fibrous remains. When considerable fibrous material is present, it may be classified as peat. Soil color ranges from brown to black. It has high shrinkage upon drying. 2. 4 Studies of Watershed and Flood Hazard 2. 4. 1 Watershed A watershed is a ridge of high land draining into a river, river system or body of water. It is the region facing or sloping towards the lower lands and is the source of run-off water. The bigger the area of the watershed, the greater the volume of run-off water that will drain to the rivers, creeks, swamps, lakes or ocean. Precipitation from a watershed does not totally drain down as run-off water.

A portion of the total rainfall moving down the watershed’s surface is used by the vegetation and becomes a part of the deep ground water supply or seeps slowly to a stream and to the sea. The factor affecting the run-off may be divided into factors associated with the watershed. Precipitation factors include rainfall duration, intensity and distribution of rainfall in the area. Watershed factors affecting run-off include size and shape of watershed, retention of the watershed, topography and geology of the watershed. The volume of run-off from a watershed may be expressed as the average depth of water that would cover the entire watershed. The depth is usually expressed in centimeters. One day or 24-hours rainfall depth is used for estimating peak discharge rate, thus: Volume of Flood Run-off (Q) [pic]+ S1 Engineering Field Manual For Conservation Practices, 1969, pp 2–5 to 2–6 |where |Q |= |accumulated volume of run-off in centimeters depth over the drainage area | | |P |= |accumulated rainfall in cm depth over the drainage area | | |Ia |= |initial obstruction including surface storage, interception by vegetation and | | | | |infiltration prior to run-off in cm depth over the drainage area | | |s |= |potential maximum retention of water by the soil equivalent in cm depth over the | | | | |drainage area | 2. 4. 2 Flood hazard

Floods are common in the Philippines due to overflowing of rivers triggered by typhoons and the southwest monsoon rain prevailing over the islands during the rainy season. Overflow of the rivers is largely attributable to the bad channel characteristic such as steep slopes as well as meandering at the lower reach of the river. The network of the tidal streams in some delta areas has been rendered ineffective in conveying the flood-water to the sea due to fishpond construction. Flooding is common in this country and is considered the most destructive enemy of the fishpond industry. The floods of 1972 and 1974 greatly affected the fishpond industry in Central Luzon causing damage amounting to millions of pesos.

Because of the floods, fishponds became idle during the time necessary for operators to make repairs and improvements. Floods cannot be controlled, but what is important is to know how a fishpond can be free to some extent from flood hazard. In order to prevent frequent flooding, it is necessary to know the weather conditions in the area where the fishpond project is located. The highest flood occuring in an area can be determined by proper gathering of information. In big rivers, the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) records the height of flood waters during rainy seasons. However, in areas where the MPW has no record, the best way is by gathering information from the people who have stayed in the area for many years.

The size of the creek, river and drainage canal should also be determined to find out whether it can accommodate the run-off water or flood water that drains in the area once the fishpond project is developed. Records of the highest flood in the site, especially during high tide, is very important. It will be the basis in providing allowance for the drainage of flood water coming from the watershed. 2. 5 Climatic Conditions Climate has been described in terms of distribution of rainfall recorded in a locality during the different months of the year. In the Philippines, it is classified into four climatic zones preferably called weather types, namely: |Type I |- |Two pronounced seasons; dry from November to April and wet uring the rest of the year. | |Type II |- |No dry season with very pronounced maximum rainfall from November to January. | |Type III |- |Season not very pronounced; relatively dry from November to April and wet during the | | | |rest of the year. | |Type IV |- |Rainfall more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. | The elements that make up the climate of a region are the same as those that make up the weather, the distinction being one mainly of time. But the elements that concern most fishpond operators are the rainfall, temperature and the prevailing wind direction because they greatly affect fish production directly or indirectly.

Data on rainfall and wind direction are very necessary in planning the layout and design of pond system. Knowing past rainfall records, you can more or less decide whether it will be necessary to include a drainage canal in the layout, and how large it will be when constructed. Knowing past rainfall records will also be necessary in computing the height of the secondary and tertiary dikes. Wind on the other hand, plays a role in fishpond design. Strong wind generates wave actions that destroy sides of the dike. This causes great expense in the construction and maintenance. However, this problem can be minimized with proper planning and design.

For instance, longer pond dimension should be positioned somewhat parallel to the direction of the prevailing wind (see Fig. 3). This will lessen the side length of the dike exposed to wave action. This orientation of pond compartments will also have some advantageous effects in the management aspect. [pic] Figure 3. Layout of Pond Compartments Oriented to the Prevailing Wind Direction Nearly every location is subject to what is called the prevailing wind, or the wind blowing in one direction for a major portion of the year. Monsoons are prevailing winds which are seasonal, blowing from one direction over part of the year and from the opposite direction over the remaining part of the year.

Trade winds, which generally come from the east, prevail during the rest of the year when the monsoons are weak. [pic] Figure 4. Wind Directions Wave action in ponds is caused by wind blowing across the surface. One cannot totally control wave action in ponds although it can be minimized. In typhoon belt areas or in areas where a strong wind blows predominantly, it is better to include wind breakers in planning the layout of ponds. 2. 6 Type and Density of Vegetation Mangrove swamps occur in abundance on tidal zones along the coasts of the Philippines which are being converted into fishponds for fish production, but not all mangrove swamps are suitable for fishpond purposes.

Some are elevated and are not economically feasible for development; others have too low an elevation to develop. The distribution of mangrove species in tropical estuaries depend primarily on the land elevation, soil types, water salinity and current. It has been observed that “api-api” and “pagat-pat” trees (Avicennia) abound in elevated areas while “bakawan” trees (Rhizophora) are mostly found in low areas. It has also been observed that nipa and high tannin trees have a long-lasting low pH effect on newly constructed ponds. Presence of certain shrubs and ferns indicate the elevation and frequency of tide water overrunning the area. Certain aquatic plants such as water lily, eel grass and chara sp. indicate low water salinities.

The type and density of vegetation, the size, wood density and root system of individual trees greatly affect the method of clearing, procedure of farm development and construction cost. Thickly vegetated areas, for instance, will take a long time to clear of stumps. Density of vegetation is classified according to kind, size and quantity per unit area. This is done to determine the cost of land clearing and uprooting of stumps. One method used is by random sampling. The process requires at least five or more samples taken at random, regardless of size, and vegetation is classified according to kind, size and number. Then the findings are tabulated and the average of the samples is determined. However, vegetation of less than 3 cm in diameter is not included.

The total vegetation of the area is determined as follows: [pic] |Station |NIPA |BAKAWAN |API-API |LIPATA |BIRIBID | |(20? 20) | | | | | | | |No|Av|No. | | |. |e. | | | | |Si| | | | |ze| | | |b |= |line GD | | |h |= |height or distance | The total area of the irregular figure is equal to the sum of A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5.

Example: Find the area of an irregular figure shown in Figure 13 using the triangulation method. Solution: [pic] [pic] b. Trapezoidal Rule [pic] Figure 14. Area Determination Using the Trapezoidal Rule If a field is bounded on one side by a straight line and on the other by a curved boundary, the area may be computed by the use of the trapezoidal rule. Along a straight line AB, Fig. 14, perpendicular offsets are drawn and measured at regular intervals. The area is then computed using the following formula: [pic] Where: |ho, hn |= |length of end offsets | |Sh |= |sum of offsets (except end offsets) | |d |= |distance between offsets | Example: In Fig. 4, if the offsets from a straight line AB to the curved boundary DC are 35, 25, 30, 40, and 10, and are at equal distance of 30, what is the included area between the curved boundary and the straight line? Solution: |Area ABCD |= |[pic] | | |= | | | |= |117. 5 ? 30 | | |= |3,525 sq. m. | 3. 2. 3 Laying out right angles and parallel lines a. Laying out right angles. For instance it is required to lay out the center line of dike B (see Fig. 15) perpendicular to that of dike A using a tape.

A simple corollary on the right triangle states that a triangle whose sides are in proportion of 3, 4, and 5 is a right triangle, the longest side being the hypotenuse. In the figure, point C is the intersection of the two dike centerlines. One man holds the zero end of the tape at C and 30 m is measured towards B. Again from C, measure 40 m distance towards A and then from A’ measure a distance of 50 meters towards B’. Line CB’ should intersect line A’ B’. Therefore, line CB is formed perpendicular to line CA. It is always desirable to check the distances to be sure that no mistake has been made. [pic] Figure 15. Laying Out Right Angles b. Laying out parallel lines. In Figure 16, CD is to be run parallel to AB.

From line AB erect perpendicular lines EF and GH in the same manner described in the previous discussion. Measure equal distances of EF and GH from line AB and the line formed through points C’ and D’ is the required parallel. [pic] Figure 16. Laying Out Parallel Lines 3. 3 Topographic Survey 3. 3. 1 Explanation of common terms a. Bench Mark (BM). A bench mark is a point of known elevation of a permanent nature. A bench mark may be established on wooden stakes set near a construction project or by nails driven on trees or stumps of trees. Nails set on trees should be near the ground line where they will remain on the stump if the tree will be cut and removed. Procedure on setting up a bench mark is attached as Annex 4.

It is a good idea to mark the nail with paint and ring the tree above and below also in case a chain saw is used to cut down the tree. The Philippines Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey has established bench marks in nearly all cities and at scattered points. They are generally bronze caps securely set on stones or in concrete with elevations referenced to mean sea level (MSL). The purpose of these bench marks is to provide control points for topographic mapping. b. Turning Point (TP). A turning point is a point where the elevation is determined for the purpose of traverse, but which is no longer needed after necessary readings have been taken.

A turning point should be located on a firm object whose elevation will not change during the process of moving the instrument set up. A small stone, fence post, temporary stake driven into the ground is good enough for this purpose. c. Backsight (BS). Backsight is a rod reading taken on a point of known elevation. It is the first reading taken on a bench mark or turning point immediately after the initial or new set-up. d. Foresight (FS). Foresight is a rod reading taken on any point on which an elevation is to be determined. Only one backsight is taken during each set-up; all other rod readings are foresights. e. Height of Instrument (HI). Height of instrument is the elevation of the line of sight above the reference datum plane (MLLW).

It is determined by adding the backsight rod reading to the known elevation of the point on which the backsight was taken. 3. 3. 2 Transit-stadia method of topographic survey The following describes the procedure of determining ground elevations using the engineer’s level with a horizontal circle and stadia rod. A transit may be substituted for the level if care is exercised in leveling the telescope. It is assumed that a bench mark with known elevation has been established. a. Establish your position from a point of known location on the map. In Figure 17, point B is “tied” to a point of known location on the map, such as corner monument C of the area. This is done by sighting the instrument at

C and noting down the azimuth and distance of line BC. The distance of B from C is determined by the stadia-method discussed under area survey. [pic] Figure 17. Establishing Position from a Point of Known Location on the Map b. Take a rod reading on the nearest bench mark (BM), as shown in Figure 18, previously installed for such purpose. This reading is called the backsight (BS), the rod being on a point of known elevation. The height of the instrument (HI) is then found by adding the elevation of the bench mark (Elev. ) and backsight (BS), thus: H. I. = Elev. + B. S. [pic] Figure 18. Transit-stadia Method of Topographic Survey c.

The telescope is sighted to point D, or any other points desired, and take the rod reading. The reading is called the foresight (F. S. ), the rod being on a point of known elevation. Ground elevation of point D is then determined by subtracting the foresight (F. S. ), from the height of the instrument (H. I. ), thus: Elevation = H. I. – F. S. d. Similar procedure is used in determining the ground elevation of several points which are within sight from the instrument at point B. The azimuth and distance of all the points sighted from point B are read and recorded in the sample field notes such as shown in Figure 19. |Sta. |Sta. |B. S. | |Occ. |Obs. | |HAT |= |Highest Astronomical Tide | |GS |= |Elevation of the ground Surface | |MF |= |Maximum Flood level | |FB |= |Allowance for Free Board | |%S |= |Percent Shrinkage and settlement | 1. The design height of a secondary dike is calculated using the following formula: [pic] Where: Hs |= |Height of the secondary dike | |HST |= |Highest Spring Tide | |GS |= |Elevation of the ground Surface | |MR |= |Maximum Rainfall within 24 hours | |FB |= |Allowance for Freeboard | |%S |= |Percent Shrinkage and settlement | 2. The design height of a tertiary dike is calculated using the following formula: [pic] Where: Ht |= |Height of the tertiary dike | |DWL |= |Desired Water Level | |GS |= |Elevation of the ground Surface | |MR |= |Maximum Rainfall within 24 hours | |FB |= |Allowance for Freeboard | |%S |= |Percent Shrinkage and settlement | [pic] Figure 28. Design of Different Dikes 4. 3. 3 Canals. About one to two percent of the total farm area is used in the canal system. The main water supply canal starts from the main gate and usually traverses the central portion of the fishfarm. The canal bed should not be lower than, but rather sloping towards, the floor elevation of the main gate. Generally, the canal bed is given a slope of 1/1500 or one meter difference in elevation for a horizontal distance of 1,500 m. A one meter opening main gate will have a canal bed at least 3. m. wide. This width is enough to supply a 10–15 hectares fishpond system considering that the canal dikes have a ratio of 1:1 slope. Secondary water supply canals are constructed in portions of the farm which cannot be reached by the main canal. It starts from the main canal and traverses the inner portion of the fishpond. It is usually constructed in large fishpond areas and smaller than the main canal. Generally, secondary supply canal has a bed width of 2. 0 m. A tertiary canal is usually constructed to supply water in the nursery and transition ponds. Because of the small size, it is sometimes said to be a part of the nursery pond system.

Some fish culturists modify the tertiary canal as a catching pond. This usually happens when the designed tertiary canal is short, Generally, a tertiary canal has a bed width of 1. 0–1. 5 m. A diversion canal, when necessary, is also constructed to protect the farm from being flooded with run-off water coming from the watershed. It must be strategically located so that run-off will empty on an established disposal area, natural outlets or prepared individual outlets. It should have the capacity to carry at least the peak run-off from the contributing watershed for a 10-year frequency storm. The slope of the diversion canal should be in such a way that water flows towards the drainage area.

A drainage canal is constructed when there is a need to have a separate canal for draining rearing ponds. This is to improve water management in the pond system. It is usually located at the other side of the pond, parallel to the supply canal. A drainage canal is recommended in intensive culture, especially of shrimps. [pic] Figure 29. Design of Different Canals 5. PROJECT COST AND PROGRAMMING The worst error a prospective fishfarm operator can make is to develop an area without project cost estimates and a programme of development. Development money is wasted, and management of the area may be difficult or impossible. Poor planning is the major cause of project failure and even leads to personal bankruptcy.

It is very necessary that preparation of the project cost estimates as well as programme of development be done before any construction is started. It is important to know approximately how much will be spent to finish the whole project. It is better that one knows how and when the project will be constructed and completed. The importance of the project cost estimates and programme of development should not be underestimated. 5. 1 Project Cost EStimates The cost of development can be estimated based on the 1) data gathered in the area, 2) proposed layout plan, and 3) design and specification of the physical structures and other facilities. 5. 1. 1 Pre-development estimates a. For the preparation of Feasibility Study.

Whether the fishpond operator will apply for a loan in the Bank or he will use his own money to finance the development of a fishpond project, a feasibility study of the area is needed. The feasibility study will be his guide in the development and management of the project. All activities such as the development, management and economic aspects are embodied in the feasibility study. It is a specialized work by engineers, aquaculturist and an economist having special knowledge in fishfarming industry. Usually, for the preparation of the feasibility study, the group charges about 2% to 10% of the total estimated cost of development. b. For the Survey of the Area. An area survey includes a topographic survey, and re-location survey.

Whether the area is owned by a private individual or by the government, an area survey by a licensed Geodetic Engineer is very important for the proper location and boundary of the land. It is one of the requirements in the application for a 25-year Fishpond Lease Agreement in the BFAR and also in the application for a loan in the Bank. It must be duly approved by the Bureau of Lands. A topographic survey is necessary in the planning and development of the project. A re-location survey must be conducted to check the validity of the approved plan as well as to avoid conflict in the future. An area and topographic survey done by a Geodetic Engineer will cost about [pic]400. 00 for the first hectare or a fraction thereof and [pic]50. 00 per hectare for the succeeding hectarages.

Re-location survey is cheaper than the area and topographic survey. c. For the Construction of a Temporary Shelter. Experienced fishpond laborers generally do not live in the locality. To be more effective they need to have a place to stay during the construction activities. For the construction of a shelter house made of light material, assume a cost of [pic]300. 00/sq. m. of shelter. This includes materials and labor costs. d. For the Construction of Transport Facilities. Flatboats will be needed in the transport of mudblocks. A banca may be used in going to the site. Cost of construction varies from locality to locality. A flatboat with dimensions of 8′ ? 4′ ? 14″ will cost around [pic]500. 00.

A small banca will cost around [pic]600. 00. e. For Representation and Transportation Expenses. This item is not included in the cost of development of a fishpond project. However, it appears that a big amount is being incurred in representation and transportation expenses before the project is started. Example of expenditures are follow-ups of survey plan of the area, FLA application and bank loan. Other expenses are incurred in canvassing of supplies and materials, survey of manpower requirement and equipment needed in the development of a project. Representation and transportation expenses cover about 10–20 percent of pre-development cost. 5. 1. 2 Development Proper. a.

For the Clearing of the Whole Area. Clearing the area of vegetation can be divided into three categories, namely: 1) cutting and chopping, 2) Falling and burning, and 3) uprooting and removal of stumps and logs. Generally, cutting and chopping costs about [pic]500. 00 per hectare; piling and burning costs about [pic]300. 00 per hectare; and for the uprooting of stumps and removal of logs, costs depend on their size and number per unit area. A hectare pond, for instance, having 200 stumps of size below 15 cm. in diameter will cost about [pic]800. 00. Stumps numbering 50 pieces with diameter over than 15 cm. will cost about [pic]1,000. 00 per hectare.

Cost for the clearing depends upon the prevailing price in the locality. b. For the Construction and Installation of Gates. Cost of construction and installation of a gate can be calculated based on its design and specification proposed in the area. The two kinds of gate commonly constructed in fishponds ( concrete and wood) will be discussed separately. 1. Estimating the cost of construction and installation of a concrete gate: a. Based on the plan of a concrete gate, determine the area and volume of the walls, wings, floor, bridges, toes, aprons and cut walls and compute for the total volume using the following formula: A = L ? W V = A ? t VT = V = V1 + V2 + V3 + … Where: A |= |Area |L |= |Length | |V |= |Volume |W |= |Width | |VT |= |Total volume |t |= |thickness | Determine the number of bags of cement, and the volume of gravel and sand by multiplying the total volume with the factors precomputed for a Class A mixture plus 10% allowance for wastage, thus: |No. of bag cement |= |(VT ? 7. 85) + 10% | |Volume of Gravel |= |(VT ? 0. 88) + 10% | |Volume of Sand |= |(VT ? 0. 44) + 10% |

Class A mixture has a proportion of 1:2:4, that is one part of cement for every two parts of fine aggregate (sand) and four parts of coarse aggregate (gravel). b. Every square meter of a concrete gate uses 6. 0 m. long of reinforcement bar placed at an interval of 0. 25 m. both ways on center. This is equivalent to 1 ? bars at a standard length of 20 feet per bar. The floor and toes use the same size of bar, thus: No. of reinforcement bar = (Af + 4t) ? 1. 5 Where: Af = Area of the floor At = Area of the toes The walls, wings, etc. use two different sizes of reinforcement bar, thus: [pic] Where: Aw = Area of the walls Ax = Area of the wings An = other areas c. Find the total area of a concrete gate by adding all the areas mentioned in (a). Calculate the weight of tie wire no. 6 by multiplying the total area with a standard value per sq. m. of concrete, thus: Weight (kg) = AT ? 0. 3 Kg/sq. m. d. Calculate the volume of boulders needed by multiplying the area of the flooring with the thickness of fill. e. Form lumber can be calculated by multiplying the area of walls, wings and bridges by 2. Plywood can also be used as form. Since lumber measurement is still in feet it should be converted into meter, (see conversion table). Use 2″ ? 3″ wood for form support. f. Bamboo puno could be calculated from the area of the flooring. A square meter of flooring will require more or less 20 puno staked at an interval of 0. 5 m. both ways on center. This, however, depends upon the hardness of the floor foundation. g. Screens and slabs are calculated based on the design of the concrete gate. h. Assorted nails are calculated based on the thickness of the form lumber used. i. Labor cost is 35–40% of total material cost. However, close estimates can be computed by determining the cost of labor for the construction and removal of temporary earth dike, excavation of the foundation, staking of bamboo puno, placing of boulders and gravel, construction of forms, concreting of the gate and others. 2. Estimating the cost of construction and installation of a wooden gate. a.

Based on the plan of a wooden gate, determine the size and number of lumber for the sidings and flooring. Compute for the total board feet using the following formula: [pic] Where: |L |= |Length of lumber in inches | |W |= |Width of lumber in inches | |t |= |thickness of lumber in inches | b. Based on the design and specification of the pillars and braces, compute for the total board feet using again the above formula. c. Determine the size and number of lumber needed for slabs and screen frames and compute the total board feet. d.

Calculate the assorted nails (bronze) based on the lumber used. e. Calculate the coal tar requirement in gallons. f. Calculate the cost of nylon and bamboo screens. g. Calculate the labor cost at 30–40% of the material cost or calculate in detail according to the labor requirement. Calculation includes the construction, painting and installation of the wooden gate and excavation of the floor foundation. c. For the Construction of the Proposed Dikes. Dikes constructed in fishponds vary in sizes. Bigger dikes are, of course, more costly to construct than smaller dikes. In other words, the perimeter or main dike will expend more than the secondary or tertiary dikes.

The cost of construction is calculated based on the volume of soil filled and generally it costs [pic]6. 00 per cubic meter. Labor cost, however, depends on the prevailing price in the locality. Transport distance of soil material to the dike is also considered in calculating the cost of construction. Long transport distance decreases individual output per day and thus will increase construction cost. Working eight hours a day, one skilled worker can finish diking, using one flat boat, based on the following distances: |10 – 100 meter distance |6 – 7 cu. m. /day | |101 – 300 meter distance |5 – 6 cu. m. day | |301 – 500 meter distance |4 – 5 cu. m. /day | d. For the Excavation and Leveling of Ponds. Cost for excavation depends upon the volume of soil left inside the pond after the dikes have been constructed. Considering that some soils have been excavated for diking purposes, only about 60% is left for excavation. Generally, escavation costs about [pic]2. 00 per cu. m. depending upon the prevailing labor cost in the locality. After excavation, leveling of the pond bottoms follows. This involves the cut-and-fill method (excavation and dumping to low portions).

Generally, leveling costs about [pic]2,000. 00 per hectare. e. For the Construction of Facilities. Facilities include the caretaker’s house, working shed, bodega, chilling tanks, etc. For proper estimates there should be a simple plan of the facilities. However, rough estimates can be made based on the floor area of a house to be constructed. For a house made of light materials, assume a cost of [pic]400. 00 per sq. m. floor area; and for concrete structures, assume [pic]1,000. 00 per sq. m. All assumed costs include materials and labor based on 1979 price of materials. f. For the Purchase of Equipment. A fishpond project cannot be operated without equipment.

Examples are fish nets, digging blades, shovels, scoop nets, bolos, etc. These items should be included as part of the total development cost. Such equipment should be listed and calculated. g. Contingencies. There should be a contingency fund for unforeseen expenditures, increase of prices and other materials not included in the above calculations. Assume 10% of the above costs for contingencies. 5. 1. 3 Cost estimate For the purpose of determining the cost of developing a new brackishwater fishfarm project, a typical example of a 50-hectare fishpond project applied to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for a 25-year Fishpond Lease Agreement is presented below. |I. Pre-Development |  | | |1. |For the preparation of feasibility study |[pic]1,000. 00 | | |2. |Re-location of boundaries |2,000. 00 | | |3. |For the construction of temporary shelter for laborers (light materials) |4,000. 00 | | |4. |For the construction of flatboats, 5 units at [pic]500. 00/unit |2,500. 00 | | |5. |For the purchase of small banca, 1 unit at [pic]600. 00 |600. 00 | | |6. For representation and transportation expenses |3,000. 00 | | |Sub-total |[pic]13,100. 00 | |II. |Development Proper |  | | |1. |Clearing of the area at [pic]600. 00/ha. (cutting, chopping, burning & removal of logs |[pic]30,000. 00 | | |2. |Construction of dikes (filling, compacting and shaping by manual labor) |  | | | |a. |Main dike along bay and river 1,920 linear meters, 6. 0 m base, 2. 0 m crown and 2. 25 m|103,680. 00 | | | | |height or a total of 17,280 cum. at [pic]6. 00/cu. | | | | |b. |Main dike along upland, 840 linear meters, 5. 5 m base, 2. 0 m crown, and 2. 0 m height |37,800. 00 | | | | |or a total of 6,300 cu. m at [pic]6. 00/cu. m | | | | |c. |Main canal dike, 980 linear meters, 5. 0 m base, 2. 0 m crown, and 1. 8 m height, or a |33,957. 00 | | | | |total of 6,174 cu. m. at [pic]5. 50/cu. m | | | | |d. |Secondary dike, 2,540 linear meters, 4. 0 m base, 1. 0 m crown & 1. 5 m height or a |52,387. 50 | | | | |total of 9,525 cu. at [pic]5. 50 per cu. m | | | | |e. |Secondary canal dike, 400 linear meters, 4. 0 m base, 1. 5 m crown and 1. 4 m height, or|8,470. 00 | | | | |a total of 1,540 cu. m at [pic]5. 50 per cu. m | | | | |f. |Tertiary canal dike, 240 linear meters, 3. 5 m base, 1. 5 m crown and 1. 2 m height or a|3,600. 00 | | | | |total of 720 cu. m at [pic]5. 00 per cu. m | | | | |g. |Tertiary dike, 700 linear meters, 3. 0 m base, 1. 0 m crown and 1. m height or a total|7,000. 00 | | | | |of 1,400 cu. m at [pic]5. 00 per cu. m | | | |3. |Construction and installation of gates |  | | | |a. |Main double opening concrete gate, 2 units at [pic]20,000/unit including labor cost |40,000. 00 | | | |b. |Construction and installation of 10 units secondary wooden gates at [pic]3,000. 00 per|30,000. 00 | | | | |unit | | | | |c. Construction and installation of 15 units tertiary wooden gates at [pic]1,500/unit |22,500. 00 | | |4. |Excavation and levelling of pond bottoms (cut-and-fill) |  | | | |a. |Nursery Pond, 1. 5 ha at [pic]2,000/hectare |3,000. 00 | | | |b. |Transition Pond, 4. 0 ha at [pic]2,000/ha |8,000. 00 | | | |c. |Formation Pond, 8. 0 ha at [pic]2,000/ha |16,000. 00 | | | |d. |Rearing Pond, 32. 0 ha at [pic]2,000/ha |64,000. 00 | | |5. Uprooting and removal of stumps at [pic]600/ha |30,000. 00 | | |6. |For the construction of facilities |  | | | |a. |Caretaker’s Hut made of light materials, 2 units at [pic]6,000/unit |12,000. 00 | | | |b. |Bodega, made of light materials for inputs and equipment, 1 unit |5,000. 00 | | | |c. |Chilling tank with shed, made of light materials |3,000. 00 | | |7. |For the purchase of equipment |  | | | |a. Nets for harvesting |3,000. 00 | | | |b. |Digging blades and carpentry tools |1,000. 00 | | | |c. |Containers |2,000. 00 | | |8. |Contingencies (10% of cost) |52,350. 05 | | |Sub-total |[pic]562,750. 55 | | |T O T A L |[pic]575,850. 55 | ESTIMATED COST FOR ONE UNIT DOUBLE OPENING MAIN CONCRETE GATE |I. Cost of Materials | | |  | |Quantity |Unit Price |Amount | | |1. |Cement |140 bags |[pic]24. 00/bag |[pic]3,360. 00 | | |2. |Sand |10 cu. m. |60. 00/cu. m |600. 00 | | |3. |Gravel |20 cu. m |80. 00/cu. m |1,600. 00 | | |4. |Boulders |8 cu. m |50. 00/cu. m |400. 00 | | |5. Reinforcement Bar | | | |a) ? ? ? 20′ |80 pcs |22. 00/pc |1,760. 00 | | | |b) ? 3/8 ? 20′ |35 pcs |12. 00/pc |420. 00 | | |6. |Plywood form |49 pcs |48. 00/pc |2,352. 00 | | | |(? ? 4′ ? 8″) | | | | | |7. |Lumber (S4S) | | | |a) 2″ ? 2″ ? 12′ |30 pcs |3. 0/bd. ft |360. 00 | | | |b) 2″ ? 3″ ? 12′ |16 pcs |3. 00/bd. ft |288. 00 | | | |c) 1″ ? 2″ ? 12′ |10 pcs |3. 00/bd. ft |60. 00 | | | |d) 1″ ? 12″ ? 12′ |6 pcs |3. 00/bd. ft |216. 00 | | |8. |Assorted Nails |10 kgs |7. 50/kg |75. 00 | | |9. |G. I. Wire #16 |20 kgs |8. 00/kg |160. 00 | | |10. Bamboo Puno |400 pcs |4. 00/pc |1,600. 00 | | |Sub-total |[pic]13,251. 00 | |II. |Labor (40% of material cost) |5,300. 00 | |III. |Contingencies (10% of material cost) |1,325. 00 | | |T O T A L |[pic]19,876. 00 | | |say |[pic]20,000. 00 | ESTIMATED COST FOR ONE UNIT SECONDARY WOODEN GATE |I. Cost of Materials | | |  |  |Description |Quantity |Unit Price |Amount | | |1. |Ply Board |1″? 10″? 14′ |34 pcs. |[pic]3. 00/bd. ft|[pic]1,190. 00| | | | | | |. | | | | | |1″? 10″? 8′ |3 pcs. |3. 00/bd. ft. |60. 00 | | |2. |Slabs |1″? 12″? 14′ |2 pcs. |3. 00/bd. ft. |84. 00 | | |3. |Pillars and  Braces |2″? 3″? 10′ |4 pcs. 3. 00/bd. ft. |60. 00 | | | | |2″? 3″? 8′ |7 pcs. |3. 00/bd. ft. |84. 00 | | | | |2″? 3″? 14′ |2 pcs. |3. 00/bd. ft. |42. 00 | | | | |3″? 4″? 10′ |12 pcs. |3. 00/bd. ft. |360. 00 | | |4. |Screen Frames |2″? 3″? 16′ |2 pcs. |3. 00/bd. ft. |48. 00

During the 1960s, the Cold War and the Vietnam War were in full swing, and tensions grew internationally and nationally. People began to lose trust in the moral and ethical behavior of the government. One example of this distrust occurred following a major historical event around the same time period. With millions of people watching, a United States astronaut was televised setting foot on the moon for the first time.

Some skeptics thought that the moon landing was fabricated by the U. S.’s desire to beat the Soviet Union in the Space Race; however, the points made by these conspiracy theorists are mere speculation, lack solid evidence and leave more questions than answers. For example, lying about the authenticity of the landing came with too much of a risk of getting caught by other countries. Those who claim the landing never happened also stated that the moon landing was filmed on a movie set, but they do not consider that the special effects needed to create such a realistic scene were not yet developed thoroughly enough at that time.

If the moon landing was a falsehood, the lie would be an immense secret kept with great difficulty, considering the thousands of people who would be involved in the hoax. This paper will prove that the moon landing did occur, and will also disprove the opposing side. There was not enough motivation for the U. S government to stage the landing on the moon because that lie would encompass too much of a risk and likelihood of getting caught by the world. Although President Kennedy was under a lot of pressure to compete and excel in the “Space Race” with the Soviet Union, that competition only served to motivate success.

American pride and support for the U. S. space program was strong and would be even further bolstered if the U. S. would be able to beat the Soviets to the moon. According to the article “The Decision to Go to the Moon,” by Steve Graber, he states that “The decision involved much consideration before making it public, as well as enormous human efforts and expenditures to make what became Project Apollo a reality by 1969. ” Clearly the decision to formally challenge NASA and the world with this undertaking was not made lightly.

Kennedy, at this point, was quite determined to prove that the U.S. did in fact possess the technology and the ability to lead the world into space. President Kennedy, along with NASA, was determined to get a man to the moon, and he brought the American people together and united them under the common goal of beating their enemy by the end of the decade. Enormous efforts were underway as NASA and the government began constructing their plans. The success in putting a man on the moon gave the U. S. tremendous advances in technology, scientific knowledge, and improved economic and political advantages from the use of satellites.

Thus, by analyzing the motives to either fake the landing or to actually pull the landing off, the obvious answer was that there was little incentive to fake the landing and tremendous benefits to actually landing a man on the moon. The U. S. government obtained enough motivation to complete the goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade because they would gain significant benefits and not because they desperately wanted to beat the Soviets; they also had no need to worry about the risk of getting caught since there was no need to to lie, therefore, the U. S. did land on the moon.

Some conspiracy theorists believe that the moon landing was faked because motivation to “beat” the Soviets to the moon was too strong to delay; however the government realized the other motivations besides beating the Soviets, so the moon landing did occur. Both the U. S. and Russia were watching each other extremely closely, waiting for the other to slip. In his article “Did NASA Fake the Moon Landing,” Ray Villard states that a group of citizens made a claim that “The United States needed to cement its world leadership during the Cold War by pretending to pull off what really was a technologically impossible stunt.”

But, the U. S. at this time did possess the correct technology and landing on the moon was not impossible because of the efforts put in by the technicians and scientists to create the necessary machinery. The U. S. also wanted to make their world leadership stronger, but they could not lie to achieve that goal because the Soviets were watching the U. S. and their every move during this time. If the Soviets were to find out the landing was a lie or was staged then they would easily expose the U. S. to the world.

But, the Soviets did not deny the landing and accepted the fact the U. S. landed on the moon first knowing we did actually possess the technology to go to space. This fact alone provides evidence that the government did not stage the moon landing. Even though the U. S. government did desperately want to beat the Soviet Union there was no reason to lie because the U. S. knew they possessed the power and the technology to reach their goal. The government also knew that landing on the moon would bring more benefits to them, such as the advancement in science and a broader understanding of space, which would ultimately encourage them to not lie and follow through with their goal to get a man to the moon.

With the support and the money from congress and the backing of the citizens, the U. S. acquired a strong determination to get to the moon first. Even though the theorists claim the motivation was wrong to land on the moon and that the government lied to the world, there is too much evidence in support of the moon landing because we did hold the advanced technology and the correct motivation; therefore the moon landing was not faked and did happen.

The special effects at this time were not developed enough to stage a realistic moon landing and a film directed on Earth would not be able to fool the world, which means there would not be a reasonable way to fake the landing and the moon landing did occur. During the 1960’s the science fiction genre was just emerging and the available special effects technology was not nearly as sophisticated as today. For example, if the moon landing was created using special effects the moon most likely would not look as real as needed and many people would start questioning the reality of the landing.

In the article Villard goes on to state that at that time “No microcomputers, digital-image processing, or 3-D animation software existed. The decade’s landmark space film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, illustrates the pinnacle of special-effects capability in the 1960s. ” Even the film, 2001: A Space Odyssey included flaws in regards to special effects because of how underdeveloped they were at the time the movie was made. The claim is that the same director who filmed the movie was also asked to stage the moon landing.

If such were the case, one would expect that the two films should contain similarities in production value, but the two sets of footage were both quite different from one another. Additional proof that the landing was not filmed is provided in video of the astronauts walking on the moon: the moonwalk is far too complex to be faked with the available special effects. In the videos, the men are almost floating at points- a feat that would be impossible to portray with the pull of gravity on Earth.

1960’s America did not possess the movie making capabilities needed to create a believable moon landing on a movie set, leaving one other possibility: we actually did set foot on the moon. There are those that believe the moon landing was filmed in a large Hollywood movie set, however, this cannot be true because the movie technology was not capable of such a task and there are clear counter points for each reason the critics say the landing was filmed, such as why there are no stars; so there are strong facts that the landing did happen.

The critics claim with confidence that the scientific technology was not there to send a man to the moon but they fail to acknowledge the fact that we actually did not hold the technology to produce a realistic film of the landing. The fact of the matter was that because of the advances of top end scientists, engineers, test pilots, medical researchers, from across the country and the test flights that orbited the Earth, we were able to get a man to walk on the moon for the first time.

But, despite this knowledge, according to an article from International Business Times the author states “Some theorists allege that NASA officials approached Kubrick sometime in early 1968 and asked him to film ‘footage’ depicting an earth ship landing on the moon and a space traveler walking on the lunar surface. ” While the claim is a strong idea, the government would not lie about the landing because they knew the many benefits that would come their way if they were able to land on the moon.

The knowledge of what the country would gain pushed them even further to reaching their goal, as they eventually did. Theorists also say that since there was no stars in the photographs brought back, that proves Kubrick filmed the landing because there are billions of stars in space, yet not one star was in the photographs. But the landing took place during the lunar morning with the sun shining too brightly. Similar to the fact that we cannot see the stars from earth during the day, they cannot be seen while in space either: they are too bright to be captured in a picture.

So the fact that there were not any stars actually helps prove the moon landing was not filmed because that gives more reality to the pictures if thought about from a scientific perspective. Even though the critics accumulated possible theories as to why they believe the landing was filmed, each can be refuted with scientific explanations, such as why there were no stars or why the flag was moving, and prove that Apollo 11 did land on the moon.

If the moon landing never happened and the world was lied to, such a secret would be almost impossible to keep for this long, and therefore gives proof that the moon landing occurred. Thousands of people would be needed to work on the staging- everyone from makeup artists to the director, and to this day not a single person ever come forward claiming the landing was a hoax or even hinted at the possibility. There were also thousands who were a part of the actual moon landing. In an article from Balance-Today. org the author states, “Including the astronauts, scientists, engineers and technicians, more than 400,00 skilled workers contributed to the Apollo project. To date, not one of them even hinted that the landings were faked.”

Again, there was no hinting or an accidental slip that we never actually succeeded in landing on the moon and all of these people who were a part of the “staged” event would gain a lot of fame if they came forward with their story. The Soviet Union would also never keep the secret if they found out. The Soviets were looking for ways to hurt the U. S. and they would not think twice before exposing us to the world if they found out the U. S. government lied. Given human nature and the drive for power, fame, money and glory, it is simply unreasonable to believe a secret this immense could be kept for this long.

Considering the fact that nobody came forward and confessed that the moon landing was a lie, then one can conclude the U. S. made the first man walk on the moon. Some say that the reason nobody confessed the landing was faked, was because the government threatened and murdered people who would potentially leak the secret; however the theory of the killings cannot be true because there were too many people involved, and since nobody hinted that the landing was a lie the landing did actually occur.

The theory of the government’s “murders” is farfetched because of the fact that there were thousands who would know and would be involved in the process of not only the actual moon landing, but a “staged” occurrence as well. In the article Villard states that conspiracy theorists believe that “The government scared and murdered potential tattletales, including its own astronaut heroes in a reprehensible assertion that the tragic 1967 Apollo 1 fire was rigged. ” However, despite the existence of treacherous and devious governments, the democracy of the United States would never allow the government to carry out such an atrocity.

As was becoming more and more the norm, the citizens would ask questions, and the media, along with other countries would also become involved. Also, even though the theorists say the government caused the Apollo 1 tragedy, that theory was proven wrong. After a thorough investigation the tragedy was determined to be caused by a spark from a short circuit in a bundle of wires, quickly causing the fire to spread through the flammable materials. The impossibility was too big for everyone to believe the government could silence or murder anyone involved.

There were too many people and too many benefits for a person who could claim they worked on the greatest hoax ever. Even though the theorists tried to come up with an explanation for why nobody confessed, the idea that the government killed everyone is impossible because the murders would be too obvious, which means there was no secret that needed to be kept and no need to kill people who knew, so the moon landing was real. In conclusion, there is too much concrete evidence and reasoning for the moon landing to be faked. The U. S.

retained the correct motivation to get to the moon first before the Soviet Union because of the benefits that would come to them such as what the satellites could offer and the scientific discoveries they found. Pulling off the lie would help the country’s growing status in the world but they would not gain much more than that besides being able to say they finally beat the Soviets in the Space Race. The moon landing being filmed on a movie set is not possible either because of the lack of the special effects technology during this time.

Nothing made on Earth would look real enough to be presented to the world, especially the realistic moonwalk since there is no way to float on Earth. Unlike what the theorists claim, we did possess the scientific technology to go to space and land on the moon because NASA and the government brought in the top end scientists and engineers to accomplish the task some say was impossible. The secret, if the moon landing was faked, became to enormous to keep and the government could not murder every person without the killings resembling genocide.

Since nobody ever came forward with a confession there is nobody to prove the moon landing was staged. As a result, the theories that accumulated after the moon landing cannot be possible because of the scientific evidence and the fact that there were multiple moon landings closely following the first Apollo mission which means we did possess the technology; therefore the U. S. government did not lie and the country did land the first man on the moon.

You’re riding a rollercoaster in a Disney theme park in Orlando, Florida. You look around at the incredible architecture and imagination that is flowing throughout the park. You start wondering if your childhood would be the same without the man behind all this greatness. Walt Disney was a man full of charisma, joyfulness, and positivity. He never backed down or felt discouraged after failing.

He was a man who knew what he wanted and ended up getting it; he was a go-getter. His legacy is celebrated every year by the making of new Disney movies and he is appreciated throughout the world. If you ask an average person who is the quintessential American, his or her response would be someone like George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, or Abraham Lincoln. Although those are great examples, they don’t portray the same traits as America would. This paper will show how Walt Disney is the quintessential American.

Just like America, Walt Disney is prejudiced, catalytic, and persistent. Many people use “racist” in a wrong form. To be racist is to keep one race from doing something; while Walt Disney never did that. He was prejudiced against other races, which means unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group. Although there is no hard proof to show that Walt Disney was prejudiced, he did show it in his creations, or so we think (Gabler). The Three Little Pigs” featured the wolf dressed as a Jewish peddler. The American Jewish Congress protested that the characterization was so “vile, revolting and unnecessary as to constitute a direct affront to the Jews. ” According to Walt Disney Archives, Walt referred to Italians as “garlic eaters” and used a variety of crude terms for blacks. To this day, many critics assume that the crows in Dumbo are shown as stereotypes. But Walt was no closet racist. At home he always preached racial, religious and ethnic tolerance to his two daughters.

Under his supervision, Disney studios was inhospitable to many minorities, few of whom said to worked there, said that they were virtually verboten on the screen (Gabler). Everyone sees America as this “welcoming” and “interracial” country, but no one remembers all the terrible and hypocritical things that America has done in its history. Some would say America is paradoxal, or hypocritical, or contradictory, and while all those words do describe America, no one seems to describe America as prejudiced. The Chinese Exclusion Act was brought up in Congress due to the overflowing population of Chinese in the United States.

The US needed workers to build the Transcontinental Railroad, so they brought in the Chinese to build it. After it was all done, no one knew what to do with the Chinese that were left in the country and the incoming ones. So Congress decided to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, which permitted the Chinese entering the US starting from 1882. Congress passed the National Origins Act in 1924 because of the crazy amount of immigrants moving to the US. It excluded any Eastern and Southern Europeans and almost all Asians and other nonwhites from entering the US.

This act instituted admission quotas by using the 1890 census to determine the population of a particular nationality group; the government then only allowed 2 percent of that population into the nation. After the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor in 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt had issued an order to “punish” all the Japanese living in the United States. The order gave the military broad powers to ban any Japanese citizen from a fifty to sixty mile wide coastal area stretching from Washington state to California and extending into southern Arizona.

The order also authorized transporting these citizens to assembly centers, or concentration camps, hastily set up and governed by the military in California, Arizona, Washington state, and Oregon (Executive Order 9066). What does it mean to be persistent? According to the modern day dictionary it means, persisting, especially in spite of opposition, obstacles, discouragement, etc. , persevering, lasting or enduring tenaciously. Walt Disney was seen as determined and hard working, never giving up, and always having faith.

His views and visions came from the fond memory of yesteryear, and persistence for the future. Disney’s brothers, Roy and Raymond, had gone off to war and although he was too young to enlist his parents insisted on him not going to war. So he forged his parents’ signature on a passport to go over to France as part of the Red Cross Ambulance Corps (Cole, 21). This particular action shows that Disney would not take no for an answer. He wanted to help out, so his determination showed the most during this event in his life.

After completing a set of his 1st cartoons, and working every night in his garage with a borrowed camera, he sold his first set of cartoons to a local theater in Kansas City, Newman Theatre: Newman Laugh-O-Grams” (Cole, 25). His 1st production of Alice in Wonderland had failed, so he started working on his other cartoons but when his first animations company had failed, declaring bankruptcy in the spring of 1923, he had asked Margaret Winkler, who was previously interested in Alice in Wonderland, to distribute the money in the creation (Cole, 28).

Although there was a nasty court case after, Disney focused on the positives and kept on moving forward. After his bankruptcy in New York, Disney moved to California, but he was simply too young and inexperienced. So he started the same business as he did in Kansas City and started advertising his cartoons. At first, he had trouble-finding buyers, but finally he sold a serious to a local theater (Cole, 30). His life motto, “Keep Moving Forward” was included in a Disney creation of “Meet the Robinsons” to show Walt’s persistence and optimism.

It meant to never stop, never give up, and just to “Keep Moving Forward”. This motto also shows that Disney chose to stay positive. He was never pessimistic and tried his hardest to give his all. He worked hard and even after having failed attempts at starting his own animation company, he never gave up and just kept on going. All of his hard work paid off, and we can see his magnificent work and amazing determination today. When you think of America, what is the first thing that comes to mind? First man on the moon, the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the Apollo Program, and the struggle during the Cold War perhaps?

All those things were achieved by America because, America always needs to be the best of the best and beat everyone in anything. Russia sends in a man in space, America tries to override it by sending rockets in space and trying to land on the Moon. The Apollo Program was commenced because of this crazy race/competition going on with the U. S. S. R. The program was designed to land humans on the surface of the Moon. Six of the missions completed their task by landing on the moon, while the others only orbited Earth’s surface. This shows how hard America tried to get someone on the Moon, in which they succeeded (Williams).

The first man on the Moon was the result of the Apollo Program. The legendary man’s name was Neil Armstrong. As spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, Armstrong gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its surface. After the tragic events of 9/11, there was a hunt to find the leader of the Al-Qaeda. After a crazy and hectic search for Osama bin Laden, the elite American forces had found him in a custom-built hideout, not far from a Pakistani military academy. It was long believed that he was hiding in caves around the world.

His body was quickly buried at sea with a stunning finale to a furtive decade on the run (Osama bin Laden). Despite the inconclusiveness of the Korean War, the existence of Cuba as a Soviet satellite 90 miles from Florida, the draft dodgers and Weathermen terrorists, despite the American retreat from Vietnam, the Watts riots of 1964, the Watergate, the humiliating 1979 occupation of the U. S. embassy in Tehran, from 1947 to 1989, the U. S. successfully contained and defeated the Soviets in the Cold War’s long and tedious struggle (Bay). That took extraordinary persistence.

It took resilient, adaptable, creative and able military and security services. But most of all it took the basic, consistent support of the American people. The ones, who go to work, pay the bills; wear the police and military uniforms. And as John Kennedy once said “bear any burden … to assure the survival and the success of liberty. ” (Bay). “It all started with a mouse” is what everyone says about the Disney franchise. If you think about it, Disney had drastically changed our lives. Walt Disney can be described as catalytic, which means to be relating to or causing or involving catalysis; “catalytic reactions”, revolutionary.

The Disney franchise is a big part of American culture. Kids would do anything for tickets to one of the theme parks. Florida is the top tourist city in America and the only reason it is, is because of the Disney theme parks. Just like America has affected the world with its charm and magic, so has Walt Disney. We celebrate his birthday and his accomplishments every year. His legacy will remain forever. Walt Disney has affected our generation so much and it all started when a mouse character appeared in his series of cartoons, “Oswald”.

When Steamboat Willie opened at the Colony Theater in New York on November 18, 1928, Walt knew that he created something that will change the whole world (Crafton, 5). It signaled the beginnings of animation history. Most people credit Walt Disney as the one who started the animation history, however some critics say that animations have been around since late 1800s (Crafton, 6). If you travel to any country abroad, everyone would know of America as these “cowboys” who run around with lassos, on horses, chasing Native Americans. That, dear readers, is the magnificent influence of America all over the world.

Although everyone sees Americans as these fat, lazy, stupid human beings who eat McDonalds and watch television everyday, Europeans, Asians, Indians, Africans, etc. , praise the United States. Believe it or not, American culture has been so influential everywhere, that everyone wants to live in the US. The culture and entertainment are huge aspects of the influence that America has had on these second world, third world, and even first world European countries. There are KFC’s, McDonalds’, and other “typical” American fast food restaurants all over the world.

America is so powerful, that the celebrities, movies, and any television shows are shown in, almost, every country in the world. Entertainment and culture are not the only features that America has brought over to the rest of the world. After the all-known Revolutionary War, War of Ideas was going around the world. And what it was is that, all the countries that were ruled by kings and queens were starting to ponder upon their rulers. They wanted independence and freedom of speech. The French Revolution that happened shortly after America gained independence from Great Britain can prove that.

Now all these countries were starting to revolt because they thought if an underdog, like America, can defeat and break away from a powerhouse, like Great Britain, so can they. To be the quintessential is to be the essential part of something. Walt Disney is indeed the essential whole of everyone’s lives. America and Walt have both been persistent, catalytic, and prejudiced to the world. And although they’ve been the bad guys sometimes, they have tremendously affected the whole world by their great determination and willpower.

They have done great things like the Apollo Program, creating Mickey Mouse, landing a man on the Moon, leaving a tremendous legacy behind, etc. And as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be great, is to be misunderstood ” (Emerson)

Works Cited

1. Bay, Austin. “RealClearPolitics – In Praise of American Persistence. ” RealClearPolitics – Opinion, News, Analysis, Videos and Polls. Creators Syndicate Inc. , 3 May 2011. Web. 11 May 2012. . Bell, Elizabeth, Lynda Haas, and Laura Sells. From mouse to mermaid: the politics of film, gender, and culture.
2. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. Print. Cole, Michael D. Walt Disney: creator of Mickey Mouse. Springfield, N. J. , U. S. A. : Enslow Publishers, 1996. Print. Crafton, Donald.
3. Before Mickey: the animated film, 1898-1928. University of Chicago Press ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1993. Print. “Executive Order 9066: The President Authorizes Japanese Relocation. “
4. History Matters: The U. S. Survey Course on the Web. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 May 2012. . Gabler, Neal. “Walt Disney–prince or toad?. ” Los Angeles Times 22 Nov. 2009, sec.
5. Entertainment: n. page. Los Angeles Times-California, national, and world news. Web. 14 May 2012. “Osama bin Laden is dead – CBS News. “
6. Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News – CBS News. CBS Interactive Inc. , 1 May 2011.
7. Web. 17 May 2012. . Peet, Bill. Bill Peet: an autobiography. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1989. Print.
8. Williams, Dr. David R. “The Apollo Program (1963 – 1972). ” Welcome to the NSSDC!. N. p. , 24 Nov. 2008.
9. Web. 17 May 2012.. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self reliance. Hoboken, N. J. : BiblioBytes, 199. Print.

1. Topic Sentence: States the main idea of the paragraph. It limits the topic to one specific area that can be discussed completely in the space of a single paragraph. It has two parts:

a) Topic

b) Controlling idea. e. g.

Driving on freeways requires skills and alertness. Topic controlling idea Registering for college classes can be a frustrating experience for new students. Topic controlling idea Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. Topic controlling idea.

2. Supporting Sentences: develop the topic sentence. They explain or prove the topic sentence by giving more information about it. e. g. First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion. For example, a Macedonian coin remains untarnished today as the day it was made 25 centuries ago.

3. Concluding Sentence: signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader with important points to remember. e. g.

In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.

How to Write Good Topic Sentences

1. It must be a complete sentence.

2. It must contain both the topic and the controlling idea.

3. A topic sentence is the most general sentence in the paragraph because it gives only the main idea. It doesn’t give specific details. A reader wants to know generally what to expect in a paragraph, but they don’t want to learn all the details in the first sentence.

a) A lunar eclipse is an omen of a coming disaster. ______too specific. _____

b) Superstitions have been around forever. ______ too general_______

c) People hold many superstitious beliefs about the moon. ___ best TS______

d) Is made of green cheese. _____ incomplete_____

Now, it’s your turn:

1.

a) The history of astronomy is interesting. ___________

b) Ice age people recorded the appearance of new moons by making scratches ___________ in animal bones.

c) For example, Stonehenge in Britain, built 3500 years ago to track the ___________ movements of the sun.

d) Ancient people observed and recorded lunar and solar events in different___________ ways.

2.

a) It is hard to know which foods are safe to eat nowadays. __________

b) In some large ocean fish, there are high levels of mercury. ___________

c) Undercooked chickens and hamburger may carry E. coli bacteria. ___________

d) Not to mention mad cow disease. ___________

e) Food safety is an important issue. ___________

Writing topic sentences:

Read the paragraphs below.

The topic sentence of each paragraph has been omitted. Try to write a suitable topic sentence for each paragraph. ______________________________________. In Beijing, China, people own over 7 million bicycles. In cities in Denmark, between 20 and 30 percent of daily trips are made on bicycles. In many Asian cities, bicycle-like vehicles called rickshaws carry between 10 and 20 percent of the goods moved daily. In Africa, the bicycle is the most common means of traveling intermediate distances. In Iran, too, bicycles are the primary means of transportation in such cities as Yazd and Kerman. ____________________________________. The earliest known examples of wheels are from Mesopotamia. It dates from about 3500 to 3000 BC. Wheels were first used in the cart or wagon, pulled by humans or animals. After the invention of the steam engine, wheels were driven by steam. Today, animal-drawn carts re still used in many countries. The horse-drawn chariot appeared in Mesopotamia around 2000 BC. It was later used in Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome, and other ancient civilizations. _________________________________________. Water is often drawn from rivers, lakes, or the ocean for use in factories and power plants. This water is usually returned to the source warmer than when it was taken. This small temperature change in the body of water can drive away from the fish and other animals that were originally present. It attracts other animals in place of them. The result may be fish and other wildlife deaths. ____________________________________. The United Nations (UN) estimates that the world population reached 6 billion in 1999, and is increasing by more than 77 million persons each year. The rate of increase, 1. 3 percent per year, has fallen below the peak rate of 2 percent per year attained by 1970. By the late 2040s, the UN estimates, the growth rate will have fallen to about 0. 64 percent annually. At that time more than 50 countries will experience negative growth. __________________________________________. The world’s heaviest rainfall is about 10,922 mm per year. It occurs in northeastern India. As much as 26,466 mm, or 26 m, of rain have fallen there in one year. Other extreme rainfall records include nearly 1168 mm of rain in one day during a typhoon in the Philippines; 304. 8 mm within one hour during a thunderstorm in Missouri; and 62. 7 mm in over a 5-min period in Panama.

How to Write Supporting Sentences

The biggest problem in student writing is that student writers often fail to support their ideas adequately. They need to use specific details to be thorough and convincing. There are several kinds of specific supporting details: examples, statistics, and quotations. Sample paragraph:

How to Write Concluding Sentences

A concluding sentence serves two purposes:

1. It signals the end of the paragraph.

2. It leaves the reader with the most important ideas to remember. It can do this in two ways:

a) By summarizing the main points of the paragraph.

b) By repeating the topic sentence in different ways.

You may start your concluding sentence with one of those signals:

Now it’s your turn.

Write concluding sentences for the following paragraphs:

Read the two paragraphs below and answer the questions that follow each paragraph:

Paragraph 1

To be able to make good coffee, you should be aware of some delicate points. First, it is very important to make sure that the pot in which you want to make coffee is clean. Dust can make your coffee bad. Second, pour some clean water into the pot, and let it boil. When the water boils, remove the pot from the stove and let it remain still for a few seconds. Next, pour some instant coffee into a cup and fill the cup with water from the pot. The Lavazza brand is the best instant coffee on the market. What is the topic sentence of the paragraph? What are the controlling ideas in the topic sentence? Circle them. Are all the supporting sentences related to the topic sentence? Are any of the sentences indirectly related to the topic sentence? Are there any sentences that do not belong?

Paragraph 2

An ideal husband has several characteristics. First, he must be gentle. Second, he must come from a respectable family. Moreover, he must be an honest man who always tells the truth and never cheats his wife. Loyalty is another important point in an ideal husband. Finally, he must be in an acceptable financial situation. All girls like to live in their husbands’ personal house, go to work in their husbands’ personal car, and have fun with their husbands’ money. What is the topic sentence of the second paragraph? What are the controlling ideas in the topic sentence?

Circle them. Are all the supporting sentences related to the topic sentence? Are any of the sentences indirectly related to the topic sentence? Are there any sentences that don’t belong? Why don’t they fit?

The Outline

The outline gives you a general plan for your paragraph. It will tell you what points you should include in your paragraph. There are two types of outlines: topic outline, and sentence outline. In topic outlines, you use phrases after each head number. In sentence outlines, however, you use complete sentences after each head number.

The outline below—the plays of Shakespeare—is a topic outline. As you can see, only words or phrases have been used in this outline. Notice that in writing courses, topic outlines are often preferred over sentence outlines. Developing the skill of outlining is a good help for any beginner. Outlining can give you a general plan, a platform, an emblem, or a blueprint. You can then use your outline to give the organization to your paragraphs. Suppose that you are asked to write about Shakespeare. Shakespeare will be the subject of your writing.

Now, it is for you to decide what to write about Shakespeare. You may decide to write about the plays of Shakespeare. This will be the topic of your paragraph. You should then narrow this topic by a number of controlling ideas. Suppose that you decide to write about three types of Shakespeare’s plays. You have limited your topic in terms of number and type.

Now you can make the following outline: The plays of Shakespeare

I. Tragedies

A. Macbeth

B. Othello

II. Comedies

A. The comedy of errors

B. The merchant of Venice

III. Histories

A. Richard II

B. Henry V

This outline can then be expanded into the following paragraph: The plays of Shakespeare can be classified into three types. First, there are tragedies. Two of his most famous tragedies are Macbeth and Othello. Shakespeare has also written a number of comedies. Shakespeare’s most outstanding comedies are The comedy of errors and The merchant of Venice. Moreover, some of Shakespeare’s plays focus on history. Richard II and Henry V belong in this category.

Exercise

1. Read the following paragraph carefully, and:

1. Underline the topic.
2. Circle the controlling ideas.
3. Write an outline for the paragraph.

Forests may be divided into the following six general types. First, there are the forests of the hot areas. The famous subtypes are the forests of the northern hemisphere and the oceanic forests. Second, monsoon forests are characteristic of Bengal, Myanmar, Southeast Asia, and India. Tropical forests, on the other hand, are found in regions such as the Campos of Brazil. The next category—Northern pine forests—form a worldwide belt around the earth. Next, rain forests are characteristic of central Africa and the Amazon.

Finally, evergreen forests are found in North America and the Caribbean islands.

2. Write a unified paragraph on the basis of the information you get from the following outline.

Types of trees

I. Fruit trees

A. Fleshy fruits 1. Orange 2. Apple

B. Dry fruits 1. Nuts 2. Almond

II. Fruitless trees

A. Pine

B. Oak

Steps of Writing a Good Paragraph

On the whole, there are eight steps for writing a good paragraph. 1. Think about the subject carefully. Example: Air pollution

2. Narrow the subject to a few topics. Example:

• Causes of air pollution
• Effects of air pollution
• Air pollution and the environment
• Air pollution versus water pollution
• The history of air pollution
• Air pollution and global warming

3. Choose one of the topics. Make sure you know about what you write. Also, make sure the topic will be of interest to the readers. Example: effects of Air pollution

4. List some details about your topic. Example:

• Effects of air pollution on animal life
• Effects of air pollution on plant life
• Effects of air pollution on human health
• Effects of air pollution on the atmosphere

5. Choose the most important detail you want to communicate. It should be interesting or important to the readers too.

Example: The effects of air pollution on human health

6. Write a topic sentence based on this detail. Include a few controlling ideas in the topic sentence to limit the size of your paragraph.

Example: Air pollution has two major effects on human health.

7. Make an outline for the paragraph. Effects of air pollution on human health

I. Physical effects A. Heart attack B. Lung cancer

II. Psychological effects A. Depression B. irritation

8. Write your paragraph, using the information you have listed in the outline.

Exercise

1. Choose one of the following subjects: coin airplane shark sea.
2. Follow the eight steps of paragraph writing and develop a paragraph.

Then read your own paragraph and try to answer these questions:

1. Is my paragraph unified?
2. Is it complete?
3. Which sentence is the most general?
4. Which sentences provide specific details to support the topic sentence?
5. Are any sentences unrelated to the topic sentence?
6. Is my paragraph sketchy?
7. What are the controlling ideas of my topic sentence?
8. Is my paragraph interesting?
9. Are my supporting sentences related to my topic sentence?
10. Is there any irrelevant supporting sentence in my paragraph?