Paper 106.doc Eco 106 Principles of Macroeconomics TOPIC: Recent US Macroeconomic Performance and Prospects A short paper that sets out your view of recent US macroeconomic performance and the prospects for the US economy looking forward. The paper should be five pages in length, not counting any graphs or tables you attach. I) Topic and Generic Outline In this paper you systematically summarize the material you have been reading in the newspapers and online about the US economy. You will have read different authors, banks and blogs all of which present a particular view of the near-term prospects (or outlook) for the US economy.  Which factors and policies seem like they will be the most important determinants of the future course of the economy? You should note carefully the two quarter period that will be your “forecast period”. Course Paper Forecast Sources. These sources all have tables that you can use to build your own forecast table. Many of these sources also have short discussions of the outlook for the US economy, although a few of them are just tables of predictions. Remember to put your own forecast numbers in your table! Links: (BMO Capital Markets Forecast Table https://economics.bmocapitalmarkets.com/economics/forecast https://economics.bmocapitalmarkets.com/economics/forecast/us/usmodel.pdf RBC Economic Research (look for Quarterly Economic Update) http://www.rbc.com/economics/ Northern Trust US Economic & Interest Rate Outlook https://www.northerntrust.com/insights-research/market-economic-commentary/us-economic-outlook Wall Street Journal: Economic Forecasting Survey (Updated Monthly) http://projects.wsj.com/econforecast/#ind=gdp&r=20 Philadelphia FRB Survey of Professional Forecasters. Quarterly. http://www.phil.frb.org/research-and-data/real-time-center/survey-of-professional-forecasters/ Philadelphia FRB Livingston Survey. Twice a year. June and December http://www.philadelphiafed.org/research-and-data/real-time-center/livingston-survey/ US Government: FRB Summary of Economic Projections, part of the FOMC minutes, four times a year http://federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/ There is a link to the “Meeting Calendar” page that indicates which meeting minutes have the Summary of Economic Projections. This is the FRB’s forecast. CBO Congressional Budget Office, Budget and Economic Projections http://cbo.gov go to /topics/economy/economic-projections Sources below are more specialized Conference Board Forecast Table http://www.conference-board.org/data/usforecast.cfm (Do not let them trick you into paying for anything.) Wells Fargo (Weekly) Macro Strategy Economy https://www.wellsfargoadvisors.com/market-economy/economic-market-reports/weekly-economic-analysis.htm RSEQ Forecast Summary Memo (U of Michigan) Executive Summary ONLY. http://rsqe.econ.lsa.umich.edu/?page=forecasts&name=US NAHB National Association of Home Builders (homebuilding and its impact on the economy) https://www.nahb.org/en/res.

1. Paper 106.doc
Eco 106 Principles of Macroeconomics
TOPIC: Recent US Macroeconomic Performance and Prospects
A short paper that sets out your view of recent US
macroeconomic performance and the prospects for the US
economy looking forward. The paper should be five pages in
length, not counting any graphs or tables you attach.
I) Topic and Generic Outline
In this paper you systematically summarize the material you
have been reading in the newspapers and online about the US
economy. You will have read different authors, banks and blogs
all of which present a particular view of the near-term prospects
(or outlook) for the US economy. Which factors and policies
seem like they will be the most important determinants of the
future course of the economy?
You should note carefully the two quarter period that will be
your “forecast period”.
Course Paper Forecast Sources. These sources all have tables
that you can use to build your own forecast table. Many of these
sources also have short discussions of the outlook for the US
economy, although a few of them are just tables of predictions.
Remember to put your own forecast numbers in your table!
Links:
(BMO Capital Markets Forecast Table
https://economics.bmocapitalmarkets.com/economics/forecast
https://economics.bmocapitalmarkets.com/economics/forecast/u
s/usmodel.pdf
RBC Economic Research (look for Quarterly Economic Update)

2. http://www.rbc.com/economics/
Northern Trust US Economic & Interest Rate Outlook
https://www.northerntrust.com/insights-research/market-
economic-commentary/us-economic-outlook
Wall Street Journal: Economic Forecasting Survey (Updated
Monthly)
http://projects.wsj.com/econforecast/#ind=gdp&r=20
Philadelphia FRB Survey of Professional Forecasters. Quarterly.
http://www.phil.frb.org/research-and-data/real-time-
center/survey-of-professional-forecasters/
Philadelphia FRB Livingston Survey. Twice a year. June and
December
http://www.philadelphiafed.org/research-and-data/real-time-
center/livingston-survey/
US Government:
FRB Summary of Economic Projections, part of the FOMC
minutes, four times a year
http://federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/
There is a link to the “Meeting Calendar” page that indicates
which meeting minutes have the Summary of Economic
Projections. This is the FRB’s forecast.
CBO Congressional Budget Office, Budget and Economic
Projections
http://cbo.gov go to /topics/economy/economic-projections
Sources below are more specialized
Conference Board Forecast Table

3. http://www.conference-board.org/data/usforecast.cfm
(Do not let them trick you into paying for anything.)
Wells Fargo (Weekly) Macro Strategy Economy
https://www.wellsfargoadvisors.com/market-
economy/economic-market-reports/weekly-economic-
analysis.htm
RSEQ Forecast Summary Memo (U of Michigan) Executive
Summary ONLY.
http://rsqe.econ.lsa.umich.edu/?page=forecasts&name=US
NAHB National Association of Home Builders (homebuilding
and its impact on the economy)
https://www.nahb.org/en/research/housing-economics.aspx)
This is a generic outline. It is typical for the economic outlook
papers written by banks and other institutions year in and year
out. You should deviate from it in order to emphasize issues
that are especially important right now or to accommodate one
or two issues that caught your interest and you want to
emphasize. You could reorder the material and insert a section
or two. You obviously can’t write about everything that I
mention in the generic outline, but you should say something
that speaks to the major headings: Labor, Demand, Financial
Markets, Supply and International.
I) Introduction: Where is the US economy in the cycle?
(Starting an expansion? Ending an expansion? When was the
last “turning point” of the US economy?) Are the forecasts for
the US economy split between optimists and pessimists, or do
they all seem to say pretty much the same thing? What growth
rate do you think is likely for the US economy in the forecast
period? (This will be based on your reading and synthesis of
professional forecasts.) What are the key issues that you want
to draw special attention to in the sections that follow?
II) Labor Market Developments: What has been happening to

4. the growth of jobs and wages? (Strong? Weak?) What are
forecasters expecting? What about unemployment and
participation rates? Are there some other important things
about the labor market you encountered that you want to note?
III) Demand. The GDP report, especially table two
“Contributions to GDP growth”, will tell you exactly which
sources of demand have accounted for recent growth. The
Atlanta FRB GDPNow forecast (or Nowcast) will tell you what
seems to happening right now. The Dismal Scientist will also
do this and forecast into the future. Have you read anything
about why particular components of spending (C, I, G, NX)
have been weak or strong? You may want to say that you will
come back to some of them later. (For instance, NX net exports
reappear later in this generic outline.) Fiscal Policy affects
spending directly through G and affects consumption via taxes.
IV) Financial Markets and the FRB. What has FRB monetary
policy been and what is it expected to be in the near future?
What have some important interest rates been and how are they
expected to change? Have stock prices been rising or falling
recently? Have you read anything about whether changes in the
stock market have affected consumption or investment? Do you
happen to have a strong opinion on what direction stock markets
are headed?
V) Supply Side and International Linkages. Does the economy
appear to be near or away from its potential output? How fast is
potential output growing (due to the growth of productivity as
well as labor and capital)? US exports and imports can be
important influences on the economy. Have they been large
recently? Is the US dollar expected to get stronger, weaker, or
stay about the same in the near future?
VI) Conclusion. Which of the aspect of the economy you
discussed above seem to be most important or interesting to you
and why?

5. VII) References. A good mix of a few government reports,
some economic outlooks from financial institutions, and
newspaper articles you cited in the paper.
VIII) Tables and Figures. The first thing here should be your
forecast table. Your forecast table should have updated
forecasts of some important variables from several sources. At
the top of your table should be your forecast clearly labeled as
yours. Your forecast could be an average of the forecasts you
copied from professional sources, or you may have a forecast
that is remarkably different than the consensus.
You should attach at least a few additional graphs or tables.
These should be numbered (Figure One, Figure Two, etc.).
Each figure should be discussed in the paper and should have
had an important influence in shaping your thoughts or the
argument of the paper. Attaching random material will
significantly reduce your grade. Be selective and thoughtful.
II Evaluation Criteria
1. Clarity of Forecast and Cyclical Positioning
a. Is there a clear forecast table in the appendix and does the
paper make good use of it?
b. Has the economy been expanding/contracting?
c. What are the chances that it is presently at a turning point?
2. Range and Depth of Sources
a. Is there a mix of sources from i) original gov. releases, ii)
short articles and commentary from the press, iii) longer
forecasts and outlooks from financial institutions?
3. Coverage of Sectors

6. a. Is there coverage of:
i. leading-coincident indicators
ii. labor market conditions
iii. GDP growth and its components
iv. indicators of inflation and borrowing costs
v. productivity and profitability measures
vi. exchange rates and their importance for US imports and
exports
b. Does the paper explain how these parts of the economy are
interrelated?
4. Style
a. Is it clearly written and easy to follow?
b. Are sources acknowledged and properly cited? Do the
citations and list of references coherently and consistently
document these sources?
5. Cohesion and Consideration: Do the parts of the paper
reinforce each other and work towards a cohesive, thoughtful,
overview of the economy?
III) Length and Proper References
The paper should contain 5-10 pages of text, double spaced.You
may either insert or attach at the end a variety of tables and
graphs you think important. Never attach or insert an object
which you do not talk about in the paper! Do remember that I
expect a list of references at the end of the paper, and proper
citation of material throughout.

7. I am not greatly concerned about which style of references you
use so long as it is a well-respected standard and consistently
used. An easy style of references is Turabian Author Date.
Click the Author Date Tab on the following page:
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citation
guide.html
In this assignment you GAIN points by citing a wide range of
authors and sources.
IV) Some really good professional versions of the paper you are
writing
These sources try to give their readers a professional overview
of where the economy is headed and have numerical forecasts of
the important variables.
1. Delloit University Press. Updated quarterly. Annual data
forecasted.
http://dupress.com/periodical/u-s-economic-forecast/
2. PNC Bank, PNC's National Economic Outlook
Scroll down to National Economic Outlook. Updated Monthly.
Quarterly forecasts.
https://www.pnc.com/en/about-pnc/media/economic-
reports.html
3. Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
http://www.kiplinger.com/fronts/special-report/economic-
forecasts/index.html
4. FT’s one-stop overview of key US economic data and trends,
including GDP, inflation, unemployment, consumer indicators,
and the outlook for US interest and mortgage rates
https://ig.ft.com/sites/numbers/economies/us
5. Brown Brothers Harriman, Exchange Rate (Forex) Specialists
https://www.bbh.com/en-us/insights
See their FX Quarterly Outlook
Here are some more—but the ones above should be plenty.
Morgan Stanley Search “Morgan Stanley” and “outlook”

8. The title of Morgan Sanley’s Outlooks varies, see their ideas
page:
https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/us-economic-stock-
market-fed-policy-outlook-2017
https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/
Kantar Retail, Retail Sales Specialists
http://www.kriq.com/macro/overview.aspx
Royal Bank of Canada
http://www.rbc.com/RBC:Qx2htY71A8YAAK3qbro/economics/i
ndex.html
look for the Quarterly Economic Update covering USA and
Canada
Prudential, for a bond centric quarterly outlook
http://www3.prudential.com/fi/publications-commentary.shtml
Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI)
Quarterly Forecast for U.S. Economic and Manufacturing
Growth
https://www.mapi.net/forecasts-data/quarterly-forecast-us-
economic-and-manufacturing-growth
Investco. Look for most recent Quarterly Economic Outlook
https://www.invesco.com/portal/site/us/investors/insights/
FRED The Federal Reserve Board's Economic Data Base.
http://www.research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/
Super popular source for making graphs of and downloading
nearly all macro economic data for the USA.
CBO http://www.cbo.gov/
For the Government's Economic Forecast for the next 10 years
see the CBO. The Congressional Budget Office prepares the

9. forecasts of the NAIRU, Y potential and Y the underlie the
President's Budget. Their current forecast for the US economy
is available from their home page. The methodology behind
these forecasts is discussed in some detail in documents found
in the "Budget and Economic Outlook" section of their
publications. Of particular interest are "CBO's Method for
Estimating Potential Output: An Update, August 2001 " and
"Description of Economic Models, November 1998" .
BEA http://www.bea.gov/
The Bureau of Economic Analysis generates the GDP report.
The Keynesian FairModel:
There is a very well-known Keynesian model of the US
economy that traces its intellectual roots back to the Keynesian
heydays of the 1950's and 60's at Yale University. It is Ray
Fair's FairModel at http://fairmodel.econ.yale.edu/ . We will
discuss it in class towards the end of the course.
IVB) Some Issues and Variables by Paper Section
Leading Indicators
Review the behavior of the leading, lagging and coincident
indicators.
Source: The Conference Board
https://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=1
look for “Download related PDFs” about 2/3 down page. This is
free.
Tricky site, never pay anything!
The Labor Market
For the unemployment rate, employment rate, and labor
participation rate see: "THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION"
monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS
http://www.bls.gov/). Also available via Dismal Scientist US

10. Economic Indicators.
Productivity :The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has
excellent resources on productivity. For labor productivity and
labor costs see www.bls.gov/bls/productivity.htm. For
“multifactor productivity” see
The San Francisco FRB http://www.frbsf.org/economic-
research/indicators-data/total-factor-productivity-tfp/ for real
time estimates of total productivity growth. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics is more authoritative but tracks it with a longer
lag
www.bls.gov/mfp/home.htm
Output/Demand Components
Review the growth of output and its components: C, I, G, (X-
IM).
Sources: The all-important "GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT"
report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA
http://www.bea.gov/). Also available via Dismal Scientist US
Economic Indicators. Table 2 of the GDP report tells us where
growth has come from and the Dismal Scientist forecasts this
table into the future. (It is found at the very bottom of the
Dismal Scientist forecasts table.) The Atlanta FRB “now casts”
this table for the current quarter as GDPNow.
https://www.frbatlanta.org/cqer/research/gdpnow.aspx?panel=1
The New York Fed also has a GDP ‘now cast’ but with less
detail than the Atlanta Fed
https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/policy/nowcast
Fiscal Policy
Review the contribution of G (government spending) growth to
the growth of output. See the GDP reports table 2 which tells us
the contributions of different types of spending to GDP growth.
To look at the issue of the Full Employment Budget Deficit and
the effect of automatic stabilizers go to the Congressional
Budget Office www.cbo.gov. Look for their ‘Update to the

11. Budget and Economic Outlook’ it has a section examining the
“Deficit or Surplus With and Without CBO’s Estimate of
Automatic Stabilizers, and
Related Estimates, as a Percentage of Potential Gross Domestic
Product”.
The most influential think tank following fiscal policy is
Brookings:
https://www.brookings.edu/topic/federal-fiscal-policy/
Inflation
Review the movement of the GDP deflator and Personal
Consumption Expenditure deflator found in the "GROSS
DOMESTIC PRODUCT" report and more easily in FRED.
Review the movement of the "Consumer Price Index". Also
available via Dismal Scientist US Economic Indicators. Review
the movement of the "Employment Cost Index" from the BLS.
Also available via Dismal Scientist US Economic Indicators.
Interest rates and Monetary Policy
Review the movement of the FRB's Discount Rate and "Selected
Interest Rates".
You may wish to consult the "Summary of Commentary on
Current Economic Conditions (Beige Book)" and "Federal Open
Market Committee Meeting Minutes".
(See
http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/default.htm)
The Brookings also follows monetary policy
https://www.brookings.edu/topic/monetary-policy/
Exchange Rates and International Payments
For the US Current Account see the BEA's "Balance of

12. Payments" report (BEA http://www.bea.gov/). For the
movement of US $ exchange rates see The FRED data base
under exchange rates, especially the Trade Weighted Exchange
Rates found at the end of the list.
7
EXAMPLE 2015 Q3&Q4 Forecast Table.xlsx
Sheet1DO NOT USE THIS TABLE IN YOUR PAPER !!!!
UPDATE THESE AND MAKE YOUR OWN --THIS IS JUST
AN EXAMPLE2015 forecast table%Δ means per centage change
at an annual rate2015Q12015Q22015Q32015Q42015My
view%ΔGDP2.73.22.82Ue5.65.45.35.1You should add a few
more rows with numbers that seem important to
you.2015Q12015Q22015Q32015Q42015SPF%ΔGDP2.732.82.8
Ue5.65.55.45.2Payrollgrowth2692342222292015Q12015Q22015
Q32015Q42015Dismal%ΔGDP2.83.93.83.73.4Ue5.65.55.55.45.
5FedFunds0.10.10.20.60.210YTreasury2.32.62.732.6%Δemploy
ment2.42.32.42.52.3Conf
Board%ΔGDP2.12.52.42.52.82015Q12015Q22015Q32015Q4201
5BMO%ΔGDP1.93.52.52.7%Δcore
PCE0.71.41.51.6%ΔGDPD0.93.12.42.1Ue5.65.45.25%Δemploy
ment2.71.81.51.5RBC%ΔGDP2.83.132.93.1%Δcore
CPI1.81.822.11.9Fed
Funds0.250.50.75110YTreasury2.252.652.93.12015Q12015Q22
015Q32015Q4Fair%ΔGDP2.783.33.63.7FairUe5.75.85.96Fair
%ΔGDPD2.32.22.22.12015 EBOA-CMO%ΔGDP3.5-4.5%BOA-
CMOUe5.2BOA-CMO10YTres end1.5-2.5BOA-
CMOS&P5002175-2250FRB EP%ΔGDP2.3-2.7Ue5-5.2End
2015%ΔPCE0.6-0.85.4%ΔCorePCE1.3-1.42.7(2015Q2 to
2015Q4)1.4(2014-2015)LivingstonUe3.75%ΔGDP%ΔCPI10Year
TreasuryCBO%ΔGDP2.9SPFPhilladelphia FRB Survey
Professional ForecastersDismalMoody's Analytics Dismal
Scientist Forecast updated 03/09/2015Conf BoardConference
Board US Economic Forecast March 12 2015BMOBMO Capital

13. Markets U S Economic Outlook, March 20 2015RBCRoyal Bank
of Canada Economic Outlook March 2015FAIRForecast Jan 31
2015BOA-CMOBOA-CMO 2015 3-16 Bank of America Capital
Markets OutlookLivingstonPhilladelphia FRB Livingston
Survey
Sheet2
Sheet3
Following+The+Economy+Online+Sources+v3.docx
Online Sources for Following the Economy.
General Economic Commentary and Analysis
Economy.com (Dismal Scientist) (http://www.lib.depaul.edu/
under E in A-Z databases)
http://library.depaul.edu/CheckURL.aspx?address=http://corpor
ate.dismal.com/
WSJ this is free, but not like having the paper in front of you.
http://search.proquest.com/publication/105983/citation/13D2BB
3E1777A5B3303/4?accountid=10477
Bloomberghttp://www.bloomberg.com/
Dashboards
Financial Times, at a
glancehttps://ig.ft.com/sites/numbers/economies/us/
Trading Economicshttp://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-
states/indicators
Russel Investmentshttp://russellinvestments.com/helping-
advisors/EconomyMarkets/EconomicIndicatorsDashboard/Econo
micIndicatorsDashboard.aspx
Blogs and Institutions
The Levy Economics Institutehttp://www.levy.org/ of Bard
Collegeregularlyproduces a Strategic Analysis of the US
economy
Cleveland FRB Economic Trends
https://www.clevelandfed.org/Newsroom%20and%20Events/Pub
lications/Economic%20Trends
Economonitor http://www.economonitor.com/
VOXhttp://www.voxeu.org/

14. Econbrowserhttp://www.econbrowser.com/
Brookingshttp://www.brookings.edu/
AEA Resources for Economists: (See “Forecasting and
Consulting link”) http://rfe.org/
Data/Graphing/Modeling
St. Louis FRB:FRED2http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/
Economagic http://www.economagic.com/
US Treasury Monitoring the Economy / Charts / Tracking TARP
/ etc..
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-
center/monitoring-the-economy/Pages/Monitoring-the-
Economy.aspx
BEA (US Bureau of Economic Analysis)http://www.bea.gov/
BLS (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)http://www.bls.gov/
CBO (US Congressional Budget Office)http://www.cbo.gov/
CFNIA Chicago FRB National Activity Index on their home
page
http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/index.cfm and
http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/research/data/index.cfm
Citi Bank Economic Surprise Index via Yardeni High Frequency
Indicators
www.yardeni.com/pub/highfreqcb_bb.pdf
Center for Financial Stability Alternative Broad Monetary
Aggregates
Datahttp://www.centerforfinancialstability.org/amfm_data.php
MIT’s Billion Prices Projecthttp://bpp.mit.edu/
FairModel (select“US Model”) http://fairmodel.econ.yale.edu/
Thesis Statement
Ocean desertification has negative consequences on living
things yet not much research has been done to explore on this
societal issue. Ocean desertification describes areas where
marine life cannot be supported due to poor natural conditions
and water quality. Many people benefit from marine creatures in
different ways such as food and tourist attraction earning them
some income. Ocean desertification affects life of marine

15. creatures that in turn affects life of people benefiting from
oceans. More research is needed on this topic to better
understand the issue and find lasting solutions. Ocean
desertification is a significant environmental challenge to living
creatures that has a number of consequences which are likely to
worsen over years. Therefore, there is need for it to be explored
for lasting solution before the effects worsen.
Climate change which we continue to experience in most parts
of the current world due to many human activities that
contribute to challenges like global warming is among the key
factors that contribute to ocean desertification. Other factors
include human activities like discharging waste to the sea and
companies discharging hazardous waste to the ocean increase
acid concentration in the oceans that reduces biodiversity and
disrupts nutrient and oxygen supply that makes it difficult for
marine creatures to survive. Ocean desertification and
acidification causes degradation of water quality affecting
marine life and the lives of people in various ways such as
global warming affecting food production.
According to Rechkemmer and his team (2016) ocean
desertification has social impacts including triggering cycles of
poverty and forced migration that could lead to conflicts or
social unrest. Forced migration could lead to increased
environmental pollution, overcrowding, and overstressing of
natural resources among others.
References
Rechkemmer, R., O'Connor, A., Rai, A., Sparks, J. D., &
Shultz, J. M. (2016). A complex social-
ecological disaster: Environmentally induced forced migration.
Disaster Health, 3(4): 112–120.
Running head: OCEAN DESERTIFICATION1
OCEAN DESERTIFICATION 2

16. Ocean Desertification – A Global Societal Issue
Reginald. A. Whimbush
Dr. Fireside
MGT450: Strategic Planning for Organizations
February 26, 2018
Ocean Desertification – A Global Societal Issue
Water is a unique element that is significantly important to life.
It is found in rivers, glaciers, streams, ponds, lakes, and oceans
among others. Reduced run-off in our water sources around the
globe has led to water scarcity challenges that are worsening
due to population increases with more demand for water. Rivers
running into oceans are losing water for different reasons
including climate change that significantly alters rainfall
patterns and increase evaporation. The decreased water flow
into oceans makes them saltier and significantly affects water
levels in the oceans that could result to ocean desertification.
Since water is vital for life, endangering water supplies affects
ocean circulation that in turn affects climate regulation. Water
habitats are disappearing due to global warming and
overdevelopment that significantly decrease water levels in our
oceans that could contribute to ocean desertification. Ocean
desertification is a significant environmental challenge to living
creatures that has a number of consequences which are likely to
worsen over years.

17. Annotated Bibliography
Valles-Regino, R., Tate, R., Kelaher, B., Savins, D., Dowell,
A., & Benkendorff. (2015). Ocean
Warming and CO2-Induced Acidification Impact the Lipid
Content of a Marine Predatory Gastropod. Marine Drugs,
13(10): 6019–6037.
This article illustrates the effects of climate change on
enviornmental challenges that is likely to worsen over years.
Temperatures around water bodies are likely to increase while
surface ocean pH is likely to decrease over years. Ocean
acidification and desertifictaion could lead to chronic stress of
living creatures resulting to decreased growth and reproduction
of marine creatures and reduced survivorship of these creatures.
Some marine creatures like fish are healthful food for human
consumption that offer nutritional and health benefits.
Environmental conditions such as changes in water levels and
changes in temperatures signficantly affect life of marine
creatures. Ocean acidification signficantly affects fatty acid
concentration and composition in marine creatures changing
their nutritional quality. This article provides rich information
on the effects of climate change on water bodies such as oceans
that includes ocean acidification that signficantly influences
structure and composition of marine creatures. It will provide
meaningful information that will be used to support my claims
on ocean desertificiation.
Lee, S-Y., Ryan, M., Hamlet, A., Palen, W., & Lawler, J.
(2015). Projecting the Hydrologic
Impacts of Climate Change on Montane Wetlands. PLOS ONE,
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136385.
This article describes the importance of wetlands to the
ecosystem as they provide food and habitat to living creatures
of aquatic and terrestrial species. Wetlands that influence
biogeochemical cycles and hydrologic processes are vulnerable
ecosystems to climatic changes. Direct destruction, changes is
land use and water withdrawals are some factors that have
significantly affected wetlands in the past. Acceleration in

18. climate changes and human development will significantly
affect wetland areas. Hydrologic changes could substantially
affect wetland species and their biological networks.
Understanding climate impacts is critical to evaluating
vulnerability of living creatures and changes in wetland
dynamics that influence water bodies including oceans. The
challenges to wetlands and water bodies is real, therefore, needs
to be addressed accordingly. This article will help in creating an
understanding of the importance of wetland areas in climate
change that in turn affects oceans. Climate changes are
contributors to ocean acidification and desertification that will
worsen over decades.
Srinivasan, V., Lambin, E. F., Gorelick, S. M., Thompson, B. H.
(2012). The nature and causes
of the global water crisis: Syndromes from a meta-analysis of
coupled human-water studies. AGU Journal, 48(10): DOI:
10.1029/2011WR011087.
This article identifies water scarcity and security as major
global environmental problems in the current world.
Accessibility to freshwater will remain constant despite
expectations of increase in global population. Water shortages
could limit agricultural production, human wellbeing, and
industrial production in the future. Common global drivers of
changes that include population growth and climate change
significantly influence existence of water bodies. It is predicted
that some regions around the globe will face water crisis that
pose several problems. Overutilization of water resources could
lead to significant affect climate change. Human actions may
not control water in the natural ecosystem due to limits of the
natural environment. Water resource sustainability remains a
challenge in the current world. This article will provide
information on water scarcity and security that are some factors
contributing to ocean desertification. It enhances my
understanding on how difficult it is to sustain water resources
including rivers that flow into lakes and oceans.
MacDonald, G. M. (2010). Water, climate change, and

19. sustainability in the southwest. PNAS,
107 (50): 21256-21262.
This article explores on water and climate change as well as
sustainability of water in some region. It identifies high
temperatures, woodland and forest mortality as some factors
contributing to climate changes and water issues. Climate
changes have contributed to more severe and prolonged
droughts in some regions in the 21st century. Water demand
will intensify over years due to food security and increased
population. Environmental concerns will limit transference of
rivers to increase water supply for agriculture and other
functions. Technical innovations and policy measures that
increase water supply and decrease its demands are needed for
sustainability. Some rivers that drained into oceans no longer do
so that could impact water levels in oceans contributing to
ocean desertification. The Colorado River a critical supply of
water no longer drains into the ocean but is widely used for
other purposes including irrigation. This article provides rich
information climate change and water sustainability that
significantly impact water bodies.
Running head: INTERNET AND DISTANCE ED 1

20. Internet and Distance Education Delivery Models
Jane Ford
EDU 400 Distance Education
Prof. John Smith
July 27, 2010
In the top half of the page, centered and double-spaced, include:
title of the paper, your first and last name, course number and
name, instructor name, and date of submission. Please note that
Ashford University APA guidelines require title pages to
include
the course instructor’s name and date. This requirement is
specific
to Ashford and is not included in the APA publication
guidelines as
outlined in the APA Publication Manual (6
th
edition).
To center a line in MS Word 2007, select the
Home tab. In the Paragraph section, choose the
Center symbol (multiple lines centered in a small

21. box). To center pre-existing text, highlight the text
first and follow the steps above.
Margins should be uniform, 1 inch at the top, bottom, left,
and right of every page. To change your margins, select the
Page
Layout tab. In the Page Setup section, click on the Margins
symbol. Clicking on Margins will present a menu of margin
settings, or you may create “custom margins.”
To insert a header in MS Word
2007:
1. Select the Insert tab. In the
Header and Footer section,
select Header, and a drop
down menu will display;
Choose Blank.
2. This will open the Header
and bring the “Header and
Footer Tools” options to the
top menu bar. Check the box
for Different First Page.
This will ensure “Running
Head:” is only listed on the
title page.
3. Clicking on Page Number
will present a menu of page
numbers. The page number
should be in the top right
corner of the paper.

22. 4. With the page number
highlighted and the cursor in
front of the number, hit the
backspace key (the number
will move to the left) until the
cursor is aligned with the left
margin (the number will also
temporarily be in the left
margin).
5. Then, type “Running head:”
followed by a shortened
version of the essay’s title in
all caps.
6. After typing the “Running
Head” and title, hit the “tab”
key until the page number is
back on the right margin.
7. On page 2 of the paper,
double-click on the header
(where page 2 is listed on
the right margin). Then,
repeat steps 4-6 above.
However, insert only the
shortened title of the paper
(do not include “Running
Head:”).
For addition guidance in using MS Word 2007, go to the
Ashford Writing Center. In the Writing Resources section,
look for the Microsoft Word 2007 Basics Tutorial and the
Basic Guide for Using Microsoft Word (2007).

23. INTERNET AND DISTANCE ED 2
August 2010
Internet and Distance Education Delivery Models
Technological developments over the past twenty years have
given people across the
globe the ability to interact and obtain information at a
tremendous rate. Due to these
developments, the field of distance education is also growing at
an exponential rate, as is the
research conducted on the availability, effectiveness, and best
practices for distance learning.
This increased interest has led to a variety of options in
distance learning systems, and the
primary methods for course delivery. Distance education
courses are primarily taught via one of
three course models: synchronous, asynchronous, or blended.
Synchronous course delivery is conducted in ‘real time.’ This
means the instructors and
students are online at the same time and typically interact via
streaming video, live chat, or in a

24. net-meeting format. Students can post or ask questions and
receive immediate responses from
the course instructor or other students.
In the asynchronous course model the instruction is conducted
when the students and
instructor are not online at the same time. These classes
typically occur through a distance-
learning system that allows the users to post and respond to
messages in a specific location
within the course. For example, Ashford University conducts
online classes using the
asynchronous method. Students and instructors are assigned to
specific online courses. Within
these courses students participate in discussion forums, post
assignments, and retrieve learning
materials. Correspondence with the instructor is primarily
conducted via the online course
discussion forums and email.
The blended learning model is a combination of both
synchronous and asynchronous
delivery. The instructor may have a set lecture time during
which all students log into the system
to listen and interact with the class. The remainder of the

25. week’s instruction may then be
The entire paper should be double-spaced. Use the automatic
double-spacing command. Select the Page Layout tab. In the
Paragraph section, click on the small symbol on the lower right
corner of the section (downward-right facing arrow in a tiny
box).
This will open the Paragraph dialog box. In the Spacing section,
select “double” from the line spacing menu. Click OK.
Align the text of the essay along the left margin. Select
the Page Layout tab. In the Paragraph section, click on
the small symbol on the lower right corner of the section
(downward-right facing arrow in a tiny box). This will open
the Paragraph dialog box. In the General section, select
“Left” from the alignment menu. Click OK.
INTERNET AND DISTANCE ED 3
August 2010
conducted asynchronously by having students post additional
discussions and questions to a
specific location within the learning system.
Regardless of the delivery method, all distance-learning
systems include course

26. management. Within the course management system,
instructional designers, course authors,
and instructors have the ability to edit content, administer
assignments, monitor discussions, and
interact with learners. The course management features of a
distance-learning system are one of
the key elements for the successful delivery of a distance
education program.
An important factor in selecting a distance-learning system is
the ease with which
students and instructors can interact and understand the delivery
structure. Students’ success is
often related to their experience with the course technology. If
students are to be successful in
learning at a distance, they must be comfortable with the media
used to transmit the content of
the course. Ultimately, the distance-learning system should
enhance the learner’s experience.
Asynchronous Course Delivery
Within distance education the delivery of information occurs
through the use of various
communication methods. When the instructor and learners are
separated by time and geographic

27. location, asynchronous communication occurs. Asynchronous
communication does not require
the participants to interact simultaneously. Asynchronous
learning tools can be used for a
variety of teaching and workplace situations.
Historically, distance learning involved only the student and
instructor. Learners did not
have the opportunity to communicate with one another.
Fortunately, technological
advancements have brought much to the field of distance
learning. In the teaching arena of
online learning, asynchronous communication can be done by
way of e-mail, newsgroups for
discussions, streaming video, and audio. According to Witt &
Mossler (2001),
INTERNET AND DISTANCE ED 4
August 2010
The new opportunities that a college degree will [provide] is
made possible by the
advantages of an online education, including class work on a
more flexible schedule, ease

28. of doing research online, ease of collaborating with others at a
distance, and access to
universities that may be geographically far removed from where
[one] lives. Online
classes also make it possible for students to learn from working
professionals in their
fields who may be scattered across the country or around the
world. (Adult Learning in
the Information Age, para. 1)
Asynchronous communications allow learners to select the time
and place for class
participation. Through e-mails and other asynchronous learning
tools, students can be a part of a
learning community, set goals, and complete coursework. In the
workplace, professionals can
interact without concern for time differences or the high cost of
international phone calls. With
the asynchronous model, the user has greater control over the
acquisition of information and the
ability to set a convenient time for completing coursework,
training, or job-related activities.
Synchronous Course Delivery
Online synchronous course delivery offers students and

29. instructors the most similar
format to a traditional classroom learning experience. While
the instructor and students are not
located in the same place, they are interacting and
communicating at the same time. Within the
synchronous delivery system, there are many options for the
communication and transmission of
course content. In Transforming Learning Methods through
Online Teaching the authors address
the role of technology in improving academics, including the
benefits of synchronous learning,
particularly for the younger students and their familiarity with
“chat room” type technology.
Bach, Haynes & Lewis Smith (2006) state, “Synchronous
communication develops its own
curios and quite different type of narrative when compared with
face to face discussion, and
This quote is greater than 40 words.
Therefore, block quotation style
should be used. For blocked quotes,
indent and double-space each line.
INTERNET AND DISTANCE ED 5

30. August 2010
there is often a text based ‘stream of consciousness’” (p. 135).
Synchronous delivery of course
instruction also allows for immediate feedback. In the
asynchronous delivery model, learners
must often wait for feedback or answers to questions.
An effective synchronous delivery system motivates the learner,
provides sufficient time
for learner and facilitator interaction, and operates the course at
a steady rate, allowing the
learners time to reflect and ask questions. Like the
asynchronous course delivery model, a
successful synchronous delivery system can also provide
participants with an effective and
challenging learning experience.
Blended Learning Course Delivery
While asynchronous and synchronous learning systems each
offer a specialized approach
to distance learning, a blended learning system can combine the
tools of both systems to present
an effective and convenient learning experience. According to
Watson (2010), “…blended

31. learning combines online delivery of educational content with
the best features of classroom
interaction and live instruction…” (p. 4) For example, training
for supervisors may be divided
into various sections. One section’s content may be taught via
CD-ROM with the learners
interacting through a newsgroup or discussion board. The next
section may be taught in the
classroom setting. Fundamentally, current blended learning
models represent a transfer in
instructional strategies, similar to the way in which online
learning demonstrated a change in the
delivery and instructional models for learning at a distance
(Watson, 2010).
Course Management Systems
The distance education boom has led many institutions on a
search for a management
system capable of delivering courses, sharing information,
while managing the varied and often
complex learning tools. As shared by Caplow (2006), the most
significant aspects of the course
Generally, citations should have the
last name of the author(s) and the

32. year of publication. Direct quotations
should include the page number
(paragraph or heading section for
works without page numbers).
INTERNET AND DISTANCE ED 6
August 2010
management system include the ability to provide course
materials in a web based format, access
to online exams, links to course materials, in addition to a
system that supports student and
faculty interaction in discussions and evaluation. Given the
increasing number of options
available in distance education, the task of finding a course
management system that offers the
necessary options, along with the ability to interact with other
technology solutions, can be
daunting. The decision to implement a courseware management
system cannot be pieced
together. All distance learning systems, from blended learning
systems to content management,
must have the capability and the resources necessary to interact

33. with the course management
system.
Learning technologies have opened the doors to a wide variety
of options for distance
education delivery, and each learning model has benefits and
limitations (Picciano, 2001). The
internet and learning technologies provide the means for
transmitting content, managing courses,
and promoting the interaction of the instructor and learners.
When selecting technology for a
distance-learning program, the system that provides the best
learning approach should be
utilized. Around the world, students can join the same class,
share information, and learn
together. The field of distance education and the various
learning systems are continually being
revised and improved. Ideally, the most effective distance
learning system is one that provides
students with the resources to be a successful distance learner.
Additional APA Format Tips:
- All terminal punctuation (e.g., period, question mark) is
followed by two spaces.
One space is used in reference citations, initials, abbreviations,
and with

34. commas, colons, and semicolons.
- Do not hyphenate words at the end of a line.
- Always have at least two lines of a paragraph at the top or
bottom of a page.
o Under the Home tab, in the Paragraph section, click on the
small
symbol on the lower right corner of the section (downward-right
facing
arrow in a tiny box). This will open the Paragraph dialog box.
In the
Paragraph dialog box, click on the Line and Page Breaks tab to
ensure
that the Widdow/Orphan control is checked.
INTERNET AND DISTANCE ED 7
August 2010
References
Bach, S., Haynes, P., & Lewis Smith, J. (2006). Online learning
and teaching in higher
education [ebrary Reader version]. Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10197006
Caplow, J. (2006). Where do I put my course materials?
Quarterly Review of Distance
Education, 7(2), 165-173. Abstract retrieved from ERIC

35. (Accession No. EJ875031)
Picciano, A. G. (2001). Distance learning: Making connections
across virtual space and
time. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
Watson, J. (2010, June). Blended learning: The convergence of
online and face to face
education. Promising practice in online learning. Retrieved from
North American
Council for Online Learning: http://www.inacol.org
Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). Adult development and
life assessment. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/books/4
Indent the second and subsequent
line of each reference five to seven
spaces (also referred to as a “hanging
indent”). Double-space each entry.

36. Alphabetize your references by the author’s last
name. Use initials for the first and middle names.
Online library entries should either be cited
the same as a print article, or use the home
page URL of the journal. If a Digital Object
Identifier (DOI) is available, it should be
used in place of the URL.
If you have more than one entry with the same author AND
published
in the same year, add a lowercase letter after the year both here
and
in your in-text citations, for instance, (2001a) and (2001b).
Samples of citations and references (APA 6
th
Ed.) are
located in the Ashford Writing Center.
Running head: TITLE OF PAPER1
TITLE OF PAPER4
Title of Your Essay
Your Name
Course Number & Title
Instructor's Name

37. Month Day, Year
Title of Your Essay
Start the first paragraph here. It should introduce your reader to
the subject you are writing about, as well as your particular
position or claim. Before you can create your first paragraph,
consider these “pre-writing” tips. You can use this template to
help you format your paper. For longer papers, include sub-
headings or levels of heading.
The writing process
Spend time planning your paper. A good practice is to
brainstorm ideas and decide how to express the main idea or
thesis. Once you have a rough idea of what you want to say or
argue, create an outline or list to help you organize the evidence
you plan to present. For more suggestions, please read about
thesis statements on our Ashford Writing Center website: Thesis
Statements. Other helpful tools on our website are the Thesis
Generator and Moving from Prompt to Thesis.
Writing the body paragraphs
Each paragraph of your assignment should be clear and easy to
follow. We have several good resources to help you write a
strong paragraph, such as How to Write a Good Paragraph and
the P.I.E. Paragraph Structure.
Using citations correctly
In addition to being well-written, each paragraph should include
an in-text citation to all ideas, references, or quotations that are
from outside sources and research. The Ashford Writing Center
provides many resources to help you follow correct citation
style (primarily APA) and gives lessons and examples of how to
paraphrase and cite sources. The APA Key Elements page is a
good place to start.
References
The following are commonly used references. Please fill in the
required information, and if you need more help, see the AWC

38. References page. References are listed in alphabetical order.
Ashford Textbook (Online edition): *
Author, A. (Year published). Title of book: Subtitle of book
(edition, if other than the first) [Electronic version]. Retrieved
from from URL
Example:
Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). Adult development and
life assessment [Electronic version]. Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/books/4
Online Journal Article (such as from the Ashford Library):**
Author, A. (Year Published). Article title. Journal Name,
Volume(Issue), page range. doi:# or Retrieved from journal’s
homepage URL
**When including a URL for an online journal, you must search
for the journal’s home page and include this in your reference
entry. You may not include the URL found through your
university library, as readers will not have access to this library.
Examples:
Churchill, S. D., & Mruk, C. J. (2014). Practicing what we
preach in humanistic and positive psychology. American
Psychologist, 69(1), 90-92. doi:10.1037/a0034868
Santovec, M. (2008). Easing the transition improves grad
retention at Trinity U. Women in Higher Education, 17(10), 32.
Retrieved from
http://www.trinitydc.edu/education/files/2010/09/Women_in_hi
gher_
Ed_Trinity_Transistions_10_08.pdf
Online Magazine:*
Author, A. (Year, Month Date Published). Article title.
Magazine Title. Retrieved from URL
Example:
Walk, V. (2013, April 29). Can this woman fix Europe? Time.

39. Retrieved from
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,213969.html
YouTube Video:*
Author, A. [Screen name]. (Year, Month, Day). Title of video
[Video file]. Retrieved from URL
Example:
Apsolon, M. [markapsolon]. (2011, September 9). Real ghost
girl caught on video tape 14
[Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nyGCbxD848
Web Page:*
Author, A. (Year, Month, Date Published). Article title.
Retrieved from URL
Example—Corporate web page:
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008).
Police and detectives. Retrieved from
http://bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos160.pdf
Example—Article or section within web page with no author:
Presentation tools. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://web2014.discoveryeducation.com/web20tools-
presentation.cfm
*Please delete the headers and notes in this document before
submitting your assignment.
1
ESSAY TITLE
Magazine, online edition

40. Online journal article, with DOI
Entry from edited anthology, print
YouTube video
Photograph, no date, no photographer
Photograph, with photographer
References
Apsolon, M. [markapsolon]. (2011, September 9). Real ghost
girl caught on Video Tape 14
[Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nyGCbxD848
Batchelder, A. (2010, July 6). Students brains are being
digitally rewired [Web
log post]. Retrieved from
http://literacyispriceless.wordpress.com/
Cayman Islands. (2008). The world factbook. Retrieved from
http://www.bartleby.com/br/151.html
Cendrowicz, L. (2010, July). Will Europe's bank stress tests
bring calm or spread more fear?
Time. Retrieved from
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2005557,00.h
tml
Diaz-Rico, L. T. (2008). A course for teaching English learners.

41. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Florian, R. V. (2010). Challenges for interactivist-constructivist
robotics. New Ideas in
Psychology, 28(3), 350–353.
doi:10.1016/j.newideapsych.2009.09.009
Guthrie, W. (2007). This land is your land. In R. DiYanni (Ed.),
Literature: Reading fiction,
poetry, and drama (6th ed.) (pp. 897–898). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Kulbis, M. (Photographer). (2006). Men pray [Photograph].
Retrieved April 12, 2006, from:
http://accuweather.ap.org/cgi-bin/aplaunch.pl
Lessard v. Schmidt, 349 F. Supp. 1078 (E.D. Wis. 1972).
Mawson, C. O. S. (Ed.). (n.d.). Roget's international thesaurus
of English words and phrases.
Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/br/110.html
McLaren, M., Thomas, J. (Producers), & Linklater, R.
(Director). (2006). Fast food nation
[Motion picture]. United States: Fox Searchlight.
Nelson Mandela [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10,
2014, from:
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/m
andela-bio.html

42. Web log / Blog
Online encyclopedia
Book, print
Online dictionary
Film
Court decision
2
ESSAY TITLE
Online journal article, without DOI
Magazine, print
Newspaper, online edition
Website entry, corporate/government author
Santovec, M. (2008). Easing the transition improves grad
retention at Trinity U. Women in
Higher Education, 17(10), 32. Retrieved from
http://www.wihe.com/
Sloan, C., Booth, S., & Tate, A. (2010, July). Why I became an
American. Real Simple, 186–

43. 192.
Tobin Ramos, R. (2010, July 22). UPS profit nearly doubles in
second quarter. The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution. Retrieved from http://www.ajc.com
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008).
Police and detectives. Retrieved
from http://www.bls.gov/oco/pdf/ocos160.pdf
Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). Adult development.
Retrieved from
https://content.ashford.edu/books/4
Ashford textbook, online
APA REFERENCES LIST
What is a References list?
For an essay, paper, report, or any other kind of writing
assignment that requires outside research, a References list must
be included. This list includes citations for all the resources you
consulted or cited within your paper (as noted in parenthetical
in-text citations throughout). Any time you quote, that
quotation’s source must be in the References list. Any time you
paraphrase, summarize, or include information that you’ve read
from an outside source that contributes information to the
assignment, you must include that source in your References
list. Any in-text parenthetical citation must also appear in the
References list.
What information goes in a References list citation?
Reference list citations for Ashford University assignments
must be formatted according to the APA 6th

44. editionspecifications. Each citation requires general publication
information, including but not limited to: author name, title,
publication or publisher, and year of publication. Because so
many sources appear online and do not have publication dates or
even authors, additional information may be required, including
retrieval data and corporate author information. You will see
the most common kinds of sources in the sample References list
below.
What are the key rules of creating a References list?
There are unique formatting rules to follow for each reference
citation, but generally, remember these key rules for the whole
References page:
1. Center the word “References” at the top of the new page. No
boldface, no italics, no quote marks. Just this word: References.
The page should have the essay title and page number in the
header, as on all the other essay pages.
2. Double space every line—no additional spacing required.
3. Alphabetize entries by authors’ last names. This includes
“corporate authors,” like the U.S. Dept. of Education. In that
situation, you would alphabetize the entry under “U”.
4. Create a hanging indent for every line after the first in your
citation. You may do this in Microsoft Word by highlighting
your citations list, clicking “Paragraph” in the toolbar, and
choosing “Hanging” under the Indentation/Special section. This
sequence is preferable to hitting the “tab” key because
formatting can change as you edit the draft.
5. Be mindful of punctuation, italics, and capitalization rules.
For instance, APA requires very specific capitalization rules for
titles, and while printed source citations end in a period, online
source citations that include web addresses do not.
Proprietary information of Ashford University, Created by
Academics, CR216081

45. Direct,
attention-
grabbing hook.
Statements about the more focused
topic that lead up to the claim made
in the thesis statement.
Thesis statement that
makes a claim (“going to the
movie theater to see a
movie is overrated”) and
provides reasons (there are
“problems in getting to the
theater, the theater itself,
and the behavior of some
patrons”).
Introductions and Conclusions

46. Introductions and conclusions are important components of any
essay. They work to book-end
the argument made in the body paragraphs by first explaining
what points will be made (in the
introduction) and then summarizing what points were made (in
the conclusion).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
An introduction works to let your reader know what he or she
can expect from your paper.
Your introduction should grab your reader’s attention, introduce
your topic, and explain your
purpose.
1. Begin your introduction with a “hook” that grabs your
reader’s attention and introduces
the general topic. You can do this with an interesting quotation
(that you must cite), an
anecdote that captures the topic, a rhetorical question, a direct
statement, or an
attention-grabbing fact or statistic.
2. Next, make a statement or two about the more focused topic
that the paper will
expand on. This part of the introduction can include background
on the topic that helps
to establish its context.
3. Finally, include your thesis statement. This statement should
include your specific topic,

47. your opinion/claim about that topic, and typically, the reasons
you have for making that
claim. This statement should be packaged so that if it were to
stand on its own, it would
let your reader would know your specific topic, the claim you
make about that topic,
and the reasons you have for making that claim.
Sample Introduction
I am a movie fanatic. When friends want to know what
picture won the Oscar in 1980, or who played the police chief in
Jaws, they ask me. My
friends, though, have stopped asking me if I want to go out to
the movies. I am no longer
excited about going to the theatre to watch the next great movie.
I have decided that the idea
of going to the movie theater to see a movie is overrated
because of the problems in getting to
the theater, the theater itself, and the behavior of some patrons.
Adapted from College Writing Skills with Readings
Proprietary information of Ashford University, Created by
Academics, CR216081

48. Thesis
statement
rephrased.
Summary of the main
ideas conveyed
throughout the paper.
Significance of the
points made
throughout the
essay.
A conclusion works to remind your reader of the claim and main
points of your paper and
summarizes what you want your reader to “take away” from
your argument. Consider these
tips when writing your conclusion:
1. Begin with your rephrased thesis statement to remind your
reader of the point of your
paper.
Summarize the points you made in your paper and show how
they support your
argument; tie all the pieces of your paper together.

49. 2. Tell your reader what the significance of your argument
might be. Do you want your
reader to think differently, question something, or perform some
action? Make a
recommendation of what your reader should “do” with the
information you just gave
them.
Sample Conclusion
My experience will stay with me long after I head back to
school and spend my
wages on books and beer. The things that factory work has
taught me – how
lucky I am to get an education, how to work hard, how easy it is
to lose that work
once you have it – are by no means earth-shattering. Everyone
has to come to grips
with them at some point. How and when I learned these lessons,
however, has inspired me to
make the most of my college years before I enter the real world
for good. Until then, the
summer months I spend in the factories will be long, tiring and
every bit as educational as a
French-lit class.
Adapted from “Some Lessons from the Assembly Line” by
Andrew Brassksma in Steps to Writing Well
with Additional Readings.
After you have written your own conclusion, ask yourself:
If my readers were to only read my conclusion, would they

50. understand my paper’s purpose?
Do I summarize my argument for my readers?
Do I answer the question “So what, who cares?”
Do I tie all of my points together?
Running head: ANIMAL TESTING 1
To Test or Not to Test: Ethics in Animal Testing
Student Name
GEN 499 General Education Capstone
Professor Millie Jones
November 16, 2050*

51. *This sample paper was adapted by the Writing Center from an
original paper by a stu-
dent. Used by permission.
ANIMAL TESTING 2
To Test or Not to Test: Ethics in Animal Testing
The subject of animal testing raises questions of necessity.
Animal testing is
something that has been done for many years for several
different reasons. It has been
used since the dawn of medicine by physicians and scientists.
From biomedical research
to testing cosmetics, people claim that animal testing is
necessary to benefit people in sa-
tiating their need for certain products as well as saving lives.
There is an idea that animals
are the best way to find treatments and cures for people, but the

52. treatment of animals is of
concern for some members of society. Society is feeling more
and more that animals
have as much right to live freely in this world as humans do,
and our obligation to see to
this makes animal testing a societal problem. Due to these
concerns and others, there
have been several laws and acts formed to protect animals and
minimize their suffering.
And with the advances of technology and other discoveries, the
question of the necessity
of animal testing is becoming an issue for animal activists and
lovers everywhere. The
future of medicine and biomedical research should not rely on
animals for testing. In-
stead, we should use alternative testing methods and work
toward making different life-
style choices. These solutions create the ethical outcome of
ending the suffering of these
animals, which will have a positive influence on society and
culture.
Problem

53. Animal testing has been deemed necessary for many reasons.
Animal testing has
been done to determine the safety of household cleaning
products, cosmetics including
The introduction should introduce your topic and share the
societal problem that you see. At the end of the introduction,
you
should state your thesis, which should include your proposed
solution to the problem. You may also state the positive ethical
effects of your proposed solution.
The introduction
ends with a the-
sis statement
that includes the
student’s pro-
posed solu-
tion(s) to the
societal prob-
lem. She also
has included the
positive ethical
outcome of the
solution(s).
The introduction
includes a very
brief discussion
of why this is a

54. societal problem.
{
}
Use section headers for
each of the major
sections of your paper.
Background
Here, the
student is
introducing the
topic of animal
testing to the
reader.
This first body section of your paper
should provide some background
information on your topic and discuss why
this is a societal problem.
ANIMAL TESTING 3
skin care, shampoo and makeup, as well as biomedical research
that provides medicine

55. and treatments for humans and pets alike. The BioIndustry
Association (2002) argues that
“Animal research has made a vital contribution to the
development of medicines that save
many lives every day” (Taylor, 2005, p. 7). In 1938 Congress
passed the Food, Drug and
Cosmetic Act because of public demands after tragic incidents
involving an untested
product (Why Do Companies Test Cosmetics or Other Products
on Animals?, 2013).
There have been many arguments and evidence that shows the
“good” that animal re-
search has done in regards to biomedical research. Studies
involving dogs, rats, rabbits,
cats, chickens, pigs and sheep have all helped to contribute to
the understanding of heart
disease. Drugs and vaccines that can be a possible solution to
the devastating HIV/AIDS
virus are present due to the tests that have been performed on
chickens, cats and monkeys
with a similar virus. Animals have been used as models for
research for almost every dis-
ease that is known to man (Lee, 2015). If animal testing has
contributed to creating drugs

56. for diseases as serious as cancer and HIV/AIDS, naturally
animals are being used to find
cures and treatments for many other diseases and sicknesses.
Therefore, how could animal testing be wrong? Indeed, research
has shown that
animal testing is helpful to progress in the field of medicine and
biomedical research as
well as developing treatments that are yielding promising
results. However, it comes with
a high cost. It comes with the cost of animals being subjected to
tests that put them
through distress and can harm or kill them. Humans and animals
are both sentient beings;
sentient meaning a person or being that has feelings or that can
feel (Sentient, 2015). Re-
search shows that 37% percent of animals used for science
suffer moderate to severe
stress and discomfort or severe pain (National Statistics, 2014).
When it comes to using
This paragraph
discusses the first
reason that ani-
mal testing is a
societal problem
and provides evi-

57. dence to support
this.
Reason #1
In this paragraph,
the student has
given the reader
some background
information on the
topic.
ANIMAL TESTING 4
animals for science and experimentation, people tend to focus
on the fact that non-human
animals are inferior to humans. Regardless of whether or not
this is true it does not take
away from the fact that animals are sentient and that they
experience pain and seek pleas-
ure. Animals and people react to pain in similar ways by
screaming or trying to avoid the
source of the pain. “The American Veterinary Association
defines animal pain as an un-
pleasant sensory and emotional experience perceived as arising

58. from a specific region of
the body and associated with actual or potential tissue damage”
(Dunnuck, n.d, para. 6).
Some of the animals used in biomedical research are not given
any pain relief. They are
subjected to painful conditions and physical procedures that
leave them in intense cold or
heat, or have limbs crushed and spinal cords damaged
(Callanan, 2009). Pain and suffer-
ing are unique to every individual. Every person’s and even
animal’s pain threshold is
different. However, evidence clearly shows the pain that is
experienced by these animals
is experienced the same way that it is in humans.
Physical pain is unfortunately not the only problem that these
animals undergo.
Psychological distress, fear, and sadness have been
demonstrated amongst a wide variety
of species (Ferdowisiann & Beck, 2011). The use of
chimpanzees and other primates for
animal testing has generated a lot of controversy because of
their similarities to humans.
Ironically enough, it is also the reason that so many researchers
have wanted to use them

59. as models. Indeed chimpanzees are highly emotional and
intelligent creatures that are
evolutionarily and genetically similar to human beings. This is
the argument of research-
ers that makes them great candidates for biomedical research.
Philosophy Department
Chair Lori Gruen states, “They’re very similar to us in terms of
their emotional lives and
This next para-
graph discusses a
second reason
that animal testing
is a societal prob-
lem and again
provides evidence
to support this.
Reason #2
ANIMAL TESTING 5
their intellectual and physical and social experiences, and using
them in painful, invasive
ways is to harm them; they don’t consent to it” (Lee, 2015, p.
3).
Besides the obvious reasons of the pain and suffering that these

60. animals feel, there
is the question of the necessity for animal testing in regards to
medical advances. Despite
the increasing number of technological alternatives to animal
testing, over 100 million
animals are legally used for animal experiments each year for
medical research alone. In
2007, England, Wales and Scotland used 3.1 million animals for
genetic and biomedical
experimentation (Callanan, 2009). In October of 2006 attendees
of the opening day of the
Joint World Congress for Stroke in Cape Town, South Africa
were devastated at the fail-
ure of a drug that was intended for ischemic stroke. The drug,
NXY-059, had reached
phase III of clinical trials and failed to do what the animals
used for the research had
promised. The drug was supposed to “stop the cascade of the
necrosis in the event of a
stroke, and protect the remaining viable brain cells”
(Gawrylewski, 2007, para. #). Direc-
tor of Michigan Alzheimer’s Diseases Research Center in the
Department of Neurology
at the University of Michigan Sid Gilman says that one of the

61. major faults in the trials for
NXY-059 was its use of animal models (Gawrylewski, 2007).
Besides the millions of
dollars wasted, there was a waste of life and unnecessary use of
animals for painful re-
search. This is one of many examples of disappointing let-
downs of drugs that were test-
ed on animals that did not work.
Solution
Considering the horrific psychological and physical pain that
animals have to go
through in the midst of testing for biomedical research,
alternative testing methods are in
Reason #3
This paragraph

62. discusses a third
reason that ani-
mal testing is a
problem.
Evidence is used
to support this.