Wednesday, April 22, 2009

"Deadly Contact"

For this week's post, I want you to think about your research paper topic.

How are Hendra and Ebola similar to the disease you've chosen as your topic?

Give two similarities and two differences between the disease you've chosen to write about and Hendra / Ebola.

Friday, April 17, 2009

"Malaria: Stopping a Global Killer"

Michael Finkel's essay is well-written on a number of levels, but one of the essay's stronger points is his use of description.

For example, his line "Then she plunges her stiletto mouthparts into the skin" is an effective metaphor that compares the mosquito's mouth to a stiletto, which is a long, thin knife. In this way, Finkel describes a mosquito (which we usually consider an annoying nuisance at most) in a way that makes it sound like a stealthy assassin we should all fear.

Find one desciption you find effective, and explain why it works so well.

Friday, April 3, 2009

"Restoring America's Big, Wild Animals"

1. What does Donlan mean when he discusses restoring megafauna? What animals would be classified as megafauna? What animals wouldn't count as megafauna?

2. What is the difference between a proactive and a reactive approach to saving wildlife?

3. Which animal would you put at the top of the list to save?