...Gattaca is a great science fiction film, and it was quite realistic. Gattaca deals with a future where parents tell the genetic traits of their child. Vincent Freeman has always fantasized about traveling into outer space, but is grounded by his status as a genetically inferior "in-valid." He decides to fight his fate by purchasing the genes of Jerome Morrow, a laboratory-engineered "valid." He assumes Jerome's DNA identity and joins the Gattaca space program, where he falls in love with Irene. An investigation into the death of a Gattaca officer complicates Vincent's plans. At Vincent's birth, a DNA test says that he has a 99% chance of developing a heart defect and dying before he is 30. This leads him to live a life with the fear of dying early. He is denied the chance to achieve his dream which is of being a space pilot. He doesn't even have support from his parents. His father once told him that the only time he was going to see a space shuttle would be if he were cleaning it. But Vincent refuses to accept his defeat, and finds a way to change his future. He has a deal with a crippled Valid, Jerome, and uses his genetic identity. Vincent finds all the substances used for DNA testing, and layers his biological fragments that make up Jerome on top of his own identity. He applies for the space programme using the wrong identity. The film is somewhat slow moving and deals with the human relationships between the ones with perfect genetics and the ones without perfect...
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...Gattaca is a movie directed by Andrew Niccol and the film is set in the "not too distant future." Andrew Niccol's perception of the future isn't what most people expect, but once thought about carefully it seems quite believable. This movie presents us with a new method in which society strives for perfection and it also makes us wonder if genetic engineering is morally correct. Your place in society in Gattaca is based on your genetic makeup and the way you were born. People born the way we know as natural are "in-valids". On the other hand people born with the aid of genetic engineering are "valids." An "in-valid" has his future set out to be a cleaner or other insignificant job in society which doesn't require an education. A new form of prejudice has been recently debated about, which is the idea of having greater or second-rate genes. Within the movie, the natural method of birth is genetic engineering, which is unlike what our society perceives to be natural. Genetic engineering leads to genetic selection from the parents who choose to eliminate any defects, diseases or genetic illnesses. Some parents may want to leave several genetic traits to chance rather then selecting the attributes of their son or daughter. To what extent is this process of conception morally right, if even right at all? Morally speaking, genetic engineering in any conception should only be used in extreme circumstances. If the natural method of conception isn't possible in the parents then genetic...
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...Running head: GATTACA: THE GENETIC ENGINEERING STORY Gattaca: The Genetic Engineering Story Carl D. Knapp DeVry University Online/HUMN424 Gattaca: The Genetic Engineering Story The movie, “Gattaca”, comes to us as a possible window into our “not-so-distant-future.”(Niccols, 1997) This possible window into the future shows us what life could be like if human genetic engineering is utilized to the greatest effort. The character Vincent in the movie explained that they have taken discrimination down to a science. (Niccols, 1997) Vincent knows that due to his inferiority to the world made him a part of the underclass, which isn’t classed by his social status, but rather his genes. The writer/director of this film, Andrew Niccols, shows the world this different form of discrimination that could be in our futures. As we know, there are people that are already making orders of how they want their children to look. Will our society continue on this path to where we are eventually just like the people of Gattaca? Is genetic engineering ethical? Has watching this movie changed my opinion of gentic engineering? In the beginning of the movie, we learn that Vincent was conceived through natural means. This means that he wasn’t genetically engineered to be perfect. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, genetic engineering is “the artificial manipulation, modification, and recombination of DNA or other nucleic acid molecules in order to modify an organism or population...
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...Genetic engineering: Gattaca is a biological film that talks about the theme of the power of science where children are pre implanted with genes to enable them to posses the best traits when they are born. The misuse of science to enhance individual’s capabilities is what rules Niccol’s society of Gattaca. The misuse of science, particularly the field genetic engineering is depicted through the written code of the inter title, the audio code of voice over. The written code of the inter title “I not only think that we will tamper with Mother Nature. I think Mother wants us to” (William Gaylin) represents the opinion that perhaps God himself is not perfect, as He created a flawed world and that having the ability to change it means that it should be changed. This is strongly depicted in Gattaca whereby the Gattican society try to make it perfect and flawless by using science in particular, genetic engineering to add desired genetics to unborn babies and take away the undesired ones. Ultimately causing more destruction to Gattacan society then perfection. The misuse of science is further depicted through the audio convention of voice over, “I never understand what possessed my mother to put her faith in God’s hands rather than the local geneticists”. Parents in Gattaca choose the “very best” of themselves for their children, eliminating all their imperfections. Vincent was a godchild, meaning he was conceived without the use of genetic engineering or any other science resulting in a...
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...GATTACA Reflection Paper Gattaca’s main character, Anton, is a prime example of how altering a human genetic makeup creates even more problems with discriminated and inequality than the human race is capable of handling. Anton wasn’t given an opportunity in the society to prove himself because the potential employees of companies were not tested on their skills or knowledge but on their physical and mental qualifications. This same society also used derogatory terms for people like Anton. Simply because his parents decided that he would come into the world naturally instead of through gene therapy or alteration. Terms like “faith birth'; and “invalid'; were used against Anton to make him inferior to others that have had genetic alterations. Genetic engineering could be extremely beneficial, but when used in the fashion as it was used in the Gattaca it could change things forever. Currently sheep and other animals are being cloned, soon primates and humans could be cloned also. Further investigations should be done on the real benefits of clone and if it is really necessary. These experiments (when used correctly) could be used to gain insight on what our genes determine in our personalities. Although human cloning and genetic engineering would be a huge achievement to the entire human race such as it was when we landed on the moon in 69, a persons life shouldn’t be changed dramatically. No employer or insurance company should know if a person has been genetically...
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...and change our lives forever. I am a gymnast and have been for fifteen years, and the sport has consumed my life. I have competed for two clubs as a gymnast. At first I was competing for Parkettes and trained with top level gymnasts who have gone all the way to the Olympics. After nine years there I decided it was time for change and I needed it right away. When I arrived at 1665 E. Race St. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, I knew that Lehigh Valley Sports Academy (LVSA) was my new home. As I walked in the doors to LVSA all I saw were orange, blue, and green walls surrounded by people and future teammates ready to greet me with a friendly smile. The gym looked like an old airplane hangar that was emptied out with four, full-size spring floors, 16 balance beams, three sets of uneven bars, two bars over a foam pit, and two vaults just sitting there waiting for me to start flipping on. The gym was quiet, cold, and had that morning dew feeling to it, but as we sat there waiting to start our workout, nice and early, I met my coach, a former world champion, Natalia Yurchenko. It was an honor to be in the presence of such a great gymnast who has had so many high level skills named after her, and to know that she is my new coach. At the close to my summer in 2007, I was chosen to be a part of a team that was well known around the country, Gattaca. Our gym picked up the sponsor and we were no longer known as just LVSA we were now known as Lehigh Valley Sports Academy Gattaca Training...
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...The movie Gattaca and the book Always Running have different themes but they communicate the same message. The film, Gattaca, is suggesting that many years from now with technology advancing rapidly we will be able to design babies and make them flawless and healthy. Those who are born naturally are categorized as invalids. Invalids have a disadvantage because they are viewed less than and incapable of being successful. We see the main character, Vincent, an invalid struggling with accomplishing his goals and rising over the low expectations that are set for him by society. Similarly, in Always Running, the main character Luis is a Mexican American living in East L.A. Simply being a Mexican American comes with disadvantages. He is expected to be satisfied with living “La Vida Loca” and it consists of becoming part of a gang, doing...
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...disability. What I mean by fixed, is some people wanted to change the way they looked and their ability to accomplish more. Some of the characters wanted to better themselves. For example one character would use some enhancement drugs to focus more and get moving, even though he didn’t need them. In the movie one character, states that some people say “Oh that I do not look good enough” Meaning people want to change something about them in order to fit in society and belong. It’s all the stereotypes and images that society sets for people. The type of people that would want to change the way they looked were, people who were not disabled at all. Like some individuals do not need drugs to help them focus or surgery to help them look better they are fine the way they are. The movie emphasizes on that part where people who are not disabled see themselves as disabled because of any issues they have physically or mentally they see any flaws they have as a problem and would like to fix it. Also in the movie I had a better understanding of why would some people want to kill themselves. Some people who are disabled or feel disabled feel as if they do not belong to the society. I notice this because people make disability a problem for disabled people. Cutting out access to them. Ellis Kathleen states “that genes determine your future in this world”. Which means if you have good genes you would go far in life and not looked down upon society. In the movie “Gattaca” it shows what I mean...
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...In the scientific movie, GATTACA, which is directed by Andrew Niccol, the main character, Vincent Freeman pursues his lifelong dream of going into space but is crushed to find out that he is genetically inferior, naming him in-valid. He doesn’t give up but instead decides to buy the genes of a valid specimen named Jerome Morrow. Throughout the whole movie he runs into minor and major conflict that puts him to the test. Genetically modifying offspring is a long process that is becoming more common as the years pass on. Scientists usually use embryos that are incapable of producing offspring that will be able to survive in the real world but eventually they will have to use a live embryo. Once they get the embryo, the begin to alter the defect in it, trying to change its fate from a diseased life into a healthy one. Genetically engineering humans is wrong and like most, I am strongly against it for many reasons. It is morally wrong and people should accept themselves for who they are no matter what genetic defect they have....
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...a brief history of coding theory. According to “Wolframmathworld” (2015) “Coding theory, sometimes called algebraic coding theory, deals with the design of error-correcting codes for the reliable transmission of information across noisy channels. It makes use of classical and modern algebraic techniques involving finite fields, group theory, and polynomial algebra”(). Coding theory has roots in communication filed. Claude Shannon first published the “A Mathematical Theory of Communication” in the Bell System Technical Journal. It was a piece that featured encoding information transmitted by a send. The fundamentals of this work included probability, which he applied to his communication theory. This gave way to Shannon developing what later became known as information theory. Later, a binary code came to fruition, known as the Golay code. This was an error correcting code that could correct up to three errors in words that were 24-bits in length, and could detect the presence of a fourth. Decades later, Richard Hamming came along and began doing extensive work with numerical methods, coding systems that were automatic, and error detecting...
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...fertilization (IVF) before pregnancy. When one or more parents are known to have a genetic disorder, this screening is performed on the embryo to determine if the child will also have the same genetic disorder (Medscape). In the lab fertilization occurs among the egg and the sperm, and then on day three, a cell is removed and is tested for any genetic disorders. If the cells are detected for a genetic disorder, those genes are removed and only the non-effected genes are placed back into the embryo and placed into the mother by IVF. Besides testing for genetic disorders, when taking out the cell, geneticists, can also detect the sex of the child and change it depending on what the parents want (Medscape). PGD has started a big debate on where to draw the line. With technology advancements, PGD will soon be able to detect what genes depict hair and eye color, cognitive and physical functions, and everything else that makes up a human. Like being able to get rid of genetic disorders, creating the perfect person will not be that hard. Most people would want to create the ultimate baby, by changing their cognitive make up or making them an all-star athlete. Where do we draw the line? It is one thing to be able to save someone’s life by getting rid of genetic disorders, but it...
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...Human Genetic Engineering Imagine being able to design your own baby before it is even born, or prevent your unborn child from a dreadful disease, or make your baby a genius or an athlete. Scientists could be opening Pandora’s Box with the potential development of human genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is the process by which genes are added or transferred to alter the genetic code of an organism (“What is Genetic Modification”). Since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2006, genetic engineering has developed rapidly and it seems as though a new discovery or breakthrough is announced every day. Many of the discoveries as well as future prospects have presented numerous challenges and concerns, and continue to be an ethical debate. Human genetic engineering will lead to unfavorable consequences that defy nature, lead to less diversity, and threaten our safety. Scientists are messing with nature in the process of human genetic engineering. There is a delicate balance in nature that should not be tampered with because of the unforeseen effects it could cause. With advancements in genetic engineering and new technologies, scientists are racing to uncover some profound new discovery by experimenting with our genes in a Petri dish. Manipulations to our genes are unnatural and unpredictable. It was just announced this year that the first human ear was grown from animal cells on the back of a rat (Briggs). While this major breakthrough has enormous potential for...
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...and sometime in the future humans too. Some of the uses are alright, but performing genetic engineering on humans should never happen. Genetic engineering was once difficult, if not impossible to use because scientists lacked certain technology to achieve it, but recently more has been learned about this futuristic technique. Webster’s dictionary defines genetic engineering as a science of making changes...
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...Online Collaborative Learning for High School Students Using a Blended Approach for the Promotion of Self-Monitoring Skills Sharon Peters A Thesis in The Department of Education Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Educational Technology) at September 2006 © Sharon Peters, 2006 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Sharon Peters Entitled: Online collaborative learning for high school students using a blended approach for the promotion of self-monitoring skills and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master Educational Technology complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: ______________________________________ Chair ______________________________________ Examiner ______________________________________ Examiner ______________________________________ Supervisor Approved by ________________________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director ________________________________________________ Dean of Faculty Date ________________________________________________ Abstract Online Collaborative Learning for High School Students Using a Blended Approach for the Promotion of Self-Monitoring Skills Sharon Peters While online learning environments have become common at the...
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...SECOND DRAFT Contents Preamble Chapter 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Background Rationale Aims Interface with the Junior Secondary Curriculum Principles of Curriculum Design Chapter 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 1 Introduction Literature in English Curriculum Framework Strands and Learning Targets Learning Objectives Generic Skills Values and Attitudes Broad Learning Outcomes Chapter 3 5 7 9 10 11 11 13 Curriculum Planning 3.1 Planning a Balanced and Flexible Curriculum 3.2 Central Curriculum and School-based Curriculum Development 3.2.1 Integrating Classroom Learning and Independent Learning 3.2.2 Maximizing Learning Opportunities 3.2.3 Cross-curricular Planning 3.2.4 Building a Learning Community through Flexible Class Organization 3.3 Collaboration within the English Language Education KLA and Cross KLA Links 3.4 Time Allocation 3.5 Progression of Studies 3.6 Managing the Curriculum – Role of Curriculum Leaders Chapter 4 1 2 2 3 3 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 21 Learning and Teaching 4.1 Approaches to Learning and Teaching 4.1.1 Introductory Comments 4.1.2 Prose Fiction 4.1.3 Poetry i 21 21 23 32 SECOND DRAFT 4.1.4 Drama 4.1.5 Films 4.1.6 Literary Appreciation 4.1.7 Schools of Literary Criticism 4.2 Catering for Learner Diversity 4.3 Meaningful Homework 4.4 Role of Learners Chapter 5 41 45 52 69 71 72 73 74 Assessment 5.1 Guiding Principles 5.2 Internal Assessment 5.2.1 Formative Assessment 5.2.2 Summative Assessment 5.3 Public Assessment 5.3.1 Standards-referenced...
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