My Essay On The Topic Of Why Animals Should Be Treated Kindly by OS

Animals should be treated kindly because people are treating animals badly and it is bad for them. The number of birds killed each year in the US is five billion. I don't think they should be treated that way for all the hard work they do. They keep our ecosystem running smoothly and are essential seed dispensers for plants that provide us with food , medicines , timber and recreation.

House pets like dogs, cats and the hamsters have a purpose. First dogs reduce stress, anxiety and depression , ease loneliness , encourage exercise and playfulness , and even improves your cardiovascular health. Now the small guy is the hamster. A hamster is a good house pet. They are terrific housekeepers with sweet little innocent bodies and super cute eyes. Now the cats are beneficial to our mental and physical needs and as you know keep unwanted visitors away.

Now for bodies of water the animals here are also important. Here we will talk about alligators, eels, sharks and dolphins. First alligators are an important member of the ecosystem , and are regarded as keystone species. Now eels are also important; they help regulate the population of other animals. The sharks maintain help with keeping the food chain running. The dolphins now are another important animal. They rescue people from sharks, save sailors from drowning and guide boats through rough waves. Stop eating fish.

Now Iand animals they are cool to like monkeys , lions , tokans. First the monkeys monkeys bear neurological disorders such as parkinson disease. Lions help maintain healthy and resilient herbivore populations. Toukans pass seeds from the fruit they eat through the digestive system which helps replant the plants.

Now I am done but please slow down the building and chopping and Know there is a purpose, everything is created and please do not destroy nature and remember what I sead.

The Truth About Trees by VK

When I was 9 I lost one of my favourite trees. I was sad because I always played in it. Then a couple months ago I lost my favourite climbing tree. Both of these trees were cut down.

An estimated 41 MILLION trees are cut down every day! That's more than 15 BILLION trees a year. Humans have destroyed about 50% of all trees. We need to get trees back and if we want to do that we need to plant a tree once a week.

Can you imagine using 3 thousand toilet paper rolls a year? Well that's how much you use for 15 billion trees cut down. Now you know we don't need that much! Believe it or not we need trees for everything. Trees provide oxygen (O2) and absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). Without it we'd all die. If we want to get trees back we need to plant a tree once a week.Without oxygen we can't play sports because we'd waste too much oxygen. We could not eat meat because all the animals would be dead. We need trees and we need to stop cutting them down. Trees are beautiful and sadly a lot of them are cut in the tropics. That is sad because trees make the tropics very nice. I also think cutting down trees contributes to climate change. That makes it hard for animals to live.

We need to get trees back and if we want to do that we need to plant a tree once a week. I hope you help the environment and plant trees with me.

What to know when Getting a Chicken by ES

If you are looking for a new pet to get, then chickens may be perfect for you! They lay eggs, don’t require much work, and can be very quiet! They are quickly becoming more popular in suburban backyards. If you want to know which breed to get, I would recommend reading one of my other essays: Which Chicken is Best For You? But once you know which breed to get, you’ll need to know how to take care of them.

As a chicken owner myself, I have some experience. Wherever you go to get your chickens, they will probably tell you how to care for them but if you want to know ahead of time, I can help you. Chickens don’t cost very much to care for. The chickens themselves can cost between $3-$30 depending on on a few things such as age and breed. A 50-pound bag of chicken food costs about $20. It would feed your full-grown chicken for about 33 weeks. To feed 6 chickens for a year, it costs $220.

A water container and a food container cost about $5 each. It’s good to refill their food and water almost every day. For a group of chickens, you should probably refill their food and water every day. I personally refill my chickens' water using our hose but you can use tap water, or just about any other source of clean drinking water you have access to.

The average price of a chicken coop in America is $650 though, they can cost between $300-$2,000. You will also need to put bedding on the bottom of their coop. I use pine shavings, a popular choice and low in cost. You only have to change their bedding every 6 months. Their feces are good for the soil in your backyard or garden. Letting them walk around your yard is okay, as long as you check on them occasionally. You should always make sure they have access to clean water and good food.

If you choose to get hens, they will lay a lot of eggs. You should dedicate a basket to collecting their eggs. If you are interested in getting chickens, I would heavily recommend doing so. They make great family pets or personal pets. If you would like to know more about which breed to get and more, check out my other essays. Thank you for reading!

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Arguing? by SJ

Cons: I bet that you and probably everyone in the world has argued with someone or has seen others argue, well, let me tell you this: arguing with others is not only a waste of time but breaks relationships that could lead into more serious events in the future, like suing or divorce. Why waste time having a quarrel with someone, instead of doing things you love, like spending time with pets and family, reading a book, or playing a sport. There is much to do in life, and you aren't alive just to be fighting unwinning, costly battles . Arguing in a relationship is bad for your mindset too, you may think of ways to make your point across in unhealthy ways. While you're arguing you are always thinking of ways to prove his/her wrong and that YOUR opinion is right. However he/she may have provided a previous rebuttal and you're too busy thinking of an argument that can make that person listen to you and shut up. So really, none of you are really listening to each other, and you are just merely screaming and yelling at each other for nothing.

Pros: While arguing in life is unhealthy, not arguing isn't ideal either. Arguing can make you understand the other person better and know what kind of opinions they have, it can also provide greater trust and an even more autistic understanding.This is, however if you don't argue every single day. When you need to address an issue or problem, arguing helps you identify problems you may or may not have seen before. You may even feel lighter after an argument, because you have let out your anger and your point across. Arguing gives you opportunities to express your disappointment, how you feel, and what makes you feel this way. You will also develop life skills such as patience, kindness, and strength which will result in a better relationship with others. Argument teaches us to evaluate conflicting claims and judge decisions and methods of investigation.

In general, arguments sometimes can be a pain, and they can make your life harder, if you continue arguing with someone everyday even after you read this, but there are also benefits of having arguments that can strengthen your life skills. whenever you see your mom or dad having a strong disagreement, know that there doing that for a purpose, but maybe show them this and they'll quiet down for while.<wink, wink>

My Reasons On Why Kids Should Be Allowed To Have Pets by EP

Pets are extremely popular. Many people all over the world own pets of their own. They can range a LOT in many ways. Everyone knows that kids always ask for a cat or dog all the time. It can be extremely annoying! However, I think that they should be allowed to own one and these are my reasons why.

First, Kids should learn to take care of something other than themselves. All pets take a lot of work and I believe kids should learn first-hand how to care for another being. It can also help them learn to research things about the animal or animals they wish to adopt. It will teach them to choose wisely about the pet they wish to adopt.

Next, they will very quickly learn how incredibly expensive pet care tends to be. Pets are extremely pricey and the cost of things like feed, toys, maybe a kennel or cage, etc. can and will teach how much certain things cost and that pet care is not in any way cheap. Kids will have to make affordable choices and not spend money on things that will be unneeded. For example, it can take up to 700$ to feed a dog yearly. By learning that, children will have to maybe make less expensive decisions possibly later on.

Also, another reason is that kids will have a great companion in their lives. Pets can become incredibly loyal friends to children and help decrease loneliness. A study shows that pets can help kids with mental health and can decrease stress. Pets can also be chosen to fit a specific home or environment and there is a large variety of options.

Pets are very beneficial. I’m writing this because I helped raise a pet and I seriously loved the whole process. I know that not all kids should have pets, but this is my conclusion on why kids should be allowed to raise pets.

SPORTS Can Be Very Fun! OR

BASEBALL

Baseball is good because there is positions where there is lots of running and not so much running. Injuries are usually not too bad (unless your in the major leagues). It’s a lot of fun, and if you make it to the major leagues, and you sign a contract, it will be worth MILLIONS!!

Aaron Judge signed a 360M dollar deal with the Yankees. 360 Million!!

Another perk is it can be very fun at out-of-town tournaments. My baseball team had one 3 hours away and we lost, but we had so much fun in the pool!!! (my friends were chasing girls BUT I DIDN’T!!!!!!!!!!) We all played GAME OF DEATH(rules only known to my baseball team) and we cannonballed into the pool and made such a big splash 3 people came and yelled at me and my friends. 3!

I’m just trying to tell you how fun baseball can be.

HOCKEY

Hockey is so fun and it’s growing in my family! I will tell you why it is so fun.
It can be fun for everyone! It is hard to score goals for the players. In the NHL the average goals per game last season was 3.25! If you're really good at hockey you can make millions in the NHL!!! Alex Ovechkin made 124M!!

The out-of-town tournaments are fun too. Also I think skating is what makes hockey unique. It’s the fastest sport for players. The goalies have the advantage because they have defenders to help stop pucks. I think it’s one of the best sports.

Which Chicken Is Best for You? by ES

There are over 1,600 chicken breeds. When getting a chicken it’s important to know their pros and cons. As an owner of three wonderful hens, I wish everyone had chickens! Chickens make great pets for any family or household. They require very little maintenance, give you tons of eggs, and are super cheap! You can get a chicken for less than 10 dollars if you know what to look for. You may have heard of a few different breeds such as Welsummer and Leghorn or you may know nothing about chickens whatsoever! No matter how much you know about chickens, I’m here to tell you about some of the quietest and loudest chickens.

One of the biggest things to know about owning chickens is the difference between hens and roosters. Hens are the female chickens that lay all the eggs. Different breeds produce different amounts of eggs. Roosters are the males that are defensive over the hens. Roosters can be very mean. They’ve been known to fight hawks, dogs, and even humans! If you want to own a rooster you should only get one. They will fight with other roosters and getting seperate coops for them is a big hassle. If you want a rooster you should also have hens. Always keep in mind that if you get a rooster and a hen, they will have babies. This is one of the reasons why hens are more popular.

Now, let’s get into breeds. Some of the most popular chicken breeds for families are Orpington, Sussex, and Australorp. My hens are all Orpington chickens, so I can tell you quite a lot about them. They are one of the quietest chicken breeds and the only breed that doesn’t crow. Crowing is loud crying, which would be a little weird coming from a chicken. Within the Orpington breed, there are different colors with different names and price ranges. Orpingtons are also one of the best breeds for first time chicken owners. Other great breeds for new chicken owners are Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, and Sussex.

There is one chicken breed that is slightly more significant. Silkies. Silkies are fluffy chickens that are good with kids and are relatively quiet. They do have some cons though. They don’t lay as many eggs as other breeds and can often get broody. They lay tiny, cream-colored eggs. Silkies are more susceptible to some diseases. And they have some very weird qualities. They have black skin and bones, blue earlobes and have 5 toes on each foot. Most chickens have only have 4 toes on each foot.

Leghorn, Brahma, and Wyandotte are some of the most dangerous chicken breeds that you should stay away from. The friendliest chicken breeds are the Orpington and Plymouth Rock breeds. Rhode Island Red is the most common chicken breed. The Rhode Island Red is also the most popular backyard chicken. Silkies and Sussex chickens are better for people living in the suburban area.

This essay is more of a breed guide than a care guide so, if you want to know more about taking care of whatever breed you choose I would recommend reading one of my other essays called What to Know When Getting a Chicken.

Classroom Pets and Why They Are Good For You by BE

Second grade was my favorite school year for one main reason: Snoopy the frog. Classroom pets are not a distraction. Instead, they teach students responsibility, empathy and give children much needed stress relief. I think any elementary school teacher should consider a classroom pet.

In my second grade year, students learned responsibility using a chart. I eagerly awaited days when that chart had my name on it. On those days, after the morning announcements I would stop by the back corner of the classroom to take care of our four pets. If we forgot, our pets would be hungry. We never missed a day…

Studies conducted by Cornell University show that taking short study breaks can greatly improve students work and health. This does not mean you should stop working to play video games or watch videos.This means meditation, taking a shower or… connecting with nature. A five minute break with any animal will show dramatic changes in children’s work.

Going into third grade, none of the second grade students were willing to kill a beetle or yell at a classmate. I never forgot my year with Ms. Kettner. By caring for a pets, children develop an increased awareness of others feelings and needs. This world definitely needs more people like that.

I think teachers should each consider one small creature, one more life in their classrooms, one more project to show the students. With small changes, the next generation can hope to become more relaxed, more responsible, more empathetic and better people than their teachers ever had the chance to become.

Works cited: Health.cornell.edu/about/news/study-breaks-stress-busters

Women Equality by JS

Have you ever been treated unfairly just because you’re a girl? 

Whether it’s how much you’re getting paid, to having little to no education, you probably have because around 43% of women are treated unfairly based on their gender, versus men, who are only treated this way 18% of the time Also, about 736 million women around the world experience either physical or sexual abuse. Women are supposedly “treated equally alongside men” but we all know we still have a big mountain to climb before that is true.

Adding to my point, women tend to be overqualified in their jobs. But a lot of times, women don’t apply for a job if they don’t meet all of their qualifications versus men who can apply if they meet only 60% of qualifications. So women are then forced to be a stay-at-home mom, which is fine, but then people can’t call them out for it because they can’t help it. What else are they supposed to do?

But when other women can’t apply for certain jobs, they start their own businesses (which is great! If you want to support women, definitely give women-owned businesses a try) and a study back in 2017 from American Express OPEN shows that women-owned businesses are growing over two times the national average in the past 20 years.

Plus, women score higher in leadership skills; and yet, lots of major CEO’s and CFO’s are men. Women were measured to be more capable in 84% of the skills measured. And we are super productive leaders! We work 10% harder than men in office, and even though both genders complete about 66% of tasks assigned to them, women go over the top with that and do even more because we are assigned 10% more work than men! And yet women still get mistreated for not being able to complete all work assigned, but neither can men, so don’t just blame women. And we are all human, so please treat everyone the same, whether they’re your family, or a complete stranger. Thank you for your time.

New Name by PB

Native Americans have been named many times throughout history. Whether it be the Redskins, the former name of the Washington Commanders, or the Chiefs, the current name of the Kansas City Chiefs, one name always shows up, both in the past and the present, American Indians. I believe that this name should not be used as a way to reference to Native Americans.

First, there is already a country whose demonym is Indian. Native Americans and Indians from India are two extremely different groups of people. We shouldn’t be redeeming Christopher Columbus’ mistake he made when he reached the New World in 1492. We know much better now that we have proof that he made a mistake.

Second, Native Americans are native to the Americas, so why wouldn’t we use the name that describes them? Using the term American Indians implies that they were not native to the continent, which history can easily prove wrong.

Third, many racial slurs used against Native Americans derive from the term “Indian”. Being labeled after the stem of racial slurs of your ethnicity would not be the best representation of yourself and others within that group.

Fourth and final, “Indian” implies that they are all one group of people, while on the contrary, they are an extremely diverse group. As they stretch from the Yupik people in the north to the Seminoles in the south, the customs will all vary based on many factors.

In the end, we need to take into consideration these different aspects of this name and start using Native Americans as a way to refer to these diverse and unique people.

Should We Bring Woolly Mammoths Back? by MS

      Humans are currently trying to bring woolly mammoths back from extinction. Woolly mammoths, or Mammuthus Primigenius, was an extinct type of mammoth that was alive during the Ice Age. It had a very good effect on the environment.

     We are taking mammoth genes from frozen woolly mammoth carcasses and putting them in an asian elephant embryo, since the asian elephant is the closest living relative of a woolly mammoth. The baby with mammoth genes will be called a Mammophant. Some people hope to do this by 2027, but others don't want to do it at all.

     The people who want to resurrect the woolly mammoth say we're part of the reason they went extinct and it's our responsibility to bring them back. They also say it could help reverse climate change. People who do not want to bring the woolly mammoth back say woolly mammoths would not like the world they come back to, since it would be too hot. Also, they say if we're too focused on bringing the woolly mammoth back, endangered species could go extinct while woolly mammoths are being resurrected. I personally think we should bring woolly mammoths back, but not too many of them. Woolly mammoths used to scrape away a thin layer of permafrost so the cold air could reach other layers farther down and keep them frozen. Under the permafrost is enough carbon to burn every forest on Earth three times! If the permafrost thaws, the carbon would escape and that would be VERY bad! So for that reason I think we should create Mammophants to help. But I also agree that we should focus on helping endangered species. Woolly mammoths would help our planet, which would help some endangered species - but not all of them. So maybe we should put off the woolly mammoth resurrection project for a while.

     I recently did a nonfiction writing project for school, and I chose mine to be about woolly mammoths. At first, I thought it was pretty cool that scientists were trying to bring woolly mammoths back. But as I kept working on my project, I realized how important it is to bring woolly mammoths back. I hope you realize how important Mammuthus Primigenius is, too.

Personal Essay/Letter to the Editor by AA

I have been a figure skater for a little over a year now. As I started my classes, I noticed how I got frequently cold and experimented with different outfits that might help. I did eventually get some warmer pants designed specifically for figure skaters that helped. They are basically just fleece lined leggings that go down far enough to go over the boots of my skates. They work well because they keep me warm, are flexible enough that I can move in them, and are comfortable to wear over longer periods of time. I also found some long sleeve shirts and zip up sweatshirts that could be warm enough.

These worked well enough for typical practices, but after a little while I signed up to be in an ice show. After I got my costume, a short dress with short sleeves, I started to worry about being cold again. As our practices went on, I realized that not only did I get cold, but if I fell I could get cut or bleed. Right before our dress rehearsal, I tripped during warm ups and got blood right on the knees of my tights. It didn’t stain and I got it out, but the point is that our outfits were pretty, but impractical. I felt bad for some of the younger kids I saw shivering before we went out to perform.
This got me and some of my friends thinking about ways we could improve the problem. One of my friends brought up the interesting point that we could design something similar to a wetsuit for skaters. Wetsuits work by trapping heat and stopping it from escaping by using insulation. When you put on a wetsuit to go swimming, you trap the heat within and it will stay closer to your normal body temperature. If we were to create something similar to this for skaters, they would be able to wear it under performance/competition outfits. We could design them to be in different shades and skin tones, so it would blend in. If they were made with stretchy materials like our practice leggings and shirts, they would be flexible enough to spin and jump in. The extra layer would also provide some protection from the ice when skaters trip or fall.

In conclusion, I plan on trying to find a solution to the problems skaters face with staying warm when I have time outside of school. If anybody else has any ideas on how to help solve this problem, the skating community would be glad to bring them to the table.

Who cares why the chicken crossed the road? The real question is, can they fly? by ES

Who cares why the chicken crossed the road? The real question is, can they fly? 

This is a topic even chicken owners disagree about. Research has been done to prove that 88% of chickens can survive falling off the highest mountain in Africa, Mount KIlimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro is 19,341 feet tall, so it’s pretty impressive that a 10 pound bird can survive the fall, which brings me back to my point, how is this possible? Chickens, though unable to fly upwards steadily, are able to glide long distances by flapping their wings. 

The reason these small birds can survive falling from heights of 20,000 feet is because flapping their wings helps slow their fall and since they are so small, it acts almost like a parachute. The average chicken can fly 40 or 50 feet forward though, there have been cases where chickens have flown a lot further. The record for feet glided by a chicken straight forward was just over 300 hundred feet in about 13 seconds! Some lighter breeds of chickens can jump off the ground and flap their wings just enough to get over a 6 foot fence.

Now, you may be wondering, aren't chicken owners concerned that their chickens will fly over the fence and get away? Even though that’s a great question it has a very simple answer. Chickens know where their home is and don’t want to leave it. This is because they have access to food, water, and shelter whereas, out in the wilderness they have to fight for these necessities and trust me they know about predators! The reason chickens can’t just fly onto a branch or on your roof is because their wings are too small! Chickens can weigh between 5-10 pounds when fully grown. And their flight muscles are too big and heavy. Flight muscles are in the same area shoulders are on you. Overall, chickens can’t really fly, they fall with style!

Solution to Deforestation by PB

Although you may not know it, many well-known companies, such as Cargill, Unilever, and General Mills, are buying palm oil from companies that are some of the main causes of deforestation. Deforestation causes 10% of climate change, and the trees that are being cut down are the homes of so many animals that are endangered, so with their homes gone, we are seeing a huge increase in the number of extinct species.

These are major problems that will need a lot of time and care to fix, but we can start out with a supranational organization that creates an index that rates companies from 1 to 5 based on their efforts to be sustainable. If a company receives one star, the company is not very sustainable and is contributing to the problem of deforestation. On the contrary, if a company receives five stars, they are extremely sustainable and might even be helping the environment by replanting trees.

Creating such an index may seem unlikely to work, however, there are two real-world examples to prove that this can succeed as a whole. First, there is an index called EnergyStar® which identifies products that are the most energy efficient. You may have seen this sticker on fridges, dishwashers, and microwave ovens. It was founded in 1992 and is still going strong to this day. Second and final, there is an index called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. LEED rates buildings based on sustainability and the benefit to the environment. It was founded in 1993 and, just like EnergyStar®, is still being used.

This proposed solution would also provide an incentive for companies to become more sustainable. As people start buying from more companies with higher ratings, their revenue would be steadily increasing while the complete opposite would occur with lower-rated companies. As these aforementioned companies would be losing money, they would be more empowered to become more sustainable to win back their old clients.

As you can see, we all need to take a stand towards these companies that are bringing the death of our world closer, whether it be by standing by this proposed solution or switching to more environmentally-friendly companies to make a point.

The Worst Vacation I’ve Ever Had (Kinda) by SG

Three months ago me and my family decided to go on vacation. Originally we were going to leave two days later but we got a blizzard warning a couple nights before the road trip. So, what were we going to do? Definitely not wait it out of course i’ll tell you that. So we decided to set out a little early, after all, what harm could be done anyways? Little did we know how much trouble we were in.

Whilst we were on the road we realized that the sky was darkening which I found quite strange. Soon enough, the rain came pouring down on us, making it almost impossible to see. Then we pulled over at a gas station and…

The horrible beeping noise filled the car like a broken telephone. We all fell silent as we read, “Tornado warning alert in effect till five.”

After it was gone we headed back into the car, facing the danger in front of us.

Throughout that day we experienced countless close calls, heavy rain, wind, hail, and thunder. The whole time I was shaking like crazy thinking I'd never make it out alive.

Turns out there had been multiple tornados swirling through Iowa on March 31st, from A range of EF3—EF4 twisters tearing up the land.

Did I come out stronger? I'd like to think so. Maybe anyone can come out stronger after an experience like that. I was lucky enough to make it out unharmed, but many people weren't. I'm so fortunate to be safe and sound, writing this story out right now.

And the funniest part is, the rest of my vacation was great! When we arrived in Alabama the shores were absolutely beautiful, and going crab hunting was super cool. In the end, I'm thankful for this trip. The things we did, the lessons it taught me and the great fun I had.

Ways to save energy and water by V

You might not know this but we use a lot of energy each day. We do not save enough energy,

So Here are 7 ways to save energy at home & by yourself. Kids can do these things too!

1. When we switch on a light, we sometimes forget to switch it off, and we waste a lot of energy, so switch off the lights! If you still want light, open your curtains so natural light comes in.
2.When we wash our hands, we sometimes forget to switch off the water, and a lot of water gets wasted, so switch off your faucet. Also do this when you are brushing your teeth.
3. Try taking short showers instead of baths. If you need to take a bath try filling up the tub with less water.
4. Fill up your dishwashers so you don’t have to run your dishwasher more.
5. Try using natural fires to cook so you do not waste energy.
6. When you use a vacuum cleaner make sure you unplug the it because it could still be using energy even though it is off.
7. Buy solar panels so you use natural lighting instead.

Now you know 7 tips to save energy & water

Make sure to use these tips.

These are only a few ways to save energy and water. Look on your phone or other device to find more ways to save energy and water at home.