“Review of Annotated Bibliography” 9/16

An annotated bibliography is list of cited sources.  Each citation is followed by a summary of the sources.  The purpose of the summary is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.  Uses for an annotated bibliography include reviewing source and organizing sources.  Writers can use this to help form their thesis and their argument.  It can show the writer what sides an article takes and if it has the information they need.  Writing the summary of the source the writer needs to look at authority and background of the author of the source, which audience is being targeted by the source, comparsion of other sources, and whether or not the source helps the writer’s argument.  One of the benefits of having an annotated bibliography is helping the writer learn more about their topic.  It makes the writer look at their sources closely and carefully.  Perspective is gained on the topic and what the issues are being discussed.  Another benefit of an annotated bibliography is that it can help other researchers.  In my case, if I could possibly find an annotated bibliography about my topic, it could help me with my paper.

198 words

“Review of Sources” 9/9/14

The side I took with my paper topic of “Are supplements or a healthy diet better for an athlete,” is that a healthy diet is better for an athlete.  So far, I have not found a source that fully claims that a healthy diet is better than supplements.  Many of the sources say that supplements are not necessary if a healthy diet is maintained, but they also say some supplements are good substitutes if you cannot get the proper nutrients through your meal.  For example, having a protein shake instead of having a full meal with equivalent protein, because you are short on time and can’t have a full meal.  Other sources say that supplements are bad for the body and can be harmful if taken incorrectly.  These sources put down supplements but don’t support a healthy diet.  One source I plan on looking more into is the NFL drug-ban list, because I have heard some supplements are banned by the NFL due to the unnatural effect they can have on players.  I also looked at a few sources that full support supplement use for athletes.  They claim that supplements are necessary for athlete to be able to perform better.  I believe I have found plenty of sources to start supporting my claim.  I also think there may not be enough research on supplements because they have not been around a long time.  Therefore we may not know the long term effects of supplements have on the body.

248 words

“Paper Topic Ideas” 9/4/2014

The theme I selected for my paper is “are supplements or a healthy diet better for an athlete?”.  I selected this theme because I play sports and I know lots of people that take supplement to help them with their fitness.  I personally have never taken supplements and I don’t feel like I’m lacking in athleticism.  I plan to figure out what experts have figured out about supplements and whether or not they actually help athletes and if a healthy diet is actually better for athletes.  My first thought is that supplements do actually do much good and that people use them wrong and in the end a healthy diet would be a lot better for an athlete.  I’m interested in finding out if I’m right or wrong.  Athletes don’t just take supplements or eat healthy to do in shape but also work out.  Athletes work hard to be better, but does what they do now hurt them in the long run?  I want to take this paper in the direction of what is healthier.

175 words

"Skills to be Learned Part 1" 9/4/2014

Overall, I am not very good at writing.  I’ll always been good at math, but I always struggled with writing because there isn’t one right answer with writing.  After looking at the skills list, the first thing I would want to improve is my sources.  I need to learn to better find my sources and whether or not they are relevant to my topic.  When I find my source, I want to be able to dissect the source and pull out all the information that I would need for my paper.  Next, would be the persuasive letter.  I am not very good at persuading people to see my side.  I hope to be able to word papers towards my point of view.  I want to my sources to support my side well.  Also, I want to be able to show the opposite side of the argument well.  Third thing I need to improve on is a research argument.  I have trouble filling papers with my opinion, my papers are very plain.  Integrating sources so that my paper flows well is something I do poorly.  I used too many quotes and I don’t paraphrase enough.  I sometimes forget that my audience may not know much about my topic and that I need to explain my topic better.  Identifying key points about my topic and making sure they have arguable counterpoints.  I am never very good at revising my paper, I don’t know what my paper should look like in the end.  Then journal writings, I am very unclear as to how to write a good journal entry.  I don’t know how to expand my ideas and how to make them a long discussion.  Last would be the food and culture presentation, I don’t know much about health and other cultures.  I don’t keep up with health practices myself, so this project will be interesting for me.  This project might wake me up to live a healthier life for myself.  I have a lot I need to improve on in this class.

340 words

"Review of TED Talks" 9/2/14

I watched the TED Talk “How to be 100+” by Dan Buettner.  In this talk, Buettner talks about a study he conducted that looked at four areas in the world where people live the longest.  He started out by talking about the Danish Twin Study, which establishes that ten percent of how long people live is dictated by genes and the other ninety percent is dictated by lifestyle.  People are not programmed for longevity but for procreative success (reproduction).  Also, there are no treatments that slow aging.  He says the older you are the faster you age.  Science says the capacity of the human body is 90 years, a little more for women, but the life expectancy for average Americans is 78 years.  The first study area Buettner talks about is Sardinia, where life expectancy for men is the highest.  Sardinia has many shepherds because the land is infertile, the people have a mostly plant based diet, and the older people are held in high regard in society.  For example, he says 100 year-old men ride their bikes to work and still chop wood for fires.  The next study area is Okinawa, where woman live the longest.  It is also where people live the longest disability free, average person lives 7 years longer than Americans, 5 times more centenarians, one-fifth the rate of breast and colon cancer, and one-sixth rate of cardiovascular disease.  Okinawa’s diet is plant based and 8 times more tofu than Americans, they have strategies for over-eating, and a 3000 year-old diet where they stop eating when they are 20% full.  When children are born there, that have at least 6 friends that stay with them throughout life and there is no such thing as retirement where they live.  These are just 2 of the 4 places looked at in this study.  What they all have in common are 3 things: move naturally, like walking; right outlooks, such as a purpose for life and eating wisely; and connection, society has everyone a support system where you are always taken care of.  While watching this video, it surprised me so many factors could affect the longevity of life.  Being healthy is not just eating right, but also an active lifestyle and a society that connects everyone, so that you are never alone.  This talk wakes me up to how I live and how my life is far from this.  How I live does not just affect me but the people around me, I have a very small influence on how they live their life.  This makes me think about what I could do to change my life.

439 words