Resources

http://www.joyofquotes.com/uniqueness_quotes.html (Quote - Social Science Page)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1596&bih=658&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=different+colored+leaves&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq= (Leaves Picture)

http://dev.wavemaker.com/forums/?q=node/5583 (Meaning of Life Picture)

http://fridayprofgroup.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/alberta-family-day-february-21-2011/ (Family Picture)

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FDfQBEHCCtw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> (1950's Woman Ad)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDfQBEHCCtw (YouTube Video - Divorce and Children)

http://seoenvironment.blogspot.com/ (Technology Picture)

http://www.5min.com/Video/What-is-Global-Warming-38356558 (Global Warming Video)

http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/Kid's%20Entries/global_warming_Dore_class.htm (Global Warming Poem)

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/humor.html (Calvin & Hobbes Comic Strip)

http://celiathepoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/origin-poem.html (Origin Poem)

Social Science

"I am not strange, I am just not normal." -Salvador Dali

Social Science is the study of relationships within a society. Social Science is used as "umbrella" term to cover all of the different social sciences that are included. These kind of sciences include psychology, sociology, anthropology and so many others. We use social science to determine so many different things. We determine why we are the way that we are and why we decide certain things. Each social science focuses on a certain subject.



We are all unique and that is what we should strive on. From a young age we are taught or we assume that being different is strange. The truth of the matter is, if we were all the same, what kind of world would that be? If we were all the same, would there be a need for social science? If we didn't argue or have different beliefs then we would have no mystery about much of anything.

"I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint - and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you." -Oprah Winfrey 

The Family

"There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human society, are created, strengthened and maintained." -Winston Churchhill

There are many different variations of families and there is no one answer to what a family should be. We do know what is accepted in today's modern world. For example, monogamy is largely recognized in our society while not in all societies and cultures. At the same time we have evolved in what is accepted. The idea of homosexuality, while not completely accepted by all, is much more large accepted by many. 

This chapter discusses the different functions of family within society, how family patterns are made, why we have decided to choose one person to spend our lives with and how the idea of family has evolved, even since the 1960's.

It is discussed that no one type of family is considered to be "universal." Monogamy is widely encourage in modern times in order to protect and preserve the history of family. In the past, women were expected to hold a certain responsibility and that primarily involved them in and around the home.

During the 1940's and up through the 1960's, women were supposed to care for the children, cook and clean. It was not considered normal for women to recieve an education. It was not until after this time-frame that women were moving into the work force and helping to provide for themselves and their families.

This idea of a way a woman should be has evidently changed. Women now pursue their educations and strive for their goals. Thank goodness!

Families have changed and still continue to change. We are able to date and get married and choose who we want to spend our lives and time with. I have to think that because we have control over what we choose we would choose what is best for our lives.

Just because we have the ability to get married, doesn't mean that we all do. Some have children while not married. Some decide that they will get married when they feel it's the right time for them. That's the key, deciding what is the right step for yourself.

While this chapter discusses married life and how a married couple lives their lives, there are many families that don't stay together. Divorce is much more common in modern society than before. Sometimes things don't work out and people go their separate ways. If children are involved, it can be a little devastating to the children or it could be a relief if their parents were miserable.

Divorce and Chilldren - The Effect

Another modern idea is the challenged idea of homosexuality and if it should be a accepted idea. Personally, I believe that anyone should be given the right to choose who they spend their lives with and should therefore be no ones buisiness. Do I believe that anyone, whether homosexual or not, should be allowed to display their affection publicly? To a certain extent, sure. I don't believe that anyone should be vulgar or disrespectful of others either.

Also, we have many people who decide not to marry at all and choose simply to live with one another. Many couples choose to simply be committed to eachother and not be married for many different reasons. 

The future of the idea of family is unknown and will be decided with time. Will anyone be allowed to be married, despite the choice? Will less and less people be married entirely? Only time will tell. 

I believe that this chapter covers the idea that everyone is different and has the ability to make the choice in how to live their lives, which is the way it should be.

Technology and Society

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." -Albert Einstein


This chapter covers some of the advances of technology within society over time. It explains how the Industrial Revolution affected the United States and how technology affects us in our modern world.

From the beginning of time we as humans felt that we needed to invent things to survive. Without many of our inventions we wouldn't be able to adequately function, especially in our modern society. From the invention of the lightbulb, to the telephone and then all the way to laptops.

The Industrial Revolution is the name given to the abudance of technological changes and discoveries beginning around 1760. This is when machinery used to produce cotton textiles was created and which then reduced prices of cotton and wool and then the demand for these greatly increased.

Can you imagine life without cotton or wool in today's society? I know I sure can't.

The development of new technology has also opened doors to globalization or integration of world economies. Everyone is always interested in the cheapest way to produce goods. In modern society, many of the goods sold within the United States are created in other countries, like China.

With new machinery, the need for skilled workers also declined. There really wasn't a need for people with skills like weaving, candlemakers and shoemakers because modern machinery took over. These developments created a lot of unemployment within society. With unemployment, people can't provide for their families.

With so many positive things that technology brought, it also brought it's disadvantages, as we can relate to now. So many people today spend all of their time on their cell phones and laptops rather than spending any time with their families.

This chapter also touches on the idea of using natural resources. I believe that using what we already have makes much more sense.

Poem on Global Warming - Fifth Grade Student

Effects on Mother Nature
By Koko 

Mother Nature is healthy,
And has beauty and is wealthy
But with Global Warming in the way,
It will take Mother Nature’s beauty away
It will become hot,
Like a steaming pot
Leaves will become brown,
Then everybody will frown
We need coolness,
Not hotness
But also happiness,
Please Mother Nature don’t come to an end
Because we’ll be your friend,To help you become healthy and green again!!!

With so many positive advances that technology has brought, and even some of their disadvantages, one of the biggest negative factors is global warming. Global warming is the gradual warming of the Earth's tempurature. As we all know, when the tempurature rises it can affect so many things and the effect global warming has is a strong one. It affects so much of our enviornment, which in turn affects everything that inhabits the Earth as well. We still are very unsure how to go about ending or preventing global warming. All we know is that many of our actions do not positively affect the Earth.

What is Global Warming

There will continue to be advances in technology as time goes on. It's hard to imagine what the future will bring. It's possible that as time goes on and with new technologies and advancements, we will find cures for cancer and everything we know now will be believed to be ancient.

Only time will tell as to how technology will advance and how we as a society will handle it. I can only imagine what we're in store for!

Human Origins

"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution

The chapter on Human Origins discusses the ideas created on how and why our species origniated. This is such a large debate and many arguments have been created in regard to the issue. My personal view is that I believe there is truth in both ideas. I believe that there is a Higher Power and that we have evolved. I believe that we evolve every day. Without some sort of evolution, we would act like the cavemen we once were! How unfortunate would that be!

Human Origins is defined as where and when the human species originated. This has been a powerful argument for many decades. It has been many scientists goal to discover where and how we came to be who we are. A major argument within this controversy is the creationism vs. evolution. The argument is stated that within creationism we were created by a Higher Power and that the idea we evolved from animals is unreasonable. Without hard evidence of either idea, we have yet to discover how the human race came to be.


Everyone is going to have their own opinion when it comes to where and when we came to be the society of people we are today.  This discussion can get very heated and hit a "nerve" for many because they feel so strongly about their view.

The  most important thing when considering human life are the concern of ourselves, our universe, where we come from, our ultimate destiny and the realtionships we develop with other humans.

While science is always evolving itself, modern science suggests that the human species developed in Africa approximately five to seven million years ago and evolved from ape-like creatures. This idea is commonly known as Darwin's theory of evolution. Charles Darwin, an English biologist who devoted his life to proving his evolutionary theory. Darwin is responsible for the large acceptance of the idea of evolution.

Darwin stated that he believed we origninated from primates. The term "primates" is defined as a group of primates whose outstanding charachteristics are their larger, more complex brain function; high intelligence; and hands and feet adapted for grasping. This term includes human beings, apes and monkeys. It's very interesting that this idea includes human beings along with the "ape-like" creatures.

Origin Poem

First, the seed grew

inside the eggplant:

moist, dark, potent.

Knifed into the light, dried

on the sill,

tucked away a year.

In Spring, into soil,

moist and dark and potent,

life truly began again.

From the inside out,

the seed grew

a whole new world.

-Celia

 In recent years, scientists have extended their knowledge when it comes to DNA (dexoyribonuclic acid) which is a building block of genes. The more advanced knowledge developed in the 1970's when a single gene was split. The purpose of this experiment was to map, or identify all human genes which is referred to as the Human Genome Project.

Years later, with the research of genes and how they are constructed the idea was announced that if scientists could alter a gene, they could hold some sort of control over living organisms. This brought up the idea of cloning which would completely replicate a organisms gene structure.

Another strong argument is that the idea of creationism is silly and not realistic. Many argue that we have come from a Spiritual Being rather than evolving. Each culture has their own God that they pray to.

There will always be an argument when it comes to how life came to be the way it is. There's nothing wrong with having your own views and ideas. If we all had the same views and ideas, how interesting would that be? I'd have to say, not very.

"Man - A being in search of meaning." - Plato