Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Essay Example for Free

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Essay The education system in our country was put in place in order to do service to our children. Despite this, in many cases, children that have disabilities are neglected by their schools. As a society, we all want to make sure that these children are being taken care of. However, there is a large spectrum of students with disabilities, and more needs to be done in order to meet every individual’s needs. In some cases, they do not receive enough attention, and others receive so much that it holds them back from succeeding on their own. Generally speaking, students with special needs benefit from integration into general education classrooms when it is handled appropriately; however in many cases, students are still being short-changed. Integrating students with special needs into a general education classroom has many advantages, both social and academic. For example, all students are required to receive and be tested on common core information, regardless of academic status. Julie Verdonik, an administrator at Maple Grove Jr. Sr. High School who is the head of the Special Education department , says if the students are not able to participate in the general education class, it is much more likely that they will not be taught all of the information that they are responsible for knowing. Special education classrooms slow down the pace of learning, and in many cases, this can actually be detrimental to the student (Verdonik). Verdonik also says, â€Å"When high expectations are set, generally the students are able to meet them. † Any students that are capable of handling the common-core curriculum should be given the opportunity to do so. Not only is the challenging curriculum good for them, but interacting with their peers is very beneficial as well. When asked if integration was socially beneficial for students with special needs Verdonik responded, â€Å"It is always beneficial to have students interacting together. † As a general rule, when students interact with each other, social skills are improved. This is no different for students with special needs. There are other life skills that are taught in a general education classroom that are important for these students too. They are taught the importance of meeting due dates, to listen to and respect a boss or a teacher, and how to handle challenges and frustrations that arise in daily life (Verdonik). By teaching these students important life skills, we are doing them a service that will stay with them their whole life. When integration is implemented appropriately, it is highly successful. There are specific requirements for children who are in need of special attention. They are not just left to cope with a challenging work environment. The government mandates that each eligible student receives an IEP or 504 plan under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, that will help them as they go through school (Koch). These plans are created on an individualized basis, and can include the implementing of a variety of practices to best help the student (NCLD). Different testing accommodations or formats can be assigned, as well as different classroom times or activities such as remedial classes and aides, or â€Å"study buddies† (â€Å"What is a 504 plan? †). Smaller, but equally significant, actions can be taken too, such as requiring that a student have access to a computer for every writing assignment, or that someone gives them a â€Å"backpack check† to make sure they have all of the right homework (â€Å"What is a 504 plan? †). All of these individualized requirements, added to integration, have a very strong and successful impact on the education of special needs students. There have been a number of success stories in our nation’s history when it comes to the education of special needs students. One in particular, told by Kathy Koch in her article entitled, â€Å"Do Students With Disabilities Get the Help They Need? † is the story of a young girl named Rose who suffers from cerebral palsy. Despite her condition, Rose has aspirations of attending college, and was elected onto the student’s council (Koch). Koch says that, â€Å"By nearly all accounts, the law has been highly successful at educating students once turned away at the schoolhouse door as ‘untrainable’†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Julie Verdonik too believes that the program can be successful, and has confidence in the special needs students at Maple Grove. With all of this success, why is it necessary that the special education system be reevaluated? Despite the potential for success that IDEA creates, there are many students whose needs are not yet being met. Some states in our country ignore the act altogether, and do not provide their students with the resources and materials they need to be successful. In many cases, teachers in general education are not trained enough to handle students with special needs being a part of their classroom (Gable). The two of these factors combine to create an environment that slows down the learning process at no fault of the child. On top of that, many low-income areas do not receive enough funding to afford to service their students to the best of their ability, further hindering the child. Misdiagnosis is also a problem commonly found in low-income areas that holds students back from reaching their full potential (Koch). Students that are simply falling behind due to overcrowded classrooms are subjected to remedial reading and other needs-based classes when they don’t actually suffer from any disability (Koch). In some states, children with special needs are tested in a different category than the students in general education. Due to the fact that overcrowded classroom leave some students behind by nature, this method of testing often results in students who are falling behind being forced into special education classrooms unnecessarily to manipulate test scores (Koch). These students are robbed of the social benefits of being in a general education classroom, as well as the chance to face academic challenges. Students who are falling behind and are being pushed aside at no fault of their own often develop behavioral problems that are disruptive and detrimental to themselves and those around them (Gable). If teachers are not qualified to help these students, the problems only increase and multiply, unfairly leaving the student to cope in an environment that they can’t handle. The dropout rate of students with special needs is twice that of the students who have no disabilities (Gable). When schools fail to meet the needs of their students, the results aren’t beneficial to anybody. In too many cases, our current system is not effective enough to satisfy the needs of our students. Although there is potential for success in our system, more needs to be done to ensure that there can be adequate help for every student that needs it. Funding for special education needs to be increased to schools in low-income areas. If this were to happen, misdiagnosis, overcrowding, and a lack of resources would no longer be a problem for these districts. Teachers in the field of general education need to be adequately trained to handle the challenges that come from students with special needs in the classroom. It is not currently required that all teachers receive training in special education before earning their degree (DuBois). This should not be acceptable any longer, because even in general education classrooms, there will be students who require more attention based on behavioral and academic issues (DuBois). Most importantly, states need to be held accountable for the education that they are providing to their students. It is a common misconception that students with special needs do not match the level of achievement of students without disabilities. Many people think that the pace of classes and amount of curriculum they would be responsible for would be too much for these students to handle. However, with the proper accommodations, this would not have to be true. If necessary, an aide or special education teacher can be assigned to children through their IEP. These aides are beneficial to both the student and the teacher in the classroom. With another person to help explain concepts, as well as hold the child accountable for the work the child is responsible for, students can often meet and even exceed expectations (Verdonik). While it is true that bringing students with special needs into the classroom can introduce additional behavioral and academic issues, Verdonik says, â€Å"Having another person in the room that is trained to work with these kids can also take some of the pressure off of the teacher. † If teachers were trained more adequately to handle these problems on their own, and there was an aide available to the child, there is no reason to believe that they would not be able to adapt to and succeed in a general education classroom. There are some who believe that integrating special needs students among their peers would lead to bullying and other detrimental social problems. While theoretically this argument makes sense, there are many reasons to believe the exact opposite will happen. Integration would actually cause more tolerance and acceptance between these students. For one thing, they would be exposed to each other from a much earlier age, and would continue to be as they advance through school. Growing up together, students with and without disabilities would learn how to interact together, and even realize that they aren’t so different from each other anyway. Kathy Koch’s story about Rose is the perfect example of this. Rose’s cerebral palsy not only affects her mentally, but physically as well. Despite these defects, she was accepted by her classmates enough to be voted the secretary of her class (Koch). Anna Schuppenhaur, who suffered a stroke at the age of two, is still suffering from the physical and mental repercussions (DuBois). Her kindergarten teacher, Elizabeth Dubois, remembers celebrating Anna’s victories as a class with her students; when Anna learned how to swing all by herself, they had a party for her. Years later, in eighth grade Anna suffered from muscle spasms during class (DuBois). Anna received the support and concern of all of her classmates afterwards (DuBois). When recalling the event DuBois said, â€Å"I believe that if these children had not grown up learning to be supportive of each other, they would have reacted much differently to Anna’s situation. † Rather than feeling alone or unwanted by her classmates, the support given to Anna has helped her get through difficult times presented to her by her disability. Also, if special needs students weren’t treated differently from the beginning, there would be less distinction between them and the other students anyway. If the administration treats them differently, then they will be labeled as different. But if they are treated as equally as possible, discrimination would not develop into a problem from the beginning. If special education students are integrated into general education classrooms, general education teachers will be required to learn how to cope with the challenges that they present. However, teachers who teach in general education classrooms are not required to take special education classes before earning their degree (DuBois). It is true that training teachers in this area would be expensive. Either the individual would have to pay to take the classes at the collegiate level before earning their degree, the school district in which they work would have to pay to provide a workshop or other source of training for the teacher, or a combination of both of these options would be necessary. However, the result is worth the cost, because without the training, teachers are not able to do their job effectively. Inadequate teachers lead to higher lower test scores, misplacement of students into remedial classes (Koch), higher dropout rates, and emotionally and mentally detrimental effects for their students (Gable). Making sure teachers receive the proper training is crucial to the success of the special needs students in their classrooms. State and federal funding for special education needs to increase in order to enable schools to be capable of helping their students. The low-income areas that lack resources are not able to provide them because they cannot afford to (Associated). Helping children who require special education involves many extra expenses, such as hiring speech pathologists and psychologists, training teachers, and providing equipment and facilities, accommodations and other resources. With all of this, educating students with special needs can cost four times more students in general education (Associated). Federal funds cover a fraction of that expense, leaving the districts to their own means (Associated). Schools that are already struggling with financial troubles are unlikely to be able to meet the costs required of them without more help from the government. The most important step that needs to be taken in order to help children with disabilities in America is the development of a system that holds states and school districts accountable for providing these students with the education they deserve. Too often, students are being pushed aside when they deserve benefits because the schools do not have the resources to help them. Parents are often left to fight for their children’s rights, and are then labeled as â€Å"problem parents† and are viewed as a burden to the school system (Koch). Lilliam Rangel-Diaz says, The one constant factor throughout two and a half decades is that federal [enforcement] efforts over several administrations have been inconsistent and lacking any real teeth. There have been no consequences for states that have disregarded the law and devastating consequences for the students with disabilities and their families who have been denied the protections of the law. (qtd. in Koch) In order to solve this problem, consequences need to be established. States that are adequately helping their students should be able to pass on ideas and concepts that have influenced their student’s success, and implement new regulations that would improve the current programs. States that cannot support their students’ needs should receive funding in order to do so, because providing schools with the resources they don’t have is the only way to ensure the needs of the students will be met. However, if after a few years of receiving this funding there is no marked improvement in a  particular school district’s program, then other surrounding schools that have managed to run a successful program should take over. This may be an unorthodox system, but with the needs of the students in mind, it is a solution that makes sense. It would ensure that money is not being put to waste, give districts incentive to make improvements in their own systems, and guarantee that people who are capable and experienced are in charge of the education of our students. There are certainly situations in which integration is not actually the best option for students with disabilities. Some students have such severe limitations that they would not benefit from placement into general education classrooms, and they would be nearly impossible for teachers to work with without neglecting the rest of the class. This includes children who cannot comprehend or reproduce language, or whose mental development will never reach the adolescent stage. The education that these children receive is based more on living skills, for example, anything from shoe-tying and bed-making, to preparing food and interacting socially, depending upon the severity of their case. There are even cases in which students can learn math, reading, and writing skills. These students would be better off in a special education classroom or school, with a teacher trained specifically to handle their needs. However, this cannot be used as an excuse to keep capable children from getting the education that they deserve. Students with special needs benefit in many areas when they are integrated into special education classrooms. They develop stronger social skills, become better prepared for their future, and are challenged with a more difficult curriculum. When they are denied the opportunity to face these challenges and meet higher expectations, it is detrimental to them now and in the future. It is also a disadvantage for society, because without the proper education, it is harder for them to later become functioning members of society. With more funding, a wider range of teacher education, and a stricter enforcement of special education regulations, we can ensure that the needs of all of our students are adequately met. Works Cited Associated Press. â€Å"Public Schools Bearing the Brunt of Special Education Costs. † ThOnline. Telegraph Herald, 19 Aug 2012. Web. 1 February 2013. DuBois, Elizabeth. Personal interview. 27 January 2013. Gable, Robert A. ; Tonelson, et al. â€Å"Importance, Usage, and Preparedness to Implement Evidence-based Practices for students with Emotional Disabilities: A Comparison of Knowledge and Skills of Special Education and General Education Teachers. † Education Treatment of Children 35. 4 (2012): pg. 499-519. West Virginia University Press. Web. 20 December 2012. Koch, Kathy. â€Å"Do Students With Disabilities Get the Help They Need? † CQ Researcher 10. 39 (2013): 905-928. CQ Researcher Online. Web. 11 January 2013. NCLD Editorial Team. â€Å"What is an IEP? † National Center for Learning Disabilities. The National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2013. Web. 1 February 2013. Verdonik, Julie. Personal interview. 10 January 2013. â€Å"What is a 504 plan? † NCLD. National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2013. Web. 1 February 2013.

The Gulf War: An Abuse of Science :: Science Scientific Papers

The Gulf War: An Abuse of Science I know of a country that tested 250,000 of its citizens with an experimental drug without its citizen's consent. The drug that was given to these citizens was not a new drug, but one that had been tested for this use. This drug, pyridostigmine bromide, or PB as we will continue to refer to it, was given to these people with the idea that some people with far more importance and intelligent on these matters knew what was best for the masses. This attitude of hubris had entered into the daily lives of these citizens. These unfortunate people taking PB were ordered to, and in fact, they were watched to make sure they took the drug. If they refused to take it, they were subject to imprisonment (CNN 1). Remember reading Mary Shelly's "Frankenstein"? A story of how one scientist thought he could achieve sciences' greatest feat, to create a human life. Without any thoughts of consequences this fictional character secured various body parts as if his venture was no greater than finding a new fender for his Chevrolet. As the story continues, Dr. Frankenstein created a life form, only to become appalled by this creature. Dr. Frankenstein thought of his experiment only in the narrow scientific terms without any thoughts of possible repercussions. Is the mentality of the fictional character Dr. Frankenstein alive today? (Shelley) What a horrific story about a drug being given to people without their knowledge of the drug being experimental. Could this take place in today's world of freedom and free will amongst people? I am sorry to say yes, and it happened to the citizens of the United States of America. The drug called PB was given to our soldiers. PB was an FDA approved drug for the use in Myasthenia Gravis disease, a disease that attacks the nerve impulses. The government had tested this drug in laboratory animals as an inhibitor against the effects of some known chemical weapons such as Saren, Soman, Tabun and VX8(The Daily Fed 1). Some of these chemical weapons are known to be in the Iraqi's inventory. John Flanagan's article, "Gulf War Illness and Pyridostigmine Bromide, Neurological Effects and Detoxification" states that "The Iraqi army's use of the nerve agents during the 10 year war with Iran gave Pentagon planners reasonable cause to believe U.S. forces would be exposed to chemical weapons agents if war arose with Iraq.

Creative Writing – My Dad is not a bad sort of bloke

My Dad is not a bad sort of bloke. There are plenty who are much worse. But he dose rave on a bit, like if you get muddy when you are playing football, or rip your pants when you are building a den. Stuff like that. Mostly we understand each other and I can handle him. What he doesn't know doesn't hurt him. If he knew that I kept George, my pet mouse, under the bed, he wouldn't like it; so I don't tell him. That way he is happy, I am happy and George is happy. There are only problems when he finds out what has been going on. Like the time that I wanted to see Mad Max II. The old man said it was a bad movie- too much blood and guts. It's too violent,' he said. ‘But, Dad, that's not fair. All the other kids are going. I'II be the only one in the school who hasn't seen it. ‘ I went on and on like this. I kept nagging. In the end he gave in-he wasn't a bad old boy. He usually let me have what I wanted after a while. It was easy to get around him. The trouble stared the next morning. He was cleaning his teeth in the bathroom, making noises, humming and gurgling- you know the sort of thing. Suddenly he stopped. Everything went quiet. Then he came into the kitchen. There was toothpaste all around his mouth; he looked like a mad tiger. He was frothing at the mouth. ‘What's this? ‘ he said. He was waving his toothbrush about. ‘What's this on my toothbrush? ‘ Little grey hairs were sticking out of it. ‘How did these hairs get on my toothbrush? ‘ Did you have my toothbrush, David? ‘ He was starting to get mad. I didn't know whether to own up or not. Parents always tell you that if you own up they will let you off. They say that they won't do anything if you are honest- no punishment. I decided to give it a try. ‘Yes,' I said. ‘I used it yesterday. ‘ He still had toothpaste on his mouth. He couldn't talk properly. ‘What are these little grey hairs? he asked. ‘I used it to brush my pet mouse,' I answered. ‘You what? ‘ he screamed. ‘My mouse. ‘ He stared jumping up and down and screaming. He ran around in circles holding his throat, then he ran into the bathroom and stared washing his mouth out. There was a lot of splashing and gurgling. He was acting like a madman. I didn't know what all the fuss was about. All that yelling just over a few mouse hairs. After a while he came back into the kitchen. He kept opening and shutting his mouth as if he could taste something bad. He had a mean look in his eye- real mean. ‘What are you thinking of? he yelled at the top of his voice. ‘Are you crazy or something? Are you trying to kill me? ‘Don't you know that mice carry germs? They are filthy things. I'II probably die of some terrible disease. ‘ He went on like this for ages. Then he said, ‘And don't think that you are going to see Mad Max II. You can sit at home and think how stupid it is to brush a mouse with someone else's toothbrush. ‘ I went back to my room to get dressed. Dad just didn't understand about that mouse. It was a special mouse, a very special mouse indeed. It was going to make a lot of money: fifty dollars, in fact. Every year there was a mouse race in Smith's barn. The prize was fifty dollars. And my mouse, George, had a good chance of winning. But I had to look after him. That's why I brushed him with a toothbrush. I knew that George could beat every other mouse except one. There was one mouse I wasn't sure about. It was called Mugger and Scrag Murphy, the toughest kid in town, owned it. I had never seen his mouse before, but I knew it was fast. Scrag Murphy fed it on a special diet. That is what I was thinking about as I dressed. I went over to the cupboard to get a pair of underpants. There were none there. Hey, Mum,' I yelled out. ‘I am out of underpants. ‘ Mum came into the room holding something terrible. Horrible. It was a pair of home made underpants. ‘I made these for you, David,' she said. ‘I bought the material at the Oxfam shop. There was just the right amount of material for one pair of underpants. ‘ ‘I'm not wearing those,' I told her. ‘No way. Never' ‘What's wrong with them? ‘ and Mum sounded hurt. ‘They're pink,' I said. ‘And they've got little pictures of fairies on them. I couldn't wear them. Everyone would laugh. I would be the laughing stock of the school. ‘ Underpants with fairies on them and pink. I nearly freaked out. I thought about what Scrag Murphy would say if he ever heard about them. I went red just thinking about it. Just then Dad poked his head into the room. He still had that mean look in his eye. He was remembering the toothbrush. ‘What's going on now? ‘ he asked in a dark voice. ‘Nothing,' I said. ‘I was just thanking Mum for making me these nice underpants. ‘ I pulled on my fairy pants and quickly covered them with my jeans. At least no one else would know I had them on. That was one thing to be thankful for. The underpants felt strange. They made me tingle all over. And my head felt light. There was something not quiet right about those underpants- and I am not talking about the fairies. I had breakfast and went out to the front gate. Pete was waiting for me. He is my best mate; we always walk to school together. ‘Have you got your running shoes? ‘ he asked. ‘Oh no,' I groaned. ‘I forgot. It's the cross-country race today. ‘ I went back and got my running shoes. I came back out walking very slowly. I was thinking about the race. I would have to go to the changing rooms and get changed in front of Scrag Murphy and all the other boys. They would all laugh their heads off when they saw my fairly underpants. We walked through the park on the way to school. There was a big lake in the middle. ‘Let's chuck some stones,' said Pete. ‘See who can throw the furthest. ‘ I didn't answer. I was feeling weak in the stomach. ‘What's the matter with you? ‘ he asked. ‘You look like death warmed up. ‘ I looked around. There was no one else in the park. ‘Look at this,' I said. I undid my fly and showed Pete the underpants. His eyes bugged out like organ stops; then he started to laugh. He fell over on the grass and laughed his silly head off. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He really thought it was funny. Some friend. After a while Pete stopped laughing. ‘Your poor thing,' he said. ‘What are you going to do? Scrag Murphy and the others will never let you forget it. ‘ We started throwing stones into the lake. I didn't try very hard. My heart wasn't in it. ‘Hey,' said Pete. ‘That was a good shot. It went right over to the other side. ‘ He was right. The stone had reached the other side of the lake. No one had ever done that before; it was too far. I picked up another stone. This time I threw as hard as I could. The stone went right over the lake and disappeared over some trees. ‘Wow,' yelled Pete. ‘That's the best shot I've ever seen. No one can throw that far. ‘ He looked at me in a funny way. My skin was tingling. ‘I feel strong,' I said. ‘I feel as if I can do anything. ‘ I went over to the park bench. It was large concrete one. I lifted it up with one hand. I held it high over my head. I couldn't believe it. Pete just stood there with his mouth hanging open. He couldn't believe it either. I felt great. I jumped for joy. I sailed high into the air. I went up three meters. ‘What a jump,' yelled Pete. My skin was tingling. Especially under the underpants. ‘It's the underpants,' I said. ‘The underpants are giving me strength. I grinned. ‘They are not underpants. They are wunderpants. ‘ ‘Super Jocks,' said Pete. We both started cackling like a couple of hens. We laughed until our sides ached. I told Pete not to tell anyone about the wunderpants. We decided to keep it a secret. Nothing much happened until the cross-country race that afternoon. All the boys went to the changing room to put on their running gear. Scrag Murphy was there. I tried to into my shorts without him seeing my wunderpants, but it was no good. He noticed them as soon as I dropped my jeans. ‘Ah ha,' he shouted. ‘Look at baby britches. Look at his fairy pants. Everyone looked. They all started to laugh. How embarrassing. They were all looking at the fairies on my wunderpants. Scrag Murphy was a big, fat bloke. He was really tough. He came over and pulled the elastic on my wunderpants. Then he let it go. ‘Ouch,' I said. ‘ Cut that out. That hurts. ‘ ‘What's the matter, little Diddums? ‘ he said. ‘Can't you take it? ‘ He shoved me roughly against the wall. I wasn't going to let him get away with that, so I pushed him back- just a little push. He went flying across the room and crashed into the wall on the other side. I just didn't know m y own strength. That little push had sent him all the way. It was the wunderpants. Scrag Murphy looked at me with shock and surprise that soon turned to a look of hate. But he didn't say anything. No one said anything. They were all thinking I was going to get my block knocked off next time I saw Scrag Murphy. About forty kids were running in the race. We had to run through the countryside, following markers that had been put out by the teachers. It was a hot day, so I decided to wear a pair of shorts but no top. As soon as the starting gun went I was off like a flash. I had kept my wunderpants on and they were working really well. I went straight out to the front. I had never run so fast before. As I ran along the road I passed a man on a bike. He tried to keep up with me, but he couldn't. Then I passed a car. This was really something. This was great. I looked behind. None of the others were in sight- I was miles ahead. The trail trued off the road and into the bush. I was running along a narrow track in the forest. After a while I came to a small creek. I was hot so I decided to have a dip. After all, the others were a long way behind; I had plenty of time. I took off my shorts and running shoes, but I left the wunderpants on. I wasn't going to part with them. I dived into cold water. It was refreshing. I lay on my back looking at the sky. Life was good. These wunderpants were terrific. I would never be scared of Scrag Murphy while I had the on. Then something started to happen- something terrible. The wunderpants started to get tight. They hurt. They were shrinking. They were shrinking smaller and smaller. The pain was awful. I had to get them off. I struggled and wiggled; they were so tight they cut into my skin. In the end I got them off, and only just in time. They shrank so small that they would only just fit over my thumb. I had a narrow escape. I could have been killed by the shirking wunderpants. Just then I heard voices coming. It was the others in the race. I was trapped- I couldn't get out to put on my shorts. There were girls in the race. I had to stay in the middle of the creek in the nude. It took quiet a while for all the others to run by. They were all speared out along the track. Every time I went to get out of the pool, someone else would cone. After a while Pete stopped at the pool. ‘What are you doing? ‘ he said. ‘Even super jocks won't help you win from this far back. ‘ ‘Keep going,' I said. ‘I'II tell you about it later. I didn't want to tell him that I was in the nude. Some girls were with him. Pete and the girls took off along the track. A bit later the last runner arrived. It was Scrag Murphy. He couldn't run fast- he was carrying too much weight. ‘Well, look at this,' he said. ‘It's little fairy pants. And what's this we have here? ‘ He picked up my shorts and running shoes from the bank of the creek. Then he ran off with them. ‘Come back,' I screamed. ‘Bring those back here,' He didn't take any notice. He just laughed and kept running. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have a stitch of clothing. I didn't even have any shoes. I was starting to feel cold; the water was freezing. I was covered in Goosebumps and my teeth were chattering. In the end I had to get out. I would have frozen to death if I stayed in the water any longer. I went and sat on a rock in the sun and tried to think of how g to get home without being seen. It was all right in the bush. I could always hide behind a tree if someone came. But once I reached the road I would be in trouble; I couldn't just walk along the road in the nude. Then I had an idea. I looked at the tiny underpants. I couldn't put them on, but they still might work. I put them over my thumb and jumped. It was no good. It was just a small ordinary jump. I picked up a stone and threw it. It only went a short way, not much of a throw at all. The pants were too small, and I was my weak old self again. I lay down on the rock in the sun. Ants started to crawl over me. Then the sun went behind a cloud. I started to think about Scrag Murphy. He was going to pay for this. I would get him back somehow. Time went slowly, but at last it started to grow dark. I made my way back along the track. I was in bare feet and I kept standing on stones. Branches reached out and scratched me in all sorts of painful places. Then I started to think about snakes. What if I stood on one? There were all sorts of noises in the dark. The moon had gone in, and it was hard to see where I was going. I have to admit it: I was scared. Scared stiff. To cheer myself up I started to think about what I was going to do to Scrag Murphy. Boy, was he going to get it. At last I came to the road. I was glad to be out of the bush. My feet were cut and bleeding and I hobbled along. Every time a car went by I had to drive into the bushes. I couldn't let myself get caught in the headlights of the cars. I wondered what I was going to do when I reached the town. There might be people around. I broke off a branch form a bush and held it in front of my ‘you know what. ‘ It was prickly, but it was better that nothing. By the time I reached the town it was late. There was no one around. But I had to be careful someone might come out of a house at any minute. I ran out from tree to tree and wall to wall, hiding in the shadows as best I could. I decided to make a run for it. It was the only way. I dropped my bush and started running. I went for my life. I reached our street without meeting a soul. I though I was safe, but I was wrong. I crashed right into someone and sent them flying. It was old Mrs Jeeves from across the road. ‘Sorry,' I said. ‘Gee, I'm sorry. ‘ I helped her stand up. She was a bit short sighted and it was dark. She hadn't noticed that I didn't have any clothes on. ‘Disgusting,' she screeched. ‘Disgusting. I'II tell your father about this. ‘ I ran home as fast as I could. I went in the back door and jumped into bed. I tried to pretend that I was asleep. Downstairs I could hear Mrs Jeeves yelling at Dad; then the front door closed. I heard his footsteps coming up the starts. Well, I really copped it. I was in big trouble. Dad went on and on. What are you thinking of, lad? Running around in the nude. Losing all your clothes. What will the neighbour's think/ He went on like that for about a week. I couldn't tell him the truth-he wouldn't believe it. No one would. The only ones who know the whole story were Pete and I. Dad grounded me for a month. I wasn't allowed out of the house except to go to school. No pictures, no swimming and no pocket money either. In was a bad month. Very bad indeed. At school Scrag Murphy gave me a hard time. He called me ‘Fairy Pants'. Every one though it was a great joke, and there was nothing I could do about it. He was just too big for me, and his mates were all tough guys. I remembered the mouse race in Smith's barn. ‘We will win the mouse race,' I shouted. ‘It's in a month's time. We can use the next month to train my mouse. ‘ We started to train George. Every day after school we took him around a track in the back garden. We tied a piece of cheese on the end of a bit of string. George chased after it as fast as he could. After six laps we gave him the piece of cheese to eat. At the start he could do six laps in ten minutes. By the end of the month he was down to three minutes. ‘Scrag Murphy, look out,' said Pete with a grin. We are really going to beat the pants off you this time. ‘ The day of the big race came at last. There were about one hundred kids in Smith's barn. No adults knew about it, they would probably have stopped it if they knew. The prize money came from the entrance fee. ‘Right,' said tiger. ‘Get out your mice. ‘ I put George down on the track. He looked very small. He started to sniff around. I hoped he would run as fast with the other mice there. Scrags Murphy put his hand in the box and took out Mugger. He was the biggest mouse I had ever seen. There were about ten mice in the race- or I should say nine mice and one rat. Two rats if you counted Scrag Murphy. All the owners took out their string and cheese. ‘GO,' shouted Tiger Glenn. Mugger jumped straight on to a little mouse next to him and bit it on the neck. The poor thing fell over and lay still. ‘Boo,' yelled some of the crowd. George ran to the front straight away. He was going really well. Then Mugger started to catch up. It was neck and neck for five laps. First Mugger would get in front, then George. Everyone in the barn went crazy. They were yelling their heads off. Suddenly something terrible happened. Mugger jumped onto George's tail and grabbed it in his teeth. The crowd started to boo. Even Scrag Murphy's mates were booing. But George kept going. He didn't stop for a second. He just pulled the fat rat along after him. It rolled over and over behind the little mouse. Mugger held on for grim of death, but he couldn't stop George. ‘What a mouse,' screamed the crowed as George crossed the finish line still towing Mugger behind him. Scrag Murphy stormed off out of the barn. He didn't even take Mugger with him. Tiger handed me the prize money. Then he held up George. ‘George is the winner,' he said. ‘The only mouse in the world with its own little pair of fairy underpants. ‘

Late Adulthood Essay - 788 Words

Late Adulthood (age 60 Ââ€" 80) During this closing period in the life span of human beings, people tend to move away from previous more desirable periods often known as usefulness. Age sixty is usually considered the dividing line between middle and old age. It is the time where you are considered an elderly- meaning somewhat old or advanced beyond middle age. Period of decline Ââ€" comes partly from physical and partly psychological factors. The physical cause of decline is a change in the body cells due to the effects of the aging process. The psychological cause of decline has something to do with unfavorable attitudes towards oneself, other people, work and life in general. Senility Ââ€" (senile) a more or less†¦show more content†¦Head region Ââ€" Mouth changes shape Tooth loss Wrinkles Eyes seem dull and lusterless Double chin Cheeks become pendulous, wrinkled and baggy Skin becomes dry with dark spots, moles and wartyÂ…. Hair becomes gray or white and lessens Trunk Region Ââ€" Shoulders stoop and seem smaller Abdomen bulges and droops Hips become flabbier and broader Womans breasts sag and droop Limbs Ââ€" The upper arm becomes flabby and heavy Lower arms seem to shrink Hands and feet become scrawny and veins begin to appear Nails become thick and brittle Internal Changes Ââ€" Bones become brittle and are subject to fractures and breaks Regulation of body temperature is impaired (too cold, too hot) Sensory changes Ââ€" all the sense organs function less efficiently Motor Ability Changes Ââ€" most old people move more slowly and are less coordinated. These changes include a decrease in strength and energy, stiff jointsÂ….etcÂ… Change in Mental Abilities Ââ€" Learning - the elderly have difficulty in learning new skills taking them longer time to learn the skill and also coming up with less satisfactory results in the particular skill than a younger person. 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