Scholarship at Parkland

Jason Rivera, a participant in the Phenotypic Plasticity Research Experience for Community College Students, discusses the experience and assigned project

Rivera, Jason M.

PRECS Student: Jason Rivera

This is an instructional handout is an example of an inquiry-based writing project for LAS 188, Introduction to Liberal Arts, at Parkland College

Verstrat, Patti

Student EH 
Professor ____ 
LAS 188 
12 November 2023 
 
Inquiry Method Report for the Winona LaDuke Ted Talk “Seeds of our Ancestors”  
 
First Impression 
 My first impression of this artifact was that it was different. I had never heard of the 
speaker, but I am very familiar with the Ted Talk platform. From the beginning of her speaking, I 
caught on that she was educating us on agriculture and indigenous land. The first point I took 
away was that food is more than something we eat. From start to finish that was the one line 
that remained in my head. The speaker seemed to speak from a place of experience which 
created a sense of credibility. The speaker spoke with passion about the facts surrounding 
farming, genetic engineering, and climate change. The speaker was able to convey her concerns 
with both passion and information which encouraged me to learn more about the issues at 
hand.  
Elements 
 The central elements I was able to recognize in this artifact were cultural pride, 
agricultural decline, and climate change. The element of cultural pride was shown throughout 
the artifact when the creator spoke of cosmogenealogy. She showed the audience why the 
indigenous people have such a deep connection with their foods and the history behind it. The 
ancestors took great pride in saving their seeds and planting them the next season. Cultural 
pride was also exhibited when she spoke of how the creator directed them to the land, making 
wild rice and minoman their sacred foods.  
 The element of agricultural decline is evident when she addresses the lack of nutrition 
in engineered foods. She stresses the importance of diversity in rice, which is offered through 
farm grown seed. The creator goes on to highlight that there is a 75% decline in agro-
biodiversity. This alarming statistic allows the audience to see the real effects of genetic 
engineering over the past 100 years. Finally, she illuminates this element by telling the audience 
that most corn being produced in the United States is all coming from the same genetic 
ancestor. This phenomenon is leading to more health issues in the country. 
 The overwhelming element of climate change is one of the most important elements to 
take away from this artifact. She highlighted the 100-degree temperature in Minneapolis as well 
as floods and tornadoes across the country.  These are all examples of climate change and in the 
decades to come it is projected to get even worse. The creator stressed statistics such as the 
projected loss of 34% of corn crop in North Dakota in the coming years to help convey the 
message that climate change is real and is happening before our very eyes. These issues are 
creating food insecurity in indigenous communities and in the very near future will be affecting 
our own communities. 
Form 
 This artifact took the form of a Ted Talk which is a live showcase for speakers that allows 
an opinion-based presentation in less than 20 minutes. The creator spoke directly to the 
audience about the dangers of genetic engineering and how they affect everyone. By using this 
form the creator was attempting to engage, educate, and persuade in this short amount of time. 
It allowed her to use her voice and mannerisms to get across a very important point. This video 
has circulated worldwide and has been viewed over 175 thousand times, reaching an audience 
far bigger than the one in the room when she originally spoke.  
 When telling the story of how the ancestors’ believed food was family, she spoke in a 
manner that evoked empathy. As she went on to speak of how genetic engineering affects 
farmers and species of food she spoke with conviction. The audience could tell from how she 
spoke that this was something she felt passionate about. The creator knew that by choosing this 
form her point would be conveyed with far more emotion than if it were to be a blog post or 
podcast. She organizes her ideas clearly starting with the ancestors and how food originated 
then ending with the current state of genetic modification. 
Maker 
 The creator Winona LaDuke was born August 18, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. She 
was born to a Native American father and a mother of Russian descent. Her father was an actor, 
writer, and activist. Although Winona was not raised in the home with both her mother and 
father, she was able to spend a lot of time with her father on the reservations. In 1982 she went 
on to graduate from Harvard University with a degree in rural economic development. After 
college while working as a high school principal on a reservation, she became involved in a 
lawsuit filed by indigenous people to recover lands promised to them. The failure of the lawsuit 
led her to want to become more involved in activism. In 1985 Winona helped to establish and 
co-chaired what was known as the Indigenous Women’s Network. This was a coalition of about 
400 native women that were dedicated to helping other native women become more visible 
and empower them. In more recent years she was the leader of the 2016 Dakota Access 
Pipeline protests that sought out to protect water access and sacred indigenous lands in North 
Dakota. She has received an honorary doctorate from Minnesota’s Augsburg College and in 
2017 she won the University of California’s Alice & Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, 
Diplomacy, and Tolerance. Winona currently lives as a mother of six and an avid farmer. 
Historical Context 
 The historical context surrounding this artifact could go back as far as 1492. European 
settlers came over to the Americas, which at the time they believed to be the West Indies. For 
centuries following, Europeans continued to slaughter, rape, and commit what became known 
as mass genocide to the Native American culture. The Native Americans were forced off their 
lands and still to this day they are fighting to get back land that was rightfully theirs.   
 In 1830 there was a law enacted by then President Andrew Jackson called the Indian 
Removal Act of 1830, this act initiated the removal of tribes largely from southern regions to 
land west of the Mississippi River. The president believed these tribes to be a threat to 
economic development and expansion. He used military force to remove the tribe from the land 
which was in fact their land. To ignite the issue even more, in 1887 congress passed the Dawes 
Act, which allotted 160 acres of land to “Indian” tribes for farming and agricultural needs. This 
was looked on as a half-hearted effort because this land had been stolen from the tribes and 
was now being rationed out to them. The term “Indian” which was used primarily to describe 
Native Americans was and still can be considered offensive. The term was coined by Christopher 
Columbus in his lack of direction and ignorance of America. Over the past 50 years through 
advocacy and activism more has been done to create a sense of security among Native 
Americans but there is still so much more work to be done. In 1975 the Indian Self-
Determination Act was passed. This act restored some of the sovereignty to tribal governments 
and gave them marginal independence in handling federal funds and controlling federal 
programs.  
 Today in the 20th century, Native Americans are still engaged in lawsuits fighting the 
government for control of their land and agricultural seeds. The genetic engineering of seeds 
and the patents created to go along with them is crushing the Native American economy, 
essentially causing their seeds to become extinct. Although these Native American tribes have 
been cultivating these crops over generations, the United States has now deemed them public 
domain. In doing so, the US has taken the knowledge and culture of Native Americans to claim 
for themselves under scientific research and anthropology.  This continues to be a growing issue 
in America especially as genetically modified foods become more prevalent. 
Purpose 
 The purpose of this artifact was to educate and persuade. Her intended audience was 
the future generations around the world. Through educating future generations, she hoped to 
deter them from supporting the genetic modification of foods. While there are immediate 
consequences to the issues, she spoke of many of the effects would be over time.  
 The creator uses both logic and emotion to persuade the audience. She begins by 
speaking of the history of the culture. By showing the audience the relationship, her people 
have with food it gives a greater respect for tradition. She then transitions to a more logical 
standpoint directly showing the consequences of genetically modified foods. By utilizing both 
logic and emotion it creates a balance for the audience and makes the creator even more 
credible. Her ending was a call to action. She wanted people to buy local and organic to avoid 
climate change. She stressed the importance of supporting local farmers and avoiding the 
monopolies that have been established by corporations. Her call to action was clear and was 
supported by all the facts previously presented.  
Effects 
 There are a vast number of effects from this artifact. The most important effects would 
be the awareness that is spread through the advocacy of the creator. The awareness that 
spread allowed for other avenues of advocacy and education. Change cannot be brought 
forward without educating the masses of the problem. While this problem cannot be solved 
immediately, she gave immediate ways to help the current situation.  
 Given the history of the U.S. and its treatment of indigenous people, another one of the 
potential effects of this artifact could have been cultural divides. Once again, the United States 
is shown to be showing disregard to the Native Americans and their cultures. Being as though 
this is nothing new to American history, in the 21st century there is much more support 
nationwide for the plights of Indigenous people. Younger demographics and future generations 
could help the overall issue of climate change. Through a decline in the purchase of genetically 
modified corn and rice and an increase in farm bought products a change could be made.  
Reflection 
 As previously mentioned, I had never heard of this artifact or creator before. While I was 
very aware of the subject, she spoke on I had never heard the problems addressed from the 
angle of an indigenous person. I really enjoyed listening to the creator and the artifact left me 
with many lasting thoughts about my future and the future of my children. The older I get and 
more knowledge I gain, I seem to worry more about the fate of future generations. 
 Today’s world is enthralled with science and new technology. But as the creator said, I 
cannot help but think some level of nutrition is lost in foods as they go through all these 
modifications. I often find myself saying “food just is not the same anymore”, I wonder if this 
comes form the engineering that goes into many of the foods we consume. I do believe science 
and technology play a big role in our everyday lives, but the modifications of foods are where it 
becomes a slippery slope. 
 I am thankful for artifacts such as this one. It lets me know that while there is so much 
work to be done, the education of future generations has been happening and will continue. 
The hurt that the U.S. has caused indigenous people for centuries has yet to be magnified to its 
highest light. I am hopeful that this artifact brings forth change for generations to come and 
allows for a better future for the world than the one climate change is promising. 
Works Cited 
The United States government’s relationship with Native Americans. Education. (n.d.). 
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/united-states-governments-relationship-
native-americans/ 
Kryzanek, Dr. M. (2023, January 23). The United States’ treatment of Native Americans. 
Bridgewater State University. https://www.bridgew.edu/stories/2023/united-states-treatment-
native-americans 
Brandman, M. (2021, April). Winona LaDuke. Biography: Winona LaDuke. 
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/winona-laduke 
 


English

LAS 188 Sample IM#2

Gulick, Angela

; :   ; : ; :   ; :   ; :   ; : ; : ; :
Semicolons and Colons 
Angela Gulick
Semicolons and Colons 
: ;    : ;    : ;    : ;    : ;    : ;    : ;    
Semicolons and colons may look alike, but 
they have different purposes. Basically, 
here’s a diagram to help you determine 
which punctuation point to use.
Complete sentence; compete sentence.
Complete sentence: list of items.
Semicolons 
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The semicolon has two uses. One use of the semicolon is to join two 
especially related sentences when there is no coordinating conjunction (for, 
and, nor, but, or, yet, so = fanboys) between them. Here are some examples:
My canary and my cat always try to outwit 
each other; I’m not sure who will win this
battle.
I love weekends; my main goal is to 
get caught up on sleep!
Volunteering for charities and 
non-profit organizations is really 
important; there are 79 organizations in 
our town in need of community volunteers. 
Semicolons 
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The second use of the semicolon is to separate a series of items that already include commas within 
the series. This use of a semicolon allows readers to see the different “pieces” of information as 
discrete terms. Note: A semicolon is used before the final “and” of this series. 
I have lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Dubuque, Iowa;  Ames, Iowa;  Morris, Minnesota;  
Groton, Connecticut;  Anchorage, Alaska;  and Champaign, Illinois.
>>>>>Look how difficult this sentence would be to read without those semicolons: I have 
lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Dubuque, Iowa, Ames, Iowa, Morris, Minnesota, Groton, 
Connecticut, Anchorage, Alaska, and Champaign, Illinois.
Here is another example:
I want to download ABBA’s “Honey, Honey”;  Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man's 
Desiring”;  the Beatles’ “Here, There, and Everywhere”;  and Neil Diamond’s 
“Cherry, Cherry” from ITunes.
>>>>>Note that in each song title above, there is already a comma. So just sticking in more 
commas between songs wouldn’t show the separations as clearly. Also note that when you use 
semicolons to separate terms that are encased by “quotation marks,” the semicolon goes on the 
outside of the quotation marks (I know it looks strange but that’s the rule).
Colons 
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list, an example, or a quotation. 
Just remember that you have to have a complete sentence in front of the 
colon. Here are some examples:
A list: Be sure to bring your survival kit to class: the textbook, sharpened pencils, lots 
of paper, and a bag of Baked Nacho Cheese Doritos for the teacher*. 
An example: My diet is based on two 
major food groups: popcorn* and 
chocolate*. 
Quotation: Author Jen Lancaster
reminds us of the following: “There’s                                                                                                  
almost nothing sweetened apples*                                                                                       
and frosty pie crust* can’t make better.”
*I’m beginning to recognize a troubling pattern
in all of my examples on this slide…”
Colons 
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One common misuse of a colon involves a list but an incomplete sentence to introduce it. Be on the 
lookout for these “danger” words or phrases:
These words often introduce lists of items or ideas, but remember you need to have a complete 
grammatical sentence before your list. Note these examples:
Incorrect: A smart winter driver in Illinois will have a lot of safety items in his/her car, such as: a 
cell phone, an emergency kit, flares, food, and bottled water.
Correct: A smart winter driver in Illinois will have a lot of safety items in his/her car, such as the 
following: a cell phone, an emergency kit, flares, food, and bottled water.
Correct: A smart winter driver will include the following items in his/her car: a cell phone, an 
emergency kit, flares, food, and bottled water.
************************************************************************************************
*******
Incorrect: My favorite types of movies are musicals, especially: Chicago, RENT, Moulin Rouge, and A 
Chorus Line.
Correct: My favorite types of movies are musicals, especially these four: Chicago, RENT, Moulin 
Rouge, and A Chorus Line.
such as: including: as well as:
excluding: especially: along with:


Semicolons and Colons

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Commas 
Angela Gulick
Commas
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Commas have many different uses, but this workshop will focus 
on the main six uses.
Please note: 
Often, writers want to use a comma for any pause that occurs 
within a sentence. Or, writers have been told to put in 
commas whenever writers “breathe.” Or, my favorite, writers 
get nervous and just start sprinkling in commas at random. 
It is better to learn the following rules. Don’t use a comma 
unless you can specifically justify its existence.
Remember…
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Commas
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Use 1: Commas and Coordinating Conjunctions
If you have two complete sentences that are divided by a coordinating 
conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so = fanboys), you need a comma. If 
you don’t have two complete sentences, you don’t need the comma. Here 
are two examples:
My brother Chris and his wife Yukiko live in Guam, and they own their own 
diving company.
>>>>>In this case, a comma is needed because what follows the coordinating 
conjunction “and” is a complete sentence:  they own their own diving 
company.
My brother Chris and his wife Yukiko live in Guam and own their own diving 
company.
>>>>>In this case, a comma is not needed because what follows the 
coordinating conjunction “and” is not a complete sentence: own their own 
diving company.
Commas
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Here is another example:
I love going out with my friends on New Year’s eve, but I always end up eating too 
much food.
>>>>>In this case, a comma is needed because what follows the coordinating 
conjunction “but” is a complete sentence: I always end up eating too much food.
I love going out with my friends on New Year’s eve but always                             end 
up eating too much food.
In this case, a comma is not needed because 
what follows the coordinating conjunction “but”
is not a complete sentence: always end up                                                              
eating too much food.
Oh, am I 
going to 
regret eating 
all of this 
tomorrow…
Commas
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And one final example:
Do you want to go to see Mission Impossible: Ghost      Protocol, or
would you rather see Hugo tomorrow afternoon?
>>>>>In this case, a comma is needed because what follows the 
coordinating conjunction “or” is a complete sentence. This time, 
the sentence is a question: would you rather see Hugo tomorrow 
afternoon?
Do you want to go to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol or Hugo
tomorrow afternoon?
>>>>>In this case, a comma is not needed because what follows 
the coordinating conjunction “or” is not a complete sentence: 
Hugo tomorrow afternoon?  
Commas
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Use 2: Commas and Introductory Words, Phrases, and Clauses  
Often, writers lead in to their main sentences with information before the subject of the 
sentence is presented. This information can be is a single word or a grouping of words. 
Here is a good rule of thumb: If you lead into your main sentence with 5 words or more, 
put a comma between the introduction and subject of your sentence. Here are some 
examples:
Last night on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart interviewed the Speaker of the House Nancy 
Pelosi.
When my mother makes a cake, she lets my little sister lick the wooden spoon so she 
won’t start crying.
After watching really scary movies, I find it hard to fall asleep at night because I hear 
strange sounds in my house.
On her way home yesterday, Christina saw a rainbow up in the sky.
Commas
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Use 3: Commas and Series of Words or Phrases
Probably one of the most well known comma rules is the “rule of three.” If you write a 
sentence where you have three or more items in a series, you use commas in between 
the items and the final “and.” Note that this rule applies to words and phrases. Here are 
some examples:
A series of three involving words: When I go out to Target after work, I need to remember to 
pick up shampoo, conditioner, and cough drops.
A series of three involving phrases: Over winter break, I got to spend time with 
my family, listen to a bunch of Beatles songs, and watch old episodes of 
The Simpsons.
Did you know…
The comma that comes before the final “and” in 
your series is called the Oxford comma? Maybe
one day, you’ll be on Jeopardy, and that will be the
big question at the end for all the money. 
You’re welcome ☺.
Commas
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Use 4: Commas and Dependent Clauses That Come before Independent Clauses
An independent clause is merely a complete sentence. If you read the sentence out loud, it 
sounds complete. A dependent clause cannot stand on its own and be meaningful. It needs to 
be connected to a complete sentence. This connection can be at the beginning, in the middle, or 
at the end of the sentence. Here are some examples:
If you aren’t here by noon, we’ll have to leave for the ice rink without you.
>>>>>The first part, “If you aren’t here by noon” is a dependent clause. This is not a 
complete thought. If you aren’t hear by noon…WHAT?  Because the dependent clause comes 
before the independent clause, you need to insert a comma.
We will, if you aren’t here by noon, have to leave for the ice rink without you.
>>>>>In this example, the dependent clause is put into the middle of the independent 
clause. Note the use of commas to separate the dependent from independent clause.
We will have to leave for the ice rink without you if you aren’t here by noon.
>>>>>In this example, the independent clause comes first and then is followed by the 
dependent clause. However, since the independent clause comes first, you do not need to 
use a comma. 
Commas
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Here is another example:
In this example, the dependent clause (because she is very athletic) can 
appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the sentence. 
Notice where the commas go in each case. 
Because she is very athletic, Sara’s favorite activity is soccer.
>>>>>A comma is needed after the dependent clause.
Sara’s favorite activity, because she is very athletic, is soccer.
>>>>>Commas are need on each side of the dependent clause.
Sara’s favorite activity is soccer because 
she is very athletic.
>>>>>No comma is needed between the 
independent clause and the dependent            
clause.
Commas
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Here are the most common words that indicate dependant clauses:
after
although
as
as soon as
because
before
by the time
even if
even though
every time
if
in case
in the event that
just in case
now that
once
only if
since
since
the first time
though
unless
until
when
whenever
whereas
whether or not
while
while
Commas
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Use 5: Commas that  introduce direct quotations
You need to note these rules to determine if you need a comma with a direct quotation.
When to use a comma: Use a comma when you introduce a quotation by using the 
author's name and an action verb and if the quotation is a complete sentence. Here are 
some sample action verbs: suggests, writes, states, says, comments.
>>>>>Harold Jorgensen writes, “The one word that was completely overused by the 
end of last season’s Project Runway was fierce.”
When not to use a comma:  If you put “that” in front of your quotation, you omit the 
comma and lowercase the first word of the quotation unless that word is a proper noun.
>>>>>Harold Jorgensen writes that the “one word that was completely overused by 
the end of last season’s Project Runway was fierce.”
Commas
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Use 6: Commas That Prevent Confusing Sentences.
Sometimes, you need to use a comma to prevent confusing your reader. Consider this 
sentence:
After shedding snakes look for something to eat. 
There are two ways to interpret the meaning of this sentence:
After shedding snakes [you should] look for something to eat. 
>>>>>As people don’t shed snakes 
(other than maybe Medusa), this 
interpretation is just creepy.
After shedding, snakes look for something 
to eat. 
>>>>>After snakes shed their skins, they then 
look for something to eat. Let’s hope this is the 
meaning the author intended.
A Final Thought about Commas
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Of all punctuation points, commas seem to give writers 
the most trouble because there are so many different 
uses for commas. 
Again, try to explain to yourself why you want to use a 
comma. Doing so will help you, over time, learn the 
rules so you can make these punctuation decisions 
more easily.
If you can’t come up with a specific reason for using a 
comma, omit the comma.


Commas

Review how to use the five main players of punctuation: periods, commas, colons, semicolons, and dashes

Rutledge, Steve

Five Main Players

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are increasing by 2.37 ppm year, and levels have increased from about 370 ppm in 2000 to about 420 ppm in 20231  Increased CO2 levels result in climate change, including increased temperatures and drought which impacts soybean crops Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is the process of spreading basalt on fields to accelerate the natural reaction between rocks, CO2, and water2  Enhanced Rock Weathering is a possible way to combat increasing CO2 levels because of its carbon sequestration properties

Maher, Hannah

Allen, Megan

Ainsworth, Lisa

Hannah Maher,1 Megan Allen,2 and Lisa Ainsworth3
Black Hawk College East Campus, Galva, Illinois1, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign2, USDA ARS, Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign3
Potential Implications of Elevated CO2 for Enhanced Rock Weathering in 
Croplands  
Acknowledgments
Financial support was provided by the National Science Foundation 
under grant #NSF REU 1950819/1950786, as part of the 
Phenotypic Plasticity Research Experience for Community College 
Students, through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
Institute for Genomic Biology and Parkland College. 
http://precs.igb.illinois.edu/
Acknowledgement to SoyFACE Farm, Megan Allen, Dr. Lisa 
Ainsworth, Mary Durstock, project PIs Dr. Nathan Schroeder and 
Dr. C. Britt Carlson, and technical and support staff at the Institute 
for Genomic Biology. 
References
1. Rasmussen, C.E. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Growth Rate. 
2023, https://mlg.eng.cam.ac.uk/carl/words/carbon.html 
2. Beerling et al. (2018) ‘Farming with crops and rocks to address 
global climate, food and soil security’, Nature Plants, 4, p138-
147. 
3. Soybean Growth and Development. July 1, 
2021. https://cloudprod.dekalbasgrowdeltapine.com/en-
us/agronomy/soybean-growth-stages.html 
Project Aim
Investigating the potential interaction between elevated 
CO2 and enhanced weathering in an agronomic setting.
Hypothesized Outcome of Basalt: Increased available 
nutrients, potentially increasing plant growth
Hypothesized Outcomes of CO2: Increased carbon 
sequestration
• Decreased stomatal conductance → increased soil 
moisture → faster weathering
Improved crop performance, potentially increasing plant 
growth and biomass
Introduction
• Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are 
increasing by 2.37 ppm year, and levels have 
increased from about 370 ppm in 2000 to about 420 
ppm in 20231
• Increased CO2 levels result in climate change, 
including increased temperatures and drought which 
impacts soybean crops
• Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) is the process of 
spreading basalt on fields to accelerate the natural 
reaction between rocks, CO2, and water2
• Enhanced Rock Weathering is a possible way to 
combat increasing CO2 levels because of its carbon 
sequestration properties2
Methods
SoyFACE Farm
• Soybean Free Air Concentration Enrichment
• 8 rings in a split-plot RCB (randomized complete block) 
arrangement that are blocked by field location
• 4 rings in elevated CO2 (600 ppm); 4 rings ambient (400-
450 ppm)
• Half of each ring received 50 tons per hectare (123.6 tons 
per acre) of basalt treatment the past two years in the fall
Soil Moisture
• 4 measurements were collected from both the basalt and 
control side, totaling 64 measurements
• The probe takes a measurement at every 10cm from a 
depth of 10-90cm into the ground
• Measured twice a week using the Diviner 2000 probe
Development
• Plants were scored twice a week in the vegetative stages 
and three times a week in the reproductive stages 
• Stages are determined by number of mature trifoliates, 
flowering position, and pod maturity on the plant3
Stomatal Conductance
• Stomatal conductance measures the water vapor flux 
coming from the stomata on the bottom side of leaves
• The youngest fully expanded trifoliate was measured
• LI-600 Porometer is used to measure conductance
Conclusions
• Stomatal conductance is significantly reduced when 
exposed to elevated CO2 conditions
• This does not appear to translate to increased soil 
moisture
• Further research should be conducted to quantify the 
impact of elevated CO2 on ERW 
Future Work
• Basalt treatment will be replicated in future years to 
see effects of weathering over extended time period
• Yield data will allow understanding of basalt treatment 
and elevated CO2 levels
• Comparing data to years with growing seasons without 
drought conditions 
Results
Figure 1. Mid day conductance was on three days. The asterisks 
denotes P-value < 0.05
Figure 2. Soil moisture was measured from 10-90cm on 8 days. The points were averaged based on 
upper, mid, and deep soil profiles.  
Table 1. Days until plants reached V6 and R1 stages. 
Stomatal conductance is significantly reduced when 
exposed to elevated CO2 on two out of the three 
days as seen in Figure 1. Although the third date isn’t 
statistically significant, it still follows the trend seen in 
the previous days.  However, figure 2 shows this 
doesn’t translate to increased soil moisture. Further 
research should be conducted to see if an impact is 
noticeable under non drought conditions.
There is no statistically significance in development 
rates between plants in ambient and elevated CO2 
rings as might be expected. The drought conditions 
likely stressed the plants and influenced their growth 
rates because limited water is a more influential factor 
in determining growth and flowering time.


Potential Implications of Elevated CO2 for Enhanced Rock Weathering in Croplands

Verb Tenses
Angela Gulick
Verbs
Think of a sentence like a movie. The subject is the “star” of your sentence, the person or 
thing around which all action revolves.
A verb, on the other hand, is the actual action taking place. 
Here’s an example: In the movie Die Hard, actor Bruce Willis crawls through a lot of  
ducts and air shafts.
Bruce Willis is the “star,” the one doing the                                                                                
action. That means he is the subject.                                                                                        
“Crawls” is the action being performed                                                                                       
– that means “crawls” is the verb.
Sometimes, a verb just describes a state                                                                                     
of being or existence.
Roses are red; violets are blue.
The pillow case had Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles on it.
My brother is the owner of a 100-acre farm called “”Belly Acres.”
Verb Tense
Verb tense is determined by looking at two factors: 
Factor One: When did the action take place?
Past Tense – these events have already taken place by the time the reader is 
reading the sentence.
Present Tense – these events are taking 
place at the same time the reader is 
reading the sentence.
Future Tense – these events will take 
place in the future, sometime after the 
reader has read the sentence.
Factor Two: Was/Is the action a continuous and 
on-going activity or a one-time situation?
Verb Tense
For the next several slides, you are going 
to see a LOT of verbs and tenses, and 
you may feel like your head will explode. 
These slides are not meant to be memorized or 
worried about. Rather, the slides are meant to 
show you that when it comes to verbs, you have a 
lot of choices. But all choices depend on these 
three factors:
1. Is your subject plural (more than one) or singular (one)?
2. Did the action already take place, is the action currently taking place, or 
will the action take place in the future?
3. Is the action a one-time deal or does the action continue?
Verb Tense: Past
Simple Past
A simple past tense verb uses a verb with an –ed suffix.
Anna jumped on the bed and giggled like a three-year-old child.
The six crows landed on the bird feeder and fought.
Past Continuous 
A past continuous verb uses was/were + a verb with an –ing suffix.
Anna was jumping on the bed and was giggling like a three-year-old child.
The six crows were landing on the bird feeder and were fighting.
Past Perfect 
A past perfect verb uses had + a verb with an –ed suffix.
Anna had jumped on the bed and had giggled like a three-year-old child.
The six crows had landed on the bird feeder and had fought.
Past Perfect Continuous
A past perfect continuous verb uses had + been + a verb with an –ing suffix.
Anna had been jumping on the bed and had been giggling like a three-year-old child.
The six crows had been landing on the bird feeder and had been fighting.  
Verb Tense: Present
Simple Present:
I exercise every day, and I love my Zumba class.
They watch Mad Men on Sundays but stop to watch Sunday Night Football.
Present Continuous 
A present continuous verb uses am/are/is + a verb with an –ing suffix.
I am exercising every day, and I am loving my Zumba class.
They are watching Mad Men on Sundays but are stopping to watch Sunday Night Football  
Present Perfect 
A present perfect verb uses have/has + a verb with an –ed suffix.
I have exercised every day, and I have loved my Zumba class.
They have watched Mad Men on Sundays but have stopped for Sunday Night Football.
Present Perfect Continuous
A present perfect continuous verb uses have/has + 
been + a verb with an –ing suffix.
I have been exercising every day, and I have been loving my Zumba class.
They have been watching Mad Men on Sundays but have been stopping for Sunday 
Night Football.
Verb Tense: Future
Simple Future (will, may, might):
A simple future verb uses a word like will/may/might + verb.
Katie will dress her puppy up in outfits that Katie will make herself.
My little puppies might try to hide between the furniture because they might get scared.
Future Continuous 
A future continuous verb uses will/may/might + be + a verb with an –ing suffix.
Katie will be dressing her puppy up in outfits that Katie will be making herself.
My little puppies might be trying to hide because they might be getting scared.
Future Perfect 
A future perfect verb uses will/may/might + have/has + a verb with an –ed suffix.
Katie will have dressed her puppy up in outfits that Katie will have made herself.
My little puppies might have tried to hide because they might have gotten scared.
Future Perfect Continuous
A future perfect continuous verb uses will/may/might + have/has + been + 
A verb with an –ing suffix.
Katie will have been dressing her puppy up in outfits that Katie will have been making                                         
herself.
My little puppies might have been trying to hide because they might have been getting scared.
Verb Tense Agreement Errors
A verb tense agreement error occurs when you blend past, present, and 
future forms of verbs together. Here is an example:
Last Saturday, I called up my cousin Keith and compliment him on his 
band’s new CD. 
>>>The words "Last Saturday" make it pretty clear the event discussed 
happened in the past. The verb "called" also makes the past tense clear 
because of the -ed ending. However, the verb "compliment" is present 
tense. 
To make the sentence consistent, it needs to be all in past OR present tense. 
Sometimes, you have a choice which tense you want. However, in this 
example, the sentence needs to be written in past tense to make sense:
Last Saturday, I called up my cousin Keith and complimented him on his 
band’s new CD.
Verb Tense Agreement Errors
Here is another example:
I was suppose to pick up my friend Jon at the airport, but if I forgot, he gets mad.
>>>This sentence has a mixture of past and present tense verbs which is quite confusing. The 
sentence needs to be rewritten either in all present tense or all past tense.
Present tense version:
I am supposed to pick up my friend Jon at the airport, but if I forget, he gets mad.
Past tense version:
I was supposed to pick up my friend Jon at the airport, but I forgot and he got mad.
>>>Note: Any verb that follows the word “to” is present tense: to pick, to run, to cook
I use to work at the grocery store, but I resigned three weeks ago.
>>>This sentence is clearly referring to a past-tense situation (resigned, three weeks ago). 
However, the sentence contains a present-tense verb (use). This sentence has to be written in 
past tense to make sense: 
I used to work at the grocery store, but I resigned three weeks ago.
Verb Tense Agreement Errors
And finally, in honor of my father Tom Gulick, here is something he 
once uttered that confused us all. We were driving down the street, 
and Dad noticed one of his friends sitting in a parked car. Dad said 
the following:
“Norm’s front tire looks pretty low, and
I’m gonna tell him that as I drove by.”
“I’m going” = I am going = future
“as I drove by” = past tense = ??? 
We still don’t know what he was 
talking about ☺
A Word about Irregular Verbs
And my word is…sighhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
If only all verbs behaved the way we just saw – just add an –ed to the end of a verb to indicate past 
tense. Let’s look at some verbs associated with gardening:
I plant > I planted,  I water > I watered,  I weed > I weeded,  I hoe > I hoed, I dig > I digged.                                                    
digged??? 
Digged isn’t a verb; dug is the past tense form of dig. In reality, English is filled with what are called 
irregular verbs, verbs that do not show past tense by adding an –ed suffix.  
Rather, irregular verbs present different versions of the verb. Truthfully, irregular verbs aren’t always 
easy to figure out, and they don’t always make a whole lot of sense.
This is an example of a regular verb; this makes sense: 
I shoveled too much snow yesterday. >> past tense verb 
indicated by the –ed suffix.
I shovel snow for the cardio benefits. >> present tense
I will shovel the snow tomorrow after work. >> future tense
A Word about Irregular Verbs
This makes no sense: 
I was the best at coloring in my kindergarten class. >> past tense
I am the best at coloring in my kindergarten class. >> present tense
I will be the best at coloring in my kindergarten class. >> future tense
Was?   Am?  Will be?
Other than just memorizing irregular verbs or looking them up in a dictionary, 
there is no simple way to learn them. Further, there are hundreds of 
irregular verbs. 
For a good discussion of some of the 
more commonly mistaken irregular 
verbs, consult this link.
For a very thorough list of irregular 
verbs, consult this link.


Verb Tenses

Celaya, Susanne

Parkland College 
SPARK: Scholarship at Parkland 
A with Honors Projects Honors Program 
Spring 2023 
Providing Free Dental Care to the Community: Give Kids a Smile 
Day 
Susanne Celaya 
Follow this and additional works at: https://spark.parkland.edu/ah 
Open access to this Poster is brought to you by Parkland College's institutional repository, SPARK: Scholarship at 
Parkland. For more information, please contact spark@parkland.edu. 
Background
Systemic health, including oral health, 
is pertinent to an individual’s 
well-being. However, disparities and 
disease continue to plague our youth. 
 
Children also face additional 
obstacles such as: 
● Living in underserved areas
● Lack of parental involvement
● Lack of financial resources 
Introduction
● Although more children now have 
dental insurance, disparities 
continue to impede accessibility
● Despite being preventable, tooth 
decay and periodontal disease 
commonly affect Illinoisan children
● 52% of children have caries 
experience 
● Approximately 20% of children age 
5-11 have existing untreated dental 
decay 
  
Introduction (Cont.)
Why Does Oral 
Health Matter? 
● Oral health status has been 
linked to other health conditions 
such as: 
● Diabetes
● Heart diseases
● Low birth weight 
● Premature birth 
If decay remains untreated, the 
need for more invasive and costly 
treatment rises.
● Poor oral health has been 
linked to school absences and 
poor performance 
 
Give Kids A Smile: The 
Program (GKAS)
● Efforts began in 2002 in St. Louis 
by Drs. J. Dalin and B. R. Storm 
● Provided free dental care to 
approximately 400 children 
● In 2003, the American Dental 
Association recognized Drs. efforts 
and made GKAS a national event 
● GKAS’s mission is to continue to 
provide free dental care to 
underserved children 
● Over 300,000 children receive care 
annually through GKAS
● 6,500 dentists 
● 30,000 dental volunteers 
Parkland’s Impact 
(Cont.)
● Sponsored by the Illini District 
Dental Society
● 1st and 2nd year dental hygiene 
students provided treatment 
● Over 70 dental professionals in 
attendance 
● Current students 
● Dentists 
● Faculty 
● Pre-dental students 
● Previous graduates 
References 
●American Dental Association. (n.d.). Give 
xxKids A Smile. https://www.adafoun 
xxdation.org/give-kids-a-smile
●Kanegan, M. V. (2020). Healthy Smiles, 
xxHealthy Growth: An Assessment of Oral 
xxHealth Status, Beverage Consumption 
xxand Body Mass Index in Third-grade 
xxChildren in Illinois. 
●Valencia, A. (2015). Healthy Smiles, 
xxHealthy Growth: Assessing the Oral 
xxHealth Status and Body Index  of Third 
xxGrade Children in Illinois. 
 
 
Figure II: Caries experience among 
Illinoisan third graders in 2013-2014. 
Parkland’s Impact 
On February 11th  the Parkland 
Dental Hygiene Clinic hosted GKAS 
in L148. 
● Treatment was provided to over 
150 children 
● Ages 1-17
● Treatment included: 
● Cleanings 
● Dental exams 
● Fluoride Treatments
● Patient education 
p A with Honors: Service Based LearningProviding Free Dental Care to the Community: Give Kids a Smile Day 
Susie Celaya
Peg Boyce, Ethics Instructor and Dental Hygiene Program Director 
Figure I: Oral health disparities 
are a result of a disproportionate 
distribution of these influential 
factors.  
Figure III: Children with poor oral 
health status are three times more 
likely to miss school due to tooth 
related pain.  
Figure III: Give Kids a Smile has been 
serving children nationally since 2003. 
Figure IV: WCIA’s broadcast 
showcasing Parkland’s efforts on 
GKAS Day 2023.  


Providing Free Dental Care to the Community: Give Kids a Smile Day

Fuoss, Kylie

Parkland College 
SPARK: Scholarship at Parkland 
A with Honors Projects Honors Program 
Spring 2023 
Thomas Young, his Double Slit Experiment and the Applications of 
the Properties of Light 
Kylie Fuoss 
Follow this and additional works at: https://spark.parkland.edu/ah 
Open access to this Essay is brought to you by Parkland College's institutional repository, SPARK: Scholarship at 
Parkland. For more information, please contact spark@parkland.edu. 
Kylie Fuoss 
Phy 122 
Eric Potter 
Thomas Young, his Double Slit Experiment and the Applications of the Properties of Light 
April 8, 2023 
 
Thomas Young, born in 1773 to a Quaker family, was a medical practitioner who was 
interested in various studies. Young was an intellectual from a young age; he was reading by 
age two and learning multiple languages by age six. Young was very successful in his medical 
studies as well. He specialized in sensory perception, discovering how the human eye contracts 
to focus on objects from the dissection of an ox eye (Thomas Young). Another noteworthy 
discovery of Thomas Young is the creation of the 47 letter alphabet of all possible human 
sounds; this creation came about through his studies and dissections of the human voice (This 
Month). These studies performed by Thomas led to his interests and pursuit of studying light 
and sounds. Thomas Young was an admirer of Isaac Newton and his work; because of 
this he began to see issues with Issac Newton’s corpuscular theory. Newton's corpuscular 
theory was largely accepted due to his credibility despite the theory's faults. Newton’s theory 
explained that light acted as a particle and was largely supported by experiments such as the 
fact that sounds can travel through a tube but light cannot. Newton's theory could not explain 
certain ideas, such as, how some light is refracted, and some is reflected between water and air 
(This Month). Young explored this fault within the theory and began to compare light to sound 
and how it exhibits interference. He discovered the Double Slit experiment which proved that 
light exhibits wave-like properties. Young submitted his work and research to the Royal Society 
but unfortunately, because his ideology conflicted with Newton's, his work was deemed 
uncredible (This Month). 
What actually is Young’s Double Slit Experiment and what does it mean? Thomas 
Young’s Double Slit Experiment was not originally two slits. Young performed his first Double Slit 
Experiment with a playing card (which acted as the small barrier that will achieve the same 
result as a double slit) (This Month). Essentially, the Double Slit Experiment is performed by 
passing a beam of light (such as a laser) through two tiny openings, creating an image of the 
surface in front of the light. Issac Newton’s corpuscular theory stated that light was a particle, if 
this were true the light would pass through the slit and hit the surface it is pointing at just to 
create two small dots as the image. When Young performed this experiment something very 
different occurred. The image created on the surface was a bunch of bright and dark spots in a 
line (The Double Slit). The image was evidence of light interference similar to sound 
interference. Sound waves create constructive and destructive interference when they collide. 
Constructive interference adds the waves together to create a louder sound, whereas 
destructive interference, the sound waves will “cancel” creating a no sound. The same patterns 
occur with light within this experiment; the brighter spots illustrate constructive interference and 
the dark spots illustrate destructive interference. This proved that light exhibits wave-like 
qualities and was a wave. Young’s famous Double Slit Experiment helped contribute to the 
modern idea that light is both a wave and a particle meaning light exhibits wave-particle duality. 
His experiment has been implemented in many areas of quantum physics. 
The wave-particle duality of light is applicable to our everyday life. Diffraction grating is 
an application that is linked to the Double Slit Experiment; it is the process of separating the 
wavelengths of light. A simpler way of describing diffraction grating would be a medium with 
multiple small slits that cause light to interfere with itself. An example of diffraction grating 
would be how light interacts with a prism; within diffraction grating a scientist is able to study 
angles and various colors of light (Diffraction Grating). Diffraction grating leads to the study of 
spectroscopy, a process that studies the absorption of different wavelengths of light. One 
important application of spectroscopy lies within forensic science. Forensic scientists utilize 
spectroscopy equipment to analyze fluids and multiple chemicals within fluids. Electromagnetic 
radiation is applied to the fluids or the chemicals to reveal a specific pattern of colors that will 
allow the scientist to identify its molecular makeup (Pilkington 2020). This process is 
non-destructive experiment and allows the evidence to remain untouched and intact (Pilkington 
2020). Another application of light is its particle-like properties. One example of this would be 
the Photoelectric Effect; this is a process in which light acts as photons. When photons hit a 
surface of metal, energy is transferred to the metal and excited electrons are ejected from the 
surface (Photoelectric Effect). This in turn creates energy or electricity that we can use in our 
everyday lives: the technological device created that uses this application of light is the solar 
panel. Because of this, sunlight has become a huge source of energy that many people are 
investing in (How Does Solar). 
Light is often taken for granted in our society; it is something we are simply given and 
could not imagine living without. When we take a moment to think and process what light, 
discovers behind light and lights properties can do for us it is something to be thoroughly 
appreciated. 
 
Works Cited 
“Diffraction Grating Physics.” Diffraction Grating Physics, 
https://www.newport.com/n/diffraction-grating-physics. 
“How Does Solar Work?” Energy.gov, 
https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/how-does-solar-work#:~:text=Photovoltaics%20 
Basics&text=When%20the%20sun%20shines%20onto,cell%2C%20causing%20el 
ectricity%20to%20flow. 
 
“Photoelectric Effect.” Photoelectric Effect - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/photoelectric-ef 
fect. 
 
“The Double-Slit Experiment Cracked Reality Wide Open.” Discovery, 
https://www.discovery.com/science/Double-Slit-Experiment. 
 
“This Month in Physics History.” American Physical Society, 
https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200805/physicshistory.cfm#:~:text=A%2 
0thin%20beam%20of%20light,observed%20on%20the%20opposite%20wall. 
 
“Thomas Young.” Molecular Expressions: Science, Optics and You - Timeline - Thomas 
Young, https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/young.html. 
2020, Ben PilkingtonNov 20. “How Is Spectroscopy Used in Forensics?” AZoOptics.com, 
20 Nov. 2020, https://www.azooptics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=1876. 
 


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