Writing prompts for middle school Essay Example for Free

Writing prompts for middle school Essay Imagine that you could give advice to someone—it could be someone you know personally, a historical figure, or a famous pers on living today. Write an essay that identifies the person and the advice you would give. Choose a fam iliar subject so that you can provide details and elaboration that explain why this person needs your advice. 2. In an essay, explain how disappointments can have a good side. 3. Write an essay explaining why someone you care about is important to you. 4. Dress for success is a phrase all of us have heard before, but it means something different to each person. Write an essay explaining  what dress for success means to you. 5. Write an essay to explain why honesty is important in a friendship. 6. Through the years new inventions have changed th e way we live. Think about one invention that has had an impact on the way you live. Now write to explain to your teacher how this invention has changed your life. 7. Write an essay explaining how you changed when you entered middle school. 8. The amount of graffiti has greatly increased at your school. The members of the school board must find ways to stop the graffiti. Write a com position in which you fully explain the solution  the school board could use to solve this problem. 9. There are both good things and bad things about playing on a team, such as the school soccer team or the school volleyball team. Write a composition for your teacher in which you explain both what is good and what is ba d about playing on a school team. Be sure to explain each point fully. 10. A role model is a person you look up to. Befo re you begin writing, think about someone you look up to. Why do you admire this person? Write a composition in which you explain to your classmates whom you admire and why you admire this person. Middle School Persuasive Prompts  1. NEW A wealthy donor plans to build a new facility that will benefit young people in your area. It could be a swimming pool, a theater, a skateboard park, an art school, or any other facility that would provide young people with constructive ways to spend their time. The donor is not sure what kind of facility would be most useful. Write a letter to the donor in which you identify the type of facility you would like to have built, and pe rsuade her that it is the best choice. Be sure to support your opinion with convincing reasons and evidence. 2. Your principal wants to invite a celebrity speaker to your school. Think about the celebrity you would choose to have speak; then, write a letter to persuade your principal to invite this person. Be sure to include convincing reasons and details to support your choice. 3. Girls and boys often enjoy playing the same sport. Some people believe that girls and boys should be able to play on the same team. What is your opinion on this issue? Write an essay stating your opinion and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail. 4. It has been said that television has little real educational value. What is your opinion on this issue? Write an essay stating your opinion and su  pporting it with convincin g reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail. 5. The principal of your school is considering co nducting random locker searches several times a year without letting students know in advance. What is your position concerning this issue? Write a letter to the principal stating your position and supporting it with convincin g reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail. 6. Suppose Congress wants to make a new national ho liday honoring an important person or event. Choose a person or event you would like to honor. Write an essay to convince members of Congress to accept your choice. 7. Your principal has asked students to suggest a school rule that should be changed. Think of one rule that you would like to have changed. Write a letter convincing your principal that this rule should be changed. Be sure to support your opinion with convi ncing reasons and evidence. 8. Your school principal is considering a new policy that will require all students to wear uniforms. What is your position concerning this issue? Write a letter to your principal stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail. Middle School How-To Prompts 1. Write a composition in which you explain how to make something. You might write about a food item, a handcrafted item, or anything else that you know how to make. Be sure to clearly explain each step in the process so that a read er could make the item the way you do. 2. Think about one favorite activity that you enjoy. For example, it could be playing a favorite sport or participating in a hobby. Write a compos ition in which you tell a friend how to do your favorite activity. Be sure to include all the details your friend will need to do the activity. Middle School Descriptive Prompts 1. Think about the last time you attended a special even  t such as a concert, a fair, or a sports event. Describe what it was like to be there and include sights, sounds, and smells that will make the reader feel he or she is there with you. 2. Think of a favorite object that you own. In a descriptive essay, use sensory details—words that tell how something looks, feels, tastes, smells , and sounds—to clearly describe this favorite object so that a classmate could picture it. 3. Think of what your school is like at lunchtime. Pick one particular place, and picture it in your mind. This place could be large or small. In a co mposition, describe clearly to a friend what the  place is like at lunchtime so your friend can imagine what it is like to be there. Middle School Narrative Prompts 1. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, You must do the th ing you think you cannot do. Write a narrative about a time when you did something you thought you could not do. Be sure to include specific details so that a reader can follow your story. 2. Think about a time when something unexpected happened. Write a narrative in which you tell about an unexpected event that happened to you or someone you know. Be sure to include specific details so that a reader can follow your story. 3. You have made a very important discovery–one th  at will make you famous throughout the world. Write a story in which you tell about your discove ry and how you made it. Be sure to include details about the setting and any characters in th e story, and be sure that your story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. 4. Think of your best day in school. What happened that makes this day stand out in your memory? Write a story for a friend that tells about what happened on this day in school. Middle School Writing About Literature Prompts 1. Under the Rice Moon tells a story about a caged bird and a sickly young girl who understand one another. Read the story. Then write an essay discussing the storys theme, or message, and how the author uses the bird and the storys characters to express the message. Be sure to include examples and details from the story to support your ideas. Do not merely summarize the story. Remember that your response will be evaluated in two ways—on your understanding of the story and on the quality of our writing. 2. The Dinner Party tells a story about a social gathering in India. Read the story. Then write an essay in which you discuss how the author uses the characters in the story to express a message. Support your ideas with examples and details from the story. Do not merely summarize the story. Remember that your response will be evaluated in two ways–on your understanding of the story and on the quality of your writing. Middle School Writing About Nonfiction Prompts 1. Read Heeding the Call. Then, write an essay explaining how Martin Luther King, Jr. s experiences as a young person shaped his beliefs and actions as an adult. Be sure to include specific information from the article to support your explanation. Do not merely summarize the article. Remember that your response will be ev aluated in two ways—on  your understanding of the article and on the quality of your writing. 2. Read But Im Not Tired! Think about the ideas th e author presents in this article. What changes should schools make to adjust to students sl eep patterns? Write a letter to the principal recommending changes that could be made at your sch ool to adjust to students sleep patterns. Be sure to include specific information from the ar ticle to support your recommendations. Do not merely summarize the article. Re member that your response will be evaluated in two ways–on your understanding of the article and on the quality of your writing.

The Indian Culture Essay Example for Free

The Indian Culture Essay Cultural patterns define the people of a country and help in understanding their behavior, mind-set and mode of living. In India, the diverse population of the country shows some singular similarities in communication, inter-personal relations, and views about marriage and family which together constitute the unique structure of the Indian culture. Man-woman equations in the family set-up as well as the position of elders in the house are significant pointers to the culture of India. The Indian Culture Every culture has its unique characteristics which define its identity and amplify the behavioral pattern of its people. In the Indian context, the diverse languages, religions and regions of the vast country play a major part in the multifarious communication and relation markers within the same cultural texture. However, certain qualities remain uniformly similar within the assorted hues of the Indian culture. As Nirad C Chaudhuri writes: â€Å"modern Indian culture was based on a fusion of two independent and unconnected cultures, the European and the ancient Indian† ( The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian 474). The effect of long-term British colonization and the rich heritage of the Sanskrit past combine to give the Indian culture its distinctive color and identity. By nature, Indians are usually verbose and like sharing/discussing ideas with each other, at times personal problems, even communicating thoughts on public issues from politics to sports. Greetings are usually with folded hands (and the accompaniment of ‘Namaste’ in Hindi, the national language), but significantly, respect to elders is shown by touching the feet of the seniors. Greetings normally go hand in hand with queries about health and life in general. However, unlike the Western concept of a strict adherence to one’s privacy, Indians by and large want to know what’s going on in their fellow men’s lives, and the questions are expected to be answered with detailed explanation about the current situation in one’s life. Emotions run high in the horizon of the ordinary Indians’ existence, from the annoyance at the over-crowded bus to the jubilation at the Indian cricket team’s victory. The western concept of direct eye-contact while talking with colleagues or superior suggesting a honest rapport is deemed an act of shamelessness especially with someone senior in age or status. Downcast eyes are a symbol of good values and respect for the other person. The American idea of private space is difficult to follow in the Indian family set-up, especially in the joint-family structure. Time is a relative term of understanding in India, as punctuality and discipline are often dependent on the irregular schedule of public transportation, people’s habit of taking things at their own pace, and long queues everywhere. Marriage is generally a family matter rather than a personal choice in India. Men and women meet in social and professional gatherings and may emotionally bond with each other. While marriage by choice or ‘love marriage’ as commonly referred to, is on the rise in modern Indian culture, most Indians still resort to an ‘arranged marriage’ to the prospective bride or groom selected by family members on the basis of status, education, and often caste, region and religion. As Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni portrays in her Indian characters in Arranged Marriage, it does not matter what the origins of the marriage, the ultimate consideration is the compatibility of the partners engaging in it. ( Transcultural Women of Late Twentieth-century U. S. American Literature 210) Unlike the liberated parlors of Western life, sex or topics about sexuality are considered taboo and it is socially unacceptable to discuss or question one’s sexual preferences openly. The cultural texture of India bars the liberal thoughts and voices on this subject. Premarital sex is discouraged by the unwritten rules of the conservative society. Modesty, virginity are praised in unmarried men and women, especially in the latter. The role of family is of paramount interest to the average Indian. The joint-family set up is an umbrella structure sheltering extended branches of the family grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins beyond the usual parent-child family of the Western world. Though nuclear families in the lines of the western model are increasingly popular, the common Indian is rooted in the traditions and customs of his family life, especially the joint family-structure. Indian society is predominantly patriarchal in nature, and the head of the family is usually the eldest son of the family. The equation of the genders in family and society is not evenly balanced, as the women normally are submissive to the decisions of the males in the Indian culture. However, the aged play a positive role in the family context, as grand-parents and seniors are treated with respect and love, and cared for in most households. Though old people are at times sent to old-age homes by their family members for reasons of economy or scarcity of care-givers at home, usually the aged are taken care of at home, and they in turn, help with the children, spending time with them and instilling in them values and good morals. The women are expected to be the primary care-givers in the family, performing the duties of the kitchen as well as taking care of children and elders. Even if the woman is a career- person, her family obligations are her first priority in the Indian culture. The man of the house on the other hand is the financial provider, and is responsible for the standard of living. However, in the changing dynamics of modern lifestyle, men and women have become flexible about their roles and responsibilities and the distinct line of difference between their gender expectations is blurred today. References Chaudhuri, N. (2001). The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian. New York: The New York Review of Books. Newton, P. (2005). Transcultural Women of Late Twentieth-century U. S. American Literature: First-generation Migrants from Islands and Peninsulas. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing.

Globalization Is Not New A Phenomenon Economics Essay

Globalization Is Not New A Phenomenon Economics Essay Globalization is not new a phenomenon, for thousands of years people acting on their own and later corporations used to buy and sell products and services (trade) to each other on lands, shores and seas at great distances, great example is the famous Silk Road across Central Asia that connected China and Europe during the Middle Ages. Under the term of Globalization political scientists promote the process of interaction and integration amongst the people, companies and governments of different nations, a process which is driven by international trade and investment and aided through media and modern technologies. This process influences directly or indirectly the environment, culture, political system, economic development and prosperity of every human nation and every single person in the world. There are different types of Globalization or combination of these types. To understand better the purposes and procedures that took place in each circumstance, we have to analyze each type separately. Financial Globalization/Integration Financial Globalization is the process through which financial markets in an economy become more closely integrated (related) with those in other economies or those in the rest of the world through the financial flows. Types of integration Integration of the public sector based on borrowing. There are two types: the issuance of foreign currency debt, and the issuance of the local currency debt Integration based on foreign direct investment, which is direct investment into the production or business in one country by a company from another country Integration of the corporate sector where the investors buy or sell the stocks and bonds of other countries firm in domestic asset market The integration of the Banking sector through the interbank market, banks can borrow or lend temporarily Economic Globalization International economy improved due to the effect of globalization. Many countries remove their borders or create trade agreements in order to increase the inflow of trade as the consequence markets become more efficient, productive, competitive and cooperative. Examples of economic globalization are: NAFTA, EU and MNCs. Technological Globalization New and advanced technologies take part in making globalization possible, using airplanes, satellites, telephones, televisions and computers it is possible to transfer information from one place to another, with greater efficiency and effectiveness which characterizes the modern world. In this way not only technologies are being transferred, but at the same time people are able obtain information, knowledge and skills. Political Globalization Economical and cultural globalization has as a consequence countries to become more interconnected politically. Regular movement of people, money and information creates a lot of fortunes but also misfortunes, such as crime, for that reason in 2002 the International Criminal Court was established to fight those sorts of problems. Other political issues that have been discussed on global bases are that of global climate change, the terrorism, drug traffic etc. Cultural Globalization Today the ease of expansion of traditional customs has brought Globalization of cultures, where people from different parts of the world can get closer to each other much easier. The symbol of the cultural globalization is the well known American fast food chain McDonalds, it has more than 31,000 restaurants in 118 countries. Some menu products, such as the Big Mac, are the same all over the world. Other menu products may be specific to a particular region. McDonalds in Japan features a green-tea flavored milkshake. At McDonalds in Uruguay, a McHuevo is a burger topped with a fried egg. Globalization has brought McDonalds billions of customers-consumers worldwide. Other cultural trends that someone can find common in many countries are the music, clothes, film industries etc. Ecological Globalization Ecological Globalization refers to the collective impact that the diverse processes of Globalization have on the health of the natural systems. Due to Globalization people, money, ideas and pollution travel at high speeds and rates in every corner of the world. To address these issues, from Stockholm Declaration 1972-till date, lots of discussions have taken place of the needs and strategies for the protection of ecology and environment on a Global level. The UN Conferences from Stockholm proclaimed certain fundamental principles of international environmental law, such as Polluter Pays Principle, Precautionary Principle, Sustainable Development, Intergenerational Equity and responsibility, Common but differentiated responsibilities, Rights of individuals, equality of access to procedures and non-discrimination in environmental matters etc. These principles have been proclaimed after extensive investigations done by experts in their fields. Sociological Globalization The term social globalization refers to the impact of the globalization on the life and work of people, their families and their societies. Important issues like employment, working conditions, income and social protection are often raised and connected with this part of globalization. PRO ET CONTRA So far, we examined the types of global integrated nations, it means that every union (included two or more nations) may follow some of these specific patterns separately, or may include all the assortment of Globalizations types, it all depends on the contracts between the members. From now on, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages that union members enjoy during the process of Globalization. 2.1 Advantages Free Trade: is a way of easier exchange of goods and services. The basis of the trade agreement is the elimination of import and export borders, through the reduction of any levies, duties, taxes, subsidies and quotas. The absence or reduction of some or all of those factors, usually leads to a significant increase of exchange of goods and services between the member states. Another important benefit of the trade agreement is the concept of comparative advantage. According to David Ricardo countries increase their economic well-being if and only if they are specialized in the production of goods at which they are best at and after on exchange the surplus of production with other goods of other countries. Greater Competition: due to the ease of free entrance in any member state, there is a tendency for private organizations from any field to enter free market, of course the purpose behind such action is only to gain more profit, but the whole problem is that to be competitive, companies have to reduce their prices to gain more and new customers since the more companies enjoy being in the market the more competitive and effective they have to be, firstly to be able to stay in the market and make sells and secondly to be able to make profit out of the whole process. Free movement of labor: free movement of labor force gives an external support to huge industrial entities to reach a higher level of efficiency (at lesser costs), it is not a secret that the biggest industrial companies in developed countries employ many foreign workers who are members of less developed states. In this case both parts are in gain the makers maybe because of deficit of domestic force or may be because of unwillingness of domestic labor to perform the specific tasks and jobs. On the other hand, labor force from less developed countries because of lower quality of life and maybe very high rate of unemployment are more willing to perform heavy or dirty jobs to cover their basic needs. Both of these phenomena show how important the free movement of labor can be. Increased Economies of Scale: as noted before, free trade leads to a comparative advantage (any country specialized at a particular subject at which it is most efficient). It can be also added that the specialization in one sector can lead to a better working mechanism (human/machinery) and achieve as better efficiency as possible. The result of specialization and better mechanization normally reaches larger productivity with lower costs (economy of scale) because of more effective use of resources. Investments: One other very important advantage of globalization is the investment. So when we talk about investment from the financial point of view, we mean the process of placing money into something with the expectation of gaining profit after specific or none specific period of time. Some examples of investment may be some sort of foreign equity, property and fixed interest securities. Corporations invest a lot of money into developing countries for personal reasons and very often transfer their production power to those countries. These kinds of actions give a huge incentive to both of the parties to achieve more profit (tax). 2.2 Disadvantages As we said before, free trade offers some very good advantages but at the same time there is one very important disadvantage of domestic inefficiency. To be clearer nowadays it is very difficult to create and sustain any new organization, even domestically. Huge international corporations simply do not give a chance to any new firm to operate in their fields, they usually produce products and services at much lower prices and bigger ranges than any new firm is able to. Great example of the kind organization is Microsoft, at the present Microsoft is one of the biggest corporations which specializes in anything that has to do with electronics, computers, hardware, software, electronic games and so on. Generally speaking, in some sectors Microsoft has nearly monopolized the world market and its very difficult for any new and small corporation to survive in this kind of competition. Environmental costs: there is another big disadvantage of globalization, the increased use of non renewable resources. Due to better and easier ways of communication between states, there is a tendency for more and cheaper resources. Every year millions of tons of raw material (rock-oil, gas, coal) is excavated from the depths of the ground and introduced for global consumption while nobody can predict what will be the real cost that people will have to pay in near future for such practices. Also one other problem of globalization is that corporations which transfer their operations to places where environmental standards are less strict. For example, this kind of problem is very common in China where foreign manufacturers that produce and utilize, occasionally follow practices that harm not only the environment but also the health of their employees. Labor Drain: may be the most important problem for the developing and developed countries. As we said before, one of the benefits of globalization is the movement of labor force. Although at first side it may not affect directly if labor leaves one country and migrates to one another, but if think of it thoroughly someone can see that along this labor force may also be potential or future potential intellects that may alter the world as we know today. As an example, we can mention the U.S.A who spends large amounts of money to attract and keep the most talented scientists from all over the world, its no coincidence that they are the biggest military power and invest a lot of money in new technologies. Less Cultural Diversity: one other problem of globalization is the global centralization of culture based on western ideology from the very young age. Unfortunately this is the reality, people from generation to generation are moving away from their traditional culture. People tend to emulate the behavior, the lifestyle, the way of life of the western civilization. They grow up watching the Simpsons, eating in McDonalds, drinking Coca-Cola, wearing jeans and speaking in English. After few decades, most European citizens will be people with common values, behavior, moral and ideologies. CONCLUSIONS From all of the above it can be concluded that globalization can offer many positive trends but at the same time many negatives, in a way it represents the old saying of one coin with two completely different sides. It may promote economies to grow, produce products and services that may have never been available in some parts of the world before, but at the same time it may endorse human exploitation, inequality and environmental unconsciousness.

Having a Second Father: My Grandpa :: Personal Narrative Writing

Having a Second Father: My Grandpa It has been five years since I have spoken to my father. I was three years old when my parents got a divorce. Both my mom and dad remarried, however my dad didn’t waste any time in doing so. After he was married, I felt that I wasn’t a part of his new life. We had our problems like any relationship between children and parents, but most of the problems resulted from interference from his new wife. We would disagree on many things because of his wife. Her inputs and thoughts that she voiced oh so well became overwhelming. I know that it is easy to disagree with a parent at any time, however it is even more so when the parent is remarried with a new life and family. Since the day that he got married our relationship drifted downhill. I thought he was so strong and would always stand up for what he believed in and wanted. He used to think that I was his world. I soon realized that wasn’t true. His wife you could say â€Å"wore the pants’ in his new family.† He should have made decisions that concerned our relationship and me but he didn’t. I never dreamed the day would come when someone would come between one of my parents and I, at most a spouse of one of my parents. I was in his life long before she and his new family came into it. I felt that I was being treated unfairly. I was supposed to be daddy’s little girl just as most girls dream about. I always thought that I would come first. The life with my mom was the exact opposite. I came first and still do in her life. She was remarried and that didn’t change the fact that I was number one on her list. I look at the days and memories with my dad and notice that somewhere along the way he got sidetracked of what was important to him. I know my thoughts seem childish, but I was hurt and felt that I had been treated unfairly. All I could think was: â€Å"What had I done to make him not love me†. As a young child, everyone wants to fit in with his or her friends.

Investigate how the concentration of hydrochloric acid effects the rate at which it reacts with calcium carbonate :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

Investigate how the concentration of hydrochloric acid effects the rate at which it reacts with calcium carbonate Investigation Plan Aim === Investigate how increasing the concentration of the solution hydrochloric acid effects and alters the rate at which it reacts with marble chip, calcium carbonate. Rate of reaction is affected by six main factors * Temperature * Surface area of a solid * Concentration of a solution * Pressure of a gas * By using catalysts * Using biological catalysts called Enzymes As outlined above the rate of a reaction increases when temperature increases, the concentration of dissolved reactants increases, the pressure of gases increases, solid reactants are in smaller pieces and of greater surface area and also if a catalyst is used. For this experiment I have been asked to pay particular attention to the factor CONCENTRATION, and the ways in which it affects the rate at which a reaction takes place. We can measure the rate of reaction by measuring the time at which the products of the reaction are produced or the reactants used up and there are a few different ways of doing this such as: By measuring gas volume Here the marble chips and dilute hydrochloric acid are put in a conical flask. This is connected to a gas syringe, which collects and measures the volume of gas formed. At regular time intervals a measurement is then taken of the volume of gas collected. Another way to measure the volume of gas produced is to displace water from a measuring cylinder as per diagram below. We can also measure the rate of reaction by measuring mass loss here when a gas is lost the mass decreases, which can be measured by placing the flask on a balance. The last way is to note how long it takes for a precipitate to form such as in the chemical reaction "the thiosulphate reaction". I conducted a preliminary experiment and from this determined that the most reliable and accurate way to measure the release of carbon dioxide gas would be by using a measuring cylinder to see the displacement of water and therefore determining how much carbon dioxide has been produced. Hypothesis I predict that as time increases so will the amount of carbon dioxide produced however throughout the experiment the rate of reaction will slow because as time increases there will be less and less un-reacted particles present to take part in fruitful collisions and result in carbon dioxide water and calcium chloride being formed, this means that the time between fruitful collisions will increase because a particle will take longer to find another un-reacted particle with enough activation energy to collide and react with. I hypothesise that as the concentration of the hydrochloric acid

Tinkering With Destiny :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Community is a group of people living or working together. The people who share the community should be united as one and work together to make their surroundings a better place. In reality, most communities strive for unity and try to have a commonground of understanding, but that rarely happens. To me it seems that a lot of communities have conflicts and do not try to do what is best for the community, because everyone wants to be in control. A lot of people are only thinking about themselves and don't want to help others. People also feel that they can not make a difference because they are only one person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So, what is best for a community? In my opinion a community should uphold their responsibilities to one another. A community should make the best of any situation and try to complete their goals. A community should reflect on what hasn't worked for them in the past and try to work on the ideal solution for the future. A community must have respect for one another and appreciate one another for their differences. It is important to notice that there are differences between people, but it's also important to accept those differences. A community should be aware of everyone's talents and creativities, and each of these aspects should be used to its fullest abilities. A community must be a strong and structured source that everyone can rely on in the time of need. A community should allow you to feel like family and friends surround you, and know that you can depend on them at any time. A community can give people the sense of belonging, that they are apart of somethi ng. It allows people to feel that they are needed, and their services will be useful. A community should enhance the feeling of security, unity, and peace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you are servicing to others, it makes you feel that you are needed and wanted. You have feel like someone is depending on you. Which makes you want to strive harder and do your best. When you are doing your best and putting your all into it, then that is what makes you feel that you are doing the duties of a community. If you are able to make a difference in just one person's life you have touched the community in a different way. When you work your hardest and giving it your all, then I feel that you are a member of a community.

Rh Bill Case Study Essay

There are 6 bills pertaining to reproductive health and/or population management that have been filed for deliberation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the 15th Congress. The most controversial of these bills is House Bill No. 96 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman. House Bill No. 96, also known as the proposed â€Å"Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2010,† will cover the following areas: * midwives of skilled attendance * emergency obstetric care * access to family planning * maternal death review * family planning supplies as essential medicines * benefits for serious and life-threatening reproductive health conditions * mobile health care service * mandatory age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education * responsibility of local family planning office and certificate of compliance * capability building of barangay health workers * ideal family size * employers’ responsibilities * multi-media campaign * implementing mechanisms * reporting requirements * prohibited acts * penalties The bill is controversial, as it is being opposed by concerned citizens, especially the pro-life, pro-family and pro-God groups, regardless of creed or religion. The Roman Catholic Church expresses its opposition against the bill on many counts, most especially the procurement and distribution of family planning supplies for the whole country, when the available evidence from peer reviewed medical journals supports the hypothesis that when ovulation and fertilization occur in women taking oral contraceptives (OCs) or using intrauterine devices (IUD), post-fertilization effects are operative on occasion to prevent clinically recognized pregnancy. Hormonal contraceptives and/or IUDs directly affect the endometrium. These effects have been presumed to render the endometrium relatively inhospitable to implantation or to the maintenance of the preembryo or embryo prior to clinically recognized pregnancy. These make pills and IUDS abortifacient. Pro-life groups, and many professionals in the medical and nursing fields, believe that physicians and policy makers should understand and respect the beliefs of patients who consider human life to be present and valuable from the moment of fertilization. Patients should be made fully aware of this information so that they can consent to or refuse the use of artificial contraceptives. However, the position of the Catholic Church and the pro-life groups does not mean that they espouse the attitude of â€Å"natalism† at all costs, as if the â€Å"number† of children, in itself, were the unmistakable sign of authentic christian matrimonial life. The sexual act, properly exercised within marriage only, is ordained primarily to the propagation of life. If there are reasonable motives for spacing births, such as serious medical conditions in the mother, or extreme poverty, then the Catholic Church teaches that married couples may take advantage of the natural cycles of the reproductive system and use their marriage precisely those times that are infertile (natural family planning). Other aspects of the bill being contested by concerned citizens include the classification of family planning supplies as essential medicines when their safety/toxicity profile and legal permissibility are questionable. At the same time, more importance should be given to the prevalent diseases, the top ten leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Philippines, namely, infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Financial resources allotted by foreign donors to assist the Philippine government programs could actually be better spent towards pursuing health programs targeting communicable diseases than purchasing artificial contraceptives. Very pertinent to the debate about reproduction rights is the right to life. The Philippine Constitution says that the State â€Å"shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. If artificial contraceptives are medically proven to induce abortion as one of their mechanisms of action, then procurement and distribution of such family planning supplies are unconstitutional and illegal. INTRODUCTION The international aid environment has undergone considerable change in recent years. Internationally, principles of development cooperation. In some countries, civil society has achieved success in navigating the aid architecture and advocating effectively on behalf of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In other countries, interacting and participating in key development processes has been more challenging due tolack of sufficient data or evidence to make a strong advocacy case, and weak understanding of terminology and processes, making access and influence difficult. For the past two years, WHO has supported the AHEAD project (completed in January 2011) implemented through the German Foundation for World Population (DSW). DSW had provided financial and technical support to civil society organisations (CSO) for developing and implementing locally devised advocacy action plans to raise levels of government funding for SRH in three countries. The countries are Bangladesh, the Philippines and Uganda. This report is a case study from the AHEAD project in Philippines. The case study begins by describing the socio political context in which the AHEAD project was implemented. The context covers three themes – an account of civil society movements, situation analysis of sexual and reproductive health and rights and background to the policy environment in the Philippines. The subsequent sections highlight findings from evaluation of the project including achievements from the implementation of the advocacy action plan, the challenges faced by AHEAD and finally the lessons learned. Literature Review The Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) has drawn opposing opinions from different sectors of the society. There are people who propose and support the RH Bill and there are those who strongly oppose it. Some find themselves in a crossroads wherein they agree on certain components of the RH Bill but remain doubtful about the other parts. Moral, economic and political conflicts continue to rise between opposing sectors. The debate goes on and on. The primary goal of the RH Bill is to guarantee universal access to methods and information on birth control and maternal care. There are six bills sharing common goals. There seems to be a general agreement when it comes to maternal and child health care but conflicts have risen concerning the proposal that the private sector and Filipino taxpayers fund the nationwide distribution of family planning devices to help control the country’s population. Meanwhile, the government shall continue giving out information on their uses through he alth care centers. Issues and arguments †¢ Population The Philippines has the fastest growing population in Southeast Asia. Studies have shown that most pregnancies in the Philippines, especially among the poor, are unplanned. Supporters of the RH bill claim that the increasing population of the country is something that cannot be ignored anymore. RH bill principal author Edcel Lagman said, â€Å"The Philippine population is growing at a much faster rate than can be sustained by the government or the country’s resources.†Lagman said that the Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that does not have a national reproductive health bill. Based on studies made by the University of the Philippines (one example here), the country tops the fertility rate in Southeast Asia at 3.3 percent. Following are Malaysia at 2.5 percent and Vietnam at 2.1 percent.