Sarah Goodell
Mr. Ippolito
AP Bio: Current Event Review
1 January, 2018
Current Event #12
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
This week, I read “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes”
by The New York Times author James Gorman. Beginning in 2006, researchers
began to see the first signs of a fungal disease that could possibly lead to the
extinction of snakes after discovering a den of timber rattlesnakes in New Hampshire
who had suffered a population crash. Scientists noticed that these snakes had skin
lesions called hibernation sores. In the following years, similar cases developed
within Massachusetts, and then later in Illinois. By 2009, researchers named the
fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, which causes the skin lesions on snakes. As
of today, the fungus has been found to infect more than two dozen species of snakes
in America. Dr. Burbrink, “a conservation biologist at the University of Maryland
who collaborated on an analysis that concluded that any species of snake, anywhere,
could be vulnerable,” has said that ‘“We know so little [about the fungus]...” but it
is clear that this is “another emerging fungal disease that has really broad host
ranges.” He has also commented on how there is no special trait that some snakes
may have that makes them susceptible to this fungus, but it is possible for any
species of snake to become affected. Gorman writes that the history of the fungal
disease is unknown, but says that it is likely that the fungus can live in the soil.
Some researchers also believe it to be native to North America; however, the disease
has also been found in snakes in Europe. Further analysis and monitoring of snake
populations is required in order to determine if certain snake species are more resistant
to the fungus.
Gorman’s article has pushed me to think more about extinction and the impact that a
loss of a species could have on humankind and on our planet. As more and more animals
become endangered, we need to realize that we must take action to prevent their extinction
and to help them survive Earth’s changing environment. If species become extinct, huge
problems could develop as a result. Therefore, we should not only worry about the human
race, but should also think about protecting and aiding other species, as well, because it
could greatly affect the food chain if certain species die.
Overall, Gorman wrote a great article that was easily understandable for his audience. His
description was in chronological order, which allowed the readers to be able to follow the
timeline and comprehend the research in order. Gorman also did a great job organizing his
paragraphs in a logical order, so that he discussed the specific scientists and their studies
towards the end of his article. Along with this, he included quotes from the scientists that
he mentioned. However, Gorman left some questions unanswered at the end of his article
and he could have interviewed more scientists who were directly involved in the research
regarding the fungal disease affecting snakes.
by The New York Times author James Gorman. Beginning in 2006, researchers
began to see the first signs of a fungal disease that could possibly lead to the
extinction of snakes after discovering a den of timber rattlesnakes in New Hampshire
who had suffered a population crash. Scientists noticed that these snakes had skin
lesions called hibernation sores. In the following years, similar cases developed
within Massachusetts, and then later in Illinois. By 2009, researchers named the
fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, which causes the skin lesions on snakes. As
of today, the fungus has been found to infect more than two dozen species of snakes
in America. Dr. Burbrink, “a conservation biologist at the University of Maryland
who collaborated on an analysis that concluded that any species of snake, anywhere,
could be vulnerable,” has said that ‘“We know so little [about the fungus]...” but it
is clear that this is “another emerging fungal disease that has really broad host
ranges.” He has also commented on how there is no special trait that some snakes
may have that makes them susceptible to this fungus, but it is possible for any
species of snake to become affected. Gorman writes that the history of the fungal
disease is unknown, but says that it is likely that the fungus can live in the soil.
Some researchers also believe it to be native to North America; however, the disease
has also been found in snakes in Europe. Further analysis and monitoring of snake
populations is required in order to determine if certain snake species are more resistant
to the fungus.
Gorman’s article has pushed me to think more about extinction and the impact that a
loss of a species could have on humankind and on our planet. As more and more animals
become endangered, we need to realize that we must take action to prevent their extinction
and to help them survive Earth’s changing environment. If species become extinct, huge
problems could develop as a result. Therefore, we should not only worry about the human
race, but should also think about protecting and aiding other species, as well, because it
could greatly affect the food chain if certain species die.
Overall, Gorman wrote a great article that was easily understandable for his audience. His
description was in chronological order, which allowed the readers to be able to follow the
timeline and comprehend the research in order. Gorman also did a great job organizing his
paragraphs in a logical order, so that he discussed the specific scientists and their studies
towards the end of his article. Along with this, he included quotes from the scientists that
he mentioned. However, Gorman left some questions unanswered at the end of his article
and he could have interviewed more scientists who were directly involved in the research
regarding the fungal disease affecting snakes.
Isabella Dibbini
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
5 January 2018
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
Sarah wrote an excellent review on the article: “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes” by The New York Times author James Gorman. To start with, Sarah developed an accurate summary of Gorman’s article, including all of his main arguments. In addition, her review is detailed, making it very interesting. Lastly, she does a good job of supporting her ideas with quotes from the article. For example, she quote Dr. Burbrink, when she states ‘“We know so little [about the fungus]... is clear that this is “another emerging fungal disease that has really broad host ranges.”
Overall, this review is extremely well written, however, there are a few small things that would make it even better. For instance, Sarah could incorporate more detail into her review to make her argument more compelling. Lastly, if she wanted to take her review to the next level, she could have obtained outside information and incorporated this into her article.
After reading Sarah’s review of the article “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes” by James Gorman, I learned a lot of new information that I was previously unaware of. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this review and believe that Sarah did a great job.
Gigi Chrappa
ReplyDeleteCurrent Events
January 10, 2018
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
Sarah did a great job reviewing this article. She clearly and concisely describes the discovery of a deadly fungus in snakes; so deadly, it could possibly lead to the extinction of snakes in the near future. She also discusses the origin of this discovery and how a small den of rattlesnakes in New Hampshire had such a profound impact on this scientific advancement. Sarah also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the original article, and talks about the different parts she did and did not like — this is also helpful for those who would like to go back and look into the article further. I also really enjoy how Sarah created a timeline-esque setup in her review. She states the events that ultimately led to the discovery of this deadly fungus in chronological order.
I think that it may have been helpful for Sarah to research more about possible treatments for this fungus and the long term effects this fungus may have on the world. She states that the fungus could be problematic for the human race, but what does this mean? How? Can we prevent this? What can the common person do to help the cause and prevent the extinction of several species? This would be extremely interesting to find out as this may affect many generations of species in the near future. Also, although Sarah includes wonderful references to her article (such as specific dates and discoveries), it may be interesting for Sarah to include a few direct quotes from the author. Quotes would have made the article seem a tad more credible and would give it more merit. However, since Sarah cited a large amount of specific data, this issue is quite negligible.
Overall, I think that Sarah did a great job with this article. I had no idea that this fungus is spreading and may impact my life in the future! I’m interested in learning more on the topic.
AP Bio
ReplyDeleteOlivia Scotti
1/8/18
Current Event # 13
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
There were many aspects of Sarah’s review written well. One part of her review that I felt she did particularly well was her description of how a fungal disease can lead to the extinction of snakes. For instance she states how “By 2009, researchers named the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, which causes the skin lesions on snakes.” Through this summary the reader is able to understand the main point of the article that is being reviewed. Another part of the review which was done well was the addition of quotes from research on this topic. For example, “Dr. Burbrink, “a conservation biologist at the University of Maryland who collaborated on an analysis that concluded that any species of snake, anywhere, could be vulnerable,” has said that ‘“We know so little [about the fungus]...” but it is clear that this is “another emerging fungal disease that has really broad host ranges.” Through this the reader understands what research was conducted. This is also allows the reader to understand the tone of the article through direct quotes from the passage. Another part of the review that was done well was her ability to describe how this discovery is beneficial to the rest of the world. For instance she states, “As more and more animals become endangered, we need to realize that we must take action to prevent their extinction and to help them survive Earth’s changing environment. If species become extinct, huge problems could develop as a result.” This strengthened her review because the reader was able to see how research is useful for a lot of the population.
Although there were many parts of Sarah’s review written well there were areas for improvement. One part of her review which could have been improved was her critique paragraph. Although she did mention the negatives and positives of the article I wish she had been less general when stating her positives and gone into more detail. Through adding more specific details about the positives of the article the reader would have had a better understanding of the article. Another part of the article that could have been improved was if she added more details about the new discoveries that could occur from this study. Also this would help strengthen her description of the research as a whole.
Overall, I felt Sarah wrote a strong review of this article which the reader could easily understand. Her review was written clearly and smoothly which allowed the reader to learn about the topic more easily and understand the research conducted. I enjoyed reading this review because I learned more about how one disease could lead to the extinction of an animal. Overall, I liked how she described the research that was done and the effects on the present world. Through her discussion of this article the reader got a better grasp on the topic and the importance of this new research.
Timothy Cushman
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
Ap Biology - Current Events Comment
10 January 2018
Current Events #13
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience
Sarah wrote a wonderful review of the New York Times article, Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes. Sarah presented a great summary of the most important topics from the article in a way that was easy to understand. Her summary helped the reader gain an understanding of the fungus and the snakes that are being affected. Secondly, she included quotes throughout from the author and researchers. The quotes she chose helped further the reader’s understanding. For example, the quote “We know so little [about the fungus]...” but it is clear that this is “another emerging fungal disease that has really broad host ranges” by Dr. Burbrink gives the reader a better understanding of how they know very little about the disease and how it affects many types of snakes. Finally, she wrote a great paragraph about how this article was important to society. She made great points about how humans need to help other animals and try to prevent the extinction of species for fear of causing problems with the food chain. The connections she included make the article important to every human.
Despite an overall great review, there were two areas that could be improved upon. Firstly, in her summary, she mentions how the researchers still know very little about the disease. This left the reader wondering what other research was being done on the disease. The addition of this information would answer a question that the reader had along with adding credibility to her review, seeing that she investigated further into the topic. Secondly, to improve her review, she could have added more specific details on how the article could have been improved. For example, she stated, “Gorman left some questions unanswered at the end of his article.” If she had added an example of a question that she had at the end of her review it would have added credibility to her review by showing a better criticism of the article.
I chose to read Sarah’s review because of the title. It was intrigued by a fungus that was deadly to snakes and wanted to read more about it. This article taught me that although we may know that a disease causes death or other problems, we still may know very little about the disease and why it causes what it does.
My fellow college, Sarah Goodell wrote an insightful review on the article, “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes,” by James Gorman. Sarah’s review has many great aspects. To begin, I love the article she choose to review as it is very straightforward and easy to understand. This allows the review to be interesting for many age ranges and levels. Furthermore, Saarah provides a very in depth and well developed summary of her topic staying, “Beginning in 2006, researchers began to see the first signs of a fungal disease that could possibly lead to the extinction of snakes after discovering a den of timber rattlesnakes in New Hampshire who had suffered a population crash. Scientists noticed that these snakes had skin
ReplyDeletelesions called hibernation sores. In the following years, similar cases developed
within Massachusetts, and then later in Illinois. By 2009, researchers named the
fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, which causes the skin lesions on snakes. As
of today, the fungus has been found to infect more than two dozen species of snakes
in America.” This background gives the reader the necessary information to understand the rest of the text. Lastly, I feel that Sarah incorporates an appropriate amount of quotes from top scientists such as Dr. Burbrink, a conservation biologist at the University of Maryland. This allows the review to feel well supported and legitimate.
Although I enjoyed the review, a couple of areas could be improved simply. One of the biggest issues is that Sarah often uses a juvenile layout. This is seen through simple sentences and repetitive sentence structure. As this format makes the review feel longer and less interesting, Sarah should consider a variety of sentence structures in future reviews. This will allow the review to feel more engaging. Also, at point Sarah uses basic and casual word choices such as, “Overall”. As this is a more academic piece, these word choices take away from the overall message of the review. In the future, Sarah can improve upon this issue through using more developed vocabulary and synonyms.
What shocks me most is when Sarah writes, “Gorman’s article has pushed me to think more about extinction and the impact that a loss of a species could have on humankind and on our planet. As more and more animals become endangered, we need to realize that we must take action to prevent their extinction and to help them survive Earth’s changing environment. If species become extinct, huge problems could develop as a result.” This surprises me as it allowed me to reflect on the current state of the world and how the actions of humans can have a lasting impact on other species. This will change my life as I am deeply interested in the topic and will follow updates on this issue in the future.
Hannah Beldotti
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Event 14
Mr. Ippolito
January 15, 2018
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
I chose to read Sarah Goodell’s current event article on James Gorman’s “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes,” from the New York Times. While reading Sarah’s review, I took note on how she did a great thorough job of summarizing the article in her first paragraph. It is important to introduce the topic you are discussing in order for the reader to become familiar with it. In this summary, she began with a topic sentence that catches the reader's attention and engages them. Then, she continued her summary with specific details to further elaborate on the topic at hand. Another aspect to the review that I thought was well done was in her second paragraph. There, she introduced Dr. Burbrink, and provided information on why he related to the article and study. Also, I found it interesting to read how the article impacted Sarah’s thoughts and perspectives on the topic.
Although Sarah did a great job, there were some areas that could have been improved upon. For example, in her concluding paragraph, I thought she could have included more critiques on the article. She commended the author for many things, but it would have provided more of a balance to go in more depth on what he could have improved upon. Also, I thought Sarah could have included more information on what scientists are doing to treat the fungus. Lastly, the layout of her review as a whole, is unbalanced, meaning that her first paragraph is lengthier than her second and third. This can be improved by splitting the information more evenly into three or more separate paragraphs.
I learned a lot while reading Sarah’s current event review. This is an interesting discussion topic as people probably aren't aware of its relevance. I knew nothing about the fungus and the potential impact it could have on different species. Although there were some aspects to this review that could use minor improving, Sarah did a great job overall.
Ava Austi
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Event #14
1/16/18
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
Sarah wrote a great review based off the article “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” from The New York Times. The article discusses how researchers began to see the first signs of a fungal disease that could possibly lead to the extinction of snakes after discovering a den of timber rattlesnakes in New Hampshire who had suffered a population crash. Throughout the review of the article, there were many aspects that Sarah did well in order to write a great review. Firstly, Sarah did a great job of proving the audience with a detailed summary of how a fungal disease can lead to the extinction of snakes. This summary allows the reader to understand the main point of the article without any confusion. Sarah also did a excellent job of incorporating quotes from research on this topic. For example, “Dr. Burbrink, “a conservation biologist at the University of Maryland who collaborated on an analysis that concluded that any species of snake, anywhere, could be vulnerable,” has said that ‘“We know so little [about the fungus]...” but it is clear that this is “another emerging fungal disease that has really broad host ranges.” From including quotes from research, the audience has a better understanding of what research was conducted and also the tone of the article. Lastly, Sarah successfully identified both the strengths and weaknesses of the article, while also including advice for improvement. Sarah successfully wrote a clear and interesting review of the article she read.
Although Sarah presented a great review of the article, there were some aspects where she could have improved. Firstly, it would have been beneficial for Sarah to research more about possible treatments for this fungus and the long term effects this fungus may have on the world. This would have strengthened her paragraph about the effects on societies. Even though Sarah includes references from her article, it would have been beneficial to include direct quotes from the article. This would have made the article more credible. These issues are both easy to fix in order to make Sarah’s review even better. Even though there were some parts of the review that Sarah could have improved, I think she wrote a great review of the article.
I thought Sarah did a great job in writing her review and I really enjoyed reading it. I did not choose to read this article for a specific reason but I am glad that I did. I had no idea that this fungus is spreading and could possibly impact my life in the future. After reading Sarah’s review, I want to learn more about this topic. Overall, I think Sarah successfully wrote a clear and detailed review of her article.
Olivia Doyle
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Mr. Ippolito
16 January 2018
This week, I read my classmate (and dear friend) Sarah’s review of the article “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes”. Researchers found that skin lesions on snakes carry the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Sarah did a good job of describing how the discovery came about, saying that “researchers began to see the first signs of a fungal disease that could possibly lead to the extinction of snakes after discovering a den of timber rattlesnakes in New Hampshire who had suffered a population crash.” This makes it more clear to the reader. Secondly, Sarah included quotes from scientists in the summary, which gives her review credibility. For example, she quotes Dr. Burbrink, who describes the discovery as “another emerging fungal disease that has really broad host ranges.” Lastly, Sarah wrote a thorough analysis of what the author did right and wrong, which gives the reader insight into Sarah’s own opinion of the article.
Although Sarah had a very well-written review, there were some areas which she could have improved on. For one, I think Sarah should have described the specific impacts of the fungus on snakes, and why it is so dangerous that it could force extinction. This would have alerted the reader of how urgent of an issue this is. Secondly, I think Sarah should have been more specific in her connection to how this affects the real world. She could have talked about the role of snakes in the ecosystem, and how their extinction would affect the food chain.
Overall, this article and Sarah’s review was very interesting and informative. In the future, I hope scientists can find out more about this fungus and how it affects snakes, as it is important that we are aware of endangered species and their effects on our Earth.
Cory Ramundo
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
6 February 2018
Gorman, James. “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience.
This week I read Sarah Goodell’s review on the article “Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes.” She did many good things in this review including adding quotes from the original article. By doing this, it makes the review more interesting and builds credibility for the author, making the reader more inclined to believe his or her thoughts. Another thing that she does well is introducing the topics in an organized manner that is easy to comprehend. By doing so the reader can comprehend all of the topics and the purpose of the article more easily. Lastly, Sarah does a great job of showing the importance of the article and the great impact it holds on society.
Although Sarah does many good things, she does a couple of things poorly. I thought her critique paragraph was somewhat weak and could have used more criticism to improve the article. This would of shown the reader that Sarah is not just complying to what she has read but instead is carefully reviewing the information and how it was presented. Also, Sarah has some spelling and grammatical errors in her review. This distracts the reader from the main purpose and is a simple mistake that can be easily fixed.
Sarah wrote a very interesting review on spreading fungus deadly to snakes that have very intriguing impacts on science. It is very compelling that a fungus could potentially wipe out species of snakes, but I hope scientists find a way to prevent this. All in all, this was a very good review that was very informative.
Charlie Gay
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Mr. Ippolito
3/19/18
Gorman, James. "Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes." The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2018.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/science/snakes-fungus.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience
Current Events 19
I really enjoyed reading Sarah Goodell’s review on the article "Researchers Warn of a Spreading Fungus Deadly to Snakes." One thing that she did very well was she traced the study back all the way to 2006 and into the present. She told us what scientists knew about about the fungus in 2006 and what they now know. Another thing that Sarah does well is she quoted from the article. She wrote “a conservation biologist at the University of Maryland who collaborated on an analysis that concluded that any species of snake, anywhere, could be vulnerable.” This quote adds to the credibility of her review and allows us to hear directly from an expert on the topic. Lastly, I really liked Sarah’s summary. She did a great job of explaining the article and the fungus. Her summary made it very clear for the reader.
Although Sarah’s review was very well written, there are some areas that she could have improved on. For example, she did not do a good job of explaining some terms. She did not explain “hibernation sores” sores well. There were also a couple of other scientific words that she should have defined for her reader. Another thing that Sarah could have done better is that she could have provided the credentials on the people that she was quoting. She merely provided their names, which does not help add to the credibility of her review.
I learned a lot from this article. I had no idea that there was a fungus that could possibly wipe out snakes. This is clearly something that need to be researched because if snakes were to go extinct that could have damaging effects on other organisms that live in the same ecosystems that they live in. I chose this review because although I have a phobia of snakes, I am also very fascinated by them. I would love to do further research on this fungus that infects snakes. I think we should all look in to this fungus to make sure the proper amount of research is being put into it.