Why You Should Keep Your Stress And Study Separate -

Coping with stress is quite frantic when the universe keeps coming at you. However, if you let every little thing affect you, your mental health will take a severe beating. Therefore, you need to learn how to carefully and responsibly adapt to unfriendly situations and crucial environments. For example, if you’re a student stuck in an academic hurdle, instead of crying over it, you need to take action. For instance, look up essay writing services UK based which can facilitate you in that department. The more you wait, the more stressed you will be. Hence, it is important to ascertain the correct way to deal with life when it throws curveballs your way. To stay calm during a stressful situation, here are some useful tips to follow. Learn the art of appreciation: Overthinking is a curse which affects all human beings. Overthinking is the result of constant comparisons and lack of gratitude. As a student, you might be more focused on what your friend or other classmates are sco ring in their exams as opposed to how well you did. You would be upset if your friend received one mark more than you. However, if you focus on your performance and not the other way around, you can be much more satisfied. Practice gratitude and be grateful for what you already have instead of getting envious. Becoming envious of other people’s success will take you nowhere and you will only start exerting negative energy on others as well. Drop the ‘what if’ questions: One way to live in the moment is to enjoy and be content with the present. Stop worrying about what could have happened and start focusing on what you have. This doesn’t mean that you should stop improving your life. Work towards bettering your future but never let the dark thoughts overwhelm or consume you. Questions like ‘what if’ will only destroy your self-esteem and leave you with a feeling of inadequacy which is something that you must avoid at all costs. Limit your caf feine intake: Students are always filling their cups with caffeine as it improves and increases their concentration level and makes them more productive and attentive. However, caffeine withdrawal has poor symptoms which hamper your functioning, gives you headaches, jitters, and severe anxiety. So, you must never get addicted to coffee or tea and try to maintain your consumption level. Shift the perspective: One of the main issues that students often suffer from is the negative attitude towards self. They are their worst enemies and are constantly criticising themselves. Acknowledging your flaws and improving them is one thing, but when you constantly pull yourself down, unconsciously you start believing it. Therefore, try to focus on your character strengths and develop a positive outlook on Great things happen to those who have a positive attitude and a drive to better their current circumstance. They are grateful for the little things and never let the small incidents break them down.

The Purpose of Building a Portfolio Assessment

The Purpose of Building a Portfolio Assessment A portfolio assessment is a collection of student works that are associated with standards you are required to learn. This collection of work is often gathered over a long period of time to reflect what you have been taught as well as what you have learned. Each piece in the portfolio is selected because it is an authentic representation of what you have learned and is meant to demonstrate your current knowledge and skills. A portfolio by nature is a storybook capturing a students progression of learning as they move through the year. What Goes Into a Portfolio A portfolio can include classwork, artistic pieces, photographs, and a variety of other media all demonstrating the concepts that you have mastered. Each item that is selected to go in the portfolio is chosen within the parameters of the purpose of the portfolio itself. Many teachers require their students to write a reflection that correlates with each piece in the portfolio. This practice is advantageous for the student as they self-assess their work and may set goals to improve. Finally, the reflection helps reinforce the concept for the student and it provides some clarity for anyone reviewing the portfolio. Ultimately, the most authentic portfolios are built when the teacher and student work collaboratively to decide which pieces should be included to demonstrate mastery of a specific learning objective. The Purpose of Developing a Portfolio A portfolio assessment is often deemed an authentic form of assessment because it includes authentic samples of a students work.  Many advocates of the portfolio assessment argue that this makes it a superior assessment tool because it is demonstrates learning and growth over an extended period of time. They believe it is more indicative of what a students true abilities especially when you compare it to a standardized test that provides a snapshot of what a student can do on a particular day. Ultimately, the teacher guiding the portfolio process helps determine the purpose of the final portfolio. The portfolio may be used to show growth over time, it may be used to promote a students abilities, or it may be used to evaluate a students learning within a specific course. Its purpose may also be a combination of all three areas. The Pros of Using a Portfolio Assessment A portfolio assessment demonstrates learning over the course of time rather than what a student knows a particular day.A portfolio assessment provides an opportunity for a student to reflect on their learning, to self assess, and to formulate a deeper understanding of the concepts they are learning beyond a simple surface explanation.A portfolio assessment requires a great level of individual interaction between the student and teacher wherein they are always collaborating about the requirements and components going into the portfolio.   The Cons of Using a Portfolio Assessment Developing and assessing a portfolio is time-consuming. It takes a lot of effort from both the teacher and the student and is a demanding endeavor in which you can quickly fall behind.Portfolio assessments are very subjective in nature. Even if the teacher utilizes a rubric, the individualized nature of a portfolio makes it difficult to remain objective and stick to the rubric. Two students working on the same learning standard may have two totally different approaches thus learning may not be the same.

Ethno Nationalist Terrorism Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethno Nationalist Terrorism - Personal Statement Example In this regard, the avoidance of media attention on Israeli-Arabs is crucial for the maintenance of peace and prevention of war (Seib, 2005). If the Israeli-Arab situation was highlighted by the media, it would have a negative impact on Palestinians because of the biased reporting that portrays Arabs to be terrorists (Seib, 2005). As a result, the Palestinians would feel compelled to defend their religion against Israeli attacks. It is apparent that Palestinians are fighting for a separation from the Israel governance and would use this war to extend their intentions. Another impact of media exposure of the Israel-Arab war on the Palestinians is that it would increase the recruitment of citizens to join the war. This implies that the reporting would incite people, raising negative emotions that cause tension (Seib, 2005). This can cause an Arab-Jewish war across the world with religious nations taking sides to support their allies. It is essential to avoid media attention on this situation because it has previously contributed to the outbreak of attacks between Israeli and Palestinians concerning border, security and cont rol for Jerusalem issues (Seib, 2005). I do not think media is an avenue to help with countering terrorist activities because of its biased reporting and partisan approach. The media has been faulted for inciting viewers on certain issues that cause tensions between communities. The media should take neutral grounds through the choice of their words when dealing with ethno-nationalist terrorism to avoid animosity. In this way, the media is not helping with efforts towards countering terrorist actions in wars involving religious

Race, Ethnicity and Slavery in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Race, Ethnicity and Slavery in America - Essay Example Takaki argues that multicultural education ensures a comprehensive understanding of American History (Takaki, 34). This is crucial in situations involving Americans going to work in other countries as it helps them identify well and understand those cultures. It is of critical importance to highlight that both the two authors concur that ethnicity and racism bring about several conflicts. These may be in form of conflict of perception, opinions, and inclusion within the society. This may disrupt peace enjoyed within that society. James and Heather Olson Beal concur that the issue of racism leads to erosion of the culture of a nation and conflicts (Olson & Beal, 10). These authors also concur that the issue of ethnicity may cause unnecessary discrimination on people. This may make some people land jobs whereas preventing others from securing such jobs. James and Heather Olson Beal argue that the issue of ethnicity is a monster to national development as is associated with inequality a mongst individuals. As such, this may at times disrupt the peace of the society as it can cause several conflicts (Olson & Beal, 11). However, America being a culturally endowed nation has the moral responsibility to ensure that its entire people are considered one. It aims at unifying the different races and ethnic groups so that they can effectively coexist and share the different skills, expertise, talents, and capabilities towards a common goal. However, even though these authors perceive race and ethnicity in a negative perception, there are some advantages associated with different races and ethnic groups coming together (Takaki, 34). Circumstances involving coming together of different races and ethnic groups may ensure poor people from one race being encouraged by other prominent persons from other races, thus, promoting development. The spirit of inclusion through multicultural education also leads to a feeling of unity and promote peace (Takaki, 48). Being an American enta ils a lot. One must be able to understand that America is composed of several races and ethnic groups. Since these people have different cultural beliefs, traditions, and customs, there is a need to provide a harmonious ground that can suit all these people, with all their cultural diversities. This is crucial in ensuring development in several sectors on several perspectives in America. The issue of different races and ethnic communities residing in America is quite advantageous since it brings a sense of development with regard to diverse expertise, experiences, talents, and skills from the different ethnic groups. Therefore, promotion of unity and peace in America more so, through the American national anthem is core towards harvesting all these advantages associated with diverse cultures. It is of critical significance to note that race and ethnicity have played major roles in the history of America. In order to fully expound on this matter, it is crucial enough to understand th e meanings of these two terms; race and ethnicity. The term race refers to the biological differences that distinguish a group of people concerning their physiology. Race may apply to the distinction in skin color, color of hair and facial features. However, on the other hand, ethnicity refers to the distinction of individuals concerning their culture, beliefs, and traditions.  

Brand Values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brand Values - Essay Example The menu does differ country to country according to the tastes, culture, want and demands of the people. Around 20% of the restaurants are owned operated by KFC Corporation itself while the rest have all been off as franchises around the world. Based in Kentucky, KFC makes more than half its profits from international franchises and its largest division is in China having about 1700 outlets. KFC is division of the global fast-food franchiser YUM! which is the world’s largest restaurant companies in terms of system restaurants (Scribd, 2009). The last decade was when KFC realized the extent to which the international market was contributing to its huge success. Between 1988 and 1992, the companies profits and sales from the international arena nearly doubled, particularly in Asia where from 1993, KFC outlets were growing at 30% a year. Delivery, drive-through, carryout, and supermarket kiosks were all used to gain orders and customers around the world (WikiInvest, 2009). The market in China continued to expand and by 2001, KFC was the most recognized brand in China with over a 500 outlets there. By 2006, the number of outlets rose to 1700 in China. In the year 2000, it was proclaimed the world’s largest Fried Chicken Corporation and third largest fast-food chain. Profits and sales were often seen growing at 25% in some quarters while in others they remained highly competitive relative to the rival fast-food chains. KFC generally faces direct competition from chicken chains but it ranges greatly from prices to product features and even advertising. The major competitors of KFC are McDonalds Corporation, Burger King, Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits and Faircloth Food Services Inc. KFC has a very long history of over 50 years in as the most recognizable brand in chicken. It is indeed the leader in chicken thanks to KFC’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices

Gender Gap In Rates Of Offending

Gender Gap In Rates Of Offending To address this statement and draw a conclusion it is necessary to look at changes in society over time, as women have a different role now than they used to. Even though early criminology has often been gender blind, criminologist such as Lombroso and Pollak tried to make a connection with male crime to explain and answer the question why women do not commit as much crime ( Messerschmidt, 1993; Biel, 2008). It was not until feminist criminology came into force that it challenged the masculine nature of criminology, pointing to the repeated negligence and misrepresentation of women. As a result of such critique there was increasing attention to women and girls in criminological theory and research (Messerschmidt, 1993; Walklate, 2005). Additionally as the social role of women began to change, the view of their involvement in criminal behaviour began to change. As a consequence social, biological, economical and psychological explanations have been used to developed and explain why wo men commit crime and why they commit less crime than men. A reliable research finding (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008) is that women are seen to commit fewer and less serious offences than men, which became known as the gender gap in offending. Recently it has been reported the gap in violent offending has narrowed (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008; Rennison, 2009). What is unclear is whether the reported convergence is an accurate reflection of changes in violent offending or a manipulation of the data used: official records and self-report offending data. Determination of crime problems among women has been neglected within theoretical and empirical research compared with the crime problem among men. Womens crime, because of its size and character was not perceived as particularly dangerous. An important reason for this could be the fact that even in the earliest historical sources women often appeared as an object of the offence and not as it perpetrators (Messerschmidt, 1998). According to Kilday (2005) much of the history of women remained on the margin of criminological interests. Moreover Kilday (2005) argues that studies that examine women criminals tends to emphasize so called traditional acts of womens deviance such as prostitution, while perception of womens involvement in criminal activity has been dominated by their role as a victim rather than perpetrators of crime . What is more during 18th and 19th century Britain, criminality was highly gendered and focused on class. The vast majority of women who appeared before the court were from the poor and laboring classes, and most female criminals were considered far less threatening and problematic than men. As a consequence when women could not be criminalized in their own right it was thought that they must be influenced by men or by severe personal problems such as poverty (Kilday, 2005). One of the most commonly observed features of the criminological background is that a bulk of crime appears to be undertaken by men and boys (Messerschmidt, 1993). Fundamentally speaking major criminological theories are alarmingly and radically gender-blind. In other words when men and boys have been seen as the normal subjects in criminology the girls and women have attracted the attention of criminology only as a special category that allegedly explains the gender nature of crime (Messerschmitt, 1993) . Lombroso (1911) and Bagnor (1916) (cited in Messerschmitt, 1993; Szczepanik and Pospieszył, 2007) for example argue that women commit less crime due to their different biological make-up. They argue that such a woman is nothing but a man backward in the development. The main evidence for this is their lower weight, height, less body hair and fewer red blood cells. They have argued that the consequence of an organic inferiority is a natural inferiority. Lombroso (1920 cited in Klein,1996) specifies the born female offender as a woman, who is characterized by antagonism to motherhood, increased libido, tendency to immoral life , enjoys a good time, has a tendency to take part in male sport and wear more masculine clothes. They are more likely to be addicted to drugs and alcohol and display hostile behaviour. The most characteristic features of women criminals, they believed, were a bulky jaw, wild eyes, prominent cheeks, thin lips and a nap on the face (facial hair). Apart f rom these masculine traits female offenders also have characteristics typical for females such as cunning, cruelty, vanity and vindictiveness. What is more womens offences are thought to be influenced by male suggestion and that the female has no resistance to this. (Klein, 1996). Bjorqkvist (1994 cited in Howitt, 2009) claims that males and females do not differ in aggressiveness. They only differ in the way in which it is expressed. He further argues that women are physically seen as the weaker sex and are likely to learn different aggression strategies from those seen as the physically stronger sex being men. What is more, much of the feminist literature focuses on power relationships between the sexes. Because women have been restricted to domestic work and child-raising duties, their economic productivity was limited, which contributed to their dependent role. Consequently, because women are relegated to the household, they undergo less socialization experiences and that restricts their activities, whereas men maintain their power and dominance over economic resources and hold a position of power over women (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008). In addition, Messerschmitt (1986) suggests that through sex-role socialization, the family encourages its own members to adjust and conform to patriarchal ideologies. Furthermore private patriarchy accounts for the degree to which womens activities are restricted and the extent to which female work is unpaid within the family, when linking womens economic status and crime rates (Parker and Reckdenwald, 2008). One aspect of the gender gap in crime that has attracted significant attention within the research community as well as the media is the observation that the gender gap has narrowed somewhat over time ( Parker and Reckedenwald, 2008). Several explanations of this phenomenon have been offered, including legal, social and economical aspects. It was not until 1970 when argument about whether female offences were raising that it became a criminological issue. When Freda Adler (cited in Heidensohn and Gelstohorpe, 2007) argued that female crime rates had been rapidly rising between 1960s and 1970s, she claimed that not only crime rates had changed but patterns of womens offending had also changed to a more masculine style. Women it appeared, were becoming more aggressive and violent, due to the growth of the modern womens movement. Adler (cited in Heidensohn et al, 2007) put forward the theory that liberation in short was the cause of more crime. Granting equal rights to women had allowe d them to take action in many areas of social life by giving them the chance to take on new social roles, which were previously only available exclusively to men. The womens liberation movement brought not only economic independence but also the sense of psychological independence, with women gaining new aspirations and confidence in their own ability. These changes have created conditions conducive to the activation of women in the employment structure which has led to an increase in social status and more aggression in women. However Heidensohon et al. (2007) claims that the visible increase in female offending is that their conviction is mostly for most minor forms of offending which do not include weapons, and further argues that girls behaviour once seen and treated as a welfare issue, is now more criticized, criminalized and punished. It is difficult to determine precisely the extent of crime, due to the limitation arising from the analysis made based solely on official statistical sources made up of Police Recorded Data and British Crime Survey. Determination of the size of womens crime may pose a special kind of difficulty. Firstly, the lack of sufficient empirical data, secondly womens crime is seen to be guided by its own gender-specification. The so called dark figure of crime committed by women may be caused by the fact that the womens crime is usually crime carried out in private. Pollak (1950 cited in Messerschmidt, 1993; Klein, 1996) claim that womens and mens crime are likely to be equal, but because womens biology interacts with certain social conditions their criminality is largely masked . He argues that women can be addicted to crime that can be easily hidden such as shoplifting, thefts by prostitutes, abortion. Consequently the crimes women commit are more often unreported. What is more women are bi ologically more guileful than men and more able to conceal crime (Biel, 2008). Relatively speaking womens offending usually take place in private (e.g. home) while mens offending usually takes place in public (e.g. Theft). Pollak (1950 cited in Messerschmidt, 1993; Klein, 1996) believed that a root cause of low rate crime among women is chivalry in the criminal justice system. Relatively speaking women are treated more leniently than the men and Allans study (1987 cited in Heidensohon et al. 2007) suggests that violent women offenders received more sympathy for serious crimes than men. Also that single mothers and pregnant women were better treated then men. On the other hand Walker (2003 cited in Heidensohon et al. 2007) argues that the fact of pregnancy among female offenders does not affect the weight of the punishment and what is more, it is not seen as ethical or indeed successful. He claims many women achieved only temporary acquittal because of the fact of their pregnancy and were later punished. The structure of the crime committed by women is a reflection of their position, and the role of social and environmental influence. Heimer, (2000) claimed that the most widely endorsed hypothesis in favour of the narrowing of the gender gap is the economical marginalization hypothesis, which states that reduction in the gender gap in crime is an effect of financial instability of women. In other words the need to escape from poverty, economical dependency on man and economic hardship. Moreover expansion in the divorce rate and illegitimacy rates in recent years which have in turn led to more female-headed households where women have greater responsibility for their children resulted in a significant increase in economic pressure on women. Following this Zaplin, (1998) argues that an increase in female offending is a result of increased opportunity for female types of crime. The increase in the rate of female arrests for minor crimes (especially property crimes) reflects not only economic marginalization, but also an increase in opportunity for those crime categories. Relatively speaking females tend to commit crimes that involve little or no criminal skills, and now their range has expanded due to changes in merchandising and credit, which are easily accessible to women as the consumer and head of a family. As a consequence of this women have more opportunities to commit shoplifting, cheque fraud theft and welfare fraud. Another possible explanation according to Zaplin, (1998) is that rises in female arrest is a product of changes in public sentiment and enforcement policies that bring to attention the visibility, reporting and sanctioning of female offenders. Whereas Freda Adler (Heidensohon et al. 2007) argues that female crime rates has been rapidly rising between the 1960s and 1970s , the Home Office claimed that during this time the prison population of women was so low that they thought it may be possible to end womens imprisonment by the year 2000. However along with the new century , there was a very large growth of overall imprisonment rates for women. According to the Home Office study(Hunter, Hearnden and Gyateng, 2009) the following factors had an impact on the rise of the crime rate for women: a growth in the number of women coming before the courts, a rise in the proportion of women getting a custodial sentence and an increase in the length of prison sentences being imposed on women. As an example they state that in 1996-7, 95 per cent of the rise was in effect more women coming before the courts. What is more the Home Office argues that now courts tend to impose harsher sentences on women for less serious crimes. The growth of the crime rate among women may also be due to the impacts of new legislation, which has created new offences, hence it may indicate that the offending rate for women is growing. Another factor influencing the growth of the offending rate in women may be seen in social changes and social attitudes towards particular offences. Szczepaniak and Pospieszył (2008) argue that since the equal opportunity for men and women came into force, women started to be seen not only as a victims of domestic violence but also as perpetrators. What is more, men are now encouraged and willing to talk about and report to the police domestic violence against themselves. Zaplin, (1998) argues that the ability and willingness of women to commit crime is strongly pressured by social control, especially during their formative years. Females are more closely supervised and their misconduct discouraged by negative sanctions. Risk-taking behavior that is rewarded among boys is censured among girls. Careful observation of girls companions reduces the danger for influence by delinquent peers. Even as adults, women find their freedom to explore worldly temptation constricted by social control. Also females are far more likely than males to be motivated by relationship disturbances to commit an offence and they need a higher level of provocation before turning to crime. A sense of danger and threat to significant relationships play a greater role in female offending. If their close relationship with those who commit crime is threatened, they may be unwilling to compromise these relationship by abstaining from crime and therefore take part in criminal activitie s Zaplin,(1998). Despite the fact that the gender gap of offending is narrowing and women commit much more crime than they used to, women are far less likely to be involved in serious crimes, regardless of data sources and level of involvement ( Maguire et al 2007). According to the findings of the Ministry of Justice (2009:15) females aged between 10 and 25 were less likely than males to say they had committed a serious offence (eight per cent compared with twelve per cent). They were also less likely to be classed as frequent offenders (three per cent compared with eight per cent) and less likely to be categorized as serious and frequent offenders (five per cent compared with three per cent). Further findings show that males were more than twice as likely as females to have carried a knife (five per cent compared to two per cent); more males (15 per cent) than females (10 per cent) said they had committed a violent offence (defined as robbery and assault); males were more likely than females to hav e handled stolen goods (22 per cent compared to 16 per cent); and over a quarter of males (26 per cent) had committed at least one of four types of anti-social behaviour, a higher proportion than females (18 per cent). The girls and women who make up the greatest part of the criminal justice workload commit ordinary crimes mostly minor crimes such as theft and fraud, low level drug dealing, prostitution and simple assault against their children or partners. Additionally much of the time, a large majority of these women are associated with men who are without good prospects, are not ambitious and who often themselves are involved in some kind of criminal acts . Consequently these men along with the children are the main focus of these womans lives. The world of these men tends to be an extreme patriarchal one in which women are demoted to subordinate roles, exploited and treated with indifference by their male partners causing the women to lead lives that are often miserable and difficult. Routinely, it is they who are left to cope with the consequence of these mens unsuccessful escapades and the incarceration this can bring Szczepaniak and Pospieszy (2008). Lastly we should note that most of the criminological theories were developed by men specifically to explain male involvement in criminal behaviors. As a consequence it raises the question of whether such theories are useful in explaining female crime or whether female crime can be only explained by so called gendered-specific theories. Therefore some criminologist believe that the traditional theories developed to explain male crime are not well-suited to explain female crime. Zaplin (1998) argues that their andocentric origin, traditional, structural and social process theories are more or less gender neutral. As a consequence these theories may be useful in understanding overall male offending as well as overall female offending. What is more they can be also helpful in explaining why females commit less crime than men. Also he argues that many of the delicate and deep differences between male and female crime patterns may be better explained by gendered approaches. In conclusion it is difficult to find a clear answer to female offending and to the rise of the crime rate among them. Despite many studies and research papers founded on this topic there is still no consensus among professionals. We cannot hide the fact that female criminality is a social phenomenon that has many differences compared with the crime of men. The structure of the crimes committed by women is a reflection of their position, their role in society and environmental influences. Usually women commit crimes which are associated with low risk detection or lower sentences. They do not plan the commission of the crime as male criminals do, rather they use opportunistic situations. Many women scientists involved in the studying of crime and the demoralization among women, explain it as the process of emancipation. Along with gender equality, women began to take action until which recently was reserved only for men. There are also those who blame the new fashion for being strong as a reason for female involvement in crime .As the weaker sex becomes old-fashioned, the so called miming of male behaviour by women allow them to occupy leadership positions in the group.

Monotreme Reproductive Biology and Behavior :: Mammals Wildlife Essays

Monotreme Reproductive Biology and Behavior Monotremes are mammals that are oviparous, or egg-laying. There are only 3 extant species of monotremes: the playtpus and two species of echidna. Their reproductive systems are highly specialized to facilitate both the production of eggs and milk. The male tract is quite simple. The female tract has qualities similar to those of birds, though female echidnas also possess pouches. The monotreme egg is also very specialized and somewhat similar to a reptile egg. Platypuses and echidnas have very different behaviors when it comes to mating, but their genetics are quite similar. Monotremes possess a few large chromosomes and several unpaired microchromosomes. The descendants of the first radiation of mammals, monotremes have characteristics of both placentals and marsupials, while still retaining characteristics of reptiles and birds in a combination all their own. Introduction At first glance platypuses seem to be an amalgamation of mammals, birds, and everything in between. In fact, their reproduction biology also has much in common with a variety of animals—reptiles, birds, placentals and marsupial mammals. Platypuses belong to a group of animals called monotremes. These egg-laying mammals have been a mystery to researchers since their discovery by Westerners over 200 years ago. The first specimens of platypuses brought back to England were thought to be hoaxes similar to mermaids (Moyal, 2001). Found only in and around Australia, there are only three living species of monotremes: the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and two species of echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus, and Zaglossus bruijni). The word â€Å"monotreme† is Greek for â€Å"one-hole,† referring to the cloaca that is the exit for the urinary, reproductive, and excretory systems (Dawson, 1983). The creatures are oviparous--the females lay eggs that develop outside of her body. This paper will explain the background of the animals, the anatomy of the tract and egg, breeding behavior, and genetics behind this unique reproductive system. It will pay special attention to the similarities of the monotreme reproductive system to those of animals we are more familiar with. Background Monotremes are crepuscular animals only found in Australia and New Guinea.