Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.

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Dominant patterns

Definition- could be stated formally or informally.

a. simple words with special meaning in science or any other technical field
b. technical terms
c. difficult or high sounding words

FORMAL DEFINITION
It has three parts: term, genus, and differentia

a. Term – the concept defined

b. Genus – the family to which the term belong

c. Differentia – the specific characteristics of the species which sets it apart from
all
others of it class

TERM GENUS DIFFERENTIA

A triangle a plane figure bounded by three straight lines having three

angles

Extended Formal Definition

A one-sentence definition sometimes is not in defining a complex or highly

specialized term. A reader might be dissatisfied with this explanation, especially if it
occurred in a report particularly concerned with the subject . He might very well ask what
the term is not, where it is located, what its function is, what its effects are.

Take the term “ozone” as an example.

A formal sentence goes like this:

“A bluish gaseous reactive form of oxygen that is formed naturally in the atmosphere and
is used for disinfecting, deodorizing, and bleaching”.

POINTERS TEXT

What ozone is -which some people wrongly think is the

refreshing
air at the Seaside,is a poisonous type of oxygen .At
ground level, it makes up less than one part per
million of the air. However,
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Location of Ozone -a thin layer of ozone about 24 kms, above ground
level the
stratosphere, blocks outmost of the sun’s
burning

Function of ozone - ultraviolet rays

Effect of ozone destroyed - If these rays reached the ground, they would kill all
land animals and plants. That is why, this poisonous
gas shield is important. There is considerable
concern
over reports of the possible destruction of this ozone
layer by the pollutants.

Sources: Technical Writing and Reporting by J.I.L. Igoy, Ph.D. et al.

Interactive Technical Writing by P.C. Villamarzo, J.G. Relis and E.E. Cruz
http://angelitaoblianda.blogspot.com/2011/02/module-02-basic-technical-
writing.html

 Mechanism Description
A mechanism is generally defined as any object or system that has a working part or
parts. Most often the term suggests tools, instruments, and machines. But other
examples of mechanisms could be the human body and systems like the universe or
a city, which is composed of parts that work together like parts of a machine. A
technical man constantly works with mechanisms and always needs to understand
them; what they do, what they look like, what parts they have, and how these parts
work together.
There are three fundamental divisions of the description and these are the
introduction, the part-by-part description, and the conclusion.
Because the description of a mechanism seldom constitutes an article or report by
itself, the introduction required is usually rather simple. The two elements that need
most careful attention are:
1. the initial presentation of the mechanism
2. the organization of the description

Source: http://crewcite.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/description-of-mechanism/

Examples:
a.) A laptop computer is a personal computer that is portable or easy to carry around, and
is
similar to a desktop computer because it incorporates all of the same elements. Laptops
are
designed for internet use, producing documents, graphic design, storing files, and
communicating with others.
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The laptop originated in the military, but was not widely used like the desktop
computer,
because it was too small for personal use. Also, it did not have ideal storage capacity.
However,
technological advancements have greatly improved a laptops storage capabilities. Making
it a
widely used instrument in the business industry and for scholars as well. Also, laptops are
highly
priced in comparison to desktop computers. Even so, there are some laptops that are
priced
much lower than desktop computers, but they are not equipped to store information like
regular laptops.
The laptop operates with the use of battery power, or can be plugged into an
electrical outlet. It performs typed commands, and is used to communicate with others or
to
produce documents and designs. Furthermore, laptops have internal software storage
capabilities, and some laptops are enclosed for high performance gaming
The laptop has several main parts, the monitor, keyboard, mouse, computer memory,
hard disk, motherboard, and the central processing unit.

Source: Oak, M.(2010).What are the main parts of a Computer. Retrieved on May 8,
2010 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-are-the-main-parts-of-the-
computer.html.
Karlonia.(2007).Introduction to laptop computers and their features. Retrieved on May 8,
2010
from http://www.karlonia.com/2009/02/19/laptop-computer- features/.
http://communicationamerica.blogspot.com/p/sample-technical-writing-mechanism.html

b.)
Mechanism Description: Electric Can Opener
The electric can opener is a device that opens metal cans easily. The device comes in
varying sizes but is usually nine inches high, six inches wide, and four inches deep. This
device is usually foundas a plastic box covered with a metal shield and has a metal handle
hanging to the right side of thetop face of the front of the electric can opener.
The device operates by placing the edge of a can into the slot near the small wheel
on the outerface of the can opener. The user then lowers the operating lever.
Lowering the operating leverseals the can in place, causing the motor to turn the
feed gear as the can rotates. The cutter leavesa serrated cut along the lip of the lid of
the can. A magnet holds the separated lid in place whenthe can is removed. The
three main components are the interna l motor, the outer casing, and
thecan opener mechanism.
INTERNAL MOTOR
The internal motor consists of a motor, hidden from view, that turns when the operating
levermoves downwards. The motor connects to three gears. The first gear is the pinion
gear and isclosest to the motor. The pinion gear turns the other two gears when
Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
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it is activated. Those twogears are the spur gear and the idler gear. This mechanism
connects through the face of theelectric can opener to a fourth gear, called the feed gear,
which is visible to the user (see Figure 1).
OUTER CASING
The plastic outer case of the electric can opener features a power cord connected to a
rectangular,upright case. This case shields the inner workings of the electric can opener
from view. Visible onthe front of the case is a metal shield where cans are opened. This
metal plate provides a sturdy shield to keep the user from shattering the plastic case while
opening cans.
CAN OPENER MECHANISM
The can opener mechanism consists of the operating lever, the switch button, the feed
gear, themagnet, and the cutter (see Figure 1). The switch button and the operating lever
work together toactivate the electric can opener, but users typically activate the device by
lowering the operatinglever. The feed gear and the cutter turn and cut the can open for the
user, while the magnet keepsthe lid in place to allow withdrawing a freshly opened can.
Published by Warren Jason Street
http://www.scribd.com/doc/47646201/Electric-Can-Opener-Mechanism-Description

 Process description

A process is a series of steps to get something done. There are processes that can easily
be demonstrated by showing how the procedure is dine step by step. The demonstrator
must explain first what the process is; give the steps to be followed and then show how
these steps should be executed. To avoid errors or complications, the things to be avoided
must also be mentioned and explained. Some examples of these processes are as follows:
how to make a terrarium; how to make a simple-give away items; how to clean a
microscope; and how to operate a computer.

Example:

a.)

How to Operate a Computer

Level of difficulty: Beginner

This procedure attempts to outline the basics in operating a computer system based on the
assumption that it is running under the Microsoft Windows XP Operating System
platform with normal components such as CD or DVD drive, Network Interface Card,
and video card installed in the CPU. The steps outlined are formatted in such a way that it
is applicable to the two most common computer system architectures: the desktop and the
laptop. Essentially, a desktop computer is just what its name suggests. It is big enough to
sit on the desk and is considered as the most common type of computer system. A laptop
or sometimes referred to as a “notebook” is a smaller and more mobile version of the
desktop machine and is normally used in the same manner but with relatively lower
power requirements.
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Materials Needed:
- CPU
- keyboard
- monitor
- mouse
- speakers
- printer
- Operating System

Step 1
Prior to powering up the computer system, make sure that the power cord is firmly
connected to the back panel of the CPU and is plugged into the wall socket.

Step 2
Check if the video cable is firmly screwed to the port of the video card with the other end
connected to the back panel of the monitor.

Step 3
Make sure that both the keyboard and mouse pointing device are securely plugged to the
back panel. Also, check if they are connected to the correct port by checking on the
markings. Steps 1 to 3 are essentially easy to do because aside from the mouse and
keyboard devices, other components can only be plugged into their proper ports
preventing the novice user from interchanging them.

Step 4
When all connections are secure, start up the machine by pressing the power button
normally located in the front panel of the CPU.

Step 5
Depending on the configuration of the machine, a username and password may be
requested; otherwise, the Operating System may be loaded directly to display the desktop
to the user.

Step 6
Other basic operations that can be done include adjusting monitor settings in Step 8.
Installation and launching of software is outlined in Step 10. Navigation of the file
system is detailed from Step 15.

Step 7
The proper way to shut down or turn off the computer system is by clicking on the 'Start'
button and choosing the 'Turn Off Computer' option. This will display the options to
'Standby', 'Restart', or 'Turn Off' the machine.

Step 8
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To adjust the monitor settings, right click on any blank portion of the desktop and select
the 'Properties' option from the context menu.

Step 9
On the 'Display Properties' window, select the 'Settings' tab to adjust the resolution of the
screen. The 'Themes' tab will allow the loading of pre-designed Windows themes. The
'Desktop' tab provides the way for changing the color of the desktop as well as the
displayed wallpaper. The 'Appearance' tab provides the various options of changing the
behavior of the windows, icons, and other elements of the platform, while the 'Screen
Saver' tab shows the option to allow the monitor to go on standby or display animation.

Step 10
To extend the functionality of any computer system, software is normally installed into
the local hard drive. A software installer may be through some media like a CD or DVD
or from being downloaded from the Internet.

Step 11
For CD or DVD installers, insert the installation disk in the CD or DVD drive of the
machine. This will be automatically read and launched by the Operating System.

Step 12
When the installation process is initiated, a new window will normally be displayed to
the user. Majority of newer installers provide either a default or an advanced installation
procedure. In most cases, simply click on the default process to allow the installer to
complete the entire process with minimum user intervention.

Step 13
Upon completion of the installation process, a user may be prompted to reboot the
machine. Follow the guide in Step 7 to accomplish this task.

Step 14
To launch the software, simply click on the 'Start' Menu, choose 'All Programs' and select
from the menu the program intended to be run. An alternative to this process is to check
if a shortcut link is created on the Desktop. Clicking this icon will also launch the
associated program.

http://angelitaoblianda.blogspot.com/2011/02/technical-writing.html

 b.) Grilled Lamb Chops

If you haven’t ever tried them, you’d be hard pressed to find a more delicious item
for your outdoor grill than irresistibly delicious, lamb chops. By following the simple
steps outlined below you too can enjoy the great taste of the most excellent of all
grilled meats.
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First, chose lamb chops from a reputable butcher. Tell them exactly how you want
them cut (thick is best) and be sure to let them know that they are for the grill. In
this way, you will be certain to get meat that can take the heat of the grill without
shrivelling away to nothing but a bunch of charred bones. You should figure on about
a pound of meat for each average adult.

Next, make a marinade to soak the meat in before you grill them. Figure anywhere
from 8 to 24 hours for the meat to marinade (the longer the better). To make the
marinade combine a table spoon of dried mustard powder with a table spoon each of
salt and pepper in a small bowl. (this is the dry mixture) Then, combine the juice of
three whole lemons with a cup or more (depending on the amount of meat) of white
wine and a few sprinkles of wine vinegar. (this is the wet mixture)

After the marinade mixtures are prepared, place the meat side by side in a large flat
pan. Next, pour the wet mixture over the meat so that the bottom of the pan is
covered and making sure that most of the meat is covered as well. Once the met is
covered with the wet mixture let it set for a few hours. After a period of time, flip the
meat over and cover the meat with the dry mixture. Squeeze a lemon over the top of
the meat to cause the dry mixture to stick to the meat.

While the meat is marinating start the grill by setting fire to the charcoal briquettes.
When the briquettes near readiness (they should be nearly white with little or no
visible flames) place the grate of the grill over the flames so that it can become hot
(after it has been cleaned from the last cook out).

Finally, place the meat onto the grate over the fire. The meat should be turned a few
times to prevent its burning and is ready when the meat is cooked fully through
without signs of excess burning. Serve with potatoes and salad and maybe a good
wine or an ice cold beer. Once you take your first bite you’ll definitely join the “I love
grilled lamb chops club”.

http://www.michigan-proficiency-exams.com/description-of-a-process.html
 Classification

It is the process of dividing material into kinds or classes. It involves not only
dividing the subject into its constituent classes but also grouping similar units in
a sub-class which in turn falls into a larger class.

Principles Involved:

1. Classify constituently in a single basis which points to a fundamental

distinction among the members of the class. For example, the characteristics of
the paper may be divided into physical, optical, chemical, electrical, and
microscopical.

2. The basis of clssification should further the purpose controlling it.

Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
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3. Classification should not overlap.

4. Name all the species according to a given basis.

Example:
a.)
roses, tulips, violets, forget-me-nots, orchids, lotus, water lilies, tiger lilies

AQUATIC PLANTS TERRESTRIAL PLANTS AERIAL PLANTS

lotus, water lilies roses, tulips, violets, orchids
forget-me-nots, tiger lilies

source: http://angelitaoblianda.blogspot.com/2011/02/technical-writing.html

b.) "Each of Jamaica's four great gardens, although established along similar
principles, has acquired its own distinctive aura. Hope Gardens, in the heart of
Kingston, evokes postcard pictures from the 1950s of public parks, gracious and
vaguely suburban and filled with familiar favorites--lantana and marigolds--as well
as exotics. Bath has retained its Old World character; it is the easiest to conjure as it
must have looked in Bligh's time. Cinchona of the clouds is otherworldly. And
Castleton, the garden established to replace Bath, fleetingly evokes that golden age
of Jamaican tourism, when visitors arrived in their own yachts--the era of Ian
Fleming and Noel Coward, before commercial air travel unloaded ordinary mortals
all over the island."
(Caroline Alexander, "Captain Bligh's Cursed Breadfruit." The Smithsonian, Sep.
2009)

 Partition
It is an analysis that divides a singular item into parts, steps, or aspects. Only
singular subjects can be partitioned; plural subjects are clssified. Parttion breaks
down into its componoents a concrete subject such as a tree (parts: roots, trunk,
branches and leaves), or an abstract subjects, such as inflation (aspects: causes,
effects on consumers, etc.).
Source: http://angelitaoblianda.blogspot.com/2011/02/technical-writing.html
Examples
a.)
“So you can see what the situation is; and now you must decide yourselves what is
to be done. It seems to me best first to discuss the character of the war, then its
scale, and finally the choice of a commander."
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(Cicero, "De Imperio Cn. Pompei." Cicero: Political Speeches, trans. by D.H. Berry.
Oxford Univ. Press, 2006)
b.) Example:

THE HUMAN HEART

The human heart is a pear-shaped structure about the size of a fist. It lies
obliquely within the chest cavity just left of center, with the apex pointing
downward.

The heart is constructed of a special kind of muscle called myocardium or

cardiac muscle, and is enclosed in a double-layered, membranous sac known as
the pericardium. A wall of muscle divides the heart into two cavities: the left
cavity pumps blood throughout the body, while the right cavity pumps blood only
through the lungs. Each cavity is in turn divided into two chambers, the upper
ones called atria, the lower ones ventricles.

Venous blood from the body, containing large amounts of carbon dioxide,
returns to the right atrium. It enters the right ventricle, which contracts, pumping
blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. Oxygenated blood returns from
the lungs to the left atrium and enters the left ventricle, which contracts, forcing
the blood into the aorta , from which it is distributed throughout the body.

In addition, the heart employs a separate vascular system to obtain blood for its
own nourishment. Two major coronary arteries regulate this blood supply.

djavellana50.tripod.com/collegecomposition/id4.html

 Comparison

A rhetorical strategy and method of organization in which a writer examines

similarities and/or differences between two people, places, ideas, or things.

Examples

a.)  Complaining vs. Moaning

"Visitors to Britain are rarely able to grasp--sometimes after decades of
residency--the vital distinction its inhabitants make between complaining
and moaning. The two activities seem similar, but there is a profound
philosophical and practical difference. To complain about something is to
express dissatisfaction to someone whom you hold responsible for an
unsatisfactory state of affairs; to moan is to express the same thing to
someone other than the person responsible. The British are powerfully
Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
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embarrassed by complaining, and experience an almost physical recoil from
people who do it in public. They do love to moan though. The background
music of British life is a running aria of moaning about pretty much
everything--our weather, our politics, our permanently under-performing
national sports teams, our reality-TV-obsessed media, and so on. Moaning, a
source of entertainment in its own right, is also an important psychic comfort
blanket, a way of venting resentment without taking responsibility for
effecting change."
(John Lanchester, "Party Games." The New Yorker, June 7, 2010)
b.)  European Football vs. American Football
"Although European football is the parent of American football, the two
games show several major differences. European football, sometimes called
association football or soccer, is played in more than 80 countries, making it
the most widely played sport in the world. American football, on the other
hand, is popular only in the United States and Canada. Soccer is played by 11
players with a round ball. Football, also played by 11 players in somewhat
different positions on the field, uses an elongated round ball. Soccer has little
body contact between players, and therefore requires no special protective
equipment. Football, in which players make maximum use of body contact to
block a running ball carrier and his teammates, requires special headgear
and padding. In soccer, the ball is advanced toward the goal by kicking it or
by butting it with the head. In football, on the other hand, the ball is passed
from hand to hand across the opponent's goal. These are just a few of the
features that distinguish association and American football."
(student paragraph, "Football and Soccer")

http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/comparison2term.htm

 Contrast- A rhetorical strategy and method of organization in which a writer

identifies the differences between two people, places, ideas, or things.

Examples:

a.)

There are about four times in a man's life, or a woman's, too, for that matter, when
unexpectedly, from out of the darkness, the blazing carbon lamp, the cosmic
searchlight of Truth shines full upon them. It is how we react to those moments that
forever seals our fate. One crowd simply puts on its sunglasses, lights another cigar,
and heads for the nearest plush French restaurant in the jazziest section of town,
sits down and orders a drink, and ignores the whole thing. While we, the Doomed,
Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
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caught in the brilliant glare of illumination, see ourselves inescapably for what we
are, and from that day on sulk in the weeds, hoping no one else will spot us."
(Jean Shepherd, "The Endless Streetcar Ride," 1966)

b.) "The word 'value,' it is to be observed, has two different meanings, and
sometimes expresses the utility of some particular object, and sometimes the
power of purchasing other goods which the possession of that object
conveys. The one may be called 'value in use'; the other, 'value in exchange.'
The things which have the greatest value in use have frequently little or no
value in exchange; and, on the contrary, those which have the greatest value
in exchange have frequently little or no value in use. Nothing is more useful
than water; but it will purchase scarce anything; scarce anything can be had
in exchange for it. A diamond, on the contrary, has scarce any value in use, but
a very great quantity of goods may frequently be had in exchange for it."
(Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776)

http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/Contrast.htm

 Causal Analysis is the most common form of writing in academic and

professional career areas. It explores the reasons why or how something
occurred or the results or consequences that resulted from an action.
http://home.roadrunner.com/~elvenoaks/Nicolet/Causal/13Causal_print.ht
ml

Examples:
a.) Dewey Cheatham
English 101: W443
Professor Pepin
February 29, 1998
Soccer: Why It Can't Make
the Big Time in the U.S.A.

Soccer — or football (or foosball or futbol), as it is called by the rest of the world outside the United States
— is surely the most popular sport in the world. Every four years, the world championship of soccer, the
World Cup, is watched by literally billions all over the world, beating out the United States professional
football's Superbowl by far. It is estimated that 1.7 billion television viewers watched the World Cup final
between France and Brazil in July of 1998. And it is also a genuine world championship, involving teams
from 32 countries in the final rounds, unlike the much more parochial and misnamed World Series in
American baseball (that doesn't even involve Japan or Cuba, two baseball hotbeds). But although soccer
has become an important sport in the American sports scene, it will never make inroads into the hearts and
markets of American sports the way that football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and even tennis and golf
have done. There are many reasons for this.

Recently the New England Revolution beat the Tampa Bay Mutiny in a game played during a horrid
rainstorm. Nearly 5000 fans showed up, which shows that soccer is, indeed, popular in the United States.
However, the story of the game was buried near the back of the newspaper's sports section, and there was
Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
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certainly no television coverage. In fact, the biggest reason for soccer's failure as a mass appeal sport in the
United States is that it doesn't conform easily to the demands of television. Basketball succeeds enormously
in America because it regularly schedules what it calls "television time-outs" as well as the time-outs that
the teams themselves call to re-group, not to mention half-times and, on the professional level, quarter
breaks. Those time-outs in the action are ideally made for television commercials. And television coverage
is the lifeblood of American sports. College basketball lives for a game scheduled on CBS or ESPN (highly
recruited high school players are more likely to go to a team that regularly gets national television
exposure), and we could even say that television coverage has dictated the pace and feel of American
football. Anyone who has attended a live football game knows how commercial time-outs slow the game
and sometimes, at its most exciting moments, disrupt the flow of events. There is no serious objection,
however, because without television, football knows that it simply wouldn't remain in the homes and hearts
of Americans. Also, without those advertising dollars, the teams couldn't afford the sky-high salaries of
their high-priced superstars.

Soccer, on the other hand, except for its half-time break, has no time-outs; except for half-time, it is
constant run, run, run, run, back and forth, back and forth, relentlessly, with only a few seconds of
relaxation when a goal is scored, and that can happen seldom, sometimes never. The best that commercial
television coverage can hope for is an injury time-out, and in soccer that happens only with decapitation or
disembowelment.

Second, Americans love their violence, and soccer doesn't deliver on this score the way that American
football and hockey do. There are brief moments, spurts of violence, yes, but fans can't expect the full-time
menu of bone-crushing carnage that American football and hockey can deliver minute after minute, game
after game. In soccer, players are actually singled out and warned — shamed, with embarrassingly silly
"yellow cards," for acts of violence and duplicity that would be smiled at in most American sports other
than tennis and golf.

Third, it is just too difficult to score in soccer. America loves its football games with scores like 49 to 35
and a professional basketball game with scores below 100 is regarded as a defensive bore. In soccer, on the
other hand, scores like 2 to 1, even 1 to 0, are commonplace and apparently desirable; games scoreless at
the end of regulation time happen all the time. (In the 515 games played in the final phase in the history of
the World Cup games through 1994, only 1584 goals have been scored. That's three a game!) And if there
is no resolution at the end of overtime, the teams resort to a shoot-out that has more to do with luck than
with real soccer skills. Worse yet, it is possible for a team to dominate in terms of sheer talent and "shots-
on-goal" and still lose the game by virtue of a momentary lapse in defensive attention, a stroke of bad luck,
and the opponent's break-away goal. Things like that can happen, too, in baseball, but the problem
somehow evens out over baseball's very long season of daily games. In soccer, it just isn't fair. Soccer
authorities should consider making the goal smaller and doing away with the goalie to make scoring easier.
And the business of starting over after each goal, in the middle of the field, has to be reconsidered. It's too
much like the center-jump after each goal in the basketball game of yesteryear.

It seems unlikely that Americans will ever fully comprehend or appreciate a sport in which players are not
allowed to use their arms and hands. Although the footwork of soccer players is a magnificent skill to
behold, most American fans are perplexed by straitjacketed soccer players' inability and unwillingness to
"pick up the darn ball and run with it!" The inability to use substitutes (unless the player to be substituted
for is lying dead or maimed on the field of play) is also bewildering to Americans, who glorify the "sixth
man" in basketball and a baseball game in which virtually the entire roster (including an otherwise
unemployable old man called "the designated hitter") is deployed on the field at one time or another.

Finally, the field in soccer is enormous. Considerably larger than the American football field, the soccer
field could contain at least a dozen basketball courts. Americans like their action condensed, in a small field
of vision — ten enormous sweaty people bouncing off one another and moving rapidly through a space the
size of a medium-sized bedroom, twenty-two even larger people in bulky uniforms converging on a small,
oddly shaped ball. In soccer, on the other hand, there is a premium on "spreading out," not infringing upon
the force field occupied by a team-mate, so that fancy foot-passing is possible. This spreading out across
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the vast meadow of the soccer playing field does not lend itself, again, to close get-down-and-dirty
television scrutiny.

Soccer is a great sport and it certainly deserves the increased attention and popularity it is getting on all
levels. But — primarily, again, because it does not lend itself to television — it will never make it big in
the United States the way these other sports have, not until it changes some of its fundamental strategies.

b.) 34 Million Sardines in a Can

Is there anything more frustrating than sitting in rush hour traffic, day after day, knowing that it
will never get better? How does standing in line at the grocery story, spending a full day at the crowded
Department of Motor Vehicles, or having to squeeze into the packed elevator in a downtown high-rise
sound? These are but a few minor, yet inconvenient, effects of the population explosion we Californian’s
are facing. Our geographical space is not getting any larger, but our population is. The 2000 census showed
California’s population increased by 13.6% over 1990 census figures to 33,871,648 people. California adds
over 550,000 people annually, which is roughly equivalent to adding the entire population of the state of
Vermont every year. Why is California so over crowded and what are the potential long-term effects of this
overcrowding?

First of all, let’s look at some of the reasons why California is so overcrowded.

Probably the biggest single reason people live in California is the weather. California

is, meteorologically speaking, a very desirable place to live. There is a wide variety

of weather from the snow-capped mountains of Northern California, to the valleys

and deserts of Southern California. Between the two, there is the lush, rainy wine

country of Sonoma County, the breezy coastal beach cities of Orange County, and the

sweltering desert communities of San Diego and Riverside Counties. Together, these

places offer atmospheric conditions for most everyone’s taste. Spend one winter in

Minnesota and then try to come back and complain about how undesirable our

weather is. There will not be much sympathy given by those around the country

wishing they were here.

Other reasons people reside in California are the different forms of

entertainment that are available. From skiing in the mountains to surfing at the
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beaches, there is always some form of physical activity in which to engage during

most of the year. Other entertainment options include a wide variety of amusement

parks, sporting events, the television and the motion picture industry, museums,

fine dining establishments, and more shopping venues than could be visited in a

year. These events might seem like a luxury to some, or perhaps a “must do” to

others, but either way, they are definitely a magnet to those who do not consider

themselves a “couch potato.”

Our strong job market has been the “dangling carrot” for many over the

years. The aerospace boom of the 1990’s, for example, saw thousands of jobs

created when large government contracts were signed. If California were a nation all

to itself, it would boast the 6th largest economy in the world. Unfortunately, this

strong job market has bolstered the problem of illegal immigration. Refugees from

neighboring countries enter the United States illegally with the hope of finding work

and being able to send money back to their families in their home country. This

illegal border crossing is exacerbated by California’s liberal immigration policy.

Governor Gray Davis and other state officials have increased the number of aliens it

will let in on student and work visas. Statistics from the Census Bureau show many

of these people stay in the state illegally after the expiration of their respective visas.

If the alien has a child, who is born on U.S. soil, the child is automatically a U.S.

citizen, thus making it very easy for the parents to qualify for citizenship. A

comparison shows one out of four of California’s residents were born outside of the

United States, while the national average is one out of ten born outside the U.S.
Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
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Now that we have looked at reasons why California is so overcrowded, let’s

examine some of the short and long term effects of this problem. In the August 2001

edition of the Negative Population Growth online journal, California Historian Kevin

Starr wrote: “The key challenge facing this state for the next century will be growth.”

The Negative Population Growth (NPG) web site has statistics and articles related to

the overpopulation of the nation and individual states. They cite sources such as the

California Legislative Analyst’s Office who released the following statement:

“California’s staggering population growth is diminishing quality of life in the state. This
Office warns that continued growth will produce additional strains on the state’s physical
and environmental infrastructure, including demands on the energy sector, transportation
system, parks, and water delivery system.”

The NPG goes on to talk about how as the population increases, habitats of

species are destroyed to create room for housing and roads. Less than 1/10th of the

state’s original wetlands are still around. One hundred and ten animal species and

one hundred and seventy nine plant species are endangered or threatened as a

result of construction demands. There are over 100,000 new students added

annually to California schools, which are already the most overcrowded in the

nation. Estimates from the State Department of Education show that sixteen new

classrooms will need to be built every day, seven days a week, for the next five years

to accommodate the ever-growing population. California averages 217 people per

square mile in the state, which is nearly triple the national average of 79.6 people

per square mile. San Francisco has an average density of 16,526 people per square

mile. This overcrowding has resulted in high housing prices and apartment

shortages, which force some people to live many miles from work. This increased
Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
3A8
distance means more time spent commuting and adds to the congestion on the

roadways.

The United States will likely never institute a law like the Chinese

government has which limits the number of children a family can have. We as

citizens of this country are guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by

the Bill of Rights. However, as a group, we must recognize our population problem

now before it becomes uncontrollable. We must find alternative energy and food

sources, plan for a shortage in housing, look for advances in medicine to cure

sicknesses, and strive to protect our environment. We are a guest on this beautiful

planet and have selfishly let our own desires get in the way of common sense. The

answer is not a simple one, nor will it likely be one dimensional. It took many years

for us to get to this point and will take many more for us to find a viable solution.
Castillo, Arleigh Shayne A.
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Work Cited

Negative Population Growth. Population report for the State of California. Aug. 2001.
<http://www.npg.org/states/ca.htm>.

 Interpretation- is the art of establishing a meaningful pattern of relationships among a group of

facts. (Mills & Walter, 1954)