Sample Essay 1 : Summer: 15 Days or 2 1/2 Months?

The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think about school for at least another 2 1/2 months. That is the way it should always be. Schools should continue using the traditional calendar and not a year-round schedule. There are numerous downsides to year-round schooling. It has no positive effects on education, it adds to costs, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer vacation.

Contrary to the well-accepted belief, year-round schooling has no constructive impact on education. Most year-round schedules use the 45-15 method: 45 days of school followed by 15 days off. Because of this, there are many first and last days of school. All those transitions disrupt the learning process. Also, there is no evidence of higher test scores. Due to that, many schools that change to year-round schedules end up switching back. For example, since 1980, 95 percent of schools that tried the year-round schedule changed back to a traditional calendar. It is obvious that changing to year-round schooling does not help students; therefore, why is the change necessary?

Like any other facility, keeping a school open requires a great deal of money. When a school changes to a year-round schedule, the costs skyrocket. Keeping school open in the middle of summer requires air conditioning, and that adds significantly to the school’s expenses. The usual utility bills grow because of the additional open-school time. Finally, teachers must be paid for all the weeks they are working. With all these factors, the cost of keeping schools open becomes immensely high. For example, a high school in Arizona had a cost increase of $157,000 when they switched to year-round schooling. Some schools may not be able to handle such increases, and other schools that can handle these expenses could be doing better things with the money. Is year-round school really where the money should go?

An important part of a child’s life is summertime. With year-round schedules, students would hardly have any time to relax. During the 15-day breaks, they would be thinking about their quick return to school. It would also be difficult to coordinate family vacations with parents’ work schedules. Similarly, children would not be able to go to most summer camps. One expert, Dr. Peter Scales, says, “The biggest plus of camp is that camps help young people discover and explore their talents, interests, and values. Most schools don’t satisfy all these needs. Kids who have these kinds of [camp] experiences end up being healthier and have fewer problems.” Obviously, the summer is crucial to a child’s learning and development. Why should this invaluable part of a young person’s life be taken away?

It is evident that year-round schooling is not the best option for the school calendar. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the traditional school year. Why change something that works so well? The final bell rings. Let’s make sure this bell means that the “real” summer vacation has come.

Imagine you are taking a math test, but you just cannot concentrate. This is why we need gum. Everyone wants that refreshing piece of gum within his or her mouth during school. There are many benefits to acquire gum at school. These benefits can help you perform better in school and help you learn more. Although some say that chewing gum is a horrible idea, when one views the research, they will discover there are great advantages.

One reason we must include gum at school is because it helps in keeping students awake. When I am at school, I witness many students looking sleepy or wanting to fall asleep. The solution to this predicament is gum. According to a scientific study by Kathleen Melanson from University of Rhode Island, when you chew gum your metabolism increases by 20 percent.(Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com) When someone’s metabolism is raised, they are more likely to stay awake. This evidence shows that gum needs to be allowed at school to help students stay awake.

Second, permitting gum chewing at school will help improve your test scores. According to research conducted by the American Society for Nutrition, they found out that students who chewed gum during class during a 14-week period, had a significant increase in test scores and received a better finishing grade compared to those who did not chewed gum. This example supports that schools need to tolerate gum in order for students to improve on tests.

Several people might say that gum is unhealthy and is not good for you. On the contrary, gum is pretty healthy and actually lots of different types of gum are sugar-free and have xylitol. Some evidence explains that xylitol reduces cavities by 70 percent (Trident Company.) That is a great bonus. Clearly, you should be able to chew gum at school, because you can get healthier and stronger teeth.

Lastly, gum can assist students concentrate. Research has exposed that the movement you make when you chew gum makes your brain think it is going to get food. Then, insulin, which enhances learning and memory, is released to the brain and helps it focus. (Andrew Scholey, Swinburne University, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com) In the U.S. military, soldiers have chewed gum since World War I to improve their concentration. (Wrigley Company) With the research stating these facts, it is clear that gum needs to be allowed at school to improve your concentration.

It is essential to recognize that chewing gum includes many great benefits, such as improving students’ test scores, concentration, and metabolism. Before one sees the research, gum-chewing might sound like a horrific idea. In fact, chewing gum really is a great thing to allow at schools. So, if people want to improve students’ ability to do better in school, gum-chewing should be allowed at schools.

Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________ Hr: ___

Sample Essay 1