Sunday, January 26, 2020

History Of Homelessness In America

History Of Homelessness In America Homelessness is a social problem that relates to the condition of people without a regular private house and shelter. People passing through social issue of homelessness are most often not capable to obtain and preserve standard, harmless, protected, and satisfactory accommodation, or lack fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence. There is no standard definition of homelessness and it differs from region to region, or among different entities or institutions in the same country or region. The scope of homeless is vary vast and it also comprise people whose prime night-time dwelling is in a homeless shelter, a warming center, a domestic violence shelter, cardboard boxes or other informal housing situation. In USA people also are covered under homeless record and are included in research studies who sleep in a public or private place not intended for use as an expected sleeping place for human beings. From different researches its predicted that almost 100 million people acros s globe were homeless in 2005. In western regions and areas of world the large majority of homeless are men (75-80%) (Culhane and Associates, 2012). History of Homelessness in America: Homelessness is not a contemporary issue it is predicted that it is found in American society in the early ages of 1640. In early history the homelessness was related to moral issue and obligation and people who were homeless visit town to town to prove their worth but in recent era it is more related to a social problem. People who are homeless are facing severe issue is contemporary world related to health and social initiatives. Homelessness can be caused from several perspectives. From different researches it is depicted that the most common caused behind homelessness are industrialization, wars, natural disasters, racial inequalities, medical problems, character flaws, etc. industrial revolution started in 1820s. This gives rise to migrations of people from rural areas to urban areas that give rise to the main causes of homelessness because of job searches and earn living standard. Violent crimes also started because of this migration and sudden rise in population. The policies at that time also lead to devastating issues relating death and mental illness because of homelessness. The major rise was faced in 1850s when most parents send their young children to remain independent because of rise in cost of living, this give rise to adults homelessness. The civil wars also give rise to homelessness in 1890s most people were homeless because of several causes from the civil war destructions. Another most important cause relates back to natural disasters i.e. Earthquake, fires, and Droughts caused in 1920s and 30s. The causes give rise to poverty and thus people lack support to build their houses. The income level drops because of increased population and unemployment which also moved society towards increase rate of homeless people. The financial crisis recently gives rise to more destructive situation that leads towards enhanced homelessness problem. The contemporary homelessness can be seen in surrounding that many children, youth, and old age people are hom eless (Culhane, 2008). Causes of Homelessness: Different researches are done to find the main causes that lead to homelessness. The causes can be categorized into three areas that are personal, structural, and homeless peoples own causes. Personal Issues: There are several personal and social factors that lead to homelessness. The common factors are outlined below: Individual factors: like drug abuse, character flaws, lacking qualifications, debts, no social support, poor health regarding mental and physical conditions, peer relations of bad company. Family factors: disputes and family conflicts, physical and sexual abuse while adulthood and family background of homelessness. Institutional factors: living in foster care, as prisoner, and employed in armed forces. Structural Issues: There are several social and economic problems that cause this homelessness. Some common causes are outlined below: Unemployment Poverty Lack of affordability Policies relating housing Structure of housing benefits Wide policy development relating hospitality and criminal issues Homeless People Views: The three main reasons identified through reviewing opinions of homeless people about their reasons of leaving home are family and peers pressures to leave them, relationship disputes and violence at home, loss of temporary dwelling (Dr. Lynn et al., 2006). Problems faced by Homeless People: There are several risks that are associated with people who are passing through state of homelessness. The problems can be categorized as basic and devastating. The problems are outlined below: Lacking personal security, silence, and privacy, especially for sleeping Lacking safekeeping of bedding, clothing and possessions, which may have to be carried at all times Lacking facilities for hygiene No place for cleaning and drying clothes Lacking affordability to acquire, prepare, and store food No social contacts because of no permanent location or mailing address Antagonism and lawful authorities against metropolitan poverty. Compact admittance to health care and dental services. Little or no access to education. Increased jeopardy of affliction from violence and abuse. Common denial or intolerance from other people. Loss of accustomed relationships and association with the mainstream Lacking qualification for employment. Reduced access to banking services because of lacking collateral Reduced access to communications technology (Echenberg Jensen, 2009). Assistance and Resources for Homeless People: Many researches relating homelessness and homeless people have diverted the attention of government and other institutions to support and fund the needs of the homeless people. Many countries run the assistance programs for the homeless people and provide them with food, shelter, and clothing and sometimes most augmented services. Many non-government organizations also run support programs with help of funding from volunteers. Social support is provided by homeless people to other homeless people. They run their own community and support one another in different needs. Formal assistant is also provided through government, religious organizations, charities, other ministries. Many organizations are working to provide income support through employment opportunities like street newspapers selling. Other income sources are through employing little works like playing music, performing magic and other arts. Many homeless people commit little crimes to be jailed to have food and shelter for some days (Foweler et al., 2009). Refuges for Homeless: There are many refuges that are used by homeless people to be used as temporary place for shelter and sleep. Some common refuges are outlined below: Sleeping bags Tent Cardboard box Abandoned buildings Cars and trucks Wagons and other public vehicles Parks, pavement, and bus stations Train tunnels etc. Proposed Solutions for Homeless: Housing First / Rapid Re-housing: Many governments are taking steps to eliminate the homelessness. The USA government asked almost every state and city to enhance the standard of living of homeless people. the 10 years plans are planned and are in process to be implemented to eliminate the homelessness and one of the results of this was a Housing first solution, also known as rapid re-housing. These policies facilitate quickly to get a homeless person permanent housing of some sort and the necessary support services to maintain and hold a new home. There are many impediments of this kind of program and there must be solutions to augment these programs to make such an initiative work successfully in the middle to long term. Supportive housing: Supportive housing is a related to provide the basic necessities to the homeless people. It is the combination of housing and services proposed in a cost-effective way to facilitate and support needy people live more stable and productive lives. Supportive housing provides special programs for those who are in most challenging situations. The audiences for this program are individuals and families confronted with homelessness and who also have very low incomes. It also has increases coverage and scope and therefore incorporates substance abuse, addiction or alcoholism, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, or other serious challenges to a standard and productive life. Pedestrian Villages: Many researchers are proposed several solutions to enhance the lives of homeless people. The most common solution proposed is relating notorious national solution for homelessness that would engross building nearly carefree Pedestrian Villages. This policy and solution is termed as the current Band-Aid approach to the problem. Example of this policy is Tiger Bay Village that was proposed to create caring society for homeless people. This policy states that this program and support would be better-quality for indulgence the psychological as well as psychiatric needs of both temporarily and permanently homeless adults. This policy was based on the cost-effective solution thus aimed to provide opportunities and support and cost less than the current approach. This policy also enhanced the homeless people living by moving them away from criminal acts to take shelter in prisons. Work opportunities are also provided and constitute construction and maintenance of the villages. It also focus es on the creation of work force agencies that help to make the villages financially and socially feasible and practical. Transitional housing: Transitional Housing endows with impermanent housing for the certain audience of the homeless population. The target group constitutes of working class of homeless people who are on verge of setting up to changeover their residents into enduring and inexpensive housing. It is not a temporary shelter house for homeless but typically a room or apartment in a habitation with support services. The intermediary time can be short ranging from 1 to 2 years and in that time the person must file for and get permanent housing and usually some gainful employment or income, even if Social Security or assistance. From time to time the transitional housing habitation program incriminates a room and board fee that can be a standard percentage of an individuals income. This fee is sometimes partially or fully refunded after the person acquires a permanent place to live in. In the USA centralized financial support for transitional housing programs was originally allocated in the McKinney act (Cohelen , 1997). Conclusions: The above study is based on the research work of other authors. The report started with the introduction to the homelessness relative to its broad meanings and is then proceed to the history, causes and underlying factors. The solutions are also provided to help states and countries to make remediation for the enhanced livings of homeless people and move them to productive life. The problem of homelessness is traced back to late history and is not a contemporary issue. There are several factors and underlying causes of homelessness out of which family conflicts and disruptions are rated as high. The issues that are faced by homeless people vary in range from more basic lacking facilities to higher levels of physical and mental destructions and illness. Many organizations along with governments are working to provide facilities and support the homeless people. Many volunteers are also working to augment the lives of homeless people by proving them with food, shelter, and clothing along with health facilities. Many support programs are also planned to support and facilitate the homeless people. Some common programs processed are housing fund and re-housing, transition housing support, and pedestrian villages.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Online enhance corrective feedback for ESL learners

The purpose of the research is to look into the value of online enhanced disciplinary feedback for non-native talkers of English. It is analyzing in three countries which are the quality of their interaction online, their perceptual experiences and the rivals encountered. The research is done as when the research worker found that many foreign pupils in many western universities holding hapless linguistic communication accomplishments and experient civilization daze. Due to this job, they do non cognize what is appropriate and what is non. Hence, this probe on the value of online enhanced disciplinary feedback ( OECF ) is to develop their linguistic communication accomplishments and acquire them to socialise positively with the hosting pupils while prosecuting their academic classs. The research worker used qualitative and quantitative tools to garner informations in his survey. The Conversation Analysis and end-project study as the two chief instruments used both for NNSs and NSs. Conversation Analysis takes into history of the three facets of interaction in order to keep the quality discourse. There are ( 1 ) inductions of subjects, ( 2 ) petitions for elucidation and ( 3 ) elaborated replies to inquiries. To prolong the linguistic communication consciousness, the analysis included self-correction, blessings as preferable responses and incorporations of the corrected signifier or significance. The information collected was from hebdomad one to hebdomad eight. As for the end-project study, the research worker wants to cognize the penetrations on the value of OECF from both NNSs and NSs positions. By acquiring the topics to interact, the research worker was selected MSN courier for on-line synergistic tools as it is practical to the users. However, participants were reminded non to utilize their private electronic mails for this undertaking. Due to this, participants were given an option to open new histories on hotmail and trip new MSN courier. The participants were the international pupils from the Language Centre of the University of Dundee. They were 10 pupils from diverse background ; seven Chinese, one Italian, and two Indians. They were in-between stripling with small contact with NSs of English and had no friends as NSs to socialise with. Whereas, for the tutoring group or NS comprised of six pupils from the pupil community of the University of Dundee and four were from the university staff members. Most of the coachs were from Scotland and merely two came from the non English speech production backgrounds, nevertheless harmonizing to their bio-data that they possessed a good bid of English and understanding good of the British civilization. The processs are used by the research worker is the equal tutoring technique in which coachs are matched with NNSs. Both are interacting utilizing the online MSN courier in turn-taking. They are showing their thoughts and positions like inquiring inquiry, supply information and so on as though they are prosecuting in speaking but in other manner they are pass oning by typing the message online. In a conversation analysis, participants are identified for their linguistic communication consciousness such as middlemans are acquiring feedback for their grammatical and semantic inaccuracies. Furthermore, in this article, OECF is adopted few schemes from negotiated significance when a societal interaction emphasized negotiated significance in a cognitive procedure ( Long, 1996 ) . NNSs have the attempt to self-correct if they are acknowledging any mistakes during the communicating. These feedbacks could help them in their academic accomplishments. NNSs would be able to pattern their Englis h of no fright to be embarrassed when there are errors because they are non talking to the NS straight but by typing the messages. For the end-project study, the research worker developed study in a signifier of questionnaire with a five point Likert graduated table runing from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree to mensurate NNSs & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢ and NSs positions and attitudes. In the inquiry, they will bespeak their degree of satisfaction by ranking it from 1 to 5 in which 5 is the highest mark. The analysis is considered in the eight-week intercession. In the survey of quality engagement, it showed that conversation was non being monopolized by the NS when NNSs were lending every bit much as their coach equals ; whereby they were given clip to believe, explicate and type their messages. NNSs were able to alter the flow of their on-line conversation by originating subjects and asked for elucidation if there was any misinterpretation occurred. However, it besides indicated that NNSs were effortless to take enterprises in altering subjects and inquiring inquiries due to their deficiency of assurance in pass oning in English, hence they anticipated the coachs to make most of altering subjects. Following, in linguistic communication consciousness survey, consequences indicated that NNSs had clip to read, reflect, memorise and spread out their English linguistic communication cognition repertory. NNSs were able to read their NS coachs & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢ posters, infusion, generate, exchange and construct significance from the reliable environment. Finally, the consequences from the end-of-semester studies showed that both NSs and NNSs had a positive experience while engaged in this undertaking. NNSs feedback on this undertaking had offered them a socially and linguistically rich environment to pattern the mark linguistic communication. Harmonizing to NNSs, the text-based communicating provided a positive impact in bettering both their authorship and reading accomplishments and besides on their speech production accomplishments. They perceived those as an effectual manner non merely to interchange thoughts and to inquire for and clear up information but besides to show and back up their points of position. Indeed, their errors were noticed and they were able to be self-corrected. Part C With respects to the IT demands in this century, the research does involvement me. However, there are pros and cons to be considered to transport out this survey. Talking about the benefits from this survey, it is appropriate method for cut downing anxiousness in pupils larning English. NNSs particularly will non experience shy or embarrass if they make errors in organizing the syntactical sentences when they are non interact face to face with the NSs. Harmonizing to the findings, it was a positive feedback from NNSs on this research undertaking. They said that it gave a good deduction in their English acquisition and bettering both their authorship and reading accomplishments so as their speech production accomplishments. However, based from my sentiment the research did non good conducted. The first ground is, by looking from the facets of experimental cogency, the findings were non valid. This is reported in this article that during the undertaking has started, there were participants drop out from the undertaking and go forthing merely five braces to go on. The consequences from the findings were merely based from the five braces alternatively of 10 braces. The trying drawing was uneffective to obtain the satisfaction analysis on this survey. Second, the research worker indicated that he is utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods in his research survey. Hence, the survey should follow with two groups.1 group which i s called the experimental group is given a intervention and 1 group which is called the control group does non have any intervention. Then, the consequences of the findings can be acceptable of whether the OECF truly run into it objectives. Third, the research worker should briefs the purposed lineation of the survey in order to acquire the good engagement from the participants. The research worker should aware of the different backgrounds of the NNSs participants to be matched with NSs coachs. I suggested that age is to see for choosing the NSs because harmonizing to the articles, there were four NS in their mid-twentiess and one in his late teens. Possibly, the research worker should see on the adulthood because I believe when younger NSs involves with the NNSs troubles in novice a conversation, therefore NSs will be easy acquire bored and they have the inclination of originating subjects that are more relevant to their age. Hence, the conversation failed to discourse efficaciousl y when NNSs will take a long clip to believe about the thoughts that they need to convey out. Harmonizing to the activities presented in the research article, I think the activities should be enriched with more reliable subjects, produce more light readings to the NNSs which related to the current issues and reading transitions that could arouse NNSs feedback immediately without hold. In add-on, to obtain more concise consequences, the period of survey analysis shall be extended to hebdomad 12 alternatively of hebdomad 8 hence legion activities could be planned. In general this research provides an chance for the higher instruction pupils to heighten their communicating accomplishments particularly in composing and talking. Beforehand, the research worker should clearly find his/her aims and what kind of research method that is applicable and appropriate for the survey. Often, we found that even though pupils had learnt English during a school clip but they were still confronting jobs to get the linguistic communication eloquence and truth. Therefore, this research undertaking is seen as the appropriate exercisings for pupils to modify their defects in English linguistic communication when they are able to show their thoughts and giving their ideas from the activities designed. They are affecting in two ways communicating in which their errors are being corrected by the experts or so called the coachs. On the manus of Malayan contexts, in order to implement this activities, the instructor shall look closely on the scholar involvements whereby the subjects to be discussed must be reliable, short and simple but is able to dispute their positions and able to promote them to do remarks. As a consequence, they learn more, understand the grammatical class in the sentences and larn new vocabulary each clip. Learning English should be merriment.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Out with the Old in with the New Essay

Education is the single most important factor in not only an individual’s life and their outcome for success, but also the outcome of future success in America. In order for our country to be successful we must invest in our future generations and the training they will need once they move on to their future endeavors. Although America spends vast amounts of money each year on education, money is not always the answer. We must improve the performance in our classrooms by making sure we have the strongest faculty possible. Teachers being given the luxury of tenure are hurting student performance and the performance of America. Tenure is not only allowing teachers to keep their jobs secure based off experience rather than performance, but also it is this job protection that makes the removal of poorly performing teachers so difficult and costly. In a result, most schools end up retaining their bad teachers. Teachers having tenure is a very controversial issue in today’s society. There are many pros and cons to this subject, but it is crucial that we have the strongest faculty we can in order to have a bright and prosperous future for this country. Teacher’s tenure is a form of job protection that public school teachers receive after 1-7 years on the job. It was created in the early 1920s in order to protect teachers from losing their jobs to younger less expensive teachers. According to Time U. S. magazine, â€Å"Roughly 2. 3 million public school teachers in the U. S. have tenure†(Stephey). With all the budget cuts that have happened, many talented, energetic and young teachers are being fired in order for other teachers to keep their job. Teacher’s job security should be based on performance in the classroom rather than years a teacher’s been teaching. Teacher’s tenure is one of the most controversial issues in education today. Many people argue that it protects teachers from being fired for personal or political reasons, and prevents the firing of experienced teachers to hire less expensive new teachers. Before tenure was in place, teachers would be fired if a new political party took office or even if the principle wanted to make room for a teacher friend. Tenure adds stability for the community around it because teachers with long careers are known and trusted throughout the community. Proponents also say that eliminating teacher tenure would discourage people from entering the teaching profession. Many people would decide to invest their talent in a more securable profession rather than risking their future on what could be a future pink slip. Having less talent in the teaching field would greatly impact education in a negative way. It would reduce innovation in teaching because many teachers’ lesson plans would become skewed towards the standardized tests in order to keep their jobs. Standardized test should not be the reason a teacher loses his or her job, but no teacher should have the luxury of having guaranteed job security. According to the pro-education reform documentary â€Å"Waiting for Superman,† only one out of 1000 teachers is fired for performance-related reasons each year. Teachers with tenure are the older and more experienced teachers. Although they may have experience, their age may be a downfall in their teaching tactics. The older a teacher is, the less energy they have for holding the attention of the class. Especially in the technological age, teachers must be not only energetic and relatable to their students, but they must also be computer savvy. Every classroom now a days has either a computerized white board, projector, or even a class set of laptops. The future of education relies on technology and many teachers that hold tenure have not grown up around such technology. This restricts them on their ability to utilize technology in order to relate to their students. With the high school drop out rate increasing each year, teachers must be well equipped with skills of not only the Internet, but also power points, online lectures, and also online tutoring that all their students may have access to. Society has risen the new generation of students to live off technology. Hardly ever do students look something up in a book rather than resorting to Google to find their answer. In a result, teachers that are younger with less experience in the classroom, tend to have more experience with the technological tactics of learning that many present day students prefer. Relating to the students learning habits is crucial for their future success in higher education. Firing a teacher with tenure is a very long and difficult process. It may take up to a year before the courts become involved before a teacher may lose their tenure. Teacher tenure requires schools to make long-term spending commitments and prevents districts from being fiscally flexible. Teacher employment contracts generally lack provisions for declining enrollment and economic turmoil. As a high school student, I saw many first hand accounts on the effects of tenure. Although it does affect teachers the most, the community around the school may be affected as well. While I was in high school, our school experienced many of our most talented young teachers being â€Å"pink slipped†. Many of the teachers being fired were the most respected around the campus, being favored by the student body by the way they could relate, and teach a subject with such interest. The majority of the school was outraged that many of the younger teachers were being fired rather than the uninteresting older teachers that did not get through to their students as well. The issue began to enter the classrooms affecting the learning of the students. The problem resulted in an organized â€Å"walk out† were the majority of my school walked out of their classrooms in an attempt to save the jobs of their favorite teachers. Although teachers tenure may create stability in a community, fair job protection, and an attractable job profession, tenure must either be eliminated completely, or much more difficult to acquire. Teachers in the K-12 must be held to the same requirements as a college professor in order to acquire tenure. Acquiring a tenure in college requires not only participation in the classroom for a certain amount of years, but also contributions to their given field and accomplishments they make in their long career. Teachings in the K-12 are usually held to the standard of working for two to seven years and then being rewarded job security. By being able to acquire tenure so easily, the education system as a whole suffers. With less talented teachers having secure jobs, students do not learn as efficiently which contributes to the lack of college degrees in America. Education as a whole is the most important issue for America’s success. In education, learning does not start with the student, but instead the tools they are given to succeed. We must either eliminate tenure, or raise the difficulty of acquiring such job security for the betterment of our future leaders.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

10 Fascinating Facts About Ants

In many ways, ants can outwit, outlast, and outnumber humans. Their complex, cooperative societies enable them to survive and thrive in conditions that would challenge any individual. Here are 10 fascinating facts about ants that just might convince you that while you wouldnt welcome them to your next picnic, theyre still pretty amazing creatures. 1. Ants Have Super-Human Strength Ants can carry objects 50 times their own body weight in their jaws. Relative to their size, their muscles are thicker than those of larger animals—even humans. This ratio enables them to produce more force and carry larger objects. If you  had muscles in the proportions of ants, youd be able to heave a Hyundai over your head! 2. Soldier Ants Use their Heads to Plug Holes In certain ant species, the soldier ants have modified heads, shaped to match the nest entrance. They block access to the nest by sitting just inside the entrance, with their heads functioning like a cork in a bottle to keep intruders at bay. When a worker ant returns to the nest, it touches the soldier ants head to let the guard know it belongs to the colony. 3. Ants Can Form Symbiotic Relationship with Plants Ant plants, or myrmecophytes, are plants that have naturally occurring hollows in which ants can take shelter or feed. These cavities may be hollow thorns, stems, or even leaf petioles. The ants live in the hollows, feeding on sugary plant secretions or the excretions of sap-sucking insects. What does a plant get for providing such luxurious accommodations? The ants defend the host plant from herbivorous mammals and insects and may even prune away parasitic plants that attempt to grow on it. 4. The Total Biomass of Ants The Biomass of People How can this be? After all, ants are so tiny, and were so much bigger. That said, scientists estimate there are at least 1.5 million ants on the planet for every human being. Over 12,000 species of ants are known to exist, on every continent except Antarctica. Most live in tropical regions. A single acre of Amazon rainforest may be home to 3.5 million ants. 5. Ants Sometimes Herd Insects of Other Species Ants will do just about anything to get the sugary secretions of sap-sucking insects, such as aphids or leafhoppers. To keep the honeydew in close supply, some ants herd aphids, carrying the soft-bodied pests from plant to plant. Leafhoppers sometimes take advantage of this nurturing tendency in ants and leave their young to be raised by the ants. This allows the leafhoppers to raise another brood. 6. Some Ants Enslave Other Ants Quite a few ant species take captives from other ant species, forcing them to do chores for their own colony. Honeypot ants even enslave ants of the same species, taking individuals from foreign colonies to do their bidding. Polyergus queens, also known as Amazon ants, raid the colonies of unsuspecting Formica ants. The Amazon queen finds and kills the Formica queen, then enslaves the Formica workers. The slave workers help the usurping queen rear her own brood. When her Polyergus offspring reach adulthood, their sole purpose is to raid other Formica colonies and bring back their pupae, ensuring a steady supply of slave workers. 7. Ants Lived Alongside Dinosaurs Ants evolved some 130 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period. Most fossil evidence of insects is found in lumps of ancient amber, or fossilized plant resin. The oldest known ant fossil, a primitive and now extinct ant species named Sphercomyrma freyi, was found in Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey. Though that fossil only dates back 92 million years, another fossil ant that proved nearly as old has a clear lineage to present-day ants, which suggests a much longer evolutionary line than previously assumed. 8. Ants Started Farming Long Before Humans Fungus-farming ants began their agricultural ventures about 50 million years before humans thought to raise their own crops. The earliest evidence suggests ants began farming as early as 70 million years ago, in the early Tertiary period. Even more amazing, these ants used sophisticated horticultural techniques to enhance their crop yields, including secreting chemicals with antibiotic properties to inhibit mold growth and devising fertilization protocols using manure. 9. Ant Supercolonies Can Stretch Thousands of Miles Argentine ants, native to South America, now inhabit every continent except Antarctica due to accidental introductions. Each ant colony has a distinctive chemical profile that enables members of the group to recognize one another and alerts the colony to the presence of strangers. Scientists recently discovered that massive supercolonies in Europe, North America, and Japan all share the same chemical profile, meaning they are, in essence, a global supercolony of ants. 10. Scout Ants Lay Scent Trails to Guide Others to Food By following pheromone trails laid by scout ants from their colony, foraging ants can gather and store food efficiently. A scout ant first leaves the nest in search of food, wandering somewhat randomly until it discovers something edible. It then consumes some of the food and returns to the nest in a direct line. It seems scout ants can observe and recall visual cues that enable them to navigate quickly back to the nest. Along the return route, the scout ants leave a trail of pheromones—which are special scents they secrete—that guide their nestmates to the food. The foraging ants then follow the path designated by the scout ant, each one adding more scent to the trail to reinforce it for others. Worker ants continue walking back and forth along the trail until the food source is depleted.