The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Mathematics Free Essay Example, 2250 words

Social constructivism is having a powerful effect on the "aims, content, teaching approaches, implicit values, and assessment of the mathematics curriculum, and above all else, the beliefs and practices of the mathematics teacher" (Ernest, 1992). It also facilitates the sharing of ideas among students as they work in collaboration. This aspect is discussed in detail in the Mathematics Matters report published by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics after consulting over 150 Maths teachers from all over the UK (NCETM, 2008). For real learning to take place, ultimately it is essential that the student constructs his or her own framework for understanding and applying Mathematics. Nothing is more pleasurable for a teacher of Mathematics than when seeing their students truly fascinated by the subject; when they grasp concepts and solve problems for the first time when they discover more elegant solutions by themselves, notice underlying connections and rela tionships, and so on. Some of these points are also mentioned under the Importance of Mathematics at key stage 4 (QCDA, 2010b). Considering the scope for using ICT in the teaching of Mathematics, we shall focus exclusively on computers. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Mathematics or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Teenage Pregnancy Is A Major Concern Today s Society

Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in today’s society; there are many factors in a teen’s life that can cause pregnancy. In addition, multiple challenges and hardships will come with teenage pregnancy not only for the female, but also for the male. Being a parent is very demanding and can be hard. The difficulties that come with an unplanned teenage pregnancy can have profound effects on their life. Their physical, mental, and emotional health will be affected by the sudden news that they will be responsible for taking care of a child in the upcoming months. Teens affected by an unplanned pregnancy will need to give up many things in order to become a parent. In addition, they will have to take on more responsibilities that come along†¦show more content†¦Of the 273 adolescents studied, 15% had experienced sexual intercourse and/or oral sex. They were asked about their sexual behavior, puberty, academic achievement, self-esteem, depression, family structure and relationship, and exposure to sexuality through media. Both male, which were further into their puberty, and female before the age of 15 spent more time watching television, had low self-esteem, and had poor relationships with their parents. This study showed that the media and parents played a big role in influencing sexual behavior in adolescents (Savage, 2008). Teenagers go through many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. In an article in Medline Plus, the biggest change during a teenager’s life is puberty, the process of becoming sexually mature. Puberty usually occurs between the ages of ten and fourteen for females and ages twelve and sixteen for males (Medline Plus, 2015). The American Pregnancy Association states, puberty is triggered when the pituitary gland , a pea-sized gland near the brain, signals the body to release hormones that stimulates the growth and development of reproductive organs as well as other changes throughout the body (American Pregnancy Association). According to The Department of Public Health and Social Services, as youth enter puberty, defining their own sexual identity is at the forefront of normal

Costa Rican Dress Free Essays

Costa Rican clothes are similar to most Central and South American countries. There clothes were developed by the Climate of Costa Rica. Costa Rica Clothing today is separated into two groups traditional cultural clothes and modern clothing. We will write a custom essay sample on Costa Rican Dress or any similar topic only for you Order Now Costa Rican traditional dress is used for traditional practices. Most of the cultural dress has layers. This is because of the climate of Costa Rica. You never know when it is going to rain because of its varied climate. Traditional dress is only worn on special occasion such as when they dance. Both women and men have different style of traditional clothing. Usually the clothes are the colors of the Costa Rican flag which are red, blue , and white. Mens dress is very simple but elegant. Mens traditional costume usually have a few different things. The pants are a solid color which usually is blue or tan. They usually wear a white button down shirt. Then around the waist they wear a red cummerbund which is like a sash. Around the neck of the man they would wear a kerchief tied around it. Then on their head they would wear a â€Å"chonete† which is a traditional type of Costa Rican hat. A Chonete is like a straw cowboy hat. Usually men in Costa Rica will not really wear shorts on a day to day basis but only to the beach despite the tropical weather of Costa Rica. Today in the fields Men still wear the traditional dress. Women’s traditional dress has a few important characteristics. The dresses are usually tailored in a special style. All traditional dresses have thick ruffles that start at the shoulders and go out all the way down the dress. The dresses have no sleeves to cover the arms. They are usually the colors red,blue,and yellow. Another type of Costa Rica dress has a long ruffled skirt. This is usually made in shinny colored fabric. A white shirt is usually worn and a red cummerbund connects the dress at the waist. To top off all these wonderful dresses a flower is usually placed in the ear of the women. How to cite Costa Rican Dress, Papers

How do the characters of Lady Macbeth and Napoleon change in Macbeth and Animal Farm free essay sample

The two texts ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell and ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare both witness change in their characters and ideas. Both Lady Macbeth and Napoleon, two key characters in both of the texts, begin as egotistical, greedy and avaricious. Driven by their cupidity and lust for leadership and power, both characters seek change, but change in very different ways. In this essay, I will be analysing why both the characters seek to change themselves and how they change. I will also examine the psychological effects of a fake public person, the change in the characters’ language and the unnatural elements of their change and their historical and social connotations. Firstly, why do the characters of Lady Macbeth and Napoleon desire change? Both of the characters begin in relatively similar positions of power in their respective hierarchies, Lady Macbeth as the wife of a thane and Napoleon as a pig (therefore ‘naturally’ reasonably high in the social status of the farm). We will write a custom essay sample on How do the characters of Lady Macbeth and Napoleon change in Macbeth and Animal Farm? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One common factor of Napoleon’s and Lady Macbeth’s personalities is their overwhelming ambition, but their other causes for change differ. Lady Macbeth desires the crown above all else, and wishes to escape the constraints of the sexual prejudices of the Jacobean era and to command a country, not just her husband Macbeth. Evidence of her avarice for power is made evident very soon after her introduction, when she calls upon the Devil: ‘†Unsex me here†¦ Come to my woman’s breasts and take my milk for gall†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Lady Macbeth is asking to be ‘unsexed’, stripped of all her female qualities, and the fact she relies upon the Devil to incite masculinity upon her signifies her consuming passion for power. ‘Milk’ is also a giver of life, what a child is fed with and nurtured with when they are young, and Lady Macbeth is asking for hers to be replaced with ‘gall’, a poison, so that the loving qualities of her self, such as the ability to raise a child, are thwarted and poisoned with evil. Lady Macbeth desires this change so that she can become the leader she believes her husband, who is ‘†too full o’th’milk of human kindness†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, can never be. Napoleon, on the other hand, does not face the problem of discrimination amongst the other animals; he changes solely to rule in an attempt to quench his insatiable greed, and for the sake of monopoly over the farm and the other animals. Orwell does not supply us with the kind of evidence as Shakespeare does of Napoleon’s drive and desire for change, as ‘Animal Farm’ is told from a narrator’s perspective with no soliloquies about the characters’ nature as in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, but Napoleon’s theft of the fresh cow milk and his adoption of the dogs for their ‘education’ are good early indicators of Napoleon’s will for change and power. Lady Macbeth and Napoleon both pursue change through differing, and at times unnatural, means. Lady Macbeth begins her change, and her gradual descent into madness, after she partakes in the murder of King Duncan and becomes a regicide and looks towards the paranormal for the characteristics she must exemplify. Lady Macbeth is maliciously decisive in her plans to murder the King. She describes the entrance of Duncan under her battlements as ‘fatal’, and the highest treason is committed under her battlements by her wish that night. Murder changes people’s perceptions of the world, and Lady Macbeth is no different, almost immediately after the killing of Duncan, Lady Macbeth shows her first signs of weakness. She is paranoid about whether or not Macbeth actually carried out the deed, and she herself did not carry out the regicide, hinting at a human conscience and guilt hindering her: ‘†Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done’t†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Lady Macbeth also wishes to change herself into a ‘perfect leader’ by making herself supposedly incapable of feeling regret, sympathy or empathy, by looking to Hell. ‘†Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts†¦ Fill me from the crown to the toe topfull of direst cruelty†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The fact Lady Macbeth refers to her head as a ‘crown’ signifies how she is undergoing this change for the purpose of attaining power. Shakespeare’s use of imperatives for Lady Macbeth’s speech, such as demanding the paranormal to ‘come’, highlights the commanding overtones of her language and personality early on in the play. She is also asking to be ‘filled’ with the ‘direst cruelty’, immersed completely in malevolence so that she can change herself into strong leader. Napoleon is a very capricious character, changing his opinions and ideas on a whim for his own benefit. He is disinterested in the welfare of Animal Farm and its inhabitants, Napoleon only changes history, uses Squealer to enhance his own public persona with fictitious tales of heroism, and perverts the ideology of Animalism to assist the pigs and himself in their course of atrocities for total dictatorship. An example of this is when Napoleon uses Snowball as a scapegoat to avoid admitting to his own failures. When their windmill falls prey to violent weather as a result of Napoleon’s poor planning of how strong the windmill should be, Napoleon incriminates Snowball, escaping the blame himself. ‘â€Å"Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL! † he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder’. Napoleon terrifies the other animals, with his menace and his physicality as a ‘large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar’, and roaring ‘in a voice of thunder’ strikes fear into the animals, fear that forces them into the belief that Snowball is a traitor and an enemy. Lord Acton once stated that ‘Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely’. Napoleon is corrupted by an unfaltering greed from the beginning, and his fundamental nature and megalomania do not change throughout the novella. Napoleon only changes to become a more detestable and powerful character, and evolve the same dictatorial character as Jones, arguably worse. Napoleon’s ‘absolute corruption’ occurs when he adopts human-like qualities, and changes to become a man. The language of both Lady Macbeth and Napoleon changes throughout ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Animal Farm’, but the importance of language to them changes in opposite directions. Shakespeare began with Lady Macbeth speaking in a poetic but aggressive and demanding fashion, using lots of imagery and similes to convey her points. It is through language and the power of persuasion that Lady Macbeth usurps power, coaxing Macbeth into the murder of Duncan. When formulating a plan to encourage Macbeth to seize the ‘golden round’, Lady Macbeth states that she will ‘â€Å"chastise (Macbeth) with the valour of (her) tongue†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. To ‘chastise’ means to berate, as Lady Macbeth often does with Macbeth, questioning his masculinity (‘â€Å"Are you a man? †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢). The use of the adjective ‘valour’ to describe her tongue suggests that her language is courageous, courageous in the battle to convince Macbeth to subside to his ambition and commit regicide. It is a battle Lady Macbeth wins. Initially, Lady Macbeth commands eloquence and enticing speech. Near the start of the play, she is criticising Macbeth’s manhood once more over the impedance of his conscience in keeping to an agreement to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth uses graphic imagery to try and instil envy in Macbeth of her lack remorse: ‘â€Å"How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me, I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’s my nipple from his boneless gums and dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The contrasting nature of this quote, starting with an image of new life and love in a baby feeding from a mother and finishing with a violent scene of wicked murder, strikes not only surprise but fear in the reader and most likely Macbeth. Phrases such as ‘boneless gums’ denature into something gruesome and powerful, and is a use of imagery, contorting the appearance of boneless gums in the reader’s mind into something disturbing. Lady Macbeth’s ability to frighten and disturb a listener with her speech signifies how powerful her language is at the start of the play, but her language dwindles and changes in its power as her guilt pulls her into insanity. In the last brief scene Lady Macbeth is exposed to the audience, she has lost all of the attractive and powerful qualities of her speech. For example, unaware of the presence of a doctor and a nurse in her room, Lady Macbeth exclaims: ‘â€Å"To bed, to bed: there’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come†¦ to bed, to bed, to bed†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Her language is littered with punctuation, such as commas, colons and repetition, and it makes her lines jagged, mostly monosyllabic and almost incoherent. Structurally, Lady Macbeth also speaks only in sentences by the end of the play (as do the doctor and the nurse), and this is contrary to the poetic stanzas she boasted at the start of the play. This indicates her change from somebody articulate, intelligent and eloquent into a person who is guilt-ridden and consumed by her conscience. Lady Macbeth loses all her power in language as she changes and falls from grace. In comparison to Lady Macbeth, Napoleon’s power through the use of language changes only for the better of his tyrannical regime. A lot of the security of Napoleon’s position at the helm of Animal Farm is due to the propagating of his fellow pig Squealer. Although it is Squealer’s language, the power-driven opportunities it provides for Napoleon change and widen as his command over the animals through Squealer’s speech expands. It is made apparent from as early as Chapter 2 that Squealer will be a useful tool for consolidating power, described as a ‘brilliant talker’ and that he can turn ‘black into white’ with his words, as he often does by excusing the pigs’ ‘black’ desires with allegedly rational justification for them. The powers of persuasion are as useful to Squealer and Napoleon as it is to Lady Macbeth at the start of both texts, however persuasion is essential to Napoleon’s rule even at the end of the novella. Squealer’s speeches often entail lots of persuasive devices, as exemplified by his response to disapproval of the other animals of the pigs taking all of the milk and apples. ‘â€Å"You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Squealer uses rhetorical questions many times in his speeches, and his choice of words, such as ‘I hope’, attempts to instil guilt in the animals for even suggesting that the pigs were acting out of ‘selfishness and privilege’. Squealer uses evidence and ‘figures’ to support points, and the imposing threat of the return of Mr Jones to exploit the animal’s docility and lack of intelligence even at the end of the novella, as Orwell indicates by stating the ‘animals believed every word’. Napoleon and Squealer retain their abilities of persuasion and power over the farm after their change into human beings, but Lady Macbeth’s persuasive language deserts her. Napoleon himself tricked the inhabitants of Animal Farm into thinking that Animal Farm was still what the animals had rebelled for and dreamed of through language, by addressing the other animals as ‘Comrades’, suggesting equality and companionship (‘No creature called any other animal ‘Master’. All animals were equal. ’), when in fact Animal Farm emulates the exact opposite of equality. Napoleon changes his approach to using the word ‘Comrade’, stating in the final chapter that addressing others as comrades ‘was to be suppressed’. The abolition of the term symbolises the change on Animal Farm. By the end of the novella, Napoleon is too powerful for the animals; they do not threaten his position on the throne, and language is no longer needed to brainwash ‘The Manor Farm’ any more. In truth, though, language is not needed at all by Napoleon. Napoleon rules Animal Farm through terror and petrifies every animal under his reign. He is introduced, as mentioned previously, as a ‘large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar’, and Napoleon’s brooding presence and psychopathic traits add weight to his frightening nature. The only aspect of the animals’ obvious terror in the face of Napoleon that changes is that it becomes more apparent. Napoleon commands ‘huge dogs’ and attends public executions, where ‘traitors’ are forced into admitting false crimes to have the dogs ‘promptly (tear) their throats out’. Napoleon’s use of fear tactics does not change, nor does his lack of speech, and he forces the farm into submission towards the change of Animalism he spearheads on Animal Farm as it reverts back to ‘The Manor Farm’. While Lady Macbeth is punished for her sins, Napoleon goes on unscathed in his attainment of absolute power. Napoleon commits atrocities, murders other innocent animals and morphs into a human being, perverting every rule of Animalism. Napoleon even commits arguably the greatest sin and becomes an almost God-like figure on Animal Farm, as shown by the poem ‘Comrade Napoleon’ (Napoleon’s Omniscience and Omni-benevolence suggested by the quote ‘Thou watchest over all’. His Omnipotence is also proposed at when Napoleon is referred to as the ‘sun’, the giver of all life, like God). The lack of divine retribution or change in Napoleon’s sanity or mentality hints at the fact there is no God in Animal Farm, there is no justice for the wicked. This could be referred to when Orwell wrote his novella. Napoleon is the manifestation of Russian dictator Joseph Stalin as a pig in ‘Animal Farm’, and Stalin managed to build a global superpower with Soviet Russia at the time when Orwell was writing through the murder of millions of his own people. Stalin never truly suffered an end that compensated for the heinous crimes he committed, and neither does Napoleon.

The Diary Of Anne Frank By Anne Frank Essay Example For Students

The Diary Of Anne Frank By Anne Frank Essay In 1942, when the Nazis began to invade their country, the Frank family went into hiding in an attic of a warehouse. The Franks daughter, Anne, kept a diary through out their horrible ordeal. Minutes before the Franks were captured in their hiding place after a two-year stay, Anne wrote in her diary the words, In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.; Even though Anne suffered so much her courage and character only grew stronger. Before Anne Frank went into hiding, she led a blissful and joyous life. She was always surrounded by friends and her family was well to do. She was torn away from her happiness and placed into the harsh and cruel reality of the Nazi agenda at only thirteen years of age. All this only because she was Jewish. She stayed locked up in the attic of the warehouse for almost twenty-five months, never being able to step outside. Such repression and life of fear would make almost any teenager completely depressed and more miserable that words could express. However, Anne managed to keep hope for a better tomorrow and her respect for the human race. We will write a custom essay on The Diary Of Anne Frank By Anne Frank specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Anne made a very powerful statement in her last words. To truly believe such a thing after being abused by the Nazis is quite remarkable indeed. I am very sure that most people, including myself, would have thought that the world was a completely corrupt and humans are naturally cruel if theyd have gone through such times. I believe that Anne has the ability to say such a thing because of her great unselfishness and love for all of G-ds creatures. I also believe that if Anne could have written in her diary after she had gone to the concentration camp, she would have said the exact same thing. Because of her cheerfulness and undying courage, Anne was able to keep up the spirits and the hopes of her family. Her never ending love for all people was fueled by the fact that she would never let anyones cruelty and power bring her spirits to the ground. Through all her suffering Annes character only became stronger and more determined. . The diary of anne frank by anne frank Essay Example For Students The diary of anne frank by anne frank Essay In 1942, when the Nazis began to invade their country, the Frank family went into hiding in an attic of a warehouse. The Franks daughter, Anne, kept a diary through out their horrible ordeal. Minutes before the Franks were captured in their hiding place after a two-year stay, Anne wrote in her diary the words, In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. Even though Anne suffered so much her courage and character only grew stronger. Before Anne Frank went into hiding, she led a blissful and joyous life. She was always surrounded by friends and her family was well to do. She was torn away from her happiness and placed into the harsh and cruel reality of the Nazi agenda at only thirteen years of age. All this only because she was Jewish. She stayed locked up in the attic of the warehouse for almost twenty-five months, never being able to step outside. Such repression and life of fear would make almost any teenager completely depressed and more miserable that words could express. However, Anne managed to keep hope for a better tomorrow and her respect for the human race. We will write a custom essay on The diary of anne frank by anne frank specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Anne made a very powerful statement in her last words. To truly believe such a thing after being abused by the Nazis is quite remarkable indeed. I am very sure that most people, including myself, would have thought that the world was a completely corrupt and humans are naturally cruel if theyd have gone through such times. I believe that Anne has the ability to say such a thing because of her great unselfishness and love for all of G-ds creatures. I also believe that if Anne could have written in her diary after she had gone to the concentration camp, she would have said the exact same thing. Because of her cheerfulness and undying courage, Anne was able to keep up the spirits and the hopes of her family. Her never ending love for all people was fueled by the fact that she would never let anyones cruelty and power bring her spirits to the ground. Through all her suffering Annes character only became stronger and more determined. .

Death Of A Salesman Essays (1080 words) - English-language Films

Death Of A Salesman Essays (1080 words) - English-language Films Death Of A Salesman Death of a Salesman: In the play, Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman, a sympathetic salesman and despicable father whos life is a casting off has some traits that match Aristotles views of a tragic hero. Willys series of ups and downs is identical to Aristoles views of proper tragic figure; a king with flaws. His faulty personality, the financial struggles, and his inabiltity are three substantital flaws that contribute to his failure and tragic end. Willy, an aging salesman who sells nothing, is abused by the buyers, and repeatly borrows money from Charley to make ends meet. He is angered by the way his boss, Howard fired him after working for thirty-four-years at the same company, You cant eat the orange and throw the peel awaya man is not a piece of fruit! (Miller, 61). Willy is battling for his life, fighting to sustain a sense of himself that makes it worthwhile living at all in a world which seemingly offers less and less space for the individual. Now, If it is true that tragedy is the consquence of a mans total complusion to evaluate himself justly, his destruction in the attempt posits a wrong or an evil in his environment. And this is precisely the morality of tragedy and its lesson. The discovery of the moral law, which is what the enlightenment of tragedy consists of, is not the discovery of some abstract or metaphysical quantity. (miller, common man) His problem is that he has so completely accepted the values of his society that he judges himself by standards rooted in social myths rather than human necessities. This lack of insight is strikingly similiar to traits of the tragic hero. As Aristotles writes, the tragic hero, Lives for honor and fame. The glaring point of his faulty personality of neglecting others includes those closest to him, his wife, Linda and his two sons, Biff and Happy. Youll retire me for life on seventy goddamn dollars a week? (Miller, 28) is evidence of the cruelty Willy can show toward Happy as he does to Biff. Willy puts enormous pressure on his older son, Biff, to help him out in his time of need, Hap, [Willy] got to understand that Im not the man somebody lends that kind of money to, (Miller, 81). In the past, Biff went unexpectly to Boston, to a hotel where Willy was staying and begs Willy to come back to New York and convince his math teacher to give him a passing grade in a math course so he can graduate on time. While there, Biff sees the WOMAN in his fathers hotel room. Willy, at first, claims she is in the room because her shower is broken; then he changes the story and says he knows her through work, Theyre painting her room so I let her take a shower here. Go back, go back... (Miller,93). It did not get much better at home either. He constantly puts down his wife and hates it when she interrupts him in his conversations with Biff and Happy, Willy reacts angrily,[to LINDA]: Stop interrupting! (Miller, 47). Willy does the best as he know how because his father was never there for him. Despite the good influence Willy has on his wife and two sons, he is a good father to his sons because he spends time with them. For the most part, he is a decent husband who never abused his wife but his wrongs outweight the postive things he did do for his family. He has a difficult time selling anything to earn money, A hundred and twenty dollars! My god, if business dont pick up I dont know what Im going to do!, (Miller, 23). He works very hard he has nothing to show for it. He decides that it was hard for him to travel to places of business and asks his boss, Howard, if he can work closer to home in New York. He gets fired for asking. His financial struggles continue with late bills, and no payment for his premium insurance; he is going deep into debt. He ignores the problems and thinks that everything is going to be all right. Because of the booming economy, he is left behind in the dust; everybody competes for positions in their respective professions, in the world of Americas business. For, if it is true to say that in essence the tragic hero is intent upon claiming

COMPARATIVE REVIEW OF TWO ARTICLES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

COMPARATIVE REVIEW OF TWO ARTICLES - Essay Example Censorship and literature Rev Murray John Courtney 1904-1967 was a theologian with a doctorate in sacred theology. He taught Catholic trinitarian theology and was editor of the Jesuit Journal Theological Studies in Queens, New York until his death 1 John Courtney Murray posits that censorship is a compromise between freedom and restraint. Obscenity in the courts: Written one year before the article â€Å"Censorship and literature†,2 the authors Lockhart and McClure 3 narrate how obscenity was being defined by the courts at the time when there was a revival of Puritanism in the United States especially after the Civil War and the World War 1.. After these wars, there was sudden surge of obscene literature in the country that there was public outcry for a newer legislation to contain obscenity in all its forms. The legislation of the time was ineffective without a workable definition of the term obscenity. There were few reported decisions of pre-civil war period on obscene lite rature with some impact on the people who read such literature. The contemporaneous Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter came to be detested as an outright immoral book which degraded literature and encouraged promiscuity. As early as in 1868, a workable definition for obscene was provided by Lord Chief Justice Cockburn, an English jurist that came to be known as Hicklin test following his decision in Regina v Hicklin 4 which said that a material was obscene if the impugned material depraved and corrupted vulnerable individuals coming across that material. Though Hicklin was soon being followed by American courts, this Victorian moral standard was felt out of time by American federal District Judge Learned Hand who suggested that obscenity must be regulated by the Government in accordance with community standard that changed with times. Following Hand’s ruling, American courts started ignoring Hicklin test and it was finally put to rest by a 1933 Ulysses decision5 in which t he judges Hand and Agustus N H of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a book was considered obscene by its dominant effect. And the test should be by verifying whether the passages alone depraved the mind of the individuals who has access to that book. The authors of the present article examine the treatment of obscenity under different contexts of â€Å" effects on individual readers† , â€Å"effects on community moral standards†, â€Å"offensiveness†, and â€Å"effect on probable audience† and author’s purpose. The authors question whether censorship’s purpose is only to prevent corrupting and depraving of the minds of the individuals or it is also prevent their behavior influenced by such obscene material. In the absence of judicial answer for this, authors state that there has been no attempt to show that individuals reading obscene books started behaving differently that is inconsistent with the extant moral standards. They insist that co urt have never gone beyond determining that an allegedly obscene book only affected the readers’ thoughts and desires without ever being concerned about the individuals’ behavior or actions after reading an impugned book. Courts’ decisions on obscenity have not taken care to find out what kind of thoughts that individuals are affected with. Courts have not spelt out whether the obscene material induces thoughts on sexual intercourse and whether they are within or

US foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US foreign policy - Essay Example This includes the search for peace and democracy where there is conflict and tyrannism. Most of these dealings have been good and the US deserves praise for this. However, a thorough examination of these actions reveals that the US and its foreign policy are guided by illusions. Dallek (78) lists them as, the power to transform the world from lawless and hostile to peaceful one/misguided faith in universalism, the need to shun appeasement or conciliatory talks with enemies and the belief in the effectiveness of military power to contain opponents. These illusions, especially its love affair with universalism, have made it almost impossible for the US to rethink and come up with productive ways of dealing with their foreign problems. This problem can be attributed the universal imperialist nature in the people who helped to shape the US foreign policy. Take Wilson and Bush for example. They both had similar perceptions of foreign nations as evidenced by their policies towards other countries. Evidence of universal imperialism among US leaders begun in 1918 with Wilson’s peace program, a rationalisation for its participation in war to terminate all wars and make the western part of the globe safe for democracy. Hellwig (261) explains that the Mexican revolution of 1910 unleashed great turbulence in North America and the US response, especially the response of President Wilson is subject to much studies and criticism. Wilson saw that the best way of dealing with Mexico was to invade them. He sent General Pershing and 10,000 US troops into the Mexico to fight and capture Mexico. Wilson was a strong defender of pacifism and America’s and this motivated the US involvement in the World War I. His foreign policy towards Mexico was based on an altruistic desire to impart on other nations the benefits of constitutional democracy. To others, this

Canada national Park Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canada national Park - Research Paper Example It was established in the year 1987 and governed by Parks Canada. The most important geographical features include the rocks, cliffs, and Grottos (caves). The dolomite rocks that can be seen in the park are important because it consist of the fossils of plants and animals. So, one can easily identify that Bruce Peninsula National Park is archeologically and ecologically important. Within Bruce Peninsula National Park, steep cliffs in Bruce Trail and the sea shore in Georgian Bay are some of the important geographical features. Koenig (2005), states that â€Å"The peninsula can be characterized as an out-of-the-way place in a cultural as well as an ecological sense† (p.11). Some of the important plant and tree species include Yellow Lady's Slipper, Maidenhair Spleenwort and Eastern White Cedar (tree). The wildlife includes wild animals like bear, birds, plants and reptiles. Besides, the most important quality of the Bruce Peninsula National Park is its closeness to Niagara Esca rpment area. So, the main features/ characteristics of Bruce Peninsula National Park qualify the same as an important national park which preserves flora and fauna without human encroachment and exploitation. B. Natural and cultural attractions at Bruce Peninsula National Park The natural attractions at Bruce Peninsula National Park are interconnected with its landscape (beaches, limestone cliffs, and forests). On the other side, the cultural attractions include the remaining of Paleozoic Era and the status as a World Biosphere Reserve within Niagara Escarpment. Besides, the facilities, natural and cultural identity, accommodation facilities and operation (proper functioning) act the role of a strong foundation to the natural and cultural attractions at Bruce Peninsula National Park. To be specific, some of the world renowned National Parks does not prove successful in attracting visitors and preserving nature. But Bruce Peninsula National Park is entirely different from other natio nal parks. I. Facilities Most of the facilities that are considered as an integral part of tourism are available at Bruce Peninsula National Park. For instance, tourists who are interested in adventure can enjoy hiking, canoeing and kayaking. The tourists who are interested in sight seeing can enjoy the flora and fauna of Bruce Peninsula National Park. Goodwin (1995), makes clear that â€Å"The Bruce’s reputation as a haven for some of the province’s rarest and most attractive plants has drawn naturalists north to the peninsula, and it is now recognized for an outstanding array of breeding birds as well† (p.77). The tourists who are interested in learning more about the national park can participate in the educational programs conducted by the park authorities. As the park is open year round, tourists can conduct different types of camps according to their interest. For instance, Front Country Camping (say, 242 campsites) is an important attraction at Bruce Peni nsula National Park. Other facilities provided by the park authorities include parking (parking lots), special care and attention for persons with disabilities and local community services (stores, groceries etc). From a different angle of view, the facilities provided by the park authorities are helpful for the tourists to choose facilities according to their needs. II. Natural and cultural identity Some of the most important places in Bruce Peninsula N

Spider Silk: Structure, Function and Uses

Spider Silk: Structure, Function and Uses Spider silk, also known as gossamer, is a fiber spun by spiders. Spider silk is a remarkably strong. Its tensile strength is comparable to that of high-grade steel. The term silk normally refers to a wide range of continuous filaments spun by the several species of Lepidoptera and Arthropoda, used for building structures for various purposes including prey capture. Silk filaments spun by spiders and silkworms possess superior properties than other silk producing insects and more than 2500 orb weaving species existing worldwide [1 4]. Spiders have six or seven sets of glands, each producing a different fiber. These glands remained undifferentiated, early in the evolution [4 7]. The spinnerets, microscopic tubes originating from glands, are classified into major and minor ampullate. The term ampulla is used to describe the distal part of the secretary zone [8]. Unlike synthetic polymers, the biopolymers are composed of numerous monomers arranged in a strictly controlled manner [9]. M any attempts have been made in the past to harvest and convert spider silk filaments into fabric form [4, 10, 11]. Scientists have been hard at work attempting to marshal the power of spider silk for a range of medical applications-including wound-care applications; suture materials; muscle, bone, cartilage, tendon, and ligament repair scaffolds. Spider silk possesses mechanical attributes such as very high tensile strength and elasticity, making it one of the toughest fibers known to man. The problem is that spiders dont produce enough silk to render it marketable for mass human use. SPIDER WEB AND TYPES OF SPIDER SILK: Prior to the exploration of the structure and properties of spider silks, construction and design of webs have been the major area of focus. The spider webs can take a variety of forms but the most common type is the orb web. Different families of spiders like Araneus, Nephila builds orb web and other families of spiders construct tangle and sheet webs [33, 35]. Orb-web spiders invest little energy in searching for prey. It spends most of its time synthesising silk and constructing webs. An orb web has several spokes laid outward from a common origin. However, this varies amongst the various species of spiders [31]. The orb webs are often constructed with an orientation to avoid being damaged due to the air drag caused by prey capture [24]. In a three dimensional web, the energy required to stop a moving insect is dissipated mainly by breaking some of the strands. In a two dimensional orb web, it is achieved through stretching the spiral threads [29]. Due to high-energy requirement in protein synthesis, only the damaged parts of the web are reconstructed instead of the whole web. Large portions of the web are repaired through the enzyme digestion and recycling. Based on the vibrations of the strands, the spider locates the prey accurately. The orb-weaving spiders are able to synthesize as many as seven different types of silk [13-15] including dragline by drawing liquid crystalline proteins from separate gland-spinneret complex. The perfume-coated dragline helps to find their mates, swing from place to place, store food, eggs and for reproduction. Capture threads produced by the flagella form glands of Nephila Clavipes is highly compliant. Both Araneus and Nephila coat their capture threads with an aqueous solution that forms sticky droplets which enhances damping and harvests water from air [25]. Its principal function is to absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy of captured flying insects. [3]. The chemical composition of the aqueous solution of the adhesive spiral varies among the species qualitatively and quantitatively. The variation is mainly due to physical environment, diet, web recycling, and onto genetic changes in the web chemistry. SPINNING OF SPIDER SILK: Many spiders are active at night and their colorations are usually orange, brown, grey and black, to reduce the spiders visibility during day time. Silk secreting systems of spiders and insects are homologous and linked to the crural gland and cuticular secretions [6]. Cephalothorax of the spider attached to an unsegmented abdomen, which has spinnerets at the posterior end [33]. N.clavipes spider has three pairs of spinnerets namely, anterior lateral, posterior lateral and posterior median. The largest major ampullate gland secretes dragline silk protein, exits from the anterior lateral spinneret. Secretions of proximal region and the distal region together form spider silk. Proximal region secretions are rich in tyrosine residues, sulfhydryl linkages and acidophilic nature. They form core of the silk while secretions of distal zone form coating of the fiber, which lacks tyrosine and sulfur contents. A mature Nephila produces dragline silk fiber at approximately 1 cm/sec during web construction and can increase up to 10 times faster during a rapid descent [52]. Spider silk spun under water displays greater stiffness and resilience compared to silk spun naturally in air [53]. The diameter of the silk can be controlled by the valve located at the end of the duct [47]. The spiders have the ability to withstand temperature variation of up to 30oC and humidity variation of up to 70% [20]. Spiders can easily modify the spinning conditions by their moving speed, building the webs in different times in a day. Spinning speed has less influence on the diameter of the filament when compared to the temperature even though its influence on toughness. COMPOSITION OF SILK: Variability in silk spun by the spiders exists at different levels such as in inter-specific (between species), intra-specific (within same species) and intra individual levels [54]. The factors that affect variations in silk structure and properties include body dimensions, body weight, rate and temperature of reeling and spinning direction [17, 25]. Composition of silks produced by herbivorous spiders is rich in Glycine, Alanine and Serine. This type of silk can be predicted to some extent. However, the silk produced by predatory spider, cannot be predicted due to the different types of prey [40, 55]. Dietary compositions of herbivorous spiders are energy rich and poor in protein content whereas the diet of predatory spiders is more diverse and rich in protein. Competition for limited or fluctuating supplies of amino acid perhaps has resulted in the evolution of two different kinds of glands to secrete protein glues and silk fibroin. The spider produces the thr ead on a very strict energy budget using liquid crystalline polymer. STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES: Spider silk has drawn attention from all the sections of engineering due to its superior properties when compared to existing fibrous materials such as the silkworm silk. Spider silk cannot be compared with silkworm silk. This is because spiders are difficult to raise in large numbers and their silk lacks the lustre of silkworm silk. The chemical compositions of various silks vary with the type of function they are intended to perform. In addition to the fibroin, other classes like glycoprotein , inorganic salts, sulphur containing compounds, amino acids, and ionic forms of amines are also present in the spider silk [69, 70]. Presences of these chemicals play crucial roles in identification of species, regulation of water content of the web and protection against microorganisms. Presence of 12- methyltetradecanic acid and 14-methyl hexadecanoic acid in less amounts impart antimicrobial properties to the spider silk. Wax like esters are also present in the su rface of the spider silk. Macroscopic Structure of Dragline Silk: Dragline spider silk is golden yellow in color and has circular cross section with a mean diameter of about 7 ÃŽÂ ¼m [19, 38, 54]. It lacks glue-like protein, similar to that of silkworm silk, as its associated with dragline fiber [56]. The dragline spider silk consists of semi crystalline polymeric structures with numerous small crystallites between amorphous regions. The mechanical properties of the dragline silk are highly influenced by the composition of the amino acids, insect size, diet, body temperature and drawing speed [99, 124]. The breaking strength of silk increases linearly with increasing spider weight and breaks at stress of about six times the spiders weight [47, 100, 129]. The average tensile strength of the dragline of Nephila clavipes is almost three times that of Bombyx mori (1.3 0.5 GPa, respectively). Tensile strength of spider silk reduces, when it is subjected to acidic rain and UV radiation [133]. Spider silks can u ndergo large tensile and compression deformations. The ability of spider silk to resist transverse compression is lower than that of many textile fibers like Kevlar 29, nylon 5, polyester and wool. REGENERATED SPIDER SILK PROTEIN BY ARTIFICIAL ROUTE: Forced Silking (Reeling) of Spider Silk Reeling devices have been developed for forced silking of dragline from the glands of anaesthetized Nephila clavipes [78, 115,140, 141] to reel about 3-5 mg of silk in one session. Splicing of silk genes into two different cell lines have been tried in the past using bovine mammary cells and hamster kidney cells, to produce large volumes of recombinant proteins [49, 135]. Successful sequencing of genes of the flagella form silk of tropical spider Nephila clavipes and N. madagascariensis has been achieved lately [39]. Recombinant DNA technology for microbial proteins [144, 150, 151] appears to be advantageous compared to that of chemical synthesis due to low cost, rapid preparation and absence of by-products. A team of researchers at the University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN) the University of Wyoming (Laramie), and Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc. (Lansing, MI) have succeeded in producing transgenic silkworms. The advantage of these animals is that they can spin artificial spider silk with strength and flexibile attributes similar to those of native spider silk. Until this breakthrough, only very small quantities of artificial spider silk had been produced in the laboratories. Kraig Biocraft believed these limitations can be overcome through use of recombinant DNA. This biotechnological approach can be used to produce silk fibers with a broad range of physical properties or with predetermined properties optimized for specific biomedical or other applications. From the known sequence of the spider silk protein, genes are constructed and expressed using E. Coli as the host, which has been successfully used earlier for silkworm silk [160]. Genes of spider dragline silk have been inserted into mammary gland cells along with regulatory elements. Insertion of the genes into eggs of single cell goat has been tried. This was purposely done to produce water-soluble silk protein [154, 156, 165]. Few milligrams of genetically engineered silk like protein has been successfully produced based on the sequence of spider protein [155]. APPLICATIONS: Though availability of the dragline silk is limited, it is widely used in defence [4,] and medical [11] applications. Structural similarity and comparable properties of dragline and Kevlar [127, 180] makes it more attractive for applications where high performance, in terms of physical properties is in demand. Until World War II, spider silk was used as crossed-hairs in optical devices including microscopes, telescope and bomb guiding systems [4]. Silk strands of the web have an ability to elongate when an insect is caught, convert the preys momentum i.e. kinetic energy into heat, and dissipate about 70% of the converted energy. The web also gently rebounds so as not to catapult the insect back out. This ability to dissipate energy at very high strain rates makes spider silk suitable for body armour system and ideal for ballistic protection [131, 140]. Though biodegradability is a helpful aspect for sutures, it is as unwanted in high performance applications such as bulletproof vests. A very low glass transition temperature of -50o C to 60o C enables it to absorb sudden shocks at low atmospheric temperature and makes the spider silk suitable for parachute applications. However, super contraction in water is undesirable for use in the fabrication of parachutes [174, 175]. Earlier use of spider silk in the form of web, rather than a fiber, includes wound dressing to help blood clot and fishing nets. Spider silk protein can be used to coat the medical implants for better performance. Surgical thread, biomembranes and scaffolds for tissue engineering are the possible areas of application in biomedical and biomaterial fields. Due to low inflammatory potential of silk proteins and antithrombic nature, recombinant spider silk has potential applications in sutures for eye surgery, artificial tendon and ligaments for knee construction. Spider silk with higher safety co-efficient can be used in structural applications like elevator ropes, bridges and pillars [100]. CONCLUSION The dragline silk offers excellent physical and chemical properties that can withstand adverse and extreme conditions than many of the existing natural and synthetic fibers. Though the chemical synthesis seems to be unfruitful in many aspects, the recombination method of producing the spider silk using biological hosts proves to be a viable option for producing the spider silk in a large scale. In spite of various successful attempts made in the production of dragline silk in the laboratory scales, controlling the molecular conformation and their aggregation during the spinning for achieving properties similar to the native fiber still remains as a challenge to be addressed through future research.

Boys Will be Boys in Tom Sawyer :: Tom Sawyer Essays

Boys Will be Boys in â€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer† Mark Twain uses â€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer† to reveal his own childhood; thus, many specifics in the book, such as the characters and the setting are very dear to his heart. It is the story about life in a boy’s world, and it discloses the feelings of Mark Twain concerning his boyhood, his town, and the people there. The time period is about two decades before the Civil War, and the setting is in St. Petersburg, Missouri, a small village on the Mississippi River. The main character in the book is Tom Sawyer, of course. Throughout the book, the author compares himself to Tom and his adventures. Tom is all boy, meaning that he is about as rambunctious and mischievous as a little boy can be. He despises anything that places restrictions on his boyhood freedom including school, church, and chores. Not only does he despise these restrictions, but he also will do anything to get out of them. For example, he skips school, and he cons friends into doing his chores for him. While he detests the restraints of life, he loves the liberating parts of life. He longs to take advantage of nature and all it has to offer. A quote from the book that exemplifies Tom Sawyer’s attitude toward life is when the author reveals his philosophy, â€Å"that work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.† The other characters in the story revolve around Tom’s character. Tom lives with his Aunt Polly because of the death of his mother. She tries to keep Tom in line, but she struggles because she has such a soft spot in her heart for Tom. When she does discipline Tom, she feels terrible, and in a way, she punishes herself. Sidney is Tom’s half brother who seems to always be making Tom look bad. While Tom is the so-called bad boy who is always getting into trouble, Sidney is the good boy who always does what he is told. However, Tom is presented in a compassionate way, but Sidney is portrayed as a tattler and a deceiver. He is shown to be deceitful when he allows Tom to take the blame and punishment for the broken sugar bowl even though he is the one who broke it.

Carol Ann Duffy Notes

The poem closes with reminders of oppression, control and confinement. Possibility that was once limitless for the dolphins now has ‘limits' imposed upon it that will become impossible to bear. The realisation will probably hasten the creatures' death, signalling that there is as much at stake from a psychological perspective as there is from the physical circumstances. Stifling of natural impulse and behaviour can have fatal consequences. The ‘plastic toy' is a further reminder of the indignity visited on this majestic creature of the ocean. The phrase until the whistle blows is potentially ambiguous. In one level it simply refers to the controlling device used by the keeper but on another the poet might be reminding us that this sort of cruelty will continue until somebody exposes it for what it is. Duffy does effectively ‘blow the whistle' on such practices. The final line, with its reference to ‘our mind', neatly links the plural possessive pronoun with the singular noun ‘mind' indicating a collective voice for a species. The tense change to ‘we will' draws attention to the contrast between what the dolphins had, what they have now and can expect in the future. As a result, the dolphins assume an almost mythic status in that they appeal to archetypal impulses in us and in nature; they are not just the creatures who form part of it. ‘The Dolphins' may just as easily be read as a poem about human disillusion, betrayal and loss of direction as it is about animals. As an interpreter of experience it offers us a new language into which we would do well to translate ourselves. Foreign Duffy's preoccupation with language is dealt with here form the perspective of its cultural significance as much as its ability to say anything. To the immigrant, the country to which he or she has moved out of economic necessity will always be ‘foreign' but the indigenous population will regard them as foreigners. The fact that living in a foreign culture is something that is not easy to get used to is emphasised in the opening line of the poem. Despite living in a city for ‘twenty years' it remains ‘strange'. The immigrant is aware of his or her own ‘foreign accent' as it sounds to others. The strain of thinking in one language and having to translate into the speech of another cannot always be sustained and this is sensitively pointed out through the physical detail in the final stanza: ‘And in the delicatessen, from time to time, the coins / in your palm will not translate. ‘ The breakdown in communication in an everyday, exposed transactional situation is intensified through the words ‘Inarticulate' and ‘point'. Duffy's empathic feeling for such people is further expressed in her presentation of other actions such as ‘writing home', a way of maintaining contact with others of the same culture. The ‘local dialect' in the immigrant's ‘head' is coupled with the memory of his or her mother singing. These are details with which any sympathetic person might identify and throw into sharp relief the actual experience of seeing racist graffiti ‘sprayed in red' (line 12). Duffy's use of the simile, ‘Red like blood' to describe the paint is effective because of its monosyllabic directness of observation. It also resonates with a famous and terrible speech given by the Conservative politician Enoch Powell who, on 20th April 1968 warned that increased immigration into Britain would result in a ‘river of blood'. There is, then, a stark contrast between the uses of language as a sign system of cultural inclusion (stanza 2) and its deliberate use as a weapon of racial exclusion (stanza 3). The ‘hate name' of the racists is sprayed on a ‘brick wall' the harshness and unyielding nature of which is symbolic of the mentality of those who do such things. The unfamiliar, snowy weather and artificial ‘neon lights' create the impression for the immigrant that the country moved to is ‘coming to bits'. This image of fragmentation is, though, not entirely imaginary as he or she has a life splintered from all that is familiar and constantly experiences a sense of alienation. The italicised words at the close of the poem give voice to the immigrant but this only gives away a difficulty with English. The unfinished verbs, ‘Me not know' and ‘It like they only†¦' are drawn attention to by Duffy in order that the reader may ponder what it would be like to face the same language problem. The final words of the poem, ‘Imagine that' remind us of the opening and there is quite a clear impression that Duffy is adopting an undisguised didactic stance. As a skilled and empowered user of the English language herself she is drawing attention to the lot of those who are marginalised because of their deficiency in its use. Head of English The poet is introduced to the class by the Head of English who has very fixed views about what poetry should be. As in ‘Comprehensive', the school in question is a multi-ethnic institution. It is significant that the teacher should be dismissing the live woman poet because she does not conform to the Keatsean ideal in the teacher's mind. She is not dead and she is not male. How anyone with ‘English second language' is expected to relate to dead white English men is clearly a challenge laid down in the poem. The five six line stanzas are indicative of a controlled, contained environment, the institution and the teacher are reflected in this. Duffy does not choose to use rhyme throughout (as the teacher predicted) but reserves some obvious rhymes for the teacher to use. This is a very subtle use of a poetic technique to satirise someone who is complaining about its absence from modern poetry. So, simultaneously, Duffy is using a poetic technique to show that the teacher is wrong about it being absent from modern verse whilst showing that the rhyme, being obvious, is the sort needed by the teacher. The reference to Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) is significant for a number of reasons. His poems do rhyme very regularly, and a number of them are redolent of British imperialism and nationalism in the Victorian period. This is actually grossly offensive in a multicultural context. ‘Winds of change' is a wittily ambiguous phrase since it refers to the words of Harold Macmillan, British Prime Minister 1957-63 speaking of political events such as the civil war in the Congo following the granting of independence from Belgium. It also tells us that the teacher is referring to flatulence, as well as reinforcing her own entrenched views. Duffy is ironically drawing attention to the fact that Calliope, ‘the Muse' and source of afflatus, breath of inspiration for poets is interrupted by an unwelcome allusion to noxious gases. The control possible in adopting a persona in the dramatic monologue is clear. Single word sentences, a hallmark of Duffy's verse, work very well in capturing the terse, rude attitude of the teacher. ‘Still. ‘ (stanza 2); ‘Right. ‘ (stanza 4); and ‘Well. Really. ‘ (stanza 5) show that she is singularly unimpressed by what she has heard. Here, it is what is implied by Duffy's economical use of language that is so effective in building an impression of what this woman is like. The idea of someone being in charge of an English Department who cannot see that it is she who actually has the ‘outside' view is worrying. The fact that she devotes a whole lesson to assonance also indicates the deadly boring teaching methods she employs. She obviously teaches technique out of context in the same way that she cannot accept modern poetry as belonging to a literary tradition. Like any poor English teacher she views tradition as something strictly to do with an unreachable past. It is striking that it is the silent space between the fifth and sixth stanzas that the poet has been allowed to read. Despite having encouraged pupils to ask questions ‘after all we're paying forty pounds', the teacher's response to the poet's reading is telling as she instructs the class to ‘run along'. The reader wonders just what ‘insight' the teacher has actually gained. Also, her pupils are unlikely to derive much from her teaching. More worrying, though, are the entrenched attitudes of a person who should not be in charge of the most expansive of subjects studied at school.

Which High School Electives Should You Take

Which High School Electives Should You Take SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Electives are some of the coolest classes you can take in high school. They can cover almost any topic, from pottery to poetry to Portuguese, but just like any other course you take in high school, colleges will be looking at your electives to see which classes you chose and the grades you got in them. So which high school electives should you take, exactly? In this guide we'll cover how to choose electives that you both enjoy and can use as a way to strengthen your college applications. What Are Electives? Electives are classes students can take that are not specifically part of graduation requirements. High schools require students to complete a certain number of credits or hours in order to graduate, but core classes (such as English and math) don't fill all those hours, so you fill the free spaces in your schedule with electives. Why Are Electives Important? Like other high school classes, electives are a way for colleges to judge your interests and academic abilities. College admissions officers will be looking at which subjects you choose for electives and the grades you get in those courses. Electives, more than many other courses, offer a way to show your personality and interests to a school. For example, taking English your freshman year of high school doesn't tell colleges much about your personality because you probably had to take it (although the rigor of the course and the grade you got do tell them about your academic abilities). However, taking several painting classes or multiple courses in computer programming as electives can show colleges what you're passionate about. In addition to bolstering college applications, electives can also play a role in helping you discover new hobbies or career interests. Because electives cover such a wide variety of topics, they can introduce you to subjects you may not otherwise have learned about, and you may find some of those subjects really cool! For example, taking an elective in nutrition because you want to learn how to eat healthier could cause you to discover a passion for diet and well-being that leads to a career as a dietitian, nurse, or other health careprofession. It's possible for you to choose your career based on one really great elective you took in high school! Looks like somebody really enjoyed their animal science elective Examples of Commonly Offered Electives The options students have for electives can vary widely between high schools, due to a number of factors like location, financial resources, size of the student body, and student interests. Below are a few of the most commonly offered high school electives, organized by category. Computer science: programming, graphic design, web design English: journalism, creative writing, speech and debate Family and consumer science: nutrition, child development, culinary courses Math and Science: environmental science, zoology, astronomy, statistics Social Studies: psychology, anthropology, economics Visual and Performing Arts: drawing, painting, photography, choir, band Looking for even more electives? We've compiled a complete list of high school electives so you can see all the possibilities! How Can You Decide Which Electives to Take? So now that you know electives are cool and important, how do you decide which ones to study? Follow these 5 steps to figure out which electives are best for you! Step 1: Learn Which Electives Your School Offers To find this information, look through your school's course catalog, which most high schools send to students or have available on their website. If you can't find the course catalog, ask your guidance counselor for a copy. Course catalogs list every class a school offers, usually with a 2-3 sentence description for each class. Courses are usually organized by subject (such as math, science etc.) so the electives may not all be grouped together. It's a good idea to at least skim through each section and course description to make sure you know all your options. Even if you don't love you science, your school may offer science electives on topics you find interesting, such as marine biology or forensic science. Electives are a great chance to go beyond your normal academic boundaries! Step 2: Figure Out How Many Electives You'll Be Able to Take If your school doesn't automatically do this,either on your own or with your guidance counselor,draw up a rough plan of the classes you need to take in order to graduate. To figure this out, firstlook at your high school’s graduation requirements. High schools usually require that students complete a certain number of years of math, science, English, social studies, foreign language, and physical education classes, possibly along with some other courses like religion or health. Makeblank spaces to represent the number of classes you can take (for example, if you have eight class periods in a day and your school year is divided into semesters, make a column for each semester of high school you have left and put eight lines under each of those semesters). But I've got a blank space baby, and I'll write your (course) name. Image via Taylor Swift Blank Space Next, fill in each of the required classes you must take. You don't need to know specificcourses right now. If you know you need three years of science to graduate, write â€Å"science† in a blank space under six different semesters. Thenlook at entrance requirements for a few colleges you are interested in and add any additional courses you’ll need to take in order to meet those requirements. Remember to leave room for lunch! Afteryou have filled in all your required classes (it’s a good idea to check your plan over with your guidance counselor), the blank spaces you have left will be when you can take electives! This planning will give you a rough idea of how many electives you'll be able to take in high school. Maybe you have free space every semester and will be able to take a lot of electives, or maybe your required courses take up most of your schedule so you'll only be able to take a few. This is good information to know early because if you know you won't be able to take a lot of electives, you can make those you do take count by choosing the electives you're most interested in.It also prevents you from taking too many electives early on and running out of space for your required classes. Step 3: Decide How Rigorous You Want Your Electives to Be Are you applying to top schools and want your electives to behigh-level or AP courses? Or would you like your electives to be spaces in your schedule that are less demanding and give you more time to focus on other classes? Ifyou're applying to competitive schools and want to show you had a rigorous course load throughout high school, choose honors or AP courses for electives, or possibly higher-level foreign language classes. Some commonAP courses to take as electives include environmental science, statistics, and psychology. Electivesdon’t always need to be demanding courses though, especially if you are already balancing other difficult classes, perhaps with extracurricular activities or a job on top of that. Don'ttake particularly difficult or time-consuming electives if they will cause your grades in core classes to suffer. To decide, think honestly aboutthe competitiveness of the schools you’d like to attend and the amount of time you’ll have in order to determine how difficult the electives you take should be. You can also alternate between harder and less difficult electives, especially if you know a certain year or semester will be more difficult than others. Step 4: Look for Electives Related to Your Academic Focus A good way to develop a strong college application is to have a clear interest in a particular subject (most likely the topic you plan to study in college). This subject can be anything: biology, writing, playing the piano, computer programming... Colleges like to see passion and dedication to a specific topic, and electives are a great way to show them what your interests are. Choose electives that relate to your main academic focus. For example,if you want to major in business, you could take electives in economics, personal finance, and accounting, or if you want to go to med school, you can make sure to take the main AP science courses (AP biology, chemistry, and physics) along with additional science electives like human physiology and nutrition. Not all ofyour electives need to relate to your academic focus, and it’s fine to have more than one area of interest, but at least some of your electives should relate to what you’d like to study in the future to help show colleges that you are well-educated on the subject and are interested in learning a lot about it. Gothrough your school’s list of electives and mark all the ones that relate to your academic focus. Then read through their descriptions to see which ones you find most interesting so you know what electives to take in the future. Step 5: Look for Electives You Find Particularly Interesting As Imentioned above, electives don't always need to relate to your academic focus; it's OKto take a few that just sound cool. Read through your school's course catalog with an open mind, asking yourself the following questions: Do Any of These Electives Relate to Your Hobbies? For example, if you like playing video games, you can take a class incomputer programming, or, if you like fashion, you can take a class in sewing or fashion design.Students oftenget higher grades in classes they're interested in because they are more motivated to learn and study the material. Which Skills Do You Wish You Had? Do you not know how to cook? Do you get nervous speaking in front of audiences? Would you like to know what to do if your car breaks down? Are you thinking about writing a blog but don't know how to start? Electives can help with all of these things! High school is a great time to learn new skills before you head off to college. Some electives that can help you expand your skill set include web design, public speaking, personal finance, and culinary classes. Can Any of the Electives You're Interested in Also Relate to Your Academic Focus? You can get creative with how you connect your electives to what you plan to study in college.When I was in high school,I knew I was going to study biology in college, so most of my electives were science classes. However, I also took a photography class because I thought it sounded interesting. To connect the class to my interest in biology, my final project was a photo catalog of a local forest's tree species that I ended up later using for a biology project on biodiversity. Ifyou do choose to do something like this, make the connection clear for colleges because they may not be able to infer it themselves.Youcan do this by mentioning the connection in your personal statement or asking teachers to include it in their letter of recommendation. Remember,not every elective has to relate to your academic focus, and don’t try to invent connections where none exist. Any of these interest you? Take an electivethat focuses on one of them! Key Takeaways High school electives are important because they offer you a chance to study new topics while providing colleges with another example of your academic abilities and interests. Colleges like to see a deep interest in a particular topic, so at least some of your electives should relate to your academic focus (and remember, there are creative ways to do this.) Also remember to choose electives youare legitimately interested inbecause electives are one of the few areas in high school where you can take pretty much any course you want! What's Next? Looking for a list of all the electives that are offered in high schools? We've got a complete list of electivesfor you! Browse through it to see which subjects strike your fancy. Also thinking about which foreign language to take? Read our complete guide to choosing a foreign language so you know which is the best language for you to study. Considering the AP or IB program? Learn the differences between the two and which program you should take. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success

Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success Introduction Specialist human resource management skill is an important attribute that managers must possess in the present age of globalisation. It provides a playing field for an effective management of staff and enhances retention and turnover processes of an organisation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More HRM also enables management to maximize effective utilization of employees through investment in identified human capital. Through HRM, an organisation can have increased performance, employee satisfaction and more shareholder value. Human resource management is defined as â€Å"a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued asset – the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives† ( Armstrong, 2006, p. 3). We can understand from the definition that HRM emphasizes people because they are a source of strength and competitive advantage for an organisation. The new trend in business is to strengthen human resource for it can lead to success and competitive advantage for the organisation. This paper aims to analyse HRM skills that a manager and employees should possess in order to enhance the organisation’s performance in the competitive world of business. HRM covers areas of recruitment, selection, staffing, performance evaluation processes, and philosophies and policies of an organisation. Critical Analysis A manager’s knowledge of HRM is significant to the attainment of the organisation’s goals and objectives. The manager has to maintain a good and effective rapport with his employees. The employees too have to establish a good communication with the customers. Meeting the needs and wants of customers is the job of both the manager and employ ees. The manager has to focus his knowledge and capabilities with identifying and selecting employees capable of implementing the organisation’s plans. Motivation is a part of a manager’s job and this is a very significant part of HRM. Without motivation employees do not function well. (Harris et al., 2003, p. 56)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Effective management focuses on people. The manager and the workforce must work as a team and as a cohesive force, and should be flexible in satisfying the customers’ needs and wants. (Gulati and Oldroyd, 2005, p. 92) With flexibility, the focus is shifted to human resource. Effective management looks at managing people in many angles by answering questions like: How do employees work effectively? How can they be motivated? How can they work as a team? This first objective is on managers so that they ca n deliver the necessary management techniques to the employees. The next line of concentration is on the people or employees. Both managers and employees have to be prepared, and their preparation stems from the basic knowledge of their job and the organisation’s objectives. HRM Planning Another function of HRM is human resource planning which is concerned with identifying resources to the business needs of the organisation (Gold, 1999, p. 165). It meets human resource requirements by answering the questions: how many are needed in the organisation, and what particular skills and capabilities should the people possess? (Armstrong, 2006, p. 363) The manager also determines the number and type of employees needed in the team and where the labor supply should come from. Recruitment, training and development, and assignment of people are all in accordance with the organisation’s objectives. Existing employees can be trained, developed, redeployed, transferred or promoted f or future skill needs. New recruits should be carefully selected to ensure suitability for future positions. (Cray and Mallory, 1998, p. 7) The organisation’s objectives play a critical role in the staffing process. The manager should see to it that applicants meet the qualification standards of the organisation. Specification of the qualifications, identification of persons possessing those skills, and moving people into the job should be emphasized in the organisation’s staffing strategy (Miller, 1984, p. 58).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Resource Management Skills are Critical to Organisational Survival and Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More HRM emphasises the integration of traditional personnel functions including recruitment and selection and their management towards the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation. (Nankervis et al., 2009, p. 2) Human resource also needs to be integrated with organisational goals and corporate strategy. (Bratton, 1999, p. 11) Recruitment and Selection Recruitment includes planning, environmental scanning and analysis of organisational objectives, strategies and policies in order to ascertain the right quantity and quality of employees when and where necessary. This means forecasting human resources needs to ensure that the organisation has qualified people in the job. Recruitment and selection are an integral part of an organisation’s overall HRM strategy. HRM emphasises the integration of traditional personnel functions including recruitment and selection and their management towards the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation. (Compton et al., 2009, p. 2) Human resource planning is important to the organisation’s achieving its strategic goals. It is defined as â€Å"the process for ensuring that the human resource requirements of an organization are identified and plans are made for satisfyi ng those requirements† (Armstrong, 2006, p. 363). HRM functions and organisational objectives are linked through planning (Nankerviset al., 2009, p. 9). Training and Development Training and development are applied in a systematic way. The organisation is viewed as a system, and training as a subsystem. Training and development therefore should be an integral part of the system. (Kubr et al., 1989, p. 68) The objective of training and development focuses on the design and implementation of training systems to successfully impact organisational performance. (Smith Mazin, 2004, p. 65)Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A successful training programme takes the trainee through the difficult barrier to the final stage when he or she can perform all of the skills at once and can have the ability to think a stage in advance so that the trainee has control of the selling situation. Motivation In the workplace, workers can be very productive when they feel they are a part of a team, or part-owner of business. They feel this sense of belongingness and so they strive for the company’s success. This is one of the many kinds of motivation that affect individual behaviour in the workplace. People always connect work with life’s fulfillment, and connect their satisfaction at work with their feelings and satisfaction of life and happiness with their family. Work and life balance suggests a balance for life and what people do. Management should introduce worklife balance. This is because stress can cause ill-health and dysfunctionality. There is enough pressure in the workplace, added with all sor ts of pollution. (Firth, 2002, p. 46) Abraham Maslow (1943), who is the originator of the human-need theory, formulated the pyramid theory of need. He arranged it like a pyramid or ladder. Basic needs are at the bottom of the pyramid. As one set is met, the need moves up the ladder to the next. Performance Management Performance is something that an employee contributes to the organisation according to his/her own capabilities and talents. (Mead, 2005) Performance management is an HRM function that focuses on improving the performance of employees. It aims to emphasise their capabilities and individual talents that must contribute to the entire performance of the organisation. Performance management also aims to provide the means through which the staff can provide better results in such a way that the customers will be benefitted in the end (Armstrong, 2000, p. 1). Performance Appraisal Appraising individual employees is one aspect of needs assessment. Beaumont (1993, p. 74) argued that â€Å"the grounds (i.e. criteria) on which an employee is appraised should reflect the larger competitive strategy of the organization†. Indeed, it would certainly reflect on the organisation’s strategic development. Beaumont (1993) further states that some of the leading advocates of Total Quality Management are highly critical of performance appraisals based on individual employees. Line managers appraise their employees and in turn, they are being appraised by their own superiors. Conclusion The functions discussed in this paper are specialist HRM skills that are significant in the survival and success of an organisation. Managers and employees should have these capabilities and skills in running an organisation. Human resource management is a major function that strengthens an organisation. It is created to promote and pursue the aims and objectives of an organisation. An organisation cannot function well without an effective human resource. References Armstr ong, M., 2006. A handbook of human resource management practice. London: Kogan Page Limited. Beaumont, P., 1993. Human Resource Management: Key Concepts and Skills. California: Sage Publications. Bratton, J., 1999. Human resource management phenomenon. In J. Bratton and J. Gold, Human resource management: theory and practice. London: MacMillian Press Ltd. Compton, R. et al., 2009. Effective recruitment and selection practices (5th ed.). Australia: CCH Australia. Cray, D. and Mallory, G., 1998. Making sense of managing culture. London: International London Business Press Inc. Firth, D., 2002. Life and Work Express. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing. Gold, J., 1999. Human resource planning. In J. Bratton and J. Gold, Human resource management: theory and practice, p. 165. London: MacMillian Press Ltd. Gulati, R. and Oldroyd, J., 2005. The quest for customer focus. Harvard Business Review [e-journal], Available through: City University London . Harris, H., Brewster, C., and Sparrow, P., 2003. International Human Resource Management. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Kubr, M., Prokopenko, J. International Labour Office, Ed., 1989. Diagnosing Management Training and Development Needs: Concepts and Techniques. International Labour Organization. Maslow, A. H., 1943. A theory of human motivation. In F. Goble, Ed., The third force: the psychology of Abraham Maslow, pp. 233-6. United States of America: Zorba Press. Mead, R., 2005. International management: cross-cultural dimensions. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. Miller, E., 1984. Strategic staffing. In C. Fombrun, N. Tichy, M Devanna (Eds.), Strategic human resource management. United States of America: John Wiley Sons. Nankervis, A., Compton, R., and Morrissey, B., 2009. Effective recruitment and selection practices (5th ed.). Australia: CCH Australia. Smith, S. and Mazin, R., 2004. The HR answer book: an indispensable guide for managers and human resources professionals. New York: AMAC OM Div. American Management Association.

How do you envision the city of the future Essay

How do you envision the city of the future - Essay Example According to Terry Kirby (2011), â€Å"almost three quarters of the world’s population will live in large metropolises by 2050†. Therefore, what architects will be considering in designing buildings is more space that will accommodate large populations which would still make people feel free to move around. Consequently, cities will be having more high-rise buildings to maximize land areas. As Jason Bennetto (2011) suggests, the city will be designed by first analyzing how the place functions and how the people relate with each other. Through computer modeling the city could be designed to perfectly create not only the necessary buildings but also the spaces between them for better accessibility. Thus, it could be said that the future city will have many tall buildings which are arranged systematically for the ease and comfort of humans. Within the buildings, many spaces will also be created. Today’s architectural designs portray what might be adopted for future use in order to maximize the use of spaces. For instance, apartments for families perhaps will not be as wide as modern apartments but they will still be as comfortable and spacious for the whole family. This could be achieved by using a space for many purposes. For example, a space can be used as a reception area during the day and a study place in the evening which could also be turned into a bedroom when necessary. This could be achieved through the use of beds which could be folded to turn into chairs and tables and which could also be tucked away to create more space. Another likely innovation for the future city is one suggested by Dr. Rachel Armstrong, a lecturer at the University of Greenwich who specializes in innovative building materials. She suggests the use of â€Å"smart surfaces† which could be used for two or more purposes (Bennetto, 2011). This is similar to the illustration of interior designing mentioned above.

The heart rate of Daphnia magna Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

The heart rate of Daphnia magna - Lab Report Example Daphnia is characterized by these features. Daphnia is the small, planktonic crustaceans, which belong to the order Cladocera (Campbell and Jane 12). Their length ranges between 0.2 to 5 mm. These organisms are among the many small aquatic crusteceans often called water fleas. They live in varied aquatic environment conditions that range from freshwater ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, as well as in acidic swamps (Helms, Carl Helms, Kosinski and Cummings, 14). There are two available species of Daphna. These are Daphnia magna, which is relatively large, and the Daphnia Pulex, which is the smaller size (Campbell 56). Studies have indicated that parameters such as toxins, caffeine, chlorine, and concentration of a fluid, have an impact on the heart rate of Daphnia magna (Helms 23) Generally, Daphnia are characteristically known to possess a transparent body and because of this, it is possible for one to observe effects of substances upon its body without necessarily carried out a surgica l procedure. Research has indicated that it is possible to observe the Daphnia’s heart to be dorsal to its backbone (Helms 32). Notably, on average, under normal conditions, Daphnia has been reported to have a heart rate of about 180 beats per minute (Helms 34) It is worth noting that there are numerous studies that have so far been conducted on the two species of Daphnia. Recent research has indicated that various components have an impact on the heart rate of Daphnia magna (Bertil 45). Key among them includes caffeine, alcohol, acetylcholine, epinephrine and temperature. Alcohol, which is depressant, when used, it works on the body system slowing down the body activities. In this case, with the introduction of alcohol, the heart rate consistently becomes slower. With excessive alcohol, animals become inactive and might end up dying. This way, alcohol works in such a way as to inhibit the nervous system (Naumann 34). On the other hand, caffeine