Monday, September 30, 2019
Innocence Within To Kill a Mockingbird Essay
There are many times where childhood and adolescence, whether they be in metaphors or depicted by actual characters, are used in literature in order to convey different times in the work. Sometimes they can be used to convey tribulation or they can be used to convey times of prosperity. With Haper Leeââ¬â¢s story, To Kill A Mockingbird, she uses adolescence to be able to challenge the perspective of a Southern town still stuck in their older ways. She does this many times throughout the book, however in this essay; we will only discuss three instances that shape the story as a whole. The first instance that we will refer to is when in chapter 10, Scout and Jem get their rifles for Christmas. Once they receive their rifles, Atticus says,â⬠ââ¬ËIââ¬â¢d rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know youââ¬â¢ll go after birds. Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit ââ¬Ëem, but remember itââ¬â¢s a sin to kill a mockingbird. ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ Scout is confused by the saying and so a few sentences later, she asks Miss Maudie, their help, about why it was a sin to kill a mocking bird. Miss Maudie replies with a ââ¬Å"ââ¬â¢Mockingbirds donââ¬â¢t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They donââ¬â¢t eat up peopleââ¬â¢s gardens, donââ¬â¢t nest in corncribs, they donââ¬â¢t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. Thatââ¬â¢s why itââ¬â¢s a sin to kill a mockingbird. ââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ At first one might read this and think that on face value, they are simply talking about birds; however, if you look closer at the text, the mocking bird can be a depiction of children or a childââ¬â¢s innocence. By saying that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, because of the very heavy presence that childhood and adolescence takes within the book, one could take the saying as ââ¬Å"itââ¬â¢s a sin to kill or smash innocenceâ⬠and a mockingbird is a depiction of innocence in the book. It is a sin or rather a sad thing to take away a childââ¬â¢s innocence because it does no harm to anyone. In another chapter, it explains how Scout thinks of herself as an important figure in her household because she figures that without her, Atticus and Miss Maudie would have no clue what to do, while later on is explained in the same chapter that Dill has become aware of his insignificance of his household and is not better off for having that bit of innocence changed. This is one way the book is shaped is that it shows that innocence is a key element in the work and that Atticus throughout the book does not wish to taint the innocence of the children before it is time for them to grow up. Another instance in the book where innocence plays an important role in shaping the work, is in chapter 15 when Atticus is sitting at the jail where Tom Robinson is being held captive for his own protection while awaiting the trial. In the scene, Atticus has a lamp and a chair sitting beside the cell outside and is there to guard Tom Robinson before the trial. As the evening progresses, a crowd shows up with the intention to harm Tom Robinson and to harm Atticus if he does not step aside. During this scene, Scout happens to have been spying on her father and she rushes up to where her father is at, and ends up talking the crowd down with her innocence. In this scene, it is because of her innocence and the way that she speaks with Mr. Cunningham that remind the man that Atticus is a man with a family and that he is a neighbor and not some form of enemy. In this way, the innocence on Scoutââ¬â¢s part shapes the work because it shows that no matter how callous someone might be, that innocence can penetrate through the hardened heart. It also shows that the townspeople do realize that Atticus is their friend and not someone who is out to get their women and children. And then the third way that innocence shapes the book is in chapter 19 when Dill cries after seeing the way that the prosecutor addresses Tom Robinson just because of his color. He sees that there is no reason to talk to a person despite race. This shapes the work because it shows that naturally even children can see injustice and it shows that we as adults sometimes lose sight of whatââ¬â¢s right and wrong because our views can be tainted and skewed by callousness on our part. There is another instance in the book where Scoutââ¬â¢s classmates speak poorly of Atticus for defending a man of color. During this time, Atticus shows Scout that regardless of color, that it was Atticusââ¬â¢ duty to defend anyone if they are innocent and that it should be Scoutââ¬â¢s duty as well. This also shapes the work because it shows that no matter what, we should lose sight of what the morally right view is. Throughout the book, innocence is used in numerous occasions and pertaining to different instances in the book. Some of the most important instances where innocence is used is during Tom Robinsonââ¬â¢s trial and where the children, Scout, Jem, and Dill can see that the way that the town is treating Tom Robinson is incorrect. At the time Haper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, it would have been a touchy subject to speak out on because of the Civil Rights Movement, and so the author uses the natural innocence of children to show us just how wrong the case and the treatment of Tom Robinson was throughout his trial and up until his death.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Describe a room of your house: My drawing room
My living room has a peculiar shape. From the pinnacle it would look like a big rectangular shape forms it with the longest sides facing north and south. To the side facing north it is then attached a smaller shape known as square. A black and white fitted carpet has covered the whole room. In addition to that, to the side facing south, is attached a half hexagonal shape. Inside the square section of the room there is the television, which is a flat, screen Philips 40 inches. The television is on the top of one of the 12 shelves that compose the TV storage combination drawer. The six drawers under the shelves, two for each column that means that over the drawers there are four shelves, are smooth running as well as accessorised with a drawer stop. The post is provided with a groove prepared for lighting and cabling, basically foil finish and aluminium. The shelves are In tempered glass. The colour of the drawers is white. In the shelves there CDs of any existing kind as well as my silver and green XBOX 360, speakers, DVD player brand Philips and sky's white digital box. On the topside of the wall facing east there is a black glass bookcase with doors. It is composed of 14 adjustable shelves; also whenever I want I can adjust the spacing between them to my needs. On the bottom of the wall facing west there is a glass door cabinet. The cabinet is in tinted solid spruce. The raw material that has been used for the cabinet is strawberries' tree's wood. The colour is dark brown and it is equipped with eight shelves. On top of them there are mainly glasses as well as two tee's services in porcelain. In the center of the room there is a painted finish white coffee table. The top is in glass with the corners reinforced in wood. The bottom part is in wood. The table is pretty short, as it has to go on level with the sofa. The sofa is divided in three sections that can be moved around in order to create a suitable combination. Its rephult white cover is removable. The sofa is a hundred percent cotton. Its steel frames are chrome plated and therefore it gives then that silver shiny look. Positioned on top of them there are two black cushions each. On the same wall there is a portray painted by Boccelli, the paint represents a man who has nothing and rests on the doorstep of an Italian church. Whenever I walk inside it a feel weird however. I don't know why but I don't feel at home and wish for braking free out of its invisible grasp. I suppose this could mean that I don't like my house or I don't like my family. I don't really know what to say; I like sitting on the sofa alone because I am use to it, however if my father were to sit beside me uneasiness would fill me. Describing the dining room My Dining room and kitchen are separated by a sliding door; therefore I like to think of them as u unique room although they aren't. It has a kind of rectangular shape. The floor of my dining room is in dark brown wood; consequently it can also be called parquet, which from French means wooden patterned floor. On top of the parquet there is a rug. The wool is soil-repellent as well as hard wearing. It is composed by a hundred percent-multicoloured wool although the prevalent colour is burgundy. In the center of the room there is a huge dining table made of oak veneer. It visibly is brown and a shady one as well. It has a height of abut 74 centimetres. The ten chairs are made of solid beech. The cover is sensibly dry-cleaned as it is made of seventy-five percent cotton and the remaining twenty-five percent of viscose/rayon. The legs of the chairs are tinted in brown black while the rest is in sanne white. The more elongated sides of the room are in communication with the South and North Pole. Very close to the wall facing east there is an armchair that could even substitute the chair of the person that heads the table as it is on the same level. The armchair is made of the same material of which the chair are made of a part from the legs which are made of plated chrome. The cover of the seat is removable, as the colour white can easily be soiled by any other colour, in order of being washed and then placed over again. If it tears it can then be substituted. On the north wall there is a portray entitled Sur La Table. Two pendant lamps illumine the room, which creates two different shades. The lamp is handmade. The material used is natural wood, not the synthetic one. Positioned ion the table there are four green, red, blue and purple candles. Attached to the wall facing west there is a red-glassed door cabinet. The cabinet is formed by twelve sliding shelves, which can change the amount of space between them. Inside them there are different kinds of glasses: Vodka, whisky, rheum, cocktail, champagne, snaps white wine, red wine, wine, juice and water. Other things inside are porcelain plates: Saucers, mugs, sugar bowls, cream jugs, trays, serving stands, oven/serving dishes, serving plates, oven serving plates with holders, gravy jugs, serving bowls with lid, side plates, deep plates and normal plates. Describing My Bedroom My room has a rectangular silhouette with edges which have been smoothed so that it gives them that modern design look as well as making the walls looking as single one that encircles the room. The colour of the walls is light blue; it strongly as well as nostalgically remembers me of the ocean that surrounds the place from which I come from, Jamaica. Similarly the colour of the ââ¬â wall is deep blue. I have six light bulbs inserted inside the empty corresponding cavities, which were previously made on the covering wall; all of them can rotate and focus in different points. The floor instead of being made of marbles is parquet, which means wooden floor; moreover its colour is obviously golden-brown. It is basically patterned flooring constituted of rectangular timber boards. My bed's longest side is sided by the right wall of my room, while my personal computer and peripherals are on the other side of the room. The writing desk is equipped with a lamp as well as a laptop. It is made of stainless steel while the legs in powder-coated steel. Stool is silver coloured which goes well with the colour of the table as well as the one of the laptop. Under the table there I have a pedal bin in galvanised steel. Inside my room there is also a television that faces the door and is right in front of the north wall; under it I have my green XBOX 360 as well as my black play station 2. To its right I have a double glazed window, which does not allow the external rumours to enter inside my room. On the bottom right corner I have a four-door wardrobe; its doors are made of tempered glass reinforced with wood on the edges. On the centre of the room I have a red seating combination sofa. It is soft, Hardwearing and easy to care leather. Its legs are in Nickel-plated steel. In conclusion room is something material to others while to me its something precious and as a live as me since it can represent me and it does. What is disorder to some is order to me, this is something that I cannot change. Studying people belongings can mean understanding people since their feeling usually are enclosed in these loveless objects to strangers that appear alive to their owner.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Why Is It Advantageous for a Modern Employer to Fire Employees Essay
Why Is It Advantageous for a Modern Employer to Fire Employees - Essay Example The article entitled "Risky business, but not for the boss", by Ross Gittins, describes the elements of risk, both from a business perspective and that of the average employee and local citizen. Three specific activities are mentioned in the article, with the emphasis on the contemporary tendency of modern business to shift risk-related expenses away from the company and onto the employee. These risks include the offering of superannuation to employees, inventory, and production, and full-time versus part-time workers. The article discusses "longevity risk" (Gittins, 2007), which entails a company's willingness to provide a contribution to retirement and pension accounts. Historically, companies contributed more, however, today employees are expected to make financial arrangements (outside of high company contributions) which will sustain them long-term. This reflects a changing attitude on behalf of today's large companies, which are focused on eliminating expenses associated with business operations and long-term employee compensation. The Marxist economic theory focuses on the growth of big business and its 'relentless drive for capital accumulation' (Kang, 2006). Under Marxist economics, free market capitalism is affected by the laborers who bring these companies increased growth and revenues. Shifting risk to the employees satisfies corporate profitability objectives, which could lead to more social and community improvements, however, long-term the impact on the political-economic landscape is immense. When these individuals reach retirement age, they will have fewer finances available, due to corporate risk-shifting practices, leading to decreases in consumption. In this instance, governmental intervention is required to ensure that these employees maintain a significant retirement income so as not to upset the balance of supply and demand which keeps the Australian economic system afloat.
Friday, September 27, 2019
The Ethics of Food Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
The Ethics of Food - Term Paper Example Ethical considerations with respect to the food industry are a maze of complex questions that pin moral responsibility on any number of different sources, whether consumers, producers, the media, the government, or scientists. In the increasingly intricate food production process, there are many steps in the process where things could be positively changed and such positive changes could be introduced by any of these ethical food sources. Ethics is the philosophical study of moral values and rules. Applied to food, this means a study of what values and rules ought to be embraced as the norm for the production and consumption of food through each step of the process. An ethics of food is particularly important because food is essential to human life. For instance, to deny a person food for any prolonged period will inevitably lead to that personââ¬â¢s death. Although the denial of a specific person food for a time is not subject to ethical debate, millions of people each year die o f hunger that could be prevented in theory. Here, we will examine the sources of ethical duty within the food production process, starting with governments and ending with scientists. This analysis depends, in large part, on an overview of theory with a great deal of empirical application and comparison to real life. When dealing with an applied ethical issue such as the ethics of food, it is particularly important to bear in mind that oneââ¬â¢s philosophical conclusions have very real and widespread effects on human life. Sources that serve as a general introduction to the ethics of food often take the form of a series of questions, of which there are always more than there are answers. All of these questions have something to do with the distinction between an ethical and an unethical act. For instance, a question might be ââ¬Å"Is buying ââ¬Ëlocalââ¬â¢ food always better for the environment?â⬠(Prince, et al., 2007, p. 2). This question implicates food consumers mo st directly, but also food producers. The explicit moral value is the environment; namely, how does one best achieve what is best for the environment, which is taken to be morally superior to an act that degrades the environment. The moral duty implied for consumers in this question revolves around the issue of how one goes about helping the environment, and an answer to this question (if it exists) would make this moral duty more clear. Additionally, the question presumes some role of producers in helping the environment: namely, that by producing and selling foods locally, food producers can help the environment in ways that previous generations of producers have not been able to. Accordingly, every question posed in the ethics of food should be addressed in this manner: first, identifying to what or to whom the question implies we have a moral obligation to, secondly identifying the nature of that moral obligation, and thirdly specifically who bears that moral obligation. An addi tional preliminary comment is that moral obligations about food choices bear weight. The objection that food choice, or the ethics of food, does not really matter will not work. The majority of Americans deal with obesity, which affects the American workforce, healthcare costs, and a degraded environment. Unhealthy food choices lead to decreased brain function, developmental problems in children, and malnutrition from a lack of vital nutrients. Environmentally, poor diets compromise our resources by increasing the need for pesticides and fertilizers that corrupt lakes, streams, and oceans, creates disease in livestock, and releases greenhouse gases that cause irreversible damage in terms of global warming. At current trends, this kind of diet will lead to even more significant social problems in the future (Young & Leehr, 2009). In this sense, one cannot claim that food choices do not matter, or that ethics does not have a role in which direction Americans take. At this point, as Yo ung and Leehr (2009) contend, it does not matter which side of the debate between agri-business
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Should young people carry guns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Should young people carry guns - Essay Example Reported incidences of gun possession particularly by the media enhanced the growing concern over school violence. Recent reports of violence are a clear indication that guns should be prohibited in schools as they instill fear, disrupt education and may lead to physical harm or death. Researchers have attempted to identify reasons for the increase in school violence. Research in the field of psychology, criminology and social sciences have attempted to identify reasons for the increase in violence. The research was carried out in order to explain crime among the youth and also, so as to develop effective policies that may reduce crime (DeLisi 20).Researchers needed to provide clear definitions of the term ââ¬Å"Violenceâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Weaponsâ⬠in order facilitate the establishment of effective policies and laws. According to Sexton-Radek, violence refers to the threat or use of physical force that results in physical damage or intimidates another individual (Sexton-Radek 5). Weapons were later defined as any object that may be used to instill harm or intimidation (Hanks 21). Crime prevention policies and laws were adopted in an attempt to reduce crime. I n1990, the Gun Free Schools Zones Act stated that it is a federal offence for a student to knowingly poses a firearm in the school zone. The 1994,Gun Free Schools Act stated that states receiving federal funds for education were required to enact state laws that approved the expulsion of students, as a consequence for gun possession(Hanks 16). These two laws laid the foundation for other implemented state statutes. Schools were expected to adopt policies and safety measures that ensure the protection of students and teachers within the school zone. The definition of a weapon greatly influenced the established laws governing ownership of guns. In the U.S weapons are classified into three categories. These categories are true weapons;
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
New Zealand Film History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
New Zealand Film History - Essay Example New Zealand is a cultural melting-pot. Its national identity didn't come ready-made to be served in a silver platter but it is a fusion of many cultures that are varied and oftentimes contradictory to each other. All of this hodge-podge of cultures that was the outcome of intermingling and sometimes violent embroilment of diverse heritages for hundreds of years produced a unique national cultural identity that is one of its kind and which is so "quite unlike anywhere else in the world" (New Zealand Facts). This can never be truly understood and Ruth Harley's claim that "our culture is the well from which filmmakers draw their inspiration" will never be fathomed if we do not dissect the various cultures that make up this multi-cultural nation that is called New Zealand. And this has to start by tracing New Zealand's history and describing the cultures that these various people possess. Oral tradition of the Maoris claimed that a dark-skinned people called Morioris or moa hunters were the original inhabitants of New Zealand. Legend has it that these pre-Maori Polynesians (Australia, New Zealand Encyclopedia 1975, p.1013) came to the eastern North Island to hunt for moas, which were extinct wingless birds standing about 12 feet tall. Various literature failed to give us their kind of culture but only that they were assimilated into the Maori society. A Maori navigator named Kupe was the known discoverer of the land he called Aotearoa or Long White Cloud at about 950AD. Thereafter the Maoris came to settle the land National Identity 2 at about 1350 AD. They came in 8 outrigger canoes from either Society Islands or Tahiti and with their advent, they brought with them their own distinct culture. Although described as cannibalistic warriors, these tough, resourceful and handsome people were and are closely-knit who are "bound in families and subtribal communities" and have a deep "sense of closeness and homeyness" (Schafer 1998, p.11). The Maori society was already highly evolved at that time and was characterised by division of social classes i.e. chieftains, commoners and slaves. Yet despite this, they had remained family-oriented rather than individualistic (MacInnes 1964, p.109). They are also highly eloquent and witty with a predilection for debating. Maoris are also gifted with the talent for wood carving which is distinguished by intricate convolutions and feature pseudo-Oriental masks that are probably the finest in the world. What makes Maori culture so unique is that they always strive to achieve physical perfection through dancing and their
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
PERSONAL REFLECTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
PERSONAL REFLECTION - Essay Example The course increased my ability to lead a workforce in an organization, especially based on an engineering environment for which I have a background. The course content opened me to think about my personal style of leadership. Based on what I learnt, I realized that my philosophical approach to leadership can be described as laissez-faire; a rather laid back approach that dwells on adequate information supply but indirect involvement in the affairs of an entity. The leadership style bestows trust on other members of staff and provides feedback on a regular basis, commending and criticizing staffs based on their performances (Famiza, Kassim and Nasharudin, 3). My nature of leadership could develop further through adoption of more technology-guided means of data acquisition for timely reporting of information. I deem I need to get more acquainted with more social media platforms and integrate email and virtual communication forums such as Skype into the regular reporting schedule. I feel I have inadequate knowledge of how best some of the platforms can be of use, and Iââ¬â¢ll seek to learn this within a short time frame. I further realized that my notion of leadership lacked empathy, and I could often treat workers like people who cannot be allowed to fail at times. Upon attending the course, I realized that being empathetic creates room for quality reasoning, and helps me relate the events in other peopleââ¬â¢s lives to my own. I have learnt various qualities of good and bad leadership, and how each style could affect both relationships with staff members and customers and eventually affect the goals of the company. For instance, autocratic leadership leads to low staff morale, and affects both output and attitude towards customers. On the other hand, participative leadership allows input from all members, thereby ensuring that inclusivity is enhanced. I
Monday, September 23, 2019
Biographical Analysis of Hannah Altazan Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Biographical Analysis of Hannah Altazan - Article Example Different than many of her peers, Hannah actually enjoyed attending school. She appreciated the relationships that were developed with her teachers and classmates, as well as the information she learned in the process. Hannah would go on to attend Pearl River High School. As Hannah entered high school, her interest and appreciation of school further developed. During this period she further extended her interest in education by reading many texts in addition to her homework. As Hannah progressed through high school and realized that she would be attending college, she began to consider potential career paths and areas of study. With her interests in mind, a career in education as a teacher was an obvious career path to assume. After Hannah decided to pursue a career in education she began to further consider potential subjects she could teach. Hannah thought back to her childhood experience with her sister and began to recognize that her particular experience could be expanded to include many individuals with disabilities. Hannah believed her experience with Kinley would provide a strong background for helping other students. She was also inspired by her relationship with Kinley, such that she was highly motivated to help others with their challenges. Ultimately, her profound experience with Kinley and interest in education led her to decide to study to become a special education teacher. After deciding to study to become a special education teacher, Hannah went about further researching her interest. With this newfound passion in mind, she began working at the Pearl River High Schoolââ¬â¢s special education department. While Hannah had experiences helping Kinley with various tasks, her participation at Pearl Riverââ¬â¢s special education department brought her into contact with students with many difficulties.à Ã
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Writing to Evaluate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Writing to Evaluate - Essay Example Varied ethnicities and social mores have a lot in common, especially in the current times. Men and women do behave differently in every culture. For instance the American women enjoy more freedom than their counterparts in any other part of the world. For an individual from a more restrained culture at USI, the opportunity to play soccer with females and being pushed or tackled by a woman could turn out to be really amazing. The girls may not have the sportsmen like skills, but they do have the right to share a soccer field with males, without cowering to any considerations regarding varied gender issues. While in many Asian countries, itââ¬â¢s the family that takes the important decisions regarding a girlââ¬â¢s life; in America women do have the right to choose their partners and to freely live their lives as they want to. In that context, a person visiting Hong Kong for the first time may be shocked at finding dog and cat meat dishes in the regular menus at the local restaurants (Ingrams 134). Yet, for a Chinese it could mean just one other culinary delight or a dietary preference. Indeed food is one major difference between varied cultures. Also, food could turn out to be a unique experience in the US, because it is imported from almost every nation and it gets really difficult to tell, which a foreign food is and which a traditional American food is. For instance, most of the people in the Middle East do not eat pork, just like the Jewish people from Israel. It gets really funny to notice that the Arabs and the Israelis can share their dietary preferences, but they cannot share the land. In the US, fast food and gas stations are almost ubiquitous, while in the Middle East, one could find barber shops and laundries almost everywhere. Indeed, the human needs do tend to differ from one culture to othe r. The way people dress up in the Arab nations is unique. Some people there
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture Essay Example for Free
Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture Essay Genetically modified organisms especially in agriculture has attracted global concern over the last few years. People from all walks of life, politicians, consumers, activists, farmers biotechnologists as well as technology regulators have been involved in the heated debate. Evidence has been brought forward on the massive benefits of genetically modified crops due to the food insecurity in the world as a result of low agricultural productivity and the ever increasing population. However, many consider the adoption of genetic engineering technology in agriculture as a time bomb. These concerns have resulted into changes in the importation and exportation policies, intensive regulation of agricultural technology and practices in many parts of the world. Different environmental organizations around the world have protested against genetically modified organism due to it potential effect on the environment. Despite these arguments, this technology is being adopted by farmers around the world knowingly or unknowingly. But the big issue is the costs and benefit of genetic engineering in agriculture. Whether the benefits of increased agricultural production at reduced cost overrides the environmental and food safety concerns has always been the big issue (Nelson, p 4). What are genetically modified crops? Over the years, research in biotechnology has advanced significantly. Biotechnology is a field of technology that deals with living systems. For many centuries, biotechnology has been employed in agriculture and manufacturing industries, for example fermentation processes for industrial production of wine has been used for many centuries. Principles of genetics and hereditary which were developed in the late 19th century have improved agricultural production by enabling farmers select the beat trains in plants and animals. However, the unearthing of the structure of DNA in the mid 20th century was a turning point for biotechnology. This led to a progressive development of genetic engineering technology. Today, farmers need not to choose animals or plants with the best characteristics such as drought, pests and diseases resistant, high yields, early maturity or high quality products due to advancement in biotechnology. Through genetic modifications, scientists can alter the genetic material in the plant or animal to improve on its characteristics (Whitman, p 1). Genetically modified organisms in agriculture refer to plants and animals that are created by scientists to meet desired characteristics using modern molecular biotechnology techniques. To enhance the traits, the genetic material in the organism is modified to meet the desired qualities. This technique has replaced the traditional methods of propagation used by farmers to enhance the desired characteristics through selective breeding which is inaccurate and time consuming. Biotechnology produces organisms of the intended traits with greater precision. For example, today, scientists can extract the gene responsible for drought resistance in plants that do well in deserts and insert it in various agricultural plants to enhance their drought tolerance. Recent research indicates that these genes can also be transferred from plants to animal or from animals to plants. A good example in this case is the genetic modification, Bt maize. The gene responsible for the production of protein in the maize was isolated from a bacterium that was observed to produce a protein as a defense against insectsââ¬â¢ larvae. The Bt main therefore has improved nutrients content as well as pest resistance such as stock borer (Herman, p 36). Legitimate concerns about genetically modified organisms There is no doubt that there are several problems associated with genetically modified organisms in agriculture. This has resulted into criticism from different people around the world including some biotechnologists. This is despite the massive promises of the new technology. The greatest concerns has been the players in the agribusiness field concentration on the financial benefit accrued from adoption of genetic engineered crops without considering its impacts on the consumers as well as the environment. This criticism has become intense with various religious and interest groups being opposed to the idea basically because scientists are not certain about the long term effects of genetically modified products on the consumers and the environment (Rader, Para 26). A legitimate argument is based on the fact that man altering the Mother Nature will always have negative consequences. Some of these consequences may be life threatening. This is evident from the current changing weather crisis as a result of man activity. Genetic engineering is more threatening as it touches on the most fundamental part of life, the hereditary material. Religious groups have been opposed to these biotechnology developments due to its threat on the identity of the target species. However, some critics base their argument on ethics since genetic modification technology is closely related to human cloning and human embryo tissues research (Rader, Para 26). The greatest concern on genetically modified food is food security. There are proposals that genetically modified products may not be safe for human consumption. Adoption of genetically modified organisms in agricultural production is a major change in the global food supply and reliable and extensive studies need to be done on their safety. This concern does not affect genetically engineered organisms only but also changes that are as a result of other biotechnological advancements. There is no doubt that biologists are aware of the impacts of what they are doing. They are well informed on the negative consequences of altering the genetic makeup of organisms. However, there are some unanticipated effects of this technology as a result of long term impacts (Rader, Para 26). A very good example was the genetic enhancement of nutritional contents of soybeans. Soybean has been considered as a good source of plant protein for many years. However, research indicates that it lacks methionine, one of the essential amino acids. To enhance the nutritional value of soybeans, scientists isolated a gene responsible for protein production in Brazil nut and inserted it on soybean. However, scientists were unaware that the same gene was the allergens in the nut. A very large number of people are allergic to Brazil nut because of this allergen. This modification could have resulted into unexpected allergic reaction. This was revealed before the product entered the market through testing which led to abandoning of the project. This is clear evidence that genetically modified organisms products need to be extensively tested before they can be consumed by human beings. Though this indicates that testing is done before the products are released, there is no assurance that the products are safe for consumption (Rader, Para 26). One of the techniques used in genetic engineering is induced random gene mutations. This produces numerous genetics which are tested for desired qualities. There are various techniques that are used to induce random gene mutation. This may include the use of radiations of a certain wavelength, use of chemicals or subjecting the genetic materials to high temperatures. This technique relies more on lack when compared to genetic modification where a gene of the desired trait is inserted. This suggests that more tests need to be done on genetically produced organisms using this technique. However, throughout the world, there are no proper regulations that have been put in place to regulate breeding of organism which puts the consumers at a risk. There are no doubts that breeding technologies are creating harmful products accidentally and whose short term and long term effects are unknown. A very good example given in this case was the production of celery using convectional breeding methods. Although the celery produced was of a better variety, it had negative effects on the farm worker who became hypersensitive to sunlight. Other products produced using the same techniques such as Lenape potato was found to contain toxins levels which was fatal (Herman, p 36). The health concerns raised against genetically modified food have affected the perception of the public on these foods. For example, a very large number of children all over the world today suffer from fatal allergies to some animal and plants products especially peanuts. A large number of people associated this with genetic modifications. Although this may not be true, there is a need to think twice about this issue. Most of genetic modifications are aimed at producing fruits and vegetables with fast maturity rate, improved nutrition value, altered ripening behaviors, resistant to diseases and pest and better yields. Unfortunately, these products are given to very vulnerable members of the society. The likelihood of introducing new types of allergen in the fruits and vegetable through genetic engineering is very high. The allergenicity effects of new allergen may have far reaching effects considering that most of the people around the world are suffering from life threatening hypersensitivity (Nelson, p 103). Some scientists have been opposed to the new technology because it is not possible to determine with certainty the effects of genetically modified products on human health. There are still some unknown effects of introducing new genes to crops. It is more likely that there are some negative effects that scientists may not expect associated with genetically modified organisms that are unknown or unexpected by scientists. For example, a recent study suggests that genetically modified potatoes have some effects on the digestive systems of rats. Substantial differences between the digestive systems of rat feed with genetically modified potatoes and those feed with unmodified potatoes. Although these potatoes were not meant for human consumption, it suggests that genetically modified food may not have short term negative effects on humans but can result into modification of body systems which may be detected when it is too late (Whitman, p 1). The unintended harm to some species as a result of adoption of genetic engineering technology in agriculture has attracted a lot of concern on the future of GM in agriculture. These concerns are based on the effects of Bt maize on the population of monarch butterflies. Although monarch butterfly larvae do not consume corn, pollen from Bt maize was transferred to the milkweeds plants through hair carrying with it the anti larvae proteins. The monarch butterfly larvae perished as a result of consuming this pollen. The main concern here is that the proteins in Bt maize was not intended to eliminate the monarch butterflies but unfortunately, it kills larvae indiscriminately. Since it has proved to be difficult to produce GMO crops with toxins that kill only pests, there is a need for evaluation of effects of the genetically modified products on unintended targets (Whitman, p 1). There is developing fear of what is likely to happen if for example, the world corn production became overdependence on Bt maize, and then insects develop resistant to Bt crops and other GM crops as well as convectional pesticides. This may lead to similar problems experienced after some mosquitoes in tropical regions developed resistant to DDT. It therefore suggests that dependence on GMO in agricultural production may be a time bomb. The possibility of creating some plants that can resist certain herbicides creates the possibility of creating super weed. The possibility of the gene transfer process getting to the non targeted species either by mistake or maliciously is of greater concern to farmers. The transfer of herbicide resistant genes to the weeds may result in cross breeding and consequently creation of super weeds. These super weeds will be able to resist the herbicide the same way the crops can. It is possible that some of the genes can be transferred to non-genetically modified crops in the field as a result of cross breeding. This possibility has been proved by the law suit between farmers and Monsanto Company (Whitman, p 1). There are also economic concerns that have been raised against adoption of genetically modified organisms in agricultural production. Introduction of genetically modified crops may have negative economic consequence as a result of costs involved in establishing their markets. Biotechnology companies have invested a lot of resources in the development of GM crops and would like to make profit out of it. However, infringement of patent rights especially in agricultural technology is a big issue. These factors will affect peasant farmers in the developing countries as multinational biotechnology companies try to maximize return on their investment within a short time leading to increased prices of new propagation materials. It is less likely that despite the promise of GMO in averting the food insecurity in the world, farmers will be able to adopt these new varieties of crops (Whitman, p 1). It is clear that this biotechnology technique may not be available to all societies in the world. The resources required for significant genetic engineering research may not be in the reach of many agricultural technology companies all over the world. This creates the worry of a few multinational biotechnology companies controlling global agriculture. There is a possibility of the small companies being wiped out of the market as a result of intense competition. This competition will affect the small scale farmers negatively (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). Counter Arguments Despite the intense argument against genetically modified organisms in agriculture, the global farming systems are progressively adopting this technology. Criticism has not deterred biotechnologist and multinational companies from developing more genetically modified crops. The intense research on this field and massive investments is clear evidence that there is a market for genetically modified agricultural products and the world is ready to adopt genetic engineering as a necessary technology. The world population stands at over six billion while it is expected to double within half a century. Convectional methods of farming will in no way sustain the ever growing global population. The risk of food insecurity is made more real by the increased changes in climatic condition. Weather has become increasingly unpredictable and unsupportive to agricultural activities. The solution to the challenges is genetically modified crops (Whitman, p 1). Genetic modification creates crops that are resistant to pests. Some GM crops are also fast growing and mature before pests attack the crop. For many years, pest control has been a major concern for farmers due to losses resulting from crop destruction. Large scale and small scale farmers use large amount of pesticides to avert these losses. On the other hand, there is a growing concern by consumers on the safety of chemicals commonly used by farmers to control pests. There are numerous environmental hazards associated with chemical pesticides. The need to use environmentally destructive pesticides can be averted by use of genetically modified crops. Growing Bt corn and other Bt crops has eliminated the need to use pesticides in agricultural production. Although there are concerns that have been raised such as the monarch butterflies saga, these problems can be addressed by improvement of technology (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). In many cases, it is practically impossible or uneconomical to use physical means of removing weeds from the fields. This calls for farmers to use large amount and many varieties of herbicides to remove the weeds. This is not only time consuming but also expensive making agriculture less profitable. The farmers are also required to be careful in the use of the herbicides to ensure that they have no negative effect on the crops or the environment. Genetically engineered crops can be effectively used to avert these problems. These plans are designed to resists a specially synthesized herbicide with minimum environmental impacts. This reduces the amount of herbicides required and consequently the production cost. Genetic modification has also led to the development of disease resistant crops increasing yields and lowering production costs. Scientists have conducted extensive research in the development of crops that are resistant to disease causing microorganisms (Nelson, p 84). Unpredictable weather conditions have also threatened profitability of agricultural activities. Unpredictable frost can have destructive effect on seedling leading to losses. This has led to the introduction of antifreeze gene in crops such as tobacco and potatoes which is isolated from animals living in cold water. These plants are able to resist very low temperatures where normal plants cannot survive. It is important to note the reduced global agricultural productivity is as a result of unpredictable weather condition. Arable lands are being converted into unproductive land as a result in increased droughts. Moreover, a large percentage of land in the world cannot support agriculture due to lack of adequate supply. Adoption of genetically modified crops by farmers is the solution to this problem. With this technology, farmers will be able to grow crops in areas that were previously considered unproductive due to drought or salinity. This is by modifying crops to withstand drought or high salt concentration in the soil (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). If genetically modified organisms were adopted in agriculture especially in the third world countries, malnutrition will be a thing of the past. It is observed that as a result of poverty, many people in the developing world rely on a one crop as their staple food. This crop may not contain all essential nutrients required by the body. Genetic engineering has the ability to introduce genes to these crops which will ensure that it contains the essential nutrients. For example, in the developing countries where rice is the staple food, a large number of people suffer from blindness as a result of beta carotene deficiency. However, the golden rice which has been developed genetically was found to contain high amounts of vitamin A. Although this could have been a solution to the problem, massive anti genetically modified food protests have deterred the introduction of the rice to the farmers (Whitman, p 1). There are also proposed uses of agricultural genetic technology in development of plants that produce edible vaccines which could replace the convectional injection vaccines. Scientists are also working on development of genetically modified plants that clean up the environment by absorbing pollutants such as heavy metals from underground water and the soil (Whitman, p 1). Conclusion There are many proposals that genetically modified foods will solve the food security crisis that faces the world. They have been proposed as possible solution to over reliance on pesticides and herbicide in agricultural activities which degrades the environment. However, there are concerns over the safety of the GM products for human consumption. There are many issues that have been raised claiming that GM foods are unsafe for human consumption due to possible allergic reactions and the wide range of unknown and unexpected negative impacts on human health. The long term effects of GMs on the environment may also be far reaching due to loss of identity or elimination of some animal and plant species. Work Cited Herman E. M. , Helm, R. M. , Jung R, and Kinney A. J. Genetic modification removes an immunodominant allergen from soybean. Plant Physiology. 132 (1) (2003): pp 36ââ¬â43 Nelson, Gerald. Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture, ISBN-13: 978-0-12-515422-2, Academic Press Rader, Charles M. A Report on Genetically Engineered Crops, (2001), retrieved on 17th May 2010 from; http://members. tripod. com/c_rader0/gemod. htm. Rewavas A and Leaver C. J. Conventional crops are the test of GM prejudice. Nature 401 (6754), (1999): PP 640. Whitman, Deborah B. Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? (2000), retrieved on 17th May 2010 from; http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in the Infrared Range
Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in the Infrared Range Various aspects of nonlinear optical phenomena in the infrared range Yu Qin Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics, which describes the behavior of light in nonlinear media, where the dielectric polarization P responses nonlinearly to the electric field of the light E. This is a very broad concept. In this thesis, we focus our study on three aspects of nonlinear optical phenomena in the infrared wavelength range: the characterization of a mid-infrared ultrashort laser by autocorrelation based on Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), the influence of the beam mode on the interaction between laser and media during nonlinear propagation of femtosecond near-infrared pulses in liquid, and the dynamics of the ablation of solid samples submerged in liquid using a long nanosecond near-infrared laser. Many energy levels of molecules and lattice vibrations are in mid-infrared wavelength range of 2.5-25 Ã µm. For this reason, this wavelength range is called chemical fingerprint zone. Infrared absorption spectroscopy using light source in this wavelength range has been widely used identify different covalent bonds in many kinds of samples. Besides, by irradiation of an intense and short laser pulse whose wavelength is tuned to the resonance, a specific molecular band absorbs the pulse energy, and specific chemical reaction is excited. For this reason, tunable mid-infrared ultrafast lasers have a lot of potential applications in energy and material science, i.e., the production of alcohol or hydrogen from H2O and CO2, and the development of next-generation solar cells. Kyoto University Free-electron Laser (KU-FEL) is an oscillator-type free-electron laser, which works in the mid-infrared wavelength range of 5-13 Ã µm. In temporal domain, the pulses from KU-FEL have a dual-pulse structure. In a macropulse with the duration of a few microseconds, thousands of micropulses sit with the interval of 350 ps between each other. Due to its special lasing dynamics, the wavelength instability of this kind of Free-Electron Laser (FEL) is relatively worse compared with optical lasers, i.e., at the working wavelength of 12 Ã µm, this instability is around hundreds of Gigahertzes, which is comparable to the bandwidth of the vibrational modes. For those potential applications in which resonances are involved, stabilization of the wavelength of KU-FEL is necessary. And before that, we should first know the amount of wavelength instability. Besides, similar to all other ultrashort pulse lasers, micropulse duration of KU-FEL is very important information for applic ations such as nonlinear optics. For these purposes, in this thesis, we report the measurements of both the duration and wavelength instability of KU-FEL micropulses using the technique of Fringe-Resolved AutoCorrelation (FRAC). For temporal characterization of ultrashort pulses, standard techniques such as Frequency-Resolved Optical Gating (FROG) and Spectral Phase Interferometry for Direct Electric-field Reconstruction (SPIDER) are invented more than ten years ago, which can give a single-shot measure for both the amplitude and the phase of the electric field, even for the pulses with the durations down to few cycle. Both FROG and SPIDER are spectrum-resolved measurement, for which the 2D array detector (CCD) is required to measure the single-shot spectrum. However, such kind of detectors for the mid-infrared wavelength range is very expensive, and not available in our institute. Under this condition, we perform an autocorrelation measurement of KU-FEL, and try to find the information about pulse duration and wavelength instability for the results. Autocorrelation is a kind of well-known technique, which is invented more than thirty years ago. It is usually used for a rough estimation of the pulse duration of ultrashort laser pulses. In this thesis, by a systematic study of the influence of the wavelength instability on the signal of FRAC measurement, we first propose a method of measuring the wavelength instability of micropulses of an oscillator-type FEL by FRAC. Besides, we find that, by integrating the FRAC over the delay time, we can measure the duration of an ultrafast pulse, without knowing the chirps in advance. To the best of our knowledge, this finding has not been reported anywhere else, and it can save us from an additional Intensity AutoCorrelation (IAC) measurement. Both of the above mentioned methods work well when applied to an FRAC measurement of KU-FEL at the wavelength of 12 Ã µm. The durations and the wavelength instability of the microoulses are measured to be ~0.6 ps and 1.3%. This technique can be also applied for characterization of ultrashort pulses at other wavelengths, where 2D array detectors are not easily available, i.e., for the extreme-ultraviolet case. Since our autocorrelation measurement is based on SHG, which is a second order nonlinear process, good focusablity of the laser beam is required to reach the high intensity at the focus position. To test the focusibility of the KU-FEL, a measurement of M2 factor of KU-FEL is carried out by the 2D knife-edge method before the autocorrelation measurement. The most convenient way to measure the M2 factor of a laser is to measure the beam profile at different distances from the focus by a beam profiler, and analyze the results. The reason why we choose the old-fashioned knife-edge method is still the lack of 2D array detector in this wavelength range. The beam profiles at different distances from the focus are reconstructed from the results of knife-edge scanning in both horizontal and vertical directions. During the data analysis, the beam of KU-FEL is found to have the non-Gaussian beam profile. As a result, the analytical methods developed for Gaussian beams under the knife-edge measu rement do not work for our case. Taken the non-Gaussian property of the beam into consideration, some special and original treatments are taken during the data analysis. With the development of the Ti:sapphire laser and the chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system, high power at the order of Terawatt becomes available at the wavelength of around 800 nm. This has attracted a lot of interests on the studies of nonlinear optics, such as the generations of attosecond pulses, Terahertz radiations, high order harmonics, and supercontinuum spectra. From the beginning of this century, the filamentation induced by femtosecond pulses during propagation in nonlinear media has been a hot topic. During the nonlinear propagation of femtosecond pulses, due to the balance between self-focusing, plasma defocusing, and nonlinear loss, the intense part of the laser beam collapses to a spot with very small diameter, which can propagate for a distance much longer than the Rayleigh length. This phenomenon is called filamentation. Because of the long focal depth of the filamentation, it has many applications such as laser machining, Laser Imaging, Detection and Ranging (LA DAR), and long distance Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. Besides, strong spectral broadening occurs during filamentation, and the coherent white light is generated at the central part of the beam. This effect is widely used for pulse compression. And for the reason of high time resolution, this coherent white light also serves as a good light source in spectroscopy. Most of the studies about filamentation have used Gaussian beams as the incident beams. Recently, the axicon lens has made the generation of Bessel beam much easier. Many groups have focused their studies on the filamentation induced by Bessel beams. Compared with Gaussian beams, Bessel beams keep the high on-axis intensity for even longer propagation distance, thus can produce longer filamentation. We perform a comparison study of filamentations generated by Gaussian and Bessel beams. Since the pulses we can use are splitted from a CPA system, which contain the energy of 200 Ã µJ, we choose the liquid as the nonlinear media. Compared with gaseous media, liquid has much larger nonlinear coefficient, so that the nonlinear effect can be observed at much lower incident power, and in a much shorter propagation range. Besides, unlike solid media, we can use the liquid sample for long time during experiment, without worrying about the laser-induced damage. During this experiment, we have confirmed the resistance of Self Phase Modulation during the propagation of Bessel beam, which is also reported in some papers by other groups. The experimental results and qualitative explanations are reported in this thesis. When an intense laser pulse is focused on the material, plasma is generated. During this process, small portion of the material to be analyzed gets atomized and excited, and emits light. By collecting and analyzing the spectra of the emitted light, we can detect the constituents of the material, or even the relative abundance of each constituent element. This technique is called Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Compared with other similar techniques, LIBS has many advantages, i.e., in principle, it can detect all elements, and can analyze any matter regardless of its physical state, be it solid, liquid or gas. Since during a single shot in the LIBS measurement, the mass of the ablated material is in the range of picogram to nanogram, the LIBS is considered to be non-destructive. Another important advantage of LIBS is the easiness of the sample preparation. For most of the cases, the sample does not require any treatment before LIBS measurement. For this reason, LIBS can be applied for in-situ multi-elemental analysis. And due to its fast analysis time, LIBS can be used for a realtime composition measurement. Nd:YAG laser at fundamental wavelength (1064 nm) is most often used during LIBS experiments. It has several advantages, i.e., the scattered laser light does not influence the measurement of the visible spectra, and compared with shorter wavelength, laser at this wavelength has better heating effect on the laser-induced plasma. Compared with LIBS of solid sample in gaseous media, LIBS of solid sample under liquid is more complicated. In such condition, if the single nanosecond pulse is used for ablation, the measured spectra are always deformed and broadened, which is due to the strong confinement of plasma plume in liquid environment. One solution of this problem is to use the double pulses LIBS, during which the first pulse can generate a bubble near the surface of the sample, in which the plasma produced by the second pulse can expand. Another solution is to use the long nanosecond pulses, which have the durations of more than 100 ns. During long pulse LIBS, the diameter of the laser-induced bubble can reach hundreds of micrometers at the trailing part of the pulse, which provides a space with low density for the plasma plume to grow. Compared with the double pulses LIBS, the advantage of the long pulse LIBS is that, it can be applied for the measurement under very high pressure. However, if the double p ulses LIBS is applied under such condition, the bubble generated by the first pulse can not grow to a size large enough for the plasma plume generated by the second pulse to expand inside. And as a result, the double pulses LIBS loses its advantage. In this thesis, we report our experimental study of long pulse LIBS of solid samples under liquid. Two experiments are included. The first one is to optimize the laser focus position, and the second one is to study the influence of solvent temperature on the ablation dynamics. The results of these experiments can help us better understand the dynamics of ablation during long pulse LIBS of solid sample submerged into liquid.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Random Essays :: essays research papers
31) After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the feelings of animosity in America against Japan increased. By late 1945, the Allied leaders met in Germany with news of a secret new weapon, called the atomic bomb, created by American scientists, that was powerful enough to destroy an entire city. However, there were some feelings that the bomb was too powerful, and the leaders chose instead to send the Potsdam Declaration to Japan warning them to surrender. The Japanese military did not know about the atomic bomb and ignored the warning, so on August 6th 1945, an American bomber called the Enola Gay was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. This blast killed an approximated 70,000 people and destroyed more than eighty percent of the city, but the Japanese still did not surrender. The US dropped a second atomic bomb, and after a furious debate in the Japanese cabinet, the emperor of Japan announced a surrender. This day on the 14th of August became known as V-J Day, for Victory over Japan. 32) a & b) The approach to bring discrimination cases before the courts that I would have disagreed with most would have been using violence to gain attention. This approach only caused an uproar that required law enforcement and resulted in injuries of many people. Although it did bring attention, it brought the wrong sort of attention that they were seeking. The courts possibly would have been less eager to see their cases after acts of violence, since it only demonstrated rebellion. 33) a & b) President Lyndon Johnson proposed the development of a plan called the Great Society, which was a plan with an ambitious goal to improve the standard of living of every American. One of these important Great Society programs was Medicare. This plan helped to pay the hospital bills of citizens over the age of 65. Similar to this program, Medicaid gave states money to help poor people of all ages with medical bills. Along with this, he fought to help Americans who lived below the poverty line. The Economic Opportunity Act was passed in 1964 to set up job-training programs for the poor. It also gave loans to businesses poor sections of the cities and offered loans to poor farmers. 34) Among the recent advances in science and technology, the development of computers has become a part of everyday life in American culture. Random Essays :: essays research papers 31) After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the feelings of animosity in America against Japan increased. By late 1945, the Allied leaders met in Germany with news of a secret new weapon, called the atomic bomb, created by American scientists, that was powerful enough to destroy an entire city. However, there were some feelings that the bomb was too powerful, and the leaders chose instead to send the Potsdam Declaration to Japan warning them to surrender. The Japanese military did not know about the atomic bomb and ignored the warning, so on August 6th 1945, an American bomber called the Enola Gay was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. This blast killed an approximated 70,000 people and destroyed more than eighty percent of the city, but the Japanese still did not surrender. The US dropped a second atomic bomb, and after a furious debate in the Japanese cabinet, the emperor of Japan announced a surrender. This day on the 14th of August became known as V-J Day, for Victory over Japan. 32) a & b) The approach to bring discrimination cases before the courts that I would have disagreed with most would have been using violence to gain attention. This approach only caused an uproar that required law enforcement and resulted in injuries of many people. Although it did bring attention, it brought the wrong sort of attention that they were seeking. The courts possibly would have been less eager to see their cases after acts of violence, since it only demonstrated rebellion. 33) a & b) President Lyndon Johnson proposed the development of a plan called the Great Society, which was a plan with an ambitious goal to improve the standard of living of every American. One of these important Great Society programs was Medicare. This plan helped to pay the hospital bills of citizens over the age of 65. Similar to this program, Medicaid gave states money to help poor people of all ages with medical bills. Along with this, he fought to help Americans who lived below the poverty line. The Economic Opportunity Act was passed in 1964 to set up job-training programs for the poor. It also gave loans to businesses poor sections of the cities and offered loans to poor farmers. 34) Among the recent advances in science and technology, the development of computers has become a part of everyday life in American culture.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald I want to introduce you to, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The book is set in the ââ¬Å"Roaring Twentiesâ⬠as it takes place in the summer of 1922. It is the height of the jazz age as society is dissolves into the Great Depression. The protagonist is Jay Gatsby and narrated by Nick Carraway. The story is about jayââ¬â¢s love for a woman, Daisy Buchanan. And it is about Jayââ¬â¢ Gatsbyââ¬â¢s will to achieve greatness as he perceives it. He is a driven by money and power. He was a man with a vision to succeed in life. As a child, Jay Gatsby grew up on a farm. He saw his parents as nothing but farmers. Gatsby knew exactly what he didnââ¬â¢t want to be and that was like his parents. They were people who were content with who they were. Gatsby, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He wanted to move on. Jay Gatsby wanted to be someone special, someone with prestige and someone definitely with money. Gatsby developed a self improvement plan to help him flourish as a young man. His plan detailed dumbbell exercises, studying electricity, practicing elocution and studying needed inventions. Even his parents knew he was driven. His father said: "Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolve like this or something. Do you notice what heââ¬â¢s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that". The structured drive let Gatsby prevail in his endeavors. However, there are some things people just canââ¬â¢t get away from. James Gatsby desperately wanted to achieve success in life. However, it is difficult to flourish with a background like Gatsbyââ¬â¢s. So to escape his past, he changed his name at the age of 17 from James Gats to Jay Gatsby. Nonetheless, changing his name only did so much for him. Gatsby ended up living a life of lies because of his hidden identity. Nobody really knew Gatsby. So in the absence of peopleââ¬â¢s knowledge, they conjured up rumors. "One time he killed a man who found out he was a nephew of von Hindenburg and second to the devil". The rising action is Gatsby is meeting the young lady named Daisy. Daisy was very beautiful and came from a wealthy background. Nonetheless, Daisyââ¬â¢s background was the one thing preventing them from marriage.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Critical Appreciation of William Blakes London :: essays papers
Critical Appreciation of William Blake's London William Blake who lived in the latter half of the eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth century was a poet, a philosopher, a radical, an artist, and a great thinker; who was able to bring about "remarkable results with the simplest of means" in all of his work. He wrote his poems with deep personal emotions but if we look further and ignore the prophetic qualities we discover a further intended meanings of a strong political and social level. He was a critic of his own era but his poetry also strikes a chord in ours. He was one of several poets of the time who restored emotion and feelings into poetry, and so was one of the first "romantics." Blake lived during a period of intense social changes, the industrial revolution, the French revolution and the American revolution all happened during his lifetime. Blake was witness to the transformation of a agricultural society to an industrial society, which is where the basis for some of his poems stand. As an example, we may look towards William Blakeââ¬â¢s "London" from his songs of experience, here Blake comments on a city he both loves and hates, it shows his disapproval of changes which occurred in his times. Blake describes the woes that the Industrial revolution and the breaking of the common mans ties to the land results in. He uses many methods to gain the perfect description of how he saw industrial "London" but the most outstanding method is his use of imagery. His first use of imagery is the first and second lines of the first stanza, he uses the words "charterââ¬â¢d streets" and "charterââ¬â¢d Thames." A charter is a legal document which gives legal powers to the council of a town or city which allows them to be able to create there own laws within the boundaries of that place. The imagery suggests that not only do the streets of London have to follow the rules but that the River Thames has to be regulated as well. The lawmakers have tamed and controlled a free flowing river. This use of imagery emphasises that everything in the city including natural forces are enslaved by the city. In the next line, "Marks of weakness, marks of woe," there could be a play on words, "Mark" means both "to see" or "to notice" but then again there could be another meaning; like a physical mark upon someoneââ¬â¢s face like a sign of grief or misery.
Far from the madding crowd Assignment Essay
Gabriel never really liked Troy, as he was able to win the woman that he loved without loving her in return. He feels as though Troy may have used Bathsheba to take over the farm. By meditating he allows himself to escape Troyââ¬â¢s world and to return to being himself. The only reason that the men stay at Troyââ¬â¢s party is because they want to make a good impression and also to ensure a winterââ¬â¢s work. Had any man refused to stay and get drunk with Troy, they would most likely have lost their jobs, and would be stuck through the winter. Had Bathsheba, Gabriel or Boldwood held the party, the men would have been free to come and go as they pleased, without the risk of losing their jobs or fear of letting anyone down. This all goes to show the kind of person that Troy is, the way that he is very conceited and feels that he has the authority to push people around as he is better than them. The weather and setting of the storm clearly projects the feelings and moods of the characters. While Gabriel is outside struggling to secure the farm, the thunder symbolises his anger. It shows how he could erupt at any minute because of Troy, yet the calm, quiet breaks in the thunder shows us that he is calm and tolerant, and the fact that he is risking his life for Bathsheba. The rustic characters are very important to the event of the storm, they give Hardy a background to show us the real person that Troy is. If there were only Gabriel, Boldwood and Bathsheba on the farm it would be very difficult to show Troyââ¬â¢s selfishness as one of them might have stood up to and challenged him. As the rustics are at the bottom of the farms hierarchy they are a lot more responsive to Troyââ¬â¢s orders and suggestions. When Troy holds the party in the barn, he makes the reader think that he is not as bad as they might have first thought, he has gone to the trouble of setting up a big party and has invited everyone that is linked with the farm. It is only when he starts to force the men into drinking more than they can handle, when he becomes too forceful it is then that the readerââ¬â¢s opinion of Troy begins to change. Bathsheba tries to reason with Troy to save the men. She says: ââ¬Å"No-donââ¬â¢t give it to them-pray donââ¬â¢t, Frank! It will only do them harm: they have had enough of everything. â⬠In doing this, Bathsheba clearly knows that Troy has gone too far, she can tell that the men can not handle any more alcohol. At this point Troy is only getting started, he does not care for his men, and he just wants to have a good time. In fear that Bathsheba could do something to ruin his party he immediately orders all of the women and children to leave so that he can get the men as drunk as he wishes. Troy shows a typical Victorian male attitude to women by making them all leave the barn, by doing so he shows his true power and ability to manipulate people to suit himself. The majority of Victorian men see women as lower than themselves, not as equals. Troy knows that he has the ability to make them do what ever he wishes. The morning after the storm Gabriel meets Boldwood on his detour back to the farm, Boldwood seems very distant as he struggles to hear and understand what Gabriel is saying to him. Gabriel is shocked to find that the wise and experienced farmer Boldwood has overlooked the ricks on his farm, they been left unprotected and vulnerable to the storm throughout the night. It can clearly be seen that Boldwood is not himself by his reply to Gabriel asking whether his ricks had been protected: ââ¬Å"O yes. ââ¬Ë Boldwood added, after an interval of silence: ââ¬ËWhat did you ask, Oak? ââ¬Ë I agree that the characters are judged by each other and by the reader through their devotion to the land as the most devoted characters prevail in the end. Gabriel Oak, the most respected and caring of the land, has the trust of the whole farm, the reader and nature. Bathsheba, a caring and devoted businesswoman, is only looking for the opportunity to manage her own farm and to look after the crops. She is again liked by all and obsessed by Boldwood, in the end she too prevails as she ends up in love with a man who truly cares for her, her feelings and the farm. Boldwood, a very mature and experienced farmer who cares dearly for his farm, is lead astray by a joke valentineââ¬â¢s, after he discovers that Bathsheba sent the card he becomes obsessed with her and loses all care for his farm and land. Troy, an untrustworthy, lying, selfish and conceited soldier who only has time for himself ends up in the worst possible position, he has no love for the land and does not even care about the farm, he is hated by almost all of the characters and eventually by his own wife. At the end of the novel his sinful lifestyle takes its toll as he is brutally murdered by Boldwood. Boldwood who lost what little devotion he had also ends up dead, though his ending does not come as a result of a sinful life, but an obsession that drove him to madness, and finally to the grave.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Aristotle and His Numerous Essay
Aristotle As an important figure head in the field of philosophy, Aristotle and his numerous influences will be detailed. Identification and evaluation of key concepts and analyses that comprised his theories will be discussed along with identification and description of his contributions to the field of philosophy will also be offered. Lastly, further discussion will focus on how the culture and the time period influenced his ideology. Metaphysics Metaphysics is a branch philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being. It is considered to be one of the greatest philosophical works. It kind of piggy backs off of Platoââ¬â¢s theory of forms. Plato believed that the nature of things is eternal and doesnââ¬â¢t change, but we know from just living in this world that things are always changing daily. Aristotle wanted to reconcile these contradictory statements of the views of the world. Aristotle used the influence of both Heraclitus and Parmenides. One believed that things appear to be permanent but they are really gradually changing all the time. Parmenides, argued certain conclusions could be reached by using reason alone and making no use of senses. After studying at the Academy, Aristotle would turn against his teaching and felt that there was a connection between the abstraction of existence and the science of nature. Aristotle described substance as material reality and formal and discusses the connection between actuality and potentiality. According to Aristotle, the being of any individual thing is primarily defined by what it is, i. e. by its substance. It is both Substratum (matter) and essence (form) and can combine them both (form and matter). He also believed that wisdom is knowledge and principle cause of things. He explained that there are four causes of things: the purpose for which a thing has being (the final cause), the source of ââ¬Å"motionâ⬠or change in a thing (the efficient cause), the matter and subject of a thing (the material cause), and the substance or essence of a thing (the formal cause). He also believed that change will occur in something in order for its potential to become a reality. In order to have a cause and affect relationship between two different things, it will include the potentiality of a cause to produce and effect and an effect to be produced by a cause. According to Aristotle, there has to be actual potentiality in order for an event to happen and if its potentiality can become actuality. Epistemology Aristotle was the first to formalize a foundationalism epistemology. Foundationalism is the idea that knowledge claims are ultimately justified by first principles. I intend to define and describe these first principles as well as explain how it is we come to know the first principles. A first principle is an infallible truth, Kath auto, in itself. These first principles are not conclusions of prior arguments, but the absence of the need of an argument, in and of itself. First principles are also called the archai, nous, understanding and the axioms. When Aristotle speaks of Archai and axioms his meaning is, that which is ââ¬Ëthe beginningââ¬â¢. It is for this reason that geometry passed down the language of the axioms. Of first principles there are two main types: 1. Axioms or common principles are the general or universal truths 2. Posits or proper principles are the thesisââ¬â¢ or truths to a certain science. Also, among the posits are suppositions, that something is or is not, and definitions of what something is. The only way to know the first principles is through nous. Nous uses induction through perception to grasp the first principles. Nous is the capacity of rational thought and understanding. It is through a perceptual process that the first principles can be known. The process followed in coming to know the first principles is through, use of perception, a potentiality that Aristotle believes all animals possess in varying degrees. 1. Sensation is the first step, and the grounds for memory. 2. Memory is a potentiality that many animals possess. 3. Experience comes from the foundation of memory; some animals have the potential to experience. 4. Human beings alone have the potential to make a rational account of their perceptions. The axioms and first principles can only be induced from that which persists in the world we experience; the world as we know it. In many ways Aristotleââ¬â¢s epistemology has survived the tests of time. It seems correct; Aristotleââ¬â¢s foundational views are accurate. As a linear theories of justification Aristotle leaves us with a justified belief, with which we can have a great certainty in relation to its validity. Full filling the common test of epistemology as a justified, true, belief. There is little or no truth attributed to an infinite regress of justification. Just as there is little or no ground for circular theories of justification. Either proposes a void in justification, by justifying with a prior axiom or by always continuing to a deeper axiom in need of justification. The believe that the first principles do exist and that they can be grasped through the human faculty, known as nous, is shared implicitly by much of the world today and is the legacy of Aristotle. Axiology Aristotle was best known for his theory on values, ââ¬Å"Golden Mean,â⬠which is about moderation, balance, and harmony for his axiological system. The basic realism, he believed in essence, which is the attributes for an object to be what it is. The main focus for Aristotle is the question of a personââ¬â¢s character or personality. Aristotle theory is the middle ground between extremes, to determine a lowest and highest good. Aristotle ethics are based on the concept of doing good than just being good. A person may be kind, merciful, charitable, etc. , but until he proves this by helping others, his goodness means nothing to the world, in which case means nothing to himself. Aristotle believes that moral virtues are the best character traits; a vice is what it is called when there are two extreme character traits. An example would be fear; we would develop the virtuous character of courage. If we were to use an example to show extreme trait by curbing fear, too much would be rash, which is called a vice. If, one on the other extreme, we develop a vice therefore to be cowardly. In life it is difficult to live the virtuous life because often difficult to find the mean or the middle between the two extremes. Another example would be shamelessness (deficiency), modesty, (mean), and bashfulness, (excess). At the top of Aristotle list for virtue is self-respect is the best virtue to have, according to him but that is, depending on them for its existence, and itself in turn tending to strengthen their force. Aristotle says moral weakness occurs when someone does something wrong and knows it is wrong but follows his desire against reason anyways. According to Aristotle, human functions contribute to happiness. Happiness is an exclusively human good; it exists in rational activity of soul conforming to virtue. This rational activity is viewed as the supreme end of action, and so as manââ¬â¢s perfect and self-sufficient end. So the virtue of courage would be in between those two extremes. Summary Aristotle is considered by some as the quintessential philosopher of all times. His writings and teachings have influenced many people such as writers, artist, politicians and scientists. One of the greatest commanders of the world was a student of Aristotle. This student was born Alexander the Great. Alexander study under the guidance of Aristotle until the age of sixteen learning medicine, philosophy, morals, religion, logic, and art. He was a major influence on the field of science. Alexander remained humble and grateful for the teachings of Aristotle, as a result he helped fund his studies of life forms, which led to the foundation of the science of biology. Biology is the study of life and living organisms. The study of biology has help man understand the many facets of nature. Aristotle empirical views focused on biology and its diversity of life. Biology has grown significantly and dramatically since the days of Aristotle, but his influences are still evident even by todayââ¬â¢s standards. Zoology, human biology, and botany are subcategories of biology. There have been advances in the subcategory of human biology, which have led to the creation of cures for diseases once deemed incurable or preventable. Scientists are currently producing a medication touted as a new treatment of the HIV disease. Raynor (2012), ââ¬Å"the FDA on August 28, 2012 has approved a once a day pill manufactured by Gilead Sciencesââ¬â¢ called Stribild. The drug combines Truvada which itself contains two HIV drugs in addition to elvitegravir which is a new HIV drug. This new drug attacks the virus in a different way. The fourth ingredient is also new and enhances elvitegravir. This new medication can help control the virus that causes AIDS and is aimed to be utilized on patients that have not previously been treated for the infectionâ⬠(para. 1). This advance in human biology could not have been possible without the Aristotleââ¬â¢s foresight to preserve human life. His quest for knowledge has been a motivation tool for mankind to function and exist. Aristotle has also influenced the philosophies of metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology. According to ââ¬Å"Aristotleâ⬠(2008), ââ¬Å"Aristotle (384ââ¬â322 B. C. E. ) numbers among the greatest philosophers of all time. Judged solely in terms of his philosophical influence, only Plato is his peer: Aristotleââ¬â¢s works shaped centuries of philosophy from Late Antiquity through the Renaissance, and even today continue to be studied with keen, non-antiquarian interest. A prodigious researcher and writer, Aristotle left a great body of work, perhaps numbering as many as two-hundred treatises, from which approximately thirty-one survive. His extant writings span a wide range of disciplines, from logic, metaphysics and philosophy of mind, through ethics, political theory, aesthetics and rhetoric, and into such primarily non-philosophical fields as empirical biology, where he excelled at detailed plant and animal observation and taxonomy. In all these areas, Aristotleââ¬â¢s theories have provided illumination, met with resistance, sparked debate, and generally stimulated the sustained interest of an abiding readershipâ⬠(para. 1). References Aristotle. (2008). Retrieved from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/aristotle/ Aristotle, , & Ciulla, J. (2004). Aristotle (384ââ¬â322 BCE). In G. Goethals, G. Sorenson, & J. Burns (Eds. ), Encyclopedia of leadership. (pp. 44-48). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10. 4135/9781412952392. n15 English, F. (2006). Aristotle. In F. English (Ed. ), Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration. (pp. 49-50). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10. 4135/9781412939584. n27 Howell, B. (2008). Aristotle (384ââ¬â322 b. c. ). In L. Kaid, & C. Holtz-Bacha (Eds. ), Encyclopedia of political communication. (pp. 43-46). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10. 4135/9781412953993. n34 Raynor, C. (2012). New HIV treatment combines 4 medications into a once a day pill. Retrieved from http://www. examiner. com/article/new-hiv-treatment-combines-4- medications-into-a-once-a-day-pill Sachs, J. (2001, April 11). Aristotle: Ethics. Retrieved August 28, 2012, from http://www. iep. utm. edu/aris-eth/ http://www. angelfire. com/md2/timewarp/firstphilosophy. html.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Joint-Stock Company Essay
Joint-Stock Company means that, a partnership or corporation between two parties. Stocks are issued the parties in return for each contribution. The shareholders are allowed to transfer or sell their investment interest at any point in time by selling their stock to another party. Apple, INC. depicts this form of company. Limited Liability Company (LLC) means that, the investors are only limited liable in case the business, the investors invested in, goes bankrupt. The creditors can only take what each investor has initially invested. The creditors must not take outside an investorââ¬â¢s investment, no personal monies that are not part of the investment. Let us say I would invest into a company. That company would go bankrupt after five years, because the company was an LLC, Limited Liability Company, the creditors can only take what I have initially invested into the company. Partnership means that, a group of skilled professionals can fuse their talents and expertise together to form one successful company. Only these professionals are the owners and stockholders for the company. Each professional will than be a partner of that particular company and receive a percentage which is based on how much money the partner invests into the company, the significance and importance of the partners skill and experience, and so on. Jane, Joe, and Daphne open a sandwich store. All parties invest 33.3%, own equal parts of the company, and receive the same amount of revenue. Jane is in charge of the marketing, Joe orders the supplies, and Daphne is in charge of accounting. Sole Proprietorship means that, a business owned by only one person. The person would not have any partners, nor would the business be ââ¬Å"publicâ⬠. The owner is 100% liable if the business would fail. A lawyer would consider opening a law firm with sole proprietorship. The lawyer would be accountable for all financial parts connected with the law firm. If the lawyer would loose the firm, he or she would loose 100% of his or her investment.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
The Nature of Good Teaching
There continues to be ongoing debate about the qualities of a good physical education teacher. For a long time it was considered that keeping the students ââ¬Å"busy, happy, goodâ⬠was an end in itself. This emphasis affords little attention to what the students actually learn in physical education classes. Physical Education in our curriculum today has changed as has the way we live our lives, entertain ourselves and technology.Before we look at what is considered today to be qualities of good physical education teaching, we need to look at where the notion of ââ¬Ëbusy, happy, goodââ¬â¢ has come from. Richard Tinning, David Kirk and John Evens outline the progression of what has been deemed to be quality physical education in Australian schools over the decades. Their study looks at the methods being used by physical education teachers and what actually happens in the lesson instead of characteristics displayed by teachers.The notion ââ¬Å"busy, happy, goodâ⬠was s uggested to be a measure of quality teaching by Judith Placek in 1983. (Placek, 1983). Prior to Placekââ¬â¢s research one of the most commonly used tools to research the effectiveness of a teacher was the Academic Learning Time (ALT). An adaption of this was used for the research of effective physical education teaching research ALT-PE (Tinning, Kirk &Evans p. 139). This method of research was focussed on monitoring a studentââ¬â¢s engagement and successful completion of the task.The research conducted by Judith Placek found that ââ¬Å"for most teachers and student teachers the dominant concerns in teaching physical education are to keep the children ââ¬Ëbusy, happy and goodââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (Tinning, Kirk &Evans, 1993). ââ¬Å"Success, in many cases, is not Sharon or Bob learning to jump shot correctly. Success is related to the immediate, observable happenings in the gym. Are the students participating (busy), enjoying themselves (happy), and doing what the teacher directs (good)? (Placek, 1983, p. 54)When this was written in 1993 one of the main concerns with young people was the amount of time spent watching TV as the main source of their entertainment. Tinning, Kirk and Evans point out that for children to engage in their education they wanted to be entertained or they would disengage. Since the rapid growth of technology our lifestyles have changed and become more demanding. The population of developing countries has become less active leading toward significant health issues that impact the whole community.The World Health Organisation released a Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health in response to the concerns of the changing lifestyles of developed countries in the last 25 years. (WHO, 2012) ââ¬Å"Because of these changes in dietary and lifestyle patterns, chronic NCDs ââ¬âincluding obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension and stroke, and some types of cancer ââ¬â are becoming increasingly significant causes of disability and premature death in both developing and newly developed countries, placing additional burdens on already overtaxed national health budgetsâ⬠(WHO 2012).In 2007-08, one quarter of Australian children (or around 600,000 children aged 5-17 years) were overweight or obese, up four percentage points from 1995. Studies have shown that once children become obese they are more likely to stay obese into adulthood and have an increased risk of developing diseases associated with obesity (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). The issue today for physical education teachers is still one of engagement and the need for students to have fun however these alone do not fully satisfy the curriculum standards by which we operate.The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) Health and Physical Education guidelines states; ââ¬Å"(schools) provides students with knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to achieve a degree of autonomy in developing and maintaining their physical, mental, social and emotional healthâ⬠(VELS, 2012). A student can be fully engaged, having fun and behaving well while not being aware of learning anything. So if keeping students ââ¬Ëbusy, happy and goodââ¬â¢ is not enough then what does make a good physical education teacher?The Alliance for a healthier generation suggests that PE focuses more on the acquisition of lifetime skills and knowledge and exposes students to a wide variety of physical activities that can be engaged in for a lifetime (Alliance for a healthier Generation 2012). The Victorian Essential Learning Standards states ââ¬Å"It promotes the potential for lifelong participation in physical activity through the development of motor skills and movement competence, health-related physical fitness and sport education. (VELS 2012) It is obvious that as physical education teachers we have the opportunity to impact students for the rest of their lives either in a positive or a ne gative way. Unfortunately today there are children that have negative experiences in Physical Education. These experiences have the potential to negatively impact a student for the rest of their lives preventing them from enjoying regular participation in a local sporting and health community.VELS Health and Physical Education focuses on the importance of ââ¬Å"lifelong participation in physical activity through the development of motor skills and movement competence, health-related physical fitness and sport education. â⬠(VELS, 2012) What the curriculum has set out to do is provide a positive foundation where students can be immersed in a motivating culture, that is ââ¬Å"a force that energises, sustains and directs behaviour toward a goalâ⬠(Egan, Kauchak, 2007, p. 298).Some of the problems facing todayââ¬â¢s physical education classes are outlined by Kathryn Meldrum and Jacqui Peters that include ââ¬Å"an overcrowded curriculum, teacher who donââ¬â¢t like phys ical education wonââ¬â¢t teach it, PE is not an academic area, teachers donââ¬â¢t have enough confidence to teach it, the schools facilities and equipment are poorâ⬠(Meldrum & Peters, 2012, p. 12). The lack of motivation is clear and passed onto students resulting in poor participation, low motivation and a negative impact that can affect a rise in chronic health issues.The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians addresses the role played by schools to ââ¬Å"promote the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, moral, spiritual and aesthetic development of young Australiansâ⬠(Meldrum & Peters, 2012, p. 13). To address the issue of ââ¬Ëbusy, happy, goodââ¬â¢ quality physical education programs need to be embraced by the whole school community. One of the aims of physical education is to enable students to develop positive attitudes towards physical activity and lifelong habits of participation.The initial physical activity experience s which the child has at school will impact significantly on attitudes and practices in later life. Hence we need to ensure that the experiences in physical activity at school are positive in order to achieve this aim. (NSW Government, 2012) The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (USA) have outlined four components that contribute to high-quality physical education programs they include; opportunity to learn, meaningful content, appropriate instruction and student and program assessment.These alone are not enough to address the issues facing todayââ¬â¢s students. Colin Marsh in his fifth edition of ââ¬ËBecoming a Teacherââ¬â¢ partly describes a good teacher to have ââ¬Å"humanity and warmth ââ¬â to know at all times what students in class are doing and also to care about what they are doing. â⬠(Marsh, 2010, p. 3) Good teachers need to be able to motivate students. Generally students who are motivated have more positive attitudes and are more sa tisfied, persist on difficult tasks, and process information in depth and excel in learning experiences (Egan, Kauchak 2007).There is no one solution to providing a quality physical education program in schools today. Clearly we cannot be satisfied with the notion of ââ¬Ëbusy, happy, goodââ¬â¢. Physical education encompasses physical mental emotional needs of students while creating socially engaged citizens, leaders and community minded citizens. Physical education is providing a platform of skills and motivation to further a life of healthy lifestyle habits. Physical education classes are not fitness centres where students receive their weekly exercise program and are kept engaged for the time spent there.To facilitate these needs takes cooperation from all school staff working together to strengthen Physical Education programs in local schools. Skilled teachers that are connected into local communities guiding students to further pursue what they have engaged in at school. Physical education is the one subject that has the greatest and longest lasting impact in a studentââ¬â¢s life so we need to deliver a quality program to every student. Reference ListAustralian Bureau of Statistics, 2010, ââ¬ËHealth: Obesityââ¬â¢, retrieved 29th August 2012, http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/[emailà protected] nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/1370. 0~2010~Chapter~Obesity%20(4. 1. 6. 6. 3) Eagan, P, Kauchak, D 2007, Theories of Motivation In Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms, 7th Edition, Pearson Education Publication, Upper Saddle River, NJ Marsh, C 2010, Becoming a Teacher: Knowledge, Skills and Issues, 5th Edition, Pearson Publication, Frenchs Forest, NSWMeldrum, K, Peters, J 2012, Learning to teach health and physical education: The student, the teacher and the curriculum, Pearson Publication, Frenchs Forest, NSW National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2012, ââ¬ËKey Points of Quality Physical Educationââ¬â¢, retrieved 29th Augus t 2012, http://www. aahperd. org/naspe/publications/teachingTools/QualityPE. cfm NSW Department of Eduaction, 2012, ââ¬ËWhat is good physical education? ââ¬â¢, retrieved 29th August 2012, http://www. curriculumsupport. education. sw. gov. au/secondary/pdhpe/assets/pdf/pa_025. pdf Placek, J 1983, Conceptions of success in teaching: Busy, happy and good? Teachings in Physical Education, Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign, Illinois Tinning, R, Kirk, D & Evans, J 1993, Learning to teach physical education, Prentice Hall Publication, Melbourne World Health Organisation, 2012, ââ¬ËGlobal Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Healthââ¬â¢, retrieved 29th August 2012, http://www. who. int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/trs916/intro/en/
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