Lesson Plan Step #8 Assessment and Follow-Up

In this series about lesson plans, were breaking down the 8 steps you need to take to create an effective lesson plan for the elementary classroom. The final step in a successful lesson plan for  teachers is Learning Goals, which coming  after defining the following steps:   ObjectiveAnticipatory SetDirect InstructionGuided Practice  ClosureIndependent PracticeRequired Materials and Equipment An  8-step lesson plan is not complete without the final step of Assessment. This is where you assess the final outcome of the lesson and to what extent the learning objectives were achieved. This is also your chance to adjust the overall lesson plan to overcome any unexpected challenges that may have arisen, preparing you for the next time you teach this lesson. Its also important to make note of the most successful aspects of your lesson plan, to ensure that you continue to capitalize on strengths and continue to push forward in those areas.   How to Assess Learning Goals Learning goals can be assessed in a variety of ways, including through quizzes, tests, independently performed worksheets, cooperative learning activities, hands-on experiments, oral discussion, question-and-answer sessions, writing assignments, presentations, or other concrete means. However, its important to remember that you may have students who better display their mastery of a topic or skill through non-traditional assessment methods, so try to think about creative ways you can assist those students in demonstrating mastery. Most importantly, teachers need to ensure that the Assessment activity is directly and explicitly tied to the stated learning objectives  you developed in step one of the lesson plan. In the learning objective section, you specified what students would accomplish and how well they would have to be able to perform a task in order to consider the lesson satisfactorily accomplished. The goals also had to fit within your district or state educational standards for the grade level. Follow-Up: Using the Results of the Assessment Once the students have completed the given assessment activity, you must take some time to reflect on the results. If the learning objectives were not adequately achieved, you will need to revisit the lesson in a different manner, revising the approach to learning. Either you will need to teach the lesson again or youll need to clear up areas that confused several of the students. Whether or not most students showed understanding of the material, based on the assessment, you should note how well students learned different parts of the lesson. This will allow you to modify the lesson plan in the future, clarifying or spending more time on areas where the assessments showed the students were weakest. Student performance on one lesson tends to inform performance on future lessons, giving you insight into where you should take your students next. If the assessment showed the students fully grasped the topic, you may want to proceed immediately to more advanced lessons. If understanding was moderate, you may want to take it slower and reinforce the takeaways. This may require teaching the entire lesson again, or, just portions of the lesson. Assessing different aspects of the lesson in greater detail can guide this decision.   Examples of Types of Assessments Quiz: a short series of questions with right and wrong answers that may not count towards a grade.Test: a longer or more in-depth series of questions that probes for more understanding of the topic and may count towards a grade.Class discussion: rather than a quiz or test that is scored, a discussion helps identify understanding. Its important to make sure all students are able to demonstrate mastery here, so that no one is lost in the shuffle.  Hands-on experiment: Where the subject matter is appropriate, the students apply the lesson to an experiment and record the outcomes.Worksheet: Students fill out a worksheet, especially for math or vocabulary lessons, but it also could be developed for many topics.Cooperative Learning activities: Students work in a group to solve a problem or have a structured discussion.Illustrations or Graphic Organizers: These can include Venn diagrams, K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned) charts, flow charts, pie charts, concept maps, character traits, c ause/effect diagrams, spider web, cloud chart,T-chart, Y-chart, semantic feature analysis,fact/opinion chart, star chart, cycle chart, and other appropriate graphic  organizers. Often the subject will determine which works best as an assessment tool. Edited by Stacy Jagodowski

Crime and Its Effects - 774 Words

Analyse the effects of crime on communities and individuals (M2) How Anti-Social behaviour effect the public? The anti-social behaviour impacts negatively on all people, young, and old in all communities. It reduces the quality of life for all residents. For example, a rowdy family can have a big impact on the nearby community and can ruin peoples lives because of their intimidation, harassment or criminal damage. Graffiti and fly tipping doesnt look good and has a huge impact on our communities and how happy we are in them not to mention the costs of cleaning up. What does Violence against the Person includes? * Actual Bodily Harm * Assault on a constable and Resisting Arrest * Common assault * Grievous Bodily†¦show more content†¦Further, fear of crime has been shown to be highest in the more vulnerable members of our society, such as the elderly, who, incidentally, may well also be at least risk of actual crime. What is the impact of crime on victims? The effects of crime on victim can have a mixed feeling about making a victim impact statement. They may want to tell the judge or parole hearing officer how the crime affected their life and yet they may be anxious because you dont know how to prepare an impact statement or you dont want to bring back bad memories by describing how the crime has hurt you. The victim impact statements may include descriptions of: * Physical damage caused by the crime * Emotional damage caused by the crime * Financial costs to the victim from the crime * Medical or psychological treatments required by the victim or his or her family * The need for restitution * The victims views on the crime or the offender * The victims views on an appropriate sentence What is the impact of crime on lifestyle? The impact of crime on lifestyle can be where a community that is being affected by high crime rates means that those professionals who are in the higher income brackets will leave. This is because the high crime rate is bringing more criminals to the area, causing these professionals to find communities where they will feel safer. As crime levels increase many retail businesses within the community will simply close and relocatedShow MoreRelatedCrime And Its Effects On The Public Perception Of Crime1279 Words   |  6 Pagesmanipulation on the validity of crime in the community. Steven Chermak was one of few to examine into detail the various factors of a crime that affect the amount of attention and space a media source (in this case newspapers) awards to the crime story. In his article, Predicting Crime Story Salience: The Effects of Crime, Victim, and Defendant Characteristics, as the title implies, the components investigated incorporate the differing variables from the circums tances of a crime and the characteristics ofRead MoreThe Csi Effect On Crime1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe CSI Effect Introduction Have you ever watched a crime scene drama on television and now believe you are a forensic science expert? This is what you call the â€Å"Crime Scene Investigation Effect (CSI)†. It came into light in the early 2000’s. In 2008, Monica Robbers, an American criminologist, defined the CSI Effect as, â€Å"the phenomenon in which jurors hold unrealistic expectations of forensic evidence and investigation techniques, and have an increased interest in the discipline of forensic science†Read MoreCrime And Its Effects On The Economy1244 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract The rampant crime in major cities such as Baltimore Maryland, Oakland California, and Detroit, Michigan has reached an all time high and the rates are going up with celerity. With many cities such as Detroit that have strong financial problems and few law enforcement officers on the street, how is it that the crime rate can be reduced. With drug rates and gang violence flooding large urban communities, it has become increasingly hard to break the cycle of crime throughout the followingRead MoreCrime And Its Effect On Society Essay1652 Words   |  7 Pagesbeginning of time crime has always been factor in humanity. In the bible, crime started from Adam and Eve the first man and women. From eating of the forbidden tree to current stage of time, crime has become a part of the human society. However, what is considered a crime and what is not is something that is still controversial. Crime can be defined as a wrong doing by an individual that another individual or groups of individual consider to be criminal. Because the definition of crime is based on humanRead MoreThe Effects Of Crime On The Victim Essay1728 Words   |  7 Pagesincreased astronomically. Aspects of this can be due to the advances with DNA evidence among other things. Although the effects on the exonerated are more than substantial the victim is usually under represented. In 2013 the ICF International analyzed several cases to show impacts of crime on the victim and what goes on during an exoneration. Influences experienced during a crime can range from physical to psychological for a victim. Physical affects can range from gunshot wounds, broken bones, andRead MoreThe Effects Of Crime And The Media, Women And Crime, And Theories Of Crime Essay1965 Words   |  8 Pagesgiven much thought to crime. It was always in the back of my mind because of the seemingly increasing chances of becoming a victim of crime. Over the semester I have explored a range of topics relating to crime. The purpose of this essay is to reflect upon certain topics explored over the semester. I have chosen to focus on topics that had the profound effect on my learning. I have since been able to form an opinion that is back by theory on these topics. The topics chosen are: crime and the media, womenRead MoreCrime And Its Effect On Society881 Words   |  4 PagesThis implies that any activity or behavior that is contrary to the social code of any community is considered a crime. Anything deemed as an anti-s ocial act falls in this category (Ainsworth, 2000). Different societies have various scales to measure what is perceived as crime and what is not. There are various ways in which a society decides what to define and categorize as a crime. Every society has a conduct norms that its members are expected to adhere to and adopt in their daily living. Read MoreCrime And Its Effects On Society1540 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many kinds of crimes. Crime affects all people, even the ones who are not directly involved. â€Å"Crime imposes significant costs and negative consequences to people globally† (Wickramasekera 2015; 218). The costs of crime can be very high, and that is based on every aspect not just monetary. In today’s world, people spend a lot of money to protect themselves from becoming victims of crimes. When a serious crime happens in one community, people in that community will take the necessary precautionsRead MoreThe Long Effects Of A Hate Crime Essay1289 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract This paper will explore the long-term effects a hate crime has on the victim and his or her community. The victims and communities are directly and indirectly affected by the crime. Victims suffered long term effects such as negative mental and physical health, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD. The affected communities were victimized solely for sharing the same characteristics and beliefs of the victim. The long lasting effects of the hate crime influence every aspect of the victim’s lifeRead MoreCrime And Its Effect On Society1982 Words   |  8 PagesIndividuals carry out wrongdoing since they see the advantages; Crimes that have been perpetrated are more often than not for individual additions or delight whether that is taking, false exercises, and assault. However fundamentally investigating Crime and its qualities, criminologist would concur that there s significantly more to wrongdoing. Everybody cherishes a decent deal. For a few individuals, nonetheless, the journey to secure more for less incorporates the desire to get something to no

College Essay Free Essays

I remember it clearly- that fourth period history class. Mr.. We will write a custom essay sample on College Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Reilly was pacing along the front of the classroom in such a straight line that he could have been only walking on the cracks of the title floor. Somehow he was trying to consider the best possible way to explain the relationship between society’s proclaimed geniuses and natural talent in relation to the artists of the Italian Renaissance. We were studying the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo Ad Vinci as well as their significance in history. He began with the statues created by Michelangelo which led to the discussion about social interaction and mental capabilities of â€Å"geniuses† in modern and ancient societies. It was noticed that those with superior skills in one element such as art. Music or academics, usually lack the experience and expertise in social interaction or other elements of life. The conversation then proceeded to contemplate the idea that without proper encouragement and nourishment of these talents, how are they ever supposed to flourish? T was with this question that he began to move into the main point of this lesson. â€Å"Who is the greatest artist of all time? † As Mr.. Reilly asked this of us, he began to unroll his tangled arrangement of fourteenth century maps that dangled from the white board the classroom and pointed directly to where modern day Russia is now. Again he asked the sleepy teenagers of his fourth period class as if there was a totally obvious answer. He said, â⠂¬Å"It is some little unknown farming working in the family fields. No one will know her name or remember her eave, but she had a gift. She sat under a tree and drew elaborate drawings of her surroundings until he was caught and made to return to the frills. She never had a chance. † Every person is special; they just need to guidance and power to prove it. What he said never really affected me until I got home that night and thought about the little girl; however, I knew in class that day that what he was saying to us would become important in some way or another. The potential for greatness is in everyone. Without harnessing that greatness, no one would succeed. Everyone is special. This was a lesson most children learn, but for me, it never registered. â€Å"l am not good enough. How could I be special in some way? All I can do is trace a picture from my computer and, if done right, pass it off as my own work to my friends or keep just good enough grades in each class to keep my A average. How can there be nothing that was good at? Everything that I could do in life was mediocre. † had thought that nothing in my life was ever going to make me stand out from everyone else but honestly†¦ I was just afraid of being globed together with society and being lost in the public image. Afraid to stand apart from everyone else. Terrified that my life would continue to be nothing out of the ordinary. Too scared to try. That there was nothing about me that me special. Took only that four hours. Six minutes and thirty-two seconds to realize that all that insecurity did not matter. To think that there was nothing special about me was incorrect. That negative path of thought was wrong from foundation to delivery. I realized that what separated me from everyone else has always been my drive to be better, to try new things, to work harder than everyone else in the room. Art or music or academics may not be my strongest attributes in the game of life but that does not mean that the game can not be played. To be a â€Å"genius† or â€Å"talented† is supper overrated. I am me- perfectly imperfect. My love for languages and foreign cultures, blossoming into my goal of becoming an interpreter is my talent. This dream of pursuing a life engulfed in language, culture and history is what makes me similar to that little unknown farm girl. Without realizing it, my teacher gave me the spark I needed to pursue my goals. Surprisingly, this revelation occurred in under five minutes. How to cite College Essay, Essays College Essay Free Essays Mitchell Graham College Essay Montgomery 2nd Period Good Advice is a tool that is practice all around the world. Everyday good advice is given and received from left-to-right. However, not all advice is the best advice nor is beneficial to your daily needs. We will write a custom essay sample on College Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Advice can be looked at simply as a tip for guidance or assistance though the many complications you may come across. The best advice I ever received was quote from Martin Luther King Jr, which says, â€Å"You have to wake up in order for your dreams to come true†. This quote happens to be the best advice I’ve ever received, for I can live my entire life by this quote. For Instance, the quote stated by Martin Luther King Jr, can be looked upon as a theme for ones life or how someone chooses to live their life. The quote that was stated by MLK may have many different meanings, however it only means one thing to me. When Martin Luther King Jr says, â€Å"You have to wake up in order for your dreams to come true†, I see it as him saying, â€Å"If you want something to be done, do it! †. For example, if you aspire to go to college, find out what it takes and make it happen. In other words, don’t just have dreams, but make them come true by putting forth some action. I say this, because anyone can talk about doing something all day-everyday , but until they take action their talk is completely irrelevant. Actions speak louder than words. Not only is the quote by Martin Luther King Jr the best advice I’ve ever received, but I also followed the advice and took it to action. I used this advice all throughout my high school career. In addition, I used this advice in relations to myself aspiring to become a successful music artist. Having said that, I used Martin Luther King Jr’s, advice when I would slack off in school and then expect my grade to be something it wasn’t. By using the advice from the quote, I got into gear with school and started to work for what I deserved. Now I know why teachers say you’re the one determining your grade and not them. On the other end, I used the advice from the quote to encourage me to make music/songs constantly, because how am I going to become successful by waiting on success to fall in my hands. All in all, Martin Luther King Jr’s, quote was very touching to me and it transformed my life in many ways. How to cite College Essay, Essays

Child Labour Is A Human Rights Violation Essay Example For Students

Child Labour Is A Human Rights Violation Essay Child labour is an issue that has plagued society since the earliest of times. Despite measures taken by NGOs as well as the UN, child labour is still a prevalent problem in today’s society. Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of a Child gives all children the right to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child s education, or to be harmful to the child s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.1 Child labour clearly violates this right as well as others found in the UDHR. When we fail to see this issue as a human rights violation children around the world are subjected to hard labour which interferes with education, reinforces poverty and denies them basic human rights. Therefore I strongly believe that the issue of child labour should be seen as a human rights violation. When we look at child labor we see that not only is it morally wrong, but it also violates some of our basic human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and denies children an education. Article 26 of the UDHR states that everyone has the right to an education; child labor violates this right by taking children out of school and away from an education.2 155 countries at the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000 decided that by 2015 all children should have access to primary education.3 However, children are often pulled out of school at ages as young as 6 to work in factories or for mining companies, often working long hours leaving little to no time for a fundamental education, children who work in theses settings have a history of repeated grades and higher dropout rates. Christopher Heady’s research on educational a. .es child as any person under the age of 18 therefore constituting the full time employment of 12 year olds as child labour.18 While the definition of child may be disputed, I still firmly believe that the full time work of persons under the age of 18, which puts them in harms way and distracts from education, and life outside of work constitutes as a human rights violation. In conclusion, I believe that child labour should be considered a violation of basic human rights. This essay demonstrates that not only does child labour take away fundamental human right however it also interferes with the education of the child and reinforces the cycle of poverty. It also proves child labour violates basic working rights found in the UDHR under article 23 and 24. Child labour is an outright violation of human rights and has been an issue that has not been dealt with as such.

Helping, Giving and Volunteerism

Volunteerism, sometimes denoted as giving or helping, has characterized the universe for sometime now. Such volunteerism is greatly expressed in charitable donations by different individuals and organizations. Today, it is estimated that charitable donations account for almost $ 95 billion and individuals have come out as the biggest contributors (Kiplinger Washington Editors, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Helping, Giving and Volunteerism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More What normally happens is that individuals together with different organizations come together with the aim of supporting special causes such as helping the poor, paying medical bills for victims of different ailment, or even donating for victims of different disasters. Helping implies a form of gift to someone else; sharing a part of what is owned, and individuals even go extra lengths to offer their services as part of voluntar ism process. Voluntarism is seen as opportunity that people should embrace in order to change lives of other people as well as the lives of volunteers themselves. Among the American society, giving to the community has become an important aspect that majority of individuals embrace. Some high school have even taken initiatives of requiring the student to allocate some time in order to volunteer in community work and the success of this may determine whether the student is eligible to graduate or not (The Nemours Foundation, n.d). Exploring the issue of voluntarism, many literatures have put much emphasis on the important benefits and help that receivers of such help accrue. Little has been written about the benefits or factors that drive individuals and organizations that give help or participate in voluntarism activities. In real sense, individuals cannot just give any particular help without being directed or influenced by particular motivation. Therefore, how are such individuals motivated to give, what psychological, emotional and social benefit do they achieve as part of their role in contributing and lastly how best can voluntarism activities be regarded as duty that individuals have to fulfill? The guiding thesis for this research paper will be based on the fact that individuals who participate in voluntarism activities are directed by particular and specific motivations and that voluntarism together with giving has to be regarded and viewed as a duty to be accomplished by individuals. Statement of the Problem Voluntarism is an aspect that is becoming important but little attention is being paid to it. The role of voluntarism in term of donations and giving is immense and continues to change the lives of many people in different parts of the world.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to available charity statistics, as per the year 20 09, it was revealed that about 65 per cent of USA households participate in activities of giving (National Philanthropic Trust, 2010). Another research carried out by Giving USA organization statistics shows that American individuals giving donations to charities reached $ 303.75 billion by the year 2009 (National Philanthropic Trust, 2010). At the same time, statistics show that giving tendencies by corporate organizations in USA is on the rise whereby, in 2009, it stood at 5.5%, but since then, it has risen to the current level of 14.4 billion (National Philanthropic Trust, 2010). Contribution from foundations also continue to form part of charity donations although by 2009 such form of donations had dropped by almost 8.4 per cent to the current level of almost $ 42.9 billion (National Philanthropic Trust, 2010). Analysis of the same statistics further reveal that the biggest source of charitable giving comes from individuals whereby, in the year 2009, it stood at $227.41, which c onstituted 75% of the overall accumulated form of giving (National Philanthropic Trust, 2010). Coming second after individuals are foundations that contribute about $ 38.44 billion accounting for 13% of the total giving (National Philanthropic Trust, 2010). Third placed are the bequests accounting for about 8% and corporations come last contributing about 4% of the total giving (National Philanthropic Trust, 2010). Giving therefore does not happen without motivation. The above large amount of donations given by individuals and corporation require an indecisive investigation to reveal the psychological factors that lead individuals to give. Such research undertaking is important especially with regard to increasing role of voluntarism and donation activities in the contemporary world. Literature Review Scarce literature exists as to why people show willingness to donate to charities or provide voluntarism services in their communities. Nevertheless, there are heightened attempts spec ifically in the field of social psychology to investigate reasons that motivate people to donate or give help to different charities (Buunk, Buunk and Vugt, 2007). According to Sandra Sims, an online contributor in the journal of ‘Step by Step Fundraising’ observes that more people are being driven to donate and the major motivation is being guided by their own experience and values.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Helping, Giving and Volunteerism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These two aspects constitute part of the many aspects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which have been viewed by many psychologists as major reasons why majority of people in society are giving to charities (Sims, 2007). According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, people give in order to fulfill aspects of love, belonging, social needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization (Sims, 2007). At the same time, other literatures postulate that individuals are motivated to give by factors of: helping, altruism, cooperation, and pro-social behavior (Batson and Powell, 2003; and Van Vugt, et al., 2000 cited in Buunk, Buunk and Vugt, 2007); the second reason cited by the same authors why individuals give is that of social influence (Buunk, Buunk and Vugt, 2007). The needs of hierarchy according to Maslow’s hierarchy are placed at better way of explaining why people donate or decide to give. Maslow placed the human needs in ascending order of importance as show: physiological needs constitute the basic needs that are vital to sustain human life and include things like food, water, warmth, shelter, and sleep. Many poor people find it difficult to fulfill or have these physiological needs, a situation that motivates many people to donate, give, or volunteer their resources including time (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Security or safety needs constitute another category of needs that largel y ensure individuals are free of physical danger and of fear; for instance, such individuals may require property, food, shelter when it seems that the individuals on their own cannot provide for these safety needs charitable activities might be excellent avenues for such individuals to get solace (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). The desire to see individuals in society have adequate safety needs has constituted motivation aspects driving particular people to give, help, and donate in various charity organizations. Maslow further looks at the importance of affiliation or acceptance needs, an aspect that motivates individuals to participate in voluntarism activities as a way of making other people feels accepted in society and to feel that they belong and assume an important position in the wider society (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Esteem needs constitute another group of needs and according to Maslow, â€Å"once people begin to satisfy their need to belong, they tend to want to be hel d in esteem both by themselves and by others† (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006).Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This particular kind of need produces such satisfactions as power, prestige, status, and self-confidence (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Thus, in giving, donating, or even volunteering, many people feel satisfaction within themselves with regard to achieving power, prestige, status, and even self-confidence (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Lastly, Maslow looked at need for self-actualization and according to the author; this particular aspect is regarded as the highest need in the hierarchy of needs (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). The postulation of this need is that many individuals after achieving a lot in life finally develops desire to become what one is capable of becoming that is to maximize one’s potential and to accomplish something great (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). When such feelings emanate the individuals find charitable organizations as the best avenues to realize this need. It becomes apparent to the individuals that donating and volunteering their time and energy help th em to achieve this need. Findings Postulation in the literature tried to look at motivating factors that lead majority of people to donate or help. The literature review dwelt largely on the psychological aspects as postulated by Maslow. Nevertheless, carrying out further research many people gave different reasons as to why volunteerism and giving to them is important. According to field findings by Rebecca Ruby and Katya Andresen published in their online article title, ‘The secret to Getting People Give’ the two researchers found out from different people why they perceived donating or voluntarism was essential. The participants in the research expressed that giving was part of the initiative to help other people in the society (Ruby and Andresen, 2008). At the same time, some respondents noted that upon listening to stories of people in need they became obliged to donate and volunteer. Another group of respondents noted that giving was a sign showing that an individ ual is not powerless in times of problems or disaster (Ruby and Andresen, 2008). To other respondents, they put it in precise words why helping was necessary and important; giving results in sense of closeness to the community or any particular group where also giving makes one feel that his or her efforts are changing the lives o someone. Further, giving helps people receive tax deduction, as well as enabling people to establish permanent pictures in mind of how a person in need was helped. Other respondents were convinced that giving is part of life to some individuals from their childhood and it is through giving that individuals establish good images for themselves. Through giving, individuals are presented with opportunity to establish long-lasting legacies while to others giving is part of religious duties to be fulfilled. Lastly, through giving and volunteering people are seen to be leaders and role models to be emulated by others in the society (Ruby and Andresen, 2008). Ano ther field research carried out by Sandra Sims and published online in her article titled ‘Why do People donate to Charitable Causes’ found out three major reasons that drive people to donate to charities. The first reason has to do with personal experience where majority of givers adopt the activity of giving to others when they reflect on their own experiences as beneficiaries of charitable donations and help (Sims, 2007). Others, particularly in medical donations, give in order to honor their loved ones who in one way or the other died from the particular disease or problem donations are being done currently. Second reason why people give is that of making and witnessing change in the society. In other words, when particular people participate in charity work their biggest desire is to see difference being realized in society (Sims, 2007). The ambitions of such donors come to coalesce around the desire to see long-term and lasting impact in the lives of less advantag ed or those affected by particular disasters. The third reason as to why people donate and give as expressed by the author involves, â€Å"doing something active about a problem or take a stand on a particular issue† (Sims, 2007, p.1). By giving, the individual is able to accumulate some form of social power that he or she I able to use in approaching certain social and complex problems in society (Sims, 2007). The fourth reason as to why people give has to do with motivation aspects. When some people give, they become largely attracted to the need realizing personal recognition and benefits (Sims, 2007). Discussion As seen from the earlier section as to what drives majority of people to give, one aspect becomes clear as to why many people find motivation in giving and that aspect has to with duty. Majority of activities of donating or volunteering is seen to be guided by the sense of duty and as Brooks and Wilson (2007) postulate, about 80% of interviewed people who gave don ations or provided help in many organizations and charities confirmed that those who have more should give to those who have less. The concept of duty is concisely expressed and promoted by Kant who holds that â€Å"humans are morally good not so far as they act from passion or self-interest but so far as they act on an impersonal principle valid for others as well as for themselves† (Kant and Paton, 1991, p.30). According to Kant, duties are divided into duties towards self and duties towards others and further divided into perfect and imperfect duties (Kant and Paton, 1991). As a result of this classification, four major types of duties are proposed by Kant. Analyzing the four types of duties Kant is convinced that a perfect duty is one that admits of no exception in the interests of inclination. With regard to duties upon self, Kant express that individuals’ various capacities have a natural function or purpose I life and it is a perfect duty upon individuals not to limit such purposes and at the same time it is positive duty for such individuals to further such purposes to others (Kant and Paton, 1991). At the same time, Kant notes that individuals have a duty towards other individuals and the perfect duty here involves that of not limiting the realization of possible systematic harmony of purposes among majority of people. Giving and voluntarism should be seen as a way of providing support to the work that touches on the lives of many people and such activities or initiatives should be guided by sense of responsibility and duty in order to help people suffering and in need. Giving as a duty can be justified basing argument from existence of three basic and pressing issues in society today: increasing human suffering and skyrocketing cases of poverty especially among disadvantaged families; the increasing vulnerability to diseases compounded by increasing rate of deaths resulting from such diseases; and lastly increasing gap between the rich and poor in society (Riddell, 2007). Majority of people today falls in the category of being chronically poor living on less than $2 dollars a day (Riddell, 2007). As cases of poverty increase, vulnerability to diseases is becoming inevitable usually caused by a mix of insufficient food, poor water and sanitation, inadequate shelter or even health care and as fate would be majority of the affected succumb to poverty-related deaths (Riddell, 2007). Therefore, the described above scenario in the contemporary modern world is gradually making the aspect of giving and voluntarism a necessity that people to embrace in order to save other. It is becoming a prerequisite to undertake and get involved in charity work in order to see a function world. In addition, it is from these pressing needs that giving and voluntarism is graduating into a duty that individuals should embrace positively. Conclusion Thesis statement for this research paper centered on the need of investigating the increasin g nature of voluntarism and donation activities as a form of duty that humans have to fulfill. From the exploration and analysis of literature, profound evidence shows that today’s world is characterized by high numbers of poverty levels, many people especially in poor societies are dying from poverty-related disease and the gap between the rich and poor in many societies is widening. As a way to address these issues, it was found that voluntarism and giving should be embraced and perceived as duty that individuals are obliged to fulfill in the society. Kant’s concept of duty was further explored and it became evident that human have a duty towards others of ensuring they experience similar happiness and joy as themselves. References Brooks, A. C. and Wilson, J. Q. (2007). Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism — America’s Charity Divide–Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters. NY: Basic Books. Buunk, A. P ., Buunk, B. and Vugt, M. V. (20007). Applying social psychology: from problems to solutions. NY: SAGE. Kant, I. and Paton, H. J. (1991). Moral law: groundwork of the metaphysic of morals. NY: Routledge. Kiplinger Washington Editors. (2008). Kiplinger Personal Finance, Vol. 62, No. 3. Washington: Kiplinger Washington Editors Inc. Koontz, H. and Weihrich, H. (2006). Essentials of Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. National Philanthropic Trust. (2010). Philanthropy Statistics: Charitable Giving. Web. Riddell, R. (2007). Does foreign aid really work? Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ruby, R. and Andresen, K. (2008). The Secret to Getting People to Give: 14 Reasons Why People Donate. MD: Learning Center Network for Good. Web. Sims, S. (2007). Why Do People Donate to Charitable Causes? CA: Step by Step Fundraising Inc. Web. The Nemours Foundation. (N.d). Volunteering. Web. This research paper on Helping, Giving and Volunteerism was written and submitted by user Cap'n Oz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Media Communication essays

Media Communication essays Political candidates are increasingly utilizing alternative methods for the dispersal of their political messages and platforms. These alternative methods incorporate advanced technologies that allow the public to obtain information through diverse media. Examples include are video-streamed press conferences available online and podcasts. I think that these new methods are highly effective and allow the public to obtain important information with greater accessibility and flexibility. People are generally spending more and more time on computers, whether it be for work or in their leisure time, and it is often more convenient for people to obtain information online than through traditional media, such as radio and television. In order to obtain information through these traditional media, it is necessary to be near a radio or television at a prescribed time, which may not be convenient for all people. The advantage offered by online availability and podcasts is that the public are able to access the information they seek on demand at times that are convenient to them. There are several reasons why candidates may choose to use these new, alternative means of broadcasting information. First, these new methods provide an opportunity to reach a broader audience. This is due to the availability of the information not only when it is initially presented, but also afterward at anytime that is convenient to individuals. Second, I assume that podcasts and video-streamed online messages are cost efficient due to the limited resources required to produce such broadcasts. And third, using these methods demonstrates that the candidates are current in their views through their use of new technologies. These new methods are highly effective in reaching the public through increased accessibility. They may especially prove effective among young people, who are generally watching less TV but spending more time on computers. ...

Profits hit by rate rises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profits hit by rate rises - Essay Example The increase in the accumulation of inventories however reduces the GDP as firms tend to avoid the "overhang of unsold inventories" as mentioned in the article. As real GDP converges to equilibrium i.e. aggregate planned expenditure starts to match real GDP, than the inventories of the firm start to draw down. If we take the scenario where inventories start to accumulate, a drift towards equilibrium would suggest that the planned expenditure exceeds real GDP hence in order to adjust the planned expenditure in line with the real GDP, inventories will start to reduce As discussed above, there are two components of aggregate expenditure i.e. autonomous expenditure and induced expenditures. Autonomous, investments, exports expenditure include government spending as well as autonomous consumption. The induced expenditure most involves private consumption including imports, savings, consumer expenditure etc. The autonomous expenditure does not vary with the changes in the real GDP therefore there is a very little impact of interest rises on this type of expenditure in short run. However, induced expenditure gets affected by the series of rises in interest rates.

Progressive Era Through the Great Depression Assignment

Progressive Era Through the Great Depression - Assignment Example Most of the urban towns were transformed into rural cities, and large number of people migrated to metropolitan areas to obtain higher standards of living. Many new immigrants poured in from other countries with diverse cultures and traditions (Jaycox 2005). While the progressive era was significant for the economic growth, the late 1920s marked an era of economic depression. This economic decline was the worst in the history; it spread all over the world after its origin in the United States. The prices declined drastically with considerable increase in unemployment rate. Such was the influence of this economic downfall that October 29, 1929, the day that marked the beginning of this devastating collapse, was named as Black Tuesday. Although many events took place during the period under discussion, two events can be considered as major historic turning points with a great influence on the America’s current society, economy, politics, and culture. The changes in the American foreign policy and large flow of immigrants from other nations proved to be major turning points in the progressive era through economic depression. (Jaycox 2005) American Foreign Policy and New Immigrants Prior to 1890, America followed the ideology of isolationism, and relations with the other nations were limited. The American government mostly focused on its own development and had a negligible interest in the foreign affairs. This trend, however, changed after 1890 when government policy makers adopted a more global approach and America began to influence the world affairs. This encouragement was partly due to a fact that many circumstances had changed over the years. America had evolved into an industrial juggernaut, and opening a foreign front helped the businessmen to approach the international market. Soon, the national goods were distributed around the globe, which played a major role in the economic development, global influence, and American transition into a superpower. Similarly, the flow of immigrants during this period had a great impact on the social structure of the country. This intake from diverse cultures helped formation of a multicultural environment that attracted skilled labor from around the globe. Therefore, these immigrants initially provided the unskilled labor as most of them were from poor families, but the very their presence cultivated the ground for the future intake of the more skilled immigrants who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the country. (Jaycox 2005) Women’s Right to Vote A campaign for woman suffrage in the United States is one of the highlighted events during the period under discussion. Although most of the women received their rights to vote by 1920, the western states were more liberal than the northeastern and southern states in granting women their desired rights. Few reasons can be speculated for women’s liberty in the west. First of all, women in the frontier were given more status than household articles. Many speculate that this was a result of a distinct frontier democracy or more liberal approach of the western men. But the efforts of women associations in the west were one of the important differences that can explain why women received the right to vote much earlier in the west as compared to the other states. American-Spanish War Tensions built up between Spain and the United States over the Cuban rule by the end of 19th century. America had concerns over Spanish colonization in the surrounding regions, and the incidence

Issues, Data, And Analyses Of Racial Profiling Essay - 1

Issues, Data, And Analyses Of Racial Profiling - Essay Example Racial profiling prevents the police from serving the whole community in an effective way. Leaning on one side for racial reasons is detrimental to societal development, and the authority should not tolerate this behavior. Moreover, the continued use of racial profiling could easily lead to racially-motivated violence (Moody 321). This happens when victims’ gang up to face offenders or the offenders collaborate to suppress victims in a particular way. Some highlighted reasons why racial profiling should not be legal law are; the whole idea is morally wrong, police officers would not perform their duties justly, community’s collaboration in cases of crimes reduces, and it may lead to more racial violence. The idea of racial profiling has many visible instances in the United States. Most African-Americans complain that police stops them regularly for check-ups than their white counterparts. The idea is that they are more suspects of terrorism than Americans. This is moral decay in the society which reduces people’s morale in involvement in various economic activities. Instances involving racial profiling in the city are numerous. One citizen reports that â€Å"airport officials pulled his friend aside, and question him before allowing him to take his flight because he is a Muslim-American† (Schmidt 23). This is a practice of racial profiling, and should not be law by all means. Considering the situation in which officials harass ten or more people on the basis of such beliefs; the result is a loss of trust in authority and lawmakers, which also retards societal growth. In some instances, African Americans complain that traffic police stops them regularly for unwarranted c hecks just because of their color.

My Favourite Car

My Favourite Car My favourite car If I had to choose a car I liked the most, I would definitely pick Cadillac Escalade. SUVs are my favourite cars in general, but no SUV is more stylish than the Cadillac Escalade. Even though it has all of the roomy features that make SUVs a popular choice for families, its design, chrome trim and wheels and overall style make it attractive to the youth as well. The design elements of the Cadillac Escalade are all made with style in mind. The mirrors are angled and blend into the curves of the vehicle. The windshield angle flows into the roof line seamlessly. The tall headlights have standard High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting with an option to add the â€Å"IntelliBeam† system, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the headlight beams. The Cadillac Escalade comes standard with 18 inch wheels, but also has the option to add 22 inch chrome wheels to the vehicle. The interior of the vehicle continues the theme of comfort combined with a highly stylized design. The dashboard and consoles are made of high quality vinyl, with instrument panel displays located in perfect vision lines for the driver. Seams for the assembly of the dashboard are constructed tightly and barely visible. The true beauty of the Cadillac Escalade, however, comes in its power. It features a standard 6.2 litre V-8 engine that allows for quick acceleration. Traction control, four wheel drive and four wheel disc brakes allow for a comfortable and powerful driving experience. The Cadillac Escalade is well equipped to handle driving off road but versatile enough to be an effective city driving vehicle as well. The Cadillac Escalade is also versatile in its capacity. A third row seat allows the vehicle to transport up to seven passengers. The seat is also removable, maximizing the vehicles cargo space. The Cadillac Escalade has also earned a four star safety rating from the U.S. government. Safety features include anti-lock brakes, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera and a blind spot warning system. The Cadillac Escalade is superior to other SUVs because it combines all of the practicality of a traditional SUV with the style of a luxury car.

Effects Of Deforestation :: essays research papers

Effects of Deforestation The subject of deforestation and the effects that it has on the environment have been heavily debated for a long time; particularly over the last few years. Governments and large lumber companies see large profits in the mass deforestation of forests and state that their actions are having few, if any, harmful effects on the environment. Most people disagree with this and think that the environmental effects are devastating and will become irreversibly disastrous in the very near future. Whether or not the pros outweigh the cons will be hotly debated for years to come but the fact is that deforestation is harmful to the environment and leads to declining wildlife populations, drastic changes in climate and loss of soil. The loss of forests means the loss of habitats for many species. Current statistics show that as many as 100 species become extinct every day with a large portion being attributed to deforestation (Delfgaauw, 1996). "Edge effects" are the destruction or degradation of natural habitat that occur on the fringes of fragmented forests. The effects for the animals include greater exposure to the elements (wind, rain etc†¦), other non-forest animals and humans (Dunbar, 1993). This unnatural extinction of species endangers the world's food supply, threatens many human resources and has profound implications for biological diversity. Another negative environmental impact of deforestation is that it causes climate changes all over the world. As we learned in elementary school, plant life is essential to life on earth as it produces much of the oxygen that is required for humans and other organisms to breathe. The massive destruction of trees negatively effects the quantity and quality of the air we breathe which has direct repercussions on the quantity and quality of life among both humans and animals alike. With this reduced amount of vital plant life comes the increase of carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere. With these increased levels of CO-2 come unnatural changes in weather patterns both locally and globally. "The removal of forests would cause rainfall to decline more than 26%. The average temperature of soil will rise and a decline of 30% in the amount of moisture will evaporate into the atmosphere" (Delfgaauw, 1996). This leads to the global warming phenomenon which is also directly related to the declining amounts of forest areas on the earth. Soil erosion caused by deforestation is also a major concern among even the most amateur environmentalists: "When rain falls, some may sink to the ground, some may run off the surface of the land, and flowing down towards the rivers and some may evaporate.

Analyse an Advert and Prequel to it in Depth Essay

Advertising is one of the world’s foremost businesses. Companies use this media to communicate their ideas, products and messages to the general public. This is one type of advert, which is used to draw people to donate to a cause. It is called an appeal. This appeal is from Help The Aged, a fairly large charity, dedicated to helping the older and less able people. This particular advert is for the SeniorLink pendant, a small telephone pendant that helps people when they get into trouble where they can’t reach the phone, because they are immobilised. I will analyse this form of the appeal and elaborate the techniques and tricks used to convince people to part with their money. This form of the appeal is a leaflet. Leaflets can be specially designed to appeal to a particular audience or aspect of society; this leaflet is aimed at anyone who has money. The purpose of it is to convince these people that their product is: reliable; fast acting; state-of-the-art; easy-to-use and most of all, lifesaving. If it succeeds than Help The Aged will get their reward of a donation that, in theory, should then be spent on the pensioners. The advert uses several conventions to convey their tricks and tactics to the target audience. I will elaborate these as I examine the advert. On the first part of the leaflet (The ‘Front’) we see Vera alive and well, along with a caption to the picture that, arguably, could be seen as the title to the leaflet. The photograph of Vera depicts her as smiling, cheerful and in good health. From this, empathy is drawn from the audience, giving the advert a good note from which to begin with. It can also be seen as a pointer to what the outcome of the event is, in a similar way to the introduction to Romeo and Juliet. The caption or ‘title’ of the leaflet is in large, white, bold, capitalised text, which is mapped on a black background. This is to make the text stand out considerably, as there is no bigger contrast than black and white. At the end of the text is an ellipsis. This adds to the beckoning feel of the text that makes the audience want to read on. The second part of the advert or â€Å"Middle of the leaflet† is a transcript of the conversation between Lyn, a SeniorLink operator, and Vera Smith, an old woman in distress. The sheet is in four parts: A quotation, used as a title An introduction to the transcript The telephone conversation, recorded as a transcript And an epilogue to the piece. The quotation to the page is in a similar style to the original caption, in the first part. It shares the same bold, white on black style, however it is not all in capitals. This is because it is a quotation from Vera, presumably from after her ordeal. This is to show again that she recovered and that she owes her life to the SeniorLink pendant. Next is an introduction to the transcript. It starts with an introductory sentence that uses simple adjectives and sentence structure to describe the characters. Next comes the setting of the scene, where Vera’s predicament takes shape. One sentence is underlined, this sentence: ‘To her horror†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is highlighted to make it stand out more, as it is shocking and important. The intro ends with another ellipsis, opening the way for the transcript. Just before the transcript is a picture of both Lyn and Vera, depicted as happy, this is showing: how good the receiving staff is and how pleased Vera is to be alive. The transcript itself is 16 lines long, combining playscript style speech and bold typed event explanations. The playscript reads like normal speech, Vera pauses and the text is punctuated appropriately, â€Å"Please†¦ Help me!† The language is different for Vera and Lyn, Vera sounds helpless and afraid, while Lyn sounds calm and efficient. At three intervals the scripting cuts into a short explanatory line, distinguished by its bold enhancement. These explain what is happening, like directors notes. We are expected to give the appeal some trust and believe that the conversation really happened. Finally there is an epilogue where, using reassuring text, they bring this ordeal to an end. They finish this section by emphasising that the SeniorLink saves lives. The final part of the advert, the back, is the possibly the most important. It is the advert in full, the appeal or the explanation section. It is nine paragraphs that encompass all of the emotion, drawn from before and add to it, then channel it into giving a donation. The title of the piece is large, bold and eye-catching. It is presumably a joke to suggest that she could, ‘hear voices’ as some old people develop insanity. Otherwise the comment that she is alive because she could hear voices is a stupid one and not thought out. The first paragraph is an assurance that Vera made a full recovery, thanks to the SeniorLink system. This is to put worried minds at rest. Then in clear bold text it says: â€Å"But many other elderly people aren’t so lucky†, This shows that next the appeal will give information, possibly facts on old people that didn’t make it through their ordeals. Paragraph 2 is apparently a factual one, where they give you shocking statistics on how many people don’t survive each week. This is supposed to appeal to your human nature and lull you into wanting to help decrease this statistic. Next comes another single line of text that prepares you for upcoming information. It is underlined and utilises an emphasising adverb, which is describing an adjective, ‘tragic’. This is used to change it from being tragic to really tragic, emphasis. The next two paragraphs are two cases, which are utilised to shock you further, and again to appeal to your ‘Human side’. The fifth paragraph is in bold text and is designed to be reliving after the heavy emotion carrying paragraphs. It is positive and righteous. It opens with a statement of good, â€Å"Yet tragedy can be avoided† This is showing the gold horizon, while saying that our cause is the most important cause. Then in the second sentence it uses the mysterious inference again: ‘Hearing Voices’ In the sixth paragraph the appeal itself surfaces and they make their quick request for money, while surrounding it with ideas of stopping unnecessary deaths and the strange ‘voice’ inference again. The donation request itself is only five words long, out of the whole advert. It is short and enveloped to try to mask their intentions, while making it stand out in your mind. Also in this paragraph two words are underlined to add emphasis on their aims. The next paragraph is a short direct paragraph and adds a little more emphasis on the pendant itself. Paragraph eight is the technical element, it explains exactly what the pendant is, wrapped in technical terms to show that this is cutting edge technology and is really effective. The text ends with a warm climax ands shows one last time that the pendant is an amazing thing. The logo of Help The Aged is a rising sun, symbolising that there is dawning hope and always a light for old people. In conclusion, the advert uses most of the persuasive techniques in the handbook, from simple adjectives and bold text to psychological hints and shocking ‘facts’. However I would say that the advert has been worked at: psychologically wise, everything is in the right place, and the things that should stand out do stand out. At every step of the way they have used persuasive writing, showing that: Vera survived because of the pendant, The pendant is efficient and will always work, Pensioners without a pendant die frequently, Preventing the deaths is easy: donate money. On a personal level I wasn’t convinced, I saw the IT tricks and psychological hints as insults, and saw right through them. Perhaps I’m wrong, and I just am not human enough to see that they really are doing good in the world. But, most people would or should give money as it is fairly well thought through and has pretty shocking facts, if they’re true. I have learned that advertising is a crooked business and has many ways of persuasion. It does take a lot of thought.

Free Essays on Professional Codes Of Conduct

Professional Codes of Conduct All professionals in all fields of study and employment have a system in place that regulates their behavior. This is called a code of conduct. Observed and reported behaviors include productivity, attitude, professionalism, timeliness, and quality of work. These are the generalizations of all employers. It may be written, verbal, or just inferred. The criminal justice system also has a code of conduct. Police officers, corrections agents, lawyers, judges, probation officers, and parole officers all have a set of rules they follow to be in compliance with their oath as peace officers and adjudicators. This paper will discuss those codes of conduct, the governing bodies that oversee the following of the codes of conduct, which of the professionals mentioned has the highest and lowest ethical code, and how realistic the expectation of each professional group is given, the rigors of their employment. In the interest of brevity this researcher will restrict my research to the state of Ca lifornia. General Information This researcher can basically split the prior list of professionals into two main groups. One being attorneys and the other being peace officers. All judges were once attorneys and are still bound by the same association. Parole and probation officers are bound by their responsibility as peace officers. Although their particular department may have job specific duties and responsibilities their code of ethics is very similar if not identical to that of a police officer. From this point on in this paper when the researcher refers to an attorney it will be understood that the judges are part of the attorneys. When this researcher states peace officer the researcher means any sworn member of any organization that carries a badge to uphold the law. Judges and Attorney’s The first codes of conduct that all lawyers and judges are bound by are that of the American Bar Association. This set of con... Free Essays on Professional Codes Of Conduct Free Essays on Professional Codes Of Conduct Professional Codes of Conduct All professionals in all fields of study and employment have a system in place that regulates their behavior. This is called a code of conduct. Observed and reported behaviors include productivity, attitude, professionalism, timeliness, and quality of work. These are the generalizations of all employers. It may be written, verbal, or just inferred. The criminal justice system also has a code of conduct. Police officers, corrections agents, lawyers, judges, probation officers, and parole officers all have a set of rules they follow to be in compliance with their oath as peace officers and adjudicators. This paper will discuss those codes of conduct, the governing bodies that oversee the following of the codes of conduct, which of the professionals mentioned has the highest and lowest ethical code, and how realistic the expectation of each professional group is given, the rigors of their employment. In the interest of brevity this researcher will restrict my research to the state of Ca lifornia. General Information This researcher can basically split the prior list of professionals into two main groups. One being attorneys and the other being peace officers. All judges were once attorneys and are still bound by the same association. Parole and probation officers are bound by their responsibility as peace officers. Although their particular department may have job specific duties and responsibilities their code of ethics is very similar if not identical to that of a police officer. From this point on in this paper when the researcher refers to an attorney it will be understood that the judges are part of the attorneys. When this researcher states peace officer the researcher means any sworn member of any organization that carries a badge to uphold the law. Judges and Attorney’s The first codes of conduct that all lawyers and judges are bound by are that of the American Bar Association. This set of con...

buy custom Oedipus the King essay

buy custom Oedipus the King essay The story of the King Oedipus begins when an oracle foretold that a child born to Laius, king of Thebes by his queen Jocasta, would slay his father and wed his mother. With this in mind, Laius had his sons feet riveted together and left to die in Mount Cithaeron, where a shepherd found him and handed him to his master Polybus, the King of Corinth, who took him in as his son (he was childless) (Helaine, 2005). Although he was brought up away from his father, he later encounters and unwillingly slew his father king Laius although he thought he had attacked a caravan of low-class travelers thus fulfilling the prophecy. When Oedipus arrived in Thebes, he managed to answer the riddle of thee Sphinx, and the Thebans made him their king where he ruled and married the widow of King Laius and sired many children (Helaine, 2005). After many years of success, a plague vexes the city and Kreon, the Brother of Iokaste goes to Oedipus with news from the oracle that the plague would only be lifted after the death of Laius is avenged. Oedipus in return says that, he knows the terrible fate of the Thebes and vows to find the murderer using his intelligence, but when Tiresias confronted him with the truth, Oedipus is blid to it (Helaine, 2005). This shows us what kind of ruler Oedipus is; that Oedipus was intentionally choosing what to believe as true and what to say is false according to be benefits, and if the issue was going to affect him and his Kingdom. Tiresias was a blind seer who was trusted and respected by all people as upheld by his introduction as the holy prophet in who alone of all men truth was born. Upon telling Oedipicus the hard truth, Tiresias is shunned, his credibility and motives attacked and finally accused of plotting against the King and helping Kreon become King (Helaine, 2005). In response to these accusations which the people believed, Tiresias tells Oedipus that he was blind even though he had two eyes to the wretchedness of his life and the wrongs that he had done to the people, the earth and the world below. The use of blindness is used to call to attention the fact that Oedipus could not see the truth about himself and his past, even though he had eyes, and that it took a blind man Teresias to show him the real truth and overcome his blindness. Teiresias goes ahead to say to Oedipus, the double lash of your parents curse wiill whip you. Out of this land someday with only night upon your precious eyes (Helaine, 2005). It was not until the shepherd gave his confession of how he saved a boy and took him to his King that Oedipus was filled with grief and guilt upon realizing the truth that the prophecy came to pass. Oedipus blinds himself and goes on to live in exile where he died in the wild hills of Kithairon. This is where his parents had intended for him without his family or daughters who he had ashamed and brought destruction to. Finally Oedipicus physically blinds himself on seeing his dead mother and is the cause of his own exile, which is complete irony since when he had the eyes, he could not see the truth yet now that he does not have them he ca clearly see the truth. The story of Oedipicus shows us that, having good eyesight does not necessarily mean that one can see and understand situations, but it takes an open mind, logic and proper analysis of the facts to know the correct truth. Blindness is used as irony in the story to bring out the magnitude of Oedipicus errors and diversion from the truth yet all along he knew what he had done, who his father was and what the oracle had said about the prophecy.. Buy custom "Oedipus the King" essay

Writing Reflection Letter to future english professor Essay

Writing Reflection Letter to future english professor - Essay Example In the first essay (Tab 4 in black folder), Radiant Green Nuts: Adopting Healthier Eating Habits, the structure of essay was not written properly. The introduction did not have a thesis that made a claim about the ADS’ effectiveness for the specific audience and did not address how this AD targeted the specific audience for the magazine it appeared in. Not only the structure of essay was a mess but it had so many spelling errors and it showed my lack of attention when writing the essay. In the revised paper, I moved the first paragraph to 2nd paragraph and created a new introduction (Tab 2). Unlike the first draft, the new introduction explains the effectiveness to a specific audience and how the well-designed ad with detailed visual information impacted the specific target then connected to the original introduction. Instead of speeding through my essay writing, I paid more close attention on my revised paper by correcting the spelling, improving the structure, and connecting the thesis to topic sentences. Rather than rushing to finish my paper, I now take my time to read through it and look for necessary changes to make in order to improve it before finalization. In the second compare/contrast essay in Tab 4, I spent more time on making changes and putting my thoughts into the paper but again struggled with specifying topic sentences. Although the concept of my view of friendship as a quilt work in, The Quilt Work of Friendship: The Likes and Contrary, was original and attention-catching, my topic sentences again were broad. In the first draft, the topic sentences in second and third paragraphs were broad and I used the knowledge gained from my English 101 class to focus and enhance the topic sentences to be specific and to ensure that they were flowing well. Keeping the topic sentences specific and connected to thesis were the hardest tasks for me. In the final paper (Tab 3), I made my topic sentence more specific from, â€Å"As well as our

Sum up the key points of these 4 reading as a presentation draft Outline

Sum up the key points of these 4 reading as a presentation draft - Outline Example Examples of clients were prostitutes and petty offenders but the CLHs were distinct from facilities for convicts. Social investigation that developed in early 1980s and involved enlightenment and perspectives facilitated development of the history of CLHs. The facilities were further filthy despite their environment that upheld cleanliness. The outcasts could be identified from their moral and physical orientations and even though they resented civilization to represent a more ancient generation, they depicted aspects of civilization. Investigations could therefore classify them as both outcasts and members of the society. The lodgings were further classified as heterotopias and membership was controlled by set of rules. Heterotopy was evident from existence of ignorance and intelligence, idleness and industry, animosity and affection, decadence and Godliness, and bodily indifference and affirmation. By laws initially governed the CLHs but acts such as the Town Improvement Clause act , Common Lodging Houses Act, and the Public Health Act were later enacted to govern the Common Lodging Houses. Despite existence of the regulations that were initially associated with success, there were rebellion and negligence in enforcing the regulations as data shows number of punished cases for breach of the regulations. Negligence among enforcement officers was also common and some offenders were caught and charged. In response to the negligence, authorities preferred dialogue instead of the legal process, an approach that could have further facilitated breach of the established status. Authorities however undertook frequent checks for promoting adherence to existing rules but diversity among the lodgers and their desired freedom limited governance initiatives such as transformation of the scope of the CLHs (Crook 2008, p. 414- 436). The study explores the scope and role of public baths in Victoria and associates the bath with power, freedom, and

Argument essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Argument - Essay Example Drone warfare is mainly used by the military and intelligence agencies of the United States in areas where there is a high susceptibility of terrorist activities like Afghanistan and Pakistan. This form of war has been a center of argument and debates owing to the loss of innocent lives as well as the credibility of its usefulness. Drone technology has raised further alarms because this development has been achieved by forty countries across the globe and the armed forces of the United States alone are in possession of seven thousand drones (Billitteri 653). The drone warfare is an ineffective method of war and should be discontinued as it leads to the killing of harmless citizens and it also serves to hamper the security of the United States as it raises the number of foes for the country and hence puts the lives of the Americans at risk. The drones which are also known as â€Å"unmanned aerial vehicles† gained popularity after a few successful drone strikes which resulted in the included the killing of Sheikh Sa’id al-Masr. ... Last year, the Air Force trained more pilots to fly unmanned planes than traditional fighter pilots. (656)† This explains the fact that modern warfare has entirely changed and drone warfare has gained tremendous popularity amongst the armed forces in the United States. The CIA legally justified its usage of drones under the international law by claiming that it is a part of self-defense for the United States. Proponents further claim that drone attacks are the only measures which can be used to curb terrorist organizations and put an end to them (Billitteri 656). The justifications provided for the usage of drone warfare have been debated against and correct reasons have been provided to explain the fact that this form of warfare does not yield any good. The drone strikes have greatly increased in countries like Pakistan. Warlund explains the negativities in these drone attacks by claiming that, â€Å"At least 50 drone attacks have targeted Pakistan thus far in 2010, nearly th e same amount as in all of 2009. Since 2004, from 1,040 to as many as 1,579 people have been killed in the attacks; an estimated one-third of the casualties were civilians (656).† The writer has tried to shed light upon the alarming rise in the usage of drone attacks and he has emphasized the fact that one third of the people who die due to these attacks are innocent and harmless people. International law and other grounds can by means be used to support the killing guiltless civilians in the name of self-defense (Billitteri 656). Experts have provided other drawbacks in the drone technology as well. It is claimed that though drone attacks result in the killing of

The Power of Selfishness Essay Example for Free

The Power of Selfishness Essay Literature overflows with references and symbols that correlate to teachings of many different subjects. Many authors design characters who, for some unknown reason, feel they cannot control their own selfish motives. The system of egoism defines itself as the ethical system that places needs of oneself above and before those of others. Incorporated into this system, the more explicit views of the psychological egoist arise. The psychological egoist firmly believes that he holds no power over his selfish motives; humans innately strive to maintain what proves best for themselves over any others needs. This situation becomes evident in Shakespeares Macbeth as Macbeth allows his vaulting ambition to overpower his best judgment. While Macbeths questions his actions towards the beginning of the play, his true character surfaces as we see the transformation from a discerning war hero to a monstrous, uncontrollable murderer. Because Shakespeare chooses to slowly reveal Macbeths faults, the reader initially falls into the perception of Macbeths nobility and control over his own desires. The reader first meets Macbeth as he rides in from a successful battle in which he decimated Scotlands foe led by Macdonwald. Like the reader, Macbeths peers also trust his courage in valor for brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name-/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution, / Like valors minion carved out his passage/ Till he faced the slave(I.ii.16-20). Even the king resounds Macbeth as a valiant cousin, worthy gentleman, a gesture that portrays trickles of irony, as this valiant cousin would soon become his gruesome murderer. These bold and proud portrayals of Macbeth are implemented to confuse the reader, to skew his belief in Macbeths ability to kill a friend, to hide Macbeths uncontrollable secret desire to assume the throne of Scotland. Shakespeare quickly reveals Macbeths ambition for the throne as he portrays an inquisitive Macbeth, careful not to promulgate his excitement for the three witches prophesy. Macbeth snaps to the hags, Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more! / Speak I charge you (I.iii.70-78). The quick reaction to the witches prophesy of his kingship flags the reader to notice Macbeths instantaneous and uncontrollable interest in the prospect of overthrowing Duncan. The uncontrollable urge for self-advancement over others well being closely follows the Catholic Social Teaching of the psychological egoists inextinguishable desire to trump the success of others and attain fame and glory. Thinking through the requirements and consequences of his kingship, Macbeth slowly settles away from the idea of murdering the honorable Duncan, a withdrawal which sets the reader astray from the prospect of Macbeths desire to advance at any cost. As he arrives back to his castle, Lady Macbeth meets him with a rampant frenzy, questions him about what it will take to propel her to the position of queen, and implores him to consider the simple murder of Duncan to grasp her such happiness as well as seal their marriages happiness. Like Macbeth, Lady Macbeth keeps captive the same uncontrollable desire that defines a psychological egoist; however, she chooses to play into Macbeths fears and emotions to achieve her goal rather than following through herself. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth clearly know what they want and submit to any means necessary in order to achieve their goal. They plan to greet Duncan as he arrives at Macbeths castle [looking] like the time, [bearing] welcome in [their] eyes, / [their] hands, [their] tongue. Look like the innocent flower, / but be the serpent under it(I.v.64-66). The now assured murder of Duncan slowly assimilates into a passionate war to achieve their desires at cost to any others, even Lady Macbeths desires trump those of her husband in her mind. The selfish mood throughout the play seems to give warning to not only selfish ideas and selfish motives, but to societys ability as a whole to quell these undying desires, to allow these dangerous ideas to subside, and to realize the need for intervention long before ones ambition grows to large to control. Egoism has been widely criticized as subverting attempts to live together as a whole, a criticism which further magnifies the potency of danger that Macbeths ambitions hold. Macbeths ability to act upon his ambition remained unclear for a large part of the play; however, once he committed the initial murder of Duncan, Macbeths will to remove anything that threatened his success became clear; his willingness to kill further emboldened the correlation of him as an egoist. Quickly becoming suspicious of the beliefs of those around him, Macbeth moves to kill Banquo, his closest friend and ally until this point. As Banquo clearly dictates his unwillingness to support Macbeth in his nefarious deeds, Macbeth decides to call upon a group of murders to remove the threat of not only Banquo, but of his son Fleance, who was prophesized to be king. In fact, Macbeth believes every minute of [Banquos] being thrusts/ Against [his] nearest of life (III.i.118-119). The small statement illuminates the potency of Macbeths insanity; his closest friends have now become his strongest enemies. Because of this transformation from friend to foe, Banquo becomes a victim of Macbeths ambition, becomes a symbol of pain caused by the incessant lust for power, becomes a rock from which those like Malcolm and MacDuff launch themselves from in order to overthrow the lost, poisoned mind of Macbeth. Macbeth, his mind racked from the ominous apparitions of his demise, soon learns of MacDuffs flight to England, an action which he uses to justify the murder of many more innocent citizens who, in Macbeths eyes, threaten his very existence and success as king. Pacing in his castle, attempting to discern his best plan for retaliation against MacDuff, Macbeth reveals his desire to seize upon Fife, give to the edge of the sword/ [MacDuffs] wife, his babes, and all the unfortunate souls/ that trace him in his line (IV.ii.151-152). Resorting to rampant murders of noble kin, Macbeth cries out his unnecessary and undeserved desire to eliminate all of those who renounce his right to the throne. Macbeth abnegates all guilt in these times of passion and anger that frequently overpower his no longer existent common sense and discernment. Like the egoist, Macbeth chooses to not only act out of selfish measures, but proclaims that his actions are not of his control, but rather, a direct cause of his own inevitable drive towards success and power. Even as Malcolm misleads MacDuff about his own vices and shortfalls as a leader, MacDuff feels that the vulture in [Malcolm] to devour so many/as the will to greatness dedicate themselves (IV.iii.75-76) cannot exist as it does in Macbeth. MacDuffs belief that Macbeth defines the ultimate evil as a leader as well as his inclusion of Macbeths inexorable will to greatness further corroborates the correlation between a stereotypical psychological egoist and Macbeth. MacDuff describes Macbeths inextinguishable will as the catalyst for Scotlands demise as well as an innate feature that Macbeth contains; Macbeth could never abdicate the throne without force due to his great desire to achieve success for only himself. Eventually, Macbeth realizes his crimes and missteps as king, but still refuses to step away from the unnecessary dismantlement of families who pose a threat to his power. Upon killing young Siward, Macbeth rejoices that no man of woman born can touch him; Siward, who fathered young Siward, similarly rejoices his sons death fighting the ultimate tyrant of their age. As the tyrant Macbeth nears his end, MacDuff enters the castle as the one of all men else who Macbeth has avoided. Knowing his death to arrive by MacDuffs sword, Macbeth fights on with a soul too much charged/ with blood of [MacDuff] already. (V.viii.4-5) His bold disregard for his own life reveals the misconception and ignorance he holds of his own life; Macbeth once again allows himself to be consumed with passion, passion which drives him to his inevitable demise. Society today regards Macbeth as a product of fear and paranoia coupled with a desire for power that is so strong that any means to achieve that power would be taken in order to attain that goal. We see many like Macbeth even today. Like Macbeth, Richard Nixon was a wildly popular figure in United States politics, winning his elections with over 60% of the popular vote. Seeing his own success and desiring so much more, he allowed his paranoia to take hold of him and cheated his way to a second term by bugging the Democratic offices. Many historians believe that this move proved to be completely unnecessary; his popularity already had been sealed with the people. Having followed through with his quest for power, his obsession caused him to inevitably resign from office. Macbeth portrayed many similar characteristics as Richard Nixon. His popularity greatly stood above his peers around him, however; he chooses to instead tear apart a kingdom for his success, a success that likely would have brought him to power anyways. Shakespeare along with history teaches us the power ambition holds over us, the importance of containing that ambition, only searching for what we can do to improve ourselves without harming others. The egoist commonly addresses the criticisms regarding his lust for power as shallow and full of fear, much like Macbeth addresses those who attempt to quell his vaulting ambition. The quest for power controls so many in the world today, but it eventually leads these people to failure much like Macbeths, failure much like Nixons, failure to keep hold of power, failure to sustain a valuable life.

Communication Skills in Social Work | Essay

Communication Skills in Social Work | Essay In the context of Social Work practice learning  (Childrens Services Assessment Team)  and the social work role discuss a particular piece of  practice, giving consideration to the skills and models of communication and empowerment that were used. Introduction Organized under the United Kingdom’s Department of Health, Children’s Services represents a division of Social Care which is administered in each region under the auspices of the Children’s Commissioner (Children Act 2004). Children’s Services is committed to the safeguarding and rights of children through high quality services over a broad array of provisions. The Children’s Assessment Team under the Department of Health has the responsibility for the handling of children and their families who have benne either referred and or have contacted their respective Child Care agency (London Borough of Barking Dagenham, 2006). The preceding includes the offering of advice and help while ensuring that the correct decisions are rendered with regard to the urgency dictated by the circumstances along with the proper response level. The preceding represents an ‘assessment’ as carried out in each individual circumstance, which requires skills, communication and the powers to carried the aforementioned out. This examination shall look into a particular area of practice concerning Social Work in the Children’s Services Assessment Team, giving consideration to the skills, models of communication and empowerment involved. The Referral and Assessment aspect of Children’s Services represents one of the most important areas of the many services offered by this Department in that it is responsible for acting upon referrals concerning children and their families that are in need of assessment (Southwark Council, 2006). The Referral and Assessment Team provides intervention as well as support and is responsible for the initial intake process covering the assessment of need and urgency, prioritizing said cases on an individual basis (Barnett London Borough, 2006). One of the most important areas, which includes child protection, legal proceedings and that children in need are looked after, is the initial process which identifies a child in need as opposed to child protection (Wrexham County Borough, 2001). The manner in which the referral was initiated has a bearing upon the type of skill, communication and application of techniques involved. In this instance, this examination shall utilize the exampl e of an abused child that has been brought to the attention of Child Services through calls made by a concerned citizen, or other means. The data and information gathered in the initial contact, regarding the allegation, requires immediate follow up to assess the truthfulness of the allegation and thus whether further action is warranted (Barnett London Borough, 2006). Said referral can come from a number of sources, such as neighbors, teachers, school nurse, and other sources (Barnett London Borough, 2006). Once the process has been initiated the most important aspect entails the skills, and communication techniques employed. The core mission of all social work is the promotion of social justice through its practice (Healy, 1998, pp. 897-914). Within this framework, social workers are in a system that promotes collaborative approaches representing analysis and prioritization (Healy and Mulholland, 1998, pp. 3-27). Once the decision has been made to see the child in question, as a result of either the suspicion or proof regarding action being warranted, the skills in communication as well as observation come into play. Thompson (2003, pp. 10) advises that the importance of communication is that it permits us to transmit information from one person to another and it represents â€Å"†¦ a complex, multilevel event†. In communicating with children as well as adults, social workers need to be well versed in interaction that accompanies communication and contact, and the complexities entailed, as well as the messages on a verbal and non verbal plane (Thompson, 2003. pp. 10-12, 33 – 34, 182-18 3). In those instances where there is an absence of external physical evidence or medical examination, the social worker has to be able to ascertain from conversations and observations with the child as well as the adults involved regarding tone of voice, eye movements, reactions, and other behavior whether truthful replies are being given. The preceding represents areas that encompass theory as well as practice. Adams et al (1998, pp. 253-272) state that the context of social work has changed over the past twenty years as a result of new public management systems that have decreased the value of theory along with the value driven aspects involved in human social work. In the context of children’s services the Referral and Assessment Team intercede on behalf of the child through policy decisions and active support when the initial interview uncovers need, depending upon the circumstances. This aspect represents item number six under Article Two, General Function, of the Children Act 2004 (Children Act 2004). The Department of Health (2006) provides for advocacy safeguards for children to protect them from abuse as well as poor practice. This aspect provides for children themselves to be a part of the process, having and active voice that can be and is heard to participate in reaching determinations (Department of Health, 2006). Under provisions as set forth, the standards and core principles that children can expect are identified as (Department of Health, 2006): The role of children in advocacy, policy context, equal opportunities, confidentiality, publicity, accessibility, independence, complaints, procedures, and the management and governance of services The preceding along with empowerment provides the child with a real voice as well as organization that is committed to ensure their well being as found under the Children’s Services Regulations 2005 of the Children Act 2004 (Children’s Services Inspection Regulations, 2005). Through a formalized inspection, review and analysis process involving â€Å"†¦ two or more inspectorates and commissions, the process is ensured of impartiality as well as adequate oversight. Articles 2.3 under this provision sets forth â€Å"†¦ that relevant assessments, inspections, reviews, investigations and studies †¦ are conducted on cases. These measures are a part of the framework of checks and balances incorporated into the process for the safeguarding of the child who comes to the attention of Children’s Services. Empowerment also provides for the offering of assistance, counseling and advice to parents in need of help in order to safeguard a child’s well be ing. The formalized process sets forth specific guidelines in all of the indicated areas, as well as a broader scope for a matter of such national importance. Conclusion Owing to the sensitive nature of services involving children, specific case studies or references to such are not available, for the obvious reasons. Under the context of the Referral and Assessment Team of social work, a hypothetical example was used as the broad framework for the examination of practice learning and the social work role with consideration given to the skills and models of communication and empowerment. The Children Act 2004 and the Children’s Services Inspection Regulations, 2005 set forth specific procedures, guidelines and framework for the handling of child cases providing oversight safeguards through redundancy features. Each regional Council works in partnership with the departments of Education and Health, as well as other social work teams to â€Å"†¦ ensure the co-ordination of assessment of needs †¦Ã¢â‚¬  leading to the â€Å"†¦ formulation of individual care plans and support packages† (Beacon Council, 2006). The process of referral and assessment is conducted under procedures that are of course subject to the individual expertise levels of the interviewers and case workers. However the safeguards of a multi-level internal review and follow up process catches any potential instances whereby a child might slip through the system due to any number of reasons. As is the case with any process involving humans and organizations, there are those occasions when the system or the person fails, however, given the multi level review and follow up process, such mistakes do not last too long. Bibliography Adams, R., Dominelli, L., Payne, M. (1998) Social Work: Themes, Issues and Critical Debates. Houndsmills Macmillan Barnett London Borough (2006) Supporting Families Division. Retrieved on 10 December 2006 from http://www.barnet.gov.uk/index/health-social-care/children-and-family-care/supporting-families-division.htm Beacon Council (2006) Children and Families. Retrieved on 12 December 2006 from http://www.bexley.gov.uk/service/social/childrenandfamilies/disabilities.html Children Act (2004) Children Act 2004. Retrieved on 10 December 2006 from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/40031b.htm#1 Children’s Services Inspection Regulations (2005) Children’s Services Inspection Regulations. Retrieved on 12 December 2006 from http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?p=uk+children%27s+services+assessment+teamfr=yfp-t-501toggle=1ei=UTF-8u=www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/Childrens%20Services%20Inspection%20Regulations%20Consultation%20Document%20-%20PDF.pdfw=uk+childrens+services+assessment+teamd=IY3kv5IFNg0Eicp=1.intl=us Department of Health (2006) Department of Health: Children’s Advocacy. Retrieved on 11 December 2006 from http://www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/ResponsesToConsultations/ResponsesToConsultationsDocumentSummary/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4017049chk=vFWybl Healy, K. (1998) Participation and Child Protection: The Importance of Context. Vol. 28. British Journal of Social Work Healy, K., Mulholland, J. 81998) Discourse analysis and activist social work: Investigating practice processes. Vol. 25, Number 3. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare London Borough of Barking Dagenham (2006) Children’s Services Children’s Assessment Team. Retrieved on 10 December 2006 from London Borough of Barking Dagenham Southwark Council (2006) Children’s Services. Retrieved on 10 December 2006 from http://www.southwark.gov.uk/Uploads/FILE_10982.pdf Thompson, N. (2003) Communication and Language: A Handbook of Theory and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan Wrexham County Borough (2001) Assessment Framework for Children in Need and their families. September 2001. Wrexham Social Services Department, Directorate of Personal Services, Wrexham, United Kingdom Aquatic Plants: Rate Of Photosynthesis Aquatic Plants: Rate Of Photosynthesis Acid rain is a known effect of global warming, which has damaged many aquatic environments and aquatic plants throughout the world. This study investigates the effects of acid rain on an aquatic plants rate of photosynthesis. The research question is How does the change in pH of an elodeas habitat due to acid rain affect the plants rate of photosynthesis? Samples of elodea were placed into two acidic solutions, 0.01 Molar solution of nitric acid and 0.001 Molar solution of nitric acid, in a photosynthometer. The control group is water in the photosynthometer with a pH of 7. Each trial took 24 hours and the experiment was done in a high school chemistry lab near a window ledge, away from direct sunlight. After each 24 hour period, the amount of oxygen released by the plants is measured to determine the rate of photosynthesis. As the environment becomes more acidic, the elodea samples volume of oxygen release decreases. The average volume of oxygen release for the elodea samples in the control water group is 0.57 mL, 0.29 mL for the pH 4.0 group, and 0.15 for the pH 3.5 group. The results from this study suggest that there are big differences among the three groups and that acid rain negatively affects the rate of photosynthesis. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Rationale of Study Nowadays, global warming has become a big issue on the forefront of environmental problems. Its not simply the devastation of rising temperatures all over the world but other effects as well which can be much more dangerous and harmful to the human race. One of these effects is the increase in the acidity of precipitation, or acid rain. At present, acid rain affects large parts of the United States and is especially noticeable near large cities. The annual acidity value averages at pH 4 but values as low as pH 2.1 have been observed. It is confirmed that the increased use of natural gas and development of factories have been associated with the increasing acidity of precipitation and thus, efforts had been made to rely on more clean, renewable energy sources and the development of air quality emission standards. However, not all the economic and ecological effects due to the introduction of strong acids into the natural systems are known and therefore, this study looks into one of it s many harmful effects, the acidification of freshwater ecosystems. Studies suggest that no matter how small the change in pH of any aquatic ecosystem is, large amounts of magnesium and calcium would still be lost in the vicinity affected by acid rain. As a result of the loss of these vital elements, the response and recovery of any aquatic ecosystem toward the decrease in acid deposition would be delayed significantly. Because of this, any further reduction in pH of the ecosystem will bring about exponential increases in damage to any living organism within the affected area. Just like how damage to the human immune system would lead to significant, exponentially increasing damage to the human body in the form of diseases, the damage done to the recovery mechanisms of an aquatic ecosystem due to acid rain opens up possibilities for catastrophes that could be of a far worse magnitude. One such possible disaster is the harming of aquatic plants rates of photosynthesis. Alongside the endangerment of the population of crustaceans, insects, and fish within the aquatic ecosystem, the damage done to the aquatic plants rates of photosynthesis such as Elodea Canadensiss, can be one of the worst possible effects of acid rain and global warming. This study is worthwhile in that plants are the basis of the food chain and any damage inflicted upon the process of photosynthesis in general would surely mean that our very own existence is in jeopardy. 1.2 Aim The aim of this paper is to study the effects of the change in pH of Elodea Canadensiss environment on the plants rate of photosynthesis. In a broader context, this study investigates the effects of acid rain on aquatic plants. Hence, the research question is: How does the change in pH of an elodeas freshwater habitat due to acid rain affect the plants rate of photosynthesis? The rate of photosynthesis is measured with a photosynthometer in which oxygen released from the elodea samples are collected under differing pH environments. The elodea samples are placed in differing solutions of nitric acid, which are used to simulate elodea living in freshwater habitats affected by acid rain. Because oxygen is a product of photosynthesis and is correlated to the rate of photosynthesis, oxygen is then collected from the various experimental groups. Most experiments that require the measurement of the rate of photosynthesis of a macrophyte determine the changes in oxygen concentration of the system in which the macrophyte is kept in and thus, this study is done in the most popular manner. The volume of oxygen collected from each group would then be analyzed to determine the optimal conditions for an aquatic plant to live in and the effects of acid rain on the rate of photosynthesis. 1.3 Acid Rain Because the value for unpolluted precipitation is officially set at pH 5.65, the same value as distilled water, acid rain is a term that describes rain with a pH of less than 5.6. Man-made emissions of sulfur and nitrogen pollutants had always been blamed as a major cause of acid rain but a genuine cause-effect relationship has never been determined. However, it is certain that sulfur and nitrogen compounds react with the atmosphere to produce acids that would lower the pH of precipitation. There are also many natural sources of these sulfur and nitrogen compounds. For example, approximately 50 percent of atmospheric nitrogen compounds are produced by lightning discharges, which may bring about acid rain. The real importance of studying acid rain though is to study its effects on the natural ecosystems. One such ecosystem that is affected greatly by acid rain is the aquatic ecosystem. The chemical composition of lakes is heavily influenced by precipitation and many studies have suggested that acid rain has caused lake acidification. Most importantly, the changes in pH of these ecosystems due to acid rain appeared to have damaged aquatic plants metabolism, causing a decline in primary productivity. Because these aquatic plant communities are primary producers, any damage done to their metabolism mechanisms (photosynthesis) can drastically reduce the food supply and energy flow within the affected ecosystem. Thus, acid rain has the potential to reduce the supply of minerals and nutrients and endanger the existence of all organisms within an ecosystem, especially aquatic ecosystems. 1.4 Marine Photosynthesis The metabolism of plants is commonly referred to as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis involves two kinds of processes, photochemical and enzymatical, meaning that the rate of photosynthesis is a function of irradiance and enzyme activity. No enzymes are involved in the photochemical process in which the plant absorbs light in the range of 350 and 700 nm in wavelength. In this process, chlorophyll molecules absorb light and excites electrons, which go through the electron transport and end up producing ATP and NADPH. As its name implies, the photochemical process involves light and is purely chemistry. The other process is the light-independent enzymatical process of the Calvin cycle. This process occurs after the light-dependent reaction for it requires the ATP and NADPH to reduce CO2 to carbohydrate. At the start of this process, six carbon dioxide molecules attach to six 5-carbon ribulose biphosphate (RuBP) molecules to create six molecules of a 6-carbon compound. Each of these 6-carbon compounds splits into two 3-carbon molecules called phosphoglycerate (PGA). This results in 12 PGA molecules. Energy from ATP and electrons from NADPH are then needed to reduce each of these PGA molecules into twelve G3P (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate) molecules. Finally, two of these G3P molecules are used to form one glucose molecule and the remaining ten G3P are reassembled into RuBP molecules. Marine Photosynthesis also requires CO2 to start and this CO2 is acquired when CO2 is dissolved in water. This process is represented by the following formulas: CO2 + H2O ßà   H2CO3 CO2 + OH- ßà   HCO3- The dissolved CO2 in the water can either make the water increase or decrease in pH depending on the pH, temperature, and salinity of the environment. The concentrations of carbonic acid (H2CO3) and bicarbonate (HCO3-) in the aquatic environment form a complex equilibrium, which is needed to sustain optimal living conditions for its inhabitants; the two compounds play a vital biochemical role in the pH buffering system, which strongly affects photosynthetic organisms. 1.5 Elodea Canadensis Elodea Canadensis is an aquatic vascular plant that spends its entire life cycle under the surface of a body of water. It is a perennial with a flexible branches stem and fibrous roots. Its leaves do not have petioles and they are always in groups of three to seven spread out evenly along the entire length of the stem. The species of Elodea Canadensis is commonly known as waterweed and is abundant in North and South America. However, there are 17 species of the genus Elodea and these plants are common throughout the world with use as an aquarium plant. Its use in science experiments is fairly common as well due to its strongly photosynthetic, dense chloroplast structure. When exposed to a strong light source, the oxygen bubbles given off by the plant is clearly visible. Another reason for its use in science experiments is that it is able to live enough after being cut into smaller strands to be experimented on. 2.0 Variables 2.1 Independent Variable The elodea plants are placed in 2 different nitric acid solutions of varying pH and molarity. Strands of elodea with 10 leaves each are subjected to either a 0.001 molar solution of nitric acid with a pH of 4.0 or a .01 molar solution of nitric acid with a pH of 3.5. The solution and elodea are placed into the barrel of the syringe in the photosynthometer. Litmus paper is used to measure the pH of the acid solutions. 2.2 Dependent Variable The rate of photosynthesis of the elodea samples are affected by the varying pH of the solutions they are subjected to. The rate of photosynthesis is indicated by the volume of oxygen given off by each 10 leaf elodea strand and collected in the photosynthometer over a 24 hour experiment period. 2.3 Control Variable The control variable is tap water with a pH of 7.0, a neutral solution, in the photosynthometer. It is used to determine whether or not the acidic solutions the elodea strands are tested in actually have an effect on the plants rates of photosynthesis as compared to a neutral aquatic environment. 2.4 Constants All trials are done in the same chemistry laboratory next to a window ledge, away from direct sunlight. The room and the solutions inside the syringe of the photosynthometer are kept at a constant 26.4 ° Celsius. Each elodea sample is a 10 leaf strand. The same volume of solution is used for every trial in the photosynthometer. 3.0 Procedures 3.1 Preparation before experimentation 3.1.1 Test Trials Before any definite procedure of experimentation is made, test trials needed to be done first in order to see which acid solutions would not kill elodea in a 24 hour period. Strands of elodea are placed in test tubes with 0.001 molar, 0.01 molar, and 0.1 molar nitric acid solutions and are labeled. By the end of the 24 hour period, the elodea in the test tubes with the 0.1 molar nitric acid solution died since the leaves lost all of their green color and oxygen bubbles were not released from the leaves even before the 24 hour period. This meant that the plant could not perform photosynthesis anymore and was dead. The other two elodea samples were alive and thus, the 0.001 molar and 0.01 molar nitric acid solutions were used for experimentation to mimic the effect of acid rain on an aquatic plants rate of photosynthesis. 3.1.2 Nitric Acid Solutions Preparation The 0.01 Molar solution of nitric acid is made by mixing 1 mL of a 1.0 Molar solution of nitric acid with 99 mL of tap water in a graduated cylinder. The tap water is measured with the graduated cylinder and a pipette is used to hold 1 mL of the 1.0 Molar solution of nitric acid. 1 Liter of a 0.001 Molar solution of nitric acid is prepared by mixing 1 mL of a 1.0 Molar solution of nitric acid with 999 mL of tap water in a liter plastic laboratory bottle. 1 Liter of this solution is made since it is more convenient to create a large volume of an acid solution with a low concentration than it is to create a small volume of a highly diluted acid solution. 3.1.3 Apparatus Preparation The photosynthometer is assembled by connecting a syringe to a graduated 1-cm3 pipette with a short length of rubber tubing. The length of the rubber tubing is arbitrary as long as it is tight enough to secure the syringe to the pipette, preventing any liquid from coming out of either the syringe or pipette. The apparatus is fixed in a vertical position with the test tube clamp and ring stand (Figure 1), using the test tube clamp on the syringe and connecting that to the ring stand. 3.2 Method for Experimentation with the Photosynthometer 3.2.1 Application of Elodea Sample and Solutions into the Photosynthometer Before experimentation, a sample of elodea is taken by cutting a strand of elodea with 10 leaves. The mass of the elodea is recorded and measured in order to look for patterns after experimentation. The plunger of the syringe is then removed and the elodea sample is placed into the barrel of the syringe. Since any liquid placed in the syringe with the plunger off will fall straight through and out the apparatus, the elodea sample is placed in the apparatus first before anything. 30 mL of the 0.001 Molar solution of nitric acid is then poured into the barrel of the syringe and the barrel is immediately sealed with the plunger to prevent any more liquid from leaving the apparatus. No matter what, some of the solution would still leave the apparatus with the plunger off. Therefore, 30 mL of the solution is used in the barrel so that any excess amount of the nitric acid solution could be expelled by pushing down on the plunger until 15 mL of the solution is left in the barrel of the syri nge. With the apparatus removed from the test tube clamp and the open end of the pippette pointing upwards, any trapped air inside the syringe and pipette is expelled by slowly and softyly pushing the plunger into the barrel until all of the trapped air expelled, making sure not to have any of the solution leave the pipette. 3.2.2 Maintaining Constants When the apparatus is placed back onto the test tube clamp and ring stand, the temperature of the nitric acid solution inside the barrel of the syringe is measured with an infrared thermometer and recorded. The temperature is measured to make sure that the temperature remains constant for all trials since temperature does affect the rate of photosynthesis. To maintain constant temperatures and weather conditions as well, experimentation is done in one room for all trials and begins at the same time of day. In my case, experimentation was done in the schools chemistry laboratory, which was kept at a constant 26.4 ° Celsius, at 16:00 US central time. 3.2.3 Data Collection The volume (the location of the meniscus) of the nitric acid solution in the pipette of the apparatus is measured and recorded. The time is measured and recorded as well. The elodea sample is left in the apparatus for 24 hours. After that time, the amount of oxygen the sample of elodea gave off is measured and recorded by looking at the location of the meniscus of the acid solution in the pipette. All experimental procedures are then repeated with the 0.01 Molar nitric acid solution and tap water instead of the 0.001 Molar nitric acid solution. Table 4 4.7 ANOVA test The ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) test is also used to further verify the difference of the results among the experimental groups. The result of this ANOVA test indicates whether the experimental variable (pH of the elodeas environment) causes significant difference on the elodeas rates of photosynthesis. Before the ANOVA test could be carried out, three assumptions are made: Observations are independent (the value of one observation is not correlated with the value of another observation). Observations in each group are normally distributed. Homogeneity of variances (the variance of each group is equal to the variance of any other group). The null hypothesis of this test is: there is no difference between the means of the different groups (pH 7.0, 4.0, and 3.5). Then, the statistic test is carried out to find the F ratio. F Ratio = Mean square between groups Mean square within groups If the computed F ratio is greater than the F critical value at the significance level of 0.05, the null hypothesis is rejected. 5.0 Conclusion Graph 1 shows that the mean volumes of oxygen release among all the groups had significant differences. The average volume of oxygen release for the pH 4.0 group is 0.29 mL, which is about half of the mean volume of oygen release for the control group, pH 7.0, of 0.57 mL. The mean volume of oxygen release for the pH 3.5 group is 0.15 which is about half of the mean volume of oxygen release of the pH 4.0 group as well. As shown in Graph 2, this trend is shown to be of an exponential decline in mean volume of oxygen release as pH increases; as the environment becomes more acidic, the mean volume of oxygen release declines more sharply. According to Table 3, the average volume of oxygen release of the pH 4.0 group differs from the control pH 7.0 group by 49%. The average volume of oxygen release for the pH 3.5 group differs from the control pH 7.0 group by 74%. These values are large and again emphasize the significant difference of the results of the experimental groups to those of the control group. According to Table 5, ANOVA test results, there is a significant difference between the mean volumes of oxygen release between the pH 7.0 and pH 4.0 groups, as well as the pH 7.0 and pH 4.0 groups. However, there is no significant difference between the results of the pH 4.0 and pH 3.5 groups. From the ANOVA test results, the hypothesis that the elodeas rate of photosynthesis would be harmed in more acidic environments is supported. A change from an environment of pH 7.0 to pH 4.0 would greatly reduce an elodea plants rate of photosynthesis while a change from an environment of pH 4.0 to pH 3.5 would not bring about a significant reduction in an elodea plants rate of photosynthesis. The standard devation values from table 4 state on average how far the data varies from the mean. For each group, the standard devation is relatively low comparedto the averages of each trial and thus, the data collected and the methods used to collect the data is very precise. Increasing the acidity of an environment results in a number of physical, chemical, and biological changes. A chemical change that could occur is the change in the availability of carbon. With the pH of the environment at slightly acidic levels, the amount of dissolved HCO3- in the water drops. This dissolved HCO3- in the water is the plants source of carbon used for photosynthesis and it is proven that aquatic plants have the best rate of photosynthesis in slightly alkaline environments due to the availability of carbon in the dissolved HCO3-. The lower pH levels in the environment also affect the enzymes in the cells of the plant. If pH levels drop low enough, enzymes such as RuBP used in the Calvin Cycle would shut off and would no longer carry out the chemical reactions needed for photosynthesis. Not only would the acid in the environment kill the enzymes but the acid would also destroy the plant proteins, lipids, and membranes, causing plant cells to malfunction and a major redu ction in the rate of photosynthesis. Specifically, the lowered pH of the environment causes alterations in the chlorophyll molecules, which are highly essential to the process of photosynthesis. 6.0 Evaluation and Suggestions Possible random errors include the inaccuracy of the solution molarity stated, mass stated, and volume of oxygen release stated. These random errors may be caused by the inaccuracy of the measuring equipment. The equipment such as graduated cylinders and pipettes are fairly accurate though to an extent. One possible systematic error could be the different masses of each elodea sample. The mass of each strand may affect the volume of oxygen released for mass may determine the amount of chloroplast in each sample. Since each elodea sample was cut from a larger strand, this cutting may also cut each samples life. With a samples life cut short, the volume of oxygen collected from this experimentation may not truly reflect how plants act outside of these laboratory conditions. Also, the worst source of error in measuring the rate of photosynthesis with a gas collection method may be the gas storage within the leaves. If some oxygen is stored in the leaves, the oxygen collected in the photosynthometer may not fully represent the samples true rates of photosynthesis in the tested environments. Some measures that could be taken to prevent these errors could be to use more accurate equipment and using plant samples of similar mass as well as number of leaves. Total Word Count: 3,002