Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Stonewall Jacksons illustriou essays

Stonewall Jacksons illustriou essays Stonewall Jacksons illustrious career Stonewall Jackson, born January 21, 1824 was one of the most famous confederate generals and one of the best officers to serve for General Robert E. Lee (http://norfacad.pvt.k12.). Since his parents died when he was very young, life was very rough for Jackson. His uncle, Cummins Jackson, a miller who lived near what is now known as Weston, West Virginia, raised him. Stonewall became one of the best and most able general in the Civil War. He was a devout Christian who was determined and dependable. When Jackson was young he had a limited education. His love of reading made up for the years of school he was unable to attend. He went to the U.S. Military Academy in 1842. He had to work several times harder than the other cadets to learn the lessons in school because of the poor education he received when he was young. But his grades slowly increased until he graduated. He was said to have been in the upper third of his class. His military career had just begun. As soon as he received his commission as lieutenant of artillery, Jackson was assigned to the war zone in Mexico. There he first met Robert E. Lee. Jackson served at Vera Cruz, Contreras, Chapultepec, and Mexico City. Jackson left the army in 1850 and became a professor of artillery tactics at Virginia Military Institute where he taught for ten years. He was not a very good teacher. He memorized his lesson the night before and was unable to elaborate on them. Many students mocked him and made fun of how religious he was. He demanded absolute attention and was responsible for some six expulsions from the school. In 1853, he married Elinor Junkin, who died a year later. In 1857, he married Mary Anna Morrison. Jackson offered his services to the confederacy. He joined the Confederacy and soon made his reputation as Stonewall Jackson at the First Battle of Bull Run(civilwarhome.com). Many people debate on how Jack ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Justice in the American South From Atticus Finch

Justice in the American South From Atticus Finch Atticus Finch is the hero and principal  character of both of American writer Harper Lees novels, the beloved classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), and the achingly painful Go Set a Watchmen (2015). In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is a strong, fully developed character:  a man of principle who is willing to risk his life and his career in the pursuit of justice for wrongly accused Tom Robinson. Atticus cares deeply about the rights of individuals regardless of race, making him an important role model for his daughter, Scout, from whose perspective the novel is written. To Kill a Mockingbirds Atticus is one of the best-known and most beloved father figures in American literature. Atticus Finch Quotes on Justice You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view....Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. The one thing that doesnt abide by majority rule is a persons conscience.   Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinsons skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire. â€Å"But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal- there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. It can be the Supreme Court of the United States or the humblest JP court in the land, or this honorable court which you serve. Our courts have their faults as does any human institution, but in this country, our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts, all men are created equal.† As you grow older, youll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something, and dont you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash. Courage Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. Its knowing youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.† Best way to clear the air is to have it all out in the open.   â€Å"You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change.† Raising Children When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness sake. But dont make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion faster than adults, and evasion simply muddles em. â€Å"Are you proud of yourself tonight that you have insulted a total stranger whose circumstances you know nothing about?† â€Å"Theres a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep em all away from you. Thats never possible.† Its never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesnt hurt you. Mockingbirds dont do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They dont eat up peoples gardens, dont nest in corncribs, they dont do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit em, but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird.† Quotes About Atticus Finch in  Go Set a Watchman The best and most ringing quotations from Go Set a Watchman are not those of Atticus, but rather about him, particularly words from his brother, Uncle Jack Finch. Jack Finch is instrumental in making the young adult Scout, Jean Louise, recognize that although her father is not the perfect saint she remembered from her childhood, he is still a fair man. Go Set a Watchman is a hard read for those of us who loved the ideal Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird, but understanding the history of the novel explains why she couldnt write another word. She had written an ideal man of justice in the American South, and she knew that wasnt a perfect thing to be. Both novels define and describe Harper Lees coming of age. â€Å"Every man’s island, Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as a collective conscious.† The Souths in its last agonizing birth pain. Its bringing forth something new and Im not sure I like it, but I wont be here to see it. You will. Men like me and my brother are obsolete and weve got to go, but its a pity well carry with us the meaningful things of this society- there were some good things in it. â€Å"As you grew up, when you were grown, totally unknown to yourself, you confused your father with God. You never saw him as a man with a man’s heart, and a man’s failings- I’ll grant you, it may have been hard to see, he makes so few mistakes, but he makes ’em like all of us.† The law is what he lives by. Hell do his best to prevent someone from beating up somebody else, then hell turn around and try to stop no less than the Federal governmentjust like you, child.   You turned and tackled no less than your own tin god. But remember this, hell always do it by the letter and by the spirit of the law. Thats the way he lives.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Dreams by Naguib Mahfouz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Dreams by Naguib Mahfouz - Essay Example â€Å"The Dreams† is an example of a collection of short stories that professionally depict the social, economic, and political lives of Egypt through a list of short dreams, designed and narrated by Naguib Mahfouz. First published in 2000, the collection of 104 dreams reflects many of Mahfouz’s hopes and expectations for the kind of life that is better to prevail in Egypt in the new millennium. After a deep and long experience in writing, Mahfouz wanted to end his writing career by publishing his views, ideas, and thoughts in a form of dreams that reflect his vision for the future of Egypt. These dreams are rich and varied, containing Mahfouz’s night-thoughts and elaborate scenes. In most of these dreams, Mahfouz recalls people, scenes and situations from his earlier life, making nice connections to the present and the future, which Mahfouz looks for. â€Å"The Dreams† makes it clear that Mahfouz is a prolific writer as he produced a great number of novel s and short stories that discuss a variety of issues related to his society and environment. The greatness of Mahfouz as a novelist and story teller does not only lie in his professionalism in writing, but also in his success in giving clear pictures of the social, economic, and political lives in the Arab world. And Middle East. This success stems from his closeness to all the social classes and understanding of their problems and sufferings. For example, in many of the novels that are written by Naguib Mahfouz, he depicts the Egyptian streets and allies in a way that is very close to reality. Even in â€Å"the Dreams,† Mahfouz’s closeness to his social surroundings is recurrently reflected in the various details of the scenes he depicts and the characters he portrays. In the collection of the dreams that are professionally drawn by Mahfouz, the author’s sense of self is uniquely interwoven with his views about the surrounding social circumstances that dominate d Egypt during the time of publishing the collection. This evolving sense of self for Mahfouz is clearly revealed by the changes to the houses that fill his dreams. For example, the recurrent appearance of a certain woman in his dreams may represent his old soul mate or lover, from a psychological perspective. Taking dream number 29, for instance, we view Mahfouz in a conversation with his literary cohorts, when he mentions a female writer he esteems. In this dream, the reader can easily feel Mahfouz’s annoyance when he listens to his companions, criticizing the woman’s social pretensions and depravity. This annoyance of Mahfouz is clearly reflected in his quick exit from the scene, and then he meets another woman in the elevator after he leaves. While talking with him about false friendship, this woman suddenly robs Mahfouz at gunpoint. These beautifully-designed scenes in one dream reflect Mahfouz’s talent in sending numerous positive messages via eloquently-b uilt small paragraphs. In this context, the reader of Mahfouz’s dreams may find them luminous and optimistic, in addition to their being shimmering with vitality. Hence, the reader of Mahfouz’s dreams should be aware that those dreams, for the author, are not mere psychological reflections on events and people from the past; rather, these dreams are masterfully used as a fertile ground for a literary

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

MRES7014 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MRES7014 - Assignment Example ion comes as a result of the abnormal contact of the head and the socket unlike the pincer condition that that is experienced at the front-top rim of the socket that eventually leads to the damage of the labral cartilage. This condition however is characterized by the areas where it damages including the cartilage, labral tears, early hips arthritis and the back pain. The result of the diagnosis of either form might lead to chondral lesions and labral pathology. Patients of these two conditions are presented with radiographs, CT and MRA. Consequently, this condition of FAI is being experienced by the high level athletes and people who are actively involved in sports. Traditionally, the hip pain in adults has been likened to the osteoarthritis in the joint. However, studies show that there are young patients with this disease that are referred to doctors without being diagnosed with arthritis. Additionally, the subtle bony and soft tissues problems can result to problems of the hip in young adults who are actively involved in sports (Andrews, 2000). It is stated that such problems might result to premature arthritis. However, with increased research, early diagnosis of the disease has been possible through the examination of hip impingement and radiological imaging through magnetic resonance arthrograpghy (MRA). While there is unclear literature regarding the cause of primary osteoarthritis, some clinicians’ believe that FAI might be the sole reason for the occurrence and progression of the condition in human beings. So, the FAI condition also results to abutment of the section between the proximal femur and the acetabular rim (Beck, 2004). The FAI condition can be treated through various means with surgery only being one of the choices. Others include through open or arthroscopic exploration of the hip in order to improve the femoral head neck junction. Coil selection is the process of choosing coil elements for FAI diagnosis based on the size, construction,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Discuss one or more theories of Moral Understanding and evaluate its conclusions Essay Example for Free

Discuss one or more theories of Moral Understanding and evaluate its conclusions Essay The term morality, according to Shaffer (1993) means â€Å"a set of principles or ideals that help the individual to distinguish right from wrong and to act on this distinction. Morality is important to society, as it would not function effectively unless there is some agreement of what is right and wrong. There are many underlying processes and environmental factors, which limit or promote social, cognitive and moral development in children. In modern society, television could be considered to be one of the major influences on a child’s moral development. There are three approaches to moral development; the cognitive approach, the psychodynamic approach and the social learning theory. The Cognitive-Developmental approach of Piaget and Kohlberg studies how children become more able to reason morally and make moral judgements, whereas the Freud’s psychodynamic approach is more concerned with the development of the conscience and moral feelings such as guilt and anxiety. The social learning theory of Bandura and Mischel investigates the development of moral behaviour and how role models in the family, society and the media, influence it. The theory I am going to discuss is Piaget’s Cognitive-Developmental Approach. His theory of moral development is concerned with how the child’s moral knowledge and understanding change with age. Piaget saw morality as any system of rules, which governs interaction between people. The methods of investigation he used to develop his theories were, he looked at the way children imposed rules in their games. He used games to study the development of children’s moral development as he thought that by studying rules in the context of a game, he could study the child’s spontaneous though directly. He also, assessed changes in the child’s moral judgements by telling hypothetical stories about children who lied, stole or broke something. When using hypothetical stories, Piaget was generally more interested in the reasons why the children give the answers they did and not particularly the answers. Piaget identifies stages of moral development just as he identified stages with cognitive development. His theories of the way children think and their moral reasoning goes through a series of stages, as they are adapting to the world, these are also known as the processes of accommodation and assimilation. He believed that as children’s reasoning about the world changes when they grow older and gain more experience, so does their reasoning about morality. Their ability to think about the world in more complex ways is what causes them to move on from one stage to the next. This is known as cognitive development. Piaget stated that infants don’t understand much about morality until they are about three or four years of age. Their development divides into two main stages after infancy. His stages of moral development are: Pre Moral Stage (up to three or four years) Children don’t understand about rules, and so they don’t make moral judgements Stage of Heteronomous Morality (aged three – six years) Children at this stage think rules are absolute and unchangeable, and the goodness and badness of an action is judged largely on the basis of its consequences rather than by taking intent into account. Stage of Autonomous Morality (from around six or seven) Children at this stage now see rules as more changeable and intentions are taken into account. Children also start to believe that it is possible to break rules and get away with it, whereas earlier they tended to think they will always be found out and possibly punished. Researchers from Europe and America have tested some of Piaget’s theories and have concluded that distinct stages of development do seem to exist however, other research found that children do not see all rules as being equally important as Piaget thought they did. Heteronomous Morality, also known as moral realism, means when the child is subject to another’s laws or rules. Children think that rules must be obeyed no matter what the circumstances. A child at this stage will think that rules are only made by authority figures, such as, parents and teachers. Two other features that are displayed in moral reasoning at this stage are, first they expect bad behaviour to be punished in some way, they believe that the punishment should be expiatory – the wrongdoer must make amends for the crime by paying with some kind of suffering. They have the view that the amount of punishment should match the badness of the behaviour. Secondly, if the bad behaviour goes undetected then the child believes in immanent justice – where any misfortune occurring after the bad behaviour can be seen as a punishment. For example, if a child tells a lie and gets away with it, then later trips and falls, the younger child could consider this as a punishment. In general, they believe punishment should be fair and that wrongdoing will always be punished in some way. Autonomous Morality, which means when the child is subject to one’s own laws and rules. It involves moral relativism whereby the child comes to realise that rules evolve from social relationships. Due to the child ‘decentring’ and their developed ability to think more flexibly about moral issues, they have began to realise it is important to take other people’s opinions into account. At this stage a child will have developed the understanding that sometimes rules of morality can be broken in certain reasonable circumstances. They believe in reciprocal punishment, whereby the punishment should fit the crime. For example, if a child takes another child’s sweets, the first child should be deprived of their sweets or should make it up to the victim in some other way. This is known as the principle of reciprocity. Children will also have learnt at this stage that wrongdoers often avoid punishment, diminishing any belief in immanent justice. They see punishment as a method of making the offender understand the nature of the crime and that punishment is also a deterrent. The move from heteronomous morality to autonomous morality is influenced by two factors. Children around the age of seven begin to move on from the pre operational stage of an illogical and an egocentric way of thinking to more logical and flexible way of thinking, in the operational stage. Their growing awareness that other people have different views allows them to develop more mature moral reasoning. However, moral development lags at least one to two years behind cognitive development because the whole process depends on the cognitive changes occurring first. Kohlberg expanded Piagets theory to form a theory that also explained the development of moral reasoning. While Piaget described a two-stage process of moral development, Kohlberg’s theory outlined six stages within three different levels. Kohlberg extended Piaget’s theory, proposing that moral development is a continual process that occurs throughout the lifespan. A study by Colby et al (1983) criticised Piaget’s assumption that children of ten and eleven years old had reached an adult level of moral reasoning. Piaget was always focusing on what an average child was capable of achieving so he neglected the idea of great variations between the individual child’s ways of thinking. In general, Piaget’s cognitive theory has been criticised for the methods of investigation not being as precise as they could have been. Methods he used were seen as complicated, leading critics to think he under estimated younger children’s capabilities of what they could and could not do. This was because later research went on to conclude that children could actually take other motives into consideration, when they understood what motives were involved. Despite criticism, Piaget’s work is still regarded as a revolutionary step forward in the way we understand how children think. It has led to a much more realistic ways of understanding children’s moral development. Many attempts to test Piaget’s theories from researchers around the world have resulted in acceptance that some of his views and methods do appear to exist.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Racism: a Short History Essay example -- Race Racism Essays

Racism: a Short History George Fredrickson makes an argument ultimately against the dichotomy between civilization and savagery, specifically the resurgence of ethnoreligious bigotry that, according to him, replaces 20th century race theory in order to justify continued inequities and sociopolitical oppression worldwide in Racism: A Brief History. His book delineates the rise of modern race theory, beginning in Medieval Europe and synthesizing an explanation for the existence and success of the overtly racist regimes, the United States, South Africa, and Nazi Germany. Fredrickson cautions, however, that racism can easily become interchangeable with religious bigotry when facing corporatism that aims to alienate, marginalize, and devalue human beings as mere consumers with little agency or any collective sense of identity. Racism's ultimate goal, according to Fredrickson, is to establish a permanent hierarchal order that, "has two components: difference and power." Fredrickson's analysis is probably one of the most direct and functional definitions of racism that I have run across in a while. His delineation reads, My theory or conception of racism, therefore has two components: difference and power. It originates from a mindset that regards "them" as different from "us" in ways that are permanent and unbridgeable. This sense of difference provides a motive or rationale for using our power advantage to threat the ethnoracial Other in ways that we would regard as cruel or unjust if applied to members of our own group. The possible consequences of this nexus of attitude and action range from unofficial but pervasive social discrimination at one end of the spectrum to genocide at the other . . . In all manifestatio... ...ention to suggest, on any level, that religion does not remain one of the defining elements of political power in this country. Race, as an immediate and visual discriminatory practice however, is seen played out much more plainly and it only seems to make sense to close with Justice Harry Blackmun's 1978 decision to uphold affirmative action. In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently. We cannot - we dare not - let the Equal Protection clause perpetuate racial supremacy. (Fredrickson, 143). Works Cited Churchill, Ward. A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust Denial in the Americas, 1492 to the Present. San Francisco: City Lights Books, 1997. Fredrickson, George. Racism: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Emotional intelligence has become a major tool

Dear mentor,  Emotional intelligence has become a major tool in effective human interactions at home in school and within every organization, because of its usefulness in utilizing the powers of emotional on thoughts. According to Daniel Goleman, there are five components, which include self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills [Goleman, 1995]. Each component employs the self-understanding and appreciation as a foundational tool to discover ways to improve every relationship one has within others. Self-Awareness is the ability to recognize and understand personal moods and emotions. Self-Regulation: The ability to control or redirect disruptive impulses and moods and the propensity to suspend judgment and to think before acting.. Motivation: A passion to work for reasons that go beyond money and status; a tendency to pursue goals with energy and persistence. Empathy: The ability to understand the EMOTIONAL makeup of other people. Social Skills: Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks and ability to find common ground and build rapport [Goleman, 1995]. Having taken a personal survey of these skills, I believe there are ways |I can apply to suit my status quo, so that the desired results can emerge. My main challenge has been to connect with other members of my team as individuals.   What I have decided to do is to first evaluate my personal skills with respect to this matter. I also want to do a self-portrait so that I can ascertain my current status. This would the stating point. This would afford me to know my positives and negatives in communication and human relationships [Goleman, 1995]. Besides, I would also undertake a dutiful effort in understanding every member of the team. This includes finding details about their lives such as date of birth, location of residence, their likes and dislikes. Having known this, I would pay visits, set mails regularly as inspirational tools fort their daily challenges. Within the lint of resources I have, i would also appreciate every effort in cash [gift] and kind. My motive is not to know so that we can relate better but to be a part of their life. I believe that organizations can do certain things to help develop the emotional intelligence of their managers as well as other employees, first is the education on the components and intricacies of this; this can be done through training /retraining session for both leaders and employees.   Seminar, workshop and case studies are methods that can be adopted for this training.  Apart of this, there can be a constant review of employee or manager skills in the company that employs emotional intelligence as tools in human resource management, such efforts could be identified and rewarded accordingly. This is another way emotional intelligence can become a useful tool in any organization. Sir, I believe if you can work on these things, I would improve tremendously and build a viable working team. REFERENCE Goleman, D. (1995, November/December). Emotional Intelligence. Harvard Business Review. Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence. http://www.12manage.com/methods_goleman_emotional_intelligence.html Goleman’s model. www.businessballs.com/eq.htm http://www.businessballs.com/emotionalintelligencecompetencies.pdf      

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Norse Culture

Norse Culture: A Closer Look| | | Julianne N. Cantu| Intercultural CommunicationsDr. ThibodeauxMarch 7, 2013| From the beginning of civilization, culture has played a crucial role at shaping every society. Culture allows for all that is special about a group of people to be taken into account and be recognized. Norse culture has long been a popular subject in modern societies. Some of the most important characteristics that make Norse culture so unique are their people, their language, their literature, their religion, and their funeral practices.Like most societies, the Norse had a surprisingly lax social hierarchy. The Norse hierarchy was set to where there was a possibility for upward mobility. Individuals in Norse society were not doomed to live out their days in a particular social status, but were free to move from class to class. There were three set social classes in Norse society. Most Norsemen belonged to the middle class known as karls. Karls were the landowners, the farme rs; the smiths (blacksmiths, locksmiths, etc. ), etc (Haywood, 2000).The highest level in the social hierarchy was known as the jarls, or the nobility. These people lived in extravagant houses and halls and lived refined lives. The jarls used their money, wealth, followers, ships, and estates distinguish them from the rest of society. The lowest class of the social hierarchy was known as the pr? ll. This class included slaves and people who were known as bondsmen. If a person, from any class, could not pay their debts, they would become a bondsman and work for another man until his debts were repaid (Guy, 1998).The Scandinavians, during the Viking Age, spoke Old Norse. This language was sometimes referred to as â€Å"Danish Tongue (Page, 1987). † Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian languages are all descended of Old Norse. There were many different dialects spoken during this time. Many scholars are able to find the differences between East Norse and West Norse. Despite these di fferences, the people during the Viking Age were able to communicate with each other without difficulty because the languages were so similar (Page, 1987). Many Viking cultures were also known to have used runes.A rune is letter or character from the runic alphabet. â€Å"Most of the runic characters consist of straight lines and the alphabet was clearly designed for etching onto wood, stone, or metal with a sharp instrument such as a knife (Page, 1995). † A different version of runes referred to as the â€Å"Younger Futhark† was established by the beginning of the Viking Age. Contrary to popular belief, Vikings did not actually wear helmets with horns on them. This depiction of Vikings warriors is a terrible misrepresentation of their culture.What a Viking wore was determined by their place in their society. If a person was a slave, they were often poorly dressed in things that amounted to rags. Free men wore things like leather boots and clothes made out of finer mat erials, like wool and different furs. Men often wore either pants or tunics, while the women would wear dress like garments that would fasten at the shoulder (Roesdahl, 2001). Only the wealthiest of the Viking society ever wore jewelry, like necklaces, pendants, brooches, and rings because it signified their elevated status to others (Jesch, 1991).Viking literature is uncommon to come by because Norse culture was typically shared through the spoken word rather than the written word. Much of the folklore about Norse culture was written later and compiled into a Edda. Edda is derives from the Old Norse term for poetry (Page, 1995). There are two different types of edda, the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems. This edda contains the most information concerning Norse mythology. The poems contained in the edda tell stories of brave hero and heroines and depict tales of different Norse legends.The Prose Edda also contains many mythological s tories. The Prose Edda, unlike the Poetic Edda, is separated into three different books;the Gylfaginning, the Skaldskaparmal, and the ? gir (Haywood, 2000). On the whole, not much is known about different pagan religious practices in the Viking Age. There is little evidence to vindicate the different pagan rituals conducted by the Vikings. Different Viking sagas were written almost 200 years ago, after the conversion to Christianity. Although there is no definitive record of pagan rituals, much is known about the many different deities worshipped by the Vikings.The most popular and powerful god to the Norse people was Thor, god of thunder and lightning. Thor was the mighty champions of the Norse gods and the people because he was the only one strong enough on his own to slay the giants, the arch nemeses of the gods. Without Thor, the other gods would have to resort to playing clever games in order to slay the giants. Thor’s weapon of choice was his mighty hammer, Mjolnir (Dub ois, 1997). Mjolnir is depicted as one of the most fearsome weapons in Norse culture, and is rumored to be capable of leveling mountains.It was written that, â€Å"[Mjolnir] would be able to strike as firmly as he wanted, whatever his aim, and the hammer would never fail, and if he threw it at something, it would never miss and never fly so far from his hand that it would not find its way back, and when he wanted, it would be so small that it could be carried inside his tunic (Orchard, 1999). † Odin was also one of the most popular gods in Norse culture. Odin was the father of all of the gods and men. He is a god of â€Å"magick, wisdom, with, and learning (Dubois, 1999). Odin has been said to possess the power of reanimating the dead in order to speak to them to gain any wisdom they may possess. Odin’s weapon of choice is his spear, Gungnir, which, supposedly, never misses its target. Odin is always depicted as only having one eye because he traded the other for a dr ink from the Well of Wisdom, where he gained an immense amount of knowledge (Page, 1995). Loki was the â€Å"trickster† of the Norse gods. It was written that he was, â€Å"handsome and fair of face, but has an evil disposition and is very changeable of mood.He excelled all men in the art of cunning, and he always cheats. He was continually involving the Aesir in great difficulties and he often helped them out by guile (Orchard, 1997). † Loki was the son of two giants and step-brother to Odin. Loki had the power of shape shifting and could even change his gender on command. As a woman, Loki gave birth to many of the terrible creatures, like Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. When Thor was not around to help destroy the giants, Loki was often sought out by the gods in order to deploy clever tactics to take the giants down.The common misconception concerning Vikings and religion is that many believed they hated Christianity because they were pagan, and that was not the case. The Vikings believed in many different deities. They often targeted and plundered Christian monasteries, however, because they knew they were wealthy and were, often times, poorly defended. The Vikings had many different customs and beliefs when it came to death. They had specific rituals when it came to funerals, but had many different beliefs when it came to things like the soul and where the dead went when they were no longer part of this world.The Vikings had two different beliefs when it came to the soul. First, the Vikings believed that the very last breath a person took before they died was their soul escaping and moving on to become one with nature. The second was that there was a different type of soul; a â€Å"dream soul† that was able to leave the body when a person was in a state of unconsciousness like sleep. This part of the soul is forever trapped inside the body unless the body is destroyed either by decay or a sacrificial burning. Only when the body was broken down would the â€Å"dream soul† be able to make its way to the realm of the dead (Page, 1995).Vikings believed that, when a person dies, they need to be buried or burned with their belongings that will help them to succeed in their next life. People who had certain jobs, like a blacksmith, were often buried with all of their tools so that they would be able to utilize them after they had moved on to their next life. Women were often burned/buried with their jewelry and other tools for â€Å"female household activities (Orchard, 1997). † It was common among Vikings to burn the corpses, as well as their belongings, on a funeral pyre.These pyres were built to large scales because the Vikings believed that the smoke from the fire needed to be as massive as possible in order to assist the soul in reaching the afterlife. After the deceased had been gone for seven days, the Vikings would partake in funeral ale which served as a ritual drinking. The funeral al e was a way in which the families of the deceased could get together to celebrate the person’s life. It wasn’t until after the ale was drunk that issues like inheritances and transitioning of familial power were able to take place (Dubois, 1999).After a person has died, the Vikings believed that their souls partook in an adventure in order to reach the afterlife. The afterlife had many different variations in the culture, like the inside of a mountain, on the other side of the sea, in the heavens, or in the underworld (Dubois, 1999). Helgafjell, or â€Å"Holy Mountain†, is one manifestation of the Norse afterlife. If a person made their way to the holy mountain, they would live out their lives in a manner that was very similar to the one they had in the physical world. Hel, however, is the complete opposite of Helgafjell.Hel, which is ruled by a blue and black giantess named Hel, is the destination for all of those who did not die in battle, but of old age and s ickness. In Hel, the gates that adorn the entrance are heavy, as to give the idea once you enter, you will never again exit. Valhalla is another destination for those who have died. About half of those that die in battle find their way to Valhalla. The halves that were allowed to enter were to remain fit for battle so that they could participate in Ragnork. Valhalla was said to be located in the heavens in Odin’s kingdom.Valkyries, men and women who choose which soldiers die and which live, dwell in the heavens with Odin and those warriors deemed worthy to live again (Page, 1995). The other soldiers who are not chosen to live again reside in Folkvanger with the goddess Freya. The Norse raised many different kinds of domestic animals, like cattle, sheep, pigs, geese, chickens, goats, and ducks. They used their cattle, sheep, and goats in order to make dairy products like milk and cheese. They also harvested eggs from their chickens, ducks, and geese. Fish and deer were also hu nted and added to the myriad of food sources the Norse could choose from.The Norse also were accomplished farmers and were able to grow a plethora of different items, like oats, barley, flax, cabbage, leeks, horseradish, watercress, carrots, celery, peas, and a number of different herbs (Guy, 1995). The Norse were also known to keep bees and to harvest nuts. When it came to cooking their food, the Norse like their meat roasted or boiled and were particularly fond of their stews. The Vikings cured their meat, either by smoking it, bringing it, or drying it. The Vikings usually prepared flat bread for meals (like a pancake), but did produce raised bread when there was some sort of special occasion to cook for.Their drink of choice was mead. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from honey, but they also made different kinds of beers and ales. The Viking did not grow grapes, so they were unable to partake in wine (Roesdahl, 2001). In short, it is clear that there are many different aspect s of Viking culture that makes them truly unique. It is also clear that there have been many misrepresentations of Viking culture and, because of that, many people can have skewed perceptions when it comes to their outlook concerning Vikings. References Dubois, Thomas A. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age.Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. Print. Guy, John. Viking Life. Kent: Ticktock, 1998. Print. Haywood, John. Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. Print. Jesch, Judith. Women in the Viking Age. Haworth: Woodbridge, 1991. Print. Orchard, Andy. Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. London: Cassell, 1997. Print. Page, RI. Reading the Past: Runes. London: British Museum Press, 1987. Print. Page, RKi. Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials and Myths. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1995. Print. Roesdahl, Else. The Vikings. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

What Is the PARCC Test Do You Have to Take It

What Is the PARCC Test Do You Have to Take It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips PARCC exams are relatively new and not particularly widespread, which means that finding reliable information on what they are and what they mean can be tough. In this guide, I’ll go over everything you need to know about these exams, including where they’re administered, what they test, and how to prepare. What's the PARCC Test? If you're researching PARCC tests, you're probably a bit familiar withstate exams and how they work. Stateexams are tests that are written and managed at the state level - they're administered, often on a yearly basis, at public schools within that state to monitor student progress. They also set expectations for what students should know at each grade level. Performance is considered at a large scale (e.g. state education departments may look into school districts with particularly low scores) and at an individual level (e.g. a school may provide extra resources to an individual student who isn't at grade level). PARCC (or thePartnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) is a group of several states that work together to develop and administer state exams. Each state that participates in PARCC uses these tests to monitor student progress in lieu of individual state tests - the ultimate goal is to standardize Common Core expectations across states. These tests are designed to better replacements for old versions of state tests because (as PARCC claims) they provide better information about students' skills and development to teachers and parents. In a nutshell, these examinations are meant to evaluate college and career readiness starting at a young age. By evaluating readiness early and often (i.e. on a yearly basis), teachers and parents should be better able to help children prepare for the future. For example, teachers may use information about exam performance to identify where students may need extra help. One of PARCC’s advisory committees is dedicated to working with college and universities to accept test results as an â€Å"indicator of readiness† for first-time freshmen, so it looks like they’re also making moves to replace the SAT and ACT. There’s no indication that any colleges accept PARCC results in lieu of SAT/ACT scores, however, so this isn’t somethingyou have to worry about at the moment. Test Logistics There are actually many tests and assessments that are administered through PARCC. Annual Year-end Tests - English/language arts and math tests are administered every year in grades 3-11. I'll be focusing primarily on these exams for the rest of the article. Instructional Tools and Tasks - These may be used throughout the school year, and are meant mostly for teachers. Like other state tests, the PARCC exam is supposed to align with what students are actually learning in the classroom for each grade level. As such, the actual content and the level of difficulty of the exams will vary depending on students’ grade level. I’ll go into more detail shortly. WhatStates Require the PARCC Test? In 2010, 24 states (plus Washington DC) belonged to PARCC, but the number of states participating in the program has dropped significantly since then. As of2015-2016 school year, there are11 states fully active in administering the PARCC tests: Colorado Washington DC Illinois Maryland Massachusetts New Jersey New Mexico Rhode Island What's on the PARCC Test? These examinations are relatively new - they’ve been updated quite often over the past several years, and will surely be updated in the future. That being said, a few important things have remained consistent: The two core content areas tested are English/language arts and math. The tests strive to be modern assessments of competency in higher-level critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The exams don't just test content - theytest the development of skills that (presumably) help students succeed. When you’re trying to gauge whether students are developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills - things that are essential for doing well in college and in the workplace - the way that questions are asked on the exam will be just as important as testcontent. I’ll address both of these important factors here. Tests are a lot less intimdating when you know what's going to be on them. Test Content PARCC test content aligns most closely with what students learn based on Common Core standards. These standards may vary slightly, but remember that the PARCC exams will be standardized across all participating states - as such, you can expect the exams to test content that’s shared by all those states. Content will also depend on grade level, of course. There are a couple of ways you can figure out what you can expect to see on the test: Check out Common Core standards by state. Talk with your teacher (or your child’s teacher) about the content he/she plans on covering for the year, and what he/she expects to see on the year-end PARCC exam. Check out PARCC practice tests. The PARCC website does provide some very basic information about what’s expected of both elementary and middle school students in both English and Math: English expectations for all grade levels (3-11): Students read one or more texts (and sometimes watch a video), write about what they read and/or viewed, and provide evidence drawn from the reading. English expectations for middle school and high school: Students are expected to read several passages and integrate ideas from all of them into their written responses. Math expectations for all grade levels (3-11): Students must reason mathematically, make sense of quantities and their relationships to solve real-world problems, and show their understanding. Math expectations for middle school and high school: Students are expected to develop procedural skills, conceptual understanding, and modeling and application skills with a focus on broadening number sense into ratios, rational numbers, and proportions while transitioning to algebraic skills (including working with expressions, equations, and graphs). Question Format This is where the PARCC tests really claim to stand out when compared to other, older state exams. Testing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills is tougher than testing just straight-up content knowledge - this modern test format reflects these efforts. Here are a couple of examples from the PARCC site to show you what I mean: EXAMPLE 1 The old English test item asks students to simply write a persuasive essay. The new test item asks students to consider the perspectives of multiple authors before responding (using textual evidence) with their own argument. This is quite similar - in concept, if not in difficulty level - to what students will see on the writing sections of the ACT and SAT. ELA/Literacy example questions: old test items versus PARCC test items EXAMPLE 2 The old math test item is a word problem - students have to use basic reading comprehension skills to work through the question - but it essentially is asking students to count days on a calendar. The new math test item requires students to utilize more sophisticated data analysis skills - namelythey'll have to interpret information instead of just performing mathematical calculations. PARCC exams also asks studentsto explain their reasoning. Math example questions: old test items vs. PARCC test items Preparing for the PARCC Much of the work that you’ll need to do to prepare for the PARCC happens in school. State tests are used to assess instructor, school, district, and state performance, so the pressure to do well isn’t really on the student - it’s on everyone who’s responsible for preparing the student for his or her future. With that being said, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to prepare for the test! Students should want to perform to the best of their ability because that will best inform teachers about their needs. If nothing else, preparing for a PARCC exam is good practice for other future standardized tests. There isn’t a ton of official prep material out there, but PARCC has released official practice tests for each grade level. You shouldapproach PARCC practice in the same way you’d approach ACT/SAT prep: by starting off with a full diagnostic test and then carefully analyzing your mistakes. If you find that you have any weak areas, you can use class notes and/or assistance from your teacher to close up any content gaps. What Your Scores Mean for You Students aren’t penalized or rewarded based on how they perform on PARCC exams. Their results are used to inform teachers, parents, and administrators whether they’re learning everything they’re supposed to be learning - particularly low or high scores should help teachers customize instruction for individual students. What these scores are: A measure of how familiar you are with the test content. To some degree, a measure of how familiar you are with the test format and general test-taking strategy. PERHAPS a measure of whether you’re on track for college and a career. The tests are still very new - we don’t have any hard evidence to suggest that high scores on the test in any way predict success in college and beyond (although there is ongoing research on this question). What these score are not: A measure of your intelligence. A measure of how successful you’ll be in the future. Now that you have a better idea of what your PARCC scores actually mean, we can talk in more detail about the test scoring system. How the PARCC Scoring System Works The tests’ scoring system is based on what they call â€Å"performance levels.† These different levels are: Level 1: Did not yet meet expectations Level 2: Partially met expectations Level 3: Approached expectations Level 4: Met expectations Level 5: Exceeded expectations If you are at level 4 or 5, you’re good to go. Level 3 indicates that you’re almost there - you might just need a little extra help. Levels 1-2 indicate that more significant help from instructors might be necessary to bring scores up to grade level standards. As with other state tests, you’ll receive a score report with your raw score and corresponding performance level after the exam. Here’s an example of what that might look like: An example of a PARCC score report At the bottom of the report, you can see that you’re given a bit more context for your scores - you have access to the school, district, state, and overall score average. If you'd like to learn more, PARCC has set up a site where parents can accessinformation about score results and improving performance. Summary To wrap up, PARCC exams shouldn’t be a source of stress for students or parents. Like most other state tests, these exams arecheck-in assessments that help instructors (and schools, and school districts) understand whether students are on the right track for college or for a career. Unlike other outdated tests, PARCC exams are moving towards assessing higher-level cognitive skills rather than just straight-up content. High school students might recognize that the questions they see on these tests are similar to the ones they might see on the ACT or SAT. It’s unclear whether PARCC tests truly measure college-readiness, but they’re certainly similar to other college entrance exams. Perhaps these year-end tests will help prepare students (starting in 3rd grade!) for future exams where more is at stake. What's Next? PARCC content is based on Common Core standards. If you want to do well on a PARCC exam, you may want to read more about the Common Core and why it matters. Looking at tests similar to the PARCC? Read more about ACT Aspireand check out available practice tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper

How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper How Can an English Literature Course Help Me to Write a Worthy Paper? WhÃ'â€"lÐ µ wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng Ã' Ã ¾mÐ µÃ'• nÐ °turÐ °llÃ'Æ' to some Ã'€Ð µÃ ¾Ã'€lÐ µ, others have tÐ ¾ mÐ °kÐ µ Ã' Ã ¾nÃ'•Ã' Ã'â€"Ð ¾uÃ'• Ð °nd concentrated Ð µffÐ ¾rts to craft a worthy paper. It doesn’t concern Ð ¾nlÃ'Æ' thÐ µ wÐ ¾rdÃ'•, but Ð °lÃ'•Ð ¾ the fÐ ¾rmÐ °ttÃ'â€"ng, spelling Ð °nd grÐ °mmÐ °tÃ'â€"Ã' Ã °l Ð µrrÐ ¾rÃ'• thÐ °t Ð ¾ftÐ µn overfill the students Ð µÃ'•Ã'•Ð °Ã'Æ'. There is a numbÐ µr of rÐ µÃ °Ã'•Ð ¾nÃ'• fÐ ¾r thÃ'â€"Ã'•, hÐ ¾wÐ µvÐ µr they Ã' Ã °n be Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' tÐ µd effortlessly wÃ'â€"thin a short period Ð ¾f time. In the case of containing a lot of mistakes, the Ð µÃ'•Ã'•Ð °Ã'Æ' could nÐ ¾t receive a good mark. It Ã'â€"Ã'• important tÐ ¾ make Ã'•urÐ µ that Ð °nÃ'Æ'thÃ'â€"ng frÐ ¾m a paper title to a full blown rÐ µÃ'•Ð µÃ °rÃ' h Ã'€Ð °Ã'€Ð µr Ã'â€"Ã'• Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' t and rÐ µÃ °dÃ'• wÐ µll. English Literature Helps Students who have taken a course in English literature face these issues less or do not suffer from these problems at all. Why? Because they have been exposed to so many literary works that you can be assured, they can tell you even more on how to write a perfect paper. The Power of Reading Now taking an English Literature course provides you with a number of benefits. It is known that people, who read a lot, train their memory so that they can keep everything in mind. Moreover, their vocabulary is much more spread than a common student’s one is. They may even do not now all the rules on how to write properly, but they do this automatically. Such a course certainly helps them write more creatively and be more aware of the common errors and how to avoid them. Once you have read many books written by great writers, on different styles and on different issues, your mind is more open to new ideas, how to describe emotions, how to use the right word at the right time. What is most important, it teaches you how to be a lot more engaging with what you are writing about. Logical sequences and well-constructed sentences help to maintain the interest of the reader. As a result, your chances of submitting a worthy paper are far greater. Here are some common errors that can occur in the submitted term papers: Spelling Using spell check is not 100% reliable. Sometimes the context of the sentence can confuse the logic of a computer program. Be aware. Improper Person AlmÐ ¾Ã'•t every Ã'•tudÐ µnt hÐ °Ã'• a problem wÃ'â€"th writing Ã'â€"n the wrÐ ¾ng Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ã'€Ð µÃ' tÃ'â€"vÐ µÃ'• at Ã'•Ð ¾mÐ µ Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'â€"nt or another. It Ã'â€"Ã'• a Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€rÐ ¾blÐ µm, and Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ addressed with a lÃ'â€"ttlÐ µ bit of undÐ µrÃ'•tÐ °ndÃ'â€"ng. ThÐ µ two most Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ã'€Ð µÃ' tÃ'â€"vÐ µÃ'• for wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng are thÐ µ first Ð °nd third Ã'€Ð µrÃ'•Ð ¾n. Fragments and Run-On Sentences Students commonly fÃ'â€"nd themselves Ð µÃ'â€"thÐ µr wÃ'â€"th a lÐ ¾ng wÃ'â€"ndÐ µd Ã'•Ð µntÐ µnÃ' Ã µ Ð ¾r ones thÐ °t are nÐ ¾t Ã' Ã ¾mÃ'€lÐ µtÐ µ ideas. ThÃ'â€"Ã'• Ã'â€"Ã'• a vÐ µrÃ'Æ' Ã' Ã ¾mmÐ ¾n Ã'€rÐ ¾blÐ µm Ð °mÐ ¾ng professional wrÃ'â€"tÐ µrÃ'•. GÐ µnÐ µrÐ °llÃ'Æ', individuals would Ð µÃ'â€"thÐ µr have trÐ ¾ublÐ µs wÃ'â€"th Ð ¾nÐ µ or the Ð ¾thÐ µr, but Ã'â€"n Ã'•Ð ¾mÐ µ cases bÐ ¾th Ã'â€"Ã'•Ã'•uÐ µÃ'• Ð °rÐ µ a problem. Not Proofreading PrÐ ¾Ã ¾frÐ µÃ °dÃ'â€"ng Ã'â€"Ã'• nÐ ¾t Ð °ll that fun Ð °nd no Ð ¾nÐ µ lÃ'â€"kÐ µÃ'• doing Ã'â€"t, but Ã'â€"t Ã'â€"Ã'• really important for a wÐ µll wrÃ'â€"ttÐ µn paper. AÃ'• wÐ µ Ã'€Ð ¾Ã'â€"ntÐ µd out earlier, Ã'•Ã'€Ð µll check does nÐ ¾t Ã' Ã °tÃ' h Ð µvÐ µrÃ'Æ' tÃ'Æ'Ã'€Ð µ Ð ¾f Ð µrrÐ ¾r that Ã' Ã °n bÐ µ fÐ ¾und in typical wrÃ'â€"tÃ'â€"ng. It takes only a fÐ µw mÃ'â€"nutÐ µÃ'• to rÐ µÃ °d Ð ¾vÐ µr to make sure thÐ °t thÐ µÃ'Æ' Ð °rÐ µ complete thÐ ¾ughtÃ'•, have thÐ µ Ã' Ã ¾rrÐ µÃ' t wÐ ¾rdÃ'• and mÐ °kÐ µ Ã'•Ð µnÃ'•Ð µ.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Risk and the Unknown of the Genetically Modified Foods Research Paper

The Risk and the Unknown of the Genetically Modified Foods - Research Paper Example The analysis establishes that consumer background and diversity influences significantly intentions to purchase GM foods, which further suggests comprehensive study of consumer market to understand fully differences in market segments and the way they respond to GM food issues. Risks of GM foods in the analysis include uncertainty or lack of understating regarding GM food and potential environmental hazards of GM foods, which influence consumers’ attitude negatively toward GM foods. The paper discusses and traces relevant concerns and crucial issues facing GMOs prevalent in food supply in US and other nations across the globe. Instead of the paper addressing policy issues, the paper analysis intends to provoke thought in analysts as a way of determining whether GMOs are, ultimately worth the risk or rather they should be reduced or banned entirely in foods. The paper offers relevant information to prove that GM foods should be restricted until further knowledge is derived rega rding the effects of GM foods on human health. Even after two decades of debate on genetically modified foods, concerns still abound regarding the safety of GM foods and the debate persists as an essential issue in the world. Consumers in various nations are extremely cautious regarding GM food issue due to several factors. Most notably, there have been publicized food scares in US, Europe and Asia leading to negative development of negative attitudes toward GM foods. As well, inadequate knowledge and awareness about GM foods, the absence of trust in professionals and regulators to administer risk influence consumer perception of GM foods. Moreover, increased trade and globalization boosts exchange of food products among trading partners, which further complicate the issue of food safety management; thus, making people reluctant to embrace GM foods fully (Martinelli, Karbarz and Siipi, 2013). Resistance to change is inherent in individuals and usually serves to defend human beings f rom threats of the unknown. For a long period, humans have pushed the boundaries and experimented outside their zone of comfort and recommendation, which brought about space exploration, advanced science and technology. However, pushing the envelope seems to interest only certain individuals in the society to engage in the unknown making only those individuals involved comfortable with their performance. Therefore, from such an understanding it is obvious that expecting society to fully engage in an activity that may entirely be beyond their comfort zone is neither advantageous nor ethical, which is the situation regarding the use of GMOs in food supplies across the globe. Though scientific manipulation of plants and other organisms provides the world with more productive crops, the fact remains that extend of drawbacks exhibited in genetically modified organism are not entirely understood. Hence, incomplete knowledge existing with regard to GMOs in food led many nations to ban them entirely; although the US and several, other developed, nations still embrace GM foods. The reason GM foods exhibit clear and definitive concern for human population regards the unknown level of impacts GM foods pose to human health. Nevertheless, societies deal differently with ambiguities resulting from advances in technology, depending on how much uncertainty a community can tolerate. Especially useful in this analysis is the uncertainty