Inquiry Skills an Example by

Inquiry Skills by Expert Lilliana | 21 Dec 2016 The nature of scientific enquiry skills and their role in the childrens learning in science Jean Piaget is the noted researcher that has advocated cognitive constructivism. Constructivism is a popular method of instruction that educators use in helping children increase knowledge and learning. The learning process is very effective for children because it is through Piagets studies in child psychology that he discovered the constructivist concept in learning. Need essay sample on "Inquiry Skills" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Constructivism is simply defined as a method of instruction where students change their beliefs, upgrade their knowledge or incorporate new ideas and principles through their own cognitive processes (Zahorik, 1997; Brooks Doolittle, 1997). In the constructivism, teachers are not the source of knowledge. Teachers are mere facilitators and guides. Their role is to facilitate students develop and broaden their insights and perceptions by getting students go through experiences and discoveries incorporated in the exercises. Exercises and experiences help the child gain sense of the many processes around him. From these sense, the child is able to gain beliefs and ideas. Once the child begins to have beliefs and ideas, he then begins to interact with his environment. As the child continue his interactions, his experiences add up and his beliefs may change or deepen or widen thus learning becomes a continuous cycle of discovery or inquiry. The constructivist concept of learning is very apt to teaching children the foundations to scientific inquiry. The scientific method is very much supported by the constructivists point of view. With scientific inquiry, the child gains knowledge and understanding of the world where he is part of. For example, in understanding the concept of air, a child needs first to understand the concept of the senses that he has such as smell and touch. Knowing his sense of touch, he will be able to feel the wind. Knowledge of his sense of smell, he can use this in understanding whats happening when the room is sprayed with perfume. To further his knowledge on the subject matter, he also needs to learn how to further his inquiry skills so that he can explore the experience that the teacher has prepared. Using the constructivist processes, science is learned by the child using inquiry skills developed. The seven skills are raising questions, developing a hypothesis, predicting, gathering evidence, making observations, interpreting and making conclusions, communicating and reflecting. (Harlen, W. 2000) Raising questions is an important part of the learning process. Raising questions is not only part of the scientific process but it is what sets man apart from other animals. A rat by rote learning will learn how to push the lever that brings him his food. If one day, the master of the rat forgets to replenish the food in the bin, the rat will not ask why food did not come out when he pushed the lever. A child emptying a box of cornflakes will one day peek into the box of cornflakes when it becomes empty. Sometimes, he will cry and at times he will throw away the box and then cry. The mere asking of the question why is important to all field of science. Its important therefore for the teacher to prepare different variables and problem situations so that the child can increase his experience and develop his inquiry skills. The National Curriculum supports inquisitive thinking by suggesting to teachers to continue to ask the children questions such as How? Why? And What will happen if? And observe how the children might decide to find answers. First hand experience is a simple information source to answer questions. The National Curriculum also believes that learning like the constructivists advocate is done through building blocks called stages. During key stage 1 pupils observe, explore and ask questions about living things, materials and phenomena. They begin to work together to collect evidence to help them answer questions and to link this to simple scientific ideas. They evaluate evidence and consider whether tests or comparisons are fair. They use reference materials to find out more about scientific ideas. They share their ideas and communicate them using scientific language, drawings, charts and tables. (NC, 1999) The next six scientific skills will then transpire until the process of inquiry becomes complex, simultaneous and evolving. All these skills abide by the guidelines set by the National Curriculum that state that teaching should ensure that scientific enquiry is taught through contexts the following sections; life processes and living things, materials and their properties, and physical processes. (NC, 1999). Since the constructivist concept needs the teacher as facilitator and the environment where experience is acquired, science teaching through the constructivist curriculum supports the learning of ideas through gathering evidence with investigative skills. Planning, obtaining and presenting evidence, considering evidence and evaluating evidence are actually part of the seven skills of scientific inquiry.And these processes can be very well being founded when looking into the environments of living things, material processes and physical properties. Childrens learning of science doesnt start only in school. Children learn basic skills and knowledge in science even at home. A simple going to the zoo brings much impact to the childs learning of living things and its persities. When children reads his first picture books and he sees animals drawn there, he will be able to develop inquisitive skills of asking why a giraffe has long necks while lions do not. The child based on the amount of knowledge he has will help him predict and hypothesize why a giraffe has long necks while his pet cat has short ones. If the child finally gets to see how giraffes eat, then he may conclude that the giraffe needs to eat leaves from tall trees thats why he needs a longer neck. From an inquiry, and observation skills, realizations will be gathered. If the childs realization, well assisted by the instructor fully equipped with constructivist concepts, furthers, the child may realize that giraffes eat. They may further their observations, questions and insights towards the importance of trees to giraffes. Bottomline, there is a process to take in understanding the world. And that is the scientific process. They learn skills necessary to this area of learning by using a range of tools, for example, computers, magnifiers, gardening tools, scissors, hole punches and screwdrivers. They learn effectively by doing things, for example by using pulleys to raise heavy objects or observing the effect of increasing the incline of a slope on how fast a vehicle travels. (QCA, 2000: 83) Without these scientific skills the child will be left behind in the evolution of the species. Science is referred to as Knowledge and understanding of the world. According to the Foundation Stage Profile, children should show curiosity and interest by exploring their surroundings. Playing with sand, water or dough helps him feel materials around his world. When a child handles or takes his toy apart, he is able to practice how to nurture his curiosity. The child while exploring the objects of his home like the telephone that rings is introduced to technology and its values. As the child goes through his daily routine, he realizes the fact of time. When he goes to the supermarket, the day care or a relatives place, the child will learn basic concepts of place which is foundation for the concept of geography. While the child goes through these materials, people and places, the child learns skills that become his tools that will help him develop his scientific inquiry. When the child collects fallen leaves and groups together the leaves by size, he learns the skill of differentiation. When the child sees himself in the mirror, he is able to practice the skill of recognition. The seven scientific inquiry skills are important to scientific literacy that the child needs to be able to understand life. He needs to understand the many processes of life because for one, he is very much a part of it and for another; he is steward of the life on this planet. Educational institutions work on this premise and continually strive to better and master it especially at younger levels. It is essential that instruction focus on student understanding and demonstration of important relationships, processes, mechanisms, and applications of concepts. Students, in attaining scientific literacy, will be able to demonstrate these explanations, in their own words, exhibiting creative problem solving, reasoning, and informed decision making. (NYS Ed. Dept. 2000) Constructivism and the scientific method go hand in hand in teaching children science. Both concepts are essential and effective methods in helping the child understanding the world around him. Besides the cognitive impact of both processes, there is an affective dimension that the child gains through the constructivist paradigm. Once the child learns what science is through the scientific method instead of simply memorizing all those concept and ideas, the technology of learning science will stay with him. The beauty of constructivism is in its foundation as builder of understanding knowledge through skills of inquiry. If the children are able to acquire these abilities while they are children, they will proceed in being adults with inquisitive minds observing the world and gathering insights from it instead of being part of the process where living things get destroyed. REFERENCES: NYS Ed. Dept. 2000. Physical Setting/Earth Science Core Curriculum http://www.nysed.gov Zahorik, J. 1997. Encouraging and Challenging Students Understandings. Educational Leadership: How Children Learn. Vol. 54, No. 6, March 1997 (ASCD Online) http://www.ascd.org/otb/frame1.html QCA, 2000. Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. QCA

Battle of Santa Cruz in World War II

Battle of Santa Cruz in World War II The Battle of Santa Cruz was fought October 25-27, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945) and was part of a series of naval actions tied to the ongoing Battle of Guadalcanal. Having built up troops on the island in preparation for a major offensive, the Japanese moved naval forces to the area with the goal of attaining a decisive victory over their counterparts and sinking the remaining Allied carriers. On October 26, the two fleets began exchanging air attacks which ultimately saw the Japanese suffer one carrier heavily damaged and the Allies lose  USS Hornet (CV-8). Though Allied ship losses were higher, the Japanese suffered heavy casualties among their air crews. As a result, the Japanese carriers would play no further role in the Guadalcanal Campaign. Fast Facts: Battle of Santa Cruz Conflict: World War II (1939-1945) Date: October 25-27, 1942 Fleets Commanders: Allies Vice Admiral William Bull HalseyRear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid2 carriers, 1 battleship, 6 cruisers, 14 destroyers Japanese Admiral Isoroku YamamotoVice Admiral Nobutake Kondo4 carriers, 4 battleships, 10 cruisers, 22 destroyers Casualties: Allies: 266 killed, 81 aircraft, 1 carrier, 1 destroyerJapanese: 400-500 killed, 99 aircraft Background With the Battle of Guadalcanal raging, Allied and Japanese naval forces clashed repeatedly in the area around the Solomon Islands. While many of these involved surface forces in the narrow waters off Guadalcanal, others saw the adversaries carrier forces clash in attempts to alter the strategic balance of the campaign. Following the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August 1942, the US Navy was left with three carriers in the area. This was quickly reduced to one, USS Hornet (CV-8), after USS Saratoga (CV-3) was badly damaged by a torpedo (August 31) and withdrawn and USS Wasp (CV-7) was sunk by I-19 (September 14). While repairs quickly progressed on USS Enterprise (CV-6), which had been damaged at Eastern Solomons, the Allies were able to retain daytime air superiority due to the presence of aircraft at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. This allowed supplies and reinforcements to be brought the island. These aircraft were not able operate effectively at night and in the darkness control of the waters around the island reverted to the Japanese. Using destroyers known as the Tokyo Express, the Japanese were able to bolster their garrison on Guadalcanal. As a result of this standoff, the two sides were roughly equal in strength. The Japanese Plan In an effort to break this stalemate, the Japanese planned a massive offensive on the island for October 20-25. This was to be supported by Admiral Isoroku Yamamotos Combined Fleet which would maneuver to the east with the goal of bringing the remaining American carriers to battle and sinking them. Assembling forces, command for the operation was given to Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo who would personally lead the Advance Force which was centered on the carrier Junyo. This was followed by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumos Main Body containing the carriers Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Zuiho. Supporting the Japanese carrier forces was Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abes Vanguard Force which consisted of battleships and heavy cruisers. While the Japanese were planning, Admiral Chester Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, made two moves to change the situation in the Solomons. The first was speeding repairs to Enterprise, allowing the ship to return to action and join with Hornet on October 23. The other to was to remove the increasingly ineffective Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley and replace him as Commander, South Pacific Area with aggressive Vice Admiral William Bull Halsey on October 18. Contact Moving forward with their ground offensive on October 23, Japanese forces were defeated during the Battle for Henderson Field. Despite this, Japanese naval forces continued to seek battle to the east. Countering these efforts were two task forces under the operational control of Rear Admiral Thomas Kinkaid. Centered on Enterprise and Hornet, they swept north to the Santa Cruz Islands on October 25 searching for the Japanese. At 11:03 AM, an American PBY Catalina spotted Nagumos Main Body, but the range was too far for launching a strike. Aware he had been spotted, Nagumo turned north. Remaining out of range through the day, the Japanese turned south after midnight and began closing the distance with the American carriers. Shortly before 7:00 AM on October 26, both sides located each other and began racing to launch strikes. The Japanese proved faster and soon a large force was heading towards Hornet. In the course of launching, two American SBD Dauntless dive bombers, which had been serving as scouts, hit Zuiho twice damaging its flight deck. With Nagumo launching, Kondo ordered Abe to move towards the Americans while he worked to bring Junyo within range. Exchanging Strikes Rather than form a massed force, American F4F Wildcats, Dauntlesses, and TBF Avenger torpedo bombers began moving towards the Japanese in smaller groups. Around 8:40 AM, the opposing forces passed with a brief aerial melee ensuing. Arriving over Nagumos carriers, the first American dive bombers concentrated their attack on Shokaku, striking the ship with three to six bombs and inflicting heavy damage. Other aircraft inflicted significant damage on the heavy cruiser Chikuma. Around 8:52 AM, the Japanese spotted Hornet, but missed Enterprise as it was hidden in squall. Due to command and control issues the American combat air patrol was largely ineffective and the Japanese were able to focus their attack on Hornet against light aerial opposition. This ease of approach was soon countered by an extremely high level of anti-aircraft fire as the Japanese began their attack. Though they took heavy losses, the Japanese succeeded in hitting Hornet with three bombs and two torpedoes. On fire and dead in the water, Hornets crew began a massive damage control operation which saw the fires brought under control by 10:00 AM. Second Wave As the first wave of Japanese aircraft departed, they spotted Enterprise and reported its position. The next focused their attack on the undamaged carrier around 10:08 AM. Again attacking through intense anti-aircraft fire, the Japanese scored two bomb hits, but failed to connect with any torpedoes. In the course of the attack, the Japanese aircraft took heavy losses. Dousing the fires, Enterprise resumed flight operations around 11:15 AM. Six minutes later, it successfully evaded an attack by aircraft from Junyo. Assessing the situation and correctly believing the Japanese to have two undamaged carriers, Kinkaid decided to withdraw the damaged Enterprise at 11:35 AM. Departing the area, Enterprise began recovering aircraft while the cruiser USS Northampton worked to take Hornet under tow. As the Americans were moving away, Zuikaku and Junyo began landing the few aircraft that were returning from the mornings strikes. Having united his Advance Force and Main Body, Kondo pushed hard towards the last known American position with the hope that Abe could finish off the enemy. At the same time, Nagumo was directed to withdraw the stricken Shokaku and damaged Zuiho. Launching a final set of raids, Kondos aircraft located the Hornet just as the crew was beginning to restore power. Attacking, they quickly reduced the damaged carrier to a burning hulk forcing the crew to abandon ship. Aftermath The Battle of Santa Cruz cost the Allies a carrier, destroyer, 81 aircraft, and 266 killed, as well as damage to Enterprise. Japanese losses totaled 99 aircraft and between 400 and 500 killed. In addition, heavy damage was sustained to Shokaku which removed it from operations for nine months. Though a Japanese victory on the surface, the fighting at Santa Cruz saw them sustain heavy aircrew losses which exceeded those taken at Coral Sea and Midway. These necessitated withdrawing Zuikaku and the uncommitted Hiyo to Japan to train new air groups. As a result, the Japanese carriers played no further offensive role in the Solomon Islands Campaign. In this light, the battle may be seen as a strategic victory for the Allies.

Workplace Discrimination Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Workplace Discrimination - Assignment Example According to Aronsom, racial discrimination comes from the word â€Å"race† that implies one takes advantage owing to their own prejudice or stereotype of their supremacy. In taking advantage; they may harm the person from a different race in various ways. Many conclude this discrimination in the words â€Å"The fight between blacks and whites† – excluding the brown race. This may be a result of some negative past experiences or some stereotypes formed from the beginning. Many strongly belief it is due to lack of education that adds to this problem of Racial Discrimination. This Racial Discrimination can be seen all around the society; streets, schools, colleges, public places and professional organizations. Fryer states that racial Discrimination at workplace is a problem that is growing over the time span; it not only creates problems within the organization but poses hazard to governments and other stakeholders of that organization. Racial discrimination is seen as a reason for the collapse of many organizations and it stands out today as a major problem owing to which many theories and strategies have been adopted by many organizations to prevent them from the turmoil of racism. As a result, the committee on the elimination of racial discrimination has laid great emphasis on the topic.... In order for such motivation to take place, it is crucial to avoid conflicts, especially racial conflicts as these once ignited, are difficult to stop. Such was the case in the recent riots of United Kingdom (2011). If we are to follow the process of efficiency for corporate entities, motivation is the key element that will lead to success as stated by the above figures who have each given out a different theory for motivation of workers (example: F.W Taylor’s Piece rate policy) (Stimpson, 2010) Racial Discrimination acts as a hindrance for many employees to be motivated and work efficiently; this racial discrimination has its roots either through past experiences or certain stereotypes inbuilt since a long time. Hindrance in work can jeopardize the whole operation of a corporation. It can start off with very minuet exposure and result in violence and chaos for the world to see (example 2011 UK riots) (Regrosa, 2011). There are various ways in which racial discrimination can t ake place at organizations; it can start off from the phase when an employee has not even secured a job with the company. Discrimination on basis of ethnicity or race during interviews is a common problem in many workplaces, therefore, with racial discriminatory Human Resource personnels; inefficiency in the â€Å"hiring process† should be no surprise. In fact some journals go to the extent of verifying that fact that African-Americans (blacks) at times have to work harder for the same job when competing with whites in the United States of America (Mottley, 1993). Asking a black person tougher questions, trying to embarrass a black, putting behind tougher situations or degrading a black while a professional

The pressure and the result Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The pressure and the result - Research Paper Example The resistance in these areas can be attributed to the rebel groups retaliating to the violence and the unfair treatment that their governments get from the US, especially in terms of the control of valuable resources such as oil deposits. Also, the passive nature of the US government in providing sanctions with regards to its own citizens in insulting and mocking other cultures caused the deaths of one of its ambassadors to Libya. This goes to show that while the US government keeps controlling the OPEC’s in a dehumanizing way bloodshed will not stop in these countries. It would be of best interest in both parties that the US government recognize the ability of these Middle Eastern countries in settling their own disputes, educate its citizens in the human rights that the Middle Eastern populations deserve, as well as not branding all Muslims as terrorists, and adjust their policies on the OPEC’s. The Results of Western Pressures on Middle Eastern Countries The US has been known to have major control over the oil-producing countries in the Middle East since around the years a bit before and after the end of the Second World War, and this control has extended even beyond the oil refineries and into the socio-political environment of these countries. Initially taking over these petroleum-producing countries started out as a task that was handed out by former European empires such as the French and the British monarchies, due to their losing ground in seizing full control of the petroleum industries of the countries that handle and export them (Huntington, 1993, p. 31). However, when the prospect of getting hold of the world’s large suppliers of petroleum and other by-products gave the policy-makers in the US ideas of having power over them, it occurred to them that it was possible not just to take hold over the flow of the petroleum products but also manipulating the leaders in these countries in creating policies that would mostly benefit t he US, but without covertly seizing hold of the countries themselves. When the US took hold of these oil refinery plants, it gave an idea to its leaders and the general public that because the country has control over these Organizations of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), they are also in control with the social and political environments in these countries, making the US their unofficial world police/peace negotiator/mediator, so far as OPEC’s are concerned. However, such views only added pressure to these countries, as well as undermining their own capacities to rule and prevent or solve conflicts within their adjacent countries and kingdoms (Forsyth, O'Boyle, & McDaniel, 2008, p. 816). In addition, through the eyes of the US citizens, the needs, ideas and traditions of the people living in these countries were deemed insignificant, making the Middle East countries seen only as a group of nations that cater to their large demand of petroleum products (Chomsky, 2004, p . 74). Dehumanizing these countries created pressure between the US and the OPEC’s, which became one of the roots of the seemingly-unending conflicts that not only affect the social and political stability in these nations, but also their moral standpoint as far as the rest of the world is concerned. The retaliation of these countries with regards to how the US maintains control over them and their natural resources became struggles that earned the reputation of Middle Eastern countries as rebels, tyrants, and even terrorists, which are in reality

Colonization in Pakistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Colonization in Pakistan - Essay Example British colonizers got access to the country during the reign of Sikh rulers. However, in 1857, Sepoy Mutiny, an Indian Rebellion, initiated a struggle against the British colonizers. Also Indian National Congress spearheaded several non-violent freedom struggles in early 1900s against the British. Britain could not resist the opposing powers and it ended its rule in Pakistan in 1947. Modern state of the country was, therefore, established on August 14, 1947. The country was then partitioned into five provinces: East Bengal, Balochistan, West Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, and Sindh. The partitioning process, however, led to riots across Pakistan and India (Lieven, 2012). War in Pakistan Pakistan has had four major wars since independence. The first war was the Kashmir war in 1947. The war was triggered when the country gained control of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. The war involved Pakistan and the neighboring India. The two countries were later involved in war in 1965 and in 1971. The latest war was the Kargil war, which occurred in 1999. Pakistan has also had several skirmishes with its northern border country, Afganistan. Famine in Pakistan Famine in Pakistan is attributed to unevenly distributed rainfall patterns. Famines in the country have caused various devastating effects. Apart from leaving large expanse land derelict, famine in the country also triggered bushfires in various locations. Dereliction processes have not only created food shortages, but have also resulted to death of humans and animals because of hunger. Famines in Pakistan are, therefore, considered as an economic crisis because many resources are spent in mitigating them. Relations with African Countries Pakistan has strong relationships with countries in both Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa. The relationships are evident in the Pakistan embassies in African countries. Also, business relationships between Pakistan and African countries exist. Religion is another area where Pakistan and Arab-related African countries intermingle. In Tunisia, Pakistan supported the country in taking full control of Bizerte. Apart from offering support in various tasks or projects in African countries, Pakistan also helped some African countries during their fight for independence. Pakistan, for instance, supported Algeria during her independence struggle. Relationship between Pakistan and Egypt, Libya, and both Sudan and South Sudan is attributed to similarity in religion. Libya, however, shares similar culture with Pakistan. Pakistan has diplomatic relations and it maintains honorary consulate with various Sub-Saharan African countries. African countries with good relations with Pakistan include: Congo, Botswana, Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mauritius, Madagascar, Lesotho, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, and Somali among others (Lieven, 2012). Strengths of Pakistan Pakistan has been using its strengths for three main reasons; eradication of poverty, increasing overall gross domestic product of the country, and lowering inflation rate. As strength, location of Pakistan is an advantage to its economy. The country is located at the corridor of major maritime oil supply networks. That is, the country is a major oil producer in Asian countries. Through exploitation of the natural resource, Pakistan has significantly improved its economy. Advanced technology and accessibility to infrastructure is another strength point of the country. Apart from, having modern

Impact of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Impact of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was a historic point sacred law instance of the US Supreme Court. It maintained state racial segregation laws for open offices under the tenet of Separate but equal. Separate but equal stayed standard teaching in U.S. law until its disavowal in the 1954 Supreme Court choice Brown v. Board of Education. After the Supreme Court administering, the New Orleans Committee of Citizens, which had brought the suit and had orchestrated Homer Plessys capture in the act of crime to test Louisianas segregation law, expressed, We, as freemen, still believe that we were correct and our cause is sacred. The choice was passed on by a vote of 7 to 1 with the dominant part feeling composed by Justice Henry Billings Brown and the dissent composed by Justice John Marshall Harlan.   Ã‚   In summary of the Opinion of the Court, Justice Brown proclaimed, We consider the underlying fallacy of the plaintiffs argument to consist in the assumption that the enforced separation of the two races stamps the colored race with a badge of inferiority. If this be so, it is not because of anything found in the act, but solely because the colored race chooses to put that construction upon it. Justice Brown additionally referred to a Boston case maintaining segregation based schools. While the Court did not discover a distinction in quality between the whites-just and blacks-just railroad trains, this was plainly untrue because most other separate offices, for example, open toilets, bistros, and government funded schools, where the offices assigned for blacks were reliably of lesser quality than those for whites. Justice John Marshall Harlan disagreed from the larger part sentiment. In an assessment that later got to be distinctly vital in the Brown v. Board of Education cases (1954), he contended that segregationist enactment, like the Louisiana law for this situation, depended on the presumption that colored residents are so second-class and debased that they cant be permitted to sit in public coaches involved by white individuals. These laws advanced and sustained the conviction that African Americans were mediocre compared to whites, as per Justice Harlan. They should be struck down, he contended, since the legislature proved unable allow the seeds of race hate to be planted under the authority of the law. Justice Harlan trusted that the constitution must be colorblind, and that it could permit no superior, overwhelming decision class of citizens. Because segregation had the impact of making such classes, he judged, it was unlawful. Plessy addressed the state laws setting up racial segregation in the South and gave a driving force to further segregation laws. It additionally addresses laws in the North requiring racial segregation as in the Boston school segregation case noted by Justice Brown as he would see it. Administrative achievements won amid the Reconstruction Era were eradicated through methods for the separate but equal teaching. The regulation had been fortified likewise by a 1875 Supreme Court choice that restricted the central governments capacity to mediate in state undertakings, ensuring to Congress just the power to control states from demonstrations of racial separation and segregation. The decision essentially allowed states administrative resistance when managing inquiries of race, ensuring the states entitlement to execute racially isolate foundations, requiring them just to be equal. I believe this was the correct choice made by the Supreme Court, since this case prompted Martin Luther King Jrs. development for equality, unity, safety and well-being for all individuals in the United States, and Brown v. Leading group of instruction, permitting colored and white students to reside in the same schools. Railroad car for whites vs colored: Justice Harlan The Great Dissenter: Sources used: http://landmarkcases.org/en/Page/436/Summary_of_the_Decision http://sageamericanhistory.net/reconstruction/documents/Harlan.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/supreme-court-rules-in-plessy-v-ferguson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plessy_v._Ferguson

Christianity And Paganism In 4-8 Cent. :: essays research papers

The consensus among many historians has been that the transition from paganism to Christianity in the Mediterranean world was effortlessly accomplished by the end of the fourth century. In Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries, Ramsay MacMullen sets out to disprove the consensus, which he maintains is an understandable misinterpretation considering the "corrupt foundation" of historical records it rested upon. He makes his case by covering a wide range of material to show that Christianity did not destroy paganism as much as merge with it. Through his brilliant and original display of primary and secondary source material it becomes evident that paganism remained alive and deep-rooted long after Constantine. Many factors appear to have caused this, most prominently the vast extent of the empire and consequent diversity of tribal and local customs, which met people's daily needs. Christianity replaced paganism only when the people believed it coul d do more for them what paganism had done (1). This was especially true of protection and of healing, primarily physical but also psychological. People flocked to the shrines of Asclepius and others; Could the Christian god, or more likely, the Christian saints, fill those shoes? Most scholars of religious history probably accept, if they are honest to themselves, that religious history is a notoriously slippery business. Therefore, it is to the benefit of all historians to be aware of the great variety of interpretations that are available. History is an ongoing discourse, in which many different interpretations can and should be written on the same history, each striking at least one chord that supporters of an opposing or different view can find significant. The validity of an interpretation of a particular history is fundamentally dependent on the existence of a sufficient amount of quality narratives or records of historical events to provide a skeletal structure to assist in pinpointing relationships between people, time and space (2). MacMullen maintains that the historical records of late antiquity are not only insufficient, but also distorted. The Late Antique historical record seems to falsely suggest that paganism was not only defeated by the end of the fourth century, but had in fact successfully converted all of the pagans. In addition to the fact that the majority of historical records involving a conflict tend to focus on the winner, he asserts that the reason the historical records of Late Antiquity are unintelligible is because ecclesiastical and secular authorities destroyed or distorted them.

Fast food vs homemade food Essay

Homemade food is better than fast food because it’s healthy, cheaper, and you control what’s in your food. Food is the most important thing that keeps us alive so we have to choose wisely on what we eat. But some people choose to eat meals that are giving to you in less than five minutes than a meal that takes thirty or more minutes. Fast food and homemade food also have their similarities because you could choose what you want to eat and when you want it. Fast food attracts people because its ready to go anytime of the day and many people don’t have that time to actually make a meal. Many people rely on fast food because it’s convenient to them and you could find a fast food place at almost any corner in a town. Everyone is busy you’re a college student, you work a lot, or your kids are keeping you busy so you are always in a rush so you don’t have the time to make a actual meal but that doesn’t mean your eating habits have to be a rush. When you’re making food at home you have control of the ingredients going in and what’s not going in. When eating fast food you don’t know if its health because you don’t know what is being put in the food you’re eating. For example, you could go to McDonalds and get a hamburger from the dollar menu or make your own at home, they both look the same and are probably going to be the same size but the differences between them are the calories in the hamburger and the tastes. By making your own you know what kind of percent of fat is in the meat. Almost all fast food restaurants look for deals so they would buy meat that has more percent of fat because it’s cheaper than meat that has less percent of fat. People keep feeding their kids fast food but what they don’t think about is it could lead their children to obesity in the future. By feeding them home made food you will have more control of their weight and they will have more energy throughout the day. Cooking at home dose take time out of your day but you also save much more money than eating out because when you cook at home you could cook one meal and that meal could last you all day or you could save the food for the next day. For example you could buy a five pound bag of chicken breast and use it for different types of meals for the week. Also, cooking at home could bring you family together and make the preparation go by faster. Both fast food and homemade food have differences and similarities. Fast food is more convenient and takes less time were as homemade food is healthier and saves you money.

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 29-30

29 RIVERA Right in the middle of the interrogation Detective Sergeant Alphonse Rivera had a vision. He saw himself behind the counter at Seven-Eleven, bagging microwave burritos and pumping Slush-Puppies. It was obvious that the suspect, Robert Masterson, was telling the truth. What was worse was that he not only didn't have any connection with the marijuana Rivera's men had found in the trailer, but he didn't have the slightest idea where The Breeze had gone. The deputy district attorney, an officious little weasel who was only putting time in at the D.A.'s office until his fangs were sharp enough for private practice, had made the state's position on the case clear and simple: â€Å"You're fucked, Rivera. Cut him loose.† Rivera was clinging to a single, micro-thin strand of hope: the second suitcase, the one that Masterson had made such a big deal about back at the trailer. It lay open on Rivera's desk. A jumble of notebook paper, cocktail napkins, matchbook covers, old business cards, and candy wrappers stared out of the suitcase at him. On each one was written a name, an address, and a date. The dates were obviously bogus, as they went back to the 1920s. Rivera had riffled through the mess a dozen times without making any sort of connection. Deputy Perez approached Rivera's desk. He was doing his best to affect an attitude of sympathy, without much success. Everything he had said that morning had carried with it a sideways smirk. Twain had put it succinctly: â€Å"Never underestimate the number of people who would love to see you fail.† â€Å"Find anything yet?† Perez asked. The smirk was there. Rivera looked up from the papers, took out a cigarette, and lit it. A long stream of smoke came out with his sigh. â€Å"I can't see how any of this connects with The Breeze. The addresses are spread all over the country. The dates run too far back to be real.† â€Å"Maybe it's a list of connections The Breeze was planning to dump the pot on,† Perez suggested. â€Å"You know the Feds estimate that more than ten percent of the drugs in this country move through the postal system.† â€Å"What about the dates?† â€Å"Some kind of code, maybe. Did the handwriting check out?† Rivera had sent Perez back to the trailer to find a sample of The Breeze's handwriting. He had returned with a list of engine parts for a Ford truck. â€Å"No match,† Rivera said. â€Å"Maybe the list was written by his connection.† Rivera blew a blast of smoke in Perez's face. â€Å"Think about it, dipshit. I was his connection.† â€Å"Well, someone blew your cover, and The Breeze ran.† â€Å"Why didn't he take the pot?† â€Å"I don't know, Sergeant. I'm just a uniformed deputy. This sounds like detective work to me.† Perez had stopped trying to hide his smirk. â€Å"I'd take it to the Spider if I were you.† That made a consensus. Everyone who had seen or heard about the suitcase had suggested that Rivera take it to the Spider. He sat back in his chair and finished his cigarette, enjoying his last few moments of peace before the inevitable confrontation with the Spider. After a few long drags he stubbed the cigarette in the ashtray on his desk, gathered the papers into the suitcase, closed it, and started down the steps into the bowels of the station and the Spider's lair. Throughout his life Rivera had known half a dozen men nicknamed Spider. Most were tall men with angular features and the wiry agility that one associates with a wolf spider. Chief Technical Sergeant Irving Nailsworth was the exception. Nailsworth stood five feet nine inches tall and weighed over three hundred pounds. When he sat before his consoles in the main computer room of the San Junipero Sheriff Department, he was locked into a matrix that extended not only throughout the county but to every state capital in the nation, as well as to the main computer banks at the FBI and the Justice Department in Washington. The matrix was the Spider's web and he lorded over it like a fat black widow. As Rivera opened the steel door that led into the computer room, he was hit with a blast of cold, dry air. Nailsworth insisted the computers functioned better in this environment, so the department had installed a special climate control and filtration system to accommodate him. Rivera entered and, suppressing a shudder, closed the door behind him. The computer room was dark except for the soft green glow of a dozen computer screens. The Spider sat in the middle of a horseshoe of keyboards and screens, his huge buttocks spilling over the sides of a tiny typist's chair. Beside him a steel typing table was covered with junk food in various stages of distress, mostly cupcakes covered with marshmallow and pink coconut. While Rivera watched, the Spider peeled the marshmallow cap off a cupcake and popped it in his mouth. He threw the chocolate-cake insides into a wastebasket atop a pile of crumpled tractor-feed paper. Because of the sedentary nature of the Spider's job, the department had excused him from the minimum physical fitness standards set for field officers. The department had also created the position of chief technical sergeant in order to feed the Spider's ego and keep him happily clicking away at the keyboards. The Spider had never gone on patrol, never arrested a suspect, never even qualified on the shooting range, yet after only four years with the department, Nailsworth effectively held the same rank that Rivera had attained in fifteen years on the street. It was criminal. The Spider looked up. His eyes were sunk so far into his fat face that Rivera could see only a beady green glow. â€Å"You smell of smoke,† the Spider said. â€Å"You can't smoke in here.† â€Å"I'm not here to smoke, I need some help.† The Spider checked the data spooling across his screens, then turned his full attention to Rivera. Bits of pink coconut phosphoresced on the front of his uniform. â€Å"You've been working up in Pine Cove, haven't you?† â€Å"A narcotics sting.† Rivera held up the suitcase. â€Å"We found this. It's full of names and addresses, but I can't make any connections. I thought you might†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No problem,† the Spider said. â€Å"The Nailgun will find an opening where there was none.† The Spider had given himself the nickname â€Å"Nailgun.† No one called him the Spider to his face, and no one called him Nailgun unless they needed something. â€Å"Yeah,† Rivera said, â€Å"I thought it needed some of the Nailgun's wizardry.† The Spider swept the junk food from the top of the typing table into the wastebasket and patted the top of the table. â€Å"Let's see what you have.† Rivera placed the suitcase on the table and opened it. The Spider immediately began to shuffle through the papers, picking up a piece here or there, reading it, and throwing it back into the pile. â€Å"This is a mess.† â€Å"That's why I'm here.† â€Å"I'll need to put this into the system to make any sense of it. I can't use a scanner on handwritten material. You'll have to read it to me while I input.† The Spider turned to one of his keyboards and began typing. â€Å"Give me a second to set up a data base format.† As far as Rivera was concerned, the Spider could be speaking Swahili. Despite himself, Rivera admired the man's efficiency and expertise. His fat fingers were a blur on the keyboard. After thirty seconds of furious typing the Spider paused. â€Å"Okay, read me the names, addresses, and dates, in that order.† â€Å"So you need me to sort them out?† â€Å"No. The machine will do that.† Rivera began to read the names and addresses from each slip of paper, deliberately pausing so as not to get ahead of the Spider's typing. â€Å"Faster, Rivera. You won't get ahead of me.† Rivera read faster, throwing each paper on the floor as he finished with it. â€Å"Faster,† the Spider demanded. â€Å"I can't go any faster. At this speed if I mispronounce a name, I could lose control and get a serious tongue injury.† For the first time since Rivera had known him the Spider laughed. â€Å"Take a break, Rivera. I get so used to working with machines that I forget people have limitations.† â€Å"What's going on here?† Rivera said. â€Å"Is the Nailgun losing his sarcastic edge?† The Spider looked embarrassed. â€Å"No. I wanted to ask you about something.† Rivera was shocked. The Spider was almost omniscient, or so he pretended. This was a day for firsts. â€Å"What do you need?† he said. The Spider blushed. Rivera had never seen that much flaccid flesh change color. He imagined that it put an incredible strain on the Spider's heart. â€Å"You've been working in Pine Cove, right?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Have you ever run into a girl up there named Roxanne?† Rivera thought for a moment, then said no. â€Å"Are you sure?† The Spider's voice had taken on a tone of desperation. â€Å"It's probably a nickname. She works at the Rooms-R-Us Motel. I've run the name against Social Security records, credit reports, everything. I can't seem to find her. There are over ten thousand women in California with the name Roxanne, but none of them check out.† â€Å"Why don't you just drive up to Pine Cove and meet her?† The Spider's color deepened. â€Å"I couldn't do that.† â€Å"Why not? What's the deal with this woman, anyway? Does it have to do with a case?† â€Å"No, it's†¦ it's a personal thing. We're in love.† â€Å"But you've never met her?† â€Å"Well, yes, sort of – we talk by modem every night. Last night she didn't log on. I'm worried about her.† â€Å"Nailsworth, are you telling me that you are having a love affair with a woman by computer?† â€Å"It's more than an affair.† â€Å"What do you want me to do?† â€Å"Well, if you could just check on her. See if she's all right. But she can't know I sent you. You mustn't tell her I sent you.† â€Å"Nailsworth, I'm an undercover cop. Being sneaky is what I do for a living.† â€Å"Then you'll do it?† â€Å"If you can find something in these names that will bail me out, I'll do it.† â€Å"Thanks, Rivera.† â€Å"Let's finish this.† Rivera picked up a matchbook and read the name and address. The Spider typed the information, but as Rivera began to read the next name, he heard the Spider pause on the keyboard. â€Å"Is something wrong?† Rivera asked. â€Å"Just one more thing,† Nailsworth said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Could you find out if she's modeming someone else?† â€Å"Santa Maria, Nailsworth! You are a real person.† Three hours later Rivera was sitting at his desk waiting for a call from the Spider. While he was in the computer room, someone had left a dog-eared paperback on his desk. Its title was You Can Have a Career in Private Investigation. Rivera suspected Perez. He had thrown the book in the wastebasket. Now, with his only suspect back out on the street and nothing forthcoming from the Spider, Rivera considered fishing the book out of the trash. The phone rang, and Rivera ripped it from its cradle. â€Å"Rivera,† he said. â€Å"Rivera, it's the Nailgun.† â€Å"Did you find something?† Rivera fumbled for a cigarette from the pack on his desk. He found it impossible to talk on the phone without smoking. â€Å"I think I have a connection, but it doesn't work out.† â€Å"Don't be cryptic, Nailsworth. I need something.† â€Å"Well, first I ran the names through the Social Security computer. Most of them are deceased. Then I noticed that they were all vets.† â€Å"Vietnam?† â€Å"World War One.† â€Å"You're kidding.† â€Å"No. They were all World War One vets, and all of them had a first or middle initial E. I should have caught that before I even input it. I tried to run a correlation program on that and came up with nothing. Then I ran the addresses to see if there was a geographical connection.† â€Å"Anything there?† â€Å"No. For a minute I thought you'd found someone's research project on World War One, but just to be sure, I ran the file through the new data bank set up by the Justice Department in Washington. They use it to find criminal patterns where there aren't any. In effect it makes the random logical. They use it to track serial killers and psychopaths.† â€Å"And you found nothing?† â€Å"Not exactly. The files at the Justice Department only go back thirty years, so that eliminated about half of the names on your list. But the other ones rang the bell.† â€Å"Nailsworth, please try to get to the point.† â€Å"In each of the cities listed in your file there was at least one unexplained disappearance around the date listed – not the vets; other people. You can eliminate the large cities as coincidence, but hundreds of these disappearances were in small towns.† â€Å"People disappear in small towns too. They run away to the city. They drown. You can't call that a connection.† â€Å"I thought you'd say that, so I ran a probability program to get the odds on all of this being coincidence.† â€Å"So?† Rivera was getting tired of Nailsworth's dramatics. â€Å"So the odds of someone having a file of the dates and locations of unexplained disappearances over the last thirty years and it being a coincidence is ten to the power of fifty against.† â€Å"Which means what?† â€Å"Which means, about the same odds as you'd have of dragging the wreck of the Titanic out of a trout stream with a fly rod. Which means, Rivera, you have a serious problem.† â€Å"Are you telling me that this suitcase belongs to a serial killer?† â€Å"A very old serial killer. Most serial killers don't even start until their thirties. If we assume that this one was cooperative enough to start when the Justice Department's files start, thirty years ago, he'd be over sixty now.† â€Å"Do you think it goes farther back?† â€Å"I picked some dates and locations randomly, going back as far as 1925. I called the libraries in the towns and had them check the newspapers for stories of disappearances. It checked out. Your man could be in his nineties. Or it could be a son carrying on his father's work.† â€Å"That's impossible. There must be another explanation. Come on, Nailsworth, I need a bailout here. I can't pursue an investigation of a geriatric serial killer.† â€Å"Well, it could be an elaborate research project that someone is doing on missing persons, but that doesn't explain the World War One vets, and it doesn't explain why the researcher would write the information on matchbook covers and business cards from places that have been out of business for years.† â€Å"I don't understand.† Rivera felt as if he were stuck in the Spider's web and was waiting to be eaten. â€Å"It appears that the notes themselves were written as far back as fifty years ago. I could send them to the lab to confirm it if you want.† â€Å"No. Don't do that.† Rivera didn't want it confirmed. He wanted it to go away. â€Å"Nailsworth, isn't possible that the computer is making some impossible connections? I mean, it's programmed to find patterns – maybe it went overboard and made this one up?† â€Å"You know the odds, Sergeant. The computer can't make anything up; it can only interpret what's put into it. If I were you, I'd pull my suspect out of holding and find out where he got the suitcase.† â€Å"I cut him loose. The D.A. said I didn't have enough to charge him.† â€Å"Find him,† Nailsworth said. Rivera resented the authoritarian tone in Nailsworth's voice, but he let it go. â€Å"I'm going now.† â€Å"One more thing.† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"One of your addresses was in Pine Cove. You want it?† â€Å"Of course.† Nailsworth read the name and address to Rivera, who wrote it down on a memo pad. â€Å"There was no date on this one, Sergeant. Your killer might still be in the area. If you get him, it would be the bailout you're looking for.† â€Å"It's too fantastic.† â€Å"And don't forget to check on Roxanne for me, okay?† The Spider hung up. 30 JENNY Jenny had arrived at work a half hour late expecting to find Howard waiting behind the counter to reprimand her in his own erudite way. Strangely enough, she didn't care. Even more strange was the fact that Howard had not shown up at the cafe all morning. Considering that she had drunk two bottles of wine, eaten a heavy Italian meal and everything in the refrigerator, and stayed up all night making love, she should have been tired, but she wasn't. She felt wonderful, full of humor and energy, and not a little excited. When she thought of her night with Travis, she grinned and shivered. There should be guilt, she thought. She was, technically, a married woman. Technically, she was having an illicit affair. But she had never been very technically minded. Instead of guilt she felt happy and eager to do it all again. From the moment she got to work she began counting the hours until she got off after the lunch shift. She was at one hour and counting when the cook announced that there was a call for her in the office. She quickly refilled her customer's coffee cups and headed to the back. If it was Robert, she would just act like nothing had happened. She wasn't exactly in love with someone else as he suspected. It was†¦ it didn't matter what it was. She didn't have to explain anything. If it was Travis – she hoped it was Travis. She picked up the phone. â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Jenny?† It was a woman's voice. â€Å"It's Rachel. Look, I'm having a special ritual this afternoon at the caves. I need you to be there.† Jennifer did not want to go to a ritual. â€Å"I don't know, Rachel, I have plans after work.† â€Å"Jennifer, this is the most important thing we've ever done, and I need you to be there. What time do you get off?† â€Å"I'm off at two, but I need to go home and change first.† â€Å"No, don't do that. Come as you are – it's really important.† â€Å"But I really†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Please, Jenny. It will only take a few minutes.† Jennifer had never heard Rachel sound so adamant. Maybe it really was important. â€Å"Okay. I guess I can make it. Do you need me to call any of the others?† â€Å"No. I'll do it. You just be at the caves as soon as you can after two.† â€Å"Okay, fine, I'll be there.† â€Å"And Jenny† – Rachel's voice had lowered an octave – â€Å"don't tell anyone where you are going.† Rachel hung up. Jennifer immediately dialed her home phone and got the answering machine. â€Å"Travis, if you're there, pick up.† She waited. He was probably still sleeping. â€Å"I'm going to be a little late. I'll be home later this afternoon.† She almost said, â€Å"I love you,† but decided not to. She pushed the thought out of her mind. â€Å"Bye,† she said, and hung up. Now, if she could only avoid Robert until she could think of a way to destroy his hope for their reconciliation. Returning to the floor of the cafe, she realized that somewhere along the way her feeling of well-being had vanished and she felt very tired.

Battle of Ashdown in the Viking-Saxon Wars

Battle of Ashdown in the Viking-Saxon Wars Battle of Ashdown - Conflict Date: The Battle of Ashdown was fought January 8, 871, and was part of the Viking-Saxon Wars. Armies Commanders: Saxons Prince Alfred of Wessexapprox. 1,000 men Danes King BagsecgKing Halfdan Ragnarssonapprox. 800 men Battle of Ashdown - Background: In 870, the Danes embarked on an invasion of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex. Having conquered East Anglia in 865, they sailed up the Thames and came ashore at Maidenhead. Moving inland, they swiftly captured the Royal Villa at Reading and began fortifying the site as their base. As work progressed, the Danish commanders, Kings Bagsecg and Halfdan Ragnarsson, dispatched raiding parties towards Aldermaston. At Englefield, these raiders were met and defeated by Aethelwulf, the Ealdorman of Berkshire. Reinforced by King Ethelred and Prince Alfred, Aethelwulf and the Saxons were able to force the Danes back to Reading. Battle of Ashdown - The Vikings Strike: Seeking to follow up on Aethelwulfs victory, Ethelred planned an assault on the fortified camp at Reading. Attacking with his army, Ethelred was unable to break through the defenses and was driven from the field by the Danes. Falling back from Reading, the Saxon army escaped from their pursuers in the Whistley marshes and made camp across the Berkshire Downs. Seeing an opportunity to crush the Saxons, Bagsecg and Halfdan rode out from Reading with the bulk of their army and made for the downs. Spotting the Danish advance, 21-year old Prince Alfred, rushed to rally his brothers forces. Riding to the top of Blowingstone Hill (Kingstone Lisle), Alfred made use of an ancient perforated sarsen stone. Known as the Blowing Stone, it was capable of producing a loud, booming sound when blown into correctly. With the signal sent out across the downs, he rode to a hill-fort near Ashdown House to gather his men, while Ethelreds men rallied at nearby Hardwell Camp. Uniting their forces, Ethelred and Alfred learned that the Danes had encamped at nearby Uffington Castle. On the morning of January 8, 871, both forces marched out and formed for battle on the plain of Ashdown. Battle of Ashdown - The Armies Collide: Though both armies were in place, neither appeared eager to open the battle. It was during this lull that Ethelred, against Alfreds wishes, departed the field to attend church services at nearby Aston. Unwilling to return until the service was finished, he left Alfred in command. Assessing the situation, Alfred realized that the Danes had occupied a superior position on higher ground. Seeing that they would have to attack first or be defeated, Alfred ordered the Saxons forward. Charging, the Saxon shield wall collided with the Danes and battle commenced. Clashing near a lone, gnarled thorn tree, the two sides inflicted heavy casualties in the melee that ensued. Among those struck down was Bagsecg as well as five of his earls. With their losses mounting and one of their kings dead, the Danes fled the field and returned to Reading. Battle of Ashdown - Aftermath: While the casualties for the Battle of Ashdown are not known, the chronicles of the day report them as being heavy on both sides. Though an enemy, the body of King Bagsecg was buried at Waylands Smithy with full honors while the bodies of his earls were interred at Seven Barrows near Lambourn. While Ashdown was a triumph for Wessex, the victory proved pyrrhic as the Danes defeated Ethelred and Alfred two weeks later at Basing, then again at Merton. At the latter, Ethelred was mortally wounded and Alfred became king. In 872, after a string of defeats, Alfred made peace with the Danes. Selected Sources Berkshire History: The Legends of King AlfredBattle of AshdownBBC: King Alfred

David Bordwell on Tsui Hark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

David Bordwell on Tsui Hark - Essay Example Tsui Hark is a director of a wide horizon and rich experiences. He is able to appeal to inner world of every viewer and thus he makes a puzzle for modern cinema critics who try to find an answer to the question why his films are popular. David Bordwell has devoted a lot of his works and discussions to Tsui Hark. He considers this director in an unprejudiced manner and it is quite interesting to follow development of his ideas. Hark’s nature is divided as it is claimed by Bordwell. It is interesting, what does Bordwell mean? Hark shots his films under conditions of modern globalization and it is relevant to him to follow the needs of the modern society and to find a way to hearts of Western and Asian viewers. Bordwell underlines, that â€Å"The transnational nature in his cinema helps him to both establish his personal style and gain commercial success in Asia† (Bordwell 2000, p. 140). Moreover, â€Å"In Tsui’s best films, Hong Kong cinema becomes a Chinese feast , spiced by indigenous entertainment traditions, replenished by an artist’s pragmatic energy and restless imagination† (Bordwell 2000, p. 148). From these two claims it is quite obvious that Bordwell means multi-sided nature of Hark’s films. ... Versatility of Tsui Hark’s films can be explained by combination of different genres, Asian and Western cultures and adding technological effects in his films. In Once Upon a Time in China Tsui shows relationship between Eastern and Western worlds, if to be more exact, between China and Western countries. Tsui chooses the best period for showing peculiarities of Chinese society development under conditions of being captured by Western countries. All spheres of life of Chinese people were influenced by ‘strangers’. Western civilization put an end to the Qing dynasty. On the example of martial artist Huang Feihong Tsui shows possible alternatives of dealing with Western invasion. Western technological progress was like a huge machine oppressing centennial cultural heritage of China. Nevertheless Tsui appeals to his viewers and underlines that it is necessary to reconstruct realities of China in accordance with generally accepted norms and ideals all over the world. Though Tsui presents multi-sided consideration about China’s reaction to the changes introduced by Western civilization, he has a strong background of his claims, a theory by Sheldon Lu on China and transnationalism. Lu’s theory was not chosen incidentally by Tsui as well, because Lu’s considerations are also ambiguous: â€Å"In the domestic and global arena of image production and consumption, we may distinguish two opposite yet complementary strategies in the politics of self representation of China† (Bordwell, 2000, p. 145). Consequently, Lu suggests that satisfaction of viewers of the Western world would emerge in case erotic and exotics of Chinese worlds was

Methods of Instructions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Methods of Instructions - Research Paper Example Methods of Instructions However, the methods of instruction include lecture, demonstration, case study, discussion groups and practical exercise. Lecture Lecture is the method of instruction where the instructor has the power to present facts orally to the respondents. This method is widely used in most institutions all over the world. Lecture can either be formal or informal. Formal lecture is normally applied where information is to be delivered to a very large. This makes the information to be delivered to in one way communication i.e. from the instructor to the students. This affects the students from participating since the group is extremely large and the instructor cannot give any student a chance to participate. On the other hand, formal lecture give the students full participation because the group is small making the instructor reach most of the students. This makes learning effective because students participate actively in a free environment. This makes the communication a two way process since the students respond to the question asked by the instructor. This makes the informal lecture more effective than the formal lecture. Instructor must always be well prepared before lecture. A lesson plan should be used as guidance during the presentation to avoid going out of the topic of study. It is good to choose the right environment for teaching where the students seat comfortably and have no external distractions. Instructor must be well conversant with the communication skills. Voice must be audible enough to avoid a situation where some students cannot get the instructor clearly. The instructor must maintain eye contact with the students to show confidence in what is being presented. Teaching can be made effective by using some of the visual aids during the presentation. Some things might be difficult to explain using words only. This forces the instructor to use some visual aids like graphs, pictures, slides and charts to reinforce the presentation. Questions are asked to p romote thinking in students. This helps the lecturer in knowing if the students understood what was taught. All the questions must be answered correctly. Lecture should end in time. The advantage of lecture is that it can be used in other methods of instruction. But lecture limits student’s participation (Jumpeter 2009). Demonstration In this method of instruction, the students observe the operation or the technique. This method shows how something is done or how a particular objects operates. Students see for themselves what is happening and they can even participate in the action. They learn by doing demonstrations themselves. For example, they learn to drive a car by driving, to swim by swimming, and to model by modeling. This method is practical, therefore, it is effective. Students are taught how something is done and they later do it by themselves. This method of instruction has advantages. It permits reinforcement because the knowledge gained in class can be made meani ngful by demonstrating it making it well understood. Demonstration appeals to both sights of sight and hearing. Students see what is being demonstrated and at the same time hear the explanation. Disadvantage of this method of instruction is that it is restricted to small groups. The groups should be small so that all students see what is happening. Each one should view without any obstruction from the others. This method is