Open Education Essays - Educational Psychology,

Open Education Between 1967 and 1976, the ideas and practices of open education spread rapidly across the United States. Even today the idea of open education is still growing in popularity. Since it was just beginning to gain popularity in 1967, parents and teachers swarmed to workshops in hopes of better understanding the open concept. Many schools were switching over to an open philosophy. News of the successful educational style fanned the flames of many disbelievers. Many questions still remained about open education. What did children do? What did teachers do? Much earlier on, there was an effort to prevent the progression of open education. During the 1920 through 30's, private schools were set up to maintain a teacher's power and keep kids as her pupils. People wanted a new model of education and the open school model slowly replaced it. In the 60's there was a critical push for open education. The American population had reached a higher level of consciousness about our social and educational system. Yet, one question left people doubtful of open education. How can you "prove" that open education works? People were worried about educational change, because it could be devastating and expensive. It was never proven that open education worked, but more money was spent on workshops, teaching methods, and curricula to create more acceptance of open education. The word was also debated for a long time, because of the many different meanings. Was it opportunity? Relationships? Sharing? It was unknown. Finally, the word was decided apon--open. Open was trendy for the times. As Lydia A. H. Smith from Simmons College wrote "Open education is an approach to education that is open to change." As I have gone through open education, I have noticed differences in teachers. Teachers are not the typical drone model. Open education dropped the workbooks and lecture style learning and picked up discussion and hands-on developmental learning. An idea following this change in classroom materials and teaching styles was the position a teacher held in a classroom. No longer were they the directors that made everything this way or that, but teachers were now facilitators that would ease one's way through the educational system. Education is not just studying about, but about being. The word about never gave you the eyes to see being. In the US the open educational philosophy was spreading rapidly, in Britain primary schools were in a great push towards the movement for open education. Britain had closely been following open education. Many articles were being published on the idea of open school. These published articles were evoking positive feelings throughout the United States and Britain. As for today, there are many different types of educational philosophies. Once open education was accepted and found to work well society was more willing to accept new educational ideas. Educational philosophy The word philosophy comes from the Greek root philos (love) and sophia (wisdom), it means the love or search for wisdom. Philosophy covers a broad area of topics, but there is something that I want to explore more closely. I will look at educational philosophy, since that is what I am dealing with. Basically, I think philosophy in an educational context is the generalized theory of education or wisdom in education. Whatever education is, or becomes, is the basis of its philosophy. Educational theories are applied in a classroom to see if they show better results than before. If not, the theories are removed. Educational philosophy contains ideas of ideal ways education should be taught. Open philosophy wouldn't have been a popular philosophical education model, if it had not worked as well as it has. I believe that educational philosophy expresses ideas of how society should be taught. Since I have been in an open education program for my whole life, I'm going to talk about its ideals and my feelings. I think open education is based on 6 factors (1) the school as a community, (2) the school in the community, (3) the person and thier moral right to freedom and choice, (4) concern for individual differences, (5) the method of intelligence, (6) building curriculum through and with students. (Lydia A. H. Smith, page 376) To me the best a teacher can be is when they are learning from the students and when the students learn from them. It is best when material is not dictated, but presented through thought and participation. "I believe firmly, that education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and the goal of education are one and the

Definition and Examples of Substantives in Grammar

Definition and Examples of Substantives in Grammar In traditional grammar, a substantive is a word or a group of words that functions as a noun or noun phrase. In contemporary language studies, the more common term for a substantive is nominal. In some forms of construction grammar, substantive is used in a broad sense thats unrelated to the traditional meaning of substantive  (or noun). As Peter Koch observes in Between Word Formation and Meaning Change, It simply has the sense of constituted by one or more particular lexical or grammatical items (Morphology and Meaning, 2014). (See Hoffmans remarks in Examples and Observations below.) EtymologyFrom the Latin, substance Examples and Observations Doctors have asserted many times over the centuries that  walking is good for you, but  medical advice has never been one of the chief attractions of literature.(Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking. Penguin, 2001)The motion was eager, shy, exquisite, diffident, trusting: he saw all its meanings and knew that she would never stop gesturing within him, never; though a decree come between them, even death, her gestures would endure, cut into glass.(John Updike, Gesturing.  The Early Stories: 1953-1975. Random House, 2007)A [substantive is a] grammatical term that in the Middle Ages included both noun and adjective, but later meant noun exclusively. It is not usually found in later 20c English grammars. . . . However, the term has been used to refer to nouns and any other parts of speech serving as nouns (the substantive in English). The adjective local is used substantively in the sentence He had a drink at the local before going home (that is, the local public house) .(Sylvia Chalker and Tom McArthur, Substantive. The Oxford Companion to the English Language, Oxford University Press, 1992) A substantive noun or a substantive is . . . a name which can stand by itself, in distinction from an adjective noun or an adjective. It is the name of an object of thought, whether perceived by the senses or the understanding. . . . Substantive and noun are, in common use, convertible terms.(William Chauncey Fowler, English Grammar. Harper Brothers, 1855)Substantive Nouns and Adjectival Nouns- In Aristotelian, and scholastic, terminology, substance is more or less synonymous with entity. It is this by now almost obsolete sense of substance which gave  rise to the  term substantive for what, in modern  terminology, are normally called nouns.(John Lyons,  Natural Language and Universal Grammar: Essays in Linguistic Theory. Cambridge University Press, 1991)- The objects of our thoughts are either things, like the earth, the sun, water, wood, what is ordinarily called substance, or else are the manner or modification of things, like being round, being red, being hard, being lea rned, what is called accident. . . .It is this which has engendered the principal difference among the words which signify the objects of thought. For those words which signify substances have been called substantive nouns, and those which signify accidents, . . . have been called adjectival nouns.(Antoine Arnauld and Claude Lancelot, 1660, quoted by Roy Harris and Talbot J. Taylor, Landmarks In Linguistic Thought. Routledge, 1997) Substantives in Construction Grammar[C]hildren acquire language based on a specific lexical input. For example, they first acquire  fully substantive constructions  (i.e. structures in which all positions are filled such as I wanna ball). Only gradually do they then  schematize these constructions  by replacing a substantive lexical item by a variable slot (I wanna ball thus becomes I wanna X and X can then be filled by doll, apple, etc.).(Thomas Hoffman, English Relative Clauses and Construction Grammar.  Constructional Approaches to English Grammar, ed. by  Graeme Trousdale and Nikolas Gisborne. Mouton de Gruyter, 2008)Pronunciation: SUB-sten-tiv

Addiction in our brain

Addiction in our brain Over time, the brain adapts in a way that actually makes the activity less enjoyable. Addictions do not only include bodily things we consume, such as drugs or alcohol, but may include virtually anything. The main addictions tend to be alcohol and heroin, and psychological dependence to activities such as gambling, sex, work, running, shopping, or an eating disorder. Signs of drug addiction include changes in personality and behaviour like a lack of enthusiasm, touchiness, bloodshot eyes and frequent bloody noses, or slurred speech. Addiction is well-defined as a chronic relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is measured a brain disease because drugs change the brain they change its structure and how it works. Though everyone’s path to addiction is different whether he or she tries a drug or behaviour because it’s what that person’s parents or peer do, or just out of curiosity what’s common across all substance and behavioural addictions is their stunning ability to increase levels of an important chemical in the brain called dopamine. If you have a blood relative, such as a parent or sibling, with alcohol or drug problems, you’re at greater risk of emerging into a drug addict. Men are more likely to have problems with drugs than women are. However, progression of addictive illnesses is known to be faster in females. Drug use is on the rise in the USA and 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol a nd drugs. That’s approximately one in every 10 Americans over the age of 12 roughly equal to the entire population of Texas. But only 11 per cent of those with an addiction receive conduct. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that between 40 and 60 per cent of recuperating drug addicts will eventually relapse. With heroin, those rates are even higher. Some experts place the rate of relapse for heroin addicts as high as 80 present, which means that the recovery rate may be as low as 20 per cent. Most people overcome addiction to alcohol or drugs on their own, without joining a support group or entering treatment. Alcoholism and other habits are not diseases. There are specific tools anyone can use to help themselves to overcome any addiction with or without professional assistance. The old belief that it took 21 days to change a habit has now been labelled a myth. According to psychologists, while it may take approximately 21 days of mindful and consistent effort to create a new habit, it takes far longer to break an existing habit. In conclusion to this I think that depending on what you do and your daily routine you can become addicted to anything, Some people face completely different addictions to others but the most common one seems to be drug addictions.

Compare and contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Compare and contrast - Essay Example th mountain locations and beach locations are accustomed to having a large number of visitors each year so there are plenty of good hotels and restaurants to go to. Mountain locations will have hotels that cater to their environment, meaning more chalet-style architecture and an attempt to create a sense of isolation within the woods. Decorations are often dark because of the blinding white of winter snow, their busiest time of year, but this can sometimes feel oppressive during the summer months and the world is shaded by the leaves of giant trees. Beach locations have the opportunity to perfect their look as a tropical retreat since their weather stays relatively similar all year through. Decorations are often light on the outside because of the tendency of the sun to bleach out colors and as a means of keeping things cooler inside, but interiors are often full of color and life, always making it seem ready for a party. Restaurants in both places will offer good food, but mountain restaurants will tend more toward beef and a mixture of food while beach locations tend to offer more seafood because they can get it fresh. Although beach locations can offer many of the same activities year-round, both beach and mountain locations need to work with the seasons to offer widely different activities. In the mountains, the seasons will very strongly dictate what you can and cant do. You cant go skiing in the summer in most places and its very difficult to find wildflowers in winter. In the mountains, you can also go hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, hunting, freshwater fishing, or just enjoy the services provided by the hotel of your choice. At the beaches, activities are also limited a bit by the seasons, but less so. It might be cold, but you can still go swimming in the ocean in winter and it might be hot, but you can still go sailing in the summer. At the beach, you also have the option of going water skiing anytime as well as kite-boarding, wind-surfing,

Unitarian Universalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unitarian Universalism - Essay Example It then establishes the historical and philosophical connection between Buddhism and UU. Unitarian Universalism emerged primarily from Christian roots but has drawn extensively from other beliefs and faiths, a practice that has grown to include practically all religions throughout the years. The Unitarians formed in Britain in the 1500’s during the time of the Protestant Reformation, an era of religious enlightenment at least in the context of that period in history (Hamilton, 2005). The Unitarian philosophy introduced people to new ways of thinking including the concept that Jesus was only a man, not a god or the son of God. Instead they maintained, much the same as the Jewish viewpoint regarding Jesus, that he was an important prophet and teacher. Instead of blindly following the Christian or any other religious doctrine, according to the Unitarians, people should employ reasoning and reject superstition with regards to their personal spirituality. It is not only acceptable but preferable to question the authority of the church, its dogma and beliefs but their own beliefs as well. John Murray introduced Unitarianism to America in the early nineteenth century (Hamilton, 2005). His church’s membership consisted predominantly of middle and upper-class intellectuals. The Universalist religion was formed during the eighteenth century based on the belief that all people, not just Christians, receive salvation and emphasized the significance of being compassionate and helping others in need. As opposed to the Unitarian Church in the U.S., Universalism was a populist movement that drew its membership more from the middle and lower-classes. However, both groups were very much alike in that they had disassociated themselves with the traditional Christian doctrines which prescribed dogmatic trials of faith. In addition, â€Å"they emphasized individual freedom of personal belief, individual responsibility to synthesize

Agriculture in the Amazon Rainforest Essay Example for Free

Agriculture in the Amazon Rainforest Essay Throughout a hundred centuries people have worked hard to sustain productive agriculture and dense human populations. Certain forms of agriculture are possible, and should be considered sustainable, for the economic development of tropical rainforests. For thousands of years humans have created a disturbance in the rainforests by creating areas of concentrated diversity of species within the landscape. The Indigenous people of the Amazon fostered palm forests, groves of Brazil nuts and fruit trees, and vine forests near ancient Amazonian settlements. Environmentalists could argue that rainforests can be â€Å"saved† by through the restriction of economic growth, but it is vital to realize that the local communities will not approve parks and reserves, as it is in their interest to conserve the rainforest. The shifted cultivator who forces small farmers into the forest to begin new farmlands causes about 60% of deforestation in Amazon. Researchers have warned if we continue to change the use of the land it can affect the region’s climate, and the absorption of carbon dioxide in the Amazon. By converting forests into cropland there is a pronounced ecological and climate impact than land conversions because it involves the complete removal of land biomass, including tree trunks, stumps and woody roots. † (Mike Bettwy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center). A better approach to addressing the increasing problem of deforestation in the Amazon is to follow the methods that have been used by indigenous forest dwellers for thousands of years. Many cleared forest areas used for agriculture can be salvaged by cultivation techniques. Annual crops, pasture land, are some examples of what can be done to increase agricultural productivity and to reduce the destruction in many rainforests. Effects of human population on the Ecosystem Over 20% of the Amazon Rainforest has been destroyed, in addition to the Amazon Rainforest is gone forever. Unfortunately with human population, the Amazon Rainforest has had effects with loss and harm to the population of wild species. A lot of the land is being clear for cattle ranches, mining operations, logging and subsistence agriculture. According to Raintree (1996) â€Å"Experts estimates that we are losing 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rainforest deforestation. That equates to 50,000 species a year. As the rainforest species disappear, so do many possible cures for life-threatening diseases. Currently, 121 prescription drugs sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less that 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists. If this was happening in 1996, we can only imagine that in 2012 it is so much worst. Sustainability and Conservation Overpopulation causes many problems to the Amazon rainforest. More than 20% of Earths oxygen is produced in this area. As the area is reduced more carbon dioxide will be found the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is important to this issue because plants need it to give off oxygen, which humans need to survive, not only for oxygen but also for food and nutrition for out health. Carbon dioxide is not necessarily a bad thing unless a large amount pollutes the air we need to breathe. Not only can overpopulation of the Amazon affect the air we breathe, but it will also affect the wildlife, water, and food we need to survive. There are over 200 species of trees in on hectare of the Amazon. This is important because there are so many possible cures for life threatening diseases. The Amazon is home to mare species of plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. Some interesting animals live in the Amazon and a lot of them are very rare. For example, a new species of freshwater fish, brown-spider monkey and a frog called â€Å"cowboy frog†, were some of the amazing animals discovered in the Amazon. The animals found in the Amazon are endless. It is amazing the new discoveries that have happened over the years and the new ones to come. The animals in the Amazon have live there longer that humans have lived on this planet. The Amazon is one of the largest natural resources and with overpopulation more and more rainforest are becoming non-existent.

Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes :: essays research papers

Title: Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes Genre: Mystery Author: Wendelin van Draanen Pages: 277 Choice: 3 I think the word â€Å"responsible† describes the main character, Sammy. She is very brave and she’s a troublemaker, but she also cares a lot about other people. I believe that Sammy is responsible since she took good care of the baby and worried about it even after it was taken in by a welfare organization until its mother got it back. It started when she was hanging out in the arcade one day while her friend, Marissa, played games. Then all of a sudden a frightened woman comes in and hides behind her. She gives Sammy a Sears bag and tells her to meet her back at the mall at 7:00 with the bag. After she leaves, Sammy soon discovers that a baby is inside the bag! When she returns at 7:00, she waits there for three hours but the mother doesn’t show up. The woman specifically told her not to take the baby to the police, so Sammy didn’t. She returns to her grandmother’s house with the baby, and since there are no kids allowed where her grandma lives, she has to be extra careful that the baby doesn’t cry. The reason that she went to her grandmother’s house is because that’s where she lives. Her mother left her a long time ago. Anyway, she spends the whole night taking care of the baby by feeding it with the formula provided in the bag, and changing its diapers. She soon gets really sick of it. In the morning, before school, she decides that it’s unsafe and annoying to have the baby around and take care of it, and she feels the baby would also be safer in the hands of the

Legalized gambling in Hawaii Essay

The streets of Las Vegas Boulevard, which are littered with advertisements picturing naked girls willing to provide their services for a price, can be a scary place as someone takes a stroll. Drunk men stumble out of strip clubs and casinos, and girls in gaudy clothing and stilettos apply lipstick at their post. Nobody knows when someone lurking in the shadows might pop out with a knife to steal an unsuspecting person’s wallet. Or even worse, a friendly-looking stranger walking in the opposite direction could be waiting to come across the right person to drag into a dark alley, muffle their screams so that their cries for help blend into the noisy background of the streets, and do the unthinkable. The tolerance of drugs, prostitution, gambling, 24-hour liquor sales, gang violence, and the emphasis on the nightlife give Las Vegas its nickname, Sin City. Also known as The Entertainment Capital of the World, Las Vegas is a world-wide attraction for people from all walks of life. Whether visitors are seeking relaxation in one of Las Vegas’s five-star hotel casinos along with entertainment, gambling, shopping, and fine dining; employment or a new home in the nation’s fastest growing community, or the permissible use of money for sex-related services; Las Vegas thrives off of their tourism industry. Sometimes referred to as Hawaii’s ninth island, Las Vegas is a popular vacation spot for residents of Hawaii. Seeing as how Hawaii, along with Utah, is one of the only two states in the country where gambling is illegal, Hawaii residents visit Las Vegas to delight in part in guilty pleasure. Every week, as many as 3,000 people from Hawaii visit Las Vegas, and a growing amount of former Hawaii residents have made Sin City their new home (www. visitlasvegas. com). Facing billion dollar deficits and on the prowl for ways to increase revenue, Hawaii law makers have brought into question whether legalizing gambling would be a beneficial way of economic development. Dennis Arakaki, head of the Hawaii Family Forum and Hawaii Catholic Conference says, â€Å"people in Hawaii like gambling, but they realize it is not a very good idea to legalize it. Gambling isn’t a good way to deal with your financial problems, either personally or as a state. † Although gambling bills are pitched every year, Republican Governor, Linda Lingle is against the introduction of gambling to the islands (The Philadelphia Inquirer). In fact, the legalization of gambling in Hawaii is misleading in terms of increasing revenue and employment opportunities for the state. It will take away from the beauty and culture of the islands that visitors come to see. Although gambling supporters tend to leave this part out, the legalization of gambling will bring the hidden impact of gambling addiction to many people of Hawaii. Allowing gambling to be legal won’t necessarily rid the state of its billion dollars of debt. While gambling is a way to make money, The Drake Law Review says that figures are overestimated as a way of persuading government officials to allow gambling into our community. For example, in Quincy, Illinois, a betting parlor was estimated to bring in 200,000 dollars in tax revenue. Its actual earnings turned out to be barely one-third of that estimated figure. The future of the economy cannot always be predicted accurately. Therefore, to say that a gambling establishment will bring in a certain amount of money is literally taking a gamble. What the Drake Law Review is saying is that the amount of revenue is knowingly exaggerated as a way of misleading the community to think it is a way to get rich quick. It is also usual for gambling businesses, most of which hold government franchises, to request and receive five-year tax waivers. The building of new hotel casinos will surely create more jobs; however, the Illinois Business Review conducted a study showing the over-optimism in the expectancy of jobs. When comparing the employment and unemployment rates from before and after the introduction of gambling in Illinois, the opening of over 7,000 new jobs were not beneficial. It did not decrease the unemployment rate because most of the people who were hired for the new jobs were simply shifting from previous employment. The slight increase of employment could have been attained without legalizing gambling. Research done by the New Mexico Coalition Against Legalized Gambling shows that the legalization of gambling, which is supposed to be a strategy for economic development, actually causes economic decline. A study done in South Dakota showing that the legalization of gambling caused a decline of interest in auto sales, retail, recreational services, business services, and all other services excluding those of hotel service, supports the opposition of bringing casinos to Hawaii. The study shows that legalization of gambling will have a negative impact on local businesses because people will choose to invest their money elsewhere. Instead of taking part in recreational activities such as heading down to Sea Life Park to swim with the dolphins, tourists might choose to invest their time and money gambling in a hotel casino. Instances like that, where money is going toward the prosperity of casinos, have a negative financial impact on local businesses. In Atlantic City, there was an increase in homelessness and crime after the introduction of casinos. The increase of the rate of crime led to a decrease of property value for many communities. Crime rates are on the rise in places where legalized gambling is prevalent. Some may see the legalization of casinos in Hawaii as a way to enjoy the beach, go for a hike, see a luau, and be able to stop off at a slot machine to have some fun before heading to their room, but in reality Hawaii is not about gambling. The term, Aloha Spirit, is the attitude Hawaii is famous for. This is a way of describing the overall kindness and friendly acceptance that residents portray. When looking at a 2006 crime rate chart comparing both Honolulu and Las Vegas, Las Vegas exceeds Hawaii in all categories. The following numbers are actual examples: murder, 17 to 152; robbery, 956 to 5,381; aggravated assault, 1583 to 6680; and vehicle theft, 6288 to 19677. According to cityrating. com, when looking at a population of one million in the cities of Las Vegas, Nevada and the Honolulu, Hawaii, both violent and property crime rate percentages in the city of Las Vegas are not only greater than Honolulu, but above the national crime rate average as well. This suggests that the association that the city of Las Vegas has with gambling may contribute to the increase of crime. Bringing the slots to our neighborhood means bringing all the cons that come with it, thus destroying the Aloha Spirit. The presence of hotel casinos in Hawaii will deteriorate and draw away from the beauty and the culture of the islands that visitors come to see. Year-round warm climate and the inviting outdoors of the playful ocean and mountainous scenery attract people to the tropics of Hawaii. Along with this, another selling point of Hawaii is the cultural experiences visitors take part in to learn about the history and ways of life in the islands during their stay. This makes Hawaii the ideal destination for family vacationing, as opposed to Las Vegas, which attracts visitors by means of their casino and entertainment industry, and is ultimately meant for those who are 21 and over. Violence and crime associated with the presence of gambling would lead communities to be deemed unsafe. Instead of visiting the islands to learn about the culture, tourists may spend more time at the slot machines. Gambling is a serious behavioral problem with its own signs, symptoms, and treatments, that if brought to Hawaii, brings residents closer to the risk of gambling addiction. Gambling is like a cigarette, people know it is harmful, yet they still do it. Quitting is hard and when the person finally realizes they want to quit, it is often times too late. According to (www. helpguide. org), a problem with gambling puts a strain on relationships, interferes with obligations and responsibilities at home or in the workplace, and leads to financial catastrophe. Gambling leads people to do things that they normally wouldn’t do such as steal money to gamble or repay debts, resort to drugs or alcohol to cope with depression, and violent behavior as a means of coping with situations. Statistics show unfavorable results for gamblers. Divorce rates amongst gamblers are double than that of non-gamblers. The suicide rate of gamblers is a whopping twenty times higher than that of non-gamblers, and one in five gamblers will attempt to take their own life. While gambling doesn’t become a dangerous addiction to everyone, a person with an addiction problem will effect those around them, whether they are family, friend, or stranger. Children who have parents who are addicted to gambling may become neglected and turn to gangs, drugs, or alcohol. Just as a child who has a parent who smokes is more likely to smoke, a child who has a parent who gambles is more likely to gamble as well. Passing a law that legalizes gambling in Hawaii and brings casinos to our neighborhood misleads people with over-optimistic promises of prosperity. In actuality, instead of economic development, legalized gambling will lead to economic downfall. Part of the downfall to legalizing gambling is taking away from the beauty and culture of the islands by bringing distractions and destruction. To destruct the culture is to shatter morality by exposing people to consequences of gambling addiction. As the saying goes, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Have you ever thought that maybe there is a reason why people like to leave what happens in Las Vegas behind? Works Cited Niesse, Mark. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Associated Press Gambling Causes Economic Decline. New Mexico Coalition Against Legalized Gambling â€Å"crime rates†. . â€Å"gambling addiction†. . â€Å"tourism†.

Main Idea and Purpose for Shooting an Elephant by Orwell Essay

The main idea of the story â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by Orwell is the effect of the oppressor is not only on the oppressed, but himself. There are several evidences found in the text to support the main idea. First, the author mentioned about the treatment of a European woman gets when she went to bazaars alone. This explained the freedom of security had been taken away. Since European had colonized Burma at that time, there was growing hatred toward European. Freedom to act also been seize when the narrator was expected to shoot an elephant even it’s not in his wiliness. In the story, Orwell had an inner struggle whether to kill the elephant or not. He taught that if the elephant were kept alive, it worth at least a hundred pound. However, if it were shot dead, its tusks only going to worth about five pounds. Moreover, he anthropomorphized the elephant by referring ‘it’ to ‘he’. He said, â€Å"It seems to be that it would be murder to shoot him. †(519) Plus, a life had been killed needs to be considered and there would be possibilities that the elephant will escape again, causing damage to the village. These reasons made Orwell to question his decision. Another crucial reasoning that drones the narrator to open fire is his identity as an Imperialist that control fellow Burmese. If he did not kill the elephant as the villagers expected, he would be viewed as a coward. This will further affect efforts to enforce law and coded in Burma. The narrator also described, ‘I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroy,† to show an imperialist had to control or act as what had been expected. These conclude an oppressor would be affected when taking control of others. The purpose of the text is to educate people on the consequences of one’s act. The author presented his story with hatred and fed up tones as he described how sick he was to serve the Empire. Next, he gave a metaphorical explanation on how he was set to react. He compared himself to a ‘hollow posing dummy conventionalized figure of a sahib’. Like an actor on stage, he forced to do what was expected by the ‘natives’ or audiences. In the story, the elephant also resemble the Empire power. As he shot the elephant, its body just altered but did not fall. After several shot, it fell to the ground. The elephant was dying but not dead. This resembled the Empire diminishing power over Burma.

The Snowball Earth

The Snowball Earth Some very strange events have left their signs in the rocks of Precambrian time, the nine-tenths of Earths history before fossils became common. Various observations point to times when the whole planet appears to have gripped by colossal ice ages. Big-thinker Joseph Kirschvink first assembled the evidence in the late 1980s, and in a 1992 paper he dubbed the situation the snowball earth. Evidence for the Snowball Earth What did Kirschvink see? Many deposits of Neoproterozoic age (between 1000 and about 550 million years old) show the distinctive signs of ice agesyet they involved carbonate rocks, which are made only in the tropics.Magnetic evidence from these ice-age carbonates showed that indeed they were very near the equator. And there is nothing to suggest that the Earth was tilted on its axis any differently from today.And the unusual rocks known as banded iron formation appeared at this time, after an absence of more than a billion years. They have never reappeared. These facts led Kirschvink to a wild surmise glaciers had not just spread over the poles, as they do today, but had reached all the way to the equator, turning the Earth into a global snowball. That would set up feedback cycles reinforcing the ice age for quite some time: First, white ice, on land and upon the ocean, would reflect the suns light into space and leave the area cold.Second, the glaciated continents would emerge as the ice took water from the ocean, and the newly exposed continental shelves would reflect sunlight rather than absorbing it as dark seawater does.Third, the huge quantities of rock ground into dust by the glaciers would take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing the greenhouse effect and reinforcing the global refrigeration. These tied in with another event: the supercontinent Rodinia had just broken apart into many smaller continents. Small continents are wetter than large ones, hence more likely to support glaciers. The area of continental shelves must have increased, too, thus all three factors were reinforced. The banded iron formations suggested to Kirschvink that the sea, blanketed in ice, had gone stagnant and run out of oxygen. This would allow dissolved iron to build up instead of circulating through living things as it does now. As soon as the ocean currents and continental weathering resumed, the banded iron formations would be quickly laid down. The key to breaking the glaciers grip was volcanoes, which continually emit carbon dioxide derived from old subducted sediments (more on volcanism). In Kirschvinks vision, the ice would shield the air from the weathering rocks and allow CO2 to build up, restoring the greenhouse. At some tipping point the ice would melt, a geochemical cascade would deposit the banded iron formations, and snowball Earth would return to normal Earth. The Arguments Begin The snowball earth idea lay dormant until the late 1990s. Later researchers noted that thick layers of carbonate rocks capped the Neoproterozoic glacial deposits. These cap carbonates made sense as a product of the high-CO2 atmosphere that routed the glaciers, combining with calcium from the newly exposed land and sea. And recent work has established three Neoproterozoic mega-ice ages: the Sturtian, Marinoan and Gaskiers glaciations at about 710, 635 and 580 million years ago respectively. The questions arise as to why these happened, when and where they happened, what triggered them, and a hundred other details. A wide range of experts found reasons to argue against or quibble with the snowball earth, which is a natural and normal part of science. Biologists saw Kirschvinks scenario as looking too extreme. He had suggested in 1992 that metazoansprimitive higher animalsarose through evolution after the global glaciers had melted and opened new habitats. But metazoan fossils were found in much older rocks, so obviously the snowball earth had not killed them. A less extreme slushball earth hypothesis has arisen that protects the biosphere by positing thinner ice and milder conditions. Snowball partisans argue their model cannot be stretched that far. To an extent, this appears to be a case of different specialists taking their familiar concerns more seriously than a generalist would. The more distant observer can easily picture an icelocked planet that has enough warm refuges to preserve life while still giving the glaciers the upper hand. But the ferment of research and discussion will surely yield a truer and more sophisticated picture of the late Neoproterozoic. And whether it was a snowball, slushball or something without a catchy name, the type of event that seized our planet at that time is impressive to contemplate. PS: Joseph Kirschvink introduced the snowball earth in a very short paper in a very large book, so speculative that the editors didnt even have someone review it. But publishing it was a great service. An earlier example is Harry Hesss groundbreaking paper on seafloor spreading, written in 1959 and circulated privately before it found an uneasy home in another large book published in 1962. Hess called it an essay in geopoetry, and ever since the word has had a special significance. I do not hesitate to call Kirschvink a geopoet as well. For instance, read about his polar wander proposal.

How smiling can make the world a better place Essay

How smiling can make the world a better place - Essay Example For example, America wants to continue their dominance as the sole superpower in the world whereas China wants to challenge it. Under such circumstances, it is quite difficult to make a compromise between the Americans and the Chinese for a better world. However, individuals can do something to make this world better. For example smiling has lot of power in establishing better relationships with others. This paper analyses the possibilities of smiling in the making of a better world. According to Andre Maurois, â€Å"Smile, for everyone lacks self-confidence and more than any other one thing a smile reassures them† (Building A Better World, One Smile At A  Time). Smiling is the better way of establishing friendship with others. It is not necessary that the American president and the Indian prime minister may have any previous contacts. However, during their first meeting they will greet each other with a warm smile which is necessary for the beginning of a new relationship. In other words, smiling can maintain and create relationships. If both the American and Indian leaders failed to smile their diplomatic meetings, people may get a feeling that something wrong happened between them. In other words, smiling is the gesture or measure of relationship building. According to Mother Teresa, â€Å"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

Should a price ceiling (limit) be imposed on gasoline prices in the Essay

Should a price ceiling (limit) be imposed on gasoline prices in the U.S. market Why or why not - Essay Example If price ceiling on gasoline prices are implemented economic efficiency will be lost. Economic efficiency takes place when a particular action results in higher benefits for the society and lower costs. If price ceilings are set and the suppliers decrease the supply, the gasoline will start trading in black and unregulated markets where the suppliers will be charging higher price from the consumers and the taxes and revenue that is earned by the sale and purchase of gasoline by the government will be lost. Other than black markets, the entire economic system may be negatively impacted by price ceiling on gasoline prices. This is because when there will be shortage of gas, people will have to line up in huge queues in the pursuit of obtaining gas. As a result of this a lot of time will be wasted which the consumers could have invested in positive economic activity and this would result in decline in