Free Essays on Racism In America

There is surely no nation in the world that holds "racism" in greater horror than does the United States. Compared to other kinds of offenses, it is thought to be somehow more reprehensible. The press and public have become so used to tales of murder, rape, robbery, and arson, that any but the most spectacular crimes are shrugged off as part of the inevitable texture of American life. "Racism" is never shrugged off. For example, when a White Georgetown Law School student reported earlier this year that black students are not as qualified as White students, it set off a booming, national controversy about "racism." If the student had merely murdered someone he would have attracted far less attention and criticism. Racism is, indeed, the national obsession. Universities are on full alert for it, newspapers and politicians denounce it, churches preach against it, America is said to be racked with it, but just what is racism? Dictionaries are not much help in understanding what is meant by the word. They usually define it as the belief that one's own ethnic stock is superior to others, or as the belief that culture and behavior are rooted in race. When Americans speak of racism they mean a great deal more than this. Nevertheless, the dictionary definition of racism is a clue to understanding what Americans do mean. A peculiarly American meaning derives from the current dogma that all ethnic stocks are equal. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, all races have been declared to be equally talented and hard- working, and anyone who questions the dogma is thought to be not merely wrong but evil. The dogma has logical consequences that are profoundly important. If blacks, for example, are equal to Whites in every way, what accounts for their poverty, criminality, and dissipation? Since any theory of racial differences has been outlawed, the only possible explanation for black failure is White racism. And since blacks are markedly poor, ... Free Essays on Racism In America Free Essays on Racism In America There is surely no nation in the world that holds "racism" in greater horror than does the United States. Compared to other kinds of offenses, it is thought to be somehow more reprehensible. The press and public have become so used to tales of murder, rape, robbery, and arson, that any but the most spectacular crimes are shrugged off as part of the inevitable texture of American life. "Racism" is never shrugged off. For example, when a White Georgetown Law School student reported earlier this year that black students are not as qualified as White students, it set off a booming, national controversy about "racism." If the student had merely murdered someone he would have attracted far less attention and criticism. Racism is, indeed, the national obsession. Universities are on full alert for it, newspapers and politicians denounce it, churches preach against it, America is said to be racked with it, but just what is racism? Dictionaries are not much help in understanding what is meant by the word. They usually define it as the belief that one's own ethnic stock is superior to others, or as the belief that culture and behavior are rooted in race. When Americans speak of racism they mean a great deal more than this. Nevertheless, the dictionary definition of racism is a clue to understanding what Americans do mean. A peculiarly American meaning derives from the current dogma that all ethnic stocks are equal. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, all races have been declared to be equally talented and hard- working, and anyone who questions the dogma is thought to be not merely wrong but evil. The dogma has logical consequences that are profoundly important. If blacks, for example, are equal to Whites in every way, what accounts for their poverty, criminality, and dissipation? Since any theory of racial differences has been outlawed, the only possible explanation for black failure is White racism. And since blacks are markedly poor, ...

Iron Element Facts

Iron Element Facts Iron Basic Facts: Symbol: FeAtomic Number: 26Atomic Weight: 55.847Element Classification: Transition MetalCAS Number: 7439-89-6 Iron Periodic Table Location Group: 8Period:4Block: d Iron Electron Configuration Short Form: [Ar]3d64s2Long Form: 1s22s22p63s23p63d64s2Shell Structure: 2 8 14 2 Iron Discovery Discovery Date: Ancient TimesName: Iron derives its name from the Anglo-Saxon iren. The element symbol, Fe, was shortened from the Latin word ferrum meaning firmness.History: Ancient Egyptian iron objects have been dated to around 3500 B.C. These objects also contain approximately 8% nickel showing the iron may have originally been part of a meteorite. The Iron Age began around 1500 B.C. when the Hittites of Asia Minor began to smelt iron ore and make iron tools. Iron Physical Data State at room temperature (300 K): SolidAppearance: malleable, ductile, silvery metalDensity: 7.870 g/cc (25  °C)Density at Melting Point: 6.98 g/ccSpecific Gravity: 7.874 (20  °C)Melting Point: 1811 KBoiling Point: 3133.35 KCritical Point: 9250 K at 8750 barHeat of Fusion: 14.9 kJ/molHeat of Vaporization: 351 kJ/molMolar Heat Capacity: 25.1 J/mol ·KSpecific Heat: 0.443 J/g ·K (at 20  °C) Iron Atomic Data Oxidation States (Bold most common): 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, -1, and -2Electronegativity: 1.96 (for oxidation state 3) and 1.83 (for oxidation state 2)Electron Affinity: 14.564 kJ/molAtomic Radius: 1.26 Ã…Atomic Volume: 7.1 cc/molIonic Radius: 64 (3e) and 74 (2e)Covalent Radius: 1.24 Ã…First Ionization Energy: 762.465 kJ/molSecond Ionization Energy: 1561.874 kJ/molThird Ionization Energy: 2957.466 kJ/mol Iron Nuclear Data Number of isotopes: 14 isotopes are known. Naturally occuring iron is made up of four isotopes.Natural Isotopes and % abundance: 54Fe (5.845),56Fe (91.754), 57Fe (2.119) and 58Fe (0.282) Iron Crystal Data Lattice Structure: Body-Centered CubicLattice Constant: 2.870 Ã…Debye Temperature: 460.00 K Iron Uses Iron is vital to plant and animal life. Iron is the active part of the hemoglobin molecule our bodies use to transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Iron metal is widely alloyed with other metals and carbon for a multiple commercial uses. Pig iron is an alloy containing about 3-5% carbon, with varying quantities of Si, S, P, and Mn. Pig iron is brittle, hard, and fairly fusible and is used to produce other iron alloys, including steel. Wrought iron contains only a few tenths of a percent of carbon and is malleable, tough, and less fusible than pig iron. Wrought iron typically has a fibrous structure. Carbon steel is an iron alloy with carbon and small amounts of S, Si, Mn, and P. Alloy steels are carbon steels that contain additives such as chromium, nickel, vanadium, etc. Iron is the least expensive, most abundant, and most used of all metals. Miscellaneous Iron Facts Iron is the 4th most abundant element in the Earths crust. The Earths core is believed to be comprised primarily of iron.Pure iron is chemically reactive and corrodes rapidly, especially in moist air or at elevated temperatures.There are four allotropes of iron known as ferrites. These are designated ÃŽ ±-, ÃŽ ²-, ÃŽ ³-, and ÃŽ ´- with transition points at 770, 928, and 1530  °C. The ÃŽ ±- and ÃŽ ²- ferrites have the same crystal structure, but when the ÃŽ ±- form becomes the ÃŽ ²- form, the magnetism disappears.The most common iron ore is hematite (Fe2O3 mostly). Iron is also found in magnetite (Fe3O4) and taconite (a sedimentary rock containing more than 15% iron mixed with quartz).The top three countries that mine iron are Ukraine, Russia and China. China, Australia and Brazil lead the world in iron production.Many meteorites have been found to contain high levels of iron.Iron is found in the sun and other stars.Iron is an essential mineral for health, but too much iron is extre mely toxic. Free iron in the blood reacts with peroxides to form free radicals that damage DNA, protein, lipids and other cellular components, leading to illness and sometimes death. 20 milligrams of iron per kilogram of body weight is toxic, while 60 milligrams per kilogram is lethal. Iron is essential for the development of brain development. Children with iron deficiencies show a lower ability to learn.Iron burns with a gold color in a flame test.Iron is used in fireworks to make sparks. The color of the sparks will depend on the temperature of the iron. Sources CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (89th Ed.), National Institute of Standards and Technology, History of the Origin of the Chemical Elements and Their Discoverers, Norman E. Holden 2001.

To what extent can the post-war boom be attributed to Keynesianism Essay

To what extent can the post-war boom be attributed to Keynesianism - Essay Example Nevertheless, the long post war boom was caused by destruction of capital, which occurred during the war, thereby leading to the rise of America as a hegemonic power. On the other hand, the notion indicating that post war boom was caused by destruction of capital is doubtful, since this was not the case after World War I (Moody, 2013, 1). Instead, the period after First World War was attributed to a long wave of downturn, which dragged for the period between 1920s and 30s. In addition, during this period, there was no economic hegemony in Britain by the end of nineteenth century; in fact, Germany and America was losing followed by Japan. In this case, the notion that destruction of capital contributed to growth that established an interrelationship between post-war boom and Keynesian theory. In fact, the reminiscent of Keynesian ideas indicate that growth is created through destruction of capital in order to offer employment for people to rebuild. USSR had trouble in growing their ec onomy during the 1920s due to physical destruction of their capital in the First World War; thus, they were forced to seek a replacement (Fine & Murphin, 1984, 56). On the other hand, Marxists value theory argues that growth is facilitated by destruction of value rather than capital destruction. ... In this case, Marxists value theory is disapproved, thereby creating the need to explore the Keynesian theory. Therefore, the paper will focus on identifying the extent to which that post war boom can be attributed to the Keynesianism. The post-war boom Initially, post-war boom was based on overview of `Fordist' methods, which regard to mass production of consumer goods and relation to the steel power and machine tool industries. Moreover, America established the new form of Fordist production during the 1920s, though it was introduced in Europe during the post war boom (Clarke, 1988, 174). In fact, this continued to expand through the depression that occurred in 1930s, despite increases in the rate of unemployment and living standards. Furthermore, the growth experienced in the industries was restricted through limitations of market size and the barriers of protectionists were establishing constraints in domestic market. There was a significant expansion of the new industries due to complexity military demands during World War II, whereby there were vehicles, aviation and electronics. On the other hand, during the post-war period there was a reconversion of various military branches dealing with production to peacetime environment in Britain. However, there were stringent restrictions involved in civilian consumption, whereby the world market was subdued by Britain. Moreover, Britain’s growth faced challenges due to the power of supplies, steel and labour. The post war period is also attributed to a Korean War spread, and methods of production to Continental Europe. During the post war boom there was a Dodge Plan established in Japan in order to halt reparations payments, which

California Advocacy Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

California Advocacy - Research Paper Example This essentially will make the very sickest of San Diegans go to the black market to obtain the drug, because many of these San Diegans rely upon public transportation. Locating these cooperatives in industrial zones will take the cooperatives out of reach of public transportation modes, such as trolleys and buses. Although the other side does have valid points, in that many of the cooperatives have abused their privileges, as these cooperatives are selling to individuals who do not have medical marijuana cards, this is not true of all cooperatives. Therefore, the only fair regulation of the cooperatives would be to examine all cooperatives thoroughly, and separate the wheat from the chaff. The cooperatives which are serious, in that they only sell to individuals with valid medical cards, should be allowed to stay open and stay within the city limits. The others will simply have to close. This is the only way to please the people who are concerned about the abuses associated with the se cooperatives, while ensuring that the very sickest continue to get the treatment that they need and deserve. Examination of the Issue The City Council of San Diego voted, 5-2, on March 26, 2011, to put restrictions on the medical marijuana dispensaries located within the city.1 These restrictions would close down the dispensaries for one year, then, after the year is up, the dispensaries may only operate in industrial zones .2 The final ordinance is a slight improvement over what was proposed. In the original proposed ordinance, dispensaries would have to apply for permits while going through the strictest permit approval process in the city, which would be a Process 4. Process 4 also covers new airports and mines.3 The proposed ordinance also would have required that the dispensaries, after the one year ban, would only be able to open up in areas that are more than 1,000 feet of churches, schools, child care facilities, libraries, parks, youth facilities and other dispensaries. 4 While this was the proposed ordinance, the city council, after hearing testimony from concerned citizens, voted to reduce the 1,000 feet requirement to 600 feet, and to reduce the Process 4 permit process to a Process 3, which is less onerous.5 City councilman Todd Gloria indicated that the 1,000 foot requirement was reduced to 600 feet, as the 1,000 foot requirement would have forced the dispensaries out of the communities that most support them, namely Ocean Beach and Hillcrest.6 However, the city council did nothing about the part of the ordinance that requires that the dispensaries only locate within industrial zones and did nothing about the requirement that every dispensary must close down for one year before re-opening.7 The cost of a permit would be high, from $25,000 to $35,000.8 The proposed ordinance will come up for a second and final vote on April 12, 2011.9 The dispensaries opened up when California passed Proposition 215, by a margin of 55.6% to 44.4% in 1996. It wa s the first state ever to pass such as law.10 When Proposition 215 passed, language regarding medical marijuana was added to the California Health and Safety Code that stated, in effect, that purposes of the Compassionate Use Act 1996 is to protect individuals from prosecution if they possess marijuana that is legally prescribed by a doctor,

Historical accounts Essay Example for Free

Historical accounts Essay Historical accounts that support the role of globalization in poverty reduction are observed especially during peace time and pro-globalization among countries. There is at least eighty percent of the world population that lived at an inflation-adjusted $1 per day at the onset of wartime in the early nineteenth century (Srinivasan and Wallack 2003). Half century by half century, this level is consistently lowered with drastic improvement in post-war period. However, up to this day, debates continued at the gates of international organizations such as WTO, WB, IMF, etc. Most of the protagonists are still in doubt not on how globalization contributed to economic growth but more importantly how it impacted the poor. These debates are inconsistent with historical accounts that proved globalization as solution to poverty. The impact of globalization on poverty is a matter of time to give way for trickle effects, institutional adjustments and change of perception on traditional beliefs. And so, in the long run, there are fewer questions about the benefits that poor may have from globalization. In this view, protagonists are highly concern on the distance between the deliveries of poverty effects of globalization to the grass root people which are normally the poor with economic growth serving as intermediary. They are primarily concern on how unequal the amount that is delivered and how unfair the delay of those amount. Thus, economic growth is criticized to prioritize the welfare of the well-off sector rather than the welfare of the poor. The preceding statement is especially true when the risks of well-off people are compared with the risks of the poor. The former have ease in searching for employment, has enough liquidity for the delay in the welfare delivery and thus in the position to be doubly happy. On the other hand, the latter is in reverse situation aggravated by subsistence living and exposure to physical hazards and capitalist exploitation making them in absolute despair by lengthy wait for delivery of minimal welfare. A good example is the inequitable income distribution. As industries expand business due to increasing inflow of direct and portfolio capital from abroad, well-off people are prioritized to jobs that are created due to formal education. If they are terminated or walk out of the office in their voluntary preference, they are still on-demand from expanding businesses. In contrast, the poor with little knowledge of how the sector works and little options would feel inferior and thus is willing to take whatever salary, conditions of work and other dictates of their employer. Both their mobility and freedom are taken away. There are several empirical studies that suggest globalization is pro-poor. Besley and Burgess (2003) found that there is a negative relationship between the poverty and income per capita. In monitoring GDP growth and poverty on a twenty-year frame from 1980 to 2000, Deaton (2001) concluded that economic growth is responsible to poverty reduction in India. China, which is referred to as an economic giant awaken by foreign direct investments, is quoted by Park and Wang (2001) to have drastically eradicated rural poverty since 1998. To evidence that the role of globalization is not only limited to income aspect, poor nations in Africa showed high levels of lowered poverty during the 1990s elevated by consequently addressing issues of mortality, education and AIDS epidemic. According to Besley and Burgess (2003), economic growth is only possible when three resources are present; namely, physical capital, human capital and technological change. This is illustrated in many ways. As the poor gain equal knowledge as the well-off, the former salary will increase and thus get both of them in equal footing in terms of income. As newer technologies primarily in agriculture increase the yield of the poor, their incomes as well as capitalist tendencies will simultaneously benefit. There is even a surplus harvest to attend their nutritional demands and less risk that a natural calamity will make this positive situation short-lived. As road infrastructure takes over the rural and farm areas, access to larger markets and faster economic activity will further improve the situation of the poor. These three sources of economic growth can be done minimally by the national and local government due to the vicious cycle of being a poor nation. With globalization, deficient funding will not be a hindrance to provide sources of economic growth due to inflow of capital. Accepting the argument that economic growth is indeed a good middleman to improve the welfare of the poor from globalization, the global community must have an average annual economic growth of 3. 8% by 2015 with lowest demand growth from Eastern Europe and Central Asia and highest demand growth from Sub-Saharan Africa (Besley and Burgess 2003). Eminent in the work of Srinivasan and Wallack (2003) is that globalization must be coupled with redistribution such as price support and public services to the poor. On the other hand, Besley and Burgess (2003) specifically defined their preference on the term redistribution through income distribution. They argued that the volatility of income distribution among developing countries is very minimal. Thus, the impact of globalization on the poor sector is loomed by increasing the average income of the population. In the study of Dollar and Kraay (2001), it is found that globalizing large economies of the developing world are characterized by large rise in trade and large fall in tariff barriers starting in 1980s. Economic growth compared to 1970s is higher for the following decade through 1990s. However, even with this figures, non-globalizing developing countries that are small did not gain the same success of their large economy counterparts. On the positive side, the welfare of the poor in respect to level of income is argued to have regression relevance with the level of trade. This study supported the role of globalization to poverty reduction and the effectiveness of economic growth to deliver the necessary benefits to industries, sectors and public at large. Still, the minority of small countries that may not have the sufficient market as well as institutional backbone to exploit large foreign capital inflows are hoping for the miracles of globalization. Conclusion Would I support Globalization in terms of growth? The answer is relative and as much as we would like to place straightforward answer we cannot. It is hard to generalize the behavior of developed countries towards transition economies. The overlapping issue is that the former is offering the latter with the chance to achieve the former economic status without going through historical hardships which can include war. This is an offer that is hard to give away especially that most governments of transition economies are administered by older people. In addition, inability to integrate relations to world affairs at least partially would make the transitional country weak against global shocks, external feud and addressing of internal objectives. To this view, globalization is for growth since it encourages transitional economies to join the globalization wave to improve national economy. On the flip side, it is rational for the leaders of transitional economies to make a well-prepared and if not rigid bilateral and multilateral agreements with trading partners. This is true especially when its internal resources are vulnerable to adverse spill-over effects of globalization. It is a conservative but helpful to view these treaties as anti-growth particularly on quality of life, history and well-being of the nation’s identity. Internal resources do not only include people, places and things but also intangible resources like ideologies and memories. Globalization serves as intervening if not modifying mechanisms to status quo of these components. As a result, to be able to protect the non-economic growth of several national treasures and resources, seeing globalization as anti-growth to internal well-being is valid. References Besley, Timothy J, Burgess, Robin (2003). Halving global poverty. Journal of economic perspectives, 17(3), 3-22. David Dollar, Aart Kraay (2004) Trade, Growth, and Poverty* The Economic Journal 114 (493), F22–F49 Deaton, Angus. (2001a), â€Å"Counting the World’s Poor’s Problems and Possible Solutions,† World Bank Research Observer, 16(2), 125-47. Park, A. and S. Wang (2001), â€Å"China’s Poverty Statistics,† China Economic Review, 23, 384-95. Srinivasan, T. N.? Wallack, J. S. ,â€Å"Globalization,Growthandthe Poor†,in De Economist, 152 (2), 2004, p. 251

Digital Certificates :: Essays Papers

Digital Certificates General Introduction The creation of Digital Ids has become lately a big need since a variety of electronic transaction including e-mail, electronic commerce, groupware and electronic funds transfer have made a part of everyone's life especially those that accessing the net makes the basis of their daily work where nothing can introduce them or identify them but a digital certificate that is authenticated for the server. Thus, in order to prove your identity in electronic transactions, just as a driver license or a passport does in face-to-face interaction, came the need to create Digital Ids that are instrumental in establishing a secure channel for communicating any sensitive information back to the server. In this way, every document or data or information sent to friends, associations, firms... are authentic. In more words, Digital Ids are presented to show your right to access information or online services. Digital Ids are also known as certificates. They are issued by certification authority (ca) such as Verisign, that provides besides issuing, revocation and renewing of the certificates. Therefor Digital Ids provide a more complete security solution. A Digital Id typically contains the: 1- Owner's public key. 2- Owner's name. 3- Expiration date of the public key. 4- Name of the issuer (the certification authority that issued the Id ex: Verisign). 5- The serial number of the Digital Id. 6- Digital signature of the issuer. Types of Certificates. 1- Personal Certificates: used to identify yourself to the server and to all users. 2- Server Certificates: designed to protect you and your visitors to your site, it's used by secure servers who ensure the user that his affiliation is legitime. 3- Advantages: a- Authenticate your site: A Digital certificate on your server automatically communicates your site's authenticity to visitor's web browsers, confirming that the visitor is actually communicating with you, and not with a fraudulent site stealing credit card numbers or any personal information. b- keep private communication private: Digital Certificates encrypt the data visitors that exchange with your site to keep it safe from interception or tampering using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology, the industry-standard method for protecting web communications. Virtually all web servers and leading browsers, including Netscape Communicator, are optimized and ready for SSL. To activate SSL sessions with visitors to your site, all you need is a Digital Certificate for your sever. c- Identity visitors: If visitors to your site use personal Digital Certificates, your server can instantly recognize them, facilitating instant log-in ( and preventing later repudiation of the web transaction ).

A good detective story Essay

What makes the story of ‘The Speckled Band’ by ‘Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’ a good detective story? â€Å"†¦ A story that tells of crime and the detection of criminals. † The dictionary definition of a detective story – but this isn’t all we expect from a detective story. We expect atmospheric settings, interesting characters, mysterious crime, suspense, an evil plot and a hero that saves the day right at the eleventh hour, accompanied by a faithful companion. These are a few factors that mould together to make a good story. In this essay I will explore some of these factors and decide whether ‘The Speckled Band’ has enough good features. Sherlock Holmes is the hero. He is the well-spoken detective that never ceases to amaze the reader with his extensive knowledge of the world he lives in. â€Å"The left arm of your jacket is splattered with mud†¦ the marks are perfectly fresh†¦ There is no vehicle save a dog-cart which throws up mud in that way†¦ â€Å". He is the perfect gentlemen and in my imagination is immaculately dressed in only the finest of clothes. However, I have seen illustrations of him that may have influenced this image. He doesn’t seem to fear anything; he handles the most dangerous situations with the calmest of attitudes. An example of his fearless attitude is when Dr Roylott confronted him and aggressively bent a poker out of shape. Holmes casually straightened it back out again and didn’t lose his temper in the slightest. He gathers clues and even though they are mentioned to us, his intelligence allows him to see perfectly ordinary objects in a way we can’t. For instance, a leash with a knot tied in it, or a saucer of milk. Holmes reveals that her knew they were part of the crime but how, we may never know. He seems to be able to piece together hidden clues and build up to the final picture before the reader has even had chance to fathom out the first set of clues! He’s quick, smart and can follows clues like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Helen Stoner is the sister of the victim. She goes to Sherlock Holmes in confidence that he will solve the mystery and let her live in peace again. The death of her sister, Julia Stoner, shook her up so much that she shivers in fear. She was in a â€Å"†¦ pitiable state of agitation†¦ † her face was â€Å"all drawn and grey† and her eyes looked like those of a â€Å"†¦ hunted animal†. The death had caused her visible stress and she had become restless which in turn had affected her health. She is in a dangerous position and if Holmes doesn’t act quickly, she too may suffer the same fate as her beloved sister. Dr Roylott is the father of Helen and Julia. His aggressive, violent nature does him no favours and if anything only confirms Holmes’ suspicions. An example of his frightful temper would be during his confrontation with Holmes: â€Å"see that you keep yourself out of my grip†. Holmes, undeterred, carried on his investigations later to find Dr Roylott victim of his own crime†¦ dead. Julia Stoner, the initial victim, was engaged to a half pay major of the marines. We do not learn anything about her fianci other than this information. However, it is made clear that Julia getting married would leave less inheritance for her father, Dr Roylott. This is the proposed motive. There is little information about Julia in the text but enough to start building ideas about the crime. The narrator, Dr Watson, an enthusiastic supporter and faithful friend of Sherlock Holmes, follows all Holmes’ investigations. He is quick to learn and very eager to do so: â€Å"me dear fellow, I would not miss it for anything†. We are not given much information about him in the story, because he is telling it. All these characters make the story an enjoyable read. As to the original question, what makes the story a good detective story, I think it is all the components such as the characters and their individual personalities; a motive; a crime; the suspense; and the settings. All these fit together to make the final picture, a good story!

Why Some Governments Are More Willing Than Others To Help Tackle Climate Change:

Climate change is the significant change in the earth’s climate during a period of 30 years. Some governments may be more willing than others to help tackle climate due to advantages and disadvantages for their countries.Some governments may not agree to tackle climate change as it could affect their economy. An example of this are NCI’s, for example China. China is behind the mass production of many products therefore their carbon emissions are very high. Tackling climate change may not be in the interest of China as it could mean a negative affect on the countries growth and industrialisation. This may be why some governments may be more willing than others to help tackle climate.Developing countries may also be reluctant in tackling climate change as they may argue that it is the responsibility of MEDCs as they are the one’s who emit the most carbon dioxide. They may believe that as they are not the one’s contributing highly to climate change they shoul d not invest money into tackling it. This money could be used for things such as food, clothing and medicine which they may believe are more important than helping the climate. Why should developing countries have to suffer for the damaged MEDCs are doing just to live luxurious lives. This is why developing countries may be reluctant to tackle climate change.Some countries such as Norway are more willing to tackle climate change. This is because they believe it is in their people’s interest to tackle climate change as preventing climate change now will make a huge beneficial impact in the long term. â€Å"Norway, UK, U.S. Allocate $280 Million to Stop Deforestation†. Norway has already started investing money to tackle climate change, this because of pressure from the people in Norway, to avoid conflict the government has seen it is in their best interest to listen to their people and invest money in stopping climate change. This may be why some governments may be more willing than others to help tackle climate.Some LEDCs may want to tackle climate change as it will be very beneficial in the future. This relates to countries such as the Maldives and Bangladesh. Both countries are low laying countries and if the impacts of climate change keeps getting worse than both countries are at risk of being of being underwater due to the huge increase in sea level rise. By tackling climate change they are taking away this risk. Also it is in the interest of other countries to help them as losing a lot of land due to flooding will mean loss of huge amounts of space.Bangladesh is densely populated if it were to lose its land; the people would need to move to other countries taking over their land and space, ultimately increasing their chance of natural disasters. Also Maldives is a country where the government want set an example, to show what it is like to be carbon neutral. Therefore by tackling climate change now they could start a whole new revolution hav ing a very positive impact on the world.Countries such as the Philippines will be very eager to start tackling climate change now, especially because of recent events. The government has seen the consequences of not taking action during hurricane Hyan; where huge scales of damage occurred. If the Philippines had tackled climate change before they may have been able to save many lives. Therefore countries such as the Philippines may be more willing than other to tackle climate change.

Industrial Revolution in Western Europe Essay Example

Industrial Revolution in Western Europe Essay Example Industrial Revolution in Western Europe Essay Industrial Revolution in Western Europe Essay The eighteenth century witnessed the arrival of widespread industrialisation in Western Europe. Many countries underwent the gradual transition from a predominantly agrarian society to industrial development on an extensive scale and the introduction of the modern factory system. Great Britain was thefirst European country to experience this profound economic and social transformation and it can be labelled the innovator to the process of industrialisation, the stimulus to development. Why was Britain at the forefront of the progression to advanced society David Landes (1969) states that there was a, piling up of various factors which triggered off a chain reaction. It is indicated that Britain, in this period of time, was propitious for invention and expansion due to a number of determinants, such as, agricultural circumstances, population growth and hence availability of labour, capital and raw materials, improvements in transport, growth in overseas trade, willingness of capitalists to invest, non-conformists, its political system and the recently studied phenomena of proto-industrialisation. By no means is there an order of importance, as each and every one of these factors contributed to Britains ability and facility to industrialise there existed a fertile soil in which the seed of industrialisation could grow. English agriculture between the late seventeenth century and mid-nineteenth century is commonly regarded as a huge success with respect to the economy as a whole. Some believe that agriculture should be sufficiently developed so that there is a release in labour and resources for modern industry to transpire. Others believe that a revolution in farming techniques is an essential prerequisite to the modernisation of manufacturing and transport industries.

Fun Ways to Assess Student Learning Informally

Fun Ways to Assess Student Learning Informally There are a variety of ways to assess a student’s progress and understanding. Two of the primary methods are formal and informal assessments. Formal assessments include tests, quizzes, and projects. Students can study  and prepare for these assessments in advance, and they provide a systematic tool for teachers to measure a student’s knowledge and evaluate learning progress. Informal assessments are more casual, observation-based tools. With little advance preparation and no need to grade the results, these assessments allow teachers to get a feel for student progress and identify areas in which they might need more instruction. Informal assessments can help teachers  pinpoint students’ strengths and  weaknesses and guide planning for upcoming lessons.   In the classroom, informal assessments are important because they can help identify potential problem areas and allow for course correction before students are required to demonstrate understanding at a formal evaluation. Many homeschooling families prefer to rely almost entirely on informal assessments because they are often a more accurate indicator of understanding, particularly for students who don’t test well. Informal assessments can also provide vital student feedback without the stress of tests and quizzes. Following are just a few examples of creative informal assessments for your classroom or homeschool. Observation Observation is the heart of any informal assessment, but it is also a key stand-alone method. Simply watch your student throughout the day. Look for signs of excitement, frustration, boredom, and engagement. Make notes about the tasks and activities that elicit these emotions. Keep samples of student work in  chronological order  so that you can identify progress and areas of weakness. Sometimes you don’t realize how much a student has progressed until you compare their current work to previous samples. Author Joyce Herzog has a simple but effective method of observing progress. Ask your student to do simple tasks such as writing an example of each math operation he understands, writing the most complicated word he knows he can spell correctly, or  writing a sentence (or short paragraph). Do the same process once a quarter or once a semester to gauge progress. Oral Presentations We often think of oral presentations as a type of formal assessment, but they can be a fantastic informal assessment tool, as well. Set a timer for  one or two  minutes and ask your student to tell you what he’s learned about a particular topic. For example, if you are learning about parts of speech, you could ask your students to name as many prepositions as they can in 30 seconds while you write them on the whiteboard. A broader approach is to present students with a sentence starter and let them take turns finishing it. Examples include: â€Å"My favorite thing about this topic was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"The most interesting or surprising thing I learned about this was†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Å"This historical figure was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Journaling Give your students one to three minutes at the end of each day to journal about what they learned. Vary the daily journaling experience by asking students to: list 5-10 facts they’ve learned about a topicwrite about the most exciting thing they learned that daylist one or two things they’d like to know more aboutnote something that they’re having trouble understandinglist ways that you could help them understand a topic better. Paper Toss Let your students write questions for each other on a piece of paper. Instruct students to crumple their paper, and let them have an epic paper wad toss. Then, have all the students pick up one of the paper balls, read the question aloud, and answer it. This activity wouldn’t work well in most homeschool settings, but it’s an excellent way for students in a classroom or homeschool co-op to get the wiggles out and check their knowledge on a topic they’ve been studying. Four Corners Four Corners is another fantastic activity for getting kids up and moving while also assessing their knowledge. Label each corner of the room with a different option such as strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree, or A, B, C, and D. Read a question or statement and have students go to the corner of the room that represents their answer. After students reach their corner, allow them a minute or  two to discuss their choice in their group. Then, choose a representative from each group to explain or defend that group’s answer. Matching/Concentration Let your students play matching (also known as  concentration) in groups or pairs. Write questions on one set of cards and answers on the other. Shuffle the cards and lay them, one by one, face down on a table. Students take turns turning over two cards trying to match a question card with the correct answer card. If a student makes a match, he gets another turn. If he does not, it’s the next players turn. The student with the most matches wins. Concentration is an extremely versatile game. You can use math facts and their answers, vocabulary words and their definitions, or historical figures or events with their dates or details. Exit Slips At the end of each day or week, have your students complete an exit slip before leaving the classroom. Index cards work well for this activity. You can have the questions printed on the cards, written on the whiteboard, or you can read them aloud. Ask your students to fill out the card with answers to statements such as: Three  things I learnedTwo  questions I haveOne thing I didn’t understandWhat I found most interesting This is an excellent activity for gauging what students have retained about the topic they are studying and to determine areas which may need more explanation. Demonstration Supply the tools and let students show you what they know, explaining the process as they go. If they’re learning about measurements, provide rulers or a tape measure and items to measure. If they’re studying plants, offer a variety of plants and let students point out the different parts of the plant and explain what each does. If students are learning about biomes, provide the settings for each (drawings, photos, or dioramas, for example) and model plants, animals, or insects that one might find in the biomes represented. Let students place the figures in their correct settings and explain why they belong there or what they know about each. Drawings Drawing is an excellent way for creative, artistic, or kinesthetic learners to express what they’ve learned. They can draw the steps of a process or create a comic strip to depict a historical event. They can draw and label plants, cells, or the parts of a knight’s armor. Crossword puzzles Crossword puzzles make a fun, stress-free informal assessment tool. Create puzzles with a crossword puzzle maker, using definitions or descriptions as the clues. Accurate answers result in a correctly-completed puzzle. You can use crossword puzzles to evaluate understanding of a variety of history, science, or literature topics such as states, presidents, animals, or even sports. Narration Narration is a method of student evaluation widely used in homeschooling circles and inspired by Charlotte Mason, a British educator, at the turn of the 20th century. The practice involves having a student tell you, in his own words, what he has heard after a read-aloud or learned after studying a topic. Explaining something in one’s own words requires comprehension of the subject. Using narration is a useful tool for discovering what a student has learned and identifying areas that you may need to  cover more thoroughly. Drama Invite students to act out scenes or create puppet shows from topics they’ve been studying. This is especially effective for historical events or biographical studies. Drama can be an exceptionally valuable and easy-to-implement tool for homeschooling families. It’s common for young children to incorporate what they’re learning into their pretend play. Listen and observe as your children play to evaluate what they’re learning and what you may need to clarify. Student Self-evaluation Use self-evaluation to help students  reflect on and assess  their own progress.  There are many options for a simple self-assessment. One is to ask students to raise their hands to indicate which  statement applies to them: â€Å"I fully understand the topic,† â€Å"I mostly understand the topic,† â€Å"I’m a little confused,† or â€Å"I need help.† Another option is to ask students to give a thumbs up, a sideways thumb, or a thumbs down to indicate fully understand, mostly understand, or need help. Or use a five-finger scale and have students hold up the number of fingers that corresponds to their level of understanding. You may also want to create a self-evaluation form for students to complete. The form can list statements about the assignment and boxes for students to check if they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree that the statement applies to their assignment. This type of self-evaluation would also be useful for students to rate their behavior or participation in class.

Judicial Resolutions to State School Financing Case Study

Judicial Resolutions to State School Financing - Case Study Example In its ruling, the Court found that poor communities had to have a high tax rates to generate relatively low per-pupil revenue whereas wealthy communities could have low tax rates and yet still generate relatively high per-pupil revenue (Merrow, 2004). The Court opined that "affluent districts can have their cake and eat it too; they can provide a high quality education for their children while paying lower taxes. Poor districts, by contrast, have no cake at all" (Coon, 1999, citing Serrano). In an attempt to address such a complex social issue, the Court applied the equal-protection analysis of wealth as a suspect classification by extending it for the first time to school districts and ultimately ordered the state legislature to change school financing laws (Coon, 1999). Subsequent legislation was passed that was designed to equalize school funding by increasing state funds for poor communities while putting a cap on per-pupil revenues in wealthy districts and redistributing some of their local property taxes to poor districts (Merrow, 2004). However, the Court had failed to consider that 75% of poor children lived in high spending districts, and it effectively led to low school spending for most poor children (Merrow, 2004). In addition, the public was disconcerted in paying property taxes and in supporting any increase in property taxes that were not helping their local schools (Merrow, 2004). Judicial Resolutions 4 Because of the existing and continuing disparities in school funding and educational disparities, it is doubtful that the Serrano decision can be credited with defining and bringing about the educational equality that its original supporters were hoping for in their praise following the Court's ruling. However, the case can concretely be credited with bringing about massive revision in school financing in California and it spurred an immediate wave of similar rulings and legislative action in other states (Brimley, 2003). The effects of those revisions, even in light of subsequent cases that seemed to rule to the contrary, have lasted through the last several decades and continue to impact education today. San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (1973) In San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 1 (1973), issues very similar to those in Serrano were before the Supreme Court of the United States. The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD), acting on behalf of students whose families resided in poor districts, challenged the Texas state funding scheme by arguing that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause by underprivileging such students because their schools lacked the vast property