Documents of American History

There have been a number of amendments within the United States Constitution that have distinguished themselves as having an important and lasting quality, more so than other amendments. The first amendment with its protection of religious freedom, freedom of the press, assembly, speech and petition is seen as the most important. The 2nd amendment which states that a well organized militia is allowed to carry arms and which the Supreme Court has interpreted it to mean all law abiding citizens have the right to carry arms has been a source of debate for many years.There are two amendments within the Constitution that are terribly important, yet have been forgotten in the years since its passage. The 14th Amendment, which established citizenship for all persons born within the United States had enormous historical and political implications as it overturns the Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision of 1857, strengthens the 13th Amendment and helps pave the way for the 15th Amendment as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1875. The second important yet forgotten amendment within the Constitution is the 19th Amendment which gives woman the right to vote.This amendment as well has large historical and political implications as well since the current frontrunner in the quest for the Democratic nomination for President is Hillary Clinton: a woman. This modern turn of events would not have been made possible if not only for the 19th amendment but also the decades of protests and all the work on behalf of women’s suffrage that took place. The 14th Amendment states that no state can infringe upon the rights of any person, regardless of their race: â€Å"Section 1.All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State depri ve any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. † This is a key aspect of the text as it helps to strengthen the 13th amendment as well. With the passage of the 13th amendment on January 1, 1863, nothing really changed.The Southern States, who were in rebellion against the Union, felt that they were no longer bound to obey any laws that came out of Washington. The amendment would have to be recognized once the Union won the Civil War and brought the southern states back into the Union. To a lesser degree, the same could be said about the 14th amendment and its relation to its predecessor, the 13th amendment. After the war, there was no longer any slavery and four million African Americans were left at the doorstep of the Federal government while still residing in the Southern states.The great migration of African Americans to the Northern cities was still decades in the fu ture. So as a result, southern legislatures sought to put African Americans back in a type of quasi slavery though oppressive Jim Crow and black code laws. These laws were designed to return blacks to their pre war condition of submission to the white establishment. This was accomplished through restrictive measures that prevented African Americans from suing in court, testifying in court, being a member of a jury as well as being able to own a gun.African Americans were not allowed to gather on a street corner by themselves and racial discrimination regarding public places was understood to be included in these black codes as well. The 14th amendment was passed during Reconstruction. Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated and Vice President Johnson, a southerner from Tennessee had been made president. He was from the south but loathed the south’s actions of rebellion during the civil war. However, those feelings seem to pass as he vetoed nearly every civil rights bill that wa s passed by Congress during his years in office.It would be these actions by President Johnson that would give him the dubious honor of being the first President to be impeached. He avoided banishment by one vote in the senate but the success of his presidency was over. It is in this context that the 14th amendment was passed since in the end, the 14th amendment is a civil rights bill that would be challenged in the years after its passage. The 14th Amendment did not go as far as the Radical Republicans, as they were called, wanted it to go.The 15th amendment and the 1875 Civil Rights Act, built upon the power that the 13th and 14th amendments went in securing the rights of individuals under the Constitution, regardless of their race. The power of the 14th Amendment would be limited after the Supreme Court outlawed the 1875 Civil Rights Act which was built upon the power of the 14th amendment. The Supreme Court said that only the state was prohibited from infringing upon the Civil R ights of an individual and that private businesses could be allowed to implement such practices as segregation or refusal to rent or sell to an African American if they chose to do so.The power of the 14th Amendment would be further decreased with the 1890 Supreme Court Case Plessey vs. Ferguson. The Supreme Court held that the states could not impose segregation on public places as long as those facilities were â€Å"separate but equal. † There were many at the time of the passage of the 14th amendment and who felt that they were responsible for it passage, who regarded the 14th amendment as having broad powers concerning its ability to give African Americans equal protection and recognition under the law. In the immediate years after the passage of the amendment, this seemed to be more and more, less likely to occur.The original intent of the law and its power would not be seen until the 20th century with such decisions as Brown vs. Board or Education (1954) which stuck dow n forever, racial discrimination within public places. Another important aspect of the 14 amendment was the fact that since African Americans was now seen as citizens, their representation in Congress needed to be known. The section reads: Section 2. â€Å"Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed.But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens sh all bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.† Although not at the immediate time of its passage, this section allows for African Americans, now citizens, to be represented in Congress. This struck down the previous â€Å"three-fifths† clause which states that for political reasons, African Americans would be counted as only 3/5 of a vote and therefore, not seen by the government as a complete person. The 14th amendment, continuing on the theme of Civil Rights, struck down this offensive aspect of the Original Constitution in order to give African Americas, now citizens, the rights afforded to them as citizens of The United States of America.Full rights for African Americans would not be realized for many more decades but the 14th amendment did a great deal in increasing those rights that help each citizen to feel as though they are a part of the democratic process and are recognized in such a capacity. The struggle for womenâ€⠄¢s suffrage reached its peak during the late 1800s. But the famous 1848 meeting at Seneca Falls New York, directed by Elizabeth Caty Stanton and Lucretia Mott, two giants in the cause for women’s suffrage fought long and hard for the right to be able to vote.The first state to allow women to vote was Wyoming in 1870 and women were even allowed to sit as jurors but there was no federal amendment to protect a woman’s right to vote and the majority of the country did not recognize a woman’s right to vote. The cause for women’s suffrage would enjoy a resurgence during the abolitionist days and the move against slavery. The fight for equal rights for African Americans could not help but remind the female abolitionists that they did not even have some of the rights that the former slaves were bound to receive once their freedom would be won.This came to fruition with help from the 14th Amendment. This amendment not only gave citizenship to all individuals that were born in the United States, meaning four million former slaves would now be considered citizens but also gave voting rights to all males in the country. In May 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association was founded by Elizabeth Caty Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The organization set out to win a national amendment which would grant women the right to vote. In November 1869, the American Woman Suffrage Association was formed and fought for both state and federal woman suffrage amendments.This helped lay the groundwork for the national campaigns in Washington D. C. in 1912. In 1917, the Susan B. Anthony Federal Suffrage amendment was placed before the House. In 1919, both houses of Congress approved the amendment and it went to the state legislatures for ratification. The approval of thirty six states were needed before the suffrage amendment could become law and surprisingly, the states moved with surprising speed and in August 1920, the 19th Amendment became part of the Cons titution. The wording of the amendment reads as such:The right of citizens in the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Both the 14th and 19th Amendments expand the rights of an important segment of the population. Such amendments have been forgotten because the rights that they protect are seen as never having a starting point for a large segment of the population that seems oblivious to anything that has happened before they were born.Recently, a popular comedy television show, had as one of its comedy pieces, set up a table outside of a busy walkway and sought out women to sign a petition: â€Å"To end Women’s Suffrage. † An alarming number of women as well as men signed the petition, possibly confusing suffrage for suffering. It is due to this amazing level of ignorance that the history, wording and influence of these above mentioned amendments be reintroduced into the nation’s consciousness.The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote but it also told women what they already knew: that they were an important aspect of the American democratic system and that their involvement was required. Women then became governors, senators, representatives, Supreme Court judges and in 2008, possibly the next President of the United States. The 19th Amendment helped make all of this come to fruition, along with the dedication and perseverance of a lot of women and men as well.The 14th amendment is also one of those amendments whose forgotten memory serves as an impediment to every American who assumes that they ways that things are today, is how they have always been. In this manner, history’s importance is all too often underestimated as ignorance breeds apathy for the works and sacrifice of others who came before. When Americans think of civil rights, they think of Martin Luther King Jr. Ro sa Parks and perhaps even Jesse Jackson. But the study of civil rights must first start in the 18th and 19th century if at all.â€Å"The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments which greatly increased the rights for all peoples, regardless of their race as well as the 19th amendment, all had their origins in the 19th century. † And as it is with most amendments, its origins are seen years and decades before its actual passage and many times, opens the door for further legislation in the future. The 14th and 19th amendments are two examples of this. Sadly, America’s heroes are based more upon pop culture and the every day actions of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. More is known about their unimportant lives than the sacrifices of Elizabeth Caty Stanton and Susan B.Anthony despite the fact that their actions have a more encompassing and important affect on their lives than pop culture ever will, or at least should. Every amendment within the Constitution should be studied and re cognized for what it is and does. This is especially true for the 14th and 19th amendments. WORKS CITED Commanger, Henry Steele. Documents of American History. New York: Century Publishers, 1947 Perry, Michael. We the People. The 14th Amendment and the Supreme Court. New York: Oxford University Press. 1999. The Supreme Court. PBS Video: Thirteen Production. February 24, 2007

Why Cosmetology

I haven't had an actual job related to this career, other than doing freelance Jobs when asked to. It is because of the freelance work Vive done that I decided to take this career path for now. I thought to myself, why not make more money off something I do already anyway? Like Jessica, from Real Stories, I have changed my mind a lot about the kind of career I want to. One thing I am sure of now though Is that I don't want to be a cosmetologist for the rest of my life.I can definitely see myself In a Job that Is unrelated to Cosmetology. My goal Is to make a change in people's lives, and I feel Like this Is one way of doing that. If making people feel better about their appearance gives them self-confidence, I have done my lob. This relates to the career I actually want which Is to be a Youth Probation Officer because I want to make a change In young people at an early age. A cosmetologist and a probation officer are two completely different careers, but when you really hint about it they both try and make an impact in people's lives.I am sometimes concerned that I will go through what Jessica from Real Stories went through. I am scared that the career I want is nothing like what I expected. If I were Jessica I would have done more research on the work environment of the job. Online research is always good, but there is nothing like interviewing someone that is exactly where you want to be. They have been there and can tell you exactly what to expect. We should always have options in life.I personally get bored of the same routine. This could affect my decision of the career I want in the long run. So, I think it is a good idea to attend graduate school to expand our options. We never know how a job really is until we actually start working it. It doesn't matter the amount of research we do on a specific career because everyone's experience is different. We are individuals, and some might love it and others might hate it. We should always have options and be pr epared.

Business Psychology and Organisational Behaviour Essay - 3

Business Psychology and Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example It is believed to be gathering together the biological aspects or inborn features related to desires, urges, needs and impulses to seek immediate gratification. Id ignores consequences. Every individual tend to focus on the pleasure principle to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. In order to release tension it fantasizes and applies pleasurable sensations or feelings to any bodily functions (McKenna 31). The ego, Freud described, was related to the thinking and the problem solving aspect of personality. It has ability to learn through experience. It is based on reality principle. The ego controls id i.e. behavior and movements of the person through conscious approach. The ego selectively satisfies desires by avoiding negative impacts of the act. In other words, the ego postpones the release of the ids psychic energy until the right object or method is found. The concept of the ego is based on the individual’s conscious sense of himself (Edgcumbe 212). Superego emphasizes on the moral development standards and ethical values procured from parents or society. Every human being tends to internalize parental standards as their own. Superego uses guilt/anxiety as an important function. When aggressive forces stored in the superego are opposed with mental processes related to ego, it might lead to depression. When an individual is progressed from dependency towards autonomy, superego gradually becomes impersonal. The values acquired from parents get substituted by admired figures in society or high social ideals. His conscience acquires ethical character by the recognition of distinct principles and ideals. The interaction between these three mental processes gives rise to struggle which influences personality structure (Chan et al. 27). Id is a reservoir of psychic energy which does not obey any rules and regulations, while superego inhibits these intrinsic desires.  

Film Critique Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film Critique - Movie Review Example According to Buhler, et al (2009), full understanding of a drama or a movie calls for analysis of different aspect of the movie. Important analytical areas include a story set-up, use of different literature devices, character and characterization, and symbolic meaning of a story among others. This paper, in effect, analyzes the Wuthering Heights (1939) Film. Background Information Wuthering Heights is a film that reveals how individual’s choices and characters determine various happenings in a person’s life. The film is directed by William Wyler and produced by Samuel Goldwyn. The movie is romantic play that presents two confronting personalities, which are love and hatred. The film is based on an Emily Bronte’s novel, Wuthering Heights, which is also a romantic literature. It, however, depicts only 16 chapters out of 34 chapters of the novel. The romantic play revolves around two main characters, Catherine Earnshaw (Sarita Wooten) and Heathcliff (Laurence Olive r), whose love and affection for one another gradually increases since childhood (Hardy et al, scene 2 2009). The two characters, however, have a staggering relationship because of differences in their social status. Cathy is born in a wealthy family, whereas Heathcliff is a poor stable boy who is pessimistic about his acceptance in a society. Plot Summary and Storytelling The film unfolds in a flashback. The story is narrated by a housekeeper, Ellen Dean, to a stranger Lockwood (Miles Mander) (Sharma, 2010). The house-lady recounts the story to Mr. Lockwood, who takes a shelter at the Wuthering Heights estates. The curtains open by showing a comfortable life Mr. Earnshaw (Cecil Kellaway), a farmer, has with his children, Hindley (Douglas Scott) and Cathy a friendly farmer. The film producer portrays Mr. Earnshaw as a friendly farmer who interacts freely with his family and other people. Being a generous and congenial gentleman, the farmer rescues a street child, Heathcliff. The kid is loved by all members of the Earnshaw’s family except Hindley. The street boy and Cathy soon become intimate friends, a behavior that does not please Hindley. After the demise of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley expresses his cruel enmity towards Heathcliff and stops him from marrying his sister. Heathcliff gets angry and leaves his â€Å"family.† When the street boy comes back, he finds that Cathy is married to Edgar Linton (David Niven), a rich neighbor (Sharma, 2010). Acting The drama involves many characters, each of whom contributes to plot development and theme illustration. Individual contributions, however, vary from one character to another depending on roles played in the film. According to Bloom (2000), characters in the movie are categorized as active and passive actors. Active actors, whom the story revolves around, are Heathcliff and Cathy. Heathcliff is portrayed as an important actor who, despite his poor background, significantly assists in plot development. B y incorporating the street boy in the Earnshaw’s family the theme of love and selfishness is revealed. The street kid also reveals how certain individual’s have good characters despite being in a society rotten with evil things. The actor, moreover, discloses the theme of revenge and several stylistic devices such as irony. Even though he has a low societal status, he is able to cause

The integration of Drama Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The integration of Drama - Research Paper Example A separate stream of education called Theatre in Education (TIE) came up after the Second World War (Farrell, 2002). Drama has been established as successful as a correction tool (Okhakhu, & Usrwoma, 2006)   and as an educational tool(James, 2009).The basic philosophy behind using drama as a process based tool in education is that children tend to use experiences and experiments to learn than reading and listening (Booth, 1994). This basic understanding has been further researched and developed into pedagogies catering specifically to the various learning outcomes. The specific learning requirements of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children also demand a free platform to do and experience. Research on curriculum catering for the special needs of children with emotional and behavioural disabilities have suggested that such programmes must mandatorily include â€Å"provision of coursework and educational activities relevant to students’ real-world experiences and go als that include a variety of non traditional curriculum,† and, â€Å"provision of effective programming that facilitates students’ social, emotional, and behavioural growth† (Hughes & Adera, 2006).Drama can ideally include these two criteria. Drama has been found by the educational and physiological as an ideal platform for children to have a free environment to enhance learning. The basic strategy in using drama in the curriculum of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children.... gested that such programmes must mandatorily include â€Å"provision of coursework and educational activities relevant to students’ real-world experiences and goals that include a variety of non traditional curriculum,† and, â€Å"provision of effective programming that facilitates students’ social, emotional, and behavioural growth† (Hughes & Adera, 2006).Drama can ideally include these two criteria. Drama has been found by the educational and physiological as an ideal platform for children to have a free environment to enhance learning. The basic strategy in using drama in the curriculum of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children is to make learners engage in the learning process. The objective of this essay is to analyse the scope of drama as an effective learning tool to be incorporated in the curriculum of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children. Drama as cooperative activity Children with behavioural and emotional disabilities or is sues find it difficult to cope with their peers. They also find it very difficult to place themselves in a classroom environment. Thus the basic problem that behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children face in a classroom is that they encounter with a learning environment which they find difficult to cope up with. In the case of behaviourally and emotionally disturbed children, it is a general observation that apart from class room settings, they find it difficult to social gatherings and avenues of cooperative activities. Researches in Psychotherapy have suggested engaging these students in positive environments involving cooperative activities as one of the remedial measures in tacking behavioural issues. Drama serves as an ideal platform for this. It involves wide varieties of cooperative activities

Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Cancer - Essay Example Neurologic examination is where the doctor examines the patient for attentiveness, strength of the muscles and coordination, any spontaneous effect and reaction to pain. The doctor also conducts an examination of the eyes to identify any swelling of the nerve connecting the brain and the eye which might have been caused by the pressure inserted by the tumor. With CT scan, an X-ray is conducted where the results are observed from a computer connected to the x-ray machine which clearly shows the position and the size of the tumors. MRI is where a high magnetic material is connected to a computer which shows detailed and clear pictures of the body that is provided by the means of a special dye which makes different tissues distinct. The pictures can be printed out (Potts & Mandleco, 2012). The primary level of health care is the first step where patients are exposed to health care systems which are normally the smaller health care facilities like the dispensaries serving the local community. Mostly, this unit involves simple diagnostic measures, preventive and curative where in-patients services are rare. Nurses are mostly found in this stage that will refer the patient to a district hospital which provides better services and in-patients services. The nurse examines the general sciences and symptoms of illness from the patient who then refers the patient for further treatment from the district level because the facility has no the necessary machines and equipment to examine the patient further (Potts & Mandleco 2012).

Energy from Sunlight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Energy from Sunlight - Essay Example Countries which receive a lot of sunlight in a year are in an advantageous position than the countries in the far north who do not receive sufficient sunlight. The term used for the incoming solar radiation striking a surface at a particular time is insolation. According to Solar Energy International, on a clear day, the total insolation striking the earth is around 1000 watts per square meter. (Solar Energy International) One of the ways to make use of solar energy is to use photovoltaic cells. The PV modules using arrays of PV cells is used to power a house. ". The PV modules should point towards the true south in the northern hemisphere. They should be inclined at an angle equal to the latitude of the place., so that they absorb the maximum energy throughout the year".(Hestnes, 27) According to TERI, an organization working for environmental concerns in India," :Solar energy can also be used to meet our electricity requirements. Through Solar Photovoltaic (SVP) cells, solar radiation gets converted into DC electricity directly. This electricity can either be used as it is or can be stored in the battery. This stored electrical energy then can be used at night."(TERI) The uses of the stored electricity generated using solar energy are many. Since it is stored, it can be used at night too. According to TERI, the stored solar energy can be used for "a.) domestic lighting. ,b.)street lighting, c)village electrification, d)water pumping, e)desalination of salty water, f) powering of remote telecommunications repeat stations and g)railway signals." (TERI) If energy is to be stored, then batteries would have to be used. Since the life of batteries are much shorter than the PV modules, it is better to... According to TERI, an organization working for environmental concerns in India,† :Solar energy can also be used to meet our electricity requirements. Through Solar Photovoltaic (SVP) cells, solar radiation gets converted into DC electricity directly. This electricity can either be used as it is or can be stored in the battery. This stored electrical energy then can be used at night.†(TERI)  The uses of the stored electricity generated using solar energy are many. Since it is stored, it can be used at night too. According to TERI, the stored solar energy can be used for â€Å"a.) domestic lighting. ,b.)street lighting, c)village electrification, d)water pumping, e)desalination of salty water, f) powering of remote telecommunications repeat stations and g)railway signals.† (TERI)  If energy is to be stored, then batteries would have to be used. Since the life of batteries are much shorter than the PV modules, it is better to get connected to a grid. Power can be sold   when it is in   excess and bought from the grid when   extra energy is needed .It must be remembered that   the selling rate is always less than the buying rate. Wherever batteries are used, they must be maintained.   Many countries have started using solar energy to augment their energy needs. According to a report in The Chronicle Herald of November 29, 2008, a town is Spain is making use of the space available in the cemetery to set up solar panels , because flat , open sun-drenched land is hard t come by in Santa Coloma de Gramenet.  

Poetry in Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poetry in - Assignment Example At the deathbed, the persona is willingly distributing earthly possessions to heirs, only for a buzzing fly to unexpectedly interrupt the will-assignment process. In this context, the fly is a symbol used to reinforce the idea of earthly distractions while trying to achieve spiritual composure just before death (Bennett 82). Admittedly, Emily Dickinson intended to demonstrate the element of skepticism or lack of absolute certainty common during inevitable but tragic situations in human life. Technically, the poet employed the literary device of symbolism in delineating mental and spiritual conflicts experienced by humans before dying. In the first line of the poem, the persona says, â€Å"I heard a Fly buzz – when I died.† In essence, the persona is already dead. However, the persona is reminiscent of the moments just before death struck. In this case, the buzzing fly is a symbol; a symbol of earthly distractions and a symbol of how man relates with distractions in the natural world. After the poem’s first line, the symbolic effect of the buzzing fly fades, until when the fly abruptly interrupts the persona while distributing earthly possessions to those present at the deathbed. In lines ten, eleven and twelve of the poem, the persona says, â€Å"I willed my Keepsakes – Signed away what portion of me be assignable – and then it was there interposed a Fly† (Frederic and Mason 591). In this case, the buzzing fly re-enters the room and invariably distract the dying persona from his will-assignment duties. Before the buzzing fly entered the room for the second time, the perso na had achieved a state of calm and resolved spiritual composure. The achieved spiritual calmness at the dying moments is illustrated by lines two, three and four of the poem which says, â€Å"The stillness in the room was like the stillness in the air between the heaves of storm† (Frederic and Mason 591). In this case, the dying persona was experiencing

Municipal Solid wastes at National level Essay Example for Free

Municipal Solid wastes at National level Essay India is one of the largest countries in the world whose multifaceted socio-economic progress occurred in the last 50 years since its independence in 1947 (Gupta, et. al. , 1998). Indian population is second largest in the world with 856 million in 1991 (Gupta, et. al. , 1998) and 1,027 million in 2001(COI, 2001). The country has an average annual growth rate of 1. 3% (Gupta, et. al. , 1998). The growth of the nation is shown by its rapid industrial and economic growth both in the public and private sectors. This has contributed to the changing of the general lifestyle of its people. Soon enough, they have begun to espouse an urban lifestyle (Jha et. al. , 2007). This drastic change in the lifestyle of the people of India triggered an increase in the production and consumption of all sorts of products. It further spawned additional economic activities – new or innovated products and services – that led to an overall great rise in the volume of wastes generated by the city (Sharholy et. al. , 2007; Jhaet. al. , 2007). Even the packaging of products has undergone an evolution. After all, these are all natural consequences of the city’s growth. Indeed the city has grown both in size and population. The number of territorial divisions has increased from 30 in 1919 to 155. The population has similarly increased from 5 lakhs in 1921 to approximately 42 lakhs. The increase in the city’s area is from 27. 6 sq. miles in 1921 to 174 sq. kms. (COC website) Several studies in the past (Bhoyar, et. al. , 1996; Esakku et. al. , 2007; Rathi, 2006) reveal that the composition of MSW in Indian cities have recorded higher percentages of earth and inert materials (35-52%), varying degradable matter (35-84%) and lowest recyclable material (10-20%) (Jha et. al. , 2007) and there has been a gradual increase in total MSW over the past several years in Chennai (COC, 2004). The increasing amounts of MSW have been causing problems that governmental agencies have been attempting to solve. The extent of the problem, which covers threats to the health and welfare of the people and the environment, just seemed to keep growing and there were no conclusive solutions in sight (Srinivas, 1998). With environmental concerns on top of the government’s agenda, the key area which needs an extensive importance at present is the MSW Management (MSWM). The system of garbage disposal and management poses a great challenge to the municipalities and the magnitude of which is not felt much, involves heavy cost, but derives only less concentration (Bhide and Sundersan, 1983). Chennai in past 20 years has shown increasing growth in population (Table 5; Figure 31), also there is substantialgrowth in industrial sector resulting in increased quantities of waste generated in the last 12 years (Table 1) (COC, 2004). MSW in Chennai, like in most other Indian cities is collected and dumped at open landfills. Ecologists and environmentalists around the world term this improper dumping technique, and argue that such open dumping of garbage poses serious health hazards and also disturbs environment leading to ecological imbalance, habitat modification and deterioration of species (Kansalet. al. , 1998; Sharholy et. , al, 2007). A study by Das et. al. (1998) show that about 90% of the wastes generated is disposed of by way of open dumping in landfills and such practice causes serious environmental and human health hazard. The quality of land, water and air also get deteriorated because of dumping at open landfills. They in turn influence an increase in leacheate percolation of environmental pollutants from garbage into naive environment, polluting the wetland and groundwater of the adjacent areas (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). Chennai Wards and Zones Chennai is divided into wards and several wards are grouped together as zones. There are totally 155 wards (Table 2, Figure 2) and 10 zones namely Tondiarpet (Zone I), Basin Bridge (Zone II), Pulianthope (Zone III), Ayanavaram (Zone IV), Kilpauk (Zone V), Ice House (Zone VI), Nungambakkam (Zone VII), Kodambakkam (Zone VIII), Saidapet (Zone IX), Adyar (Zone X) (Figure 3). Zone V (Kilpauk) is the largest zone with an area of 25. 62 sq. km and a population of 542,132 and Zone VI (Ice House) is the smallest zone with an area of 8. 24 sq. km and a population of 341,805 (Table 3) OK. Why does this matter? How does this relate to your overall question? Should this be in your introduction? MSW in Chennai Chennai is under enormous stress for a controlled MSWM and this is predominantly due to uncontrolled urbanization (Lakshumi et. al. ,2006). MSW handling and disposal in Chennai is jointly performed by Corporation of Chennai and Neel Metal Fanalca Environmental Management Private Limited (Figure 3), private-public participation. This is the second time Corporation of Chennai has joined hands with a private concern to collect and dispose MSW in Chennai (COC, 2004). Expand, why the second? What happened during the first? Earlier CES Onxy, a private MSW collection and disposal industry, handled disposal of solid wastes in three zones (zone VI, zone VIII, and zone X) in Chennai, where they cleared approximately 1000 tons/day of MSW between year 2000 and 2007 (COC, 2004). Onyx charged Rs. 1,212/ton (~$30 USD) of garbage cleared. After the contract period with Onyx, Corporation of Chennai called for fresh bid for tender towards solid waste management for the three zones; Kodambakkam (zone VIII), Adyar (zone X), and Ice House (zone VI). The Corporation has also planned to privatize fourth zone namely Pulianthope (zone III) (The Hindu, 2007). OK Chennai shows high quantities of organic wastes among the MSW collected everyday, primarily vegetable and fruit wastes collected from areas in-and-around the marketplace (Ramakrishnan, 2005) and in most other part of Chennai paper predominates MSW (Jhaet. al. , 2007). But with increasing consumerism, the amount of wastes produced has also been increasing and if this trend continues then the generation of waste would soon outnumber the rapid increasing population. Moreover, as the dumping sites and landfills are also nearly filling up, Corporation of Chennai is on the look for alternate dumpsites and effective MSWM techniques like recycling of wastes (Jha et. al. , 2007). Composition and Sources of MSW Reports from Corporation of Chennai show that organic wastes (food wastes, green wastes, timber) are of greater quantity among the MSW composition than other wastes (Table 4a). Also the main source of MSW waste is generated by the residential (Table 4b) (COC, 2004). Dumping grounds in Chennai Chennai has two open dumping grounds namely Kodungaiyur, which is the north Chennai and Perungudi in South Chennai (Figure 5). 1. Kodungaiyur dumping ground Kodungaiyur dumping ground is located within the city limits (Figure 5, 6 7). It is rectangular and has a total area of 350 acres, where 65 acres is owned by Corporation of Chennai while 285 acres is owned by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB). The soil type is clayey alluvial flatland. The dumpsite came to operational in 1980. The daily waste disposed from zone I-V at this site was 1600 to 1800 tons. The maximum life expectancy of Kodungaiyur dumping ground is until 2010 (COC, 2004; Jha et. al. , 2007) 2. Perungudi dumping ground Perungudi dumpsite is located outside City limits in South Chennai (Figure 5, 8 9). Perungudi dumpsite is also rectangular with a total area of 600 acres owned by CMWSSB. The dumpsite area is a wastewater disposal marshy land made of silty-clay alluvial soil. Perungudi dumpsite came to operational 7 years after Kodungaiyur dumping ground became operational and has a life expectancy until 2010. About 1500 to 1800 tons of garbage from zone VI-X is dumped here (COC, 2004; Jha et. al. , 2007). MSW Collection Chennai Municipality (Figure 11A) and Neel Metal Fanalca (Figure 11B) employ sanitary workers or sweepers who are either permanent staff or daily-paid temporary workers (Figure 10) who sweep and remove solid waste, like paper, plastics, organic debris, construction wastes etc every day. They sweep about every 50 meters of the roadside before they gather solid wastes on the adjacent roadside. Sanitary workers from Corporation of Chennai or private organizations engage in door-to-door domestic collection (Figure 12) of segregated and/or non-segregated solid wastes (both biodegradable/non-biodegradable and recyclable/non-recyclable) from residents, streets, roadsides and arterial roads in rotomould bins (Figure 13) and tricycles (Figure 12). The solid wastes thus collected in wheel barrows or tricycles are carried to the nearest collection point or collection depots (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). The MSW collection process includes either primary collection and/or the secondary collection. Primary collection of segregated and/or non-segregated wastes involves the transportation of wastes from the collection point to the nearest transfer station (Figure 14 15) or NGO-run recycling units through Light Motor Vehicle (LMVs) or compactors and this technique involves manpower completely in the collection process (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). Whereas in the secondary collection process each MSW collection worker is assigned with work schedules and work areas (COC, 2004) who transfer the accumulated garbage from collection points by way of compactors and tippers, and ferried to the disposal site where they are dumped (Sharholy et. al. , 2007). In many parts of Chennai, a small portion of the waste generated everyday lie around the garbage bins without being collected (Figure 28) and the collected portion is taken for disposal. The efficiency of collection of solid waste can be equated to the amount of garbage collected from the streets to the disposal sites divided by the total volume of MSW generated during that period. Studies made reveal that the two main aspects that contribute to MSW collection efficiency are manpower and transportation facilities (Sharholy et. al. , 2008). Segregation REWORD On an average, the city generates around 3,200 tons of garbage and 500 metric tons of building debris daily, of which recyclable and biodegradable waste would be approximately 40-45% and 40-45% of building debris and the rest non-biodegradable MSW (Sharholy et. al. , 2007; COC, 2004). If this 40-45% of recyclable and biodegradable wastes is removed, the life expectancy of the landfill would substantially increase and this is possible only with source segregation. Source segregation of MSW in Chennai has been a quest for Corporation of Chennai (Malarvizhi, 2007). Although they made efforts in few areas, as part of a pilot study, to improve awareness and segregate wastes at source (Figure 16), yet source segregation technique in Chennai is far to reach common public (Malarvizhi, 2007). On the contrary, few NGOs are also participating in source segregation awareness program and actively helping Corporation of Chennai in door-to-door source segregation programs (Malarvizhi, 2007). Some residents segregate their wastes into dry and wet wastes. Few others also dump the organic wastes in small pits where organic waste get decomposed, converted to compost and used as fertilizers (Rathi, 2006). Also to add, rag pickers play an active role in segregation of wastes, where they segregate wastes into paper, plastic, wood and metals before these are sold in recycling market for money (Figure 17) (Rathi, 2006).

Poetry Slam Essay Example for Free

Poetry Slam Essay On my visit to Bar13 I was instructed to watch a poetry slam. I have never experience such a vivid art of performing poetry. The only way I had experienced poetry before was by reading it from books. This has change the way I see poetry now. The poetry slam is a very competitive event in which the poets perform their work. The poets are judged by people of the audience. The host, who was pregnant, selected the judges who were instructed to give a numerical score (the score being 0 – 10). The score was based on the poets’ content and performance. I was a little hesitant when the host asked me to be a judge. Since this was the first time, I was scared that I wasn’t going to be a fair judge. The host explained to me the basic rules for the contest and how the poets are selected. The first rule one is that each poem must be the poet’s own work. The second is that each poet gets only three minutes to read or say the poem. The third is that they can’t use any musical instrument or costumes and the fourth and last one is that from the score the poets receive the high and low scores are dropped and the middle three are added together giving them a total score of 0 – 30. Before the contest started the microphone was open to other poets. In my opinion there were a couple of poets who were good. After the opening performance was done, the host presented a poet who has competed before. Her name was Gypsee. She performed for about 45 minutes, the content of her work was very good and her performance was excellent. I think she has practice a lot. I remember clearly two of her poems. One talked about crossing the Canadian bridge into the United States as an immigrant (she was born in Albania). The second one was about her childhood and soldiers with shotguns. During the slam there was different kind of poetry. It was very interesting to listen to a diverse range of work within the slam. It included love poetry, social issues, personal problems and even some were kind of comic. What I really like was the range of poets presented; they are free to do work in any style on any subject. I will recommend it to my friends and I would like to go back, it was a nice experience.

Link Between Obesity and Lack of Sleep

Link Between Obesity and Lack of Sleep Zara J. Damania Abstract This study aims to investigate whether there is a bidirectional relationship between poor sleep quality, high body mass index (BMI) and disordered eating (binge-eating and night-time eating). Participants were a community-derived sample (N= 330) of people recruited through advertisements placed at the Australian National University (ANU) campus and a number of online platforms. An online questionnaire asked participants for their height, weight and recent experiences of sleep and eating. Multiple regression analyses found that: (a) worse overall sleep quality and binge-eating (but not night-time eating) were positively associated with high BMI accounting for a significant 8% of the variability in BMI; and (b) high BMI and night-time eating (but not binge-eating) were positively associated with worse overall sleep quality accounting for 35.6% of the variability in worse overall sleep quality. These results indicate that disordered eating (binge- and/or night-time eating) partially des cribe the association between poor sleep quality and high BMI. Future research could be conducted using objective- rather than self-reported- measures of sleep quality, BMI and eating behaviour to control for inaccuracies that self-reported measures might pose. The Bidirectional Association between High Body Mass Index, Poor Sleep Quality and Disordered Eating This paper investigates whether there is a bidirectional relationship between poor sleep quality, high body mass index and disordered eating. Current research corroborates the association between poor sleep quality and being overweight or obese. Sleep quality is a broad concept that includes: sleep duration, difficulty falling and/or staying asleep and the use of sleep medications (Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman Kupfer, 1989; Krystal Edinger, 2008). This study makes use of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to measure sleep quality. PSQI is an effective and widely used self-reported instrument that is high in reliability and validity, consisting of questions that are easy to understand and answer (Buysse et al., 1989; Smyth, 1999). PSQI measures subjective sleep quality in seven distinct areas, including: sleep latency and sleep duration (Krystal Edinger, 2008; Smyth, 1999). One of the key interests in this study is the association between PSQ and having a high body mass index (BMI); i.e., being overweight or obese. According to the World Health Organisation’s classification, a BMI of ≠¥25 indicates that a person is overweight and ≠¥30 indicates that a person is obese (World Health Organization, 2000). Empirical evidence corroborates an association between PSQ and having a high BMI (hBMI). For instance, longitudinal studies and studies on large mixed-race and socioeconomically diverse samples found that sleeping less than seven hours and having trouble falling and/or staying asleep was positively associated with hBMI (Gangwisch, Malaspina, Boden-Albala Heymsfield, 2005; Meyer, Wall, Larson, Laska Neumark-sztainer, 2012). Furthermore, empirical findings from cross-sectional studies with mixed-race samples indicate that: obese individuals experience shorter sleep durations compared to non-obese individuals; for every hour of sleep lost th e risk of obesity increased by 80%; and PSQ leads to decreases in physical activity which is consequently associated with hBMI (Cappuccio, et al., 2008; Gupta, Mueller, Chan Meininger, 2002) Very few studies that attempted to explain how PSQ is associated with hBMI found that sleep apnea might mediate this relationship (Yeh Brown, 2014). Sleep apnea refers to sleep disturbance due to continual interruptions to airflow through the nose and mouth on at least 30 occasions during a seven-hour sleep period (Guilleminault, Tilkian Dement, 1976). However, sleep apnea is relatively uncommon in the population (Tishler, Larkin, Schulchter Redline, 2003) while PSQ is more common (Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman Kupfer, 1989). Therefore, it can be inferred that only a small proportion of hBMI individuals with PSQ suffer from sleep apnea and there might be other potential explanations for the association between PSQ and hBMI (Yeh Brown, 2014). Given that no other studies have attempted to further investigate factors that mediate the relationship between PSQ and hBMI, this study attempts to do so by investigating whether disordered eating mediates this relationship. Disordered eating includes both: binge eating and night-time eating. Binge eating (BE) refers to consuming unusually large amounts of food in a relatively short time-span and perceived lack of control over one’s eating behaviour (American Psychiatric Association, as cited in Johnson, Carr-Nangle, Nangle, Antony Zayfert, 1997). This study uses the Binge Eating Scale (BES) a questionnaire that measures whether and to what extent individuals binge eat by inquiring about their eating behaviours and tendencies (Gormally, Black, Daston Rardin, 1982). Whereas, night-time eating (NTE) refers to consuming >25% of one’s caloric intake after dinner and/or after waking up at night, at least twice a week (Allison et al., 2010; Stunkard, GraceWolff). This stud y uses the Night-time Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) to identify whether and the frequency of which participants engage in NTE behaviour (Striegel-Moore, Franko Garcia, 2009). Yeh and Brown (2014) suggest that difficulty falling asleep and shorter sleep durations provide hBMI individuals with more time to eat, consequently leading to weight gain over time. This is in accordance with Andersen, Stunkard, Sorenson, Peterson and Heitmann (2004) and Crispim, Zimberg, dos Reis, Tufik and de Mello (2011) who respectively found that NTE was associated with both PSQ and weight gain in hBMI individuals. Similarly, empirical research has indicated that BE is associated with PSQ and hBMI in obese individuals (Yeh Brown, 2014). In light of both: the lack of research investigating potential mediators of the association between PSQ and hBMI and research indicating that disordered eating is associated with PSQ and hBMI, the present study aimed to determine whether disordered eating (NTE and BE) mediates the relationship between PSQ and hBMI. The hypotheses of this study were: (1) Poor sleep quality and disordered eating will be associated with high BMI; and, (2) High BMI and disordered eating will be associated with higher scores of poor sleep quality. Method Participants Participants were recruited through advertisements placed at the Australian National University (ANU) campus and a number of online platforms. Study inclusion criteria were: being ≠¥ 18 years old and a BMI of 18.5 (normal weight) or more. 678 participants opted to participate in this study; however data from only 330 participants were used because the remaining 348 did not meet the study inclusion criteria or did not complete the study. Of the 330 participants, 107 (32.4%) were males, 223 (67.6%) were females, the ages ranged from 18-87 years and the mean age was 27.42 years (SD=10.36). Procedure Participants accessed the study by clicking on an embedded URL in the advertisement. If they met the study criteria and consented to participate, they responded to an online questionnaire inquiring about: their recent experiences of sleep and eating and height and weight, to calculate their BMI. SPSS statistical software (version 22) was used to perform all statistical analyses. Two standard multiple regression analyses were performed to test the two hypotheses. Materials Demographics including education level were collected. BMI was calculated by computing participants’ weight (in kilograms) over their height (in meters); with a BMI of ≠¥25 indicating overweightness and ≠¥30 indicating obesity. Next, the PSQI assessed seven subjective domains of sleep. An overall PSQI score (ranging from 0 to 21) of >5 indicated moderate to severe sleep difficulties. Overall sleep score has high internal consistency reliability with a Cronbachs ÃŽ ± of .83 (Smith Wegener, 2003). Thirdly, BE was measured using the BES; which consists of 16-items reflecting behaviours and feelings related to eating. An overall BES score (ranging from 0 to 46) of >27 indicated binge-eating and a higher overall score indicated worse binge eating. In this study, BES had high internal consistency with a Cronbachs ÃŽ ± of .92. Finally, NTE was measured using NEQ which consists of 15 questions. An overall NEQ score (ranging from 0 to 52) of >25 indicated NTE behaviour. In t his study, the NEQ showed sufficient internal consistency with a Cronbachs alpha of .73. Results A number of outliers were detected for each of the variables; however, none of these were excluded because they represented clinically relevant cases. Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics of overall sleep quality, BMI, BE and NTE were found to be non-significant (i.e., p); which means that these key variables were normally distributed. Two multiple regression analyses (MRA) were conducted to investigate whether: (a) PSQ and disordered eating (BE and NTE) were associated with high BMI; and (b) whether high BMI and disordered eating (BE and NTE) were associated with higher scores of PSQ. Means and standard deviations of the key variables are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Means and Standard Deviations of Key Study Variables The first MRA found that overall PSQ and BE (but not NTE) were positively associated with high BMI (the dependent variable) accounting for a significant 8% of the variability in BMI, R2 =.080, adjusted R2=.071, F (3,326) = 9.40, p=.000. Examination of the beta weights suggested that BE was the strongest unique contributor to high BMI (see Table 2).Unstandardized (B) and standardized (ÃŽ ²) regression coefficients for each predictor in the regression model are provided in Table 2. Table 2 Unstandardized (B) and Standardized (ÃŽ ²) Regression Coefficients for each Predictor in a Regression Model Predicting high BMI *p The second MRA found that high BMI and NTE (but not BE) were positively associated with overall PSQ (the dependent variable) accounting for 35.6% of the variability in overall PSQ, R2 =.356, adjusted R2=.350, F (3,326) = 59.99, p=.000. Unstandardized (B) and standardized (ÃŽ ²) regression coefficients for each predictor in the regression model are provided (see Table 3). Table 3 Unstandardized (B) and Standardized (ÃŽ ²) Regression Coefficients for each Predictor in a Regression Model Predicting Worse Overall Sleep Quality Night-eating .032 .090* *p Discussion This study aimed to determine whether disordered eating (NTE and BE) explains the relationship between PSQ and hBMI. The first hypothesis was mostly supported by the results which indicated that PSQ and BE (but not NTE) were positively associated with hBMI. The second hypothesis was also mostly supported by the results which indicated that hBMI and NTE (but not BE) were positively associated with PSQ. First, the finding that: there is a bidirectional relationship between hBMI and PSQ is in accordance with empirical research findings and meta-analyses which found that: (a) sleeping less than seven hours, having trouble falling and/or staying asleep was positively associated with hBMI; (b) obese individuals experience shorter sleep durations compared to non-obese individuals; and (c) for every hour of sleep lost the risk of obesity increased by 80%; (Cappuccio, et al., 2008; Gangwisch, Malaspina, Boden-Albala Heymsfield, 2005; Gupta, Mueller, Chan Meininger, 2002). Second, the finding that: BE was associated with hBMI was in accordance with Yeh and Brown (2014) whose meta-analyses also found that BE was positively associated with hBMI. Third, the finding that NTE was associated with PSQ is consistent with those of Crispim, Zimberg, dos Reis, Tufik and de Mello (2011) who found that NTE was associated with PSQ. The findings that did not support the hypotheses of the study included: NTE is associated with high BMI and BE is associated with PSQ. These findings are inconsistent with those of Andersen, Stunkard, Sorenson, Peterson and Heitmann (2004) who found that NTE was associated with weight gain in individuals with hBMI and Yeh and Brown (2014) whose meta-analyses found that BE is associated with PSQ. Overall, these findings mostly corroborate empirical findings and theories which claim that: there is a bidirectional positive association between hBMI and PSQ, BE is positively associated with hBMI and NTE is positively associated with PSQ. However, it is possible that there are alternative explanations for the results of this study and /or potential confounds that might have influenced the results. The first limitation of the study is that the majority of the participants were females, well-educated and of a normal weight. Therefore, it is potentially difficult to generalize these findings to the mixed gendered populations, individuals with and less well-educated populations. Second, these findings are based on subjective self-reported measures of sleep quality, eating behaviour and BMI. This is potentially problematic because individuals might be inaccurate- due to not knowing the responses to particular questions or deliberately lying- in providing response. Lastly, internet acce ss was required to participate in this study; this is a limitation because it excludes individuals who cannot gain internet access easily and/or individuals who are not technologically knowledgeable. Overall, the results of this study implicate that individuals should strive to improve their eating and sleeping habits since they seem to affect each other and that NTE should be controlled because it is associated with PSQ. In light of the limitations of this study, future research could include: mixed-gender samples (with equal amounts of male and female patticipants), using paper-based questionnaires and using objective measures of BMI, sleep quality and eating behaviour rather than subjective/self-report methods. Incorporating these suggestions could provide findings that are: more easily generalizable to the general population and more accurate measures of the key variables in the study. In conclusion, this report investigated whether poor sleep quality and disordered eating (binge-eating and night-time eating) were associated with high BMI and whether high BMI and disordered eating were associated with higher scores of poor sleep quality. The findings indicate that poor sleep quality and binge-eating (but not night-time eating) were positively associated with high BMI and high BMI and night-time eating (but not binge-eating) were positively associated with overall poor sleep quality. These findings provide useful implications for future research and for individuals’ health behaviours.

living multi personality disorder Essay -- essays research papers fc

Works Cited 1. M. Keenan, "The Devil and Dr. Braun," New City article, 1995-JUN-22: Mentioned in FMS Foundation Newsletter, at: http://www.fmsfonline.org/fmsf99.n24.html 2. The International Society for the Study of Dissociation has a web site at: http://www.issd.org/ Its official publication is the Journal of Trauma and Dissociation. See: http://www.issd.org/indexpage/jtdauthorsinfo.html There are allegations that the ISSD controls the content of the The Journal of Psychiatry & Law (JPSLA). These are not to be mistaken for the The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law or International Journal of Law and Psychiatry." 3. Psychology, Myers in Modules, Sixth Edition, David G. Myers. Hope College Holland, Michigan. (2001) Living with Multi Personality Disorder After watching the movie â€Å"Sybil† a couple of times, I was able to grasp a better understanding of what a person who suffers from Multiple Personality Disorder goes through. In my Abnormal Psychology class we touched basis on what Multiple Personality Disorder is and what signs to look for, but â€Å"Sybil† gave me a vivid idea of how someone lives on a day to day basis with this disorder. This movie also allowed me to see how a clinical psychologist performs an initial assessment which is also part of my abnormal psychology class. This movie â€Å"Sybil† made it very clear that Sybil suffered from MPD. Multiple Personality Disorder also called Disassociative Identity disorder can be defined as a rare disassociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and altering personalities. (Myers, 564) Sybil was in her mid twenties when the problems from her disorder begin to take a huge toll on her. She was emotionally, physically and sexually abused by her mother during her childhood. Somehow Sybil pushed away all of those memories of her childhood into another place. This back fired on her because she later developed MPD. Luckily, Sybil came across a doctor who noticed little things when some routine tests were performed. She then decided to perform an assessment. An assessment in Psychological terms can be defined as the collecting of relevant information in an effort to reach a conclusion and also to determine how and why a person is... ... that person’s life and can come and go at any given moment. This is why it is necessary to have the medical treatment and help of a committed doctor so that that person can be most successful at becoming healthy. This disorder is unfortunate and very difficult to carry on a normal â€Å"everyday† life style. Sybil was in and out of work little things such as, noises would bring her disorder out. She was unable to maintain a teaching position which was what she had always wanted to do until she had learned about her disorder and figured out how to cope with it thanks to the seven years of treatment that her doctor devoted to her. Sybil was a great example of Multiple Personality Disorder or Disassociative Identity Disorder. Watching this movie not only gave me a better understanding of what this disorder is but how difficult ones life must be for the person who suffers from it. I can only hope that more doctors will be as helpful and dedicated as Sybil’s doctor in the movie. According to my abnormal Psychology class and the movie â€Å"Sybil† I learned that by understanding and knowing a patient’s disorder that is the first step to treating and helping them.

Musical Taste Buds: How and Why We Have Musical Tendencies Essay exampl

Music is a universal language. All around the world, music exists and lives in many forms and genres. Personally, I have yet to hear a song or composition that I did not thoroughly enjoy. Throughout my life, I have learned my take on music is not the typical one. Most people I know lean towards certain genres and have at least one they avoid completely. Sometimes, it is a certain band, artist, or sound that others find unappealing. I have always wondered why I seem to be so unbiased to music compared to other people I know. Why do so many people tend to limit themselves to only enjoy certain music? For me, enjoying music is about the experience and the feeling presented in a composition. For me, music is, first and foremost, audio art. As an Art major, I can see and understand music as beauty rather than just sounds. This I feel is the difference that allows all music to be enjoyable for me. It is simple enough to understand the things that make music appealing. The real questions about music are about what makes music different for each listener. Why do people to like and/or dislike songs, sounds, genres, etc.? I value and find beauty in the fact that there are so many different sounds, it is these variances that I think create our musical taste buds. Musical â€Å"taste buds† is an expression I use when thinking about a developed preference to music. My musical palate is open, eager, and willing to try something unknown, while others may lean toward tastes with which they are already familiar. One can’t help but wonder whether or not music can be appreciated simply for what it is or are there other factors such as the artist’s life, inspiration, or media that create our varied tastes. Music is a form of art that exists specificall... ... not consistent with one’s own musical taste buds. Bibliography Fink, Bob. "FANG or FLINT? What Made the "Neanderthal Flute"?" Crosscurrents -- Journal of Ancient Music, Pre-history, Archaeology & Origins (& Other Social History & Science Matters) 198 (2008): 1-10. EBSCO. Web. 12 Feb. 2010. Goldstein, E. Bruce. Cognitive Psychology Connecting Mind, Research and Everyday Experience (with Coglab 2.0 Online Booklet). Belmont: Wadsworth, 2007. Print. Levitin, Daniel J. The World in Six Songs How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature. New York: Dutton Adult, 2008. Print. Ruwet, N. "Musicology and linguistics." International Social Science Journal 19.1 (1967): 79-78. EBSCO. Web. 21 Feb. 2010. "Origin of music - encyclopedia article - Citizendium." Welcome to Citizendium - Citizendium. Web. 12 Feb. 2010. .

Brotherhood in “Sonny’s Blues” Essay

Since I was a small child, around two years old, I have had the privilege and sometimes the complete terror of being an older brother. This has been a rewarding experience for me, and has given me many learning opportunities and teaching opportunities in my fairly short life. Because of my experience as an older brother I was more fully able to understand and appreciate the struggles and triumphs that the two brothers in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† endured. While I have never personally had to deal with the extreme experiences and responsibilities that the narrator dealt with, I can still relate simply as an older brother myself. Throughout the short story I found myself questioning how I would deal with Sonny if he were my brother. I finally came to the conclusion that if I had dealt with Sonny, I would have probably handled him in nearly the same way as the narrator did. While I questioned his judgment at times, I feel that the older brother played his role well or at least to the best of his ability. Regardless of how the narrator dealt with his brother the final outcome is the most important aspect of the story, and it shows that brotherhood is capable of overcoming hardship and misunderstanding because it is so important in regard to human survival and success. The fact that brotherhood prevails over all things is an important theme, and one that rings so very true. The first struggle that the reader is introduced to in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is the distinct age difference between Sonny and his older brother. â€Å"The seven years’ difference in our ages lay between us like a chasm. I wondered if these years would ever operate between us as a bridge.† (Baldwin, 44 – hereafter referred to as page number only) The so-called â€Å"chasm† is the hurdle that must be cleared in the story, and that â€Å"clearing of the hurdle† is the key to forming a solid, emotional relationship between the brothers. The â€Å"bridge† is finally formed when the narrator attends Sonny’s performance at the jazz club. The fact that we get to see the interaction between the two brothers is important, but even more important is that the reader sees the narrator’s realization of his brother’s talent in the first person. This allows us to feel how deeply it touches the narrator, and gives us a perspective of his overflowing of emotion. â€Å"For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we  may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.† (61) This particular passage was very striking to me, because it showed that the narrator finally realized that Sonny had a story too. He realizes that Sonny has suffered, but he has also triumphed many times, and in many ways. The narrator had a blanketing view of Sonny, in which Sonny could never be successful at anything. While Sonny is playing he tells his brother that they are more alike than they know, and that they both have the same story, just with different details. The brothers have finally found a bond, a common thread, and that is one of the most important things that brothers can have. James Baldwin was a writer of his past. He used his personal experiences to more effectively write his detailed and emotional stories and essays. One important aspect to his writing in general, but more specifically in his early stories is poverty stricken Harlem, New York. Baldwin uses personal experiences and opinions to make his characters a part of the Harlem he lived through. The idea that Harlem is in a vicious cycle of destroying generation after generation, and the constant desire of youth to find a way out are two very important themes in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† Harlem is a place that repeats itself over and over, like a scratched record. Yet no one is willing to help the other out. For each generation the tragedy of Harlem is new, for the older people are reluctant to inform the young ones of the condition of the black race (Goldman, 1). The narrator repeatedly observes that nothing has changed across generations, not the buildings or the lives of those who grow up in them† (McBride, 201). The narrator also compares Sonny’s heroin addiction to prison and then compares them both to Harlem, truly showing the dire situation that he and his brother find themselves in. The restriction and oppression of Harlem is an important element in explaining the stranglehold that is on their lives from the time they are young. It is a theme that I wish Baldwin would have explored more because the environment a child is placed in is very important to the kind of person they become in life. In some ways I was disappointed with the way in which the narrator dealt with Sonny and his heroin addiction. I found it questionable that he waited until after his daughter’s death to write to Sonny. But at the same time, this provides a great example of his inherent need for his brother in his time of hurt. The narrator was in need of Sonny to help him through his tough time, and maybe at the same time realized his own failures to Sonny when he was struggling himself. The most important thing that comes from the letter to Sonny was that contact was finally made, which is the first and most important step to rekindling the brotherhood. While music becomes the integral part of bringing the brothers back together, it had a shaky start as a part of their relationship. Sonny had started playing the piano while living at his brother’s in-laws. He became quite talented but heroin addiction got in his way, and eventually tripped him up. One important conversation the brothers had was after their mother’s funeral, Sonny’s brother notes: â€Å"I simply couldn’t see why on earth he’d want to spend his tine hanging around nightclubs, clowning around on bandstands, while people pushed each other around a dance floor. (50)† Readers understand how indifferent and ignorant the narrator is in regard to Sonny’s music. Sonny’s brother dissents with Sonny’s idea of making a living as a musician and insists he should finish school first. Finally, Sonny’s frustration explodes, â€Å"He slammed the window so hard I thought the glass would fly out, and turned back to me. ‘And I’m sick of the stink of these garbage cans! (52)'† The narrator describes the feelings and emotions of this exchange vividly so the reader understands the strong emotions and disagreement that exists. We see the difference in attitudes about life and music, which deepens the â€Å"chasm† between them. This difference leads to the long span of silence and misunderstanding. The silence is finally broken after the narrator’s daughter dies of polio. Sonny’s brother writes him in prison, breaking himself out of his emotional defense towards his brother. â€Å"My trouble made his real (55),† states the narrator speaking of his letter and the new contact. The first step is taken, and from there the relationship starts building new foundations. Finally, after Sonny leaves prison, he comes to visit his brother in Harlem.  When Sonny comes home the narrator momentarily feels â€Å"that icy dread again† as he watches his brother for signs of drug addiction, hating himself for being so suspicious but unable to prevent it (Bernardo, 1). This begins the road back to a true brotherhood for Sonny and the narrator, despite the questions that Sonny may be asked by his brother and the questionable future he may have. While Sonny is visiting his brother in Harlem, the two brothers take a walk and happen upon a street revival where a group of musicians are playing. The brothers stop to listen, and the reader is given the suggestion that the brothers seem to come to a realization while listening. While watching, the narrator states that the music â€Å"seemed to soothe a poison out of them† which suggests his understanding of Sonny’s need for music. This scene then leads to Sonny’s invitation for his brother to come watch him play at the jazz club (Goldman, 232). Later that evening when Sonny and his brother arrive at the club the narrator is stricken by the celebrity that Sonny seems to hold at the club. Sonny’s brother notes: â€Å"It turned out that everyone at the bar knew Sonny, or almost everyone; there were some musicians, working there, or nearby, or not working, some where simply hangers-on, and some were there to see Sonny play. I was introduced to all of them, and they were all very polite to me. Yet it was clear that, for them, I was only Sonny’s brother. Here, I was in Sonny’s world. Or rather, his kingdom. Here it was not even a question that his veins bore royal blood.† (59) This statement alone is telling of the humbling experience Sonny’s brother is about to endure. He has finally realized that there is more to Sonny than heroin, piano, and failure. He is a successful person and he has a distinct and impressive talent for playing the jazz piano. Finally the music begins, and as Sonny is sitting at his piano, slightly illuminated by an indirect light, the adventure starts for both Sonny and his brother. The first set is not one in which Sonny triumphs, but in the second, begun with â€Å"Am I Blue,† he takes the lead and begins to form a  musical creation. He becomes, in the narrators words, â€Å"part of the family again† (61). The family that he joins is questionable, but I believe it is truly both families. He joins the family of jazz players, from whom he has been gone for so long, but he also rejoins his namesake family and reinstates his place with his brother. The set continues, with Sonny expressing himself with wildly flowing statements on his piano. He is dripping with sweat, dripping with the loss of his pent up emotion and his relief of finally getting to play for his brother. The jazz begins to take on deeper meaning for the brothers, and the life they have led becomes one life, theirs as brothers. They no longer lived as individuals with separate lives and understandings. They finally reached an understanding of each other that only brothers could have between themselves. The music is simply a vehicle for arriving there. The description Baldwin gives of the musical exchange is a work of beauty in itself. It is a statement of the power of the artist as a poet, the power of the musician. The ability to create out of oneself, to take the chaos of the world – especially the world Sonny lives in – into the self and represent it as the universal narrative (McBride, 200). The passage would not be nearly as effective if there had only been a simple overview of the scene. He brings music and emotion and brotherhood all together in one tight little package, making for one of the most moving scenes in American literature. The final scene in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is striking and is dripping with real life emotion. The idea that one set of blues can bring together two brothers who have not talked in years is amazing, but so very true. The brothers have nothing in common between them apart from the same parents but they are forced through familial obligation to push aside those differences and show compassion and understanding for each other. These are the enduring qualities of brotherhood and they show that no matter how hard a person may try they still are in need of family. This desire within the two brothers brings them together and allows them to truly understand what being a brother is really all about. The differences in the brothers eventually lead to their similarities and that is an amazing thing. Brotherhood transcends time, age, intelligence, failure, success, and grief. It is more than a  choice and it is more than an obligation. Brotherhood is carnal and never-ending, and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† captures the essence of brotherhood beautifully.

Cialis †Harvard Business School Case Essay

1.Problem StatementLilly- ICOS LLC is about to launch a new and innovative product intended to help men suffering from Erectile Dysfunction (ED). Because of the unique product features, Cialis – the product – has good chances of becoming successful even though it is entering a segment, where Pfizer’s Viagra is the undisputed market leader. In this context, Lilly- ICOS LLC must decide on a marketing strategy, in particular which groups to target and which positioning thus which communication strategy to choose. 2. Situation Analysis (refer to Exhibit 1+2)Lilly- ICOS LLC is a joint venture between ICOS, a small biotechnological start up (no FDA registration experience and no marketing capabilities) and Elli Lilly Company, a large pharmaceutical company with strong competencies in developing innovative quality of life medicines. Competitive product Viagra has strongest brand recognition of any pharmaceutical brand in the world, practically the synonym for ED (product well established in market, dissolved taboo). Pfizer also known for fierce and sustained marketing campaigns post launch (exceptionally high marketing budget) and largest sales force in industry. Competition from Bayer’s Levitra not relevant, expected to mainly target niche market of diabetics. Promotion: Communication focus on classic media; print/ billboard advertising: mainstream magazines (i.e. news magazines) to target couples, female magazines to address partners and (conservative) male magazines (careful selection not to tap in â€Å"playboy drug† trap); TV prime time shows that reach target audience, male specific i.e. sports advertising; no celebrities, average couples as centre of communication. Communication message should focus on communication/ dialogue as the key to a healthy sex life + relationship, ED is treatable, encourage couples to talk openly about the condition and see a doctor/ seek treatment; Cialis as the pill for couples can help to rediscover intimacy and endearment in a mature relationship; furthermore multifaceted below the line marketing actions; physician approach: take advantage of trained sales force (help dissolve insecurities about addressing condition), show distinct advantages of Cialis from medical point of view (almost no side effects), make sure approach is differentiated from Pfizer sales force (soft strategy ≠  aggressive), distribute POS material + free samplesPlace: as Cialis is a prescription drug it will be available at pharmacies and local drug stores. Ensure stock before campaign launch, so demand can be met and potential buyers aren’t driven away by unavailability. Free samples at doctors and hospitals, issue voucher through website redeemable at pharmacies/ drug stores. 5.ImplementationWe believe in the advantages of our product and therefore are confident that we can have a strong market entry in the US market. Considering our potential target segment and relying on past Viagra sales and market share we believe that we can initially gain a 15% market share within 1st year and are expecting to grow 10% annually over the next 5 yrs. With an initial price of $12 per pill (bundled in packs of 6 reflecting current customer consumption habits) we remain affordable to the average customer but we are clarifying our premium status. Thus we expect sales of $700Mn and a profit of $630Mn (margins = Viagra) (see exhibit 4). In order to reach our ambitious goals we are convinced that a strong marketing budget is essential for reaching immediate market penetration and gaining market share. We want to allocate $100Mn for launch and first year (distribution negotiable, 50% classical advertising). Below the line marketing measures: internet – launch specific online portal that provides information about medical condition and possible treatments (especially for patients who have recently been diagnosed, offers privacy + anonymity), include physician finder to easily access treatment close to home; direct mailing to households resembling target group, establish customer loyalty club who get discounts on prescription + are informed about newest research development of condition but also life style news e.g. travel and restaurant tips; incentives i.e. offer weekend- couple hideaways to revitalize relationship to i.e. Cialis Mountain Cabin, Cialis Yacht etc.

New York State standards Essay

It is important for grade 4 pupils to meet the standards for English Language Arts set forth in the New York State standards. It is in the light of this that great attention must be paid to the way English is taught in the grade 4 classroom. When a teacher prepares and delivers his or her lessons in English, she should do this with the objective of making sure that his or her pupils meet the standards of the State of New York in mind. The standards should be her guide as he or she delivers the lessons in English and administers both oral and written tests to find out whether or not his or her students have mastered the required skills. What educational strategies and instructional methods may be employed to ensure that grade 4 pupils meet the standards for English Language Arts set forth by the State of New York? One of the skills ( Education Planet, 2010) that grade 4 pupils are expected to have is being able to listen and speak in formal and informal settings wherein they are expected to talk with people of different ages, genders, and cultures. One instructional method (Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) that can be used to ensure that grade 4 pupils achieve the above mentioned skill is the communicative approach. In the communicative approach, the teacher gives more emphasis on language functions rather than on language structures. As such, when the teacher designs a lesson, her lesson is focused on a language function such as greeting a person, telling a story, giving directions, or asking for help with something. She then decides what language structures are suited for a particular language function. For instance, prepositions can be taught for pupils to learn how to give directions. The LEA or Language Experience Approach (Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) may be utilized by the teacher in teaching the uses of the different parts of speech. What the teacher does is make the pupils read a line of text. Then she asks questions like â€Å"What words were used to describe the flower? † and â€Å" What words were used to describe the mountain? †. The teacher may then tell the pupils that words like pretty, colorful, tall, and big are called adjectives and that adjectives are words used for describing. What about listening? What strategies or instructional methods can be utilized to develop listening skills among pupils? Pupils have to learn to become active rather than passive listeners. Here, the teacher can make use of the cloze test wherein the pupils are asked to listen to the teacher read a short poem twice. The pupils are then given a copy of the poem with some words left out. The pupils are to fill in the missing words after listening to the reading of the poem. With regard to developing skills in speaking, the teacher can make use of the audiolingual method wherein the teacher first teaches the pupils a set of expressions like â€Å"May I help you? †, â€Å"What time is it? † and â€Å"How do you do? †. She then asks the pupils to repeat each expression after him or her. The teacher can later have the pupils engage in a role play wherein they are given the chance to put into practice the expressions they have learned. Aside from acquiring listening and speaking skills for formal and informal situations, grade 4 pupils ( Education Planet, 2010) are also expected to learn how to write for social interaction and produce written messages to establish, maintain, and enhance personal relationships with others. One way of teaching writing with this purpose in mind is through the use of the interactive journal. How is this done? The teacher sets the topic for the class to write about. She then pairs off the students and makes sure that each pair has a small notebook. Pupil A then begins by writing something about the topic before turning the note over to his or her partner pupil B who reads and reacts to what pupil a has written about the topic. From time to time the teacher goes around to check to make sure that the students are not deviating from the topic. Letter writing could also be a useful activity in developing the pupils’ social interaction skills. For example, after talking about how to take care of the environment, the teacher may ask pupils to write a letter to their congressman or mayor. The State of New York ( Education Planet 2010) expects grade 4 pupils to also be able to listen and read to evaluate experiences, ideas, information, and issues by using evaluative criteria from different perspectives and by recognizing the difference in evaluations based on different sets of criteria. One technique ( Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) that the teacher can use to achieve this goal is the interactive approach to reading. Here the pupils do not only read but also interact with the material. By asking questions, the teacher allows the pupils to predict what will happen before the next part of the story is read, say whether or not they have the same experience as that of the character or characters in the story, comment on the actions of the characters, or even tell whether the story happened in real life or not. Grade 4 pupils ( Education Planet, 2010) are also expected to learn how to speak and write for critical analysis and evaluation by presenting opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information, and issues clearly, logically, and persuasively with reference to specific criteria on which the opinion or judgment is based. This goal can be attained by asking Why and How questions about a topic that had been read or listened to instead of the usual What, Who, and Where questions. Pupils may also be taught how to write and speak critically by asking them â€Å"What do you think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"What if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  questions. Such kind of questions would allow them to present their opinions and judgments on an issue that had been read or listened to. Another standard that was set by the State of New York ( Education Planet 2010) is grade 4 pupils should be able to listen and read for literary response which involves comprehending, interpreting, and critiquing imaginative texts in every medium, drawing from personal experiences and knowledge to understand the text, and recognizing the social, historical, and cultural features of the text. In order to achieve this, the teacher can use the top down approach wherein the pupils can bring to fore their experiences and present knowledge in understanding the text. The pupil uses his or her experience and current knowledge to be able to relate to the text. The child’s schema is also utilized in being able to understand the meaning of each word and sentence in the text. Another skill ( Education Planet, 2010) that grade 4 pupils are expected to have is being able to speak and write for literary response which involves presenting interpretations, analysis, and reactions to the content and language of a text. Here the teacher can make use of the interactive approach in reading wherein the pupils are mad to interpret a line or a word in a poem. They are also made to react to the content of a poem or story and give their opinion and judgment regarding its contents either orally or in written form. Grade 4 pupils ( Education Planet, 2010) are also expected to speak and write for literary expression which involves producing imaginative texts that use language and text structures that are inventive and often multilayered. To develop this skill in the pupils, the teacher (Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) can make use of the KWL method. Here the pupils are asked to put down what they already know about the topic that will be discussed or text that would be read. The teacher then asks the pupils to write down or say what they expect to learn from the topic or text. After the teacher discusses the topic or read the text, the pupils are asked to write down or say what they have learned from the discussion of the topic or the reading of the text. Based on what they have learned, the pupils may create a new story or composition as a kind of learning synthesis. The State of New York ( Education Planet, 2010) also aims to develop in the pupils the ability to listen and read to acquire information and understanding which involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources. The research method can be used to develop the above mentioned skill in the pupils. While listening to a text being read, the pupils are asked to pay close attention to important pieces of information and note these down in their notebooks. The same thing would be done as the pupils read a piece of text. The teachers may guide the pupils in using semantic maps which the pupils used to organize the pieces of information that they have picked up from listening to or reading the text. Semantic maps also allow the pupils to see the relationship among the different ideas. Aside from semantic maps, pupils may also be taught how to construct charts which also help organize pieces of information they have picked up. The State of New York ( Education Planet, 2010) also expects pupils to be able to speak and write to acquire and transmit information which requires asking probing and clarifying questions, interpreting information in one’s own words, applying information from one context to another, and presenting the information and interpretation clearly, concisely, and comprehensively. One method that the teacher could use to develop this skill among the grade 4 pupils involves prereading, reading, and postreading activities. In the prereading activity pupils are made to scan or skim the text. They are afterwards asked to come up with questions that they might want to ask about the material. The pupils then read the text and while reading, they try to look for answers to their own questions. They later present their answers to the class. With regard to asking questions, the teachers could invite a fireman, for example, to talk about his profession. After his talk, the pupils are encouraged to ask questions regarding what they listened to. What other educational strategies and instructional methods can the teacher utilize to improve the reading, speaking, writing, and listening skills of grade 4 pupils? With regard to improving the listening skills of the pupils, the teacher may dictate to the pupils a piece of text line by line. As she reads each line twice, the pupils write down each line in their notebooks. After the last line of the text had been read, the teacher reads the text again and asks the pupils to check what they wrote as they listen to the teacher read the text. Another educational strategy that the teacher can employ to improve the listening skills of grade 4 pupils is to have them listen to the teacher playback a recorded newscast or story. The teacher may opt to playback the recorded newscast or story twice. He or she then gives the pupils an exercise to answer to test how well they listened to the recorded newscast or story. The test can be a fill in the blanks or multiple choice type of exercise. These can de done again and again until the pupils attain an acceptable level of mastery. The speaking skills of grade 4 pupils can be improved by introducing them to debate. Here the pupils are given the chance to express their opinions, views, and judgments regarding an issue. Asking grade 4 pupils to retell a story they have read is also a good way of improving the speaking skills of grade 4 pupils. The pupils retell a story in front of the class through the use of visual aids. They may also be encouraged to create their own stories and share it with the rest of the class. Teaching pupils how to conduct an interview is another way of improving their listening and speaking skills, One pupil could play the role of TV reporter while another pupil could be the person being interviewed. To apply what they have learned about interviewing people, pupils could be asked to interview, let us say, the nurse in their community and have them report the results of the interview in front of the class. Show and Tell is also a good way of developing the speaking skills of grade 4 pupils. They may be asked to bring to class a favorite pet or toy and talk about these in front of the class. The pupils might also be asked to draw any picture and then call them one by one to the front of the class to talk about their picture. What educational strategies or instructional methods may be employed to improve the writing skills of pupils? Aside from journal or letter writing, grade 4 pupils may be taught how to write a haiku or a tanka on any topic of their choice. They could then share with their classmates what they wrote. Other activities that could improve the writing skills of pupils are poster making, making greeting cards. The integrated approach can also be used to improve the writing skills of grade 4 pupils. For example, the teacher could conduct a simple experiment inside the classroom. While the teacher is doing the experiment, the pupils can write down what they observe and their conclusions after the teacher finishes conducting the experiment, The teacher could also have the pupils read a story and organize the sequence of events as they happened in the story. Based on the arranged sequence of events, the pupils could be asked to rewrite the story. With regard to improving the reading skills of the pupils, the teacher could make use of SSR or Sustained Silent Reading wherein the teacher sets aside a few minutes of the period to allow the pupils to read their favorite book. This sustains pupils’ interest in reading. DRTA or Directed Reading Thinking Activity ( Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) can also be utilized by the teacher to improve the reading skills of grade 4 pupils. The teacher first reads the title of the text and he or she asks the pupils what they think the story is going to be about. He or she then solicits different answers from the pupils. The teacher then reads the first paragraph of the story and stops to ask the pupils what they think will happen in the next part of the story. He or she writes their predictions on the board. After reading the next part of the story the teacher erases the answers on the board that are no longer needed. The procedure goes on until the story is finished. The pupils may be asked to write a summary of the story. Aside from DRTA, the ETR or Experience Text Relationship (Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) method may be utilized to improve the reading skills of grade 4 pupils. The teacher begins by asking the pupils what they know about the text that is going to be read. The teacher then reads the story along with the pupils and pausing every know and then to discuss the part of the story that had just been read and ask what the pupils thin will happen in the next part of the story. After the story had been read, the teacher discusses the story with pupils and ask them to relate it to their personal experience. The PreP or the Prereading Plan (Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) also helps in improving the reading skills of grade 4 pupils since it attempts to trigger previous knowledge and provide background knowledge which will help the pupils understand what they are reading. The teacher begins by introducing a main concept to the pupils to prepare them for what is to be read or listened to. For instance the teacher could start by saying, â€Å" Today, we are a going to talk about a planet. Who can tell me what a planet is. † He or she then allows the pupils to give their own ideas of the concept and lists these down on the board or on a chart. After correcting some misconceptions about the topic or idea, the teacher asks the pupils to write something about the idea by utilizing the words on the board or on the chart. After having written something about the topic, the pupils are now ready to read the text that talks about the topic they wrote about. The SQ3R or the Survey Question Read Write Review (Nada’s ESL Island , 2000) is another method that is utilized by teachers to help improve the reading skills of grade pupils. The teacher first asks the pupils to look at the title, the headings of paragraphs, the introduction , and the conclusion of the text that they are about to read. This helps the pupils gain an idea about the text before they actually start reading it. The pupils are then asked to read the questions at the end of the text so that more or less they will have an idea of the kind of information that they are expected to look for from the text. The teacher may now ask the pupils to read the text. The teacher reminds the pupils to take note of ideas and words that they do not understand and to read the text the second time around. The next things that the pupils are asked to do is to write the answers to the questions found at the end of the text. They may read the answers aloud in front of the class. The teacher advises the pupils to review that they wrote to ensure that the information remains fresh inside their minds. Teachers (Nada’s ESL Island , 2000) also utilize story grammar to improve the reading skills of grade 4 pupils. Pupils are taught the four major components of story grammar which are main character and main problem or conflict, character clues which involve the actions of the characters, their dialogue, thoughts, physical qualities, and their reactions to other characters and events, the solving of the problem or conflict, and the theme of the story. Breaking down the story into the above mentioned components help the pupils understand easily what they just read. Semantic maps may also be used as an organizer of the components of story grammar. Strategic Reading (Nada’s ESL Island 2000) is quite similar to the other approaches used in teaching reading to grade 4 pupils. The teacher begins by asking the pupils what they know about what is going to be read and what they expect to learn. Afterward, the teacher employs Click and Clunk while the pupils are reading the first part of the text. Clunks are the words or ideas that pupils find difficult to understand. The teacher helps the pupils â€Å"fix† the clunks as they continue reading the text. The same thing is done for the other parts of the text. The teacher wraps up the reading activities by asking the pupils to say what they have learned from what they just read. With Sample Reading Strategies, (Nada’s ESL Island, 2000) teachers ask the pupils to say what they know about what is going to be read, write about an experience related to the topic, say something about the title of the text that will be read, make predictions about the contents of the text, skim the text for general ideas, or read the opening part and the closing part of the text. While reading, pupils may encounter words that are not familiar. The teachers help the pupils figure the meaning of the words by using context clues. Pupils may be also asked to predict what would happen in the next paragraph or draw pictures to show what they understand about what they have read so far. After reading, pupils may be asked to make an outline, a chart, a map or diagram to show what they have understood about the text. They may also be asked to retell what they have read or relate what they have read to their own experience. CBLI or Context Based Language Instruction makes learning language for pupils also interesting. In CBLI, the teacher makes use of real life texts rather than nursery rhymes or classic stories. Real life text may be in the form of a news article, recipes, posters, advertisements, or brochures. The teacher uses these to help pupils understand how language structures are applied in real life. For example, recipes, posters, and advertisements make plenty of use of action verbs. Instructional leaflets also make use of a lot of action verbs as well as prepositions. Sugestopedia is another method that teachers use to teach language to grade 4 pupils. Before having pupils read the text, the teacher prepares the mood of the classroom by playing soft music. She then asks the pupils to close their eyes and listen carefully to what is going to be read. Music helps condition the mind of the pupils and allows them to concentrate on what is being read. Aside from sugestopedia, teachers also help improve the listening and comprehension skills of the pupils by asking them to perform the appropriate action for a word. For example when the teacher says â€Å"sit†, the pupils sit down. When the teacher says â€Å"stand† the pupils stand up. When the teacher says â€Å"Step backwards† the pupils move one step back. This helps the pupils become with the meaning attached to words aside from becoming familiar with the words themselves. There are many other techniques that teachers can employ in honing the English communication skills of grade 4 pupils. However, the technique that must be employed by the teacher should be suitable to the learning abilities of grade 4 pupils. References (2010). English Language Arts State Standards for New York. Lesson Planet. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from http://www. lessonplanet. com. (n. d. ). Ideas for Teaching Writing. Kim’s Korner for Teacher Talk. Retrieved August 22, 2010 from http://www. kimskorner4teachertalk. com. (2000) Teaching Second Language Reading. Nada’s ESL Island Resources for Teachers and Students. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from http://www. Nadaisland. com.