Dissertation Methodology †Impact of Technology on Recruitment

Dissertation examples – Dissertation Methodology – FREE our site ESSAYS The following article is a sample dissertation methodology on the following dissertation topic: Impact of Technology on Recruitment in UK Retail Banks.A case study of Lloyds Banking Group:The methodology depicts a mixed method research, using quantitative surveys and semi structured interviews. Based on Saunder’s Research Onion.a. Research Philosophy – Dissertation ExamplesThe social world of banks and graduates upon which this study is based exists externally and are not related to the researcher; therefore they would be measured through objective methods rather than being inferred subjectively through reflection, sensation or intuition (Easterby-Smith, 2002). This study would therefore adopt a positivist approach as credible data could only be derived through quantitative analysis of phenomena observed (Saunders et al, 2007). The social interpretivism philosophy, which aims to study and reflect on the inner feelings of participants, is not being utilized in this study, due to the study’s research objective, which is to ascertain the effectiveness of online recruitment in an organization. Details regarding effectiveness are measured using objective means (such as increase in candidate application and reduction in costs), thereby warranting a positivis t approach.b. Research approachDue to the positivist nature of the research, this study would adopt a deductive approach (Saunders et al, 2007). This approach represents the most common view of the relationship between theory and research and results gotten from this approach are developed through logical reasoning (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The data findings would be compared against existing literature to ascertain if they concur with what has already been published in the field of online recruitment.c. AccessThe ability to gather primary data during this study was dependent on gaining access to an appropriate source within the organization. The level to which this source is appropriate relies on the research question, related objectives and research designs (Saunders et al, 2007). Therefore, the researcher, as a friend of an employee within the organization, was in a favorable position to get access within the organization. I contacted a friend of mine who currently works within graduate recruitment at Lloyds TSB, and discussed the prospects of my dissertation. She spoke to several of her colleagues on my behalf and they agreed for me to conduct telephone interviews with 4 members of the graduate recruitment team, some of which had been there for an average of 5 – 10 years (reasons expatiated further in this chapter). Due to the non-intrusive nature of my research, there were no objections or limitations raised by the participants with regards to the questions asked or the purpose of the study.d. Research StrategyThis study would adopt a case study strategy in answering the research question. Robson (2002) asserts that the case study strategy would be useful if the aim of the study is to gain a rich understanding of the research perspective and the process being endorsed. Therefore as this study aims to understand the recruitment process within Lloyds TSB and also any benefits associated with onl ine recruitment, a case study would be most effective. Two separate yet parallel approaches would be utilized in this study, and are outlined in the table 1 below. Table 1: Research Strategy STRATEGYAIMSAMPLETYPE OF QUESTIONSMETHOD OF ANALYSIS 1. Quantitative questionnaireQuantify graduates’ perception of what constitutes an effective recruitment platform10 graduates who have applied to one or more organizations through their online system.Closed rating scale questions, and nominal data.Descriptive analysis (bar chart, pie chart and line charts). 2. Qualitative semi-structured interviewsThis was done in order to ascertain the benefits associated with online recruitment.4 members of the recruitment staff within Lloyds TSB, who have been in the organization for more than 5 yearsStructured questionnaires. Open questionsContent analysisi. Quantitative QuestionnaireQuantitative methods are mainly used in the data collection process of research. It involves data that is either in the form of, or expressed as numbers (Easterby-Smith et al, 2008). The quantitative questionnaires were handed out to 10 graduates and undergraduates. The questionnaire was mainly designed wi th rating scale questions, where respondents were asked to state their opinion or preference for a particular question on a scale of 1 – 5. Secondary nominal data was also included in order to ascertain the respondent’s status, application activity and preference. The quantitative questionnaire distributed to respondents is outlined in appendix. Quantitative questionnaires are useful as the results derived are quantifiable and measurable against other variables in an objective manner (Saunders et al, 2007). ii. Qualitative Semi Structured InterviewsFollowing the access grant to four members of the recruitment team within the organization, 15 – 20 minute qualitative telephone interviews were carried out. A semi-structured interview is a qualitative interview that is defined by a pre-set question guide. It aims to provide in-depth findings through informal discussions with participants (Collis and Hussey, 2003). This interview method was chosen over unstructured or structured interviews, because this study intends to answer the research questions by asking specific questions, but not so much (unstructured) that it generates useless data, and not so less (structured) so as not to miss out on any unanticipated information. The interview questions in the semi-structured interview are in appendix. The themes utilized in this study were derived mainly from the literature review and were crucial in developing the questions that were raised during the study. The semi-structured approach also provided the researcher with the ability to probe answers. Answer probing was particularly useful in responses whereby more explanation was needed in order to fully understand the answers. Due to the recent adaptation of online recruitment, the semi structured interviews was targeted at members of the team who had witnessed or orchestrated the shift towards online recruitment, that way these respondents would be better able to answer questions that relate to the comparison of both methods. Also, members of the online recruitment team being interviewed had different positions within recruitment and handled separate tasks. The questionnaires were given to them beforehand, when the approval was first sought, and each respondent chose the questions that they were more qualified to respond to. Therefore the research was such that all respondents answered some questions, while some others were answered by a particular individual because of their knowledge of that process. Table 2 outlines the respondent details and their interview theme. Table 2: Interview Respondents and Questions asked RespondentFictionalNameRoleYears in LloydsSubjects Covered R1AliceGraduate Events Manager2Effectiveness, Disadvantages R2MarthaApplication Review7Background, Adoption, Effectiveness, Disadvantages R3NickFinance and Budgeting9Adoption, Effectiveness, Efficiency R4ChloeMedia Advertisement3Effectiveness, Advertisement Each respondent were asked for their consent to interview, prior to the interview sessions, and also requested not to have their names mentioned so as to prevent any form of organizational backlash if the contents of the study were interpreted in any other non-academic form, and distributed. They have therefore been given fictional names, so as to make the research more readable.e. Data Collectioni. Sampling MethodBased on the research objectives and the issues to be investigated, it would have been most appropriate if all recruitment staffs within the organization were interviewed. However, due to the time constraints and resource limitations inherent in this study, a non-probability sample of the population was selected. Saunders et al (2007) asserts that a non-probability sample is most often used when adopting a case study strategy. A non-probability sample, as described by (Oppenheim, 2000), is a sample in which the probability of each case being selected from the total populat ion is not known. The samples of graduates that were chosen to partake in the quantitative study are too small to constitute a probability sample of graduates within London or UK. Also, the number of employees within Lloyds who took part in the qualitative study was not high enough to constitute a significant portion of the recruitment department within Lloyds TSB. Therefore the study focused more on the quantitative facts of the perception of recruitment within the organization, as opposed to theories expressed in the literature review, and what graduates on the outside thought of online recruitment. ii. Primary Data CollectionIn collecting data that could be analysed using quantitative means, Easterby-Smith et al (2008) claims that researchers could collect either primary or secondary data. He further claims that though each of these means have their merits and demerits, the collection of one’s own data gives control over the structure of the sample and the data obtained from each respondent . It also gives greater confidence that the data collected would match the research objectives. The researcher therefore chose to collect primary data from 20 graduates using questionnaires distributed-in-person to each respondent. This was done amongst friends and colleagues within the university who have utilized online recruitment systems. Data from the semi-structured interviews would be collected using a tape recorder, and the conversations with all four employees would be transcribed word for word, and expression for expression. The advantages inherent in this approach is that it allows the researcher to document and see patterns in words and emotions that would not be available if other forms of interviews were conducted.f. Analysis of Research Findingsi. Quantitative DataThe quantitative data collected during the course of this study, whilst still in its raw form, is described by Saunders et al (2007) as being useless and conveying little information to most people. Univariates, which are total sample distributions of one variable at a time (Oppenheim, 2005) was utili sed in analysing the frequency and percentage occurrence of each variable; including both ordinal and nominal, category and rating scale questions. However an indepth correlation or bivariate analysis was not conducted due to the low number of graduate respondents, and also due to the fact that the study was mainly concerned with the viewpoint of the organization, and not necessarily that of the graduates. Results would be analysed using Excel and graphs would be drawn out to analyse all data with the aim of comparing them to the qualitative study. ii. Qualitative DataYin (2002) suggests that in studies whereby the research question has been formulated based on the literature review; these theories that have been used in the postulation of the research question could also be used in analyzing the findings. Thereby suggesting that a deductive approach to data analysis would be essential for theoretical driven studies. Based on these arguments, this study analyzed the qualitative findings using deductive methods. The findings from each respondent and questionnaire theme were analyzed according to the literature review topics discussed. In the instance whereby different respondents had something to say about a particular issue, all their opinions were recorded and taking into consideration in the analysis of findings. A fact sheet of all findings according to the theory is illustrated in chapter 4. Full transcripts of the interview are in the appendix. The pattern matching procedure, as postulated by Saunders et al, (2007), would be utilized in this deductive analysis. It involves predicting a pattern of outcomes based on theoretical propositions. These propositions are thereby analyzed in the data analysis process. This procedure involves the development of an analytical framework, utilizing existing theory, and then testing the adequacies of the framework as a means of explaining the findings (Saunders et al, 2007). In the instance where a pattern is found as initially predicted, it would be evidence that suggests that there is indeed an explanation for findings.g. EthicsBlumberg, et al (2005) describes ethics as referring to the appropriateness of one’s behaviour in relation to the rights of those who become the subject of a research project. A number of ethical issues have been identified and raised with respect to this study. The issues, and steps taken to alleviate such issues are discussed below: The company may be secretive about some aspects of its online recruitment, such as the quantity of graduates and marketing techniques to attract graduates, which it may not like its competitors to know about. Employees responding to semi structured interviews may not be so willing to discuss their personal opinion of the bank’s recruitment system, or the quality of graduates received through their channels, in case their response does not really conform to the brand and reputation that the organization is trying to build (for instance, the bank may pose as an equal opportunity organization that employs from diverse backgrounds, whereas they mostly only recruit students from top Oxbridge universities with a certain background). Information such as this could pose difficulties if the bank eventually decides to broaden its pool of candidates and employ people from varying backgrounds. Apart from these ethical considerations, no other ethical dilemmas have been found with relation to this essay. Therefore, in order to alleviate these issues, the questionnaire and interviews would be designed in such a way that it does not offend, harm, provoke or stress any of the participants in any way. Questions asked would be non-instrusive as no personal information about names; age or post would be requested. Information about specific applicant quality and demographics of applicants’ recruitment would not be sought. Also, in terms of graduate questionnaires that have been distributed, some candidates may think that answering these questions and including personal details may impede or even benefit them when applying to said organizations. Therefore the questionnaires would fully state that it is an academic research and in no way constitutes a study conducted by the organization.h. LimitationsThe major limitation of this research would be gaining access to graduates who have gone through online recruitment systems and applied specifically to Lloyds TSB. Graduates that have applied to the bank are diverse both in culture and geography. Therefore this study would be limited in not being able to survey a probability sample of graduates who have either used online recruitment or specifically applied to Lloyds TSB in the past. The willingness and capacity of staff to answer questions with relation to graduate recruitment is also impeded. Some staff may not be willing to discuss sensitive issues such as their views, some may be unwilling to discuss online recruitment in any capacity to an external researcher such as myself, while some may not have the relevant experience required to answer most of the questions raised in this study. Therefore the list of participants has been limited to 4, which in no way represents a probability sample of the recruitment workforce within the organization. There is also a secondary limitation with regards to the experience of those staff that participate in the interviews. The ideal participants would typically have been working in recruitment for over 10 years, and would have witnessed and participated in the transition from traditional to online recruitment within the organization. However, only two of the participants answering this questionnaire are ‘ideal candidates’, the other 2 have been working within recruitment over the past 2 – 3 years and were in no capacity to discuss the transition between traditional and online recruitment. However, their views were still helpful and contributed significantly to the findings of this study. This study did not incorporate recent events such as the merger between Lloyds TSB and HBOS. It also did not include the recent government bailout and financial crisis affecting most UK financial institutions. This information could have impacted on the quality of graduate applications that the organization received within the past 3 years, and could pose a shortfall in the information gathered. However, including this information would have extended the limits of the study, beyond the word count and capacity currently accepted.

Microeconomics †Summary Essay

Linear demand curve: Q = a – bP Elasticity: E d = (ΔQ/ΔP)/(P/Q) = -b(P/Q)E d = -1 in the middle of demand curve (up is more elastic) Total revenue and Elasticity:Elastic: Ed < -1↑P→↓R (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 20%) Inelastic: 0 > Ed > -1↑P→↑R (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 3%) Unit elastic: Ed = -1R remains the same (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 15%) MR: positive expansion effect (P(Q) – sell of additional units) + price reduction effect (reduces revenues because of lower price (ΔP/ΔQ)/Q) 1. Monopoly – maximizes profit by setting MC = MR Monopolist’s Markup = price-cost margin = Lerner index: (P-MC)/P = -1/ Ed (the less elastic demand, the greater the markup over marginal cost) 2. Price Discrimination Perfect price discrimination – the firm sets the price to each individual consumer equal to his willingness to payMR=P(Q)=demand (without the price reduction effect), no consumer surplus,find profit from graph Two-part Tariffs – a fixed fee (= consumer surplus) + a separate per-unit price for each unit they buy (P = MC) 2 groups of customers – with discrimination: inverse demand function for individual demands → MR → MR=MC * without discrimination: sum of not-inverse demand functions = one option for aggregate demand. Other option is the â€Å"rich† people demand function. Compare profits to find Qagg. * max fixed payment F (enabling discrimination) = ∆ Ï€; max d added to MC1 = ∆π/q1 (with discrimination) Quantity-dependent pricing – one price for first X units and a cheaper price for units above quantity X. profit function = Ï€ = Pa*Qa+Pb(Qb-Qa)-2Qb Qb includes Qa, so the additional units sold are Qb-Qa. Example: P=20-Q. Firm offers a quantity discount. Setting a price for Qa (Pa) and a price for additional units Qb-Qa (Pb). Pa=20-Qa Pb=20-Qb. ÃŽ  =(20-Qa)Qa + (20-Qb)(Qb-Qa) -2Qb = 18Qb-Qa^2 – Qb^2 +QaQb derive π’a=-2Qa+Qb π’b=18-2Qb+Qa compare to 0. 2Qa=Qb. Plug into second function: 18-2(2Qa)+Qa=0. So Qa=6 Qb=12 3. Cost and Production Technologies Fixed costs: avoidable – not incurred if the production level = 0; unavoidable/sunk – incurred even if production level = 0, don’t exist in the  long run, for the short run typical Efficient scale of production – min AC: derivative of AC = 0; MC = AC Production technologies – production method is efficient it there is no other way to produce more output using the same amounts of inputs Minimization problem – objective function: min(wL+rK), constraint: subject to Q=f(K,L) → express K as a function of L, Q (from production function)→ plug the expression into objective function (instead of K)→ derive with respect to L = 0 → express L (demand for labor) → plug demand for labor into K function → express K (demand for capital) → TC=wL+rK Marginal product ratio rule – for f(K,L)=KaLb – at the optimum: MPL/w = MPK/r : find MPL, MPK from production function → find relationship bet ween K,L using marginal product ratio rule → plug K/L into production function → find K/L for desired level of production – for f(K,L)=aK+bL: compare MPL/w, MPK/r → use production factor with higher marginal value, if equal – use any combination 4. Perfect Competition Short run – 1. Quantity rule – basic condition: MR = P = MC → 2. Shut-down rule: P(Q) ËÆ' AC(Q) produce MR=MC, P(Q) Ë‚ AC(Q) shut down, P(Q) = AC(Q) – profit = 0 for both options * shut-down quantity and price: min AC (derivative of AC = 0); AC=P=MC (profit = 0) * when computing AC ignore unavoidable/sunk fixed costs (not influenced by our decision) – market equilibrium: multiply individual supply functions (from P=MC example TC = 4q^2 so MC = 8q compare to p so 8q=p so q=p/8) by number of firms = aggregate supply function Qs → Qs=Qd (demand function) → equilibrium price and quantity Long run – profits = 0 → P=AC, equilibrium: MR=P=MC=ACmin * in the long run, unavoidable/sunk cost don’t exist → fixed costs are avoidable → take them into account – market equilibrium: find individual supply function (MC=P), quantity produced by 1 firm (MC=AC =price → plug price into demand function â⠀ â€™ total quantity demanded → number of firms in the market = total quantity demanded/quantity produced by 1 firm 5. Oligopolistic Markets Game Theory – Nash Equilibrium: each firm is making a profit-maximizing choice given the actions of its rivals (cannot increase profit by changing P or Q); best response = a firm’s most profitable choice given the actions of its rivals Bertrand Model – setting prices simultaneously; 1 interaction:  theoretically max joint profit when charging monopoly price (MC=MR) but undercutting prices → P=MC, Ï€= 0; infinitely repeated: explicit x tacit collusion (when r is not too high) Cournot Model – choosing quantity (based on beliefs on the other firm’s production) simultaneously → market price – market equilibrium: residual demand for firm 1 from the inverse demand function → profit 1 as a function of q1, q2 → derivative = 0 → best response function for firm 1 → same steps for firm 2 → find q1, q2, market quantity → price, profits Stackelberg Model – choosing quantities sequentially ; firm 1 not on its best response function → higher profit, firm 2 is – market equilibrium: find best response function of firm 2 → plug into profit function of firm 1 → derivative = 0 → q1, q2 (from BR2 function) → price, profits

Anti-Communism in America

– Analyse the impact of anti-communism in the USA from the late 1940’s to 1953 and the impact this had on tensions between the superpowers during this time. In the years between 1940 and 1953 the capitalist nations of the world such as USA became very concerned about the communist ideologies and its possible spread in the world. As a result, the ideological war period known as the â€Å"Cold War† was developed. With the end of World War II, the USA emerged with a renewed sense of confidence as they believed that their role in the Allie alliance was a key factor when defeating their enemy powers.It was not long, however, before ironically, this alliance between USA and USSR would be the cause for rising tensions in the world. It can be suggested that the rise of Cold War tensions led to the Anti-communist policy being being developed in the USA which not only impacted its own country but also renewed Cold War tensions. This is evident when examining McCarthyism, t he Witch-Hunts and Trials, and the Propaganda campaign. The US historical period known as â€Å"McCarthyism† began long before Joseph McCarthy’s own involvement.There were many factors that contributed to its beginning including; the increased membership in the â€Å"Communist Party of the United States† during the late 1930’s and early 1940’s along with Soviets establishing communist regimes across Central and Eastern Europe. Later USA was concerned with Soviet espionage inside government institutions, and at the same time politicians were slowing down social reforms or criticizing President’s arguing they had been influenced by communism. (R) This practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence was later known as, McCarthyism.Joseph McCarthy’s own involvement began with a speech he made: â€Å"I have here in my hand in my hand a list of 205 – a list of names that were m ade known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department. (McCarthy, ). (R) As a result of McCarthyism there were many Anti-communist committees, as well as private agencies, carrying out investigations about possible communists in the USA.Furthermore the federal government, under Harry Truman’s administration with the help of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover initiated a program of Loyalty Review for Federal Employees, with the aim of determining if government employees were disloyal to the government. (R) Hoover’s extreme sense of communist threat and numerous illegal practices including burglaries, opening mail and illegal wiretaps, resulted in thousands of government workers losing their jobs after unfair accusations or sometimes even without having any process. R) Among these victims was, Robert Oppenheimer, scientific director of the Manhattan Project who built the fir st atomic bomb. Historian Ellen Schrecker has written; â€Å"in this country, McCarthyism did more damage to the constitution than the American Communist Party ever did†. (R) It was later proved that Soviet espionage did exist in the USA, but besides that fact it can be suggested that the American government could possibly had a greater threat of danger in order to react in such an extreme way, which created divisions still present in the USA.The House Committee on Un-American Activities(HUAC) was perhaps the most involved in Anti-communist investigations government committee. Earlier, this committee had investigated a number of activities including German-American Nazis during World War II, and later focused on communism, investigating an espionage case against Alger Hiss, American politician accused of perjury, in 1948. It was not until 1947 that HUAC achieved its greatest fame with the investigations into the Hollywood film industry.These investigations involved screenwrit ers, directors, and other professionals in testifying about their known, or suspected membership in the Communist Party, within its members, or support of its beliefs. The â€Å"Hollywood Ten†, as it was known, was a group of people formed by the first ten film industry witnesses that decided not to cooperate, and instead cited the First Amendment’s, which guaranteed freedom in speech and beliefs, but failed and were sentenced to prison (R).Later victims had the option of either being informants, and thus, give names of communist sympathizers or going to prison if refused to cooperate (R). On November25 of 1947, Eric Johnston, President of the Motion Picture Association of America published the â€Å"Waldorf Statement†, which announced the firing of the Hollywood Ten, and stated they would not employ any communist or member of a party which advocates to overthrow the government (R). This generated a †Hollywood Blacklist†, through which over 300 actor s, authors and directors were denied to work in the film industry.Those actions taken by the government not only placed USA’s famous â€Å"freedom† in question and showed an excessive use of power until the point that citizen’s rights were constantly violated but also created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion, which sometimes resulted in hysteria. These extreme measures led to a great division in the country that is still present these days. Distribution of Anti-communism propaganda was, without a doubt, one of the most successful measures taken by the USA government during this period of time. [email  protected] edu. au

Security Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Security Planning - Essay Example In this endeavor, attention has to be given to the provision of gas masks to the public and the shortcomings in tackling terrorist attacks, natural calamities and emergencies has to be ascertained. In addition, it is essential to estimate the extent of safety enjoyed by citizens, governments, communities, businesses and systems of information technologies in the context of such attacks, calamities and emergencies. The cost effective nature of preparedness in respect of uncertain and unpredictable has also to be estimated (Department Of Homeland Security Centers). Another vital aspect to be considered is that of prevention and deterrence, and the measures that have to be adopted with regard to terrorist attacks and natural calamities. There has to be a substantial improvement in vigilance, intelligence gathering and situational awareness. The modus operandi of terrorist threats requires significantly different forms of prevention and deterrence. This can be achieved by resorting to a careful analysis of terrorist events. Such analysis requires a complete understanding of the high consequence events and their unique characteristics, especially when weapons of mass destruction are involved (Department Of Homeland Security Centers). Decision making is a v... Moreover, it is essential to resort to modeling and simulation so that an approximation can be obtained in respect of the actual incident to be encountered. A well designed model can prove to be immensely useful in countering terrorist and other threats (Department Of Homeland Security Centers). In order to respond to major emergencies, networks have to be established, which on occasion function beyond the traditional means of communications. The individuals' participation in pacifying major homeland security crises and the constitution of social networks are necessary for countering major emergencies. Formation of temporary or event - based networks are better equipped to handle such events. Hazard, economic, transportation and other modeling operations should be rehearsed as they result in an understanding of the causes and effects of emergencies. Moreover, they are helpful in identifying and adopting suitable action during crises (Department Of Homeland Security Centers). Of these aspects decision making is the most important and if a mistake is committed, while taking a decision, then the consequences can be disastrous. Further, the damage caused can be much higher if a wrong decision is taken. 2. Government at the federal, state, and local level must actively collaborate and partner with the private sector, which controls 85 percent of America's infrastructure . . . the nation's infrastructure protection effort must harness the capabilities of the private sector to achieve a prudent level of security without hindering productivity, trade, or economic growth. - The President's National Strategy for Homeland Security. The federal government has the capacity to organize, convene, and coordinate broadly across governmental

Should parent be allowed to smack their own child Essay

Should parent be allowed to smack their own child - Essay Example According to Larzelere’s findings, whether children experience negative or positive outcomes due to their upbringing depends on the rate of recurrence of any disciplinary approach. This includes all types and does not single-out corporal punishment. Consequently, it is excessive recurrences of bad behaviour that is the root-cause of negative outcomes. Parents understand that recurring bad behaviour will hamper their child’s chances for a successful life as an adult and feel compelled to diminish poor behavioural patterns with disciplinary techniques they believe to be most effective. What parents need is quality information regarding methods by which to effectively discipline their children. Effective punishment techniques are established on the basis of a relationship between the parent and child that is positive and loving. The punishment methods are proactive but measured and administered with competency. When acting in response to bad behaviour, parents should apply mild corrective actions such as reasoning, grounding and time-out. Smacking is most effective when used to re-enforce these mild corrective actions. Studies have demonstrated that smacking is not merely effective on its own merits alone but it serves to increase the chance that the child will respond to the mild corrective tactics. As a consequence, smacking is needed less to control behaviour as the child grows older. â€Å"Spanking has consistently beneficial outcomes when it is non-abusive and used primarily to back up milder disciplinary tactics with 2- to 6-year-olds by loving parents.

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Company Law - Essay Example Further, company law largely interprets business law to the affected parties. Business just like any other discipline, which involves interaction between two or more parties, cannot be wholly exonerated from instances of conflicts (Emerson, 2009). Business law attempts to address diverse issues in a business. It enables swift and efficient enforcement of contracts. In addition, it ensures adequate legal protection to both private and personal property; it ensures clear framework and mechanisms for transferring and registering property. Furthermore, it also sees to it that intellectual property get due protection and enforcement. Business law ensures stability and the existence of a framework able to accommodate the management, operations, and establishment of companies. Company law puts in place a legal framework on how companies operate. It handles issues such as company formation, regulations in terms of limiting liability of members and general company’s functions and perfo rmance. Company law protects both investors and the public in their daily business transactions. Investment law offers grant to some businesses irrespective of their legal form. It also contains regulations in respect to transfer of shares in the Capital market. The company law foresees functions and the capacity of an individual since this is very essential during company formation (Kenneth & Clarkson, 2010). Corporate personality implies that as far as the company law is concerned, the personality of a company exist differently from its owners. Therefore, the state recognizes that certain business or firms contain legal personality. As a result, the company has the legal right to sue an individual or be sued in its property, name or be held accountable for its debts. It is this idea that allows limited liability for company shareholders to take place because the debt does not belong to them but to the company. Limited liability is the rational aftermath of the existence of separat e or dual personality. However, just like people in some cases can have limits placed on their legal personality, so as a firm or an organization can have legal personality with no restricted liability if that is the way it is granted by the law. Therefore, it is vital to note that a firm can be formed with no restrictions or in absence of limited liability. The rationale of the ideas of corporate personality and limited liability were well presented in the case of Salomon v Salomon & Co. Ltd in the year 1897. In this case, Salomon conducted his business as leather trader. In the year 1892, he formed his firm or company which he called Salomon& Co. Ltd. Salomon, his five children and wife each had one share in the newly formed company (Hannigan, 2009). Therefore, the family members were forced to hold shares on behalf of Salomon because the policy at that time required that for any company to be registered there must be at least seven shareholders. The Company bought the sole operat ion of leather business, which was valued at E 39,000.00. This showed Salomon determination for success in the leather business. Salomon paid E 10,000.00 in form of debentures for the assets of the company. He decided to pay in debentures so that he could be a secured creditor. Salomon offered a charge over the assets of the company at E 20,000.00 in E 1 per share and E 9,000 in cash.

History and Politics in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History and Politics in America - Essay Example This disorder in Vietnam is brought about by the conflicting political parties in the government implementing communism and democracy. Thus, America's involvement in the political dispute in Vietnam leads to one of their historical failure causing them loss of significant casualties. One of the most prominent commentarian to the involvement and failure of America in Vietnam is George Herring who is a well-known historian. According to his analysis which he presented in his symposium, America's failure in Vietnam is directly related to two factors which are the lack of direct and immediate threat to the American society and the lack of concrete reason for being involve (1985). It appears then that the involvement of America in Vietnam is only because of its threat to the democracy that they are propagating during the Cold War. Thus, the probable threat of the chaos in Vietnam was not actually felt by the American society but only the political faction thus nationalistic concern was not actually present during the event. Another factor is the mean that the America used in mediating in the instability in Vietnam. According to Charles de Gaulle, "He saw no military solution. He saw a risk in seeking a military solution of the "tremendous risk of a generalized conflict" (1964). Thus, the militaristic approach of America failed because that method is indeed inappropriate in the event. In addition, America idealism to very unfitting to the event thus it only leads to further aggravation to the already chaotic situation. Senator Wayne Morse noted that, "How can a policy that was unsound to begin with ever be made to work Are Americans so confident of the miracles to be wrought with nuclear bombs and billion-dollar aid programs that we think they will make a success of anything, no matter how badly conceived" The idealism behind the war it also not clearly comprehended by the America's government thus their approaches and involvement are based from erroneous assumptions. General Matthew Ridgeway commented that, "that people in the United States did not have a clear understanding of why we were fighting in Vietnam. General Ridgway indicated that America was in Vietnam because of a treaty commitment dating from 1954: The Southeast Asia Treaty". Thus, America's government felt only pure obligation in their involvement in Vietnam because they are bounded to honor the said treaty. Considering all the said arguments, it appears that the main reason why America's involvement in the political dispute in Vietnam is its lack of substantiality reason for doing so. There was not actually an imposed threat to the American society and no support was solicited by the Vietnam government. America only felt that it was their obligation to be involved because they have a treaty with Vietnam and their democratic idealism urges them to do so thus it lack one complete nationalism and patriotic involvement leading to its failure. Part B: Contemporary American Politics America's historical archives are known to be full of successful accomplishment. Their history is built from continuous battle against their possible enemies posing threats to their national pride and unity. Because of this reason, for their every battle their society's spirit is united by their

Origin of Sin Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Origin of Sin - Thesis Example It is not always that people come up with one agreed upon explanation on the origin of whatever they were trying to address. For again, it is human nature to disagree, and this explains why there are very many views that try to explain the origin of a single phenomenon. There are those who believe that the world was created, while others believe that it evolved. Every side of the debate is backed by what they believe to be irrefutable evidence to back their claims. The same applies to the debate that surrounds the origin of evil. It is a fact that evil exists in our society. To understand it, it is important to first discern its origins. Many views exist on the origin of evil. The most notable ones are the Christianity and scientific views. Christian or what is commonly referred to as Augustinian view contends that when God created the world, it was good and perfect, devoid of evil. But something happened down the line that polluted the serenity of the universe. This school of thought credits the devil as been the source of all evil in the world. The second school of thought believes that there is a gene that causes men to behave wickedly. It is what they refer to as the evil gene. This paper is going to compare and contrast these two views. Augustine, and in extension all those who subscribe to this view, base their explanation on the writings to be found in the bible. ... "To know the truth about origins, we have to consult the bible".1 This is to be found in the book of genesis, where the story of the creation is told. According to MacArthur, the first and second chapters of the book of genesis explain on the origin of the universe2. This means that these two chapters explain the story of the creation. But the chapter that is of interest when it comes to origin of evil is the third one. In genesis Chapter 1, we read "everything God has made was very good. He rested on the seventh day of creation"3 (verse 31). This goes to show that God had created an evil free universe. But that is not the case today. We live in a world where evil reigns. So what happened If God, the creator of all things, did not create evil, where did it come from The answer to this question is to be found in chapter three of the same book. We read here that Satan took the form of a serpent and convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. This was where the evil began, since the tree was banned for the duo's consumption by God. By eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve went against the will of God. This was the original sin, the cradle of all evil. From this reading, we can see that evil originated from Satan. The problem with the story of creation when it comes to explaining the origin of evil is that God is the creator of all things. This is well captured in the bible. The reasoning progresses through three premises. The first is that "God created all things"4. The second premise is that "evil is a thing"5. The third premise connects the previous two by stating that "God created evil"6. If the previous two premises hold, then it is only logical that the third premise is also true.

Motivation Calculus Theory by Charles Handy Essay

Motivation Calculus Theory by Charles Handy - Essay Example The Charles Handy idea of organization culture fits in into the Quinn Competing Value Framework theory of 1988 developed to conduct a research for indicators of effective organization which has two variants, that of management and leadership. Quinn came up with comprehensive list of indicators that influence company success focusing dimensions with the first one relating external vs. external and the second was flexibility vs. control. The two dimensions created a quadrant grid with each quadrant representing one of the four major organization model of management i.e. human relation model, open system model, internal process model, and rational goal mode (Quinn & Rohrbaugh, 2009). In the Competing Value Framework, the four models examine how effective management plays all the roles and simultaneously balance with the competing demands of other sets of expectation. Therefore, the two perspectives have a common goal of ensuring cohesion between organization stakeholders to realize a su ccess in the organization objective.Charles Handy organizational culture is discussed under the four categories of culture and depicts a correlation in objective to the Quinn Competing Value Framework expounded in the four models. Handy’s power model of culture assumes that organization power of an organization power remains in a few individuals within the organization and they have authority to decision making. ... Such people delegate duties and responsibilities to their subordinate who have limited or no option other than to strictly adore their superiors’ instructions. In such a culture, employees have restricted liberty to share their ideas or views on open forums and can follow instruction given to them (Amos & al, 2009). Similarly, the other hand, Quinn in his human relation model view managers as the source of authority and should ensure control and cohesion of the subordinates managing interpersonal conflicts. However, Quinn assumes the manager as a facilitator should encourage teamwork cooperating human resource and mentoring in approachable manner, taking them not as isolated individuals but engage them in the development of workforce through training, care, and empathy. The two theorists have an agreement in sense that, for success of an organization, there have to be a central source of authority to manage the human resource and the activities to achieve objectives. When Quin n in his Open System model view people should not be controlled but inspired, likewise Charles Handy in Task Culture agree people in an organization can deliberately work as a team with common interest to achieve their target. Open System Model take note on those organizations are established by people and exists in an environment in which it have to adapt to changes. The people forming the human resource should be responsible and read to grow in their different field to facilitate effectiveness in their work (Black, 2003). Quinn also asserts that the organization will depend on external support to acquire necessary resources for production. These processes lead to

ENDOSCOPES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ENDOSCOPES - Essay Example In operative endoscopes, an additional channel to allow entry of medical instruments to biopsy or to facilitate tissue and other operations (Wikipedia, 2006). The endoscope also provides visual examination of the interior of the body through a natural body opening such as the throat or rectum. Since the endoscope can be inserted through a very small opening, it is a less invasive method than other surgical techniques, causing less scarring and a quicker recovery time. A camera or video recorder is often used during an endoscopic procedure to provide permanent records of internal organs, which may be used for later reference (rosemont.com., N.D). Endoscopic surgery has been used for decades in a number of different procedures, including gallbladder removal, tubal ligation, and knee surgery. However, in recent years endoscopic instruments are also used for plastic surgery. As important research continues, endoscopy is being used on a limited basis for both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures (ASPS, 2006). There are two main uses of endoscopy - diagnostic and therapeutic. In case of a suspected tumour or other disorder in the stomach, bladder, lungs or other organs endoscopy can be used for examination. In addition to studying the organ, the physician is able to take a biopsy sample (a small piece of suspicious tissue) for testing. In earlier days biopsy required major surgery. Endoscopy is valuable in the removal of polyps (small growths), treatment of knee joint and other joint disorders, and inspection as well as treatment of the bronchi, colon, female reproductive organs and gastrointestinal tract (rosemont.com., N.D). All surgery carries risks and every incision leaves a scar. However, with endoscopic surgery, the scars are likely to be hidden, much smaller and some of the after effects of surgery may be minimized. As the incisions are shorter with endoscopy, the risk of sensory loss from nerve damage is decreased. Also, bleeding, bruising and

Sop Concrete Block Essay Example for Free

Sop Concrete Block Essay

Information and Communications Technology Essay Example for Free

Information and Communications Technology Essay Executive Summary In the advance world of Information and Communications Technology, a lot of Information Systems has been developed to alleviate manual processes. These Information Systems comes in different projects. A good project depends on so many varying factors. The most important factor is having a very good Project Manager who is tasked to meet his members in order to plan the steps to be done in software development. He should be able to establish an open communication to his members so that ideas are free-flowing. The Project Manager is responsible for dividing the team, each with different task to do – that is to follow the systematic way in software project development- Project Life Cycle. Following the Project Life Cycle is another factor that can affect project success. If a member in a team does not possess a good working relationship and can hardly work in a group, chances are – the project is a total chaos. The members of the development team should share their knowledge and expertise in order to accomplish the best possible output and to deliver the project on the estimated data. A project also needs the attention of the owner. If the top management does not give 100% support to the project development team or does not support the computerization of many business processes, the company will not be able to accomplish its objectives. However, problems in software development can hardly be avoided. Problems occur anytime within the development of the project. The Project Manager as well as the members should anticipate problems and should be able to provide quick solutions so that the delivery of the project cannot be delayed. Project Development Introduction When a lot of work has been assigned, it is very tempting to stay late to get everything done before the next day. But according to a research, this is not a good practice because workers who have this kind of attitude are 61% more likely to suffer work-related injuries. (Reader’s Digest March 1996, 132) The above-mentioned attitude of an employee is of great help to the company because it just shows that they are dedicated to their job. In this way, projects assigned to these employees can easily be complied and can be submitted even before the deadline. Large companies should have these types of employees in order to deliver projects on time most especially in the field of Information Technology where all transactions happen in just a click. Because of the fast-paced advancement in the field of Information and Communications Technology, most; if not all; organizations nowadays want an Information System that can help them in their day-to-day business operations. This Information System is built to alleviate the burden that manual procedures bring. This also makes the organization be abreast with the latest technology and not be left behind by their competitors. In selecting a company that can answer the needs of big organization in terms of developing good software, the company needs to look for developmental organizations which can deliver projects on time and be able to complete the requirements being specified. Software Life Cycle Activities In order for companies to deliver projects on time, the software development group has to follow the Software Life Cycle. A project intended for large organizations should be broken down into smaller chunks to give enough attention to each of the smaller modules. In this way, the members of the group can focus on each phase and deal with problems, which arise while the realizing of each phase takes place, more systematically. The Software Life Cycle divides a large-scope project into the following six phases: Analysis and specification of the task (Savitch 1993, 115) Design of the software (Savitch 1993, 115) Implementation (coding) (Savitch 1993, 115) Testing (Savitch 1993, 115) Maintenance and evolution of the system (Savitch 1993, 115) Obsolescence (Savitch 1993, 115) The CHAOS study divided the project into three (3) types: Project Success – the project is completed successfully incorporating all the specified features, Project Challenged – the project is completed but with less features and delivered late and Project Impaired- the project is cancelled during the development cycle. The group conducted a survey and they found out that there are factors affecting each of the three types of project. Taking into consideration the Project Success category, it was found out that User Involvement has the highest percentage in terms of accomplishing the project.   User involvement got 15.9% among all other factors. While the factor that really deterred a project success is Hardworking Staff. (Standish,1995) Based on the facts presented, one of the major factors why an organization/project succeeds is due to hardworking staffs. If only a certain company hires employees who can work under pressure and requires less supervision, surely the management can deliver to its customers the desired project even before the deadline. Project Challenged Factors are Lack of User Input (12.8%), Incomplete Requirements Specifications (12.3%), Changing Requirements Specifications (11.8%), Lack of Executive Support  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (7.5%), Technology Incompetence (7.0%), Lack of Resources (6.4%), Unrealistic Expectations (5.9%), Unclear Objectives (5.3%), Unrealistic Time Frames (4.3%), New Technology (3.7%)   and Other factors (23.0%). (Standish,1995) The data above shows that the major factor that contests a project is lack of user input. User involvement greatly helps a project’s success since users are the direct beneficiaries of the project. They can also contribute to the features that will be incorporated into the system. Developing a user-friendly application may be one criteria of a project success. A user-friendly application is needed so that the company need not conduct a month or two training just to teach the users on how to navigate through the system. A project can be anything an organization wants to accomplish to deliver to its customers. It should have definite goals and objectives. A good Project Management involves a proper organization, management, planning, supervising and controlling to bring out a successful project. One major challenges of a good project management is the accomplishment of its goals and objectives while adhering to the project’s scope, time and budget. Objectives of the project must be specific, measurable, realistic, and relevant to the environment and is time bounded. (Free Management Library, 1997-2008) The figure shows the procedures to be best followed by the management in developing a successful project. Figure 1.0: Project Life Cycle (Foote Crum, 2000) In addition, the following are the key aspects of a Project Life Cycle: Setting goals and estimating costs (Foote Crum, 2000) Before starting any project, a clear specification of the goals and objectives should be set so that the management has a clear guide as where the project is going. Costs should also be estimated for the management to prepare enough funds in the development of the project. The functional requirements study (Foote Crum, 2000) Functional requirements should be clearly specified so that the management can focus on these requirements and can research ways and means on how to meet these. But before finalizing the requirements of the project, the management has to conduct a feasibility on what are to be included and what are not and on what are best needed by the their clients. The creation of a prototype (Foote Crum, 2000) A prototype or an archetype should be first developed to see if the project is feasible or not. Prototypes serve as a sample output when the system will be completed. Presenting this one will give the management an idea of how the system will work and what benefits can it give to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order for an organization to accomplish and deliver projects on time, they have to have a good set of workers who are willing to be trained to further enhance learning. Moreover, the following are the steps to a successful project: Scope out a detailed plan (Alexandrou, 2006) Watch out for bad RFPs bid (Alexandrou, 2006) Plan ahead (Alexandrou, 2006) Find the bottleneck (Alexandrou, 2006) Do not cut corners on testing (Alexandrou, 2006) Develop a backup system (Alexandrou, 2006) Prepare other contingency plans (Alexandrou, 2006) Train, train, train and train some more (Alexandrou, 2006) Be honest (Alexandrou, 2006) Triage fixes (Alexandrou, 2006) Additionally, other suggested steps that a company may carry to deliver good IT projects to its clients are listed below: Discover (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Dreams (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Desire (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Decision (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Destination (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Direction (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Daily action (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Discipline (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Determination (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Delight (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008) Destiny (JamesDeanWaryk, 1999-2008)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The above-mentioned steps can best be applied to an organization which has a good project manager that possesses the needed knowledge to perform all tasks and responsibilities assigned to him. A good leadership skill is also needed to inspire and garner respect from its team members and also from the top management. An outstanding project manager always conveys ideas in an articulate manner that resounds with the targeted audience and therefore should have a good communication skill. (Wu, 2005) On the other hand, there are also factors that greatly affects why a project fails. These IT projects fail because when the management does not able to deliver the project on time, it is over budget and the system does not work as required. The following are the reasons why an IT Project fails: (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) Lack of user involvement (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) A very important factor since the Information System is mainly built for users/customers. So, this Information System should be able to satisfy what users want and need. Long or unrealistic time scales (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) If the group assigned to develop the Information System specifies unrealistic deadlines surely the system is a failure. Before setting deadlines, the group must consider the features incorporated in the system. Poor or no requirements (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) Specifying the system’s requirements is an important aspect in project development but if the management fails to do so, the project is of no good. Scope creep (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) The scope and limitation of the project should be clearly defined. No change control system (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) There should be proper control over the system. Poor testing (Coley Consulting, 2001-2007) This happens when testing measures are not clearly established.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, projects fail due to stakeholder conflicts. Stakeholder conflicts can take part in many different roles in project failure. Frequently, stakeholders have personal reasons/conflicts for not being able to work as a team.   Ã‚  (Rosenfield, No year)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, the following are various reasons why projects are not delivered on the schedule specified: Lack of senior management commitment (Wilson, 1998) When the top management does not give its 100% support to the project being developed, the project will not meet the deadline and eventually fails. Lack of user involvement (Wilson, 1998) As mentioned above, users should be involved in the development of the project because they should be the ones whom the management asked for the specifications the project should have. Lack of user requirements specifications (Wilson, 1998) User requirements specifications should be done during the planning stage to carefully analyze the features that are to be included in the system. Poor project planning (Wilson, 1998) Planning is the most critical step in software project development life cycle. The success of the project depends on the effort, skill and care applied in the planning stage. (Blair, No year) Project team problems (Wilson, 1998) Problems among members of the development team greatly affect their performance. This can lead to not being able to meet the requirements of the project, thus, not beating the deadline. To avoid these, the team leader must be able to control and supervise his members so that conflicts will not be experienced among themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In today’s modern world, to deliver projects on time and making it sure that these projects meet the customers’ requirements and features, the management must hire workers who are good team players. A person who cannot work in a team will not be able accomplish any tasks given as a group. Good camaraderie should be as well fostered among team members so that a healthy environment is established and everybody can work freely. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Any organization, may it big or small, always aim for success in their field. With the aid of the current trends in Information Technology, so many applications can now be applied. One of these is the utilization of an Information System. The development of an Information System should follow the systematic way so that a very good outcome results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Project Life Cycle has indeed plays a very important role in the development of an Information System. The different steps in the cycle, if being carried out properly, results to a project delivered even before the delivery date schedule. The success of any project also lies in the knowledge and expertise of the team leader in the software development team. The team leader, having possessed all the expertise in the field of software development and very good managerial skills, can really motivate his members to work hard for the success of the project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project delivered by the software development team is the Information System being utilized by large-scale organizations. This Information System has helped all transactions in various aspects of the organization in so many different ways. Information System, if being delivered on time, brings a lot of positive results to the management side. This can boost up the company’s morale, thus, making the company more competitive in the world market.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Project Management is a very crucial task of a manager. Thus, having been equipped with the knowledge and expertise, the company can gain competitive advantage in the business field. Bibliography No Author. Reader’s Digest March 1996. Toil Smarter, Not Longer: 132. Savitch, Walter J. 1993. Turbo Pascal. Redwood City, CA: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company Inc. The Standish Group. 1995. The Standish Group Report: CHAOS. http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:ueLBNWtVA7MJ:www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/NCP08083B.pdf+chaos+standish+group+1995hl=tlct=clnkcd=2gl=ph (Accessed 23March2008). Free Management Library. 1997-2008. http://www.managementhelp.org/plan_dec/project/project.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Foote, Kenneth E., Crum, Shannon L. 2000. Project Planning and Life Cycle. http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/lifecycle/lifecycl_f.html (Accessed 24March2008) Alexandrou, Marios. 2006. Information Technology Blog: 10 Steps to a Successful Project. http://www.mariosalexandrou.com/blog/?p=162 (Accessed 24March2008) JamesDeanWaryk. 1999-2008. How to 12 Steps to a Successful Project, Company or Life. http://www.ehow.com/how_2062188_steps-successful-project-company-life.html (Accessed 24March2008) Wu, Jonathan. 2005. Characteristics of an Outstanding Business Intelligence Project Manager. http://www.dmreview.com/issues/20050501/1026063-1.html (Accessed 24March2008) Coley Consulting. 2001-2007. Project Failure-The six key reasons why projects fail. http://www.coleyconsulting.co.uk/failure.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Rosenfield, Eric. No year. Why do projects fail? http://www.adaptivepartners.com/projfailb.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Wilson, Sheila. 1998. Failed IT Projects. http://faculty.ed.umuc.edu/~meinkej/inss690/wilson.htm (Accessed 24March2008) Blair, Gerard M. No year. Project Planning. http://www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/Management/art8.html?http://oldeee.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/Management/art8.html (Accessed 24March2008)

M Night Shyamalan, The Auteur

M Night Shyamalan, The Auteur Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan, also known as M. Night Shyamalan, has earned his auteur reputation with film productions such as The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and The Signs. He is best known for his ability to create a thoroughly fictional world with unbelievable events. His style is well expressed through his films as most of his stories focus on the supernatural. In this respect, M. Night Shyamalan can easily manipulate the viewers expectations by means of mystical elements and breath-taking twists. It can be claimed that M. Night Shyamalan achieved great success with the 1999 blockbuster The Sixth Sense. The narrative structure of the film could be interpreted from two quite different perspectives. On the one hand, Malcolm Crowe is a therapist, who survives a gun shot accident and tries to help Cole Sear, a very young and emotionally introverted child. On the other hand, the intensity that surrounds the entire storyline of the film keeps the audience in suspense until the very end of the film, only to reveal that Crowe has been murdered. The story then takes the viewers to a completely different dimension where Crowes presence is not physical anymore as he roams as a ghost who can be only seen by Cole. Indeed, it is the young Cole who helps Malcolm understand that he must leave his mournful life in the past and move on to take his place among the living dead. This is a perfect example of how M. Night Shyamalan can play games with the viewers expectations. After the enormous success of The Sixth Sense, M. Night Shyamalan came back with yet another thrilling film. Unbreakable is a story about ordinary people looking for the supernatural element or event in their lives. Bruce Willis plays the role of David Dunn who soon realizes he has extraordinary abilities as a consequence of a train accident. The relationship between him and his son, Joseph, emphasizes the supernatural element as Joseph is very excited with the idea that his father is a real-life superhero. Meanwhile, David and his wife, Audrey, have to patch up their crumbling marriage. Sooner rather than later, however, David meets Elijah Price, played by Samuel Jackson, who thinks and actually tries to persuade David that he is, indeed, a modern-day superhero. M. Night Shyamalan succeeds again in surprising the audience with another twist in the plot. The viewers realize at the end of the film that Elijah has staged numerous disasters for the past few years in order for him to dis cover his superhero ego. Signs is yet another example of a typically characteristic M. Night Shyamalan film. Released in 2002, the film explores a different supernatural phenomenon of crop circles that soon turn out to be an alien invasion of global scale. Hollywood star Mel Gibson plays Graham Hess who is a former minister of religion. As soon as his wife dies in a car accident, Graham decides to renounce his faith in God. Throughout the film Hess recollects the moment he saw his wife for the very last time and M. Night Shyamalan does an excellent job in conveying hidden messages. She talks to him about their family and asks him to tell his brother and a former baseball player, Merrill, to swing away. Although the audience might consider his wifes death as a random event in the storyline, the films finale proves that it is not a random event after all. In the scene where the alien is about to kill his son, Graham again remembers the moment when he talked to his wife just before she died. It is then when she somehow managed to foresee the future and tell her beloved how to save his family. Therefore, M. Night Shyamalan presents a story of Grahams moral passage from his loss in divine providence to the conditions that help him regain his religious faith again. It can be even argued that Graham is quite similar to Bruce Williss hero in The Sixth Sense who realizes and reconciles with the fact that he is a living dead man. In addition, the three films share common storyline features and themes. In The Sixth Sense Crowe cannot realize that he is a ghost at first and in Unbreakable David does not believe in his extraordinary powers and learns from both his son and Elijah that he must embrace them and the responsibility that comes with them. In Unbreakable Shyamalan presents the human side of mystical events in quite a new theme where he illustrates how different people could be. In Signs Mel Gibsons character questions his faith in God until the moment he understands that the circumstances, which helped him save his family, are not accidental. Indeed, Signs bears a strong religious theme as Graham Hess is being subjected to a test of what he actually believes in and why he believes it. Aided by a recovered memory and a supernatural occurrence, Graham Hess manages to revive his relationship with God. Moreover, not only does M. Night Shyamalan pay attention to the storyline of all his films, but he also focuses on interpersonal relations. It is important to note the strong relationship between Malcolm and Cole in The Sixth Sense, David and his son, Joseph, in Unbreakable, and Graham with both his children Morgan and Bo as well as Merrill, his younger brother, with his nephew and niece in Signs. Another aspect of Shyamalans work is the slow pace he imposes on the plot. Malcolm Crowe gradually realizes that he is dead in The Sixth Sense, David Dunn gradually sees the superhuman powers he has in Unbreakable, and Graham Hess gradually rediscovers his faith in God in Signs. Also, in order to establish a stronger and more emotional bond between the characters, M. Night Shyamalan uses long-take shots. For example, in The Sixth Sense shot duration helps him build up emotional bonds not only between Malcolm and Cole, but also between Cole and his mother, Lynn. There is also a scene in Unbreakable which is a direct analogue of the one that takes place at the Anniversary Dinner restaurant in The Sixth Sense with the only exception being that David Dunn is alive as he talks to his wife, Audrey. M. Night Shyamalan makes use of long-take shots in Signs as well in order to highlight the strong bond between the two brothers. The most notable scene between Graham and Merrill is when they sit before the television set and have a long conversation, in which they share their feelings on the menacing alien invasion and what they believe in. In such dialogue scenes, long-take shots are the most appropriate visual tool that can cast further emphasis on the strong emotion al relationships between the main characters. Furthermore, M. Night Shyamalan uses windows, glasses, and mirrors as symbols for thematic reasons in most of his films. For example, in The Sixth Sense M. Night Shyamalan uses parallel shots and mirror images in a scene where Crowes wife, Anna, appears with a bottle of wine in order for them to celebrate the award Malcolm has earned for outstanding achievement in the field of child therapy. Sitting in front of the fireplace they both enjoy it sarcastically, with their images reflected in the glass encased award. Shyamalan shows Malcolm and Anna as well as their reflection in parallel shots with purpose. The mirror image symbolizes the false reality of Crowe who soon becomes a reflection of himself. In addition, reflected images take an important part in Signs as well. When Graham comes out of the basement he feels as if the aliens are already gone and everything is back to normal again. It is then when he goes to take the television set from the closet and rolls it back into the living room. The timing of the scene turns into a powerful device as it only contributes to the one of the most horrifying scenes in the film. As soon as Graham brings the television set, there is a loud sound which emphasizes the terrifying revelation of an alien reflected on the screen. Similar shots are used in Unbreakable where the image of Elijah Price is reflected on a television set as well. It is an indisputable fact that the great amount of themes Shyamalan uses in his films reflects his directing style. Last but not least, M. Night Shyamalan makes cameo appearances in most of his films. In The Sixth Sense he appears as a doctor and shows in quite a short scene with Coles mother. In Unbreakable he plays the role of a drug dealer at a stadium, while in Signs Shyamalan takes a bigger part as Ray Reddy, the veterinarian who is accused guilty by Graham of the car accident, in which Grahams wife died. In conclusion, the slow pace and mystical elements constitute the plots as well as the characters in M. Night Shyamalans films. This is what appears to be his signature and philosophy in terms of directing and this is why I think his films are far better than the ordinary horror and thriller films. In addition to the visual technique, he also makes use of mystical elements and ambiguity in such a way that the storyline can easily get under the viewers skin and hold suspension until the very end.

Hispanic, Worker, Student, Mother Essay -- Graduate College Admissions

Hispanic, Worker, Student, Mother    I am the only girl and middle child in a family of five siblings. As is common in Hispanic culture, my status was automatically placed below that of my brothers by virtue of my gender alone. Even as a teenager, I was not allowed to go out to movies alone with my friends; my younger brother was sent to keep an eye on me and report back to my mother. Needless to say, I was also not permitted to date in high school. At that time, without the social life afforded to other girls my age, I turned to academics.    Captivated by muckrakers, yellow journalism, and the sheer power of the printed word, I discovered through journalism my love for writing. The idea of writing something that would get the attention of my teenage peers, or anyone for that matter, appealed to me. In one column I wrote about gang activity at my high school. I argued for tougher disciplinary measures for gang members and against ineffective administrative procedures in dealing with gangs. However, one did not disrespect gangs in the school paper and expect it to go unnoticed. While my adviser feared for my safety, he agreed to run the column anyway. The day it ran, I walked into school with my head held high and prepared for the worst, but it never came. Instead I got people talking; talking about changes. I had succeeded in what I had intended for my writing. My senior year I became a correspondent for the El Paso Herald Post and earned an internship for the summer after graduation. Although I served as more of a gopher than a writer, no task was too small. I loved the opportunity to hang around the newsroom and witness seasoned veterans at work.    When summer ended I was terrified at the prospect ... ...e I had loved in academics. I needed to do more for my daughter and myself. In the summer of 1996, 1 walked off the job and back into the classroom.    Unlike the scared, sheltered girl fresh out of high school, I was now a single mother, a little older but far wiser. While I had longed for my mother's approval when I began college, I now had the admiration of my daughter. As her role model, I'm obligated not merely to teach her about responsibility but also to show her what is right through my actions. I have balanced academics, a child, a household, and a job (sometimes two jobs) every semester while continuing to have my writings published and making the best grades of my academic career. The decisions to keep my daughter and to raise her alone could have devastated my academic career, but instead they made me into a strong, dedicated, and balanced person.

Child Labor Essay examples -- Children Work Poor Poverty Essays

Child Labor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Child labor is one of the biggest issues around the world because it puts children in danger, it deprives them of an education, it is widespread and it's often hidden or invisible especially in agriculture, big industries and mines especially in poor countries. In this document of child labor it's explained what the meaning of child labor is, why it exists, also why it is so widespread in poor countries. There are also examples of children working in deplorable conditions. This document also discusses the reason why parents send or allow their children to work in an environment as a result it finally mentions the possible solutions to end child labor. Child labor is morally intolerable. It exists because it is the best response people can come up with to unacceptable circumstances. It is usually very dangerous because it involves of a child?s future well being. One of the other reasons child labor exists it is because an associated reduction in investment in the child?s human capital that occurs mostly because child labor interferes with education. (Udry, 2). The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated approximately 250 million children between the ages of five and fourteen. Child labor appeared in earlier ages in agricultures societies, but during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th. Child labor first appeared with the development of domestic systems. It was generally performed in England, America, and other countries. Many of these children worked in factories, mines and other horrible places. The problem begins when factories and mines employed children. They are forced to work long hours under dangerous conditions for little pay. They put up with abuse, starvation, and sometimes never being paid for their work. (Henne et al 2005) In many countries, it is considered inappropriate or exploitative if a child below a certain age works, except for some household chores and of course schoolwork. An employer is often not allowed to hire a child below a certain age. This minimum age depends on the country. There is also no consideration for their safety or health. Most of the very dangerous work that child laborers perform is Agriculture; especially in Latin America almost 250 million child laborers between ages 5 to 14 years old are estimated worldwide. Children usually work next to thei... ...y should realize that it is in the best interest of their child not to work as working may put in danger the health and development of their child. In general, all the efforts must be directed towards the elimination of poverty. As a result, the world would be a better place for all children when they are brought up in a loving and caring environment and do not have to work and sweat right from the early stages of their lives. References   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A, O. Ajayi and D.O Torimiro. Early Child Development and Care   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  February 2004, vol. 174(2), pp 183-191   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chao, Elane L. Advancing the Campaign against Child Labor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Washington, DC U.S Department of Labor, 2002 vol. 2 Henne, Kurt, Maury, David. Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Bolivia 004468, winter 2005 vol. 32 EBSCO host The Story of Child Labor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://library.thinkquest.org/o3oct/01980/800   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nike and Child Labor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.american.edu/ted/nike.htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Udry, Christopher. Child Labor   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yale University, June 2003 http://ssrn.com/adstract=419862   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Child Labor?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://fieldsohope.org/homeroom/   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Charlie Chaplin :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the geatest themes I have picked up from the few Charlie Chaplin movies that I have seen is that he always has the things that he charishes most taken away from him. Chaplin's life so much reflects his charectors, because at a young age Chaplin's mother went mad and for a time he and his brother had to live on the streets until they were put into an orphanage. It directly relates to him because he was and you see how he sees the world even in the silent movies he made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Kid" Chaplin "The Tramp" looses the child that he took in as his own, and raised they boy as if it were his own, and when the boy gets sick "The Tramp" is forced to call a doctor and when the doctor asks if this is his son he shows the doctor the note that he recieved when he found the baby and the doctor leaves and say's, that this child needs proper care. So later comes the orphanage to take away the boy, and "The Tramp" puts up a huge fight but looses and then tracks them down before they can reach the orphanage and this goes on with the "bad guys" taking the boy and him retrieving him until they reach the boys biological mother who takes them in. This movie relates to Chaplin's own life very closely because, at the begining the women has to give up her baby because she is not fit to be a mother and almost the same thing happened in Chaplin's own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "City Lights" Chaplin also has somthing taken away from him that he most cherishes. In this movie the thing he most charishes is seeing the blind girl he loves, and when charlie is wrongly accused of stealing money from a drunk freind he is put in jail but not after he gives her plenty of money to be well off and get a cure for her blindness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaplin's movies may have this theme but, always at the end he ends up on the Charlie Chaplin :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the geatest themes I have picked up from the few Charlie Chaplin movies that I have seen is that he always has the things that he charishes most taken away from him. Chaplin's life so much reflects his charectors, because at a young age Chaplin's mother went mad and for a time he and his brother had to live on the streets until they were put into an orphanage. It directly relates to him because he was and you see how he sees the world even in the silent movies he made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Kid" Chaplin "The Tramp" looses the child that he took in as his own, and raised they boy as if it were his own, and when the boy gets sick "The Tramp" is forced to call a doctor and when the doctor asks if this is his son he shows the doctor the note that he recieved when he found the baby and the doctor leaves and say's, that this child needs proper care. So later comes the orphanage to take away the boy, and "The Tramp" puts up a huge fight but looses and then tracks them down before they can reach the orphanage and this goes on with the "bad guys" taking the boy and him retrieving him until they reach the boys biological mother who takes them in. This movie relates to Chaplin's own life very closely because, at the begining the women has to give up her baby because she is not fit to be a mother and almost the same thing happened in Chaplin's own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "City Lights" Chaplin also has somthing taken away from him that he most cherishes. In this movie the thing he most charishes is seeing the blind girl he loves, and when charlie is wrongly accused of stealing money from a drunk freind he is put in jail but not after he gives her plenty of money to be well off and get a cure for her blindness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chaplin's movies may have this theme but, always at the end he ends up on the

Omnivores Dilemma Essay

Learning Objective: The goal of this two day exemplar is to give students the opportunity to use the reading and writing habits they’ve been practicing on a regular basis to unpack Pollan’s investigative journalism of industrial farms. By reading and rereading the passage closely combined with classroom discussion about it, students will identify why and how farming practices have changed, as well as identify Pollan’s point of view on the subject. When combined with writing about the passage and teacher feedback, students will begin to appreciate investigative journalism, as well as question from where their food is coming. Reading Task: Students will silently read the passage in question on a given day—first independently and then following along with the text as the teacher and/or skillful students read aloud. Depending on the difficulties of a given text and the teacher’s knowledge of the fluency abilities of students, the order of the student silent read and the teacher reading aloud with students following might be reversed. What is important is to allow all students to interact with challenging text on their own as frequently and independently as possible. Students will then reread specific passages in response to a set of concise, text- dependent questions that compel them to examine the meaning and structure of Pollan’s reporting. Therefore, rereading is deliberately built into the instructional unit. Vocabulary Task: Most of the meanings of words in the exemplar text can be discovered by students from careful reading of the context in which they appear. Teachers can use discussions to model and reinforce how to learn vocabulary from contextual clues, and students must be held accountable for engaging in this practice. Where it is judged this is not possible, underlined words are defined briefly for students to the right of the text in a separate column whenever the original text is reproduced. At times, this is all the support these defined words need. At other times, particularly with abstract words, teachers will need to spend more time explaining and discussing them. In addition, in subsequent close readings of passages of the text, high value academic (‘Tier Two’) words have been bolded to draw attention to them. Given how crucial vocabulary knowledge is for academic and career success, it is essential that these high value words be discussed and lingered over during the instructional sequence. Sentence Syntax Task: On occasion, students will encounter particularly difficult sentences to decode. Teachers should engage in a close examination of such sentences to help students discover how they are built and how they convey meaning. While many questions addressing important aspects of the text double as questions about syntax, students should receive regular supported practice in deciphering complex sentences. It is crucial that the help they receive in unpacking text complexity focuses both on the precise meaning of what the author is saying and why the author might have constructed the sentence in this particular fashion. That practice will in turn support students’ ability to unpack meaning from syntactically complex sentences they encounter in future reading. Discussion Task: Students will discuss the passage in depth with their teacher and their classmates, performing activities that result in a close reading of Pollan’s text. The goal is to foster student confidence when encountering complex text and to reinforce the skills they have acquired regarding how to build and extend their understanding of a text. A general principle is to always reread the passage that provides evidence for the question under discussion. This gives students another encounter with the text, helping them develop fluency and reinforcing their use of text evidence. Writing Task: Students will paraphrase different sentences and paragraphs of Pollan’s text and then write either a compare and contrast essay illustrating the differences between the traditional farm and the factory farm or an argument against the factory farm. Students might be afforded the opportunity to rewrite their essays or revise their in-class paraphrases after participating in classroom discussion, allowing them to refashion both their understanding of the text and their expression of that understanding. Text Selection: This selection, taken from the young readers edition of Pollan’s bestseller, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, asks students to consider how their food is grown today and why and how that has changed. This brief history and science of United States farm ecology offers students diverse opportunities for exploration and close reading. Outline of Lesson Plan: This lesson can be divided by the teacher into two days of instruction and reflection on the part of students and their teachers, with the option of a written homework assignment after Day 1 and the possibility of adding an additional day devoted to peer review and revision of the culminating writing assignment. Standards Addressed: The following Common Core State Standards are the focus of this exemplar: RI. 7. 1, RI. 7. 2, RI. 7. 3, RI. 7. 4, RI. 7. 5; W. 7. 1, W. 7. 2, W. 7. 4; SL. 7. 1; L. 7. 4, L. 7. 5 The Text: Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat (Chapter 3: From Farm to Factory) Rule or order A substance that kills insects Corn grown from seeds with different traits DNA is the chemical name for genes. Genes give all organisms their traits such as how fast they grow Animal dung used for fertilizing land Relating to energy from the sun Branch of science concerned with the relationships between living things and their environment Grassy fields where animals can graze A basket Exemplar Text Vocabulary That’s around seventy-five gallons of oil per acre of corn (Some estimates are much higher. ) Here’s another way to look at it. Calories, like the calories in food, are units of energy. On the industrial farm, it takes about ten calories of fossil fuel energy to produce one calorie of food energy. That means the industrial farm is using up more energy than it is producing. This is the opposite of what happened before chemical fertilizers. Back then, the Naylor farm produced more than two calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil fuel energy invested. In terms of energy, the modern farm is a losing proposition. It’s too bad we can’t simply drink the petroleum directly—it would be more efficient. The factory farm produces more food much faster than the old solar-based farm. But the system only works as long as fossil fuel energy is cheap. A plan of action oil; more productive and less wasteful Day One: Instructional Exemplar for Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Young Reader’s Edition) Summary of Activities 1. Teacher introduces the day’s passage with minimal commentary and students read it independently (5 minutes) 2. Teacher or a skillful reader then reads the passage out loud to the class as students follow along in the text (5 minutes) 3. Teacher asks the class to discuss the first set of text-dependent questions and perform targeted tasks about the passage, with answers in the form of notes, annotations to the text, or more formal responses as appropriate (40 minutes) Text Under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students It may seem that I’ve given corn too much credit. After all, corn is just a plant. How could a plant take over our food chain and push out almost every other species? Well, it had some help-from the U. S. Government. [read the intervening paragraphs] Then in 1909 a chemist discovered a way to take nitrogen out of the air. This nitrogen could be used for fertilizer. However, making nitrogen this way takes enormous amounts of energy, energy that we mainly get from fossil fuels. Not only that, it uses a lot of hydrogen that also comes from gas and oil. With chemical fertilizer, farming went from being solar powered to being powered by oil, coal, and gas. 1. Introduce the text and ask students to read independently Other than giving an initial gloss to words students would likely not be able to define from context (underlined in the text), teachers should avoid giving any background context or instructional guidance at the outset of the lesson while students are reading the text silently. This close reading approach forces students to rely exclusively on the text instead of privileging background knowledge and levels the playing field for all students as they seek to comprehend Pollan’s words. It is critical to cultivating independence and creating a culture of close reading that students initially grapple with rich texts like Pollan’s without the aid of prefatory material, extensive notes, or even teacher explanations. 2. Read the passage out loud as students follow along Asking students to listen to Pollan’s text exposes students a second time to the rhythms and meaning of his language before they begin their own close reading of the passage. Speaking clearly and carefully will allow students to follow Pollan’s narrative, and reading out loud with students following along improves fluency while offering all students access to this complex text. Accurate and skillful modeling of the reading provides students who may be dysfluent with accurate pronunciations and syntactic patterns of English. Text Under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students It may seem that I’ve given corn too much credit. After all, corn is just a plant. How could a plant take over our food chain and push out almost every other species? Well, it had some help-from the U. S. Government. At the heart of the industrial food chain are huge businesses, agri-businesses. The same businesses that create new seeds provide farmers with the tools and fertilizer they need to grow lots of corn. Agribusinesses also need cheap corn from which they make processed food and hundreds of other products. To get the corn flowing and keep it flowing, agribusiness depends on government regulations and taxpayer money. The government started seriously helping corn back in 1947. That was when a huge weapons plant Muscle Shoals, Alabama, switched over to making chemical fertilizer. How can a weapons plant make fertilizer? Because ammonium nitrate, the main ingredient in explosives, happens to be an excellent source of nitrogen. And nitrogen is one of the main ingredients in fertilizer. After World War II, the government found itself with a tremendous surplus of ammonium nitrate. There was a debate about what the government should do with the leftover bomb material. One idea was to spray it on forests to help out the timber industry. But the scientists in the Department of Agriculture had a better idea: Spread the ammonium nitrate on farmland as fertilizer. And so the government helped launch the chemical fertilizer industry. (It also helped start the pesticide industry, since insect killers are based on poison gases developed for the war. ) Rule or order Substance that kills insects 3. Guide discussion of the first half of the essay with a series of specific text- dependent questions and tasks. As students move through these questions, be sure to check for and reinforce their understanding of academic vocabulary in the corresponding text (which will be boldfaced the first time it appears in the text). At times, the questions provided here may focus on academic vocabulary. (Q1) Ask students to define â€Å"agribusiness. † It is important for students to understand that agribusinesses are not farmers. Some students might need clarification here. Teachers should discuss the following sentence: â€Å"Agribusinesses also need cheap corn from which they make processed food and hundreds of other products. † Agribusinesses are large companies that manufacture farming equipment, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, processed foods as well as provide services to farmers. Sidebar: Website listing many different types of products made from corn. If students are intrigued to learn all the different types of products made from corn, have them view the graphic web on pages 68-69 of Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Young Reader’s Edition) or examine the following website: http://www. ontariocorn. org/classroom/products. html#Products%20that%20 use%20Corn (Q2) How did the U. S. government help launch the chemical fertilizer industry? The U. S. government sprayed their WWII surplus of ammonium nitrate on farmland. Ammonium nitrate was manufactured for weapons during the war. After the war, the U. S. government needed to do something with the remaining bomb material. It must have worked well as a fertilizer because after that the chemical fertilizer business took off, and many farms began using it to grow crops. Text Under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students Chemical fertilizer was needed to grow hybrid corn because it is a very hungry crop. The richest acre of Iowa soil could never feed thirty thousand hungry corn plants year after year without added fertilizer. Though hybrids were introduced in the thirties, it wasn’t until farmers started using chemical fertilizers in the 1950s that corn yields really exploded. Plants and Nitrogen Plants and all living thing organisms need the element nitrogen. Without nitrogen, cells cannot make proteins or DNA. For thousands of years, farmers added nitrogen to their soil, even before they knew what nitrogen was. They fertilized their crops with manure from their animals. They also rotated crops. That means they never grew corn in a field more than two years in a row. Then they would switch that field to soybeans or some other legume. Legumes such as beans add nitrogen to the soil with the help of friendly bacteria that live on their roots. Then in 1909 a chemist discovered a way to take nitrogen out of the air. This nitrogen could be used for fertilizer. However, making nitrogen this way takes enormous amounts of energy, energy that we mainly get from fossil fuels. Not only that, it uses a lot of hydrogen that also comes from gas and oil. With chemical fertilizer, farming went from being solar powered to being powered by oil, coal, and gas. Corn grown from seeds with different traits DNA is the chemical name for genes. Genes give all organisms their traits such as how fast they grow Animal dung used for fertilizing land Relating to energy from the sun (Q3) Why are chemical fertilizers so important and necessary to agribusinesses? Students should remember from (Q1) that agribusinesses rely on corn to produce many of their products. The type of corn being grown, hybrid corn, needs very fertile soil. Chemical fertilizers are necessary to create this fertile soil especially because of the quantity (thirty thousand hungry corn plants) being planted. (Q4) Ask students to describe in writing one cause and effect relationship they have read about thus far. Possible answers should include the U. S. government’s surplus caused the chemical fertilizer industry to take off or that corn farming exploded as a result of the chemical fertilizers. (Q5) What is the natural way to fertilize crops? The natural way to fertilize crops is by planting different crops every couple of years in addition to spreading animal manure on the fields. (Q6) What are fossil fuels? What might be some problems with using fossil fuels to produce chemical fertilizers? Fossil fuels are natural sources of energy such as oil, coal, and gas. Teachers should point out why â€Å"fossil† appears with â€Å"fuel† (because these types of fuels are derived from the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals). Students might recognize that â€Å"making nitrogen†¦takes enormous amounts of energy† and fossil fuels are not free, thus raising the cost of chemical fertilizer. Students might also cite the environmental costs (using their own prior knowledge) of using fossil fuels. Day Two: Instructional Exemplar for Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Young Reader’s Edition) Summary of Activities 1. Teacher introduces the day’s passage with minimal commentary and students read it independently (5 minutes) 2. Teacher or a skillful reader then reads the passage out loud to the class as students follow along in the text (5 minutes) 3. Teacher asks the class to discuss the first set of text-dependent questions and perform targeted tasks about the passage, with answers in the form of notes, annotations to the text, or more formal responses as appropriate (40 minutes) Text Under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students Then in 1909 a chemist discovered a way to take nitrogen out of the air. This nitrogen could be used for fertilizer. However, making nitrogen this way takes enormous amounts of energy, energy that we mainly get from fossil fuels. Not only that, it uses a lot of hydrogen that also comes from gas and oil. With chemical fertilizer, farming went from being solar powered to being powered by oil, coal, and gas. [read the intervening paragraphs] The factory farm produces more food much faster than the old solar-based farm. But the system only works as long as fossil fuel energy is cheap. 1. Introduce the text and ask students to read independently Other than giving an initial gloss to words students would likely not be able to define from context (underlined in the text), teachers should avoid giving any background context or instructional guidance at the outset of the lesson while students are reading the text silently. This close reading approach forces students to rely exclusively on the text instead of privileging background knowledge and levels the playing field for all students as they seek to comprehend Pollan’s words. It is critical to cultivating independence and creating a culture of close reading that students initially grapple with rich texts like Pollan’s without the aid of prefatory material, extensive notes, or even teacher explanations. 2. Read the passage out loud as students follow along Asking students to listen to Pollan’s text exposes students a second time to the rhythms and meaning of his language before they begin their own close reading of the passage. Speaking clearly and carefully will allow students to follow Pollan’s narrative, and reading out loud with students following along improves fluency while offering all students access to this complex text. Accurate and skillful modeling of the reading provides students who may be dysfluent with accurate pronunciations and syntactic patterns of English. Text Under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students Then in 1909 a chemist discovered a way to take nitrogen out of the air. This nitrogen could be used for fertilizer. However, making nitrogen this way takes enormous amounts of energy, energy that we mainly get from fossil fuels. Not only that, it uses a lot of hydrogen that also comes from gas and oil. With chemical fertilizer, farming went from being solar powered to being powered by oil, coal, and gas. THERE GOES THE SUN When George Naylor’s father spread his first load of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, the ecology of his farm underwent a quiet revolution. Until then, the farm’s nitrogen had been recycled in a natural loop. Legumes used the sun’s energy to fix nitrogen in the soil. Other plants used the nitrogen to grow. Animals ate the plants and the farmer recycled the nitrogen by spreading the animals’ manure on the soil. But now the Naylors didn’t need to produce their own nitrogen—they went out and bought it. The nitrogen for the fields would no longer be made with the sun’s energy but with fossil fuels. Farming was no longer an ecological loop—it was more like a factory. The farmer bought raw materials (seed and fertilizer) and turned it into a finished product—corn. Since there was no need for legumes to fix nitrogen, farmers could plant corn in every field, every year. Animals and their pastures could be eliminated. Farming became much simpler. Like a factory, the industrial farm produces just one product (or at most, two. ) Relating to energy from the sun A branch of science concerned with the relationships between living things and their environment Grassy fields where animals can graze Ask students to write a paragraph explaining the last sentence of the text box (â€Å"With chemical fertilizer, farming went from being solar powered to being powered by oil, coal, and gas. †) Answers might sound like this: The traditional farm fertilizes its soil with animal dung and by rotating its crops. The crops such as corn and beans grow from the sun’s energy. Crop rotation allows the soil chemistry to change and become more fertile. Alternatively, chemical fertilizers treat the soil without the use of the sun. Chemical fertilizers are manufactured in a factory and transported to farms by machines powered by fossil fuels. (Q7) What does the author mean when he wrote, the â€Å"ecology of his farm underwent a quiet revolution†? Students should recognize that the natural order of fertilization described in the first paragraph was dramatically altered when Naylor’s father began using chemical fertilizer. It was a â€Å"quiet† revolution because nothing in this natural world protested the change. (Q8) Cite textual evidence for the claim, â€Å"Farming was no longer an ecological loop—it was more like a factory. † Teachers should highlight the connection in meaning to â€Å"loop† and â€Å"revolve/revolution. † Students will cite textual evidence such as: â€Å"The farmer bought raw materials (seed and fertilizer) and turned it into a finished product—corn. † â€Å"†¦farmers could plant corn in every field, every year. † â€Å"†¦the industrial farm produces just one product (or at most, two. )† â€Å"†¦the industrial farm, is powered with fossil fuels. † Text Under Discussion Directions for Teachers/Guiding Questions For Students And like most factories, the industrial farm, is powered with fossil fuels. There’s natural gas in the fertilizer and the fossil fuel energy it takes to make the pesticides, the diesel used by the tractors, and the fuel needed to harvest, dry, and transport the corn. Add it all up and you find that every bushel of corn from an industrial farm requires about half a gallon of oil to grow. That’s around seventy- five gallons of oil per acre of corn (Some estimates are much higher. ) Here’s another way to look at it. Calories, like the calories in food, are units of energy. On the industrial farm, it takes about ten calories of fossil fuel energy to produce one calorie of food energy. That means the industrial farm is using up more energy than it is producing. This is the opposite of what happened before chemical fertilizers. Back then, the Naylor farm produced more than two calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil fuel energy invested. In terms of energy, the modern farm is a losing proposition. It’s too bad we can’t simply drink the petroleum directly—it would be more efficient. The factory farm produces more food much faster than the old solar-based farm. But the system only works as long as fossil fuel energy is cheap. A basket Suggested plan of action; oil; more productive and less wasteful (Q9) What fossil fuels are needed to power the industrial farm? Students should highlight phrases such as: â€Å"natural gas in the fertilizer† and â€Å"the diesel used by the tractors, and the fuel needed to harvest, dry, and transport the corn. † (Q10) What does Pollan mean when he writes, â€Å"†¦the modern farm is a losing proposition†? This question will determine if the students understand the author’s purpose in writing this passage. It asks students to determine the importance of certain phrases and identify the central theme of this section. Students might cite the following phrases in their answers: â€Å"the industrial farm is using up more energy than it is producing† and â€Å"the system only works as long as fossil fuel energy is cheap. † Students should recognize the traditional farming methods produced more with less fossil fuel energy than the industrial farm. Students can also extract information from the bar graph found in the exemplar. Explanatory Writing Assignment: Directions for Teachers and Students / Guidance for Teachers Choose one of the following writing assignments based on the excerpt from Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Young Reader’s Edition): Write an essay comparing and contrasting traditional farming methods with those of an industrial/factory farm. Write an argument against the industrial/factory farm. Support your argument with textual evidence. Reread the last three paragraphs of the exemplar and examine the bar graph. In your own words, describe the author’s opinion of the industrial farm. Support your ideas with particular words or phrases that highlight the author’s opinion. Supporting details for a compare and contrast essay might include: Traditional Farm Factory Farm fertilizes soil with manure (needs animals) rotates crops every couple of years solar powered produces more food energy than it uses to grow crops exists as a cycle â€Å"The farmer bought raw materials (seed and fertilizer) and turned it into a finished product—corn. † â€Å"†¦farmers could plant corn in every field, every year. † â€Å"†¦the industrial farm produces just one product (or at most, two. )† â€Å"†¦the industrial farm is powered with fossil fuels. † â€Å"industrial farm is using up more energy than it is producing† Not a cycle Textual evidence for an argument against the factory farm might include: â€Å"factory farm produces more food much faster than the old solar-based farm. But the system only works as long as fossil fuel energy is cheap† â€Å"the industrial farm is using up more energy than it is producing† â€Å"†¦ the industrial farm, is powered with fossil fuels. There’s natural gas in the fertilizer and the fossil fuel energy it takes to make the pesticides, the diesel used by the tractors, and the fuel needed to harvest, dry, and transport the corn. † Factory farms need chemical fertilizers to grow hybrid corn Guidance regarding an essay about the author’s point of view: Asking students to identify the author’s opinion or point of view (â€Å"the modern farm is a losing proposition†) forces them to synthesize the whole text. Students might notice the author’s ironic tone in the sentence, â€Å"It’s too bad we can’t simply drink the petroleum directly—it would be more efficient. † Teachers should point out that this type of emotional language often signifies an author’s point of view. Additional Reading Passages from The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat (Young Reader’s Edition) 2009; pp. 48-52 CAFO-Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation The old-fashioned way of raising cattle, like the old-fashioned way of growing corn, was on the small family farm. Cattle were raised in pastures, eating grass and hay—the food they naturally eat. But as corn took over the family farm, cows and other animals were pushed out. Cattle are now raised in densely packed animal cities like Poky’s. These places are called CAFOs—Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Farmers gave up raising cattle because, as strange as it might seem, it costs a farmer more to grow feed corn than it costs a CAFO to buy it. (Thanks to those government subsidies. ) Eating meat used to be a special occasion in most American homes. Thanks to CAFOs, meat is now so cheap that many of us eat it three times a day. Of course, the American taxpayers have already paid part of the cost by subsidizing corn. But there are other costs involved in raising cattle this way, costs that shoppers don’t see when they buy a steak at the supermarket. On the old-fashioned farm, there is really no such thing as waste. Animal manure goes back into the fields as fertilizer. But the waste from CAFOs is a huge source of very toxic pollution. Tons of animal manure are produced with no good way of disposing of it. The feedlots are also breeding grounds for new and deadly bacteria. Some of these bacteria are finding their way into our food. And there is another cost to raising cattle on CAFOs, one that’s even harder to see. These animals have evolved to eat grass. But in a CAFO they are forced to eat corn—at considerable cost to their health, to the health of the land, and ultimately to the health of us, their eaters. (†¦) Cows and Grass—A Partnership Cows have evolved over millions of years to eat grass. It’s not a one-sided deal. At the same time, grasses have evolved over millions of years to be eaten by cows. This partnership is one of nature’s wonders. When a cow eats grass, it doesn’t kill the plant. Grasses have evolved so that they can survive being eaten very well. (As long as the cows give them a chance to recover. ) In return for being chewed on, the plants get help from the cows. The cow protects the grass habitat by eating young trees and shrubs that might compete with grasses. The animal also spreads grass seed, plants it with his hooves, and then fertilizes it with his manure. Only certain animals, including cows, sheep, goats, and bison, can make a meal out of grass. They can do this because they have a specialized second stomach called a rumen. (That’s why these animals are called ruminants. ) The rumen is like a twenty-five-gallon fermentation tank. Here is where the cow gets some help. Inside the tank lives a type of bacteria that dines on grass. The bacteria break down the cell walls of the grass and allow the cows to get at the protein and carbohydrates within. On the plains of the American west, where steer 534 was born, bison and the prairie grasses lived together in partnership for thousands of years. (I guess we should include the bacteria in that partnership, also. ) It was a natural, solar-powered loop. The plants used the sun’s energy to make food. The bison (with the help of bacteria) ate the grass and in return planted it, fertilized it, and defended its territory. It was a successful ecological system. A rumen has evolved into the perfect organ for digesting grass. But it is not good at digesting corn. So then why is steer number 534 forced to eat corn instead of grass? The answer is one word: speed. Cattle raised on grass simply take longer to grow than cattle raised on corn. â€Å"In my grandfather’s time, cows were four or five years old at slaughter,† Rich Blair explained to me. â€Å"In the fifties, when my father was ranching, it was two or three years old. Now we get there at fourteen to sixteen months. † What gets a steer from 80 to 1,100 pounds in fourteen months is tremendous amounts of corn, food supplements, and drugs. Fast food indeed. This work was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation