Drugs and Behaviour essays

Drugs and Behaviour essays 1. a) The use of all natural products has become a new revolution in our society. More and more people are looking for alternative treatments and even preventative therapy to keep themselves healthy. Unlike traditional drugs and medication that face rigorous testing by the FDA (in the U.S.A), all natural products do not. This is because the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education said that products that were labeled as dietary supplements could enter the consumer market untested. This lack of testing on these supplements makes them even that much more dangerous because no one knows what the effects of them are in terms of interactions with other supplements, overdosing and mixing with other pharmaceutical drugs. When consumers see the term all-natural, our eyes light up because we think that were getting something that is safer. The truth of the matter is that just because something is all-natural, doesnt make it safer. b.) A lot of supplements contain somewhat of the same active ingredients as drugs. Evidence also suggests that one or more ingredients in St. Johns Wart contain pharmacologically properties similar to that of drugs. From a legal standpoint however, these all-natural dietary supplements are not considered drugs. This is because of legal issues and legislation that was discussed in question 1 (a). The FDA in the U.S cannot regulate dietary supplements as drugs, and the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) cannot enforce any pertinent laws toward these dietary supplements. So therefore these all-natural dietary supplements are not drugs. c.) There is a big difference between drugs and medicine. First let me start off by saying that the practice of medicine is the science of diagnosing, treating, or preventing disease and other damage to the body or mind. Medication or medicine as its routinely called is an agent, such as a drug, used to treat disease or injury. Medicine is usual ...

Useful Japanese Adjectives

Useful Japanese Adjectives Here is the list of useful Japanese adjectives and their pronunciations. bigookiiÃ¥ ¤ §Ã£  Ã£ â€ž smallchiisaiÃ¥ ° Ã£ â€¢Ã£ â€ž longnagaié• ·Ã£ â€ž shortmijikaiçŸ ­Ã£ â€ž thick, fatfutoiÃ¥ ¤ ªÃ£ â€ž slender (person)yasetaや㠁›ã Å¸ thinusuièâ€"„㠁„ widehiroiÃ¥ ºÆ'㠁„ narrowsemaiç‹ ­Ã£ â€ž heavyomoié‡ Ã£ â€ž lightkaruiè » ½Ã£ â€ž hightakaié «ËœÃ£ â€ž lowhikuiä ½Å½Ã£ â€ž fasthayai速㠁„ slow, lateosoié â€¦Ã£ â€ž many, muchooiÃ¥ ¤Å¡Ã£ â€ž few, littlesukunaiÃ¥ °â€˜Ã£  ªÃ£ â€ž hardkatai㠁‹ã Å¸Ã£ â€ž softyawarakaiã‚„ã‚ Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£ â€¹Ã£ â€ž deepfukaiæ · ±Ã£ â€ž shallowasaiæ µâ€¦Ã£ â€ž beautifulutsukushiiç ¾Å½Ã£ â€"㠁„ uglyminikuié†Å"㠁„ prettykireina㠁 Ã£â€šÅ'㠁„㠁 ª cutekawaii㠁‹ã‚ Ã£ â€žÃ£ â€ž cleanseiketsunaæ ¸â€¦Ã¦ ½â€Ã£  ª dirtykitanaiæ ±Å¡Ã£ â€ž fasthayai速㠁„ slowosoié â€¦Ã£ â€ž strongtsuyoiÃ¥ ¼ ·Ã£ â€ž weakyowaiÃ¥ ¼ ±Ã£ â€ž calmshizukanaé â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£  ª brightakarui明る㠁„ darkkuraiæšâ€"㠁„ newatarashiiæâ€" °Ã£ â€"㠁„ oldfuruiÃ¥  ¤Ã£ â€ž youngwakaiè‹ ¥Ã£ â€ž hotatsui暑㠁„ coldsamuiÃ¥ ¯â€™Ã£ â€ž far, distanttooié   Ã£ â€ž nearchikaiè ¿â€˜Ã£ â€ž

Pioneer women by joanna stratton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pioneer women by joanna stratton - Essay Example In the book, â€Å"Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier,† Joanna Stratton gives details some of the astonishing women from the Kansas frontier, one of the toughest region, viewed from any angle, how bravely they fought for the day to day existence and for the welfare of the members of their families. Their heroism was not ordinary. The author begins the book with an argument against men, which is difficult to counter. She writes, (1982, p.12) â€Å" As my father dryly observed sixty years ago in New Viewpoints in American History, ‘ All our great historians have been men and were likely therefore to be influenced by a sex interpretation of history all the more potent because unconscious.† Way back in 1867, Carrie Stearns Smith began the interesting and tough journey from Kansas City, Missouri to her new abode to south of Fort Scott. Since then women have taken giant strides and their contribution for the development of Kansas Frontier Culture has been ou tstanding. The mode of travel was through a stagecoach, through the rough terrain and bumpy roads and difficult mud paths. Stratton created history in literature related to Kansas, by rediscovering the oral histories of 800 Kansas pioneer women collected by her great-grand mother in the 1920s. She classified the mammoth and unorganized collection into 15 themes and 15 chapters to give it the form of historical evidence for the contribution of those women to the Kansas society and culture. She writes, â€Å"So the voices in this book are fresh and new—voices of the marvelous women who survived the bushwhackers and the redskins (and the Kansas men), the blistering sun and the angry wind, pursuing the daily round in quiet heroism without ostentation or complaint.†(p. 12-13) So, the authenticity of the contents of the book is unchallengeable, as they are from the primary sources. With fortitude and by remaining true to the traditions of the societal conditions prevailing t hen, the women tamed the Kansas frontier. The contents of the book will generate strong sentiments amongst the women readers and for valid reasons. The life of the prairie women, their endurance and loneliness makes an incredible reading. It is not only history—it is a profound mystery. If facts are stranger than fiction, they are in abundance in this book. No woman, in any part of the world, should ever be called upon to live that type of life. Their faith in God did play a role in their determination to survive in the tough social and geographical conditions. The endurance capacity of the Indians was much more and the author observes, â€Å"After the draught of 1860 Kansas lost nearly a third of its white population.†(p.12) This means, the white settlers had alternative sources and place to look forward to but the native Indians had to struggle on with the existing situation, with nowhere to go! The challenges of the prairie women were too difficult for the printed p age to capture as compared to the present day standards. They took active part in building their new homes as bull snakes showed up in rafters. Their life was entirely self-made and they got no help from any quarters, all through their struggle. Stratton throws up a meaningful question, â€Å"What was the work of a farm woman in those days?†(57) This is a profound observation. They helped men in plowing and sowing and danger from snake-bites was an open invitation. It was a do or die-situation for them all through their life, as men did not prevent them from

A woman who changed the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A woman who changed the world - Essay Example She did so many things to change the world with the most renown being a very passionate advocate of planting trees. She was concerned about the rapid increase in deforestation and the adverse effects it was having on the environment and she made it her work to campaign for planting trees. The other thing is that she gave hope and encouragement to the women pursuing higher education. She did this through attainment of her PhD as well as the numerous other education paths she took in the men infested domains without fear or failure. She also encouraged women worldwide to be achievers hence the starting of the Nobel Women’s initiative worldwide (Maathai 127). Her life though cut short in 2011 has taught me that women should not let anything bring them down or deter them from changing the world. She did not let the political challenges in her country or her poor backgrounds bring her down. She also did not let the fact that she was a female and a mother prevents her from succeeding in every endeavor she chose. I also learnt that women in powerful position should use it to assist the other women. Lastly, I learnt from her than anything is possible with hard work and determination no matter the race, gender or nationality. Wangari Mathaai was indeed a feminist. Even though her feminism was not so pronounced later on in her career, she was one at heart and openly for that matter. While she was a lecturer in the University of Nairobi, she openly advocated for the equal rights of women in leadership and education (Maathai 186). She did this without any fear. She also advocated for women to be granted equal rights in politics and well as in environmental sector when she joined politics and this saw many women follow in her footsteps and achieve greatly as a result of her feminism. Class readings talk about feminists who are not only involved in lobbying work but whose

Trial the development of Joe Keller Essay Example for Free

Trial the development of Joe Keller Essay The audiences sympathy for Joe Keller oscillates throughout the play. Ranging from deep compassion to undisputed rage, the audience has plenty of time to view Joe Kellers development as the central character of the novel. His emotional growth from beginning to end facilitates the empathy that the audience shows; hence, Miller uses Keller as a character in order to build up the compassionate side of the audience in order to assemble a fabricated and well thought out character. Firstly, Keller tries to change Annes mind with respect to Stephen, and goes about it in a calm and relaxed manner. He mentions, I want him [Stephen] to know, Annie while hes sitting there I want him to know that when he gets out hes got a place waitin for him. His use of ellipsis is ambivalent, on one hand, it could signify the deep emotion that Keller feels towards Stephen, but on the other hand, another concealed meaning could be that Joe is thinking about what he is saying, and therefore does not want to say anything wrong, and consequently has something to hide, giving him a more ominous figure. However, the repetition of he and him shows how sympathetic he feels towards the incarcerated man, hence giving the audience the impression that Joe Keller has emotions and can therefore be sympathised with. Subsequently, Miller also casually slips in phrases that Keller says in casual conversation that show how passionate and considerate Keller is towards his family. When speaking to Anne about Stephen, he says, with a commanding outburst in high nervousness that A father is a father! This shows how important family is to Keller, however, the commanding outburst and nervousness also suggests that Keller has a hidden motive, and Chris presence may have influenced his body language, which suggests that Keller has done something wrong to be able to lose his son. This plays on the audiences sympathy positively, because the audience can empathise with Kellers love for his family and recognize his individual situation. Thirdly, Keller suggests that Stephen is a helpless coward in a conversation with his son, George, and offensively gives numerous examples in his defence. Keller mentions that Stephen damn near blew us all up with that heater he left burning for two days without water. Emotive words such as damn, blew and burning all have negative implications, giving the impression that Keller was the brains behind the business. The fact that Keller was also driving in, but restrained suggests that he wants to inflict his own ideas and beliefs onto George, but knows that he must restrain himself, giving the same implication that Keller has something to hide. However, this could also be considered as a defensive, rather than an offensive conversation, as George uses a rather accusational tone towards Keller and is studying him thoroughly. Finally, Chris holds great admiration for Keller, but is destroyed once he learns of his fathers terrible secret. When the realisation finally hits, Chris stutters in a broken whisper, Then you did it? The ellipsis shows the amount of thought that went into the phrase, suggesting that he doesnt want his father to be guilty but at the same time, wants to find out the truth. Keller begins to become afraid of him, [with] his deadly insistence suggesting that his son is his biggest asset but also his biggest downfall. This also shows, once again, that nothing is bigger than family to Keller. This conflict of ideologies, Chris with his morals and ethics, and Keller with his persistent cherishing of his family no matter what the cost, creates a disequilibrium within the play. At this point, the audience begins to sympathise with Chris rather than Keller, which diminishes Millers slow build up of Kellers respectability, providing more of a tragic ending to Keller. However, this tragic ending can also be interpreted as a chance to further sympathise with Joe, as his world comes crashing down around him. Ultimately, Keller commits suicide at the end of the novel, resulting in the tragic downfall of Keller. He says, I think to him they were all my sons. This line shows the realisation of his wrongdoings. His morals and ethics are finally shown, as he stares blankly into the piece of paper in his hand. His suicide could represent Keller as taking his responsibilities rather than hiding from them, however, it could also suggest that Keller was a coward and he was merely running away from the problems that he was to face if he did not accept his offences. Evidently, his defensive stance when talking to George, his conflict of beliefs with his son, and his ultimate sacrifice all have a large part to play in Millers manipulation of the audiences sympathy. Keller was a coward and used scapegoats or escapism to run away from his problems, giving the ultimate impression to the audience that Keller as a human is not to be sympathised with. However, his growth as a character and his self-understanding both provide a suitable route to empathise with him, truly showing that the audience can choose whichever interpretation they prefer.

Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Symbolism in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Symbolism is what makes a story complete. And it is used through "The Great Gatsby." Virtually anything in the novel can be taken as a symbol, from the weather, to the colors of clothing the characters wear. There are three major symbolic elements used in the novel, they are water, colors, and religion. Water to me seems to mean "wasted, and or lost time." I believe this because of several reasons. One being that he is separated from Daisy by an island sound. Gatsby wishes that the island sound be gone so that there will be no obstacle between him and Daisy, and he also wishes for time to be gone, the island sound seems to represent the distance of "lost time." Another is that in one of Gatsby's parties people start dancing in the water, displaying how they waste their time day after day with no real purpose. Gatsby's only purpose and ambition in life was to get back with Daisy, but after he starts to realize that it will not happen and that he has been consumed by wasted time he goes for a swim inside a pool he had never before used and is murdered. Another symbolic element is color. Several colors if not all are symbolic in the great Gatsby the more noticeable being white, green, and yellow. The first time Nick meets his cousin Daisy at Tom's and Daisy's home, she was dressed totally in white. So as the house and its furnishings are also tuned in light shades. This fact might be interpreted as beauty, cleanliness, wealth, innocence, virginity and also laziness. Daisy's color is white, she wears white dresses and recalls her "white girlhood", and this use of color helps her to characterize her as the unattainable "enchanted princess" who becomes personified as Gatsby' s dream. The green light at the end of Daisy's Buchanan' s dock, becomes a key image in "The Great Gatsby." The initial appearance of the green light occurs when Carraway sees Gatsby for the first time, standing in front of his mansion and stretching out his arms to `a single green light, minute and far away that might have been the end of dock' (p.

Examining Disadvantages of U.S. High School System Essay

In light of a lot of controversial issues over education matters, different people take different sides and give out individual opinions. There is a common belief that good education would provide a country with a lot of benefits such as more promising economic growth and higher living standards. As the global economic recession is taken more seriously, more and more people are now turning their attention to education in America, the most powerful country in the world, asking whether it will be still up to its name in the future and what kind of improvement to education can make contribution to the social economy. In addition, media also gives data on America’s stagnant education outcome. In a study released in September 2009, what stands out is that U.S. students scored the lowest in Math and Science, with a Math result â€Å"in the bottom quarter of all the countries that participated, including Finland, China and Estonia†(Lattimore). As well, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan claimed that students are going to struggle in the global market competition without intellectual growth. Thus, education issues become outstanding among all the challenges people are going to meet in the recent future. Since secondary education plays a fundamental and transitional role in one’s whole education journey, here are examinations of important factors in the current U.S. public high school system that cause its education quality to decline. Students are not being helped by tests because standards are not rigorous in American high schools. According to Dr. Kristy Vernille, an expert in Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction, American students usually move from grade to grade easily and â€Å"without having to demonstrate competency in any subject matter†, as a result of the loose and vague test standards in America (Vernille 5). Although American students are often asked to take a lot of standardized tests, based on the American Federation of Teachers, the tests results of students usually do not influence their progress through the system. Furthermore, state and commercial tests have lower degree of difficulty and focus on less-advanced problem solving than the international tests; at the same time, international tests include more open-response items (in which students have to show how they solve the problems), whereas â€Å"the United States tests are predominantly multiple-choice items with little intellectual demand associated with determining the answer† (AFT 15). Under these circumstances, U.S. students are not motivated for further study or higher academic accomplishment, resulting in their lower competency than their international peers. However, establishing more rigorous test standards in the U.S. public school system will improve American students’ academic performance. To demonstrate, in China, there is a highly standardized test named â€Å"the National College Entrance Examination†. It also appeared in Time magazine as the â€Å"most pressure packed examination in the world† (Siegel). The Entrance Examination is held for the sake of selecting students for higher education and leadership, and is taken by every Chinese twelfth grader every year. In every state, schools are informed what to teach students and what will probably appear in the exam (Schaack 5). During the preparation for the exam, students have to receive an extremely large amount of information from teachers and finally implement it into the Entrance Exam. Those who perform extraordinarily well are admitted to the nation’s top universities; â€Å"the rest find spots in provincial universities or two- and three-year coll eges† (Siegel). Due to the fact that Chinese students are under such kind of pressure, they are more likely to learn things in order to be competitive and prepared for their future. To a large degree, their academic achievement is related to their educational policies and environment. They don’t have many alternatives in their testing system, which is considered to be fair and standardized. This method can be adopted by American public school system to reduce their test alternatives, in other words, to make a standard in the testing system. With a more clear and rigorous standard, American students are going to have better understanding of what teachers convey and what skills they are supposed to pick up. Thus, academic improvement will subsequently be fostered. Besides the lack of a rigorous testing standard, American schools set up their curriculums based on the education policy approved by law, resulting in negative consequences. Since the No Child Left Behind program was signed into law in 2002, test scores have become the most basic measure of school quality (Ravitch 15). Schools then had to modify the curriculums to enhance their test scores in order not to lose students. How does education make sense when the purpose of testing goes beyond the substance of learning? Diane Ravitch, a historian of education and educational policy analyst, writes this program â€Å"demanded that schools generate higher test scores †¦ It ignored such important studies as history, civics, literature, science, the arts, and geography. Though the law required states to test students eventually in science, the science scores didn’t count on the federal scorecard†(Ravitch 16). She watched her hope for better education fall though she was initially supportive of the so-called education reform. Under this circumstance, coupled with the contemporary, vague, unchallenging test standard, schools are rather unlikely to have curriculums that can help students develop fully or help them attain high scores in those more advanced and comprehensive international tests. To illustrate, data collected by NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) shows that U.S. students perform the worst in areas like Math and Science. Especially in Math, U.S. high school students scored much lower than other countries that participated (Lattimore). Nevertheless, the situation can be changed if the whole school system revises the curriculums for the sake of students’ better development, which is the original intention of education. After that, tests should be based on the curriculums that schools are providing. How is it possible for students to achieve good grades while the test does not at all correspond to the courses they are taking? Although many people believe that the freedom of teaching and the freedom of learning are both significant, experts claim that a well-educated person has a well-furnished mind, â€Å"shaped by reading and thinking about history, science, literature, the arts, and politics†, and is armed with knowledge and skills that help him read, listen and also explain (Ravitch 16). Without basic knowledge and skills, people are unable to think critically, to debate or to question, let alone able to solve problems in tests or in their real lives. The continuous education reforms really expose th e effort that America is always trying to make for its nation. Nonetheless, paying too much attention to testing other than curriculum will only lead to a blow up of its previous efforts. Moreover, school resources, computer technology especially, are not being used effectively by teachers and students, causing a reduction in school productivity. It is now in the midst of the information age when technology use is widely spread. Although the goal of President Bill Clinton, â€Å"a computer in every classroom†, has practically been realized by American public schools and â€Å"the number of computers in U.S. schools has grown dramatically† (Evans 272), a research conducted by Harvard University economist Caroline Hoxby has shown that the productivity (the ratio of student performance to spending) has not increased as expected. Instead, it is declining (Woessmann 73). Originally, schools hope that technology can help students achieve better academic performance, instead of being a distraction for students. Hence, as can be seen in most schools, there are a lot of unwritten rules for students banning them from using electronic devices during class. But many students still behave as usual, making technology a destraction of class environment. For this reason, American schools are confused about whether their students are the beneficiaries or victims of this new age (Evans 272). Since it is a technological time, why not take good advantage of it? There are still many students in developing countries dreaming of this advantage that American students experience. And it definitely cannot be wasted. If students were guided to make good use of school resources, the teaching pace and quality would increase; homework assignments would receive more positive feedback; the testing burden would be lighter. Accordingly, the whole nation’s students would do much better academically. In addition to the hardware and software resources not being used well, adults are not paying enough attention to American students. During a student’s academic journey, adults around him can have a substantial influence on him. In particular, parental involvement has a considerably critical impact on their children’s education experience. If a child’s parents attach great importance to education, then the child would also tend to value their school work (Schaack 10). Again, to demonstrate using Chinese parents as an example, most of the time, they supervise their children’s behavior in school by attending parent-teacher conferences periodically, learning about their grades, discussing school programs and activities with their children, monitoring their homework and so on. They also provide private tutoring, paying private teachers, when their children are not performing as well as others or when they need to pass some specific tests and examinations. Some of the Chinese parents even consider their training to be high enough to teach their children while most American parents seem â€Å"less sure as to how much they could help† with children’s school work (Hunt and Hu 134). As a part of culture, Chinese students are motivated intensely by their parents to succeed in school from the time when they are young (Ho and Willims 136). In comparison, American parents’ involvement in their children’s education differs from area to area. During an interview with a Chinese student in Hillsdale High School, Yixi Wu, who left his country at the age of 15 and immigrated into America, he said that he could tell that American parents provide their children with more freedom when it comes to school matters. They care more about their children’s overall life pattern and everyday skills rather than pay too much attention on their academic achievement (Cannon and Ginsburg 122). However, parental involvement can substantially influence a student’s academic performance. To prove, statistics collected by Professor Esther Ho Sui-Chu from University of British suggest that â€Å"the most important parental-involvement factor at the individual level is Home Discussion. The estimated effect is approximately 12 percent of a standard deviation on both mathematics and reading achievement. This finding implies that an increase of 1 standard deviation in Home Discussion is associated with an increase in achievement of 0.12 of a standard deviation† (Ho and Willims 136). The result of this study really emphasizes the significant influence of parents’ facilitation on children’s academic success. Since cultures in Asian countries like China and Western countries like America are different, children in America manage to have more freedom in school life and academic matters. Consequently, their learning outcome compared to China is relatively lower. But if American parents pay more attention to their children’s school experience, more positive attitudes towards academic behavior will probably be fostered; homework assignment will have better quality; learning outcome will be more outstanding and dropout rates will definitely go down. Besides parents, teachers also have great academic influence on students and their impacts are more direct. Superficially, some people would consider that it was because in some countries teachers were too strict that students did not dare to obey them. This common recognition makes sense to some extent but is not exactly true. Obviously and overall, students are going to attain higher achievement if teachers pay more attention to them and give them corresponding advice on the difficulties they meet at school. As mentioned above, Chinese teachers have their own technique dealing with this issue. Usually, a Chinese teacher is going to ask a student to come to the board to solve a problem with everybody else watching him. If he is not able to have it done, others will try hard to help him deal with it so that no one will extremely lag behind. What’s more, if he still has difficulty figuring it out, teachers will ask him to go to his office after class and provide extra individua l tutoring. â€Å"In Contrast, in America, being called in front of a class and being critiqued by not only your teacher, but also by other peers, could be downright damaging to a student’s psyche† (Schaack 7). In this case, subsequently, students can only ask for help after class during teachers’ office hours, which are rather limited. What if one does not realize where his current position is compared to the others? What if he does not know what he misunderstands right after he gets confused? He will probably accumulate his misunderstanding and eventually lag far behind. Therefore, as the old saying goes â€Å"every coin has two sides†. In exchange for maintaining students’ self-esteem, American education has to lose some of its points in the international competition. Yet if the American schools were to learn from Chinese schools in this aspect, making the classroom environment to be more challenging and teacher-controlled, students are going to be more comp etitive and will achieve much better academically. Admittedly, there are still problems waiting to be fixed in America’s education system even if it has always been receiving a good reputation worldwide. With more rigorous test standards, students would have a better sense of direction in their education journey; with curriculums to be more comprehensive, students would be equipped with better skills for life and career; with more efficient use of resources, students would be able to release much of their pressure and make studying fun; and with the help from parents and teachers, students would probably be more motivated for further study and self-development. Fixing the defects in the U.S. education system and adopting advantages from other countries like China will awaken students’ potential, thereby improving the whole nation’s academic achievement, finally consolidating its title of the most powerful country in the world. Those who suit their actions to the time are wise. Hence, corresponding changes in educ ation turn out to be necessary for America to succeed in its self-progress as well as in the aggressive global competition. Work Cited American Federation of Teachers. â€Å"Setting higher sights: A need for more demanding assessments for U.S. eighth graders.† Washington, DC: American Federation of Teachers. July, 1998. Web. May, 2012. Cannon, J. and H. P. Ginsburg. â€Å"Doing the math: Maternal beliefs about early math ¬ematics versus language learning.† Early Education and Development. 2008. Web. May, 2012. Evans, Dennis L. Taking sides: Clashing views on controversial issues in secondary education. University of California, Irvine. 2002. Print. Ho Sui-Chu, Esther and J. Douglas Willims. â€Å"Effects of Parental Involvement on Eighth-Grade Achievement.† Sociology of Education. (April, 1996):126-141. Web. May, 2012. Hunt, Jessica H. and Bi Ying Hu. â€Å"Theoretical Factors Affecting Parental Roles in Children’s Mathematical Learning in American and Chinese-Born Mothers.† The School Community Journal. 2011. Web. May, 2012. Lattimore, K. â€Å"Students in U.S. Falling Behind i n Math and Science.† 8 September, 2009. Web. May, 2012. Ravitch, Diane. The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How testing and Choice Are Undermining Education. New York. Basic Book, 2010. Print. Schaack, Tara L. Van. â€Å"Comparing U.S. and Chinese Public School Systems.† University of Michigan. n.d. Web. May, 2012. Siegel, Benjemin. â€Å"Stressful Times for Chinese Students.† TIME. 12 June, 2007. Web. May, 2012. Vernille, Kristy. â€Å"Why Are U.S. Mathematics Students Falling Behind Their International Peers?† University of Maryland. n.d. Web. May, 2012. Woessmann, Ludger. â€Å"Why Students in Some Countries Do Better: International evidence on the importance of education policy.† Education Matters. 2001. Web. May, 2012.

Illustration of how the Polis was the center of Athenian Life Essay

Introduction The word Polis (poh-lis) referred to the city-state, to the fortress, and to the people as a whole.   Greek city-states often grew up around forts on the hills or mountaintops for their protection. These city-states were independent states (a nation of its own) that controlled a limited amount of farmland surrounding the territory .The Greek city states were small of which the ideal size was a population of about 5,000 male citizens, who were the only people counted in official records. Of all the polis, Athens had the largest population, reaching to about 35,000 male citizens in the middle of the fifth century B.C. Because of its small size, the people (citizens) had the opportunity to interact closely with each other.   When there is no war, Athenian life revolved around the state[1]. This paper will illustrate how the polis was the center of Athenian life. The illustration will be derived from examples of the political and cultural activities of its citizens. Political Life Political Participation Like most Greek city-states, the Athenians developed political units that were centrally based on a single city (Athens). Athenians were the first people in history to lead the establishment of a government in which free citizens ruled themselves. This type of government was called â€Å"democracy† meaning â€Å"rule by the people†.[2] Previously, Athens was ruled by powerful noble officials known as archons who tended to favor the upper class of Athens but because of lower class Athenian protests, the leadership was transferred to Solon in 594 B.C. Solon was a statesman, poet and merchant who was widely regarded as wise and just. Solon made political reforms that decreased the power of the nobles. He divided Athenian citizens into four classes based on wealth, not on noble birth. This gave the merchants a voice in the government, for citizens in the three highest classes could hold public office and later all male citizens were expected to serve in the government.[3] About 510, Athens was ruled by Cleisthenes. After consulting with the Assembly he reformed the political system by dividing Athens into ten areas called demes.[4] To safeguard the new democratic government, Cleisthenes started a new practice. Once a year the Athenians voted out a person who they suspect will become a tyrant leader.   If 6,000 votes were cast against a particular person, he was forced to leave Athens for ten years. Because votes were written on a piece of broken pottery called an ostrakon, this practice became known as ostracism. Few people actually were ostracized but the custom gave citizens more power. Pericles, who ruled Athens in 460 B.C., increased the participation of Athenians in politics. He opened government jobs to all classes and government officials were paid salaries so that even poor citizens could serve as officials.   Citizens were given the freedom to criticize leading generals or statesmen without being punished. The duties of government were performed by ordinary citizens. They took care of the public buildings, kept the waterfront safe for ships, and watched over the city’s food supply. They served in the army and rowed ships in the navy. Rather than being elected, officials were chosen by lot (a process similar to having one’s name picked out of a hat). They held office for one year and could not hold the same position again. This gave every male citizen a chance to serve the community.[5] In fact, the Athenian political system of allotment made it possible for every male citizen to be liable for executive government duties. Participation in the Assembly The number of Athenian citizens was small enough for them to govern themselves in a direct democracy. There was no need to elect representatives as most modern democracies do. About forty times a year all citizens met in the Assembly (supreme-decision making body in Athens) in an open area on a hill called The Pnyx. The Assembly meetings were opened for every male citizen over the age of 18.[6] There they debated, voted all matters of domestic and foreign policy and made the laws. They themselves decided whether to sign a trade treaty, build a navy, or make peace. Although every male Athenian had the right to attend, due to limited space and other practical reasons, not all of them were able to attend every meeting. With a total male population of 30,000, the Phynx can only accommodate 6,000 of them. Nevertheless, Assembly meetings were events that most Athenians look forward to. Usually Assembly meetings were scheduled just after dawn, delayed only when citizens and presiding officials were late. It is significant to note that any citizen, whether he held a public office or nor, had the right to speak or voice his opinions before thousands of his fellow Athenians. Before or after the speech, each citizen was expected to openly show their support or disagreement for it was assumed that each Athenian citizen could think intelligently about community affairs.[7]   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Participation in the Council (Boulà ª) The Athenian Council was composed of 500 members. These members were chosen by lot from 50 citizens of the 10 Athenian tribes.   Any male with an age over 30 had the opportunity to serve in the Council although not all are required to do so. Usually eligible males in each deme (local municipalities) would volunteer themselves and 50 of them were selected by lots to serve in the Council.   Athenian citizens are allowed to serve twice in the Council. Unlike the Assembly, the Council met everyday, except for festival days and certain other forbidden days, in the Agora. If there was an Assembly meeting, the council would meet in the afternoon for normally Assembly meetings end at noon. The Council’s primary responsibilities include the preparation of an agenda for the Assembly, drafting of bills and the supervision of the public officials.[8] The Council would give an account of its actions and activities before the Assembly (meaning before all the Athenian males) at the end of its year of service. What was interesting about the Council was that their activity was supervised daily by each different member of the Athenian tribes. In other words, through the casting of lots a new chairman was elected every day and was entrusted with the keys to the temples that kept the state funds, records and state seal. The daily change of Council leadership  Ã‚   means that the reins of the Athenian government were in the hands of a different Athenian citizen every day of the year.[9] This was a remarkable way of managing political affairs where competency and efficiency does not make one hold on to a government position. Women and slaves in Athens were excluded from government service however. But in spite of that they found other things to do in Athens like raising the family and participating in festivals. [10]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   D. Participation in the Law Courts Because of their democratic form of government, every accused Athenian were tried in the Athenian courts. Every year 6,000 mostly poor Athenian citizens were chosen by lot to serve in the jury. They were not forced to serve in this function but voluntarily put themselves forward because of the prospect of receiving salary. The Athenians were eager juries who would show up in the courts early in the morning for daily sessions. The numbers of juries needed for that day were selected with the use of a complicated allotment machine. The allotment process takes two steps, first to select the juries and second to select the court rooms where they will be assigned.   Because allotment occurs daily, there was a constant change of juror for all cases. The reason for this complicated behavior was to prevent the occurrence of bribery. There was no way of knowing in advance whether a certain juror will serve that day and if he does what case he will be assigned. As mentioned earlier the court system was run by non-professionals. There were no professionally trained judges and lawyers to rely upon. Unlike today, public prosecutions in ancient Athens were not represented by assigned district attorney to serve as prosecutor and there was no lawyer assigned for the defendant.   In private cases, both the accuse and the plaintiff defended themselves. Final decision for court cases was obtained after the jury (without discussing with each other) voted. Private prosecution only last 9  ½ hours while private ones took about only two hours. Justice was rather quick for the Athenians. [11] Cultural Life Love of Learning The Athenians love to educate themselves. There were so many things that they wanted to know and learn. That is why they produced great philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The Athenians discussed their ideas in the Agora or marketplace daily.[12] There they argue, discuss or scrutinize some new knowledge   The Athenians considered education necessary for good citizenship. Boys were enrolled in private schools or taught at home by tutors, often educated slaves. They learned reading, arithmetic, and the works of Homer and other great poets. Young men studied public speaking, geometry, astronomy and poetry and were encouraged to discuss their ideas about politics and questions of right and wrong. The Athenians were very fond of the athletics. All schools of Athens had physical education as part of their curriculum. An Athenian philosophy was that an ideal citizen is a product of exercise and morality.  Ã‚   There were many athletic events in and around Athens that the Athenians look forward to. The underlying purpose of  Ã‚   all the sacrifices of self-discipline and learning were for each Athenians to be hailed  Ã‚  Ã‚     worthy of Athens and to bring honor to its name especially by winning in the Athletic games against other Greek-states. Pre-occupation with Arts and Literature Athens was the cultural center of Greece. The Athenians believed that a man’s life was empty if he failed to use his mind and develop his talents. Because of that philosophy the Athenians made extraordinary achievements in art, literature, science and philosophy. In these fields, they set standards for later Western civilization. Because they placed high value on individual excellence, Athenian cultural heritage continue to awe and inspire modern men. Athenian poets and playwrights wrote enduring masterpieces. Poetry played an important part in expressing the Athenian view of life. Their poems vividly showed people striving to live up to standards of courage and honor. Poems were also written to honor victors in athletic games and heroes killed in battle, which of course encouraged the Athenians to refine further their talents and win victories for Athens. Plays were popular entertainment for all Athenians.   The Athenian ruler Pisistratus sponsored the first drama festivals in 534 B.C Because. Greece had a mild climate, the dramas were performed outdoors, in a large theater built into the side of a hill. The theater held as many as 20,000 people. Opening day was a public holiday. The poor were given money to buy seats, and prisoners were even released from jail to watch the performances. Many people brought food, for performances often lasted from sunrise to sunset.[13] As in some modern theaters, audiences in ancient Athens sat in half-circle around a circular area where the actors, dancers, and musicians performed. Athenian playwrights also wrote comedies that made fun of Athenian politicians, generals, philosophers and other playwrights. Also Athenian artists and architects created simple and beautiful styles that continue to serve as models. The style of Greek architectural style had been used in thousands of public buildings in the United States and Europe. Practice of Religion Athenians were firm believers of gods and goddesses which they honored in shared community rituals and festivals. Processions, music, animal sacrifice and communal dining were participated by all Athenians. Athenian arts not only express the Athenian love for what is beautiful but also to honor their gods by building shrines and temples for them around Athens. [14]An example is the pillared temples on the Acropolis, a hill in the center of Athens. The largest is the Parthenon, the temple of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens. The Parthenon seems to have grown out of the rocky hillside in the center of the city. It is simple, but perfectly proportioned, built of white marbles. It originally held a 40-foot-tall ivory and gold statue of Athena. Athenians also made statues of their gods and goddesses. These gods and goddesses were pictured in the form of beautiful human beings, for that was the way the Greeks imagined them Conclusion Athenian life revolved around the city-state (polis) of Athens. Its small size and democratic form of government had enabled the citizens to actively participate in all of its affairs and to ensure its stability.   They collectively participated in the management of the state with all male being given the opportunity to lead their communities. Their rich culture boasts of famous philosophers, beautifully designed shrines and temples and religious fervor with gods and goddesses that are as famous as Athens itself. It is clear to see that with the time and devotion that they had given to their political and cultural life within the walls of Athens, the city was an important part of their lives. Bibliography Athenian Life. Brooklyn College Classic Homepage 2008 .Retrieved February 1, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm Lang, Mabel L. The Athenian Citizen. Princeton, New Jersey: American School of Classical Studies at Athens,1960. Parker, Robert. Athenian Religion. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997. Perry, Marvin. A History of the World. New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988. Stockton, David. The Classical Athenian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. [1] Marvin Perry, History of the World, New York: Houghton-Mifflin, p. 69 [2] David Stockton The Classical Athenian Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), 1.   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‚  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‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 [3]   Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 71-80. [4] David Stockton, The Classical Athenian Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), 57 [4]   Perry, 73. [6] Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 3-4. [7] Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [8] Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 10. [9] Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [10] Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 75. [11]  Ã‚   Athenian Life, available from Brooklyn College Classic Homepage, 2008 from   http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics/dunkle/athnlife/index.htm [12]   Mabel Lang, The Athenian Citizen (New Jersey: American Classical Studies at Athens), 67. [13] Marvin Perry, A History of the World ( New York: Houghton-Mifflin, 1988), 82-86. [14] Robert Parker , Athenian Religion ( Oxford: Clarendon Press ), 67-80.

Caffeine Typing Speed - Sample Science Fair Projects

Caffeine Typing Speed - Sample Science Fair Projects Purpose The purpose of this project is to determine whether taking caffeine affects typing speed. Hypothesis Typing speed is not affected by whether or not you take caffeine. (Remember: You cannot scientifically prove a hypothesis, however, you can disprove one.) Experiment Summary You are going to type the same text repeatedly for a specified length of time and compare how many words you typed before ingesting caffeine and afterward. Materials computera drink containing caffeine and another drink of the same type that does not contain caffeine (e.g., coffee and decaf coffee, diet cola and decaf diet cola)stopwatch or timer Experimental Procedure Drink the non-caffeinated beverage. Wait 30 minutes.Type The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. as many times as you can for 2 minutes. If you can, type using a word processing program that keeps track of how many words you have entered.Drink the caffeinated beverage. Wait 30 minutes. (The peak effects from taking caffeine tend to be felt around 30-45 minutes after taking it.)Type The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. as many times as you can for 2 minutes.Compare the number of words you typed. Calculate words per minute by dividing the total number of words that were typed by the number of minutes (e.g., 120 words in 2 minutes would be 60 words per minute).Repeat the experiment, preferably a total of at least three times. Data Construct a table stating the type of drink and the number of words you could type in 2 minutes.Calculate your average typing speed (words per minute) for each drink. Results Did taking caffeine affect how quickly you could type? If it did, did you type more or fewer words under the influence of caffeine? Conclusions Was your hypothesis accepted or rejected? Can you propose an explanation for the outcome?Do you think you would get the same results if you had tested the effects of the caffeinated beverage first? Caffeine stays in your system for a few hours. When it wears off, some people report feeling crashed instead of normal.How do you think the results would be affected by changing the amount of caffeine? What do you think would happen if you took too much caffeine?Do you think you became better at typing the test sentence over time?If your word processor can track typing errors, did you note any difference in the accuracy of your typing after drinking the caffeinated beverage? Could you propose a hypothesis about the effect of caffeine use on typing accuracy? Things to Think About Caffeine occurs naturally in over 50 different types of plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, and kola nuts.Caffeine acts as a mild stimulant. Some studies have shown that taking caffeine may temporarily increase concentration, reasoning, and memory. However, the effects of caffeine wear off after a few hours and if you routinely take caffeine you will need to take more to get the same effect.Most adults are exposed to caffeine in coffee and energy drinks. Children are likely to get caffeine from energy drinks, soft drinks, tea, and chocolate. Amount of Caffeine in Common Products Product Caffeine (mg) coffee (8 oz) 65 - 120 Red Bull (8.2 oz) 80 tea (8 oz) 20 - 90 cola (8 oz) 20 - 40 dark chocolate (1 oz) 5 - 40 milk chocolate (1 oz) 1 - 15 chocolate milk (8 oz) 2 - 7 decaf coffee (8 oz) 2 - 4

Overview of The Seven Years War (1756 - 63)

Overview of The Seven Years War (1756 - 63) In Europe, the Seven Years War was fought between an alliance of France, Russia, Sweden, Austria and Saxony against Prussia, Hanover and Great Britain from 1756 - 63. However, the war had an international element, particularly as Britain and France fought for domination of North America and India. As such, it has been called the first ‘world war’. The theatre in North America is called the ‘French Indian’ war, and in German,y the Seven Years War has been known as the ‘Third Silesian War’. It is notable for the adventures of Frederick the Great, a man whose major early successes and later tenacity were matched by one of the most incredible pieces of luck ever to end a major conflict in history (that bit is on page two). Origins: The Diplomatic Revolution The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748, but to many, it was only an armistice, a temporary halt to the war. Austria had lost Silesia to Prussia, and was angry at both Prussia – for taking the wealthy land – and her own allies for not making sure it was returned. She started weighing up her alliances and seeking out alternatives. Russia grew worried about the growing power of Prussia, and wondered about waging a ‘preventative’ war to stop them. Prussia, pleased at having gained Silesia, believed it would take another war to keep it, and hoped to gain more territory during it. In the 1750s, as tensions rose in North America between British and French colonists competing for the same land, Britain acted to try and prevent the ensuing war destabilising Europe by altering its alliances. These actions, and a change of heart by Frederick II of Prussia – known by his many later admirers as ‘the Great’ – triggered what has been called the ‘Diplomatic Revolution’, as the previous system of alliances broke down and a new one replaced it, with Austria, France and Russia allied against Britain, Prussia and Hanover. Europe: Frederick Gets His Retaliation in First In May 1756, Britain and France officially went to war, triggered by French attacks on Minorca; the recent treaties stopped other nations being sucked in to help. But with the new alliances in place, Austria was poised to strike and take Silesia back, and Russia was planning a similar initiative, so Frederick II of Prussia – aware of the plotting – initiated conflict in an attempt to gain an advantage. He wanted to defeat Austria before France and Russia could mobilise; he also wanted to seize more land. Frederick thus attacked Saxony in August 1756 to try and break its alliance with Austria, seize its resources and set up his planned 1757 campaign. He took the capital, accepting their surrender, incorporating their troops and sucking huge funds out of the state. Prussian forces then advanced into Bohemia, but were unable to win the victory that would keep them there and they retreated to Saxony. They advanced back again in early 1757, winning the battle of Prague on May 6, 1757, thanks in no small part to Frederick’s subordinates. However, the Austrian army had retreated into Prague, which Prussia besieged. Luckily for the Austrians, Frederick was defeated on June 18th by a relief force at the Battle of Kolin and forced to retreat out of Bohemia. Europe: Prussia Under Attack Prussia now appeared to be attacked from all sides, as a French force defeated the Hanoverians under an English general – the King of England was also the King of Hanover – occupied Hanover and marched to Prussia, while Russia came in from the East and defeated other Prussians, although they followed this up by retreating and only occupied East Prussia the next January. Austria moved on Silesia and Sweden, new to the Franco-Russo-Austrian alliance, also attacked. For a while Frederick sank into self pity, but responded with a display of arguably brilliant generalship, defeating a Franco-German army at Rossbach on November 5th, and an Austrian one at Leuthenon December 5th; both of which had outnumbered him greatly. Neither victory was enough to force an Austrian (or French) surrender. From now on the French would target a resurgent Hanover, and never fought Frederick again, while he moved quickly, defeating one enemy army and then another before they could effectively team up, using his advantage of shorter, internal lines of movement. Austria soon learnt not to fight Prussia in the large, open areas which favoured Prussia’s superior movement, although this was constantly reduced by casualties. Britain began to harass the French coast to try and draw troops away, while Prussia pushed the Swedes out. Europe: Victories and Defeats The British ignored the surrender of their previous Hanoverian army and returned to the region, intent on keeping France at bay. This new army was commanded by a close ally of Frederick’s (his brother in law) and kept French forces busy in the west and away from both Prussia and the French colonies. They won the battle of Minden in 1759, and made a series of strategic manoeuvres to tie up the enemy armies, although were constrained by having to send reinforcements to Frederick. Frederick attacked Austria, but was outmanoeuvred during a siege and forced to retreat into Silesia. He then fought a draw with the Russians at Zorndorf, but took heavy casualties (a third of his army); he was then beaten by Austria at Hochkirch, losing a third again. By the end of the year he had cleared Prussia and Silesia of enemy armies, but was greatly weakened, unable to pursue anymore grand offensives; Austria was cautiously pleased. By now, all belligerents had spent huge sums. Frederick was bought to battle again at Battle of Kunersdorf in August 1759, but was heavily defeated by an Austro-Russian army. He lost 40% of the troops present, although he managed to keep the remainder of his army in operation. Thanks to Austrian and Russian caution, delays and disagreements, their advantage was not pressed and Frederick avoided being forced to surrender. In 1760 Frederick failed in another siege, but won minor victories against the Austrians, although at Torgau he won because of his subordinates rather than anything he did. France, with some Austrian support, tried to push for peace. By the end of 1761, with enemies wintering on Prussian land, things were going badly for Frederick, whose once highly trained army was now bulked out with hastily gathered recruits, and whose numbers where well below those of the enemy armies. Frederick was increasingly unable to perform the marches and outflankings which had bought him success, and was on the defensive. Had Frederick’s enemies overcome their seeming inability to co-ordinate – thanks to xenophobia, dislike, confusion, class differences and more - Frederick might already have been beaten. In control of only a part of Prussia, Frederick’s efforts looked doomed, despite Austria being in a desperate financial position. Europe: Death as Prussian Saviour Frederick hoped for a miracle, and he got one. The implacably anti-Prussian Tsarina of Russia died, to be succeeded by Tsar Peter III. He was favourable to Prussia and made immediate peace, sending troops to help Frederick. Although Peter was assassinated quickly afterwards – not before trying to invade Denmark – the new Tsar – Peter’s wife, Catherine the Great – kept the peace agreements, although she withdrew Russian troops which had been helping Frederick. This freed Frederick to win more engagements against Austria. Britain took the chance to end their alliance with Prussia – thanks partly to mutual antipathy between Frederick and Britain’s new Prime Minister- declaring war on Spain and attacking their Empire instead. Spain invaded Portugal, but were halted with British aid. The Global War Although British troops did fight on the continent, slowly increasing in numbers, the Britain had preferred to send financial support to Frederick and Hanover – subsidies larger than any before in British history – rather than fight in Europe. This was in order to send troops and ships elsewhere in the world. The British had been involved in fighting in North America since 1754, and the government under William Pitt decided to further prioritise the war in America, and hit the rest of France’s imperial possessions, using their powerful navy to harass France where she was weakest. In contrast, France focused on Europe first, planning an invasion of Britain, but this possibility was ended by the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, shattering France’s remaining Atlantic naval power and their ability to reinforce America. England had effectively won the ‘French-Indian’ war in North America by 1760, but peace there had to wait until the other theatres were settled. In 1759 a small, opportunistic British force had seized Fort Louis on the Senegal River in Africa, acquiring plenty of valuables and suffering no casualties. Consequently, by the end of the year, all French trading posts in Africa were British. Britain then attacked France in the West Indies, taking the rich island of Guadeloupe and moving on to other wealth producing targets. The British East India Company retaliated against a local leader and attacked French interests in India and, aided greatly by the British Royal Navy dominating the Indian Ocean as it had the Atlantic, ejected France from the area. By war’s end, Britain had a vastly increased Empire, France a much reduced one. Britain and Spain also went to war, and Britain shocked their new enemy by seizing the hub of their Caribbean operations, Havana, and a quarter of the Spanish Navy. Peace None of Prussia, Austria, Russia or France had been able to win the decisive victories needed to force their enemies to surrender, but by 1763 the war in Europe had drained the belligerents and they sought peace, Austria, facing bankruptcy and feeling unable to proceed without Russia, France defeated abroad and unwilling to fight on to support Austria, and England keen to cement global success and end the drain on their resources. Prussia was intent on forcing a return to the state of affairs before the war, but as peace negotiations dragged on Frederick sucked as much as he could out of Saxony, including kidnapping girls and relocating them in depopulated areas of Prussia. The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10th, 1763, settling issues between Britain, Spain and France, humiliating the latter, former greatest power in Europe. Britain gave Havana back to Spain, but received Florida in return. France compensated Spain by giving her Louisiana, while England got all French lands in North America east of the Mississippi except New Orleans. Britain also gained much of the West Indies, Senegal, Minorca and land in India. Other possessions changed hands, and Hanover was secured for the British. On February 10th, 1763 the Treaty of Hubertusburg between Prussia and Austria confirmed the status quo: Prussia kept Silesia, and secured its claim to ‘great power’ status, while Austria kept Saxony. As historian Fred Anderson pointed out, millions had been spent and tens of thousands had died, but nothing had changed. Consequences Britain was left as the dominant world power, albeit deeply in debt, and the cost had introduced new problems in the relationship with its colonists (this would go on to cause the American Revolutionary War, another global conflict that would end in a British defeat.) France was on the road to economic disaster and revolution. Prussia had lost 10% of its population but, crucially for Frederick’s reputation, had survived the alliance of Austria, Russia and France which had wanted to reduce or destroy it, although many historians claim Frederick is given too much credit for this as outside factors allowed it. Reforms followed in many of the belligerent’s government and military, with Austrian fears that Europe would be on the road to a disastrous militarism were well founded. The failure of Austria to reduce Prussia to second rate power doomed it to a competition between the two for the future of Germany, benefitting Russia and France, and leading to a Prussian centred Germany empire. The war also saw a shift in the balance of diplomacy, with Spain and Holland, reduced in importance, replaced by two new Great Powers: Prussia and Russia. Saxony was ruined.

Reflection paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reflection paper - Assignment Example Germanic Europe embraces low humane orientation, is result oriented, focuses on the future and likes planning. This cluster as well advocates for competition and aggressiveness. On the contrary, the southern Asia cluster embraces strong family links, high humane orientation, and deep concern for the feelings of other people. Clearly, these two clusters are extremely different. Leading a group with individuals from these regions may come with quite a number of obstacles. Communicating could be quite difficult since the people from these regions prefer different leadership styles. This means that a style that could be effective in governing the southern Asians could not be effective in managing and directing the Germanic Europeans. People from different cultures view ideas differently since their respective cultures affect their perceptions about life. For instance, it is clear to see that the Germanic Europeans are not risk takers. They follow set procedures and cannot easily deviate. As a way of preparing to prepare to handle these challenges, I would adopt the team-oriented leadership. Through this approach, I can learn the weaknesses and strengths of each member and trying to do away with petty faults in a bid to build a strong team. As a diversity conscious leader, I would leverage my strengths by acting as a coordinator, a competent team builder, a fo re-planner and a win-win conflict resolver in a bid to build strong links. The process of Appreciative inquiry (Ai) was captivating and enlightening to me. The fact that the idea is concerned with generating innovative ideas makes the experience extremely informative. This is among the most reliable techniques of achieving change in the organization. Changes for the better and continuous improvement are among the most prominent ideas in the contemporary business world. The Ai process boosts creativity and equips one with up-to-date information and knowledge. The most challenging part of the

The Code of Dignity and the Code of Honor Coursework - 3

The Code of Dignity and the Code of Honor - Coursework Example In the code of dignity, an interpersonal relationship prospers because of ratification and dialogue. According to the code of dignity, people must form an interpersonal relationship on equal terms and they should give each other respect and space to grow. In the code of honor, an interpersonal relationship prospers by defining social roles of people, in which they must stay to continue a relationship. Interpersonal relationships in the code of honor are formed by giving proper social positions to individuals and people can grow as part of society, not as individuals. Teamsterville code of speaking exemplifies a code of honor because the emphasis is on role and place and these should be related to a person. Moreover, in Teamsterville code of speaking, it was shown that men and women had their own roles in society, to which they should adhere. Society is prioritized over the individual in Teamsterville code of speaking. Nacirema code of speaking exemplifies a code of dignity because emphasis is on individual and self. People are in need of true communication that is close, supportive and flexible in which, they must be allowed to grow with respect. Self is prioritized over society in Nacirema code of speaking. Richard Daley: Joanna, I just don't get it. How could a woman like you abandon her child? What, did your husband beat you or something? Joanna Kramer: Well. No, Ted is not an extremist and he has no personal flaws but he was unable to give me my space.