Assessments Hold Schools, States and Nations Accountable...

According to IRA standards, â€Å"the primary purpose of assessment is to improve teaching and learning† (International Reading Association, n.d.). This connotation would seem to contradict the uselessness of focused teacher-testing in today’s classroom during the major assessment phase of the school year. However, according to Johnson and Johnson (2002) and Steward (2004), they believe that assessments are useful in holding schools, states and nations, accountable throughout the educational process for student learning (as cited in Richardson, Morgan, Fleener, 2009). As many of us educators in this district know, this accountability could be seen in our state’s profienciency exam, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ®),†¦show more content†¦It is important to note that no matter what type of evaluation is used the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) calls for using strategies that are ensured to work in the education and assessment of our students (Richardson, Morgan, Fleener, 2009). However, it appears that this piece of legislation causes panic whenever a statistic is concerned. In fact, it has even been called a type of American education flu, indicating a panic that arises when our politicians and educational administrators see America’s education level falling beneath that of other developed countries (Gross, 2002). The ripple effect that is caused by low scores on standardized tests result in dire consequences for both students and teachers. Because the consequences are negatively impacting teachers which then can impede student growth, support for educators has been recently emphasized by the Commission on NCLB (2007). This amended policy not only called for significant educator support but also for fair, accurate and quality options for students to demonstrate their levels of competency. Throughout the school district there has been a sudden surge to hire highly qualified teachers, especially for core subjects. For the district’s current teachers, this means that the team they will work with in the future and the future team leaders will have gone through extensive educational requirements and professionalShow MoreRelatedAlfie Kohn Literature Review Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesSince the implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), schools and society have taken a different perspective on how to assess the student‘s progress. Schools are forced to make decisions based on assessments and how to show adequate yearly progress (AYP). Alfie Kohn points out that, in some cases, our students have become victims of standardize testing. In his article, Standardized Testing and Its Victims (2000), he demonstrates how testing have become detrimental to our students instead ofRead MoreWhy Is A Standards Based Education Problematic? Essay759 Words   |  4 Pageseducation as â€Å"an attempt to develop clear, measurable descriptions of what learners should know a nd be able to do as a result of their education† (Armstrong, et al., 20). †¢ Elliot Eisner, an education specialist, states that one of the goals of a standards based education is to hold schools accountable (Armstrong, et al., 20). He also suggests that proponents of Standards-based education â€Å"Inappropriately view schooling as something like a horse race or an educational Olympics† (Armstrong, et al., 21). ThisRead MoreStandardized Testing Is Not Be Completely Honest I Do Not Know About Standardized Test1151 Words   |  5 Pagespurpose, does standardize test benefit students, teachers or schools and are they truly beneficial to my child s education. Standardize test are a result from that No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The NCLB became a law in 2002 by President George W. Bush. The reason for NCLB was a growing concern that the American education system was no longer internationally competitive ­Ã‚ ­ - significantly increased the federal role in holding schools responsible for the academic progress of all students. (KleinRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography Essay1319 Words   |  6 Pagesto standardized testing for student assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/02/an-alternative-to-standardized-testing-for-student-assessment/ This article focuses on methods that could take the place of standardized testing. It also points out that the No Child Left Behind act has killed many school practices. This article also states that no other nation test’s as much as the United States. Do Standardized Tests Show an AccurateRead More Parents for Public Schools Essay example615 Words   |  3 Pages Parents for Public Schools nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Today, the push for more accountability of student performance changed how assessment will be measured and judged in public schools. Not only will students be assessed through test scores, but also through attendance, school work, and observations. Parents hold the schools responsible for the advancement of their students’ knowledge. Different tests are given to measure their intelligence level which is either used to compare one student toRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Standardized Testing1302 Words   |  6 Pagesidentify schools who are lacking in successful educational processes neither harm school districts through unequal distribution of power, nor negatively affect students’ learning; rather, it benefits students, faculty, and districts by encouraging student success and aiding in improvements for school curriculums. Standardized Testing assists schools by yielding results that illustrate the academic strengths and weaknesses of students within that school, which may be used to hold school districtsRead MoreStandardized Testing Is Not Be Completely Honest, I Do Not Know About Standardized Test1363 Words   |  6 Pagespurpose, does standardize test benefit students, teachers or schools and are they truly beneficial to my child s education. Standardize test is a result from that No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The NCLB became a law in 2002 by President George W. Bush. The reason for NCLB was a growing concern that the American education system was no longer internationally competitive ­Ã‚ ­ - significantly increased the federal role in holding schools responsible for the academic progress of all students. (KleinRead MoreStandardized Testing And The School Entrance Examination Board- Or Sat Began1424 Words   |  6 Pageseducation curriculum when â€Å"the common school movement began in earnest in the 1830s in New England as reformers†¦ began to argue successfully for a greater government role in the schooling of all children† (â€Å"Common School†). â€Å"By 1845 in the United States, public education advocate Horace Mann was calling for standardized essay testing† (Mathews), because he believed that â€Å"political stability and social harmony depended on universal education† (â₠¬Å"Common School†), and that these tests would help teachersRead MoreElementary School Essay904 Words   |  4 PagesOrganization The organization chosen is in education for Elementary School. I choose the school where I’m currently employed. The school is part of the Orange County is in Central Florida, Orange County is the regions most populous county and includes the City of Orlando, as well as twelve other incorporated cities. The population of Orange County is 90% urban and 10% rural. Orange County Public Schools serves a diverse population that includes urban (Orlando), suburban and even rural communities;Read MoreAccountability : High Performance And Not Fear Or Stress870 Words   |  4 Pages Accountability is about being willing to hold yourself to a standard that improves the performance of others by having a willingness to be held accountable for them. It should not be defined as a punitive response to something going wrong (2010). In other words, accountability should be about high performance and not fear or stress. Accountability should drive positive change in behavior, processes, and culture, while encouraging continuous improvement and innovation (Garner, 2011). Accountability

How Democratic Is the American Constitution - 695 Words

Robert Dahls book How Democratic is the American Constitution, reminds us that the American Constitution wasnt the only possible base for a democratic system in America. In this book Dahl explains some of the democratic and undemocratic aspects of the American constitution. He also explains what should be changed to improve it. In chapter 2, Dahl begins explaining about the Framers of the constitution who had the task of basically creating a new government that combated all of the problems of the new United States of America. The Framers desperately needed to gather knowledge on how to go about creating a new society but, there was very little information that would help them. Dahl then listed a few events in history that if the†¦show more content†¦Fourth, the definition of the word democracy has changed. The way Americans see the word doesnt refer to a static system as it once did, it is ever changing and improving. Moving on, Dahl explained that not only did ignorance hinder the Framers plans for a constitution but there were also limited on opportunities in that time period. One of these limits was the fact they were convinced that creating a republic was the only way to go. They surely couldnt purpose a monarchy or a government based on a hierarchy since they originally wanted to get away from the English monarch. A second limit was the existence of only thirteen states, which would complicate creating a central government. The delegates also had to confront several other issues before they could agree on a constitution. Two of the larger issues were slavery and representation in the Senate. It was then that within these limits that the Framers had to construct a constitution. Dahl explains that these limits caused the constitution to have serious undemocratic flaws. It neither banned slavery nor gave congress the power to do so; also the constitution didnt guarantee any right of suffrage and left that up to the states. The election of a president was left up to a body of presidential electors that was a group of men that would be unswayed by popular opinion to choose a chief executive. Choosing senators would be determined by the stateShow MoreRelatedHow Democratic Is The American Constitution Essay1616 Words   |  7 PagesThe question posed by both Madison and the Framers in the 85 â€Å"Federalist Papers† and Dahl in his book How Democratic is the American Constitution? is how effective the Constitution is at promoting the ideals of a democracy. For Dahl, there are several issues surrounding the Constitution, from its drafting, to its ideology, to its relev ance. By analyzing Dahl’s critiques of the Constitution in terms of the parallels that exist between factions and the two-party system, the issue of unequal representationRead MoreHow Democratic Is The American Constitution?1310 Words   |  6 PagesAs citizens of America, how free are we? Yes essentially, we can make our own decisions but at what cost. It seems like in order to uphold structure and stability within while securing the wellbeing of every citizen of a nation us to have a government. However, if the establishment of government is essential, there are certain sacrifices one has to make to ensure one’s protection. Therefore, the battle between freedom, equality, and security comes into play when you’re trying to construct a â€Å"perfect†Read MoreHow Democratic Is The American Constitution Written By Robert A. Dahl1457 Words   |  6 PagesIn the book How Democratic Is the American Constitution written by Robert A. Dahl, it shows us a deepe r understanding of how the complexities of when and how the ideals of the American democracy were framed. This book also shows us that this amazing document was created in a way that many of us wouldn’t have thought of. Throughout the book Dahl takes us on an incredible adventure through America’s beginning years, as far back as the Constitutional Convention in 1787. One of the first things thatRead MoreRethinking the Finality of and Democracy in the American Constitution1716 Words   |  7 PagesIs the United States Constitution a sacred and absolute document? Dahl (2001) argued that the Constitution is not perfect or permanent in his book, How Democratic is the American Constitution. He stresses that his main aim is not to propose that the Constitution must be amended, but to facilitate readers in changing how they think about the Constitution. In order to help people rethink the Constitution, Dahl (2001) explained the limitations of its Framers and the Constitution ’s not widely known undemocraticRead More Government and Politics - The Original Constitution Did Not Have Many Democratic Traits1621 Words   |  7 PagesOriginal Constitution Did Not Have Many Democratic Traits In two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, Americans fought and died so that democracy would prevail around the world. In the minds of many Americans, America is the bastion of democracy. But how democratic is America? Today’s America was â€Å"born† with the signing of the constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, it was determined how democratic America would be. And every American should ask himself how democraticRead MoreReview of How Democratic Is the Us Constitution809 Words   |  4 PagesBook Review Of How Democratic Is the American Constitution By Robert A. Dahl Context The American Constitution, seen by Americans as guiding light and bedrock of civil rights and democracy is as Robert A. Dahl argues not so democratic and does not guard the rights of individuals. P.18 Dahl places his work asking fundamental questions as to the use and application of the constitution in the modern world, not as an attack as Gordon S. Wood from New York Review of Books clearly states on theRead MoreHow Democratic Is The U.s. Constitution1506 Words   |  7 Pagesthe drafting of the U.S. Constitutions in 1787. These laws helped established America s national government and fundamental laws as well as guaranteed our citizens equal rights. Robert Dahl brought new light on the issue of how our nation views the U.S. Constitution and how effective it came to be. Most importantly, there is the possibility that Americans have the ability to alter the Constitution when it is needed. In Dahl’s book â€Å"How Democratic is the U.S. Constitution?†, he makes us thin k deeperRead MoreHow Democratic Is The American Consitution?1310 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"How Democratic Is the American Consitution?† written by Robert A. Dahl is a novel that’s main purpose is to â€Å"suggest changes in the way we think about our constitution† (Dahl 2003, p.1). Robert A. Dahl revolves his book around a few questions. However, the main focus of all the questions are â€Å"why should we Americans uphold our constitution† (Dahl 2003, p.1)? This question is asked because he questions why we uphold something that was written more than two centuries ago. He also questions how democraticRead MoreAnalysis Of The Constitution And The Constitution932 Words   |  4 PagesDahl and the Constitution James Madison and the rest of the Founders of the Constitution undeniably founded a government that has withstood the test of time. The question that Robert Dahl poses in How Democratic Is the American Constitution? is whether this form of government and specifically the Constitution is as democratic as it should be and focuses on the Constitution’s shortcomings. Dahl argues that the constitution is much less democratic than it ought to be. Madison, on the other hand, hadRead MoreWhen Asking Oneself If The Original U.S Constitution Is1521 Words   |  7 PagesWhen asking oneself if the original U.S Constitution is democratic, democracy itself must be defined. Democracy is defined as a form of government where all eligible citizens are able to participate equally, either directly, or through elected representatives-majority rule. The original U.S Constitution, including The Bill of Rights, as written is not necessarily a true democratic document, but it is rather a document t hat calls for more of a constitutional republic. This is true despite the fact

Imposing the Affirmative Action Free Essays

â€Å"Affirmative action was originally designed to help minorities, but women-especially white women-have made the greatest gains as a result of these programs†(Gross, 1996). Affirmative action is a growing argument among our society. It is multifaceted and very often defined vaguely. We will write a custom essay sample on Imposing the Affirmative Action or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many people define affirmative action as the ability to strive for equality and inclusiveness. Others might see it as a quote-based system for different minority groups. I agree and support affirmative actions in that Individuals should be treated equally. I feel affirmative action, as an assurance that the best qualified person will receive the job. Is affirmative action fair? In 1974, a woman named Rose was turned down for a supervisory job in favor of a male. She was told that she was the most qualified person, but the position was going to be filled by a man, because he had a family to support. Five years before that, when Rose was about to fill an entry-level position in banking, a personnel officer outlined the woman†s pay scale, which was $25 to $50 month less than what men were being paid for the same position. Rose was furious because she felt This was discriminating to her. She confronted the personnel officer and he saw nothing wrong with it. Thanks to affirmative action today things like these situations are becoming more rare and/or corrected more quickly. Affirmative action has definitely helped women and minorities in their careers, but it has yet to succeed in the goal of equality to the fullest for the business world to women and minorities. Some observers argue that women have made huge strides! With the help of affirmative action. They now hold 40 percent of all corporate middle-management jobs, and the number of women-owned businesses has grown by 57 percent since 1982†³(Blackwood, 1995). â€Å"Affirmative action was designed to give qualified minorities a chance to compete on equal footing with Whites† (Chappell, 1995). Equal opportunities for the blacks, for the most part, have remained more wishful thinking than fact. Black students are continuing to struggle to seek an education, black business owners are still competing against their White counterparts, and black workers are experiencing an unemployment rate twice that of Whites and hold dead-end, labor-intensive, low-paying jobs. â€Å"Few can argue that racism is still rampant in awarding jobs and educational opportunities, even though it†s been proven beneficial to have people of different races with different ideas and different experiences working toward the same goal† (Chappell, 1995). The employment outlook for minorities is grim, but not hopeless. We definitely need affirmative action to overcome the disparities of employment that exist in his country. A recent Urban Benchmarks† study found that of 71 metro areas surveyed nationwide, Pittsburgh had the highest rate of employment-related problems among non-Hispanic whites between the ages of 25 and 54 and the sixth highest rate among African Americans in the same age group. We have a lot of problems with basic education here and if you don†t have basic education, you have no chance of getting a good job because competition is increasing for everyone. We must make sure that we educate our potential work force, including minorities, or our competitive edge, if we have one, will continue to decline in global markets. Many jobs today are in the technician and technologist area. â€Å"Jobs require more than a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree–such as an associate degree or certificate from a vocational or trade school† (Kovatch, 1996). As more and more women faced discrimination in large firms, more decided to strike out on their own. In conclusion, most Americans know that the deck is stacked against poor kids. They also realize that, because of past discrimination, an extraordinary number of those facing unequal opportunities are black. So, while 75 percent of Americans oppose racial preferences, according to a 1995 Washington Post/ABC poll, two-thirds with to â€Å"change† affirmative action programs rather than â€Å"do away with them entirely†. But the public also realized that, in real life, the legacy of discrimination is not always so neat. It is diffuse, and it requires a broader remedy. How to cite Imposing the Affirmative Action, Papers Imposing the Affirmative Action Free Essays â€Å"Affirmative action was originally designed to help minorities, but women-especially white women-have made the greatest gains as a result of these programs†(Gross, 1996). Affirmative action is a growing argument among our society. It is multifaceted and very often defined vaguely. We will write a custom essay sample on Imposing the Affirmative Action or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many people define affirmative action as the ability to strive for equality and inclusiveness. Others might see it as a quote-based system for different minority groups. I agree and support affirmative actions in that Individuals should be treated equally. I feel affirmative action, as an assurance that the best qualified person will receive the job. Is affirmative action fair? In 1974, a woman named Rose was turned down for a supervisory job in favor of a male. She was told that she was the most qualified person, but the position was going to be filled by a man, because he had a family to support. Five years before that, when Rose was about to fill an entry-level position in banking, a personnel officer outlined the woman†s pay scale, which was $25 to $50 month less than what men were being paid for the same position. Rose was furious because she felt This was discriminating to her. She confronted the personnel officer and he saw nothing wrong with it. Thanks to affirmative action today things like these situations are becoming more rare and/or corrected more quickly. Affirmative action has definitely helped women and minorities in their careers, but it has yet to succeed in the goal of equality to the fullest for the business world to women and minorities. â€Å"Some observers argue that women have made huge strides! With the help of affirmative action. They now hold 40 percent of all corporate middle-management jobs, and the number of women-owned businesses has grown by 57 percent since 1982†³(Blackwood, 1995). â€Å"Affirmative action was designed to give qualified minorities a chance to compete on equal footing with Whites† (Chappell, 1995). Equal opportunities for the blacks, for the most part, have remained more wishful thinking than fact. Black students are continuing to struggle to seek an education, black business owners are still competing against their White counterparts, and black workers are experiencing an unemployment rate twice that of Whites and hold dead-end, labor-intensive, low-paying jobs. â€Å"Few can argue that racism is still rampant in awarding jobs and educational opportunities, even though it†s been proven beneficial to have people of different races with different ideas and different experiences working toward the same goal† (Chappell, 1995). The employment outlook for minorities is grim, but not hopeless. We definitely need affirmative action to overcome the disparities of employment that exist in his country. A recent Urban Benchmarks† study found that of 71 metro areas surveyed nationwide, Pittsburgh had the highest rate of employment-related problems among non-Hispanic whites between the ages of 25 and 54 and the sixth highest rate among African Americans in the same age group. We have a lot of problems with basic education here and if you don†t have basic education, you have no chance of getting a good job because competition is increasing for everyone. We must make sure that we educate our potential work force, including minorities, or our competitive edge, if we have one, will continue to decline in global markets. Many jobs today are in the technician and technologist area. â€Å"Jobs require more than a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree–such as an associate degree or certificate from a vocational or trade school† (Kovatch, 1996). As more and more women faced discrimination in large firms, more decided to strike out on their own. In conclusion, most Americans know that the deck is stacked against poor kids. They also realize that, because of past discrimination, an extraordinary number of those facing unequal opportunities are black. So, while 75 percent of Americans oppose racial preferences, according to a 1995 Washington Post/ABC poll, two-thirds with to â€Å"change† affirmative action programs rather than â€Å"do away with them entirely†. But the public also realized that, in real life, the legacy of discrimination is not always so neat. It is diffuse, and it requires a broader remedy. How to cite Imposing the Affirmative Action, Essay examples

Bing Bang Boom The American Revolution Essay free essay sample

Bing, Bang, Boom: The American Revolution Essay, Research Paper The American Revolution was a momentous event that changed the face of the whole universe. Though the Revolutionary War lasted merely a few short old ages, the American Revolution was a procedure that started long before the first shootings of war were fired. The rebellion was permeated with the bequest of colonial political ideals, aggravated by parliamentary revenue enhancement, escalated by the limitation of American civil autonomies and ignited by British military steps. England had a difficult clip commanding its American settlements from the really first, go forthing them to develop comparatively on their ain for several coevalss. The North American continent is near to 3,000 stat mis off from England and the trip from England to American by boat in the 1600s took six to eight hebdomads if non longer. The trip was non easy and many died along the manner, but when immigrants did make the New World they arrived a spot changed by their harrowing journey. We will write a custom essay sample on Bing Bang Boom The American Revolution Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These new immigrants were met with a clean, new, virgin land, virtually unchanged for 1000s of old ages. It was as if they had landed on a whole separate planet. These immigrants, so, established new societies based on whatever personal spiritual or political values they had, far from the shadow of England. Over 150 old ages subsequently these values still lived strongly in the posterities of these original colonists. The rights of the person were dominant in every facet of American life in 1763. From the comparative spiritual freedom, to the independency of the imperativeness, to the coveted public town meeting, Americans, unlike many Europeans at the clip, enjoyed the right to take how they lived their lives. Theoretically, under the construct of mercantile system, which affirmed that the exclusive intent of a settlement was to supply for its female parent state, Americans were restricted economically. But, until 1763, with England? s pattern of good disregard, Americans enjoyed economic freedom and were able to merchandise covertly with whomever they wished. In 1763, England won the French/Indian War at a heavy fiscal. The high cost of the war forced England to take a firmer clasp on its North Americ an settlements. Since the French/Indian war was fought on American dirt for the protection of the American people, the English authorities thought it elementary that the settlers should assist pay off some of the debt incurred by the war. But the Americans were outraged. When the Stamp Act of 1765 was passed settlers reacted with widespread choler and force. Mobs attacked the places of authorities functionaries, plundering their belongings and giving the hapless cast aggregators a good coat of pitch and plumes. With the Townshend Acts of 1767, the settlers unified and began widespread boycotts of British goods, beat uping around the slogan? No revenue enhancement without representation. ? For the English the concluding straw came in 1773 when a group of immature settlers, dressed as Indians, boarded three vass docked in Boston Harbor and dumped 100s of instances of British East India Company tea into the ocean. England could non disregard such a blazing smack in the face, and in 1774 passed the Coercive Acts, shuting off Boston Harbor and keeping the settlers responsible for the cost of the tea. Many Americans saw these Acts of the Apostless as direct violations on their civil autonomies and the struggle escalated to new highs. When England tried to fade out several province legislative assemblies, colonial leaders assembled in secret, forming such military groups as the Sons and Daughters of Liberty and the Minutemen. As piques ran high, the British started to fasten their military control over the major metropoliss of America. In April 1775, a regiment of British lobsterbacks on their manner to prehend rebel gunpowder clashed with a group of colonial Minutemans at Concord, Massachusetts. This brush was the beginning of the Revolutionary War and suitably called by coevalss? the shooting heard round the universe. ? The Revolutionary War, so, was a struggle that had roots profoundly intertwined in a coevalss old colonial sense of liberty and personal autonomy. This well developed sense of single freedom, combined with the English policy of revenue enhancement without representation, the eventual limitation of colonial civil autonomies, and British military actions, led to what is now known as the American Revolution.

Reforestation Essays - Forestry, Biology, Natural Environment

Reforestation The purpose of this written report is to inform the reader about the concerns and facts involved with reforestation. Reforestation began in Ontario after World War II. What happened was, professional foresters were assigned to an area and became responsible for its well being. Under the Crown Timber Act, long term management was prepared. Then the many steps needed to rebuild a forest began. Included in this report will be information on the effects of cutting and replanting, such as Carbon Dioxide, and Global Warming. Following this will be methods for planning a forest, and how they are conveyed before planting in a forest begins. There are many reasons why forests are cut down. One is to benefit economically, with furniture and home building. But there is also another reason. Arguments say "the United States could help slow the atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide by replacing old-growth forests with faster-growing young trees". A new study of young and old forests says how this is in fact not true. Loggers have said that new trees pull the carbon dioxide better than old trees, and this may seem true, but it is not. There is one point being overlooked from all of this. The older, larger trees can store much, much more carbon dioxide than a new tree could. By cutting and burning these magnificent seasoned trees, the CO2 is being released back into the atmosphere. These releases of carbon dioxide add up in our surroundings, only to intensify Global Warming. Although this shows what happens when one burns and cuts down old forests, one must still plant new trees for long term plans, not letting them grow for a few years, to then cut them down. There are many methods for planning a forest. The simplest method of replanting a forest is to leave it to nature. A suitable seed bed in which trees will readily take root is integral for successful regeneration. Reducing competition by eliminating grass, weed or shrubs is another requirement in securing a new cro p of trees. These will sprout to produce seedlings. Though the weeds were eliminated before, they still grow back, and because of this poor, quality trees will grow. Another method though, is to create a planned forest, where new conifers are grown from seed in a special nursery. Seeding is a reforestation technique used mainly in the Boreal forest area where fire or logging tends to leave no or very little seeds for growth. In specific cases, Ministry staff seed the area with treated tree seeds. Following this is the planting. In many cases, planting is the only means of initiating a new forest. Up to 80 000 000 trees are planted annually in Ontario on Crown and private land. Usually immature forests have to be tended to. Once situated, a new crop needs intermittent care for the next 60 to 100 years. This means continuing protection from fires, disease and insects and routine thinning to focus the growth on selected crop trees. Before a forest can be grown, certain procedures must first occur. Collecting and processing seeds is one of them. Tree flowers fertilized by blowing winds or insects generate seed, in a time of somewhere within 1 to 2 years. Seed collecting from the woods must be timed with periodically occurring good seed years. Angus, near Barrie, is where all forest tree seed collection is co-ordinated. Stock of seeds can value up to $500 000. Usually this is around 3 billion seeds from 59 tree classes. In summary of the aforesaid, trees are very valuable to the human race economically and for health. Without trees the environment could worsen to the point where we would be living on one large dessert. We must remember that forest do not grow as easily as they used to because of fires and other disasters. This is why many forests are planned, and cared for. Most of us will never now how they turn out because for a forest to completely grow, it needs within anywhere from 60 to 100 years or more. There are many reasons why we should have reforestati on. One being mostly that we need forest to live! Without forests, or any type

Religion in the Reign of Augustus Essay Example

Religion in the Reign of Augustus Essay Example Religion in the Reign of Augustus Essay Religion in the Reign of Augustus Essay in this manner it is introduced in the book of Livy ( Livy 2004 ) . So, the purpose of Augustus was to advance Rome as the bosom of the imperium. His programs included Reconstruction of some of the edifices of import from the spiritual point of position and the metempsychosis of the mythology and history of the metropolis. In the position of bookmans, the system began to work when the new name was taken by the emperor. As it is widely known, by birth he was named Gaius Octavius Thurinus. Then, after his male parent was dead, his granduncle Gaius Julius Caesar adopted him in 44 BC, so that he was besides officially called Gaius Julius Caesar between 44 and 31 BC. But when he defeated Mark Antony and received so much power, this official name was no longer plenty to reflect the outstanding position of Octavian. Some people even proposed to call him Romulus as the 2nd builder of Rome. But there was excessively much negative in the image of that hero and the option was necessary. In 27 BC the Senate gave him the honorific Augustus ( which was interpreted as the revered, respected, chosen one ) . Hence he became Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus. Bing a boy of the Godhead Julius, Divi Iulii Filius, Augustus was besides deified by people and accordingly led to the personal cult of the emperor ( Beard, North, an d Price 1988 ) . The name Augustus meant that he was favored by Gods to function the state of the Romans. The appropriate fable appeared. Harmonizing to it, when Augustus was steering the run for his 1st consulship, people saw 6 big vultures. And when Octavian was elected, 6 more vultures appeared. This auspice was typifying the backing of the religious higher forces and foretold that he was the minion to reconstruct Rome. Further on, old cults were modified and the new 1s were introduced. For illustration, if earlier festival devoted to the Lares was celebrated on the 1st of May, with Augustus it was obligatory o celebrate it besides on the 1st of August, likely in award of the Genius Augusti , bookmans suppose ( Zanker 1989 ) . While the Lares were seen as some obscure divinities ( sometimes understood as adored liquors of the dead ) , the Lares Augusti were presented as the ascendants of the emperor Augustus and the Spirit of Augustus was Genius Augustus himself. In this manner Augustus made the cults of his ain household general for the state, and from private cults they turned into common. From this, it was necessary to construct topographic points of worship at the hamlets in each ward. A. Price gives the illustration of a little memorial, approximately 3 metres high, 2 and a half metres broad, with a modest communion table. The five stairss led to it where there were images of the Genius Augus ti and the Lares Augusti to idolize them. In reconstructing the temples Augustus was besides really careful and active. For case, he reconstructed the temple of the Magna Mater. But in contrast with other temples built by him, this one was made non in marble but in the traditional coarse rock, rufa like most of the early Roman temples. Then, non far from this temple of the Magna Mater and at the same clip non far from his ain flats the emperor Augustus erected the temple of Apollo. The land it was built on was administratively his ain belonging. In 36 BC this topographic point was struck by the lightening. It was successfully interpreted as a good mark of God s will for some sacral edifice. Augustus announced it the public belongings and dedicated to Apollo. The temple eventually became one of the most impressive in the metropolis. It was decorated bountifully by sculptures of Danaus and 50 Danaids, his girls, placed between the columns in the front gallery of the temple. The door was carved with Hedera helix and bared the image of Diana and Apollo killing the Niobe s kids. The other side was decorated with the scene of the Gauls expulsed from Delphi. The best sculpturers from Greece made the figures of Apollo, Diana and their female parent Latona for the inside. The topographic point rapidly received a really high spiritual position, and even the old Sibylline Books were taken here from the temple of Jupiter as Sibyl got her gift of prophesy straight from Apollo. The historiographers reflect this outstanding fact in the manner that Augustus brought the temple non merely into the sacred boundaries of the metropolis but into his ain house, a individual house that holds three ageless Gods , by Ovid ( Jones 1951 ) . It was for the first clip in history that Godhead and human abode were combined ( the temple of Apollo, the shrine of Vesta and the castle of the Emperor ) , and it could nt assist working as a strong Godhead association for benefit of Augustus. Furthermore, the image of Apollo was changed significantly. He got the cardinal function on the new Rome of Augustus. And the narrative was told that he helped Augustus to get the better of Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC. In add-on, Augustus built one more temple dedicated to Apollo. It was situated in the City of Victory, Nikopolis, and gave birth to a great festival of Actian Apollo. In the centre of the new forum he founded the 3rd great temple. It was the temple of Mars Ultor, the first temple dedicated to the God of war in the pomerium. This chef-doeuvre was subsequently called the most beautiful edifice of the era, and it besides presents a successful combination of tradition and invention, of continuity and restructuring ( Galinsky 1998 ) . The temple symbolized Augustus military victory and Godhead protection of his land. Inside the temple there was a statue of Mars, and of Venus excessively, which stood there for the godly beginning of Caesar and Augustus. The figures of Aeneas, the male monarchs of Alba Longa and the Julii, Romulus, the boy of Mars, all in all 108 statues were doing up the image of Augustus beginning and showing him as a inheritor. Among the rites, introduced by the emperor, there was an ancient anthem where the name of Augustus was added. Now the name of Augustus must hold rung out to hearers clear as a bell amongst the arcane and venerable mumbo-jumbo ( Rives 2007 ) . At the same clip Augustus insisted he was non god, but merely the go-between for their will, and did nt overrate his function in the eyes of his people. The people were to believe in his supernatural mission themselves. His numen, or godly power was besides honored by public in Rome. There was no particular cult for praising Augustus as a life God, but about 6 AD Tiberius built an communion table near his house for piests to give to his numen. It was non accessible for common people and was non included to the official cult of ascendants. The affair is, this communion table was to signal that the emperor was non worshipped as Gods, but at the same clip stood for a mere distance between Augustus and the Gods. The fact that already by life Augustus was honored as a God was non plenty for him. To do the following coevalss retrieve and idolize his was his undertaking excessively. Although administrative reforms were non ceased, the princeps felt that his clip was pulling to the terminal, and in 13 AD he evened Tiberius with himself in all the constitutional rights. Then August placed the testament and other paperss in the temple of Vesta in Rome. In these paperss fiscal and military place of the Empire were briefly described and refined, though quite inexact and really partial political testament was given. This great papers, Res Gestae Divi Augusti ( The Deeds of the Divine Augusti ) reflected all his political calling, achievements, public benefactions, military and other workss and accomplishments. The governor was informed that after princeps Augustus had been buried and deified, the Senate should listen to his last will and testament and carry through it. So, his will was to denote that history Res Gestae with all his achievements to the Roman people. The texte of the history consisted of 35 paragraphs doing up four subdivisions and was engraved on two bronze pillars. These pillars were put in forepart of his mausoleum. But the Senate decided non to keep the entree to it to the people of Rome merely, and the transcripts were made for people of state. The governor likely summoned the occupants of the capital to the theatre or the market place to hear a reading of the text translated into Greek, Werner supposes ( Eck 2004 ) . Furthermore, the text Sn Latin and Greek was carved in rock on the walls of a temple to Roma and Augustus. When Augustus died, he was proclaimed to be immortal and a priestess Livia was assigned to execute sacred service for him. There was a adult male, Numerius Atticus, who swore that he saw Augustus go uping to heaven. The same was traditionally told about Romulus and Proculus. In add-on to shrine built by Livia and Tiberius, the shrines for the dead emperor of Rome were built all over the province, frequently by ain will of separate communities. In the temple of Mars they put a aureate image of Augustus to pay all the necessary awards. What is more, Livia organized a festival in the award of Augustus which is held even today. In this manner the first princeps of the Roman Empire created an appropriate public image of himself by reshaping rites, reorganising the spiritual landscape and unobtrusively pull stringsing heads of people. In fact, he ca nt be accused of that as he truly did much for his state in the consequence. In the regulation of Octavian Augustus the Roman civilization experienced a superb bloom, its aureate age ( Galinsky 1998 ) . The principate of Augustus the basic mottos of which were the reclamation of democracy and temperaments of ascendants, halting of wars and strives, was perceived by coevalss as a long-awaited delivering from civil strifes and wars that had been flooring Roman society for so long. Therefore the Roman values, half-forgotten spiritual ceremonials, legends about the heroism of ascendants , Roman myth ( i.e. legend about allegedly intended to Rome by Gods and destiny of Lordship over the universe ) were now in every manner underlined and became one of the basic su bjects for all cultural figures of that clip. The Roman myth was melted with the myth of August conciliator, Jesus from enduring, both myths became the caput rock of official political orientation of the Empire. All in all, Octavian Augustus was one of most gifted, energetic and intelligent swayers in the universe. Unusually tremendous work, prosecuting far-going programs on reorganisation and reclamation, which was conducted by him in every construction of the great Empire, assisted creative activity of the new Roman universe, in which all categories, up to the lowest, prospered due to the refined economical, political and cultural links and booming trade. The bossy government, set during his regulation ( with taking into history the mistakes of Caesar ) , replaced the Republic falling into decay though foremost there were a great figure of plotters and was doomed to the protracted being ( Raaflaub 1993 ) . He brought stableness, safety and public assistance unprecedented to greater portion of population for more than two centuries ; he provided endurance and care of political, societal and cultural bequest of the authoritative universe, both Roman and Greek, and provided a footing on which the seed of Christianity and Judaism were able to shoot while it was his age when Jesus Christ was born, and Israelite from a state-client was transformed into the Roman state. Bibliography Beard, M. , J. North, and S. Price. Religions of Rome. Cambridge: CUP, 1988. Eck, W. The Age of Augustus. Malden A ; Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. Galinsky, K. Augustan Culture. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1998. Jones, A.H.M. The Imperium of Augustus , The Journal of Roman Studies 41, no.1 ( 1951 ) : 112-119. Livy, History of Rome, 29.19.11-13 ( tr. B. C. Craige. Roman Imperialism [ Malden A ; Oxford: Blackwell Publishing 2004 ] 267 ) Ovid, Fasti III.415-28 ( tr. M. Beard, J. North, and S. Price. Religions of Rome. [ Cambridge: Cup 1988 ] . 189 ) . Raaflaub, K.A. and M. Toher ( eds. ) . Between Republic and Empire: Interpretations of Augustus and His Principate. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1993. Rives, J. Religion in the Roman Empire. Malden A ; Oxford: Blackwell, 2007. Wells, C. The Roman Empire. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992. Zanker, P. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus ( Thomas Spencer Jerome Lectures ) . Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1989.

Emotional Reaction Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Emotional Reaction - Term Paper Example The structure of the story revolves round the interaction between Bartleby and the Narrator. While the story focuses on Bartleby’s perplexing character and the events leading to his tragic death, the character of the Narrator occupies a central place in the tale. The Narrator exerts a strong appeal on the reader. The reader emotionally identifies with the Narrator in his harmless complacence, his attempts to avoid open conflict and his deep sympathy towards Bartleby. The Narrator makes his appearance as a moderately successful lawyer, who complacently goes about his routine business on Wall Street. It is easy for the reader to identify with his tone of gentle â€Å"self-deprecation† and his â€Å"conservative, cautious and prudent† personality (Sanderlin, 50). He frankly declares the â€Å"profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best† (Melville, 3). He is unambitious, a little snobbish (as indicated by the name-dropping of ‘John Jacob Aster’) and even-tempered. He is content to make money in his profession and to remain ensconced in his simple office, which he describes as â€Å"the cool tranquility of a snug retreat† (Melville, 3). The reader is willing to approve of his attitude towards life. Even if one could accuse the Narrator of smugness and of being â€Å"the complacent storyteller (who) begins by congratulating himself in his estimable character and circumstances† (Stempel a nd Stillians, 274), he comes across as eminently likeable. He is willing to poke fun at himself. He is also willing to tolerate Turkey with his â€Å"flighty recklessness,† (Melville, 6) blotted documents, split pens, upset sand-box and fits of insolence. Nipper’s suspicious visitors and fiery temper is also taken in his stride. He cannot deny any â€Å"appeal to my fellow-feeling† (Melville, 10). The Narrator is a sound man, who is content with his profession and the placid unfolding of his days. The reader develops a comradeship with him

Compose a narritive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compose a narritive - Essay Example Conflict is inevitable at work because individuals have diverse views on the operations of an organization. Some individuals may support the decisions made by employers while others tend to disagree. An effective leader has the capacity to recognize the existence of a conflict and comprehends its nature. I was frustrated with the boss because he did not respond to some issues regarding the tracking system. This system requires adequate maintenance every month to ensure that operations run smoothly and efficiently. Only high skilled personnel can operate this system and they end up charging huge amounts of money. Some preceding months ago, my employer complained of the high maintenance costs and insisted that he would withdraw the system. This angered me because that action would mean that I would now perform the daily tasks manually. I have been complaining regarding the effectiveness of the system since its implementation telling him that it requires monthly maintenance, but my empl oyer kept on dismissing my utterances because he did not like spending huge amounts of money on maintenance. My employer never understands that expenses are inevitable in any organization. My employer’s reluctance was the prime reason that propelled the emergence of a conflict between us. Additionally, it was a conflict based on disparity in priorities. He is inattentive to subordinates’ concerns and hates listening to information about any weakness within the organization. Even though I demand a lot, I am very loyal and dedicated to my job, but my employer tends to frustrate me when he ignores the fact that the system requires monthly maintenance. I would return home annoyed because of daily arguments with my employer but would report the following day assuming nothing had happened at work. It never dawned on me that I needed to settle the issue with my employer though this conflict affected my performance at work. I would avoid interacting with him, and each time I n eeded some assistance on how to undertake some complex tasks, I would consult my fellow employees. They did not hesitate to assist me because they were aware that I did not like associating with him after he started undermining my concerns. Additionally, I noted that my refusal to deal with the conflict affected my association with my family members. At times, I could transfer my temper to my young innocent siblings and nearly beat them up for no apparent reason. I hated myself for behaving awkwardly towards my family though I knew that the problem was because of my ineffective relationship with my employer. Moreover, I realized that this conflict interfered with my ambitions because I lacked the motivation to pursue my goals. I became resentful of my job and felt that it did not match my capabilities. It was now clear from my family and fellow employees that they wanted me to alter my attitude. My fellow subordinates advised me daily that I needed to end my conflict with the boss t o avoid facing dire consequences. Deep down, I knew that the conflict emerged because of ineffective leadership of my employer. A leader needs to set a good example by articulating his accomplishments, behaving ethically, and supporting subordinates. According to (Picard 22), a leader should facilitate conflict resolutions because conflicts can distract subordinates and this may impede with the organization’

Discuss the use of errors in The Brothers Menaechmus to produce Essay

Discuss the use of errors in The Brothers Menaechmus to produce comedy. Do you agree with Plautus that Mistakes are funny - Essay Example Comedy in The Brothers Menaechmus The comedy that is a part of The Brothers Menaechmus has as its principal source, the errors that the characters that are a part of the play commit. The play revolves around a case of mistaken identity, where identical looks are mistaken for the same identity. The play, through comedy and laughter, forces the readers to rethink their ideas about appearance and reality and the fragile nature of an identity that is based solely on appearances. Plautus tries to redefine the limits that were traditionally assigned to comedy as merely a means of eliciting laughter and tries to take it beyond. However, the play tends to mostly do so through a derisive treatment of the women characters. There is also a subversive element in the play; one that is brought about by the resourcefulness that the slave displays, something that wins him his freedom. The principal error in the play leads to a lot of complications within the plot. It however, allows for the producti on of comedy, as the trope of the mistaken identity creates a lot of situations where the audience shares a certain piece of knowledge with the playwright that the other characters do not. This leads to a situation where the errors are funny. If a situation had to arise where the audience too was in the dark regarding the action in the play, then the play would create situations of suspense.

Overview Of Vowels And Consonants

Overview Of Vowels And Consonants Language is an organization of sounds, of vocal symbols-the sounds produced from the mouth with the help of various organs of speech to convey some meaningful message. Language has a very important social purpose, because it is mainly used for linguistic communication. It is the most powerful, convenient and permanent means and form of communication. A language can be used in two ways for the purposes of communication. It can be spoken or written but the medium of speech is more important than writing. This is because speech comes first in the history of any language community in fact, it came centuries before writing in the history of any language community. Secondly, speech comes first in the history of any individual. We started speaking long before we started writing. Speech as a medium of communication is used much more than the medium of writing. I n every language, a letter of the alphabet represents a particular sound. Lastly, modern technology has contributed tremendously t o the importance of speech- modern inventions like the telephone, the radio, the tape recorder and several such devices have raised problems of communication primarily concerned with speech. Linguistics is a systematic study of language. Phonetics is a branch of linguistics and it is the branch dealing with the medium of speech. It deals with the production, transmission and reception of the sounds of human speech. For the production of speech sounds, we need an air-stream mechanism. There are three main air-stream mechanisms, such as, pulmonic, glottalic and velaric air-stream mechanisms. When the air-stream mechanism is used to push out, it is called egressive and when it is used to draw air in, it is called ingressive. Most sounds of most languages in the world are produced with a pulmonic egressive air-stream mechanism. The author described in detail the various organs that are responsible for converting the lung-air into speech sounds before it escapes into the outer atmosphere. For instance, if we say a prolonged ssss, a prolonged zzzz, a prolonged ffff and a prolonged vvvv, we see at once two things. We recognize these as speech sounds because these sounds occur i n the various words we use in our English speech. The other thing we notice is that each one of these sounds is different from the others. Speech sounds are very broadly divided into two categories, namely, Vowels and Consonants. If we say the English word shoe, we realize that this word is made up of two sounds, one represented by the letters sh and the other represented by the letters oe. When we produce the sound represented by the letters sh slowly, we realize that during the production of this sound, the air escapes through the mouth with friction. On the other hand, when we produce the sound represented by the letters oe, the air escapes through the mouth freely and we do not hear any friction. The sound is represented by the letters sh in the word shoe is a consonant and the sound represented by the letters oe in the word shoe is a vowel. All sounds during the production of which we hear friction are consonants, but not all consonants are produced with friction. If we say the words, she, shoe, shy, show, ship and shout, we will realize that when we produce the sounds represented by the letters e, oe, y, ow, i and ou in these words, the air escapes through the mouth freely without any friction. All these sounds are therefore vowels but each one of them sounds different from the others. These sounds should therefore be sub-classified. Similarly, if we say the words shoe, see, zoo and who, we will hear friction during the production of the sounds represented by the letters sh, s, z and wh. All these sounds are therefore consonants. But once again, we will see that each of them sounds different from the others. The sounds that are called consonants also need to be sub-classified. Description of Consonants: The word consonant has been derived from the Greek word consonautem, which means the sound produced with the help of some other sound (vowel). A consonant is usually described, taking into account whether it is voiceless or voiced, its place of articulation and its manner of articulation. Manner of articulation refers to the stricture involved and plosive, affricate, nasal, fricative, etc; are labels given to consonants according to their manner of articulation. Place of articulation just means the two articulators involved in the production of a consonant. Consonants can be described according to their places of articulation. The label used is normally an adjective derived from the name of the passive articulator. The places of articulation that we frequently come across are bilabial, labio-dental, dental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palato-alveolar, retroflex, palatal, velar, uvular and glottal. The classification of sounds into vowels and consonants is customary irrespective of phonetic, phonological, or orthographic references. The current classification following Pike divides the sounds into vocoids (vowel sounds), contoids (consonant sounds) and semi-vocoids or semi-contoids (for example; /w/ and /j/ in English). The terms contoids and vocoids refer to phonetic form only, without any reference to phonological function. A vocoid, according to Pike, is a segment formed with an open approximation of the articulators, with or without a velic closure, and with central passage or air-stream. All other segments are contoids. In English, there can be syllabic vocoids, non-syllabic vocoids, syllabic contoids and non-syllabic contoids. Syllabic vocoids are all vowel sounds; they function as syllable nuclei. Phonetically, the vocoids are vowels and their phonological function is that of a syllabic vocoid. Non-syllabic vocoids are the sounds which are phonetically vocoids but phonologically are contoids. Syllabic contoids are the sounds which are phonetically contoids but their phonological function is that of syllabic nucleus, that is, they represent the V element in the structure of a syllable. Non-syllabic contoids are the sounds that phonetically are contoids and phonologically represent the C element in the structure of a syllable. A description of consonantal sounds, according to A.C.Gimson, must provide answers to the following questions:- Is the air-stream set in motion by the lungs or by some other means (pulmonic or non-pulmonic)? Is the air-stream forced outwards or sucked inwards (egressive or ingressive)? Do the vocal cords vibrate or not (voiced or voiceless)? Is the soft palate raised or lowered? Or, does the air pass through the oral cavity (mouth) or the nasal cavity (nose)? At what point or points and between what organs does the closure or narrowing take place (Place of articulation)? What is the type of closure or narrowing at the point of articulation (Manner of articulation)? Thus, the description of a consonant will include five kinds of information: 1.) The nature of air-stream mechanism, 2.) The state of the glottis, 3.) The position of the soft palate, 4.) The articulators involved- the active articulator and the passive articulator and 5.) The nature of stricture involved regarding its production. The Nature of Air-Stream Mechanism: All English sounds, vowels as well as consonants, are produced with a Pulmonic egressive air-stream mechanism, that is, the lung-air pushed out. The State of the Glottis: Speech sounds can be classified as voiceless or voiced, depending upon whether the vocal cords are wide apart and the glottis is wide open (voiceless) or the vocal cords are kept loosely together and they vibrate (voiced). The Position of the Soft Palate: Speech sounds can be classified as oral or nasal, depending upon whether the soft-palate is raised so as to shut off the nasal passage of air (oral) or it is lowered to open the nasal passage of air simultaneously with an oral closure (nasal). Sounds can also be nasalised. The Articulators Involved-the Active and Passive Articulators: Of the various articulators described in the chapter, at least two are required for the production of any speech sound; some articulators move during the production of speech sounds. These are termed as active articulators. Certain other articulators remain passive and the active articulators move in the direction of these. These are termed as passive articulators. The Nature of Stricture Involved: The term stricture refers to the way in which the passage of air is restricted by the various organs of speech. The stricture may be one of complete closure, that is, the active and passive articulators come into firm contact with each other, thus preventing the lung-air from escaping through the mouth. Simultaneously, there is a velic closure, that is, the soft palate is raised, thereby shutting off the nasal passage of air. Thus, the lung-air is blocked in the mouth. When the oral closure is released, that is, when the active articulator is suddenly removed from the passive articulator, the air escapes with a small explosive noise. Sounds produced with a stricture of complete closure and sudden release are called plosives. If the active articulator is removed slowly from the passive articulator, instead of the explosive noise that is characteristic of plosive consonants, friction will be heard. Description of Vowels: Vowels may be defined with an open approximation without any obstruction, partial or complete, in the air passage. They are referred to as vocoids in phonetics. They can be described in terms of three variables: Height of tongue. Part of the tongue which is raised or lowered. Lip-rounding. So vocoids are normally classified according to these three criteria: tongue-height (high, mid, low, or close, half-close, half-open and open), tongue-advancement (front, central, back) and lip-rounding (rounded and unrounded). In order to describe the vowels, we usually draw three points in the horizontal axes: front, central and back, referring to the part of the tongue which is the highest. So, we have : Front vowels, during the production of which the front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. For example; / i, i: , e: , a / in Hindi, and / i, i: , e , à ¦ / in English as in sit, seat, set, and sat respectively. Back vowels, during the production of which the back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. For example; / o: , u , u: ,/ in Hindi, and / a: , Ɇ , ɆÃƒâ€¹Ã‚  , u , u: / in English as in cart, cot, caught, book and tool respectively. Central vowels, during the production of which the central part of the tongue ( the part between the front and the back) is raised. For example; / Éâ„ ¢ / in Hindi, and / Éâ„ ¢ , Éâ„ ¢: , ÊŒ / in English as in about, earth and but respectively. O n the vertical axis, we usually draw four points: close, half-close, half-open, and open. They are also referred to as high, high mid, mid (middle), low mid, and low by some phoneticians, especially the American phoneticians. On the basis of the vertical axes, we have the following types of vowels. A close vowel is one for which the tongue is as close to the roof of mouth as possible. For example; / i: / in sea and / u: / in zoo. An open vowel is one which is produced with the tongue as low as possible and the jaws are wide open. For example, / a: / in card and / Ɇ / in hot. We can describe a vowel by using a three term label, indicating the height, the direction (advancement) of the tongue, and the position of the lips. For example; / a: / in the English word, arm, back, open, unrounded vowel. / Ɇ / in the English word, hot, back, open, rounded vowel. / i: / in the English word, need, front, close, unrounded vowel. / u / in the English word, tooth, back, close, rounded vowel. To describe the vowel sound, we mention whether it is open or close, half-close or half-open, front or back or central, long or short, whether the tongue is tense or lax while the vowel is being pronounced, and whether lips are spread, neutral, open rounded, or close rounded. All English vowels are voiced. So, for every vowel, we must state that it is voiced. Hence, to sum up, the main point of a language is to convey information. Nowadays, language can take various forms. It can be spoken or written. Peter Ladefoged also talked in his book that speech is the common way of using language. Another aspect of speech that is not part of language is the way speech conveys information about the speakers attitude to life, the subject under discussion and the person spoken to. The final kind of non-linguistic information conveyed by speech is the identity of the speaker. You can often tell the identity of the person who is speaking without looking at them. But then again, we may be wrong. Whenever we speak, we create a disturbance in the air around us, a sound wave, which is a small but rapid variation in air pressure spreading through the air. Speech sounds such as vowels can differ in pitch, loudness and quality. We can say the vowel a as in father on any pitch within the range of our voice. We can also say it softly or loudly without altering the pitch. And we can say as many different vowels as we can, without altering either the pitch or the loudness. The pitch of the sound depends on the rate of repetition of the changes in air pressure. The loudness of the sound depends on the size of the variations in air pressure. The third way in which sounds can differ is in quality, sometimes called timbre. The vowel in see differs in quality from the first vowel in father., irrespective of whether it also differs in pitch or loudness. Thus, Peter Ladefoged in his book has discussed the principal constraints on the evolution of the sounds of the worlds languages, which are ease of articulation, auditory distinctiveness, and gestural economy. He also discussed the differences between speech and language, and has also outlined some of the main acoustic distinctions among sounds; and how one of the acoustic distinctions, that corresponding to pitch, is used in the worlds languages.

A Strategic Analysis of Toyota Motor Corporation Essays -- Competitive

Understanding Strategic Management A Strategic Analysis of Toyota Motor Corporation Industry: Automotive Industry CONTENTS ABOUT TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION PAGE 3 EXTERNAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS:- PESTEL PORTER’S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS PAGE 3, 4, 5 AND 6 INTERNAL STRATEGIC ANALYSIS:- SWOT ANALYSIS PORTER’S VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS PAGE 6, 7 AND 8 STRATEGY FORMULATION:- PORTER’S GENERIC OPTION ANALYSIS ANSOFF MATRIX ANALYSIS PAGE 8,9 AND 10 RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 10 CONCLUSION PAGE 10 REFERENCES PAGE 11 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES TABLE OF FINANCIAL REPORT OF TOYOTA PAGE 3 TABLE OF COMPARISON OF TOYOTA AND HONDA PAGE 6 DIAGRAM OF PORTER’S GENERIC OPTION ANALYSIS PAGE 8 DIAGRAM OF ANSOFF MATRIX PAGE 9 About Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japan based company, whose headquarters are located in Aichi Prefecture. The company was founded by Kiichiri Toyoda in 1937. Currently the company’s CEO is Akio Toyoda. Toyota is basically into cars and it is one of the top players in the world in this industry. Toyota also owns two other brands namely Lexus and Scion, which gives the company a lot of advantage over it’s other competitors. Toyota manufactures sedans, saloons, suvs, muvs, pick-up trucks and buses. During the year 2013 Toyota had approximately 333,498 employees, who were working globally. In March 2013, Toyota was ranked as the thirteenth biggest organization globally in terms of its revenue. In the following table we can see the financial report of Toyota Motor Corporation in the year 2013- REVENUE 22.064 TRILLION YENS OPERATING INCOME 1.320 TRILLION YENS NET ... ...bile.asp. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Toyota . 2013. Toyota . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/FenellaAndrade/toyota-9167108. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Pestle for Toyota. 2013. Pestle for Toyota. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/133979217/Pestle-for-Toyota. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Strategic management Toyota case study. 2013. Strategic management Toyota case study. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/ArioArdianto/strategic-management-toyota-case-study-27410014. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. Competitive Analysis. 2013. Competitive Analysis. [ONLINE] Available at: http://dana.ucc.nau.edu/~toyota-p/competitive_analysis.htm. [Accessed 15 December 2013]. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0a7ka0j0JC2mYIyBaoVjtZScXhG1poBdOPnJuHb7kJbEf_DDTi_9zPVSuXO5Avr14-rlPLXTGBC18RVNjZdbdV7OdamHjiQoD8sfbaHnWdPka8pojSWhSL_0H3TePNUD3hyphenhyphenVFghrCsk/s1600/Ansoff+Matrix.jpg. [Accessed 15 December 2013].

Big Time Toymaker Case Scenario Essay

1. At what point, if ever, did the parties have a contract? I do not think the two parties involved ever had a contract. In the scenario, the parties reached an agreement only three days before the end of a 90-day deadline set in the original negotiation contract. In the original negotiation contract, it states that there would be no distribution contract unless it was in writing. When the BTT manager sent the e-mail to Chou, he mentioned the terms of a distribution agreement, but it does not make the email a contract as neither party signed it. Only an oral agreement was reached. Without a legally binding draft and the signature of both parties present, no contract existed. 2. What facts may weigh in favor of or against Chou in terms of the parties’ objective intent to contract? BTT had paid Chou $25,000 for the exclusive negotiation rights to his board game which lead Chou to believe they were serious about coming to an agreement on a distribution contract. This is a fact that would weigh in favor of Chou. However, both parties only made an oral agreement, and not a written contract to show this fact. Since the contract was not drafted within the original 90-day period, the new management was not obligated to distribute the board game and therefore, had every right to turn Chou away instead of honoring the oral contract. 3. Does the fact that the parties were communicating by e-mail have any impact on your analysis in Questions 1 and 2 (above)? No, it did not have any impact on my analysis of the situation. E-mail is a form of electronic communication, not a written and signed contract. While both parties may have communicated their intentions and terms of the contract, they never printed and signed any form of a written agreement. This factor makes all of the difference when it comes to enforceable contracts. What BTT and Chou had was not a binding or enforceable contract. 4. What role does the statute of frauds play in this contract? Under the UCC, the statue of fraud applies to a contract for the sales of goods in excess of $500. The negotiations between BTT and Chou were over $500, so the statues of fraud would apply here. Under UCC laws, the statue of fraud applies when a contract cannot be fulfilled within one year’s time. Under these stipulations, the statute would apply. 5. Could BTT avoid this contract under the doctrine of mistake? Explain. Would either party have any other defenses that would allow the contract to be avoided? BTT would not be able to avoid this contract under the doctrine of mistake. A mistake is defined under contract law as the belief that is not in accord with the facts. A â€Å"mistake† was not defined anywhere within this scenario. BTT has only one real defense and that would be that no contract was ever reached in writing nor signed by both parties. The fact that no signatures on a contract ever existed would be a defense that Chou never agreed to the terms and conditions. Chou could argue that there was no existed agreement due to the time passed between communications of the two parties involved. 6. Assuming, arguendo, that this e-mail does constitute an agreement, what consideration supports this agreement? The fact that BTT gave a check for $25,000 for the exclusive negotiating rights shows that BTT intended to reach a contract with Chou. The two parties also reached an oral agreement, but oral agreements are hard to enforce in court. BTT had also sent Chou a fax asking him to send them a draft of a contract for the distribution agreements. At the end of the scenario, BTT states that it is not interested in distributing Chou’s new strategy game, Strat. Assuming BTT and Chou have a contract, and BTT has breached the contract by not distributing the game, discuss what remedies might or might not apply. Equitable remedies may have applied in this case. Chou would be able to seek compensatory damages for his losses. These losses could include out-of-pocket expenses and even loss of potential profits had BTT honored their portion of the contract.

buy custom Hospice Care essay

buy custom Hospice Care essay The interviews helped bring out the need for team work in a care facility. The nurse, clergy representative and doctors in the facility had to form a team with precise roles for each patient. These roles complement each other and sometimes overlap depending on a patients needs. Nevertheless, they must at all times be harmonious and clearly defined. The clergy should never take up nursing duties; the nurse should not assume diagnostic and treatment decisions in the absence of the doctor. The team must work alongside each other and together with the family members in facilitating a comprehensive care for the patients. The doctors roles include putting a patient on pain medication, conducting regular tests and examinations, choosing a medical course of action to help the patient, discussing options with the family of the patient etc. The nurse on the other hand has to facilitate a hygienic stay of a patient, record health status changes of as patient and aggravation of certain symptoms, counseling the patient out of stressful moods, give the patient assigned medication, inform the family about the patients progress etc. The clergy will assume advisory, counseling, comforting and encouraement role to help the patient work on his or her spiritual well being. Comprehensive Hospice Care. Both the clergy representative and the oncology nurse agreed to the fact that the care of a dying a person must be multifaceted. If the clergy representative is not present for instance, it is important for the nurse to assume that role momentarily and keep the patient encouraged. There is need to cater for physical, psychological and spiritual needs of the patient. Only when all the needs of a patient are catered for can hospice care be deemed adequate. This requires team work and cooperation between care givers and the family. It is important to note that both interviewees agreed to the pertinent need for effective communication between the patient, family members and caregivers. The patient and family members must be helped to understand about the condition and developments. The care given must also be explained to the patient so that the patient knows why everything is being done. The caregivers must also be responsive to any desires of the patient and the family in a way that helps the patient more comfortable. The nurse noted that even when the patient is unable to respond or show comprehension siigns, the care givers must continue speaking kindly, lovingly and in simplified sentences to the patient since most patients can listen despite being silent. The narrative above is based on the interview results with an oncology nurse and a clergy representative, both of who works in a facility caring for dying persons. The care provided seems apt for the 21st Century needs of dying persons, if and only if, the staff employed at the facility understand the needs of a dying person and the process of dying itself. As both interviewees agreed, the 21st Century has seen an unprecedented rise in patient with terminal diseases like cancer and HIV/Aids. This means that more and more people, from all walks of life, must be fitted into a caregivers practice with emphasize on personal needs (such as spiritual nourishment in all faiths and doctrines) for each patient. As seen from the interview, communication, care, love, understanding and spiritual well being are central to the care of dying people today. Both the medical and the spiritual staff of such a facility have very distinct and sometimes overlapping roles to play in facilitating a comfortable, less agonizing dying process for the patient. Buy custom Hospice Care essay

What to See at the 10 Best London Museums

What to See at the 10 Best London Museums SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips London has many attractions, but almost all visitors to the city will carve out time for its world-class museums. Many of London’s museums, spanning history, art, science, and more, contain some of the largest collections in their field, as well as many historical and priceless pieces. Other museums are smaller and more intimate, showing individual stories of Londoners through the ages. This guide explores the ten best museums in London. It’s organized into history museums, art museums, as well as off-the-beaten-track museums. In addition to describing the museum’s collections and standout pieces, the descriptions include each museum’s hours, costs (most of the museums on this list are free!), and the closest tube station to help you get around. London truly has a museum for all types, and this list contains museums that will appeal to history buffs, art aficionados, science geeks, garden lovers, and more. The Best London History Museums London has one of the richest histories of any city. The collections of these museums span prehistory to the modern age, and they showcase artifacts from London, the whole of the United Kingdom, and places, past and present, around the world. Entrance to the Natural History Museum The British Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-5:30PM and until 8:30PM on Fridays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Tottenham Court Road and Holborn If you can only visit one museum in London, make it the British Museum, the most visited museum in the city and one of the world’s great museums. With roughly 8 million pieces, the British Museum’s massive collection includes works from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Americas. The British Museum specializes in ancient history and has some of the world’s most extensive collections from ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient Rome, Assyria, and Mesopotamia. Two of the museum’s most famous pieces are from their ancient history collections. The first is the Rosetta Stone, used to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic language, a huge moment in the historical world. The second is the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles because they were brought from Greece by the Earl of Elgin. These marbles once adorned buildings on Athen’s Acropolis such as the Parthenon, and there is a longstanding debate on whether they should be returned to Greece. Despite the controversy, the huge marble friezes, adorned with classical Greek sculptures, are beautiful to see. This large museum spans three floors and contains nearly 100 galleries. There are maps inside, but it can be helpful, especially if you’re short on time, to review floor plans of the museum so you know where to go and what to see once you arrive. The British Museum was established in 1753, and in many ways it’s an old-school museum. There are not many interactive exhibits, and most pieces are exhibited in standard glass cases with labels describing their history and importance. This can cause children and non-museum people to get bored after awhile. However, many of the museum’s pieces are so historically important and beautiful to see that every visitor to London should at least stop by for an hour or so to marvel at pieces from all over the world. Additionally, entrance to the museum is free, although some temporary British Museum exhibitions do charge a fee; you can book tickets for these online. Also, the British Museum’s hours are extended on Fridays if you’re looking for something to do in the evening. If you’d like help navigating the museum, there are regular tours held throughout the day focusing on different parts of the collection. Some of these tours are free while others you have to pay for and book online ahead of time. The British Museum’s website has information on all tour times and prices. Museum of London Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Barbican and St. Paul’s For those who want their museum to have a narrower focus, the Museum of London does an excellent job of chronicling the history of the city from the prehistoric age to modern day. The museum has a large collection, with over 6 million objects, but because it only focuses on the history of London, as opposed to the history of many world regions, it can feel more straightforward and less overwhelming to visit. There is only one route through the galleries which take you in chronological order through London's history. The exhibitions start with prehistoric London and include part of a 200,000-year-old mammoth jaw, a 6,000-year-old axehead made from jadeite, and an Iron Age chariot decorated with intricate Celtic-style designs. The galleries then continue through the history of London, covering the Roman era, Medieval London, the Black Plague, the Great Fire of London, the Victorian era, the Industrial Age, modern London, and more. Each gallery contains numerous artifacts from the time period it covers. In fact, the Museum of London contains the world’s largest urban history collection. Some highlights of the museum include a large collection of Medieval jewelry, the death mask of Oliver Cromwell, and the Lord Mayor’s State Coach from the 18th century. The Museum of London is highly interactive with quizzes, touchscreens, props to try on, and recreations of Victorian streets and pleasure gardens that visitors can walk through. Appropriately, the museum is located within one of the oldest parts of the city, a few blocks from St. Paul’s Cathedral. The building (which has plans to move within the next few years) is flanked by the remains of a Roman wall, so you’ll be looking at historical objects before you even set foot in the door. Imperial War Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Waterloo and Elephant Castle Spanning the start of World War I to present day, London’s Imperial War Museum puts a human face on the impacts of war and armed conflicts. Though the museum now has exhibits on all modern armed conflicts Britain and the Commonwealth have been involved in, it originally only covered World War I, and this period is still a major focus of the museum. When you enter the museum, you’ll be greeted by multiple large military artifacts, including tanks, guns, and aircraft hanging from the ceiling. The most extensive galleries in the museum, on the first and second floors, cover World War I and World War II. To show the effect war had on individuals and to make its impact more personal and relatable, the museum presents stories and artifacts from individual people instead of focusing primarily on strings of numbers or lists of battles. Individual stories from both the front lines and the home front are included. The collection includes letters written to and by soldiers, trench art, souvenirs brought home from battles, and historical photographs, as well as large collections of badges, weapons, and uniforms. Highlights include a rifle owned by Lawrence of Arabia, a pistol of Winston Churchill’s, and a Union Flag recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Towers. As you move to the upper floors, the tone gets noticeably darker. Galleries cover atrocities of the Holocaust, the history of antisemitism in Europe, and modern warfare and ethnic violence. This is not a museum for children (the Holocaust exhibition is restricted to visitors ages 14 and older), nor is it a museum for people looking for a light and cheery way to spend an afternoon. However, the Imperial War Museum does an extremely moving job of covering some of the most important periods in world history. Natural History Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-5:30PM Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Station: South Kensington It’s famous for its dinosaurs, but the Natural History Museum covers nearly the entire breadth of the world of science. It has over 70 million specimens organized into five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, paleontology, and zoology. The Natural History Museum is one of the most eminent science museums in the world, and its collections include specimens collected by Charles Darwin, exhibitions of dinosaur fossils, and a life-size model of a blue whale. Within the museum’s 36 galleries, visitors can view thousands of specimens, learn about the human body, study geologic forces that shape the Earth, and marvel at dinosaur fossils and full-size models. The Darwin Centre Cocoon, where guests can watch scientists at work in the labs, is also a popular spot to visit. The museum is housed in a large, ornate building dating back to the mid-1800s; some visitors simply drop by to marvel at the architecture. With such an expansive collection spanning several centuries, the Natural History Museum can provide a bit of an inconsistent experience. Some of the older exhibits, like some of the taxidermy and animal models, have a slightly dated look. Newer exhibits, particularly those on dinosaurs, human biology, and volcanoes and earthquakes, are much more modern and interactive. In general, though, the Natural History Museum is a favorite among visitors to London. If you’re tired of reading labels, it’s easy to simply walk through the galleries and admire the specimens. Kids in particular are always impressed by the large models of animals that are a standout attraction at the museum. The Best London Art Museums London's museums are a mecca for art lovers. These three art museums each have some of the largest and most prestigious art collections in the world. From traditional galleries lined with paintings to avant-garde fashion exhibitions, these museums have it all. Ophelia by John Everett Millais, on display in the Tate Modern The National Gallery in London Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM and until 9PM on Fridays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Charing Cross and Leicester Square Housed in a large Classical building that dominates Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery of London is the city’s most-visited art museum. The museum displays over 2,300 Western European paintings dating from the 1200s to 1900. The collection includes masterpieces from numerous periods including the late Medieval period, Renaissance Italy, and French Impressionism. Museum highlights include Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh, The Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo da Vinci, and The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. There are also pieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, and Renoir, among many others. The National Gallery follows standard art museum conventions: priceless paintings displayed attractively in different galleries without a lot of extra frills. Art enthusiasts will love the variety and quality of the works displayed and could happily spend a week viewing the collection, and even people not normally interested in art should stop by to check out the highlights. This museum contains London’s (and one of the world’s) most prestigious collections of art. However, if the thought of spending hours looking at centuries-old paintings doesn’t inspire much excitement, you may want to keep your visit short and move onto other activities after you’ve viewed the most important pieces. The National Gallery also hosts regular lectures, holiday events, and concerts, as well as guided tours (most of these charge an admission fee). Victoria and Albert Museum Hours: Open daily from 10AM-5:45PM and until 10PM on Fridays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Station: South Kensington If the National Gallery represents the apex of what a traditional art gallery can achieve, the newly refurbished Victoria and Albert Museum (the VA) is a much more modern take on an art museum. The VA is dedicated to decorative arts and design, and its collection spans seven floors and 150 galleries. Works include paintings, photographs, textiles, jewelry, architecture, ceramics, and glass. The museum includes pieces spanning 3,000 years and multiple continents. There’s a huge breadth of pieces here, and you may find yourself wandering past Japanese suits of armor, 16th-century Persian rugs, gilded German writing cabinets, newly created glass pieces commemorating the British Antarctic expedition, and a collection of over 2,000 miniature paintings, to name a few. The VA is a great museum to visit if you’re not interested in the traditional oil painting-filled art galleries. Its diverse collection means each gallery has something different, and the museum’s extensive renovations have given it a clean, modern look. In addition to the works in the galleries, other pieces of interest include a massive glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the entrance and a courtyard with a fountain and wading pool. If you have an entire day (or week) to spend at the museum, you may be content to wander the galleries and see what you discover, but many visitors may want to scan an overview of the museum’s collections beforehand so they know what they want to see when they arrive. Tate Modern Hours: Open daily from 10AM-6PM and until 10PM on Fridays and Saturdays Cost: Free (Some temporary exhibitions charge a fee) Closest Tube Stations: Southwark and Blackfriars The Tate Modern is London’s standout gallery for modern and contemporary art. Situated along the bank of the Thames, the Tate Modern picks up where the National Gallery leaves off, showcasing works of art from 1900 to the present day. Unlike the National Gallery; however, the Tate Modern doesn’t only contain paintings. There are also photographs, sculptures, videos, mixed media, and architectural pieces. Some of the most popular pieces include a looming spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois, Ophelia, a painting by Sir John Everett Millais, and works by Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, and Georgia O’Keefe. The museum is housed in a former power station, and the building retains much of its original industrial feel. In stark contrast to the Classical buildings of many other London museums, in the Tate Modern visitors will make their way past massive former oil tanks and a soaring turbine hall. While admission to the permanent galleries of the museum is free, the Tate Modern also has frequent temporary exhibitions and performances which do require an admission fee. Visitors who aren’t particularly fond of modern art may find some of the Tate’s pieces confusing or boring. However, come with an open mind and this is one of the best museums in the world to get a taste of the breadth and quality of what modern and contemporary art can offer. You may leave a newly-converted modern art lover. Best Off-the-Beaten-Track Museums in London These are less-known, typically small museums that provide a very different experience than the most famous London museums. They generally focus on how individuals lived in London and, unlike the above museums, some of them charge admission fees. The entrance to the Geffrye Museum Leighton House Museum and Art Gallery Hours: Open Wednesday-Monday from 10AM-5:30PM. Closed Tuesdays Cost:  £7 for adults,  £5 for concessions (discounts) Closest Tube Stations: High Street Kensington and Kensington (Olympia) It’ll be hard to get an audience with the queen while you’re in London, but anyone can get a glimpse of one of the city’s most opulent interiors if they visit Leighton House. The building was once of the home and studio of Victorian artist Lord Frederic Leighton, who filled the house with his own pieces and works of art he gathered during his travels. Though it looks fairly ordinary from the outside, the interior of the house is so sumptuous it’s like walking around a jewelry box. While there are Victorian elements such as gilded and carved columns, antique wooden furniture, and marble work, the highlight of the house is its bold Middle Eastern decorative style. The house’s showpiece is the Arab Hall, a two-story extension decorated with glittering Middle Eastern tiles collected by Leighton. The house also contains stained-glass windows, an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures, elaborate paintwork, a gilt-painted dome, and, to top it all off, a fountain in the middle of the house. If you’re tired of seeing art displayed individually in plain glass cases, this is a great museum to see how one of London’s elite incorporated works of art into his home. Geffrye Museum Hours: Open Tuesday-Sunday from 10AM-5PM. Closed Mondays. Cost: Free Closest Tube Stations: Hoxton Station (London Overground) Located in Shoreditch, London, and easily reached by taking the Overground (as opposed to the tube), the Geffrye Museum is housed in a series of attractive 18th-century almshouses. Like the Leighton House, it’s a former home converted into a museum, however; instead of focusing on one man’s expensive tastes, the Geffrye Museum explores the history of typical middle-class homes from 1600 to present day. The rooms go in chronological order so visitors can see how houses have been decorated throughout the centuries. However, the highlight of the museum is outside. The grounds of the museum are surrounded by period gardens that showcase the changes lawns have undergone during the same time period the museum’s rooms cover. There are also herb gardens and walled gardens to see. Scattered throughout the gardens are benches and chairs for visitors to relax in, as well as an onsite cafe. Unlike many museums, the Geffrye Museum doesn’t have a â€Å"must-see† piece. Instead, take in the homey experience the entire museum offers. The gardens are best from April to October and, during this time, the Geffrye Museum is a great place to enjoy a rare sunny day in London and take a break from spending time indoors. Foundling Museum Hours: Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10AM-5PM and Sunday 11am-5PM. Closed Mondays. Cost:  £8.25 for adults,  £5.50 for concessions (discounts) Closest Tube Station: Russell Square For an in-depth look at one of the more unique and poignant sides of London’s history, check out the Foundling Museum. This museum tells the history of the Foundling Hospital, which was founded in 1739 as England’s first hospital for abandoned children. It covers the founding of the museum, the circumstances of mothers who had to abandon their children, how they handing-over process worked (each mother left their infant with a token, such as a button or piece of cloth, to later identify the child if she ever returned), how the children were cared for, and the museum’s current charity work. Visitors to the museum will see record books used to record children who came into the hospital, notes on which mothers were deemed â€Å"acceptable† to leave their children there, schoolbooks and uniforms used by the children, and tokens left behind by children whose mothers never returned. The museum also contains a diverse art collection, with numerous paintings and sculptures lining the rooms and hallways. Most of these were done by 18th-century artists who donated the works themselves to help support the hospital. Visitors can also see the preserved 18th-century interiors from the original hospital, period furniture, and a collection of Handel memorabilia (Handel was a prominent fundraiser for the hospital during his lifetime). Additionally, the museum frequently has temporary exhibitions that show art related to women and children. The Foundling Museum movingly tells the story of one of the less-discussed parts of London’s history, and it’s an excellent place to visit for people interested in learning about both art and history. This is a small museum that can be visited in an hour or two. However, there is a lot of text to read within the rooms if you want to get the complete history of the hospital, so if you’re looking for an easy stroll through exhibits, it may not be the best choice.