Amazing American Beaver Facts

Amazing American Beaver Facts The American beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of two living species of beavers- the other species of beaver is the Eurasian beaver. The American beaver is the worlds second largest rodent, only the capybara of South America is larger. Fast Facts: Beavers Scientific Name: Castor canadensisCommon Name(s): Beaver, North American Beaver, American BeaverBasic Animal Group:  MammalSize: About 29–35 inches longWeight: 24–57 poundsLifespan: Up to 24 yearsDiet:  HerbivoreHabitat:  Wetland areas of North America outside of the California and Nevada deserts and parts of Utah and Arizona.Population:  6–12 millionConservation  Status:  Least Concern Description American beavers are stocky animals that have a compact body and short legs. They are aquatic rodents and have a number of adaptations that make them adept swimmers including webbed feet and a broad, flat tail that is covered with scales. They also have an extra set of eyelids which are transparent and close over their eyes enabling beavers to see while underwater. Beavers have a pair of glands located at the base of their tail called castor glands. These glands secrete an oil that has a distinct musk odor, making it great for use in marking territory. Beavers also use the castor oil to protect and waterproof their fur. Beavers have very large teeth in proportion to their skull. Their teeth and are super-sturdy thanks to a coating of tough enamel. This enamel is orange to chestnut brown in color. Beavers teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. As beavers chew through tree trunks and bark, their teeth get worn down, so the continuous growth of their teeth ensures they always have a sharp set of teeth available to them. To further assist them in their chewing endeavors, beavers have strong jaw muscles and significant biting strength. Stan Tekiela Author / Naturalist / Wildlife Photographer/Getty Images Habitat and Distribution American Beavers live in the riparian zone- along the edges of wetlands and bodies of fresh water including rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds and, in some cases, in and around brackish estuaries. American beavers inhabit a range that extends throughout most of North America. The species is only absent from the northernmost regions of Canada and Alaska as well as the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Diet Beavers are herbivores. They feed on bark, leaves, twigs and other plant material which is plentiful in their native habitat. Behavior Beavers are well-known for their unusual behaviors: They use their strong teeth to fell small trees and branches which they use to build dams and lodges which have a significant impact on the path and health of waterways. Beaver dams are structures built with logs, branches, and mud. They are used to block up flowing streams to flood grasslands and forests, thus turning them into beaver-friendly habitats. In addition to providing habitat for a wide range of animals, beaver dams also reduce waterway erosion. Beavers build lodges, dome-shaped shelters made of woven sticks, branches, and grass that are plastered together with mud. Lodges can be burrows built into pond banks or mounds built in the middle of a pond. They can be up to 6.5 feet tall and 40 feet wide. These elaborate structures include an insulated, wood-lined lodge chamber and a ventilating shaft called a chimney. The entrance to a beaver lodge is located below the surface of the water. Lodges are generally built during the warmer months, during which time beavers also gather food for the winter. While they do not migrate or hibernate, they do slow down during the winter months. Reproduction and Offspring Beavers live in family units called colonies. A beaver colony commonly includes as many as eight individuals including a monogamous breeding pair, newborn kits, and yearlings (kits from the prior season). Members of the colony establish and defend a home territory. Beavers reproduce sexually. They reach sexual maturity at about three years of age. Beavers breed in January or February and their gestation period is 107 days. Typically, three or four beaver kits are born in the same litter. Young beavers are weaned at about two months of age. Zoran Kolundzija/Getty Images Conservation Status Beavers are considered to be of Least Concern, meaning that there is a large, thriving population of beavers in North America. This has not always been the case; in fact, beavers were overhunted for many years and beaver fur was the basis of many large fortunes. More recently, however, protections were put in place which allowed beavers to re-establish their population. Beavers and Humans Beavers are a protected species, but their behaviors can make them a nuisance in some settings. Beaver dams can cause flooding to roads and fields, or block the flow of waterways and the fish that swim in them. On the other hand, beaver dams are also important for controlling erosion and runoff during storms. Sources â€Å"Beaver.†Ã‚  Smithsonians National Zoo, 23 Nov. 2018, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/beaver.Sartore, Joel. â€Å"Beaver.†Ã‚  National Geographic, 21 Sept. 2018, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/beaver/.

Biography of Queen Min, Korean Empress

Biography of Queen Min, Korean Empress Queen Min (October 19, 1851–October 8, 1895), also known as Empress Myeongseong, was an important figure in Koreas Joseon Dynasty. She was married to Gojong, the first ruler of the Korean Empire. Queen Min was highly involved in her husbands government; she was assassinated in 1895 after the Japanese determined that she was a threat to their control of the Korean Peninsula. Fast Facts: Queen Min Known For: As the wife of Gojong, the Emperor of Korea, Queen Min played a major role in Korean affairs.Also Known As: Empress MyeongseongBorn: October 19, 1851 in Yeoju,  Kingdom of JoseonDied: October 8, 1895 in Seoul, Kingdom of JoseonSpouse: Gojong, Emperor of KoreaChildren: Sunjong Early Life On October 19, 1851, Min Chi-rok and an unnamed wife had a baby girl. The childs given name has not been recorded. As members of the noble Yeoheung Min clan, the family was well-connected with Koreas royal family. Although the little girl was an orphan by the age of 8, she went on to become the first wife of the young King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty. Koreas child-king Gojong actually served as a figurehead for his father and regent, the Taewongun. It was the Taewongun who selected the Min orphan as the future queen, presumably because she did not have the strong family support that could threaten the ascendancy of his own political allies. Marriage The bride was 16 years old and King Gojong was only 15 when they married in March 1866. A slight and slender girl, the bride could not support the weight of the heavy wig she had to wear at the ceremony, so a special attendant helped hold it in place. The girl, small but clever and independent-minded, became Queen Consort of Korea. Typically, queen consorts concerned themselves with setting fashions for the noble women of the realm, hosting tea parties, and gossiping. Queen Min, however, had no interest in these pastimes. Instead, she read widely about history, science, politics, philosophy, and religion, giving herself the kind of education ordinarily reserved for men. Politics and Family Soon, the Taewongun realized that he had chosen his daughter-in-law unwisely. Her serious program of study concerned him, prompting him to quip, She evidently aspires to be a doctor of letters; look out for her. Before long, Queen Min and her father-in-law would be sworn enemies. The Taewongun moved to weaken the queens power at court by giving his son a royal consort, who soon bore King Gojong a son of his own. Queen Min proved unable to have a child until she was 20 years old, five years after the marriage. That child, a son, tragically died three days after he was born. The queen and the shamans (mudang) she called in to consult blamed the Taewongun for the babys death. They claimed that he had poisoned the boy with a ginseng emetic treatment. From that moment on, Queen Min vowed to avenge her childs death. Family Feud Queen Min began by appointing members of the Min clan to a number of high court offices. The queen also enlisted the support of her weak-willed husband, who was legally an adult by this time but still allowed his father to rule the country. She also won over the kings younger brother (whom the Taewongun called the dolt). Most significantly, she had King Gojong appoint a Confucian scholar named Cho Ik-Hyon to the court; the highly influential Cho declared that the king should rule in his own name, even going so far as to declare that the Taewongun was without virtue. In response, the Taewongun sent assassins to kill Cho, who fled into exile. However, Chos words bolstered the 22-year-old kings position sufficiently so that on November 5, 1873, King Gojong announced that henceforth he would rule in his own right. That same afternoon, somebody- likely Queen Min- had the Taewonguns entrance to the palace bricked shut. The following week, a mysterious explosion and fire rocked the queens sleeping chamber, but the queen and her attendants were not hurt. A few days later, an anonymous parcel delivered to the queens cousin exploded, killing him and his mother. Queen Min was certain that the Taewongun was behind this attack, but she could not prove it. Trouble With Japan Within a year of King Gojongs accession to the throne, representatives of Meiji Japan appeared in Seoul to demand that the Koreans pay tribute. Korea had long been a tributary of Qing China (as had Japan, off and on), but considered itself of equal rank with Japan, so the king contemptuously rejected their demand. The Koreans mocked the Japanese emissaries for wearing western-style clothing, saying they were no longer even true Japanese, and then deported them. Japan would not be so lightly put off, however. In 1874, the Japanese returned once more. Although Queen Min urged her husband to reject them again, the king decided to sign a trade treaty with the Meiji Emperors representatives in order to avoid trouble. With this foothold in place, Japan then sailed a gunship called Unyo into the restricted area around the southern island of Ganghwa, prompting the Korean shore defenses to open fire. Using the Unyo incident as a pretext, Japan sent a fleet of six naval vessels into Korean waters. Under the threat of force, Gojong once again folded; Queen Min was unable to prevent his capitulation. The kings representatives signed the Ganghwa Treaty, which was modeled on the Kanagawa Treaty that the United States had imposed on Japan following Commodore Matthew Perrys 1854 arrival in Tokyo Bay. (Meiji Japan was an astonishingly quick study on the subject of imperial domination.) Under the terms of the Ganghwa Treaty, Japan got access to five Korean ports and all Korean waters, special trading status, and extraterritorial rights for Japanese citizens in Korea. This meant that Japanese accused of crimes in Korea could only be tried under Japanese law- they were immune to local laws. The Koreans gained absolutely nothing from this treaty, which signaled the beginning of the end of Korean independence. Despite Queen Mins best efforts, the Japanese would dominate Korea until 1945. Imo Incident In the period after the Ganghwa incident, Queen Min spearheaded a reorganization and modernization of Koreas military. She also reached out to China, Russia, and the other western powers in hopes of playing them off against the Japanese in order to protect Korean sovereignty. Although the other major powers were happy to sign unequal trade treaties with Korea, none would commit to defending the Hermit Kingdom from Japanese expansionism. In 1882, Queen Min faced a rebellion by old-guard military officers who felt threatened by her reforms and by the opening of Korea to foreign powers. Known as the Imo Incident, the uprising temporarily ousted Gojong and Min from the palace, returning the Taewongun to power. Dozens of Queen Mins relatives and supporters were executed, and foreign representatives were expelled from the capital. King Gojongs ambassadors to China appealed for assistance, and 4,500 Chinese troops then marched into Seoul and arrested the Taewongun. They transported him to Beijing to be tried for treason; Queen Min and King Gojong returned to the Gyeongbukgung Palace and reversed all of the Taewonguns orders. Unbeknownst to Queen Min, the Japanese ambassadors in Seoul strong-armed Gojong into signing the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1882. Korea agreed to pay restitution for the Japanese lives and property lost in the Imo Incident, and also to allow Japanese troops into Seoul so they could guard the Japanese Embassy. Alarmed by this new imposition, Queen Min once again reached out to Qin China, granting them trading access to ports still closed to Japan, and requesting that Chinese and German officers head her modernizing army. She also sent a fact-finding mission to the United States, headed by Min Yeong-ik of her Yeoheung Min clan. The mission even dined with American President Chester A. Arthur. Tonghak Rebellion In 1894, Korean peasants and village officials rose up against the Joseon government because of the crushing tax burdens imposed upon them. Like the Boxer Rebellion, which was beginning to brew in Qing China, the Tonghak or Eastern Learning movement in Korea was anti-foreigner. One popular slogan was Drive out the Japanese dwarfs and the Western barbarians. As the rebels took provincial towns and capitals  and marched toward Seoul, Queen Min urged her husband to ask Beijing for aid. China responded on June 6, 1894, by sending in almost 2,500 soldiers to reinforce Seouls defenses. Japan expressed its outrage (real or feigned) at this land-grab by China  and sent 4,500 troops to Incheon, over the protests of Queen Min and King Gojong. Although the Tonghak Rebellion was over within a week, Japan and China did not withdraw their forces. As the two Asian powers troops stared one another down and the Korean royals called for both sides to withdraw, British-sponsored negotiations failed. On July 23, 1894, Japanese troops marched into Seoul and captured King Gojong and Queen Min. On August 1, China and Japan declared war on one another, fighting for control of Korea. Sino-Japanese War Although Qing China deployed 630,000 troops to Korea in the Sino-Japanese War, as opposed to just 240,000 Japanese, the modern Meiji army and navy quickly crushed the Chinese forces. On April 17, 1895, China signed the humiliating Treaty of Shimonoseki, which recognized that Korea was no longer a tributary state of the Qing empire. It also granted the Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands to Japan, and agreed to pay a war indemnity of 200 million silver taels to the Meiji government. As many as 100,000 of Koreas peasants had risen up late in 1894 to attack the Japanese as well, but they were slaughtered. Internationally, Korea was no longer a vassal state of the failing Qing; its ancient enemy, Japan, was now fully in charge. Queen Min was devastated. Appeal to Russia Japan quickly wrote a new constitution for Korea  and stocked its parliament with pro-Japanese Koreans. A large number of Japanese troops remained stationed indefinitely in Korea. Desperate for an ally to help unlock Japans stranglehold on her country, Queen Min turned to the other emerging power in the Far East- Russia. She met with Russian emissaries, invited Russian students and engineers to Seoul, and did her best to stoke Russian concerns about the rising Japanese power. Japans agents and officials in Seoul, well aware of Queen Mins appeals to Russia, countered by approaching her old nemesis and father-in-law, the Taewongun. Although he hated the Japanese, the Taewongun detested Queen Min even more  and agreed to help them get rid of her once and for all. Assassination In the fall of 1895, Japanese ambassador to Korea Miura Goro formulated a plan to assassinate Queen Min, a plan that he named Operation Fox Hunt. Early in the morning of October 8, 1895, a group of 50 Japanese and Korean assassins launched their assault on Gyeongbokgung Palace. They seized King Gojong but did not harm him. Then they attacked the queen consorts sleeping quarters, dragging her out along with three or four of her attendants. The assassins questioned the women to make sure that they had Queen Min, then slashed them with swords before stripping and raping them. The Japanese displayed the queens dead body to several other foreigners in the area- including the Russians  so they knew their ally was dead- and then carried her body to the forest outside the palace walls. There, the assassins doused Queen Mins body with kerosene and burned it, scattering her ashes. Legacy In the aftermath of Queen Mins murder, Japan denied involvement while also pushing King Gojong to posthumously strip her of her royal rank. For once, he refused to bow to their pressure. An international outcry about Japans killing of a foreign sovereign forced the Meiji government to stage show-trials, but only minor participants were convicted. Ambassador Miura Goro was acquitted for a lack of evidence. In 1897, Gojong ordered a careful search of the woods where his queens body had been burned, which turned up a single finger bone. He organized an elaborate funeral for this relic of his wife, featuring 5,000 soldiers, thousands of lanterns and scrolls enumerating Queen Mins virtues, and giant wooden horses to transport her in the afterlife. The queen consort also received the posthumous title of Empress Myeongseong. In the following years, Japan would defeat Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and formally annex the Korean Peninsula in 1910, ending the Joseon dynastys rule. Korea would remain under Japans control until the Japanese defeat in World War II. Sources Bong Lee. The Unfinished War: Korea. New York: Algora Publishing, 2003.Kim Chun-Gil. The History of Korea. ABC-CLIO, 2005Palais, James B. Politics and Policy in Traditional Korea. Harvard University Press, 1975.Seth, Michael J. A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present. Rowman Littlefield, 2010.

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Analysis - Essay Example The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Analysis â€Å"The oil spill threatens to create large-scale environmental disaster due to factors such as the toxic effects of petroleum and oxygen depletion in the water† (Turner 2010). The pollution caused due to the chemicals used to clean-up the oil spill can damage the food chain of the animals due to depletion of oxygen content in the water. Besides polluting the beaches around the actual source of spill, the oil could flow with the water current and move to the Atlantic Ocean. There it can pose a serious threat to the wild life, if they tend to swim to the area from other places. Thus, the spill has a disastrous environmental impact globally. The clean-up efforts are also not easy and the toxic compounds in the air caused due to the pollution from the spill pose great threat to the workers involved in the effort. This can be seen from the fact that ten workers involved in the clean-up operation had to be admitted to hospital with respiratory tract problems. The seafood industry is also highly endangered by this disaster as the commercial sea food swamps in the coastal areas of the spill can be contaminated. The spill has been estimated to have cost the fisheries industry an estimated $2.5billion as per initial calculations (Turner 2010). Tourism industry has also been hit badly as the beaches have to be closed down. Tourists have cancelled their vacation bookings at beaches which are yet untouched by the oil from the spill.

Developing a Pre-sentence Investigation Report Interview Guide Essay

Developing a Pre-sentence Investigation Report Interview Guide - Essay Example ances of the arrest, the evidence or suspicion that led the officer to book the suspect, the crime of offense he or she is charged with, and the events after the suspect has been booked. The pre-sentence investigation report is usually prepared by the arresting or investigating officer once the defendant/ suspect or offender is at the police precinct. This document is usually presented before a judge in the course of the hearings that may transpire in the event the accused is found guilty of the crimes for which he has been booked. This is a legal requirement. The pre-sentence investigation report is the outcome of an interview between the defendant and the investigating officer and usually includes basic information about the defendant as well as the circumstances of the arrest and the crime of which he is being charged. A typical pre-sentence report would include the following details: The first question allows the defendant to tell his story or his version of the events in a completely open and unbiased manner. This is especially if the arresting officer is not the one who is interviewing the defendant. However the arresting officer’ s version of these events are also as important, if not more, as the defendant usually lies to protect himself and his real intentions. The second question allows the defendant to establish his version of the events and prove them by any evidential means possible. In a minority of cases, the arresting officer may be wrong or make an incorrect arrest depending on the circumstances, just to diffuse social tension or deal with the situation. That is why it is also important sometimes, where possible, to revisit the scene of the crime and try to contact any persons or witnesses who were there at the time the crime was committed or frequent the location or work there in the normal course of events. These witnesses or onlookers can provide invaluable clues as to the events that occurred (cjcj.org website, 2011) Q. 3. Is this your

Monster by Sanyika Shakur Essay Example for Free

Monster by Sanyika Shakur Essay The book Monster by Sanyika Shakur is the story of one gang member’s life of crime growing up in a crime ridden neighbourhood outside Los Angeles. Then known as Kody Scott but given the name Monster by his fellow gang members because of his vicious and ruthless acts of violence, Shakur relates a life of crime that started at adolescence and escalated quickly. He relates to the reader that the only feelings of belonging and family that he truly experienced were in the family created by his fellow thugs through a life of shootouts and gangbanging. In the book, Shakur expresses memories of his mother’s only reactions to his crimes being disapproval and detachment, rather than concern or love. There is little evidence of order or community in Shakur’s experiences either in his time on the street or during his periods of incarceration. The novel Monster and the life of Sanyika Shakur paint a picture of a life ruled by the concepts of the social disorganization theory. The social disorganization theory, formulated by Burgess, Shaw and McKay, proposes that delinquency and crime are the results of communal institutions like family, church, school and local government fail and stop being active structures within a community. These communal institutions enforce social responsibility, care and concern for the community and positive behaviour within the community. When these institutions degrade and stop playing active roles in the lives of the citizens of a community, the organization and social responsibility of the community is lost and crime and negative behaviour can spread in their place. The memory of Kody’s graduation at the beginning of Monster is an example of the prevalence of social disorganization in Shakur’s life. He relates how, at the age of 12, his graduation from grade school is treated as a family event and attended by all his siblings, an aunt and an uncle. But as soon as the graduation ceremony ends and the family returns home it disintegrates, with the other authority figures leaving and Kody being yelled at by his mother to clean up his room. There is no praise, no positive reinforcement, just yelling and orders. As a result Kody flees for the place that he feels he will get that acceptance, love and sense of accomplishment – the hangout of a local gang member. It is in this early experience that it can be seen how the life of a gang member, in young Kody’s eyes, will meet his needs far better than living the life of a civilian and working a regular job, as he describes the clothes of one gang member he emulates as, â€Å"Things our parents could not afford to give us† (Shakur 6). He has been given no reinforcement from his family unit, a family where there is seemingly little or no structure, so he finds that structure and reinforcement, along with the promise of better things, in gang life. Later, after being released from prison, Shakur reflects on his neighbourhood that he grew up in and recognizes its shortcomings: â€Å"I couldn’t believe the drabness of the city. Burned-out buildings and vacant houses took up whole blocks. Gas stations and liquor stores owned by Koreans were on every corner. Mexican merchants hung on corners, hawking oranges like dope. The obvious things that had been there all along I never saw differently† (Shakur 360). This illustration paints a picture of a neighbourhood that is rife with the characteristics of a socially disorganized environment. Shakur mentions no schools, no churches, no public parks or recreational sources of positive enforcement. The things that stand out to him are liquor stores and Mexican fruit sellers. There are burned-out buildings and vacant houses, representative of the void where positive reinforcement and social responsibility is blatantly absent in his community. As a result, these streets that now cause him to feel depressed are the same ones that led him to a life of crime and murder. The things that are absent from the streets that Shakur sees were also absent from his life. He never mentions school again after that early graduation memory except to say that he never went back, and there is no mention of church at all by him or his family. The concept of faith is so foreign to him that he does not understand it when the Muslim leaders in prison try to explain faith to him. There is no evidence of social responsibility in the neighbourhood that Shakur describes, only poverty and businesses like liquor stores that provide sources of negative distraction from life and responsibility instead of encouraging improvement or positive behaviour. One of the elements of gang life that appealed to Shakur was the structure provided by the organization of gang sets. He states, â€Å"All attempts at new ideas are not successful. Sets fail, much like businesses. Much work goes into establishing a set. With the success of a set comes universal recognition† (Shakur 81). This description indicates that Shakur’s way of thinking and personality would have benefited from a more positive source of structure and organization, such as in church, school or a community work program. In this illustration Shakur explains that successfully organizing a gang set garners recognition and respect, the ultimate goal. But the gang members he’s organizing with have not been taught how to organize themselves for a positive goal, like a school athletic team or a church choir or study group. In the absence of that positive reinforcement their organizational skills turn to forming a successful set that will have adequate numbers and sufficient weapons to launch an attack on gang rivals. The social network that should have existed within the community as a source of strength and positive reinforcement was replaced by a social network within the gang community, spreading violence and drug use throughout a community weakened by lack of leadership and socially positive structures. There is a sense of apathy portrayed in the neighbourhood that Shakur grew up gangbanging in that allowed the social disorganization to spread. He describes occasions in which he and fellow gang members would follow rivals into local businesses to assault them and business owners would simply step out of the way. This is another scenario in which positive behaviour could have been reinforced. The local businesses do not represent a traditional social structure like a school or a church, but a group of local businesses banding together to stop gang violence on their premises and to enforce the law against crime and encourage local youth towards more positive pursuits would have produced the same effect. Instead, other citizens turn a blind eye to the theft and violence that occurs on their property out of fear or apathy. This attitude allows the disorganization to occur just as the failing of the communal institutions does. Shakur’s experiences in the multiple prisons in which he is incarcerated also provide evidence of a lack of structure or positive reinforcement. Shakur repeatedly gives examples of prison guards that mistreat and beat African American inmates because they are African American or because they are gang members. When discussing the juxtaposition of the environment he grew up in with the prison environment he explains that much of the disorganization and violence in prison stemmed from, â€Å"the fact that most of us grew up in eighty percent New Afrikan community policed – or occupied – by an eighty five percent American pig force that is clearly antagonistic to any male in the community, displaying this antagonism at every opportunity by any means necessary with all the brute force and sadistic imagination they can muster†(Shakur 223-24). In a socially organized society law enforcement would be another structure that would reinforce positive behaviour within the community and help to encourage a sense of community responsibility. Here, Shakur describes a police force where the opposite is true. Instead of encouraging positive action the police antagonize citizens, especially those that are male, and use brute force and unnecessary violence to enforce the law, while taking advantage of their position of authority over the citizens. Instead of using their authority to be role models within the community and protect the people from crime by discouraging it, the police that Shakur grew up with on his Los Angeles streets abused their power and took advantage of their authority to wrongfully accuse Shakur and his community. This represents a clear departure from the social structure necessary for social organization, and a degradation that could have definitely resulted in the presence of social disorganization instead. The structures of authority within the gang world relate Shakur’s need for reinforcement and organization that he didn’t find in his social community. During his stay in prison he describes plays for power in which an inmate member of one gang would physically assault or publicly humiliate an inmate member of another gang as a means of establishing dominance for himself over the other inmate and for his gang set over the other gang set. Again, this is an example of the lack of social structure, both out in the community and within the confines of the prison, resulting in a social structure and community spreading in the criminal world and encouraging negative behaviour and crime. It is in this prison system that functions as a microcosm of social disorganization that Shakur discovered the New Afrikan Independence Movement, which is presented as a contrast to the unstructured, violent, socially disorganized world that Shakur has known. Again, he feels a sense of belonging in the structure and positive reinforcement of his attitude. He learns to take pride in his heritage and where he is from instead of reacting out of anger and ignorance at the police and other members of society that he feels degrade him. In the movement Shakur explains that he learned that his behaviour was directly related to the environment he was in and the reinforcement he was given, and that the only way to create a positive environment for himself and his people was to create one. In himself, Shakur develops his own social organization. He describes how he left the gang community while in prison and expresses surprise that there was not more resistance. It makes sense that after a life in the gang world where any opposition or threat to the authority and structure of the gang was met with anger, violence, and potentially death, that Shakur would be apprehensive about announcing his decision to turn his back on gang life and his surprise at the calm reaction. Shakur also changes his life outside of prison, instructing his friends to not address him using the N-word and refusing the cocaine they bring him. The reactions of his friends and family to his new attitude and outlook on life illustrate the reinforcement of social disorganization. His gang member friends try to give him money and drugs right away so that he can delve right back into a life of illegal activity and crime. His mother displays a detached, almost unemotional attitude that indicates that she doesn’t think it’s possible for him to avoid returning to the gangbanging life he knew and make a new life for himself. In her reaction, his mother displays all the characteristics of a socially disorganized community in her inability to offer positive reinforcement or organizational help or structure. It is only through Shakur’s will and new sense of purpose that he escapes the socially disorganized world he lived in for one that is organized with the structure and positive reinforcement he needs to succeed. Works Cited Shakur, Sanyika. Monster. New York: Grove Press, 1993.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare :: essays research papers

In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare there is a major conflict throughout the whole play. The main character Macbeth is faced with many decisions. The key decision that Macbeth makes that leads to his death is his decision to kill King Duncan. The opportunity cost would be keeping his loyalty to the king and his country. Macbeth, who is the Thane of Cawdor and already Thane of Glamis, has everything going for him. He has a good heart, but there is only one thing which keeps him from continuing to be a good person. The love of his life, Lady Macbeth, wants him to commit a heinous crime. She wants him to kill King Duncan so he could be crowned king and her Queen. Macbeth is manipulated and faced with the opportunity cost of killing the king. MACBETH. If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir† (1.3.34-36). This is Macbeth trying to decide whether or not he should kill the king, but in doing so he would be faced with other predicaments. The key decision Macbeth makes, which is to kill the king, leads to his own death and his moral downfall. Macbeth has a huge decision to make, to kill King Duncan or not kill him. The opportunity cost of killing King Duncan is Macbeth will get crowned king. The advantage of not killing him and waiting is he will gain king right away if he waits. The disadvantage of not killing him is he has to wait and could not get crowned king. He also may die before that happens. On the contrary the advantage of killing Duncan is he gets crowned right away and gets major status. The disadvantage is the murder could backfire on him and Macbeth could get killed while being king. People also would not respect him or his leadership if they thought he killed King Duncan. LADY MACBETH. When you durst do it, then you were a man: And, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man (1.7.48-53). Macbeth’s decision was based on Lady Macbeth’s manipulation. She would mess with his ego and threaten his love for her until her committed the crime. Macbeth wanted to obtain king the holy way or the right way, but Lady Macbeth had other intentions, such as, killing King Duncan.

Classroom Management Plan

I believe Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting. I believe that if students are in a safe environment, then learning can take place. This doesn’t necessarily mean punishing behavior problems but rather a combination of setting the tone in a class, preventing behavior problems with interesting and engaging curriculums and effectively including all students in the classroom so that their needs are met. Having the right environment for all students to learn is my major goal of implementing good classroom management–without it the students would not be able to learn. Outside of their parents, the teacher is the next adult figure with the most influence in their lives. I must take every student under my wing and guide them through the year. In order to do that, the environment of the classroom I create will comprise of me taking a sincere interest in students and see them as unique individuals. I will be notice if they play any sports, or participate in any clubs and connect with them at that level. I will also build lasting relationships that inspire and encourage students to be confident with whom they are. Every single student in my classroom will be recognized for the diversity they bring to the community and I will never allow them to think they are less significant than someone else. I want a community classroom that is structured with independence, encouragement, an open-mind, and student cooperation. Cooperation and communication are vital in establishing a classroom because it considerably limits negative situations. As a teacher, I will set guidelines the classroom. In addition to establishing guidelines, I also believe it is important to know my students as individuals. Getting to know them, listening about their interests, attending their award ceremonies, this establishes a mutual respect and trust that transcends into the classroom. When my students view me as a teacher who has a vested interest in them, they are less likely to display negative behaviors in the classroom. As a teacher I believe that it is my responsibility to provide each student with the optimal learning environment in which to thrive academically. Establishing and maintaining a positive classroom climate based on mutual respect and responsibility not only fosters academic growth, but also provides a foundation for minimizing negative behaviors. By creating this environment, serious discipline issues, as well as minor issues, are often prevented, allowing growth to be the primary focus, not discipline. The first step is to ensure that children understand what is expected of them. Teachers should model expectations. For example, when children are treated with fairness and respect, they will react in kind. Therefore adults in the classroom must model a positive, caring attitude. Because children learn differently, it is important to employ various strategies for helping a child learn how to appropriately behave in the classroom. Philosophical Statement In order for me to succeed as their teacher, I must be consistent and reliable. Students can expect me to treat them the way I want to be treated. I have learned it is important to hold myself to high standards and I hope my students will return the favor. Responsibility, respect, honor, and equality are four specific qualities I value and I anticipate my students will see me display these traits and model after them. I want nothing more and expect nothing less than to see young minds grow and mature into exceptional individuals who succeed in and out of the classroom. In addition to a structured environment, children also need a caring environment in which they feel safe to make mistakes and to learn. Though I believe that the classroom is a serious place for learning, there are also many opportunities for play and for silliness. I want my students to feel comfortable in the classroom, and to know that I am always approachable. Bringing in songs and costumes and participating in activities with my students will allow them to see that I not only care about their learning, but I also care about enjoying time with them. My assumptions about young people are that their peers and the media pull them in many directions. When I look around, I see so many advertisements, TV shows, shopping stores, and people trying to get the attention of our children. They flash pretty pictures and sound off hip music to draw our children in, and convince them that they need to be cool by either buying something or having something in their possession. The young people today also seem to be more mature than in the past, but this maturity also brings about much confusion and anxiety. Young people are looking for a safe haven and refuge from the many mixed messages that are being sent to them. For many young people, their home environments are unstable, which leads to more confusion. Classroom Management Plan I believe Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting. I believe that if students are in a safe environment, then learning can take place. This doesn’t necessarily mean punishing behavior problems but rather a combination of setting the tone in a class, preventing behavior problems with interesting and engaging curriculums and effectively including all students in the classroom so that their needs are met. Having the right environment for all students to learn is my major goal of implementing good classroom management–without it the students would not be able to learn. Outside of their parents, the teacher is the next adult figure with the most influence in their lives. I must take every student under my wing and guide them through the year. In order to do that, the environment of the classroom I create will comprise of me taking a sincere interest in students and see them as unique individuals. I will be notice if they play any sports, or participate in any clubs and connect with them at that level. I will also build lasting relationships that inspire and encourage students to be confident with whom they are. Every single student in my classroom will be recognized for the diversity they bring to the community and I will never allow them to think they are less significant than someone else. I want a community classroom that is structured with independence, encouragement, an open-mind, and student cooperation. Cooperation and communication are vital in establishing a classroom because it considerably limits negative situations. As a teacher, I will set guidelines the classroom. In addition to establishing guidelines, I also believe it is important to know my students as individuals. Getting to know them, listening about their interests, attending their award ceremonies, this establishes a mutual respect and trust that transcends into the classroom. When my students view me as a teacher who has a vested interest in them, they are less likely to display negative behaviors in the classroom. As a teacher I believe that it is my responsibility to provide each student with the optimal learning environment in which to thrive academically. Establishing and maintaining a positive classroom climate based on mutual respect and responsibility not only fosters academic growth, but also provides a foundation for minimizing negative behaviors. By creating this environment, serious discipline issues, as well as minor issues, are often prevented, allowing growth to be the primary focus, not discipline. The first step is to ensure that children understand what is expected of them. Teachers should model expectations. For example, when children are treated with fairness and respect, they will react in kind. Therefore adults in the classroom must model a positive, caring attitude. Because children learn differently, it is important to employ various strategies for helping a child learn how to appropriately behave in the classroom. Philosophical Statement In order for me to succeed as their teacher, I must be consistent and reliable. Students can expect me to treat them the way I want to be treated. I have learned it is important to hold myself to high standards and I hope my students will return the favor. Responsibility, respect, honor, and equality are four specific qualities I value and I anticipate my students will see me display these traits and model after them. I want nothing more and expect nothing less than to see young minds grow and mature into exceptional individuals who succeed in and out of the classroom. In addition to a structured environment, children also need a caring environment in which they feel safe to make mistakes and to learn. Though I believe that the classroom is a serious place for learning, there are also many opportunities for play and for silliness. I want my students to feel comfortable in the classroom, and to know that I am always approachable. Bringing in songs and costumes and participating in activities with my students will allow them to see that I not only care about their learning, but I also care about enjoying time with them. My assumptions about young people are that their peers and the media pull them in many directions. When I look around, I see so many advertisements, TV shows, shopping stores, and people trying to get the attention of our children. They flash pretty pictures and sound off hip music to draw our children in, and convince them that they need to be cool by either buying something or having something in their possession. The young people today also seem to be more mature than in the past, but this maturity also brings about much confusion and anxiety. Young people are looking for a safe haven and refuge from the many mixed messages that are being sent to them. For many young people, their home environments are unstable, which leads to more confusion.

Child Development Essay

1.2 Research holistic development and write an account about your understanding of this, giving examples of how different aspects of development can affect one another. Holistic development means that each area is dependent on the other to make sure the child develops to their full potential. Development is split into different areas, Physical, social, emotional, language and intellectual. Still each area must connect in order for the child to develop. For example a child may be intellectual but not be able to tie his shoe laces. This is not because the child is incapable of tying his shoes lace but that he has not had to practice the physical skill. Another example is a child needs to wear glasses for school (physical) and other children tease him for wearing glasses which in turn could lower his self-esteem (emotional). This may lead to him being isolated from friends as he cannot deal with the teasing (social), he then may stop wearing his glasses to become accepted by his peers. As a result of this he will be unable to see clearly which could affect his school work (intellectual). 2.1 Research the influences that can affect children’s development. Background: There are different things that can affect child’s development in their background. A family break up can be really stressful for a child and can influence development as they can get very upset. The child could react in different ways by either lashing out, going very quiet or could even stop eating and talking as they feel they could feel responsible for their parents break up. As well as a break up effecting a child’s development, a child’s parent getting a new partner can be also as effective. They may not like the new partner and again can lead to them being aggressive going quiet or not eating. A massive influence in a child’s development would be if there was bereavement in the family as the child does not fully understand why that person is no longer in their life and can again cause all of the above reactions. Health Proper nutrition can have a direct impact on a child’s development both physically and psychologically. Appropriate nutrition is related to functional outcomes for children as they get older. In other words, unhealthy eating can lead to weight gain and other negative effects if the child does not learn how to eat healthy early in life. It is stressed that it is the increased duration and intensity of the exposures to healthy eating habits, through both hands-on learning and leading by example, that really make a positive impact on a child’s development. Environment Children who are surrounded, both at home and at school/daycare facilities, by a strong learning environment that is both informative and supportive may improve their development. A child’s environment – for example, his family or school – plays a huge part in his development. Simply stated, a nurtured child will do better than a deprived child. That may seem like common sense, but you may not realize the little things that make a difference. Some assume that a rich privileged child will automatically thrive more than a child living in poverty. That is not always the case. 2.2 Write an account about the importance of recognizing and responding to concerns in children’s development. Give examples of cases you are aware of. The following things would cause concern about a child or young person’s development. If the problem was left untreated then things could get worse, and a delay in treatment could mean that the outcome is not as good as it would have been if treatment was started earlier. If a child or young person does not talk to anyone or even only speaks a few words compared to others, this may cause concern. This would socially affect the child or young person’s because they would find it hard to make friends, work in groups or even interact with adults. It would also affect their communicational development because they would find it hard to speak to people and also may find it hard to listen to instructions. Early intervention would be the best way to respond to this concern, the first step would be to have the child or young person’s hearing checked because if they have poor hearing they will find it hard to hear people so will not want to communicate with others in case they get something wrong. Poor reading and writing is also another thing to look for. If a child or young person has difficulties with their reading and writing it may cause concern, but this may not be noticeable until the child is around the age of 6 or 7 because by this age they should have learnt how letters are formed and begin to string words together. These are the main skills a child needs to help them develop in all areas. Due to poor reading and writing the child or young person will start to fall behind his peers of the same age. They may find it difficult to interact or make friends with others who are more advanced than them, in case they are bullied etc. They would struggle with their intellectual development not only with the reading and writing, but they would struggle with their memory and even their concentration. 3.2 Research and identify other transitions that only some children may experience through life, for example bereavement. Most children may experience transitions; transitions can be long term or short term. Some transitions that most children may experience are likely to be, starting school or changing from one school to another. Some families may move house several times throughout their lives this can affect a child in that they have to try and make new friends and get use to the area in which they will be living. Children and young people have to make very many of their transitions without prior personal experience, and it can sometimes appear to them as a daunting list of ‘firsts’: first day at school; first exam. Most of these changes are dealt with well by most children and young people, as and when they are ready. The experience they gain and the skills they learn in the process equip them to deal with the challenges of life ahead. The diverse range of transitions faced by children and young people includes: †¢ starting or moving school †¢ puberty †¢ bereavement †¢ parents splitting up †¢ illness (their own or a parent’s or sibling’s) †¢ changing friendship groups †¢ entry to, or leaving, a pupil referral unit †¢ moving through child health services into adult services †¢ coming out as gay or lesbian †¢ leaving home. Young people and children will need help and support from peers and adults to successfully make the transition to the next stage in their life. The nature and timing and giver of the support will vary depending on the individual’s needs and circumstances. Bereavement-the death of a close friend or relative may be very traumatic for a child, when it comes to times of change and transitions you should give children every opportunity to talk about what is going to happen and how they feel. 3.3 Describe with examples how transitions may affect children and young people’s behavior and development. Children and young people naturally pass through a number of stages as they grow and develop. Often, they will also be expected to cope with changes such as movement from primary to secondary school and, for children with disabilities or chronic ill health, from children’s to adults’ services. Such changes are commonly referred to as transitions. Some children may have to face very particular and personal transitions not necessarily shared or understood by all their peers. These include: family illness or the death of a close relative; divorce and family break-up; issues related to sexuality; adoption; the process of asylum; disability; parental mental health; and the consequences of crime. It is important to understand a child or young person in the context of their life, to recognise and understand the impact of any transitions they may be going through.

Shawshank Redemption Essays

Shawshank Redemption Essays Shawshank Redemption Paper Shawshank Redemption Paper Essay Topic: The Shawshank Redemption The Shawshank Redemption is an uplifting drama about the need for people to break their emotional shackles before they can become truly free. The movie revolves around the two characters Andrew Dufresne and Red. Andy Dufresne, is sent to Shawshank Prison for the murder of his wife and secret lover. He is very isolated and lonely at first, but realizes there is something deep inside your body, that people cant touch and get to. HOPE. Andy becomes friends with prison fixer Red (Morgan Freeman), and Andy epitomizes why it is crucial to have dreams. His spirit and determination, leads us into a world full of imagination, filled with courage and desire. This is about how he spreads his message of hope through the Shawshank Redemption!!! The main character is Andy played by Tim Robbins who is imprisoned for the murder of his wife. Later on in the movie, the evidence comes out that he is truly innocent. However The Shawshank Redemption sends a powerful message that it doesnt matter whether you are innocent or not inside Shawshank penitentiary. This is because the prison is run by a sadistic and corrupt staff. Andy is a character in the film that inspires others and gives them a sense of hope that there is life beyond prison walls. This is many ways, either his tireless construction of the prison library, inspiring others who had given up hope or just entering young inmates who desperately wanted to get out of the criminal system. An example of this inspiring of others, is during a conversation with Red who claims Let me tell you something my friend, hope is a dangerous thing Hope can drive a man Insane. Andy is determined not to let Red become Institutionalized and buys Red a harmonica, which is symbolic of his time as a free man. Remember, Red, hope Is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies. As you go deeper through the film you discover that Andy Is looking for Justice and demotion, and when the American legal system falsely Incarcerated him, he seeks redemption by tunneling through his prison wall and crawling through 500 yards of sewerage. Andy Defense, w ho crawled through a river of salt and came out clean on the other side. Nana receives Justice Dye Ironically exposing ten corrupt warden once en Ana escaped, who given powers by the state of Maine was supposedly meant to uphold justice, but had been greedily exploiting Andy and his fine money laundering skills by plundering the river of dirty money running through here. . When the Warden covers that his scams had been exposed, he rapidly checks his safe and examines the bible that Andy had left as a present, with an incredibly sarcastic note left in the inside cover. Watch ye, therefore, for ye not know when the master of the house cometh. Frank Dartboard and the musical director, Thomas Newman, successfully created a score that not only complements the dialogue but draws upon the emotions itself. The scores soft and melodic piano chords slowly enforce a message upon the reader but yet it never once disturbs your concentration from the film. An example of a scene in which the music draws upon emotions from the reader is when Andy and Red finally reunite on the coast of Mexico in Extenuation, the soft sound of violins and the grand piano coupled with a slow camera panning out create a sense of happiness and closure in what some believe is one of the best film endings ever. Get busy living, or get busy dying. The cinematography within The Shawano Redemption is nothing less than spectacular, with Frank Dartboard and his team doing a script with so much potential justice. Dartboard throughout the film uses a wide scope of cinematic techniques, such as the close up, pan and flash back. An example of when the cinematic technique of the close up is employed extremely effectively is when Andy has Just been handed down his double life sentence and Dartboard focuses the viewers attention onto the face of Andy as his face contorts in pain and desperation. This close up makes the viewer feel the pain that Andy is going through and gives an accurate sense as too what the feeling could actually be if you were sentenced for life for crimes you didnt commit.

Are You One of These 4 Toxic Workplace Personalities

Are You One of These 4 Toxic Workplace Personalities There are a million ways to screw up at work, and we like to think we avoid most of the obvious pitfalls. But here are a few work types you might not realize you resemble from time to time. 1. The MinimalistYou know who you are. Someone asks you for a status update on a project and you answer, â€Å"I did my part,† without following through. How much longer would it take you to trace that project through the chain and give a more comprehensive answer? To take responsibility for the task, not just your fraction of a task? You won’t be able to do this every time you’re asked, so why not take the initiative when you can and go the extra mile?2. The Negative NellyYou might think you’re an upbeat, positive person. But it’s possible you’re the workplace downer. Do you groan at each new daunting project? Weigh the cons before the pros? Complain about the extra work and hours, rather than get psyched about that new high-profile project? Make sure you keep the glass half full and distinguish yourself as a leader among your colleagues.3. The DisappointmentYou think you’re a hero because you take on so much more than everybody else- but that’s also more than can be reasonably expected. Overcommitting can sometimes lead to underperforming, missed deadlines, monster to-do lists, and disappointment. You certainly don’t want to be guilty of the opposite (never taking extra work on), but if you do step in to pinch hit, remember to make sure you have your stance in order.4. The ShockerYou’ve taken on a bit more than you can chew, and things have been going in a disastrous direction. But you haven’t let your boss in on the details, and as the big presentation rolls around, you have to drop a bomb. If only you’d shared the difficulties as they popped up along the way- your colleagues could have helped out before the situation deteriorated. But you didn’t. And now†¦ disaster.These workp lace traits turn up in every office. There’s always someone guilty of these office faux pas, and- if you aren’t careful- it could be you!Are You a Boss Botherer? Be Sure to Avoid This Workplace Behavior

Project Mgmt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Mgmt - Essay Example having at least one member of senior management represented on a steering committee (Englund & Bucero, p.88) that meets periodically to review the direction, milestones, progress, and costs of the project. A concise summary should be presented periodically to the steering committee with a clear outline of any expectations from senior management. Another way is to agree on a project sponsor within the client organization who champions the cause of the project and liaises with all stakeholders. The sponsor is then given the responsibility to maintain the â€Å"upper management link† for the project (Englund & Bucero, p.10). Underlining this involvement is continued communication while taking care that problems that could be resolved at a lower level are not escalated to the steering committee or the senior management (Lester, 2007, p. 87). Clear statement of requirements: A clear definition of requirements for the project determines the planning and direction of the entire project. Requirements must be discussed and defined thoroughly and documented in a Requirements Specification Document. This is directly linked with the list of deliverables which then sets the direction the project will take (Cleland & Ireland, 2007, p. 271). It is also essential to keep in place change control procedures as some requirements may change over time and must again be clearly stated and incorporated into the project plan if accepted (Cleland & Ireland, 2007, p. 271). Accurate documentation of requirements results from interviews and discussions and must be signed off by all stakeholders reflecting the agreement on their clarity, accuracy, assumptions, and correlation with the deliverables. An engineer at Morton Thiokol suspected that the O-rings in the space shuttle Challenger’s solid rocket boosters were faulty and would not work at low temperatures below the threshold of 53 degrees. On the ill fated day of the disaster, the temperatures were expected to be 10 degrees below