Early childhood education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Early childhood education - Essay Example Rationale Young children can learn mathematics from anywhere. Number is all around them such as their age, their address and their telephone number and children need to find meaning and connections between numbers, as if trying to understand another language In a sense, math’s is another language in another form that children need to decipher. At a very early age, children can already learn the concepts of numerical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, but of course, presented in a developmentally-appropriate manner This research proposal aims to find out how teachers in Key stage 1 approach the teaching of mathematics to their children At this age, it is important that children use a lot of concrete materials to learn math concepts since they still think in more concrete ways. That is why the use of manipulative materials is essential to their learning (Ruthven, 1987). Maths is viewed by some people as being complicated and a number of adults admit that they are not successful in math-related tasks. It is therefore important to study how young children can be helped to make maths more fun and easier to understand so that they will develop a positive disposition towards it. That way, it is assumed that they will be more successful in learning maths. Aim To explore how numeracy skills may be better learned using manipulative materials in key stage 1. Objectives 1. To research related literature on how numeracy skills are developed in KS1 including what strategies teachers use to involve manipulative materials.... The researcher is in a position to compare existing literature and decide which information will best answer the research aim. A literature search strategy was devised, involving identification of certain keywords. Online libraries were searched for full-text articles with the key topics: Key stage 1 maths, use of manipulatives, maths strategies, numeracy skills, perception of math teachers and the like. Matches that came up were analyzed according to the relevance to the study based on the following inclusion criteria: information was from 2005 or more recent, studies conducted in the UK only, author’s credentials were compared and only sources which referenced their information were included. This inclusion criterion enabled papers relevant to math education, numeracy skills and math teaching to be accessed. Forward and backward citations were also used. The qualitative information was based on the literature search which was specifically relevant to developing numeracy skil ls with manipulative materials. In addition, research on quantative methods, specifically on survey questionnaires and interviews were also sought. All the references were charted in a literature matrix as shown in the Appendix 1. Literature review Piaget (1969) theorised that intellectual development is influenced by both maturation and experience. â€Å"Cognitive development is indicated by a growing ability to plan, to employ strategies for remembering and to seek solutions to problems† (Brewer, 2001, p.26). Piaget describes the cognitive development of children progress in stages. Key stage 1 children belong to the Pre-Operational period (two to seven years) of Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development. This period marks the time when a child

Hume’s critique of rational causation Essay Example for Free

Hume’s critique of rational causation Essay If you look out over the world, everything is held together by something philosophers have called Causation. The rain falls and feed the streams, rivers, and oceans that then evaporate back up into the atmosphere where it gathers in clouds waiting to come back down as rain. When it rains, trees grow, turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, and other living things thrive. The circle of life is but a chain of causes and effects, and Causation is the common sense idea that one thing or event causes another. The idea of causation can be rationally expressed in the following relation: If X, then Y. So, for example, I am used to the light coming on after I flip the switch. In this case, my flipping the switch causes the light to go on. But what if I flip the switch and the light does not come on? I may deduce that this is because the light has burned out. This is because, in my experience, whenever the light does not come on it is because the light has burned out. This is what Hume calls associationism; that is, the tendency that we have, as humans, to link up to things that we normally experience together or in sequence. The difference between rationalist causation and Hume’s associationism is that causation is meant to establish a relation of certainty between the cause and its effect, whereas the latter says that all we can know is that one is a correlate of the other – that is, that in the past X and Y came together in a sequence, but this in and of itself is n guarantee that this will be the case in the future. If Hume is right, then we have no way to know what the future will bring, and cannot make any predictions that might carry the weight of certainty. Hume critique of rational causation is based on his distinction between two kinds of objects of knowledge corresponding to two different and separate bodies of knowledge. He theorizes that there is knowledge that express the relation between ideas, and that this is different from knowledge that has to do with matter of fact things about the world. The relationship between there two epistemological realms is not necessary: that is, we can have certain mathematical knowledge about perfect circles, but this has little to do with human experience. Similarly, the rational idea of cause and effect (if X, then Y) expresses a logical relation, but it is a categorical mistake to assert that this principle can be used to gain or secure knowledge about the world. So, Hume argues that although we perceive one event following another, we can never be certain of it. We cannot say, of things in the world we perceive and experience, that one thing caused another in part because we cannot see (perceive) causation (because it is an idea, or a logical relation). What we perceive is one thing of event that we come to associate (through force of habit) with the other. So, for example, to take Hume’s example: you see a cue hit a ball, and the ball takes off across the pool table and goes into a pocket. Where is causation? If you cannot perceive it, then how do you know about it. (Hume assumes, along with the other Modern British Empiricists that there are no innate ideas and all human knowledge is based on human experience). Hume’s critique of causation is both simple and devastating to the sciences, where causation is the basis for both inductive and deductive logic. Not only can we not predict the future with certainty, but we cannot know causes by their effects (or the past from the present). This took the wind out of arguments for the existence of God that said that given that nature displays a certain order and beauty, that there much be some entity who made or organized nature, and this is what we call God, whom we know only indirectly through his creations (ourselves included). In one fell swoop, Hume took the ground out from under both Science and Religion. But Hume meant to give humans not cause for despair, but cause for hope. We may not know the world through the machinations of reason, but this should not lead us to assert that we do not know is any sense at all. In fact we do and must make all sorts of judgments about the world – it is just that our judgments are not based on certainty or reason. The explanation lies not with the world, but with human nature and human psychology. We would be judged mad if we repeatedly put our hand on the stove just because our past experience cannot with certainty predict the future. What does happen has to do with the way that we experience the world as repeating certain consistent patterns (even if we cannot prove it is so, it is still our experience), and through sheer repetition, we learn how to behave in the world inn such a way as to not put ourselves in dangerous position, and to put ourselves in good positions. Hume’s explanation is better that causation, liberating, because it leaves the future open to possibility – the future is in not wholly determined by the past. So, to take a trivial example: Hume talks about how â€Å"we† might be used to associating flees with dogs because, in our experience, these two things always arrive together. But today, now that most dogs and other pets wear flea protection, we do not necessarily associate dogs with flees (but perhaps only with irresponsible pet owners). This last example shows how from our experience in the world, we form expectations, but these expectations are open ended, changeable, and can be either fulfilled or disappointed. In this same way, on the basis of our past and where we come from , we as human form expectations about our future possibilities, but there is nothing at all to say that these expectations will or will not be fulfilled, or changed. Our expectations, buttressed through habit, may be the basis about out beliefs about ourselves and the world. In this sense of the world, belief is not an innate feeling or knowledge of some otherworldly entity, but it is defined as a being sensitive and attuned to our experiences in the world. Because if we are not, then we form bad habits, false expectations, and an inability to make sense of our very own lives. It should be no surprise, then, the Hume did not believe in God – the postulated original cause for all of existence. No causes in the world, no causes of the world – at least that we can know. There is just the world there, and us experiencing it.

Easyjet S Response To Social Responsibility Needs

Easyjet S Response To Social Responsibility Needs The intended purpose of Our research papers is that they are used as models to assist in the preparation of Your own research papers. We neither endorse nor tolerate any form of plagiarism, whole or partial, and will not engage in any activity that facilitates cheating. Papers For You or its affiliates will NEVER sell a model paper to ANY student giving us ANY reason to believe that (s)he will submit our work, either in whole or part, for academic credit at any institution under their own name!!! PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME!!!! By purchasing research papers from Us you undertake not to pass off or submit (for any purpose whatsoever) all or any constituent part of the Paper commissioned by You, from Papers For You, as your own work or that of a third-party. 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Please have a look at the Suggested use of our papers If you quote from our paper you must reference the paper in the References or Bibliography section of your assignment, coursework or dissertation (according to the Harvard System of Referencing): Papers For You (year of the paper) Number of the paper and title of the paper, Available from http://www.papers4you.com [Accessed date] Papers 4 You.Com Introduction Since corporations have to draw on the community in which they operate for resources, they also have obligations to their multiple stakeholders, namely, those who get affected by corporate policies and practices who may affect the corporation in turn. This means that businesses dont just have financial accountability but also social and environmental responsibility (Aga, 2004; pg 13). Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a doctrine which means that a business, apart from making profits, has a responsibility towards the society and its people. Holme (2006) defines social responsibility as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. It is about achieving commercial success in ways that honor ethical values and respect people, communities and the natural environment (Aga, 2004; pg 13). The fundamental ide a of CSR is that business corporations have an obligation to work towards meeting the needs of a wider array of stakeholders (Clarkson, 1995; Waddock et al., 2002). More generally, CSR is a set of management practices that ensures the company maximizes the positive impacts of its operations on society or operating in a manner that meets and even exceeds the legal, ethical, commercial and public expectations that society has of business (BSR, 2001, cited in Jamali Mirshak, 2006 ; pg 251). Traditionally, it has been the governments which have assumed the responsibility of improving peoples living conditions but societal needs, now, have exceeded the capabilities of the governments to fulfill them. (Jamali Mirshak, 2006; pg 243) This has turned the spotlight to businesses to play a more responsible and societal role. CSR has really taken off in the last few years, so much so, that businesses seek to differentiate themselves through their CSR engagement. Good examples of that would be Tescos green marketing campaign, Nestle and Krafts fair trade coffee campaign, Experians (Credit Reference Agency) announcement of switching over to renewable energy and making its UK sites run on electricity from green sources. With the climate change issue taking front stage at global conferences, CSR has become a key strategic issue for the aviation industry. Low cost airliners in particular have faced the flak for polluting the environment; they are continuously being blamed by environmentalists for violating the emission norms and are held responsible for bringing about a climate change. Tony Pilcher (2007; pg 25), head of global business travel management at HSBC, pointed out that those who believe climate change is just a passing fad must change their attitude quickly. As a result of all this, economy carriers like easyJet are being driven to change their business process to contribute to tackling the issue of climate change. The study analyzes the proactive and reactive measures easyJet is taking or has taken to make air travel more efficient and environment friendly. Discussion and Analysis Views on socially responsible practices within the aviation sector range from one extreme to the other. Skeptics and other aviation experts believe that Social Responsibility tends to dilute business focus on growth and profitability. Proponents of CSR however believe that CSR gives the aviation businesses an opportunity to look beyond economic returns and take the wider social concerns into consideration. (Jackson and Nelson, 2004; Rudolph, 2005). At the core of the Social Responsibility debate is the idea that aviation industry should undergo a transition from a state of mere compliance to a mode of engagement, from harm minimization to value creation (Luetkenhorst, 2004; Novak, 1996). Major changes have taken place in the European airline industry during the last decade. Although the top players are still full-service carriers (FSC), LCCs like easyJet have achieved strong market positions in the last few years. easyJet, with 29mn passengers in 2005, is in the same league as FSCs like Lufthansa, Air France etc. easyJet was founded by entrepreneur Stelio Haji-Ioannou in 1995 and now operates in 218 routes in Europe, across 65 airports and 62 cities. (easy Jet Company Reports, 2006). Because of the shift in environmental spotlight to the low cost carriers and the aviation sector in general, airliners are being driven to take steps to manage and control the adverse affects on climate change. There has been a renewed focus on social responsibility (especially towards the environment). easyJet is in the process of tackling the issue in its own way. While some changes have been explicitly embarked upon by easyJet, other are embedded in its business model. easyJets business model make sure that some of the environmental benefits are inherently embedded in it. Some of the social and environmental benefits of its business model are discussed below Traditional carriers normally work on a hub and spoke system where passengers have to take two or more flights to get to their destination. EasyJet provides direct short-haul point-to-point services without any connecting services between two locations. This helps cutting down on emissions automatically. Since 2000, easyJets CO2 emissions per passenger per kilometre has reduced by 18%. (easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report, 2007) Another aspect of easyJets business model is to use smaller and less congested airports to avoid high congestion charges and landing fees. Larger airports tend to require aircraft to fly longer holding patterns and longer taxi times to and from the runway leading to higher fuel emissions (easyJet Plc, Annual Report and Accounts, 2006). EasyJet, therefore, has comparably lower emissions as compared to full scale carriers. Waste minimization Easy Jets distribution is purely internet based. The virtue of being a ticket less airline helps minimize waste in the form of paper documents. On board waste is reduced by not offering free food service. Emission per passenger EasyJet claims to have more spacious and bigger aircrafts than other low cost carriers. Eg. The typical seating configuration of an Airbus A319 is 124 seats (source: Airbus). easyJets no-frills service allows them to reduce the space and weight inside the plane devoted to galleys, lavatories and storage. Their Airbus A319s fly with 156 seats which mean they typically carry more passengers per flight thereby reducing emissions per passenger. Each of easyJets A319s carries 26% more seats than the norm and carries up to 57% more passengers per flight than the European norm meaning that the typical European airline operating an Airbus A319 would burn 27% more fuel per passenger. (easyJet Plc, Annual Report and Accounts, 2006). Efficient on the ground easyJets business model is centered on high aircraft utilization which tends to minimize the turnaround time. It makes minimal use of ground equipment, has shorter dwelling time on the ramp and keeps surface journey to a minimum. All this seems to minimize waste and have minimal adverse affect on the environment. Apart from the social benefits, easyJet draws from its business model; it is also taking major steps in becoming a more socially responsible organization. As an employer, it is committed to play a leading role in the future environmental performance of the aviation industry. The steps that it has taken so far include: Changing its business model in wake of rising environmental concerns. Up till now, its business model centered on cost reduction. easyJet is now planning to embark on an advertising strategy focusing on social responsibility. With its latest campaign, it will try to differentiate itself against other carriers through its environment friendly activities. It is repositioning itself to give it a new image and has planned a major shift in its advertising strategy away from price-driven offers to promoting its green credentials through its new campaign highlighting its efficiency in reducing carbon emissions. Reforming of the air traffic system to reduce congestion. Technological up gradation of aircrafts. easyJet is working to reduce emission per aircraft through new generation aircrafts. It is actively engaging with airframe and engine manufacturers on the application of new technologies for the next generation of short-haul aircraft. Its Chief Executive Andy Harrison points out that in 2006, easyJet removed 22 older aircraft at a cost of over  £275 million as part of their drive for efficiency and in the coming four years they plan to buy 100 brand-new Airbus A319s to lead the Green growth in the aviation sector. (easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report 2007) Giving customers the most comprehensive range of environmental information available for travel to a particular destination, and helping them to offset the carbon emissions of their flight. (easyJet corporate and social responsibility Report, 2007) Paying renewed attention to cleanliness of aircrafts for waste minimization and adding more efficiency to its recycling and waste disposal system Leading the way in shaping a greener future for aviation with its campaign for inclusion of aviation in the European Unions Emissions Trading Scheme and EUs Single European Skies programme. It is forecasted that if the EUs Single European Skies programme gets implemented, it could lead to a 12% reduction in flying distances by reducing the patchwork of European traffic control centres. (easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report 2007) Trying to make its fleet compliant to latest international noise and emission standards to tackle the issue of pollution and reduce CO2 emissions. For achieving this environmental efficiency, easyJet has established an environmental code to monitor progress towards its targets. It has a strategy of being environmental friendly both in the air and on the ground. It strives to do this with the help of technological up gradation as new technology aircrafts are more fuel efficient. Its policy is to grow its fleet using the latest technological aircraft, whilst retiring older aircraft usually within seven to ten years of delivery (easyJet Plc, Annual Report and Accounts, 2006). easyJets socially responsible activities also extend to its employees. It is committed to equality and diversity and is an equal opportunities employer. It also complies with age discrimination laws. Attitude and Motives There has been a debate over easyJets response to social responsibility. Friedman (1983) pointed out, Business of business is business, by which he meant that the only motive of a business is wealth creation. With easyJets social responsibility activities, it looks as if; it has taken up CSR activities because of wealth creation rather than social, ethical and environmental concerns. Theorists like Fisher and Lovell (2003) have debated whether organizations CSR activities reflect their genuine concern for the society or whether they embark on CSR activities for business growth and profitability. CSR is slowly becoming a niche segment in itself, which provides organizations with new business opportunities and new segment of customers to cater to. Researchers identify two types of CSR behavior. One, which adopt CSR practices purely because of business reasons and where ethics and the concern for stakeholders other than the promoters do not matter. The other kind is more responsible whe re profit maximization is subject to ethical restraints, appropriate discharge of the companys social responsibility, and a balanced concern for the needs of all the stakeholders, not just the promoters. It is very difficult to classify easyJets social responsibility activities. Conclusions While CSR movements have definitely picked up over the last few years, the motives behind easyJets CSR activities remains open to debate, as most companies like easyjet seem to embark on CSR activities more for business and profitability reasons rather than ethical and social reasons. As highlighted in the text, easyJet is using mainstream marketing to propagate their CSR practices to help redefine their brand image from a low cost carrier to a low-cost ethical carrier. This definitely has an impact on the consumers because the greatly increased profile of CSR activities in general suggests that the concept has a potential to attract environment friendly consumers who can also become a potential advocate for the brand. Organizations like easyJet might be highlighting their CSR operations to market their products but as Fisher Lovell (2003) point out, most organizations social responsibility efforts are little more than Public Relations campaigns designed to promote corporate brands by creating the appearance of being good corporate citizens. But, under the present environmental concerns, Easy Jet, as an organization, is doing what it is supposed to do; making money for the owners by obeying relevant environmental and social rules. While easyJet efforts in responding to environmental change efforts cannot be belittled, the motive behind the efforts still remains unclear. Whether easyJet sees social responsibility as a narrow conception entailing economic and legal responsibilities or a broader concept entailing a wider range of economic, legal, ethical, moral, and philanthropic responsibilities is unclear. References Aga, A (2004) Management Paradigms Beyond Profit Maximization, vol 29, no 3, p 13 Choueke,M (2006),EasyJet abandons price-led campaigns for green focus, Marketing Week (01419285), Vol. 29 Issue 45, p3-3, Clarkson, M (1995), A Stakeholder Framework For Analyzing and Evaluating Corporate Social Responsibility , The Academy of Management Review 20(1), 92- 118. easyJet: Annual Report and Accounts (2006) Corporate and Social responsibility Report http://www.easyjet.com/common/img/easyJet_CRS.pdf, Date accessed 01/06/2007 easyJet Corporate and Social Responsibility Report (2007) easyJet promises action on environmental-efficiency http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Flights/easyJet/article-99999.html Date accessed 02/06/2007 Fisher, C. and Lovell, A. (2003) Business Ethics and Values,London, FT/Prentice Hall; Holme (2006) CSR- Introduction http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/corporate-social-responsibility-introduction.html Date accessed 09/05/2007 Jackson, I. and J. Nelson (2004), Values-Driven Performance: Seven Strategies For Delivering Profits With Principles, Ivey Business Journal 69(2), 1-8. Jamali, D Mirshak, R (2005) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Theory and Practice in a Developing Country Context Journal of Business Ethics (2007) 72:243-262 Luetkenhorst, W, (2004), Corporate Social Responsibility and the Development Agenda_, Inter economics 39(3), 157-168. Pitcher, T (2007) ITM Conference, Climate Concerns us all, Travel Trade Gazette UK Ireland, Issue 2760, p25-25 Rudolph, P. Letters To The Editor (2005), An Adam Smith Look At Green Regulations, The Wall Street Journal June 6.

Education and Health are Dependent Upon Economic Growth Essay -- Socia

Since accumulation of human capital is an important contributor to economic growth, it is important to recognize factors which facilitate this accumulation, and how does human resource transform to the more viable human capital? Central to this transformation are two elements; education and health care, where the attainment and improvement of these, is seen directly influencing labour productivity. From this cause effect relationship we can make a ‘logical assumption’ that improvement in human resources leads to economic growth (Dreze and Sen 2002; Rivera and Currais 1998). In light of this assumption, the aim of this essay is to determine the policies which could be used to successfully shift to a virtuous mutual cycle between economic growth, improved health, and education by articulating the impact of education and health as independent, and co-dependent variables on economic growth and vice-versa Educated individuals have higher employment rates since the labour skill of an educated person is more significant than that of an illiterate person, so he/she is able to generate a higher income than the latter, and his/her contribution to economic growth is thus consequently, more(Pritchett 1996). Education not only benefits the individual by making him more marketable, it can also be credited with improving the quality of an economy since the availability of educated labour gives entrepreneurs and firms the impetus to explore new markets, set up new industries, and adopt new technologies (Fasih 2008). While the monetary benefit of education is the primary reason for its acquisition, the positive externalities attached to its attainment i.e. the self-confidence and feeling of empowerment that comes with the ability to make info... ...ucational Tourism: Understanding the Concept, Recognising the Value. [online] Available at: http://www.insights.org.uk/articleitem.aspx?title=Educational%20Tourism:%20Understanding%20the%20Concept,%20Recognising%20the%20Value [Accessed: 16 Mar 2012]. Pritchett, L. (2012) Where Has All the Education Gone?. [online] Available at: http://wber.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/3/367.full.pdf [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012]. Ravallion, M. (2004) Pro-Poor growth:A primer. [online] Available at: http://web.usal.es/~bustillo/RavallionPPGPrimer.pdf [Accessed: 13 March 2012]. Taylor and Francis Online (1998) Economic growth and health: direct impact or reverse causation?. [online] Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/135048599352367 [Accessed: 13 March 2012]. Tilak, J. (2006) On Allocating 6 per Cent of GDP to Education. [online] [Accessed: 12 Mar 2012].

Bruce Dawe Poem Analysis Essay

Decode the question: How has the composer represented the concept of heroism in the film Gladiator? Make specific reference to two key scenes in the film. You MUST NOT choose scenes which have been analysed already in the course work (i.e. scenes I-III, XI-XIII, and XXVI). Write approximately 1000 words. Select Two key scenes: XXXI -Maximus has defeated the greatest gladiator ever to fight XLVI – The Final Battle Create a mind map Organise ideas, texts & references: Summary, presentation of Heroic concept, references to 2 keyed scenes with quotes & notes Draft – Do the draft as needed above Edit draft – Edit as necessary Submit draft – in Final written essay The Essay: Maximus was a powerful Roman General (strong belief, inner strength never dies, stood up for his belief no matter the consequences), loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, known in history as the final of the Five Good Emperors. Before his death, the Emperor chose Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus in an attempt to allow Rome to once more become a Republic. Then a power struggle left Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful General was unable to save his family, and his loss let him captured and put into slavery and trained as a Gladiator  by Proximo until he died. The only desire that fueled him at the time was the chance to rise to the top so that he would be able to look into the eyes of the man who would feel his revenge and fulfill the dying wish of his emperor. The time came when Proximo’s troupe was called to Rome to participate in a marathon of gladiator games held at the behest of the new emperor, Commodus. Once in Rome, Maximus wasted no time in making his presence known, and was soon involved in a plot to overthrow the emperor with his former-love Lucilla, Commodus’ sister, after whom he lusted, and also the widowed mother of Lucius, heir to the empire after his uncle, and democratic-minded senator, Gracchus was reinstated for Rome to republic. The composer has set up the representation of the heroism concept (50-60%) throughout the Gladiator film, from the opening scene, when the Hero leaves his pleasant vision (his wife and child) to return to the Germania battle field and to: – face the 1st execution – 1st fight as a gladiator – release his name – fight against the greatest warrior – face Commodus – fight in the Final battle As the opening scene and the above listed 3 scenes where the heroic concept has been discussed in the course work, the responder can also find the concept of heroism in the fight against the greatest gladiator and in the Final battle. The fight against the greatest gladiator Tigris turns to Caesar’s box, with swords crossed, he bows, â€Å"We who are about to die salute you.† Maximus stands by, showing no salute whatsoever. As Maximus gets ready to fight the large doors to the arena are thrown open, surprising Maximus. From each door emerges a team of men, who run into the arena. Each team picks up a chain from the sand. Maximus becomes distracted and Tigris kicks sand into Maximus’ face and begins the fight. As the fight continues and as Maximus is thrown to the ground, a trap door opens and out jumps a large tiger, pouncing at the fighting gladiators. Maximus is now  having to escape the claws of the tigers as he battles Tigris. In the background can be heard â€Å"loose, loose, loose† and â€Å"pull, pull, pull† as the handlers coordinate their efforts in handling each of the tigers that are now on the arena floor growling and charging at Maximus.] [Maximus manages to disarm Tigris, switching his sword from one hand to the other, Maximus stands ready to finish off Tigris. Suddenly, a fourth tiger jumps out of a trap door and jumps at Maximus. In that split second, Maximus turns and the tiger is speared with his sword. Maximus is thrown to the sand as the large beast lays atop him. Maximus stabs the beast repeatedly, killing it. The crowds cheer wildly. Tigris moves in for an attack. Maximus, on his back with the beast still on him, manages to grab Tigris’ own hatchet and with great force spikes him in the foot. Tigris bends over in pain, blood pouring from the opening of his mask. Maximus stands and kicks Tigris over to the ground. He is finished. The Final battle The trap door to the arena opens as the lift rises, encircled with the Praetorian as they stand behind their black shields. In the middle, the white clad Commodus, gazing upwardly, basking in the sun and the wounded, dying Maximus stand. All the while, Quintus staring at Maximus. As they reach the arena, the Praetorian take their place at the perimeter of the arena. Maximus stumbles to the center, slowly stooping to pick up a handful of sand, with a watchful eye on Quintus. Maximus rubs the sand in his hands and reaches for his sword but Quintus tosses it aside, and out of reach. Maximus painfully moves to where the sword has been tossed and picks it up, immediately swinging at Commodus. The two do battle. Maximus roars as he attacks Commodus. Commodus manages to cut Maximus’ leg. Although wounded, Maximus cuts Commodus’ arm causing him to drop his sword.] [Maximus begins to drift into the after-life and as he sees the gate to his home, the sword drops from his hand. Meanwhile, Commodus is calling Quintus for his sword but Quintus does not comply. Commodus then turns to the Praetorian, calling out â€Å"sword†. The guards begin to pull their swords when Quintus quickly tells them to â€Å"sheath your swords† and they quickly comply. As Commodus reaches for his hidden dagger, Maximus quickly returns to this life and, unarmed but for his strength and determination, does battle with Commodus, turning Commodus’ knife against him. Commodus tries relentlessly to fight  Maximus off but Maximus slowly plunges the knife into Commodus’ throat, further and further until it can go no further. Commodus falls to the ground. The fight over, Maximus begins to drift as he reaches out his bloodied hand, to push open the gate that leads to hi s home. Peace, once again, overcomes Maximus when Quintus calls to him. â€Å"Maximus, Maximus.† Maximus regains consciousness.] To bring to life ancient Rome, director Ridley Scott employed great period costumes, chariots and horses, lots of dark-haired actors and actresses, and an amazing looking coliseum in the time period set in the movie. The musical score was possibly the best feature of this film, as the music is haunting and perfectly punctuates the dramatic action in soft, then ever-increasing tempos. It was a real trick to make music that would accentuate the flavor of this historical piece, and not distract it. The film used a very potent combination of long shots and close-ups to heighten the drama and yet propel responder into the immensity of the situation: the overwhelming doom that seems to be around any and every corner in Rome. For instance, at this scene where Maximus has defeated the greatest gladiator ever to fight, in a long, drawn-out battle. The bested warrior lies fallen at Maximus’ feet, awaiting his demise. The crowd chants â€Å"Kill, Kill, Kill!† The long shot shows E mperor Commodus watching Maximus, and in the shot, the emperor is shown in the foreground, and Maximus appears small in the background. In this way the responder get a sense of the power that Commodus holds over Maximus. Now a medium-long shot of the crowd to get a sense of how many people are chanting for the vanquished opponent’s death; they all appear in unison, willfully they crave blood. Next a close-up of the emperor as he dramatically steps forward, arm extended. If he gives a thumbs up, the opponent should live. If he gives a thumbs-down, the opponent should be killed. His arm hangs outward and all eyes in the coliseum fall upon his hand. He gives the thumbs-down, and the crowd goes wild with roars of approval. Finally, a close-up of Maximus as he throws down his own sword in complete defiance to the emperor and to the people. The skillful editing helps contrast the morals Maximus and Commodus possess: Commodus is ruthless and political, Maximus does only what he has to, no more no less, and he is a man of his own conviction. This scene helps responder to understand why earlier the dying emperor Marcus Aurelius wanted Maximus to succeed him, he knew Maximus would do the right thing and not be  swayed easily by popular opinion. A leader must lead, not follow. Whenever the composer wanted the responder to get a sense of the size of this coliseum, he employed the cinematographer to use long range shots. When he wanted responder to get a sense of the hustle and bustle of Rome, a hand-held camera was used. The Final battle: The composer used a number of different techniques during the filming of the Final battle, including muted, washed out colors in the Coliseum. The scene is bright and colour comes across perfectly, setting the mood for the scene of battle. The fighting is filmed replete with quick cuts and a frenetic filming process; it’s disorienting but not so much that we can’t keep track of who’s who and what each participant is doing in said battle. The fighting is realistic without zooming in on the gore, as the violence speaks for itself. The composer correctly makes the scenes exciting without the need for a barf bucket.. Combat is supposed to be jarring and disorienting and the filming process actually communicates this sense to the responder very well. The responder’d have to agree, as the scenes outstanding in special effects. They are seeing the Coliseum when it is a new(100 years old) and its grand structure, as it would have been in ancient Rome. Stunts are well coordinated and real tigers were used in a particular fight scene, grabbing out just inches from Maximus and his opponent. He earned his act on those days of shooting. Sound – The soundtrack with its haunting score, is very memorable its scope and theme. Sound track manages to take a main character theme and vary it depending on the action, making it subtle and sweet at times, brooding and depressing at others. Throughout the film, the same musical elements are applied, bring unity and depth to the story. Besides digital sound, Dolby 5.1 is also included on the same disc

For Gun Control Legislation

For Gun Control Legislation Free Online Research Papers Discussing gun control in America Fear is in the eyes of every American citizen. Never knowing what this world can throw at you. Every citizen lives his or her own life thinking they are protected from by local law enforcement . With the numbers of them decreasing, do to the lack of funding and slow economy, crime is on the rise and where do you look for protection? Many would say owning a gun would protect his or her own family from every danger that comes there way, but with the locals laws and the ever going debate of gun control is trying to give up these rights to the average blue collard hard working Americans that work for every hard earn penny they own. Ever since this great nation was founded by are founding fathers The Right to Bare Arms has been a right given and granted to every American citizen. With the times changing rapidly and sick human beings taking advantage of this right to own and operate guns, they believe we need to enforce more strike guns laws. Which is completely understandable. Yes, they need to be out of the hands of citizens who are convicted with crimes and already lost their privilege to bare arms. But changing the whole system and making it harder for citizens who obey by the laws to bare arms is outrageous. Many stories from time to time explain owning a gun is better then not having a gun at all. If you never use it, you know it is always there. Many cases have shown your everyday average citizen saving a life by taking there own action to stop a criminal from harming others citizens do to the fact, if they stopped what they were doing and didnt act on the situation and called 911 for law enforcement to get on the scene. That person would already to dead by the time they got there. I mean statics have shown that there is 1 police officer for every 23,000 people in this country. Now how can that 1 police officer protect me. If a criminal is wanting to get his hand on a gun, there is not a doubt in my mind he will get his hand on one. Either somewhere on the streets or friend of a friend. They are sick and will do whatever it takes. The problem I see is that, state by state laws are different. If a criminal cant purchase and gun without consenting to a background check in Ohio, but can go to Indiana and get one no problem, what does that solve. The laws for criminals should be forced upon to every state. I do say with many other hard working blue collard citizens that a gun would protect my family and I from any immediate danger. But if your going to make laws that is going to make it harder for a non criminal citizen who has never broken his or her right to bare arms to get a hold of a gun is just not right. Enforce if harder for the people who lost there right, and push harder to get all the illegal guns off the streets so they will be out of the hands of criminals and in the hands of people who clearly know what is right and what is wrong. Research Papers on For Gun Control LegislationThe Effects of Illegal Immigration19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Hockey GameWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and Autumn