Assignments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Assignments - Assignment Example It relates an argument that exist between the beer producing company (Miller Coors) and the Boricuas For a positive image. It cites communications between the various parties and assumes a business tone. The writer wants us to understand and feel the tension between the two parties; he quotes specific persons, however, the reader fails to give an opinion on the matter. The two documents offer insightful current information in an understandable format. The first article presents the argument that the installation of the bike corrals will give a solution to the increased demand for bike parking. The writer supports the claim by presenting evidence from sources such as the DOT website and individuals, Aussie Saavedra a 22 year old musician who shares the agony of searching for a bike parking. The writer’s opinion supports the claim that the installation of the bike corrals will ease the parking troubles especially for those that park illegally, by locking their bikes on trees or street signs. The second article is based on the argument that the Coors Light Company produced Beer Cans that offended the Puerto Ricans. The writer goes ahead to clarify his claim by presenting the argument between the Coors and the Boricuas For a positive image. He quotes various statements that each party presented in their defense but supports no party. The first document has clear cut sections that are ideally independent since the writer presents a different idea in each section. The second document, however, has section that overlaps and are dependent on each other making it hard to understand one without reading the other since the dialogue between the two parties seems to flow. The paragraphs in these documents are medium in size and are mutually exclusive but convey the flow of thought. The organization of the documents made it possible to skim through the document and get the gist. The documents are arranged in such a way that the most

Social and Economic Problems of the Arab World

Social and Economic Problems of the Arab World The Arab World refers to the 22 Arabic speaking countries located between the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and the Mediterranean Sea and Turkey in the north to the Indian Ocean and mid-Africa in the south. It consists of an area of around 14 million square kilometres, most of which is desert except for the coastal areas. There are approximately 250 million people living in the Arab World, with the majority being Muslims, although there are many from other religions too. Historically, the Arab World was not divided into states, but now it is, and its 22 countries form many popular regions such as the Gulf area, the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahara. History, language, religion are some of the many unifying factors that exist in the consciousness of every Arab man. After gaining independence, some Arab states and some memorable Arab leaders tried their best to reunify the Arab World, but their efforts were in vain, especially after many failed attem pts such as the rise of the United Arab Republic between Syria and Egypt in 1985. From then on, all Arab states set off on the journey of improving and developing themselves depending on their potential power. Although the Arab World is experiencing a state of stability, there are still many social and economical problems threatening the development of many of the Arab states. The first problem to discuss here is unemployment in Arab countries, which is the highest in the world and threatens to spread poverty in the Arab World; the increase in the number of workers was not matched by an equal increase in employment in the Arab World and with the collapse of the oil revenues and the implementation of stabilization and structural adjustment program, employment growth slowed or became negative; as a result unemployment increased (1). According to the annual report of the Arab Labor Organization, 14% of the population are unemployed, which means that there are more than 17 million Arab people without work. There are many reasons for this: first, the failure of development due to the political situation in the Arab World. Civil wars and conflicts are considered the main obstacles that hinder development. Second, the poor economic performance of the Arab governments due to poor administrative tools and corruption. Third, the failure of education to meet the requ irements of the job market and the neglect of technical and applied education, which is important to widen the labour market. Finally, the failure of the governments to create attractive investment opportunities that could increase the number of jobs that are available, and the weak laws that, if strengthened, could encourage investments. This dangerous problem has devastating effects, and so Arab states should do their best to encourage the private sector to increase the number of job opportunities for unemployed people. This can be achieved through issuing a number of laws to urge businessmen and companies to get involved in the national market. In addition to encouraging investment within the Arab World, investment in the Western countries should be encouraged, as well as opening the national market to foreign firms and companies to set up effective projects, which could help the national economy improve. Another social problem in the Arab World is that women do not have access to all of the rights stated in the Islam religion, despite the fact that the majority of Arabs are Muslims. In Islam, women have the right to learn, to live a good life, to agree or refuse marriage, to work, and many others, and it is totally forbidden to deny them of any of these. In the Arab World, many women are not given these rights, and in some Arab countries, girls under the age of 15 are forced to get married to older men without their consent. One example is a 12-year-old Yemeni girl, who was forced into marriage and then died during painful childbirth, which also killed her baby. Moreover, according to UN data, the proportion of womens representation in Arab parliaments is only 3.4% (as opposed to 11.4% in the rest of the world). In addition, 55% of Arab women are illiterate (2), and in many parts of the Arab World they are not allowed to continue their learning, despite this being a fundamental right in Islam that considers the education of women in particular as essential for the construction of society. Furthermore, women do not enjoy the right to vote in many Arab countries. For example in Kuwait, they do not have the right to elect until two years. This bad situation for women in the Arab World should be considered and analysed as soon as possible, because womens role in society cannot be denied, otherwise the whole of society will be threatened. Therefore, the improvement of education for women and the elimination of high female illiteracy rates in the Arab World is an urgent necessity, and can be achieved by making primary school education both free and compulsory. The most dangerous problem in the Arab World is the widespread illiteracy, which is threatening future development. The UN report found that one third of Arabs are illiterate and only $10 per person is spent on scientific research (3). The report also found that almost nine million children of primary school age are not attending school in the Arab World. Based on the general census of the population for the year 2004, the illiteracy rate among those aged 10 years and over was 45.7%, with a significant disparity between male and female males had an illiteracy rate of 29.8% as opposed to females at 62.1% (4). No one can deny how serious this problem is, since it is the cause of many other problems such as poverty, disease and death. The highest rate of illiteracy recorded is among women, since the female education in the Arab World is seen as less important, especially in rural areas. The Arabic governments, organisations and international organisations must cooperate and work togeth er to reduce this high rate of illiteracy, and an enlightenment campaign must be held in the rural areas to let people know the importance of the education of women in society. Arab governments have to make education more accessible and increase the number of schools, especially in rural areas and deserts, where the rate of illiteracy among nomads is very high. They must also reward those who become literate. However, these plans are in vain if there is no money available, so a respectable amount of money should be specified for the purpose of fighting illiteracy among Arabic people. This money can support all efforts to improve education and be spent on helping poor people to continue learning, especially if we take into consideration that poverty is one of the main causes of illiteracy. In conclusion, unemployment, illiteracy and the neglect of women are just some of the social and economic problems of the Arab World. Unemployment is a serious challenge because it is the cause of many social and economic problems, and can lead to an increase in crime, poverty, illiteracy and humiliation, as people who do not work do not have enough money to live a respectable life. Women in the Arab World should enjoy their rights that are stated in Islam because if they are educated, they can play an essential role in life, which benefits the whole of society. In Islam it is said that if you teach a male, you teach an individual, but if you teach a female, you teach a whole nation. The last problem that we discussed was the problem of illiteracy in the Arab World and how this hinders progress and development, and causes many social and economic problems such as poverty and a high rate of fertility, which in turn is another serious problem. It is clear that all of these problems are related to each other in one way or another, so Arab governments must be aware of how to face these through working hard and planning to prevent them from worsening. Furthermore, rich Arab states such as Qatar and UAE can participate in the efforts to reduce the suffering in poor areas. For example, the campaign led by Dubai to help blind people get their sight back was a great success all over the world. REFERENCES Rivlin, P. Economic policy and performance in the Arab World. p.36. Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), December 4, 1999. http://www.menassat.com/?q=en/news-articles/7272-un-arab-world-rife-illiteracy-lacks-innovation http://www.yementimes.com/DefaultDET.aspx?i=1226p=fronta=2

Womens Roles in Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and

Changing Women's Roles in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales Over the course of time, the roles of men and women have changed dramatically. As women have increasingly gained more social recognition, they have also earned more significant roles in society. This change is clearly reflected in many works of literature, one of the most representative of which is Plautus's 191 B.C. drama Pseudolus, in which we meet the prostitute Phoenicium. Although the motivation behind nearly every action in the play, she is glimpsed only briefly, never speaks directly, and earns little respect from the male characters surrounding her, a situation that roughly parallels a woman's role in Roman society of that period. Women of the time, in other words, were to be seen and not heard. Their sole purpose was to please or to benefit men. As time passed, though, women earned more responsibility, allowing them to become stronger and hold more influence. The women who inspired Lope de Vega's early seventeenth-century drama Fuente Ovejuna, for instance, rose up against n ot only the male officials of their tiny village, but the cruel (male) dictator busy oppressing so much of Spain as a whole. The roles women play in literature have evolved correspondingly, and, by comparing The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Wife of Bath's Prologue, we can see that fictional women have just as increasingly as their real-word counterparts used gender differences as weapons against men. The epic poem Gilgamesh is the first heroic epic of world literature. The role of the primary mortal woman mentioned in it is only to benefit and please men, and with little or no consideration as to how she feels... ...orks Cited Burrow, J.A. "From The Third Fitt." Twentieth Century Interpretations of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.' Ed. Denton Fox. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 27-45. Cox, Catherine S. Gender and Language in Chaucer. Gainesville, Florida: U of Florida P, 1997. Everett, Dorothy. "From The Alliterative Revival." Twentieth Century Interpretations of 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.' Ed. Denton Fox. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1968. 3-26. Harris, Rivkah. Gender and Aging in Mesopotamia. Oklahoma: U of Oklahoma P, 2000. Lawall, Sarah, et al. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Vol. I. 7th ed. New York: Norton, 1999. Nelson, Marie. "Biheste is Dette: Marriage promises in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales." 2001. Dept. of English, Wentworth University. 15 July 2003 <http://www.wentworth.edu/nelson/chaucer>

Meaning of Teresa Palomo Acosta’s “My Mother Pieced Quilts” Essay

Various threads are needed to form one unique quilt. Similarly, a mother quilts together the best and diverse threads of life to form one unique identity in which a child lives with forever. In the poem â€Å"My Mother Pieced Quilts† by Teresa Palomo Acosta, the mother chooses the different aspects of the quilt, forms those aspects to make one quilt, and releases that one quilt on which it lives. In the beginning, the mother must choose the best treads to form the quilt. The mother chooses how to make her offspring through choosing what she will fit best. Just in the beginning of the poem, the mother must decide which piece fits best in her quilt. The mother â€Å"[. . .] shaped patterns square and oblong and round / positioned / balanced† (13-15) and each shape is a different piece and each piece is quilted together to form one quilt. This relates to human life in that the mother the act of choosing the best shapes relates to choosing the best characteristics to put into the final product of a child’s identity. The mother not only has to choose shapes, but also has to decide on the colors of the pieces. She has to consider â€Å"whether to put the lilac purple of easter against the red plaid of winter-going- / into-spring / whether to mix a yellow with blue and white [. . .]† (31-33). The different choices of colors symbolize the various types of personalities in which a child is form with. The mother must choose the different shapes and colors or the different characteristics and personalities in order to form one quilt or one identity that she pieces together. After the mother chooses the pieces, the mother must use each of the different pieces of identity to form a child’s identity. The mother starts with a blank canvas and goes through the process of â€Å"[. . .] stalking out the plan:† (30). The blank canvas symbolizes the child who is filled by the different parts that the mother gives. The mother â€Å"[. . .] stretched and turned and re-arranged† (23) each piece so that each piece would fit in perfectly. The mother fills the canvas to form one finished product, the child. The mother goes through the timely process to piecing the quilt together which parallels the act of the mother forming a child’s identity which requires a mother to perfectly form an identity. Although the process of making the quilt ends at the finished product, the finished product’s  life does not end. The individual’s identity which is formed by the work of the mother carries on to the future. The finished identity lives eternally because â€Å"[. . .] every morning [one awakes] to these† (5). The identity becomes a part of that person and never leaves. The identity which is â€Å"knotted with love† (54) by the mother â€Å"[. . .] sing[s] on† (55). The person that was formed by the mother is able to live. The personification of the quilts singing parallels to a person’s identity living into the future. After the timely process of working, the mother accomplishes the final task of forming a child’s identity. The process of choosing, quilting, and releasing signifies the beginning, middle, and future. Both, the mother who shapes the child and the child who lives on, take part in the life process of forming a single identity. After forming that single identity, it lives on to repeat the process.

Montessori Math

Montessori is an approach which many have adopted these days as a teaching method for children in preschool. The materials which they use create an environment that is developmentally appropriate for the children. Montessori believes that with the helped of trained teachers and the proper environment which the children are placed in, intelligence and different skills will be developed in the child (Casa Montessori, 1997-2009). In addition, one of the main aims of Montessori is develop children to become life long , independent learners. Instead of following the tradition teaching methods whereby teachers would present the students with all the facts and information that they need to know, the teachers trained in Montessori teaching would ask questions and direct the children in a way where they have to look for the answers themselves. In the learning process, the teachers would basically motivate the children to be actively engaged in their learning and to think independently (Seldin, 2010). The basis of the Montessori approach is that learning through experience and going through the process of investigating and discovery is one of the most effective ways for a child to learn. Montessori also believes that children do not learn by memorising information given to them but from concrete experiences that interests them. This is why Montessori focus on different creating different developmentally appropriate concrete learning tools and materials that stimulates the child into logical thinking and discovery for subjects such as mathematics, sensory development, language and so on (Seldin, 2010). With regards to mathematics, the Montessori approach sees sensorial training as a very important platform which aids in the learning of basic arithmetic. The wide variation of materials Montessori has to cater to mathematics allows children to familiarize themselves with numbers at an early age (Modern Montessori International, 2006). They focus on using sensorial materials because they are precise and exact. They believe that it is important for the children to work with materials that are exact and so that they can be exposed to isolated concepts, learn through repetition and rom there draw the main principle of each and have a clear abstraction. All these concepts would help the child to order his mind and enable him to classify different experiences. This is because having a clear perception and the ability to classify things help the child to learn how to be precise in their conclusions. Working with sensorial materials prepares the children for the study of progression and sequ encing as it builds up spatial representations of quantities and form imagines of magnitudes (Montessori Primary Guide). Montessori believes that before a child can start learning mathematics, he or she must explore and accept the notions of idealized things with isolated qualities and to practice the requisite intellectual skills (Modern Montessori International, 2006). First of all, exposing the child to early sensorial activities is used to introduce the idealization of things and isolation of qualities to them. This is because allowing the child to work with sensorial materials gives them the opportunity to deal with isolated qualities physically and hence acquire the sensibility of what mathematics is all about. Secondly, the child must be introduced to the intellectual skills needed for mathematics such as exactness, calculation and repetition. Practical activities such as pouring beans into a jug or sweeping the floor can help children acquire such skills. It is believed that when children reach age four, they are ready to start learning mathematics. However, prior to that, the children have to establish certain things such as internal order, precise movement, work habits, the child must be able to complete a work cycle, follow a process and are able to work with symbols (Modern Montessori Guide). That is why there are developmentally appropriate ways for the children to explore arithmetic. The material first begins with concrete experiences such as the number rods and cards where the children are able to work with such materials to learn the different concepts of numbers. This would also help the child as they work towards the abstract stage of solving mathematical sums. The mathematics in Montessori is organized into six groups. Group 1 is Introduction to Numbers, group 2 is the Introduction to the Decimal System, group 3 is the Introduction to Teen Board, group 4 is the Operation of Decimal System, group 5 is the Introduction to Recording and Arithmetic Tables and group 6 is Abstraction. Firstly, group 1 which is the Introduction to Numbers introduces the units of quantity up to 10. The focus group for this group is for children age 3 and a half onwards and the main aim of this group is to help children learn the names of numbers, understand the value of each number and to memorise the number sequence. Secondly, for the in group 2, The Introduction to the Decimal System, the children are given concrete experiences with units with tens, hundreds and thousands as tools to introduce them to the decimal system. As for the third group which covers the Introduction to Teen Board, it helps the children to understand the different numbers within a hundred. Fourthly, group 4 which covers the Operation of Decimal System gets children to work with beans when doing the operation and is usually done at a sensorial and group level. The fifth group is the Introduction to Recording and Arithmetic Tables. Children at this level work individually with the materials and area also introduced to recording at the same time. The children will use strips, boards and beads that help in giving them material demonstration of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In addition, these board games do help them children to memorise tables. And lastly group 6 is covers Abstraction. This level is a transition to abstraction which helps the children to internalize the different functions of arithmetic. The materials used by Montessori are of progressing difficulty. The child would first be introduced to a quantity in isolation and then a name would be given for it. After which, the child would be given the opportunity to associate the quantity and the symbol. Using an example for the number rod exercise, we can see that the children are first introduced to the numbers by itself when they are asked to count the rods. Subsequently, the teachers would go on and teach the children how to match the numerals to its values by matching the number cards to the rods. The focus group for this group is for children age 3 and a half onwards and the main aim of this group is to help children learn the names of numbers, understand the value of each number and to memorise the number sequence. With regards to Montessori, sequence is always given in all of the work and the children are taught to establish a sequence in everything they do. I believe that is how the children learn how the numbers go in sequence (Modern Montessori Guide). The advantage of this exercise is that the units of each number rod are fixed. Therefore, this reduces any possibility of confusion that might arise. Moreover, the children will be able to absorb the concept into the unconscious easily and hence teach them the names of the numbers before the child grasp the abstract conception (Montessori Mom, 2009). The materials by Montessori give the children the experience that they need to arrive and progress to begin working independently. Some of the activities are directed by teachers but all these activities would have to be followed up with activities which allow the children to work on their own. The children are only allowed to progress to the next level when they have fully understood the previous stage (Modern Montessori Guide). Thus, the children will only be able to progress to the decimal stage when they have finished the first level. As mentioned above, the children will start to learn about the decimal system in group 2. This teacher directed exercise is done for children age 4 years and above. What the teacher will do first is that she will put beads on a tray and place it on a table with the unit on the right and the thousand on the left. After which, the teacher will bring the unit of bead from the tray and put it on the mat and say â€Å"this is a unit†, and put the bead back on the tray. Subsequently, the teacher will bring out the tens bars and indicate to the children that â€Å"this is a ten†. And the teacher will do likewise for the hundreds and thousands. After all these have been taught, the teacher will follow up with the second period where she will place all four materials (unit/ tens/ hundreds/ thousands) at random and get the child to show her the unit she wants. In the last period, the teacher will take a random unit out and ask the child what it is. So for example, the teacher will take a cube and get the child to name what it is. The main aims of this exercise is firstly, that the children will learn the terms â€Å"thousands, ten and unit†, that they can understand the decimal system and that the child will be able to understand the relative values of one, ten, hundred and thousand. Following that, in order to teach the children how to associate the quantities with the numerals from 11 to 10 and to teach the children how to count from 11 – 19, the teachers would use materials such as a sequin board, 9 ten bead bars and a set of short bead stair. The different boards would be arranged on the floor and teacher would arrange the 9 ten bars to the right of the board. She would then ask the child to lay the out the short bead stair to the right of the ten bars. After which, the teacher would stack the numeral cards n order going from 1 to 9 and place the stack to the right of the board. With that the teacher will ask the child what the first number on the board is. When the child says 10, she will ask him to place a 1 ten bead bar to the left of the board and when she asks the child what comes after ten, the child will have to make 11 by adding 1 to the 10 bead bar. After that, she will get the child to place the numeral card with the number. She will continue to do this until the number 19. In order to teach the children numbers up till 99, the steps that the teachers do will also be similar to what they do with teaching the children from 11 to 19. As we can see, just like what was mentioned above, the procedures that Montessori adopts is one that has sequence. The children would progress step by step slowing adding on to what they know. Many have criticized Montessori’s method of using strings of beads to teach numbers as being clumsy or materialistic. However, they believe that it is necessary for the children to understand numbers because it would be easier for a child to work with concrete materials patiently if he or she is unable to get a clear idea of abstraction (Montessori Mom, 2009). The beads chain is used to give the child an understanding of the relative value of 1, 10 and 100. The teacher would place the chain and the 100 square next to each other, telling the child that the bead chain and the 100 square are the same. She will then start the exercise by asking the child to pull the chain into a straight vertical line and ask the child to count every single bead in the first bar. When the child comes to the 10th bead, the child would be asked to place the first number label 10, next to the ten beada. He will continue for the rest of the tens (20, 30, 40) until 100. In the next level, the children would progress to the stage where the teacher will develop their understanding of working of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. For example, in the exercise for addition, the teacher will show the children how to lay the materials out. A large number card is laid out in column and the 2 sets of small number cards are laid side by side. The teacher tells the children that they are going to work with addition problems. After that, the teacher makes addends in small number cards and puts one in each tray. She will then get the children to go to the bank and get the appropriate beads. After the children have done so, she has to show the children how to put the beads and the different quantities on the mat. The teacher will then explain to the children how she is going to add the different quantities and units that are there. She will get one child to place the large number card and show him where to place the card. A second child will be asked to bring down the 10s, count them and bring the large number card. She will repeat all the steps with the 100s and 1000s. Following that, children will start to learn composition and de-composition of numbers 1 to 10. This is for children age 5 onwards. The teacher will ask the child to build the stairs with the number rods on the mat. She will bring down the rod number 10 and get the child to count it. After which she would bring down the rod number 9 and get the child to count it as well. She will then ask the child â€Å"how many more do we need to make the number 10? † and the child will be required to go and take down the appropriate number rod. The teacher will continue this exercise using different combinations given to the child. The main aims of this exercise are to show the child the working of addition and to provide further practice in addition. In addition, this would also give the idea that two quantities added together make one large quantity. At the last level, the children will learn individual sums using different materials. For example, in the addition without changing exercise, the children will be introduced to individual addition sums using the golden beads and work cards, they will learn how tor record answers as further practice, it serves as an intermediate stage in the progression from concrete to abstract and to practice changing whenever it’s necessary. For this case, the teacher will remind the children that the colored lines corresponds to the numbers of large numeral cards and get them to read the first number (e. 4675). The child will then have to look for the corresponding beads and place them on the mat. After which, the child will read the next sum and have to bring the corresponding beads out as well. The child will then be asked to add all the units and record his answer. The teacher will repeat this with the tens, hundreds and thousands. Once the child has down all 4 sums, he will have to chec k his answer at the back of the cards. It has been said that children will soon grow out of using manipulatives such as blocks and beads to learn mathematics. Once they have reached the stage where they are familiar and are confident in using that method, they will want to go on to something of a higher difficulty level. This is when the teachers can start teaching them numbers with concrete objects (Montessori Mom, 2009). As the materials used for the different groups are developmentally appropriate, the children are able to learn the different concepts at a progressively level. At each stage they would learn something new which adds on to their prior knowledge. This is how the Montessori curriculum works. We can see that it all starts with the children learning the concept of numbers with the number rods and number cards and soon start progressing to learn decimals, addition, subtraction and learning how to group numbers together into tens, hundreds and thousands (Montessori Mom, 2009). Therefore it is important to introduce the fundamentals of mathematics in the early years during preschool where it would be easier for the child to grasp the concepts easily using concrete materials. The foundation of mathematics would have impact the children’s academic growth in years to come (Montessori Mom, 2009).