North Pacific Right Whale Facts

The North Pacific right whale is a critically endangered species. Along with the North Atlantic right whale and the southern right whale, the North Pacific right whale is one of three species of living right whales in the world. All three species of right whale are similar in appearance; their genetic pools are distinct, but they are otherwise indistinguishable. Fast Facts: North Pacific Right Whale Scientific Name: Eubalaena japonicaAverage Length: 42–52 feet Average Weight: 110,000–180,000 pounds Lifespan: 50–70 years Diet: CarnivorousRegion and Habitat: Northern Pacific ocean  Phylum: ChordataClass: Mammalia Order: ArtiodactylaInfraorder: CetaceaFamily: BalaenidaeConservation Status: Critically endangered   Description North Pacific right whales are robust, with a thick blubber layer and a girth sometimes exceeding 60 percent of their body length. Their bodies are black with irregular patches of white, and their flippers are large, broad and blunt. Their tail flukes are very broad (up to 50 percent of their body length), black, deeply notched, and smoothly tapered. Southern right whale breaches the surface off Puerto Piramedies, Argentina. Paula Ribas / Getty Images Female right whales give birth once every 2 to 3 years, starting around age 9 or 10. The oldest known right whale was a female who lived at least 70 years. Calves are 15–20 ft (4.5–6 m) long at birth. Adult right whales range between 42–52 ft (13–16 m) in length on average, but they can reach over 60 ft (18 m). They weigh over 100 metric tons. About one-fourth to one-third of a right whales total body length is the head. The lower jaw has a very pronounced curve and the upper jaw has 200–270 baleen plates, each narrow and between 2–2.8 meters long, with fine fringing hair.   Whales are born with patchy irregular spots, called callosities, on their faces, lower lips, and chin, above the eyes and around the blowholes. The callosities are made of keratinized tissue. By the time a whale is several months old, its callosities are inhabited by whale lice: small crustaceans who clean and eat algae off the whales body. Each whale has an estimated 7,500 whale lice. Habitat North Pacific right whales are among the most endangered whale species in the world. Two stocks are known to exist: western and eastern. The western North Pacific right whale lives in the Sea of Okhotsk and along the western Pacific rim; scientists estimate there are about 300 of them left. The eastern North Pacific right whales are found in the eastern Bering Sea. Their current population is believed to be between 25 and 50, which might be too small to ensure its persistence.   North Pacific right whales migrate seasonally. They travel northward in spring to high-latitude summer feeding grounds, and southward in fall for breeding and calving. In the past, these whales could be found from Japan and northern Mexico northward to the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska; today, however, they are rare.   Diet North Pacific right whales are baleen whales, meaning that they use baleen (toothlike bone plates) to filter out their prey from sea water. They forage almost exclusively on zooplankton, tiny animals that are weak swimmers and prefer to drift with the current in massive groups. North Pacific right whales prefer large calanoid copepods—are crustaceans about the size of a grain of rice—but they will also eat krill and larval barnacles. They consume whatever gets picked up by the baleen.   Feeding takes place in the spring. In higher latitude feeding grounds, North Pacific right whales locate large surface patches of zooplankton, then swim slowly (about 3 miles per hour) through the patches with their mouths wide open. Each whale needs between 400,000 and 4.1 million calories each day, and when the patches are dense (about 15,000 copepods per cubic meter), whales can fulfill their daily needs in three hours. Less dense patches, around 3,600 per cm3, require a whale to spend 24 hours feeding in order to meet their caloric needs. The whales will not forage on densities below 3,000 per cm3.  Ã‚   Although most of their visible feeding takes place near the surface, the whales can dive also deeply to forage (between 200–400 meters below the surface). Adaptationsand Behavior Scientists believe that right whales use a combination of memory, matrilineal teaching, and communication to navigate between feeding and wintering grounds.  They also use an array of tactics to find plankton concentrations, relying on water temperatures, currents, and stratification to locate new patches. Right whales produce a variety of low-frequency sounds described by researchers as screams, moans, groans, belches, and pulses. The sounds are high amplitude, meaning they are detectable across long distances, and most range below 500 Hz, and some as low as 1,500–2,000 Hz. Scientists believe that these vocalizations may be contact messages, social signals, warnings or threats.  Ã‚   Throughout the year, right whales create surface active groups. In these groups, a lone female vocalizes a call; in response, up to 20 males surround her, vocalizing, leaping from the water, and splashing their flippers and flukes. There is little aggression or violence, nor are these behaviors necessarily connected with courtship routines. Whales only breed at certain times of the year, and females give birth in their wintering grounds nearly synchronously. Sources Gregr, Edward J., and Kenneth O. Coyle. The Biogeography of the North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica). Progress in Oceanography 80.3 (2009): 188–98.  Kenney, Robert D. Are Right Whales Starving? Right Whale News 7.2 (2000).  ---. Right Whales: Eubalaena . Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (Third Edition). Eds. Wà ¼rsig, Bernd, J. G. M. Thewissen and Kit M. Kovacs: Academic Press, 2018. 817–22.  glacialis, E. japonica, and E. australisÃ…  irovic, Ana, et al. North Pacific Right Whales (Eubalaena Japonica) Recorded in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean in 2013. Marine Mammal Science 31.2 (2015): 800–07.

We Are A “Government Of The People, By The People, [And]

We are a â€Å"government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people,† or so we have been led to believe (Lincoln 1863). In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln uttered one of the most prolific and profound statements about the United State’s system of government as designed by the Constitution. His words have been used to define a movement of democratization and Constitution making in the 20th century. While Lincoln’s words might make a good speech, they may not be entirely true of Constitutions, even our own. Much available evidence suggests that Constitutions are not necessarily products by the people and for the people, but they really are products by elites and for elites. The question of whether Constitutions are written by†¦show more content†¦The endurance of architecturally designed constitutional principles is not always a given, however. Sometimes, the elites that crafted the Constitution â€Å"may lose touch with that reservoir of support and determination in the hearts of the people without which law becomes an alien imposition likely to be abandoned when circumstances permit† (Frame 279). After a while, if the imposed principles are radically different than tradition, the locals are unwilling to change, and a third country and its elites do not continue to enforce said principles, the native countries may abandon ship and revert back to old traditions. This is where the second method of elite constitutional design processes comes in. The second popular design process in which elites craft constitutions is through what Frame calls excavators. These elites try and â€Å"discover the customary ways underlying a particular society, and to bring these to prominence and coherence† (Frame 279). This method incorporates local practices and institutions into consideration while elites craft the constitution so as to maximize the likelihood that the community will accept the new constitution. An example that Frame provides comes from the 1960’s and 1970’s when elite University professors from Canada helpedShow MoreRelatedWe the People- Examination of the Relationship between the Government and Governed 1996 Words   |  8 Pagesscares of the Cold War, we had vocal leaders aim to minimize the federal government’s power. The framers did so initially in the colonial era (Downes, 2012). Then, Ronald Reagan followed this concept through the Cold War (Love, 2009). Today, we live in a Post 9/11 world. This is a world that was so dramatically stricken by the terrorist attacks implemented on the World Trade Center (WTC) that we failed to carry a belief of minimizing the government’s constraints on the people. This society has noRead MoreAmerican Government Essay example684 Words   |  3 PagesAmerican Government Each type of government holds different views as to the role the leaders and citizens should perform in their country .Different types of government include, oligarchy where the government is run by the best leaders, Tyranny, where they believe those in power should have complete control over its people. In the United States of America, we believe in democracy, rule by the majority. The main problem with our type of government is maintaining it. Our government and its citizensRead MoreThe Creation Of The United States929 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States we have had many hopes to what it will be come. Very few were there to see as the thirteen colonies became the United States of America. They witness a weak confederation turn into a government so strong that its constitution is still being used hundreds of years later. Now a day’s many people believe that our old constitution is what is making our government so inefficient. But in reality it is not on our government or on t he constitution. In a unitary system of government, the centralRead MoreThe Government And The Federal Service1661 Words   |  7 PagesAre we as American citizens receiving what we expect from our government or are we demanding too much from it. It seems that over the last several years we have demanded that our government has to find ways of doing more with less. As a result of the ever-increasing demands our government is forced to face, according to Professor Paul C. Light, the American government is ill executed and the federal service is less energetic than ever before (Paul, 2008). Thus, it seems that we as Americans are notRead MoreWhat Is The Government As A Source Of Justice?963 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican people as a whole find ourselves stuck between the lines of law and order. We know the laws and who appoint them, but we often find loopholes and exceptions to those laws. We as a people look to our government as a source of justice, but how can we trust those who do not uphold the la ws they make? The government is the law, but how do we, as citizens, regulate how they act out these laws. The protection of liberty and freedom are laid out in the constitution, by the government. They setRead MoreAdvantages Of Direct Democracy1460 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversy over which government is the best, and honestly I don’t think there really is a best form of government but I believe there that some are better than others. Direct Democracy definitely has its flaws, it is the best option open to us at this time. It gives the people the power to get what they want. America is already a form of Democracy, it’s a Representative Democracy. So direct Democracy is not too far fetched. Direct democracy, also known as pure democracy, is where the people vote to on orRead MoreWhy a Government is Necessary for a Country1120 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is government? Government is a person or group of people who control and make decisions for a country. It has a number of particular roles to help make a country survive and function successfully. I believe that without the roles a government provides a country would not function and would eventually fail. Therefore, I think government is necessary because without it there would not be any provided protection, resources, and regulations. Protection is something that keeps a person or groupRead MoreThe Effect of Utilitarianism Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pagesother people, it may not have been such an enjoyable experience. And in some cases, people change their view of human life, as incidents happen which affects the way they evaluate the importance of their lives. Such as people who experienced near-death, or people who attained freedom after long periods of hardship and torture. These people would definitely view their lives, and those who went through the same experiences, in a different light. If we were to analyze Utilitarianism closely, we wouldRead MoreJohn Locke s Views On Human Nature1602 Words   |  7 PagesWhereas John Locke put more hope in human nature, Madison looked down on it with more critical analysis. Locke’s argument may provide few important points in general, but it is Madison who ultimately explained why people work in the specific way we see today and produce the government we enjoy. In fact, some of Locke’s arguments can be tied to Madison’s philosophy and be seen as useful explanations for Madison’s viewpoint toward self-centered human nature. John Locke linked human behavior with ourRead MoreArticle Review: On Human Rights Day, Stop the Blank Check to Israel882 Words   |  4 PagesIsraeli government to have Palestinian citizens comply with their laws which are violating the Palestinian’s human rights, rights that every single human deserves. Stinemetz reasons that the Israeli’s are understandably letting fear of brutal treatment of European Jewish people influence their laws but, that they have also gone too far in trying to protect themselves. Now, you might be asking yourself why the affairs of a foreign government should be of concern to the American citizen but, we the taxpayers

Eating Apples at Night a Korean Superstition Free Essays

Eating Apples at Night: a Korean Superstition â€Å"An apple a day keeps the doctor away. † This adage is taught to most western children as a way of verbalizing that apples are very healthy to eat. In theory, if we eat an apple every day, we will be so healthy that we won’t need a doctor. We will write a custom essay sample on Eating Apples at Night: a Korean Superstition or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although this is an exaggeration of the health benefits of apples, we can all agree that this is one healthy fruit. Koreans also have the same belief, but there is one exception. It’s believed in Korea that eating an apple at night is actually unhealthy. Eating apples at night would be difficult for one’s stomach to digest, leading to indigestion. This would lead to a sick feeling and make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. The origins of this theory are unknown, but this belief seems to be well known in Korea. Most people don’t eat apples at night anyway, but Koreans will admit to hearing about this from an elder at some point in their life. A few of those will actually believe it and refrain from eating â€Å"sah gwah† (apples) at night. The fact that apples are very healthy is no mystery, but does that change when eating them at night? Eating food before going to sleep is generally a bad idea because foods that are spicy, heavy or fatty will make it difficult to sleep soundly. Apples, however, have none of those properties and are actually filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are beneficial for sleeping. For example, apples contain vitamins C, B6 potassium. They help to decrease blood pressure, improve breathing and lower blood sugar. They also help the body to secrete serotonin causing the nerves to relax easier. All of that provides for a good night’s rest. There are also polyphenols (antioxidants) which are found mainly in the skins of apples. They assist the body in breaking down carbohydrates and regulating blood sugar, providing a steady level of energy (so you don’t stay up due to an energy spike). That causes body fat to burn steadily, all while you are sleeping. Most of an apple is really just water, but there is enough fiber to help you feel full as you sleep. This fiber also is good for digestion and aids in cleansing the colon. The fiber is easily digested and soluble in the intestines. If anything is unhealthy, it could be the fact that apples contain (natural) sugar and account for about 10% of the body’s carbohydrate needs. However, combined with all the other healthy properties, the good far outweighs the bad. If all these facts are to be believed, then an apple at night is actually very healthy and helpful to eat, as opposed to the Korean thought that it’s unhealthy. Due to the fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which help the body to feel full, relaxed and keep blood pressure and sugar levels stable, the apple is a great snack to have before going to bed. Try it for yourself and see if you can feel and enjoy it. Let’s make a new slogan for apples: â€Å"An apple at night makes the body feel alright! † By Stephen Redeker Health information provided by Matthew Lee â€Å"Eating Apples Before Bed† at www. livestrong. com How to cite Eating Apples at Night: a Korean Superstition, Essay examples

Financial Situation of the Company Common wealth Bank and ANZ Group

Question: Discuss about the Financial Situation of the Company Common wealth Bank and ANZ Group. Answer: Introduction The Common Wealth Bank (CWB) was established in the year 1911 and started its working in 1912. It has the authority and permission for general banking business and savings. CWB is the biggest Australian company that is listed on ASX. As per recent data of 2016, the CWB has a staff of 52000 employees and approximately 800,000 shareholders (Commonwealth Bank, 2017). Due to multiple kinds of product offerings, it is quite easy for the CW bank to ensure sustainable business growth in the market. Different kinds of banking products and services offered by this bank are premium banking, retail banking, funds management, institutional banking, and business banking and stock broking products/services. There are various strategies of CWB diversification strategy, branding strategy, and the high scale sales generation strategy. In Banking and Financial sector of Australia, the brand image of Common Wealth Bank is very sound. Different products and services of CWB under retail banking include c redit cards, home loans, personal loan, transaction accounts etc. CWB was the first bank of Australia that has obtained guarantee from Federal Government of country. CWB started its business from the city of Melbourne with opening of first branch on 15th July 1912. The mission of CWB is focused to provide customers the superior quality service. It also creates value for its customers. It also promotes the stability and economic growth in the community. It also has core values such as it ensures to the public that it is a great place to work. It also provides opportunities to the Directors and other stakeholders (Commonwealth Bank, 2017). The outstanding service is provided to the customers and helps them in achieving financial goals. Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Banking Group ANZ banking group counted in largest banking firms in Australia and New Zealand. ANZ Banking Group is one of the major financial services group and international banking in top 100 banks of globe. The head office of ANZ banking group is situated at city of Melbourne. Starting year of this bank was 1835. ANZ also operates in 30 other nations. In year 1835, ANZ Bank Company started in London and was established according to provisions and guidelines of Royal charter (ANZ, 2017). In the year 1950-60s the bank of Australasia in order to frame the ANZ Bank, the merger has took place between Union Bank of Australia and New Zealand bank. The ANZ bank started its operations at Solomon Islands and Honiara in 1966. It has a culturally diverse organization with the employees, which are from different countries with different culture. The employees with different culture are working in this organization. Different types of flexibility offered by this bank to its employees are job sharing, flexible hours etc. The 34 markets are operated globally by this bank in the New Zealand and Australia countries. ANZ bank has recorded its place in topmost four banks in Australia. At the same time, it has recorded place in the list of top fifty banks across globe. Its core values include doing the things right. It helps the business to achieve better outcomes. Their values include integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Intelligence. Top down Analysis In the top down analysis the overall picture of the economy and it analyses different industrial sectors such as its macroeconomic trend. Here, the investors go through the economic factors and narrow down the individual stocks (Calligaris, Villard, and Lafitte, 2011). There is an analysis of economic factors such as, interest rates, GDP growth rates, exchange rates, energy prices and productivity. This analysis would help the investors to pick a right stock that creates value. These are described below: Current GDP The current Gross domestic product (GDP) of Australia expanded 0.8% in the second quarter in the year 2017 from 1.8% of GDP in the year 2016. The high growth rate is recorded in comparison with the expansion of 0.3% in first quarter of 2017. The expansion in the growth rate is mainly because of increase in net export and domestic demand. The increase in GDP of Australia is beneficial for the Companies as there is an increase in the economic activity of the country (Natoli, and Zuhair, 2011). Current Interest rate Interest rate is the amount of interest that can be called as amount loaned, which a lender charges to the borrower as an interest. Australia current interest rate of 2017 is 1.5% which is unchanged by Reserve Bank of Australia as its interest rate in 2016 was 1.5% and its interest rate in 2015 was 2.0%. It can be seen that the constant interest rate adopted for 2017 which is low in comparison to the interest rate of 2015 (Arrow, et al., 2013). So, it is expected that there will be growth in the economy of Australia. Financial industry such as Australia and New Zealand and Common Wealth bank can adopt the benefit from the constant interest rate. The companies are highly benefited because of the constant interest rate. There is fluctuation in the interest rate according to the economic standing and the Reserve Bank. Current Value of the $AUSD The current value of 1 AUD is equal to 0.8035 US Dollar. It can be analyzed that value of Australian dollar is lower than that of US Dollar. It has a negative and positive impact on the fluctuation of the currency on the overall financial industry of Australia (Hull, et al., 2013). It can be seen that the rate of AUD is increased in comparison to the value of 1 AUD was equal to 0.7693 on 30th June 2017. It can be said that it is good for the finance industry of Australian economy. Current Inflation rate The inflation rate can be defined as hike price of different products and depreciation in the value of currency. The inflation rate is increased by 0.2% from the previous year that is 1.5% in 2017 from 1.3 % in last quarter of the year 2016. The inflation rate has increased as compare to 2016 that was 1.3%. So, it can be disadvantage for the financial companies (Aizenman, et al., 2011). The increase in inflation rate had chances of decrease in the interest rate, which is constant in 2017 that is 1.5%. It will be beneficial for the Companies such as Commonwealth Bank group limited and ANZ bank. The changes in the interest rate directly affect the inflation and there is increase or decrease in the inflation rate of banks such as CWB limited and ANZ Group. If there is increase in interest rate the companies cannot afford to get the finance. It also affects the demand and supply of inflation. Personal Disposable Income Personal disposable income can be called as the amount of money, which is available for population or an individual and it can also be called as an income, which is saved after paying of taxes. The current personal disposable income of Australia is increased to $292336 million in 2017 from $289307 million in 2017. There is a change in the income that is $3029 million increased from the last quarter and expected to increase more in the end of third quarter of 2017. Personal disposable income growth reflects an increase in terms of trade (Mertens, and Ravn, 2013). It is important for the business to be considered. It can be analyzed that the Australian people income is increased in 2017. The increase in income helps to encourage business to increase in the employment. The increase in income makes a positive impact on the financial industries such as CWB and ANZ. The increase in disposable income helps in increase in the well-educated workforce. It would help in expanding the business. Bottom up Analysis Financials (Ratio Analysis of the Company) Commonwealth bank (2017) $ ANZ banking group (2017) $ Revenue AUD Million 25026 23529 Operating income Million 14744 11178 Operating margin % 58.91 47.50 Net income AU*100D Mil 9928 7709 Earnings per share AUD Mil 574.4 245.4 Dividends AUD Mil 429 123.2 Payout ratio % 74.67 50.20 Book value per share 28.88 20.56 Operating cash flow AUD Mil -40628 8841 Fixed Assets Turnover 9.29 10.28 Asset turnover 2.56 1.02 Debt to equity ratio 1444.7 1580.1 Equity ratio 6.46% 6.22 Ratio Analysis: Profitability ratio Operating income, Operating margin and Net income This ratio is used in the company so as to measure the overall efficiency. The profitability ratio includes operating income, operating margin and net income of both the companies. These margin ratios enable the companies at various measuring stages. The operating margin is also known as operating profit margin. This margin helps the companies to determine that how well the businesses are supporting their operations. It is a key indicator for investors and creditors (Saleem, and Rehman, 2011). The operating margin of Commonwealth Bank Company of 2017 is 58.91% and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited has 47.50% in June, 2017. The operating income is helpful in analyzing the companys profit. Operating income of Commonwealth Bank and Australia and New Zealand is 14744 AUD Million and 11178 AUD Million in June, 2017. It is taken into account for analyzing the overall profitability of the banking firm. Moreover, when the operating income of the Company is higher then, it will be able to pay its debt. The net income can also be called as net profit and these are measured basically in accounting and finance. The Companies Commonwealth and Australia and New Zealand net income of 2017 is 9928 AUD and 7709 AUD Mill. It can be analyzed from above that Common Wealth Bank has high profitability as comparison with ANZ. Higher profit ratio is more beneficial than the lower profit ratio. It helps the company in gaining profit from its ongoing operations. Efficiency Ratio Fixed Assets Turnover and Assets Turnover Ratios Efficiency ratio is used by company for evaluating that efficiency of management of liabilities and the assets of company. It includes the calculation and analysis of Fixed Assets turnover ratio as well as the total asset turnover ratio. The ratio of fixed assets turnover is taken into account to analyze the companys return on their investment in the property. It also includes that how efficiently the sales of a company is produced with its machines and equipments. The Companies Commonwealth Bank and Australia and New Zealand fixed assets turnover ratio is 9.29% and 10.28% in 2017. It can be analyzed that the Company commonwealth is not efficiently using its assets as its fixed assets as its assets is lower than that of ANZ (Cummins, and Weiss, 2013). Moreover, Assets turnover ratio is also used by the company that how the Company is successfully using its assets in order to generate revenue. The Commonwealth and Australia and New Zealand assets turnover ratio are 2.56% and 1.02% in the year 2017. It can be analyzed that ANZ bank does not use the assets efficiently as its Assets turnover ratio is low as comparison of the other Company. It is based on the standard of the industry. Capital Structure Ratio Debt to equity ratio and Equity ratio Capital structure is the ratio, in which the assets of the company are financed. It also helps the investors to analyze that if the company is not in good condition then, what would happen to their investments. Capital structure ratio shows the relationship between total debt and net equity, which helps in making comparison between both the companies. The capital structure ratio helps in analyzing the capital structure of the company (Eriotis, Frangouli, and Ventoura-Neokosmides, 2011). It can also be analyzed that the capital structure of the CWB has 1444.7% of Debt to equity ratio in 2017 and Equity Ratio is 6.46%. The other Company that is ANZ has 1580.1% Debt to equity ratio and 6.22% Equity ratio in 2017 respectively. The higher debt to equity ratio for both the companies helps in providing ratio of stock holder, which is contributed to the capital to the creditor capital. From the above figure of the equity ratio it is determined that how much of the total assets by the company are financed by the investors. It also helps in determining the leverage of the company in respect to the debt of the company. The equity ratio of CWB is higher as comparison of ANZ (Pratheepkanth, 2011). The higher equity ratio of Commonwealth Bank Company helps in determining the potential shareholders, which enables the shareholders to invest in the Company. From the above analysis of the capital structure of both the companies, it can be determined that ANZ has stability in comparison of Commonwealth Bank Company. Market Performance Ratio EPS, DPS, Dividend Payout and Book per share It is used to evaluate the current share price of the companies. It includes EPS, DPS, Payout ratio and Book value per share. EPS that is earning per share is like the profitability ratio as the higher earnings ratio is better than the lower earnings ratio. If there is higher earnings ratio of the Company then, the company is more profitable and able to distribute more profit to its shareholders. The EPS AUD Million of Commonwealth and Australia and New Zealand Company are 574.4$ and 245.4$ in 2017. It can be analyzed that the Commonwealth has higher EPS then that of ANZ (Maditinos, et al., 2011). The Dividend per share is studied to measure the dividend amount. The DPS of Common Wealth and Australia and New Zealand have 429$ and 123.2$. It can be analyzed that DPS of Commonwealth has a good amount of dividend as comparison with ANZ. Dividend payout ratio enables to measure the companys net income, which is distributed among the shareholders. It is measured in order to maintain the sustainable trends of a company. The Dividend Payout ratio of Commonwealth and Australia and New Zealand has 74.67% and 50.20% in 2017. It can be analyzed that the Company Australia and New Zealand has lower dividend payout ratio as compare with the Commonwealth Company (Soana, 2011). If the company has lower dividend payout ratio then, the company can no longer afford to pay the dividend. The Company Commonwealth has higher dividend payout ratio and it can afford high dividend. It is mandatory for the companies as it helps in analyzing how much stake can be sold by the company. The book value per share helps in the comparison in valuing of a Company. It is used in order to determine the equity of a company by the investors. It helps the Company to relate the shareholders to total number of equity shares. The market price per share of Commonwealth and Australia and New Zealand has 28.88 $ and 20.56 $(Williams, and Naumann, 2011). It can be analyzed that the Company Commonwealth has greater book value share as comparison with the ANZ. Comparative Analysis CWB and ANZ Ltd have increased their assets as comparison of 2016. The increase in total Assets is due to profit of the company. It can be analyzed from the above discussion of both the Companies that the profitability of Commonwealth Bank is good as it is more profitable than the other company. It can also be seen that Commonwealth bank has more assets in comparison with ANZ. So, overall it can be concluded that the Company Commonwealth Bank is better than ANZ. Summary and Recommendations From the above analysis of Commonwealth and Australia and New Zealand Company that the investors must invest their future investment funds in Commonwealth bank instead of ANZ Banking Group Limited. It has been analyzed by evaluating the companys financial statement that ANZ is not suitable for investing. It is clearly seen from the figures of ANZ that the company is not efficiently using its assets that is assets turnover ratio which is lower as 1.02% in comparison of Common Wealth bank that is 2.56%. ANZ should raise the funds from equity as it will help in the profitability of the company. The company should also use its assets efficiently in order to generate revenue. By this report, it can also be concluded that the profitability of the company is affected by the economic factors of the country. The companys Profitability is also based on increase in the personal disposable income. It is also analyzed from the report that the profitability of the Company can be decreased as there is increase in interest rate. The calculation of ratio analysis of both the companies it can be analyzed that the Company Commonwealth is more profitable than ANZ. It is also stable in its capital structure. References Aizenman, J., Hutchison, M. and Noy, I. (2011) Inflation targeting and real exchange rates in emerging markets, World Development, 39(5), pp. 712-724. Arrow, K., Cropper, M., Gollier, C., Groom, B., Heal, G., Newell, R., Nordhaus, W., Pindyck, R., Pizer, W., Portney, P. and Sterner, T. (2013) Determining benefits and costs for future generations, Science, 341(6144), pp. 349-350. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (2017) Our Company. [Online]. Available at: https://www.anz.com/about-us/our-company/ (Accessed: 20 September, 2017) Calligaris, D., Villard, C. and Lafitte, D. (2011) Advances in top-down proteomics for disease biomarker discovery, Journal of proteomics, 74(7), pp. 920-934. Commonwealth Bank (2017) About us. [Online]. Available at: https://www.commbank.com.au/about-us/our-company/history.html (Accessed: 20 September, 2017) Commonwealth Bank (2017) Commonwealth Bank. [Online]. Available at: https://www.commbank.com.au/about-us/our-company/overview.html (Accessed: 20 September, 2017) Cummins, J.D. and Weiss, M.A. (2013) Analyzing firm performance in the insurance industry using frontier efficiency and productivity methods. New York : Springer. Eriotis, N.P., Frangouli, Z. and Ventoura-Neokosmides, Z. (2011) Profit margin and capital structure: an empirical relationship. Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR), 18(2). Hull, J., Treepongkaruna, S., Colwell, D., Heaney, R. and Pitt, D. (2013) Fundamentals of futures and options markets. USA: Pearson Higher Education. Maditinos, D., Chatzoudes, D., Tsairidis, C. and Theriou, G. (2011) The impact of intellectual capital on firms' market value and financial performance, Journal of intellectual capital, 12(1), pp. 132-151. Mertens, K. and Ravn, M.O. (2013) The dynamic effects of personal and corporate income tax changes in the United States, The American Economic Review, 103(4), pp. 1212-1247. Natoli, R. and Zuhair, S. (2011) Measuring progress: A comparison of the GDP, HDI, GS and the RIE, Social Indicators Research, 103(1), pp. 33-56. Pratheepkanth, P. (2011) Capital structure and financial performance: Evidence from selected business companies in Colombo stock exchange Sri Lanka, Researchers World, 2(2), p. 171. Saleem, Q. and Rehman, R.U. (2011) Impacts of liquidity ratios on profitability, Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business, 1(7), pp. 95-98. Soana, M.G. (2011) The relationship between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance in the banking sector, Journal of Business Ethics, 104(1), pp. 133-148. Williams, P. and Naumann, E. (2011) Customer satisfaction and business performance: a firm-level analysis, Journal of services marketing, 25(1), pp. 20-32.

Captivity By Erdrich Essays - Fiction, Ojibwe People,

Captivity By Erdrich Louise Erdrich, the author of the famous poem titled Captivity, tells a story about a married mother who has been held captive by a tribe of Indians. The poem uses a wide variety of literary elements such as sympathy, guilt, submissiveness, and tentativeness. The two main themes of this first person, six-stanza poem, are love and fear. Erdrich also uses tricksters, which are supernatural characters found in the folklores of various primitive peoples. They often function as culture heroes who are given acts of sly deception. In this poem, the narrator's captor takes on the role of a trickster. In most of Erdrich's writings, she uses multiple characters as tricksters and this reflects on her Native American Heritage (Smith 23). One of Erdrich's main writing tactics is the use of "historical ?captivity narratives'" (Wilson and Jason 2716). One of the interesting facts about this poem is that it is based upon a true story. Erdrich gives us that feeling of truth and captivity before the poem begins. "He (my captor) gave me a bisquit, which I had put in my pocket, and not daring to eat it, buried it under a log, fearing he had put something in it to make me love him," (Erdrich, 26). This quote came "from the narrative of the captivity of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson," (Erdrich 26). Mrs. Mary was held captive by the Wampanoag Indian Tribe in 1676, when Lancaster, Massachusetts was demolished (Erdrich 26). The first stanza brings a strong feeling of some sort of imprisonment or captivity. "But he dragged me by the ends of my hair," (Erdrich 26). The narrator at this point is experiencing fear from her captor, however she also feels passion and love when she looks into his face. "I could distinguish it from the others... I feared I understood his language, which was not human," (Erdrich 26). Also, there is irony in this stanza when her captor saves her from the cold waters of the stream (Wilson and Jason 2715). In the second stanza, the tribe is pursued by white men who have "guns loaded with swan shot," (Erdrich 26). However, the tribe is put in danger because of her child's cries, which are from starvation. In my interpretation of the poem, she cannot "suckle" her own child because she is so nervous and confused (Erdrich 26). Luckily for the tribe and captives, there is a woman who feeds the child "milk of acorns," (Erdrich 26). In the third stanza, the narrator is to the point of starvation as she tells herself not to take food from his hands. "I told myself that I would starve/ Before I took food from his hands," (Erdrich 26). I believe that Louise is trying to reflect the quote used before the poem taken from Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, trying to give the reader a sense of hidden desire. However, going against her will to not give in to her captor, she eats the fetus of a deer that her captor gave to her. "He had killed a deer with a young one in her/ And gave it to me to eat of the fawn," (Erdrich 26). The way that the narrator describes her meal is delicate, however Erdrich tells us that it is a fetus; that paints a distasteful picture for the mind of the reader. At the end of the stanza, Erdrich is very vague about what happens and leaves it up to the reader to decide the outcome. I felt that the narrator was tentative when she said, "That I followed where he took me./ ... He cut the cord that bound me to the tree," (Erdrich 27). In my interpretation, this is where Erdrich uses the literary element of submissiveness. I personally think that she slept with her captor because the next and last stanzas of the poem she feels guilty. In the fourth stanza, the narrator is frightened and hides herself in fear from God because she knows in her heart that she has sinned. "After that the birds mocked./ Shadows gaped and roared/... He did not notice God's wrath./ God blasted fire from half buried stumps./ I hid my face... fearing that he would burn us all," (Erdrich 27). Perhaps she is in a bad lighting or thunderstorm in this stanza. She also notices "her captor neither notices or fears God's wrath," (Wilson and Jason 2715). The last two stanzas take place at her house later in her life after being held captive. This indicates that the climax of the poem

Ray Bradbury essays

Ray Bradbury essays Ray Bradbury is an accomplished American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet. His writing style is like none other. Some say he is a science fiction writer; however, others argue that he merely uses the far-out setting to criticize racism, censorship, technology, nuclear war, and humanistic values (Johnston). All of his work closely relates to his life and the personal experiences he has gone through. First, his early life in Illinois and Arizona influenced his first writings. This was a time when he first started experimenting with writing. Second, Bradburys writing style relates to his past experiences, because he said that he learned to write recalling past experiences (Umland 6). During this period of time, Bradbury begins to discover himself as a writer. He develops his own style and process for writing. Lastly, his major works represent the feelings of Americans during the era in which he wrote. The Martian Chronicles, his first w ell known novel, and still one of his best known novels, is a great example of this because it relates to the readers emotions about atomic warfare during the World War II era. Ray Bradburys early life in Illinois and Arizona influenced his first writing. There are many examples that show how he transforms his life into a fictitious story. For example, the short story The Jar, written in 1944, is based on Bradbury seeing a pickled embryo for the first time at a sideshow. Although we question ourselves as to how this could be turned into a story, Bradbury can see potential in the most insignificant and strange instances. Two other examples are Homecoming, written in 1946, which is based on Halloween parties thrown by one of his relatives, and Uncle Einar, written in 1947, which is grounded somewhat on one of his uncles (Umland 6). As you can see, many of Bradburys early stories were based loosel...

Darwinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Darwinism - Essay Example When European imperialism of the bygone age is revisited, one can see leading intellectuals of the time indulging in Social Darwinist interpretations of the empire. They explained that the European/Caucasian races are a better breed of humans compared to the colored populations, and thereby possessed the right to civilize the latter by means of imperialist enterprise. In what is a self-fulfilling circular argument, they pointed to the success of European powers to conquer and rule other parts of the world as a proof for the Social Darwinist theory. The White/Caucasian people, by virtue of being the 'fittest' among the races, were best adapted to spread their seeds. And the imperialist project gave avenue for this genetic dispersal. Needless to say, Darwin would have been deeply disconcerted upon hearing such imaginative constructions of this path-breaking work. And as the most telling rebuke to such vainglory, the eugenics project of the Third Reich, which projected the ultimate vict ory of the Aryan race over all others, would serve to disprove Social Darwinist underpinnings of Imperialism through its colossal failure. Work Cited: Spielvogel, Jackson, Western Civilization, Volume II. Published in 2009 by The Pennsylvania State University, ISBN-10: 0495502855.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 70

Assignment - Essay Example t of view which is used to express a characters feelings or attitude in a detailed manner, second person point of view, which is used mainly to attract the reader’s attention from the beginning and third person point of view which may be used to introduce a dual point of view from the author and characters of the piece. The author of shame, Dick Gregory, employs the use of the first person point of view. This perspective is effective in creating an intimate relationship with the reader since all emotions and attitudes expressed in the narrative are from the author’s point of view. This technique is quite flexible and subjective because it allows the author to portray a stream of consciousness while conducting an interior monologue. However, this point of view is impaired because the opinions in the narrative are from a particular individual. The author of Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising, employs the use of a third person point of view. She gives the readers insight into what she believes are propaganda fed to citizens by advertising mediums. This technique, allows the author to express her opinion while also expressing the opinion of other individuals on the same topic. This is a convenient and trustworthy way of passing information through an unbiased point of view. It also provides the author with great flexibility when writing the article. The author employs the use of an omniscient narrator, who is well aware of all the information required in describing the article. This perspective is employed when a certain degree of objectivity is required. It is also quite efficient in directing the reader’s attention to the idea being

Managing External Stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing External Stakeholders - Essay Example The company management has to make a balancing assessment and evaluate all such external forces in order to adjust them with company's objectives. While taking crucial corporate decisions, it is necessary to know about the expectations of different stakeholders and to determine the extent to which they could and would exert their influence. Johnson & Scholes (1999) define stakeholder as, "Stakeholders are groups or individuals who have a stake in, or expectation of, the organisation's performance." For any organization to work, all the stakeholders have to pool their efforts. Terry & Franklin (1994) define management as 'a distinct process consisting of activities of planning, organizing, actuating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish stated objectives with the use of human beings and other resources'. Different organisations have different sets of stakeholders, whose nature and composition varies depending upon the nature of business. For example the Arsenal Footbal l Club, besides being a soccer club is a public limited company in itself. As football club, its main stakeholders are, the players, the spectators, football fans, the club administrators etc. But as a plc, a broader array of stakeholders comes into picture. The Arsenal Holdings plc manages stadiums, matches, football teams, online TV channel, credit card business, sports academies, strategic partnerships with host of other organizations etc. Therefore the company has stakeholders from different corners of the society in general. The Arsenal Football Club started off when a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team in late 1886. The club has now transformed into a full fledged company organizing different types of activities. The recent half yearly financial results for the company indicate an impressive growth rate with group turnover increasing to GBP100.8 million (2005: GBP57.0 million) as a result of higher gate and match day reven ues at Emirates Stadium and sale of a property development site at Drayton Park1. Similarly, British Petroleum (BP) is a leading oil and gas company. The company's operations include the exploration and production of gas and crude oil, construction and mining, manufacturing and transportation. Besides this the company also has a network of subsidiaries engaged in the chemicals, power and renewable energy sectors. The company maintains leading brands like BP, AM/PM, Aral, ARCO, Castrol etc. With operations spread over six continents in about 100 countries, the company maintains stakeholders in many forms and profiles. The humble beginning of BP can be traced back to 1901 when William Know tried to explore oil in Persia. But it was not before 1908 that the first commercial oil discovery was made in the Middle East by BP (Datamonitor, 2006). In 1935, the company prospered and was renamed the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Similarly, exploration expanded into North America (mainly Alaska), South America, Africa, and Europe. The war effort resulted in the British governmen t becoming a shareholder in the company, an association which went on till 1987. Any organization is managed by soliciting crucial support and guidance from respective stakeholders and by taking care of different factors affecting the functioning of an organization. A coordinated approach is required for taking care of all the

Poor Project Leadership And Lack Of Motivation Management Essay

Poor Project Leadership And Lack Of Motivation Management Essay Leadership is a significant factor in the whole project process. A good leadership will lead to project success. A poor project leadership will cause failure in the project. Project leader who is responsible to the project is someone that sets direction and influences people to follow that direction. Many project leaders were selected because of their education background rather than their experiences. The result is, the project leader will lead the project that exceeds their capabilities. Poor project leadership also the result of project leader that does not see the opportunity and does not listening to the people. One secret to successful project implementation is the project leaders ability to get the diverse background, education and experiences of project team members performing at maximal effectiveness. Consequently, the project leader must be both a leader and a motivator. Poor project leadership was a leading factor of the company failure. A leads behaviours such as excessive ego often lead to a poor project leadership. The lack of leadership skill will result in people get demotivated and eventually reduce their work performance. And because, a project leader does not have a clear vision of the market trend such as soaring of oil prices and credit crunch, the project will cost more and will be delayed. Lack of Motivation According to William R.King (1998) page 756, stated that motivation is important to the project manager from two perspectives. First, the individual must be motivated to be a project manager. If one does not have sufficient intrinsic motivation to take the types of managerial steps required, then one is not likely to success at the project management task. Second, the project manager must be able to motivate others. For this it is crucial that the project manager have an adequate understanding of motivation and techniques for motivating others. Lack of motivation is one of the project failure factors. It will be crucial, if a project leader is demotivated because it can directly influence the project team and give impact to organisational performance. Lack of motivation can be the result of many factors such as company policies, work condition and salary. Lack of motivation equates to less work being accomplished by the employee. The productivity of the employee will transfer to something that does not relate to projects work. Things like internet surfing, personal chat and taking longer lunches cost the organisation time and money. Low employee motivation could be the result of decreased success of the organisation, abrupt changes in organization and economic downturn. No matter what the cause, while working in unpleasant work environment due to lack employee motivation will give an impact to the existing and potential clients and partners. A reputation can be tainted and dictate its future in the industry. Employees are like lifeline to the company. When they are highly motivated, they will do whatever is necessary to achieve the targets and maintain the company stability. An organisation whose employees have low motivation is completely prone to challenges because its employee are not going extra mile to maintain the companys stability. The space shuttle Columbia disaster One of the top project failures cause by poor leadership is Columbia disaster. Columbia was one of the space shuttle owned by NASA. Amy Donahue (2004) stated that on January 16, the Columbia with her crew of seven was lunched to begin a scientific research mission. Sixteen days later, Columbia and her crew were lost during re-entered the earths atmosphere with unknown damage to her left wing. Columbia broke up over the western United states at 200 000 feet and 12 000 miles per hour. Columbias disintegration was both a tragedy and a disaster. A tragedy because the lives of seven heroic astronauts and their lifes work of countless engineers were lost that morning. And a disaster because more than 87 000 pounds of debris from the shuttle was strewn over 2000 square miles of east Texas and western Louisiana. Some material was as small as postage stamps but other pieces weighed some 800 pounds and came in at upward of 1 600 miles per hour, angering several feet into the ground. Just after the 2003 tragedy occurred many experts concluded that technology was to blame. But a more thorough and comprehensive investigation, undertaken by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, CAIB, concluded differently. It maintained that management was as much to blame for the failure as was the foam strike. The Board described an organizational culture in which, at every juncture, program managers were resistant to new information. It was a culture in which people were unwilling to speak up or if they did speak up were never heard. In their report they wrote that the organizational failure was a product of NASAs history, its culture, and its politics. (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). Engineers requested inspection by crew or remote photo imagery to check for the damage but no actions were taken to ensure space shuttle integrity. Management, however, was apparently confident that there was no safety issue and a decision was made against imagery. Had the imagery been authorized, and the damage discovered, the conjecture is that a rescue attempt would have had a reasonable chance of success. The project leader didnt take the advice from his engineer and still proceed with his decision. Senior management also ignored the flight data from the previous mission where foam had broken on every lunch. This is a typical example of poor project leadership. On top of these problems, the initial leadership structure was diffuse, with federal state and local field offices, operations canters and command posts all directing of the operation. Figure 1 : Foam strike detected in launch Taken from www.aiche.org/uploadedFiles/CCPS//Presentation_Rev_newv4.ppt Denver International Airport Baggage handling System On top of that, one of good example of project failure that caused by poor project planning and poor risk management was Denver International baggage handling system. According to Dr.R.de. Neufuille (1994) Denvers baggage handling system was the worlds largest automated airport baggage handling system. Faced with the need for greater airport capacity, the city of Denver elected to construct a new state of the art airport that would cement Denvers position as an air transportation hub. Covering a land area of 140 Km2, the airport was to be the largest in the United States and have the capacity to handle more than 50m passengers annually The airports baggage handling system was a critical component in the plan. By automating baggage handling, aircraft turnaround time was to be reduced to as little as 30 minutes. Faster turnaround meant more efficient operations and was a cornerstone of the airports competitive advantage. Despite the good intention, the project complexity was underestimated and was delayed by 16 months and cost the city of Denver USD 1.1 Million per day. After ten years of opening, the system never worked well and in august 2005, United Airlines has abandoned the system completely. The root of this failure was Denver international airport failed to estimate the complexity involved. The system which was the first in the world and 10 times larger than any other automated baggage handling system. The project team estimated the project can be done in two years but it took almost four years to complete. Because of the complexity involved, the airport management does not provide enough trolley in case the system failed .They were overconfidence that the project wills success. The system that worked on 100 individual PC that were connected together have no back up if one PC failed to operate. The system also was unable to detect any jams in the system and instead the system keeps piling more and more baggage making the jam much worse. Another project failure factor was poor in risk management. The project encountered a massive technical problem but not action has been taken. The most significant issue was, the system suffered from electrical shock, To resolve this problem, a filter is used in the electrical circuit to prevent current surge. But the delivery and installation of the filter took several months. Such issues were predictable if the project team more focused on risk management. Figure 2 : Denver baggage handling system Taken from http://calleam.com/WTPF/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/denverbag5.jpg Motivation From the PMBOK 4th Edition (2008) page 418 motivating in a project environment involves creating an environment to meet project objectives while offering maximum self-satisfaction related to what people value most. These values may include job satisfaction, challenging work, a sense of accomplishment, achievement and growth, sufficient financial compensation, and other rewards and recognition the individual considers necessary and important. Motivation is the task of the project manager. He has to provide motivation for his project team. He has to motivate them individually and collectively, that they each may produce their best-and then excel even more. The essential tools in the project managers kitbag for the motivation of his team are: Approval, praise and recognition-These will encourage people to do work and keep the focus Trust, respect and high expectation-Trust is the fundamental of project success. The leader should put trust on his people and in return, people will feel encourage to work Job enrichment Good communication-Communication is simply a two communication between top and bottom. A leader should listen for any suggestion from his employees. Most of the project failure was caused by the breakdown in communication structure. With a good communication system between project leader and workers, any problem can be resolved Cash incentives-Money is a good motivator. Good salary and incentive based on performance will encourage people to go extra mile. The project manager has a much better chance of success if he uses persuasion rather than coercion. The former build morale and initiative, whilst the latter quite effectively kills such qualities. Three basic components in persuasion are: 1. Suggestion 2.Playing the persons sentiments 3.Appealing to their logic. Using these tactics, the project manager will achieve his goal quietly, gently with the minimum of real effort. It is, in effect, an effortless achievement. The project leader has a great role to play in respect of the productivity of his team and through them, the productivity of the whole site. It is on this the actual productivity of the people on the site-that the success of his project finally rest. Productivity is an abstract concept and very controversial indeed. According to William R.King (1988) page 764 one very useful model for explaining the changes that have occurred in human motivation over the years is that developed by Abraham Moslow. Maslows hierarchy argues that mans needs come in an ordered sequence that is arranged in the following five need categories: 1.Physical needs : the foods, water ,air 2.Safety needs : the needs for security, stability and freedom from threat to physical safety. 3.Love needs : the need for friend with whom one may affiliate. 4. Esteem needs : the need for self-respect and esteem of others. This includes recognition, attention and appreciation from others. 5.Self-actualization needs: The need for self-fulfilment to be able tp grow and learn The project leader must be able to assess where each of his subordinate and co-workers are on the hierarchy and attempt to appeal to the appropriate needs. some people crave status and recognition. Others wand strongly to be a member of a cohesive team and to belong Herzberg has suggested that they are two types of motivational factors: hygiene factors and motivators .He suggest that the hygiene factors are necessary condition for a satisfied workers, but do not guarantee satisfaction. The hygiene factors include Company policy and administration Supervision Relationship With supervisor Working condition Salary Personal llife Relationship with peers Status Security In other words, the hygiene factors satisfy the lower level maslow needs. On the other hand, there are motivators which are factors that account for satisfaction in the worker. the motivators include Achievement Recognition Work itsef Responsibility Advancement Growth As a conclusion, motivation is a must that drive people to work. Motivation also has to do with human factors. People are willing to do work if they feel comfortable to do it and fell appreciated with their work. Leadership From the PMBOK 4th Edition (2008) page 417 leadership involves focusing the efforts of a group of people toward a common goal and enabling them to work as a team. In general terms, leadership is the ability to get things done through others. Respect and trust, rather than fear and submission, are the key elements of effective leadership. Although important throughout all project phases, effective leadership is critical during the beginning phases of a project when the emphasis is on communicating the vision and motivating and inspiring project participants to achieve high performance. A good leader always lead by example and make the people work under him feel pleasant. According to William R.King (1988) page 741, leadership behaviour can be divided into task behaviour (one way communication) and relationship behaviour (two way communications).These principles of leadership present s variety of sometimes conflicting premises which make it difficult to select appropriate behaviours in practise. Throughout the project, the project team leaders are responsible for establishing and maintaining the vision, strategy, and communications; fostering trust and team building; influencing, mentoring, and monitoring; and evaluating the performance of the team and the project. If the project leader plays a main role, the project will run smoothly. The good concept off leadership will determine whether the project wills success or not. By implementing the basic techniques of leadership, the people that work for the project will put their heart on work. People at lower level also have right to speak up if the feel something wrong with the project. By taking into account various opinions a final decision can be made by the project leader

The Outer Banks of North Carolina Essay -- Observation Essays, Descript

As I walk towards the ocean with the sand warm beneath my feet, the waves lap at my ankles, seeming as if they want to pull me out to sea. The sun rises over the horizon, reflecting off the waves and shimmering like gold. The salt air smells tangy as it stings my nose with the smell I crave while I am away from the ocean. The Outer Banks in North Carolina has been my favorite place to go from my first memories. I look forward to going there every summer because there at the ocean I feel at home. It is a place where I can forget every stress in my life and be totally at peace. It is a place where my family can spend time together, not like at home where we all have activities and places to be. The Outer Banks is not a beach where the ocean is forgotten; there is no partying and no boardwalks, nothing but nature to fill your days there. The beach is not crowded to the point where it is hard to even walk to the beach ,and looking for shells is not even an option. This beach is a very pe aceful and surreal place. The noises of people do not overwhelm you at this beach; all you can hear are the sea gulls and the waves. My family, including aunts, uncles and cousins and some extended family, has been going to the Outer Banks for quite a few years now. It is a place where we can all be together without the chaos of our everyday lives. This is always where we have gone for vacation; we have taken other trips but always manage to make it there, too. While we are all at the beach it gives us time to spend with each other, unlike home where everyone is too busy with their own lives. We can catch up on stories from each other’s lives and not be caught up in the bustle of everyday life. Every evening we eat dinner together and then take a wa... ...n. When a sting ray swims past you or a jelly fish is there in the water beside you, again there is a realization of just how much is going on under the water that is not seen. The waves can make you feel so insignificant when you get tumbled head over heels in the water and you have no control over yourself. Only after experiencing this can the powerfulness of the waves be realized. There are many reasons the ocean is my favorite place to be. These range from the atmosphere and people at the ocean to the scenery experienced while there. It is a time for me to be free from all the hassles in my life and to "get away from it all," even if it is only for a week. The ocean should be enjoyed for what it is. Loud noise and all the hustle and bustle of boardwalks should not exploit it. At the ocean I can feel at home and at peace because it is my favorite place to be. The Outer Banks of North Carolina Essay -- Observation Essays, Descript As I walk towards the ocean with the sand warm beneath my feet, the waves lap at my ankles, seeming as if they want to pull me out to sea. The sun rises over the horizon, reflecting off the waves and shimmering like gold. The salt air smells tangy as it stings my nose with the smell I crave while I am away from the ocean. The Outer Banks in North Carolina has been my favorite place to go from my first memories. I look forward to going there every summer because there at the ocean I feel at home. It is a place where I can forget every stress in my life and be totally at peace. It is a place where my family can spend time together, not like at home where we all have activities and places to be. The Outer Banks is not a beach where the ocean is forgotten; there is no partying and no boardwalks, nothing but nature to fill your days there. The beach is not crowded to the point where it is hard to even walk to the beach ,and looking for shells is not even an option. This beach is a very pe aceful and surreal place. The noises of people do not overwhelm you at this beach; all you can hear are the sea gulls and the waves. My family, including aunts, uncles and cousins and some extended family, has been going to the Outer Banks for quite a few years now. It is a place where we can all be together without the chaos of our everyday lives. This is always where we have gone for vacation; we have taken other trips but always manage to make it there, too. While we are all at the beach it gives us time to spend with each other, unlike home where everyone is too busy with their own lives. We can catch up on stories from each other’s lives and not be caught up in the bustle of everyday life. Every evening we eat dinner together and then take a wa... ...n. When a sting ray swims past you or a jelly fish is there in the water beside you, again there is a realization of just how much is going on under the water that is not seen. The waves can make you feel so insignificant when you get tumbled head over heels in the water and you have no control over yourself. Only after experiencing this can the powerfulness of the waves be realized. There are many reasons the ocean is my favorite place to be. These range from the atmosphere and people at the ocean to the scenery experienced while there. It is a time for me to be free from all the hassles in my life and to "get away from it all," even if it is only for a week. The ocean should be enjoyed for what it is. Loud noise and all the hustle and bustle of boardwalks should not exploit it. At the ocean I can feel at home and at peace because it is my favorite place to be.

Education Essays – Citizenship Education School

How Citizenship instruction is educated and implemented within Scots schools.1. Abstract This undertaking aims to look into how Citizenship instruction is presented and implemented within Scots schools. Scotland differs from the remainder of the United Kingdom in that citizenship as a topic has non been officially introduced, instead it is seen as being ‘active’ and should be taught in all topics across the school course of study, therefore impacting both inside and outside the school. The information presented I this undertaking was gathered during the six hebdomads of my 2nd arrangement in 2008 in a non-denominational province school in East Lothian and was carried out in the signifier of staff interviews and a pupil’s focal point group. During the staff interviews, their positions on the different elements of larning within Citizenship instruction ; knowledge & A ; apprehension, skills & A ; aptitudes and values, were discussed. A pupil’s focal point group was set up and the group discussed ; citizenship in the school: societal & amp ; moral issues, rights & A ; duties, the school & A ; wider community, political relations & A ; democracy and the environment. The consequences show that, the school are actively advancing the elements of citizenship in most countries of its subject’s course of study. Through such capable categories as societal instruction, chemical science and music, the school is supplying students with the cognition, consciousness and accomplishments to confront the usual ‘citizenship issues’ that occurred within it and the wider community. However, if the students are traveling to be led into become active citizens, more attempt demands to be made to do them cognizant of precisely what citizenship is and more significantly, why it is being taught to them. 2. Drumhead In September 2002 citizenship instruction was introduced through a Citizenship order to the National Curriculum in England. The order emphasised that â€Å"learning should guarantee that cognition and understanding about being informed citizens are required and applied when developing accomplishments of question and communicating, and engagement and responsible action.† ( Arthur and Wright, 2001:11 ) Rather than present citizenship instruction as a defined topic into its National Curriculum, Scotland has opted to do its results, cognition and apprehension ; accomplishments and competencies ; values and temperaments ; and creativeness and endeavor, an built-in portion of each topic taught. Thus citizenship accomplishments are integrated across the whole school. In the Scottish Executive’s 2004 paper, A Curriculum for Excellence – the Curriculum Review Group, schools and instructors are asked to bring forth a course of study that will cook the young person of today for maturity, which will â€Å"be less crowded† and will †offer more pick and enjoyment.† â€Å"Our aspiration is to enable all kids to develop their capacities as successful scholars, confident persons, responsible citizens and effectual subscribers to society† . ( Scots Executive, 2004:6 ) . The intent of this undertaking is to look into the execution of citizenship instruction in Scots schools at this minute. For this probe I used qualitative research ; this involved questioning members of staff at all degrees and interceding a pupil’s focal point group, The consequence of my undertaking implies that, whilst the consecutive authoritiess and educational constitutions gain the importance of citizenship instruction in givingâ€Å"pupils the cognition, accomplishments and understanding to play an effectual function in society atlocal, national and international degrees† , ( QCA, 1999 cited by Kerr, 2006: p5 ) most of the students who took portion in the focal point group had no cognition of the term citizenship or the constructs behind it and because of that they failed to recognize its elements within the schools course of study. The students besides showed that their cognition of political relations or democracy was unhappily missing. However when the assorted countries of citizenship were discussed with the students, they realised that they did recognize them and were actively involved in utilizing them. This suggests that, although the term citizenship has little or no conceptual significance to the students, they are deriving practical experience of it through topics in the schools course of study every bit good as through the school as a whole. 3. Statement of intents or aims In its paper; A Curriculum for Excellence – The Curriculum Review Group, the Scottish Executive provinces: â€Å"Our aspiration for all kids and for every immature individual is that they should besuccessful scholars,confident persons,responsible citizensandeffectual subscriberstosociety and at work. By supplying construction, support and way to immature people’s acquisition,the course of study should enable them to develop these four capacities. The course of study should complement the of import parts of households and communities† . ( 2004:12 ) Through the Curriculum for Excellence, the Scottish Executive suggests four capacities of instruction that will be the footing of Scots instruction. These are: Successful scholars, confident persons, responsible citizens and effectual subscribers. Since it is the duty of the whole school to develop the four capacities in all their students, the thrust toward constructing responsible citizens should non come on in isolation instead is should be presented across the whole course of study. â€Å"Activities such as endeavor, citizenship, sustainable development, wellness and creativeness, which are frequently seen as additions, can be built into the course of study framework† .( Scots Executive, 2006:8 ) . Because of these alterations instructors will necessitate to believe about the course of study and how they present it in a different manner. Reflection will be indispensable for their personal development. Teachers will no longer be able to be insular in their ain topic, for every bit good as retrieving to implement the four capacities in their ain topic, they must besides be cognizant of showing them across the school as a whole. Since the Curriculum for Excellence has still to be introduced, the chief intent of this undertaking is to look into how citizenship being presented and implemented in Scots schools at this minute. In order to turn to this inquiry, it was indispensable for me to besides look into the undermentioned sub inquiries:How the school presented citizenship?Did all topics in the schools curriculum do a part to citizenship?Were its students aware of the term â€Å"citizenship† and did they understand the construct behind it?Was citizenship promoted across the school as a whole?In making this undertaking the writer hopes that it will help him in the execution of citizenship instruction in his ain capable therefore bettering his ain instruction pattern. 4. Literature Reappraisal The inquiry of â€Å"what is citizenship? † is really hard to specify ; David Kerr argues that it â€Å" †¦is a contested construct. At the bosom of the competition are differing positions about the map and administration of society.†( Kerr, 2006:6 ) . Kerr’s definition of citizenship instruction is toâ€Å" †¦ encompass the readying of immature people for their functions and duties as citizens.†( Kerr, 2006:7 ) . Audrey Osler and Hugh Starkey province thatâ€Å"Citizenship is a site of political struggle.†( Osler and Starkey, 2005:11 ) . They go on to specify it as â€Å"holding two indispensable facets, foremost a position and a set of responsibilities and secondly a practise and an entitlement to rights†( Osler and Starkey, 2006:6 ) . Olser and Starkey besides argue thatâ€Å" †¦ citizenship is likely instantly experienced as a feeling of belonging.†( Osler and Starkey, 2006:6 ) . An account in a Scots Executive paper offers the account thatâ€Å"Everyone belongs to assorted types of community, both communities of topographic point, from local to planetary, and communities of involvement, rooted in a common concern or purpose.†( Scots Executive 2000:8 ) Concluding thatâ€Å"Citizenship involves basking rights and exerting duties in these assorted types of communities†( Scots Executive 2000:8 ) . Harmonizing to the Citizenship Foundation,â€Å"It[ citizenship ]refers non merely to rights and duties laid down in the jurisprudence, but besides to general signifiers of behavior – societal and moral – which societies expect of their citizens.†( The Citizenship Foundation 2006:2 ) . These different definitions do look to place a common subject of citizenship, viz. that, in order to be a viewed as a full member of their community, people need to actively exert their rights and duties in three countries ; civil, societal and political. ( Marshall, 1964 cited by Kennedy, 1997:67 ) . Historically the roots of citizenship can be found in Sparta, antediluvian Greece where â€Å"civilian responsibility scrupulously performed was besides expected of the good citizen. This would affect virtuous obeisance to the Torahs and engagement in the Assembly†( Heater, 2004:11 ) . This earliest signifier of citizenship, which was besides a characteristic of ancient Rome, may befar removed from the construct of it as we understand it today but it did signal a definite motion off from the old bossy signifier of regulating. Throughout the ages citizenship continued to develop and hold found look in many diverse societies and civilizations as far apart as post-revolutionary France and post-independence USA – where it was enshrined in the fundamental law and served as the accelerator for social alteration – to the European Union of today where the proposed individual fundamental law is to a great extent predicated on the thought of a ‘European citizen’ as a mechanism to startle the assorted disparate civilizations. Before Citizenship was debut into the course of study in England in 2002 as a discreet topic, it had been antecedently recommended for inclusion twice earlier. Both times saw Britain in crises of war. In 1918, at the terminal of World War 1, thePrimer of English Citizenshipwas published by Frederick Swannâ€Å" †¦ to back the moral character of the British Citizen.†( Brandom, 2007:269 ) . The Association for Education in World Citizenship, ( AEWC ) , was setup in 1935 to,â€Å"preserve the democratic cloth of society in response to the rise of totalitarianism† .( Brandom, 2007:269 ) . Despite the AEWC’s construct of citizenship being adhered to in schools in the post-war old ages, there was no official add-on of citizenship as a topic into the course of study. Harmonizing to Anne-Marie Brandom, citizenship was given â€Å"some signifier legislative recognition†( 2007:270 ) in the 1988Education Reform Actbut the course of study time-table was so overcrowded that it failed to be implemented. Recommendations were besides made in a 1990 study,Encouraging Citizenship, as to ways of â€Å"easing societal citizenship through schools, voluntary attempts and public services† ( Arthur and Wright, 2001:7 ) but once more there was thin application of it. In the latter portion of the 1990’s politicians were concerned with the gradual diminution of British civilization and society. This impairment was peculiarly prevailing amongst the states young person and because of it, there was a noticeable addition in anti-social behavior, hooky and high school exclusions. To counter this, an consultative group chaired by Professor Bernard Crick was formed toâ€Å"establish the purposes and maps of citizenship ion schools†. ( Brandom, 2007:271 ) The Crick study, ( as it became know ) , categorised citizenship in three lines: â€Å"understanding societal and moral duty ; going involved in the community ; developing political literacy† .( Brandom, 2007:271 ) The Crick study to a great extent relied on the antecedently mentioned Marshall definition of the three elements that make up citizenship ; the civil, the societal and the political. These elements were underpinned by the thought of thekid as a hereafter citizen. ( Brandom, 2007:272 ) One of the recommendations from the Crick study was that citizenship instruction should be given 5 % of course of study clip. That and other recommendations helped organize the demands for citizenship instruction in the Revised National Curriculum 2000. The Revised National Curriculum 2000 incorporates three strands:understanding societal and moral duty ; going involved in the community ; and developing political literacy† ( QCA/DfEE, 1999:6 cited in ( Brandom, 2007:272 ) . As a consequence of these three strands, students are to:become informed citizens ; develop accomplishments of question and communicating ; develop accomplishments of engagement and responsible action.†( QCA/DfEE, 1999:6 cited in ( Brandom, 2007:272 ) Unlike most England, most of Europe, North America and Australia, citizenship has non of all time been officially introduced into the Scots schools course of study. In the 2000 audience paper Education for Citizenship in Scotland stated that citizenship instruction in Scots schools wouldâ€Å"not affect the creative activity of a new capable ‘citizenship education’ – or the version of any individual bing country of the curriculum† .( Scots Executive 2000:16 ) Alternatively it would be done throughâ€Å"combinations of larning experiences set in the day-to-day life of the school, distinct countries of the course of study, cross-curricular experiences and activities affecting links with the local community.†( Scots Executive 2000:16 ) The documents rank of the reappraisal group was chaired by Professor Pamela Munn of Edinburgh University who supported the sentiment of a whole-school attack to citizenship instruction, noticing that: â€Å"To look to turn up ‘citizenship education’ in one peculiar post-14 class of survey would look to be inconsistent with the wide position of instruction for citizenship being advanced in this paper.†( Scots Executive 2000 cited in Arthur and Wright, 2003:16 ) The reappraisal group concluded that citizenship instruction in Scotland isâ€Å"integral to the instruction of pupils and dwelling in the whole course of study and ethos of the school.†( Arthur and Wright, 2003:16 ) . The shortly to be introduced course of study for excellence portions the same positions of the non-introduction of citizenship instruction as a discreet topic. In the 2004 course of study reappraisal group paper ‘a course of study for excellence’ , citizenship instruction is still presented as being a whole-school attack but it besides encompasses the household and the community: â€Å"They should be successful scholars, confident persons, responsible citizens and effectual subscribers to society and at work. By supplying construction, support and way to immature people’s acquisition, the course of study should enable them to develop these four capacities. The course of study should complement the of import parts of households and communities†( Scots Executive 2004:12 ) In 2006 ‘a course of study for excellence’ advancement and proposal was published. This paper was follow up to the 2004 course of study reappraisal group paper antecedently discussed. Again the whole-school attack is advocated, this clip with outside support fromother administrations, doing citizenship instruction wholly active non merely across the whole school or local community but globally. â€Å"The whole school has duty for developing the four capacities in every kid and immature individual. This has deductions for the parts of each grownup who supports kids and immature people, and for whole-school policies, planning and partnerships with other organisations.†( Scots Executive 2006:8 ) 5. Results The focal point of this undertaking was to look at how citizenship was both presented and implemented within my 2nd placement school. I farther investigated its execution within my ain topics section and besides looked for grounds of cross-curricular activities. For the intents of researching this undertaking, I conducted staff interviews and mediated a pupil’s focal point group. This allowed me look into which elements of citizenship were included by the staff whilst learning their ain topic. It besides provided me with every bit pot as to the extent of the staff and students cognition and apprehension of citizenship. In looking at learning citizenship within my ain topic I designed four lessons on universe music. This gave my category and I the chance to analyze other civilizations and their music. The stuffs produced which were specific to the civilizations we were look intoing ; Brazil, Cuba, Indonesia and Ghana. Through the lessons the category were able to ; discourse the background to the music and how the music made them experience, develop their practical accomplishments by playing the music both separately and as a group and larn how to listen efficaciously. ( To most pupils music is a background noise ; they ‘hear’ music in a lift, in a shopping Centre and on their MP3 participants as they study. ) Teaching music and citizenship in this ‘active’ manner allowed me much range for personal contemplation, inquiring myself ; what went good, what needed to be improved and what would make otherwise following clip? This in bend helped with my ain personal development no n merely as a music instructor but as a ‘whole’ instructor. 6. Methods In researching this undertaking I decided to utilize a assortment of different methods. My chief grounds for this was that in my old research undertaking I used observation as the chief line of my probe and I felt that if I used a assortment of research methods this clip I could anticipate better responses from both staff and students likewise. 6.1 Staff interviews Through the schools trustee, meetings were arranged with members of staff who were willing to notice on how citizenship has been implemented in their section in the school. The staff members I met up with were: the Citizenship Co-ordinator, the Head of the Department for Science, the Head of the Department for Social Education and a instructor from the music section. A meeting of 15 to twenty proceedingss with each of the above staff members was arranged. I had prepared and circulated a figure of cardinal inquiries in progress of the meetings. ( Appendix 1 ) . The inquiries focused on how citizenship is delivered in both their section and through the school as a whole. I asked each member of staff for permission to tape the interviews I conducted and all agreed. This enabled me to look into the inside informations I had written down against the recordings, therefore guaranting that my analysis was accurate and presented a true contemplation of their positions. what are the Advantages/disadvantages? The interviews with the staff members proved to be really successful, with all my purposes and aims being met. At the terminal of each interview they besides agreed to do themselves available by electronic mail to clear up any issues that might hold arisen whilst I was composing up the research. 6.2 Pupil’s focal point group With the schools permission, a focal point group dwelling of a cross subdivision of S1 to S6 students was arranged to take topographic point one lunch period. A sheet incorporating the chief subject headers of the treatment was given to the students taking portion in order to give them clip to fix for it. ( Appendix 2 ) . My undertaking as the go-between of the group was to maintain the treatment unfastened ended whilst maintaining it on the subject. To assist maintain them farther on topic and aid direct their thought I wrote the capable headers of the subjects to be discussed on the room’s whiteboard. A high degree of pupil interaction ensued, from which the information for this study emerged. This method of garnering informations from the students has it advantages and disadvantages. The advantages being that it allows for a non-threatening attack therefore ensuing in an unfastened uninhibited treatment. The usage of this method besides gave the students a manner to discourse and if need be, dispute each other’s positions in a safe, friendly, non-threatening environment. The Disadvantage of carry oning the focal point group was that a few of the stronger personalities began to act upon and take over group treatment thereby doing it hard for the quieter pupils to aerate their positions. Because of this I often asked the group if everyone agreed with a remark made or asked if that was what everyone idea. I besides called on a twosome of students by name to detect their sentiments on remarks made. I once more asked and received permission from the school and the students to enter the focal point group treatment ; this allowed me to intercede the group without holding to rapidly compose down what was being said. In making this I was able to accurately summarize the content of the treatment at a ulterior clip. Twelve students, two from each twelvemonth, attended the focal point group and their parts to it will be analysed in the undermentioned chapter. 7. Analysis From the beginning it needs to be recognised that with merely four staff members interviewed and one pupils’ focal point group conducted, the findings presented in this professional undertaking can merely be regarded as being preliminary, nevertheless, my research did bring out a figure of interesting findings refering the execution of citizenship within the school. The balance of this subdivision will analyze the positions and sentiments made during both the interviews with the staff members and the pupil’s focal point group. Because merely four staff members were interviewed, their positions are presented individually, therefore leting for a more elaborate geographic expedition of them. 7.1 Staff interviews Meeting One: Coordinator of Citizenship This staff member was honest in explained to me that he was new to the school and that although portion of his responsibilities included being the Coordinator of Citizenship he was still seeking to familiarize himself with the duties and responsibilities refering it. He is at the minute set abouting an audit on Citizenship within the school in which he was looking at ; where the school is at with it, what repeat between the sections there is and what the school demand to make more away. He knew from meetings he had attended within the school that all sections had Citizenship listed as something they were to look at in their betterment programs but until he knew the consequence of his audit he wouldn’t cognize if or how it had been implemented. He told met the school was seeking to incorporate Citizenship instead than hold it viewed as a â€Å"bolt on’ . Assorted schemes had been introduced this school twelvemonth such as junior and senior pupil councils, both of which had a budget, the re-establishment of houses and house captains and the execution of activity yearss such as â€Å"succeed and enterprise† through-out the twelvemonth. Meeting Two: Head of Department for Science This member of staff expressed that she was worried when she agreed to be interviewed that her section would be found to be missing in incorporating the elements of citizenship instruction into their instruction, nevertheless, the audit she did on her section proved these fright to be baseless. Knowledge and Understanding are promoted in Science utilizing subjects such as ; eco chemical science, genetic sciences and atomic chemical science. In eco chemical science the students study the environment, the effects of pollution on it and planetary heating. Geneticss trades with the ethical issues of familial technology. Nuclear chemical science looks at atomic power and what options are available. Skills and Aptitude: it was explained to me that the school ran their Higher course of study over two old ages, therefore gave the section clip to include developing the students accomplishments of presenting, treatment and debating. Through group work where the students are encouraged to believe critically about the subjects covered and the experiments they are asked to execute. They are encouraged to larn and happen out through research, analysis and geographic expedition after which their consequences are presented to the remainder of the groups/teams where they are argued, discussed and debated. An illustration of this is the genetic sciences unit in which familial technology and trial tubing babes are discussed. Informed statements are given for and against, the students are encouraged to gain that there is no right or wrong here merely their sentiment. Valuess: the scientific discipline section has a set of regulations for regard ; students are encouraged to esteem themselves and their equals and instructors. They are taught to esteem the schoolroom and the equipment within it. They are besides taught to value the sentiment of others, as all points of position are valid. Respect for the wider community, the environment and the planet are amongst other values taught. Meeting Three: Head of Department for Social Education This member of staff was really experient in showing and presenting the societal instruction programme, he demonstrated an obvious apprehension of how citizenship should be integrated in the course of study and across the school as a whole. Knowledge and Understanding: Social Education is timetabled for an hr a hebdomad for 1st to 4th twelvemonth students and for two hours a hebdomad for 5th and 6th. Within Social Education cognition and apprehension are promoted utilizing such subjects as ; money and the universe of banking, sex instruction, right and duties, equal chances, personal development, callings education, societal development, where the school sits within East Lothian, within Scotland and the universe as a whole, drugs and intoxicant instruction and maintaining safe. Within the rights and duties unit students are taught the schools anti-bulling policy, any major bulling incidents result in the issue of a rights and bulling contract, this has resulted in a 95 % success rate of them being resolved in school. Skills and Aptitudes: promoting and developing accomplishments in students to get by with a altering multi-cultural universe, being taught regard for others and acceptance through a partnership with themselves, the school, their parents and the constabulary, that their school is a contemplation of society – what they learn in school can model and determine society, communicating and group work/ teamwork, organic structure linguistic communication and get bying accomplishments for both the schoolroom and society – accomplishments and schemes are provided to assist the students cope within their equal group and besides assist them to avoid being coerced into sex, taking drugs or imbibing intoxicant, critical thought – students are encouraged to gain that during arguments there are no right or incorrect replies, they are given relevant information so that they can do an informed pick, they are taught to believe, brace and portion – students are asked to belie ve of their ain sentiment on a topic, brace up with a spouse and discourse it, take portion in a group treatment, feed back to the category therefore advancing effectual part and critical thought. Valuess: within the Social Education lessons students are expected to esteem themselves, their equals and their instructors. They are taught to esteem the schoolroom and to make a safe environment for everyone within it. Through their partnership with the constabulary, the school and their parents they are taught to esteem the jurisprudence, democracy and justness. They are taught to stand up for themselves and support their ain point of position. Meeting Four: Music Teacher This member of staff was new to the section and radius of her experience both in that and her old school. Disappointingly, she expressed uncertainties as to why universe music should be taught as portion of the course of study. Knowledge and Understanding are promoted in music through utilizing such subjects as universe music. In universe music the students study music from Cuba, Brazil, Ghana, India and Indonesia, larning about their civilization, the instruments they use and the differences between their music and music from the West. Students are besides taught non to blow the planets resources by exchanging off electrical equipment when it is non in usage. Skills and Aptitude: a big portion of developing accomplishments and aptitudes in music is done through the engagement in different events with in the community. The music section has taken students to entertain the senior citizens at Christmas clip, had pupils participate in the Rotary club’s immature instrumentalist of the twelvemonth competition and has been invited to sing/perform at the gap of a new primary school and lodging association. Students are encouraged to fall in the assorted orchestras and bands that the school runs therefore giving them the chance to work in groups and construct squad work. Opinions can besides be communicated through vocal authorship. Valuess: students are taught to esteem themselves, their equals and both the schoolroom and instrumental instructors. The section besides teach students to esteem all genres of music and to hold regard for the schoolroom and the equipment within it. 7.2 Pupils focal point group As was outlined before in this undertaking, a focal point group session was carried out in order to find the pupils’ cognition and apprehension of citizenship and how it was taught to them both officially and informally. At the on-set of the session the significance of citizenship was briefly discussed with the group, after which there was a directed treatment on six different issues refering it. The treatment produced the undermentioned consequences: Issue One: Citizenship in the school The students highlighted a figure of activities that they though had helped them to develop both personally and socially. These included engagement in school trips to Germany and Switzerland, cultural visits such as a visit to the Royal Scottish Museum and a community committednesss plan, which involved picking up litter, endeavor, presentations and school shows. Issue Two: Social & A ; Moral issues The Pupils discussed their engagement in implementing the schools’ anti-bullying enterprises which ab initio had started as a 5th twelvemonth community undertaking. They felt that racism was non a job in the school. The students put frontward one point of grudge of non being allowed to run any fund elevation activities in the school. They felt they would wish the chance to raise money for worthy causes. Issue Three: Rights & A ; duties The students felt they had a voice in the school through both the junior and senior pupils’ councils. Their representatives were democratically elected and attended regular meetings of the councils provided a vehicle where pupil’s issues could be raised. Students are besides put into houses, which have house captains. The houses are awarded points for good behavior, attending, competition wins etc. Issue Four: The school & A ; wider community There was much grounds of an engagement in the wider community. As portion of the antecedently mentioned community committednesss plan some students had sang at the gap of a new primary school and had read poesy read poetry the occupants of an old people place. Issue Five: Politics & A ; Democracy There was small grounds of any cognition of political relations or democracy apart from the students who had or were analyzing Modern Studies. Issue Six: The environment Students noted that, the school runs an Eco Club in which both instructors and students discuss manner of salvaging the environment, ( local, national and universe ) . They felt that more recycling could be done within the school. There was merely one recycling bin and that was in the teachers’ auto park. The group had asked for money to supply sections with their ain recycling bin but their petition was denied. 8. Decisions In roll uping the grounds from students and staff and through observation of the bringing of citizenship at whole school degree, it is clear that the range of citizenship is far-reaching. Areas such as rights and duties, political relations and democracy, community public assistance, informed decision-making, regard for others and a scope of participatory activities, provided a rich beginning of grounds. The student focal point groups and teacher interviews revealed clear grounds that elements of the above subjects were covered through the bringing of distinct capable content. In peculiar, the content of Modern Studies included a more comprehensive survey of political establishments and political democratic procedures more finitely than any other curricular country. However, curricular topics such as English and History provided subjects which examined rights and duties and political relations and democracy through the survey of war and the moral issues involved. The survey of Geography and the distinct scientific disciplines besides provided survey of the environment. Religious and Moral Education explored societal and moral issues and encouraged thoughtful and responsible action and an grasp of developing states, analyzing poorness, dearth and drouth. Home Economics developed pupil cognition and apprehension of dietetic issues, healthy feeding and the importance of hygiene. Physical Education encouraged healthy life styles and the grasp of the construct of ‘healthy head, healthy body’ . Subjects included in the Business Education and Information Technology section, for illustration, Business Administration developed an grasp in students of money direction and endeavor and, besides, allowed students to reflect on the impact of engineering on day-to-day lives. Modern Languages developed consciousness of the importance of different civilizations and the installation to go abroad enhanced the development of foreign linguistic communication accomplishments and the grasp of foreign civilizations at first manus. Art and Design allowed pupils the chance to develop originative ability and provided an alternate agencies of look. However, although the above curricular topics delivered facets of citizenship through pervasion, the Personal and Social Development ( PSD ) programme allocated dedicated clip to many facets of citizenship, including rights and duties, for illustration, in relation to smoke, intoxicant, sexual issues and moral quandary. Furthermore, this topic provided the chance for unfastened treatment, promoting students to be tolerant of dissension and minority positions and to heighten their decision-making accomplishments through working with others. In add-on, the project of work experience arrangements promoted a direct nexus to the universe of work. This was further enhanced by the installation of mock interviews for students by representatives of the concern community prior to go forthing school. The aid of Careers Scotland besides impacted on pupils’ attitudes to go forthing school. My observations of citizenship at whole-school degree revealed citizenship in action to which the students involved seemed wholly committed. Activities observed included Education Action where representatives from developing states addressed whole-school assemblies. This was a consequence of a instructor at the school holding visited Uganda, which led to pupils going actively involved in fund-raising for Uganda. The assembly provided the chance for students to manus over a check as a consequence of their fundraising activities. A farther assembly demonstrated S4 students giving whole-school presentations on their work experience, leting them to develop their personal qualities and accomplishments and to do a utile part to their fellow students. The student council, to which category representatives were elected, besides provided the chance for students to take part and lend to the wider life of the school. Unfortunately, nevertheless, I was unable to detect meetings during my arrangement as these were postponed owing to preliminary scrutinies. Other whole-school activities included Young Enterprise, pupil engagement in assorted competitions, debating and Duke of Edinburgh Award, all designed to develop the accomplishments included in the development of citizenship. In decision, it is my position that students frequently did non appreciate when citizenship was being delivered. It was merely through treatment at focal point groups that they came to gain to the full what citizenship entailed. This possibly suggests that, in Scots instruction, citizenship is frequently inexplicit in its bringing through distinct curricular countries. As indicated earlier, PSD is much more expressed, in both content and bringing, yet pupil perceptual experience of this topic is possibly non every bit high as other topics, which are assessed at national degree. However, my overarching decision is that pupil engagement in citizenship was at its strongest through active engagement by students. When allocated a distinguishable undertaking or, so, when this undertaking was suggested by a student, and when given duty to see the undertaking through to a successful decision, students responded with motive, finding and enthusiasm. Such activities involved students in informed decision-making, demoing regard for others, being responsible and developing personal accomplishments and qualities. From my observations, nevertheless, I would reason that the greatest nothingness is the absence of developing political literacy in students. Unless pupils survey Modern Studies, and numerically really few bashs, so I fear many students will go forth school politically illiterate to a greater or lesser extent. This, I would propose, is an insufficiency in Scots instruction, which needs to be addressed. 9. Deductions and Recommendations This undertaking has investigated the presentation and execution of citizenship in Scots schools. The research gathered whilst analyzing citizenship in both the topic course of study and the school as a whole would look to back up the thought that citizenship is taught more successfully when it is spread through out the whole course of study instead than being presented as a discreet topic. Although most students did non cognize the term ‘citizenship’ , they gained practical experience of the elements of it through the schools capable course of study and through the school as a whole. The school course of study is already overcrowded ; a audience paper calledEducation for Citizenship in Scotlandconcluded on the challenges of capable pick in Scots schools that, â€Å"the response to this state of affairs should non be to qualify any individual class of survey of ‘citizenship education’ as portion of each pupils core programme.( Scots Executive, 2000: p26 ) . In reasoning this undertaking there are three recommendations its writer would do to assist take citizenship instruction frontward in Scots instruction:Students need to be actively involved in citizenship instruction, taking portion in arguments, treatments, enterprises and undertakings.Rather than go forth political relations and democracy to modern surveies, ( which after 2nd twelvemonth becomes an optional topic ) , some survey of them needs to be included someplace else in the course of study. Not to make so, will bring forth students who are politically uninformed.Rather than do citizenship instruction a discreet capable, as it is in England, Scotland should go on implementing it as portion of the ethos of the school and portion of the course of study as a whole.Bibliography Andrews, G. ( 1991 ) , Citizenship. Lawrence and Wishart Limited, London. pp. 21 – 26. Arthur, J. and Wright, D. ( 2001 ) . Teaching Citizenship in the Secondary School. David Fulton Publishers Ltd London. pp. 5 – 16. Cogan, J.J. and Derricott, R. ( 1998 ) . Citizenship for the twenty-first Century: An International Perspective on Education. Kogan Page Limited, London. pp. 2 – 4. Kennedy, K.J. ( 1997 ) . Citizenship Education and the Modern State. Falmer Press, London. pp. 67 – 69. Scots Executive Education Department Report. ( 2001 ) . Education for Citizenship in Scotland: A Paper for Discussion and Development. Scots Executive. ( 2000 ) . National Priorities in School Education. [ on-line ] . Crown Copyright, Scottish Statutory Instrument No 443. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scotland.gov.uk/education/nationalpriorities/priorities.asp, ( p. 1 ) .