Michellamine A ( A natural product) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Michellamine A ( A natural product) - Essay Example Structurally they originate, from the acetate polymalonate pathway and not from amino acids 1. They exist as monomeric and dimeric naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids. The monomeric alkaloids which possess a naphthalene-isoquinolene linkage and the dimeric naphthylisoquinolines include the michellamines. The Michellamines comprise two monomeric naphthylisoquinoline coupled together. The Michellamine dimers A, B and C are isolated from the leaves of Ancistrocladus korupensis 1,5,16, 18, 21. These dimeric alkaloids possess highly useful medicinal properties like antiviral and antiparasitic, which are distinct from their monomeric counterparts 13. In addition they also possess several pharmacological, toxicological and antiviral properties such as the inhibition of the cytopathic effects of the Human Immunodeficiency virus which is the major causative agent of AIDS 1, 9, 12, 19. Experiments show that Michellamines A and B give protection in vitro to human CEM-SS lymphocytes against the cytopathic effects of HIV virus (14)20, 21. Michellamine B has been shown to have inhibitory effect on drug-sensitive ,drug- The naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids are exists as both monomers and dimmers. All the monomeric naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids are biaryls containing a naphthalene moiety and an isoquinoline moiety and these two are linked. They may contain a dihydrogenated (this is present in the said ref: 13,) or a tetra hydrogenated isoquinoline moiety 13. The linkage varies between the different alkaloids. There is also a restricted rotation about this linkage and hence these compounds exist as thermally stable atropisomers 1. This is an interesting characteristic feature among these alkaloids. These alkaloids are also unusual on account of the methyl group present at the 3- position and oxygenation at the 8 and/or 6 position of the isoquinoline ring, which suggest that they have a polyketide origin. These alkaloids can be grouped according

U.S. Secret Service Essay Example for Free

U.S. Secret Service Essay United States of America, have many service within the government to protect themselves, the people, or our president. The one service I we hear about but rarely know will be the, secret services. We rarely know anything about them just that they make good money and put there life in danger. The following I will be information you about: education required, qualifications, training, and salary of a member of secret services. Education required for them each position has different entry level qualifications and education requirements. It would depend on what they want to be and the position they want. Each position has different requirements and education levels. Members also have to have certain qualification. For example they must be a United States citizen, must pass a medical exam – vision, hearing, cardiovascular, mobility of extremities, pass a drug screening, must pass a report writing test , pass an extensive background investigation, must pass a polygraph examination, must pass an in-depth interview, must pass an entrance exam, must be able to obtain a Top Secret clearance and must be over age 21 years and under age 37 years. There is no expectation of any of these they are all must, if they do not pass one of these qualifications then they will not be eligible to work in secret services. If they pass all these they must get training which is three month training program at the, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. The is only two training campuses one is in Artesia, New Mexico, and in Glynco, Georgia. After done with that training they go another three months for specialized instruction training, which is located in Laurel, Maryland at the James J. Rowley Training Center. After completing this process and being hired they would make, $43,200 to $73,354 per year, as starting officers. This information is report in 2009 by the, United States Secret Service. The United States Secret Service is something we hear about at time and know rarely about. I wanted to inform myself and learn things about how they get to their level and what they do. As I was reading I see that they have to work for their position, it is not given to them they have to put all there effort in their job. I saw their job is to protect the president and vice president, their families, former presidents, presidential candidates and other U.S. or foreign visiting political figures. They go under cover on criminal cases that relate to the nation’s financial security form credit card fraud, computer fraud, and bank fraud. Secret Services does two thing basically they do investigations and protect the people that are important to our society at the moment and after. As well they were founded in 1865 and are one of the most elite law enforcement organizations in the world. Their main headquartered is in Washington, D.C with 150 offices over the United State. They must stay untied in order to complete there job.

Child Friendly School Policies In Kenya Education Essay

Child Friendly School Policies In Kenya Education Essay The purpose of this essay is to explore what Child Friendly School policies could learn from Comparative and International Research. Reference to CFSs in Kenya will be made with emphasis on the background of CFSs, current practices and emerging critics, success stories, problems and pitfalls and what CIR can do to subjugate some of these challenges. I will start by examining the rationale for exploring CFSs, based on literature and my professional experience. Following this background will be literature surrounding the concepts of CIR and CFSs in relation to global agendas, exploring how CFSs came into existence and the driving forces behind it. I then go on to focus on a case study of CFS in Kenya, discussing the role of CIR in the Kenyas CFS, arguing that CIR is used as a political tool in creating educational policy, rather than a research method or an intellectual inquiry. I will further critically analyze challenges facing CFSs and how knowledge on CIR can contribute more effect ively to successful implementation of CFS policies. A conclusion based on the literature and authors experience will then be drawn. Throughout the essay, I build a case in favour of CIR arguing that CIR stimulates critical reflections about our educational systems by investigating commonalities and differences across national borders. Background and Rationale Comparative and international education is one of the main fields of education with many benefits, judged by the volume of studies reported in the literature. Central to this is that many countries around the world have formulated some of their educational policies based on knowledge and research from CIR. With the current wave of globalization, researchers and experts, especially in the field of education, are always trying to find ways of streamlining their educational policies with the global trends. According to Giddens (1990:64), globalization is the intensification of worldwide social relations which link distance localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa. Global forces therefore have an impact on shaping local practices at grass root levels. In order to do this tactically and critically, comparative and internal research remains cutting edge in informing people about the realities, the challenges and the possible effects of uncritical transfer of ideas. One of the key developments in education has been the prioritisation of basic education as opposed to adult education or higher education. In Africa, this would be probably because, as Oketch (2004) points out, basic education yields higher rates of returns compared to higher education. This has subsequently influenced government and non-governmental organizations to focus more on improving the quality of basic education. Child-friendly schools (CFSs) in Kenya is an example of a initiative sponsored by UNICEF with the aim of not just providing children right to education but the right to the right education. In other words, CFSs are more concerned with the quality of basic education in addition to its access. The emergence of CFSs in Kenya was catapulted by the forces of agendas 1 and 2 of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which emphasizes on the provision of basic education. The World Education Forum (2000) agreed on six Education For All (EFA) goals. The sixth goal concerned Educa tion quality, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognised and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. The term quality in education is dynamic because of the social, political and economic context at which it is used. Milligan (2011:276) adds that quality has, thus, been placed as an integral cog in the educational development machine although how educational quality is defined is a matter of great contention. Because of differences in contexts, it is imperative that knowledge of comparative and international research be used in designing policies and pedagogy in CFSs that fit that particular context. Furthermore, with the fear that some countries may lag behind as others move forward, countries from sub-Sahara Africa are now engaging in various practices in order to achieve these educational goals, a race against the 2015 set deadline for attainment of EFA goals. As the clock ticks towards the year 2015, priority goals in education may change for post-2015 and the worry is further elevated. One of the efforts the government of Kenya is doing to improve the quality of education is by integrating CFS model into the basic education system. Two major questions arise here: First, how is CFS realistic considering myriad challenges facing the FPE policy in Kenya? Secondly, if integrating CFS model into basic education will help in improving the quality of education, what lessons can CFS policies learn from CIR? It is against this background that the purpose of this essay hinges. Literature Review In this section, I will look at the concepts of Comparative and International Research (CIR) and Child Friendly School (CFS) based on the literature and merge them with the global forces that influenced the emergence of CFS with an attempt to unveil the voices behind the introduction of CFS in Kenya. In addition, I will use an example of PRISM experience in Kenya to reinforce the understanding of the role of international bodies in promoting quality through well strategized and executed projects, arguing that lessons from PRISM experience can be used as insights to successful implementation of CFS policies. Concepts of Comparative and International Research (CIR) and Child Friendly School (CFS) CIR is a fusion of two broad areas of research: Comparative Research and International Research. To understand its full meaning, it is important we define the two areas of research separately. In his definition of comparative research, Mills et al (year) argue that: Comparative research is a broad term that includes both quantitative and qualitative comparison of social entities. Social entities may be based on many lines, such as geographical or political ones in the form of cross-national or regional comparisons. (p. 621) A similar perception was echoed by Noah and Eckstein (1969:127), who described comparative education as an intersection of the social sciences, education and cross-national study [which] attempts to use cross-national data to test propositions about the relationship between education and society and between teaching practices and learning outcomes. In light of this definition, comparative research in the context of education can be defined as a study of two or more entities or events (Crossley Watson, 2003) with the underlying goal of searching for similarity and variance. Cross-national or regional comparisons may include comparing educational policies, pedagogy, educational leadership and so on. According to Mills et al (2006: 621), the search for variance places more emphasis on context and difference in order to understand specificities. International education, on the other hand, can be defined as the application of descriptions, analyses and insights learned in one or more nations to the problems of developing educational systems and institutions in other countries (Wilson 2000a: 116). Thus, international research is concerned with research carried out across two or more countries, often with the purpose of comparing responses between them. This might be done in order to devise strategies that work well across both or all these cultures or to suggest local adjustments to a global strategy There is a close relationship between comparative and international education. Epstein (1994: 918) points out, that international educators use findings derived from comparative education to understand better the processes they examine, and thus, to enhance their ability to make policy. We can therefore draw from the above two definitions that CIR in education as a method of comparing both qualitative and quantitative entities in education across different countries, societies or cultures with the aim of identifying similarities and differences. It is however important to note that not all international research is comparative, and not all comparative research is international or cross-national. According to UNICEF (2007), a child-friendly school is both a child seeking school and a child-centred school: It is child seeking because it actively identifying excluded children to get them enrolled in school. It is a child-centred school because it acts in the best interests of the child leading to the realization of the childs full potential, is concerned about the whole child: her health, nutritional status, and well-being and concerned about what happens to children before they enter school and after they leave school. A CFS system recognizes and respects childrens right and responsibilities; it provides the enabling environment to realize childrens right not only in schools, but also in childrens home and their communities. These include children from conflict zones, street children and children with disabilities. The Child-Friendly Schools model (see fig 1) is based on simple, rights-based concepts that would have all schools be: Rights Based School: CFS proactively seeks out-of-school children and encourages them to enrol, irrespective of gender, race, ability, social status, etc. Gender Sensitive School: CFS promotes equality and equity in enrolment and achievement among girls and boys. Safe and Protective School: CFS ensures that all children can learn in a safe and inclusive environment. Community Engaged School: CFS encourages partnership among schools, communities, parents and children in all aspects of the education process. Academically Effective School: CFS provides children with relevant knowledge and skills for surviving and thriving in life. Health Promoting School: CFS promotes the physical and emotional health of children by meeting key nutritional and health care needs within schools. (UNICEF, 2007) Fig 1: Model of the Child-Friendly School Source: UNICEF, Global Education Strategy, 2007 The CFS model provides a framework for planning (and monitoring the effectiveness of) strategies for increasing access to quality basic education with the specific focus on the development of strategies to include those children hitherto excluded from education (UNICEF, Global Education Strategy, 2007). It is important to note that there is no one-way to make a school child-friendly. The model may differ from country to country depending on the context. International and Local Pressures and their influences to formation of CFS in Kenya Education in sub-Sahara Africa, and indeed in Kenya, is crafted from both influences by global trends in education and the legacies of colonialism. Chisholm and Leyenderker (2008) observe that: Since 1990, the goals and purpose of education in sub-Sahara Africa has been reshaped by four interconnected developments: globalisation, the changed focus of international aid agencies towards development assistance, the adaptation of sub-Sahara African countries to the new world order with its new political emphases, and the spilling over of new pedagogical ideas from the USA and Europe into sub-Sahara Africa. (p 198) Kenya is a signatory to a number of conventions in education, including the Convention to the Rights of the Child (1989), the World Declaration on Education for All (Jomtien, 1990), the Dakar accord and the Millenium Development Goals (2000). In achievement of education development goals, Kenya is bound to, among other things, quality education by MDGs. The Jomtien call for access for access, equity, quality and democracy in education appeared to promise both social and economic development (Chisholm and Leyenderker, 2008). Social and economic development, and continues to be believed, requires educational change and educational change is necessary for social and economic development (ibid:). Educational change, in turn, is perceived to depend on, amongst other things, the input from relevant development assistance projects. These projects, in the arena of education, are typically formulated with reference to internationally negotiated development agendas (like the MDGs) and priority (Crossley Watson, 2003). An example of these projects in Kenya is CFSs which are supported by United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). The Education Section of UNICEFs Programme Division introduced the Child Friendly Schools (CFS) framework for schools that serve the whole child in 1999 (Chabbott, 2004). Rationale for introducing CFS framework in Kenya The increased reliance of foreign aid to support education reform in Kenya has been accompanied by a transition, from understanding education as a human right and the general good to viewing it primarily in terms of its contribution to national growth and well-being through the development of the knowledge and skills societies are deemed to need (Arnove Torres 2007:359). Occasional voices continue insisting that education is liberating, that learning is inherently developmental (ibid: 359). With the global concern that Sub-sahara Africa countries may not achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) by 2015 unless the progress is accelerated (Carceles et al., 2001; Bennel, 2002), Kenya responded by introducing Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 2003 with both local and global pressure. The rationale behind introducing FPE was (apart from the pressure from global and international agendas) to alleviate poverty attributed to lack of literacy skills. The success story behind implementation of FPE policy is the increased enrolment at primary schools by nearly 50%, from 5.9 million in 2003 to 9.38 million pupils according to the Kenya Economic Survey 2011. However, there are myriad challenges facing the implementation of FPE policy: there are not enough textbooks, classrooms are overcrowded and the infrastructure in many schools is inadequate for the numbers of pupils attending. Many of the schools do not have sanitation facilities. The teacher-pupil ratio is quite high: acc ording to UNESCO there are more than 40 pupils per teacher, on average. All of these factors militate against the provision of quality teaching. There is no magic wand for fixing this problem of quality in education. In response to this CFS were introduced in Kenya. According to UNICEF (2006:1): The challenge in education is not simply to get children into school, but also to improve the overall quality of schooling and address threats to participation. If both quality and access are tackled, children who are enrolled in primary school are likely to continue, complete the full cycle, and achieve expected learning outcomes and successfully transition to secondary school. The CFS framework (see appendix 3) aims at promoting child-seeking, child-centred, gender-sensitive, inclusive, community-involved, protective and healthy approaches to schooling and out-of-school education with a general goal of improving the quality of learning. Since CFSs are concerned with the quality of learning, it is important we look at the meaning of quality. The national examinations to obtain the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at the end of primary cycle and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at the end of secondary cycle are designed to evaluate the extent to which the primary and secondary graduates master the curriculum content. In other words, the national test scores are used as the indicators of quality. The limitation of this indicator is that it does not take into account the context at which learning takes place i.e. the learning environment, learners unique characteristics etc. There are many definitions of quality but one of the descriptions of quality which emphasizes on the context was by Tikly (2011:10) who argued that: A good quality education is one that enables all learners to realise the capabilities they require to become economically productive, develop sustainable livelihoods, contribute to peaceful and democratic societies and enhance wellbeing. The learning outcomes that are required vary according to context but at the end of the basic education cycle must include threshold levels of literacy and numeracy and life skills including awareness and prevention of disease. In his description, Tikly believes that a good quality education arises from interactions between three overlapping environments, namely the policy, the school and the home/community environments. In his perception of quality education, Tikly puts context into consideration i.e. needs of the learner, cultural and political contexts. In addition, he emphasizes on the relevance of what is taught and learned and how it fits the nature of particular learners in question. This encourages policy makers to take cognisance of changing national development needs, the kinds of schools that different learners attend and the forms of educational disadvantage faced by different groups of learners when considering policy options'(ibid:11). The fact that CFS emphasizes on learner-centered pedagogy and puts the child at the centre or focal point in the learning process raises the idea of what is regarded as valuable knowledge and how this knowledge is acquired in this particular context. This leads us to the inquiry on the school of thought or paradigm behind introducing a contextualized CFS framework. CFS as an approach to education is premised on constructivism, a theory of knowledge arguing that humans generate knowledge and meaning from interaction between ideas and real experiences. According to constructivists, the notions of reality and truth are socially constructed and in different context with the understanding that knowledge is subjective and embedded in multiple realities. Thus, quality of learning should be viewed in the context in which it is occurs. Towards Quality Basic Education In Kenya: Developing Research Capacity and Evaluation Before we acknowledge the contribution of CFS in providing quality education to the children at Primary school level, it will be prudent to review some of other contributions that has been made by international organizations in collaborations with the local government in promoting quality of education at grassroot levels in building research capacity. Kenya has had a history of benefiting from international assistance in its education sector. One of the programmes is the Primary Schools Management (PRISM), an initiative of DfID through the Ministry of Education, which places a lot of emphasis on participatory approaches and emphasis on mobilising community support, resource management and utilisation, supporting learning of pupils and developing action plans. It targeted teacher training and management and the impact of this is overall effectiveness of an education system which has a direct bearing on quality of education. According to Otieno Colclough (2009:26), PRISM is regarded as one of donor-funded programmes which had most positive impact on quality of basic education and CFS can learn from it. As Crossley et al ()notes, the main objective of PRISM was to improve the quality of primary education through the training and support of head teachers in practical management skills. Borrowing from the PRISM experience it is worthy learning that well planned and organized CFSs policies involving community participation at grass root level could help amplify local voices and lead to successful implementation of educational policies not only in Kenya but also other parts of African contexts. Challenges in implementing CFS in Kenya In this section I will explore common challenges associated with the CFSs with an aim of illuminating and critiquing the gap between policy and practice in CFSs. Access and Quality Dilemma: Which one should be first priority? As I mentioned earlier, one of the role of CFS in Kenya is to improve the quality of learning. But the access to education is still a challenge in Kenya and there is fear that Kenya will not have achieved EFA goals 1 and 2 by the year 2015. As we near the 2015 set deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, at a time when hopes should be high, universal access to primary education in Kenya seems to be slipping away. Many comparative researchers argue that different countries have different educational problems and it is the countrys obligation to identify what should be the priority and why. Aksoy (2008: 218) observes that: While developed countries are mainly engaged in activities to increase the quality of education, or they practice and seek new techniques and methods of learning and teaching, developing countries struggle to provide equal opportunities for education, trying to increase the rate of participation of all citizens in basic education, which is actually compulsory. To deal with its educational problems, each country works out countrywide or local solutions, depending on the nature of the problem. The tone of such statement is more closely allied to the question of priority. Priority in one country may not be a priority in another. In Kenya, the major problem basic education is facing is of access while higher education is facing the problem of quality. CFS focus more on quality, but in the Kenyan context, access to education is still a problem in basic education even after the introduction of FPE. The CFS concept of quality can however suit very well in some small state commonwealth countries which have almost universal access to basic education. It has been noted that small sates have now shifted education priorities towards focus in school effectiveness, quality and inclusion (Crossley, 2002) after ensuring that all children have accessed basic education and CFSs in Kenya should learn from small states that the priority should now be on access to basic education before shifting to quality. Atomizing the child: is child-centred the solution to quality CFS? A key feature of a right-based, CFS system is that it is linked tightly to the child-centred learning process. CFS advocates for child-centred learning where a child is treated as a single entity or an atom in learning processes. The idea of atomizing a child has its drawbacks derived from child-centred learning. First, there is an oversight on early year development behaviour of the child. Psychologists believe children undergo various levels of development and their learning behaviours are different at each level. For instant, Vygotskys (1978) concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) implies that a child cannot ordinary create ZPD by himself; he needs the more expert individual to bridge the gap between his current development level and his proximal level of development. Secondly, a child-friendly, democratic learning environment may not work successful in overcrowded classrooms and school with limited resources like it is the case in Kenya. Thirdly, child-centred learning weakens the role of the teacher. The idea that a child must be active in construction of knowledge is often understood to imply a diminishing role for the teacher in learning process who now becomes a coach or a facilitator. A call for paradigm renovation, from an exclusively child-centred learning to a combination of both child-centred learning and teacher-centred learning approach is important so that the weakness of one method is complemented by the other method. What Lessons can Kenya learn from other Countries in Implementing CFS? A Review on the Contribution of Comparative Research King (2007) emphasizes the need to explore the tension between the national and the international policy agendas in Kenya in order to make informed decisions when crafting educational policies. Clearly, this is a view that acknowledges the contribution of CIR researchers in bridging theories, policies and practices with both local and global minds (Crossley, 2000) in trying to identify betters grounds to critically reflect and determine appropriate course of action. Apparently, the term that is commonly used in Kenya and indeed many Africa countries in the initial processes of designing an educational policy is benchmarking. Essentially, this is usually a comparative study which is carried out locally and/or internationally in trying to compare different models of policy framework with the aim of critical adaption or adoption. Lessons are well learnt when a comparisons are made, and this underscores the strength and significance of comparative research. Moreover, since problems transcend national borders, it is prudent to seek possible solutions from a similar experience in another country, and this explains why international research is important. Kenya can learn from other countries that are either progressing or failing to implement CFS policies because lessons can either identify opportunities or gaps, based on comparative analysis. In these respect therefore, I have identified two key elements of CIR which could help implementation of CFS. The first element is on identification of the gap between policy and practice. Documenting the emerging good practices and lessons learned within the regions is useful in informing evidence based programming and advocacy to enable us to achieve better results. For example, a Global Evaluation Report published by UNICEF in 2009 on comparative studies of how to six countries (Guyana, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand) with different experiences implementing CFS, demonstrated the following: CFSs in varying contexts successfully apply the three key principles of CFS models-inclusiveness, child-centredness and democratic participation. Schools operating in very different national contexts, with different levels of resources and serving populations with different needs have succeeded in being child-centred, promoting democratic participation, and being inclusive. Schools that had high levels of family and community participation and use of child-centred pedagogical approaches had stronger conditions for learning, that is, students felt safer, supported and engaged, and believed that the adults in the school supported the inclusion and success of each student. (UNESCO, 2009) Kenya can use this success report to assist in providing a broader perspective on the ways in which CFSs can contribute to quality in the countrys unique context. The caution should however be that any steps taken should have hindsight of the current context in the country to avoid uncritical transfer of practice which may end up opening a Pandoras box. Secondly, through CIR, studies of educational systems that share similar problems can provide information for learning possible consequences. A recent comparative evaluation research conducted by UNESCO in Nigeria, Gunaya, Thailand and the Philippines on CFS pedagogy gave different findings. While teachers in Nigeria and Guyana mainly focused on meeting basic instructional material needs (textbooks, paper), many teachers in Thailand and the Philippines focused on having greater access to information and communication technology (UNESCO 2009). Kenya experiences the same challenge as Nigeria and Gunaya, and data from these countries can be used to learn how they coping with inadequate basic instructional material. The caution here should be, that common problems may prevail in different countries, but common model cannot be applied because each country has different culture/context (Crossley Watson, 2003:39). This provides invaluable information of what to adopt, modify or avoid. Conclusion It is worthy reiterating Crossley'(2003) emphasis that context matters and different countries have different needs and priorities even if they are faced with the same challenges. The value of CIR is studying foreign systems of education in order to become better fitted to study and understand our own (Sadler 1900, reprinted 1964:310) and CIR can be used as a lense to focus on adaptable or adoptable practices. UNICEF repeatedly emphasises that CFS is a pathway to educational quality rather than a blueprint and that it is counterproductive to regard the CFS model as rigid, with a present number of defining characteristics or key components (2009c, Ch. 1, p. 9). Thus, the essay sought to present an overview in favour of the contribution of CIR by highlighting what CFS policies in the Kenyan context could learn from CIR. As such, the essay acknowledges the role of CIR in stimulating critical thinking and reflections about CFSs system by evaluating its success and failures, strengths and weaknesses. This critical reflection facilitates self evaluation in our own context and the basis for determining appropriate courses of action. The essay also hints that CIR helps us understand global agendas and how they shape educational development projects from organizations and development agencies.

Dead Poets Society - The Message of the Dead Poets Essay -- Movie Film

Dead Poets Society - The Message of the Dead Poets    Teachers are wonderful heroes. In the movie, Dead Poets Society the teacher/hero is John Keating, played magnificently by Robin Williams. The film takes place at a small preparatory boys' school (Welton Academy) in the late 1950's. The story follows the lives of a group of students and the way that Mr. Keating's teachings influence them. He encourages the boys to become freethinkers and to live life for the moment. The message hallowed by Keating is one of mortality--do not waste your life, for you will get no other, and when you are "food for worms" will the world have been a better place because you were in it? This message is prevalent throughout the film. Keating brings to the abnormally strict classroom something that the timid boys have never seen, enthusiasm. On the first day of class, he tells his students to rip the boring and scientific-type preface from their books. The act in itself is one of defiance and is but one action that draws the boys to Keating. The friendly good nature of Keating leads ...

Stoke Bruerne is a small village near towcestor off of the A5 in between Birmingham and London on the Grand Union Canal

There was various land owners before 1805, one of them was the ‘Saxon lord' swain son of Azor, son of lefs, Lord of Stoke, he in 1086 herd 21 houses with families of ‘villains and borders' the total value of the houses was 10 shillings a year. After swain the ‘Saxon lord' died with no heirs a Norman Noble took the land , it then passed from one family to another, it acquired the name Bruerne from sir William de Bruerne, who was a friend of both king Richard the ‘lion heart' and his brother King John. De Bruerne help the manor of stoke and also sitlehanger (shutlanger) and Aldrintone (Alderton) from William de Warenn Earl of Surrey, He was also a substantial Landowner. At the beginning of the 13th century Sir William was given the manor of Stoke Bruerne, and in 1217 he appointed the first Rector of Stoke Bruerne, named Richard de Rolf. In Stoke Bruerne the population increased from 609 people in 1801 to 823 people in 1971. Pre 1805 Stoke Bruerne was a small simple Hamlet, it had a figure of either setting, it had a church surrounded by thatched cottages, and then there was the farms in separate areas. Most of the people who lived there were farmhands and had very low wages, they also did not have much if any knowledge of other villages/towns, they also rented there houses from landowners like the Hesketh's and the Duke of Grafton, they had poor diets and eat very little meat, they eat any food that was being harvested at the time. They had a low protein die, and no access to medical care a tall so thee was high infantry mortality (baby's dieing before be fore 12 months of age) there was no dentist and low life expectancy, some people with a large enough garden would of kept chickens and maybe a pig, and would have also grown there own vegetables. The canal was built for many reasons, one of which was because of transport problems, they had some roads, but they were mostly dirt tracks, there was problems such as rain, snow and mud stopping this, also there were highwaymen who could rob you, and turn pikes slowed down traffic at nights, but stoke Bruerne was close to the A5 which was later improved by Thomas Telford. Then there was the idea of transporting good's by the sea, but there was problems such as seasonal problems like ice and driving rain, there also was all year gales, it also was quite expensive as boats sank, and there was piracy. There was another idea of using the rivers, but thee also was problems with this such as flooding and drought, tidal problems, going upstream was difficult, there was also inland piracy, and not all areas have rivers deep enough and wide enough to take a boat. The speed of the transport was varied, the horse and cart could go around 5 MPH, and so could the river boat, sea ships speeds varied on the wind speed and the direction, but the canal had the most direct route unlike the horse and cart. From London to Birmingham it was roughly 100 miles, which if you went at 5 MPH non-stop in the quickest route would take 20 hours, but the roads were not the most direct route so it would take longer, and also you needed to stop to give the horses breaks and to sleep, also non of the transport routes apart from the A5 which was built at a later date were direct. Construction of the tunnel began in 1793 and with over 3,000 men working on it covering nearly 100 miles between Brentford and Braunston, but they had poor roads and lack of instantaneous communication, this made organization very hard and put a great strain on the building of the canal, by the end of 1796 the canal had reached Blisworth from Braunston, with the 2042 yard tunnel at the Braunston summit and high embankment at Weedon and Bugbrooke then work was plannedon the long tunnel planed by jessop and bearnes to pierce the ridge on the southern side of stoke Bruerne. The preliminary work of the Blisworth tunnel started in 1703 but cutting stopped in January of 1796, local word says the tunnel collapsed but there's no factual proof of this, jessop want to go for all locks which would of in tolled 29 in all, with a short summit with reservoir's, Barnes proposed a new tunnel on a different line, he was supported with Robert Whitworth and John Barnes, the company agreed on principle but could not sanction work until 1802. After huge economic pressure the company had to act quickly, so they build a toll road over the hill in 1797, it had good benefit but was unable too meet the demands of the trade company's, so then Benjamin Outram was called in too make a tramway over the hill, it was a double track road 4 ft wide. The locks had been completed and the ancillary works, the canal now awaited the opening of the tunnel, heading from both ends met on 25th of February 1805 and final work was completed on 19th of March, the official opening was on Monday 25th of March 1805, the tunnel had in fact cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½90,003 2s 4d. At 3,075 yards 2 feet, nearly à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30 per yard. We see in the 1844 map how Stoke Bruerne was cut in two by the new canal and how the village street had been re routed from its ancient line along what is now chapel land to the green by the school, to now going alone its present course over the new canal bridge over the top lock. There was some buildings that changed at the opening of the canal, but some that did not change were buildings like the Church and the Rectory house, and all the cottages near the church there was also new buildings at the opening of the canal like the mill house and more pubs, also the pubs main entrance changed from the town side to the canal side. While the canal was in its ‘Golden Years' stocks went up by more then ten times in forty years, in 1801 the stocks were doubled, by 1810 then stocks had then gone up by 6 times, then by 1821stocks had raised to up too 9 times more then there first value, and then they had got raised by even more, by 1831they had gone up by 13 times, this for stoke brokers was a huge profit and brought great riches to the town and a lot more jobs, the population also had a huge raise. In 1805 the canal opened, in 1815 the Napoleonic wars were ending, in 1835 the double bridge was built for the big canal to enable traffic to get through easier, in 1838 the London to Birmingham railway was completed, and from there on the canal was failing in profits, economically the village got stronger and more social because of more people were living there and there was a higher demand for goods as many many canal boats passed through daily with there own separate needs, also the new jobs that were available were now better paid because they required a higher level of skill and they were usually very dangerous. Also there was better quality food as there was a higher demand, the food was now usually fresher, also there was a lot more meat which helped to balance there diet, and there was more dairy products, so the health of the community improved and so did the life expectancy, and infant mortality lowered. Houses also improved, houses were now cleaner, mainly because soap was now carried through Stoke Bruerne, houses were also improved with slate and bricks now that they traveled through Stoke Bruerne, houses were also warmer because coal prices lowered and people became richer to buy the coal with, some houses now also started having glass in there windows, and there was now also a ‘school pence tax' which paid for the first school in Stoke Bruerne. There was not many complaints about the canal because either they could not write a formal complain or they did not have any power to put there word forward, but one person who did complain was the Rector, he complained because his garden was cut in half, he managed to get a bridge put up so that he could go collect his fish for Fridays dinner from his pond on the other side. Many people could of complained though, because we can presume that many farmers lost all of there workers, the villagers would have been annoyed about the badly behaved navies, there would have been a lot of noise because of the building of the canal, mud in the village, and dust in the summer, there would also of been a lot of horse muck because of the canal, and also there would have been great dangers of people falling in, also villagers were not rich enough to buy shares so they would of not gained from the canal as the same ways as the land owners did, but ordinary villagers did not complain because local landowners wanted the canal and the villagers were too afraid they would lose there homes to complain. When the railway was built it hugely impacted the canal and the village of Stoke Bruerne, the canal lost shares drastically from when it was planned to up to 20 years later, it also lost much of its customers, who could now not only send there goods on the train at a faster and cheaper way, but they could also could travel with there goods to ensure there safe transport and if they fancied going to visit someone or on a business trip. In 1835 the construction of the Railway started, but also at this time they made a double lock canal to help with traffic and also to encourage more canal users, in 1838 the railway opened, the London to Birmingham Line. The Railway was built as it was a lot quicker then the canal, or any other forms of transport and that it went in a straight line near the canal, the trains traveled at speeds of around 40 MPH, and they also could carry a lot more goods then the canal, a canal carried one canal boats worth, which was not much, a train could have lots more carriages, it could carry as many carriages as it had the power to., a canal boat is about 72 feet by 7 feet, having the railway led to cheaper goods because the transport was cheaper so everyone(apart from the canal transporters) were gaining, either by cheaper transport or cheaper prices, also trains rarely suffered from seasonal problems like ice roads and flooding. Also it was cheaper too build the railway as the track was set by the canal and already surveyed, and also the canal could transport the equipment they needed like shale timber and sleepers, railways took paying passengers also which helped more money come in, also they had stations with waiting centers and loo's, towns like Birmingham grew and got bigger because they were on the main line of the Railway, but Northampton was not on the main line so it did not grow. Some social effects were the unemployment for canal workers in the village, but some of them would have gone to the railways, especially the engineers who were greatly needed on the railways, also the navies would have gone to the railways. Railways were less labor intense so there was less jobs available for it, but people could now commute to towcestor and other big towns and cites, which meant they now would all commute to there job and turn into a commuting village. In the 20th century Stoke Bruerne got a lot more popular, it had a larger tourism attraction to it because of its turn from a small village, to a village with a major canal running through it which brought a lot more customers wishing to either stay at there Inn's, eat there or just to have a break, also there was many facilities there with equipment that boatmen needed to make it through there journey, there was spare boards among other things, but all this tourism let to high traffic problems and a lot of noise for the locals who were not best pleased, there was not much parking space so some local farmers open there fields for people to park in at a higher then average price. In summer there was a lot of litter, from the many tourists that visited Stoke Bruerne, also the pubs and shops and restaurants had higher then average prices because there was no competition between anyone else because they were very far from any other places, and sometimes Stoke Bruerne was over crowded which made it an unpleasant place to visit sometimes. Also there was more noise because of children and there was dangers by the canal side, EG the towpath which they could of fell into if they were not careful, there was also more jobs gained by tourism, but they were seasonal and low paid, also now house prices have gone up in Stoke Bruerne because Milton Keynes and Towcestor were close by, and now nearly all the villagers are commuters. There was new transport routes made as the M1 opened in the early 1960's, and the Beaching Acts shut down the railways in the 1960's also which helped the canal slightly. In this section I am going to discuss the sources I used to help me complete my coursework. Extracts, by David Blagrove was written in 1991 and it is a secondary source although he would have used primary information in his research. I could say that he is bias as he is a canal enthusiast, I can prove this by saying that he does not deal with other modes of transport that were competition with for the canal in the midlands at the time e.g. Horse and cart on the A5 would have been the canals main competition. I am able to use other sources to prove Blagrove's Evidence e.g. the 1844 map shows the rector's land split in two. The second written source is by Whittaker written in 1879, although this is a secondary source it is the earliest written source available to me and he also used primary evidence, it was the only source that contained population figures but its downside is it is a re-write and having not seen the original I am unable to find out weather or not valuable information has been lost. The Last Written source I wish to discuss is written by Lawrence Wood in 1975. It is a secondary source but Wood would of have had access to primary information such as marriage, death and birth certificates and information from parish records, the biggest problem with this source is that it does not even mention the canal and really it is produced for visitors/tourist's to the church. The two maps I used were dated 1844 and 1920. The 1844 map shows the layout of the canal side in Stoke Bruerne when the canal was at its busiest showing building bridges and locks. The 1920 map shows that the barge marina had been filled in, proving the canal's decline as mentioned by Blagrove. Therefore I have been able to prove that the canal's construction through the village of Stoke Bruerne changed the village socially, peoples job's changed, physically, the centre of the village was no longer the church and financially, I can assume that living conditions and health improved and the canal company's made large profits.

Art in ancient greece essays

Art in ancient greece essays Art is the creation of beautiful; or thought provoking works. Art went through a tremendous amount of development in ancient Greece from the archaic to the Hellenistic eras. Much of the development was due to the political and philosophical views of the era. Each era gave way for the changes in the following era. During the archaic period there was a growing elevation of individualism. Individuality and uniqueness, virtually an awareness of self was a main issue within art ands philosophy. In archaic Greece there was increased prosperity and mobility this allowed for old ways of life to be overcome and people were more susceptible to finding ones self in other words individuality stood out. Poetry and sculpture show a more personal approach and attention to intellectual and personal detail. Personal feelings were reflected within art. In poetry men and womens sexuality and feelings about sexuality were free territory to discuss a practice which was uncommon prior to this period. Sculpture emerged as a principle form of artistic expression. There were magnificent statues of nude walking youths. Draped female sculptures from the archaic period suggest Middle Eastern influence. Philosophy at this time was moving away from religion, and concentrated on the awareness of self, philosophy and art had a central focus of self. Archaic art is a silent witness to the extraordinary development western society was about to undertake. The art of the classical Greek style id characterized by a joyous, freedom of expression and I celebrates mankind as an independent entity. Artist of this period began to express the human figure in a more naturalistic manner. Their forms were more true to life, but they approached an ideal vision. Classical sculptures became natural. The sculptures completed the process begun by their archaic forbearers of mastering the accurate representation of the human body. Classical vase p...

The Pros of Mosquitoes and Their Important Roles

The Pros of Mosquitoes and Their Important Roles Not much love is lost between people and mosquitoes. If insects can be credited with evil intent, mosquitoes seem determined to wipe out the human race. As carriers of deadly diseases, mosquitoes are the  deadliest insect on Earth. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people die from malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever after being bitten by a disease-carrying, blood-sucking mosquito. The Zika virus can harm fetuses if a pregnant woman gets bitten, and chikungunya can cause debilitating joint pain. If these diseases affect a large population at once, the outbreak can overwhelm local health care, the UN reports. Mosquitoes also carry diseases that pose serious threats to livestock and pets. At the very least, these bloodthirsty insects are major annoyances, biting humans with a persistence that can be maddening. Knowing this, is there an intrinsic value to keeping them around? If we could, should we just eradicate them all off the face of the earth? The answer is mosquitoes do have value. Scientists are divided as to whether theyre worth it, though. The Long History of Mosquitoes on Earth Mosquitoes populated this planet long before man. The oldest mosquito fossils date back some 200 million years, to the Cretaceous period.   More than 3,500 species of mosquitoes have already been  described from various parts of the world, of which only a few hundred species bite or bother humans. In fact, only female mosquitoes bite humans. Males lack the parts to penetrate human skin.   Benefits Many scientists agree that mosquitoes present more of a hassle than they have value. The mere fact that they are the reason for so many human deaths a year is reason enough to wipe them off the planet. However, mosquitoes serve important functions in numerous ecosystems, serving as food for many species, helping filter detritus for plant  life to thrive, pollinating flowers, and even affecting the herding paths of caribou in the tundra. Last, scientists are looking at the mosquito for potential medical treatments. The Food Web Mosquito larvae are aquatic insects  and, as such, play an important role in the aquatic food chain. According to Dr. Gilbert Waldbauer in The Handy Bug Answer Book, Mosquito larvae are filter feeders that strain tiny organic particles such as unicellular algae from the water and convert them to the tissues of their own bodies, which are, in turn, eaten by fish. Mosquito larvae are, in essence, nutrient-packed snacks for fish and other aquatic animals. In addition, while species of mosquitoes eat the  carcasses of  insects  that drown in the  water,  the mosquito larvae feed on the waste products, making nutrients such as nitrogen available for the plant community to thrive. Thus, the elimination of those mosquitoes  might affect plant growth in those areas. A mosquitos role on the bottom of the food chain does not end at the larval stage. As adults, mosquitoes serve as equally nutritious meals for birds, bats, and spiders. Mosquitoes seem to represent a considerable biomass of food for wildlife on the lower rungs of the food chain. Mosquito  extinction, if it is achievable, could have an adverse effect on the ecosystem. However, many scientists suggest that the ecosystem could eventually rebound and another species could take its place in the system. Acting as Pollinators Only the females of some mosquito species need a meal of blood to get the proteins necessary to lay eggs. For the most part, male and female adult mosquitoes depend on nectar for energy. While retrieving nectar, mosquitoes pollinate plants to help to ensure that different types of plant life thrive.  When mosquitoes pollinate  plants, especially the aquatic ones around which they spend much of their lives, they help perpetuate these plants. These plants provide cover and shelter for other animals and organisms. Medicinal Lessons? Although the mosquito has been a known vector for spreading disease all over the world, there is some hope that mosquito saliva may  have some potential use for the treatment of the No. 1 worldwide killer of humans: cardiovascular disease. One promising application is the development of anticlotting drugs, such as clotting inhibitors and capillary dilators. The composition of mosquito saliva is relatively simple, as it usually contains fewer than 20 dominant proteins. Despite the great strides in knowledge of these molecules and their role in blood feeding, scientists still know only about half of the molecules found in the insects saliva.