What Were They Like Essay Example Essay Example

What Were They Like Essay Example Paper What Were They Like Essay Introduction The Poem we have studied is ‘What Were They Like’ which was written in the 1960’s by Denise Levertov. Denise Levertov was a anti war protester, who protested about the loss of the Vietnamese culture and the cruelty of the Americans. The structure of the poem was written in questions then answers as she wanted us to think about the questions then look at the answers after. Denise Levertov emphasises about the disaster which was caused by the Americans which left the people of Vietnam devastated. In the first question Denise Levertov tries to tell us that the people of Vietnam lived a simple life â€Å"did the people of Vietnam use lantern or stones†. Denise levertov tries to tell us that the people of Vietnam had hardly any money let alone electricity. Vietnam was isolated from the advanced countries such as America, United Kingdom and much more. This brings sympathy from the readers towards the people of Vietnam, as thinks makes the reader feel very saddene d by what happened to all those happy villagers. In the answer 1; Denise levertov tells us that darkness came across the Vietnam â€Å"Sir, their light hearts turned to stone†. Denise Levertov uses the words â€Å"Lights hearts† to tell us that the Vietnamese people were kind, calm and peaceful people. Then Levertov uses the word â€Å"Stone† to emphasise the fact that their lives came to an unexpected end. What Were They Like Essay Body Paragraphs In the second question, Denise Levertov asks us if people of Vietnam worshipped nature. â€Å"Did they hold ceremonies to reverence the opening of the bud?† What Denise Levertov was trying to explain was that they loved nature and they never harmed it. In the answer 2, Denise Levertov tells us that they maybe did hold ceremonies â€Å"perhaps they gathered once to delight in blossom† Levertov uses the words â€Å"perhaps† and † once† which indicates that nobody really knew if they did worship nature as it was a long time ago. In the second point, Denise Levertov tells us that the village was surrounded by sadness when the children died â€Å"But after the children died there were no buds†. She uses the quote to explain that there were no more laughter or happiness in the atmosphere surrounding the village. Denise Levertov uses the word â€Å"buds† as a metaphor to refer to the starting of a human life. In the third question, Denise Lever tov asks us if the Vietnam were happy or not â€Å"quiet laughter†. She is asking us if they were happy enjoying their lives and if they were a close unit (close family). In the answer 3, Denise Levertov tells us that Vietnam had nothing to enjoy themselves with. â€Å"Sir Laughter is bitter to the burned mouth†. She uses alliteration to show the reader how people can’t bare the thought of being happy anymore. She uses sarcasm to make her point about people who have lost everything can no longer experience any happiness. During and after the war people were getting torn to pieces, just because they were right in the middle of the war. In the question 4, Levertov asks us if the Vietnamese people used bone and ivory â€Å"did they use bone and ivory†. Levertov uses the words bone and ivory because it links to nature. So she asks us if they worshipped nature and if they used parts of nature. In the answer, Levertov tells us that ornaments are used when peopl e are happy. â€Å"Ornaments is used for joy† â€Å"bones were charred† if they wasn’t any joy in the village then there wasn’t any point of wearing ornaments. Levertov uses the words â€Å"bones† and â€Å"charred† to tell us that bones were burnt and the Vietnam used materials like bones to build their ornaments. She uses vivid language so that the reader can picture the devastation which was caused by war. Her responses are very negative and are all associated with deathly themes. In the point in question 5, Levertov tries to make us think about the Vietnamese people. â€Å"It is not remembered. Remember†. The picture that Levertov is trying to paint for us is that nothing is left and that nobody knows how they lived there lives. She is trying to tell us that nobody really knew but they had lives. They were happy the way they lived. They were ordinary people living their lives. The 2nd point Levertov tells us that they were poor â €Å"most were peasants†. This shows that they never lived in an advanced country; they were poor who worked in fields to earn a living for their family. The 3rd point which was given to us was â€Å"maybe fathers told their sons old tales†. Levertov is telling us that fathers and sons had very good relationship as it relates back to the previous question as that they were a unit. The last point is that the people of Vietnam never knew that they were going to be in a middle of a war. â€Å"When bombs smashed those mirrors it was only time to scream†. Levertov plays with words as she uses â€Å"bombs smashed those mirrors†. She is telling us that the bombs tore the village apart. The beautiful scenery wasn’t beautiful anymore. The bombs had destroyed the lives of the Vietnam people. Levertov uses the words â€Å"it was only time to scream† in this line she tells us that war came unexpectedly. There was no sign of warning. But when the war came it left the people of Vietnam devastated. In question 6, Levertov tells us that speech resembled singing â€Å"speech and singing†. Levertov emphasises the fact that they were happy people, they were joyful. In the 1st point, Levertov tries to tell us that the villagers were calm people â€Å"singing resembled flight of moths on the moonlight†. Levertov tells us that they were quiet, who loved nature. In the 2nd point Levertov tells us that there isn’t an echo left in the village. â€Å"Who can say? It is silent now† this shows that the destruction brought the village at the edge of death. Many people’s lives became meaningless. Levertov uses the short sentence as it stands out from the rest. Also it is very clear in what the sentence means also it makes the reader think about Vietnam. The poem ‘What Were They Like’ is written in past and present tense. The questions are written in past tense and the answers are written in present ten se. She used the questions in past and present tense because she wanted us to think back. She wanted to tell us what they did back then. The answers are in past tense as nobody knows how they lived. The answers I think children were answering to a man of respect as nearly in each answer it starts off with ‘Sir’. By bringing in ‘Sir’ Levertov is mocking the situation, as children answer their teachers by ‘Sir’ and the villagers had to answer the soldiers by ‘Sir’. She is trying to emphasise the fact that the people of Vietnam had no respect and they needed respect. The tone of this poem is sad â€Å"who can say it is silent now†. This quote was used to reflect the death of the happy loving villagers. The first stanza is positive and the second stanza was negative, this helps us to understand the people a bit better. The themes of this poem are love, death war, children and poverty. They used the quote â€Å"maybe fathers tol d their sons old tales† for love to emphasise that they were ordinary human beings who had big hearts. â€Å"But after the children were killed where were no more buds†. This quote represents death and children due to the because they are telling us that when children died they won’t be there to grow up to get married and have children’s which lessons the population. â€Å"When bombs smashed those mirrors there was only time to scream†. They give the idea that the US threw bombs at the Vietnamese people. This is related to war. For poverty they used â€Å"rice and bamboo† to tell us that they never had any luxury things they were still working in fields. This poem is very effective in the way the poem is layed out from my point of view. The quote which I found very effective was â€Å"who can say it is silent now† as it is short and very effective sentence and it gives the idea that everyone is killed and that there is a deserted villa ge. London Fete is a protest poem which was written by Coventry Patmore in 1890 after public executions had stopped. Patmore objects to the fact that hanging was a public spectacle as it was used for an amusement for the big crowds which would gather round. Patmore describes the different people watching and there reactions â€Å"here a girl form her vesture tore a rag to wave with†. â€Å"There a man, with yelling tired†. Patmore uses the title ‘London fete’ on purpose as each word has its own meaning. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and that’s where rules are made, also fete has two meanings, fete is when there are amusement parks for everyone to enjoy. Fate is destiny and the person who is getting hanged in the poem, his destiny is death. The structure of the poem that Patmore uses is one of short snappy lines which make the whole poem long and thin to mimic the hangman’s rope. Differences and similarities of WWTL and LOND ON FETE ‘WWTL’ and ‘London Fete’ have many similarities. Both poems are about death. â€Å"after the children were killed† (WWTL). â€Å"They brought the man out to be hang’d† (London Fete). Also both are protest poems written to influence public feelings about events that the authors feel to be wrong. In both poems, death is legal. As in WWTL, the American senate would have authorised American troops to bomb the Vietnam, whilst in LF, the hanging would have followed a legal trial. Structure of both poems are both similar, both have short lines which will give more effect to the words. Both poems are very visual because the poets use graphic language to shock the readers. â€Å"The dangling corpse hung straight and still† (LF). â€Å"All the bones were charred† (WWTL). There are many differences in the way ‘What Were They Like’ and ‘London Fete’ were written. One of the differences is that ‘ What Were They Like’ was about families working as a unit and helping each other out. This is one of the quotes I took to back my point â€Å"maybe fathers told their sons old tales†. On the other hand the people of ‘London Fete’ help there babies to have a good angle on seeing someone getting hanged and to show how entertaining death was â€Å"mothers hold their babies to see†. Levertov exploits the Vietnam culture to it’s full potential by telling us how kind, caring, loving and happy people were however Patmore tells us that people gathered just to see death then they travelled in there own separate ways. Patmore tries to show how vile these people were. This shows a big difference in the ‘London Fete’ and ‘What Were They Like’ culture. Levertov once again shows us that the people of Vietnam were happy. Levertov tells us that the people of Vietnam’s happiness lied in giving birth; they ‘gatheredâ€⠄¢ together to celebrate life but Patmore’s poem tells us that they had nothing to do other than watch a man die. â€Å"The dangling man hung straight and still†. Patmore uses this sentence to create tension in the reader as to, why would people be happy to watch someone die? Levertov exaggerates to put her point across the US showing them that Vietnam never did anything wrong. They were being killed for living a happy life. On the other hand Patmore’s poem shows how cruel the London society was. In ‘What Were They Like’ Levertov explains to us that the people of Vietnam were very isolated and we should have left it that way as so many innocent people have died. â€Å"There was only time to scream† Levertov tells us that death brought fear into the hearts of the villagers. In contrast to that, Patmore shows us that people were entertained by watching other people die. Everyone â€Å"enjoyed the wicked treat† (an oxymoron). This shows t hat they had no feelings for others. As on Levertov poet, it showed the people of Vietnam were scared to death watching people die We will write a custom essay sample on What Were They Like Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What Were They Like Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What Were They Like Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

No Child

No Child No Child No Child is an outstanding show that depicts and outcaste the battle ground that United Stated public education system has become. This show consists of both pep and humor and many experts have believed that the show carries a great energy with itself. The show has got the much-needed appreciation throughout United States and Europe. Both audience and critics have been thrilled with the energy and honesty of play. This play has definitely ignited the debate on the crises of public school system. The play has meticulously presented the crises of present day public school system and has presented a light on this dismal situation. The play is devised from the teaching experience in the roughest school of New York City. No Child is a story about Sun who is completely broke and a nave actor. This actor arrived at Malcolm X high school and her mission was to help the students to rehearse and perform a play. Her first encounter was with a student who was giving taunts to their Asian-American teacher. With this the optimism of Sun was turned down to grim. She confronted with the reality of high staff turnover, parental indifference and mass truancy. She quickly understood that it is difficult to coordinate with students. Nilaja Sun emerges out as a revelation in itself; throughout the play she displayed the correct balance of mimicry and serious matters. She displayed ear for mimicry and uncanny comic timings. She provided a beautiful architecture of quirky high school; the ecosystem was described as completely dysfunctional and haphazard. Impressive and interesting characters were shown with the inclusion of parents, teachers, administrators, students and security guards. This all characters altogether portrayed an interesting image of school. The play is indeed a extraordinary work that shows and revealed the outstanding disparities that exists at the core of United States. The play should be seen by entire generation, from teenage to old people. Everyone would find some or other thing interesting and suited to his taste in the play. This type of work is the result of meticulous thinking and hard work that one can put into writing. The play brilliantly outcaste that a schooling system can be broken up to that level where people do not respect each other. People from every generation and every section of society would find the play that can be linked and associated to their heart. It is also believed that this play may create negative impression in the mind of kids, it is advisable that this play should not be watched by the children with less than 12 years of age. It is not preferable that kids in that small age get to see the breaking lines in education system. It may create a negative impression in their mind and they can also feel highly de motivated. The actors were also chosen in a careful manner, the acting was so perfect that a virtual classroom could be imagined while watching the play. People could actually think that entire thing is running in front of them and they could actually associate themselves with the characters of play. The play has also provided the hope and belief to the population of America. This emerged out to be an unexpected and superb experience that can change the working conditions in United States education system for a better and saner future, a future where students would respect their teachers and where student would apprecia te and respect other students. Children are the bases for any country and play has rightly depicted the importance that should be given to change and alter the existing education system.

Aristotle on Democracy and Government

Aristotle on Democracy and Government Aristotle, one of the greatest philosophers of all time, a teacher of world leader Alexander the Great, and a prolific writer on a variety of subjects we might not think related to philosophy, provides important information on ancient politics. He distinguishes between good and bad forms of ruling in all the basic systems; thus there are good and bad forms of the rule by one (mon-archy), a few (olig-archy, arist-ocracy), or many (dem-ocracy). All Government Types Have a Negative Form For Aristotle, democracy is not the best form of government. As is also true of oligarchy and monarchy, rule in a democracy is for and by the people named in the government type. In a democracy, rule is by and for the needy. In contrast, rule of law or aristocracy (literally, power [rule] of the best) or even monarchy, where the ruler has the interest of his country at heart, are better types of government. Best Fit to Rule Government, Aristotle says, should be by those people with enough time on their hands to pursue virtue. This is a far cry from the current U.S. drive towards campaign financing laws designed to make the political life available even to those without well-endowed fathers. It is also very different from the modern career politician who derives his wealth at the expense of the citizenry. Aristotle thinks rulers should be propertied and leisured, so, without other worries, they can invest their time in producing virtue. Laborers are too busy. Book III - But the citizen whom we are seeking to define is a citizen in the strictest sense, against whom no such exception can be taken, and his special characteristic is that he shares in the administration of justice, and in offices. He who has the power to take part in the deliberative or judicial administration of any state is said by us to be a citizens of that state; and, speaking generally, a state is a body of citizens sufficing for the purposes of life.... For tyranny is a kind of monarchy which has in view the interest of the monarch only; oligarchy has in view the interest of the wealthy; democracy, of the needy: none of them the common good of all. Tyranny, as I was saying, is monarchy exercising the rule of a master over the political society; oligarchy is when men of property have the government in their hands; democracy, the opposite, when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers. Book VII The citizens must not lead the life of mechanics or tradesmen, for such a life is ignoble, and inimical to virtue. Neither must they be farmers, since leisure is necessary both for the development of virtue and the performance of political duties. Sources Aristotle PoliticsFeatures on Democracy in Ancient Greece and the Rise of DemocracyAncient Writers on Democracy AristotleThucydides via Pericles Funeral OrationIsocratesHerodotus Compares Democracy With Oligarchy and MonarchyPseudo-Xenophon

Waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Waste - Essay Example There are several disposal methods that are available to humans and this paper will discuss the following; ocean dumping, incineration, sanitary landfill, recycling and open dumping. These factors both have their advantages and disadvantages. Ocean dumping kills plankton and overburdens oceans, however, it is not expensive and when harmless products are disposed, they can serve as a food source. This method maybe made more effective by restricting the material disposed in oceans as some of it harms the fish or other habitants in the ocean. Sanitary landfill involves the disposal of waste materials into an open hole; this hole is closed after the waste has been disposed. This is advantageous in the sense that the land filled can be used for other community purposes. Lining these landfills with plastic, clay and sand reduces the chances of the waste being redistributed by the wind or animals. The government should implement policies that equip citizens with knowledge on methods to manage their own waste as the economy can benefit from these policies. Fuel sources are declining and the ecosystem has been recognized as a potential replacement. Hence, preserving the ecosystem can have economic benefits for the country. Recycling also reduces the costs from extracting raw materials to create a certain product. This shows that each party can benefit from waste

Recovery Period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recovery Period - Essay Example The institute of law enforcement runs on the basis of mutual respect; the civilian respects the officer and the officer respects the civilian, not considering him/herself superior because of his uniform. An officer must, at all times, remain unbiased so as not to obstruct his judgement during his duty. The above stated behaviors are, to me, the most likely to incite the opposite feelings. Biases arise because there is no respect for one’s fellows. Prejudice leads to hatred, which then manifests itself into hate crimes. And these crimes simply grow in magnitude. An automatic termination would set an example. The second behavior shows a lack of respect for the very job. By not respecting the profession of law enforcement, one cannot be considered an officer – it becomes contradictory in nature. This sort of behavior leads to bullying and taking advantage of others. The â€Å"recovery phase provides a ‘window of opportunity’ for risk reduction† (Christoplos). The recovery period simply refers to the phase, after the occurring of any crime, where the victims involved recover from their losses. This does not necessarily mean emotional losses. If, for instance, a theft took place in a shop, the recovery phase/period would include the recovering from the financial loss, the traumatic experience of being held at gun point (perhaps), and the relief and rehabilitation (not necessarily in mobile terms) of the victims. This period is often called the window of opportunity for risk reduction. Risk reduction refers to the actual trimming down of the risk of any crime. What this statement, thus, means is this: when a crime occurs, a situation arises in which the involved actors (victims, civilians or the cops) are given an opportunity to reduce risk for future such happenings. Mr. Christoplos wrote a report on the window of opportunity

A Thematic Approach To Teaching Education Essay

A Thematic Approach To Teaching Education Essay For this topic I am going to explore the history of the National Curriculum and the thematic approach to teaching. Looking at these areas I am going to create themes within the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 to use as an example of a thematic approach to teaching. National Curriculum The National Curriculum has been policy in Schools for many years, it originates back to 1970 when the government focused on education with a desire to educate children to create a better work force. Teaching consisted of no supervision within the classroom and the teachers could teach whatever they wanted as a result of there not being a specific curriculum to follow, or at least relate back to. In 1976 James Callaghan changed the teaching profession. His idea was everyone should be taught the same topics, this led to an introduction of more core subjects. Within a few years, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister and decided she didnt like the scheme of teaching within the National Curriculum, so, in 1979 she decided that every Council would write their own policies. These policies had to include maths, English and science which were deemed to be core subjects. The Prime Minister wanted to see a lot more testing of the teaching process so that teaching was far more measurable and what progress and standard the children where achieving. In the 1987, Kenneth Baker, the Education Minister took the concept a stage further. He divided the curriculum into 3 core subjects maths, English and science, and 7 foundation subjects including the subjects of history, geography, foreign language, art, music, P.E and design and technology. He had a syllabus for each subject composed so that all teachers knew what content to cover when teaching each subject. In 1988 the Educational Reform Act became legislation. It was widely regarded as the most important single piece of education legislation in England and Wales in modern times. The Educational Reform Act changed education. After its introduction in 1988, the National Primary School Curriculum had to be presented to the government to ensure standards of teaching were the same for every child. Key Stages were introduced in schools that benched marked milestones in a childs education. At each key stage a number of educational objectives had to be achieved, the impact of this was the curriculum evolved into educational overload. Each teacher had 345 targets to meet! The Key Stages introduced were Key Stage 1 (5 7 year old children), Key Stage 2 (7 11 year old children), Key Stage 3 (11 14 year old pupils) and Key Stage 4 (15 16 year old pupils). Statutory tests were progressively introduced for each Key Stage. The Key Stage 1 statutory tests were introduced in 1991, Key Stage 2 in 1995 and Key Stage 3 in 1993. Sir Ron Dearing reviewed education in 1995, he removed some topics out and reduced the burden of 345 targets to 14 targets that teachers needed to meet. Margaret Thatcher still wanted to change elements of the curriculum whilst Sir Ron Dearing was doing his review. She wanted to name and shame every school that wasnt performing and to rank all schools, hence the birth of school tables to publicly inform parents how individual schools were performing. Sir Ron Dearing wanted a structured numeracy and literacy hour which was structured and dictated what had to be done and was applied by all schools across the Country. This enabled visibility to monitor and evaluate what was being done at any one time. Another huge change arrived 30 years later when Sir Jim Rose looked at the National Curriculum. He led an independent review in 2008-2009 and came to the conclusion that there was still too much going on in the curriculum. He wanted focus on essential life and learning skills and on literacy, numeracy, I.C.T, learning and thinking skills and social and emotional well being. Sir Jim Rose wanted to establish a curriculum for the 21st century that met the needs of individual learners whilst taking account for the broader needs of Wales. The national curriculum changed once again in 2008. The stages of the curriculum Key Stages were and remain divided into sections, Year 3- Year 6 Key Stage 2 (7 11 year olds) and early years which became the Foundation Phase Year 1 Year 2 (3 7 year olds). The curriculum content consists of core subjects (Mathematics, English and Science) and Welsh Language, broader curriculum subjects ( I.C.T, History, Geography, Music, Art and Design, Physical recreation, Design and Technology, Welsh second Language) and basic curriculum (R.E and P.S.E). This ensures subjects are taught via a cross curriculum approach and introduce key skills that includes thinking, number, I.C.T and communication. Assessments have been introduced to enable teachers to monitor childrens learning and baseline assess attainment at the end of the Foundation Phase. At Key Stage 2, pupils are tested on their English and Mathematics and core subjects. then in Year 6 they are assessed in preparation for transition to year 7 in Secondary education. The introduction to the Foundation Phase was set out in Wales and further amplified and explained in the Foundation Phase consultation paper published in 2003. The proposals contained in this paper was supported by 96 per cent of respondents. The Welsh Assembly Government then piloted the Foundation Phase from September 2004. The Foundation Phase provides young children with a curriculum that is more appropriate to their stage of development and that caters for their individual needs. From reading Welsh Assembly Government, March 2009, Foundation Phase Child Development Profile Guidance, Welsh Assembly Government I have discovered the seven areas of learning within the Foundation Phase (3 7 year olds). The seven areas of learning are:- Personal and social development, well-being and cultural diversity Language, literacy and communication skills Mathematical development Welsh language development Knowledge and understanding of the world Physical development Creative development This approach allows teachers to monitor the knowledge of individual childrens development in the key areas of a childs learning and to follow onto the areas of learning to observe and evaluate childrens progress throughout their learning. In the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2, each subject has two sections (skills and range) for a childs programme of study in each different national curriculum subject. This includes levels of understanding, investigating and making. There are also national curriculum skills that are the same for all non-core and core subjects within the National Curriculum. Children develop thinking skills by planning, developing and reflecting on their work in all subjects. Another requirement within the National Curriculum is to develop communication skills. The children learn to communicate across the curriculum by using skills such as oracy, reading, writing and wider communicating in all subjects across the National Curriculum. A further requirement is to develop ICT skills. The children must develop their ICT skills across the curriculum by finding, developing, creating and presenting information and ideas using a wide range of software and equipment. Finally children must develop their num ber skills across the curriculum by using mathematical information, calculating, interpreting and presenting their findings across the whole range of national curriculum subjects. Thematic Approach The cross-curricular thematic approach has been part of education in schools for many years and slowly began to gain popularity in primary schools during the 60s. This was due to recommendations from the Plowden Report (1967) emphasising that children learn better finding out information for themselves rather than being taught directly and supplied with information direct from a teacher. A thematic approach to teaching involves integrating all subject areas together under one theme. The cross curriculum approach helps children relate basic academic skills to the real world. Thematic units are common in the Foundation Phase where children learn through interactive, integrated activities. These themed units incorporate reading, mathematics, science and social studies. To create thematic approaches in teaching a theme is selected for a particular topic which would be applied for a period of a week or a month. The time line would depend on the broadness of the theme and how many subjects are going to be included in the cross curriculum approach. From knowing the themes the teacher develops schemes of work, activities and writing lesson plans. The children are then given aims and objectives within the thematic approach lessons. The activities may consist of being hands-on or physical learning, games on the internet and reading certain books for the skill level the children are reading at. For example, art skills can be developed by drawing exercises related to the theme. There is no end to what national curriculum subjects can be developed within the thematic approach. The benefits of a thematic approach have been examined. Teaching thematically helps children build self esteem and allows the children to understand what they are being taught. Content and subject areas are integrated and not made obvious to the children what subjects they are being taught. The pupils are able to learn and retain more information through a thematic approach, it encourages the involvement of all abilities of children through topics relevant to them and their learning needs, from the learning aspect the children are able to relate to real-world experiences and build upon their prior knowledge learned from previous lessons taught at that particular moment in time. The thematic approach also helps teachers teach to the different learning capabilities of their children. Overall the thematic approach keeps children engaged by making learning activities fun by creating a variety of different experiences within different thematic approaches. The teacher and children are able to be creative, authentic and original, it also allows the teacher to integrate all subjects and use literacy within those subjects. The children can share the same learning goals, is children centred and utilises collaborative and cooperative learning. The curriculum is also compact and saves time teaching multiple subjects at once. The negatives of a thematic approach need to be considered. Some children may lose interest in the theme/subject being addressed. Using one theme for a month may become boring, repetitive and the childrens motivation to learn will decrease and become uninterested and distracted. The children may also not like the choice of the theme chosen by the teacher and may cause arguments between children making them unwilling to participate in the activities created by the teacher. It can be hard for the teacher to find enough resources/information to cover every aspect of the topic and intertwining the benchmarks within that one topic may be difficult, it can also be easy to miss out on some content that could be covered in the theme. Within the thematic approach it may be hard for the lower level children to engage and consequently have a hard time with concepts within that theme, they will then struggle with the work. This child is still expected to connect within the focused tasks causing possible stress for the child knowing their level of capabilities are lower than someone else in the class, so it is difficult for the teacher to provide tasks that suits everyones needs and learning styles. From reading a document Using thematic approach, Bristol, Victoria Clarke and Virginia Braun (Page 2) express a mixed view of the thematic approach. They quote Thematic analysis is a poorly demarcated, rarely-acknowledged, yet widely-used qualitative analytic method. They believe that the thematic approach is rarely acknowledged but is used widely across teaching. Theorists have a mixed view about the statement because they feel that the thematic approach can prove to be successful as long as the theme and subjects used are taught at a level that suits all the childrens needs using an integrated and balanced scheme of work for all abilities . Others also think that the quote is wrong in saying the thematic approach is rarely acknowledged. It is clear from experiences within the classroom that teachers successfully use the thematic approach a lot. My view on the foundation phase and what it has to offer. Within the Foundation Phase, children as individuals are given opportunities to learn about themselves, improve their own knowledge and understanding of the real world and gain better knowledge of personal hygiene and safety. The children become independent and achieve goals that teachers cannot pass on to the children through use of just the direct teaching method. This is why the Foundation Phase is so unique, it allows the children to learn from their own personal experiences and take their learning into their own hands. The children become more confident and assertive and learn values for themselves and from their peers. With all of the above focusing on skills, children can develop in the Foundation Phase. The main thrust of developing skills is by letting children play, it is an essential feature within the curriculum which must be fun and stimulating for the children to enjoy learning. This approach helps children to be pro active and physically interact with objects they woul dnt necessarily encounter day to day. From reading the Rumbold Report (1990) on play, there is a very strong view about using play within the Foundation Phase, it is believed that active educational play supports childrens learning across all areas of learning. I totally agree with this statement as it does create activity for the development of a wide range of skills and also allows the children to develop their own personal skills. Overall I think the Foundation Phase is an all round positive curriculum that appears to work very well in developing children from an early age of 3. My lesson ideas for teaching within the Foundation Phase The subjects I examine as an example for my teaching in a thematic approach in the Foundation Phase incorporates two non-core subjects Geography, Art and Design and also look at the basic curriculum area of R.E. The theme I have chosen is the Amazon rainforest. The class I have chosen to deliver this task to is Year 2. R.E In the R.E lesson, I will read the read the book of Noahs Ark. Maisy, 2007, Noahs Ark, Lucy Cousins I will identify the type of animals and relate them to the Amazon Rainforest. From reading the book I will have a section of play where I will divide the class into groups. The children will have samples of all of the animals referred to in the book along with a boat. They will then have to memorise the list of the animals which relate back to the book and fit them into the boat. This will develop their thinking skills and also their communication skills while working in groups to do the activity. This will be a warm up activity for the children so they are getting their brain into working mode. This relates back to the national curriculum skills for R.E in the Guidance for local education authorities and agreed syllabus conferences, January 2008, National exemplar framework for religious education for 3 to 19-year-olds in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government by using the section listed as developing thinking. For the main activity the children have to create their own story where they save a number of animals onto a certain object, the object can be specific to our day and age so it could range from a boat or train to an aeroplane. To get the children started in their story one can brain storm and list their examples of some animals and objects on a board / interactive whiteboard and show what mode of transport animals can be rescued onto. From the main activity they are developing their communication skills, theyre using their writing skills and oracy by discussing what they are going to include in their story. From the content of the activities created one can monitor the calibre and style of childrens writing. I will select three or four pieces of work to be read out by the children and evaluate everyones work by having everyone on each table to swap and evaluate each others work. Geography (Knowledge and understanding of the world) To teach knowledge and understanding of the world I will focus on the wider world section of the curriculum, illustrating to the children what lives in the Amazon Rainforest, and type of habitats they live in. I would create discussions around particular questions I would continually ask. Questions would raise awareness and explore what is the rainforest. Childrens knowledge and understanding of the Amazon Rainforest will be developed through the handing out of a quiz that can be completed in groups. A class competition can be created to see who has the most questions correct about the Amazon Rainforest. After the quiz, to develop continuity through this subject of geography the children can create pieces of work to put up on the Amazon Rainforest board on the classroom walls. The children can bring their knowledge from R.E and use their drawings they developed in art to put onto the classroom board, this will create a sense of achievement and ownership as the children would be able to look at their own work when in their own classroom and is a clear display of their own work for others to see what they have done. A number of skills will have been developed from using this approach that are taken from the national curriculum book of knowledge and understanding of the world for Foundation Phase. The skills developed consist of enquiring, exploring, describing, asking/ answering questions, investigating, thinking, solving problems and recording their research. All of these are required and used within the theme and tasks set during lessons. Art From reading the book Noahs Ark, children can draw an animal of their choice that relates to the story, a list and a picture of each animal mentioned in the story would be given as a resource for the children to relate back to. A directed task would then be set to use different materials to create a 2D image of the animal from the Noahs Ark story. Materials to be used would include: Coloured pencils Paint Coloured pens Crayons Craft materials to create different textures etc. From creating their animal drawing, the children can try and link them to a habitat within the rainforest. To research the animals habitat the children can use the internet to find an image of the habitat for their animal to be stuck onto. The final outcome will then consist of a hand made piece of artwork of an animal from the rainforest made by every individual child and placed on a background of the habitat the animal would live in within the rainforest. Overall the children would have explored colour using different materials and creatively making an animal by exploring and forming different textures. This relates back to the national curriculum within the foundation phase due to reading the creative development Welsh Assembly Government book. Welsh Assembly Government, June 2008, Creative Development, Welsh Assembly Government The children will have used ICT skills to research on the internet for a habitat picture of the rainforest. From creating the animal design that relates back to the Amazon rainforest, focus can be made upon literacy skills by asking each child to describe what animal they have created and what their habitat looks like. Overall, the children would have used planning and thinking skills by developing and creating the art work. The children can reflect on their work and see if their animal relates to the rainforest to give it a real life effect. Oracy and writing skills are also developed by describing their animal and habitat, so they are expressing their ideas and emotions about their work. The structure of the childs learning will be as it is presented in the essay, I will start off with R.E, and then include Geography and follow integrate Art and Design. When the children take part in these activities the children themselves do not realise they are learning these skills. This is an excellent outcome, as, when they grow up, the children will reflect and hopefully remember what they have done and recognise the skills they had used. My lesson ideas for teaching within Key Stage 2 The subjects I examine for teaching a thematic approach in Key Stage 2 will consist of two non-core subjects of Geography, Art and Design and also look at the basic curriculum which is R.E. The theme chosen is Judaism. The year group chosen for this is Year 5. R.E The children will be made aware what Judaism, different clothing and their names worn at this time would be examined. A group activity for children would be used after explaining the variety of clothes using dolls clothing, some relevant to Judaism and some not relevant. A women and man doll would be introduced for the children to dress and they learn to relate the same back to Judaism culture. From dressing the dolls the children move on to examine a house of a Jewish person. The children will look at dietary make up of Jews and what type of ornaments they have in their houses that are an integrated part of their culture. A group session can be delivered where children can trial some Jewish food and if possible have a Jewish person to come in and talk to the children about their lifestyle. A useful website for a teacher resource would be:- http://www.waupun.k12.wi.us/Policy/other/dickhut/religions/14%20Jewish%20Symbols.html This website describes the clothing and certain items that are found in a Jewish home. This theme will have continuity and appear through other lessons. In other lessons different festivals within the Jewish community would be explored and have a look at videos to demonstrate how they celebrate their festivals. The skills developed throughout these lessons would be communication through talking in groups to discuss issues about the culture and ornaments the children have discovered. The children are also developing thinking skills to execute dressing the men and women dolls into suitable clothing for a Jewish person. Art From the previous lesson on R.E about Judaism children are given a directed task using a hand out sheet with four boxes to draw in. The children are asked to use each box to draw from real life, objects such as Shofar or a type of clothing like a Kippah and use a range of art materials to colour in their drawings. The materials used could include :- Coloured pencils Paint Coloured pens Crayons Charcoal Water paint Mark making Tone Craft materials Each box I will ask The children will be told to use each box to illustrate a different art material so they are experimenting and testing different materials and are using a range of art media. After finishing the drawings the following activity would develop literacy where children have to describe the content and process used in creating each box, stating what material they have used, what the object is and how it is used within the religion of Judaism. Overall children have explored different art materials and creatively making examples relating to Judaism using the clothes they wear or the different items used within the culture. This links to the national curriculum within the Key Stage 2 Art and Design as found through reading the Art and Design national curriculum for Wales book. Welsh Assembly Government, January 2008, Art and Design in the National Curriculum for Wales, Welsh Assembly Government From reading the book listed above I am able to see what parts of the curriculum I have taught. The activities demonstrate that the children have planned, developed and reflected on their work which uses the developing thinking skill and that all of the children have developed their oracy and writing skills that links to the developing communication aspect. Geography In geography focus is on where the Jewish community was founded and where Judaism is sited in different countries. A presentation using PowerPoint for both tasks and the children can do small tasks from worksheets. We will then look at the Star of David flag and what the meaning is behind it. Two follow on from this children will be asked to develop a double page in their book about Judaism. This double page will involve information about the Jewish community, where Jewish people are distributed around the world, some ornaments, clothes and the Star of David flag. The children are being tested on a number of skills across the curriculum in geography. The children are developing thinking skills, they have to plan the double page on Judaism and develop the work on Jews and also to ensure they include Judaism. The childrens communication skills are being developed through them writing about what they have learned about the Jewish community and Judaism. The children are using selected language to describe where the Jewish people live within different countries, and so are discussing geographical issues. The children are conducting their own personal investigation into Judaism and Jewish religion. From developing the double page they are developing creative and presentation of information and ideas from their investigation. Observing children To see the childrens improvement throughout their learning teachers need to pay attention to observing the children in their care. In the observing children book Welsh Assembly Government, January 2008, Observing children, Welsh Assembly Government it is quoted It is important that practitioners listen to children as well as watch them when observing, as they can learn a great deal about childrens learning and understanding through listening to their speech I believe this is a vital quote for teachers observing children because you can definately gain more understanding of the childrens learning by talking to children as well as observing how they play and the standard of their work. The observation of children should be taken into consideration through using the seven areas of learning, this will provide evidence of their development and achievements across the national curriculum. Teachers can also observe different situations children are exposed to through playing on their own or as part of agroup. The main headings mentioned in the Welsh Assembly Government, January 2008, Observing children, Welsh Assembly Government state that teachers need to observe:- Personal development Social development Well-being/emotional development Cognitive development Language development and communication skills Physical development Gross motor skills Fine motor skills There much observation of childrens development of the child as a whole that has to be considered as an essential part of the role of a teacher. From observing the children one can monitor their progress and continuity during lessons to ensure improvement and that children are gaining and benefiting from new learning experiences throughout their years in primary school. This can be achieved by both looking at the development of their work and also how they play alone and within groups. Conclusion To conclude, the National Curriculum has gone through many changes in the past few years and evolved into what is delivered in primary schools today. From the many theorists I have researched and read about, there is a belief that where we are placed today is the better stage of the developed National Curriculum. The Foundation Phase is proving to be a success. The children are able to improve their personal learning without having a teacher to spoon feed them to gain experiences and skills. Key Stage 2 needs improving and attention due to the drop in standards and attainment in literacy and numeracy, this drop in standards has resulted in improvements being demanded by the Welsh Government all across Wales. Welsh Government are implementing literacy and numeracy strategies in every subject across the national curriculum. The thematic approach has been evaluated and is declared a success by many theorists, it allows teachers to choose a theme and teach joint subjects in one integrate d scheme of work/ lessons, this is a definate advantage because the children do not specifically realise how they are being taught. This method of educating primary aged children develops what they know from personal experiences and their involvement develops them through the teachers integrated lessons.

National Security vs. Civil Liberties Essay

The recent September 11th attacks have caused many Americans to wonder about the personal sacrifices to be made in order to keep the nation â€Å"safe and free.† With mixed results, it has become a common practice throughout history to restrict personal freedoms in the name of national security. Many questions arise from this process: Where is the line drawn? If liberties are restricted do they ever truly return? If it is true that we are doomed to repeat history if we fail to learn from it, an examination into the circumstances of the Japanese American internment in 1942 may inform the ways to most effectively deal with the security concerns faced by Americans today. There is a paradox in American theories of democracy and freedom. As the United States has fought abroad in the name of freedom, we have simultaneously restricted the personal freedoms of people in the country. When President Franklin D. Roosevelt engaged in battle in World War II, it was not only to retaliate against the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but to bring down the Nazi regime that was murdering people in Europe. At the same time, Roosevelt had nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans, the majority of whom were American citizens or legal permanent residents, rounded up into internment camps, violating their civil rights to be treated with fairness and equality, without discrimination and the Fifth Amendment liberty of due process. In 2001, people are quick to dismiss the idea of an internment of American citizens, suggesting that the country has come a long way from 1942. The hypothesis that the government might conduct surveillance or use illegal wiretaps to monitor groups or individuals that it suspects of domestic terrorism seemed foreign before September 11th, and now has become a way to gain more information about potential suspects. These new measures, included in the USA Patriot Act, delicately trace the line between national security and civil liberties. A brief look at how the Bush administration has extended its powers since September 11th includes the detaining without charge of thousands of Muslim and Arab-American men without release of information to kin nor legal access, a new Bureau of Prisons regulation which allows Justice Department officials to listen in on conversations  between suspects and their lawyers and a new legislation, which includes warrant-less searches, roving wiretaps and a redefinition of a â€Å"domestic terrorist.† American society is not yet comfortably distanced from the practices of history that have threatened the civil rights and liberties Americans enjoy. Fred Korematsu’s speaking engagements continued in 2001, as he warned college students to stay aware of what the government is doing, and to stand prepared to defend their freedoms. In times of crisis, as presidential power expands, domestic policies must take shape to ensure the protection of Americans, from foreign and domestic threats. The Bush administration has a difficult task ahead, to keep Americans safe while maintaining the freedom which makes this country great. The delicate issue of interviewing Arab Americans has presented a challenge and continues the debate among Americans about how many of our civil liberties become expendable when the country is at war.