Physics Preliminary Course Overview

Physics Preliminary 8. 2 The World Communicates 1. The wave model can be used to explain how current technologies transfer information 1. Describe the energy transformations required in one of the following: – Mobile telephone – Fax/modem – Radio and television A. An energy transformation is a change in the type of energy, for example a change from sound energy to electromagnetic waves.Relating this to the mobile telephone, it undergoes basic energy transformations of, sound wave (your voice), to electrical energy (in the wires inside the phone), to electromagnetic waves (from the phone to the tower), to electrical energy (at the tower), then to electromagnetic waves (to reach the receiving phone), then electrical energy (inside the receiving phone), then to sound waves (at the speaker of the receiving phone) 2. Describe waves as a transfer of energy disturbance that may occur in one, two or three dimensions, depending on the nature of the wave and the medium A.W aves carry energy and sometimes they require a medium and sometimes they don’t. Laser lights are an example of a 1 Dimensional wave, water waves are an example of a 2D wave while an example of 3D waves is a sound wave 3. Identify that mechanical waves require a medium for propagation while electromagnetic waves do not A. Mechanical waves, such as sound waves, water waves and earthquake waves need a medium (a substance) to travel through, they cannot move from one point to another if there is nothing (a vacuum) between the two points.On the other hand electromagnetic waves do not need a medium to travel through. An example of this is in space, which is a vacuum, if you call out in space your sound waves do not penetrate out of your space suit. However electromagnetic waves do, therefore you can see the light from the sun. Even simpler, in space you can see a planet explode, but you cannot hear it. 4. Define and apply the following terms to the wave model: medium, displacement, amplitude, period, compression, rarefaction, crest, trough, transverse waves, longitudinal waves, frequency, wavelength, and velocity A.Mechanical Waves: The group of waves that required a medium for transmission, e. g. sound waves Electromagnetic Waves: The group of waves that do not require a medium for transmission i. e. ultraviolet light, visible light etc. They all travel at the same speed in a vacuum, which is the speed of light. Transverse Waves: Waves in which the particles oscillate at right angles to the direction of motion of the wave, e. g. surface water waves. Direction of Propagation: The direction of motion of a waveLongitudinal Waves: Waves in which the particles oscillate parallel to the direction of motion of the wave e. g. sound. Periodic Waves: Wave disturbance that repeat themselves at regular intervals. Compressions: Regions of a longitudinal wave where the particle are close together. The point where the medium has a maximum density Rarefactions: Regions of a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart. The point where the medium has a minimum density. Crest: The point of a wave where the particles of the medium have a maximum displacement upwards or in a positive direction.Trough: The point of a wave where the particles of the medium have a maximum displacement downwards or in a negative direction Amplitude: The maximum displacement of the particles of a medium from their rest position Wavefront: An imaginary line joining any group of adjacent particles that are in a phase with each other. Wavelength: The distance between any two corresponding points of a wave Frequency: the number of waves that pass a point in one second Period: Number of crest passages per unit time. 5. Describe the relationship between particle motion and the direction of energy propagation in transverse and longitudinal waves A.Particles in the medium move in a direction perpendicular to the motion of transverse wave. Particles in the medium move in a di rection of parallel to the motion of longitudinal waves 6. Quantify the relationship between velocity, frequency and wavelength for a wave: A. V=fw (v=velocity, f= frequency, w=wavelength) 2. Features of a wave model can be used to account for the properties of sound 1. Identify that sound waves are vibrations or oscillations of particles in a medium A. Sound is a longitudinal wave that requires a medium to travel through.As compressions and expansions (or rarefactions) of particles that make up the medium, sound is a vibration of the medium. 2. Relate compressions and rarefactions of sound waves to the crests and troughs of transverse waves used to represent them A. Compressions: Regions of a longitudinal wave where the particle are close together. The point where the medium has a maximum density Rarefactions: Regions of a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart. The point where the medium has a minimum density. Crest: The point of a wave where the particles of the m edium have a maximum displacement upwards or in a positive direction.Trough: The point of a wave where the particles of the medium have a maximum displacement downwards or in a negative direction 3. Explain qualitatively that pitch is related to frequency and volume to amplitude of sound waves A. Frequency is the number of waves that pass a point in one second while the pitch is related to the number of vibrations per second. The pitch of a sound relates to the frequency of the sound emitted while the amplitude relates to the volume of that sound. E. g. if you have a high amplitude you will have a loud sound.When the frequency increases so does the pitch. 4. Explain an echo as a reflection of a sound wave A. An echo occurs when a sound wave is reflected off a surface and returns to the source. 5. Describe the principle of superposition and compare the resulting waves to the original waves in sound A. When two separate waves meet they can be added to or subtracted to make a new wave. An example of this with sound waves is, if you have one person shout, and then you get two people to shout, each at the same volume as the first person, the resulting volume will be the sum of the two volumes. . Recent technological developments have allowed greater use of the electromagnetic spectrum 1. Describe electromagnetic waves in terms of their speed in space and their lack of requirement of a medium for propagation A. Electromagnetic waves do not need a medium to travel through because electromagnetic waves do not vibrate particles so they don’t need a vaccum. In space (a vacuum) electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of light, a constant equal to 2. Identify the electromagnetic wavebands filtered out by the atmosphere, especially UV, X-rays and gamma rays A.The Earth’s atmosphere provides a protective shield from harmful electromagnetic radiation. Fortunately this portion of the EM spectrum (UV rays, X-rays and Gamma rays) is filtered by the Earth’ s atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere filters out most of the electromagnetic waves except for visible light and radio waves. 3. Identify methods for the detection of various wavebands in the electromagnetic spectrum A. – Radio waves are detected with radio receivers that are connected to aerials. – Microwaves are detected with piezoelectric crystals. – Visible light is detected by photoelectric cells. 4.Explain that the relationship between the intensity of electromagnetic radiation and distance from a source is an example of the inverse square law: A. The strength of a signal is proportional to the square of the distance from the source of that signal. This means that at twice the distance the signal has 1? 4 of its original strength. 5. Outline how the modulation of amplitude or frequency of visible light, microwaves and/or radio waves can be used to transmit information A. Modulation is the process of conveying a message signal inside another signal that c an be physically transmitted.With amplitude modulation (AM), the amplitude or strength of the carrier signal is varied, which corresponds to changes in the sound, while its frequency remains constant. With frequency modulation (FM), the frequency of the carrier wave is altered according to changes in sound while the amplitude remains constant. 6. Discuss problems produced by the limited range of the electromagnetic spectrum available for communication purposes A. There is only a limited range of wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum that can be used for communication purposes. 4.Many communication technologies use applications of reflection and refraction of electromagnetic waves 1. Describe and apply the law of reflection and explain the effect of reflection from a plane surface on waves A. Reflection is the bouncing of a wave when it hits a surface or obstacle. Reflections of all types of waves follow the law of reflection. Angle of Incidence = Angle of Reflection The law of reflection states that the angle of the incident wave must equal the angle of the reflected wave and the incident wave and the reflected wave must lie in the same plane.It is important to remember that the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection is measured from the normal. The normal is perpendicular to the plane of reflection (e. g. a mirror). 2. Describe ways in which applications of reflection of light, radio waves and microwaves have assisted in information transfer A. Reflection of light is used fibre optics and in CD’s. Fibre optics allow for massive amounts of information transfer. Reflection of radio waves are utilised when radio waves are reflected off the ionosphere. Television and radio use this reflection to transfer information. . Describe one application of reflection for each of the following: – Plane surfaces – Concave surfaces – Convex surfaces – Radio waves being reflected by the ionosphere A. Reflection on a plane surfac e is used in applications such as, CD-ROM, where the laser beam is either reflected of the CD or not. Reflection of convex surfaces is used in security mirrors, where it widens the field of view. Reflection of concave surfaces is used in torches, where the rays of light travelling backwards are projected forward, for more brightness. It is also used in satellite dishes.The ionosphere reflects a percentage of radio waves sent up, back towards earth. This allows for data to be sent through the radio waves over long distances. 4. Explain that refraction is related to the velocities of a wave in different media and outline how this may result in the bending of a wavefront A. Refraction is the bending of light as it changes speed upon entering a medium with different optical density. 5. Define refractive index in terms of changes in the velocity of a wave in passing from one medium to another A. The refractive index of a medium is the change in velocity of a wave from one medium to anoth er.Therefore refractive index is related to the speed of a wave in that medium 6. Define Snell’s Law: A. 7. Identify the conditions necessary for total internal reflection with reference to the critical angle A. The critical angle is the angle of incidence, which forms an angle of refraction at 90Â °. If the angle of incidence is less than the critical angle then you will have normal refraction, and if the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle then you will have total internal reflection. 8. Outline how total internal reflection is used in optical fibres A.Optical fibres work by having one medium coated by another medium with a lower refractive index. The angle that enters this is greater than the critical angle so therefore the ray of light bounces around inside and travels from one end to another, never exiting the fibre. Therefore a light ray can travel through the wire. The ray of light never has an angle of incidence of less than the critical angle, so t he ray never escapes the optical fibre. 5. Electromagnetic waves have potential for future communication technologies and data storage technologies 1.Identify types of communication data that are stored or transmitted in digital form A. Digital data is data that can be defined by numbers. Examples of digital communication include; fax, Internet, telephone calls, etc 8. 3 Electrical Energy in the Home 1. Society has become increasingly domestic energy dependent on electricity over the last 200 year 1. Discuss how the main sources of domestic energy have changed over time A. The first main source of domestic energy used by humans was fire, through wood, and then came domesticated animals, wind and water, coal, coal gas, electricity, fuel oils, solar and lastly nuclear energy.These have developed from the start of human existence to now. 2. Assess some of the impacts of changes in, and increased access to, sources of energy for a community -More pollution -More demand for electrical en ergy -More electrical devices -Increased demand for energy 3. Discuss some of the ways in which electricity can be provided in remote locations Alternative power sources can be used, such as solar or wind. 2. One of the main advantages of electricity is that is can be moved with comparative ease from one place to another through electric circuits . Describe the behaviour of electrostatic charges and the properties of the fields associated with them A. An object becomes electrostatically charged when there is either a deficiency or excess of electrons. The two types of charge are called positive charge and negative charge. Electrostatic charges cause charged particles to move of change direction. Electrostatic charges create a field of charge. An electric field is a region in which a charged particle will experience a force. 2. Define the unit of electric charge as the coulomb. A.The SI unit of charge is the coulomb (C). A charge of 1 C is equal to the charge provided by 6. 25 x 10 ( to the power of 18) electrons. This gives a charge of -1. 6 x 10 (-19 power) C for one electron. One coulomb is defined as the amount of charge that passes a point when a current of one ampere flows for one second. 3. Define the electric field as a field of force with a field strength equal to the force per unit charge at that point 4. Define electric current as the rate at which charge flows (coulombs/ second or amperes) under the influence of an electric field A.Electric current is defined as the amount of electric charge flowing past a given point in a given time interval. The SI unit of electric current is coulombs per second (C. s-1) or ampere (A), 1 amp is equal to 1 coulomb of charge passing a given point in 1 second. Conventional current runs from + to -. The electron movement is in the opposite direction of conventional current. 5. identify that current can be either direct with the net flow of charge carriers moving in one direction or alternating with the charge carriers moving backwards and forwards periodically A. AC current involves the oscillation of electrons due to an electric field that is constantly changing direction. Most generators produce alternating current by means of a coil rotating in a magnetic field. – With DC current flow, the electrons in a wire have an overall flow in only one direction. This is the method used in batteries, torches, portable radios, lights in cars, and toys. 6. Describe electric potential difference (voltage) between two points as the change in potential energy per unit charge moving from one point to the other (joules/coulomb or volts). A. 7.Discuss how potential difference changes at different points around a DC circuit A. Voltage or potential difference is defined as the change in energy when one unit of charge is moved from one point to another or the work done to move one unit of charge from one point to another. Decreases as it move around the circuit. 8. Identify the difference between conductors and insulators A. -A conductor is a substance in which there are ‘free’ charged particles and so a charge is able to flow through it. -An insulator is a substance in which ‘free’ charged particles are limited and so a charge is not able to flow through it. . Define resistance as the ratio of voltage to current for a particular conductor: 10. Describe qualitatively how each of the following affects the movement of electricity through a conductor: A. – Length: The longer the material the higher the resistance is. – Cross sectional area: The larger the cross sectional area the lower the resistance is. So the thicker the wire then lower the resistance. – Temperature: The higher the temperature of a material, the higher the resistance is. – Material: Different materials have different resistances. This is called the resistivity of that material. . Series and parallel circuits serve different purposes in households 1. Identify the diff erence between series and parallel circuits A. – A Parallel circuit is a closed circuit in which the current divides into two or more paths before recombining to complete the circuit. – A series is a circuit having its parts connected serially Advantages of using parallel circuitry over series circuitry in household wiring include: – You can have some devices on and others off at the same time. – If one device fails the others still work. – All devices receive the highest possible voltage. 2.Compare parallel and series circuits in terms of voltage across components and current through them A. In a parallel circuit the voltage is the same throughout the whole circuit while the current is divided between evenly throughout the circuit. In a series circuit the current is the same throughout the circuit while the voltage is divided evenly through the components of the circuit. 3. Identify uses of ammeters and voltmeters A. Ammeters are used to measure c urrent. Voltmeters are used to measure voltage. To measure the voltage of a component the voltmeter is placed in parallel with the component.To measure the current passing through a component, the ammeter is placed in series with the component. When an ammeters work best if they have a low resistance. And voltmeters work best if they have a high resistance. 4. Explain why ammeters and voltmeters are connected differently in a circuit A. Voltage is sometimes called potential difference. So it is measuring the difference between two points, so is must be placed in parallel so that it can measure the difference between before and after that component. Current is a measure of the rate at which charge flows, and therefore must be connected in series.Ammeters have a low resistance. 5. Explain why there are different circuits for lighting, heating and other appliances in a house A. Because if they were all on the same circuit there would not be enough power to run all the appliances so the y are spread out on several circuits so there is enough power. 4. The amount of power is related to the rate at which energy is transformed 1. Explain that power is the rate at which energy is transformed from one form to another A. Power is the term used to describe how quickly energy (otherwise known as work) is transformed from one form to another, or transmitted from one point to another. . Identify the relationship between power, potential difference and current A. 3. Identify that the total amount of energy used depends on the length of time the current is flowing and can be calculated using: Energy = VIt A. – Energy = Voltage ? Current ? Time – Energy = Power ? Time – Energy is measured in joules (J). 4. Explain why the kilowatt-hour is used to measure electrical energy consumption rather than the joule A. 1 kWh is 1 kW every hour. The kWh is used to measure energy consumption. 5. Electric currents also produce magnetic fields and these fields are used in different devices in the home . Describe the behaviour of the magnetic poles of bar magnets when they are brought close together A. Magnetic fields are from north to south. When two bar magnets are brought close together the magnetic fields around their poles will produce a force between the two magnets. If two like poles (north pole and north pole OR south pole and south pole) are brought close together they will repel each other while if two unlike poles (a north pole and a south pole) are brought close together they will attract each other. Like poles repel: Unlike poles attract. 2.Define the direction of the magnetic field at a point as the direction of force on a very small north magnetic pole when placed at that point A. The direction of a magnetic field at any point is defined as the direction the north pole of a compass would indicate at that point. 3. Describe the magnetic field around pairs of magnetic poles A. The magnetic field around pairs of magnetic poles is best des cribed by describing the lines of magnetic flux. Lines of flux are directed from the north pole to the south pole and never cross. In a strong magnetic field they are close together while in a weak magnetic field they are well apart. . Describe the production of a magnetic field by an electric current in a straight current carrying conductor and describe how the right hand grip rule can determine the direction of current and field lines A. When current is passed through a conductor, a magnetic field is created around it. The direction of the magnetic field can be found using the right hand rule. Point your right hand thumb in the direction of the current and the direction of your fingers is the direction of the magnetic field. 5. Compare the nature and generation of magnetic fields by solenoids and a bar magnet A. A solenoid is coil of wire.When a current is passed though a solenoid, a magnetic field similar to that of a bar magnet is produced. 6. Safety devices are important in hou sehold circuit 1. Discuss the dangers of an electric shock from both a 240volt AC mains supply and various DC voltages, from appliances, on the muscles of the body A. There are several dangers when the muscles of the body are exposed to electric shocks. These are: – Pain receptors are usually activated. – Involuntary contraction of the muscles usually means that the person will not be able to let go of the power source. – The heart is stunned and goes into fibrillation. Severe burns are inevitable. – Instant death often occurs. 2. Describe the functions of circuit breakers, fuses, earthing, double insulation and other safety devices in the home A. – Double Insulating works by wrapping or encasing the electric components of an appliance with insulating material The insulating property of these materials sets up a physical barrier to prevent the flow of electricity from the electric appliance to its user. – A fuse is a short piece of an alloy of lead and tin, connected in series with the devices that it controls. The fuse is designed to melt when the current passing through it exceeds its threshold value. Circuit Breakers breaks the circuit when the current passing through it exceeds the threshold value by mechanical means – The active and neutral wires are connected to the functional electric unit of the appliance to deliver electricity. The earth wire is attached to the case of the appliance, which is made of metal. 8. 4 Moving About 1. Vehicles do not typically travel at a constant speed 1. Identify that a typical journey involves speed change A. Motion occurs when an object changes its position relative to other objects or within some coordinate system.A frame of reference is an object or a coordinate system that can be used to describe or compare motions. At the start of a journey your speed is 0 by the end of the journey you would have had to stop at traffic lights go up and down hills and e. g. 2. Distingui sh between the instantaneous and average speed of vehicles and other bodies A. Average Speed Is your total distance taken by the time it took you to go that distance. Instantaneous Speed is the speed that you are travelling at any given instant 3. Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities in equations A. Scalar uantites have a magnitude but no direction examples include distance, speed and time. Vector quantities have a magnitude and a direction. Examples include velocity, force and displacement 4. Compare instantaneous and average speed with instantaneous and average velocity A. Instantaneous speed is a scalar quantity, on the other hand instantaneous velocity is a vector quantity. Average speed is also a scalar quantity and average velocity is a vector quantity. Average speed takes into account your whole journey, where as average velocity only takes into account the starting and ending points. 5. Define average velocity as:A. 2. An analysis of the external forces on vehicl es helps to understand the effects of acceleration and deceleration 1. Describe the motion of one body relative to another A. Motion occurs when an object changes its position relative to other objects or within some coordinate system. e. g. You are watching Coyote chase Road Runner. Road Runner’s velocity is 17 m. s east and Coyote’s velocity is 15 m. s east. Road Runner’s velocity RELATIVE to you is 17 m. s east. Road Runner’s velocity RELATIVE to Coyote is 2 m. s east. 2. Identify the usefulness of using vector diagrams to assist solving problems A.Vector diagrams are used to add vectors, to find the resultant vector. This can be used to find the net force on an object from many smaller forces. Addition of vectors is also used to find total displacement 3. Explain the need for a net external force to act in order to change the velocity of an object A. An object remains at rest, or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted on by an external forc e. This is also known as the law of inertia. It basically means that a moving object will travel in a straight line at a constant velocity until an external unbalanced force acts pon the object. 4. Describe the actions that must be taken for a vehicle to change direction, speed up and slow down A. As stated by Newton’s 1st law of motion, in order to change a vehicles direction or speed, you need an external force, to act on the vehicle. However on earth there is, gravity, air resistance and friction to slow a car down, and trust from the engine and friction with the ground and the tyres to speed up a car. 5. Describe the typical effects of external forces on bodies including: – Friction between surfaces – Air resistance A.Friction examples are constantly seen throughout a normal day and it normally slows you down or helps change direction 6. Define average acceleration as A. 7. Define the terms ‘mass’ and ‘weight’ with reference to the effects of gravity A. Mass is the amount of matter in a body whereas weight is the force due to gravity acting on that mass. Weight is equal to mass times force due to gravity, which on earth is 9. 8 m. s. This is an extension of newton’s 2nd law of motion. F=ma 8. Outline the forces involved in causing a change in the velocity of a vehicle when: – Coasting with no pressure on the accelerator Pressing on the accelerator – Pressing on the brakes – Passing over an icy patch on the road – Climbing and descending hills – Following a curve in the road A. 9. Interpret Newton’s Second Law of Motion and relate it to the equation: A. The net force of an object is equal to the product of its mass and its acceleration in the direction of the force. 10. Identify the net force in a wide variety of situations involving modes of transport and explain the consequences of the application of that net force in terms of Newton’s Second Law of Moti on A. Net force is defined as the vector sum of all forces.The net force is the resultant force of all individual forces acting on an object at that time. If the net force is zero, then the forces acting are described as balanced. The object will obey Newton’s first law of motion, that is, it will either continue to move at a constant velocity or remain stationary. If the net force is not a zero value, it is described as an unbalanced force. In this case, the object follows Newton’s second law of motion and acceleration will result. 3. Moving vehicles have kinetic energy and energy transformations are an important aspect in understanding motion . Identify that a moving object possesses kinetic energy and that work done on that object can increase that energy 2. Describe the energy transformations that occur in collisions Elastic potential energy is the energy stored in elastic materials as the result of their stretching or compressing. In an elastic collision, the EK a fter the collision is equal to the kinetic energy before the collision. Inelastic collisions result in the transformation of energy into other forms. It is usually lost to the surroundings in the form of heat or sound and is no longer in a useful form. . Define the law of conservation of energy Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can be transferred from one body to another or transformed from one type to another. 4. Change of momentum relates to the forces acting on the vehicle or the driver 1. Define momentum as: Momentum is a measure of an object's tendency to move in a straight line with constant speed. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity p ? mv 2. Define impulse as the product of force and time Impulse is force applied over a period of time Impulse = Force (Times) Time 3.Explain why momentum is conserved in collisions in terms of Newton’s Third Law of motion In any collision, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision 5. Safety devices are utilised to reduce the effects of changing momentum 1. Define the inertia of a vehicle as its tendency to remain in uniform motion or at rest The inertia of a vehicle is its tendency to remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted on by an external force. That is why when you crash a vehicle into a wall, it will continue to collide and squash into the wall instead of just stopping.This is also why a passenger in a vehicle continues to go forward when the breaks of a vehicle are applied. Because the car may have forces slowing it down but the passenger has a tendency to continue forward 2. Discuss reasons why Newton’s First Law of Motion is not apparent in many real world situations There is always some type of friction that will oppose motion. Whether it is air resistance or friction between the object and the surface it travels on, it is impossible to completely eliminate friction. This is why objects do not remain in uniform motion. 3.Assess the reasons for the introduction of low speed zones in built-up areas and the addition of air bags and crumple zones to vehicles with respect to the concepts of impulse and momentum Air Bags and Crumple Zones both increase the stopping distance of a vehicle. Relating back to Impulse = Force ? Distance, If the distance is increased, the force is lower, this reduces the forces put on an the vehicle, and the occupants inside it. Low Speed zones are in place because, the slower your velocity, the less momentum you have and the faster you can stop 4. Evaluate the effectiveness of some safety features of motor vehicles 8. 5 The Cosmic Engine

Culture and Personality

Personality: Boas and Benedict According to Franz Boas, pioneer of Psychological Anthropology or the study of the relationship between culture and personality, personality is obtained thru culture and not biology. His theory called Cultural Relativism gives a comprehensive understanding of the underlying relationship between culture and personality. Boas’ student Ruth Benedict expounded the research on the effect of culture to personality through studying cultural various patterns and themes.Although she admitted that the global cultural diffusion has made the cultural patterns of civilized societies are difficult to trace, primitive societies located at the remote areas have preserved their shared personalities through their values, beliefs and rituals. When Benedict wrote her book Patterns of Culture, she mentioned her comparison of the cultural patterns of two different northern American Indian groups as well as an Indian group located off-coast of Papua New Guinea.In her s tudy, she found out that although they are from similar genetic collection, these groups have significant differences in their respective value systems. For instance, one tribe’s idea of a â€Å"good man† differentiates to that of another. Her book, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture, included a detailed description of Japanese belief and value system as well as a hypothesis on the reason behind the actions of the Japanese during World War II. PERSONALITY: MARGARET MEAD Arguably, Margaret Mead was one of the leading anthropologists of the 20th century.Being a student of Boas, Mead extended the school’s knowledge in culture and personality as she focused from the American culture to the whole Western World. She travelled to Samoa and she found out that the societies there have uniform value systems, and thus, they share common personality traits. In the culture of Samoan tribes, it was noted that until individuals reach the age of 15- 1 6, when they are to be subjected to marital rituals, they do not have significant roles in terms of social life. In fact, children are ignored by their parents and the rest of the society until after they reach puberty.Girls are taught to see boys as their enemies. The effect of this portion of the Samoan culture is that children tend to be either aggressive to gain attention, or passive due to the lack of affection and love from their significant others. SEX? DIFFERENCES AND PERSONALITY Evolution and genetics are believed to have brought about differences in personality traits as determined by the biological sex of a person. As explained by the Theory of Sexual Selection, males compete to attract females, so men are more likely to be aggressive and competitive than women.However, nowadays we may see that more and more women become aggressive in competing against other women for a man. Our culture greatly contributes to the development of our beliefs and values. For this reason, bot h cultural psychologists and social anthropologists believe that culture affects one’s personality. In addition, gender differences also influence the personality traits a person possesses. Read more: Does culture affect our personality? – Individual Traits and Culture.

Coping with a wafler

Dealing with People that Make Your Life Difficult Principles of supervision week 4 Individual work 2 Abstract This paper will discuss the waffled employee and how does It compare to a hasty person. The term â€Å"waffled† generally refers to an individual who has a tough time making and sticking to decisions. Introduction A waffled is a person that stalls and changes his or her mind often. Most of the time, a â€Å"waffled† means well but fears making the wrong decision. I honestly don't see anything wrong with a person not wanting to make the wrong decision.Just be mindful of the consequences. Waffled Like most of us, a when faced with a situation, a wafer will weigh in on the pros and cons. The only negative aspect to a wafer is that his or her stalling in a fast-paced environment can be seen as a problem. The best possible way to connect with a waffled Is to develop a professional relationship, one close enough to show her she Is welcomed or liked. The key goal to co ping with a waffled is make the Individual feel accepted, a part of the team. Making a suggestion like going to lunch or how was your keen, helps out a lot when faced with a waffled.It's best that when dealing with a waffled to always provide feedback, whether good back and let the individual know you are here to help. Waffled vs. hasty person I think a waffled will focus on fitting In versus a hasty person who doesn't care to fit In. A hasty person may often display a nasty demeanor toward others for no reason at all. They could be having a bad day and they will blame you for it. A waffled is usually a pleasant individual. I have a co-worker on my job, who upon completion of this assignment, reminds me of a wafer.

Storage Area Network of Carlson Companies Assignment - 1

Storage Area Network of Carlson Companies - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that the effective way to implement a SAN requires computing different or all the existing servers by deploying multiple servers thereby allowing them to organize automatically by creating unconnected information islands. However, in the case of Carlson SAN approach, each of these created islands will be accessible to only one computer; therefore, if computer B needs to use information created by computer A, then computer B needs to copy such information from computer A. In this case, the computer A and B are not connected to a central server, but to independent servers. However, the current implementation of SAN requires a mode of operation or computation where the sourcing of information is from a central point, but accessing such information must be with a high degree of security. Moreover, the Carlson SAN approach mode of implementation requires backup, inter-process communication, and data transfer between different data source; however, the today’s implementation will not require backup since that data or the computing information will be in the cloud. Cloud computing does not require backup or interruption of systems or the flow of information during such implementations as such data or inhumation will be readily available to both the organization’s management and customers in the cloud. Cloud computing allows server Virtualization that does not require physical servers that reducing the interference of worker at some point of network maintenance or advancement.

Personal Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Paper - Essay Example They lived in a broken down shack. They slept on the floor, and they did not have any electricity or running water. My grandmother was the caretaker, while my grandfather supported the family. He worked in the tobacco fields. My mother’s sisters and brothers all pitched in to do all the chores. They had no specific roles. They all cleaned the house together, took turns sweeping the floor, and fetching water. My grandfather and his family finally migrated to New York in 1951. Upon relocating to New York, my family did not move into a Hispanic community, instead they moved into an African American community called Harlem, which is a predominately African American Community. It is believed my grandfather wanted to get away from the Hispanic community. It was very difficult for them due to the language barriers. The family did not speak any English except my grandfather. Upon entering school my mother, her sister’s and brother’s were all placed in the same grade, because they lacked the ability to speak the native language. The school gave them a bilingual teacher who taught them to speak the native language. She was also a big support to my mother’s family, and due to the school support, and the support of the community my mother’s family adjusted very well to their new environment. All of my aunts and uncles married, and soon branched out into different communities, and had children of their own. I was born and raised in a New York City Housing Project (NYCHA) called Jefferson, which consisted of a multicultural community. I resided in the home with my mother, father and five siblings. Despite my mother never obtaining an education she was very active within the community. She did voluntary work as a school Para Professional with special needs children, and my father worked in a garment factory. Most of the friends came from single-families households. Their main sources of income were either

Curriculum Foundations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Curriculum Foundations - Research Paper Example The first part is to cover all the important events up to the end of the civil war while the second part to proceed with all the reconstructions through to the present. It aims and overcoming all the shortcomings of the old curriculum and ensure that students can effectively, understand and appreciate our heritage and the manner the country evolved. In this way, they will gain a better understanding of the current problems we face and develop a good strategy on how we should move to make the most desirable changes. This will be targeting all the elementary schools, the junior high schools and the high schools of Mesa Unified School District, Arizona. Firstly, the new curriculum aims at aligning with the standards set by the state, which is one of the major requirements since the curriculum must be compatible with the guidelines set by both the state and the federal government. Each instructor will be capable of measuring the standards of their lessons to ensure that the students get the right content effectively. Secondly, the curriculum aims at providing a detailed explanation of the significance of one historical occasion relative to the other events. This is to enlighten them to understand how one event contributed and shaped the occurrence of the other. Thirdly, it also intends to impart the required critical as well as creative thinking abilities as the students move to college to critically anslyse the events and make meaningful judgements. Lastly, the curriculum aims at ensuring that students can clearly understand how the past events shaped our present status and make excellent plans for our future. Although it is the oldest approach of all the existing approaches to curiculum development, the behavioral approach is the most relevant one to employ. The approach, according to Ornstein and Hunkins (2009) will pave the way for the specification of the goals as well as the objectives of the curriculum that we clearly, understand. The approach also

International marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International marketing - Essay Example In adaptation, however, there is less risk of consumers rejecting a product or service because research will have been done to identify their preferences before products and services can be created for them. In many cases, multinational corporations such as McDonald’s owe their success to adapting their marketing mix strategies to suit the local preferences. While effectiveness and greater profits tend to be the result if standardization, customer orientation also brings acceptance to companies that use to expand to international markets. Both standardization and adaptation have their uses within the international business arena. The Marketing Strategy of Cell Phone Carriers in Africa. There are different environmental factors that cell phone carriers in African nations take into consideration when establishing new branches. Some of these include: Strategic Risk: The cell phone firms have to take into account the competitors in the mobile industry, as well as the purchasing po wer of their targeted consumers. Sometimes they may encounter intense competition from other previously established distributors that have government backing. Such business rivals can adversely affect a new company that is seeking to establish itself. Operational Risk: This has to do with faulty infrastructure or imperfect logistics. In many African nations, there may not be enough roads or transport facilities to ensure that raw materials are accessed and products created on time. This is something that ends up adversely affecting productivity. Political Risk: Political instability is something that has plagued many African nations in the past. This means that companies have to either ensure that they have government backing, in order to discourage would be attackers, or... Operational Risk: This has to do with faulty infrastructure or imperfect logistics. In many African nations, there may not be enough roads or transport facilities to ensure that raw materials are accessed and products created on time. This is something that ends up adversely affecting productivity. Political Risk: Political instability is something that has plagued many African nations in the past. This means that companies have to either ensure that they have government backing, in order to discourage would be attackers, or are located in a secure environment. On the other hand, they could simply purchase their own security teams. This, however, ends up being an additional cost. Country/Culture Risk: When a country has been plagued in political strife for a long time, its citizens usually begin to view violence as being a normal part of life. This means that recklessness, the lack of law and order, and crimes such as stealing are seen as being normal. Theft of company resources, in such cases, can cause a company to use more capital than was originally planned, just to buy more assets and get adequate security.

In engaging with subculture street culture, do girls simply mimic the Essay

In engaging with subculture street culture, do girls simply mimic the practices of their male counterparts or exhibit their own - Essay Example Current paper focuses on a particular cultural style: subculture street culture. Particular reference is made to the engagement of girls with subculture street culture and the points at which this engagement is differentiated from that of boys. The literature developed in regard to this issue has been reviewed; a relevant interview has been also employed so that all aspects of this study’s subject are fully explored. The key finding of the study seems to be the following: girls tend to mimic boys in engaging with subculture street culture but they may introduce elements of behaviour or dressing aiming to show their willingness for expressing own specificity. 2. Subculture and street culture 2.1 Characteristics and aspects of subculture and street culture In order to understand the modes of engagement used by girls in regard to subculture and street culture it would be necessary to explore primarily the context of culture and subculture. Then the criteria and the methods used b y girls to be engaged with subculture could be fully understood. According to Hebdige (1979) culture is a term that can be described as ‘tending’. ... rtance of culture as an indication of moral values (Hoggart and Williams in Hebdige 1979, p.5) while Barthes (1972) considered that culture should be considered more as related to everyday life (Barthes in Hebdige 1979, p.6). At this point, the following question should appear: which of the above approaches in regard to culture should be taken as the basis for evaluating the content and the popularity of subculture street culture among young people? If the first view, that of Hoggart and Williams is rejected this means that subculture in general is opposed to moral and ethics, an assumption that could not be accepted. On the other hand, the second view seems to be closer to the actual role of subculture street culture: to establish a community of ideas/ trends for its supporters, i.e. to become a style of life for those who believe that these trends reflect their personal beliefs and thoughts. In other words, subculture, as part of culture, could be regarded as being a style of life in the context of which specific behavioural and dressing codes apply and which is not necessarily opposed to morals. However, it is possible for a mode of subculture to challenge morals and ethics, an intention that it is usually expressed clearly by the creators of the relevant movement/ mode of subculture. When referring specifically to subculture, the following issue should be highlighted: in most cases, subculture is considered as opposed to social order (Hebdige 1979). For example, ‘teddy boys, punks and skinheads’ (Hebdige 1979, p.3) have been often treated as a threat for social order. Of course, it cannot be denied that these forms of subculture have been developed in order to express ‘the resistance to the existing political and social system’ (Hebdige 1979, p.3). Still,

Opportunity to Get Higher Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opportunity to Get Higher Education - Essay Example Alongside each  paper  I did, the lecturer commented on my strengths and weakness. Further, the  lecturer  gave me suggestions on how I can improve weaker areas. I do not  often  read  textbooks, probably; this was the least helpful thing I had through this class. A textbook is a tool and no need of reading all that is in there some  irrelevant  to the subject. The reading assignments we worked on were extremely specific and always applied directly to the assignments. The assignments I enjoyed most were those I had  total  discretion in terms of my topic of choice. Persuasive research  paper  and also the  letter  to the  writer  were my  best  assignments I did in this class, and I scored  best  in these two papers. In my letter to the editor, I discussed animal egret and abandonment and came up with a solution. The  solution  called â€Å"get  tough† which included  multiple  steps. The real key  solution  was using  the community  for outreach and  involvements  in ensuring animal rights  have adhered. The issue of animal rights is particularly  salient  to me because I work in an animal shelter,  and  was ease  getting  all the  information I required. The story about basset hound  found  in  shock  brought in  passion  for this. I looked in depth on the importance of spaying or neutering your pets in my persuasive  paper. This issue  was deeply connected  to this  letter  am writing to the editor. Animal abuse and neglect would be substantially lessened.  This  would be so if there were not so many unwanted puppies and kittens born to people who cannot protect  them and not be wishing to do so.  I opened up the paper with a series of questions, which I think helped  catch  the readers attention and I had a  sizeable  number  of facts such as the current stats--local and  a nation--regarding unwanted pets and annual pet birth rates.   

Radio and Television in Mass Media Essay Example for Free

Radio and Television in Mass Media Essay A form of media that revolutionized the way humans communicate was the radio. David Sarnoff is the best candidate for the man who put radio on the map. Although it may have not been his choosing, the sinking of the Titanic in 1916 put his name in the record books. For three days straight, the young Sarnoff decoded messages from the sinking ship from his office in New York (Wells 36). The Titanic broadcast was groundbreaking, because it showed and economically profitable way by which radio could be used as a medium of mass communication for ordinary families (Wells 36). By 1930 transmitters were popping up in cities around the nation. A record 30 million households had a set, and the one set per household was becoming a reality (Wells 42). The power of radio was not really noticed until a monumental broadcast in 1939. H.G. Wells War of the Worlds broadcast brought a whole nation to its knees and caused widespread panic among millions of viewers. Hours after the broadcast, people from coast to coast were thrown into panic, believing monsters from Mars, invulnerable space ships were destroying the earth. They took to cars, ran out to warn neighbors, traffic was jammed, church services were ended. Four times during the show the listeners were reminded that they were hearing a dramatization, but many citizens couldnt see past. After the incident, Wells told reporters that radio is a popular democratic machine for disseminating information and entertainment (Naremore 38). The power of radio was soon known, and this incident brought light to it. Today there more than 575 million radios in America alone (Encyclopedia Britannica). The latest study from the National Broadcasting Company found that 90.5 percent of the adult population listens to some type of radio during the week. Today, Clear Channel Communications owns over 1,200 radio stations across the United States, and Cumulus, the second largest owns 266 stations. (Grant, Meadows 141). With the FCC eliminating caps on ownership, one day everyone may be listening to the same news, spun whichever way Clear Channel feels like spinning it; to the left wing, or the right. Traditional radio is facing its toughest battle these days though. Satellite radio is sweeping through the market like a wildfire; with CD-quality sound, and hundreds of channels to choose from, who wouldnt spend the ten dollars a month to have  XM or Sirius? Although both companies reported losses in mid-2004, each service looks to become profitable by the end of 2005 (Grant 142). Radio will be hard-pressed to keep up with satellite. XMs digital music library is among the worlds largest 1.5 million titles and counting. Out of the 121 channels available on XM, 68 are 100% commercial free 24 hours a day, year round, with over 1500 hours of live programming every week. Although XM and Sirius only represent radios 4.5 million subscriptions only represents a fraction of radios 290 million weekly listeners, the number of satellite subscriptions is expected to double in 2005 (Bachman 4). On Christmas Day 2004, over 50,000 subscribers signed up for satellite radio service. If both companies hit their projections, there will be 7.7 million satellite radio subscribers by January 2006 (Bachman 4). Satellite radio isnt the only next generation radio system on the market. In 2004, 10,000 HD radios were sold, with prices ranging from $500-$1,000. B the end of 2005, Strubble predicts there will be a t least 600 HD radio stations, covering 80% of the U.S. and about 100,000 HD radios sold. HD radio representative John Smulyan believes, WE think this is one of those opportunities for game-changing radio business (Bachman 5). Television began with three companies that still dominate the airwaves, ABC, NBC, and CBS. In a world of subscription, these companies till offer free TV, but the ratings are going more towards cable. The clean cut programming that was once aired is being replaced with a plethora of violence and political propaganda that may ruin television. Television ranks just behind radio in penetration in the U.S. With over 106 million home, or 98% of the U.S. population having televisions, there is a plethora of sets ready to catch signals for people to view. Network TV has emerged over the last two decades as the dominant vehicle for interpreting national politics. TV has become the major source of news for the population, and the only news source for others. The problem is that politicians and journalists feed off each other like leeches. The politician needs the journalist for their messages to reach the intended audience, and journalists need the politicians to have something to write about. The coverage politicians seek gives them an outlet from which to speak. Those  who look good in the media can make a good image for themselves. The real problem comes when the news turns out to be propaganda, causing action from an opposing side that leads to deception. More than propaganda, violence seems to be the hot topic debated daily by politician and parent alike. Can what you child sees on television affect how he lives his/her life? E.B. White once said that television is going to be the test of the modern world (Simons 151). There is no doubt that television has become the central activity in homes today. Its ability to entertain, teach and persuade has huge impact on viewers. In the United States 98% of households have at least one set (Simons 149). What is astonishing is that children are watching an average of 7.5 hours a day (Simmons 149). One of the main concerns with television programming is the violence viewed by children that cannot understand the differences between fantasy and reality. Davidson, in a issue of Rolling Stones, agreed that children are vulnerable to television between the ages of 2 to 8 years because of their maturational inability to separate what they view from reality (qtd. in Simmons 152). Violence was such an issue that is came under consideration in the 50s and 60s in Congress. The findings supported the idea that a casual relationship existed between television violence and aggressive behavior. The National Coalition on Television Violence has classified the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as the most violent program ever studied, with almost 200 violent acts per hour (Simmons 150). In an experimental study involving 5 to 11 year olds, children who watch Power Rangers committed seven times more aggressive acts than those who did not. Shows such as these caused a large number of accidents and quarrels due to the children imitating the characters actions. There is no doubt that the television programming has engulfed the U.S. population. As of 2003, 71.3% of U.S. households received cable programming (Grant, Meadows 29). This fact is amazing, because cable had only been around for fifty years. Not only programming is changing, but how we receive it as well. In May 2002, the FCC set a deadline by which all U.S. commercial television broadcasters were required to be broadcasting digital television signals. This date was a little early though, but by September 2003, 38 of 40 stations in the 10 largest markets in the United  States began broadcasting digital television signals (Grant, Meadows 28). By early 2004, 1.5 million household were watching HDTV, and that number is going to rise sharply. This means clearer sound and displays, recordable content, and crisp, clear reception of the same channels that have always been around. What if new 169 television sets make news broadcasts look weird or maybe cartoons might not look good on a widescreen set? There is no telling where the television market will go, hopefully bigger and better; but will content become more subtle, or so radical that new laws must be made to subdue? Radios.Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 1999. Encyclopedia Britannica. 13 February 2005 Grant, August and Jennifer Meadows. Communication Technology Update. Oxford: Focal Press, 2004. Naremore, James. The Man who caused the Mars Panic. Humanities, Vol 24 (2003) 38-40 Simmons, Betty Jo, Stalsworth, Kelly, Wentzel, Heather. Television Violence and Its Effects on Young Children. Early Childhood Education journal Vol 26 (1999): 149-153 Wells, Alan. Mass Media and Society. Palo Alto, National Press Books. 1972

Effect of Temperature on Vitamin C in Orange Juice

Effect of Temperature on Vitamin C in Orange Juice Abstract: This experiment was planned to study how different temperatures can affect the loss of vitamin C in orange juice stored for a fixed period of time. Equal volume of freshly squeezed orange juices with known (initial) vitamin C concentration were stored at different temperatures i.e. 10 °C, 20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C for a constant duration of 5 days. After the storage period, the vitamin C concentration for each temperature was measured by DCPIP titration and the difference relative to the initial concentration was calculated to calculate the amount of vitamin C reduced. The result of this experiment showed that the amount of vitamin C lost increases with the increase in temperature and 10oC was the best temperature that gave the least reduction in vitamin C concentration. An analysis using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient has revealed a strong positive linear relationship between the two variables with the calculated r value exceeds the critical va lue at 5 % significant level thus, supporting the experimental hypothesis. Vitamin C is a remarkable compound derived from one of the ascorbic enantiomers, L-ascorbate. It is a water soluble vitamin that cannot be naturally synthesized in human body.1 Therefore, it is vital to have our diet balanced with adequate amount of it every day. There are two important roles played by vitamin C; antioxidant and collagen formation.2 These two features have placed vitamin C in a class of its own as a future potential in fostering better health. A previous research regarding relationship between vitamin C and human brain has shown that vitamin C could help drugs to pass the blood brain barrier.6 This would enable brain diseases such as Parkinson to be effectively treated as artificial dopamine can be delivered directly to the brain. At the same time, the biggest challenge in bone marrow treatment i.e. getting enough cells, could possibly be solved as a recent study by Dunagqing Pei13 on vitamin C, has found that it can boost the production and pluripotency of stem cells in human body. However, Vitamin C is also known to be very vulnerable towards heat. The precursor of vitamin C, ascorbic acid, has molecular of C6H8O6. The proximity of highly electronegative oxygen atoms on the hydroxyl (OH) groups makes the hydrogen atoms to become easily detached from the structure. Meanwhile, the presence of heat causes the hydroxyl bond to break the ascorbic acid is said to undergo destruction or oxidation by losing hydrogen atoms, forming dehydroascorbic acid. Therefore, it is suggested that the rate of ascorbic acid destruction is significantly greater at higher temperature.* Most of the studies on vitamin C degradation are principally based on the effect of storage condition and period, and very few were done on identifying the degradation trend within a specific range of temperature. Previous research, on the effect of storage methods and conditions on vitamin C retention in human milk revealed that freezing reduces the least amount of vitamin C as compared to other storage methods, followed by refrigeration which is better than cold water. Another study at Ankara University, has shown an inverse relationship between temperature and retention rate of vitamin C in citrus fruit concentrates, while orange fruit was found to have higher retention ability than the others. Therefore, this experiment was aimed to find a specific trend regarding the effect of temperature on the loss of vitamin C. Citrus fruits (orange) were used in this experiment due to appreciable amount of vitamin C that they have, thus, increasing the reliability of the results. The results from this study can be used to illustrate how certain temperatures can cause drastic change in vitamin C hence, increasing the awareness on appreciating the effort of preserving vitamin C content in food for optimum health benefit. For instance, in agricultural tropical regions that grow citrus fruits, it becomes very vital to preserve the fruits at low temperature if possible due to higher chance of vitamin C destruction than other regions. Experimental Hypothesis: The higher the temperature, the higher the degradation of vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice. Null Hypothesis: There is no significant relationship between the different temperature and the degradation of vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice. PLANNING Five types of citrus fruits were randomly chosen, namel: lemon, lime, grapefruit, Clementine and orange. The fresh juice of each fruit was obtained through cutting and squeezing. The vitamin C content for each juice was determined by titration against 1 ml of 1 % DCPIP. The titration was repeated two times to get an average volume of the juice needed to decolourise DCPIP. The result: The least volume of orange was needed to decolourise DCPIP, indicating that it has the highest vitamin C content. Therefore, orange fruit was chosen as it would give significant response towards different temperatures. Determining the best storage period: Several orange fruits were squeezed to obtain fresh orange juice that would be enough for its vitamin C content to be measured on daily basis. Firstly, the initial vitamin C content of the juice was measured and 4.8 ml was needed to decolourise 1 ml of DCPIP solution. Equal volume of the remaining juice was divided into two beakers and each was stored in an incubator of different temperatures (10 °C and 60 °C). Two distinctive temperatures were chosen to allow easy comparison of the trend in each temperature. The result: The result shows no more change in volume of juice required after 5 days for 60 °C. Therefore, storage period of five days were chosen for the main experiment. MAIN EXPERIMENT Variables: Manipulated variable: Different temperatures (oC) (6 incubators were set at different temperatures of 10 °C, 20 °C 0, 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C) Responding variable: Amount of vitamin C lost (By DCPIP titration, the difference between initial and final vitamin C concentration in each juice was  calculated to determine the concentration of vitamin C reduced) Fixed variables : Storage period, volume and concentration of DCPIP, type of fruits (The storage period was five days. 1ml of 0.1% DCPIP  Used for each titration) Apparatus: Beakers, knife, test tubes, syringes, Parafilm, aluminium paper, incubators, mortar and pestle, measuring cylinder. Materials: Orange fruits, 1% dichlorophenolinophenol (DCPIP) solution, distilled water, 500 mg vitamin C tablet. Real Experimental Procedures: Standardizing Vitamin C Concentration: 1) A tablet of 500 mg vitamin C tablet was crushed into fine powders using a mortar and a pestle. 2) The powdery form of vitamin C was then dissolved into 100 ml of distilled water in a beaker to form 5 mg/ml of ascorbic solution. 3) 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution was measured and placed into a test tube by using a syringe. 4) 1 ml of 5 mg/ml of ascorbic acid solution was then taken using a syringe and added drop by drop into the measured DCPIP solution until decolourised. 5) The volume of ascorbic acid solution needed to decolourise the DCPIP solution was recorded. 6) The titration process was repeater three times to get an average volume. The result of titration is as follows: Volume of Juice Titrated / ml Hence, 2.5 ml of 5 mg/ml of ascorbic acid solution was needed to decolourise 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution To find a formula to calculate vitamin C concentration in orange juice, Conc. of orange juice (mg/ml) Vol. of orange juice (mg/ml) = 5 mg/ml 2.5 ml Since the volume needed to decolourise is proportional to vitamin C concentration. So. Conc. of orange juice (ml) 2.5 ml = 5 mg/ml Vol. of orange juice (mg/ml) 2.5 ml Concentration of orange juice (mg/ml) = X 5 mg/ml Vol. of orange juice (ml) Therefore, this calculation would be used to calculate the vitamin C concentration. Determining vitamin C loss: 10 orange fruits were cut and squeezed to obtain fresh juice. 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution was measured and placed into a test tube by using a syringe. 1 ml syringe was filled with the orange juice and added drop by drop into the DCPIP solution until it decolourised. The volume of juice added was recorded. The titration was repeated five times to get an average volume and its vitamin C concentration was calculated using the derived formula. The juice was then divided into 6 equal volumes and each placed into 100 ml beaker. The top of each beaker was sealed with Parafilm and its surface was wrapped with aluminium paper and labelled with different temperatures. The beakers were placed in six incubators of different temperatures according to the label and left for five days. After five days, the beakers were sealed off. 1 ml of 1% DCPIP solution was measured and transferred into a test tube by using a syringe. The orange juice stored in 10 °C was taken by a syringe and added drop by drop into the DCPIP until it decolourised. The volume of juice added was recorded The titration was titrated three times to get an average volume and its vitamin C concentration was calculated using the formula: 2.5 ml Concentration of orange juice (mg/ml) = X 5 mg/ml Vol. of orange juice (ml) Steps 8-10 were repeated but this time using the orange juices stored in  °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C. The difference between the initial concentration and the final concentration of each juice was calculated to determine the amount of vitamin C lost. Risk Assessment: The process of cutting the orange fruits required the use of knife, so it was done carefully to avoid any injury. The fruits were then squeezed very gently to minimise heat production. The juice was only prepared right before the experiment was about to be carried out. DCPIP is a strong dye which is hard to be removed so lab coat was worn. During the titration of juice against DCPIP, the test tube was not shaken vigorously to avoid oxygen from dissolving. The juice was discarded immediately after the experiment. Results: Statistical Analysis: Based on the result from the table, it is known that there is an obvious trend and correlation between the temperature and vitamin C loss. Therefore, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PMCC) was chosen to measure the strength of this relationship. In this method, the value of correlation coefficient, r needs to be calculated which ranges from -1 to 1. The details of its values are as follow: Therefore, the value of correlation coefficient, r, using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient has shown a strong positive linear relationship between temperatures and loss of vitamin C. Hence, null hypothesis is rejected. Data Analysis: Table 4 shows the volume of the freshly-squeezed orange juice needed to decolourise 1ml of 1% DCPIP solution. The average volume was used to calculate the concentration of vitamin C present initially. Meanwhile, Table 5 shows the amount of vitamin C concentration reduced after being stored at different temperatures for five days. From the table, there is an inverse relationship between the vitamin C concentration left and the amount of vitamin C lost. There is also a huge difference in the amount of vitamin C left between the juice stored in 10 oC andt the one stored at 60 oC, which is 2.11 mg/ml. This represents 77.6% of the original concentration of vitamin C. The calculated statistical correlation coefficient, r of 0.9584 is absolutely a strong indicator to support this relationship. Graph 1 illustrates the trends and correlation between the two variables. From the graph, it can be concluded that generally, the higher the temperature, the higher the amount of vitamin C lost. 10 oC is the best temperature that gave the least reduction in vitamin C level with only 0.12 mg/ml (4.4%) decrease after five days. Meanwhile, 60 oC caused maximum drop in concentration after five days with 2.23 mg/ml (82%) of vitamin C had lost. The largest gap in vitamin C loss occurred between 40 oC and 50 oC with 1 mg/ml (37%) of increase recorded. Based on the graph, the amount of degradation at 20 °C and 30 °C opposed the general trends when 0.6 mg/ml vitamin C had lost at 10 °C which is greater than 0.56 mg/ml at 30 °C. However, the difference is so small which suggests that this anomaly might be due to several reasons: Higher rate of oxidation of ascorbic acid by oxygen in the atmosphere. False end-point titration Apart from that, the results obtained have also shown that there is only a little change in vitamin C concentration from 10 °C to 30 °C. However, drastic change in concentration started to occur after 40 °C. This suggests that orange fruits should be kept below 30 °C with better vitamin C retention at lower temperature. Evaluation: From the results of the experiment, the huge difference in vitamin C lost between 40 °C and 50 °C could be explained by the presence of enzyme ascorbate oxidase in citrus fruits. The function of this enzyme is still not fully understood, but one best suggestion is that it might involve in controlling the oxidation process of ascorbic acid.12 Just like any other enzymes, when the optimum temperature is exceeded, the bonds holding the ascorbate oxidase together start to break and it is said to be denatured. Therefore, the destruction of ascorbic acid takes place without any control. Measurement of vitamin C in this experiment was done by titrating the juice against dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP). It is a strong oxidizing agent with distinctive blue colour and decolourised when being reduced by vitamin C.15 Therefore, the destruction of vitamin C by heat means that more is needed to decolourise DCPIP solution. Oxidation of DCPIP by oxygen in the atmosphere is one of the limitations of this experiment. Hence, the test tubes were not shaken vigorously during titration in order to minimise this limitation as vigorous moves can increase the rate of oxygen dissolving in a solution. The other limitation could be the side decomposition of vitamin C due to the presence of light and air. Just like temperature, ultraviolet ray from incidence light causes the hydroxyl bond in ascorbic acid to break, thus become oxidised. To reduce this limitation, the beakers containing orange juice to be stored at different temperatures were neatly wrapped with aluminium paper which is a good reflector of light and heat. The surfaced of the beakers were also sealed with Parafilm. This would prevent the entry of air and significantly reduce unnecessary oxidation of vitamin C in the juice. Several modifications can be made in the future to improve the accuracy and reliability of the results of this experiment. Iodine titration could be used as an alternative for DCPIP titration. Although this technique may require the use of more reagents, the result from the trial experiment has shown that the end point of titration is much easier to be identified. Besides, orange juice could be obtained by blending the peeled orange fruits instead of squeezing them. This ensures maximum amount of juice obtained from each fruit as well as preventing destruction of vitamin C by heat. Finally, percentage of vitamin C degraded can be used as the response variable instead of concentration. This would allow clearer illustration of the amount of vitamin C reduced for the readers and also make the comparison process easier. Conclusion: Based on the result of this experiment, it can be concluded that the higher the temperature, the greater the degradation of vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice. The statistically calculated r value using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, 0.9584, is significantly higher than the critical value at 5% significance level thus, providing a strong evidence to support the hypothesis. Sources Evaluation: Several recourses were used in providing me important information in completing this assignment. Sources 1 and 2 are books that are specially made about fruit management and also detailed information about vitamin C as well as compelling research on it. Both books were published after year 2005, so the information available is mostly up to date. Besides, I have also accessed journals available online. Sources 3 and 4 come from two well known websites for food and nutrition based journals. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is a trustable website with over 3100 members, publishing up to dates research related to nutrition and human. Sources 7, 8 and 9 are chemistry based websites, serving enormous information on the structures and reaction of biological compounds. Chemwiki is a virtual online based chemistry textbook, accessed by millions of people searching for chemistry knowledge. Sources 10 and 11 are websites exclusively made for vitamin C. The Vitamin C Foundation, for instance, is recognised by Internal Revenue Service, IRS in protecting vast information about vitamin C for public reference. Source 12, Scientific American magazine is a popular scientific magazine established for nearly two centuries since 1845 with more than 3.5 million readers all over the world. Therefore, there would be no doubt in reliability of the content in this magazine.

Reflective Social Work Practice Social Work Essay

Reflective Social Work Practice Social Work Essay Social workers are knowledgeable about and apply the principles of critical thinking and reasoned discernment. They identify, distinguish, evaluate and integrate multiple sources of knowledge and evidence. These include practice evidence, their own practice experience, service user and carer experience together with research-based, organisational, policy and legal knowledge. They use critical thinking augmented by creativity and curiosity. I will critically examine this extract based on my own practice experience and evaluate the use of theories, tools and techniques of reflective practice to see if it supports the statement. I will begin by providing a description of a case study drawn from my previous placement to draw on the practice experience gained and how this may illustrate my learning so far. It is based on a 14 year old young girl who has been attending a horse-riding charity to help promote her well-being, self-esteem and social skills. For the purpose of this assignment she will be referred to as A. In this particular example, it is A and myself who have met as I have been given the task by my manager to talk to her about her personal hygiene. My manager felt this would also help in meeting the criteria required to handle complex situations (National Occupational Standards, Key role 6). Other young girls in her group have been seen talking behind As back about her and have not wanted to participate in group work with her because of this. I felt apprehensive about the meeting as I had not yet encountered anything like this previously. Though I was reassured by my manager that I would have the opportunity to go through the best approach with her before I met with A. Unfortunately due to time constraints and my manager having to deal with a crisis she was unable to assist me. Prior to the initial meeting with A I began to research on how best to deal with the situation and plan ahead on how best to communicate with her. I wanted to do this without hurting her feelings as she was a young and impressionable young person. This is also known as second order skills when employing planning strategies in what I as a worker am doing, being aware and observing interactions, being able to feedback what has happened (Kaprowska, 2005). Still feeling unsure on how to lead onto this particular topic due to my lack of experience, I realised that if my nervousness is apparent to A this may only escalate her worries as well. As a result I tried to keep my anxiety at bay. I asked if she had access to shower/bath facilities as a lot of the children who attended the organisation came from areas of deprivation. At this point I realised I felt out of my depth in having this conversation, and on reflection later felt it conflicted with my own personal beliefs. I did not believe her to have any hygiene issues when I had worked with A in the past. This may have shown when I eventually got to the topic at hand and told her the truth. She may have observed that I did not feel happy explaining why I am asking these questions when I myself did not share the same view as my colleagues and others. I came away from the meeting with my confidence shaken, it was made worse when I learned from my manager that A was upset and her mother h ad in fact complained about me the next day. I felt a great deal of empathy for this young girl, as a professional I had made a commitment to ensure her well-being. I was trying to achieve a fine balance between trying to support her whilst also trying to bring about social change. A reason for this I realised was that A and I had a few similarities which may have affected how I worked with her, the way I perceived her and also in the way I related to her. I recognised that we both had experienced bullying at similar ages. Upon reflection I realised I had assumed her to be more vulnerable in my eyes because of my own experiences which may have impacted on the working relationship I had built with her (Ojala and Nesdale, 2004). Both A and her mother were disappointed in me and felt strongly enough to complain. I felt terrible that I had caused A such distress. Trust is a primary feature in conducting person-centred work. Originally developed in the field of psychology by Carl Rogers (1951) where he outlined the person centred therapy. If I was disclosing information to A about her poor hygiene which was not something I wholly agreed with, then being transparent and honest became difficult. A may have observed my unease with her in the meeting, and may have lost faith in me and my work. I realise afterwards that I wanted this to change, and so actively researched how I could engage in positive work with A. Person centred work also involves being able to discover the clients wishes and feelings and taking this forward in a positive manner. The theory proposes that both the worker and the client are equal, it also challenges the notion of the worker being seen as an expert of knowledge, and that the expert knows best. In the meeting with A I had not really questioned her thoughts and feelings on the situation, and therefore had made the power dynamics between A and myself unbalanced and less in her favour. I had not taken her identity as a service user into full account and consequently may have oppressed her unknowingly by not trying to understand her views and opinions. In the next meeting with A, I actively researched and utilised the person centred approach to help her feel valued and considered in the process. In achieving this I had learnt the gaps in my learning experience and attempted to further my knowledge to benefit my work with A. This can be seen that I am applying the key elements of critical thinking as mentioned in Domain 6 of the Professional Capabilties Framework (2012). When talking with A about her riding ability and work with the group, I realised that her wishes, thoughts and feelings had perhaps been neglected when providing this service. Once I reached this conclusion I also began to see that the organisation that I was based in, it may have been the case that a person centred approach was taken initially to begin with. However, when trying to implement the approach fully into practice it seemed as if the people working with A may have forgotten that the planning is not fixed and irreversible. Mansell and Beadle-Brown (2004a) have stated that this is may be the reason why there is a decrease and collapse in being able to take plans forward. Furthermore similar to Carl Rogers (1951) and his humanistic view for individualism within person centred practice, Yelloly and Henkel (1995) suggested uniqueness as central for effective social work practice. With reference to As identity which I had not originally considered, I had come to understand that I needed to make some self-disclosures about my understanding of how I viewed her. I achieved this by communicating honestly my thoughts on how I had assumed that she would not be resilient enough to understand the first meeting. I had labelled her as a victim of bullying in my mind when this is not how she saw herself. Perhaps if I had realised this early on I would not have meandered through the conversation of hygiene with no direction, and stated the facts in a much direct and open manner. I made my apologies known to A and explored more about her thoughts on bullying and its impact. This allowed me to remain consciously focused on her as an individual and aware of my own valu es about addressing individuals. Funding and organisational issues within the social care sector have meant that resources and number of staff available to attend to service users has meant there is an uphill struggle to meet the needs of the users (Routledge and Gitsham, 2004). These have also had a substantial effect on the voluntary sector where I was based. My interactions with A were largely unsupervised to begin with because of a shortage of qualified staff and resources. This meant the amount of time and resources I was able to spend with any of the young people attending the service has to be made the most of. This may be why having highly skilled practitioners is vital in the face of the current political context. In the face of a double dip recession means having to economise now also extends to social workers as well (Sanderson et al., 2002). Having enough staff members to begin with would be helpful in providing one to one work usually required for person-centred planning. Even when facing such hardships , it may be crucial to have a positive attitude and have a good team to work within to feel that the work you are producing is not only of a high standard but also done collaboratively. Kydd (2004) also affirms that the solution may not always lie in having enough resources but positive together to develop conducive and appropriate working environments. This may go some way to explain how my manager supported me in this particular incident and was able to provide valuable insight into how to improve our working relationship, by being present in future work with A. It is also in line with the organisations working policy (Appendix A). Transparency is crucial to completing positive work with people in social work. Congruence is an imperative aspect of this where the worker and the service user have openness within themselves and with one another to foster trustworthiness (Platt, 2007). Though this can only happen if there is a genuine desire to be honest with one another. That the professional will not hold up a faà §ade and will be able to attend to what the service user is saying by staying in the present and remaining transparent. This may have seemed like a natural concept but was quite difficult to apply when working with A. I did not want to undermine her experience of being bullied by her peers by bringing my own personal experiences into the forefront. Yet I thought if I told her she may not feel quite so isolated which is a common feeling in teenagers with complex lives (Metzing-Blau and Schnepp, 2008). Ultimately I realised my confidence had been shattered to the point where I began to question almost ev ery piece of work I undertook with A, convinced that I would disappoint her and her mother. This led me to consider other approaches or skills I could better use with A later in my work with her. I came across cognitive-behavioural therapy which is an amalgamation of both behavioural and cognitive disciplines which emerged as a fascinating new concept in 1970s (Rachman, 1997). It addresses the thinking and emotional aspects together, and believes that behaviours can be unlearned. In this way I hoped to be able to view how A conceptualises particular events in her life. Through this I recognised the way A may view herself as she often expressed feeling low, and lack of self-esteem and self-worth. A also had a persistent habit to turn a seemingly positive situation into something negative. This enabled me to understand her experiences from a different point of view and continuous reflection helped me see how she may have needed empowering. A strengths-based approach was also researched and utilised in my work with A, which has become favourable in both direct and indirect work with service users (Rapp, 1997). This approach appealed to me as it is more service-user led, and helps them see how their strengths play a significant role in the face of their problems or crisis that they may be facing. It is quite different to other approaches in that it acknowledges a persons suffering and impairment as the result of systemic rather than just psychological drawbacks. In using this approach, this helped A to understand her ability to cope well despite the harshness of her surrounding environment and daily routine of caring for her mother. She was able to see her positive attributes, how others also recognised these which provided for a more balanced view of herself. This is also in line with social work values which places emphasis on helping the user feel empowered and in control (Value B, Topps, 2002). Since the incident I have had ample time to reflect on my work with A and how I feel about it. Different techniques and tools are used to enable reflection within the field of social work, which can help the way we relate to work, home, culture, and supported networks. Winter (1988) states that experience is not something that we store as we would on a computer, rather we story it. Similarly keeping a reflective journal is a useful technique in proactively encouraging critical reflection if done correctly (Kam-shing, 2005). This was a requirement whilst on the course, which I was not keen on at the beginning. I felt it was quite a daunting experience expressing my thoughts and feelings and could not see the benefits of this. For the duration of the placement, as my ability and knowledge of reflection improved with the help of my educator, I was able to understand how this would help me in becoming an effective practitioner. It helped to formalise my ideas, trail of thoughts and bring about a heightened sense of awareness on my own practice. This technique can be seen as embedded within a theory of reflection developed by Schà ¶n (1991). He called this reflection in action (whilst the event is occurring) and reflection on action (after the event has occurred). The journals or learning logs were primarily used after an event had occurred to understand our learning. This tool is available to evaluate the work I have undertaken and how my knowing-in-action may have had an impact on the end outcome. Thus will be able to improve on my skills and ability to reflect-in-action and recognise if there is something more to be done to help the service user. In my interactions with A and other users, I have also recognised that reflection on action is beneficial in evaluating my own practice and reflection in action to implement those lessons learnt actively. To be able to detect my own mistakes and correct these involves uncovering deeper learning. Argryis and Schà ¶n (1974) proposed that when we as people and practitioners simply only operationalize our goals rather than question them we are only applying single-loop learning. When this incident with A occurred, I looked at the different aspects such as theories, As behaviour, the organisations policies that had influenced my thoughts and perceptions and brought me to look at myself and the situation with close scrutiny and query the governing variables to enforce social change be that within myself, the organisation or A or all of these. Kolb (1984) and his reflective cycle helped me examine the structures to my reflection. He developed four stages to his cycle. These include concrete experiences, reflective observation, followed by abstract conceptualisation which includes drawing conclusions from incidents encountered and active experimentation. Active experimentation is the ability to learn from past situations and try a new approach. I think this is where I feel I continued my work with A from the very first incident in trying to utilise different approaches to help her. Using this approach also made me realise that perhaps even if the event itself may have hurt As feelings it may have raised awareness about her hygiene and brought about independence. This is also in line with Value B of the GSCC codes of practice (Topps, 2002) and with Domain 6 (Professional Capabilities Framework 2012). Group studying has been known to develop enhanced learning and reflection. Bold (2008) suggests that having a supportive group to talk through your knowledge and experience gained can generate deeper learning and increase reflective competence. In using group reflection I found that having a group to talk through my morals, beliefs and assumptions that direct my work very useful in a public and collaborative setting. It provided the opportunity to look back at a past experience from multiples perspectives and raise questions. I had not realised the grave nature of discussing ones hygiene would be so difficult, with the help of the group I was more aware of my hidden assumptions on this and how it could affect my practice. Research by Dahlgren et al. (2006) highlights the importance of group reflection and the role of a critical friend to promote empowerment to both students and teachers. This may be because it allows for the students work in an informal setting and therefore have more of a balanced working dynamics. This kind of democratic environment aids reflective learning by advancing self-knowledge. In my group learning set I came away learning more about my own assumptions about A being a carer to her mother with mental health issues meant that she may not have had facilities to aid good hygiene. The group also helped me look at other explanations for what had happened. I came to understand that whilst the issues of A smelling might have been genuine, it could have also been exacerbated by other staff and children through their own assumptions about her learning disability, and status as a young carer to a parent with mental health problems. Their behaviour and assumptions daily may have impacte d the way I saw A even though I did not agree with their views. I failed to raise this further with my manager when handed the task of telling A, as I may have also assumed here that she would know best. Much later I was introduced to the critical incident technique developed by Tripp (1993). To analyse incidents that have had a strong emotional impact on ourselves as practitioners. It entails learning to look beyond just describing to gain deeper reflection. I began to understand that my underestimation in what I had to tell A, was my own failure. This underlying assumption I later realised arose from my supervision with my manager who had assured me that disclosing this information to A would benefit her. The feedback given from my group has helped me identify areas of my reflection where there may perhaps be gaps and how I could improve on these. I felt the feedback was accurate and enriching, it helped for me to understand how they saw my situation with A and were able to offer alternative explanations for the outcomes that I had not yet explored further. Overall this assignment has aimed to demonstrate that there are a number of factors involved in practicing good social work. This is highlighted by being able to demonstrate an awareness of my own values and philosophies, how my knowledge in terms of theories can be applied to inform my own practice. I have learnt that utilising and evaluating theories have furthered my practice by eliciting my understanding and learning over time. I have gained additional skills together with multiple sources of knowledge and techniques to better help the people I have worked with. This kind of creativity is what can bring about social change and empowerment. Reflection is an integral part of social work practice and different tools like journals can augment deep learning and improve future practice. What I may have learnt from a situation initially does not mean that these are the only recommendations to take forward. Through continual reflection and critical thinking, it can help to question our j udgements and that of others and see if more can be done to change the face of social work practice.

Tess Being a Victim of Fate in Tess of the DUrbervilles Essay

Tess Being a Victim of Fate in Tess of the D'Urbervilles â€Å"The president of the Immortals had done his sport with Tess† In his novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy expresses his dissatisfaction, weariness, and an overwhelming sense of injustice at the cruelty of ‘our’ universal fate disappointment and disillusionment. Hardy puts out an argument that the hopes and desires of Men are cruelly saddened by a strong combination of fate, unwanted accidents, mistakes and many sad flaws. Although Tess is strong willed and is clearly educated emotionally and mentally she soon becomes a victim of ‘fate’. Many people would say that Tess was just unlucky, â€Å"Had a stroke of bad luck,† others would prefer to differ and argue that she has fallen into fates hands. In order to decide whether her story is one of bad luck or bad judgement we need to look into closer detail at her account. Tess is introduced to the readers as a pure and innocent young lady dressed all in white, which symbolizes virginity and purity, whilst her physical appearance suggests a form of innocence and naivety. Hardy proposes that maybe her innocence and purity comes from her lack of experience with people, love and danger. This can be seen when she is exposed to new and different environments and forces. Hardy also introduces class and status very early on, Tess comes from a lower class yet she can make herself seem in a higher status due to her education. Tess’s first encounter of bad luck is when she kills the family horse, Prince. Tess is with her brother Abraham in their wagon whilst discussing about the stars and how they are worlds just like Earth. Tess continues with saying that, â€Å"Most of them splendid and sound-a few bligh... ...e may feel that the choice has been taken away from her and it is a case of survival. Hardy has a strong sense of accidental, coincidental, fate and bad luck. However it is trying to decipher which events are what. For example there are hints that Tess preordained to be murderess, and early in the story, when Prince dies, â€Å"Her face was dry and pale, as though she regarded herself in the light of a murderess.† I believe that many actions that took place in her life were not always bad luck were not always fate but just the path that she led. However her constant bad luck caused her to make bad judgements which then caused us the readers to believe it is fate. To conclude Tess’s innocent and beauty proved to do her no good and she was also unaware of her sexuality. Her lack of common knowledge and wanting from her also made her susceptible to other men.

Eulogy for Grandfather :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Grandfather My grandfather taught us so much. When my sister and I were little, he taught us how to paint with oils on smooth pieces of wood, instructing us on how to blend colors or make certain brush strokes, telling us that "there are no straight lines in nature," to help us paint better trees. He taught us how to work with clay, too, and made us our own clay-working tools. He taught us how to roll pennies from the piggy bank he'd fill up every week. He taught us about the birds flying into the birdfeeder next to the family room window. He taught me about words, too, in one memorable exchange advising me to use the words "equine posterior" rather than their more common alternative. But most of what my grandfather taught us he taught us indirectly, without speaking. Going to museums with him was often a chore for me as a kid, because he would have to stop and read every plaque next to every painting or item, every so often calling us back to something we'd tired of already to explain what he'd just learned-but mostly, just observing, drinking in everything he could see with quiet patience. He never went to college, but he taught me more about education-and the value of being a self-educator-than I could learn in any school. My grandfather made miraculous things with lumps of clay and blocks of wood. It wasn't until much later that I realized how well-outfitted his workshop was, full of specialized tools; he'd taught my father how to be the same kind of hands-on man, and I thought all Grandpas and Dads had special lathes, band saws, table saws, jig saws, buckets of nails, vast arrays of screwdrivers and dozens of varieties of sandpaper in their basements. One birthday, I remember, he made special. After we'd unwrapped our other toys, my sister and I were presented with identical boxes with the Hallmark logo on them. They were presented with great ceremony, and we were confused but excited. We opened them at the same time. Inside my sister's box was a diorama of our dog Lady playing with a soccer ball out on the lawn. Her back paw was stomping tiny silk flowers into garden dirt rendered in sawdust. Mine was a black horse leaping over a stone wall-perfect down to the textured wood that formed the rock. Eulogy for Grandfather :: Eulogies Eulogy Eulogy for Grandfather My grandfather taught us so much. When my sister and I were little, he taught us how to paint with oils on smooth pieces of wood, instructing us on how to blend colors or make certain brush strokes, telling us that "there are no straight lines in nature," to help us paint better trees. He taught us how to work with clay, too, and made us our own clay-working tools. He taught us how to roll pennies from the piggy bank he'd fill up every week. He taught us about the birds flying into the birdfeeder next to the family room window. He taught me about words, too, in one memorable exchange advising me to use the words "equine posterior" rather than their more common alternative. But most of what my grandfather taught us he taught us indirectly, without speaking. Going to museums with him was often a chore for me as a kid, because he would have to stop and read every plaque next to every painting or item, every so often calling us back to something we'd tired of already to explain what he'd just learned-but mostly, just observing, drinking in everything he could see with quiet patience. He never went to college, but he taught me more about education-and the value of being a self-educator-than I could learn in any school. My grandfather made miraculous things with lumps of clay and blocks of wood. It wasn't until much later that I realized how well-outfitted his workshop was, full of specialized tools; he'd taught my father how to be the same kind of hands-on man, and I thought all Grandpas and Dads had special lathes, band saws, table saws, jig saws, buckets of nails, vast arrays of screwdrivers and dozens of varieties of sandpaper in their basements. One birthday, I remember, he made special. After we'd unwrapped our other toys, my sister and I were presented with identical boxes with the Hallmark logo on them. They were presented with great ceremony, and we were confused but excited. We opened them at the same time. Inside my sister's box was a diorama of our dog Lady playing with a soccer ball out on the lawn. Her back paw was stomping tiny silk flowers into garden dirt rendered in sawdust. Mine was a black horse leaping over a stone wall-perfect down to the textured wood that formed the rock.