How to Select a Science Fair Project Topic

How to Select a Science Fair Project Topic Great science fair projects dont need to be expensive or difficult. Even so, science fair projects can be very stressful and frustrating for students, parents, and teachers! Here are some tips for coming up with science fair project ideas, deciding how to turn an idea into a clever project, performing the science fair project, writing a meaningful report about it, and presenting a great-looking, sturdy display. The key to getting the most out of your science fair project is to start working on it as soon as possible! If you wait until the last minute you will feel rushed, which leads to feelings of frustration and anxiety, which makes good science harder than it needs to be. These steps for developing a science project work, even if you procrastinate until the last possible minute, but your experience wont be as much fun! Science Fair Project Ideas Some people are brimming with great science project ideas. If you are one of those lucky students, feel free to skip to the next section. If, on the other hand, the brainstorming part of the project is your first hurdle, read on! Coming up with ideas isnt a matter of brilliance. Its a matter of practice! Dont try to come up with only one idea and make it work. Come up with lots of ideas. First: think about what interests you. If your science project is restricted to a subject, then think about your interests within those limits. This is a chemistry site, so Ill use chemistry as an example. Chemistry is a huge, broad category. Are you interested in foods? properties of materials? toxins? drugs? chemical reactions? salt? tasting colas? Go through everything you can think of that relates to your broad topic and write down anything that sounds interesting to you. Dont be timid. Give yourself a brainstorming time limit (like 15 minutes), enlist the help of friends, and dont stop thinking or writing until the time is up. If you cant think of anything that interests you about your subject (hey, some classes are required, but not everyones cup of tea, right?), then force yourself to think up and write down every topic under that subject until your time is up. Write down broad topics, write down specific topics. Write anything that comes to mind - have fun! See, there are LOTS of ideas! If you were desperate, you had to resort to ideas on websites or in your textbook, but you should have some ideas for projects. Now, you need to narrow them down and refine your idea into a workable project. Science is based on the scientific method, which means you need to come up with a testable hypothesis for a good project. Basically, you need to find a question about your topic that you can test to find an answer. Look over your idea list (dont be afraid to add to it at any time or cross off items that you dont like... its your list, after all) and write down questions that you can ask and can test. There are some questions you cant answer because you dont have the time or the materials or the permission to test. With respect to time, think of a question that can be tested over a fairly short time span. Avoid panic and dont try to answer questions that take most of the time you have for the entire project. An example of a question that can be answered quickly: Can cats be right or left pawed? Its a simple yes or no question. You can get preliminary data (assuming you have a cat and a toy or treats) in a matter of seconds, and then determine how you will construct a more formal experiment. (My data indicates yes, a cat can have a paw preference. My cat is left-pawed, just in case you are wondering.) This example illustrates a couple of points. First, yes/no, positive/negative, more/less/same, quantitative questions are easier to test/answer than value, judgement, or qualitative questions. Second, a simple test is better than a complicated test. If you can, plan to test one simple question. If you combine variables (Like determining whether paw use varies between males and females or according to age), you will make your project infinitely more difficult. Heres a first chemistry question: What concentration of salt (NaCl) needs to be in water before you can taste it? If you have a calculator, measuring utensils, water, salt, tongue, pen, and paper, youre set! Then you can proceed to the next section on experimental design. Still stumped? Take a break and go back to the brainstorming section later. If you are having a mental block, you need to relax in order to overcome it. Do something that relaxes you, whatever that may be. Play a game, take a bath, go shopping, exercise, meditate, do housework... as long as you get your mind off of the subject for a bit. Come back to it later. Enlist help from family and friends. Repeat as necessary and then continue to the next step.

Preposition near Doesnt Need a to

Preposition near Doesnt Need a to Preposition near Doesnt Need a to Preposition near Doesnt Need a to By Maeve Maddox Daniel writes: The expression â€Å"near to X, Y, or Z† is becoming prevalent, even in the Times (of London).   Whats wrong with â€Å"near†?   Is there any linguistic ammunition that can be fired in the direction of this misuse? The question comes from England and most of the â€Å"near to† examples I found by cruising the web I found on British sites: There are [sic] a distinct lack of pubs near to the ground (sports field) as it is built away from other buildings. the pub is near to the junction with the A34 The church is near to Charing Cross, Waterloo and Blackfriars stations. This caption is the only â€Å"near to† I was able to find for the US: Panorama from the lawn behind Living Stones Church near to Kailua-Kona. Hawaiian tourist site. Plenty examples of near without the unnecessary â€Å"to† are to be found on British sites: Saint Marys Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave. information about St Cwyfans Church, near Aberffraw Wembley Arena Hotels offers great rates on over 50 hotels near Wembley Arena. American usage definitely favors near without a â€Å"to†: Other attractions near our Houston, Texas hotel include Situated near some of the most recognizable landmarks in Washington DC, this hotel provides easy access to renowned monuments, Patent attorneys located near the US Patent Office People visiting the Little Rock area can find several hotels near Verizon Arena that offer suite accommodations. The adverb nearby sometimes gets lumbered with â€Å"to.† In this example the preposition is used without the extra word, but the adverb gets a â€Å"to†: Nearby to the pub is the hidden 13th century church of St John the Baptist the most isolated church in Surrey. The pub is near the T-junction at the top. Not everyone sees the tacked-on â€Å"to† as an error. I came across this â€Å"tip† on an ESL site: Use the preposition near with or without to for the same meaning. Ex. He lives near (to) the bank. My friends play soccer near (to) my office building. Adding a â€Å"to† after the preposition is grammatically unnecessary. Nothing is lost by dropping the â€Å"to† in the following examples: the pub is near the junction with the A34 The church is near Charing Cross Can it be a regional thing? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeWriting the Century20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel

Horror movie- Man versus monsters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Horror movie- Man versus monsters - Essay Example An all-time rival of Mr. James Devin- The neighbor of Mr. James who also does fishing. Martha- An old superstitious neighbor of Mr. James. She is a widower who lives alone with her numerous cats. Plot The movie starts with Mr. James on the lake in his boat. It is late in the afternoon and Mr. James is fatigued with the day’s work. He harms his usual favorite tune as he goes about his final fishing of the day. Devin, his childhood friend and a neighbor, is watching from the sides of the lake as he smokes tobacco from his pot. Somehow Mr. James’ vessel stops to move and he does not understand why. He tries to speed up the engine but all is in vain as the boat rocks up and down from the forming waves in the lake but does not move a single inch forward. From the shores of the lake, Devin spots the mayhem that is going on in the lake. He stands up and looks on more keenly and closely. He discovers that Mr. James is indeed in some kind of a limbo and that not all is well with him. He shouts at the top of his voice inquiring on how Mr. James is faring. His voice is however drowned by the sound of the roaring engine of the vessel which Mr. James is trying to speed up so as to get off the stuck position. â€Å"James, are you alright?† shouts Devin over and over again. After struggling with the vessel for some four or so minutes, Mr. James decides to find out what is getting the vessel stuck and to deal with it at once. Over the years of his fishing endeavors, Mr. James has come about such instances but every time the vessel would veer off the path of whatever was getting it stuck if the engine was speeded up. This does not seem to work this time round and it got Mr. James a little bit nervous. As Mr. James approaches the side of the boat to check out the state of the water surrounding the boat, the entire vessel is abruptly lifted up and it comes down tumbling in the water in a capsizing position. Devin gets all jittery as he is helplessly watching Mr. James going into the water with his head first. Mr. James has been brought up near the lake and he has very perfect swimming skills. He drops into the water and recollects his senses, then immediately tries to come up above the level of the water and swim to the shore. He feels something pulling his leg down in a manner that would definitely get to drown him. He uses his left foot to kick the foreign creature that is pulling him down. The first sight of the monster flashes on the screen for seconds as it is shown receiving the kick blow from Mr. James and letting him loose. As proposed by Kleeblatt (58), this is a perfect way of introducing a key element in a film. Apparently, Mr. James gets to kick the monster in his left eye and it loses its composure. Devin jumps into the water and helps James as he is swimming outside. They get to the shore and both can not tell what exactly has attacked them. The winds drive the James’ boat to the shoreline and it spends the night th ere unmanned. James and his neighbor Devin go home with no fish and with very frightened faces. Soon, the story of the ordeal that has happened at the lake gets to the entire locality. People have mixed reactions concerning the story. Most of the people find it difficult to believe that the story has indeed happens. Some believe in it partially, but still leave some room for doubt. The James’ old neighbor Martha is among those who have a very weird explanation of the ordeal. She believs that the story

Annotated bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Annotated Bibliography Example The method that has been used by the author is order to conduct the research is the case study with an authentic usage of parallelism. There are many cases and facts that have been brought to life by the author. The reason behind using this source for the paper is because it reveals many important reasons behind the development and transitions between older and modern communities. The second source taken for the purpose of research work is one that has been cited by various researchers. It is mainly because the source makes use of a wide array of cases, chronology, illustrations that indicate the readers about the history of Europe during 1648 till 1815. The objective of the source is to discuss the main conflicts that were noted or observed during the selected period. The religious factors, societal aspects and economic decline are the highlights of the book. The authors of the book have rather become the reason for high credibility of the book because they are well informed and professional able in the field of

The Story of an Hour Essay Example for Free

The Story of an Hour Essay The Story of an Hour is a work of short fiction by southern regionalist writer Kate Chopin. Originally published in Vogue magazine in 1984, this widely read story by Chopin did not receive strong recognition until it was rediscovered during the height of the feminist movement back in the 1960’s. This work of the author greatly reflects and represents Chopin’s personal view on women’s roles in society which very much shocked her reading audience at the time. As a writer, Chopin was highly influenced by the southern environment she grew in. She was raised in a household of intelligent, independent, pioneering women for she was raised by her French-Creole mother and grandmother (who was the first woman in Kansas to be legally separated from her husband) after being orphaned of her father at the young age of four. Toth in her biography notes that Chopin â€Å"†¦also smoked cigarettes in public and revelled in wandering around alone, drinking beer. † Like in many of her other writings, in The Story of an Hour she illustrates to the reader [some of] the concerns faced by women and their plight to have their own identity. The Story of an Hour is a story set in the late 19th century when women’s duties were basically to keep house, bear children and present themselves as faithful loving wives and not much more. It tells the story of a married southern woman, Louise Mallard, who receives news of her husband’s (Brently Mallard) death. Being of frail condition, those around her (sister Josephine and family friend Richards) took great care in gently revealing to her the disastrous news. At first the heroine takes the reception of the news like any other loving wife of the time: with despair and grief. However, when Louise isolates herself from her sister and Richards to deal with her feelings in private, she realizes something quite surprising to herself. To her surprise [and the reader’s], â€Å"a monstrous joy†¦held her† (Chopin) and it was during this moment of epiphany she realizes her overwhelming desire for freedom. Empowered by her new realization, Louise ends her brief isolation and decides to go down from her room to welcome her future filled with â€Å"days that would be her own† (Chopin). However, with a sudden twist of faith, her erroneously reported deceased husband walks into the house to the surprise of everyone. As a result, Louise ended up dying ironically â€Å"of heart diseaseof the joy that kills† (Chopin). This short fiction by Chopin tackles the issue of identity and self-discovery of women. Written in a time where numerous social and ethical questions were in the minds of most Americans, Chopin’s take on the â€Å"Woman Question† proved to be quite controversial for the period. Rejected initially for its feminist message, The Story of an Hour is a prime example of how the author tackles female self-assertion. In the story, the author subtly hints at the social oppression of women. During the period at which the story was originally written, the standards upheld by general society for women were that of selfless wives and mothers. This is reflected in the way the lead character Louise Mallard doesn’t even receive a name at the beginning of the story. She is only referred to as Mrs. Mallard and in pronouns until much later in the story. Ironically her husband Brently, a minor character, is named at the beginning of the story. By the simple omission of Louise’s name early in the story the author manages to imply how women at the time were mere â€Å"property† of men – that they were â€Å"attachments† to their father’s and husbands.

The Meaning of Home in The Seafarer Essays -- The Seafarer Essays

The Meaning of Home in The Seafarer  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚     It is important to consider the meaning of home when analyzing The Seafarer. The narrator of this poem seems to feel a sense of belonging while traveling the sea despite the fact that he is obviously disillusioned with its hardships .The main character undergoes a transformation in what he considers home and this dramatically affects his life and lifestyle. Towards the end of The Seafarer the poet forces us to consider our mortality, and seems to push the notion that life is just a journey and that we will not truly be at home until we are with God.   The first instance of a sense of home in this poem comes with the description of the former life of the narrator in his pre-seafaring days. He leaves his old life for some unspecified reason, telling us that he was "cut off from his kinsmen", and he talks about this with a definite sense of regret and loss. Winter on the sea is presented as an "exile" or "wrà ¦can"1 , a form of punishment where someone is forced to leave their homeland, the place where they belong. It seems that in the early stages of the poem the seafarer identifies his life with his kinsmen on land as his home, the place that he belongs.   At first he does not seem content with his seafaring life. During the early descriptions of his time there, it is painted as a life of hardship and penance. Images and adjectives of the sea and life there are harsh and foreboding-"ice cold", "hung round with icicles" , "fettered with frost". The sea is seen as cold, and not just in the physical sense .It is remote, a place of despair , an earthly purgatory, where there is "always anxiety †¦. as to what the Lord will bestow on him"2. The narrator is cut away from the comforts ... ... angels"6.What ever home we make for ourselves on Earth, we must keep in perspective that it is only temporary.   To conclude, there are two main opposing representations and aspects of home presented in this poem, from what is seen as the "norm", the narrators life on land, to the "favoured", the narrators life at sea. Home is irrevocably linked to lifestyle and should not just be where the heart is,(though there is a sense that our "Heart's fulfilment" is important) but should more importantly be a place where we can live a life that will bring us towards heaven, which the poem portrays as our eternal home. The Seafarer is a poem which urges us to carefully "consider where we possess our home, and then think how we com thither."  Ã‚     Works Cited   Mitchell, Bruce and Robinson, Michael A Guide To Old English, fifth edition 1992 , Blackwell Publishers , Oxford .  Ã‚  

Atlantic Slave Trade Essay

A slave can be defined as a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another, a bond servant or a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person. Slavery was well recognized in many early civilizations. Ancient Egypt, Ancient China, the Akkad Ian Empire, Assyria, Ancient India, Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, the Islamic Caliphate, the Hebrews in Palestine, and the pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas all had either a form of debt-slavery, punishment for crime, enslavement of prisoners of war, child abandonment or birth of slave children to slaves. However, as the sixteenth century approached, so did the change in the way slavery would be looked at, for years to come. The Atlantic slave trade became the name of the three part economic cycle that involved four continents for four centuries and millions of people. The Atlantic slave trade or the middle passage, triangular trade and slavery affected the economy of Europe, Africa and the Americas in both negative and positive aspects. Starting in the 1430’s Portuguese were the first to sail down the coast of Africa to search for gold and jewels. The Portuguese had to extend their power across the co+ast because Sub-Saharan Africa’s trade routes were controlled by the Islamic Empire. By 1445, The Portuguese conquered three African countries and created trading posts. This allowed them access to Europe across the Sahara. Initially, the Portuguese traded copperware, cloth, tools, wine and horses for pepper, ivory and most importantly gold. The first slave purchase is said to have taken place in 1441 when the Portuguese caught two African males while they were along the coast. The Africans in the nearby village paid them in gold for their return. Eventually, they developed the idea that they could get more gold by transporting slaves along Africa’s coast. The Muslims were enticed by the idea of slavery as they used them as porters and for profit. Portugal had a monopoly on the export of slaves in Africa for more than two hundred years. This encounter is the beginning of one of the most tragic events in history, the Atlantic triangular trade (Thomas 1997). A triangular trade evolves when a region has export commodities that aren’t required in the region which its major imports come and provides a method for trade imbalances. The triangular trade is named for the rough shape it makes on a map. It worked like a triangle between all the colonies that were involved. For centuries the world was took part in its most successful trading system. There where nearly fifteen million Africans were shipped to both North and South America for more than three-hundred. Slaves, cash crops and manufactured goods were the most traded between the Americas, Europe and Africa. The Europeans controlled the first stage of the trade by carrying supplies for sale and trade such as, cloth, spirit, tobacco, beads, shells, metal goods and guns. This was their method of which were used to help expand empires and capture more slaves. These goods were exchanged for purchased and kidnapped African slaves (www. nmm. ac. uk/freedom/viewTheme. cfm/theme/triangular). African kings and merchants would capture the slaves or organize campaigns ran by the Europeans. The motives of the Europeans were based on one thing; they lacked a major source, a work force. It was stated that the Indigenes people were unreliable and Europeans were unsuited to the climate. However, Africans had experience in agriculture, keeping cattle, content with the climate. Africa soon became reliant on the slavery of their people and the profits that came along with it. The next stage involved the slaves being transported by voyage to the Americas and Caribbean, the middle passage (PBS. â€Å"The African Slave Trade and the Middle Passage. † http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part1/1narr4. html). The middle passage was a perilous, horrendous journey slaves made across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The final stage of the Atlantic slave trade was the return to Europe from the Americas with the produce from the slave-labor plantations. Most regions of North and South America were used to provide these raw materials to Europe for manufacturing. This wasn’t the first or only slave trade, but it was the cruelest. What began as a quest for gold ended as a quest for slaves, leaving a major stamp on African and American history (Thomas 1997). Before undergoing the middle passage, slaves faced human misery and suffering. Kidnapped slaves were forced to walk shackled in slave caravans to European coastal forts. Due to the lack of food and energy, half of the slaves became sick and were killed or left to die. Some had the strength to make it so they were left in underground dungeons. For years, Africans were stranded in these dungeons across the coast of Africa.. There, they wait on the embarked horrid encounter of the entire slave trade, the middle passage. None of the previous passengers returned to their homeland so none of the Africans knew what they were about to endure. The voyages were generally organized by companies and investors because they were a huge financial burden(â€Å"The African Slave Trade and the Middle Passage). Two theories show the packing of slaves in the European ships; loose and tight packing. Loose packing carried less slaves with the hopes of more room and more slaves making it to the Americas alive and in fair condition. This was exchanged for tight packing. Captains believed despite more casualties, this would yield a greater profit. On occasion, veterinarians inspected the slaves before the voyage to determine which slaves could make it across the Atlantic Ocean. The enslaved Africans were chained together by hand and foot, not even being able to lie on one’s side. They ate, slept, urinated, defecated, gave birth and died all in that one spot. There was overcrowding, inadequate ventilation and little to no sanitation. Twenty percent of every hundred died along the way from either suffocation, starvation, amoebic dysentery, scurvy or a disease such as small pox. The slaves that died were thrown overboard as well as the slaves that showed illness. Some threw their self-overboard risking their life rather than deal with these horrific measures. Approximately fifteen million captured Africans were sent to the Americas. The middle passage was the longest, most dangerous part of the Atlantic slave trade (â€Å"The Middle Passage Experience†). From the seventeenth century on, slaves became the focus of trade between Europe and Africa. Europe had already colonized North and South America as well as the Caribbean islands from the fifteenth century onward. This created an insatiable demand for African laborers, who were deemed â€Å"more fit† to work in the tropical conditions of the New World. The numbers of slaves imported across the Atlantic Ocean steadily increased, from approximately 5,000 slaves a year in the sixteenth century to over 100,000 slaves a year by the end of the eighteenth century (www. mariner. org/captivepassage). Upon their arrival to the Americas, the slaves were washed, greased and placed inside dungeons. The grease added a more appealing look making the slaves appear healthier so the profit would be much higher. European slave traders made sure all of their potential properties were in well condition before bidding. They were branded with a hot iron to keep their identity as a slave. There were two main types of slave auctions; highest bidder or grab and go auctions. Highest bidder was a bidding process which the buyer with the highest bid would get the slave. Grab and go auctions was the process in which the buyer would give the trader an agreed amount of money in exchange for a ticket. This process was where the slaves were released from their dungeon and the buyers would rush and grab the slave they wanted, Each slave would be sold to an owner who owned a great deal of land and worked on either a plantation or mine and there, the living conditions were still only barely better (Curtin 1969) A prominent African, author and a major influence on the enactment of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, Olaudah Equiano was well aware and very familiar with the Atlantic slave trade. At the age of eleven, Equiano and his sister were kidnapped from his village in Nigeria. He survived the middle passage, and taken to the West Indies. He tells how he was bought by Captain Pascal, a British naval Officer as a â€Å"present† for a cousin. He tells how was enslaved in North America for ten years, working as a seaman. In 1766, he bought his freedom and wrote an autobiography, â€Å"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,† Equiano gave a firsthand look of the conditions enslaved Africans were forced to live. This document was one of the first documents that explained, thoroughly, the terrible human cruelty of the Atlantic slave trade (Wright et al. 001). Although many lives were taken or at risk, The Atlantic slave trade fulfilled its major goal, profit and change the three continents. Europe, America and Africa’s economy were all affected by the slave trade. Europe’s economy was suffering before the slave trade. The Atlantic slave trade was during the time of recovery for Europe and completely recovered their economy. Because of the success of the trade, they needed more people to manufacture raw materials and export them to Africa. The great supply of jobs created many exports and the income to buy imports. By the end of the slave trade, Europe’s economy was in well standings as one of the wealthiest continents in the world. The America’s economies rose too. They were honored with a free workforce that provided many resources from sugar to cotton. The free labor allotted for them to received one hundred percent of the profit. They were importing more slaves and exporting the goods made by them to gaining wealth. America’s economy became agriculturally stable and soon industrialized. Europe and the Americas economies were affected in a positive way. However, Africa’s economy received a negative effect. Many, for years lived in fear due to slavery. African villages became small and poor. All of the kingdoms that were strong at one time, collapsed and were conquered. They received raw material goods from the slave trade but with nothing shown. The African kings prospered only because they were heavily involved in the slave trade. As the kings’ wealth grew, their economy was at a standstill and eventually failed. The Atlantic slave trade, human cruelty and evil at its finest, had a substantial effect on Europe, the Americas and Africa (www. understandingslavery. com).

Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

The short story â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid is a story of the belief that happiness steams from a life of domesticity. The central topics of gender roles in a family structure, and the expression of female sexuality and will be examined. A look into the mother’s beliefs on the necessity of serving your husband and remaining sexually conservative will be the focus. Secondly, the importance of food and clothes in the story will be looked at, providing evidence to the central claim of being content with this lifestyle. Lastly, the relationship between the mother and daughter will be discussed, reflecting on if the views of the mother will ultimately make the decisions for the daughter, as to the path she will follow in her own life. The portrayal of gender roles in this story shows the husband as the breadwinner and the wife staying home to tend to the house and children. This could be considered traditional, however we would consider it outdated in western society today. This story has the mother, teaching her daughter her place in Antiguan society, most likely in the fifties, and in a marriage. This is demonstrated though the teaching of everyday tasks she will need to know to run a household smoothly. It is also clear that the mother’s life reflects these ideals that a husband should be the one working and the wife is to be happy and content by taking pride in her home. The mother also has very strong views on behavior and throughout the story gives many warnings on this such as â€Å"on Sundays try and walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming†. This is a very clear statement giving us an idea of the mother’s values with female sexuality as well as a reflection on the values at that time. She wants her daughter to find a husband and she believes kept pure, and with the knowledge of how to run a successful household, she will be a prize for any man. Abstinence sounds great in theory, but this is not always the case for young women. In this time, expectations are to be wed and then have sex. As much as the mother would like to keep her daughter from having sex, from warning her, and teaching her things like letting then hem of her dress down to be longer, she does realize this may not happen. It is interesting how she feels it necessary to teach her how to get rid of a baby. This reference to abortion at this time shows how crucial the need to keep up appearances at any cost can be, even if it is illegal or against moral and religious beliefs. Food and clothes play an important role in many of the mother’s teachings. The mother shows the daughter how to cook pumpkin fritters, bread pudding, pepper pot and doukona. Some of these dishes are traditional Antiguan which shows the importance of tradition and doing things the way they always have been done. The mother also teachers her how to set tables specifically for different meals. This shows how in the household, eating together is an important part of her ideal home and family. The role of bread in this story is crucial. At the end, he mother teaches her how to squeeze the bread to tell if it is fresh. The daughter, replies â€Å"but what if the baker wont let me feel the bread? † The mother frustrated after all of her lessons is upset that her daughter has not gotten the point that if you do all of these things, you will not have to worry about it because the baker will respect you. The role of the clothes is quite similar to that of food. She teaches her daughter to keep things clean, how to separate the colors from the darks and lights, as well as when to wash each. This particular example shows how much importance the mother places on routine. She also mentions the pressing of her husband’s khaki pants, showing that the way he presents himself can be a reflection of her. Hemming dresses and skirts was looked at with relation to female sexuality earlier, but it also is an example of how much importance is placed on appearances. The relationship between the mother and daughter in this story is important to recognize because the mother seems to hold preconceived notions about what daughter will or will not become. Following most instructions her mother provides, the mother concludes the set with some mention of her daughter being bent on becoming a slut. It seems like she uses this word to encompass any from of deviance from the social norm. It’s questionable as to why her mother has such a strong fear that her daughter will become his—we do not have any specific examples identifying any reason for her to think such things of her own child. Therefore, we lack the ability to argue for or against such a point. However, this might be a difference in generation, perhaps the girl’s mother is stuck in the ways to which she was taught by women in her family before hand. Perhaps her mother has a fear that her daughter is going astray from her values or living a modernized life that she is so unfa miliar with. We tend to fear what is unfamiliar, especially when it happens so close to home. Parents always want to teach their children what they know, however, children don’t always choose to follow. Whether the daughter chooses to listen and follow, or listen and lead her own life, it is clear that her mother has had a significant impact on the daughters life. The importance of domesticity to the mother, and having her daughter display a conservative sexuality ties back to the behaviours related to food and cloth in this story. The mother places this vital importance on household knowledge and respectable appearances, believing they are the key to overall happiness. This is clearly not the case. For some people this type of life could bring them a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment. However, for others, this may not feel like a life of their own and could live always feeling empty or wanting something more. People should be given the choice to do what they want. Unfortunately in this time, women did not get that luxury.

Strategic Perspectives The WritePass Journal

Strategic Perspectives Strategic Perspectives . In the former instance, the company was accused of employing suppliers in its outsourced production strategy who were running sweat shops, an accusation which subsequently led to the closure of one of its factories over poor labour conditions. The company agreed to these accusations taking the position that the misdeeds pointed out amounted to a serious breach to its code of conduct (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). In the latter instance, testimonies and claims of abuse and terror meted on 25 of Zara’s employees, including store managers and staff, were aired in the media.   The company undertook to regularize such situations through the enhancement of supervision of the production systems of its entire network of suppliers (Economist, 2012). 2.1   Stakeholder theory The Stakeholder theory states that, without regard to the fact that some stakeholders would make more contributions to the organization, all stakeholders are entitled to equal treatment (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). Stakeholders include individuals, organizations or groups that have legitimate interest in the business and who therefore affect or are affected by its actions (Nordberg, 2011). With crises and concerns over abuses of human rights, Zara’s corporate reputation and brand equity was hard hit giving it the image of a business entity which neither places sufficient importance to the needs of its stakeholders nor regard to them (Economist, 2012; Buelens, et al., 2011). With the interdependence between the company and its stakeholders, it is essential for an organization, in the recognition of the needs of its stakeholders, to act and reason rationally as well as to make ethical responses. The organization’s leadership is required to have the desire, will and the skill that will ensure that all stakeholders are treated with respect and their voices heard (Buelens, et al., 2011). 2.2   Corporate social responsibility Among the ways in which corporate entities may shore up their reputation and image as perceived by its stakeholders is through conformance and adherence to ethical principles (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). A notable avenue is the pursuit of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which is a mechanism integrated into business processes and an organization’s business model that ensures that ethical principles and provisions in law are complied with and monitored (Nordberg, 2011; Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). It entails the deliberate attempts by an organization to do good as a corporate citizen in reciprocation of goodwill it enjoys from society. For success in ensuring adherence to ethical principles and in the endeavour to build up its corporate image and reputation, Zara needs to institute mechanisms towards CSR that would also serve to guide its mission towards a better relationship with its stakeholders, outline its stand on such issues and as well clearly indicate the promis es it intends to uphold for society as an entity obtaining its sustenance within society (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). 2.3   Organizational ethics Organizational ethics is a concept that expresses the values of an organization to its stakeholders (Dricscoll and Hoffman, 2002). It includes written codes of ethics or standards such as Zara’s â€Å"Code of Conduct for External Manufacturers and Workshops of Inditex† which it claims to have had (Inditex, 2013); systems of reporting which are guarded with confidentiality; as well as ethics training and advice (Buelens, et al., 2011). Despite its claims of written codes of conduct, it is evident that they were not complied with, respected and adhered to. For its success in entrenching organizational ethics, Zara should endeavour to institute elaborate systems traversing the entire organization and its partners that enable the maintenance of requisite ethical standards (Nordberg, 2011). 3.0 Zara’s levels of strategy 3.1   Business level strategy of Zara The primary aim of a business in the competitive business environment, underpinning its goals and objectives of sustenance and growth, is to develop an edge over rival firms building on its resources and competencies. Porter fronts three generic strategies which a company can employ in its pursuit of competitive advantage over its rivals (Kim, Nam and Stimpert, 2004). They include cost leadership, in which a company seeks to offer similar value with a lower price; differentiation, achieved by a company when it offers benefits different from and of more value than those of its competitors; and, focus on either of the two (Kim, Nam and Stimpert, 2004). A company can pursue a hybrid of both strategies simultaneously, achieving differentiation and a price lower than its rivals. Zara pursues a hybrid strategy seeking to exploit both cost leadership and differentiation strategies. Its closest and most comparable rivals challenging its market presence and competitive advantage include Gap, HM and Benetton though Zara sits closest with HM in the more fashionable and less priced segment. Zara is however considered to be more fashionable among the three, a position the company intends to sustain and exploit (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). Its strategic venture into the low-cost segment through its Lefties brand of stores illustrates its pursuit of a clear cost leadership strategy enabling Zara to tap into lower market segments meeting the need of customers in the current harsh economic times (Inditex, 2013). This ensures that the company is still better placed to sustain its growth and profits even with unfavourable shifts in the economy and consumer spending. However, Zara primarily pursues a differentiation strategy through significant focus on competitive strategies that enhance overall efficiency in its entire value chain (Economist, 2012; Inditex, 2013). Zara’s value chain, which is often tweaked to enhance efficiency and performance, is a major platform upon which the company derives its differentiation from rivals. Enhanced efficiency is enabled by vertical integration and therefore control of crucial processes; employment of technology to coordinate suppliers, production and distribution processes; outsourcing of intensive tasks; as well as its finely-tuned logistics and just-in-time manufacturing strategy which shorten response time and enable the achievement of greater flexibility in variety, frequency and amount of new styles produced (Economist, 2012; Inditex, 2013; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009). The constant refinement of operations in pursuit of continuous efficiency gains including leveraging on technology to enhance crucial production processes has enabled the company to reverse the trend of costs rising faster than revenues. Enhanced efficiency and attendant effectiveness lead to the minimization of costly errors, reduction in costs which consequently enables the enhancement of bottom line and price (Inditex, 2013; Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). Zara also derives its differentiation from its effective market intelligence and focus on continuous awareness and understanding of the customer. Customer feedback through personalized ‘word-of-mouth’ interactions with staff at store level used to assess their preferences and wants is used to guide design and development, as well as other essential improvements (Inditex, 2013; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009). Unlike its competitor’s reliance on electronic consumer data, this has enabled quick turnaround of merchan dise through quicker replenishment of popular items and removal of slow-selling lines enabling Zara to generate more cash, reduce inventory and eliminate the need for significant debt on held inventories which has a direct impact on costs (Inditex, 2013; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009). These strategies and the resultant efficiency have enabled the company to achieve enhanced return visits by customers far greater than the industry average on several indices, a significant competitive advantage (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). They have also enabled Zara to incur significantly less expenditure on advertising with the saved revenue being redeployed to enhance competitive advantage (Inditex, 2013). 3.2   Corporate level strategy Corporate level strategy as the highest level of strategy in an organization is concerned with the overall scope, seeking to add value to constituent businesses/ elements within the entire organization (Lynch, R., 2006). In its pursuit of competitive advantage in the hostile business environment characterized by intense competition and economic challenges, Zara has adopted a growth focus in its corporate strategy. This is evidenced by its pursuit of vertical integration, market penetration, market development and product development strategies in an attempt to sustain its growth and strategic positioning in the fashion industry (Lynch, R., 2006; Inditex, 2013). Guiding these strategic decisions and particular choices, the Ansoff matrix highlights scenarios in consideration of the existence or newness of products or markets (Christodoulou and Patel, 2012; Mintzberg, et al., 2008). Existing product New product Existing market Market penetration Product development New market Market development Diversification Ansoff matrix 3.2.1   Market penetration and market development Zara is hindered by constraints resultant from its Spain-centred model, a major weakness in its endeavour to sustain growth and to maintain its strategic positioning (BloombergBusinessweek, 2009; Economist, 2012). An outward focus towards market development is essential. This has necessitated international expansion and the exploitation of untapped markets including North and South America, Asia, Middle East, Africa and the rest of Europe, particularly Italy.   Enabled by the construction of additional distribution facilities in Zaragoza, Spain and in South America, as well as the upward scaling of its logistics processes to enable the realization of economies of scale in the strategic expansion, the company has spread out into Asia, America, Australia, India and Africa (BloombergBusinessweek, 2009; Economist, 2012). The company has also sought to achieve market penetration in its development of virtual stores, tapping into the opportunities in internet retailing and marketing through online stores and boutiques. Available in ten countries and seeking entry into the USA and Korea, the company has since 2010 sought to exploit this model venturing into this field (Inditex, 2013; Economist, 2012). 3.2.2    Product development For a company to survive and grow in the fast changing fashion industry, it is essential that a business keenly enhances product development, matching or beating its rivals in output and production of new items. Zara has endeavoured to maximize its throughput of new items keeping merchandise in stores always new and fresh. This frequency, enabled by just-in-time manufacturing and focus on limited runs, also ensures that products do not stay long enough risking replication or imitation (Inditex, 2013; Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). The active pursuit of market intelligence and awareness and appreciation of customer preference ensures that the company does not become complacent and unresponsive thereby losing its track in the fast changing and intensely competitive industry (Carpenter and Sanders, 2007; Thompson, et al., 2008). 3.2.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Vertical integration To enhance control of the entire business and its processes, achieve stability of production and thereby strengthen its competitive position, Zara has pursued vertical integration strategies. These include forward integration through the investment in distribution facilities and specialty stores, as well as backward into production and manufacturing facilities. Zara has also developed subsidiaries that manage its purchases of fabric and dyes (Inditex, 2013). The company has undertaken this strategy in an endeavour to minimize its exposure to expensive distributors and suppliers and the inefficiency attendant to the lack of complete control of especially crucial processes. 4.0 Recommendations Zara in its performance and strategic positioning can be considered to be a success. However, the company cannot afford complacency and should endeavour to maintain its competitiveness and to sustain its position in the fashion industry into the future. At its strategic position and level of maturity and given the slow growth of the fashion industry and attendant economic challenges (Economist, 2012; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009), a number of strategies are suggested for Zara to pursue for its sustenance into the future. Among these strategies is Diversification either into a business that also deals in fashion or to an unrelated field adding value and broadening present business. Also recommended is the strengthening and sustenance of its successful strategies such as efficiency in its entire value chain which has been the primary factor that has enabled its differentiation; Market Development in its international expansion and exploitation of new markets; and Market Penetration in the exploitation of the boom in the information technology field, enhancing its virtual platforms and stores. Such ventures have the potential of being important avenues through which the company can acquire additional revenue, as well as, reducing its exposure to vulnerabilities of its centralized model and complete focus on a single line of business. 5.0 Evaluation of strategies A simple and straightforward criteria used to evaluate strategy is the Suitability, Acceptability and Feasibility model (SAF). It offers a process of rationalization to assess importance, priority and likely success of each strategy identified (Haberberg, A., and A., Rieple, 2008; Thompson, et al., 2008). This report evaluates two strategies identified above including: diversification and continued market development. 5.1   Suitability Suitability is concerned with the rationale of the strategy and its overall fit in the organization’s mission (Thompson, et al., 2008). At the company’s level of maturation, with regard to the Industry Life Cycle (ILC), and stature in the fashion industry, diversification is highly recommended as a priority strategy given that its strong competitive position in the fashion industry is constrained by slowed growth in the market. This strategy would enable the broadening of present business to include complementary products (Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). Continued market development is also recommended for Zara enabling it to tap into new markets enhancing its growth and ensuring its sustainability. These strategies would generally also enable the company to lower its vulnerabilities to financial and political factors that could affect it given its centralized model, as well as risks attendant to the fashion industry (Economist, 2012; Mintzberg, et al., 2008). 5.2   Acceptability Acceptability deals with the expected outcomes of the implementation of strategy and expectations of stakeholders (Thompson, et al., 2008). Diversification, if pursued, would enable the capturing of cross-business strategic fits such as the creation of new competitive strengths and capabilities, the sharing of facilities to reduce costs, and/or the spreading of risks across diverse businesses (Christodoulou   and Patel, 2012). Market Development and entry into new territories/geographical areas and distribution channels enable the company to exploit markets that are not saturated, utilising its surplus production capacity. These strategies would enable the generation of additional revenue and the securing of shareholder interests which contribute to the enhancement of shareholder value (Carpenter and Sanders, 2007). They would also reduce risks due to Zara’s centralized mode of operations. 5.3   Feasibility Feasibility is concerned with the capacity of the organization to implement the strategy, especially focusing on the availability of resources (Thompson, et al., 2008). With Zara’s success in the fashion industry and, consequently, availability of adequate financial and organizational resources, as well as the consideration of the diminishing prospects of growth in the fashion industry (Economist, 2012; BloombergBusinessweek, 2009), diversification should be a priority strategy for Zara. Its surplus financial and organizational resources can be exploited to enable the company’s sustenance and growth. These surplus resources can also be utilized in pursuit of Market Development. Its highly efficient distribution system can be scaled up, such as in its present initiative to develop additional distribution facilities (Inditex, 2013), to build the company’s capacity to exploit the opportunity offered. Zara has successfully found activities that matter to customers and has significantly enhanced key activities enhancing its key activities. However, to sustain this strategic position and achieve necessary growth into the future, the company needs to pursue appropriate strategies as outlined above especially diversification, market development and the continuous pursuit of efficiency gains. 6.0 References BloombergBusinessweek, 2009. Zara Looks to Asia for Growth. August 26 Buelens, M., K., Sinding, C., Waldstrom, R., Kreitner, and A., Kinicki, 2011. Organisational Behaviour, 4th Edition: McGrawHill Higher Education Carpenter, M., and W., Sanders, 2007. Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective. Harlow: Pearson Prentice Hall Dricscoll, D., and W., Hoffman, 2002. Ethics Matters: How to Implement Values-Driven Management Economist, 2012. Inditex Fashion forward Zara: Spain’s most successful brand, is trying to go global. Mar 24th. LA CORUÑA Haberberg, A., and A., Rieple, 2008. Strategic Management: Theory and Application, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Inditex, 2013. Zara. Viewed from: inditex.com/en/who_we_are/concepts/zara Kim, Nam and Stimpert, 2004. â€Å"The Applicability of Porter’s Generic Strategies in the Digital Age: Assumptions, Conjectures, and Suggestions.† In: Journal of Management, 30, 5 Lynch, R., 2006. Corporate Strategy, (4th ed.), Harlow: FT Prentice Hall Mintzberg, H., B., Ahlstrand, and J., Lampel, 2008. Strategy Safari: The Complete Guide Through the Wilds of Strategic Management , 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall Nordberg, D., 2011. Corporate Governance: Principles and Issues. London: Sage Publications. Christodoulou, I., and Z., Patel 2012. BKEY 601 Strategic Perspectives, McGraw Hill editions. Thompson, A., A., Strickland, and J., Gamble, 2008. Crafting and Executing Strategy: (16th edition), Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill

Nanoflares Keep Things Hot on the Sun

Nanoflares Keep Things Hot on the Sun One thing we all know about the Sun: its incredibly hot. The surface (the outermost layer of the Sun that we can see) is 10,340 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and the core (which we cant see) is 27 MILLION degrees F. Theres another part of the Sun that lies between the surface and us: its the outermost atmosphere, called the corona.Its some 300 times hotter than the surface. How can something farther away and out in space be hotter? You would think it would actually be cooling off the farther away it gets from the Sun.   This question of how the corona gets so hot has kept solar scientists busy for a long time, trying to find an answer. It was once assumed that the corona heated gradually, but the cause of the heating was a mystery.   The Sun is heated from within by a process called fusion. The core is a nuclear furnace, fusing atoms of hydrogen together to make atoms of helium. The process releases heat and light, which travel through the Suns layers until they escape from the photosphere. The atmosphere, including the corona, lie above that. It should be cooler, but its not. So, what could possibly heat the corona? One answer is nanoflares. These are tiny cousins of the big solar flares that we detect erupting from the Sun. Flares are sudden flashes of brightness from the Suns surface. They release incredible amounts of energy and radiation. Sometimes flares are also accompanied by massive releases of superheated plasma from the Sun called coronal mass ejections. These outbursts can cause whats called space weather  (such as displays of northern and southern lights)  at Earth and other planets. Nanoflares are a different breed of solar flare. First, they erupt constantly, crackling along like countless little hydrogen bombs. Second, they are very, very hot, getting up to 18 million degrees Fahrenheit. Thats hotter than the corona, which is usually a few million degrees F.   Think of them as a very hot soup, bubbling along on the surface of a stove, warming the atmosphere above it. With nanoflares, the combined heating of all those constantly blowing tiny explosions (which are as powerful as 10-megaton hydrogen bomb explosions) is likely why the coronosphere is so hot.    The nanoflare idea is relatively new, and only recently have these little explosions been detected. The concept of nanoflares was first proposed in the early 2000s, and tested beginning in 2013 by astronomers using special instruments on sounding rockets. During the short flights, they studied the Sun, looking for evidence of these tiny flares (which are only a billionth of the power of a regular flare). More recently, the NuSTAR mission, which is a space-based telescope sensitive to x-rays, looked at the Suns x-ray emissions and found evidence for the nanoflares.   While the nanoflare idea seems to be the best one that explains coronal heating, astronomers need to study the Sun more in order to understand how the process works. They will watch the Sun during solar minimum- when the Sun is not bristling with sunspots that can confuse the picture. Then,  NuSTAR and other instruments will be able to get more data to explain just how millions of tiny little flares going off just above the solar surface can heat the thin upper atmosphere of the Sun.

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

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