Killing Custer Book Review Essay

From time to time, a book of true historical significance is written on a subject that has been written on almost endlessly. The Battle of the Little Big Horn is one of the most written about, speculated on, celebrated, talked about, and glorified events in American History. Popularly known as â€Å"Custer’s Last Stand†, it has been the subject of many films, documentaries, novels, and was even re-enacted at every Wild West Show put on by Buffalo Bill Cody. In the work Killing Custer: The Battle of Little Bighorn and the Fate of the Plains Indians, Welch and Stekler do an excellent job in the subject matter at hand, and come to the correct conclusion that this battle, which was a huge military disaster for the United States, directly resulted in an even greater disaster for the Indian victors who won it: that is, total defeat and total subjugation. The first chapter sets up the massacre of the Blackfeet on the Marias River, James Welch and Paul Stekler have done a magnificent job in researching and putting forth, a new book on this subject that has been so written about. Citing much of the new discoveries, that is archeology, and the Indian accounts, Welch was originally contacted by Stekler to do a script for a documentary for PBS’s â€Å"American Experience: Last Stand at Little Bighorn†. They worked on it together, and that particular one hour documentary was excellent. Feeling that he hadn’t exhausted the subject, Welch delved more deeply into it, and wished to write a book on the subject. â€Å"Killing Custer† was the result, and it is quite excellent indeed. It is a stunning and thrilling read from cover to cover. The information is not wholly new, but Welch and Stekler combine all of the newest discoveries into one stirring volume, and they stress the narratives, which in the past were largely discarded and disclaimed, of the Indian accounts of the battle, after all, they were the ones who survived it! The authors rightly put the battle into its historical perspective, pointing out that this huge defeat of the United States Military led directly to the total subjugation and defeat of the Plains Indians, putting them on reservations once and for all, with the final defeat and insult at Wounded Knee, the massacre that was so unnecessary and so tragic.

Novel “Unwind” Essay

In the novel, Unwind, three teenagers embark on a journey full of mischief, excitement and tragedy. The three main characters have their own agenda in the novel. Risa is orphan who is being unwound due to cutbacks in budget. Lev is an thirteen year old tithe who’s main purpose in life was to be unwound once he turned thirteen. Lastly, Connor is fifteen year old trouble maker who is being unwound due to the fact that his parents have grown sick and tired of his negative behavior. They all show that in the end that life is sometimes a fight for survival. In the beginning Connor runs away from home because he doesn’t want to be unwound. While Connor is running away from the police on the interstate, he pulls Lev out of a car and takes him hostage in order to slow down police. As this happens, Risa’s bus crashes due to Connor’s antics and she escapes the grasp from the people trying to unwind her. When the three finally get away, Lev is hell bent on getting revenge Connor for kidnapping him. When the three teens hide in a local high school, Lev sneaks away from the pack and tells the local authorities about the runaway unwinds. When the police enter the school and the fire alarm is pulled, Risa & Connor have to make a last second escape from the cops. With the help of a teacher, they find help in a local antique’s shop owner named Sonia. Sonia helps Risa and Connor, by letting them stay in her store basement where they meet Roland, Mai, and Hayden (other runaway unwinds). Sonia tells them that their stay is only temporary and when their time is up they are shipped different safe houses. Connor & Risa hate Roland, for he is a power hungry bully with nothing to lose. After Christmas, all of the kids who are stationed in the safe houses, are put in airplane crates and shipped to â€Å"The Graveyard†. In the graveyard they meet The Admiral who protects unwinds until they turn eighteen, then he lets them go. When things get out of hand, the thousands of kids being stationed in â€Å"The Graveyard†, make an attempt to kill The Admiral. All of the teenagers believe that he wants to sell them for their parts. When The Admiral almost dies, Roland, Risa, and Connor fly him to a local hospital where Roland turns them all into the authorities. At the Harvest Camp, Connor is recognized among the many teenagers as the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Akron AWOL†. This is the name given to him for his actions on the interstate in Akron, Ohio. While in the Harvest Camp, Connor sees Lev, and is surprisingly overjoyed. Though Connor does not know that Lev is there for his own hidden agenda. When Connor’s day comes to be unwound, it’s a mournful day at the Harvest Camp. Once Connor enters the doors of the Unwind Medical Bay, bombs go off. Suicidal bombers known as clappers blow up the medical bay and Connor comes limping out without an eye and badly wounded. Risa, who was playing in the band on top of the medical bay. To everyone’s surprise, Lev is one of the bombers, but he refused to make himself go off. Instead he runs into the medical bay and helps pull the other’s out including Risa. When Connor wakes up with only vision in one of his eyes, he figures out that someone has given him a new name. He also notices that the new replacement arm is Roland’s. Risa is paralyzed from the waste down, but is happy to be alive. Lev is in a Juvenile detention center for having traces of nitroglycerin in his blood (relating him to the suicide bombers). In the end, Connor and Risa both go back to â€Å"The Graveyard†, where they help other numerous unwinds escape from their death. Due to Lev’s antics at the Harvest Camp, the government changes the unwind ages from 13 through 18, to 13 through 17.

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 9

Bonnie winced at the nasty metalic taste in her mouth and blinked several times, until the room around her came back into focus. â€Å"Ugh,† she said. â€Å"I hate doing that.† Everyone was staring at her, their faces white and shocked. â€Å"What?† she said uneasily. â€Å"What'd I say?† Elena was sitting very stil . â€Å"You said it was my fault,† she said slowly. â€Å"Whatever is coming after us, I brought it here.† Stefan reached out to cover her hand with his own. Unbidden, the meanest, narrowest part of Bonnie's mind thought wearily, Of course. It's always about Elena, isn't it? Meredith and Matt fil ed Bonnie in on the rest of what she'd said in her trance, but their eyes kept returning to Elena's stricken face, and as soon as they finished tel ing her what she'd missed, they turned away from Bonnie, back to Elena. â€Å"We need to make a plan,† Meredith said to her softly. â€Å"We'l al want some refreshment,† Mrs. Flowers said, rising to her feet, and Bonnie fol owed her into the kitchen, eager to escape the tension of the room. She wasn't real y a plan girl, anyway, she told herself. She'd made her contribution just by being the vision girl. Elena and Meredith were the ones everyone looked to for making the decisions. But it wasn't fair, was it? She wasn't a fool, despite the fact that her friends al treated her like the baby of the group. Everyone thought Elena and Meredith were so clever and so strong, but Bonnie had saved the day again and again – not that anyone ever remembered that. She ran her tongue along the edges of her teeth, trying to scrape off the nasty sour taste stil in her mouth. Mrs. Flowers had decided that what the group needed to soothe them was some of her special elder-flower lemonade. While she fil ed the glasses with ice, poured the drinks, and set them out on a tray, Bonnie watched her restlessly. There was a rough, empty feeling inside Bonnie, like something was missing. It wasn't fair, she thought again. None of them appreciated her or realized al she'd done for them. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers,† she said suddenly. â€Å"How do you talk to your mother?† Mrs. Flowers turned to her, surprised. â€Å"Why, my dear,† she said, â€Å"it's very easy to speak to ghosts, if they want to speak to you, or if they are the spirits of someone you loved. Ghosts, you see, have not left our plane but stay close to us.† â€Å"But stil ,† Bonnie pressed on, â€Å"you can do more than that, a lot more.† She pictured Mrs. Flowers, young again, eyes flashing, hair flying, fighting the kitsune's malevolent Power with an equal Power of her own. â€Å"You're a very powerful witch.† Mrs. Flowers's expression was reserved. â€Å"It's kind of you to say so, dear.† Bonnie twirled a ringlet of her hair around one finger anxiously, weighing her next words. â€Å"Wel†¦ if you would, of course – only if you have time – I'd like you to train me. Whatever you'd be wil ing to teach me. I can see things and I've gotten better at that, but I'd like to learn everything, anything else you can show me. Divining, and about herbs. Protection spel s. The works, I guess. I feel like there's so much I don't know, and I think I might have talent, you know? I hope so, anyway.† Mrs. Flowers looked at her appraisingly for one long moment and then nodded once more. â€Å"I wil teach you,† she said. â€Å"With pleasure. You possess great natural talent.† â€Å"Real y?† Bonnie said shyly. A warm bubble of happiness rose inside her, fil ing the emptiness that had engulfed her just moments ago. Then she cleared her throat and added, as casual y as she could manage, â€Å"And I was wondering†¦ can you talk to anyone who's dead? Or just your mother?† Mrs. Flowers didn't answer for a few moments. Bonnie felt like the older woman's sharp blue gaze was looking straight through her and analyzing the mind and heart inside. When Mrs. Flowers did speak, her voice was gentle. â€Å"Who is it you want to contact, dear?† Bonnie flinched. â€Å"No one in particular,† she said quickly, erasing an image of Damon's black-on-black eyes from her mind. â€Å"It just seems like something that would be useful. And interesting, too. Like, I could learn al about Fel ‘s Church's history.† She turned away from Mrs. Flowers and busied herself with the lemonade glasses, leaving the subject behind for now. There would be time to ask again, she thought. Soon. â€Å"The most important thing,† Elena was saying earnestly, â€Å"is to protect Meredith. We've gotten a warning, and we need to take advantage of it, not sit around worrying about where it came from. If something terrible – something I brought somehow – is coming, we'l deal with it when it gets here. Right now, we look out for Meredith.† She was so beautiful, she made Stefan dizzy. Quite literal y: Sometimes he would look at her, catch her at a certain angle, and would see, as if for the first time, the delicate curve of her cheek, the lightest rose-petal blush in her creamy skin, the soft seriousness of her mouth. In those moments, every time, his head and stomach would swoop as if he'd just gotten off a rol er coaster. Elena. He belonged to her; it was as simple as that. As if for hundreds of years he had been journeying toward this one mortal girl, and now that he had found her, his long, long life final y had found its purpose. You don't have her, though, something inside him said. Not all of her. Not really. Stefan shook off the traitorous thought. Elena loved him. She loved him bravely and desperately and passionately and far more than he deserved. And he loved her. That was what mattered. And right now, this sweet mortal girl he loved was efficiently organizing a schedule for guarding Meredith, assigning duties with the calm expectation that she would be obeyed. â€Å"Matt,† she said, â€Å"if you're working tomorrow night, you and Alaric can take the daytime shift. Stefan wil take over at night, and Bonnie and I wil pick up in the morning.† â€Å"You should have been a general,† Stefan murmured to her, earning himself a quick smile. â€Å"I don't need guards,† Meredith said irritably. â€Å"I've been trained in martial arts and I've faced the supernatural before.† It seemed to Stefan that her eye rested speculatively on him for a second, and he forced himself not to bristle under her scrutiny. â€Å"My stave is al the protection I need.† â€Å"A stave like yours couldn't have protected Celia,† Elena argued. â€Å"Without Stefan there to intervene, she would have been kil ed.† On the couch, Celia closed her eyes and rested her head against Alaric's arm. â€Å"Fine, then.† Meredith spoke in a clipped tone, her eyes on Celia. â€Å"It's true, out of al of us, only Stefan could have saved her. And that's the other reason this whole team effort to protect me is ridiculous. Do you have the strength and speed these days to save me from a moving train, Elena? Does Bonnie?† Stefan saw Bonnie, coming in with a tray of lemonade glasses, pause and frown as she heard Meredith's words. He had known, of course, that with Damon dead and Elena's Powers gone, he was the only one left to protect the group. Wel , Mrs. Flowers and Bonnie had some limited magical ability. Then Stefan amended the thought further. Mrs. Flowers was actual y quite powerful, but her powers were stil depleted from fighting the kitsune. It came to the same thing, then: Stefan was the only one who could protect them now. Meredith might talk about her responsibilities as a vampire hunter, but in the end, despite her training and heritage, she was just another mortal. His eyes scanned the group, al the mortals, his mortals. Meredith, serious gray eyes and a steely resolve. Matt, eager and boyish and decent down to the bone. Bonnie, sunny and sweet, and with a core of strength perhaps even she didn't know she had. Mrs. Flowers, a wise matriarch. Alaric and Celia†¦ wel , they weren't his mortals the way the others were, but they fel under his protection while they were here. He had sworn to prote ct humans, when he could. If he could. He remembered Damon saying to him once, laughing in one of his fits of dangerous good humor, his face gleeful, â€Å"They're just so fragile, Stefan! You can break them without even meaning to!† And Elena, his Elena. She was as vulnerable as the rest of them now. He flinched. If anything ever happened to her, Stefan knew beyond a doubt that he would take off the ring that let him walk in the day, lie down in the grass above her grave, and wait for the sun. But the same hol ow voice inside that questioned Elena's love for him whispered darkly in his ear: She would not do the same for you. You are not her everything. As Elena and Meredith, with occasional interjections from Matt and Bonnie, continued to argue about whether Meredith needed the efforts of the group to guard her, Stefan closed his eyes and slipped into his memories of Damon's death. Stefan watched, foolish and uncomprehending and just not fast enough, as Damon, quicker than him till the last, dashed toward the huge tree and flung Bonnie, light as dandelion fluff, out of the reach of the barbed branches already plummeting toward her. As he threw her, a branch caught Damon through his chest, pinning him to the ground. Stefan saw the moment of shock in his brother's eyes before they rolled backward. A single drop of blood ran from his mouth down his chin. â€Å"Damon, open your eyes!† Elena was screaming. There was a rough tone in her voice, an agony Stefan had never heard from her before. Her hands jerked at Damon's shoulders, as if she wanted to shake him hard, and Stefan pulled her away. â€Å"He can't, Elena, he can't,† he said, half sobbing. Couldn't she see that Damon was dying? The branch had stopped his heart and the tree's poison was spreading through his veins and arteries. He was gone. Stefan had gently lowered Damon's head to the ground. He would let his brother go. But Elena wouldn't. Turning to take her in his arms and comfort her, Stefan saw that she had forgotten him. Her eyes were closed and her lips were moving soundlessly. All her muscles were taut, straining toward Damon, and Stefan realized with a dull shock that she and Damon were connected still, that a last conversation was being carried on along some private frequency that excluded him. Her face was wet with tears, and she suddenly fumbled for her knife and with one swift, sure movement, nicked her own jugular vein, starting blood flowing across her neck. â€Å"Drink, Damon,† she said in a desperate, prayerlike voice, prying his mouth open with her hands and angling her neck above it. The smell of Elena's blood was rich and tangy, making Stefan's canines itch with desire even in his horror at her carelessness in cutting her own throat. Damon did not drink. The blood ran out of his mouth and down his neck, soaking his shirt and pooling on his black leather jacket. Elena sobbed and threw herself on top of Damon, kissing his cold lips, her eyes clenched shut. Stefan could tell she was still in communion with Damon's spirit, a telepathic exchange of love and secrets private between them, the two people he loved most. The only people he loved. A cold tendril of envy, the feeling of being the outsider looking in, the one who was left all alone, curled along Stefan's spine even as tears of grief ran down his face. A phone rang, and Stefan snapped back to the present. Elena glanced at her cel and then answered, â€Å"Hi, Aunt Judith.† She paused. â€Å"At the boardinghouse with everybody. We picked up Alaric and his friend from the train.† Another pause and she grimaced. â€Å"I'm sorry, I forgot. Yes, I wil . In just a few minutes, al right? Okay. Bye.† She hung up and got to her feet. â€Å"Apparently at some point I promised Aunt Judith I would be home for dinner tonight. Robert's getting out the fondue set and Margaret wants me to show her how to dip bread in cheese.† She rol ed her eyes, but Stefan wasn't fooled. He could see how delighted Elena was to have her baby sister idolizing her again. Elena went on, frowning, â€Å"I'm not sure I'l be able to get out again tonight, but someone needs to be with Meredith at al times. Can you stay here tonight, Meredith, instead of at home?† Meredith nodded slowly, her long legs drawn up under her on the couch. She looked tired and apprehensive, despite her earlier bravado. Elena touched her hand in farewel , and Meredith smiled at her. â€Å"I'm sure your minions wil take good care of me, Queen Elena,† she said lightly. â€Å"I'd expect nothing less,† Elena answered in the same tone, turning her smile on the rest of the room. Stefan got to his feet. â€Å"I'l walk you home,† he said. Matt rose, too. â€Å"I can drive you,† he offered, and Stefan was surprised to find that he had to suppress the urge to shove Matt back into his seat. Stefan would take care of Elena. She was his responsibility. â€Å"No, stay here, both of you,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"It's only a few blocks, and it's stil broad daylight out. You look after Meredith.† Stefan settled back in his chair, eyeing Matt. With a wave, Elena was gone, and Stefan stretched out his senses to fol ow her as far as he could, pushing his Power to sense whether anything dangerous, anything at al , lurked nearby. His Powers weren't strong enough, though, to reach al the way to Elena's house. He curled his hands into tight, frustrated fists. He had been so much more powerful when he al owed himself to drink human blood. Meredith was watching him, gray eyes sympathetic. â€Å"She'l be okay,† she said. â€Å"You can't watch her al the time.† But I can try, thought Stefan. When Elena strol ed up her walk, Caleb was clipping the glossy green leaves of the flowering camel ia bushes in front of the house. â€Å"Hi,† she said, surprised. â€Å"Have you been here al day?† He stopped trimming and wiped the sweat off his forehead. With his blond hair and healthy tan, he looked like a California surfer transplanted to a Virginia lawn. Elena thought Caleb seemed just right on a perfect summer day like this one, a lawn mower humming in the distance somewhere, the sky blue and high above them. â€Å"Sure,† he said cheerful y. â€Å"Lots to do. It looks good, right?† â€Å"It real y does,† she said. And it did. The grass was mowed, the hedges were perfectly trimmed, and he had set out some daisies in the flower beds near the house. â€Å"What've you been up to today?† Caleb asked. â€Å"Nothing as energetic as this,† Elena said, suppressing the memory of the desperate race to save Celia. â€Å"My friends and I just picked someone up at the train station and hung out inside for the rest of the day. I hope the weather holds, though. We want to take a picnic up to Hot Springs tomorrow.† â€Å"Sounds like fun,† Caleb said agreeably. Elena was tempted for a moment to invite him along. Despite Stefan's reservations, he seemed like a nice guy, and he probably didn't know many people in town. Maybe Bonnie would hit it off with him. He was pretty cute, after al . And Bonnie hadn't real y been interested in anyone for a while. Anyone other than Damon, a secret little voice said in the back of her mind. But of course she couldn't invite Caleb. What was she thinking? She and her friends couldn't have outsiders around while they talked about what supernatural entity had it in for them now. A little pang of longing hit her. Would she ever be a girl who could have a picnic and swim and flirt and be able to talk to anyone she liked, because she had no dark secrets to conceal? â€Å"Aren't you exhausted?† she asked, quickly changing the subject. She thought she saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. Had he realized she was thinking of inviting him along on the picnic and then changed her mind? But he answered readily enough. â€Å"Oh, your aunt ran me out a couple of glasses of lemonade, and I had a sandwich with your sister at lunchtime.† He grinned. â€Å"She's a cutie. And an excel ent conversationalist. She told me al about tigers.† â€Å"She talked to you?† Elena said with surprise. â€Å"She's usual y real y shy around new people. She wouldn't talk to my boyfriend, Stefan, until he'd been around for months.† â€Å"Oh, wel ,† he said, and shrugged. â€Å"Once I showed her a couple of magic tricks, she was so fascinated she forgot to be shy. She's going to be a master magician by the time she starts first grade. She's a natural.† â€Å"Real y?† said Elena. She felt a sharp shift in her stomach, a sense of loss. She had missed so much of her little sister's life. She'd noticed at breakfast that she looked and sounded older. It was like Margaret had grown into a different person without her. Elena gave herself a mental shake: She needed to stop being such a whiner. She was unbelievably lucky just to be here now. â€Å"Oh, yeah,† he said. â€Å"Look, I taught her this.† He held out a tanned fist, turned it over, and opened his hand to reveal a camel ia blossom, waxy and white, closed his hand, then opened it again to reveal a tightly furled bud. â€Å"Wow,† said Elena, intrigued. â€Å"Do it again.† She watched intently as he opened and closed his hand several times, revealing flower then bud, flower then bud. â€Å"I showed Margaret how to do it with coins, switching between a quarter and a penny,† he said, â€Å"but it's the same principle.† â€Å"I've seen tricks like that before,† she said, â€Å"but I can't figure out where you're hiding the one that isn't showing. How do you do it?† â€Å"Magic, of course,† he said, smiling, and opened his hand to let the camel ia blossom fal at Elena's feet. â€Å"Do you believe in magic?† she said, looking up into his warm blue eyes. He was flirting with her, she knew – guys always flirted with Elena if she let them. â€Å"Wel , I ought to,† he said softly. â€Å"I'm from New Orleans, you know, the home of voodoo.† â€Å"Voodoo?† she said, a cold shiver going down her spine. Caleb laughed. â€Å"I'm just playing with you,† he said. â€Å"Voodoo. Jeez, what a load of crap.† â€Å"Oh, right. Total y,† Elena said, forcing a giggle. â€Å"One time, though,† Caleb continued, â€Å"back before my parents died, Tyler was visiting, and the two of us went to the French Quarter to get our fortunes told by this old voudon priestess.† â€Å"Your parents died?† Elena asked, surprised. Caleb lowered his head for a moment, and Elena reached out to touch him, her hand lingering on his. â€Å"Mine did, too,† she said. Caleb was very stil . â€Å"I know,† he said. Their eyes met, and Elena winced in sympathy. There was such pain in Caleb's warm blue eyes when she looked for it, despite his easy smile. â€Å"It was years ago,† he said softly. â€Å"I stil miss them sometimes, though, you know.† She squeezed his hand. â€Å"I know,† she said quietly. Then Caleb smiled and shook his head a little, and the moment between them was over. â€Å"This was before that, though,† he said. â€Å"We were maybe twelve years old when Tyler visited.† Caleb's slight Southern accent got stronger as he went on, his tone lazy and rich. â€Å"I didn't believe in that stuff back then, either, and I don't think Tyler did, but we thought it might be kind of fun. You know how it's fun to scare yourself a little sometimes.† He paused. â€Å"It was pretty creepy, actual y. She had al these black candles burning and weird charms everywhere, stuff made of bones and hair. She threw some powder on the floor around us and looked at the different patterns. She told Tyler she saw a big change coming for him and that he needed to think careful y before he put himself in someone else's power.† Elena flinched involuntarily. A big change had certainly come for Tyler, and he had put himself in the vampire Klaus's power. Wherever Tyler was now, things hadn't turned out the way he'd planned. â€Å"And what did she tel you?† she asked. â€Å"Nothing much, real y,† he answered. â€Å"Mostly just to be good. Stay out of trouble, look out for my family. That kind of thing. Stuff I try to do. My aunt and uncle need me here now, with Tyler missing.† He looked down at her again, shrugged, and smiled. â€Å"Like I said, though, it was mostly just a load of crap. Magic and al that nutty stuff.† â€Å"Yeah,† Elena said hol owly. â€Å"Al that nutty stuff.† The sun went behind a cloud and Elena shivered once more. Caleb moved closer to her. â€Å"Are you cold?† he said, and reached a hand out toward her shoulder. At that moment a raucous caw burst from the trees by the house, and a big black crow flew toward them, low and fast. Caleb dropped his hand and ducked, covering his face, but the crow angled up at the last minute, flapping furiously, and soared away over their heads. â€Å"Did you see that?† Caleb cried. â€Å"It almost hit us.† â€Å"I did,† Elena answered, watching as the graceful winged silhouette disappeared into the sky. â€Å"I did.†

Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Project - Essay Example In reality, the importance of classroom management and discipline cannot be alike (Jones, 2011). The importance of the former is more widespread than the latter. Classroom management is managing a student, and studying in a class set up, the student's and teacher behavior and the activity. Classroom management is the way teachers organize what takes place in a classroom. It contributes directly to the effectiveness of learning and teaching as the most helpful activities can be made almost inadequate when the educator does not organize them properly. Research has proved that 92% percent of high schools, which perform well academically, incorporate proper classroom management to help them achieve. However, discipline has diverse meanings. In other words, the educator adopts certain measures and methods to deal with a student's misbehavior issues. These issues are motivation, communication, and discipline (Jones, 2011). This paper will discuss how motivation, communication, and discipli ne fit into the larger concept of classroom management. Discipline and motivation, or understanding what makes students function is one of the leading steps in forming a successful classroom. Through, figuring out their wants and needs, a teacher can utilize this to promote self-control and growth in students (Jones, 2011). Research shows that 94 % of successful classroom management happens when students are motivated to work according to the school curriculum. However, student motivation and classroom management are normally the most difficult issues for a beginning teacher to overcome. All through the teacher-student training experience, a safe environment should be established, and a widespread policy of respect be maintained. Motivating Students and learners is the key to maintaining a maximum number of students and learners engaged in learning (Jones, 2011). Making lessons realistic, modeling excitement and addressing students' concerns are vital to motivation. Every day, the d ecisions students, make rely on conscious or unconscious factors. This is motivation (Jones, 2011). This is what drives a student to act. Motivation can be determined through goals, personality, experiences, curiosity, needs, anxiety, wants expectations and self-concept. One of the leading theories in motivation and inspiration is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In the theory, Maslow argued that there are eight vital needs of a human. The largest portion of human needs is physiologically related to humans. They are the essential elements of survival for instance shelter, food, comfort and good health among others. When these needs are met, a person seeks love and belonging. This is a psychological or mental need, and the individual wants to be a part of a cluster or group. The second largest potion is the esteem requirements, which include recognition and approval (Jones, 2011). The third portion is the desire and need to understand and know, or cognitive needs. Next is an aesth etic requirement when the person looks for symmetry and beauty. In the top two sections of human needs are self-transcendence and self-actualization. Self-actualization means that an individual seeks to find his or her purpose, and self-transcendence is helping others discover their purpose. This directly associates to discipline, meaning that students or learners will behave with regards to their needs. Therefore, if educators motivate students to work along their

Imapct of Androids and Smart Phones on the Apple I Phone Market Essay

Imapct of Androids and Smart Phones on the Apple I Phone Market - Essay Example The paper will discuss both the positive and negative impacts in respect of the topic. Proper researched material from the internet will be used to complete this paper to satisfaction. This discussion stresses that for the longest time apple has been dominating the smart phone market. This is because of the quality and fair prices that they offer. Apple has a brand of phones that is very popular. The iPhone is an intelligent phone. Every phone that has been produced, in this category of iPhone has not failed to impress. The features of this phone make it no one of the smart phone category. After androids and other smart phones were introduced into the market, there has been radical change in preference when it comes to smart phones. This is because some of the android operated phones are cheaper and offer a wide range of functions. In addition, android allows for installation of more programs than the iPhone. The popular phones from iPhone include, iphone3g, 3gs and the iPhone 4, 4s. Any cell networks support all these phones. You cannot put a number to the types of android and smart phones out there. This is because Android is an operating system belonging to the Linux family and can be used on most phones. Other smart phones can use different platforms like Symbian and windows. Because of this, more smart phones can be offered in the market at a reasonable price. This has impacted the iPhone market in many different ways. ... You cannot put a number to the types of android and smart phones out there. This is because Android is an operating system belonging to the Linux family and can be used on most phones. Other smart phones can use different platforms like Symbian and windows. Because of this, more smart phones can be offered in the market at a reasonable price (Moulton 2013). This has impacted the iPhone market in many different ways. The iPhone market has gone down drastically. Some of these impacts are affecting the IPhone market positively and others are negatively. 4.2 Literature Review When it comes to smart phones, so many reviews and articles have been written about the impact that new types and android phones have brought to the smart phone market. Talks about how these phones have dislodged giants in the market are all over the market. Some will talk about the negative effects that these phones have brought to the market while others will talk about the positives that they have brought to the market. Smart phones are solely responsible for 55% of sales from all mobile phones. Out of all sales of smart phones, android takes 82%, windows 3.6% (Mcglaun 2013). Although the iPhone is trying, it cannot be compared with android. This is one of the negative impacts, which androids and other Smartphones have on the iPhone. iPhone is making a comeback with the iPhone 5c and 5cs (Mcglaun 2013). This is a positive impact that androids and Smartphones have on iPhone because the competition is bringing out the best in iPhone. 5.1 Methodology The method that has been used to research this paper is deductive reasoning. This is where several questions are formulated to give direction on how to write the paper. These questions are answered by

Offenders Facing the Death Penalty Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Offenders Facing the Death Penalty - Term Paper Example The population consisting of blacks has been selected for this study. Characteristics and challenges they face in prison Since the time of slavery when the black people were considered as property, the injustice meted out to this category of the population has never lessened. Studies reveal that the blacks are more subject to death penalties than the whites. This bias stems from the fact that a majority of these decisions are made by the white. The blacks are 3.9 times more likely to face death penalty on committing crimes of similar magnitude as done by the whites. (Dieter, 1998) The blacks facing death penalties suffer from mental trauma and helplessness during their stay in the prison. 5 to 10% of those facing death penalty suffer from grave mental illness. Severe mental trauma causes brain damage. This results in impairment of normal physical, behavioral and cognitive functions. These people often face physical and / or sexual abuse in the prison (Mental Illness on Death Row, n.d .) How they adjust to incarceration The prisons in the US- particularly in Texas and California are faced with overcrowding. This has negatively affected the living conditions in prison, prisoner’s safety and proper prison management. ... The prisoners are hyper vigilant about impending threats and danger. They fail to trust their fellow prisoners because of fear of getting victimized. This tendency is seen more in the Blacks, since they are the potential targets of victimization. A research in this regard reveals that about 40% prisoners avoid high risk areas in prison. Most of these prisoners spend additional time in their unit to avoid getting victimized. Almost 75% of prisoners act tough with others to avoid being exploited. Also, about 25% prisoners keep weapons with them to protect themselves. These behaviors on the part of the prisoners reflect the high degree of distrust among them. (Haney, 2002) Social withdrawal and isolation is another method adopted by the prisoners in order to adjust to incarceration. It involves withdrawal from group activities in the prison. The prisoners do not interact with others in such situation. They adopt evasion tactic to cope with the situation. The state of withdrawal is assoc iated with psychological depression. The attitude, behavior and perception of the Blacks facing death penalty can be studied by categorizing them into six categories. These are as follows: Indifference: This behavior is expressed in a consistent manner during the early days of trial. It is characterized by lack of concern for the things happening around. It is caused due to utter disbelief in the situation. (Radelet, 1990, p. 42) Resignation: After the indifference phase comes resignation. It is caused because of the feeling that waiting for death is more difficult than dying. The offenders facing death penalty seek their execution and do not want to undergo further trial. The case of Rumbaugh in 1982 can be used to clarify

Child labor in the U.S. and around the world Research Paper

Child labor in the U.S. and around the world - Research Paper Example On the other hand, in sub-Saharan Africa this age stands at 18 years in most countries. This age is normally enshrined in the law of a given country and employers are expected to consider it when providing employment opportunities. Nonetheless, employers capitalize on the cheap labor provided by children leading to abuse and exploitation. This development has triggered many international human rights organizations to protest about the practice as it is both inhumane and exploitative (Whittaker, 2004, p. 13). History of Child Labor in U.S Child labor in the US dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries when children provided labor in family farms, industries, mines, and plantations. This was most rampant during the industrialization process when industries needed large labor supply. Industrialization implied that adult strength was no longer a per-requisite to the operation of the machines (Child Labor in U.S. History). Factory owners realized that they could effectively and economical ly utilize the services of children in their factories in order to cut down on the cost of production. This is because hiring children was much cheaper as compared to hiring adults (Hindman 25). Plantation farming and mining were other economic sectors attracting child labor. By the mid of 19th century, child labor was widespread across the world. Children were used mainly to provide labor in farms and factories. Most of these children worked for estimated 12-18 hours per day, six days a week, as a way of earning income. In addition, it most of these children began working before they attained the age of 10 years. They engaged in activities such as tending of machines in spinning meals or hauling heavy loads. At this time, most of the factories had not implemented... Child labor in the U.S. and around the world Economic disparity between the rich and the poor has pushed many children out of school in a bid to secure some income for their families. It is currently estimated that there are 215 million child laborers globally. Of this total, 114 million (53%) are in Asia and Pacific, 14 million (7%) are in Latin America, and 65 million (30%) are in sub-Saharan Africa (ilo.org). These working conditions violate the minimum age laws in the affected and involve abuse such as child trafficking, forced labor, and illegal activities. Children providing labor are deprived the opportunity to engage in children activities such as play and education. Child labor is fuelled by rising cases of poverty, which forces children to look for alternative sources of income. This draws them to provide labor especially in commercial agriculture, mining, domestic service, manufacturing, and fishing. Illegal activities involving child labor include prostitution, child soldiers, and drug trafficking. In this research paper, I seek to explore on the child labor as a practice. My primary objective is to indicate that child labor is both inhumane and less significant to economic growth and development and, therefore, should be discouraged at all costs. Child labor is inhumane and should be discouraged at all costs. It remains an illegal activity that every individual should stand up in arms against. It deprives the children the right to education in addition to lowering their self-esteem.

The Business Cycle and Macroeconomic Objectives Term Paper

The Business Cycle and Macroeconomic Objectives - Term Paper Example Recognition of the relationship of withdrawals and injections has also been made which allows better overview of the markets. The relationship of withdrawal and injections has shown an indirect link similar to the savings and investments, taxation and government expenditures. The last and most essentials element of this paper is the discussion of the circular flow of income and the four macroeconomic objectives i.e. a) Economic Growth, b) Reduced Unemployment, c) Rise of Inflation, and d) Deterioration of Balance of Payments. The figure below provides a view on the relationship of the four main objectives of macroeconomics. The figure shows how in a short term the four objectives, i.e. faster growth of output, lower unemployment, lower inflation and the avoidance of balance of payments deficits are related to each other (Sloman and Sutcliffe). The relationship depends on the aggregate demand which is influenced by each phase of the business. a) Expansionary Phase: In this phase (phase 2), the aggregate demand grows very rapidly and the gap between the potential output and actual output is relatively narrower. Here the growth in the output will be relatively rapid and the levels of unemployment will be faced with a drop as well. This provides a solution for two issues however it leads to the other two sectors to be faced with issues (Sloman and Sutcliffe). With the higher levels of shortages the inflation is also affected and this leads to the deteriorating balance of payments which in turn leads to the domestic goods being less competitive in the international markets. b) Peak: At phase three of the cycle i.e. the peak phase, the level of unemployment is at the lowest and the output of the company is at the highest level.

Film, Fashion and Food in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Film, Fashion and Food in India - Essay Example The paper "Film, Fashion and Food in India" talks about the Indian fashion, film and food. These three Indian identities are unique, and one cannot miss to identify them with India. The article is going to focus on three of the most modern Indian cultures identified all over the world, film, fashion, and food.Indian Painting as well as its fashion sense, from history, may generally have a division into three great religious divisions- Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic. The Hindu type of painting has a reference to as Rajput. The reason is that it has a connection with the Hill Rajput of the Punjab and Rajputana. The Islamic art is known as Mughal, as its existence is due to the support it had from the existing dynasty. Rajput and Buddhist paintings were representative in showing practically the religious life of India. Buddhist had a representation by the turban on their heads. The main message of both the paintings was religion, and the chief characteristic of the paintings was mysticism . Mughal painting, on the other hand, had true sophistication, and in nature diverse and realistic. Indian court paintings and designs are famous for Mughal court paintings of the 16th Century. The rise of Mughal court paintings had a fusion of Islamic, Indian, Persian and somehow European influence.The combination of all the materials led to the creation of something new and unique which the current generation distinguishes as Mughal Art. The Mughal kingdom was however not the first Islamic empire.

Hildren at play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hildren at play - Essay Example The paper outlines all the playground's changes and gives also a short survey consisting of six questions was given to twenty one children to know their attitudes towards their school playgrounds. Rules and restrictions such as no running or jumping off playground equipments, fighting, climbing, playing ball games near school buildings and so on, are induced to reduce the like hood of accidents and injury. Schools offering more sanitized play environments are of latest trend. According to Titman ‘manufactured provisions which claim to substitute for children’s loss to free access to the external environment has resulted in the creation of places which too often provide little more than amusement and diversion’. School grounds having been designed to reduce the likeliness of injuries/accidents has shown to be less stimulative in terms of what it offers to children and also failed to provide the environmental experience. In view of safety measures most of the school s have principally removed movable play equipments such as swings, see-saws, roundabouts which do not conform to the safety, standards and/or they have shown to be the cause of accidents and injury. Black Hill Primary School viewed from outside seems to have a small play ground raising the curiosity to see if the children’s thoughts mirrored mine. The school has ample equipments, with a playground quiet small enough for track events and ball games which has a basket ball/tennis/netball court, also a sand pit, slides, swings, monkey bars, ladders, bridges and a recently installed flying fox.