Assignments questions for course (Introduction to Mass Media 110 01) Assignment

Assignments questions for course (Introduction to Mass Media 110 01) - Assignment Example In terms of moral value, the song is not offensive and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. In the dimension of emotions, the song teaches one to smile even in the face of adversity. This is in the line where the singer says that he does not car whether someone gives them bad news. In the cognitive dimension, the song opens up the mind to feel happiness by comparing it with sunshine and freedom. â€Å"Scandals† is a TV series that is premiered on the TV. The themes of this series are bad governance, use of power to one’s advantage and infidelity. A child who is 5-8 years watching this show would learn how the people in government operate and more on national affairs such as elections. Emotionally, the child would learn to let reason override their emotions. Morally, the child would learn that they should get what they want in life even when it involves hurting other people. If a child watched the show through adolescence without parental guidance they would tend to have delinquency behavior as they would tend to believe that even if they make a mistake, everything can be

The Challenges Of Learning A New Language English Language Essay

The Challenges Of Learning A New Language English Language Essay During my time in Voc. Ed., I developed further into a mediocore student and a somnambulant problem solver, and that affected the subjects I did have the wherewithal to handle: I detested Shakespeare; I got bored with history. My attention flitted here and there. I fooled around in class and read my books indifferently the intellectual equivalent of playing with your food. I did what I had to to get by, and I did with a half a mind. Mike Rose, I Just Wanna Be Average I can recall a certain part of my life when I had to learn English as my second language. It was the year 1998 when I first moved from the Philippines. During that period, I was living in San Pablo with my parents, who were illiterate at the time. Technically speaking, I did learn some English in the Philippines but not the kind of English one would expect from America. What was on my mind when I stepped in a room full of kids in a 2nd grade environment? One word, nervousness. Based on my memories, I remember being the quiet/shy kid who didnt make many friends because I The Challenges of Learning A New Language 2 couldnt speak the language. It wasnt until later on that I gained some confidence in speaking the language, and also being able to write in a basic manner. Its self-evident that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to English (or any other subject for that matter), but I will tell my story of the struggles I had to face learning a new language (and for that matter something I still need to work on today). In some ways, my parents illiteracy transformed my life. It wasnt until my middle school years that I realize that Im fortunate learning English as a second language and performing decently well in school unlike my parents, who were struggling to write and speak English. In the beginning, however, I struggled to speak even the most basic words in English. I did okay in all other subjects except English, which I received a below average. My memory cant recall most of my Elementary years but from what my parents tell me is that I was basically a struggling student trying to make ends meet when it came to grades. Fortunately I do remember my 5th grade teacher Ms. Pamela telling me that I was doing extremely well in all of my subjects. I also recall the time she nominated me as the best-improved student in the class and that made me feel good about myself. This was also the year where I made a good amount of friend and interacted more towards my peers. The kinds of friends I had were rel iable and trustworthy, and for the most part, were one of my main sources of help besides the teacher. For the most part I was a reserved student so being able to interact and communicate with my peers The Challenges of Learning A New Language 3 improved my overall well-being. It was that moment of time that I gained the confidence I needed to try harder and succeed. But that confidence suddenly disappeared at the start of 6th grade. At that time, there was an English placement test to check for proficiency in English. My score was ELD 4 (English Language Development; Level 1, 2, 3, 4) so I was one level away from moving up to regular English. Even though my parents both went to college in the Philippines, they couldnt use what they learned and ended up in mediocre jobs. I was struggling, for the most part, in middle school and had that feeling of self-doubt. For a short period of time (8th grade in particular) I felt liberated in the sense of finding a new positive direction in terms of my self-doubts. It was during 8th grade that I was able to move up from a remedial class to an advanced English class. I was surprised when I found out that I was going to take an advanced class rather than a normal English class, and at that time counselors werent widely available so I just let it be. At first I was indifferent until I met Ms. Floe, who was in wheelchair, with one disabled arm. Her way of teaching was difficult at first, however, throughout the course, she taught with an open-mind and inspired her students. Even though I never got an A or B in the class, I learned a lot even though the level of difficulty was beyond me. It was from this moment on that I knew that advanced English classes werent for me but at least I never gave up. At least in the end I got a C. The Challenges of Learning A New Language 4 High school was the start of a new era in terms of reading and writing. For the most parts I had astounding English teachers starting my freshman year. Mrs. Monroe was my one of the few English teachers that thoroughly checked for every single mistake in terms of grammar, clarity, focus, and etc. Since her grading scale was more extraneous, I never got a high grade on my essays; however, there were a lot of comments and improvements she wrote making it easy to know what needs to be refined. Sophomore, junior, and senior years were the same teacher and her teaching style was something I wasnt fond of. Somehow I was able to survive and do well in her class even when she never graded our essays thoroughly and gave explanations of what need to be fixed. In my opinion, I never learned as much as I should even though I got mostly As and Bs in my high school career. My definition of a teacher is someone you can look up to and or someone who inspires you to learn. One of the professors that inspired me to learn and to learn about life in a whole different manner is Professor Begonia. He taught Psyche and Behavior of Pilipinos and we didnt just read a book and write about something, but we got into groups and had our teammates with our own group name and group motto. And this quote he said during one of his lectures was quite inspiring to say the least and defines what a teacher really is. The poor teacher tells. The mediocre teacher tells. The superior teacher demonstrates. But the truly outstanding teacher inspires. I never pushed my limits to try harder because something was preventing me The Challenges of Learning A New Language 5 from doing so. That reason is that I was diagnosed with bi-polar mania or manic depression in the summer of 2010. The doctor explained to me the possible causes and the one that caught my attention was that this disorder can make it hard to concentrate; i.e. reading, writing, being worried all the time, etc. It explains a lot of how and why I had such a hard time concentrating in school. I look back and I see the how this experience shaped my attitude, choices, and overall experience in my academic life. Today, more than a decade later, I still struggle with reading (not so much) and writing. Yet I am optimistic that everything will be okay and I can move on from my past. Sometimes I still have doubt that I wont do well in English but I just have to focus and try harder no matter what. To me, were like a firework waiting to ignite and it just takes time to realize our true potential and sometimes that takes time.

The Shakespearian Play: Hamlet Essay -- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Tom Stoppard creates a life off the stage for the characters of the poplar Shakespearian play, Hamlet. He provided a dramatic and comedic effect through the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood companions of Hamlet. In the setting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two different worlds exist. There is the onstage world of Hamlet, in which all of the characters are caught up in the story line of the play, and the offstage world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The odd and void-like world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provides these characters with little information and forces them to believe that nothing is happening in their lives. They come to realize that they solely exist within this story to provide their services to the needs of the story happening around them. They barely take part in this story, as the other characters are completely unaware of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s existence. The characters of Hamlet only seem to exist within th e play and are provided with no other reasons to believe that their world might not be real. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally show up in the play, they are discomforted and do not spend enough time onstage to gather enough information to understand this alternate life. None of the other characters show concern for the duo and do not seem to be interested in their lives once they leave the stage. However, they spark the interest of The Player. He illustrates the capability of being able to easily move between the two worlds. He is the leader of the Tragedians and displays a sense of understanding to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player seems to be the only character that can easily transition between both worlds and has an understanding of th... ...ut the play, even though death is determined, that fulfillment of life is enough for anyone. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not realize this throughout the play and they become distraught to know that portrayed them to be insignificant. Through the Player, Stoppard creates a character that is able to appreciate the pointlessness of the absurd world he lives in, and discover significance in it by creating it for himself. The Player’s habit to mix the lines between theatre and reality by asserting he does not distinguish the two is a statement that the two require the same thing in order to be understood: suspension of disbelief. (2.81) Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print The Shakespearian Play: Hamlet Essay -- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Tom Stoppard creates a life off the stage for the characters of the poplar Shakespearian play, Hamlet. He provided a dramatic and comedic effect through the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood companions of Hamlet. In the setting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two different worlds exist. There is the onstage world of Hamlet, in which all of the characters are caught up in the story line of the play, and the offstage world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The odd and void-like world of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern provides these characters with little information and forces them to believe that nothing is happening in their lives. They come to realize that they solely exist within this story to provide their services to the needs of the story happening around them. They barely take part in this story, as the other characters are completely unaware of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s existence. The characters of Hamlet only seem to exist within th e play and are provided with no other reasons to believe that their world might not be real. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally show up in the play, they are discomforted and do not spend enough time onstage to gather enough information to understand this alternate life. None of the other characters show concern for the duo and do not seem to be interested in their lives once they leave the stage. However, they spark the interest of The Player. He illustrates the capability of being able to easily move between the two worlds. He is the leader of the Tragedians and displays a sense of understanding to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player seems to be the only character that can easily transition between both worlds and has an understanding of th... ...ut the play, even though death is determined, that fulfillment of life is enough for anyone. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not realize this throughout the play and they become distraught to know that portrayed them to be insignificant. Through the Player, Stoppard creates a character that is able to appreciate the pointlessness of the absurd world he lives in, and discover significance in it by creating it for himself. The Player’s habit to mix the lines between theatre and reality by asserting he does not distinguish the two is a statement that the two require the same thing in order to be understood: suspension of disbelief. (2.81) Works Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark† Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print

Developmental Psychology and Trust Versus Mistrust

| St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community CollegeAssociate Degree ProgrammeMID-SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS 2013| COURSE TITLE: Developmental PsychologyCOURSE CODE: PSY202SEMESTER: 2 (SAMPLE TEST)DATE: Wednesday 6st March 2013 TIME: 11:00 amDURATION: 2 hours INSTRUCTIONS: | | This paper consists of eight (8) pages and three (3) sections: Section A: Twenty (20) multiple choice questions worth a total of 20 marks. Section B: Ten (10) matching questions worth a total of 10 marks. Students should attempt ALL questions in this section. Write your answers on the writing paper provided.Section C: Nine (9) short answer questions worth a total of 30 marks. ALL QUESTIONS ARE COMPULSORY SECTION A: Multiple-choice questions Instructions for Section AAnswer ALL questions in this section. Record your choice on your answer sheet (eg 1. D ). | 1. The study of changes in behaviour from conception to death encompasses a. gerontology b. thanatology c. developmental psychology d. social psychology 2. A resear cher creates a situation on a school playground in which children are excluded one by one from a group game by the teacher so that their emotional reactions can be studied. What kind of research method is this? a. tructured observation b. case study c. experiment d. correlational study 3. Which research strategy simultaneously compares individuals of different ages? a. cross-sectional b. longitudinal c. experimental d. correlational 4. According to __________, all children pass through a series of distinct stages in their intellectual development. a. Piaget b. Bloom c. Watson d. Harlow 5. Which psychologist contended that â€Å"trust versus mistrust† is the first psychological stage? a. Jean Piaget b. Erik Erikson c. Sigmund Freud d. Lev Vygotsky 6. Preoperational means that a child cannot yet perform: a. reversible mental actions. b. symbolic thinking. . intuitive reasoning. d. mental representation of an unseen object. 7. According to Bronfenbrenner's theory, the macrosyste m is __________. a. the patterning of environmental events and transitions over the life course b. the culture in which individuals live c. involved when experiences in another social setting influence what the individual experiences in an immediate context d. the overarching system which includes all of these factors and more 8. Harlow's finding that baby monkeys prefer a terrycloth surrogate mother to a wire mother demonstrates the importance of a. imprinting or critical periods b. contact comfort c. cceptance d. good nutrition 9. When we say a child's thinking is less abstract than an adult's, we mean that a. children use more examples and generalizations. b. children use more principles, but require fewer generalizations. c. children use fewer generalizations, categories, and principles. d. adults base their understanding of the world more on particular examples and tangible sensations 10. Joey is watching a horse race. He knows that his dog at home has four legs, a tail, and fu r. When he sees the horses, he shouts out â€Å"Doggies. † Joey is demonstrating a. assimilation b. accommodation c. conservation d. irreversibility 11.Emily, who has brown eyes, has one dominant gene and one recessive gene. When we describe her actual genetic makeup, we are describing her __________. a. DNA b. genotype c. reaction range d. gametes 12. Humans have __________ pairs of chromosomes. a. 46 b. 23 c. 2 d. an undetermined number of 13. The sex chromosomes of females are ______ and the sex chromosomes of males are ______. a. YY, XX b. XX, XY c. XY, XX d. XX, Y 14. The component of a chromosome that controls heredity is ____. a. proteins b. histones c. DNA d. RNA 15. The stage of prenatal development in which the neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord is the a.Germinal Stage b. Embryonic Stage c. Fetal Stage d. Fetus Stage 16. Which layer of embryonic cells eventually becomes the circulatory system, bones, and muscle? a. endoderm b. mesoderm c. ectoderm d . blastocyst 17. You leave your child with a babysitter. When you return, your child ignores you. Your child's behavior indicates a(n) __________ attachment. a. securely attached b. secure-avoidant c. insecure-avoidant d. insecure-ambivalent 18. Teratogens are those agents which: a. Adversely affect development b. Support development c. Improve development d. Have no effect on development 19. Which reflex normally persists longest after birth? . Babinski b. Grasping c. Moro d. Rooting 20. Which of the following is NOT considered a primitive reflex? a. Babinski b. rooting c. palmar grasping d. stepping SECTION B: Matching questions Instructions for Section BFor each question, match the appropriate item in Column II with its associated word/phrase in Column I. Record your choice on your answer sheet (e. g. , 1. A). An answer may only be used once. | Column I| Column II| 1. Trust versus mistrust| a. the process by which a schema is changed, modified, or created anew in order to underst and something new in the environment| 2.Assimilation| b. â€Å"Stealing is wrong because it is against the law. †| 3. Oedipus complex| c. infants are totally dependent on others in their environment to meet their needs| 4. Bioecological model| d. in the female, an unconscious sexual urge for the father | 5. Preconventional level of reasoning| e. biology and environment interact to produce development| 6. Accommodation| f. in the male, an unconscious sexual urge for the mother| 7. Chronosystem| g. children motivated to take the first step, to start something on their own and to be ambitious| 8.Conventional level of reasoning| h. It is wrong to take the moneybecause you may get caught and then punished| 9. Initiative versus guilt| i. the process by which an existing schema is used to understand something new in the environment| 10. Electra complex| j. the idea that changes in peopleand their environments occur in a time frame and unfold in particular patterns or sequences over a person’s lifetime| SECTION C: Short answer questions Instructions for Section CAnswer all questions in this section. Record your answer on your answer sheet with the number and sub-section clearly labelled. 1) Distinguish between cognitive and physical development. [3] 2) Describe the types of research designs used in developmental psychology. [3] 3) Outline TWO nurture factors that can influence the developmental process. [4] 4) Sometimes inherited defects can produce chromosomal abnormalities. a) What are chromosomal abnormalities? [2] b) State TWO characteristic features of a person with Down syndrome. [2] c) Give an example of another chromosomal abnormality and what it entails. [3] 5) Briefly outline what happens in fetal period of prenatal development. [3] ) List THREE important motor milestone displayed by infants in their first year. [3] 7) According to Piaget, newborns lack an understanding of object permanence a) At what stage of cognitive development do infants d evelop object permanence? [1] b) What must infants master or acquire in order to understand object permanence? [2] 8) Differentiate between separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. [3] 9) In the strange situation procedure, a baby who clings to the mother while she is present and who shows extreme distress when the mother leaves would be exhibiting which style of attachment? END OF TEST

The comparison of Ben Jonson`s The Alchemist

The comparison of two plays studied in the second semester of the BA English Studies degree This essay is going to look at two plays studied in the second semester of the BA English studies degree- Ben Jonson ‘s The Alchemist and John Webster ‘s The Duchess of Malfl. The essay is going to look at the context of both of these plays, considering that it has had influence on the plot of the plays. There will be a brief pr ©cis of the contents of plays given to be able to discuss differences and similarities of both plays and try to find reasons for them.The satire functions in both plays will also be revealed in this essay. The essay is going to look at satire functions trough different themes that are revealed in both plays such as greed, gender, sexuality, social disintegration and others. Looking at these themes will again refer to the context of the plays to show how important it was at the time when authors created their works and what role does it play nowadays when audience become acquainted with these plays. When looking at any work of literature, the context of the time period, when this piece of work had been created is very important.It tells the reader what was happening at the time and gives him the chance to comprehend how it ffected the work of authors. Both of discussed plays had been created in the seventeenth century which is the early modern period of Europe, therefore these plays have specific differences from the plays that had been created earlier. There are significances of modern literature distinguishable in these plays. Seventeenth century was the zenith of Renaissance and it has been reflected in both plays. There is Italian influence observed in these plays.It has affected the language of texts, the description of settings, character names and other components of plays. References of Italy, Italian and Latin languages are used in texts. An obvious example is the play The Duchess of Malfl which is situated in Italy, uses It alian names for characters and includes the Italian language in the text. ‘A number of important critical contributions over the last decade treat Webster's play as a post-Reformation phenomenon written during a more settled period of the established Anglcan Church.However, English Protestantism still found its identity in relation to the faith it had renounced, namely Catolicism, whose home was Italy where Webster sets The Duchess' (Lucky] 77). When looking at the context of the time, the economic and political conditions in he country are very important as well. The time when these two plays had been created was Jacobean England revealing a particular condition of the country. Satire on different themes in plays can be seen as a response to this condition. A twofold political crisis was looming. The financial needs of the crown, as inflation eroded the yield of crown lands, had increasingly through the sixteenth century to be met by parliament, and under James I the relation ship between crown and parliament was beginning to manitest the serious tensions that were to result in the civil war' Conson 9). Authors of the time were worried about the situation in the country and therefore they discussed issues related to important events in their works.Another reason why they wanted to talk about them was to inform people about what is happening in the country. As situation seemed not very comfortable for English people, authors decided to use satire to let the audience see the happening from aside. Sarcasm was also used to let the audience relax from usual stressful life and have a bit of laugh whilst enjoying the play, at the same time understanding that it reveals the situation of Jacobean England. Religious position of the country plays a big role as well. England was an officially Protestant country, the citizens of which were, by law, members of the Church of England. The Elizabethan religious settlement had, nevertheless, compromised on certain key iss ues of reform in order to accommodate those who might otherwise have been reluctant to accept the new religion, and also to forestall reprisals by the Catholic powers of Europe' Conson 9). As changes in the religious condition of England were going on, the Religion was a very common theme in Jacobean plays.Both of discussed plays include the theme of Religion. All of these current events and positions affected plays at the time because these are the things which interest the audience and makes plays popular. Nothing is more important for people than what is going on around them in their lives, therefore the context of the literature work is very important. The content of both plays is quite different but there can be themes found which are discussed in both plays. This again refers to the context of the time, because themes of plays completely depend on it.The Alchemist is a story about three of the play ‘s central characters, Face, Subtle and Dorothy, who have entered into a contract by which they agree to work together for their mutual benefit- achieving wealthiness for all of them. The scene is set for a comedy of fraudulent characters and their potential victims. As the plot develops the trio struggle to work together because they cannot control each of their desires. The trio ‘s unscrupulous activities stop when Lovewit, the master of the house unexpectedly comes back.The threesome then turn upon each other and the most accomplished trickster of all wins at the end. This is a great comedy satirising greed in Jacobean society. The comedy gives releasing ending by showing that the biggest fraudster of all wins. This is sarcasm on what happens in the real life. The Duchess of Malfl is a story of the widowed Duchess of Malfl who secretly marries her steward Antonio, despite the opposition of her brothers, Duke Ferdinand and the Cardinal.Bosola, a malcontent courtier, is hired by the brothers to discover the secret husband ‘s identity, but th e Duchess bears three children without anyone knowing who the father is. Later, the Duchess is imprisoned and eventually murdered, together with her maidservant Cariola and two of her children. Bosola, who has turned against the brothers, then kills the Ferdinand. The Duchess and the eldest child of Antonio survive and remain thinking about his maternal inheritance. This play is a study of revenge, unlike the comic plot of The Alchemist this is a tragic story with characters dying at the end.It seems like both of these plays are very different but looking closer, it appears that there are similarities in them. Both of the plays reveal present events of the time and both of them satirise these events, they show how England as a country was seen at the time. The most significant difference etween these two plays is the genre, one ot them is a comedy, the other- tragedy, but not taking that into account, the viewer can see that both authors have tried to address the audience in the sam e way, satirising the most common events of their lives in their plays.The reason of different plots of the plays is different standpoints of the authors, but the key ideas are displayed at the same way in both plays. Satire works in both of the plays through different themes. Authors use sarcasm to make plays more interesting and exciting, usually satirising domestic themes. One of the most common themes satirised in Jacobean plays was the greed. The financial situation in the country was unstable therefore everyone tried to get something better for themselves to provide their material status.People were ready to do everything to get something to hold on to and this was very often satirised in the plays. The Alchemist is a striking example of satirised greed in the play. The main aim of all the main characters of the play is to obtain infinite treasure and they are willing to undertake any obligations to reach their aim. Greed is also noticeable in The Duchess of Malfl, in characte rs Ferdinand and the Cardinal, because their action is the result of their greed when they confiscate the Duchess ‘s property and get her banished from the state of Ancona.This play shows the result of the greed when one of the brothers dies at the end, proving that plays not only satirise events but also enlightens viewers and teaches them to not allow the same mistakes as characters in the plays do. Another important theme satirised in The Duchess of Malfl is the status of women and the role of gender in the society. Woman in that period of the time was upposed to be submissive and calm, however, the Duchess went against her brother ‘s wishes and remarried, and this is the reason of the tragedy which would not happen if the Duchess would act like she was supposed to.The play shows that women at the time had no right to have their own point of view and act without coordinating with men; it also shows what happened if someone went against the assumed rules. Both of the p lays satirises the social class system in the Jacobean England. There are members of all social classes shown in the plays revealing the ndications of the social status. Sexuality is also satirised in plays, for example the character of Sir Epicure Mammon in The Alchemist who dreams of drinking the elixir of youth and enjoying fantastic sexual conquests.All of these satirised themes show what worried authors and the audience at the time. Looking at these plays nowadays helps the learner to understand the Jacobean time period in the history of England and see what affected plays at that time. Now the reader can also call together the history of England and nowadays, see what issues had affected English literature and ow it has formed. Looking at two plays from the Jacobean time period has shown that the context of the time has had the biggest influence on the playwrights and their work.Even though Jonson and Webster have created absolutely different plays, they seem to reveal the sam e ideas. Both of the plays satirise themes that had been important at the time and are still important nowadays. Authors used sarcasm to let the audience enjoy the play but also to educate viewers about the situation in the country. Playwrights revealed very important matters in their plays like social tatuses, roles of gender and sexuality, the greediness of people and others and this shows that the audience gets both, emotional and intellectual release when reading or watching these plays.

New York Times Vs. U.S. (1971) Essays - Daniel Ellsberg, Free Essays

New York Times Vs. U.S. (1971) Essays - Daniel Ellsberg, Free Essays New York Times vs. U.S. (1971) This case came at a time when America was at unrest. A controversial war had divided the country. Opinions and arguments about whether the US involvement in Vietnam was warranted occupied the minds of American citizens. The people were hungry for information regarding the war. The Pentagon Papers, somehow leaked to the New York Times and Washington Post, fulfilled this need of the people for information. The government's assumption of prior restraint seemed to be a major blow to free speech and a sharp addition to the power of the government. The appellate courts' indecisiveness brought the ultimate decision to the Supreme Court. There was a deep division of opinion even among the Justices, and their decision landmarked what had been previously uncharted waters. The background to this landmark case has at its roots U.S. policies in Southeast Asia. These policies, which eventually led to the Vietnam War, were sharply criticized in a study authorized by Secretary of State Robert S. McNamara in 1967. This 47-volume study, officially named History of United States Decision-Making Process on Viet Nam Policy, have come to be known as the Pentagon Papers. These papers detailed the entire history of our involvement in Vietnam from World War II to the beginning of the Paris peace talks. Daniel Ellsberg, an employee of a California think tank, was given access to this study. This think tank held Defense Department contracts to analyze American strategy in Vietnam. Ellsberg had become convinced that our involvement in Vietnam was a mistake, and that American forces should be withdrawn immediately. Ellsberg and a man named Anthony Russo then photocopied the papers in a Los Angeles advertising office. Believing that these papers strongly supported his views, Ellsberg delivered a copy of the Pentagon Papers to Senator William Fulbright, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Still however, neither party made the papers public. Somehow copies of the documents were obtained by the New York Times, and in June 1971 they began publishing a series of articles based on the study. Nearly immediately a telegram was issued to the Times by the Attorney General John Mitchell ordering that it halt publication. The Times refused, and the government brought suit against them. Thus began a remarkably swift journey of justice ending at the Supreme Court. The first court decision, issued by NY federal district court Judge Gurfein, was in favor of the Times. However, the federal appellate court reversed this decision and ordered the newspaper to halt publication. Meanwhile, the Washington Post had obtained copies and had begun to print them, and the government brought suit against them as well. The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided not halt publication. The case was picked up by the Supreme Court in late June, just 11 days after the first suit. This was the first attempt by the federal government to restrain the publication of a newspaper, but in 1931 the state government of Minnesota had made such an attempt. Near vs. Minnesota involved an anti-Semetic newspaper carrying on a smear campaign against local officials. Here the Supreme Court laid the precedent of prior restraint. The Court ruled that a prior restraint of publication would be allowed only in the most exceptional cases. That is, one that threatened "grave and immediate danger to the security of the United States." From the government's point of view, the Times case was such an exceptional case. The government's case rested on four arguments. The first was that many of the documents were stamped TOP-SECRET. The second argument was the fact that the papers were stolen, and the newspapers had no right to have them, much less publish them. Also, disclosure of the papers' contents, such as the United States' involvement in the assassination of South Vietnam President Diem, would embarrass the nation. Finally, release of the inside information on the United States' approach to peace talks would hinder them and prolong the war. The newspapers arguments were fewer and shorter, but much more powerful in the minds of Americans and, as it turned out, the Supreme Court. First and foremost was the First Amendment's guarantee of free press, that is

Effective Lesson Objectives

Effective Lesson Objectives Lesson objectives are the key element in creating effective lesson plans. The reason for this is that without stated objectives, there is no measure of whether a particular lesson plan produces the desired learning results. Therefore, time needs to be spent before creating a lesson plan by writing effective objectives. The Focus of Lesson Objectives In order to be complete and effective, objectives must include two elements: They must define what is going to be learned.They must give an indication of how that learning will be assessed. First, an objective tells students what they are going to be learning in a lesson. However, the objective does not end there. If it did, they would read like a table of contents. In order for an objective to be complete, it must give the students some idea of how their learning is going to be measured. Unless your objectives are measurable in some manner, there is no way that you can produce the evidence necessary to show that the objectives were in fact met. Anatomy of a Lesson Objective Objectives should be written as a single sentence. Many teachers like to start their objectives with a standard beginning such as: Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to.... Objectives must include an action verb that helps the students understand what they are going to learn and how they will be assessed. In Blooms Taxonomy, Bloom looked at verbs and how they related to learning, dividing them into six levels of thinking. These verbs are an excellent starting point for writing effective objectives. A simple learning objective that meets the criteria listed above is: Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to convert fahrenheit to celsius. By stating this objective from the beginning, students will understand exactly what is expected of them. Despite everything else that might be taught in the lesson, they will be able to measure their own learning if they can successfully convert fahrenheit to celsius. In addition, the objective gives the instructor an indication of how to prove that learning has taken place. The teacher should create an assessment that has the student perform temperature conversions. The results from this assessment show the teacher whether or not the students have mastered the objective. Pitfalls When Writing Objectives The main problem that teachers encounter when writing objectives is in the choosing of the verbs that they use. As previously stated, Blooms Taxonomy is a great place to find many action verbs that can be used when writing learning objectives. However, it can be tempting to use other verbs that are not part of the taxonomy such as enjoy, understand, appreciate, and like. An example of an objective written using one of these words is: Upon completion of this lesson, the student will understand why tobacco was such an important crop to the settlers in Jamestown. This objective does not work for a couple of reasons. The word understand leaves a lot open to interpretation. There were a number of reasons why tobacco was important to the settlers at Jamestown. Which one should they understand? What if historians disagree about the importance of tobacco? Obviously, because there is a lot of room for interpretation, students do not have a clear picture of what they are expected to have learned by the end of the lesson. Second, the method for measuring learning is not clear at all. While you might have an essay or other form of assessment in mind, the student is not given insight into how their understanding will be measured. Instead, this objective would be much clearer if it was written as follows: Upon completion of this lesson, the student will be able to explain the impact that tobacco had on the settlers at Jamestown. Upon reading this objective, students know that they are going to be learning about not only the impact that tobacco had on the colony, but they are also going to have to explain that impact in some manner. Writing objectives is not meant to be a form of torture for teachers, but instead, it is a blueprint for success for both teachers and students. Create your objectives first, and many questions that need to be answered about your lesson will fall into place.