Biology 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biology 101 - Essay Example ine that the oxygen in CO2 indeed comes from sugar, and not from oxygen gas, cells (e.g bacterial or yeast cells ) that are actively respiring can be given sugar substrate which has been synthesized with the oxygen isotope 18O. The cells are exposed to regular oxygen which carries the commonly occurring 16O isotope. After some time, gases are to be collected from the headspace and subjected to mass spectrometric analysis which can separate the CO2 based on their molecular weights. If the oxygen in the carbon dioxide came from the sugar, it will be present in higher concentration at a higher molecular weight (because the labeled 18O will have heavier mass). If the oxygen came from the air, then the reverse would be true. 2. A food manufacturer is advertising a new cake mix as fat-free. Scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are testing the product to see if it truly lacks fat. Hydrolysis of the cake mix yields glucose, fructose, glycerol, a number of amino acids, and several kinds of molecules with long hydrocarbon chains. Further analysis shows that most of the hydrocarbon chains have a carboxyl group at one end. What would you tell the food manufacturer if you were the spokesperson for the FDA? If I were the spokesperson of the FDA, I would tell the food manufacturer that his claim of a fat-free mix is downright false. Fats and oils are made up of fatty acids that are anchored on a glycerol backbone. Glycerol is a three-carbon compound with 3 carboxylic groups, each can form an ester bond with a fatty acid. For this reason, fats are also called triacylglycerols. Hydrolysis of fats and oils will yield glycerol and three free fatty acids. The free fatty acids are long-chain hydrocarbon compounds (most common fats have 16-18 carbon atoms) with a carboxyl group (-COO) at one end. Further analysis will even show if these fatty acids are either saturated or unsaturated with hydrogen atoms. 3. Imagine that you are a pediatrician and one of your

Organic vs Non Organic Foods Essay Example for Free

Organic vs Non Organic Foods Essay It’s hard to walk into a grocery store and not notice a certain new kind of trend. There is a growing urge to have more organic items on shelves. The general belief is that organic items tend to be better for the consumer and the environment when compared to non-organic items. Although many people cant tell the difference, there are multiple pros and cons between organic and nonorganic. In terms of consumer health, both organic and processed foods have their benefits. The benefits of processed foods are that scientists can place additives that increase the nutritional value. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz (2010), this helps to â€Å"prevent neural-tube defects and certain childhood cancers, boost brain development and may increase intelligence, and reduce the incidence of rickets. † This means that theres nutrients that can be added to aid in helping the country with disease prevention. Organic foods lack the ability to be genetically modified but offer their own benefits as well. According to Maria Rodale (2010), some organically grown foods have â€Å" more conjugated linleic acid, which is a powerful cancer-fighting nutrient. † Both these types of food can help consumers healthy and prevent disease. There are some alarming differences between organic and processed foods especially when considering agriculture. â€Å"Organic† means that a food is grown without the aid of pesticides or fertilizers. Organic farmers use manure and nothing else to grow fruits, vegetables, and grains. It says in The Organic Myth that this can lead to some bad cases of E. Coli that wouldn’t be present in foods grown with pesticides since there are all sorts of bacteria in the manure (2004). The reverse is that without all those chemicals being sprayed on crops, you tend to have less pollution. Rodale states, â€Å"Growing foods organically prevents thousands of toxic chemicals from entering the environment and poisoning our soil, our wells, our wildlife, our children and ourselves† (2010). Organic goods also tend to cost more leading to them being classified as a luxury item. The downside is that most cattle and genetically altered crops have â€Å"unwanted additives like growth hormone and chemicals† (Oz 2010). It’s hard to know whether it’s worth the money to go organic or just stick with the usual. Foods grown without the aids of pesticides seem to be beneficial to the consumer and the environment, which is a big selling point for those who want to go green. On the other hand they are much more costly than non-organic crops. Many people would rather risk the potentially harmful additives to shave a few bucks of the price. It all depends on preference and beliefs but its definitely easy to see where they offer there own pros and cons. Miller, M. (2004). The Organic Myth. National Review, 56(2), 35-37. Oz, M. (2010). The Organic Alternative. Time, 176(9), 46-46. Rodale, M. (2010). 15 WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD (and your life) ONE APPLE AT A TIME. Mens Health (10544836), 25(3), 113-138.

Play and Learning in the Early Years

Play and Learning in the Early Years In English preschools, play is an integral part of the curriculum, founded on the belief that children learn through self-initiated free play in an exploratory environment (Hurst, 1997; cited in Curtis, 1998). It was only in the early 1920s that play was linked directly to childrens development. The writings of such early educationists, as Froebel, the Macmillan sisters, Montessori, Steiner, and Susan and Nathan Isaacs, sowed the seeds for play being the basis for early childhood curricula. According to Froebel, play is the work of the child and a part of the educational process (ref). The Plowden Report (CACE, 1967) suggests that play is the principal means of learning in early childhood. In play, children gradually develop concepts of causal relationships, the power to discriminate, to make judgements, to analyze and synthesize, to imagine and formulate (The Plowden Report (CACE, 1967 (p.193). In our society, play serves countless important purposes. It is a means by which children develop their physical, intellectual, emotional and social skills. Much has been written about the definitions, functions and characteristics of play, for example Janet Moyles (1989) writes that Play is undoubtedly a means by which humans and animals explore a variety of experiences in different situations for diverse purposes. (Moyles 1989, p i). There are two conflicting opinions on the value of play, Early Years practitioners and some parents consider that play is the best way for young children to get a concrete basis for later school and life success. While other parents, practitioners and politicians believe that play is a waste of time. (quote). As a practitioner it is important to understand the true value of play and to advocate childrens right to play. This essay analyses the elements of an early years setting that support and encourage learning, comparing it with an alternative early years settings, while evaluating the importance of effective communication with babies and young children. It will also debate the importance of differentiation and inclusion in planning the early years curriculum. In addition the essay will include compare and contrast different settings to see how they relate to known theories of child development. Furthermore plans of play-based activities will be included to show support of the curriculum in the setting. Profile of setting. The school where I am currently in placement is situated within a woodland area surrounded by houses in Colchester, Essex. The school is currently providing education for 4-11 year olds and has approximately one hundred and sixty children on role. The school was originally formed in 1890, but was moved to its current site in the 1970s after a fire broke out. The school is a Church of England school and encourages the children to have a Christian view, with assembles and signs around the school. The feel of the school is a friendly, supportive, family originated environment, which is child focused. The type of child who attends the school is on average a child who will always do their best no matter what their background. The schools community is mixed race but has a high percentage of mainly white British families, the school has 38% free school meals, in August 09 had the highest jobseeker allowance attendance and has a high percentage of families on housing and benefits. The area t hat the school is situated is a renovation area that the Local Council are trying to regenerate. Within the two wards Essex County council and Colchester Borough Council the community have 2.3% rented housing and 10.5% housing. The Local Authority average is 11.85% which has almost double over the years. The school is above Local authority avenge and above national avenge which explains the percentage of free school meals. Lots of the house holds in the community have no formal education and there is a high percentage of children that are involved in social care. There are 4 children on the child protection register, 3 children which are looked after and 1 child on the child in need plan. The school has an equal amount of boys and girls in each class but there are one or two classes that have slightly more boys than girls which can inflict on learning styles and standards. The vision of the school is: We are a welcoming, happy and caring church school, where creativity is encouraged and everyone has confidence in their own abilities. We promote good social skills and participation in the Christian ethos of our school. We value others whatever their background or beliefs and respect our environment. We always aim high and do our best, cherish our friendships and respect everyones right to learn. We ensure that the key skills, vital for a successful future are taught to all of our children. We strive for a bright and wonderful future! (Ref) The school works with a number of organisations in the community. One is Child First, which is the collaborative name for the three Local Delivery Groups (LDG) of the schools in Colchester. The group first emerged out of the desire of Head Teachers in East Colchester, who wanted to improve the life chances for the children in their schools. With the arrival of the Extended Schools Agenda, it was a natural progression to extend the group to include all schools in Colchester. Also lying at the heart of the community is the church, which has a congregation of around 100 people. With differing ages, a variety of backgrounds and Christian experiences, the school finds itself strongly united to the church as a reverend from the parish visits the school regularly. Also the Ormiston Children and Families Trust works with the school to promote the wellbeing of children and young people through projects based around the Eastern Region. The Ormiston Centres work in partnership with Essex County Council, voluntary and statutory organisations, families and communities they are managing the seven Childrens Centres in Colchester. LO1 Compare setting with an alternative analyse the elements of a chosen early years setting that support and encourage learning, comparing it with alternative early year settings. What does the setting do to support and encourage learning? Current setting: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) applies to children from birth to the end of the reception year. In our school all children join us at the beginning of the school year in which they are five. At present we have an intake of 28 children. Most have been to settings that exist in our community and many have attended the pre-school located on the school campus. At the school we recognise that every child is a competent learner who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured. We recognise that children develop in individual ways, at varying rates. Childrens attitudes and dispositions to learning are influenced by feedback from others; we use praise and encouragement, as well as celebration/ sharing assemblies and rewards, to encourage children to develop a positive attitude to learning. In the Foundation Stage we set realistic and challenging expectations that meet the needs of our children. We achieve this by planning to meet the needs of boys and girls, children with special educational needs, children who are more able, children with disabilities, children from all social and cultural backgrounds, children of different ethnic groups and those from diverse linguistic backgrounds. We meet the needs of all our children through: Planning opportunities that build upon and extend childrens knowledge, experience and interests, and develop their self-esteem and confidence; Using a wide range of teaching strategies based on childrens learning needs; Providing a wide range of opportunities to motivate and support children and to help them to learn effectively; Providing a safe and supportive learning environment in which the contribution of all children is valued; Using resources which reflect diversity and are free from discrimination and stereotyping; Planning challenging activities for children whose ability and understanding are in advance of their language and communication skills; Monitoring childrens progress and taking action to provide support as necessary. At the school we recognize that the environment plays a key role in supporting and extending the childrens development. This begins by observing the children and assessing their interests, development and learning, before planning challenging but achievable activities and experiences to extend the childrens learning. We make regular assessments of childrens learning and we use this information to ensure that future planning reflects identified needs. Assessment in the EYFS takes several different forms. These provide information which is then combined to inform detailed pictures of whole individuals. The classrooms are organized to allow children to explore and learn securely and safely. There are areas where the children can be active, be quiet and rest. The school has excellent outdoor area provision. This has a positive effect on the childrens development. Being outdoors offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors. It offers the children to explore use their senses and be physically active and exuberant. We plan activities and resources for the children to access outdoors that help the children to develop in all 6 areas of learning. At the school we recognize that children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates. We believe that all our children matter and we give them every opportunity to achieve their best. We do this by taking account of our childrens range of life experiences when planning for their learning. Active learning occurs when children are motivated and interested. Children need to have some independence and control over their learning. As children develop their confidence they learn to make decisions. It provides children with a sense of satisfactions as they take ownership of their learning. Children should be given opportunity to be creative through all areas of learning, not just through the arts. Adults can support childrens thinking and help them to make connections by showing genuine interest, offering encouragement, clarifying ideas and asking open questions. Children can access resources freely and are allowed to move them around the classroom to extend their learning. Different setting: The Montessoris principle insight was that children are not merely small adults they have distinct and different thought processes and desires. What we may call play is a young childs work. The role of the educator is to provide the child with the opportunity to fulfil their desire to learn, both academically and socially. To use the latest educational catch phrases, Montessori education is multi-modality, differentiated instruction. (Ref). The Montessori method is split into five areas. Practical Life, Sensorial, Mathematics, Language, and Cultural. The Practical Life area improves the childs coordination and motor control, developing the pincer grip which is a requirement of writing. The Sensorial area refines the childs senses of the world around them, again preparing for language, and also for maths, serializing length and other physical characteristics. The Mathematics area provides numerical concepts in concrete form, using beads, cards, and spindles. The Language area teaches letters, then their phonetic sounds, and then builds words. The Cultural area extends the childs understanding beyond the classroom, teaching science, geography, botany, zoology and history. The teachers at a Montessori school observe their children in great detail asking the questions, what does this child understand? What is the next concept this child needs to learn? Obviously, a Montessori classroom will not look like a normal classroom. Rarely, if ever, will you find the whole class sitting with their books out looking at the teacher show them how to fill in a worksheet. Instead you will see children, some in groups, some by themselves, working on different concepts, and the teacher sitting with a small group of children, usually on the floor around a mat. Some people talk about the lack of structure in a Montessori Classroom. They hear the word freedom and think chaos or free for all. They seem to think that if all children are not doing the exact same thing at the exact same time that they cant possibly be working or that they will be working only on the things that they want and their education will be lopsided. Children will be given a work plan or a contract and will need to complete an array of educational activities just like in a more traditional classroom. The main difference being that the activities will be at each childs maximum plane of development, will be presented and practiced in a way that the child understands, and the child will have the freedom to choose which he/she does first. LO2 Communication Evaluate the importance of effective communication with babies and young children. Communication is a complex and important skill that is fundamental to human relationships, because humans appear primed to communicate from birth and we often underestimate the skills that must be developed if babies and children are to become sociable and effective communicators. The play experiences children need in order to become skilful communicators are those that encourage them to want to communicate with others and include not only verbal but also non-verbal responses such as movement of their whole body. LO3 Differentiation Differentiation is the recognition of and commitment to plan for student differences. A differentiated classroom provides different avenues to acquire content, to process or make sense of information and ideas, and to develop products. Differentiation can be referred to as an educational philosophy that requires teachers to modify their learning, teaching and assessment whilst adjusting the curriculum to the needs of children with SEN rather than expecting pupils to fit the existing curriculum (Cole 2008 cited in Rogers, 2007). The history of differentiation in education can be linked to two influential psychologists. Vygotsky proposed that learning can be mediated through the intervention of others. This recognises that by having knowledge of what a child already knows should inform the next stage of learning and what interventions are necessary to enable successful learning. Gardner (1993) proposed a theory of multiple intelligences in which people have different intelligences and learn in many different ways. Gardner conceived that schools should therefore offer individual-centred education (Florian et al, 2006 cited in Humphreys and Lewis 2008b) in which learning is tailored to the childs individual needs. Lo4 2 different early year curricula. The idea behind Forest Schools is that it is a long term sustainable approach to outdoor play and learning. Its about providing children with holistic development; it looks at every area in terms of their physical development, intellectual development and cognitive skills, also looking at their linguistic and language, both verbal and non-verbal. Forest Schools also looks at their emotional, social development and spiritual development. Whats interesting about the culture in some Scandinavian countries is being in and out doors are a part of how the family and culture works. But in Britain children are getting more and more isolated from the natural world. Forest Schools is very much about giving children the opportunity to learn in and from nature. Forest Schools is also about free play, its about self directed learning but its also about allowing the children to develop freedom and choice in order to be able to become competent and effective adults. In Every Chid Matters it states that every child should make an equal contribution. (Ref). The only way that children can do this is if they have sound self-esteem and sound emotional well-being and sound social skills and function in as many social situations as they choose. Forest Schools is about allowing children given their developmental dependant age the ability to be able to achieve social comfort. Forest Schools is an inspirational process that allows children to access the outdoor space in order to grow and develop into successful, happy rounded individuals. There is a misconception that Forest Schools is for Early Years; some of the most successful projects have been with older young people, adults with mental health problems and children in secondary education. (Ref). The .about allowing children and young people to grow with a sense of value of who they are and giving a positive contribution. Its all about using nature as the teacher as opposed to being adult lead. LO5 Activity Plans and Evaluation. Plan (see appendix .), Rationale behind choice of activity and Learning Objective. This activity was chosen as the reception class were looking at the Handa Surprise book and focusing on healthy foods. The day the activity was carried out a new student was present with his mother which added extra pressure for all the professionals. The learning environment offered opportunities for the children to experience tasting different fruits as the kitchen area was adjacent to the table in which the activity was carried out. It setting also had a large copy of the story so all the children were able to see the story (for Communication, Language and Literacy) and had the provisions to create the masks (Creative Development). I thought the topic would lend itself to the next days topic of healthy lunchboxes, which the whole school were focusing on. I chose to focus on any existing knowledge the children may have of different fruits and try and extend their understanding of way fruits are good for us. This leads into Early Learning Goal () of ..'(QCA, 2000). My main learning objective, therefore, was to introduce the children to new fruits and tastes, using language and listening to each other to find out what each child thought, in an accessible and enjoyable environment, so to encourage respect for each others views and turn taking. What happened? The week before carrying out the activity, i prepared the resources needed in school and discussed the other activities that my fellow practitioners would carry out. This involved printing, cutting and laminating the necessary pictures and masks. Also finding all the different fruits that were in the story. One fruit in particular i was unable to find but i improvised with a fruit drink that was made from the fruit so at least the children were able to taste the favour. I carried out this activity with a mixed ability group of 9 children. I began by asking the children to wash their hands as they were going to be eating fruit. When all the children were back in their seats, i gave each of them a bowl and a cup. I asked the children if they could remember the fruits in the story of Hands Surprise which was read earlier. The children seemed to have a positive attitude about being able to remember. With a small copy of the book i asked the children which was the first fruit that the monkey took out of Handas basket. When answered in cut the banana in pieces and gave each child a piece and asked questions such as what does the banana taste like? How does it feel? Do you like the banana? The children gave mostly good descriptions of the fruit and used appropriate vocabulary such as creamy, slippery and lovely. I carried out the same routine of cutting the fruit into sections and passing a section to each child and asking them to describe what it tasted l ike and how it felt and whether they enjoyed it. With the Guava fruit which was the fruit i could not purchase i informed the children of the situation and showed them the picture of the fruit on the carton of juice. I gave each child a taste and asked their option, the overall option was that the fruit tasted delicious but one child said that they didnt like it. The most interesting discussion came when i asked the children what they thought the passion fruit would look like inside, one child said that it might look like an orange, the same child that said the banana was creamy (extension). Overall most of the children enjoyed the fruit tasting apart from one (standard) child who kept giving negative reactions to the fruit saying that he doesnt eat fruit at home. I was happy that a least he tried some which i gave great encouragement to. While the fruit was being eaten i passed around picture cards of the fruit and asked each child in turn to pronounce the name of the fruit after me, most children had no problems with the pronunciations but one child struggled with avocado. I encouraged each child to have a little taste of each fruit and if they didnt like it then they didnt have to eat it and well done for trying was always encouraged. The extension child suggested that trying different fruits was good for us, as fruit was good for us. Which then lead a child that was refusing to try a certain fruit, tried it? At one point the dismissive child asked if we were finished and could go and play. Once all the children had tried all the fruit and we had discussed them and i asked the final question which was everyone favourite and their least favourite, the overall result being orange best, avocado worst. I explained that the children could go put their bowls in the sinks and wash their hands and then go and play. Evaluation. I believe this activity resulted in all the children achieving the main learning objective of introducing the children to new fruits and tastes, using language and listening to each other to find out what each child thought and to encourage respect for each others views and turn taking. The idea that the childrens peer could influence the decision of another child .. An effective learning environment does not leave children entirely to their own devices, but builds on what they can already do and challenges them to try new things. The role of the practitioner is vital in this process and sits within the social constructivist approach to learning. This theory was popularised by Vygotsky (1978, in Smith, 1999), who identified the zone of proximal development, (ZPD) as being a reason why childrens learning can be helped by others. Smith (1999) explained: The ZPD is the distance between the childs developmental level and his or her potential level of development under the guidance of adults or more competent peers (Smith, 1999: 429). As this was a hands on activity, the children were taking an active part in their own learning progress. It was Piaget (1966, in Smith, 1999) who first postulated that the child is a lone scientist, processing information and constructing meaning through encounters with their world. Most of the children focused their attention to the fruits they enjoyed using positive language and engaging in the ability to use words to describe what something tasted like or felt. One child tried to extend the activity to see who the fruit sounded when bounced on the table saying the orange sounded like a ball, this then encouraged the children to continue testing the sounds of fruit by knocking on them. The (extension) child asked if there was nothing in the fruit would it sound the same? The relative success of this activity highlighted that children of this age learn best through concrete experiences. When working with children of this age group it is preferable to adopt teaching strategies which allow for plenty of practical activities and exploration. The fact that one child lost interest in the activity, implies that I might need to develop this activity in some way to keep the attention of the less able or enthusiastic children. This was particularly notice when asking some children to use descriptive words to describe the fruit, as some children just repeated the word that their peer before them used. The language of one child was not as developed as the other children in the group, and this excluded them from full participation. On reflection, a different teaching strategy could have been employed to involve them more fully into the activity. It could be that they were more of a kinaesthetic learner than the others, as he keep looking at the children playing, so maybe using an activity that involved movement may have kept his attention. Also the activity was extended longer than anticipated as i had the cut each individual fruit into segments. If this activity was done again in the future maybe cutting the fruit into segments before the activity took place would be a more successful approach. As a result of this evaluation, i would have changed my plan to include more opportunities for the children to be involved in the activity in a more physical way, perhaps by using safety acceptable knives the children could help me cut the fruit. This may help some of the children with their fine motor skills as well. Also another way of engaging less able children might include asking them to participate in the preparation of the resources, maybe by asking them to bring their favourite fruit from the story in so they feel they have a more personal involvement. Finally, the only thing I would change would be to ask the children to put on aprons, as it got very messy, including me, as i too got very messy. Conclusion In conclusion recently there has begun to be a realization in the UK that play is important. There has been a surge of initiatives funded by government , such as Arts Council projects on creativity in schools and communities, the publication of Excellence and Enjoyment by the National Primary Strategy (DfES, 2003). This is putting a major emphasis on the importance of embedding the Foundation Stage and the Birth to Three Matters Framework in the work of local authorities across the maintained, voluntary and private sectors. Increasingly, research findings indicate the importance of the first years of education. Childrens ability to use spoken and written language fluently and with confidence and for a range of purposes enables them to access at an early age what education has to offer. The adults working in early years settings and classrooms have both the opportunity and responsibility to affect the future learning of their pupils in a far reaching and powerful way. Play is, it seems, about the universe and everything. It often has to function in a hostile environment, but when it is encouraged, supported and extended, it makes a major contribution to, and sophisticated impact on the development of individuals and humanity as a whole.

Prejudice :: essays papers

Prejudice Immigrants entering our country have always experienced discrimination due to many different prejudices. ^How they would not rent to Negroes or Puerto Ricans. How Negroes and Puerto Ricans were given the pink slips first at work^ (Colon 243). Prejudice impacted various aspects of the lives of immigrants including where they lived, their success, and their careers. The lives of immigrants were impacted everyday due to the prejudices they encountered. For instance, in the story ^Blues Ain^t no Mockingbird^, a black family was impacted by the harassment of white men because the black family was assumed to be on welfare, therefore; they were videotaped against their will (Bambara 119-124). Another more extreme example that Houston illustrates would be the case of the Japanese-Americans who were thrown into detention camps during the war. Their loyalty for the country was questioned and they had to leave many of their possessions behind because of their nationality and the hatred of the enemy during the war (111-116). These immigrants encountered prejudices by the way they looked and their race. In the selection ^To Be a Slave^, it is said that: It is estimated that some fifty million people were taken from the continent during the years of the slave trade. These fifty million were, of course, the youngest, the strongest, those most capable of bringing great profit, first to the slave trader, and later to the slave owner. (Lester 84) Lester^s illustration shows that many African people were taken because they were black indeed. If the people who resided in Africa were white, or the same as Americans or Europeans, there probably would not have been much of a problem. Success was stressed on the lives of immigrants. Immigrants had to try harder then other people. In the story ^The Fat of the Land^, Yezierska points out that success was extremely stressed. Hanneh Breineh, a polish immigrant, stressed the importance of becoming successful. She did not want her children to have it as bad as she did. She desperately wanted them to become American. By the end of the story, all of her children are successful and rich in some way (33-49). ^^What did I tell you? In America, children are like money in the bank^^(Yezierska 42). Success is also a key point in the story ^Two Kinds^ by Amy Tan. In this story, a Chinese mother and daughter immigrate to California after losing what they had in China. The mother believed ^you can be anything you wanted to be in America.^ Therefore, her mother tries to make the little girl a prodigy.

Harlem by Langston Hughes Essay

Harlem has skillfully summed up the pathos and miseries of Afro-American life and its reason for socio-cultural strife in the American society and history in few lines. It contains the two essential element of any great piece of literature i.e. brevity and comprehensiveness. Langston Hughes takes into account the social impact of deferred dream and provides a clear allusion that these deferred dreams went off in the form of social unrest and increased hatred between Black and White communities in the fifties and sixties. Langston skillfully uses the symbols of decadence to epitomize the putrefying society and then suddenly questions about the ultimate outcome. On a broader level, this poem also refers to ‘American Dream’ that aimed at the attainment of material gains only. This social goal neglected the social equity and turned American society into a wasteland.   So true dreams got deferred and exploded in the form of civil rights movement and social-political conflicts of 1960s. He uses powerful imagery to emphasize the magnitude of decadence that deferred dreams bring with the passage of time. For example ‘raisin’ denotes a darkened grape that remains constantly exposed to sun. So a deferred dreams feeds on the pathetic beams of social miseries and turns soar. Although on the surface level the net effect seems negative but one must keep in mind that raisin is savory too. So his revolutionary vision was based on a peaceful and progressive world.   Langston weaved dreams not only for the common Afro-American folk but also for poets of future generations. This dream-maker influenced the future poets to create work based in their own roots and values. So his â€Å"dream deferred† did not â€Å"dry up like a raisin in the sun† or â€Å"fester like a sore† but â€Å"it explode[d]† in a positive by influencing his reader and future writers alike.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depresion- True or false Essay Example

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depresion Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depresion- True or false Essay Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depresion- True or false Essay Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Depression- True or false? True This paper will explore whether Samuel Taylor Coleridge had suffered from depression or not. In order to explore the issue I will first explain what Depression is and its symptoms. Later on I will analyze four of the symptoms with reflection to two of Coleridges poems in order to see if I can find any hints to depression in them. Depression significantly affects a persons family and personal relationships, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health. Its impact on functioning and well-being has been compared to that of chronic medical conditions such as iabetes. A person having a major depressive episode usually exhibits a very low mood, which pervades all aspects of life, and an inability to experience pleasure in activities that were formerly enjoyed. Depressed people may be preoccupied with, or ruminate over, thoughts and feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt or regret, helplessness, hopelessness, and self-hatred. Other symptoms of depression include poor concentration and memory, withdrawal from social situations and activities, reduced sex drive, and thoughts of death or suicide. Insomnia is common among the depressed. Hypersomnia, or oversleeping, can also happen. A depressed person may report multiple physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, or digestive problems; physical complaints are the most common presenting problem in developing countries, according to the World Health Organizations criteria for depression. Appetite often decreases, with resulting weight loss, although increased appetite and weight gain occasionally occur. Family and friends may notice that the persons behavior is either agitated or lethargic. Older depressed people may have cognitive symptoms of recent onset, such as forgetfulness, and a more noticeable slowing of movements. Depression often coexists with physical disorders common among the elderly, such as stroke, other cardiovascular diseases, Parkinsons disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Depressed children may often display an irritable mood rather than a depressed mood, and show varying symptoms depending on age and situation. Most lose interest in school and show a decline in academic performance. They may be described as clingy, demanding, dependent, or insecure. Diagnosis may be delayed or missed when symptoms are interpreted as normal moodiness. Depression may also coexist with attention-deficit hyperactivity isorder (ADHD), complicating the diagnosis and treatment of both. http:// en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/MaJor_depressive_disorder Now I will go over four symptoms of depression and will try to find evidences for them in Coleridge through two of his poems that we have read in class- This Lime -Tree Bower My Prison and Frost at Midnight. get from both poems is melancholy which can indicate low mood. Personal relationships- The poem This Lime -Tree Bower My Prison is all about his friend and his inability to Join them in a walk in nature. In the poem Coleridge relate s to his riends in general and to Charles in specific My gentle- hearted Charles! (1. 28), a line that shows us that Coleridge is capable of personal relationships. Regarding the poem Frost at Midnight, we know that the last stanza in the poem is a blessing to his infant boy so that could indicate that he is also capable of personal relationships with his family members, based on his reference to his child. Insomnia- based on the poems name Frost at Midnight and the line- Only that film, which fluttered on the grate, still flutters there, the sole unquiet thing (l. 15-16) we can understand that Coleridge is the only one awake at a late hour which could indicate that he had troubles sleeping. Thoughts and feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt or regret, helplessness, hopelessness, and self-hatred- in the poem This Lime -Tree Bower My Prison the overall feeling we get is of worthlessness and helplessness by the fact that all his friends are out in nature and he had to stay in. The line that best describes that for me is the opening one- Well, they are gone, and here I most remain, This lime- tree bower my prison! (l. 1-2). As for the poem Frost at Midnight I get a feeling of oneliness from the description of the night and his school days. The lines How oft, at school, with most believing mind, Presageful have I gazed upon the bars, To watch that fluttering stranger! (l. 24-26) conveys, for me, his massage of being a child all alone. After analyzing the four symptoms, I think it is safe to say that Coleridge had suffered from depression in some degree. I think that his depression (or maybe melancholy) is what gave him the ability to see the world the way he did and also to express himself so well and to become the great writer that he is.