Language Arts with an emphasis on Writing Essay Example for Free

Language Arts with an emphasis on Writing Essay First grade students will use technology to complete a report about a farm animal. A visit to a local farm will provide students with hands on demonstrations of farm animals and how they live. Students will learn in depth facts about one specific animal by conducting research online. Students will improve writing and typing skills by composing their animal report using the computer. Students will gain further practice with the writing process during center time when they will write a letter to their chosen animal. Finally, students will gain presentation skills by presenting their animal findings to the class through oral presentations. These skills will be gained by meeting the following lesson objectives: 1. Students will identify farm animals. 2. Students will identify what their chosen farm animal eats. 3. Students will research and identify the name of the animal’s offspring. 4. Students will research and explain what resource their animal provides to humans. 5. Students will compile their research by using the computer. 6. Students will present their findings orally. Brief Description of the Task: Students will record four important facts about their chosen animal during a visit to a farm. Students will learn about what their animal eats and what its offspring is called. Students will ask the farmer questions in order to learn more about their animal. Students will have their drawing and writing materials with them in order to record what they see while at the farm. These recordings and observations will be taken back to the classroom and used to conduct research and write a report about their animal. After the reports are presented orally, they will be made into a class book for students to read during center time. Steps of the Lesson: 1. Visit the farm. Ask the farmer questions. Draw and write observations. 2. Find a picture of chosen animal on the computer via the Internet. 3. Find important facts about chosen animal and record them. 4. Glue the animal picture to a piece of writing paper. 5. Write down facts researched on the computer including name of animal, what the animal eats and what it provides for humans. Other important facts will be included. 6. Present the report orally to the rest of the class. 7. During center time, read the reports that have been made into a class book. 8. During center time, write a letter to chosen animal telling their animal about what they eat and where they live. A question for the chosen animal will also be included. Instructional Strategies Used: Sometimes summarizing and note taking are considered only â€Å"study skills† but they are two of the most powerful skills students can acquire (Marzano, et al, 2001). Summarizing and note taking give students the opportunity to identify and understand what they are learning (Marzano, et al, 2001). When students take notes through their drawings and observations while at the farm, they will be making identifications of different farm animals and will be gaining an understanding of farm animals. In order to include the most useful information in their animal report, students will analyze the information they are receiving in order to decide what will need to be included in their report. Summary frames will be used while students are at the farm as students develop a series of questions for the farmer that will highlight the critical elements in order to learn specific types of information (Marzano, et al, 2001). In this case, summary frames will allow students to learn about where their animal lives, what it eats and what it provides for humans. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition can push students to make an extra effort when they don’t feel like doing schoolwork or when the work is challenging. It is important for teachers to show students the connection between effort and achievement (Marzano, et al, 2001). The visit to the farm will be a fun activity for students and they will excited about doing something different so they will all most likely complete their note taking well. However, computers can cause frustration, particularly for first graders who are still emerging readers and have a hard time navigating the Internet. Therefore, the Pause, Prompt and Praise strategy will be useful. When students get frustrated or discouraged while using the computer, the teacher can initiate a short pause so the student can collect his or her thoughts. Next, the teacher can give specific suggestions to help the student complete the assigned task. Last, the teacher can praise the student for correcting his or her error as well as completing the task (Marzano, et al, 2001). Nonlinguistic representations will be included in this lesson plan. Students will include drawings of farm animals in their original note taking and research done while at the farm. These drawings will elaborate on the information that students are learning (Marzano, et al, 2001). Therefore, students will need to include pictures of the animal, details about where it lives and pictures of what it eats. Further, graphic organizers are useful for students when organizing information in a coherent way (Marzano, et al, 2001). Providing students with graphical organizers as an option while conducting research will enable visual learners to organize their material in a way that will help them make the most sense of it. Not all students will need to use a graphical organizer but they will be made available to students who would like to use one. Marzano, R. J. , Pickering, D. J. , Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

20th Century Somalia Essay -- International Government

20th Century Somalia Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the east. With the longest coastline on the continent, its terrain consists mainly of plateaus, plains, and highlands. It is made up of the former British Protectorate of Somaliland and Italy’s former Trust Territory of Somalia. Somalia’s modern history began in the late 1800’s, when European powers began to trade and settle in the Somalia area. These events and the events that occurred during the 20th century helped shape the modern Somalia government and culture today. In 1886, the British gained control over northern Somalia through treaties by guaranteeing British protection to Somali chiefs who agreed to them. The British were concerned with securing their trade interests with its coaling station in Aden. The British established what was known as British Somaliland and a boundary was made with Ethiopia through treaty negotiations in 1897. The British occupied this area with very little resistance in the late 19th century, but that started to change towards the turn of the century. The European powers that began to settle in Northern Africa, inspired the current leader of the Dervish State, Mohammed Abdullah to rally support from various nations across the Horn of Africa and began one of the longest colonial resistance wars ever. He challenged the British rule through persistent attacks and became known as the â€Å"Mad Mullah† by the British. His first major military offensive attack was with 1500 Dervish equipped with 20 modern rifles on British soldiers stationed in the region. This resistance fro... ... Hawk helicopters and killed 18 American soldiers. The public outcry in the US from these actions caused President Clinton to order all American soldiers to withdraw from Somalia by March 31, 1994. Other nations quickly followed suit of the Americans. The failed mission cost nearly $2 billion by its end. Although a new parliament was convened in 2004, rival factions in various regions of Somalia still struggle for control of the nation. Works Cited. U.S Marines storm Mogadishu, Somalia. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/us-marines-storm-mogadishu-somalia. History of Somalia. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 28, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Somalia Somalia. (n.d.). In Conservapedia. Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://conservapedia.com/Somalia

Scott Miracle Grow Speader; Make or Buy

Scott’s Miracle-Gro has a plant in Temecula, CA that produces seed spreaders. Management is deciding if it should keep the Temecula plant open or if it should outsource manufacturing either to mainland China or offshore China. Before Miracle-Gro became Scott’s Miracle-Gro, they outsourced to contract manufacturers for production. Scotts manufactured their spreaders since it acquired Republic Tool and Manufacturing. Scott’s Miracle-Gro manufacturing facilities have a plant in Temecula, CA. The Temecula plant improved productivity, efficiencies, and also different innovations including a new assembly process for their hand spreader.Also, they invented an in-mold labeling process that produced a label that did not fade, scratch, or peel off. Despite what the Temecula plant had done, management was looking to see if they could save money by outsourcing the full operation. The plant manager wanted to keep the Temecula plant open and felt that if the production was mov ed to China that there would be quality problems along with high shipping costs, and extra administrative costs could erase any economic benefit from outsourcing to China. Another alternative to outsourcing to China was building a Scotts-owned facility plant in China.This option would help keep the proprietary processes in the hands of Scott’s Miracle-G ro. However, the disadvantages associated with moving to China stated above (poorer quality, high shipping costs), would still be a negative. The problem is what should Scott’s Miracle-Gro do. We did a NPV analysis focusing on the 4 Cost drivers for the Temecula plants which are raw materials, labor costs, electricity costs, and overhead costs and compared them to what it would cost in China. The NPV for the Temecula plant is $94,826,678 (screenshot of spreadsheet in appendix).The NPV for China mainland (offshore NPV would be close to mainland China except for initial start-up costs, etc.. ) is $90,070,804 (screenshot o f spreadsheet in appendix). We analyzed the data by using the numbers provided in the case. For example, for analyzing the Temecula plant, we used the information in Exhibit 4. However, some of the data (number of employees in China) we based the information on what the Temecula plant was using. Based just on the NPV, it seems that closing the Temecula plant and moving to China would be the best option.However, important the potential cost savings (in labor and energy costs) might be, it is also necessary to look at other factors. Some of the other factors would include the production quality, control over their own products, proprietary rights, longer lead times, having to carry safety stock, and their image to stakeholders and employees. Also, management needs to look at problems that might arise if China’s government changes laws, problems in cases of ports closing, and the training and productivity of new employees. Next, we will analyze the 4 cost drivers more in depth.C ost Drivers There were four main cost drivers examined in this case: Raw Materials, Labor, Electricity (Energy), and Overhead. Scott’s must evaluate these cost drivers to determine whether outsourcing the manufacturing of their spreader will improve the company’s profitability and/or operational efficiency. Although, in some instances the decision to outsource can be very clear based on the numbers alone, there are also other not so quantitative risks such as loss of control, loss of inventory flexibility, and loss of one’s competitive advantage. Raw MaterialsPlastic resin is the main component in the manufacturing of the spreader bucket, and the costs are comparable whether it’s purchased in China or in the US. However, the Temecula plant did invest in a re-grind process which saves them an additional $100,000 per year. However, this savings has little impact on the overall operating expenses at the Temecula plant. Labor Costs Labor rates are one of the main driving forces in whether or not a company should make or buy a product or service. For s Scotts labor costs associated with manufacturing the spreader in the US is initially $6M vs. 350K in China, see attached appendix , which is 17X more costly to produce the spreader at the Temecula plant. Even if the plant can improve their operational efficiency in the out years and reduce labor costs it would still be difficult to compete with China during this 10 year period. Electricity (Energy) Costs Energy costs are still cheaper in China, by more than half the cost. However, the majority of energy which China uses is from coal plants and not environmentally friendly, more and more companies and US consumers are becoming sensitive to the issue of reducing one’s carbon footprint.Outsourcing based on energy costs is typically not the sole driver. However, if energy cost between China and the US become more competitive, such as in the case of the US using natural gas (i. e. fracki ng) to supply electricity to their plants the argument to bring manufacturing back to the US may become more compelling. Overhead The cost of overhead or Governance at the Temecula Plant is approximately $5M annually vs. China $500K (excluding $1M in year one for start-up costs) these are costs associated with Scott’s management to monitor, track and visit China to oversee operations. Sensitivity AnalysisDue to the uncertainty in the future economic trends, there are three uncertain factors playing important roles in the decision making. They are labor cost in China, electricity price in China and exchange rate between Yuan and Dollars. The NPV model is sensitive to the how those three factors change over the next decade. A careful analysis on the sensitivity is necessary in order to make sound business decisions. 1. Labor Cost According to the case we know that labor costs in china may have a big increase in the next 10 years, from 40% totally to 10% annual increase to even 40% annual increase.If the labor cost will increase 40% in the next 10 years, that means it’ll increase 3. 4% annually, so the NPV of costs will be $73,751,039. If the labor cost will increase 10% annually in the next 10 years, the NPV of costs will be $74,998,037. If the labor cost will increase 40% annually in the next 10 years, the NPV of costs will be $91,424,835. We can see from previous analysis, NPV of Temecula is $94,826,678. So if labor cost will increase differently, we’ll get different NVP. But no matter how big increase it’ll be, our decision will still be outsourcing to china. 2. Electricity Price The current electricity cost in China is 0. 65USD per kilo-watt hour. It is estimated to increase by 20% over the next 10 years. Assuming the electricity cost increase at a certain rate each year, we get the annual increase rate 1. 8% (1. 8% =(1+20%)^(1/10)-1). This estimated rate is probably lower than the actually annual increase because of increasing pr essure on environmental records and fuel costs. Thus how much does electricity cost may increase is important and the NPV model output is sensitive to it. However, since the electricity cost in China is so low when converted into USDs, the growth rate doesn’t influence the NPV that much.For example, experimenting with 5% annual growth, since 5% is significantly larger than 1. 8%, we get NPV = 74,968,548 USDs, whereas 74,376,968 USDs with 1. 8% annual growth. The difference would be 591,580 USDs, which isn’t that significant when putting it in a bigger scope. Also, 5% is an unlikely assumption given the fact that the Chinese is heavily investing in infrastructure to generate more energy. Thus, we think NPV model is not very sensitive to the electricity price. 3. Exchange Rate According to the case, we know that the market expectation was the yuan would appreciate by 20% in next five years.Since this datum is just an expectation, which means it is inaccurate and uncertai n, so that we need to analyze the sensitivity of it. We assume that the annual increase in value of Yuan is 3. 6%, we can get the NPV of costs is $74,376,968. However, if we decrease the rate, say 2%, the NPV of costs turns to be $69,099,021, which means the cost decreases; on the other hand, if we change the rate to 6%, the NPV of costs increases to $81,500,203. So we can conclude that the lower the annual increase in value of Yuan, the lower the NPV of costs. ConclusionAs we stated in the beginning we feel Scotts Miracle Gro should outsource the manufacturing of their to spreaders to China, this is based on the data and sensitivity analysis the group conducted. In addition, one of the questions that we had to examine was whether or not the technology to have â€Å"in-mold labeling† was a competitive advantage, and should it be a considered a core capability. Although, Scotts Miracle Gro manufactures spreaders, the brand name is about the quality of seed and fertilizers for the do-it-yourself lawn and garden consumer, and not the spreader.The consumers primarily purchases those products which enhance the look of the garden and lawn, selling spreaders which can disburse their product is ancillary, Scotts wants consumers to buy their seed and fertilizers every season (repeat customer) where as the purchase of a spreader is a one-time purchase every 10 years or more. Therefore, if Scotts can outsource the production of approximately 3 million spreaders to China at a significant cost savings then the company should do so. Cost savings realized should be re-invested into research and development so Scott’s can maintain their competitive edge is this home and garden market.

Technology and learning

The modernization of the times led to a startling reality that the world will be crippled without the aid of technology. Technology is becoming more and more of a necessity these days in all aspects of daily living and as such, educational institutions have incorporated this subject in their curriculum because the authorities acknowledged the fact that technology can help attain student objectives and in order to achieve the maximum impact, it must form part of the school's education curriculum (Neir Tech, 2002).English is a subject that would be greatly enhanced by technology. English is a diversified field in itself that requires self-expression, vocabulary, reading, creativity and innovativeness of the mind. Technology can greatly enhance the students' learning process when it comes to English because the information that they need is just a few clicks away. The world wide web provides a wide array of information and lectures about all English subjects. For example, a student havi ng difficulty in pronunciation and vocabulary can access the Internet to learn this kind of skill.Students who have been assigned difficult topics for assignment can search the net for all the information that he needs. The teachers can use the technology as aid in teaching not only English but other subjects as well by using highly-powered technology driven lectures that would work best in capturing students' attention. There are some schools that use technology to breach the barriers of communication. Video conferencing is another technological development that greatly helps educational institutions teach students not only English but other subjects as well.ReferencesNeir Tech. 2002.   Strategies for Improving Academic Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from http://www.neirtec.org/products/techbriefs/1.htm

Build your Author Street Team in 4 Simple Steps

Build your Author Street Team in 4 Simple Steps Authors: Build Your Street Team in 4 Simple Steps Last updated: 2017/12/07â€Å"No man is an island,† as the old poem goes. In much the same way, you don’t get to become a successful writer without some help along the way.  When you're marketing your book, companies like  Reedsy can certainly give you access to experienced freelance marketers – but in time you must also learn to rely on your Street Team.2. Finding your ‘first gangers’ Even if you end up with a fabulous book deal down the line, your street team will remain amongst your most important allies during the process of marketing your book. By staying on their radar and not wasting their time with spam, you can keep your street team happy and ready to help you the next time you release a book. Have you put together a street team before? Where did you find them and how did they help you promote your book? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

How to Write an SEO Article †Part 1

How to Write an SEO Article – Part 1 How to Write an SEO Article Part 1 How to Write an SEO Article Part 1 By Colin In a recent article, A Freelance Writers Basic Guide to SEO, we had several requests asking how SEO knowledge can be used in practice, when writing articles. Naturally, we are only too happy to oblige. The methods I am going to talk about in this article have not been learnt in online courses, nor have they been taken from theory manuals you can download for a price on the Internet. Everything I am going to discuss has been gained from hard experience, both as a writer (over 10 years), and as an I.T. consultant (University degree and 18 years in the business). Is Writing an SEO Article Complicated? No. There are no magic formulas or weird science to SEO, and there’s no right or wrong way of doing things. There are guidelines, however, as you will discover in this two-part article. SEO writing is very much a matter of common sense, and the application of some very simple points that are based on the idea of well constructed articles, and well constructed websites. Surprised? Don’t be. Just read on. SEO writing is no more complicated than writing a standard article for a magazine, the only difference being, there are a couple of other factors to consider. But the basics are always the same, which is where I am going to kick this article off. Get The Basics Right Whether the article is for your own website or as part of a freelance writing contract, the most important thing to always remember when writing a Search Engine Optimised article, is to make it a GOOD article. By good article, I mean the article must be useful to the reader. It should provide them with a benefit they can visualise, or offer something of value to them that is applicable and relevant to their lives or businesses. It should be something they can relate to easily. There’s no point in writing a technically good SEO article, for it to be a load of nonsense to the reader. Not only will the website concerned lose a potential customer or lose out on traffic and advertising revenue, but the article will become a non-entity and be a complete waste of everyone’s time. If the article is no good to the reader, don’t expect it to be picked up or linked to by affiliates, link marketers, or any other medium that could have provided valuable promotion or marketing – all of which would have boosted the website’s rankings. Always remember to write for the HUMAN who will read the article at the end of the line, not the search engine algorithm that finds it. Get that right, and you are already half way there! Components of SEO Content An SEO article is made up of two distinct, but very important components: 1) it has to contain relevant and value added content 2) it has to be supported by good website infrastructure (the ‘techy bit’) As I have already mentioned, SEO article content must be topically relevant, and provide value to the reader. And as with a standard article on any conceivable subject that’s possible, it has to have a new angle, a good initial hook, and and it must be important to the reader. Writers of articles for all kinds of publication will tell you this; it’s what you learn on day 1 at freelance article writing school. What they might not tell you until much later, is that in an SEO article content must include certain keywords and keyphrases that are relevant to the topic, and the article context. These keywords and keyphrases must appear seamlessly in the article, and not disrupt the natural flow of the piece; they should ehnance it and be inconspicuous at the same time. I’ll cover the ‘techy bit’ in the part 2 of this article. Keywords and Keyphrases There’s no science to figuring out what keywords to use within the content of your article, so that they show up in search engine results. Forget about AdWords, keyword software, scientific algebrae, and costly training courses. In my opinion these are expensive sledgehammers being wielded to crack a nut,and in my experience, are only designed by people hoping to make a quick buck by taking advantage of what writers don’t know. Here’s what to do. Sit down with a notepad and pen, and write down all the words and phrases that could possibly relate to the subject/business interest you are writing about. Almost all of these will (or should) be getting used in the meta data of the web page, but this will probably not be of your concern anyway (this is also covered in the ‘techy bit’ in part 2). Some of the keywords you write down, can be used within the SEO article. For instance, I recently wrote an article for a website that is in the business of superior tourist accomodation in the Scottish Borders a bed and breakfast. The keywords and phrases I came up with were: â€Å"bed and breakfast†, â€Å"hotel†, â€Å"guest house†, â€Å"Scotland,† â€Å"Borders†, â€Å"tourism†, â€Å"accomodation†, â€Å"Scottish Tourist Industry†, etc. However, in most cases, especially if you have been hired to write an SEO article for a third party, it is more likely you will be given certain keywords to use within an article in advance. This is fine – they’ve done the brain storming for you – but however they came up with the words and phrases, it’s your job to write a quality article that has them embedded in the text. It’s not difficult, as you will see in part 2 of this article next week, when I look at applying the keywords and keyphrases, utilising hypertext links in text, keyword density, and web page optimisation (the ‘techy bit’). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:45 Synonyms for â€Å"Food†Does "Mr" Take a Period?Supervise vs. Monitor

Discuss whether the Euro zone crisis has had an effect on the European Essay

Discuss whether the Euro zone crisis has had an effect on the European integration project - Essay Example Bank of England referred this crisis as â€Å"the most serious financial crisis at least since the 1930s, if not ever,† in October 2011† (Kenny, 2012). This paper explores the history of European integration first and then explores whether Eurozone crisis has any effect on European integration. History of European Integration Second World War has changed the history of Europe immensely. In fact, Europe has been divided into distinctive ideological segments as a result of WW2. Eastern Europe came under the control of communist regime whereas Western Europe was occupied by democratic regimes or capitalist countries after WW2. Moreover, one portion of Germany (East) came under communism whereas another portion of it came under capitalism immediately after WW2. It should be noted that capitalism and communism would never travel in parallel directions. So, tensions between communist East and capitalist West of Europe started to intensify after Second World War. Prominent poli ticians and scholars of Europe such as Winston Churchill realised that the progress of Europe would never be possible if one part of it function in one direction and other part in opposite direction. Thus, the call for regional integration started immediately after the end of WW2. Moreover, the theories of Federalism and Functionalism, put forward by prominent scholars gave momentum to the integration process of Europe. â€Å"The term â€Å"regional integration† means combining parts into a whole, according to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary† (Dosenrode, 2010, p.4). Europe was functioning as parts after WW2. For example, the whole Germany was functioning as East and West under two contrasting political ideologies. The fall of Soviet Union during the latter parts of twentieth century gave momentum to the regional integration process in Europe. The introduction of principles such as perestroika and glasnost by former Soviet leader Gorbachev helped the Soviet Unio n and other communist countries to expel communism from their territories. Majority of the Eastern European communist countries including East Germany embraced capitalism or democracy after the fall of communism in Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall has been destroyed and the two Germanies became united once again. All these incidents encouraged the regional integration process in Europe in one way or another. Moreover, the progress of Untied States towards prosperity made the European leaders aware of the necessities of a European Union (EU) to enhance their potentials for economic progress. The first pillar of EU was constructed in 1951 in the form of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) by the six countries; Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands. Since then, a series of incidents happened in the integration process of Europe. â€Å"The EEC Treaty, signed in Rome in 1957, brings together France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries in a community (E EC) whose aim is to achieve integration via trade with a view to economic expansion† (Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, EEC Treaty - original text, 2010). The 1960 Stockholm Convention resulted in the formation of European Free Trade Association (EFTA) (Convention Establishing The European Free Tra