Patriot Movie Review

The Patriot In theaters on June 30, 2000. Directed by: Roland Emmerich Written by: Robert Rodat Main Characters in the movie: Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, Heath Ledgar as Gabriel Martin, Tom Wilkinson as Lord General Cornwallis, & Jason Issac as Colonel William Tavington The film is rated R for strong war violence. Summary: It is 1776 when the Revolutionary War began between the American Colonists and the British soldiers. The main character, Benjamin Martin, is a veteran of the French and Indian war who wants independence from Britain, but is not willing to risk the safety of his already motherless children by going to war.It was the British who had killed his wife and he did not want to put his family in danger as he did so once before. However though he forms a militia and goes around looking for people in the colonies who are willing to fight against the â€Å"red coats† which are the British because he knew it had to be done. He did not approve of his oldest son Gabriel joining the Continental Army but Gabriel wanted to so bad that he went behind his fathers back to sign up anyway. This caused problems for him because they found him and threatened him on his own land.Benjamin Martin helped wounded soldiers both from the American side & British side and because of that he was viewed as a traitor to many people. The killing of his son when the British came to his home caused him to react and want to go to war with them. The Americans and British went to war and there was a lot of loss of American soldiers and the French came to help them because they disliked the British as well and tried to stop the British from trying to take over other places. After years in the war the Americans finally won and were able to pass the Declaration of Independence.Benjamin Martin had finally gotten even and killed Tavington because he killed both of his sons. Even though a lot of people died they were free at last from British control and that’s when good thi ngs started to happen for the Americans. Benjamin Martin ends up falling in love with his dead wifes sister & protects his family. He is truly considered a hero because if it weren’t for him then the Americans would have never taken it upon themselves to fight against the British. The colonies became united and it was just the beginning of a good period of time.The Patriot is a wonderful movie that not only has action and romance, but it has an important meaning. It gives us an outlook on the events that took place long ago that eventually led to our independence and the states uniting. Without it we probably wouldn’t have been the United States like we are now and it might have been longer before we would have been free from the British. I would definitely recommend everyone to watch this movie because you will definitely enjoy it regardless of your age or interests. Historical Accuracy: In the movie, the Continental Congress extends an order to slaves stating that if they serve 12 months in the Colonial Army, they would be granted their freedom and be paid 5 schillings per month served. The Congress never extended such an order in real life. – Benjamin Martin sends his children and his family friend to a slave colony after their plantation is burned down. Martin's family is welcomed into the colony and there is much celebration at their coming. Although a few slave colonies existed, they were very secluded and most likely would not have taken kindly to a group of white plantation owners looking for shelter.

Formula 1 Constructors

Introduction The Formula One World Championship was started in 1951 by private sportspersons. Today, Formula One is the world’s biggest motor sports event and is arguably the second most popular sport in the world. It consists of ten teams, with two cars each, contesting a 17-race series. It involves two titles, the Driver’s Championship and the Constructors Championship. Formula One today is a highly dependent on technology (Denison and Henderson, 2004). This article will discuss the resources, capabilities and attributes required by Formula One constructors.This article will also analyse the reasons for the dominance of different constructors during different periods, by using one of the methods of identifying competitive advantage. It will analyse the reasons behind their inability to sustain their dominance and also suggest ways by which these constructors could have sustained their competitive advantage. â€Å"A firm is said to have competitive advantage when it i s implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors. (Barney, 1991:99) Resources, capabilities and attributes required by Formula One Resources can be classified as financial, physical, human, technological and organisational (Grant, 1991). The financial resources required by Formula One constructors are vast (close to $1 bn), the human resources required are a staff of around 450-800. They need highly qualified staff like race engineers, designers, aerodynamicists, composite experts and system specialists. They require physical resources including their own testing and development equipment like wind tunnels, test tracks and other equipment.They also need to constantly change their strategies to counter strategies of the other teams. All the teams and members need to work as a cohesive unit. Based on Porter (2004) we can identify factors important for competitive advantage in the Formula One industry. Technology deve lopment is crucial to competitive advantage in the racing industry. Technology development involves steps to improve the racing car in aspects like power, stability and drag. It involves steps like research, product design and servicing procedures.Human resource management is also key to competitive advantage in the racing industry. Human resource management involves activities like recruitment, training, and development of employees. In Formula One human resource management involves choosing the right drivers, engineers and designers who are expertds in their fields and also good team players. It also involves training new drivers, engineers and designers and keeping them satisfied and motivated so that they don’t leave and join other competitors. Firm infrastructure involves activities like general management, planning, finance and accounting.This can also be an important source of competitive advantage as management and planning are crucial to success in the racing industr y. Value linkages are also an important source of competitive advantage in the racing industry. Linkages can be both internal and external. Internal linkages include co-ordination between various departments within the firm like the design team, racing team and the technical team. External linkages include co-operation and co-ordination with component suppliers and sponsors(Porter, 2004). Attributes are qualities or skills possessed by constructors.Attributes include trust, relationships, history and management structure within a firm (Barney, 1995). These skills relate to ways in which they do things. These skills and qualities are not easily transferable, as they cannot be easily copied. These skills and qualities are generally developed over a long period of time. Formula one constructors require attributes like knowledge, experience and flair for innovation. A firm’s capabilities are based on the resources it has. Capability means the ability of a firm to perform certain tasks based on the resources it has.Capability is created by the integration of many key resources and attributes. Resources and attributes alone do not lead to competitive advantage, but capabilities are a source of competitive advantage. The key resources of an organisation need to be identified, and capabilities, due to a combination of particular resources that need to be identified. Capabilities involve efficient interaction between people and other resources. Formula One Constructors require engine manufacturing, car design and technological capabilities. Key capabilities are those that are not shared by the firm’s competitors.Strategy of an organisation has to be based on its resources and key capabilities to gain a competitive advantage (Grant, 1991). For example, Ferrari had the unique capability of manufacturing engines, which its other competitors did not have. Hamel and Prahalad, (1990) describe key capabilities, which lead to competitive advantage as ‘core competencies’. Ferrari’s success in the mid 1970s Ferrari was the dominant Formula One Constructor’s Championship in the mid 1970’s. Using one of the many approaches to determine competitive advantage, the reasons for Ferrari’s dominance can be identified.Some approaches to determine competitive advantage are explained below: Porter’s (1980) five forces model helps to position a firm in the best way to tackle competitors. This model helps in understanding the competition and formulating strategy accordingly. Carl Shapiro’s (1989) approach is based on making competitive firms act in unproductive ways. This theory can only be used where competitors are closely placed. Barney’s (1995) resource based approach believes that competitive advantage is due to unique resources. The capability of the firm is based on its unique resources.He suggests that it is important to understand the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses to understand how exactly competitive advantage can be gained. Barney’s (1995) approach is based on SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. Barney’s (1995) approach implies that only those firms that use their internal strengths to make use of the available opportunities gain competitive advantage. Strengths and weaknesses can be understood by 1. Continuously checking whether resources and capabilities of a firm help it in the changing environment. 2.Checking whether these capabilities and resources are unique to the firm. 3. Understanding if the resources and capabilities of the firm are difficult to imitate. 4. Checking if the firm’s processes make use of the resources and capabilities effectively. Teece (1997) suggests that dynamic capabilities are a source of competitive advantage. â€Å"Dynamic refers to capacity to renew resources so as to achieve congruence with the changing business environment. † (Teece et. al, 1997:515). A ccording to Teece (1997) dynamic capabilities of a firm depend on its processes, position and path.Processes mean the way things are done in the firm, position means the technology, assets and customer base the firm has, path means the ways available to the firm to do things. These dynamic capabilities of the firm lead to competitive advantage. Porter (2004) introduced the concept of value chain to determine competitive advantage. It was based on identifying the primary and secondary activities of the firm. Primary activities include activities like inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and service.Secondary activities include firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology development and procurement. It then identifies and separates activities that are unique strengths of the firm in relation to the competition. Spanos and Lioukas (2001) argue that Porter’s value chain is based on external factors of competition and ignores the cr ucial internal resources and capabilities of the firm. Rumelt (1984) also argues that strategy of a firm should be based on its unique resources and capabilities.McWilliams and Smart (1993) argue that Porter’s value chain theory lead managers the wrong way by suggesting to develop unique activities based on the resources, even though the activities may not be beneficial to the firm. From the various views it can be seen that Barney’s (1995) approach, based on identifying and focusing on unique resources and capabilities, based on SWOT analysis, is more relevant in analysing competitive advantage in Formula One. Using SWOT analysis we can identify that one of the strengths of Ferrari was the use of component knowledge as a source of competitive advantage.Component knowledge means skills, resources and knowledge related to particular parts of a system. For example, in Formula One it means technical and design skills related to engine, chassis and gearbox. (Pinch et al, 2 003). The Ferrari 12-cylinder engine and 312-T car was a result of component knowledge. In 1975, Ferrari designed a new car 312T, which had a wide low body, powerful 12-cylinder engine and a revolutionary transverse gearbox. All these improved the balance and handling of the car. 312T had a chassis, engine and gearbox combination, which could not be matched by the engine, gearbox combination of the competing cars(Johnson, G et. l, 2008). The component knowledge behind this engine and car could be easily understood, but could not be easily transferred because it was based on firm specific component knowledge and because it didn’t fit in with the systems of other manufacturers; hence it was not used widely. The other strength that was the reason for Ferrari’s success was the use of architectural knowledge as a competitive advantage. Architectural knowledge considers the whole system and the interaction between component knowledge of its various parts (Matusik and Hill, 1 998).It is difficult to transfer architectural knowledge between organisations because it is distinct for each organisation and develops over time. The highly efficient practices introduced by Montezemolo were the architectural knowledge of Ferrari. Montezemola ensured that each team concentrated on a specific task, for example, chassis, gearbox, engine and suspension. This helped avoid conflicts and helped in getting a great car made. The system of having each team concentrating on a specific task to avoid conflicts was also a part of architectural knowledge of Ferrari.Architectural knowledge also helps in determining the ability of organisations to acquire new knowledge. (Zahra and George, 2002). Human resource management was another strength, which was a factor of competitive advantage in Ferrari’s success, as Montezemola recruited the right driver in Nicki Lauda, who could communicate effectively with the technical team. Another of Ferrari’s strengths were the uniq ue resources that it had, like its Maranello factory where it made its own engines and the test track in Fiorano, which is one of the most advanced and sophisticated test tracks in the world, which enabled it to test and develop cars.All these strengths were the reason for Ferrari’s dominance in the 1970’s. McLaren’s domination in the late-1980’s In September 1980 Dennis was appointed as the team principal. Dennis bought in Barnard as a car designer. Barnard had ideas of making the racing car chassis of carbon fibre, instead of metal. Barnard left in 1986 but a lot of progress in car design had been made by then. By SWOT analysis we can identify the strengths of McLaren, which endowed it with competitive advantage. One of McLaren’s strengths during this period was the efficient and disciplined way in which the organisation was run.They prepared carefully for all the races. Many elements that contributed to McLaren’s success are still unknown . This is an example of architectural knowledge being used for competitive advantage. (Pinch et. al, 2003). Good human resource management can be seen to be another strength, which was the reason for McLaren’s success as McLaren had the right people for the job in Dennis and Barnard. Dennis had good managerial skills while Barnard had highly innovative design skills. Dennis, in turn, recruited the best drivers in Senna and Prost, who were crucial to McLaren’s success.Senna was fast and determined whereas Prost was fast and good at tactics. Another of McLaren’s strengths was the use of external linkages of value chain as a competitive advantage, by its collaboration with Honda for engines. All these strengths helped McLaren dominate F1 from 1988 to 1991. Williams’ success in the mid 1990’s Williams developed on the ideas of ground effect, carbon composite monocoque, semi-automatic gearbox and active suspension. Williams considered the driver to be o nly part of the system.Using SWOT analysis we can determine that one of the strengths of the Williams team can be attributed to use of cluster level architectural knowledge as a source of competitive advantage. Cluster level architectural knowledge refers to knowledge shared by groups of organisations in a particular geographical area. Cluster level architectural knowledge also involves common ways of thinking and habits among organisations in the cluster. Hence it becomes difficult for organisations outside the cluster to copy the technologies developed in the cluster.An example of cluster level architectural knowledge can be seen in UK’s ‘Motorsport Valley’. Many technologies used in Formula One cars have been developed here, for example, the use of carbon composite materials, traction controls and active suspension systems (Henry and Pinch, 1999). Brown and Duguid (2001) argue that component knowledge is the ‘cargo’ that is moved around on the â⠂¬Ëœrails’ of cluster level architectural knowledge. The ‘Ground effects’ technology was developed in Motorsport Valley and was first used by Lotus.The Williams team that was in the same area was the one that applied the ‘ground effects’ technology efficiently. Thus, all the technologies developed in the ‘Motorsport Valley’ were transferred to and adopted by Williams, this contributed greatly to its success. (Pinch et. al, 2003). Thus it can be seen that Williams developed strong and unique capabilities in the designing of the car body, chassis and gearbox. Human resource management was another strength, which also acted as a source of competitive advantage. Frank Williams was the founder of Williams and he appointed Patrick Head as the Technical Director.The attributes of entrepreneurial energy and technical excellence helped them to succeed. Patrick Head appointed good drivers like Senna and Prost. Another strength of Williams was thei r external linkages. Their linkage with Renault helped them use the powerful and reliable Renault engine, which complemented their FW15 chassis. All these strengths that acted as sources of competitive advantage led to William’s domination from 1992 to 1994. Ferrari’s return to winning ways after 1999 Montezemela was brought back to Ferrari, as CEO in 1992. He set up a new design department with 50 people.Ferrari’s focus shifted from engine to integration of main parts. The strengths of Ferrari, identified using SWOT analysis, was that value linkages (Porter, 2004), both externally and internally became a source of competitive advantage for Ferrari. Internal linkages were the co-operation between the departments manufacturing engine, chassis and the aerodynamics department. These were crucial in integrating all components of the car efficiently. External linkages were the collaboration with Bridgestone for making customised tyres for Ferrari and with Shell for f inancial and technical support.Another strength identified was good human resource management, which also acted as a competitive advantage by Ferrari’s appointment of Montezemela as chief executive and Schumacher as the driver. Ferrari recruited Schumacher in 1996, who was a great driver and motivator. He communicated well with the engine technicians. The core competency (Hamel and Prahalad, 1990) of Ferrari was the capability of manufacturing powerful engines. Since Ferrari manufactured its own engines they were able to integrate engine, chassis and aerodynamics early in the process. This was the most significant and unique strength of Ferrari.All these factors helped Ferrari win the constructors championship in 1999, after a gap of 12 years. Reasons for Ferrari, McLaren and the Williams teams not being able to sustain their success Using SWOT analysis we can see that one of the major weaknesses of Ferrari, due to which they could not sustain their success, was their lack of dynamic capabilities. Dynamic capabilities mean the ability of firms to adapt their competencies to the changing times and changing external environment. Ferrari needed the dynamic capability to create newer cars, which were more powerful, had better balance and had great aerodynamic properties.Penrose (1959) and Teece (1982) were the first to suggest that, to sustain competitive advantage, firms will need to utilise their firm specific capabilities and also develop new capabilities. Deeply ingrained ideas of architectural knowledge prevent the organisation from acquiring new knowledge. (Henderson and Clark, 1990). Another weakness of Ferrari was their strongly ingrained architectural knowledge that prevented them from initially accepting the ground effects technology, as it was concentrating only on engine design. (Pinch et. al, 2003). Lack of dynamic capabilities to adopt the ground ffects technology and bad human resource management that led to loss of Nicki Lauda from Ferrari, were major reasons due to which Ferrari was unable to maintain its success after 1979. One of the weaknesses of McLaren, identified by SWOT analysis, due to which they were unable to maintain their competitive advantage, was the pulling out of Honda from Formula One. McLaren were not prepared for this and did not have any other good engines to replace Honda. Thus the lack of ability to maintain external linkages as a source of competitive advantage was the one of the reasons for the failure of McLaren.The other significant weakness identified was their not continuing to use human resource management as a source of competitive advantage. The loss of Senna to Williams in 1993 was a big blow to McLaren and they had not developed any new drivers to replace him. The main weakness that was the reason for the decline of Williams was the use of technologies developed by them by other competitors, like Benetton. Their competitors easily replicated their component knowledge. Since their capab ilities could be easily copied they could not maintain competitive advantage in the long term.The death of Senna in an accident left Williams without a good driver. Another weakness was the lack of dynamic capabilities that led to their not having a good replacement for Senna. Renault’s decision to supply engines to Benetton also meant loss of competitive advantage. The inability of Williams to maintain external linkages as a source of competitive advantage was another weakness identified. The main weakness that was the reason for the decline of Ferrari after 2004 was they were not able to adapt their capabilities and external linkages to the changed rules.The strategies that could have been developed by each of these teams to further sustain their period of dominance. Spanos and Lioukas (2001) and Wenerfelt (1984) suggest that Porter’s value chain and the Resource based view are complementary and considering both together can help in sustaining competitive advantage. But from empirical studies conducted by Spanos and Lioukas (2001) it was found that focusing on unique resources and capabilities was more beneficial in sustaining competitive advantage than focusing unique activities in relation to competition.Thus it can be concluded that it is important to consider both your firm specific unique resources and capabilities and to develop activities that are unique in relation to competition in developing strategy, to sustain competitive advantage. Capabilities that are not easily transferable, that cannot be easily copied, that are not transparent and those that last a long time act as significant sources of long-term competitive advantage (Grant, 1991). Walker, (2007), suggests that to sustain competitive advantage a firm must use tactics of offence and defence.Offence involves working towards dominating the competition and defence involves taking steps to maintain the dominant position. Ferrari could have continued their dominance from the 1970à ¢â‚¬â„¢s if they had used opportunities identified using SWOT analysis to develop dynamic capabilities to adopt new technologies like ‘ground effects’ and to recruit other good drivers to replace Nicki Lauda. Miller (2003) suggests that the differences between firms are a source of sustained competitive advantage.Hence it can be said since from all the racing constructors only Ferrari made their own engines and other parts, they could integrate the parts much better. This was another opportunity for Ferrari to use this capability as a long-term competitive advantage and helped extend their period of dominance. McLaren could have used opportunities identified to maintain external linkages as a source of competitive advantage by persuading Honda against quitting Formula One or by developing other external linkages for supplying engines, as a replacement for Honda. They needed to develop dynamic capabilities to have good alternative drivers for Senna.Teece et. al (1997) su ggests that competitive advantage can be sustained by improving efficiency. Hence, considering this theory McLaren could sustain their competitive advantage by improving their efficiencies continuously. Williams could have used the opportunities identified to develop strong architectural knowledge, which would not have been easily replicated by their competitors. The fact that all new technologies like ground effect, active suspension and semi-automatic gearbox were first developed by Williams was the differentiating factor from other racing constructors.Hence by Miller (2003)’s theory Williams needed to use that capability to sustain their competitive advantage. They needed to develop their innovative capabilities in a way that they could not be easily copied. They also needed to develop dynamic capabilities, in terms of other drivers, so that they had a replacement for Senna. To sustain competitive advantage after 2004, Ferrari needed to have dynamic capabilities, which wou ld help adapt their capabilities to the new rules. ConclusionFrom the study of the periods of dominance of various Formula One constructors, it can be concluded that each of the constructors had individual strengths, which they could have used as their core competencies and developed dynamic capabilities to be ahead of the competition. They need to focus on their unique resources, capabilities and develop unique activities, in relation to the competition, to gain competitive advantage. Success in Formula One is dependent on a variety of factors like the cars, the drivers, the management etc. Hence the constructors need to continuously improve their cars and retain their good drivers, to succeed.

A History of Greek Festivals

In the Archaic Period four major festivals were established which brought together Greeks from across the known universe to vie in athletic and later on musical competitions. The first was the Olympic Games which has a traditional foundation day of the month of 776 BC. This was followed by three more in speedy sequence in the early 6Thursdaycentury BC. Together these festivals made up the ‘periodos’ [ 1 ] which was extremely important in furthering the dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points and between Greeks and non-Greeks. The competition between those take parting and the city states they were stand foring is an illustration of how those Pan-hellenic dealingss were developing. Other countries are how the direction of each of the festivals and who really attended these ‘Panhellenic’ festivals. The honor and glorification gained by the masters in each of the four Games was so great that the lone stuff awards straight received from the organizers were Crowns of assorted workss sacred to the Gods that the festivals were dedicated to. [ 2 ] This led to the term ‘periodonikes’ being created which was given to the jocks that had won competitions at all four Games and were considered to be the greatest jocks for this accomplishment. [ 3 ] This could propose that the competition between the jocks would be so ferocious that tensenesss would be created in dealingss between persons in add-on to the city states that they were stand foring. On the other manus it is deserving observing that Olympic masters were non above the jurisprudence in their place province as can be shown in the narrative of Philippos of Croton who was exiled after he became betrothed to a adult female from Sybaris even though he had been winning at the Olympic Games. [ 4 ] The memorials that were bui lt by the city states shows the committedness they had to guaranting the remainder of the Greek universe could retrieve their triumphs for many old ages to come. Not merely were the memorials dedicated to athletic triumphs but the sanctuaries where the four Panhellenic Games were held besides contained memorials honoring military triumphs over other city states. [ 5 ] This suggests the metropoliss were non interested in whether their oppositions were offended and hence strains in the dealingss between them due to the struggles the memorials were mentioning to would go on. Shortly after the creative activity of the four Panhellenic festivals in the early 6Thursdaycentury BC Athens began reorganizing their Panathenaia festival in order for it to include athletic tourneies in add-on to the musical and ecstatic competitions that had been held at that place. [ 6 ] Consequently the Panathenaic festival became more important within the athletic universe yet it was ne'er regarded every bit extremely as the four Panhellenic festivals that made up the ‘periodos’ which can be seen through the usage of expensive stuff awards [ 7 ] as opposed to the Crown prizes masters took off at the Olympic, Pythian, Isthmian and Nemean Games. This suggests the jocks would hold a focal point of winning the awards alternatively of the honor they received through their triumphs. Consequently, the city states they represented would hold had less of an involvement in whether they won if the glorification of triumph was less than that in ‘periodos’ triumphs and therefore dealingss between different city states would hold been more likely to be unchanged. The lone city state to truly profit from the revitalised Panathenaic festival would hold been Athens as they had the chance to advance their metropolis to visitants from beyond Attica yet it has been suggested that the Panathenaia was ne'er supposed to be Panhellenic and was alternatively supposed to back Athenian national pride which is why dealingss between Greeks remained unchanged. [ 8 ] The last race to be added to the programme of events at the Olympic Games in approximately 520 BC was the ‘hoplitodromos’ which involved jocks running in full armor. This peculiar race besides featured in the other Panhellenic Games which suggests the importance of such a race. Pausanias suggests the race could hold been designed to advance military preparation as contending wars was common in the Archaic Period and the menace of struggle with Iranian forces was increasing. [ 9 ] This ‘military training’ could hold besides been a manner for the city states to expose their military art and hence derive farther glorification from a military facet in add-on to the athletic facet. However Philostratus suggests as it was the last race of the competition that it symbolised the return to a militant nature after the ‘peaceful’ armistices that were established for the continuance of each of the Panhellenic festivals. [ 10 ] The armistices referred to above were designed to advance peace amongst the city states of Greece as it prohibited ground forcess to come in the countries around the sanctuaries where the festivals were held and ensured the safe transition of those go toing the festivals. [ 11 ] However as it may hold ensured peaceable dealingss for city states such as Elis it did non forestall wars from taking topographic point outside of these parts. However holding a armistice in topographic point meant people from all over the Grecian universe and beyond could garner in one topographic point and set up peaceable dealingss with others every bit good as keep them. As minister plenipotentiaries were sent out from the city states where the festivals were held in the months taking up to each of the Games to denote the beginning of them this was a method of advancing the Games whilst at the same clip advertising the city-states themselves and networking with the remainder of Greece as representatives f rom each metropolis would be chosen to have the minister plenipotentiary. [ 12 ] Harmonizing to Pausanias Pisa originally had control over the metropolis of Olympia and hence would hold governed the Olympic Games. However their â€Å"hostility† towards the Eleians caused a war which saw Elis conquer Pisa and claim the site of Olympia as theirs. [ 13 ] This combat over the ‘Panhellenic’ sanctuaries suggests metropoliss would be prepared to pay a war if it resulted in them having the honor that must hold come with bring forthing the most esteemed Games in this period. The existent disposal of the Olympic Games by the city state of Elis was by and large considered to be without prejudice. [ 14 ] The Judgess were Eleian and chosen by Elis and as a consequence it did pull some unfavorable judgment from foreigners such as Herodotus who describes the narrative of when citizens of Elis visit Egypt to inquire them their sentiment on whether the Games were being administered reasonably to which they reply they are non because Eleians themselves could co me in the competitions and therefore they would non be judged reasonably against people from different topographic points. [ 15 ] This suggests Herodotus is belittling the unity of those judging the competitions who had even named themselves as ‘Hellanodikai’ which means ‘judges of the Greeks’ . [ 16 ] It is possible that many other Greeks had this position and so it would hold the possible to make tensenesss within dealingss between those pull offing the festival and the foreigners who were take parting in it. However they may be some truth to these positions as Thomas Heine Nielsen states that Elis was the most successful province to vie in the Olympics with the bulk of triumphs in the boy’s competitions and the equestrian events although you would anticipate more entrants from Elis into these tourneies as they were closest to the Olympic sanctuary. [ 17 ] The history of the locations of the four Panhellenic festivals was important in pulling Greeks from afar as the city states that were bring forthing these Games relied on the fabulous importance of the sites. In add-on to holding sanctuaries dedicated to a major God and world-renowned prophets in topographic points like Delphi these city states managed to utilize outstanding fabulous figures such as Heracles as a method of advancing their festivals. At Olympia Heracles was traditionally the laminitis of the Olympic Games and his undertaking of get the better ofing the Nemean king of beasts was used for the Nemean Games. In Delphi it was thought that there was a battle between him and Apollo over a tripod which surface in the early 6Thursdaycentury BC. [ 18 ] Furthermore, the Isthmian Games were held in honor of Poseidon and as a consequence the Equus caballus races were the most of import portion of the festival at that place. [ 19 ] This mixture of major Gods and heroes from mytholo gy ensured the success of the Panhellenic festivals in add-on to developing the construct of Panhellenism as people from across the Grecian universe would hold identified with these myths which suggests dealingss between them would hold improved. Relationss besides had the possible to be fostered through the construction of the Pythian Games as forfeits and banquets were the lone events on the first two yearss of the five-day festival. This gave rivals and witnesss alike the â€Å"opportunity to socialize and advance sentiments of harmoniousness and community.† [ 20 ] An confederation of city states known as the Amphictyonic League were responsible for puting up the Pythian Games and the readyings for them every four old ages after they had been winning in the First Sacred War. [ 21 ] This is an illustration of Greeks from different topographic points working together and their desire to prolong the dealingss created by their engagement in the war. Producing a festival would hold besides promoted peace and community values which is shown by the Pythian armistice established during each festival. A important historical figure associated with taking the reorganization of the Pythian Games after the First Sacred War was the tyrant Cleisthenes of Sicyon. McGregor besides believes that Cleisthenes of Sicyon was linked with the other Panhellenic festivals every bit good. The narrative of Cleisthenes and his daughter’s suers at Olympia maintains the thought that the Olympic Games were truly a universe phase for powerful leaders to acquire their vo ices heard. However Cleisthenes seemingly favoured the suers from Eretria and its Alliess as they were Ionians and he was traditionally thought to be anti-Dorian. [ 22 ] This suggests divisions amongst those viing could be formed as a consequence of cultural differences and that dealingss could go labored between Greeks from different topographic points as a effect. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the Nemean Games were established by the less dominant city state of Cleonae in concurrence with Argos in resistance to Cleisthenes of Sicyon after Cleonae had secured their freedom from Sicyon. [ 23 ] If this is true so it is farther grounds of the Panhellenic Games being used to do tenseness between city states. On the topic of who was really allowed to vie in the four Panhellenic Games it seemed to be originally sole to the nobility and the wealthy as the funerary games in honor of Patroclus in the Iliad show blue Greeks from many different topographic points compete in the chariot race which was the chief event. Chariot races were preponderantly for the wealthiest as Equus caballuss were expensive and hard to develop which meant they could expose their wealth whilst set uping dealingss with Greeks from different topographic points. [ 24 ] On the other manus this suggests that the poorest in society would non hold competed in the Panhellenic festivals such as the Isthmian Games where the equestrian events were considered to be the most esteemed and so if they did take part it would be in inferior events where they could non derive as much glorification. The suggestion that poorer persons would non vie in the major four Panhellenic festivals is evidenced by the point that they would non hold had the clip for athletic preparation [ 25 ] or to go to the four sanctuaries where each of the four Games were held if they lived a long distance off. Furthermore there were local festivals and games they could hold competed in which would hold been much more practical [ 26 ] but if this was the instance for most Greeks so at that place would hold been less of a fosterage of dealingss between people from different topographic points if they were merely interacting with others from the same community. However by the 6Thursdaycentury BC other events were added to the Panhellenic Games which meant the poorer in society could take part [ 27 ] as they were athleticss that were practiced throughout the whole of the Grecian universe. [ 28 ] This implies that the festivals became more Pan-hellenic as more people from different topographic points would be more likely to come in the competitions. Bury suggests that autocrats were the cause for this alteration as they wanted to defend the common people in order to win their support. [ 29 ] However if this ground is true so Panhellenism would merely be a side-effect of the autocrats desiring to derive more power and keep their reign. In add-on to this the autocrats could besides be a beginning of tenseness within dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points as is shown from the illustration of Cleisthenes of Sicyon trying to put up his ain Pythian Games in Sicyon after the autumn of dictatorship in Corinth meant they had more i nfluence in Delphi. [ 30 ] Relations between Corinth and Elis were besides strained in this period because of Olympia’s refusal to wipe out the names of the Cypselidae from some offerings which resulted in no Eleians being allowed to vie in the Isthmian Games and hence they were non able to derive the extremely esteemed ‘periodonikes’ rubric that athletes longed for. This is an illustration of a city-state utilizing its authorization over one of the Panhellenic festivals to demo their resistance to another city state which would hold had a well negative consequence on dealingss. In contrast Pausanias suggests that it was the â€Å"curses of Moline† that kept the Eleians off from the Isthmian Games. [ 31 ] Officially all free Grecian males were permitted to vie in the Olympic Games but this meant â€Å"females, non-Greeks and slaves were excluded from direct participation.† [ 32 ] However the Judgess make up one's minding who could come in the competitions must hold been moderately flexible with the regulations as there is no record of person being refused entry on the evidences of their cultural individuality. [ 33 ] As a consequence of this many Grecian settlers from distant topographic points like Sicily and the north shore of the Black Sea came to Olympia during the Olympic festival. [ 34 ] Attending the festivals such as the Olympic Games was a immense benefit to Greek settlements as it meant they could remain in close contact with the mainland and set up connexions with other metropoliss and settlements whilst maintaining a safe distance off from the metropolis it originated from in order to keep its independency. Olympia besides acted as a impersonal land for neighboring settlements who were at war with each other whilst supplying a beginning of military preparation when jocks competed in events such as the ‘hoplitodromos’ so they could support themselves against non-Greeks and other settlements. Western Greeks were slightly influential in the running of the Olympic Games which can be seen by the add-on of two new events in the early 5Thursdaycentury BC that were popular throughout Grecian settlements in the West. [ 35 ] This suggests dealingss between the settlements in the West and the Grecian mainland were good. For the dealingss between Greeks and non-Greeks Panhellenic festivals caused divisions. One of the narratives from Herodotus shows how Alexander’s rivals tried to take him from the race by claiming that he was non genuinely Grecian. [ 36 ] Another states the response of a Iranian when he is told of the â€Å"crown of olive† that athletes compete for in the Olympic Games and he was called a â€Å"coward† by a Grecian male monarch for it. [ 37 ] This dissentious facet of the Panhellenic Games can besides be seen by the usage of nakedness when viing in the competitions as it was considered absurd for high-level males in cultural groups such as the Persians or Lydians to look bare when practising athletics. [ 38 ] These illustrations show the contrasts between the Greeks manner of thought compared to the remainder of the universe and how this was implemented at the Panhellenic festivals. Ultimately the four Panhellenic festivals that formed the ‘periodos’ were designed in a manner that promoted Greek individuality and therefore dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points were frequently fostered through the shared faith and mythology of the sanctuaries where they were held every bit good as the shared athleticss that the competitions were comprised of. Nevertheless the jocks were ferociously competitory as they were the most esteemed competitions in the Greek universe which suggests tensenesss would hold developed in dealingss between non merely the jocks themselves but besides the city states they were stand foring. Armistices were established during each of the four festivals but this did non forestall war from happening outside of the affected parts. Furthermore it was the blue and the wealthy who chiefly competed in the extremely esteemed events such as chariot racing which would hold received the most honour for winning but with autoc rats presenting more events aimed at poorer persons there was the possibility that more dealingss were being fostered between Greeks from different degrees of society. Overall, the Panhellenic festivals did much to further dealingss between Greeks from different topographic points even if it was non the primary purpose sometimes. On the other manus festivals such as the Olympic Games showed a clear divide between the Greeks and the remainder of the universe and consequently dealingss between them would hold been less developed.

Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment - Essay Example However, it is disputed because of mistakes made in sentencing that are claimed to be rare. The death sentence is given when there exists conclusive evidence on the guilt of a suspect (Smith). The evidence is usually in the form of DNA, and a plus for the death row inmates is that there is a chance to appeal the decisions to sentence them to death. Therefore, it is argued that any person convicted to death stands a chance to prove their case and plead their innocence allowing them to live. In this case, the claim is that it is extremely difficult to sentence an innocent person to death owing to the numerous appeal opportunities accorded to them. In addition, the presence of DNA testing helps to exonerate many, although not entirely. Therefore, the DNA of the convicted may lead to conviction of many due to wrong time and wrong place occurrences, circumstantial evidence. Thus, the Death sentence is appropriate in ridding the society of people committing capital offences, in spite of do ing injustice to some. However, life in prison as a sentence is the viable option as compared to the death sentence as delivers more and reduces the chances of exposing innocent people to risk of dying (procon.org). This is because; life in prison is swift, severe and certain providing justice to the victims of the committed crime. In addition, another reason for the support of death penalty is the cost that the society has to bear concerning maintaining prisoners on life imprisonment (Smith). Therefore, the financial and economic costs of maintaining a prisoner serving life are astronomical to the tune of $50000 a year (Smith). This is more than an individual spends in their normal day-to-day life outside the prison as some earn even less than that. Sentencing such a person to death is easier for the society, as it does not have to shoulder the costs of providing for the needs of the inmates. In addition, the death sentence is more suitable as those sentenced to life in prison are at times released under the context of rehabilitation and overcrowded prisons. This allows them to return to the society and continue with their criminal activities. This way, taking the life of the criminal, ensures with maximum certainty that the crime will not be committed again, but by the same person. However, this is not the case, as there is existence of sentences that subject criminals to life imprisonment with no chance of parole. This way, inmates have way of leaving thus the death sentence is rendered redundant. However, Life imprisonment is the better option of the two due to its deterrent nature, as the death sentence is not a deterrent measure to stopping crime. This is because; only sane people can plan any crime that is punished by death, as they have the time and ability to carry out the plans that end up in the crime (Smith). This way punishing people by having theme serve time in prison where they cannot enjoy their freedom and some rights reduces the chances of s imilar crimes recurring, either perpetrated by the same person or other members of the society. In addition, life in prison ensures that no more crimes are committed by the government in the name of protecting the safety of the public through executions (Procon.org). This way, it allows resources to be turned to other issues that require attention other than attempting to exhaust legal channels in a bid to save lives. This

Margret thatcher other people bring problems , but he brings me Essay

Margret thatcher other people bring problems , but he brings me solutions - Essay Example In 1992, Margaret Thatcher was appointed as a peeres in the House of Lords effectively relinquishing her post in the House of Commons. There she assumed the title of Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven which in this capacity she gave the quote Other ministers bring me problems, David brings me solutions.† She however did not mean the Prime Minister David Cameron but the other David who was appointed as a the â€Å"enterprise czar†. In 1974, Thatcher challenged Heath for the leadership of their party and won. In 1979 national election, Thatcher became the Prime Minister of England where she was known as the â€Å"iron butterfly† due to her steadfastness in making difficult decisions. This moniker came about when Margaret Thatcher assumed as the Prime Minister of UK in 1979 where UK had been experiencing high unemployment rate under a series of trade union strikes which the media dubbed the â€Å"Winter of Discontent† because the Labour led government implemented a freeze on the pay increase of the workers to control the lingering inflation of 20% (Hall and Jacques 1983). Upon assumption of office, Margaret Thatcher implemented her policy programs which are popularly known as â€Å"The Thatcherite Agenda†. The Thatcherite Agenda was characterised by neo-liberal policy of a market oriented economy and neoconservative policy which emphasises the traditional Tory values of One Nation Conservati sm, national interest, law and order. Consistent with her market oriented economic policy; she curbed the traditional prerogatives of trade union to hold strikes (by holding them accountable of the loss during labour disruption) and prevented the artificial rise of wages which contributed to the lingering inflation and inefficiency of UK industries (Gamble 1994). Thatcher once quoted saying â€Å"Other ministers bring me problems, David brings me solutions.†

Report to a potential investor, comparing and analyzing two companies' Essay

Report to a potential investor, comparing and analyzing two companies' current and previous years group figures in the annual report for the year ended 2012 - Essay Example It is the parent company of Sainsbury Supermarkets Ltd involved in the retailing business in UK and other parts of the world. With a market share of over 16.5%, it is one of the leading chains in the market catering to the various needs of the customers. Tesco Ltd is the market leader in the retailing industry in UK with major share in the market. It is also the third largest retailer in the world in terms of revenue and has its operations outside United Kingdom also. Over the period of time, Tesco has served the diversified needs of its customers in UK as well as other global markets. As compared to 2011, there has been a positive growth in the revenue of Sainsbury of 5.3%. Revenue for the year 2011 was  £21,102(M) whereas for 2012, it was  £22,294(M). As compared to Sainsbury, Tesco’s revenue however grew by 6.8% indicating that Tesco has been better at improving its turnover for the year. There could be different factors resulting into this higher growth of Tesco because it is a global firm with presence in more international markets as compared to Sainsbury. Tesco is present in countries like India and China thus offering it much needed leverage against the difficult economic situations prevailing in UK and other developed world. In order to effectively shield itself against market movements, Sainsbury therefore needs to diversify its market presence to generate more value for its shareholders. Gross Profit margin for Sainsbury has declined from 5.5% to 5.4% however this reduction may not be large. Tesco’s gross profit margin has declined too from 8.5% to 8.2% showing a relatively larger reduction in the gross profit margin as compared to Sainsbury. It may therefore be a result of higher level of inflation prevailing in United Kingdom and other global markets. Profit margin of Sainsbury has declined from 3.0% to 2.7% whereas the

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America's Ethos and why Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 decided to intervene militarily in the Dominican Civil War - Term Paper Example The constitution began as a compromise between the people who believed in central government with diffusion of power across the state and those who perceived the central government to be weak if diffusing its power across states (Bryson 771). Lyndon B Johnson became the 36th president in US. He served in all elected federal offices in US. He served as a democrat between 1937 and 1949, as a senator between 1949 and 1961. After assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963, Johnson took over the presidency. He won the support of Democratic Party. He designed the legislation on Great Society that saw the inclusion of the law that upheld the civil rights and fight on poverty. The bill on civil rights banned racial discrimination in the public facilities (Colman 34). According to the ethos in America, U.S. was not to seek the leadership position in the world. However, it was providence or fate that forced America into a new role. The American ethos does not include of America becoming the worlds police. Nevertheless, events in history conspired in creating a bipolar world comprising of two superpowers competing on global governance structure (Segal 366). For instance, after President Truman informed the new responsibilities by America to the Joint Congress in 1947, the Soviets undermined the agreements. Currently, each nation has its own way of life, with the choices being free for anyone. Among the different preferences lie in freedom of religion and speech, free elections and free institutions among others. Remarkably, in a very short timeframe, the foreign policy in US and the world politics pivoted to internationalism from the isolationism if not interventionism. The U.S. was prompted to increase its massive military to survive the effects of WWII. As a result, there was intervention in US troops to take the forward positions in projecting the US power as well as deterring

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Career plans - Essay Example I have garnered invaluable knowledge with my stint in both the lower and upper echelons of the organizational structure. My exposure to this dynamic organization and interaction with my highly diverse and brilliant colleagues and subordinates have stimulated my interest in finance and impelled me to pursue further studies along this line. With the advent of myriad challenges in today's world, I reckon that this is the most opportune time for me to accelerate and make my career move. Given the rapid advancements in the field of business coupled with the fast-paced technological changes, I deem that it would be gainful for me to embark on the necessary steps to sharpen my business acumen and enhance my finance and management skills needed to become a good, if not an exceptional CFO. In this regard, I would like to gain admission to this prestigious academic institution. I fervently believe that undertaking the comprehensive graduate program offered by the school would adequately equip me for this new position I am aiming to fulfill. Its curriculum would be instrumental for my practical training in light of the modern financial breakthroughs. Moreover, it is in my best interest to improve my skills under the tutelage of the school's premium faculty, which is comprised of highly competent teachers who possess

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The Cove Critique - Movie Review Example After watching the film about a week ago, it emerged that it is an outstanding documentary that carries a strong message. The theme of the documentary is a campaign against the hunting and slaughtering of dolphins in Japan, although the activism applies to other countries as well. In a bid to support this theme, the film depicts the extreme treatment of dolphins in a cove in Japan. The team that put together this documentary made efforts of installing secret cameras in the cove hence obtained images of how trapping and killing of dolphins in the coastal village occurred (Eger n.p). After slaughtering the dolphins, the meat was marketed as well whale meat confusing many buyers. The film consists of individuals who are committed to stopping the hunting of dolphins to the point whereby they are almost becoming extinct. Richard O’Barry is an outstanding character in the film. This is because he had been a trainer of five dolphins that had been used on a TV show called Flipper. Evidently, he was an expert in training dolphins explaining why he had excellently trained the dolphins appearing in the show. However, one of the experiences he has during that career was witnessing a dolphin die in his hands because of the distress resulting from the captivity. After that incident, he has been an activist against the capturing of dolphins and their use by companies such as Sea World Entertainment (Eger n.p). The presence of Richard O’Barry in this documentary makes it compelling considering his first career in training dolphins and his modern activism against captivity of dolphins. In my opinion, the documentary presents a very strong message regarding the activism against captivity and the hunting of dolphins. The images depicting the slaughtering and capturing of dolphins and the failure to regard animals in accordance with the defined animal rights serves to affect the audience emotionally. The images expose the evil done against dolphins. The

Silvio Napoli Case Summary Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Silvio Napoli Summary - Case Study Example Being a general manger, he should understand the difference between being disciplined and over burdening and suffocating to the other team members and employees (Sullivan, 2013). Napoli needed to show Flexibility according to the culture and needs of the country in which he was trying to set up business. Schindler made the right choice in sending Napoli to India, as they wanted someone young and innovative in approach to be there as compared to a veteran, as they wanted him to take bold decisions. As Napoli himself recalls that it was an ideal opportunity, but not an ideal situation given to him to adapt and make a bright career for himself; â€Å"Mr. Napoli, if you fall on your face here you are finished! But if you succeed, you will have a very nice career† (Flagan, Yoshino & Bartlett, 2006). Napoli was young and energetic and knew the project from scratch. He had been conducting research into the Indian market and was also important in terms of social capital as he understood the market and prospects better, for he had travelled to India three times for the project (Flagan, Yoshino & Bartlett, 2006). Napoli even demonstrated inflexibility in the business plan when he did not leave room for any customization allowance leading to the major problem faced in terms of Indian market; where there was constant demand for customization (Flagan, Yoshino & Bartlett, 2006). He should have been flexible and insightful to change (Sullivan, 2013) and should have tried to find out why glass wall elevators were being ordered? Napoli demonstrated good managerial skills when he hired a local management team who were fully aware of the local business cultures and market; at the same time displaying that he had no faith in the choices they made (Sullivan, 2013) and got angry when they accepted an order for glass wall elevator. He should

The Ukiyo-e Wood Block Print during the Edo Period Essay Example for Free

The Ukiyo-e Wood Block Print during the Edo Period Essay Mention Moronobu, and to the mind’s eye appears a procession of vigorous, picturesque figures, all the motley citizenry of old Edo (Tokyo); the magic name of Harunobu evokes slender, ethereal girls, as lovely and fragile as the first frost of winter; Utamaro, Hokusai, Hiroshige – each name stands for a unique and arresting kind of beauty, whether of voluptuous femininity, masculine strength, or scenic grandeur. These men, and several dozen more, represent the ultimate glory of ukiyo-e. The ukiyo-e masters mark a fitting conclusion to the long and glowing tradition of classical Japanese art. Like the era which nurtured it (the Edo Period from 1600 to 1868), ukiyo-e represents a unique development in Japan, the growth of a great renaissance based upon a largely popular foundation, whereas the earlier high points of Japanese civilization had been forged largely by the aristocracy or the priesthood. That such popularization did not result in vulgarization is one of the wonders of the world of art. This was the consequence, in part, of the innate sense of restrained form and color harmony of the Japanese populace as a whole. At the same time the determined efforts of an enlightened group of artists, artisans, publishers, connoisseurs, and patrons ensured that ukiyo-e standards would always remain several degrees above the level the populace considered acceptable. Politically and socially this was a feudal, almost totalitarian age; the masses accepted the voice of authority in most of their social activities. In their arts, too, they were willing to follow the lead of a loosely bound group of style dictators, much as women have sometimes followed Paris fashions in our own day. The result was two centuries of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, a continuous flow of high quality which was both the reflection and the arbiter of popular taste. And while one may give most of the credit for this phenomenon to the masters who directly produced ukiyo-e, one should not underestimate the power of the populace which supported it. What was even more critical than their taste was the inner need they felt for possessing fine art of their own. What makes the phenomenon of ukiyo-e even more curious is the fact that the Japanese populace was primarily obeying aesthetic instincts, rather than consciously anticipating the unique art form is was to support for such a long period. In general, this paper discusses the development of ukiyo-e during the Edo Period. It starts by describing the city – its city layout, population, warrior culture, and court culture – a major subject of ukiyo-e at that time. This is followed by the origins of this art form, themes and motifs, and techniques. The final part of this paper explains why such wood block prints became so popular in the Edo Period. The City of Edo The great majority of ukiyo-e were produced and marketed in the city of Edo. These prints were bought for the purchasers own enjoyment or to be taken back to the provinces as souvenirs for friends and family. Mass production of ukiyo-e first took place in Edo during the Kyoho period (1716-1736). Ukiyo-e emerged from a social milieu that centered on publishers and groups of cultured individuals who lived in the shitamachi area, particularly around Nihonbashi. From the middle of the eighteenth century, a time when Edo was becoming the cultural center of Japan, this area functioned as the hub of cultural activity not just of Edo but of all Japan. When Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616) came to Edo in 1590, he inherited little more than the vestiges of a castle built long before by Ota Dokan (1432-1486). With the implementation of Tokugawa political rule, this sleepy, historic area was destined to become the capital of all Japan. By the start of the eighteenth century, roughly one century after the establishment of the Tokugawa bakufu, the city of Edo already boasted a population of around one million inhabitants. The appearance of a city of such size was an event unprecedented in Japanese history (Matsunosuke, 1997). In the 1660’s the location of daimyo residences in Edo was in fact a miniature version of the position of the various daimyo within the country as a whole. By such means, the bakufu shrewdly stationed the forces of the tozama and fudai daimyo houses in ways that worked to its advantage. The bakufu governed the daimyo with an iron hand. Until the time of the fifth shogun, the bakufu frequently ordered fief transfers or confiscations (Tamotsu, 1961). As a result, daimyo residences were often moved within the city. Incessant changes in city planning also required construction of new wards or forcible relocation of old ones, giving the number of residences the bakufu bequeathed to its vassals, calculated at five-year intervals. Many characteristics of the city of Edo were the result of demographic factors (Matsunosuke, 1997). Building the metropolis had required a tremendous number of individuals with traditional skills and knowledge: house builders, plasterers, tatami makers, carpenters, tailors, armorers, surveyors, draftsmen, scholars, and legislators. Anyone with an outstanding ability sought his fortune in Edo. Competition was fierce, and fighting instincts surged to the fore. The majority of the Edo population was male. Male apprentices and clerks staffed the Edo branches of provincial stores. Most of these men returned to their home area after finishing their stint in Edo. Male laborers were required by daimyo for constructing Edo branches of local shrines and family temples. Samurai stationed in Edo were of course also exclusively male. In addition, Edo boasted a huge population of priests. Masterless samurai (ronin) and the self-styled street knights known as kyokaku contributed greatly to conflicts in the city. With the end of civil wars and with the peasantry under tight administrative control, ronin could no longer ramble freely about the villages. They too began to search for new forms of employment. A few members of this vast population went abroad; but many more slipped into Edo to become merchants, craftsmen, flute-playing monks (komuso), or kyokaku. The warrior population contributed much to the uniqueness of Edo. A large number of bannermen (hatamoto) – direct vassals and guardsmen of the bakufulived in the environs of the castle. A system of alternate attendance (sankin kotai) required daimyo and their retainers to spend alternate years in the capital and at their domains. Daimyo wives and children resided permanently in the capital. Thus at any given time, a large part of the military force of the nation was stationed in Edo. No matter how distant a daimyos domain lay from Edo, he took part in regular grand processions between his home area and the capital. The concentration of warriors in the city stimulated the emergence of a unique Edo economy. The presence of a large stratum of newly enfranchised warrior nobles required the procurement of a tremendous quantity of consumer goods (Matsunosuke, 1997). Supplying such goods was the responsibility of official merchants and artisans who streamed to the capital from all parts of the country. Edo thus became a consumer capital. Forced to live in the city, the daimyo, along with their retainers and families, enthusiastically set about developing their own culture. Both the ancient Kyoto court traditions and the warrior culture of the Kamakura bakufu (1185-1333) developed rapidly among the aristocratic warrior stratum. The habits and lifestyle of the daimyo and the high-ranking officialstheir food, housing, and clothing, their furnishings and utensils, even their styles of seating and deportmentwere in fact all warrior-style variations of the ancient customs, practices, and etiquette of the Kyoto court. Principles of warrior rule governed the rank or status of individuals and families in the feudal hierarchy. Rules were drawn up stipulating the forms a daimyo was required to follow. Social rank determined the shape and size of a daimyos Edo residence, the scale of his processions, and the kind of vehicles, furnishings, and clothing he was allowed to use. Distinctions of feudal rank were displayed to be immediately visible. These included the colors and designs of clothing, styles of architecture and materials used in buildings and gardens, and the methods and ingredients employed in manufacturing various goods consumed by the warrior. Even the borders of straw floor mats (tatami) in Edo castle varied according to the rank of the officials who sat on them. For this reason feudal culture – at its most typical, Edo warrior culture – Is often said to be a predominantly visual culture (Matsunosuke, 1997). Since attempts to strengthen ones military prowess was sure to evoke displeasure from the bakufu, many warriors instead built huge gardens or absorbed themselves in leisure pursuits. Within three or four generations, both the daimyo and the shogun were no longer country bumpkins: they had become a true upper-class nobility in both name and deed. Vestiges of gardens as they existed at Edo daimyo residences can still be found in Tokyo today. Examples include the Korakuen of the Mito house, the Hama Rikyfi of the Kofu Tokugawa, and the Rikugien at the Komagome villa of the daimyo Yanagisawa Yoshi- yasu. These parks, as well as maps of ponds and gardens at residences of the Togoshi Hosokawa, show that construction took place on a grand scale. Residents of such estates could enjoy leisurely strolls within the grounds or ride in pleasure boats on the large ponds. At such villas the Edo warrior nobility sought to revive the cultural life of Heian-period courtiers, who valued natural beauty and lived in natural surroundings. Origins of Ukiyo-e It is rare indeed for a single word to express within itself the changing concepts of an age. â€Å"Ukiyo† is such a word: in medieval Japan it appeared as a Buddhist expression which connoted first â€Å"this world of pain†, with the derived sense of â€Å"this transient, unreliable world† (Lane, 1962). Etymologically it thus meant â€Å"this fleeting, floating world†. However, for the newly liberated townsman of the seventeenth-century Japanese renaissance, â€Å"floating world† tended to lose its connotations of the transitory world of illusion, to take on hedonistic implications and denote the newly evolved, stylish world of pleasure – the world of easy women and gay actors and all the pleasures of the flesh (Lane, 1962). By the time the suffix -e (meaning â€Å"pictures†) had been added to form the new compound ukiyo-e (â€Å"floating-world pictures†) around the year 1680, this hedonistic significance had become predominant in the expression. Thus the subject of our book, ukiyo-e, meant something like the following to the Japanese of the age which engendered it: A new style of pictures, very much in vogue, devoted to depicting everyday life, particularly fair women and handsome men indulging in pleasure, or part of the world of pleasure -pictures, as often as not, of an erotic nature. But what brought about this new development in Japanese art, this revolutionary shift from the overworked themes of classical tradition to those of the workaday world? To understand the origin of the ukiyo-e, it is necessary to look far back into the past. The disruption of the period of the northern and southern courts in the fourteenth century followed by the Chinese renaissance in the fifteenth had meant a real break with ancient traditions. A reaction to the intervening Chinese school could not begin to set in until late in the Muromachi period. In addition, the unsettling wars of the period created a mood in which new ideas could arise, and in which the populace seems to have been less restrained socially than during the rigid Tokugawa regime. Art reflected its environment in the gradual emergence of genre paintings. While the new style did not strictly follow the narrative attitude of the Yamato-e scroll tradition, it was also far removed from the ethical approach of the Kano masters towards figure subjects (Paine and Soper, 1955). The style originated in the old capital of Kyoto, and among the works of the Kano artists who lived there are to be found some which depict and emphasize the contemporary scene in preference to an ennobling idealism. The new spirit was stimulated by Hideyoshis talent for spectacular display. This lowly but heroic figure liked to impress people. The great fete or tea-party at the shrine of Kitano in 1587 introduced a novel kind of popular entertainment. For the occasion Hideyoshi had placards set up in Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Sakai inviting all to come irrespective of class or wealth. At the tea-party Hideyoshis treasures were ostentatiously exhibited. The next year he gave a great flower viewing party at the temple of Daigoji (Paine and Soper, 1955). The popular art of the period deals with masses of people, as though these joyful occasions had also impressed the artists. The following section describes ukiyo-e themes and motifs, which explains why the art was popular during the Edo Period. Ukiyo-e Woodblock Technique Ukiyo-e prints were produced as a result of the collaboration of the artist, the publisher, the master carver, and the printer’s shop. However, it was the artist who received credit for the piece in the end. First, publishers would start the procedure by engaging artists to design a print or sequence of prints. The artists may have a background on traditional styles of painting or they may have learned from style of other ukiyo-e masters while having training in the workshop (Fauntleroy, 1989). Many ukiyo-e artists were commissioned to produce novel compositions to embellish interiors of households or design customized surimono (greeting cards) for clients who could afford the lavishness of unique works of art. Once the artists had prepared hanshita-e (drawing), the precise size of the print for publishing, they would trace the outlines of hanshita-e on a piece of thin paper using black ink. The traced version would be relayed to master woodcutters, who would then translate the artist’s brushed composition into a board of wood using scrapers, chisels, and knives. They used fine-textured and very hard wood to make sure that even the most elaborate parts of the design imprinted in relief would last the pressure of hundreds of other printings. Then, master cutters would put the tracing face down on the wooden board. They would then carve away all wood from the surface excluding that indicating the outlines of the drawing of the artists. Since a design imprinted in relief will create a reverse image when put into print, wood cutters reversed tracing to come up with an image similar to the original conception of the artists. A registration mark was carved beyond the perimeter of the composition in the lower right-hand part of the board (Fauntleroy, 1989). The key block would then be sent to printers, who would finish a number of black-and-white impressions, approximately the quantity of colors to be used in the final print. They did not use a mechanical press familiar to European printers because it lacked the pressure needed for wood block impressions; rather the printer applied physical strength to the woodblock, paper, and baren. Then, the proofs would be sent back to the artist, who would inspect the wood block impression and indicate colors to be used. The proofs would be sent back to the woodcutting shop. After the completion of the carving, the key and color blocks would be turned over to the printers. Following the printing of the first color, the paper would be placed on top of a second block inked with a special color; this process would continue throughout the series of color blocks (Fauntleroy, 1989).

History of Mathematics Teaching in the National Curriculum

History of Mathematics Teaching in the National Curriculum This research paper is to discuss about the nature and history of mathematics, how it has taken its place within the National Curriculum; the framework for teaching Mathematics in Secondary and finally investigation on a series of three lessons designed for Year 7 on Algebra. INTRODUCTION Education has made a difference in my life, the knowledge I have gained has given me the potential to explore, think and make decisions accordingly. In other words, Education is a powerful tool and plays a vital role to shape up a strong economy of a country. As a Mathematics teacher, I clearly understand my key role in imparting knowledge and skills to the younger generation to make full use of their potential. The perception of mathematics has been changed over the years. Hence, it is important to look back at the nature of mathematics, how it has taken its place within the national curriculum; how the teaching and learning of mathematics has been guided by the National Strategies Framework. LITERATURE REVIEW Nature of Mathematics Even though mathematics is one of the many subjects in schools, there is a greater pressure on pupils to succeed in Mathematics other than subjects like History, Geography; why is that so? As part of my investigation into the nature of Mathematics I referred to two sources that gave substantial evidence towards the nature of Mathematics. The Enquiry Committee: A Major Enquiry Committee was set up in 1978 to consider the teaching of Mathematics in Primary and Secondary schools. After 4 years of study and research the committee came out with a report called The Cockcroft Report. It would be very difficult perhaps impossible to live a normal life in very many parts of the world in the twentieth century without making use of mathematics of some kind. (The Cockcroft Report (1982), Mathematics counts) This fact itself for a thought is sufficient to reason out the purpose of importance given in teaching and learning mathematics in Schools. The usefulness of Mathematics can be perceived in different ways; as arithmetic skills needed to use at Home and Office, as basis for development of Science and Technology and usage of Mathematical techniques as management tool in commerce and industry. Therefore, the Enquiry Committee in their report (The Cockcroft Report) concluded that all the perceptions on usefulness of mathematics arise from the fact that mathematics provides a mean of communication which is powerful, concise and unambiguous. Hence, providing a principal reason for teaching mathematics at all stages in the curriculum. According to American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), mathematics is closely related to Science, Technology and being greatly used in real life. The association has launched a program called Project 2061 where they relate mathematics into Science and Technology. Project 2061 is an ongoing project that was launched in 1985 in America, where its main objective is to help all Americans to literate in Science, Mathematics and Technology. As part of the project, it has been clearly defined that mathematics does play an important role in developing Science and Technology in real life. Besides communication, Mathematics can be used to present information by using charts, graphs and diagrams. As what AAAS has mentioned about the Mathematical representation, manipulation and derivation of information based on a mathematical relationship formed; the enquiry committee as well does mention in its report the usage of figures and symbols in mathematics for manipulation and to deduce further information from the situation the mathematics relate to. They gave 3 scenarios; A car that has travelled for 3 hours at an average speed of 20 miles per hour; we can deduce that it has covered a distance of 60 miles. To find the cost of 20 articles each costing 3p, the area of carpet required to cover a corridor 20 metres long and 3 metres wide In the 3 scenarios, we made use of the fact that: 20 x 3 = 60; hence it provides an illustration of the fact that the same mathematical statement can arise from and represent many different situations. This fact has important consequences. Because the same mathematical statement can relate to more than one situation, results which have been obtained in solving a problem arising from one situation can often be seen to apply to a different situation. Thus this characteristic of Mathematics does show its importance in the study of science and Technology as mentioned by both the Enquiry committee and the programme Project 2061 (AAAS). History of Mathematics By looking at the history of Mathematics; it has been further proven how the development of mathematics had impact on development of Science and Technology. The 17th century saw an unprecedented explosion of mathematical and scientific ideas across Europe. Galileo, an Italian, observed the moons of Jupiter in orbit about that planet, using a telescope based on a toy imported from Holland. Tycho Brahe, a Dane, had gathered an enormous quantity of mathematical data describing the positions of the planets in the sky. His student, Johannes Kepler, a German, began to work with this data. In part because he wanted to help Kepler in his calculations, John Napier, in Scotland, was the first to investigate natural logarithms. Kepler succeeded in formulating mathematical laws of planetary motion. This explains the relationship between mathematics and science or another word, how knowledge of mathematics has been used to develop science over the years. The 19th century saw the beginning of a great deal of abstract algebra. Hermann Grassmann in Germany gave a first version of vector spaces, the British mathematician George Boole devised an algebra that soon evolved into what is now called Boolean algebra, in which the only numbers were 0 and 1 and in which, famously, 1  +  1  =  1. Boolean algebra is the starting point of mathematical logic and has important applications in computer science. Abel and Galoiss investigations into the solutions of various polynomial equations laid the groundwork for further developments of group theory, and the associated fields of abstract algebra. In the 20th century physicists and other scientists have seen group theory as the ideal way to study symmetry. The 20th century saw mathematics become a major profession. Every year, thousands of new Ph.D.s in mathematics was awarded, and jobs are available in both teaching and industry. Therefore, from the 20th Century is where importance has been given to teaching of mathematics. National Curriculum of Mathematics This further explains how the national curriculum for Mathematics has been formed in Britain. Lets look at the various views of Mathematics usage in Industry before the Enquiry Committee was set up; From 1973 to 1976 there were a large volume of complaints which seemed to be coming from employers about lack of mathematical competence on the part of some school leavers; In his speech made at Ruskin College, Oxford in October 1976, Mr James Callaghan, at that time Prime Minister, said: I am concerned on my journeys to find complaints from industry that new recruits from the schools sometimes do not have the basic tools to do the job that is required. There is concern about the standards of numeracy of school leavers. Is there not a case for a professional review of the mathematics needed by industry at different levels? To what extent are these deficiencies the result of insufficient coordination between schools and industry? Indeed how much of the criticism about basic skills and attitudes is due to industrys own shortcomings rather than to the educational system? (The Cockcroft Report (1982) In written evidence to the Parliamentary Expenditure Committee, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) stated: Employers are becoming increasingly concerned that many school leavers, particularly those leaving at the statutory age have not acquired a minimum acceptable standard in the fundamental skills involved in reading, writing, arithmetic and communication. This shows up in the results of nearly every educational enquiry made amongst the CBI membership, and is backed up by continuing evidence from training officers in industry and further education lecturers that young people at 16+ cannot pass simple tests in mathematics and require remedial tuition before training and further education courses can be started. (The Cockcroft Report (1982) In oral evidence to the Expenditure Committee a CBI representative stated: Mathematics, I think or arithmetic, which is really the primary concern rather than mathematics themselves is the one area which is really brought up every time as a problem. It seems that industrys needs are greater in this respect than almost any other. This is the way, certainly, in which shortfall in the education of children makes itself most manifest immediately to an employer. (The Cockcroft Report (1982) Written evidence to the Expenditure Committee from the Engineering Industry Training Board (EITB) stated: The Engineering Industry Training Board, over the last two years, received from its industry increasing criticism, with supporting evidence, of the level of attainment, particularly in arithmetical skills, of school leavers offering themselves for craft and technician training In the view of the Engineering Industry Training Board the industry needs a higher level of attainment in basic mathematics among recruits than it is now getting and believes that, with closer cooperation between school and industry, children can while still at school be motivated to achieve this Mathematics is, however, not simply a question of basic manipulative skills. An understanding of the concepts is also needed and these are better taught by innovative methods, which also appear to enhance the ability to acquire planning and diagnostic skills, of great importance to craft and technician employees. The Cockcroft Report (1982) These are the examples of complaints received and the main reason for the enquiry committee to set up in 1978 to investigate complaints about low levels of numeracy among young entrants to employment and the need for improved liaison between schools and industry. Hence we could deduce that due the mathematical knowledge demand in the work force has brought mathematics an important place in the national curriculum to promote numeracy skills among the young people. Programme of Study (POS) The national curriculum through the Mathematics Programme of Study (POS) aims to develop; Successful learners where pupils should be numerate, creative and able to tackle problems with more than one approach and to solve open-ended problems. Confident Individuals Pupils are given the opportunity to express their ideas using strategies that they are familiar and secure with. Responsible citizens the emphasis on analyzing and justifying conclusions in mathematical situations helps prepare pupils for taking critical and analytical approaches to real-life situations. The framework has set out a number of key concepts that pupils need to know in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding of Mathematics; Competence should be able to apply a range of mathematical techniques to assess risk, problem solving and decision making Creativity Able to combine understanding, experiences, imagination and reasoning to construct new knowledge and usage of existing mathematical knowledge to create solutions Application and Implication of Mathematics Able to understand that mathematics is used as a tool in a wide range of contexts, such as for Financial issues, Engineering, computer security and so on Critical Understanding Recognizing the limitations and scope of a model or representation. For example, mathematical skills are required to compare different methods of borrowing and paying back of money but the final decision may rely on other factors like comparing the merits of using a credit card that might offer the lowest overall costs. The framework has a set of key processes for both Key Stage 3 and 4 that are essential skills that pupils need to learn to make progress within the Subject. Representing Identify the mathematical aspects of a situation or problem, able to choose between representations to simplify a situation or problem in order to represent it mathematically, using appropriate variables, symbols, diagrams and models to select mathematical information, methods and tools to use. Analysing Use mathematical reasoning, pupils should be able to: make connections within mathematics use knowledge of related problems visualise and work with dynamic images identify and classify patterns; make and begin to justify conjectures and generalisations, considering special cases and counter-examples; explore the effects of varying values and look for invariance and covariance; take account of feedback and learn from mistakes; work logically towards results and solutions, recognising the impact of constraints and assumptions; appreciate that there are a number of different techniques that can be used to analyse a situation; reason inductively and deduce. Use appropriate mathematical procedures Pupils should be able to: make accurate mathematical diagrams, graphs and constructions on paper and on screen; calculate accurately, selecting mental methods or calculating devices  as appropriate ; manipulate numbers, algebraic expressions and equations and apply routine algorithms; use accurate notation, including correct syntax when using ICT; record methods, solutions and conclusions; estimate, approximate and check working. Interpreting and evaluating Pupils should be able to: form convincing arguments based on findings and make general statements; consider the assumptions made and the appropriateness and accuracy of results and conclusions; be aware of the strength of empirical evidence and appreciate the difference between evidence and proof ; look at data to find patterns and exceptions; relate findings to the original context, identifying whether they support or refute conjectures; engage with someone elses mathematical reasoning in the context of a problem or particular situation; consider the effectiveness of alternative strategies. Communicating and reflecting Pupils should be able to: communicate findings effectively; engage in mathematical discussion of results; consider the elegance and efficiency of alternative solutions; look for equivalence in relation to both the different approaches to the problem and different problems with similar structures; make connections between the current situation and outcomes, and situations and outcomes they have already encountered. The framework sets out an outline for teachers to follow in teaching the key concepts and key processes. The range and content for both Key stages are as follow: Key Stage 3: Number and algebra rational numbers, their properties and their different representations rules of arithmetic applied to calculations and manipulations with rational numbers applications of ratio and proportion accuracy and rounding algebra as generalised arithmetic linear equations, formulae, expressions and identities analytical, graphical and numerical methods for solving equations polynomial graphs, sequences and functions Geometry and measures properties of 2D and 3D shapes constructions, loci and bearings Pythagoras theorem transformations similarity, including the use of scale points, lines and shapes in 2D coordinate systems units, compound measures and conversions perimeters, areas, surface areas and volumes Statistics the handling data cycle presentation and analysis of grouped and ungrouped data, including time series and lines of best fit measures of central tendency and spread experimental and theoretical probabilities, including those based on equally likely outcomes.Rules of arithmetic: This includes knowledge of operations and inverse operations and how calculators use precedence. Pupils should understand that not all calculators use algebraic logic and may give different answers for calculations such as 1 + 2 X 3. Calculations and manipulations with rational numbers: This includes using mental and written methods to make sense of everyday situations such as temperature, altitude, financial statements and transactions. Ratio and proportion: This includes percentages and applying concepts of ratio and proportion to contexts such as value for money, scales, plans and maps, cooking and statistical information (eg 9 out of 10 people prefer). Accuracy and rounding: This is particularly important when using calculators and computers. Linear equations: This includes setting up equations, including inequalities and simultaneous equations. Pupils should be able to recognise equations with no solutions or an infinite number of solutions. Polynomial graphs: This includes gradient properties of parallel and perpendicular lines. Sequences and functions: This includes a range of sequences and functions based on simple rules and relationships. 2D and 3D shapes: These include circles and shapes made from cuboids. Constructions, loci and bearings: This includes constructing mathematical figures using both straight edge and compasses, and ICT. Scale: This includes making sense of plans, diagrams and construction kits. Compound measures: This includes making sense of information involving compound measures, for example fuel consumption, speed and acceleration. Surface areas and volumes: This includes 3D shapes based on prisms. The handling data cycle: This is closely linked to the mathematical key processes and consists of: specifying the problem and planning (representing) collecting data (representing and analysing) processing and presenting the data (analysing) interpreting and discussing the results (interpreting and evaluating). Presentation and analysis: This includes the use of ICT. Spread: For example, the range and inter-quartile range. Probabilities: This includes applying ideas of probability and risk to gambling, safety issues, and simulations using ICT to represent a probability experiment, such as rolling two dice and adding the scores. Key Stage 4 Number and algebra real numbers, their properties and their different representations rules of arithmetic applied to calculations and manipulations with real numbers, including standard index form and surds proportional reasoning, direct and inverse proportion, proportional change and exponential growth upper and lower bounds linear, quadratic and other expressions and equations graphs of exponential and trigonometric functions transformation of functions graphs of simple loci Geometry and measures properties and mensuration of 2D and 3D shapes circle theorems trigonometrical relationships properties and combinations of transformations 3D coordinate systems vectors in two dimensions conversions between measures and compound measures Statistics the handling data cycle presentation and analysis of large sets of grouped and ungrouped data, including box plots and histograms, lines of best fit and their interpretation measures of central tendency and spread Experimental and theoretical probabilities of single and combined events. Functional Skills in Mathematics The revised mathematics programme of study has given importance in embedding Functional Maths into teaching. Functional Mathematics requires learners to be able to use mathematics in ways where it make them effective and involve as citizens, able to operate confidently in life and to work in a wider range of contexts. The framework has divided the functional skill into two levels, where level 1 is linked to key stage 3 and level 2 to key stage 4. (Please refer to Appendix 1) The key concept of competence emphasises the need for students to be able to adapt and apply their understanding in a widening range of contexts within the classroom and beyond. This is also at the heart of functional skills. In this way functional skills are much more than a set of technical competencies in mathematics; students have to use mathematics to tackle tasks and problems. All teaching needs to be designed in a way that contributes to the development of functional skills. When planning opportunities for students to develop and understand functional skills you should consider whether you have: provided opportunities for different skills you are focusing on in representing, analysing and interpreting to be developed in combination ensured that students understand that they are learning skills that they will use and apply in a variety of contexts given students the chance to select the skills and tools (including ICT) they need for a particular task provided opportunities for students to apply these skills for real purposes and contexts beyond the classroom. For example, a year 10 project asked students to recommend to school managers a method for electing representatives for the school council. Students explored methods used in politics, including first past the post and different methods of proportional representation. They collected data about different voting methods and carried out simulations, which enabled them to produce a clear recommendation with justification. This project has the potential to be developed in conjunction with ICT, English and citizenship colleagues as it addresses wider curricular issues and also offers opportunities to develop functional skills in ICT and English as well as mathematics. The following are case studies on Functional skills taken from the National Curriculum website (http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk); Wellacre Technology and Vocational College Objective: To help learners understand the relevance of mathematics in real life Year 9 science project and a Year 7 design and technology project. Both required pupils to solve real-world product design problems; In the year 9 science project, skiing was used as a context for developing learners understanding of pressure, mass, surface area and speed. Pupils had to work out how wide skis would need to be for individual pupils to ensure that their skis did not sink into the snow. This required pupils to rearrange formulae and calculate the surface area of their feet and pressure. For the year 7 design and technology project, pupils were given a budget and challenged to raise as much money as they could for  their partner school in Newcastle, South Africa. Pupils considered a range of products before settling on key fobs. Maximising the amount of profit was the main design criterion and pupils were encouraged to use tessellation to ensure their designs minimised waste. As part of the project they also use formulae to calculate break-even points, profit and loss. In both projects, working with real figures proved both an incentive and a challenge pupils were not able to fall back on a set of answers in a textbook. This generated discussion as pupils collaborated to check their calculations. The nature of the tasks also encouraged learners to think independently and creatively to solve problems. Opened ended mathematical Enquiries- Lancaster Girls Grammar School Objective: to develop pupils functional mathematics and problem-solving skills Introducing open-ended projects that required pupils to use mathematics to solve real-life problems Mobiles and Mathematics in year 8 and Music and Mathematics in year 10. Both projects were based around open-ended problems without a right answer. Pupils were given the broad topic areas and told to devise their own projects. Pupils were given two months to prepare, which encouraged them to make their own choices about how they would work and what they would explore. The range of investigations devised by pupils was broad. Year 8 pupils explored different tariffs, compared costs between pay as you go contracts and investigated different usage patterns of people over and under 30. In year 10 pupils were encouraged to make links between mathematics and music. Some considered what kinds of functions might be used to model sound waves. Others explored the connections between the Fibonacci sequence and the layout of a keyboard. In both projects, pupils defined their own problem, decided on the data to collect and how to collect it, gathered information from a number of sources, including their parents or other pupils, considered how to analyse their data, used and applied mathematics skills and drew conclusions. At the end of the projects, they presented their findings and evaluated how successful they had been. Staff and pupils embraced the new way of working. The head of department acknowledged that it was a considerable risk to introduce this way of teaching but it paid off. Initially, staffs were concerned about setting problems when they didnt know the answers but once the work was underway they enjoyed a different way of teaching. The projects offered opportunities to stretch pupils and encourage them to make connections between different parts of their learning. Many of the pupils were nervous about working on a project when they didnt have an indication of what type of project to make. However they soon began to enjoy the freedom of the approach. At the end of the project, a year 8 pupil reflected: This was a break from everyday work and we can use our imagination as we arent being spoon fed the information. We could decide what we wanted to do I have learnt to make decisions. There were different ways to present information on this project and this made it even more exciting. I could be creative with my choices as I didnt have to do exactly what the teacher said. ASSESSING PUPILS PROGRESS IN MATHEMATICS (APP) Finally, in my literature review, I am going to look into embedding APP guidance into teaching and learning of mathematics. Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) is a structured approach to periodic assessment, enabling teachers to: track pupils progress over a key stage or longer; use diagnostic information about pupils strengths and weaknesses to improve teaching and learning Using APP materials, teachers can make more consistent level-related judgements in National Curriculum The APP focuses on how as mathematics teacher can use AFL (Assessment for learning) strategy in lessons in order to generate evidence pupils learning. The diagram shown below tells how the APP cycle works. Review a range of evidence for periodic assessment (APP) Collect and feedback to pupils evidence of their progress during day to day teaching and learning Plan for progression from learning objectives (Secondary Framework and Planning toolkit) Make level related assessment using APP Criteria Adjust Planning, Teaching and learning by referring to Secondary Framework The focused assessment materials are on the APP assessment criteria and organised in National Curriculum levels. There is a set for each level from 4 to 8. The materials include examples of what pupils should know and able to do and some probing questions for teachers to initiate dialogue as to assist in their assessment judgement. The following is an example from the level 6 focused assessment materials. Add and subtract fractions by writing them with a common denominator, calculate fractions of quantities (fraction answers); multiply and divide an integer by a fraction Examples of what pupils should know and be able to do Probing questions Add and subtract more complex fractions such as 11 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾18 + 7 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾24, including mixed fractions. Solve problems involving fractions, e.g.: In a survey of 24 pupils, 1 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾3 liked football best, 1 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾4 liked basketball, 3 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾8 liked athletics and the rest liked swimming. How many liked swimming? Why are equivalent fractions important when adding or subtracting fractions? What strategies do you use to find a common denominator when adding or subtracting fractions? Is there only one possible common denominator? What happens if you use a different common denominator? Give pupils some examples of adding and subtracting of fractions with common mistakes in them. Ask them to talk you through the mistakes and how they would correct them. How would you justify that 4 à · 1 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾5 = 20? How would you use this to work out 4 à · 2 Ã¢â‚¬Å¾5? Do you expect the answer to be greater or less than 20? Why? Probing questions are an important tool in a lesson as it could be used to confirm pupils understanding in a particular topic or their misconceptions. Before we talked about it I always thought if the shape had three numbers you just times them. But now I know that you split the shape into rectangles and I can find the area of a rectangle. Its so easy. I understand it fully now. (Source: APP: Secondary Mathematics Guidance) That was a comment from a pupil after dialogue about understanding and using the formula for the area of a rectangle using the probing questions. KANGAROO MATHS http://www.kangaroomaths.com/index.html Kangaroo Maths is the home page of Bring on the Maths where interactive activities for teachers can be purchased from Key stage 2 to A level. It has an APP page that provides supporting materials for teachers from Key stage 1 to Key stage 3. The assessment policy from the website (Appendix 5) has been rewritten to reflect the APP and to help with the on going development of APP, it has an evaluation tool (Appendix 6) where it allows teachers to self evaluate themselves in focusing, developing and establishing APP criteria with regards to pupils engagement, lesson planning and evidence gathering. Further more, to understand the assessment criteria on the A3 grid, Kangaroo maths has developed the levelopaedias that provide exemplifications and probing questions for each of the assessment criteria. DISCUSSION/FINDINGS: To add on to my findings, I am going to look into the topic Algebra and analyse how it has developed across the levels using the APP criteria (Appendix 7a) and Kangaroo maths Level Ladders( Appendix 7b). Then, based on level 5 work on Algebra, I am going to design 3 series of lesson plans with the guidance of the level ladders. The word ALGEBRA seems to be a put off to most students when unknown numbers or using formulas to real life context. It is a topic that requires accumulative understanding building on from level 2 onwards as shown below (taken from APP guidelines); Algebra Level 5 Construct, express in symbolic form and use simple formulae involving one or two operations. Level 4 Begin to use simple formulae expressed in words Level 3 Recognise a wider range of sequences Begin to understand