Omnivore's Delemma (Industrial Corn) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Omnivore's Delemma (Industrial Corn) - Essay Example Omnivore's Delemma (Industrial Corn) In 2010 alone, the United States spent $337 billion on the import of crude oil (Shenk, 2011), the U.S. being the largest consumer of oil, using 25.4% of the world’s oil production (Parry & Darmstadter, 2003). However, corn ethanol represents only 1.3% of the total fuel being used in the country for motor vehicles (Pimentel, 2009). Given the facts, it becomes obvious that the production and use of corn could actually help stabilize the economy, rather than being a burden on it. The production of corn being cheaper than the import of oil for the purpose of motor vehicle fuel, it would be prudent to focus on the former than the later. This, combined with the less emission of greenhouse gases, as already discussed, would not only reduce the cost of environmental protection, but would also result in a greener society. Corn and its products are the most demanded consumer product in the food market, either for direct consumption or for indirect consumption due to their use as ingredi ents in other food products. It can be argued that corn is a balanced and a complete diet source, since it offers proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and roughage, and corn oil itself is low in fats, so is often substituted for animal fats and oils. It has already been established that other protein sources like meat present a lot of health hazards, which have not been associated with the use of corn (Biello, 2008). Pollan makes an especial comparison between the cultivation of corn and grass in his book, and glaringly leans in favor of the grass-growers (2006). It could be pointed out that whereas grass itself has limited uses, and cannot be consumed as a food product, being cultivated for the sole purpose of animal feed, corn, on the other hand, has multiple and multi-dimensional purposes, and its cultivation not only provides with a food product, but also other industrial chemicals and products. Therefore, it is only wise to invest on a crop that can cater to a much larg er marker and has a much wider scope and potential. The huge demand of corn reflects on the social mindset and the prevalent lifestyle. To propose a radical and almost completely agonist lifestyle without this essential food ingredient would be to propose a revolution. Pollan might be safe in theory, but his opinions cannot be so readily implemented in reality. Therefore, a compromise could be proposed in which alternate food options are presented along with corn and its products for those customers who subscribe to Pollan’s opinions. This would mean that the market would cater to the popular demand while also taking care of the consumers who want a change. Pollan challenges the

Motifs in Bless Me, Ultima Essay Example for Free

Motifs in Bless Me, Ultima Essay The novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya describes the maturation of a boy named Antonio, who witnesses more than his fair share of deaths at a young age. He struggles with the injustices of these deaths and thus begins to question his once-solid religious beliefs. During the conflict Antonio experiences many vivid dreams, which are considered motifs in the work. The dream motif is a catalyst for the theme of the importance of independent thinking to maturation, because through his subconscious Antonio finds the understanding he craves by facing his fears and questioning his future. In many of Tony’s dreams he encounters his fears. One of these fears is that his three older brothers will go to hell, because they gamble and spend their time at Rosie’s, which is considered the whore house. In his dreams, Tony tries to protect their innocence: â€Å"Do not enter [Rosie’s], I cried. It is written on the waters of the river that you shall lose your souls to hell if you enter† (70). He is terrified that they will go to hell and be punished for eternity. Tony’s begging is to no avail; his brothers enter anyway. His troubled thoughts then turn to his own innocence: â€Å"Oh, where is the innocence I must never lose† (71). He struggles with the concept of maturing and losing the innocence he feels he needs to become a priest. As the novel progresses, however, Tony loses his innocence because of the many deaths he sees. He realizes that this is a given part of maturation, and that he can still hold integrity without innocence. Another struggle of Tony’s is the fact that he is caught in the middle of his parents’ dreams. His mother wants him to become a farmer-priest, and his father wants him to become a vaquero. In his sleep he struggles with which dream he will follow, and often see his parents arguing about it: â€Å"Oh please tell me which is the water that runs through my veins, I moaned my mother crooned softly, it is the water the Church chooses to make holy and place in its front. It is the water of your baptism Lies, lies, my father laughed, through your body runs the salt water of the oceans. It is that water which makes you Marez and not Luna† (120). Tony cannot understand which parent’s blood runs in his veins, and becomes more confused when they argue over it. However, in his dreams Tony most often sees himself as a priest: â€Å"I swung the dark robe of the priest over my shoulders then lifted my hands in the air† (26). It seems like this is the profession he will most likely choose. Throughout the novel Antonio yearns for understanding. He wants to know why God allows evil o triumph over good, and why the innocent sometimes die. In waking he cannot find the answers, but in dreams they come to him. When he questions in his sleep where his innocence is, Ultima appears in the dream and tells him, â€Å"There in the land of the dancing plains and rolling hills, there in the land which is the eagle’s by day and the owl’s by night is innocence. There where the lonely wind of the llano sang to the lovers’ feat of your birth, there in those hills is your innocence† (71). This shows Tony that he can always find innocence in nature. When Tony cannot decide which parent’s water runs in his veins, Ultima tells him, â€Å"The waters are one, Antonio† (121). He realizes that Luna blood and Marez blood mix in his veins. The answers in his dreams allow Tony to lessen his questioning in his waking world. Antonio’s dreams allow him to face his fears and think them through, which helps to eventually resolve them. Letting go of certain problems, such as his loss of innocence, helps him to mature. He discovers through his dreams that he does not have the blood of a Luna or a Marez; he has the blood of both. He also realizes that it is more likely that he will become a priest than a vaquero. With this understanding he settles on his future and makes his own decisions rather than being torn between those of his mother and father. When he learns to make his own decisions he matures into a man. Tony’s dreams guide him towards the theme of the importance of independent thinking to maturation.

Wilderness Empire :: essays research papers

In Wilderness Empire, Allen W. Eckert has given a sweeping and thorough look into the lives of key decision makers and the pivotal events leading up to and including the French and Indian War. Through Eckert’s educated insight, the reader is able to enjoy a look into a distant way of life made edifying through his portrayal of historical figures. Following the lives of William Johnson and his friend Tiyanoga, a powerful leader of The Six Nations, the reader is able to better understand a way of life that has long since been eradicated. Eckert provides portraits of the Ottawa warrior Pontiac and various French and English political leaders of this period. The reader recognizes and enjoys the appearance of a young George Washington and Ben Franklin. Eckert records the early life of the characters William Johnson and Pontiac. Through this glimpse of such different and simple beginnings, the reader has a better understanding of the scale of change that took place during this time in history. Johnson, born a poor Irish Catholic, is given the opportunity to come to the colonies where he became a wealthy land owner and a successful businessman. Johnson, who was known among the Indian tribes as a man of clear sight and honesty, developed a deep relationship with Tiyanoga, a principal chief among the Mohawks. Through this bond with Tiyanoga, Johnson gained knowledge of native culture that gave him strong political influence with the Indian League of Nations, also called the Iroquois League or The Six Nations. As Pontiac grew to manhood in a culture that is foreign to most modern readers, he became a formidable leader among his people as the Ottawa war chief. Wilderness Empire chronicles the relationship of the Iroquois League with the French and the English. As the tensions between the European powers grew, the Indians were courted by emissaries from both countries. The reader is provided with an astute portrayal of the corrupt political systems that were used to both influence and prejudice the Native Americans, even to the extent of conversion of the Indian tribes by the French to a bastardized version of the Catholic faith. With this perspective, readers are offered an understanding of the strength of the Native American people as a warring force in this conflict. The English and the French both knew that they would be defeated if their political opponents could win the support of the tribes. Wilderness Empire :: essays research papers In Wilderness Empire, Allen W. Eckert has given a sweeping and thorough look into the lives of key decision makers and the pivotal events leading up to and including the French and Indian War. Through Eckert’s educated insight, the reader is able to enjoy a look into a distant way of life made edifying through his portrayal of historical figures. Following the lives of William Johnson and his friend Tiyanoga, a powerful leader of The Six Nations, the reader is able to better understand a way of life that has long since been eradicated. Eckert provides portraits of the Ottawa warrior Pontiac and various French and English political leaders of this period. The reader recognizes and enjoys the appearance of a young George Washington and Ben Franklin. Eckert records the early life of the characters William Johnson and Pontiac. Through this glimpse of such different and simple beginnings, the reader has a better understanding of the scale of change that took place during this time in history. Johnson, born a poor Irish Catholic, is given the opportunity to come to the colonies where he became a wealthy land owner and a successful businessman. Johnson, who was known among the Indian tribes as a man of clear sight and honesty, developed a deep relationship with Tiyanoga, a principal chief among the Mohawks. Through this bond with Tiyanoga, Johnson gained knowledge of native culture that gave him strong political influence with the Indian League of Nations, also called the Iroquois League or The Six Nations. As Pontiac grew to manhood in a culture that is foreign to most modern readers, he became a formidable leader among his people as the Ottawa war chief. Wilderness Empire chronicles the relationship of the Iroquois League with the French and the English. As the tensions between the European powers grew, the Indians were courted by emissaries from both countries. The reader is provided with an astute portrayal of the corrupt political systems that were used to both influence and prejudice the Native Americans, even to the extent of conversion of the Indian tribes by the French to a bastardized version of the Catholic faith. With this perspective, readers are offered an understanding of the strength of the Native American people as a warring force in this conflict. The English and the French both knew that they would be defeated if their political opponents could win the support of the tribes.

Children in Victorian society Essay

Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. He lived a happy childhood. Everything was fine until 1824 when Dickens was 12 his father, John Dickens was sent to Marshalsea prison for debt. Dickens was put to work in the Warners blacking factory. When John Dickens left prison Dickens was told by his mother to stay on working at the factory. He found working there a humiliating experience but the good thing is it inspired much of his fiction in later life. Charles Dickens wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’ as a warning to London. London at the time was much divided, it was split into the poor and rich living, and there was no middle class. The rich would be VERY rich, would own masses of land, they would have extravagant clothes and foods with servants serving them their marvellous foods. Whereas the poor was VERY poor! The vast majority would be homeless, probably scavenge for food and all that they owned would be the clothes that they had on. The poor would be living on very dirty streets that were filled with disease and famine. On page 69 we get to see how bad these streets are as Dickens gives us a graphic detail of them. He describes the alleys and arches as cesspools. Cesspools were pits at the end of some (most) streets where all waste products were dumped – including human waste! This paragraph in the novel really shows us as the audience just how bad London was at the time. The warning was that: ‘If the children of today keep on growing up like they are, uneducated and neglected, the outlook for this country and its nation is a very bad one ‘ His very famous play ‘A Christmas Carol’ written in 1842 showed a great reflection of London society e. g. we had the poor and the rich – Scrooge (the main character) and tiny Tim (a disabled poor child. ) The character of scrooge was a very cold and lonely one. We can relate Scrooge to Dickens because scrooge had spent many Christmas’s alone at boarding school just like Dickens had at the factory. The boarding schools were very unpleasant places; they were lonely and very strict! Parents would send their children to them to get them out of the way until they were old enough to work; children were treated very badly in Dickens’ time. On pages 26 – 29 Dickens uses pathetic fallacy to describe Scrooge’s boarding school in his novel. Pathetic fallacy uses surroundings to create images of feelings. Dull red brick tells me that this is place is dull, boring and not the best of places to be. The whole passage uses different images to show us how truly bad this place is. He describes the place as damp, mossy, dreary – all these words are negative points. This shows us how depressing it must have been on the students e. g. Scrooge. The boarding school has had a dramatic impact in Scrooges life and has made Scrooge the way he is! His personality reflects the description of the school – the cold/upsetting environment has left Scrooge with a cold/icy personality. Dickens uses three ghosts to tell the story they show us the past, present and future of Scrooges life. The 1st ghost – Past This ghost takes us back to Scrooges time at boarding school, it shows him alone and neglected as other children go home for Christmas with their warm, loving families. Scrooge is described as a solitary child neglected by his friends (pg 26. ) The ghost also shows that after Scrooge leaves school he is very mean and because he is very lonely his only ‘friend’ is his money. We can see this in a scene with his girlfriend as he has to decide love of money, he chooses money and once again he is alone. The 2nd ghost – present This ghost introduces us to the Cratchit family waiting for Bob Cratchit and tiny Tim to get back from church. Tiny Tim is a young boy, he is very ill and likely to die soon, and this is all due to poverty not neglect because he has a very caring family! Tiny Tim is physically crippled and we see Scrooge as emotionally crippled from his childhood. The ghost then shows some of Scrooges family having a Christmas celebration without him. They are playing a guessing/description game where one person thinks of something and others have to guess what it is or who it is by asking questions. The game starts with someone describing this person as a savage animal living in London. Someone guesses it as ‘Uncle Scrooge’ He shows no emotion towards this and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. The ghost finally shows Scrooge two children, a boy and a girl. The boy represents ignorance and the girl represents want. Dickens sees the boy as the one to be scared of, he uses the boy to tell us that with the lack of education the boy will turn out much worse than the girl of want (poverty. ) When we are first introduced to the children, Dickens describes them as wretched objects, frightful, hideous, and miserable. From this I get the idea that Dickens is confused about what he wants to portray by these characters. Dickens then describes them as yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling, wolfish; but prostate too. He has now decided to portray both these children as frighteningly scary. These children really bring up dickens’ massage of a poor future The last ghost – future This ghost shows Scrooge some disturbing images in this stave, the stave starts off with people talking about a man who has died but people are quite happy about his death. They then see other people talking about what they have stolen from this dead man, just to get some money. Somebody has even stolen the sheets he was lying on. This shows that nobody really cares about the man that has died! This ghost shows Scrooge the Cratchit family again but they are no longer happy and cheery this is because Tiny Tim has passed away due to the poverty. Finally the ghost shows Scrooge a gravestone with his name on it, this when Scrooge realises that nobody does car about him and that he is alone. He has caused the suffering of the Cratchit’s with his evil greedy ways! Scrooge w.akes up on Christmas day and changes who he is and helps Tiny Tim and the Cratchit’s. I think that this story works very well because look where we are today, there is no longer much harsh poverty and all children are now educated in England. So I believe that this novel could have played a huge part in this transformation because I woke people up to just how bad things were going to be. Charles Dickens passed away suddenly in 1870 without finishing his final novel ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’

Exploring and Sharing Youth Work Practice

Exploring the Values and Principles of Youth Work â€Å"Youth work, enables, helps, encourages and celebrates young people’s achievements and efforts. It walks beside a young person on their journey to transition to the adult world. It does not judge but rather provides an open ended support at times and in places where no other service can. † Professor Ted Milburn, CBE President YMCA Scotland Youth work is a process of engaging and building relationships with young people and providing a safe, secure and fun environment where young people feel supported and valued.Young people are central to the planning and delivery of youth work as it responds to youth issues. This offers a range of opportunities and programmes that reflect the many different requirements such as age difference, gender, special needs and race enabling young people to fulfil their potential. The purpose of youth work is well defined in the Youth Work Manifesto 2011, and is as follows: †¢ build se lf-esteem and self-confidence †¢ develop the ability to manage personal and social relationships †¢ create learning and develop new skills encourage positive group atmospheres †¢ build the capacity of young people to consider risk, make reasoned decisions and take control of their lives †¢ develop a ‘world view’ which widens horizons and invites social commitment †¢ build the capacity of young people to influence local and national decision makers The values and principles that underpin youth work are: Young people choose to participate The young person takes part voluntarily. She/he chooses to be involved, not least because they want to relax, meet friends and have fun.The young person decides whether to engage or to walk away. The work must build from where young people are Youth Work operates on young people’s own personal and recreational territory – within both their geographic and interest communities. The young personâ€℠¢s life experience is respected and forms the basis for shaping the agenda in negotiation with peers and youth workers. Youth Work recognises the young person as a partner in a learning process It complements formal education, promoting young people access to learning opportunities which enable them to fulfil their potential.Youth Work safeguards the welfare of young people It provides young people with a safe environment in which to explore their values, beliefs, ideas and issues. Youth Work treats young people with respect It values each individual and their differences, and promoting the acceptance and understanding of others, whilst challenging oppressive behaviour and ideas. Youth Work is concerned with facilitating and empowering the voice of young people It encourages and enables young people to influence the environment in which they live.Youth Work respects and values individual differences It supports and strengthens young people’s belief in themselves, and their ca pacity to grow and to change through a supportive group environment. Youth Work is underpinned by the principles of equity, diversity and interdependence Effective Communication in Youth Work â€Å"We all use language to communicate, to express ourselves, to get our ideas across, and to connect with the person to whom we are speaking. When a relationship is working, the act of communicating seems to flow relatively effortlessly.When a relationship is deteriorating, the act of communicating can be as frustrating as climbing a hill of sand. † Chip Rose, attorney and mediator The act of communicating involves verbal and nonverbal components. The verbal component refers to the content of our message‚ the choice and arrangement of our words. The nonverbal component refers to the message we send through our body language. Some of the methods used to communicate are: Non Verbal CommunicationVerbal Communication †¢ Facial Expression (e. g. frown)†¢ Dialogue †¢ Bo dy Posture†¢ Presentation Hand Gestures†¢ Tone of voice †¢ Pictorial representations†¢ Written word †¢ Appearance (e. g. untidiness)†¢ Pacing and volume of voice Exchanging ideas and thoughts verbally with others is the most common form of communication. However, there can be barriers with this, especially within a youth work setting. Some of these barriers are: Language It is important not to use overly-formal language and jargon, which young people might not understand. Also be aware of the language young people might use, i. e. slang. Stereotypes and generalizationsYouth workers must be sensitive to the complexities of certain situations and should be open to different opinions and views and not see the world as black and white. Jumping to conclusions Youth workers should not assume to know the reasons behind events. It is important to have all the information. Dysfunctional responses Ignoring or not responding to a comment or question quickly underm ines effective communication with a young person. Also, responding with an irrelevant comment or interrupting others while they are speaking also creates a poor environment.Lacking Confidence Whether it is the youth worker or young person, lacking confidence can be a major barrier to effective communication. Shyness, difficulty being assertive, or lack of self-worth can hinder your ability to make your needs and opinions known to others Nonverbal Cues Nonverbal cues can block verbal communication. The wrong facial expressions or body language from a youth worker might put off a young person from opening up or continuing a conversation. Not ListeningNot listening constitutes a major barrier in verbal communication. If a young person thinks that you are not listening then they will not speak with you. Inconsistency Inconsistency can also blocks verbal communication. If you say one thing and then later change your stance, it might confuse or frustrate a young person. Verbal communicati on barriers can put a serious strain on relationships that ultimately need to be collaborative in order to most effectively meet the needs of our young people.Use of these â€Å"communication errors† results in increased emotional distancing between youth worker and young person and can result in conflict and a negative environment for everyone involved. Albert Mehrabian, a US Educational Psychologist, has developed a famous formula for how verbal communication works. The formula is: 7% of meaning is in the words that are spoken. 38% of meaning is in the way that the words are said. 55% of meaning is in facial expression and body language. The key message here is simple – It's not what you say, it's the way that you say it. Nonverbal Communication tableGesture | Common Interpretation | Hair Twirling | Flirting, nervous, uncertainty, incompetence| Placing your hand in front of your mouth | Insecurity, uncertainty| Rubbing your arm or leg | Nervous, uncertainty| Slumped posture | Can’t be bothered, low self-esteem, boredom, alienation| Open palms | Open, honest| Palms down | Serious, domination| Clenched fist | Angry, frustrated, aggression| Holding hands behind back | Hiding something, defensive| Wringing hands | Nervousness, anxious| Arms folded over chest | Annoyed, bored, uninterested, low self-esteem| Too little eye contact | Shy, dishonest, nervous, no confidence|Gesture | Common Interpretation | When exaggerated| Forward Lean | Interested, concern, affection| Troubled| Direct eye contact | Interested | Aggressive| Unique dress/hairstyle | Confident, creative | Attention seeking, confused| Upright posture | Confident | Feeling uneasy| Handshake | Friendly | Intrusive, eccentric, aggressiveAn assertive person has the ability to express the needs, wants and emotions in a controlled manner without violating the rights of others or being aggressive. Characteristics of an assertive person might include: †¢ Knowledge of their own right s †¢ Ability to initiate and sustain comfortable relationships with a variety of people †¢ Willingness to compromise †¢ Ability to discuss things in a controlled manner The difference between an assertive person and an aggressive person are as follows: Assertive =â€Å"Win, win† †¢ Expresses feelings and thoughts honestly and appropriately †¢ Shows respect for themselves and others †¢ Considers the rights and needs of others Can effectively influence, listen and negotiate so others co-operate willingly Aggressive = â€Å"winner, loser† †¢ Expresses feelings and thoughts in a way which violates the rights of others †¢ Shows disrespect for themselves and others †¢ Puts own needs above others and denies people choice †¢ Can negatively influence, not listen and not negotiate and make others do what they don’t want to do †¢ Puts own needs above others and denies people choice Interpersonal skills are the skills u sed when interacting with other people. In a challenging situation, effective interpersonal skills are essential. In a youth work setting, some of the skills a worker should have are: An ability to ‘read’ other people and build rapport †¢ Being able to ask useful questions †¢ You can more easily influence people †¢ You can handle conflict and challenging situations in constructive ways †¢ Show understanding With good interpersonal skills communication and relationships between young people and workers are enhanced. Building Relationships in Youth Work â€Å"The flexibility and skills of youth work staff enable them to get trust from young people†¦ in many instances for the first time that a young person has been able to trust an adult. I never cease to be amazed at how the youth work process can transform some of our most vulnerable young people and change their view of self and society in such a positive fashion. †Alex Linkston, CBE, Pri nce’s Trust Volunteer, retired CEO West Lothian Council and Chair of YouthLink Scotland. It is important to promote positive relationships with young people in youth work to: †¢ Provide learning and encourage success †¢ Ensure everyone is given a voice and feels heard †¢ Empower those with conflict to resolve it for themselves †¢ Preserve a sense of belonging and create positivity †¢ Develop and maintain mutual respect †¢ Build and repair relationships †¢ Develop world view and broaden horizons †¢ Build social skills and provide Life Skills Five qualities, which constitute a positive personal relationship, are: †¢ Trust †¢ Mutual respect †¢ Communication †¢ Understanding †¢ Familiarity/Common groundFive qualities, which constitute positive youth work relationships, are: †¢ Trust †¢ Approachable †¢ Non judgemental †¢ Good listener/empowering †¢ Respect So what are the differences between a personal relationship and a youth work relationship? – Even though the words used above to describe the two different types of relationships tend to be different they are quite similar in that they involve helpfulness and working together. In a professional relationship you often motivated by a task/goal (i. e. the young person’s learning, etc. ) that you are working together to complete and achieve. In a personal relationship the ultimate goal is happiness and building true trust.There are two main themes that emerge with some regularity when reading about relationships in youth work. These themes detail why positive relationships in youth work are important and are stated below: Education for relationship The ability to develop good and satisfying interpersonal relationships is seen as the main, or a major reason for fostering learning. This has been one of the main themes lying behind many informal educators concern with social education. Education through relatio nship Our relationships are a fundamental source of learning. By paying attention to the nature of the relationship between educators and learners, it is argues, we can make a significant difference.In particular, the quality of the relationship deeply influences the hopefulness required to remain curious and open to new experiences, and the capacity to see connections and discover meanings (Salzberger-Whittenberg et al. 1983: ix). Introduction to Planning and Evaluating Youth Work Plan (Needs & Aims) †¢ Describe why the youth work group/programme is needed by the young person and/or the community †¢ State who has identified the need for the group. (I. e. young person/Social work/ groups/partner organisations) †¢ Describe what the project is about in â€Å"broad terms†. State what the group is aiming to achieve. The need for a group can be identified through: †¢ Discussions †¢ Formal consultation †¢ Social Network surveys †¢ Partnership meet ings †¢ Community lead steering groups †¢ Statistics †¢ Government Policies Outline (Objectives/Implementations) List the objectives (specific aims) of the group and make a series of actions that will be put in place to ensure each of the stated objectives is achieved †¢ Describe how the objectives will be carried out/delivered How many beneficiaries/Age group/gender †¢ List who will benefit from the group (i. e. young person/social work/parents) †¢ List any information about the target group Resources (Funding, staff, etc. ) †¢ List any resources required such as money, staffing requirements, equipment, area, time and transport, etc. Partners Involved †¢ List any other agencies/partners that may be involved with the group/project such as police/SW/school/NHS Intended Experiences & Outcomes Describe how the group relates to the CfE capacities (Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens, Successful Learners and Effective Contributors) †¢ Highlight the importance of the quality and nature of the participant’s experiences †¢ Describe the outcome of the group (i. e. what is to be achieved) †¢ Assess the progress in the learning plan and look at next steps Intended Impact (Data Definitions) †¢ Describe the purpose/point of the group. †¢ Describe how the group will have a positive effect on the all-round development and life chances of the young people involved Evaluation †¢ State how the group will be evaluated (i. e. participant feedback)

Functions with the T-Distribution in Excel

Functions with the T-Distribution in Excel Microsoft’s Excel is useful in performing basic calculations in statistics. Sometimes it is helpful to know all of the functions that are available to work with a particular topic. Here we will consider the functions in Excel that are related to the Student’s t-distribution. In addition to doing direct calculations with the t-distribution, Excel can also calculate confidence intervals and perform hypothesis tests. Functions Concerning the T-Distribution There are several functions in Excel that work directly with the t-distribution. Given a value along the t-distribution, the following functions all return the proportion of the distribution that is in the specified tail. A proportion in the tail can also be interpreted as a probability. These tail probabilities can be used for p-values in hypothesis tests. The T.DIST function returns the left tail of Student’s t-distribution. This function can also be used to obtain the y-value for any point along the density curve.The T.DIST.RT function returns the right tail of Student’s t-distribution.The T.DIST.2T function returns both tails of Student’s t-distribution. These functions all have similar arguments. These arguments are, in order: The value x, which denotes where along the x axis we are along the distributionThe number of degrees of freedom.The T.DIST function has a third argument , which allows us to choose between a cumulative distribution (by entering a 1) or not (by entering a 0). If we enter a 1, then this function will return a p-value. If we enter a 0 then this function will return the y-value of the density curve for the given x. Inverse Functions All of the functions T.DIST, T.DIST.RT and T.DIST.2T share a common property. We see how all of these functions start with a value along the t-distribution and then return a proportion. There are occasions when we would like to reverse this process. We start with a proportion and wish to know the value of t that corresponds to this proportion. In this case we use the appropriate inverse function in Excel. The function T.INV returns the left tailed inverse of Student’s T-distribution.The function T.INV.2T returns the two tailed inverse of Student’s T-distribution. There are two arguments for each of these functions. The first is the probability or proportion of the distribution. The second is the number of degrees of freedom for the particular distribution that we are curious about. Example of T.INV We will see an example of both the T.INV and the T.INV.2T functions. Suppose we are working with a t-distribution with 12 degrees of freedom. If we want to know the point along the distribution that accounts for 10% of the area under the curve to the left of this point, then we enter T.INV(0.1,12) into an empty cell. Excel returns the value -1.356. If instead we use the T.INV.2T function, we see that entering T.INV.2T(0.1,12) will return the value 1.782. This means that 10% of the area under the graph of the distribution function is to the left of -1.782 and to the right of 1.782. In general, by the symmetry of the t-distribution, for a probability P and degrees of freedom d we have T.INV.2T(P, d) ABS(T.INV(P/2,d), where ABS is the absolute value function in Excel. Confidence Intervals One of the topics on inferential statistics involves estimation of a population parameter. This estimate takes the form of a confidence interval. For example the estimate of a population mean is a sample mean. The estimate also possesses a margin of error, which Excel will calculate. For this margin of error we must use the CONFIDENCE.T function. Excel’s documentation says that the function CONFIDENCE.T is said to return the confidence interval using Student’s t-distribution. This function does return the margin of error. The arguments for this function are, in the order that they must be entered: Alpha – this is the level of significance. Alpha is also 1 – C, where C denotes the confidence level. For example, if we want 95% confidence, then we must enter 0.05 for alpha.Standard deviation – this is the sample standard deviation from our data set.Sample size. The formula that Excel uses for this calculation is: M t*s/ √n Here M is for margin, t* is the critical value that corresponds to the level of confidence, s is the sample standard deviation and n is the sample size. Example of Confidence Interval Suppose that we have a simple random sample of 16 cookies and we weigh them. We find that their mean weight is 3 grams with a standard deviation of 0.25 grams. What is a 90% confidence interval for the mean weight of all cookies of this brand? Here we simply type the following into an empty cell: CONFIDENCE.T(0.1,0.25,16) Excel returns 0.109565647. This is the margin of error. We subtract and also add this to our sample mean, and so our confidence interval is 2.89 grams to 3.11 grams. Tests of Significance Excel will also perform hypothesis tests that are related to the t-distribution. The function T.TEST returns the p-value for several different tests of significance. The arguments for the T.TEST function are: Array 1, which gives the first   set of sample data.Array 2, which gives the second set of sample dataTails, in which we can enter either 1 or 2.Type - 1 denotes a paired t-test, 2 a two-sample test with the same population variance, and 3 a two-sample test with different population variances.

The Afrikaans Medium Decree

The Afrikaans Medium Decree The South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development, MC Botha, issued a decree in 1974 that made the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools compulsory from Standard 5 onwards [from the last year of primary school to the last year of high school]. The African Teachers Association (ATASA) launched a campaign against the policy, but the authorities implemented it anyway. Northern Transvaal RegionRegional Circular Bantu EducationNorthern Transvaal (No. 4)File 6.8.3. of 17.10.1974To: Circuit InspectorsPrincipals of Schools: With Std V classes and Secondary SchoolsMedium of Instruction Std V - Form V1. It has been decided that for the sake of uniformity English and Afrikaans will be used as media of instruction in our schools on a 50-50 basis as follows:2. Std V, Form I and II2.1. English medium: General Science, Practical Subjects (Homecraft-Needlework-Wood- and Metalwork-Art-Agricultural Science)2.2 Afrikaans medium: Mathematics, Arithmatic, Social Studies2.3 Mother Tongue: Religion Instruction, Music, Physical CultureThe prescribed medium for these subject must be used as from January 1975.In 1976 the secondary schools will continue using the same medium for these subjects.3. Forms III, IV and VAll schools which have not as yet done so should introduce the 50-50 basis as from the beginning of 1975. The same medium must be used for the subjects relate d to those mentioned in paragraph 2 and for their alternatives. ...Your co-operation in this matter will be appreciated.(Sgd.) J.G. ErasmusRegional Director of Bantu EducationN. Transvaal Region ... The Deputy Minister of Bantu Education, Punt Janson, said: No, I have not consulted the African people on the language issue and Im not going to. An African might find that the big boss only spoke Afrikaans or only spoke English. It would be to his advantage to know both languages. Another official was quoted as saying: If students are not happy, they should stay away from school since attendance is not compulsory for Africans. The Department of Bantu Education said that because the government paid for black education, it had the right to decide on the language of instruction. In fact, only white education was totally subsidized by the government. Black parents in Soweto paid R102 (an average months wages) a year to send two children to school, had to buy textbooks (which were issued free in white schools), and had to contribute towards the cost of building schools.