Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee Essay

Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee wanted to achieve diverse goals during the Civil War. Lincoln was determined to save the Union and help the United States move into a new era. He wanted to settle the issue of slavery in the United States, founded on the principles of liberty and equal rights for all. Robert E. Lee fought the war for the Southern traditions. Lee wanted to defend Southern traditions. He fought the war not only to protect slavery, but also to preserve a whole culture, a way of life. Southerners’ wealth and identity belonged to the land they lived on. Lee fought to protect sovereignty, pride, identity, and a decision to secede from the Union. Despite the differences, both men will be heroes for American people. Abraham Lincoln created a sense of nationhood based on equality and coupled it with an American national culture which enabled the United States to maintain its unity. Lincoln became extraordinarily popular not only because he came from a â€Å"common background† but also because of the unusual strength and clarity with which he felt and saw the troubles that were affecting the nation. Lincoln was able to exhibit both warring and emotional leadership. After he established the fact that slaves should be free, he knew he had to make peace with the South to pull the country back together. Despite the dignity, professionalism, and military skills that Lee demonstrated, he represented a country that enslaved an entire race, traded, and sold human beings like livestock. Although the Confederate leaders insisted that they fought for â€Å"states rights,† one of the â€Å"rights† was the continuation of slavery. Robert E. Lee came from a good family. He chose to fight for the confederates although President Lincoln asked him to fight for the North. Lee was a symbol of the Southern chivalry; he did not have any demerits. His way of fighting was very noble. General Lee did not kill everything that moved and did not burn everything that was on his way, unlike the armies from the North. In Lee’s opinion, actions like that were immoral. He insisted that armies should only fight other armies. He did not fight a total war. Lee fought the old-fashioned way. He stood for the old way of life, for nostalgia. Both the North and the South gained knowledge from this horrid experience of  war. Lincoln’s achievements – saving the Union and freeing the slaves – and his sudden death just at the war’s end assured his continuing fame. Lincoln had qualities that made him a great American political leader. His keen intellect, humor and boldness, and compassion all contributed to his presidency in unifying the nation and extending freedom. Despite the differences, both men showed courage, determination and will to pursue their goals, and are now symbols not only of North and South, but also of the United States as a whole.

Jorge Luis Borges: the Blind Man

Tyreak Kellem Hispanic Literature- Spring Semester, 2013 Narrative Exam Horacio Xaubet Narrative Exam I I. Jorge Luis Borges: (a. ) â€Å"†¦ in every story the protagonists are thousands, visible and invisible, living and dead. † The protagonist is the leading character of a story, novel or any literary work. A protagonist is also defined in the modern sense as a supporter or advocate of a social or political cause. The Protagonist is the primary figure of any narrative and the events of the plot are closely associated with the protagonist.Being the central character, the protagonist typically enjoys the most empathy from the audience. Often the protagonist may be the hero who enjoys being the focal point of the narrative and engages the emotions of the audience. It is also possible for the protagonist to be the villain or antihero of the story. In most cases, a story may contain subplots, each having its own protagonist distinct from the main protagonist. In addition to this, each story may neglect to highlight every protagonist. (b. â€Å"Now I possess the secret, I could enunciate it a hundred different and even contradictory ways. I'm not sure how to tell you the secret, now is precious and science, our science, it seems a mere frivolity. He added after a pause: The secret, otherwise it is not worth what they're worth the paths that led me to it. † From this quote, I learned that through his travels he acquired a mental understanding that through the English language we neglect to understand that it has a broader meaning than what we are being taught.Also, he stated that now that he has possession of the â€Å"secret† he could pronounce this secret in a hundred different ways and could even be opposing. Therefore, now that the secret is precious, our science is still mere foolishness. The English language is still â€Å"ignorant† to even comprehend the value behind the â€Å"secret. † (c. ) The first-person, â€Å"Ià ¢â‚¬  is telling about his relationship to â€Å"The other one, the one called Borges. † The focus is on the consciousness of the â€Å"I† who is exploring his feelings, perceptions about the relationship.The story is a meditation on the vertiginous complexities of self-consciousness. The story explores the sense of self as dual, the split between a private â€Å"I†; the self-known by itself and a public persona, the self-known by others. It expresses a multitude of feelings of the private â€Å"I† toward the public self-feelings of difference, strangeness and otherness; feelings of dependence, resentment and criticism; feelings of ambivalence. And finally feelings of confusion about the relationship: Is the private â€Å"I† no less a persona than the public self? â€Å"I do not know which of us has written this page. It is also a reflection on the relationship between a writer and his private self, how the writer turns his private self into art. How he transforms even his most intimate feelings about being used into a work of art. II. Pardo Bazan: (a. ) â€Å"And with the closed fist struck head first, then the face, pushing the fearful little hands, so not yet altered work with who hid Ildara, trembling. † From the very beginning we witnessed a sad spectacle. The image of a girl forced by the circumstances of poverty and the need to help her father appears at first sight.The narration is alternated with the description and dialogue in a way that is orderly and accurate fulfilling the role of the author to ready. For my dialogue explains, makes us speak the characters whom we know better, gives them life and Pardo Bazan puts us as silent witnesses of what happens in-house Ildara through description, torn, natural and real. However, the author belongs to the realist movement that fixed his attention on social problems as a reaction to romanticism whose escape makes escape reality.It does not prevent its reality prese nts it so stark as well as we can see the description of the face of Ildara destroyed us cover eyes to not see as it has been the face: ‘beaten nose', crushed the eye, destroyed mouth, tooth that is on hand with his face bleeding. In which I see traits of naturalism: the stark representation of the facts. In the story, the reader may find different approaches to define the theme for what I consider that the same must infer it. (b. ) While this short story does not involve death, it nevertheless involves a substantial tragedy.The tragedy in â€Å"Las medias rojas† occurs when Ildara’s beauty and essentially hope is destroyed by a violent father who disfigures her by violently beating her over a pair of red stockings she bought. When the story is examined it seems that the red stockings represent the hope and happiness that Ildara feels over the thought that she will soon be leaving her poor and destitute life for a better life. Unlike Ildara, Ildara’s fathe r does not want to leave and therefore disfigures Ildara so that she also cannot leave.The tragic disfiguration of Ildara is very important in that, Ildara’s beauty was what promised her that spot on the ship that would take her to a better life, but without that beauty Ildara no longer has a chance to leave as the ship only accepts the beautiful. On a figurative level, by destroying Ildara’s beauty, Ildara’s father destroys her hope of ever living a better life. By presenting such a brutal way of how one can be rendered hopeless, I believe that Bazan is sending a message about not only the brutality of life, but also the hopelessness that fills the lives of many.Hopelessness in my opinion is the greatest tragedy of all because without hope what is there to live for? Furthermore, this idea of hopelessness is really something that is at the heart of all these tragedies that we see in Spanish literature. In constantly putting tragedy after tragedy in their works, Hispanic authors are not trying to render life as something that is inherently dismal rather they are trying to show that hope is what keeps us alive and that when we allow the tragedies of our lives to consume us we subject ourselves to losing the most important thing that keeps us going each and every day, and that is hope.III. Juan Rulfo: (a. ) In this story we witness a common theme in Mexican literature, as well as in that of Latin America as a whole: the problematic nature of the father-son relationship. Ignacio’s relationship with his father is interesting in and of itself for the way in which the father, despite being clearly at odds with his son, nevertheless undertakes the incredible task of carrying him to Tonaya. It can be also be read, however, as an allegory of the problematic relationship of the post-revolutionary period with the idealistic Revolution that preceded it.Although the allegory is far from obvious, we can see the outlines of this problem in the rela tionship of Ignacio and his father. The father clearly had great hopes for his family but these quickly faded with the loss of his wife and the fragmentation of his family. The next generation, his son Ignacio, due in part to the impossibility of this ideal â€Å"family† and his own shortcomings, has become corrupted, much like many during the post-revolutionary period. One could rgue â€Å"No dogs bark† has some of the theatrical qualities of tragedy in the fatalistic manner in which the characters are driven towards their inevitable destruction. This quality is supported by the way the story largely consists of dialog between the father and son. It is also notable that â€Å"No dogs bark† also exhibits a tendency towards romanticism. The night, the moon and the individual heroism of the father in carrying his son contribute to this romantic impulse, and these elements serve in turn to heighten the force of the story’s tragic ending.

Guy Kawasaki Business Plan Example

Your Logo Name of your company Your Name Title Company Name Mailing address Email address Direct dial number Executive Summary The executive summary is the most important part of the business plan because if it doesn’t â€Å"wow† readers, they will stop—or at least â€Å"tune out†Ã¢â‚¬â€at this point. My suggested format is: * Paragraph 1: Explain what your company does in very simple but seductive terms. * Paragraph 2: Explain the â€Å"magic sauce† that your company has that provides a believable competitive advantage. * Paragraph 3: Explain your current status, milestones reached, and milestones soon to be achieved.Your plan is going to live or die, be read or be tossed, based on this section. It is 80% of what matters in a business plan. Note: You can read my blog post for more information. Problem/Opportunity The purpose of this section is to create an awareness that the problem you solve or opportunity you address is financially attractive. M ost entrepreneurs rely on consulting studies, but this is ineffective because everyone makes similar statements: â€Å"According to Jupiter, the market for avocado farming software will grow to $20 billion by 2015. †As a rule of thumb, the more citations you use, the less believable the opportunity. The better method is to catalyze fantasy so readers make their own market estimate. For example, if your product appeals to teenagers, you’d like the reader to be thinking, â€Å"My kids and all their friends would love this. The market will be huge. † Unfair Advantage This section has to answer the very simple question: â€Å"Why you? † In other words, what makes your company so special that you will succeed where others will fail? Each company can have a different answer to this question: * Leading-edge PhD research High visibility and powerful connections in the industry * Exclusive, perpetual intellectual property license I’ll also tell you what doe sn’t work: saying that you’re bright, energetic, hardworking people who really believe in what you’re doing. Entrepreneurship isn’t an elementary-school play where everyone gets positive feedback. In other words, think â€Å"Tiger entrepreneur† in the spirit of Amy Chua’s Tiger Mom. Frankly, you may not have an unfair advantage then what you should do is delay raising money and bootstrap your company until you can show that the â€Å"dogs are eating the food. If I had to pick the best unfair advantage, it would be that you’re already shipping, and customers are flocking to you. That cuts through all the bull shiitake. Sales and Marketing This section explains how you’re taking your product to market—particularly during the introduction phase. You must show an understanding of direct sales, channels, or freemium marketing to be credible. Also, you should make it obvious that the cost of acquisition of a customer is far l ess than the revenue you’ll reap from each customer. Specificity is everything here. Blowing smoke such as â€Å"we’ll use viral marketing† is an insult to the reader’s intelligence.Going viral is an outcome, not a strategy. A sophisticated reader will want to know your tactics at the ground-level—not a 50,000 foot view. So imagine yourself in the marketplace. You’ve got a knife in your teeth. How are you going to capture the market? Competition There are two goals for this section. First, to provide an overview of what competition your company faces. Readers truly want to know what you will be up against. Second, to build credibility by showing that you are aware of all the major competitors and understand how to do battle with them.Many entrepreneurs screw up this section by claiming there is no competition. Anyone whose money you’d want will conclude one of two things if you do this: you don’t know how to use a search engine or you’re going after a market that doesn’t exist. The best case for this section is that you create a chart that shows what you can do and your competition can’t and what you can’t do and your competition can. Finish off by showing tactical ways to defeat the competition. Business Model Explain exactly how you’re going to make money in this section. Will you be selling licenses? Boxes? Virtual goods?Advertising? There are a limited number of options here, and I wouldn’t try to invent a brand-new business model. You may not know how you will generate revenue. That’s okay. Take your best shot based on your marketing and sales strategy and what other successful companies have done. I would not, however, list a bunch of potential business models. Then it looks like you’re clueless and barfing out possibilities. Here’s a power tip: Ask women what they think of your business model. Women are much better judges of business mo dels than men because they are much better bull-shiitake detectors.Forecast In a few days, I’ll provide an Excel model that helps you create a five-year financial forecast for this section. You can find the Excel model in the same folder as this outline on my SkyDrive, or search for the post on my blog http://blog. guykawasaki. com. But the gist of this section of your business plan is to tell your story with numbers. The elements of this story include the opportunity, required resources, and checkpoints. Honestly, no one is going to believe your numbers, and this is okay because it’s true of all pitches.What you need to communicate is an overall picture of the economics of your business, the trends in the market segment, and an understanding of your business. Team This is the infamous team section of the business plan. It’s the section that entrepreneurs think make or break the plan. Many experts would disagree with me, but it’s not the most important pa rt of the business-plan document. The Executive Summary is because if it’s not great, readers will not care, or perhaps even get to, the team section. Frankly, most team sections are weak—almost by definition.You are, after all, a young company seeking funding. If you truly had a proven team, you wouldn’t be seeking funding because you’d be using your own money or you could call up investors in prior companies who would fall all over themselves to fund you. So what you want to do is to have catalyzed fantasy with your PowerPoint, demo, and previous sections of the business plan to such a degree that the reader is thinking, â€Å"This is such a great idea that we can help build the team,† as opposed to â€Å"This is such a great team that surely they can do something great. †Then this section should demonstrate that you have at least two people who are dedicating their lives to making the company a success and that they have relevant experien ce. You and your co-founder are probably not famous, but hopefully you’ve worked for companies that the reader has heard of. You heard it here first: well-known corporate logos are a proxy for a good team. If not corporate logos, then college logos will suffice. If you can furnish neither, then we’re back to the best testimony of all: you are already shipping, and the dogs are eating the food.Have you noticed that I constantly come back to this? Real customers are the best â€Å"proof† of viability. Status and Milestones The purpose of this section is to â€Å"tie a bow on the present. † Another metaphor is that this section of the plan is the vanilla ice cream that goes on top of the warm apple pie. Reiterate all the progress you’ve made â€Å"without any outside funding,† how the customers are eating your stuff up, and how the trend is your friend.

Sodastream Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sodastream - Case Study Example The key strategic issue facing SodaStream involves its North American market. The organization has to find a way of increasing its market share in the United States. Although the American market has a $40 billion home consumption market, the organization had only achieved $7 million in sales in 2008 (Subramanian 7). In order to penetrate the American market, it needs to fight established brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. In addition, it must build an emotional connection with the American consumers. Achieving this would be a challenge because Americans have a significantly lower interest in the environment than the European consumers do. SodaStream believes that the fact that it does not use cans or bottles makes it more environmentally friendly than its competitors. The strategy would face a challenge in the American market since people love buying canned and bottled soda. Furthermore, it has to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2016 in an economy where its competitors are experie ncing sharp declines in revenue growth (8). The demand for Soda has been falling consistently over the past five years (IBIS). Consequently, growing its operation in the United States will be a significant challenge. SodaStream can address the key strategic issue by adopting one of the following strategies. Firstly, it needs to launch an aggressive marketing campaign. Although environmental awareness in the United States is low, an increasing segment of the population would be loyal to a brand that helps to make the world cleaner. In addition, it should leverage the close ties between America and Israel to connect with Americans. The two countries share a rich history. Secondly, it can commence an aggressive campaign against Coca-Cola. The strategy will give the company visibility. American culture celebrates the underdog and the company could benefit from this strategy. Third, the brand can focus on the home market. The marketing campaign

Mng Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mng - Essay Example Specialisation is the first criterion that is to be taken into account in the case of Bentley University. Based on its organisation structure, it shows that the tasks are subdivided into separate jobs. It is important to consider that in organisation theory, an extensive specialisation will allow employees to perform only a narrow range of tasks (Daft 16). At the top level next to the President and the executive assistant, Bentley is composed of seven operating divisions namely: business and finance, information services and operations, enrolment management, advancement, student affairs, marketing and communications and academic affairs. The university organises these divisions under the direct supervision of the President. If the office of the President will employ all the functions involved in the seven divisions, the entire university will eventually not work at its best considering the point that it has to do multi-tasking or perform a narrow range of tasks. Such situation will n ot allow any chance for the appropriate division of labour in order to optimise the capacity of the university to provide a high quality and standard service offering. In other words, specialisation is viewed to exist in the case of Bentley’s organisational structure, considering that it has subdivided the operations into seven divisions. It is however noted that the first and second divisions are under the direct control of the Vice President for Administration and Finance. Business and finance and the information services and operations are two divisions reporting directly to the VP for Administration and Finance. It makes sense that the business and finance department should be directly reporting to the office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance. It even makes sense that the information services and operations will also have to do the same. The reason is straightforward. The

What Happens to Kids When Parents Do Not Pay Attention to Them because Essay

What Happens to Kids When Parents Do Not Pay Attention to Them because They Are Busy Working - Essay Example Children are totally dependent on adults at the time of birth, and to a great extent till the time they are equipped with the tools to be able to fend for themselves. Besides the basic physical needs of a child like food, clothing, medical care, education and a safe environment in which to grow; other needs that are of great importance to a child’s well being, and those that can impact the child’s future, are emotional needs; that if neglected, can scar a child for life, and cause untold damage to the child as well as to the society in which s/he lives. The problems of neglect among today’s kids are increasing. Till the first part of the twentieth century, these problems were not so evident. The support of extended families and the role of the mother who was a homemaker, ensured that enough time was given to kids although families were larger then, than they are today. As more and more women began to work and set up nuclear families the problem of children's need s being neglected has arisen, and of late has assumed gargantuan proportions. Today parents’ neglect of their children stems not just from lack of time or resources, but often is caused by parents being more self centered and putting their own need for having a good time before the needs of their children. Sometimes it is also caused because parents themselves have been victims of neglect and /or victims of drug abuse. It is shocking that these problems should arise at a time when family planning methods are easily available and parents have the choice of planning their family. Raising a child is a tremendous responsibility and the best parents have sometimes been stumped by the demands and pressures that a child is capable of putting on them. There is no question of quality time. Child raising is a job without hours and one that can try the patience of a saint. Yet, according to many parents who have successfully raised families with all the attendant problems, it is a treme ndously satisfying and joyful experience. Those parents who can balance work and home life find that parenting is less stressful. One has to re-evaluate priorities and make some choices and hard decisions when one plans a family. A parent’s love for the child is the motivating factor that goads parents to make many adjustments in their lifestyle for their children. The bond that develops between loving, caring parents and their children makes children want to please their parents. The development of this bond of love between parents and their children is an important factor for the healthy physical, mental and emotional development of children, that can have long term consequences on the kind of human beings that children grow up to be. Babies need a lot of time because they are so helpless and need parents to fulfil every need. During the first few months after childbirth, the mother too is going through a lot of emotional stress and needs the support of her husband and othe r close family members. As the child begins to grow, s/he is learning at a fast pace and the need to feel loved, protected and secure is very great. At this point the toddler needs the reassurance of being loved and valued. As s/he conquers new milestones, the pride of parents in his/her achievement is the highlight of the toddler’s day and s/he strives to repeat the newly learned skill. In the growing years, children often have to be reprimanded for bad behavior or mistakes that are an inevitable part of growing up. At such times parents must ensure that the child’s mistake has been explained and understood. If a child does not understand why s/he is punished the same mistakes

The role of technology and management for the success of an Essay

The role of technology and management for the success of an organization - Essay Example Organizational effectiveness can be achieved by employing diversified resources, advanced technology, suitable policies, procedures and systems that help in achieving organizational goals. Management of these critical components becomes extremely important not only from strategic viewpoint but also to actually derive the intended benefits. One such practice is diversity management, which organizations adopt to build better working relationship among employees and with management. This study critically views Mintzberg’s assertions related to managerial role in implementing diversity management. Theoretical construct: Mintzberg defines management as a practice that has to blend a good deal of craft (experience) with a certain amount of art (insight) and some science (analysis) (2009; p.xii). Mintzberg’s (2009) viewpoint about management is abstract, and managers’ discretion and purpose have to underpin their decisions, which need to be aligned to the organizational goals. This is, somewhat, an extension of Skinner’s (1974) proposition on bringing congruency between elements of production system and organizational goals. For instance, one of the propositions to improve performance is to include highly skilled and technologically sound workforce, which is also one of the functions of diversity management. For this, organizations employ various practices such as hiring employees with diversified skills and from different backgrounds. Skinner’s (1974) proposition with respect to workforce actually helps managers in leveraging their insight, analysis and experience in employ ing skilled workforce. Literature findings: Surgevil (2010) constructs his proposition related to diversity management in the Turkish setup based on the fact that increasing impact of globalization, advancements in technology, changing organizational structures and systems have affected Turkish organizations more than ever before. Advancement in technology that has resulted in greater communication media, effective communication and vast opportunities to communicate and learn has been the major factors affecting organizational systems; in a sense, this advancement has also been the cause for increased competition, globalization, and aggression in the service and production industry throughout the world.

Morrisons future growth for the last few years and whats predicted for Essay

Morrisons future growth for the last few years and whats predicted for the next few years . Dalton Philips - Essay Example The Optimization Plan launched in 2006, ended up creating greater sales growth and profits higher than the market. However, more recently the December 2010 sales growth reveals only 1% increase in the sales on the occasion of Christmas which attracts far higher sales. This increase of 1% is much smaller than its rivals and point towards an alarming future of the organization (Heraldscotland, 2011). The future targets of Morrison are to expand the space of its supermarket stores up to 1.5m square feet in the coming years till January 2013. The company is spending much capital on extending its space which may be a hurdle for the future growth. The profits increased from 655m pounds in 2009 to 858m pounds in 2010 (Steiner, 2010). The profit before tax of the company has increased by 21% in 2010. The earnings per share also increased accordingly by 23% in 2010. The cash flow situation of the company is also strong if we analyze its past activities. However, the increased capital expendit ure may be questioned for the appropriateness and efficiency of such large investments. In 2009/10 the company spent 906m pounds in order to develop a new regional distribution centre and opened 45 new stores. The increased capital expenditure resulted in increased debt of the company.

Human Factors and Workplace Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Factors and Workplace Safety - Essay Example Organizations should thus, ensure a safe work environment, which protects employees from physical hazards, unhealthy situations and violence from other personal. This is important because employees are the Human Resources of an organization who contribute towards organizational success. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was passed in 1970 to assure so far as possible every working woman and man in the Nation safe and healthy working conditions and to preserve human resources. The Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration within the Department of labour in U.S.A. The importance of such laws can be well documented by the statistical survey of Occupational hazards. In 2000, 5.7 million injuries were reported in private sector alone. 5,915 fatalities were reported in 2000 alone due to industrial injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Act laws cover all the employers and their employees except a few federal governments, or states or political sub-divisions of a state. However, even in such cases, each federal agency is required to establish a Safety and Health program monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. One of the key responsibilities of the Occupational Safety and Health administration has been the develop... These standards have been classified into four categories. 1. General Industry 2. Maritime 3. Construction and 4. Agriculture. These standards cover the workplace, machinery, material, power sources, processing, protective measures, first aid and administrative requirements. The 'Federal Register' is the main source of information on proposed, adapted, amended and deleted OSHA standards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has the power to set standards on its own account or on petition from other parties, namely, The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Other bodies like state and local governments, recognized standards organization, employer or labour representative can also initiate standard setting. The Secretary of labour is the person authorized by OSHA to conduct inspections of workplaces, to issue citations and impose penalties. He can enter without delay at reasonable times into any factory, plant, establishment, construction site or other places where work is performed by an employee of an employer. He has the power to investigate and inspect at reasonable times, any such work place. Violations on job safety and health can call for a penalty of $7000 to $70,000, depending on the seriousness of the violation. In case of deaths due to willful violation, a penalty upto $2,50,000 for an individual and $5,00,000 for a corporation with imprisonment upto six months can be imposed as per this law.In 2001 alone, $82 million has been imposed as penalties for violation of OSHA standards. Pennzoil products paid $1.5 million after an explosion at its Rouseville, Pennsylvania, refinery killed 5 employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also helps

Leadership & Management on Hampton court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership & Management on Hampton court - Essay Example According to Thurley (2003, p.124), unlike most common mazes that are normally characterized by a single spiral path winding to a center point, Hampton court maze is widely known for intriguing and confusing visitors with its numerous turns, twists, or dead ends and is often referred to as a puzzle or multi-cursal maze. The Action Plan to Hampton Court The planned maze exercise took place on Friday December 6, 2013. Our group included Mwansa, Iqura lashan and I with Iqura lashan being the nominated leader of the group. We used public transport to reach Hampton court maze. The actual venue is located at A308 and is accessible through major local roads and by train (Wright, 2001, p.98). This schedule includes a detailed account of the times, costs, visited locations, contingency as well as a critical risk assessment. Fig.1: A photo of our group members making their way inside the Hampton court maze Itinerary 8.30am: The leadership maze exercise began in the morning hours and we were sc heduled to meet our team leader, Iqura at exactly 8.30 am at Stratford. The journey began at Bromley station where we got the Victoria line to Green Park in the Jubilee line and finally got off at Stafford station where we met the team leader. After meeting, with Iqura, we took the route to Bank station from where we took the Waterloo and city line. Once at Waterloo underground station, we took the south west train towards basing stroke rail station before getting off at substation and taking the south west train to Hampton Court at around 9.15am. 9.30 am: Having successfully made our way into the historic Hampton Court Palace, we paid our entry fee of ?4.00 per each individual group member before briefly assembling under the team leader to discuss the various modalities of our leadership maze exercise. We were also provided with a costumed guide who was not only tasked with escorting our group but also making knowledgeable commentary assisting with practical issues throughout our t our of the maze. The entire duration of the maze exercise was timed and scheduled to allow for as few non program activities such as photo opportunities and a one hour lunch break. 10:00am: We picked a map at the entrance to the Hampton court maze and proceeded with the maze exercise. Despite experiencing many false trails, pitfalls and occasional dead ends, our nominated leader successfully guided the group through the maze through the turnings until we eventually reached the center of the maze. Although it did not seem that long, our path through the maze covered nearly half a mile which took us nearly 45 minutes including the time we spent taking photographs. 12.00 pm: We made our way to the exit of the maze at around noon after successfully making our way out. Our team leader quickly arranged for a light lunch and refreshments at Tiltyard Cafe situated just outside Hampton Palace grounds. After lunch, the group concluded the trip. Cost The accurate figure of the actual cost of t he trip depended on a number of factors. Having used public means of transport to get to the Hampton court maze, transportation was one of the biggest costs we incurred during the entire trip. This was particularly attributed to the distance each of the group members had to cover before reaching our final destination at the Hampton court palace maze. On the other hand, a considerable part of our budget during our leadership ma

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers Understanding Hurricane Katrina Essay

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers Understanding Hurricane Katrina - Essay Example In a single story, Dave Eggers depicts the countless tales of trauma during and after the Hurricane Katrina, in the book Zeitoun. This paper critically examines how Eggers’ narrative in Zeitoun affects the understanding of Hurricane Katrina based on my own experiences with those depicted in the text and how they coincide with the event. Zeitoun is a contemporary nonfiction masterpiece that illustrates the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. In the book, Abdulrahman Zeitoun is an American Muslim, born and grown up in Syria before settling in the U.S. Zeitoun married Cathy, a native Louisiana Muslim. When Hurricane Katrina began, Zeitoun sends his family to Baton Rouge. Zeitoun stays behind to watch over his home and business. After the devastating storm, Zeitoun crosses the submerged city in a canoe helping trapped people. Zeitoun and two friends are arrested by law enforcement agents in the ensuing counterterrorism efforts. While Zeitoun experienced poor treatment in the hands of the security officers, the book gives clear picture of prison injustices met on the basis of discrimination. A critical analysis of the novel reveals that the author’s main themes relates to racism and the importance of family relationships in post-disaster efforts. With specific regard to the Hurricane Katrina, the book exposes the reader to the government inefficiencies and flaws in handling the disaster. In particular, the book explores the consequences of government inefficiencies such as prison injustices, discrimination and breaking of family ties. Litman (2006) argues that every disaster presents unique problems, and that Katina began with hurricane leading to civil disorder and isolation of people (2). The handling of the Hurricane Katrina has been criticized for various reasons. The Center of Progressive Reform (2005) argues that Katrina was foreseeable but emergency response planning and implementation efforts were poor (6). Although the book does may not paint a complete picture of the post-disaster management exercise, it exposes how long-running government inefficiencies could be exacerbated during disaster management and the consequences such inadequacies have on individuals and families. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was mandated in overseeing both the preparation and response to the disaster. The book shows how FEMA could have lost its focus on mitigating natural disaster. On one hand, the book exposes how efforts from civilian volunteers could have helped in disaster response efforts. This is especially important considering that federal assistance was delayed for many days after the disaster. Criticisms have been raised against the leadership in disaster management. While there was communication breakdown, civilian volunteers could have had an impact in rescuing trapped people. The book uncovers the impact of prison injustices in the investigations of the terror threats following the Hurricane Katrina. For in stance, Zeitoun and other men are arrested and transferred to Hunt correctional facilities while no appropriate charges are preferred. This is especially important because the Zeitoun is not allowed to contact his family or friends. Egger says â€Å"Zeitoun had not been charged with a crime†¦.he did not know why he was being held†¦.in a small room surrounded by soldiers in camouflage demanding he removes his clothes’ (226). From the outset, this statement exposes the violation of human rights issues during the post-Katrina events. The author continues â€Å"

Raising Achievement of Ethnic Minority Children Essay Example for Free

Raising Achievement of Ethnic Minority Children Essay This literature review would explore the barriers in raising educational achievements of ethnic minority students. As this is a broad area of concern the literature would examine two main barriers such as social background issues and English as Additional Language (EAL) while briefly looking at other barriers such as†¦ Statistical data collected from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) 2002 would be analysed in respect to this group social economic status and its effect on their learning. The literature would outline the significance of raising achievement, particularly ICT teacher’s responsibility. This report would identify some strategies/solutions including pedagogical approaches to raising achievement which would be supported by research. The overall findings would illustrate why ethnic minority children underperform academically than their counterparts in school. INTRODUCTION It is important to recognise that ethnic minority pupils may fall into the category of low class low achievement. (Battle and Lewis 2010 pg35) said â€Å"a person’s education is closed linked to their life chances, income and wellbeing† it’s therefore, fair to say that ethnic minority communities are most likely to underachievement than others because of their socio-economic conditions. Language in education has long been the subject of attention by educationists at all levels. Initially as concerning the problem of teaching English to children for whom it is not a first language, The Swann Report 1985 pg385 Other drawbacks to raising achievement are institutional racism, lack of motivation, lack of suitable challenge, the appropriateness of activities and tasks, a mix-match of expectations, a perceived irrelevance of the activities and tasks. National Education Authority claim to be â€Å"raising achievement to higher levels and closing student achievement gaps are priorities in schools and communities at all economic levels and in urban, rural, and suburban settings†. (http://www.nea. org/home/17413. htm. Accessed 02/11/12) What is Raising Achievement? According to (DfES 0013-2006. Pg. 6) (Excel and enjoy) raising achievement means a â€Å"tailored education for every child and young person, that gives them strength in the basics, stretches their aspirations, and builds their life chances. It will create opportunity for every child, regardless of their background†. Teachers have a committed liability to enable all learners to attain and achieve their full potential, whether they are SEN (Special Education Needs), EAL (English as an Additional Language) or ethnic minority student. What is Ethnic Minority? The ethnic minorities in the UK, 50% are Asian or Asian British (Indian, Pakistani etc. ), 25% are Black or Black British (Black African, Black Caribbean etc. ), 15% are Mixed Race, 5% are Chinese and 5% are of other ethnic backgrounds. (http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm. Accessed 02/11/12) Cabinet Office defined it as â€Å"Ethnicity refers to cultural heritage (thus the term ethnic minorities can also be used to include White ‘ethnic’ minority groups in Britain, such as the Irish or people from other European countries). However, the systematic historical and continuing pattern of disadvantage for Black and Asian groups singles them out for special consideration†. (webarchive. gov. uk. Accessed 02/11/12). Barriers to Raising achievement Socio-Economic Backgrounds: Socio class can cause inequality in class which could in turn influence the achievement in children; (C. Stephen pg. 269) Social scientists have recognised the importance of an individual’s family socio economic status (SES) has an influence on the academic achievement of children since the mid-1960s. It could cause low their self-confidence and self-esteem â€Å"ethnic minorities may have special issues related to self-esteem. Because of prejudice, minority members are likely to see a negative image of themselves† ( DeLamater. J Myers. D pg. 88). (http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm) â€Å"Ethnic backgrounds that are less successful in education is because they have a higher percentage of pupils from working class backgrounds. Also the lower a childs class position, the lower their income. Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black pupils are more likely to be raised in low income families. This can affect how well they do in school because lack of funds means lack of school equipment, less favourable working conditions e. g. cold house, no desk etc. This inequity could lead to poor or erratic attendance which was cited as a contributory factor to poor attainment in several schools. Table1 the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) 2002 illustrates the impact of socio-economic disadvantage by comparing relative GCSE performance for pupils who are eligible for free school meals. This shows that pupils from lower socio-economic groups tend to achieve less good results than those from higher socio-economic groups and that this difference is particularly large for white pupils. (Aiming High Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils) Table2: The pupil level annual school census (PLASC) 2002 characteristics: Proportion achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs for those entered for GCSEs in Maintained Schools in 2002 Note: these charts are based on data collected as part of the 2002 Pupil Level Annual Schools Census. From 2003, data will be based on an updated set of categories including mixed heritage, Gypsy/Roma and Travellers of Irish heritage which are listed at annex A. (Aiming High Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils) Discrimination on grounds such as race will affect effective learning fundamentally in most cases, which is linked to disparities in school. Some schools are institutionally racist, says Oftseds Director of Inspections, Jim Rose to the annoyance of teachers unions. Mr Rose said Much of that [racism], we think, is to do with unwitting stereotyping of youngsters and the lack of expectation or lowered expectation of teachers as a result of that sometimes (http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/education/294078. stm)†. With the fact that their â€Å"ethnicity influences their class and their class influences their attitude†, there is concern about the aspirations of underprivileged children â€Å"socio-economic barriers may hinder aspiration formation for these children because of lack of mentors, opportunities, and resources and also doubt their ability to attain in learning† (http://www.learningbenefits. net/Publications/ResReps/ResRep27. pdf pg3). The majority of schools are engaged in a wide variety of initiatives to improve provision and raise the attainment of all pupils. However, few schools monitor these activities systematically and rarely do they have a specific ethnic focus. (Raising_the_attainment_of_minority_ethnic_pupils_school_and_LEA_responsespg7). Strategies to raising achievement of Socio-economic barrier: Having realistic expectations of the educational achievement of children of lower socioeconomic groups will make them feel they can achieve their potential. â€Å"Expectations are also shaped by teacher and student perceptions of the reasons for successes and failures. A low ability student, who views failures as lack of ability and successes as luck, will lose his motivation, feeling that there is little he can change to improve his learning†. (Rose Miller 2001) As evidenced earlier pupils from ethnic minority group have low self –esteem therefore, it is crucial for teachers to encourage the child or young person to find their own preferred style and rhythm of learning so they are motivated to pursue their learning process, making them have ownership of their own learning and work. To help raise achievement teachers and leaders should monitor and track achievement, encourage and support the child to maximize their potential be aspirational for them. â€Å"Parents with fewer financial resources tend to hold lower aspirations for their children, and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds tend to have lower aspirations than their more advantaged peers (Schoon, 2006). Promoting a culturally friendly environments and establishing classroom ethos of respect with a clear approach to racism and bad behaviour â€Å"modelling and promoting values, attitudes and behaviour supportive of race equality in class would explore and target underachievement to raise attainment†. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg23). Strategically choosing students to work in groups, peer assessment where they can see others work which could help them shape their own work and attain a better grade. However, teachers need to provide students with a stress free learning environment so they can feel included . (EVIDENCE OF WHY THEY NEED STRESS FREE ENVIRON,ENT) The revised National Curriculum includes a statutory inclusion statement setting out how teachers can ensure the curriculum is accessible to all pupils which would certainly help raise attainment for also ethnic minority students . It states that teachers must follow three principles for inclusion: setting ethnic focus. (Raising_the_attainment_of_minority_ethnic_pupils_school_and_LEA_responsespg7). Strategies to raising achievement of Socio-economic barrier: Having realistic expectations of the educational achievement of children of lower socioeconomic groups will make them feel they can achieve their potential. â€Å"Expectations are also shaped by teacher and student perceptions of the reasons for successes and failures. A low ability student, who views failures as lack of ability and successes as luck, will lose his motivation, feeling that there is little he can change to improve his learning†. (Rose Miller 2001) As evidenced earlier pupils from ethnic minority group have low self –esteem therefore, it is crucial for teachers to encourage the child or young person to find their own preferred style and rhythm of learning so they are motivated to pursue their learning process, making them have ownership of their own learning and work. To help raise achievement teachers and leaders should monitor and track achievement, encourage and support the child to maximize their potential be aspirational for them. â€Å"Parents with fewer financial resources tend to hold lower aspirations for their children, and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds tend to have lower aspirations than their more advantaged peers (Schoon, 2006). Promoting a culturally friendly environments and establishing classroom ethos of respect with a clear approach to racism and bad behaviour â€Å"modelling and promoting values, attitudes and behaviour supportive of race equality in class would explore and target underachievement to raise attainment†. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg23). Strategically choosing students to work in groups, peer assessment where they can see others work which could help them shape their own work and attain a better grade. However, teachers need to provide students with a stress free learning environment so they can feel included . (EVIDENCE OF WHY THEY NEED STRESS FREE ENVIRON,ENT) The revised National Curriculum includes a statutory inclusion statement setting out how teachers can ensure the curriculum is accessible to all pupils which would certainly help raise attainment for also ethnic minority students . It states that teachers must follow three principles for inclusion: setting suitable learning challenges; responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs; and overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils. (cabinet office pg14). NALDIC (National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum), states that we should therefore ensure access to and progress through the curriculum or subject content. (using ict for eal pg5) Also very few schools review their curricular and pastoral strategies to ensure that they are sensitive to the ethnic groups in the student population and the wider community. In those instances where schools have done this as a result of concerns about a particular minority ethnic group, positive outcomes have resulted. (Raising_the_attainment_of_minority_ethnic_pupils_school_and_LEA_responsespg7) Schools working effectively with pupils in low attaining groups were not found to adopt specific approaches for particular groups of pupils such as minority ethnic groups, but instead personalised the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment such that pupils in any group could benefit. (Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Group). Self- assessment and appropriate target setting according to individual learning styles would help them to build identities as successful learners. The new Teachers Standards (DfE, 2011) would enable this strategy to work perfectly as teachers have to Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils†¦evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them. (Standard 5 The QTS Standards: DFES ‘Qualifying to Teach’(2002) In additional, as â€Å"they are much more likely than their peers of a higher socioeconomic environment to have a poor attendance, leave school earlier and with fewer qualifications, and are at far greater risk of being excluded from school. † http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf . Teachers recognise strengths and improvements praising their effort would encourage children participation. Using positive words (‘I’ve seen a spark in you) and encourage this group would make them feel motivated, believe in themselves and appreciated to want to attend school (promoting attendance) regardless of any socio-economic worries. Attending â€Å"parents evenings and other less formal school functions can help understand difficulties and help to remove any barriers† http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf. This could help build parent teacher relationship and both parties could devise ways to help raise the achievement and eliminate barriers affecting this young person’s learning. ? Respect frustration and encourage a positive approach to setbacks. http://education-landscapes. eu/pdf/learning_barriers. pdf. English as an Additional Language (EAL) barrier on Ethnic Minority: EAL learners will be affected by attitudes towards them, their culture, language, religion, and ethnicity http://www. mkweb. co. uk/emass/documents/Website_EAL_Artwork. pdf. The proportions of pupils with English as an additional language are from ethic minority background groups about five per cent (Black Caribbean pupils) to over 90 per cent (those from Bangladeshi backgrounds). Approximately 9. 3% (over 632,000) of all pupils in schools in England are recorded as having English as an additional language (EAL) according to Statistics of Education 2002(aiminghighraisingachievent pg28). These speech patterns are argued to be consistent with many low income families which are inadequate to meet the demands of the education system. These patterns directly contribute to educational failure as students cannot always understand elaborated speech which teachers use and teachers often misunderstand students who use the restricted speech. As a result there is a breakdown in communication between teachers and pupils. http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/ethnic_minorities_education. htm. This is a major barrier to achievement as English is not their first language and cannot communicate effectively in lesson, with peers and content of the curriculum it is helpful for the to access prior knowledge so they have a fair understanding before the next lesson â€Å"Language learners need access to the subject curriculum while they are learning English†. EAL students learning is NOT a learning difficulty, learners should not be placed in groups or sets for ‘slow learners’–they need good peer models of subject specific talk and writing. Teacher expectations are powerful determiners of student success. Teachers should reflect high expectations in the ambitious targets set for these children. Bilingual learners need to make more progress each year than their peers in order to catch up (Collier, 1995) –their efforts need to be acknowledged and appreciated, to build their self-image and self-esteem as successful learners. (Making the Difference Teaching and learning strategies in multi-ethnic schools) Solution/Approaches: (Bourne, 1998 and others) Reforming the mainstream to be more language aware is not only good for bilingual learners, but benefits ALL students (Making the Difference Teaching and learning strategies in multi-ethnic schools). Education authorities have recognised the fact that student with EAL will struggle to reach their potential and has incorporate into the new Teachers Standards, saying that â€Å"all teachers and trainee teachers will benefit from an understanding and recognition of EAL as a significant field of teaching and learning. (http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy.) It is important to recognise that children learning EAL are as able as any other children, and the learning experiences planned for them should be no less cognitively challenging â€Å"High challenge can be maintained through the provision of contextual and linguistic support and raise attainment. (ExcellenceandEnjoyment:learningandteachingintheprimaryyears,Creatingalearningculture:Classroomcommunity,collaborativeandpersonalisedlearning(DfES 0522-2004 G) However, Schools and colleges will need therefore to provide both physical and virtual learning environments that motivate and support the EAL learner’s distinctive needs. Raising achievement of ethnic minorities students with low attainment and EAL by developing appropriate resources across the curriculum; make effective use of displays boards to support their learning and develop their knowledge of the linguistic, cultural backgrounds. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg32) It is a legal requirement for literacy to be included into lesson; literacy is fundamental to good learning and achievement. It must therefore be a top priority for teachers consider how subject specific vocabulary like writing out keywords on white board, spelling and pronouncing words correctly which would help improve their English language â€Å"grammar should be introduced, modelled, extended and supported through the teaching of subject content to enhance literacy† (ExcellenceandEnjoymentlearningandteachingforbilingualchildrenintheprimaryyears). Organise small groups for computer-based activities that enable early stage learners to work with other first language speakers and to hear good models of English. â€Å"Establishing layered curriculum targets as a context for language development. Speaking and listening: guided sessions for language development. † (Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Group). Using ICT to raise achievement of Ethnic Minority pupils with EAL. ICT has a vital role to play in providing the appropriate resources and technology for both learners and teachers. Using ICT to support EAL students presents challenges for many teachers of how best to make use of these new and emerging technologies to raise the achievement of their EAL students. (Using ICT to support students who have English as an additional language) Using Creative use of ICT in the classroom can promote inclusion and reflect cultural and linguistic diversity. Multimedia Projects provide excellent opportunities for learners to work collaboratively with other first language speakers. Email, local network links, user groups and video conferencing facilities provide opportunity for learners to communicate with proficient speakers of English and also of their first language across the world. Pupils learning EAL require opportunities to draw on additional contextual support to make sense of new information and language. Content learning for pupils learning EAL can be greatly improved through the use of visual support. This can help learners to conceptualise learning tasks that are being presented to them, or in which they are engaged, even when their knowledge of the target language is limited. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy OCD/Migraine/ Metal plate in head due to past injury. If *** bumps her head call carer immediately/ unhappy to come SRS/difficult to make friends/suffered bullying/kept away from other students at break times in primary school/attention seeker/ mother died due to violently attacked by father (sees father in prison) / CAMHS/ care placement/ Literacy/maths/low self esteem/limited support from home/ IEP/PEP Pedagogy approach to EAL EAL pedagogy is the set of systematic teaching approaches which have evolved from classroom based practices in conjunction with the development of knowledge through theoretical and research perspectives. These approaches meet the language and learning needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language. They can be used in a wide range of different teaching contexts. http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy Setting out limited number of objectives criteria describe what the outcomes will look like when they are achieved; and actions linked to the target objectives to identify what has to be achieved by the end of lesson is said to raise success of learners whose second language is English (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg23). Personalisation is the key to tackling the persistent achievement gaps between different social and ethnic groups. It means a tailored education for every child and young person, that gives them strength in the basics, stretches their aspirations and builds their life chances. Higher standards, better schools for all (HMSO 2006)(from-excellentandenjoymentlearning pg14) The development of EAL pedagogy has been influenced by social constructivist theories which emphasise the importance of scaffolding learning, and those which highlight the importance of socio-cultural and emotional factors. Children learning EAL will be affected by attitudes towards them, their culture, language, religion and ethnicity. (excellentandenjoymentlearning pg14) Learning of English should be distinguished into communicative skills and cognitive and academic language proficiency. Children should be paired up in group so they can become conversationally fluent in the new language by communication and collaborating with others and to catch up with monolingual peers in the development of cognitive and academic language. Activating pupils prior knowledge â€Å"Finding out what pupils know about a topic through questioning, supporting self-monitoring and using KWL (Know, Want to find out, Learned) charts, brainstorming in small groups or pairs, discovery tasks, enabling use of first language. †http://www. naldic. org. uk/eal-teaching-and-learning/outline-guidance/pedagogy. Peer and share, questioning strategies using oral feedback is also important to move learners towards the forms of language used in writing (cognitive) and linguistic development. Children learning an additional language are not just learning vocabularies, grammars and pronunciations; it helps them to learn all other language functions such as questioning, analysing, hypothesising that they need for other subjects like mathematics, science, ICT and so on. Planning lesson for a class that has EAL student.

Water Content Or Moisture Content Environmental Sciences Essay

Water Content Or Moisture Content Environmental Sciences Essay Water content  or  moisture content  is the quantity of  water  contained in a material, such as  soil  (called  soil moisture),  rock,  ceramics, fruit, or  wood. Water content is used in a wide range of scientific and technical areas, and is expressed as a ratio, which can range from 0 (completely dry) to the value of the materials  porosity  at saturation. It can be given on a volumetric or mass (gravimetric) basis. The water content of a material is used in expressing the phase relationships of air, water, and solids in a given volume of material. In fine-grained (cohesive) soils, the consistency of a given soil type depends on its water content. The water content of a soil, along with its liquid and plastic limits as determined by Test Method  D4318, is used to express   its relative consistency or liquidity index. The quality of the result produced by this standard is dependent on the competence of the personnel performing it, and the suitability of the equipment and facilities used. Agencies that meet the criteria of Practice  D3740  are generally considered capable of competent and objective testing/sampling/inspection/etc. Users of this standard are cautioned that compliance with Practice  D3740  does not in itself ensure reliable results. The mass of water used in the above expression is the mass of free pore water only. Hence for moisture content determination the soil samples are dried to the temperature at which only pore water is evaporated. This temperature was standardized 105 C to 110 C. Soils having gypsum are dried at 60C to 80 C. The quantity of soil sample needed for the determination of moisture content depends on the gradation and the maximum size of particles. Following quantities are recommended. Soil Max quantity used (gm) Coarse gravel 1000 to 2000 Fine gravel 300 to 500 Coarse sand 200 Medium sand 50 Fine sand 25 Silt and clays 10 to 25 Moisture content affection : Always the amount of moisture contents affects the soil strongly by different issues , and this is the dramatically classifications of the different amounts of the moisture content in the soil : The soil is called ( brittle solid ) when its in a dry state or have a very little amount of moisture content inside the soil , and it will be hard and brittle as a result of that , though it breaks before it will deform ( hard candy ). The soil is described as ( semi-solid ) when its have a little amount of moisture content in it , thatà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s not able to cancel the solidity in the soil because of the little amount of it in the soil , and the behavior of the soil will be between the brittle and ductile state , and though it deforms permanently but with cracks ( like stiff cheese ). The soil described also as ( plastic ) when it have a noticed amount of moisture content which have an appearance affect in the soil , when the amount of the water content is nor little neither much in the soil , and the behavior of the soil in the state will noticed directly while catching the samlple of the soil by hand , it will have a very ductile , malleable behavior , thatà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s will deform without cracking ( like play-doh ). The soil in the last case , is the ( liquid ) soil which will have for sure a big amount of moisture content inside it , it we can notice that easily by slight moving or even by the naked eye , which will be like a thick or thin viscous fluid or like a soup. Actually always there is a limits between each state of the moisture content for the soil , and these limits called the consistency or atterberg limits of the soil , and to talk more briefly about the ( Atterberg Limits ) : The  Atterberg limits  are a basic measure of the nature of a fine-grained  soil. Depending on the  water content  of the soil, it may appear in four states: solid, semi-solid, plastic and liquid. In each state the consistency and behavior of a soil is different and thus so are its engineering properties. Thus, the boundary between each state can be defined based on a change in the soils behavior. The Atterberg limits can be used to distinguish between  silt  and  clay, and it can distinguish between different types of silts and clays. These limits were created by  Albert Atterberg, a  Swedishchemist.[1]  They were later refined by  Arthur Casagrande. These distinctions in soil are used in picking the soils to build structures on top. Soils when wet retain water and expand in volume. The amount of expansion is related to the ability of the soil to take in water and its structural  make up  (the type of atoms present). These tests are mainly used on clayey or silty soils since these are the soils that expand and shrink due to moisture content. Clays and silts react with the water and thus change sizes and have varying shear strengths. Thus these tests are used widely in the preliminary stages of building any structure to ensure that the soil will have the correct amount of  shear strength  and not too much change in volume as it expands and shrinks with different moisture contents, aand here is the informations about the three atterberg limits , shrinkage , plastic and liquid limit : Shrinkage limit The shrinkage limit (SL) is the water content where further loss of moisture will not result in any more volume reduction.[2]  The test to determine the shrinkage limit is  ASTM International  D4943. The shrinkage limit is much less commonly used than the liquid and plastic limits. [edit]Plastic limit The plastic limit is determined by rolling out a thread of the fine portion of a soil on a flat, non-porous surface. The procedure is defined in ASTM Standard D 4318. If the soil is plastic, this thread will retain its shape down to a very narrow diameter. The sample can then be remoulded and the test repeated. As the moisture content falls due to evaporation, the thread will begin to break apart at larger diameters. The plastic limit is defined as the moisture content where the thread breaks apart at a diameter of 3 mm (about 1/8). A soil is considered non-plastic if a thread cannot be rolled out down to 3mm at any moisture. [edit]Liquid limit The liquid limit (LL) is the water content at which a soil changes from plastic to liquid behavior. The original liquid limit test of Atterbergs involved mixing a pat of clay in a round-bottomed porcelain bowl of 10-12cm diameter. A groove was cut through the pat of clay with a spatula, and the bowl was then struck many times against the palm of one hand. Casagrande subsequently standardized the apparatus and the procedures to make the measurement more repeatable. Soil is placed into the metal cup portion of the device and a groove is made down its center with a standardized tool of 13.5 millimetres (0.53  in) width. The cup is repeatedly dropped 10mm onto a hard rubber base at a rate of 120 blows per minute, during which the groove closes up gradually as a result of the impact. The number of blows for the groove to close is recorded. The moisture content at which it takes 25 drops of the cup to cause the groove to close over a distance of 13.5 millimetres (0.53  in) is defined as the liquid limit. The test is normally run at several moisture contents, and the moisture content which requires 25 blows to close the groove is interpolated from the test results. The Liquid Limit test is defined by ASTM standard test method D 4318.[3]  The test method also allows running the test at one moisture content where 20 to 30 blows are requi red to close the groove; then a correction factor is applied to obtain the liquid limit from the moisture content..[4] The following is when you should record the N in number of blows needed to close this 1/2-inch gap: The materials needed to do a Liquid limit test are as follows Casagrande cup (liquid limit device) Grooving tool Soil pat before test Soil pat after test Another method for measuring the liquid limit is the  fall cone test. It is based on the measurement of penetration into the soil of a standardized cone of specific mass. Although the Casagrande test is widely used across North America, the  fall cone test  is much more prevalent in Europe due to being less dependant on the operator in determining the Liquid Limit. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Atterberg_limits_02.JPG/220px-Atterberg_limits_02.JPG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Casagrande_2.JPG/220px-Casagrande_2.JPG [edit]Importance of Liquid Limit test The importance of the liquid limit test is to classify soils. Different soils have varying liquid limits. Also to find the plasticity index of a soil you need to know the liquid limit and the plastic limit. [edit]Derived limits The values of these limits are used in a number of ways. There is also a close relationship between the limits and properties of a soil such as compressibility, permeability, and strength. This is thought to be very useful because as limit determination is relatively simple, it is more difficult to determine these other properties. Thus the Atterberg limits are not only used to identify the soils classification, but it allows for the use of empirical correlations for some other engineering properties. [edit]Plasticity index The plasticity index (PI) is a measure of the plasticity of a soil. The plasticity index is the size of the range of water contents where the soil exhibits plastic properties. The PI is the difference between the liquid limit and the plastic limit (PI = LL-PL). Soils with a high PI tend to be clay, those with a lower PI tend to be silt, and those with a PI of 0 (non-plastic) tend to have little or no silt or clay. PI and their meanings 0 Nonplastic (1-5)- Slightly plastic (5-10) Low plasticity (10-20)- Medium plasticity (20-40)- High plasticity >40 Very high plasticity [edit]Liquidity index The liquidity index (LI) is used for scaling the natural water content of a soil sample to the limits. It can be calculated as a ratio of difference between natural water content, plastic limit, and liquid limit: LI=(W-PL)/(LL-PL) where W is the natural water content. The effects of the water content on the strength of saturated remolded soils can be quantified by the use of the liquidity index, LI: When the LI is 1, remolded soil is at the liquid limit and it has an undrained shear strength of about 2 kPa. When the soil is at the plastic limit, the LI is 0 and the undrained shear strength is about 200 kPa.[4][11] [edit]Activity The activity (A) of a soil is the PI divided by the percent of clay-sized particles (less than 2 ÃŽÂ ¼m) present. Different types of clays have different specific surface areas which controls how much wetting is required to move a soil from one phase to another such as across the liquid limit or the plastic limit. From the activity, one can predict the dominant clay type present in a soil sample. High activity signifies large volume change when wetted and large shrinkage when dried. Soils with high activity are very reactive chemically. Normally the activity of clay is between 0.75 and 1.25, and in this range clay is called normal. It is assumed that the plasticity index is approximately equal to the clay fraction (A = 1). When A is less than 0.75, it is considered inactive. When it is greater than 1.25, it is considered active. After briefly explaining the the differences between the amounts of moisture content in the soil , we should explain a vey important issue , which is the methods of affection of the moisture content in the soil which is : Strength decreases as water content increases. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Soils swell-up when water content increases. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Fine-grained soils at very high water content possess properties similar to liquids. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ As the water content is reduced, the volume of the soil decreases and the soils become plastic. à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ If the water content is further reduced, the soil becomes semi-solid when the volume does not change. And to talk more about the affection of the moisture aontent in the soil , this is a general affection of the moisture content in the soil at nature : The effect of increasing soil  moisture content  on soil temperature, soil reflectance and soil heat storage is studied in this work. The results show that an increase in  moisture content  decreases the soil temperature differences between day-time and night-time, which provides protection to the plant root system against sharp and sudden changes of soil temperature. It is also found that the solar energy absorption increases as the  moisture content  increases, which results in a higher heat storage capacity at higher  moisture content. Finally, plant growth rate and yield increased due to the modification of plant climate at higher moisture content Water content is an important property of soils, in ¯uencing soil solution chemistry and nutrient uptake by plants.Morphology and other speci ®c properties of the root, nutrient concentration in the soil solution, the mobility of nutrients in the soil, and supply from solid phases, aÃÆ' ¯Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ect nutrient uptake (Nye and Tinker, 1977; Barber, 1995). Consequently, there are consistent diÃÆ' ¯Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬erences in concen- trations of elements near the rhizoplane at a range of soil water contents (Dunham and Nye, 1976). Soil chemical properties may exert a profound in ¯uence on growth and performance of plants (Grime and Curtis, 1976), and soil concentrations of several elements may be closely related to oristic composition (Tyler, 1996a). Under  ®eld conditions, soil moisture  ¯uctuates with temperature and rainfall. By changing soil solution chemistry, moisture  ¯uctuations could regulate the availability of nutrients, and the  ®eld distributi on of plant species. Water has a very different thermal conductivity than most soil particles and air (the thermal properties of the soil are determined by these three). The thermal conductivity of water is much greater than that of air, so the higher the soil moisture content the greater the thermal conductivity.  The greater the soil moisture content, the more the soil thermal conductivity is like that of water. Therefore, a saturated soil has a conductivity near that of water.  However, just because the soil moisture content is high, doesnt mean that the soil will warm up faster in the Sun than a dry soil. Evaporation of the water will remove much of the Suns energy before the soil will have a chance to warm.  Therefore, dry soils do warm up faster from sunlight and cool faster at night. This is assuming that there isnt a vegetation cover over the soil. Most wet soils evaporate the water, keeping the soil from warming as fast during the day, and cool more slowly at night because of their greater heat capacity (because of the higher water content).   Moisture content phase diagrame : this is a rough photo about the general form of the phase diagram of the soil , that we use always for calculation done for moisture contents and all other issues in the soil : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Soil-phase-diagram.svg/300px-Soil-phase-diagram.svg.png Weight Components: à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Weight of Solids = Ws à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Weight of Water = Ww à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Weight of Air ~ 0 Volume Components: à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Solids = Vs à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Water = Vw à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Air = Va à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Volume of Voids = Va + Vw = Vv Weight-Volume Relationships : à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚   Steps to develop the weight-volume relationship à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Separate the three phases à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ The total volume of a soil à ´Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ Assuming the weight of air (Wa) to be negligible, the total weight is then given as V = Vs + Vv = Vs + Vw + Va W =Ws +Ww Objectives Practical Applications This is some properties that we could conclude the state of it in the soil from knowing the amount of moisture content in the soil : à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Storability of the soil à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Agglomeration in the case of powders à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Microbiolgical stability à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Flow properties, viscosity à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Dry substance content à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Concentration or purity à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Commercial grade (compliance with quality agreements) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Nutritional value of the product à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Legal conformity (statutory regulations governing food) Objectives : To learn the procedures of finding moisture content in the soil , and the variety in methods using to determine the moisture content. To determine the quantity of moisture content in the soil by good , accurate , safe , sheep way. To learn the differences in affection on the soil due to different amounts of moisture content in the soil To know the performance of the soil due to different amounts of moisture contents. To know how to use geotechnical laboratory tools, Such as the oven , balance , soil containers and all other different tools To know the importance of this experiment in the field work and how it affects the type and method of foundations must put upon different types of structures. Practical Applications : Moisture content plays an important role in understanding the behavior of fine grained soils. It is the moisture content which changes the soils from liquid state to plastic and solid states. Its value controls the shear strength and compressibility of soils. Compaction of soils in the field is also controlled by the quantity of water present. Densities of soils are directly influenced by its value and are used in calculating the Stability of slopes, bearing capacity of soils-foundation system, earth pressure behind the retaining walls and pressure due to overburden. The knowledge of determining the moisture content is helpful in many of the laboratory tests such as Atterbergà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s limits, shears strength compaction and consolidation. This experiment may be performed by two different methods. Geotechnical Engineering- I A. Oven drying method B. Torsion balance moisture content Actully we use the moisture content experiment mainly for getting the amount of water content inside the soil to be able to make the classification needs in the field for this soil ,and though to know how could we use this soil and where it could work and the amount of compaction needs of the soil containing a different amounts of water contents , to get the last conclusion from this important experiment , which is that the moisture content determination in the in situ in all field project is from the most important things that getting me ready to know the method of foundation thatà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s need above this soil to build on it at the end , stable , strong and good structure on it . In biological applications there can also be a distinction between physisorbed water and free water à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ the physisorbed water being that closely associated with and relatively difficult to remove from a biological material. The method used to determine water content may affect whether water present in this form is accounted for. For a better indication of free and bound water, the  water activity  of a material should be considered. Water molecules may also be present in materials closely associated with individual molecules, as water of crystallization, or as water molecules which are static components of protein structure. In conclusion , Knowing the amount of moisture content of a substance helps determining if the soil is suitable for a specific use. Such like:- To know if the soil can hold structure safely for long time safely and serviceability or not. To be able and ready for the design of the foundation of any type of the structures. Determining and controlling the moisture in substances is unique and necessary for many products, and the process borders between art and science , in many and variable sides of the life and nature knowing how the Soil water regulates soil temperature by different amounts and shape of moisture content. Soil water serves as a solvent and carrier of food nutrients for plant growth. Tools , equipments and specimens Equipments that we have use in the laboratory for the moisture content determination experiment : Soil container : Ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s a container which is ceramic containers of various shapes on light wood background Stock Photo 8282849 used to put different types of soil inside it or a combined types with others in the same container , and we have used it in this experiment to put a random type of fine-grained soil inside it and mix it with to determine the wight of it , and actually Soil container there are many sizes of the soil container upon to the quantity of soil need to put it in the container. IMG_0212.JPG SpatulaSpatula : it is an aluminum thin tool use to put soil by it in the soil container and for mixing the soil and water with each other in the soil container and also ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s used for transfering soil from container and put it into heat resistance pot which is made of steel. IMG_0209.JPG Steel ContainerSteel Container : it is a container made of steel that have a heat resistance quality , which used to put the moist (wet) sample of soil inside it , to put the moist sample then inside the oven to dry the sample of the soil. Digital Balance : is the instrument use to weigh the different things , that not have an enormous weights , and it used in this experiment to weigh the soil container alone once , and to weight the soil container with soil inside it then. Digital Balance http://www.supplierlist.com/photo_images/167132/Vacuum_Drying_Oven.jpg Oven DryOven Dry : it is an apparatus used to heat the specimens needs to heat in the laboratories , and it was used in this experiment to dry the moist sample of soil. moist soil sample : the wet soil > Dry soil sample : the dry soil sample before putting in the oven sample after putting in the ovenIMG_0209.JPGIMG_0211.JPG Moist Soil Sample Dry soil sample Background Based on the literature review, the feasibility of using microwave oven to determine moisture content of soils is well demonstrated. In addition to the GS, there is an available international standard test method (ASTM D4643) for such determination. This method includes requirements to control the power ratings of microwave ovens and the period of drying procedure. Therefore, the possibility of overheating of a soil sample can be greatly reduced. In addition, the soil sample is required to be carefully mixed after each time of ovens heating for a certain period in order to prevent non-uniform heating of the sample. And in this experiment we going to compute the moisture content using this test method method be determine the weight of the soil before and after the dry process by the laboratory oven dry ,and then compute by a dramatically series of calculations the amount of moisture content in that sample of soil given in the laboratory. Procedures According to ASTM 2216, the dry and clean container should be weighted using balance and its mass recorded. A representative sample should be selected . The moist representative sample should be placed in the container. The lid should be secured in its position. The mass of the container with the sample should be taken and recorded. The lid should be removed and specimen should be placed in the oven. The sample should be dried in the oven at. The container should be removed from the oven when the sample reach a constant weight which means all the water has been evaporated. The specimen should be weighted and recorded. The moisture content then calculated by a series of calculations , and below in the next paragraph , all of the data and calculations is explained preefly by a list of numbers. Work Sheet DETERMINATION OF WATER (MOISTURE) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ CONTENT Lab. Humidity : 57% Lab. Temperature : 20.5 0C Moist Fine Grained Sample Of Soil Testing Stander ASTM : D2216-92 Moisture Condition : Moisture Added Type Of Oven : Convection Oven Method Of Drying : Continuous Heating Mass Of Moist Sample = 20 g Soil Passing 4.75 mm. (No.4) Sieve = 100% Soil Passing 37.5 mm. Sieve =100% B3 6 OBSERVATIONS Sample No. Container No. 9.5 g Mass Of Container 29.5 g Mass Of Wet Soil + Container 28.0 g Mass Of Dry Soil + Container CALCULATIONS 1.5 g Mass Of Water 18.5 g Mass Of Dry Soil 8.1% % Water Content Formulas Calculation Formulas: 1) Mass of water = (Mass of wet soil + container ) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (Mass of dry soil + container) Mw = Mcws à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Mcs 2) Mass of dry soil = (Mass of dry soil + container ) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (Mass of container ) Ms = Mcs à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Mc 3) water content = (Mass of water)/(Mass of dry soil) *100 w = Mw / Ms *100 Calculation: 1) Mass of water = 29.5 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 28.0 = 1.5 (g) 2) Mass of soil = 28.0 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 9.5 = 18.5 (g) 3) Water content = 1.5/18.5 * 100 = 8.1% Discussion The  measurement  of  moisture  content is a lab or a  procedure  used  to measure  the  amount of  moisture  or water that is embedded in a certain content in the soil , actually , the intended purpose for this lab or  procedure  once again as stated before is  to measure  the amount of  moisture  in a content. Times  in construction  we often need soil that must be suitable for building. In some cases  the soil  there and depending on where the land is located,  the soil  may not hold  foundation of  a building well.  In order for us to find out if  the soil  is durable enough to hold the  foundation of  a building we might have  to measure  the  moisture  of the content. When the percent of water is found we can than choose of  the soil  is suitable enough for the  foundation of  the building. actully the most important thing we have concluded from the experiment of determining the moisture content in the soil , is to know how much amount of compaction needs for this soil under the foundation to held the structure safely. Actully all foundations (including abutment) surfaces shall be shaped one horizontal to one vertical or flatter except as otherwise specified.And after stripping (due to stripping specification), the foundation shall be loosened thoroughly by scarifying or plowing to a minimum depth of six inches. The foundation shall then be compacted to the density and moisture requirements specified for the fill Areas that are too low after stripping and shaping must be filled to base grade with compacted fill equal to that used in other parts of the project, and eventhough the moisture content determination is from the most important tests that is from the basics we need in the Geo-technichal engineering, and later on in the foundation design. Conclusion The result of water content we get in the experiment after quit dry of the sample in the oven dry was 8.1% which is not acceptable to be able for building over it. Ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s quite high for fine grain. This means ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s not safe to build a structure, because the maximum allowable water content for grain is 1 %. Also this experiment is very important in Civil Engineering. Before construction ità ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s very obligatory to know the water content of the soil. If the water content is very high and construction is done, that might cause damage to structure which will appear later. Actully , for each type of soil has its own capacity to keep the structure safe. For example, If the sample is coarse the maximum allowable water content is 6%. While for fine its 1% , so the last result we get from the determination of the moisture contents in this soil is that , with this high amount of moisture content we can not use this soid for the construction purposes , and if we try to do , it will cause a big proplems and damage in the building later in the future and will neve ever by safety to use it in the civil society. Type of errors Personal errors:- Personal errors such as mistakes in reading from the balance , or mistakes done by wrong transferring data to the data sheet ,also the delaying of time taking out sample from oven it can cause error. Instrumental errors:- Errors might occur in digital balance due to the amount of accuracy of the digital balance. The reading also will change because of air condition. To eliminate such type of errors the reading should be taken several times. Environmental errors:- Moisture in lab and air of air condition can cause errors in readings , and though will not give us the absolute amount of moisture content , and the temperature in the laboratory affecting the sample of soil and instruments in the lab , all of these invironmental factors could give us wrong readings in the esperiment.

Market Share Of The Major Hotels In India

Market Share Of The Major Hotels In India The hospitality industry of india is expected to grow at a rate of 8.8% from 2007-16, placing India the second-fastest growing tourism market in the world. Progress like massive investment in hotel infrastructure and open sky policies which are made by the government are all aimed at propelling growth in the hospitality sector. Hotel and hospitality industries are the biggest employment generators in the country. Towards helping its growth, the government should confer infrastructure status to the hotel industries, several taxation issues also need to be rationalised. Further permits and licenses which are required for the hotel operations needs to be rationalised by offering a single window mechanism. The hotel industry is divided into 4 categories: Large hotels Medium hotels Resort hotels Small hotels MARKET SHARE OF THE MAJOR HOTELS IN INDIA: TIE -UPS OF INDIAN HOTELS WITH INTERNATIONAL HOTELS: Most players, exempting of IHCL and EIH, have entered into marketing Tie-up with major international hotel chains. Thus we have Hyatt Regency which are tied up with AHL, Leela tied up with Kempinski and ITCH having a franchisee agreement with ITT Sheraton. For the Indian hotel owners and international hotel chains the benefit is mutual, Tie-up with an international hotel chain will put the hotel on the global map. Associations with international brand play a major role in image building and attracting foreign tourists. However value of the international brand will get diluted if a foreign entity enters an agreement with several Indian companies. MARKET SHARE OF TARIFF PLANS BY DIFFERENT HOTELS Luxury hotels operate under single tariff structure whereby the foreign tourists are charged in dollar terms whereas the domestic guest is charged the equivalent amount in rupees. The luxury hotels earn about two-thirds of their revenue from foreign tourists. Leisure travellers constitute approximately 76.5% of the total tourist arrivals whereas business travellers constitute 21% of the total arrivals. The remainder is accounted by students. Hotels benefit from rupee depreciation as over 60% of revenues in the luxury hotel Segment is in foreign currencies. Thus any depreciation of the rupee goes directly to the bottom line (FOREX income is also fully tax exempt), as none of the costs are directly linked to the exchange rate. The hotel debt environment is also improving. While many countries are hampered by a still sluggish economy, those with a low interest rate environment with relatively stable-banking conditions will provide opportunities for hotel investors to raise capital. For hotel lenders, from a risk/return basis, there has never been a better time to provide new capital to this industry in India. CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS ECONOMY The hotel and restaurant industry of India was Rs. 658.89 billion during 2007-08. Travel Tourism Industry of India was valued at US$35.73 billion in 2007, contributing 3.56% to Indias GDP. The number of foreign tourists arriving to India reached 5.08 million compared with 4.45 million in the year 2006, showing growth of 14.16%. Indias share in international tourist arrivals at global level gradually improved from 0.46% in 2004 to 0.49% in 2005 and further to 0.52% in 2006 and 0.56% in 2007. The number of domestic tourists in India was 526.57 million compared with 461.76 Million in 2006, showing growth of 14.03%. There are 1,437 hotels approved and Classified by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, with a total capacity of 84,327 hotel rooms as on December 31, 2007. Indian hotel industry is currently adding about 60,000 quality rooms, which are expected to be ready by 2012. INTERNATIONAL TOURIST CONTRIBUTION IN INDIA The foreign tourist arrivals in India increased at CAGR of 5.5per cent from 2.29 Million in 1996 to 3.92 million in 2005. Significantly, the bulk of international arrivals into India, both in 2004 and 2005, have been business travellers. Main reason for this increase has been following fundamental factors: Indias strong GDP growth. Opening of sectors of the economy to private sector/ foreign investment. Strengthening of ties with the developed world. Reforms in aviation sector which led to better connectivity with many countries (such as ASEAN) and created additional capacity on existing routes (for e.g. USA, Middle East). Also, introduction of low cost airlines also contributed to the demand. The increase in International flights, seat capacity and frequency into the country and the decision to allow private airlines like Jet Airways and Air Sahara to fly overseas has had a positive impact on tourist and business arrivals into India, by way of providing additional seats. 3.1.2 NATURE OF COMPETITION: It is the most competitive market .Business travelers drive over 70 per cent of the Indian hospitality business and the race to accommodate them, and do it well, is hotting up. But with current demand outstripping supply, hotels in the big cities have managed to up their rates to match those in Paris and London. The major competition comes from the other companies in the same sector .so the rivals are to be found and make their primary and secondary strategies which makes the company competitive in the market. There are also pricing strategies which play fewer roles in competitive market and should think of the non pricing strategies which can be more competitive in the market. The pricing of a hotel like this one is done on system called rate of the day based on demand. As the rooms get taken the price goes up and on a busy day a room like this one in Mumbai or Delhi will cost as much as you would have to pay for one in Paris or London. Adding more facilities to the five star rated hotels like Wi-Fi, spas, gyms, online booking etc. to maintain their guest loyalties which give competitive advantage to its company. To become competitive in the market the flexible pricing is the key. Some suggested steps to realign rates and segments to the changed market place; gain control of business; and increase profitability are: Create an online booking presence. Ensure that the hotels online booking engine is part of the hotels web site, and controlled by the hotel, not by a third party or GDS-based system. Ensure that the online booking engine is the best and accomplishes the hotels goals. Ensure that the online booking engine is easy to use from a customers perspective. Expertly create and maintain an online distribution and maximization strategy to ensure the hotels visibility. Promote and ensure that the lowest published rates are on the hotels own web site, to promote customer loyalty, as done with the airlines. Establish a new market segmentation model, for greater control of the business. Eliminate RACK RATE and replace with SELL RATE, defined as Rack, Promotional, Consortia, and any other customer not affiliated with any discount. A simplified sample version is: Sell Rate Corporate Rate Group Rate Weekend Rate Establish the Sell Rate based on anticipated demand patterns, after the core business and group blocks are factored in. The rate fluctuates on a daily basis. Set rates in all market segments within the range of your competitive set to establish positioning. TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS: A Tata company shall fully strive for the establishment and support of a competitive, open market economy in India and abroad, and shall cooperate in efforts to promote the progressive and judicious liberalisation of trade and investment by a country. Specifically, a Tata company shall not engage in activities that generate or support the formation of monopolies, dominant market positions, cartels and similar unfair trade practices. A Tata company shall market its products and services on its own merits and shall not make unfair and misleading statements about competitors products and services. Any collection of competitive information shall be made only in the normal course of business and shall be obtained only through legally permitted sources and means. Direct Competitors: Oberoi Hotels Oriental Hotels ITC Welcomgroup Hotel Leela etc. Potential Target market : The upper class of the society is targeted. i.e. the richer people in the society. Their fares or tariffs are high as the luxuries provided by them are also standard and 5-star. Thus, this is in context to the Indian branches of Taj Hotels. OBEROI GROUP OF HOTELS (EAST INDIA HOTELS LTD.): Team Street is out with an investment idea that could help the portfolio in the current market conditions. The recent correction in the market has been sharp as the benchmark index or the Sensex has given up more than 7 percent from a recent high of 21,108. OBEROI PROPERTIES RECOGNITION INTERNATIONALLY: The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambore Rated the 2nd best resort in Asia Rated the 2nd best hotel in the World The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur Rated the best hotel in Asia Rated 4th best hotel in the World The Oberoi Amarvilas. Agra Rated the 2nd best hotel in Asia Rated the 8th best hotel in the World The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur Rated the 5th best hotel in Asia Rated amongst the top 25 hotels in the World Wildflower Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas Rated the 5th best resort in Asia The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur Rated No.1 hotel in Asia Rated 2nd best hotel in the World The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur Rated No. 2 hotel in Asia Rated 4th best hotel in the World The Oberoi Amarvilas. Agra Rated No. 3 hotel in Asia Rated 6th best hotel in the World 3.1.3 SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS: 1. Natural and cultural diversity: India has a rich cultural heritage. The unity in diversity tag attracts most tourists. The coastlines, sunny beaches, backwaters of Kerala, snow capped Himalayas and the quiescent lakes are incredible. 2. Demand-supply gap: Indian hotel industry is facing a mismatch between the demand and supply of rooms leading to higher room rates and occupancy levels. With the privilege of hosting Commonwealth Games 2010 there is more demand of rooms in five star hotels. This has led to the rapid expansion of the sector. 3. Government support: The government has realized the importance of tourism and has proposed a budget of Rs. 540 crore for the development of the industry. The priority is being given to the development of the infrastructure and of new tourist destinations and circuits. The Department of Tourism (DOT) has already started the Incredible India campaign for the promotion of tourism in India. 4. Increase in the market share: Indias share in international tourism and hospitality market is expected to increase over the long-term. New budget and star hotels are being established. Moreover, foreign hospitality players are heading towards Indian markets. WEAKNESSES: 1.Poor support infrastructure: Though the government is taking necessary steps, many more things need to be done to improve the infrastructure. In 2003, the total expenditure made in this regard was US $150 billion in China compared to US$ 21 billion in India. 2. Slow implementation: The lack of adequate recognition for the tourism industry has been hampering its growth prospects. Whatever steps are being taken by the government are implemented at a slower pace. 3. Susceptible to political events: The internal security scenario and social unrest also hamper the foreign tourist arrival rates. OPPORTUNITIES: 1.Rising income: Owing to the rise in income levels, Indians have more spare money to spend, which is expected to enhance leisure tourism. 2. Open sky benefits: With the open sky policy, the travel and tourism industry has seen an increase in business. Increased airline activity has stimulated demand and has helped improve the infrastructure. It has benefited both international and domestic travels. THREATS: 1. Fluctuations in international tourist arrivals: The total dependency on foreign tourists can be risky, as there are wide fluctuations in international tourism. Domestic tourism needs to be given equal importance and measures should be taken to promote it. 2. Increasing competition: Several international majors like the Four Seasons, Shangri-La and Aman Resorts are entering the Indian markets. Two other groups the Carlson Group and the Marriott chain are also looking forward to join this race. This will increase the competition for the existing Indian hotel majors. CHALLENGES FOR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY 1. Shortage of skilled employees: One of the greatest challenges plaguing the hospitality industry is the unavailability of quality workforce in different skill levels. The hospitality industry has failed to retain good professionals. 2. Retaining quality workforce: Retention of the workforce through training and development in the hotel industry is a problem and attrition levels are too high. One of the reasons for this is unattractive wage packages. Though there is boom in the service sector, most of the hotel management graduates are joining other sectors like retail and aviation. 3. Shortage of rooms: The hotel industry is facing heavy shortage of rooms. It is estimated that the current requirement is of 1,50,000 rooms. Though the new investment plan would add 53,000 rooms by 2011, the shortage will still persist. 4. Intense competition and image of India: The industry is witnessing heightened competition with the arrival of new players, new products and new systems. The competition from neighboring countries and negative perceptions about Indian tourism product constrains the growth of tourism. The image of India as a country overrun by poverty, political instability, safety concerns and diseases also harms the tourism industry. 5. Customer expectations: As India is emerging as a destination on the global travel map, expectations of customers are rising. The companies have to focus on customer loyalty and repeat purchases. 6. Manual back-end: Though most reputed chains have IT enabled systems for property management, reservations, etc., almost all the data which actually make the company work are filled in manual log books or are simply not tracked. 7. Human resource development: Some of the services required in the tourism and hotel industries are highly personalized, and no amount of automation can substitute for personal service providers. India is focusing more on white collar jobs than blue collar jobs. The shortage of blue collar employees will pose various threats to the industry. SWOT ANALYSIS OF MAJOR HOTELS: TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS: Strengths: The group has enormous power and strengths, which makes it the best and competitive, some of them are: It consists of 75 properties in 40 locations across India and 18 international hotels. Its stylish variety of hotels like; Taj exotica, Taj safari, The gateway hotels, Ginger hotels, Jivas spa etc. Its effective and efficient management techniques and staff. Its brand name. The presence of Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces in various countries like United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Dubai, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Russia and the United States of America. Securing management contracts at Palm Island, Jumeirah in Dubai, Saraya Islands in Ras Al Khaimah, Aldar Group in Abu Dhabi, UAE Langkawi in Malaysia and Thimpu in Bhutan. The various initiatives taken like; rollout of Customer Feedback System, Tata Business Excellence Model, IT initiatives, Ginger hotels etc. Weakness: Taj hotels being such a big brand, has a lot of advantages but every big company faces some odds and so does Taj. Some of its weakness; Its hard to maintain such a huge chain of subsidiaries and there are more chances of mishaps in management. Its huge competitors like Oberoi, Leela, Oriental, ITC etc are also providing same facilities and thus it becomes a weakness for Taj hotels. Its very costly for the Indians to afford the tariffs and service charges set by Taj hotels. Thus, they loose a major part of their market share. They need a lot of investment. As Taj hotels is a popular group, it is always in the eyes of the terrorists, as taj has already faced such an incident. Therefore, it proves to be a weakness some times, to be so popular. Opportunities: The Group is poised strategically to take advantage of the following situation: In the backdrop of a healthy economy having its positive fallouts on the Tourism Sector leading to rapid growth in markets in India, South Asia and key gateway cities in source-market destinations. Rapid expansion in both International and Domestic destinations, with top-of-the-line Luxury, Leisure and Business properties. Meeting growing demand in the budget and mid-market segments. Extending the product portfolio into related offerings viz. luxury residences, wildlife lodges and health spas. Threats: The threats identified by the Group are related mainly to the markets in which the Group operates and general factors related to the tourism industry. Significant among these are: Cheaper international airfares, increasing affordability of travel to International destinations, especially South East Asia, Europe and Australia. Growing presence of international hospitality chains competing in the Luxury and Business segments, to meet excess demand situation. Appreciating Indian Rupee vis-Ã  -vis the US Dollar, resulting in lower realisation on foreign exchange earnings. Slowdown of international demand resulting in reduction of revenues. OBEROI GROUP OF HOTELS: Strengths: Cost advantage Asset leverage Effective communication High RD Innovation Online growth Loyal customers Market share leadership Strong management team Strong brand equity Weaknesses: Bad communication Diseconomies to scale Over leveraged financial position Low RD Low market share No online presence Not innovative Not diversified Poor supply chain Weak management team Weak real estate Opportunities: Acquisitions Asset leverage Financial markets (raise money through debt, etc) Emerging markets and expansion abroad Innovation Online Product and services expansion Takeovers Threats: Competition Cheaper technology Economic slowdown External changes (government, politics, taxes, etc) Exchange rate fluctuations Lower cost competitors or imports Maturing categories, products, or services Price wars ITDC: STRENGTHS: One of the oldest five star hotels in India preferred by a vast number of tourists as well as localites. Amenities provided are state of the art and of very high quality. Staff is known to be very hospitable and supportive of their guests. Has the largest conference hall in India and hence its the most preferred conference hall for most of the important conferences held in India. Provides Privilege Card for their frequent guests which lure more number of people to become their regular customers. It has New Delhis most magnificent Banquet venue. The architecture is still considered as a benchmark to most of the buildings that are created today. WEAKNESSES: Prices are higher than other five star hotels in New Delhi. There have not been many changes in the building since the time that it has been set up. According to the guests the walls are dirty and the hallways are not maintained well which makes many of them think twice about coming back there. It is quite far away (15kms) from the international airport because of which many guest opt for hotels closer for their own convenience. They seem to rely on their past laurels and are not taking any new initiatives to satisfy their customers. 3.2 DEMOGRAPHICS OF BUYERS- MARKET SEGMENTATION: CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS: Classification is based on many criteria and classifying hotels into different types is not an easy task. The hotel industry is so vast that many hotels do not fit into single well defined category. Industry can be classified in various ways, based on location, size of property etc. The main hotel chains of India are: The Taj Group of Hotels, the Oberoi Group and ITC Welcome group. Some of the international chains are Hyatt, Marriott, and Le Meridian etc. these properties have also come up in India now. 1. Based on Location City center: Generally located in the heart of city within a short distance from business centre, shopping arcade. Rates are normally high due to their location advantages. They have high traffic on weekdays and the occupancy is generally high. Motels: They are located primarily on highways, they provide lodging to highway travellers and also provide ample parking space. The length of stay is usually overnight. Suburban hotels: They are located in suburban areas, it generally have high traffic on weekend. It is ideal for budget travellers. In this type of hotel rates are moderately low. Airport hotels: These hotels are set up near by the airport. They have transit guest who stay over between flights. Resort hotels: They are also termed as health resort or beach hill resort and so depending on their position and location. They cater a person who wants to relax, enjoy themselves at hill station. Most resort work to full capacity during peak season. Sales and revenue fluctuate from season to season. Floating hotels: As name implies these hotels are established on luxury liners or ship. It is located on river, sea or big lakes. In cruise ships, rooms are generally small and all furniture is fixed down. It has long stay guest. Boatels: A house boat hotels is referred as boatels. The SHIKARAS of Kashmir and KETTUVALLAM of Kerala are houseboats in India which offers luxurious accommodation to travelers. Rotels: These novel variants are hotel on wheel. Our very own palace on wheels and Deccan Odessey are trains providing a luxurious hotel atmosphere. Their interior is done like hotel room. They are normally used by small group of travelers. 2. Based on Size of Property Small hotel: hotel with 100 rooms and less may be termed as small hotels. Medium sized hotel: hotel which has 100-300 rooms is known as medium sized hotel. Large hotels: hotel which have more than 300 rooms are termed as large hotels. Mega hotels: are those hotels with more than 1000 rooms. Chain hotels: these are the groups that have hotels in much number of locations in India and international venues. 3. Based on the Level of Service Economy/ Budget hotels: These hotels meet the basic need of the guest by providing comfortable and clean room for a comfortable stay. Mid market hotels: It is suite hotel that offers small living room with appropriate furniture and small bed room with king sized bed. Luxury hotels: These offer world class service providing restaurant and lounges, concierge service, meeting rooms, dining facilities. Bath linen is provided to the guest and is replaced accordingly. These guest rooms contains furnishing, artwork etc. prime market for these hotels are celebrities, business executives and high ranking political figures. Example: Hyatt Regency, New Delhi. 4. Based on the Length of Stay Transient Hotel: These are the hotel where guest stays for a day or even less, they are usually five star hotels. The occupancy rate is usually very high. These hotels are situated near airport. Residential hotels: These are the hotel where guest can stay for a minimum period of one month and up to a year. The rent can be paid on monthly or quarterly basis. They provide sitting room, bed room and kitchenette. Semi residential hotels: These hotels incorporate features of both transient and residential hotel. 5. Based on Theme Heritage hotel: In this hotel a guest is graciously welcomed, offered room that have their own history, serve traditional cuisine and are entertained by folk artist. These hotels put their best efforts to give the glimpse of their region. Example: Jai Mahal palace in Jaipur. Ecotels: these are environment friendly hotels these hotel use eco friendly items in the room. Example: Orchid Mumbai is Asia first and most popular five star Ecotels. Boutique hotels: This hotel provides exceptional accommodation, furniture in a themed and stylish manner and caters to corporate travelers. Example: In India the park Bangalore is a boutique hotel. Spas: is a resort which provide therapeutic bath and massage along with other features of luxury hotels in India Ananda spa in Himalaya are the most popular Spa. 6. Based on Target Market Commercial hotel: They are situated in the heart of the city in busy commercial areas so as to get good and high business. They cater mostly businessmen. Convention hotels: These hotels have large convention complex and cater to people attending a convention, conference. Example: Le meridien, Cochin, is a hotel with largest convention center in south India. Resort hotels: These leisure hotels are mainly for vacationers who want to relax and enjoy with their family. The occupancy varies as per season. The atmosphere is more relaxed. These are spread out in vast areas so many resorts have solar powered carts for the transport of guest. Suite hotels: These hotel offer rooms that may include compact kitchenette. They cater to people who are relocating act as like lawyers, executives who are away from home for a long business stay. Casino hotels: Hotel with predominantly gambling facilities comes under this category, they have guest room and food and operation too. These hotels tend to cater leisure and vacation travelers. Gambling activities at some casino hotels operate 24 hours a day and 365 days. Todays ways of booking make it difficult to identify the purpose of the trip. Segment by default the individual bookings for short midweek stays as business. Identify as leisure the booking of a double room over the week-end. As the new technology was developing, corporate travel departments, as well as the independent consumer, turned to travel agents to get the best discounts. As the GDS technology influenced booking and buying practices, additional segments were created, resulting in the following market segment model: Rack Rates: Without any affiliations to warrant discounts, the Rack Rated customer paid the published rate, which was the highest rate. Consortia Rates: This was the same customer who booked through a travel agent using the GDS and received a 5%-10% discount off Rack Rates. Corporate Rates: Having met the hotels qualifying criteria, such as volume, businesses were guaranteed discounted rates. Group Rates: With a block of rooms, rates varied based on time of year and the nature of the group. Weekend Rates: Individual leisure travelers, usually within a drive distance to the hotel. Promotional rates: These rates were originally used sparingly and used as a means to stimulate business by using discounted rates to anyone, regardless of affiliation. Domestic Consumer is the largest segment of the hotels motels industry in India accounting for 52.9% of the industrys total value. The domestic business segment accounts for a further 24.4% of the industry.