What is a monopoly Essay Example for Free

What is a monopoly Essay Monopoly is at the opposite end of the spectrum of market models from perfect competition. A monopoly firm has no rivals. It is the only firm in its industry. There are no close substitutes for the good or service a monopoly produces. Not only does a monopoly firm have the market to itself, but it also need not worry about other firms entering. In the case of monopoly, entry by potential rivals is prohibitively difficult. A monopoly does not take the market price as given; it determines its own price. It selects from its demand curve the price that corresponds to the quantity the firm has chosen to produce in order to earn the maximum profit possible. In assuming there is one firm in a market, we assume there are no other firms producing goods or services that could be considered part of the same market as that of the monopoly firm. The result is a model that gives us important insights into the nature of the choices of firms and their impact on the economy. There are some Advantages of a Monopoly. The Monopolies avoids duplications and hence wastage of resources. Enjoys economics of scale, due to it being the only supplier of the product or service in the market, makes many profits and be used for research and development to maintain their status as a monopoly. They also use price discrimination to benefit the weaker economic section of society. To avoid competition, they can afford to invest in the latest technology and machinery. There are some Disadvantages of a Monopoly. Monopolies have poor levels of service, there is no consumer sovereignty, the consumers are charged high prices for such low quality goods, and lack of competition could lead to low quality goods, as well as out dated goods. First off, any market type can see super normal profits in the short-run. What is more important is what happens in the end. Pure monopolies are not the only monopoly that can make profits. Natural Monopoly or a price discriminating monopoly can make profits as well. The only difference between them is â€Å"why† they are monopolies to begin with. Oligopolies are not monopolies, although they do tend to make above normal profits. Monopolistic competition does not yield these types of profits in the end. Economic profit goes to zero here in the end because there is a lack of barriers here to prevent competition from entering.

Rewilding North America Essay Example for Free

Rewilding North America Essay The earth is a planet that contains not only human beings but also animals. Unfortunately, people do not respect animals well enough since the idea is that human beings are much smarter than animals. However, we are two different kinds that cannot survive without each other. Luckily, there are some people who care about animals and try to make people be a part of wildlife like old times. A lot of animals die because of human beings almost everyday. Most of those occur on roads and highways. Therefore, scientists research to prevent those losses. One of the most important things that they did is called â€Å"Y2Y† which is a short form of Yellowstone to Yukon. Y2Y is a corridor that includes national forests, isolated parks and most importantly it is roadless, Y2Y is not only preserve animals but it also makes people change their minds. For example, the pressure of Y2Y makes people build bridges on highways for the animals. So that, the animals that live there have a chance to avoid the cars on the highways. In addition to Y2Y, isolated parks play a vital role of preservation of animals. Although I think isolated parks are great opportunities for animals in order to live fearlessly, some scientists strongly oppose. They claim that because of isolated parks, animals have to live in smaller areas. According to the scientists, if the area where animals live gets smaller, there will be less species exist. The scientists who have two opposite sites argue that if single large is more beneficial for animals or several small. In conclusion, human beings and animals are parts of the ecosystem which cannot be thought either one of them do not exist. In my opinion, the world would be a better place if people try to be more responsible and respectful to animals.

A Budgetary Control Systems Accounting Essay

A Budgetary Control Systems Accounting Essay I have re-read my last years HNC paperwork and used my current years HND paperwork to help with the various aspects of the report. I used my HNC costing booklets and lecture notes, HND Investment Appraisal literature, HND Business Tax literature, HND Capital Allowances literature and HNC Standard Costing literature. I went to the library and used college resources such as ebray for information of more in-depth budgeting control systems. I used Cost and Management Accounting books which covered cost assignment of direct and indirect costs. They covered issues about fixed, variable and semi variable costs. I used Accounting Theory and Practice for in-depth budgetary planning and variance analysis. I used an up to date Taxation book to allow me the most up to date tax percentages to be used, the correct Asset Investment Allowances applicable and the written down values for Capital Allowance calculations. CASE STUDY ANALYSIS This formal report has been requested by the Managing Director by Ergo design He requires a full business report which will appraise the launch of a new quality ergonomic chair. As well as the appraisal, the managing director would like advice on how to set up and implement an efficient budgetary control system. Ergo Design already make a different range of products and are wanting to find out if it would feasible to undertake the making of another new product. The company currently has spare capacity and as they dont want spare capacity are looking into making a new chair. This however involves the purchase or hire of a new asset namely a new machine which will be capable of making the new product. This asset is not inexpensive and cost  £125,000. Ergo Design are guaranteed an order for 1 year amounting to 1800 chairs to be distributed evenly over the month. The factory is only open 48 weeks of the year to allow for maintenance, repairs etc and therefore leaves 12 periods of 4 weeks to evenly distribute 160 chairs per 4 weeks. The company have had a trial p eriod and all seems to be well. The MD awaits reports before committing final sanctions. APPENDICES 1-9 Attached as appendices is the Activity Based Costing comparison followed by the functional budgets then Capital Investment Appraisal and lastly a Break Even Analysis based on my figures. Appendix 1. Activity Based Costing comparison. I have used Activity Based Costing (ABC) to work out the costs of producing the new product. Ergo Design in previous years have recovered costs using a blanket wide rate based on the number of machine hours. The last two years however they have changed to ABC. I have made a comparison using traditional overhead recovery and ABC. ABC was developed in order to more accurately reflect the factors which cause overhead costs to arise. Overhead costs are attributed to products on the basis that it is activities that cause costs to arise. Each activity can be identified with a cost driver and the cost drivers I have used are machine hours, Labour hours, number of orders, production runs, set up hours and inspections. After the cost drivers have been identified then each cost drivers overheads are collected together. These collections of costs are called cost pools. Each pool is then divided by its driver, for example all overheads in the cost p ool for the materials ordering process would be divided by the number of orders placed to give a value for the cost of placing an order. The costs of all activities relating to a product would be added together to give the overhead element of the cost of production. Because activity based costing shares out overheads using cost drivers compared with the traditional costing systems which use departments, then a greater number of drivers can be used, reflecting all the different activities taking place in the manufacturing process. This leads to a fairer and more accurate way of charging overheads to the products. The traditional methods ignore the detail of many of the activities that actually take place. In my findings the cost of producing the new product using ABC is  £167.95 per unit whereas the blanket method only  £150.18 is allocated for cost, This would give a higher contribution and a higher profit. I have assumed that we are going to be charging  £195 per unit and at this price we are still making a profit of  £63,975 for the first year. We can look at raising prices at the end of the initial 3 year period if the turnover is still constant. My creditors are to allow me credit purchases payable for : Aluminium Sheets. 1 month Memory Foam.2 months Fabric1 month Hardware3 months My debtors are to be allowed 1 months credit sales. A new asset is to be purchased at a cost of  £125,000, which will gather depreciation over 10 years straight line method. The new machine will need to be replaced after this time and will have a residual value of  £15,000. Maintenance will need to be carried out regularly to allow for optimum usage and guarantee residual value. The maintenance cost will be estimated at 5% of the capital cost per annum. The asset is purchased with a long term loan for the full  £125,000. The loan will have a 3% fixed rate interest per annum. The interest is added to the original amount and not compounded yearly. This is to be repaid over 10 years with repayments and interest payments split. The total cost of the loan is  £162,500 with repayments being  £62500 every 6 months and Interest being  £1,875. There is currently spare capacity within Ergo Designs production facilities and can therefore produce 2 batches of 20 chairs per week for the full 48 weeks that the factory is open. This allows for surplus stock of (1920-1800)=120 chairs surplus at the end of the year. We will supply 150 chairs per month to the customer and make 160 chairs to allow for full capacity, this will leave us a surplus of 10 chairs which will be opening stock for the month of Feb and the units will 10 more units every month compounded. The following budgets are prepared for the first six months of the new multi-level chair and include: Appendix 2. Opening Balance at beginning of the month of Jan. This is the beginning of the month and lists the purchases made to enable the company to begin production and sell them at the end of the month. Appendix 3. Key Variables input. As the figures were given for batches I had to break them down into single units costs so that a uniform approach was taken across the board. The direct material costs have accounted for the biggest costs followed by the labour then the variable overheads. Appendix 4. Sales budgets- This is also the main budget which has to be prepared first. It shows that we are to sell 150 units per month at a cost of  £195 creating a sales value of  £29,250. Production budget- This budget is prepared after the sales budget and states the amount of units to be produced within the period. I have carried over excess units in case of any unforeseen circumstances which will reduce production in later months e.g. machinery breaking down and staff absences etc. The machinery is also working at full capacity if I make the amount required as well as the excess. Direct Material usage budget is prepared next and the figures are for 1 single unit which is obtained from the key variables sheet shown in Appendix 2. Direct material purchases budget is next with figures for the required production for each month and the cost of goods to be purchased. The cost figure is taken from the key variable appendix 2. Direct labour budget figures come from the production budget for the amount to be produced multiplied by the cost of the direct labour unit from key variables appendix 2. Overhead budget gives us monthly fixed overheads and depreciation figures taken from key variables in appendix 2. Variable cost budget†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.This budget takes the amount of units to be produced multiplied by the variable cost per unit. Both these figures are from the key variables sheet. Production cost budget†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦This budget gives us a breakdown of how much each unit will cost to produce. It takes into consideration the material and variable costs and add the figure to the raw material costs. Debtors budget†¦..We have been giving our debtors 1 month to pay after receiving their finished goods. Creditors budget†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦We have 4 of these for each of the different raw materials we need. Each shows opening balances, purchases, payments and closing balances. Appendix 5. The Cash budget shows the inflows and outflows and gives a final figure for the bank balance to go into the Balance sheet. Appendix 6. The Operating statement lists the cost of sales when taken from sales will give us a profit. Expenses are then deducted leaving us with healthy net profit of  £25,744.25 Appendix 7. The Balance sheet is the 6 month balance sheet ending on 30th June 2013. Our current assets are a higher amount than our current liabilities and therefore give us net current assets to be added to the fixed assets. Once the long term liabilities come off then this leaves us with a balance of  £25,844.25 Appendix 8. Capital Investment appraisal. I have started this by working out the inflows for the first 3 years as we know the selling price and we know the change in production. After year 3, I have assumed that turnover will remain stable and have therefore carried out my Capital Allowance calculations over 10 years. I have deducted the Asset Investment allowance of  £25,000 and written down value for each year at 18%. I have assumed a residual value of the machine to be  £15,000 and added the balancing allowance figure to the capital allowances. Using the inflow figures and deducting capital allowances for each year, I was able to work out the taxable amount and tax it at this years appropriate amount. I carried out 2 Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methods , 1 being Net Present Value (NPV) and the other is the Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The DCF includes all cash flows and the time value of money telling you what you  £1 will be worth in X years ahead. The IRR also includes th e time value of money and includes all cash flows but the IRR if far more easily understood. If the net present value is zero or positive, the project is accepted, I have used 15% and 45% discount factors and they are both returning a positive number so the project should be accepted. You can think of IRR as the rate of growth a project  is expected to generate and a higher IRR value would provide a much better chance of strong growth. The rate for this project is 59.93 so again promoting the acceptance of this project.. Appendix 9. I have put in an extra break even analysis chart for your perusal as break even charts work well with a single product. The break-even analysis is a calculation of the approximate sales volume required to just cover costs, above which production would be profitable or unprofitable break-even analysis focuses on the relationship between fixed costs, variable cost, and profit. The summary shows that the BEP in units 1058 and the margin of safety in units is 742. Costs taken into account are distinguished by variable costs which change in according to the production level. BUDGETARY CONTROL SYSTEMS A budget is a financial plan for an organisation prepared in advance for a given period. Budgets can be prepared as a whole or broken down into component departments e.g. sales and production or purchases or cash or capital etc. There can be many different types of budgets and for a variety of departments such as sales or production or financial items such as capital, expenditure, manpower, purchase etc. The budgeting process is a vital part of a businesss planning and control. The overall objective of the company is prepared in advance and agreed with cooperation and detailed into a feasible plan of action. It is about planning, monitoring, reviewing and amending budgets to suit management objectives. When the long term strategies are written down everyone is starting from the same place and it will not matter if new people come and go, the long term plans will still be there. Long term objectives after being decided need to be broken down into manageable chunks of short term objectives. A limiting factor needs to be distinguished and a budget is prepared solely for this. The most common limiting factor is sales and this needs to be as accurate as possible as all other budgets will be based on the limiting factors budget. Once all the budgets are prepared a master budget is drafted and given to all of the budget holders for agreement. Once any tweaks or changes are made and an agreement reached then the master budget is presented to senior management. When the budgets need to be prepared again for the next period then actual figures are measured against budgeted figures and there are favourable and adverse variances produced showing management what areas need attention and where money is being lost, it may be efficiency problems that are highlighted for attention etc. There is actually an 8 step plan involved in advanced preparation budgeting. Step 1 is agreeing long term goals Step 2 Changing long term goals to short term goals Step 3 Identify limiting factor Step 4 Prepare limiting factor budget Step 5 Prepare all other budgets Step 6 Bring all budgets together to prepare the master budget Step 7 Agree with all budget holders Step 8 Present to the management There are many benefits to having financial planning and good budgetary control to name a few, by doing extensive planning there is a much clearer picture on where the business is going. It will reduce stress in the work place with all staff knowing where, when and how things are to done. Management can keep on top of things and have peace of mind. With budgeting control there is a more detailed structure of how the business is organised. With all the planning, organising and controlling it is easier for management to keep on top of changes and variances and make it easier to quickly adapt to the said changes. There is co-ordination with everyone working in the same direction. Budgets can be used to make communication and motivation more effective using them to exchange information concerning ideas, goals, achievements etc. thus giving staff a sense of togetherness and teamwork with everyone working towards the same goal. There is however barriers with a lack of knowledge, resources or motivation making the planning extremely difficult to start. Maybe not knowing where to start or even how to start. Maybe needing to sacrifice some things for others. Budgets are a time consuming job and to draw up each individual budget is a laborious task but it is still worthwhile as the benefits usually outweigh the efforts. If there is no co-ordination then the planning will fall apart. Preparing budgets is extremely subjective and they are based on predicted assumptions. ADDITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES The company has taken out a loan for the CNC machine perhaps they could have hired it for a year or so, see how the product is doing then maybe buy it later on. Leasing equipment means there is not maintenance or repair costs to consider. Instead of keeping the CNC machine for 10 years with a value of  £15,000, Ergo designs can sell it sooner when it is worth more money. The company have adequate production facilities at this time and are therefore not considering contracting out however with proper budgetary controls in place it will be easier to spot any variance changes with efficiency or cost and it may be that in the future it may well be cheaper to contract certain parts of the process out to someone else. They do not run at full capacity in the other products they make and look at contracting out some of that work instead. The company should put in place an advertising campaign for when they believe sales will stabilize to generate renewed interest in the product which can be researched by potential buyers now as it has been on the market for 3 years. As Direct material has accounted for the biggest cost maybe Ergo Design can look around for cheaper suppliers or substitute certain ingredients for others. A price increase could be implemented in later years. CONCLUSIONS The launch of this new product is feasible. It is returning a good profit and there is lots of potential for increasing profitability in the coming next few years and there is room for selling price increases. The new asset can be used for its economical life, sold off earlier or can be hired out to other companies so more room for increased profitability. RECOMMENDATIONS A proper budgetary control system should most definitely be put in place. Future advertising is also a must. They need to do this sooner rather than later as they have only projected increases in turnover for the next 2 years. As the cost of materials are so high, I would recommend that the buyers look around for alternative materials or try to negotiate more with the current suppliers for larger discounts. Lets be aware of the future, this can be done easier with the budgetary control in place. We need to be aware of what our competitors are up to and trends in markets. We need to be aware of what the government is changing and how it will affect the business e.g. Higher corporation taxes, inflation rates etc.

Titus Andronicus - Appearance Versus Reality Essay -- Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus - Appearance Versus Reality As appearances play an important role in society, so they also play an important role in William Shakespeare's play Titus Andronicus. From the first scene to the last, Shakespeare elaborates on the theme of appearance versus reality through plot and character. The play’s plot is full of incidents and events that are not what they appear to be: from Titus' â€Å"mental breakdown† and Tamora's extended deceitfulness, to Aaron's declared deeds. Each case presents a contrast between what the senses perceive and what reality presents. Some characters are defined better by their actions than their speech.    Tamora is a veritable mold for the perfect Machiavellian character. She lusts not for power as her marrying the emperor would at first suggest, but for revenge. However, she is fatally flawed since she cannot perceive the obvious signs that Titus is at some level aware of the reality around him. She is too wrapped up in her own plans, and thus denies the signs of his lucidness. Her extensive cunning and plotting are one-sided. She acknowledges but does not fully comprehend Titus' state of mind: TAMORA Act 5, Scene 2 (Lines 1-8) Thus, in this strange and sad habiliment, I will encounter with Andronicus, And say I am Revenge, sent from below To join with him and right his heinous wrongs. Knock at his study, where, they say, he keeps, To ruminate strange plots of dire revenge; Tell him Revenge is come to join with him, And work confusion on his enemies. In line 6 she explicitly states that she is aware of Titus' plotting revenge against her, yet she does not believe that he will carry his plans out as evidenced by the word "strange." Her reas... ... reality of their state of affairs and characters. The play is swathed in deceit on diploid levels, both the plot and the underlying personalities and motivations bear disparities between appearance and reality. Works Cited and Consulted Bate, Jonathan. "Introduction." Titus Andronicus. The Arden Shakespeare. London: Routledge, 1995. 1-121. Carducci, Jane. "Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus: An Experiment in Expression." Cahiers Elisabethains 31 (1987): 1-9. Danson, Lawrence N. "The Device of Wonder: Titus Andronicus and Revenge Tragedies." Texas Studies in Literature and Language 16 (1974): 27-43. Hulse, S. Clarke. "Wresting the Alphabet: Oratory and Action in 'Titus Andronicus."' Criticism 21(1979): 106-18. Shakespeare, William. "Titus Andronicus" The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stanley Wells & Gary Taylor. New York/London, W.W. Norton Company, 1997.

Chaucers Views Exposed in The Canterbury Tales Essay -- Canterbury Ta

Chaucer's Views Exposed in The Canterbury Tales    The Canterbury Tales were written and pieced together in the late 1380's, early 1390's.   The author of the book is Geoffrey Chaucer.   When considering the structure of the tales, one can deduce that they were put together using Framework Narrative, a very unique style of writing.   The opening prologue speaks of 29 pilgrims, including Chaucer, who are all on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. All of them are seeking a certain shrine for spiritual cleansing, and relief.   The journey was to be long, but in the end it would all be worth it.   Chaucer's social views and prejudices are revealed through his description of the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Chaucer presents a very positive picture of the pilgrims in the ruling class.   For example, when describing the personality of the Knight, he refers to him as being honorable, truthful, chivalrous, courteous, brave, and gentle.   Two quotes that stood out when searching for the positive qualities of the Knight were:     ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "He was a true and perfect gentle Knight."(Chaucer Pg. 2-Line 15)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "He had never yet in all his life spoken discourteously to anybody." (Chaucer Pg. 2-Line 14)    Chaucer also builds up the Squire, the Knights son in a similar way.   He says that the squire is remarkably agile, strong, joyful, courteous, helpful, and humble.   Two quotes that were quite noticeable when searching for the positive qualities of the Squire were:     ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "His cloak was short, with long, wide sleeves, and he sat his horse well and rode excellently."(Chaucer Pg. 2-Line 30)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "He could compose the words and music for songs, joust and also dance, and draw and write very well."(Ch... ...orm them.         Works Cited and Consulted: Brewer, Derek. Tradition and Innovation in Chaucer. London: Macmillan, 1982. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Pp. 3-328. In the Riverside Chaucer. Larry D. Benson, ed. Boston: Houghton, 1987. Cooper, Helen. "The Shape-shiftings of the Wife of Bath, 1395-1670." Pp. 168-184. In Chaucer Traditions: Studies in Honour of Derek Brewer. Ruth Morse and Barry Windeatt, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1990. Delasanta, Rodney. "Nominalism and the 'Clerk's Tale' Revisited." Chaucer Review 31.3 (1997), 209-231. Hallissy, Margaret. Clean Maids, True Wives, Steadfast Widows: Chaucer's Women and Medieval Codes of Conduct. Connecticut: Greenwood, 1993. Saul, Nigel. "Chaucer and Gentility." Pp. 41-58. In Chaucer's England. Barbara A. Hanawalt, ed. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1992.    Chaucer's Views Exposed in The Canterbury Tales Essay -- Canterbury Ta Chaucer's Views Exposed in The Canterbury Tales    The Canterbury Tales were written and pieced together in the late 1380's, early 1390's.   The author of the book is Geoffrey Chaucer.   When considering the structure of the tales, one can deduce that they were put together using Framework Narrative, a very unique style of writing.   The opening prologue speaks of 29 pilgrims, including Chaucer, who are all on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. All of them are seeking a certain shrine for spiritual cleansing, and relief.   The journey was to be long, but in the end it would all be worth it.   Chaucer's social views and prejudices are revealed through his description of the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Chaucer presents a very positive picture of the pilgrims in the ruling class.   For example, when describing the personality of the Knight, he refers to him as being honorable, truthful, chivalrous, courteous, brave, and gentle.   Two quotes that stood out when searching for the positive qualities of the Knight were:     ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "He was a true and perfect gentle Knight."(Chaucer Pg. 2-Line 15)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "He had never yet in all his life spoken discourteously to anybody." (Chaucer Pg. 2-Line 14)    Chaucer also builds up the Squire, the Knights son in a similar way.   He says that the squire is remarkably agile, strong, joyful, courteous, helpful, and humble.   Two quotes that were quite noticeable when searching for the positive qualities of the Squire were:     ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "His cloak was short, with long, wide sleeves, and he sat his horse well and rode excellently."(Chaucer Pg. 2-Line 30)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚   "He could compose the words and music for songs, joust and also dance, and draw and write very well."(Ch... ...orm them.         Works Cited and Consulted: Brewer, Derek. Tradition and Innovation in Chaucer. London: Macmillan, 1982. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Pp. 3-328. In the Riverside Chaucer. Larry D. Benson, ed. Boston: Houghton, 1987. Cooper, Helen. "The Shape-shiftings of the Wife of Bath, 1395-1670." Pp. 168-184. In Chaucer Traditions: Studies in Honour of Derek Brewer. Ruth Morse and Barry Windeatt, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1990. Delasanta, Rodney. "Nominalism and the 'Clerk's Tale' Revisited." Chaucer Review 31.3 (1997), 209-231. Hallissy, Margaret. Clean Maids, True Wives, Steadfast Widows: Chaucer's Women and Medieval Codes of Conduct. Connecticut: Greenwood, 1993. Saul, Nigel. "Chaucer and Gentility." Pp. 41-58. In Chaucer's England. Barbara A. Hanawalt, ed. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1992.   

Child and Adolescent Psychopathology: A Casebook Essay -- Jason Colema

Introduction: Conduct Disorder The hallmark of Conduct Disorder (CD) is an obvious and careless apathy for the rules, the rights, the emotions, and the personal territory of others. Aggression, deceitfulness, duress, and power over others are enjoyable to a child with CD. Children with CD pick fights, trespass, lie, cheat, steal, vandalize, display abusive behaviors, and, for older children, perpetrate unwanted sexual advances. The display of signs in younger children can be: ruthless bullying, lying for the purpose of lying, and stealing of useless things. Diagnosis: Jason Coleman of Conduct Disorder Jason Coleman meets the criteria for CD in DSM 4 TR: Axis 1, for CD with a specifier of 312.81 Childhood-onset type, severe; Axis II, v71.09, no diagnoses at this time of a personality disorder; Axis III, 799.9, refer to medical history and physician’s report on head injury; Axis IV client has Problems related to the social environment; Axis V GAF score of 31 (current) (American Psychiatric Association, 2008). Justification for Axis 1 The main feature of Conduct Disorder, Criteria A, is a repeated and constant way of behaving that violates the rights of other people, or there are major age-appropriate violations of the norms of society, and three or more occurrences within the last twelve months, and one occurrence within the last six months (American Psychiatric Association, 2008). Jason meets Criteria A10, 11, and 12, Deceitfulness or Theft, because he burglarized a house across the street from where he was living, convinced his co-foster brother, Walt, to help him in the burglary, and stole his foster mom’s ATM card and withdrew $500 dollars. Jason meets Criteria A13, 14, and 15 for serious violations of rules... ...er/FAQ.aspx Geradin, P. (2002). Drug treatment of conduct disorder in young people. PubMed, 12(12), 361- 370. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12208553 Kaplan, H. I., Sadock, B. J., & Grebb, J. A. (1994). Synopsis of psychiatry: behavioral sciences, clinical psychiatry (7 ed. p. 1071). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins. Kearney, C. (2013). Casebook in child behavior disorders. (5 ed., pp. 69-71/87-99). Belmont: Wadsworth. DOI: www.cengage.com/wadsworth Parritz, R., & Troy, M. (2011). Disorders of childhood: development and psychopathology. (1 ed., pp. 250-257). Belmont: Wadsworth. Retrieved from http://www.cengage.com/wadsworth Pelham, W., & Fabiano, G. (2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 37(1), 184-214. doi: 10.1080/15374410701818681

Science Processes

Module 1 Science Processes Scientific ProcessDefinitionScience Activity ObservingThe process of gathering information using all appropriate senses instruments that extend the senses. Collecting data on classmates, students walk around the classroom and make observations about eye and hair color of their classmates. ClassifyingGrouping objects or organisms according to one or more common properties. Classifying plants by features of plant life. CommunicatingRecord observations in multiple ways and present them to others.Students can record the data found in their observation activity and communicate the eye and hair colors they observed in the classroom. MeasuringMeasure variables using a variety of instruments and standard and nonstandard units. Give students various measuring tools and ask them to measure various things in the classroom. PredictingMake a projection of what the outcome of an investigation will be using data and patterns. Prediction worksheet: look at the pictures on the left side, draw a picture and write about what you predict will happen next.InferringDescribing a potential conclusion based on observation and prior knowledge. Science Mystery Bags: Students are asked to use sense of smell, hearing, and touch to infer what is in each mystery bag. Identifying & Controlling VariablesRecognizing a system’s variables and manipulating the variables to control the system’s outcome. Bread Mold Activity: Students will identify and control the variables that cause bread mold. Formulating & Testing Hypotheses Make a statement to guide and investigation.Test that statement for its truth. Formulate hypotheses for what conditions cause the bread to mold, and then test the hypotheses to see if they are correct. Interpreting DataRecognize patterns and associations within a system of data. Using scientific graphs to share data, as well as understand data represented in graph form. Defining OperationallyCreating a definition by describing an inter action or observation. How can you tell if plants are healthy? Students will define plant health in effective terms. ExperimentingScientific procedure used to test a hypothesis, make a discovery, or determine something. Students can take part in an experiment to see if they can balance eggs using salt. Constructing ModelsBuilding models to represent a mental, verbal, or physical idea or object. Students could participate in a physical science project where they are asked to make a water reservoir. In the chart above defining the twelve scientific processes, I included definitions of each as well as a science activity that students could participate in to support each process.These processes support inquiry learning, because they provide students with the opportunity to use problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and logical thinking skills all at once. Students are encouraged to apply their prior knowledge to their new problem, experiment, or questions, which incorporates what they are currently learning with earlier experiences. Inquiry learning in science gives students control of their investigation and enhances their interest in the subject. Inquiry learning involves all learning strategies, including but not limited to verbal, written, and hands-on activities.When students are actively engaged in the learning process they are more likely to stay attentive, which allows them to not only gain information, but also helps in retaining that knowledge and understanding. The teacher’s attitude toward science has a major impact on students and how they view science. In order for teachers to get students interested and involved, they must have a positive and inspiring outlook on the subject. When students see and feel that their teacher is excited about a subject and that he or she wants to share their experience, students are more likely to fully engage in learning.Teachers should share their knowledge by motivating students to want to learn scie nce, and getting them excited about learning by introducing science through observation activities and experiments. Students need to see that their teacher is enthusiastic about science, and that science is a learning process that can be fun and enjoyable for the entire class! Lesson Plan: Objectives Students will †¢work in groups to build catapults out of everyday objects (Constructing Models); and †¢Demonstrate their understanding of motion and forces by using the catapults to launch objects. Communicating) Materials †¢Motion, Forces, Energy, and Electric Current video and VCR or DVD and DVD player †¢Pictures of catapults †¢Computer with Internet access (optional) †¢Cardboard shoe box (1 for each catapult) †¢Rubber bands (4 for each catapult) †¢Popsicle sticks (2 for each catapult) †¢Masking tape (one 6-inch piece for each catapult) †¢Plastic spoon (1 for each catapult) †¢Rulers (1 per student group) †¢Scissors (1 per stu dent group) †¢Marshmallows (2 per group) †¢Masking tape (for launching competition) †¢Object of your choice to serve as a target Procedures . Begin the lesson by discussing motion and energy. Ask students: How do objects move? How do we calculate motion? What is acceleration? What is speed? What are some of the forces that act upon objects in motion? (Observing, Predicting, and Defining Operationally). A good way to introduce this information is to view portions of the Motion, Forces, Energy, and Electric Current video. 2. Tell students they are going to work in groups to create catapults out of everyday objects. Explain that catapults were often used as weapons of war during the Middle Ages.Show students some pictures of catapults and discuss how they work, making sure that students understand catapult designs and uses. (Classifying). A good animated illustration of a catapult can be found at http://en. bestpicturesof. com/pictures%20of%20how%20to%20make%20a%20catapu lt 3. Tell students that after building their catapults, they will compete to see whose catapult can fling a marshmallow the farthest and whose catapult can fling an object closest to a target. (Experiment). 4. Divide students into groups of five, and give each group the supplies they will need to make heir catapults (see materials list) as well as any other objects you wish to provide. Tell the groups that they can design their catapults however they please, but they can use only the materials you have provided-nothing extra. Give students time to design and build their catapults, and ask them to name their team. (Constructing Models, Identifying and Controlling Variables). 5. Once students have completed their catapults, clear an area in the classroom that can be used for the launching competition. Using masking tape, mark a starting line.Place the target object about 10 feet in front of the line. 6. One at a time, have the student teams place their catapults on the line and fling a marshmallow at the target-their goal is to hit the target. Mark where each team's marshmallow landed with a piece of masking tape that has been labeled with the team's name. 7. As a class, determine which team was the most successful in accurately hitting (or coming the closest to hitting) the target with its marshmallow. Talk about the design of the winning catapults. Why did this design work the best? Formulating and Testing hypotheses, Interpreting Data, Measuring, Communicating). 8. Have students again place their catapults on the starting line and fire a second marshmallow — their goal, this time, is to achieve the greatest distance. Again, mark where each marshmallow lands with a piece of labeled masking tape. Once all the catapults have been fired have students measure the distance from the starting line to where their marshmallow landed. (Measuring). 9. As a class, determine which catapult was able to launch a marshmallow the greatest distance.Ask students: Why did this catapult work best? What element(s) of its design do you think helped propel the marshmallow farther than the others? (Interpreting Data, Defining Operationally). 10. Have each student write a paragraph that answers the following questions. †¢What was your group attempting to achieve with its catapult design? †¢How did the catapult set the marshmallow in motion? †¢Which challenge did your catapult meet best, accuracy or distance? †¢What could you have done to make the catapult better? †¢What helped the catapult work as well as it did? What did this activity teach you about motion and forces? 11. Ask for volunteers to share their answers with the class. Discuss students' answers and the forces that work on objects in motion. Evaluation Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson. †¢Three points: Students actively participated in class discussions; worked cooperatively in their teams; successfully created a tea m catapult; actively participated in the catapult launch; wrote a thoughtful paragraph that answered all six questions. Two points: Students somewhat participated in class discussions; worked somewhat cooperatively in their teams; needed help to complete their catapult; did not actively participate in the catapult launch; wrote an incomplete paragraph that answered only three or four of the six questions. †¢One point: Students somewhat participated in class discussions; were unable to use catapult materials without teacher guidance; created unfinished catapults; did not actively participate in the catapult launch; wrote an incomplete paragraph that answered only one or two of the questions.Credits Tamar Burris, former elementary teacher and freelance education writer References Bass, Joel E. , Contant, Terry L. , & Carin, Arthur A. (2009). Teaching Science as Inquiry, 11th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. Boston, MA. Burris, Tamar. (2012). Discovery Education. Lesson Plan Libra ry: Motion, Forces, Energy, & Electricity. Retrieved on September 28, 2012, from http://www. discoveryeducation. com/ teachers/free-lesson-plans/motion-forces-energy-and-electricity. cfm.