Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Research Paper Example

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Paper The novel Great Expectations was written by Charles Dickens and is about a young boy, Pip who falls in love with a young girl, Estella and inherits money in order for him to go to London to learn how to become a gentleman. Pip has many various reasons for wanting to go to London and Dickens uses powerful imagery to show how Pip is easily disappointed upon his arrival to London. Great Expectations is about Pip looking back on his life which means that this is a 1st Person novel. In Great Expectations Pip wants to go to London because of a number of reasons dating back to his childhood. He felt threatened by the convicts that he had met at the graveyard. You get me a file and you get me wittles or Ill have your heart and liver out. He is being terrorised by one of the convicts and forced to steal from his own family which makes him into a thief and a liar. Because he his made to feel a thief and a liar this is one of the reasons Pip wants to go to London to become a gentleman. This is also a threat of cannibalism towards Pip which is another reason he wants to go to London, which is because he feels threatened and is terrified by the convicts. We will write a custom essay sample on Great Expectations by Charles Dickens specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Great Expectations by Charles Dickens specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Great Expectations by Charles Dickens specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Another reason why Pip wants to go to London is because by going to Miss Havishams he has been shown a different lifestyle which is one that he would want. This makes Pip want to go to London so he can lead a lifestyle similar to the ones of Miss Havisham and Estella. Miss Havisham is another cause of Pip wanting to go to London because Pip describes Miss Havisham as waxwork which show that he believes she is perfect. This makes him determined to go to London so he can become a gentleman and become waxwork-like as Miss Havisham is. Pip wants to go to London because he loves Estella and by becoming a gentleman he believes that Estella may start to like him. He calls the knaves, jacks, this boy and what coarse hands he has makes Pip feel poor and like a commoner. By going to London Pip believes this will help him win Estella. Throughout Pips early life he was brought up by hand from his sister, Mrs Joe. This makes Pip want to go to London so he can live a life without being abused and violently mistreated. By becoming a gentleman he will not have to be brought up by hand any more so this gives Pip a reason to go to London. The threats of cannibalism by the convict links to Estella ripping Pips heart out in a different way and because she can do this it gives the impression that she is more powerful, wealthy and a better class than Pip which makes him want to become a gentleman so that he can be a better class person than he believes he is. Pip wants to go London so that he can gain respect from Estella and be referred to as a gentleman rather than boy and he is often referred to. Uncle Pumblechook aims a threat of cannibalism towards Pip when he says that If youd have been born a pig you would have been butchered and had you heart torn out links to the convicts threats which makes Pip want to go to London as he feels threatened by Uncle Pumblechooks comments. This also makes Pip want to go to London as he does not want to be likened to a pig because they are common creatures with a sense of dirtiness around them. This makes Pip feel like a filthy person and makes him want to go London so that he can change this. Another reason for Pip wanting to go to London is the fact that he wants to impress Estella and by being well educated and having better clothes he believes that he can do that. Pip becomes ashamed of living with Joe and his profession and lies to Joe and Mrs Joe after the first visit to Miss Havishams house. She was sitting in a black velvet coach and we all had cake and wine on gold plates shows that Pip is exaggerating and making this up because he is ashamed to tell Joe and Mrs Joe of how he was offended and made to feel ashamed of all the things around him. Pip inherits some money which directs him to London. Because of the money Pip has inherited he becomes snobbish and classes himself a better quality than the poor people living in his area. As I passed the church, I felt a sublime compassion for the poor creatures. This shows that Pip is being snobbish and seeing himself better than the people he has grown up all his life with. This makes him want to go to London so he can get away from the people he sees as poor. When Pip finally arrives in London we see that his expectations are easily disappointed. Upon arrival he goes to visit Mr Jaggers, a lawyer in London and his lawyer, and Dickens describes Jaggers room using negative imagery. By doing this the reader can see how Pips expectations are instantly disappointed and that London is a corrupt and vile place to be in. Mr Jaggers room was lighted by a skylight only is a good use of imagery by Dickens because it gives the impression of a lack of light which could lead to corruption in the legal system or corruption in London in general. Dickens uses a simile in Chapter 20 which shows how the characters all are in Great Expectations. Like a broken head links to various characters such as Mrs Joe who has a broken head because she is paralysed and to other characters such as Estella who is being controlled by Miss Havisham and Pip who doesnt know what to do in his life. Old rusty pistol, a sword in a scabbard shows the death of Pips expectations and how they are instantly disappointed because swords and pistols are pieces of equipment linked to death so could be the sign of the death of Pips expectations. Another piece of imagery used to show the death of Pips expectations is deadly black horsehair ike a coffin which could show the death of Pips expectations because coffins are associated with funerals and this is a ceremony of death. The deadly black creates the impression of darkness in London which shows how Pips expectations are disappointed straight away. In Chapter 21 Dickens uses sarcasm by using the word haven to describe a part of London. This is ironic because it is not a haven at all so creates the impression that Pip is disappointed of London. Dickens uses many words and phrases to create the impression that Pip is easily disappointed and his expectations have been killed off. Disgorged is an unpleasant word and links to the unpleasantness of London in general and how Pip has become disappointed with London. A repetition of the word dismal shows the reader how dull a place London is and how Pips expectations have faded away. The repetition adds the effect that shows how terrible London really is. Dilapidated means broken down and represents Pips expectations and how they are broken down and the idea that London is a mess and is broken down also. Pips expectations have been killed off and to show this Dickens uses a harsh alliteration of C by using the words crippled and cracked. The harsh alliteration suggests to the reader that Pips expectations have crashed down and are over. Dusty decay is used by Dickens in Chapter 21 to create the alliterative effect of the D portraying the dirtiness of London and this dirt has caused Pip to be instantly disappointed with London. In Chapter 21 there is a link to the graveyard. Unholy interment in the gravel links to the graveyard and graveyards are associated with death. Because of this link London could now be a link to the death of Pips expectations. Dickens shows the death of Pips expectations once more in Chapter 21 with the words ashes, soot and smoke. These are images linked to cremation and give the idea that Pips expectations have been burnt away. Dry-rot, wet-rot, silent rots that rot. This is a repetition of rot and is a good use of imagery by Dickens because it leaves the reader with the impression that Pips expectations are rotting away. The stench of London is ironically compared to a medicine by Pip in Chapter 21. Try Barnards Mixture links to the idea that what Pip thought would be so good turned out to so grim. This shows how Pip is easily disappointed with London. Oppressed and exhausted are words used by Dickens to show the reader how London is not what it is expressed as and that Pip has had enough of London and his expectations are dead. Pip has been corrupted by money and has turned into a snob. Dust and grit are a symbol of the dirt in London and that has stuck to Pip and made him a snob and now a bad person. Even when in London Pip is still thinking about Estella because he is in love with her. Could not bear the two casts on the shelf represents Pip and Estella and show their potential together has been killed. Shameful is a descriptive word used to show how Pip feels about London and how his expectations are dead and also his impression of London has been instantly disappointed. An alliteration of Fs by Dickens makes London sound dirty and a bad, corrupt place. Filth and fat and foam is alliteration and gives the reader the sense of dirtiness. Bulging is an unpleasant word used to describe London and links to the convict jumping out on Pip at the graveyard which by being reminded of the convict makes him still feel like a thief and liar. London is also shows to have a lack of morality by Dickens. Smelling strongly of spirits and beer shows a lack of morality and the death of Pips expectations because spirits and beer are seen as bad items. Stone building could be a tombstone which shows a death of Pips expectations. In conclusion I can tell that the Pips expectations were dead from the start of the story because the scene was set in a graveyard, which is an image and place linked with death, so it shows that Pip never had any expectation to begin with and if so they were killed right at the start of the story. Also I can see that the only gentleman in the story is Joe because he never looks down on anybody and is always grateful for what he has in life whereas Pip becomes a snob as soon as he gets money and Mr Jaggers is a corrupt character. Mr Jaggers is part of the corrupt society in London that will do anything fort money such as getting people to escape a prison sentence when they have committed murder, which is not gentleman-like. Uncle Pumblechook is not a true gentleman because he looks down on Pip which Joe doesnt. Old Orlick paralysed Mrs Joe which is not what a gentleman would do. Because of this Joe is the only real gentleman in the story. I can see that Joe is the only true gentleman in the novel because he shows compassion to the convict which many other people wouldnt do. We wouldnt want you to starve to death shows that he is a gentleman because he could have judged the convict straight away but because he didnt know him he didnt feel he was in the position to judge which proves he is a gentleman because he gets along with everybody. Another incident which shows that Joe is the only true gentleman is when he offers Pip gravy at the dinner table. This shows tenderness towards other people and he did this because of Pip being mistreated. This makes him gentleman because it shows he cares for people no matter what happens. In conclusion I can see that the Dickens use the title for irony because Pip never had any expectations. Also by starting the novel in a graveyard this shows that Pips expectations were killed off straight away as graveyards are images of death.

The Lost World Essay Example

The Lost World Essay Example The Lost World Essay The Lost World Essay This hierarchy makes the English very proud of were they stand in the world and makes them more big headed and this is a little trick I think Doyle used to make the reader at those times more interested and to make them carry on with the reading. The Doda are described as a dense mob and are fascinated and bewildered, shaggy red haired creatures. Doyle makes a contrast on page 179 by describing the Doda and the Accola; this compares them to make us have a clear picture of them. Ned describes the Accola as little, clean limbed, red fellows this makes page 179 very interesting because you see how Doyle makes the reader take the Accolas side instead of the Dodas. In page 190 you see how the British like to hunt and dont really care if they exterminate a whole species, we now this because Roxton says By George! I wish I had 50 men with rifles. Id clear out the whole infernal gang of them and leave this country a bit cleaner than we found it . We dont see this kind of behaviour in the BBC movie The Lost World. They had to make it more modern and so they cut out all the racism from the book and altered quite a few bits so that no one would get offended watching it. For example in the book we see how Edwardians treat women, they werent important in those days and they saw them as nagging housewifes. We now this because of the way challenger treats his wife near the start of the book. Mrs Challenger is angry for the way the professor treated Ned, Challenger has enough and tells her shes gone too far and light-heartedly punishes her by putting her on top of a column in the hallway! This would not happen now purely because the wife would just leave you or slap you. Also we see how the Edwardians have their views on gender because they dont have a woman in the expedition, they mention one at the start, Gladys, Neds girlfriend and Mrs Challenger, thats it throughout the whole book we dont hear from any other women. BBC had to change it or else the female viewers would most likely get bored so they have a woman to go with them and she makes the story more exiting. The biggest difference we see between Doyles book and the BBCs Lost World is the end. In the book we have Ned planning to go again with Roxton this shows the eagerness of conquering for the British. In the book the characters pretend to have faked the whole thing to protect the environment and the species that lived there. This also shows how we think differently to the Edwardians towards nature. The last difference in the book and the film is that we have a priest in the film; he represents all the people against Darwin because he chops down the tree to have the explorers stranded in the plateau instead of Gomez. The book The Lost World is so interesting because of all those points I have written in my essay, but there is also little things, like each chapter leaves you on a cliff hanger making you want to read on but there is also loads of suspense and many questions going through your mind when you are reading the book like will they get off the plateau? How will they get off? What will happen to the Indians? This is why Doyle had so much success with this book.

Discuss the relationship between love and aggressivity in Freud's Essay

Discuss the relationship between love and aggressivity in Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents - Essay Example Finally, Freud deploys his concepts of love and aggression to show that civilized societies are bound to fail: they place restrictions on our natural sentiments of love and aggressiveness which are in many cases insupportable - in particular, he criticises societies founded on the Christian principle of love, and those founded on communist ideas. Freud's discussion of the origins of our aggressiveness show how strongly it is related to love, as he conceives it. The initial aggressive sentiment is directed inwards, at the child's own ego, Freud claims, due to a frustration of the desires of the child's ego. This 'introjected' aggressive impulse results in the formation of the super-ego, and so the initiation of feelings of guilt. For example, when a child is forbade by a parent to do something which is desired by his ego, he initially feels aggressiveness towards that parent as a result of the frustration of his desires. However, since aggressiveness cannot be directed towards the parent, it is directed at the ego, the source of the frustrated desire. Why can aggressiveness not be directed at a parent (or another figure of authority) Here, Freud shows how essential he believes the concept of love to be to the formation of aggressive impulses: the child directs aggressiveness towards his own ego rather than towards the figure of authority because of a "fear of loss of love" (p. 757). Thus, the need for love is instrumental in the formation of the super-ego, which results in aggressive impulses directed at the ego: self-hating feelings of guilt. In situations where aggressiveness is in fact directed towards the figure of authority, and not introjected, love is still essential to the changes in the individual's psychological make-up. Freud claims that this would only happen in situations involving the Oedipus complex: that is, when sons kill their fathers. This supposedly was a more common occurrence in earlier societies which were less bound by 'civilizing' restrictions. Here, the actual aggression involved in killing the father results in a feeling of remorse at the action: this is because of the love that the son naturally has for his father. Hence, for Freud, the origins of feelings of aggression are always bound up with feelings of love. However, it is not obvious that non-repressed aggression need always be followed by feelings of remorse. As stated above, Freud believes that the only cases of actual aggression by a child will be from a son to his father, and, since this relationship necessarily involves some love, rem orse is a necessary consequence. However, it is not clear that son-to-father aggression would be the only case of actual aggression from a child to a figure of authority - a child may show aggression towards a teacher or minder, for example - and if aggression is directed at others, there may not be a necessary bond of love from the child to these people, so remorse may not be a necessary consequence. Freud's assumption is that a child's initial authoritative influence will be from his father, so it is towards the father that initial aggression (suppressed or not) will be directed. Whilst this assumption

Cyber Healths business operation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cyber Healths business operation - Essay Example It should be noted that the institution's students directly interact with the programmed med teach agents in the website. Thus, making some features in the website customizable by each student is a key where Cyber Health can enhance the experience of the customer as well as enable them to create a learning environment which is more enjoyable and can better serve them well. Some of the interactive marketing benchmarks that Cyber Health can incorporate in are customizable website designs, online instant messaging, and a personalized webpage for the student. Every student of Cyber Health should be able to personalize the website design of the learning environment. It is irrefutable that every individual has his or own favourite colour and prefers a font from another. Furthermore, permitting an individual to customize the layout and template of the website of Cyber Health can further the institutions goal of providing more comfort and convenience to the students. It is recommended that when a student log on, he or she will be redirected to the website with his or her preferred website layout, colour, design, and font. In Cyber Health's quest to provide quality education to its customers, the company should provide an instant messaging system which allows the student to ask questions which

The effect of advertising on alcohol consumption by young people Essay

The effect of advertising on alcohol consumption by young people - Essay Example This essay "The effect of advertising on alcohol consumption by young people" outlines the impact of the alcohol advertisement on the extent of alcohol consumption by young people. Ringold (2008, 139) states that her research study revealed moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages as the norm in the United States. This is similar to the results of the Gallup polls (2004) which have indicated the same outcome since 1939. The recommendations given by the United States Dietary Guidelines on moderate drinking was consistent with the consumption found in 90% of people who consume alcohol. This is supported by Saad (2005), who states that underage drinking and alcohol abuse have considerably reduced in the last three decades. The per capita consumption of alcohol has continued to decline over the past twenty-five years, states NIAAA (2006). The results of the study by Ringold (2008, 139) reveal that alcoholic beverage advertising does not exert a material influence on total consumption or abuse. On the other hand, it models normative drinking behaviour, hence may be a crucial inhibitor of alchohol misuse. Responsibility efforts sponsored by industry, by government and by nonprofits lead to desired changes, modeling desired drinking behaviours, and may be more beneficial for heavier drinkers. The research study is timely, because of the continued trend of increased expenditure on advertising, undertaken by alcohol manufacturers. This is supported by several studies conducted by governmental agencies.

Advantages of Discovery Learning

Advantages of Discovery Learning Jump to: Advantages of Discovery Learning Discovery learning was first put into writing by Jerome Bruner in the 1970s. In part II of his book titled The Quest for Clarity, Bruner discusses his views on the Act of Discovery. Bruner states his belief that to successfully educate, the educator must first assess what is already known. In this essay Bruner summarizes the basic principles of discovery learning, their benefits, its process, and a set of experiments that Bruner used which according to him, proved his theory. This essay will use research that supports Bruners theory in an attempt to prove that discovery learning is more effective than direct instruction and explain how educators should teach in result of the research. What is discovery learning? Discovery learning is an approach to learning that can be facilitated by specific teaching methods and guided learning strategies. For this essay the term discovery learning will refer to learning that takes place within in the individual, the teaching and instructional strategies designed by the teacher, and the environment created when these strategies are used. Direct or traditional instruction are strategies used in teacher led classrooms, including lectures, drill and practice, and expository learning. Bicknell, Holmes, and Hoffman (2000) describe the three main attributes of discovery learning as 1) exploring and problem solving to create, integrate, and generalize knowledge, 2) student driven, interest based activities in which student determines the sequence and frequency, and 3) activities to encourage integration of new knowledge into the learners existing knowledge base. The first attribute to discovery learning is a very important one. By exploring problems, and coming up with their own solutions, students are taking an active role in creating integrating, and generalizing knowledge. Students are not passively taking in information, as they would during a lecture, but are coming up with broad applications for skills by taking risks, solving problems, and examining unique, but useful experiences (Bicknell-Holmes Hoffman, 2000). This attribute of discovery learning dramatically changes the role of students and teachers, which some traditional teachers find hard to accept. The second attribute of discovery learning is that it encourages students to learn at their own pace (Bicknell-Holmes Hoffman, 2000). This attribute allow students learning to progress freely as the student is ready to learn new material. Students must obtain a high level of motivation and take ownership in their learning for this attribute to be met. The third major attribute of discovery learning is that it is based on the principle of using existing knowledge as a basis to build new knowledge (Bicknell-Holmes Hoffman, 2000). Students must be encouraged and provided with knowledge they already know to extend this knowledge and build new ideas. A good example of this is when students discover how to multiply a three digit number by a three digit number, by using their knowledge of multiplying a two digit number by a two digit number. The student would build on what they know about multiplication to come up with a new way of multiplying three digits by three digits. How discovery learning differs from traditional learning: The three attributes listed above combine to make discovery learning much different than traditional learning for five main reasons. First, learning is active rather than passive (Mosca and Howard, 1997). Second, learning is process oriented, rather than content oriented. Third, failure is important. Fourth, feedback is necessary (Bonwell, 1998). Last, understanding is deeper (Papert, 2000). Firstly, in discovery learning students are active in constructing their own knowledge. Learning is not defined as sitting back and taking in what is being said, but is defined as one seeking and creating their own new knowledge. Students are participating in hands-on, real life learning activities and solving real problems. The students have a purpose for finding answers and learning more (Mosca Howard, 1997). Secondly, the focus of learning is on the process and how the content is learned, rather than on the final product. Discovery learning focuses on how to analyze and interpret information in order to understand what is being learned. In traditional teaching and learning a lot of times the focus is on recalling information by rote memorization. This type of process oriented learning can be applied to many different topics instead of producing one correct answer for a specific question in a specific topic. Students will achieve a much deeper level of understanding in discovery learning. The emphasis is placed on mastery and application of overarching skills (Bonwell, 1998). Thirdly, failure in discovery learning is seen as a positive circumstance (Bonwell, 1998). Failure in discovery learning is related to a unique lesson learned from Thomas Edison. Edison is said to have tried as many as 1,200 designs for light bulbs before he found one that actually worked. When asked if he felt discouraged from all this failure, Edison responded by saying he never felt discouraged because he learned so many designs that didnt work. Discovery learning does not stress finding the correct answers each time. Cognitive psychologists have shown that failure is central to learning. In fact, if the student does not fail while learning, the student probably has not learned something new (Schank Cleary, 1994). Fourthly, an essential part of discovery learning is an opportunity for feedback in the learning process (Bonwell, 1998). Student learning is enhanced, deepened, and made more permanent by discussion of the topic with other learners (Schank and Cleary, 1994). In discovery learning, students are encouraged to discuss ideas with other students to deepen understanding. This is the opposite of the expectations in most traditional classrooms where students are expected to work in silence and find answers on their own. Lastly, after incorporating each one of the differences of discovery learning understanding becomes deeper. Learners internalize concepts when they go through a natural progression to understand them (Papert, 2000). Discovery learning is a natural part of human beings that begins from the time they are born. Humans are born with curiosities and needs which is the driving force behind why they learn. Infants learn to talk by discovery. The infant listens to others around them talk, mimics the sounds they hear, and begin to put together the pieces of language that they have discovered on their own (Percy, 1954). Discovery learning is a natural process in which students should be involved in on a day to day basis during school. Discovery learning allows for a deeper understanding by encouraging natural investigation through active, process-oriented methods of teaching (Percy, 1954). Advantages of discovery learning: What the research says Of the research that exists looking at the advantages of discovery learning over traditional learning, three main areas of focus have emerged: 1) motivation (Hardy, 1967), 2) retention (Alleman Brophy, 1992; Nelson Fayer, 1972; Peters, 1970), and 3) achievement (Hardy 1967; Mabie Baker 1966). A great advantage of the discovery learning method over traditional method is its ability to highly motivate students to learn. Discovery learning does this because it gives learners the opportunity to seek information that satisfies their natural curiosity. Discovery learning gives students an opportunity to explore their desires and therefore create a more engaging learning environment for themselves. To put it in simpler terms, discovery learning makes learning fun (Schank Cleary, 1994). In a study done by D.W. Hardy (1967), the students learning the principles of archaeology and anthropology through the discovery method of an archaeological dig were better organizers of information, more active in the task of learning, and more highly motivated that those who were taught in a traditional, lecture method. This example makes it easy to see that students would have much more fun actually digging out artifacts from thousands of years ago and making conclusions, than they would if th ey were to just read the same information from a textbook. When looking at information retention, discovery learning seems to at least match the level found when using traditional teaching methods, but could possibly increase information retention as well. Alleman and Brophy (1992) conducted a research study with college students by asking them to recall a memorable social studies activity that they did in kindergarten through the eighth grade. Many more students could easily recall activities that involved experimental learning, higher order applications, which are characteristics of discovery learning. Students also could recall more of the information that was retained from discovery learning type activities than they did from the traditional activities. Another study looked at the level of information retention in kindergarteners, but over a shorter timeframe. Peters (1970) compared kindergarten students learning mathematics using discovery learning methods and their learning using traditional methods. The results of this study found tha t students taught using a discovery learning method had equal, if not more, retention levels to those taught using a traditional method. Nelson Frayer (1970) also looked at the retention of concepts when they compared discovery learning methods to traditional methods. After studying 228 seventh graders who were learning geometry concepts, they found the same results as Peters (1970). When students are learning skills rather than facts, discovery learning has been shown to increase student achievement. Hardys (1967) archaeological study showed that students who were taught using the discovery learning method showed a positive difference in scores on both pre and post tests which measured anthropological understandings, over students taught using the traditional teaching method. Mabie Baker (1996) also conducted a study which yielded similar results. In this study, three groups of fifth grade students were taught concepts about nutrition using three different methods. One group used garden projects, one group used short, in class projects, and the other group was taught by traditional teaching methods. The group being taught using traditional methods only saw an 11% increase in pretest knowledge, compared to a 70%-80% increase in the other two groups that were being taught using discovery methods. Although discovery learning has many benefits over traditional learning, many teachers and school districts still teaching using the traditional lecture methods. Many educators believe that discovery learning cannot be used to cover the course content, discovery learning takes too much effort and time, and discovery learning will not work well with their large classes. According to the research, how should we then teach? After analyzing the research on discovery learning, five main teaching ideas emerge: 1) case based learning, 2) incidental learning, 3) learning by exploring/conversing, 4) learning by reflection, and 5) simulation-based learning (Schank Cleary, 1994). Teachers can use these ideas to incorporate discovery learning into their classroom environment on a daily basis. Case-based learning is the first teaching idea that comes forth in discovery learning. Case based learning has been around for a very long time as Harvard business school was one of the first schools to use this method (Merseth, 1991). Case based learning is just how it sounds, examining real life scenarios and cases and then applying them in new situations. Case based learning can be easily used when studying business, law, and medicine because there are numerous documented cases that deal with aspects of each of these. To use case based learning in the classroom a teacher must have cases readily available and easy for student access. Incidental learning in the second teaching idea that comes forth in discovery learning. Incidental learning takes place when students gain knowledge in passing (Schank Cleary, 1994). Many times incidental learning can take place in the form of game in which students are engaged in. This type of learning is best used when studying uninteresting topics or pure memorization because it gives students a motivation to learn these topics. Two good examples of incidental learning are having a classroom game show and creating a crossword puzzle on a topic of choice. The third teaching idea that emerges with discovery learning is learning by exploring. This type of learning is based on an organized collection of answers to questions that students can ask (Schank Cleary, 1994). This learning by exploring idea is very similar to the Socratic method of questioning. Curiosity is utilized with this method of teaching as students are given a problem to solve but they can only solve it by asking many questions. A good example of learning by exploring is a game called Whats in the bag? (Bicknell-Holmes Hoffman, 2000). To play this game, an object that is related to the topic being studied is placed in a bag. Students must then ask as many questions as it takes to try to figure out what this object is. This game helps students use prior knowledge and experiences to categorize information and discover what is in the bag. The fourth teaching idea that comes from discovery learning is learning by reflection. In this type of teaching the students learn to apply higher level cognitive skills because they must reflect on what they know to learn new information (Schank and Cleary, 1994). This type of learning by reflecting also helps students learn to ask better questions, and in turn do more sophisticated analyses (Bicknell-Holmes Hoffman, 2000). An example of a teacher using the learning by reflecting strategy will many times answer a students question with questions of their own to guide the student. This is also a model of how the student can ask better questions to themselves so that answers to unknowns can be found. The teacher does not directly answer the students question but rather guides the student with questions so they can find their own answer. This type of teaching requires lots of patience by both the teacher and the student as mistakes will be made. Students will learn to use these mistak es to help them better reflect on the topic and ask more sophisticated questions. The last teaching idea that comes from the research on discovery learning is simulation based learning. This type of learning is basically just role playing. The teacher will give the students a made up environment and situation in which the students must develop a complex set of skills or witness other students apply abstract concepts (Bicknell-Holmes Hoffman, 2000). Simulation based learning allows the environment and situation to be manipulated and adapted, with no real life consequences. This helps guide discovery as students can make mistakes and not have to worry about real consequences. Simulation based discovery also allows students to do things that would be impossible in real life, such as taking and planning field trips to other countries, or even outer space. Ever growing use of technology makes this even more possible as computers allow students and teachers to easily manipulate an environment without using much time or effort. This also makes the simulations much more realistic and authentic as pictures and videos from real places can be accessed at any time.

Beowulf: Christian Vs Pagan Influence Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essays

The European epic, Beowulf, was written sometime in the eighth century in England. This time period provides us with an idea for the mixture of Christian and pagan elements because of an English society that was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. Examples of Pagan and Christian traditions are presented all throughout literature. Many of the influences deal with what it going on in the world, when the piece is written. When Beowulf was written, St. Augustine had just come over to try and convert the Anglo-Saxon people to Christianity; although the conversion succeeded it was a shallow conversion, and there were still people following the Pagan ways. The fact that Christianity and Paganism are so closely combined in the epic explains the reasons for Beowulf’s Christian and pagan influences. Blending in among Beowulf's triumphs against the three key creatures, we also see Christian virtues being instilled upon the listeners. The good qualities of loyalty, humility, sacrifice for the good of others, and sympathy for those less fortunate are seen woven into the text as well as the negative consequences from greed and pride. In a thorough analysis of Beowulf, the Christian and pagan elements, represented in the characters and their journeys through various countries, creates an epic adventure filled with superhuman qualities and Christian ideals that often parallel themselves to biblical characters and events. The pagan elements of the epic are evident in a couple of the characters’ superhuman qualities during the first two parts of the poem. Beowulf is seen as a superhero and takes it upon himself to use his strength to defeat Grendel and save the Danes from the turmoil that has haunted them for the past... ...and his mother, despite being non-human. The author of Beowulf was extremely effective in combining pagan and Christian ideas in the poem. The ability and technique of combining two different elements into his characters makes the epic interesting to read. In mixing Christian and pagan ideas, the eighth century author was able to dramatically enhance the characters with Christian values and pagan ideals. Although the pagan elements greatly influenced the story, the addition of Christian influences and parallels to the Bible make this European epic famous for the adventures, conflicts, and heroism that take place in a time of religious transition. Today, one can still see the Pagan influences in common life. Each time Beowulf succeeded he related it to either Paganism or Christianity. Whether it is one God, or many Gods, the people all had their common belief system.