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.

Lab Scale Preparation of Gypsum Wallboard

Lab Scale Preparation of Gypsum Wallboard STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM AND SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPOSED RESEARCH (State succinctly the problem which is to be addressed. Clearly outline the importance of the problem, the originality of the approach and the impact it may have on the field if successful. Give an overview of the broader significance as well as the immediate impact of this research.) The main purpose of this research is to create a gypsum wallboard with enhanced fire resistant property. Gypsum owns a property of combined water content, is a noncombustible and acts as effective fire proofing material. When heat from fire comes in contact with a plaster wall (or gypsum wallboard), it begins to lose combined water as steam thus making the hemihydrate form of gypsum (stucco) rehydrated and it reverts back to dihydrate. Wide range requirements such as fire resistant, increase moisture resistant can be achieved by the use of different calcining methods and additives. The wide applicability of gypsum is in construction. It is also used in the chemical industries In producing the fire resistant gypsum wallboards, the various properties of GWB like thermal, physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics are to be studied which plays a major role in controlling the spread of fire in buildings. Gypsum wallboard consists mainly of gypsum i.e. calcium sulfate dihydrate, CaSO4.2H2O. Calcium sulfate in nature is mostly available in two forms: Calcium sulfate dihydrate is commonly referred as gypsum, which is one of the oldest construction materials. It naturally occurs in sedimentary deposits from ancient sea beds. The most distinguishing feature of Gypsum is that it is moderately soluble in water at room temperature and exhibits a special feature of retrograde solubility i.e. gypsum becomes less soluble at elevated temperatures. Another form of calcium sulfate is the calcium sulfate anhydrite. At a temperature of 58 ËÅ ¡C Gypsum and Anhydrite coexist, also the anhydrite exhibits the strong retrograde property but it does not revert back to gypsum as its solubility decreases with increasing temperature. Gypsum wallboard is used to make interior walls and ceilings in residential and commercial applications that often require specific fire rated assemblies. Various types of gypsum wallboard are manufactured, with the most common variety and specialized varieties such as fire resistant, water resistant, and plaster lath. Combination of beta hemihydrates stucco, water and other additives form slurry which is used in the manufacture of the gypsum wallboard. Additives such as asphalt emulsion, vermiculite, chopped fiberglass and paper fiber impart to the wallboard characteristics such as water resistance, fire resistance and strength. The fire resistance property is mainly attributed to the absorption of energy related with the loss of hydrate water going from the dihydrate (CaSo4.2H2O) and from the hemihydrates to the anhydrous form (CaSo4). Impinging heat of gypsum wallboards initially operates to reverse the hydration reaction resulting in controlling the spread of fire and penetration of flame through set gypsum structures. Fire resistance can be achieved by using appropriate additives such as fiber, glass textile fibers, vermiculite, which expands when heated, which acts against the gypsum shrinkage. Because of its worldwide occurrence and huge potential reserves, however its uses are not considered basic to survival in a national emergency, gypsum is not considered a strategic mineral. This has permitted natural economic factors to prevail in the development of the mineral worldwide, which overall is a healthy situation that should continue to prevail. PLAN OF PROCEDURE (Outline the initial approach to the problem and its feasibility. Point out innovative features, relate it to previous work including pertinent references, and indicate how this plan may contribute to the solution of the broader problem proposed.) Gypsum manufacturing process consists of three main steps (1) rock preparation, (2) calcining and (3) formulating and manufacturing. Though we start with buying the gypsum material from one of the providers so the next important step ahead is the calcination process. Gypsum is usually referred to be CaSO4.2H2O. Calcium sulfate dIiydrate undergoes calcination to form hemihydrate (CaSO41/2H2O) or anhydrous form (CaSO4). Initially the calcination process was achieved by heating the raw gypsum material in an open environment, later on with the development in science calcination was achieved by heating the gypsum material in a kiln. Kinetic studies of calcination process plays an important role in determining the gypsum product parameters. We are interested in knowing the time, temperature and rate at which the calcination process can be achieved. Initially a small amount of the gypsum material is taken and X- Ray diffraction studies are conducted on it to know its composition i.e. CaSO4. 2H2O or CaSO41/2 H2O or CaSO4 .Later after determining the form of gypsum material, thermogravimetric studies (used for the determination of weight change at different temperatures and time) are conducted on the CaSO4.2H2O to determine the temperature and time required to convert from dihydrate form to hemihydrate and anhydrite form. Again the obtained product is first subjected to XRD and SEM studies to investigate the state of gypsum i.e. dihydrate, hemihydrate or anhydrous form. This can be studied by interpreting the obtained results with the earlier established results. Later gypsum powder is subjected to different temperatures at different time intervals to determine the time and temperature required for the calcination process to finish by using Thermogravimetric Analysis Instrument also Differential Scanning Calorimetry (which determines the melting and boiling temperatures) studies are also conducted to know the melting temperatures of the product Until now the calcination process is studied by using a very small amount of the sample in a laboratory environment, the obtained results from these experiments is used to correlate with the calcination process which is done in hot air oven by using a large amount of samples. The temperature obtained from the thermogravimetric studies is used as basis for the calcination process in hot air oven. These studies are done to know the reproducibility for large scale samples. This encompasses the first step in our research. The importance of these kinetic studies related to calcination is very useful to determine the conditions for achieving the hemi hydride from calcium sulfate which undergoes rehydration process i.e is addition of water molecules to the hemi hydride form to form the gypsum wallboard. Calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CaSO41/2H2O) or Calcium sulfate anhydrite (CaSO4) undergoes rehydration in the presence of water. Rehydration plays an important role as it allows to add the additives such as glass material, vermiculite etc. to the slurry which is referred as stucco. Chemically stucco is referred as the hemihydrate form of CaSO4. These additives are added to increase the fire resistant property in addition to the strength of the wallboards. The kinetic studies related to the rehydration process are studied similar to the calcination step. These kinetic studies gives us scope for better understanding the process of gypsum wallboard. i.e the amount of water required for rehydration and also the amount of additives that can be added to the gypsum mixture to retain the chemical stability of the gypsum composition required for the wallboard manufacturing. Similar to the first step this step is studied for the time, temperature and rate of reaction in the open environment and later in the laboratory environment by using kettle. In the kettle the hemihydrate and hydride forms of calcium are reacted with the water and the obtained product is subjected to the XRD and SEM studies to determine the state of product. This is the second step in our research. The final step in our research is the lab scale preparation of gypsum wallboard which involves the dihydrate form of calcium sulfate react with the sufficient amount of water to form slurry. Theoretically about 18.6 parts of water is required to react with the 100 parts of gypsum but to get a slurry, excess of water (about 80 to 85 parts) is reacted with 100 parts of gypsum. In this step water along with 10-30 wt. % of starch such as corn starch is added to obtain milk of starch. Next about 0.1 -1.5 wt.% of amolytic enzyme such as ÃŽ ± amylase based on the starch is added and heated to the decomposition point of the starch with stirring. After the heating is stopped enzyme deactivating agent based on the starch is added in the range of 0.8 to 1.0 wt. % and mixed with water to obtain a starch paste. To the prepared starch material the calcination product is added along with water and vermiculite, glass materials which improve the fire resistance property of the gypsum wallboard. This mixture is agitated in slow motion to obtain a slurry. This slurry form of gypsum is poured into a paper sheets such as paper boards. The edges of the paper is folded upwards to retain the slurry form of gypsum. The other end of the product is covered with another paper material which helps to retain the structure of the gypsum board. This mixture is subjected to heating by using hot air press which is useful to remove the excess water and to obtain a specific structure of the gypsum board. This process is continued until all the excess water is removed. It is dried in the temperature range of 50 ËÅ ¡C-200 ËÅ ¡C. Starch paste such as denatured starch and dextrin is used as an auxiliary adhesive to prevent calcination of the crystal of gypsum dihydrate and dehydrated to give a gypsum hemihydrate in drying at high temperatures. Also to prevent separation of the gypsum core member from both paper board, hardening modifier are added to the raw material of the gypsum core member. It is effective that starch paste along with water in the gypsum core member and both paper boards migrate during drying at high temperatures, and cover the crystal of gypsum dihydrate due to water retention capability of the starch paste which developed into the fiber of the paper boards so as to prevent the calcination and dehydration of the crystals. The obtained wallboard is subjected to different analytical techniques such as Thermogravimetric analysis, Thermomechanical analysis, XRD, SEM and Differential scanning calorimetry as discussed in the calcination and rehydration step. BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION LAB SCALE PREPARATION OF GYPSUM WALLBOARD: Materials and supplies: A minimum of 50 pounds of raw gypsum is required to make the gypsum wallboard and test its fire resistant property by adding the additives such as starch, dextrose, glass fibers. Initially a wallboard is made without adding any additives and for that about 5 pounds of the powder is used and tested for its properties. Similarly by adding the additives wallboard are made and tested for its properties. If the properties observed are similar to the standard fire resistant properties, variations in the additives is done and another wallboard is made to test for its fire resistant property. This procedure is followed until a wallboard with improved fire resistance is observed. REFERENC5 ASTM C1396/C1396 M-01. Standard specifications for gypsum board. ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2001. Yu, L.; Brouwers, J.H. Thermal properties and microstructure of gypsum board and its dehydration products: A theoretical and experimental investigation. Fire mater.2012, 36,575-589. Baux,C.; Melinge , Y.; Lanos , C.; Jauberthie,, R. Enhanced gypsum board panels for fire protection. J. Mater civil eng. 2008, 20, 71-77. Isa, K.; Oruno, H. Thermal decomposition of calcium sulfate dehydrate under self-generated atmosphere.Bull. Chem.Soc.Jpn. 1982, 55, 3733-3737. Borrachero, M.V.; Paya, J.; Bonilla,M.; Monzo, J. The use of Thermogravimetric analysis technique for the characterization of construction materials-The gypsum case. J.Therm.Anal.Cal.2008, 91, 503-509. Anderson, L.; Jannson, B. Analytical fire design with gypsum: Atheoretical and experimental study. Lund, Institute of Fire Safety design, 1987. Green, G.W,; Sundberg, D.G. Fire resistant gypsum- core wallboard. U.S.Patent 3,616,173.1971. Freyer, D.; Voigt.W. Crystallization and phase stability of CaSO4 and CaSO4 based salts. Monatsch chem.2003, 134, 693-719. Sultan, M.A.; Roy, P. Gypsum board fall off temperature in floor assemblies exposed to standard fires. 11th International fire science engineering conference, London, UK, 2007, 979-991. Thomas,G. Thermal properties of gypsum plaster board at high temperatures. Fire mater, 2006, 26, 37-45. Benichou, N.; Sultan, M.A. Thermal properties of light weight framed construction components at elevated temperatures. Fire Mater.2007, 31, 425-442. Wakili, G.k.; Hugi, E. Four types of gypsum plaster boards and their Thermophysical properties under fire condition. J.Fire Sci. 2009, 27, 27-43. Beard, A.; Carvel, R. The hand book of tunnel fire safety, ed.; Thomas Telford publishing; Heron Quay, London, 2005. Elliott, C. Plaster of Paris Technology. Chem. Trade J. 1923, 72, 725-726. Manzello, S.L.; Gann, R.G.; Kukkuck, S.R.; Lenhert,D.B. Influence of gypsum board type (X or C) on real fire performance of assemblies. Fire Mater.2007, 31,425-442. BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION 1

Statistical Analysis Results of Crime: ANOVA Test

Statistical Analysis Results of Crime: ANOVA Test THE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA), STUDENTS ‘T’ TESTS AND MATRIX ALGEBRA ATUBI, A. 0. Ph.D. Introduction The ANOVA sometimes referred to as the F test (named after the statistician Sir Roland Fisher, the author of this test) is a set of procedures for testing the significance of differences among more than two independent means. This procedure determines the extent to which there are significant differences between the means of three or more samples with a single level of significance. Because this procedure and others like it focus on variances, they are referred to as the analysis of variance or ANOVA One Way Analysis of Variance The step in ANOVA can be illustrated by an example Example 5.1.1 The number of crimes committed in 4 months in various parts of a town are list below: Month Artisan quarters Slums CDB GRA January February March April 20 16 32 16 52 44 56 36 36 40 36 40 16 20 32 20 At 0.05 level of confidence, are crime frequencies related to urban morphology or month of the year? First set up a null hypothesis of equality of the means Let Ho be: â€Å"There is no significant difference between the crimes frequencies and urban morphology or month of the year. Next, find the total of the four areas as listed below then their means Total =Artesan SlumsCBDGRA 8418815288 Mean Next, calculate the Grand mean Next, calculate the sum of squares for each population. Note that in ANOVA the number of samples do not have to be same Table 4.1.1: Means and sums of squares of crimes committed In ANOVA, we determine differences between means by calculating their variability. Three types of variability are estimated: The variation within each sample result The variation between the sample results The total variation of the samples, regardless of the sample grouping to which they belong (Anyadike, 2009) Next, calculate the sums of the sum of squares for each column (i.e Variable): SSW = ∑∑(Xij X)2 = 172+236+16+144 =568 Calculate sum of square between = ? N (X —X)2 =4(21-3 2)2+4(473 2)2+4 (3832)2 + 4(2232)2 = 484 +900+144+400 =1928 Calculate the within group sum of square. MSW = SSW n-rn Where n=no of observations M=no of groups Similarly, the mean s square between will be MSb =SSb M-l Therefore MSW =SSb=568=568 n-m 16-4 12 = 47.33 The ratio between the variance estimate is known as the Snedecor’s variance ratio test or Snedecor’s F Now set up an ANOVA table: Finally, test for significance: The degrees of freedom, V are: V- numerator = M-1=4-1=3 V- denominator = n-m= 16—4=12 From the Table of the F-Distribution, critical value of F at 0.05 3 and 12 =3.49 Calculated value is 13.18 Since the calculated F of 13.58 is greater (>) 3.49, Ho is rejected. Therefore, â€Å"There is a significant difference between crime frequencies with regards to urban morphology or month of the year. THE STUDENT ‘T TEST The most powerful test for the comparison of sample means is the student ‘t’ test. It is a parametric test and is used to determine whether or not the differences between two sample means are sufficiently great as to justify a conclusion that the means of their populations also differ significantly. It is also used for small samples The student ‘t’ is expressed as: T = x1-x ­1 vS12/N1 + S22/N2 Where X1 and X2 are the means of the two sets of data; S1 and S2 their standard deviations; and N1 and N2 the number of observations. The degree of freedom, V is expressed as follows: V = N+N,-2 Degree of Freedom There is often confusion among students about the concept of â€Å"degree of freedom†. Basically, if the sum of a set of elements and the sum of all but one is of its elements are both known, then the value of the last element must also be known, i.e. it is not, unlike the others, free to vary (Ayandike, 2009). For example, if the sum of 8 elements is 30 and the values of 7 of the elements variously add up to 28, then the value ofthe final (i.e. the 8†) element must be (30-28) = 2, i.e. if is not free to adopt any other value. The degree of freedom in this case is thus (8-1) = 7, i.e. in the set of 8 element, 7 of them are free to take on any values to sum up to 28, leaving value inviolate ELEMENTS OF MATRIX ALGEBRA Introduction The matrix is a rectangular array of number arranged in rows n and columns, m i.e Each of the numbers is called an elements. The position of each element is determined by its position in the row as well as in the The size of the matrix is given by the number of rows (n) and number of column (m) for example. A matrix which has the same number of rows and columns is called a square matrix. In the example above, a and c are square matrices. A matrix with a single row is called a row vector, while a matrix of a single column is called a column vector. Example of a row vector is {3 5 7 8} example of column vector is Matrix can be added, subtracted, multiplied and inverted but cannot be divided. However, they can only be divided by a scalar (i.e an ordinary number). Addition of Matrix Matrices to be added must be of the same size as one another. That is they must have the same number of columns and row s. This is because each element of one matrix must be added to the same element of the other matrix e.g. supposing we are adding two matrix [A]  ± [B] [A] + [BI =[C] i.e you add element by element N.B:The number of columns and rows must be the same before it can be added Matrix Subtraction The same rule as addition is applied e.g to subtract [BI from [A] [A] [B] Matrix Multiplication There are two aspect of matrix multiplication namely: a.Multiplication of matrix by a scaler b.Multiplication of matrix by two matrices By Scaler Supposing we are multiplying the matrix below by 4 Multiplication by Two Matrices When two matrices are to be multiplied, the number of columns in the first matrix must be equal the number of rows in the second matrix e.g. 23 matrix can be multiplied by 32 matrix. But a 23 matrix cannot be multiplied by another 23 matrix because the number of rows there is not equal to the number of columns in the second e.g. The result will have as many rows as the first and as may columns as the second. Multiplication of a matrix by vector, example An identity or unity matrix 1, is a matrix where the diagonal consist of l’s and the rest of the elements are zero e.g.: Matrix Inversion In matrix, algebra function of division is changed to that of inversion. The inverse of the matrix is it’s reciprocal i.e. Only square matrices have inverses. A matrix that cannot be inverted is called a singular matrix. Several methods exists for finding the inverse of a matrix. They includes 1.  The classical method This is to set the matrix beside an identity matrix, and to perform all operations simultaneously in both matrices, for example, if you are to invert this matrix [A], you first place it beside an identity matrix You have Step 1 Subtract row 2 from 3, multiply row 1 Row 2(3xrow 1) Step 3 2.  By Determinants This is the more modern one. A determinant is a single number extracted from a square matrix by series of operations. It is represented by either det A or /A/ The process of obtaining a determinant from a matrix is called evaluating the determinant. Using determinant, the inverse of matrix [A] becomes /A/ = ad—bc The adjoint of a matrix is the transposed matrix of co -factors with the signs taken into consideration. The signs are alternating +, -, across and down the element of the matrix e.g. in a 22 matrix So far a 22 matrix, the inverse is the adjoint of that matrix over the determinant of the matrix. The determinant of a 33 matrix The minus for each leading element becomes Uptill i. The Solution of Simultaneous Equation The major interest in matrices (and its greatest strength) is their use in the resolution of the unknowns in simultaneous equations (Anya dike, 2009) SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS WITH TWO UNKNOWNS 3x+4y 10 2x +‘7y = 11 Set in matrix form 1.Using the classical method, our equation in matrix form is [A] [x] [B] The matrix of the unknown [x]=[A]=[B] For a 2 x 2 matrix the adjoint of it is Since our matrix of unknown is Check with original equation 3x+4y =10 2x +7y1l Check 3(2)+4(1)= 10 =6+4+10 2(2) +7 (1) =1 4+7=11 1. By determinant method The matrix in our example is [A] [x] [B] This 13 is called the common denominator. Then we find the numerator of x, which is the determinant of the main matrix. :. X2/A1.B/-à ·/A!13113 =1 =y Therefore,Y = 1 X=2 REFERENCES Anyadike, R.N.C (2009) Statistical methods for social and Environmental Sciences. Spectrum Books Limited Ibadan. Anyadike, R.N.C (2009): Statistical methods for social and Environmental sciences. Spectrum Books limited Ibadan. Atubi, A.O. (2010d) Road Traffic Accident variations in Lagos State, Nigeria: A Synopsis of variance Spectra. African research Review, Vol 4(2) pp. 197-218. Ethiopia. Ewhmdjakpor C, Atubi, A.O. and Odemerho F. (2006): Statistics for social investigations. Delsu Investment Nigeria, Limited, Delta State University, Abraka. Ewhrudjakpor. C, Atubi, A.O, and Odermerho F (2006). Statistics for social Investigations. Delsu Investment Nigeria, Limited. Delta State University, Abraka. Spiegel, M.R (1972): Theory and problems of statistics. McGraw-Hill, New York.

Solids, Liquids, and Gases :: essays research papers

Solids, liquids, and gases are the three main, or fundamental phases of matter. Each one has a different density and a different level of stability. What determines the stability of each phase is the bond between it's atoms. The tighter the bond between it's atoms the more stable that phase of matter is. Solids are the most stable form of matter, followed by liquids, and then gases. Solids have a definite shape and do not take the shape of their container. Liquids do not have any definite shape and do take the shape of their container, the same is true with gases. Once again it is the bond between the atoms of liquids, and gases that make it have no definite shape. The first phase of matter is solids. Solids are the most stable form of matter. Solids are more stable than liquids and gases. One type of solid is a Crystalline solid. The particles in a crystalline solid have a regular repeating pattern. The types of crystalline solids are metals, alloys, salts, valence crystals, molecular crystals, polymers, and plastics. Most elementscrystalize as metals. Some solids can also be frozen liquids. The atoms in a solid are tightly bonded which means it has a definiteshape. The second phase of matter is liquids. Liquids have no definite shape. Liquids are less orderly than solids but more orderly than gases. Liquids can flow very easily. Liquids also take the shape of their container. Most liquids are very good conductors. Most liquids are also good solvents. Some solids float in liquids depending on their density. If the solid is less dense than the liquid then it floats on the liquids surface. If the solid is more dense than the liquid then it sinks in the liquids. For example an egg normally sinks in water because it's density is higher than water's density. When you add salt to the water the density of the water becomes higher than the egg's density so the egg floats. The third and final fundamental phase of matter is gas. Gases are the least orderly of the three phases of matter. Gases take the shape of their container because of the very weak bond between their atoms. Gases are also very low in density. The average gas is 1000 times less than that of the average liquid. The volume of gas varies with many things including temperature and pressure. These are explained in Charles's and Boyle's laws. Boyle's law states that the volume of gas varies indefinitely with the pressure applied to it.

Emersons Aphorisms :: essays research papers

Have you ever had a pair of shoes cherished so much that you were afraid to run the risk of wearing them, for fear of them getting scuffed, but by the time you wear them their too small? The aphorism by Ralph Waldo Emerson, â€Å"We are always getting ready to live, but never living.† is still valid today. It is often that we prepare to live rather than living instead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often people are unwilling to take opportunity, Emerson tries to show this in his aphorism. Due to the risks involved, people sometimes miss their chance at opportunities. Just like the kid unwilling to wear his shoes for fear of scuffing them, we are often caught in the same struggle between risk and desire. The kid desires to wear, and to be seen in his new shoes. But the risk of scuffing his new shoes outweighs wearing them, in his mind. People often do not realize what they’ve missed because of risk involved, until its too late. Finally the little kid decides he’s willing to accept the risk of scuffing his shoes, but by the time he tries to slip his feet into the little shows he realizes he’s outgrown them and they’ll no longer fit. Disgruntled and distraught, the kid wants to wear the shoes more than anything now that he can’t wear them. Emerson hints that we should take opportunities as they come; and never hide in the face of risk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerson’s aphorism could also be interpreted as a plea to enjoy what you have now, rather than always strive for more. It is not uncommon to see a prominent member Tillman 2 of society spend the majority of their time working, rather than enjoying the wealth they have already acquired. Emerson is trying to say that we should stop and appreciate what we have, rather than spend our time trying to obtain more. After all, how can one fully enjoy what they have, when they are too busy trying to acquire more. Emerson hints that we should not spend our lives preparing for life rather than living life. Throughout our lives it’s common to see people with high goals, but never tackle them head on.

Essays --

1.0 Introduction This report aims to explore the different views of those who believe that having an unrealistic ideal body image positively affects women and those who believe that it has a negative impact on women. This report will also provide the issue and its debate background, its social significance, the parties involved in this debate as well as the differing opinions and arguments related to the debate topic. 2.0 The issue and background to the debate Our body image is an important part of our self-identity and our self esteem. In Medilexicon’s medical dictionary, body image is the personal conception of one's own body as distinct from one's actual anatomic body or the conception other people have of it. In medicine and psychology terms, body image refers to a person’s emotional attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of their own body. Body consciousness is a growing phenomenon among women and this has started the debate on the positive and negative effects of having an unrealistic body image on women. 3.0 The social significance of the debate According to Boston’s Women Health Book Collective, Inc (2005), it is said that researchers have found that ongoing exposure to certain ideas can shape and distort our perceptions of reality and that it is not surprising that in our media-driven culture, our views of what women should look like are warped- Real women with pubic hair and breasts that aren’t perfect round orbs begin to seem unnatural compared to the altered images we see in the media. Therefore, the question here is will the impact of having an unrealistic ideal body image positively affect women or will it negatively affect women? 4.0 The participants in the debate The main participants in this debate are expe... ...so have a goal to work towards whenever they see the waif-like models in the media. According to R. Modrzejewska and W. Badura-Madej (2013), they have concluded that more women have a negative self-image of themselves when compared to men. As such, women are also more likely to be motivated to lose weight by going on diet plans or by exercising because they are teased that they look fat and or encouraged by friends and family to shed the extra pounds. 6.0 Conclusion From the discussion above, it is very clear that there are different opinions on the issue of having an unrealistic ideal body image. Just as there are benefits of having an unrealistic ideal body image on women, there are also drawbacks that can be harmful to women. To decide which impact has a greater consequence, more detailed research and analysis of the arguments of both sides are needed.

Politics and the English Language Essay

Eric Arthur Blair popularly known as George Orwell is known for his novels â€Å"Animal Farm† (1945) and â€Å"Nineteen-Eighty Four† (1949). He was born in British India on 1903 and he grew up to detest a person’s control over another which is typical in his writings (Microsoft Student, 2007). He wrote in 1950 the essay â€Å"Politics and the English Language† which is a confrontation of the bad writing habits of the British people that has crept into â€Å"Modern English† during his time. Orwell argues that the English language has gotten worse because of â€Å"political and economic† factors and that political collapse has also been affected by the weakening of the English language. He presented five passages from different writings which he describes as ineffective and careless and enumerated the â€Å"bad habits† of â€Å"written English† which has become common in the modern prose of that period. It also pointed out the ambiguity of language caused people to be deceived. In this essay, Orwell appeals to his readers that they can still reverse what is happening to the English language and to politics and that is to avoid the â€Å"bad habits† and to follow the rules he prescribes. The main idea of Orwell’s essay observes the four canons of â€Å"memory†, â€Å"invention†, â€Å"disposition† and â€Å"style† and its controlling idea that the deterioration of the English language is connected with the worsening of politics is a cyclical process may be true but the connection between politics and the incompetence of the English language has not been clearly established because it does not provide sufficient examples from political writings or speeches that will prove this claim. When analyzed, it can be discovered that the essay follows the four canons of â€Å"memory†, â€Å"invention†, disposition† and â€Å"style†. To start with, the essay begins by drawing upon the belief that â€Å"most people† know about the deterioration of â€Å"our civilization† and that language eventually becomes deteriorated in the process. It also includes the general knowledge of the â€Å"British rule in India†, and the bombing in Hiroshima, Japan. Next, the essay does not mention statistics or record of interviews but it employs an analysis of five passages from various writings that the author cited as well as the examples of phrases or words that have become worn-out or have lost its meaning. Orwell also translated a paragraph written in â€Å"good English† into a paragraph written in what he calls â€Å"modern English of the worst sort† which illustrated how something good can turn into bad or even worse. The result of such methods employed by the writer has been effective in understanding the essay. Another, the essay follows a logical pattern in its organization and structure. After the introductory paragraph which mentions a public belief in the essay. The second paragraph of the essay states the controlling idea that the worsening of politics and economics brings about the decline of language and it goes around in a cycle. It elaborates that this is demonstrated by the â€Å"bad habits† that have spread â€Å"by tradition and imitation† at that time. But, he lays down a solution which is to avoid those â€Å"bad habits†. The essay includes five samples of passages that use metaphors that are no longer effective and accurate from the third to the ninth paragraph. It goes on to enumerate the â€Å"bad habits† of â€Å"dying metaphors†, â€Å"operators or verbal false limbs†, â€Å"pretentious diction† and â€Å"meaningless words† of â€Å"Modern English† in the tenth to thirteenth paragraph. He goes on to give his own example of a paragraph in â€Å"good English† translated into bad â€Å"modern English† from paragraphs fourteen (14) to seventeen (17). Paragraph eighteen (18), explains how the selected passages no longer present vivid imagery and accuracy. In the same paragraph, Orwell mentions that writers use those â€Å"bad habits† because it is convenient and is â€Å"easy†. Paragraph nineteen (19) expounds on how â€Å"political writing is bad writing† by citing examples of situations as well as phrases. Paragraphs 20 to 21 continue to explain that â€Å"political language† has been used to hide the truth from the people. Paragraph 22 elucidates that one uses vague, long and ambiguous words so as to blur the details. Paragraph 23 goes back to clarify what the author has already mentioned in the second paragraph that â€Å"thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. † Orwell also recognizes that he has â€Å"committed the very faults I am protesting against. † He asserts that it is only with constant awareness of the â€Å"bad habits† that one can be liberated from it. The essay gives details on the writer’s idea that the decay of language can still be regenerated in paragraphs 24 to 26. The last paragraph recapitulates the controlling idea and the supporting ideas that have been presented in the body of the essay. Lastly, the style of the text is a combination of short and long sentences in its 27 paragraphs. The shortest sentence in the essay consists of 7 words while the longest can consist of 57 words. The average sentence length per paragraph can range from 21 to 38 words. There is a minimum of 4 sentences and a maximum of 8 sentences per paragraph. Its sentence and paragraph length suggests a formal tone that is at the same time analytical and persuasive. Although the essay follows the four canons, there are still inadequacies in the research method, and in the order of some paragraphs. First, the essay does not include interviews of people who have suffered because language was used in a deceitful way during that time of Orwell’s writing. If one has to look back to that period of World War II when this essay was probably written, there are people who survived the so called â€Å"Holocaust† that the author could have cited or interviewed. The â€Å"Holocaust† was the â€Å"almost† complete annihilation of the â€Å"Jews in Europe† by the Nazis and its allies during World War II (Bankier, 2007). The statements of Hitler before the occurrence of World War II could have been a very good example of political language used to deceive people or to hide the truth from them. In addition, the essay should have also included samples of passages that come from political writings or speeches because the readers can hardly see the connection between the degeneration of language and the political disorder without concrete examples. Out of the five sample passages in the essay, only passage (4) can be considered a political writing. Moreover, the order of some of the paragraphs is not effective. For instance, paragraph 18 which is an illumination on the â€Å"bad habits† that the five passages contain, should be placed in between paragraph 13 and 14. When the writer talks about the sample passages then he should move on to explain those and he should not mention a new topic or idea as he did in paragraphs 14 to 17. Furthermore, the second sentence of paragraph 17 is quite ambiguous. It is not at all very clear because it does not specify what those â€Å"several patches of the same kind of English† are. In conclusion, Orwell’s essay on â€Å"Politics and the English Language† follows the four canons and has achieved its purpose in persuading the readers to avoid â€Å"bad habits† of â€Å"modern English† so that they can think clearly for it is with â€Å"foolish thoughts† that language is corrupted. References Bankier, D. (2007). Holocaust. Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. Orwell, G. (1946). Politics and the English Language. London: Horizon. Ziemke, E. F. World War II. Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.