History of Barbados :: Essays Papers

The island of Barbados was first inhabited by an Amerindian migrant group called the Saladoid-Barrancoid around 350 to 650 AD. Their ancestors are believed to be from the Orinoco Basin in South America. The Spanish were the first Europeans to land on the island in the sixteenth century and reported the Amerindian settlement. However, when the Portuguese explorer, Pedro a Campus landed there in 1536, he claimed that the island was uninhabited. The original inhabitants, the Saladoid-Barrancoid, spoke a language which later became known as Arawakan. They were considered to be skilled farmers and fisherman while also excelling in ceramic crafts. They traded throughout the Caribbean area, which is known because artifacts of the Saladiod-Barrancoid have been found not only on Barbados, but also on neighboring islands. The slave population of Barbados increased greatly between 1643 and 1666. In 1643 the island had 6,400 slaves, and by 1666 they had over 50,000. The wealth of the planter class on the island was becoming more evident. The prosperity of the sugar industry within Barbados lasted until the early 1700s. The island of Jamaica and some of the Leeward Islands gained prosperity within the sugar industry. The diminishing sugar industry within Barbados was most directly related to their soil, which began to wear out. Barbados also faced problems with insects and drought. The life of those who worked on the plantations was not good. They endured hot temperatures, disease, and were at the mercy of their master. On almost every sugar-producing island, the death rate was higher than the birth rate, and it was known that those that worked on the sugar producing islands were up for a much harsher life than those taken to places like North America. Since the slaves died too quickly to reproduce, the plantation owners were constantly forced to bring more slaves in.

Meaningful Social Studies Essay

The democratic principles and ideals of citizenship reinforces effective social studies. By focusing on rights, responsibilities, and respect, a solid base of social studies knowledge and skills develops civic competence. The foundation of four core disciplines, or strands, from the social sciences are: geography, civics, economics, and history. They are the Louisiana framework for social studies. Each of these disciplines offers a distinct perspective for examining the world. Within these strands, other social sciences, such as anthropology and sociology, are incorporated.  §103. Louisiana Content Standards Foundation Skills The Louisiana Content Standards Task Force has developed the following foundational skills which should apply to all students in all disciplines: Communication, Problem Solving, Resource Access and Utilization, and Linking and Generating Knowledge. Through research, activities, discussions, and real-life experiences, children can and will learn that diversity can be positive and socially enriching. A pluralistic perspective involves students’ building unbiased, open-minded views towards diversity among their fellow human beings. Teachers of this generation have the combined blessing and challenge of helping students make the most of a world that is rapidly changing. Students must develop the perspective that cultural and philosophical differences are necessary and desirable qualities of a democratic community (NCSS, 1994). I chose the concept of â€Å"Problem Solving† for Grade 6-8th in which I will be teaching in the near future. Problem solving identify an obstacle or challenge and uses the application of knowledge and thinking processes which include reasoning, decision making, and inquiry in order to reach a solution using multiple pathways, even when no routine path is apparent. Bringing students into contact with other people’s various views and conflicting values is very important. In the school and local community, therefore, problem solving/inquiry problems are most often found. Questioning and cooperative learning are two strategies that are frequently used to support meaningful learning. Questioning. This is where all learning begins. The types of questions teachers use guide students’ engagement in the lesson (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000). The amount of time a teacher waits between asking questions and calling on students for responses, or responding to answers, affects student responses (Rowe, 1996). On average, teachers wait less than a second before calling on a student or responding to a student’s comment, this has been proven by classroom research. If the teacher wait 3 or more seconds before calling on a student or acknowledging a response, this can increase the length of student responses, the number of appropriate responses, and the cognitive level of the responses. Questions should be planned in advance, relate to the lesson activities, and are written into lesson plans. The Learning cycle lessons begin with questions that all students have a chance to answer. All answers are accepted by the teacher even though some answers may explain more than others. In the class such questions engaged by all of the students. In every learning cycle a central key question is planned for the exploratory phase. In a lesson focusing on the concept of presidential elections, for example, the teacher may ask the key question â€Å"What do you have to do to be elected president?† This is an open question that involves each student in thinking about the main idea of the lesson. Development phase, questions focusing student inquiry on the main concepts, skills, and attitudes of the lesson is done during the lesson. During the lesson development, many questions are narrow or closed. Questions are used to help students apply the concept in a new context, during the expansion phase of the lesson. On open questions, the emphasis is greater although some closed questions may be used. Effects of Emphasizing Student Control What students learn is influenced by how they are taught, the quality of individual and social processes occurring in the classroom, and the perceptions and understanding of social studies as a subject to be taught and learned (NCSS, 1994b). Matching Instructional Strategies to Student Needs One aim of education is to help students be self-directing (NCSS, 1994a, pp. 11–12). The amount of student control during the learning process, is a key factor. The categories, in order from least to greatest student control, are expository, guided discovery, and inquiry and problem solving/decision making. An appropriate instructional strategy is chosen by the teacher that matches the student’s level of social studies content, skill, attitudinal objectives, and developmental needs. These instructional methods are very effective and appropriate in helping students attain a particular level of learning objective. Expository, or Direct, Instructional Methods: Lower Student Control Students are provided with little control over the direction or extent of the learning process using the Expository instructional methods, or direct instruction method. Activity lessons using expository methods include the following characteristics: * The teacher controls the situation, providing adequate directions and motivation. The teacher provides ample opportunities to practice the skill in a wide variety of situations. * The teacher supplies immediate and continuous feedback focusing on correct answers. * The teacher uses lecture and closed, narrow questions to control the learning situation but must provide extensive and adequate directions for the student. Expository Guided Inquiry/Problem Solving Discovery and Decision Making Expository methods require external motivation and careful classroom management. Only lower levels of learning: recall and memorization are produced by these methods. Development of the affective areas of attending and willingness to receive information is facilitated by Expository methods. These methods are occasionally useful in the lesson development phase of the learning cycle in which the teacher explains the key idea of the lesson and the lesson focus involves the need for recall (Rosenshine, 1986). Guided Discovery Instructional Methods: Mixed Teacher and Student Control Students are involved in activities related to a concept and form an understanding of them when using guided discovery instructional methods before they are offered or explained by the teacher. A problem to investigate is created by the teacher and he/or she determines procedures and materials needed, but students collect and analyze data and evaluate the results as they relate to the problem. Guided discovery has four characteristics. 1. Students are provided with the time and opportunity to study relationships in data and form a new idea. 2. Students use several activities focusing on one concept, generalization, value, or skill. 3. Students’ main role is to investigate and discover answers to the questions posed, discussing and displaying data to do so. 4. The teacher provides directions and asks questions that help students begin activities with the learned resources selected. From data students can learn inquiry skills such as inferring, predicting, organizing, interpreting, and draw conclusions. Inquiry and Problem-Solving/Decision-Making Instructional Methods: Greater Student Control Inquiry involving significant student control over the direction the lesson takes, is the third social studies instructional method. The Students create a problem to investigate, determine procedures and materials needed, collect and analyze data, and evaluate results. These lessons have five characteristics: 1. Students are competent in basic social studies inquiry skills. 2. Students select problem areas to investigate. 3. Students work in groups, orally reporting the results of investigations. 4. The teacher guides students in defining the problem to investigate and in helping to identify resources. 5. A safe and supportive classroom environment is maintained. Activities using the Inquiry method are intrinsically motivating because students direct their own learning. A first-grader even is likely to use higher thought processes during an inquiry. For example, a young student’s social studies project could involve making a drawing showing where items in her personal materials basket (scissors, glue stick, crayons, etc.) should be placed. After the student lists three or more problems with the basket, such as the glue stick always falling over, the drawing is made. This allows the student to ask questions, communicate information, make inferences, and build prediction. Facts may form the basic content of the narrative, when writing stories about the experience, but students also often make inferences and construct generalizations. In inquiry and problem-solving/decision-making method activities, students are involved in practicing the full range of inquiry skills. Key social studies ideas and skills are carefully selected and is needed because inquiry methods reduce the amount of material covered to a greater extent than other instructional methods. Meaningful learning of generalizations and higher-order inquiry skills, as well as improved long-term memory and transfer of learning, occurs. Problem solving and decision making is what inquiry focuses on mainly. Students plan how they can participate and work together (Dunfee & Sagl, 1967; Meyerson & Secules, 2001). Conclusion By building on a core of effective practices in teaching and by designing activities and lessons with learning objectives in place, teachers encourage students to use their strengths and to respond successfully to challenges. They support students as active learners in meaningful activities. Focusing on helping young students identify multiple perspectives on issues and problems is a major learning outcome related to global issues. So also is discussing what are good and positive actions, moral positions, and appropriate behaviors. References Research & Evaluation Strategies for Early Childhood Education. Research In Early Childhood Education in Handbook Research on the Education of Younger Children. Springer (2007). Retrieved from http://ww.library.gcu.edu.2048/login?qurl.http$3A2F%2F% www.credoreference.com/entry/sprihsei/table_of_contents. Social Studies Content Standards – Division of Adminstration www.doc.louisiana.gov/osr/28v121/28v121.pdf Sunal-Szymanski, C. & Haas, M.E. Social Studies for the Elementary & Middle Grades: A Constructive Approach, (4th Ed.). Published by Allyn & Bacon copyright (2011) by Pearson Education, Inc. The Evolving Role of Teachers In Effective Schools in Springer International Handbooks of Education: International Handbooks of School Effectiveness and Improvement.

Free Speech Rights, The Establishment Clause, And Their...

This case involves a number of issues concerning free speech rights, the Establishment Clause, and their incorporation under the 14th Amendment. First, the Court must first decide whether the school facilities sought for use by the petitioner constitute a public forum to determine which standard of review should be applied to the State’s regulations. Upon establishing the standard of review to be used, the Court must determine whether the 1st Amendment free speech rights of the petitioner as applied to the states by the 14th Amendment were violated by the policy in question. If such a violation is found, the Court must subsequently rule whether said violation was justified by, as the State will argue, a compelling state interest in avoiding a violation of the Establishment Clause. Independent from these other issues, the Court must determine if, as the District Court ruled, the School Board’s policy’s distinction between permitted and prohibited activities is unc onstitutionally vague. Before discussing arguments concerning these issues, several matters of fact need be established. St. Michael’s School Board as an elected body governing public school facilities acts as with the authority of the State of Missouri. The policy of public school officials constitute state action. The state policy at issue in this case opens public school facilities for use of the public after school hours, but restricts access to those facilities from groups like the petitioner’s who intendShow MoreRelatedAp Government and Politics Essay6051 Words   |  25 PagesConstitutional Question: Does the Congress of the United States have the power, under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution; have the authority to constitute a national bank even though that power is not explicitly enumerated within the Constitution? Did Article VI’s National Supremacy Clause forbid State taxes on federal doings or was the Maryland tax law statutory? Article I, Section 8, Clause (Necessary and Proper Clause) – Grants Congress the powers that are implied in the Constitution, but areRead MoreIss 225 John Molloy Final Exam Study Guide Fall Semester 20128139 Words   |  33 PagesNovember 5th –December 6th. THE COURTS Why is it said that the U.S. has a dual court system? There is a federal judicial system and 50 state court systems. What is the meaning of the concept of jurisdiction? A court has the right to hear a particular type of case. What is the meaning of the doctrine of â€Å"presumption of validity?† Courts must assume that, unless the burden of the evidence is clearly to the contrary, legislatures would not enact or executives sign intoRead MoreAmendments to the National Constitution2556 Words   |  10 PagesConstitution Center, 2009). The First Amendment - The First Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, and prohibits the making of any law HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Establishment_Clause_of_the_First_Amendment o Establishment Clause of the First Amendment respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Exercise_Clause_of_the_First_Amendment o Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment free exercise of religion, infringing on theRead MoreSources of Company Law48332 Words   |  194 PagesFor the last century and a half a complex body of legislation called the Companies Acts has declared that if anyone presents to Companies House the documents required to form a ‘company’, the Registrar of Companies will issue a Certiï ¬ cate of Incorporation stating, like a birth certiï ¬ cate, that a new person, a ‘limited company’, has that day come into being. This robotic person, ‘owned’ by its shareholders, has no arms or legs, nor even a brain, but it is recognised by the law as being capable ofRead MoreI Love Reading Essay69689 Words   |  279 Pagestheir educational background. Nearly one in two entrepreneurs considered skill shortages in recruitment to be a problem of average importance, while nearly one in three considered it ‘somewhat difï ¬ cult’ or ‘very difï ¬ cult’ to ï ¬ nd candidates with the right skills. More than a third of the entrepreneurs faced problems in accessing as well as retaining employees generally. 50% of the entrepreneurs experienced difï ¬ culties while seeking statutory clearances and licences. Two-thirds faced hassles while ï ¬ ling