Comparison King rat and mcKenzies Boots :: essays papers

Comparison King rat and mcKenzies Boots Wartime. It is a time of pain, a time of agony, a time of great suffering. Yet through all the hardships of war, there always arises heroes, people who soar above all to rid the world of the evil that is war. What is it about such heroes that make them standout from the rest? More importantly, what is it about soldiers that enable them to survive the atrocities of war? There are many possible answers to this question such as being in top physical condition and having the proper combat and weapon training. More importantly, a time of war can take a heavy toll on one's mind and a person must have great mental strength in order to deal with the death, pain, and terror that result from war. Survival in war may depend more on mental strength than on physical strength. One important aspect of mental strength is having the will to survive and not giving up at all. In order to be strong mentally, one must also be able to block out all emotions and morals that could lead to weak ness and even lead to death. Having a good companion at a time of war could also be very helpful in the building of mental strength. All of these elements show how mental strength can be very important when it comes to surviving an unforgiving war. What exactly is the will to survive? A couple of scenarios explains it best. For example, it is what keeps a severely wounded man alive long enough until proper medical attention arrives. It is what prevents a soldier from going insane when things get uncontrollably out of hand. It is these things and a great deal more. In the novel King Rat by James Clavell, the character known as the King showed he had a very strong will to survive. He was stuck in a Japanese prison camp for the past couple of years and he had refused to give up on his life like the others. A good example of this was when a fellow prisoner had just died and he was talking to the doctor who had been in charge of him. "What'd he die of?" "Lack of spirit." The doctor stifled a yawn. His teeth were stained and dirty, and his hair lank and dirty, and his hands pink and spotless.

Position Paper Essay

It is truly a T.G.I.F for elementary students in public schools because last September 16, 2010 Department of Education released a memorandum, called Memorandum 392 that orders elementary teachers to avoid giving their students home works during weekends. The Memorandum states that ‘ 1. Homework or assignments have been part of the pupils’ lives in their schooling. Common homework/assignment may include a period of reading to be done and writing to be completed, problems to be solved and projects to be worked on among others. The purpose of which is for the pupils to increase their knowledge and improve their abilities and skills. see more:should hw be banned 2. However, it has been observed that parents complain about too many pupils’ homework or assignments which rob themselves and their children quality time to be together in more enjoyable activities. 3. Hence it is advised that the teachers limit the giving of homework to reasonable quantity to give their ample time to rest and relax at home for the rest of the day. 4. Therefore no homework or assignment shall be given during weekends for pupils to enjoy their childhood and spend quality time with their parents without being burdened by the thought of doing lots of homework. Since teachers, parents and students always debate about this in the internet, I would like to share my stand in this issue. As a student and a future educator, I am in favor for the implementation of the No home works on weekend’s policy in grade school. First, according to number two guideline of the Deped Memorandum 392 S.2010; homework or assignment on weekends robs quality time of the parents and the children to be together in more enjoyable activities. I personally believe that weekends are for relaxing and of course bonding time with the family. According to a parent from www.debate.org, kids study 5 days a week with only a few hours with their family. It’s a difficult to manage, when teachers give home work over the weekend it takes away time from them doing sports, going outside, and even family time. According to a PNU Student, particularly a P.E Major she said that ‘we spend a lot more time awake at school. When we go home, we just sleep. We barely had time with our family’.  Also, according to a tumblr blogger which is a teacher; The State should see the value of quality Family bonding especially today when there seems to be a little time and opportunity for Parents to talk to their children. This quality time is a means to discuss sensitive issues that only parents can deliver and to strengthen the family ties. I believe that family time would be a productive and this time could help the children develop not only mentally but of course emotionally. Also according to an article in empoweringparents.com assignments always cause nightly conflicts among the parents and the child so I think that weekends can be a timeout and an exemption for this situation. According to the Assistant Secretary of DEPED, Mr. Toni Umali children should not only learn from school itself, they must also learn the importance of the family bonding. Aside from family matters, when kids are bombarded with a lot of assignments during weekend it does not only affects their bonding time with their family but also their health. I conducted a survey among PNU students and some of the answers concerns about the health of the students. According to a History major he is in favor of the policy because, in today’s educational system, a student’s week is crowded with too much school activities, leaving the student no room for recreation. Disallowing home works on weekends will be in favor of the student’s proper development not only mentally but also physically, emotionally and socially. Another response that came from our fellow English Major was ‘Yes, ‘coz students should relax their mind every weekend. Doing homework in weekends would stress out students and if students will be stressed out, their health would be at risk. According to teachthought.com Kids needs time to be kids, they need unstructured playtime; they need to play outside with their friends and of course physical exercise. Also a student answered that kids are studying 5 straight days a week and she don’t think that having 2 days break from it would be a reason for the kids to fail. A point was well raised by our fellow English major and a STA Major. The English major said that having no home works on weekends would inculcate laziness in the minds of our students So that students, in an early stage will learn how to prioritize and manage time. According to the STA Major ‘No, because as students it is our responsibility to do our assignments that  would enhance our deeper analysis or understanding in our lessons. It doesn’t mean that if it is weekend, we should enjoy or rest all through. As students, we need those home works for our weekend to be productive’ For me having no homework on weekend does not promote the habit of laziness, instead it promotes the importance of family bonding and that family should be a priority as mentioned above that is what memorandum 392 was meant for; to increase the time for the children to bond with their parents/family. Another well raised point was from a male student from University of Santo Tomas he said that he is not favor in No Homework Policy, because how come that the students understand the Lesson and also force them to reread again the lesson, so that they can deeply understand it. Well according to opencolleges.edu.au home works does not really equate to higher achievement. Study show that in elementary there is a weak link between achievement and home works. Most countries with less home works lead to have higher scores in achievement tests. Countries with more home work assigned like Greece, Thailand and Iran have the worst average scores. The last point that I would like to mention was a point raised by a fellow English Major that is not in favor of No Home works on weekend’s policy, she answered: No. Because home works act as supplements/follow-ups to the lessons taught inside the classroom. I believe so but I think it would be a great help if the assignments are not given during Fridays that would be pass on Monday the coming week. Let’s be considerate and give our kids free time to explore. Kids would also learn with life experiences that could be related with their topic in school. After all, kids are kids. They may not be able to absorb all the stress and the pressure in the environment maybe we’ll be surprised if one day our kids would be afraid to go to school just because he/she was not able to answer the assignments. According to teachthought.com homework may be a form of intrusion on family life, and may increase the drop-out rate in schools. The bottom line of this is we want what’s good for kids. We don’t train robots, we train humans. We don’t only fill the brains of our students; we should be able to fill their hearts. Let’s make learning easy and enjoyable  let us not take times in which children could do something great with their family and treasure the memory for the rest of their lives. Let us not make learning a horrible experience for our students, the government, the community, the teachers and most especially the parents should do their part to be able to develop a child into a intelligent, responsible and loving human being that could do something to promote excellence to the following generations. References: http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/20-reasons-you-shouldnt-assign-homework-over-the-holidays/ stophomework.com/fact.pdf http://juanrepublic.tumblr.com/post/1137647987/deped-memo-no-homework-shall-be-given-during-weekends http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-kids-have-homework-on-the-weekends http://www.debate.org/debates/should-Students-be-given-homework-during-the-weekends/1/ http://www.smartparenting.com.ph/kids/big-kids/poll-no-homework-on-weekends-policy-yes-or-no http://depedteacher.blogspot.com/2010/09/no-homework-shall-be-given-during.html http://www.empoweringparents.com/Homework-Hell-Part-l-How-to-Turn-It-Around.php http://happychild.mobi/articles/what-is-the-value-of-homework-research-and-reality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xMo-QFB11E http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100919-293072/TGIF-No-homework-on-weekendsDepEd

Genres Of Literature Essay

Genres of literature are important to learn about. The two main categories separating the different genres of literature are fiction and nonfiction. There are several genres of literature that fall under the nonfiction category. Nonfiction sits in direct opposition to fiction. Examples from both the fiction and nonfiction genres of literature are explained in detail below. This detailed genres of literature list is a great resource to share with any scholars. Types of Nonfiction: Narrative Nonfiction is information based on fact that is presented in a format which tells a story. Essays are a short literary composition that reflects the author’s outlook or point. A short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. A Biography is a written account of another person’s life. An Autobiography gives the history of a person’s life, written or told by that person. Often written in Narrative form of their person’s life. Speech is the faculty or power of speaking; oral communication; ability to express one’s thoughts and emotions by speech, sounds, and gesture. Generally delivered in the form of an address or discourse. Finally there is the general genre of Nonfiction. This is Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject. This genre of literature offers opinions or conjectures on facts and reality. This includes biographies, history, essays, speech, and narrative nonfiction. Nonfiction opposes fiction and is distinguished from those fiction genres of literature like poetry and drama which is the next section we will discuss. Genres of Fiction: Drama is the genre of literature that’s subject for compositions is dramatic art in the way it is represented. This genre is stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical  performance, where conflicts and emotion are expressed through dialogue and action. Poetry is verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that evokes an emotional response from the reader. The art of poetry is rhythmical in composition, written or spoken. This genre of literature is for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts. Fantasy is the forming of mental images with strange or other worldly settings or characters; fiction which invites suspension of reality. Humor is the faculty of perceiving what is amusing or comical. Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement which meant to entertain. This genre of literature can actually be seen and contained within all genres. A Fable is a story about supernatural or extraordinary people Usually in the form of narration that demonstrates a useful truth. In Fables, animals often speak as humans that are legendary and supernatural tales. Fairy Tales or wonder tales are a kind of folktale or fable. Sometimes the stories are about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children. Science Fiction is a story based on impact of potential science, either actual or imagined. Science fiction is one of the genres of literature that is set in the future or on other planets. Short Story is fiction of such briefness that is not able to support any subplots. Realistic Fiction is a story that can actually happen and is true to real life. Folklore are songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a person of â€Å"folk† that was handed down by word of mouth. Folklore is a genre of literature that is widely held, but false and based on unsubstantiated beliefs. Historical Fiction is a story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting. Horror is an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by literature that is frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting. Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader. A Tall Tale is a humorous story with blatant exaggerations, swaggering heroes who do the impossible with an here of nonchalance. Legend is a story that sometimes of a national or folk hero. Legend is based on fact but also includes imaginative material. Mystery is a genre of fiction that deals with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets. Anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown. Mythology is a type of legend or traditional narrative. This is often based in part on  historical events, that reveals human behavior and natural phenomena by its symbolism; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. A body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person. Fiction in Verse is full-length novels with plot, subplots, themes, with major and minor characters. Fiction of verse is one of the genres of literature in which the narrative is usually presented in blank verse form. The genre of Fiction can be defined as narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact. In fiction something is  feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story. Basic Parts of Essay Introductory Paragraph The introductory paragraph accomplishes three purposes: it captures the reader’s interest, it suggests the importance of the essay’s topic, and it ends with a thesis sentence. Often, the thesis sentence states a claim that consists of two or more related points. For example, a thesis might read: A college essay has an introductory paragraph, several body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. You are telling the reader what you think are the most important points which need to be addressed in your essay. For this reason, you need to relate the introduction directly to the question or topic. A strong thesis is essential to a good essay, as each paragraph of your essay should be related back to your thesis or else deleted. Thus, the thesis establishes the key foundation for your essay. A strong thesis not only states an idea, but also uses solid examples to back it up. A weak thesis might be: Wikipedia is a powerful resource in many ways. As an alternative, a strong thesis for the same topic would be: Wikipedia is a powerful resource because it allows users with knowledge in a specific area toshare  their knowledge, because it allows users to quickly find information about a vast array of topics, and because studies have confirmed that it is as accurate as any other encyclopedia. Then, you could separate your body paragraphs into three sections: one explaining the open-source nature of the project, one explaining the variety and depth of information, and a final one using studies to confirm that Wikipedia is indeed as accurate as other encyclopedias. Tips Often, writing an introductory paragraph is the most difficult part of writing an essay. Facing a blank page can be daunting. Here are some suggestions for getting started. First, determine the context in which you want to place your topic. In other words, identify an overarching category in which you would place your topic, and then introduce your topic as a case-in-point. For example, if you are writing about dogs, you may begin by speaking about friends, dogs being an example of a very good friend. Alternatively, you can begin with a sentence on selective breeding, dogs being an example of extensive selective breeding. You can also begin with a sentence on means of protection, dogs being an example of a good way to stay safe. The context is the starting  point for your introductory paragraph. The topic or thesis sentence is the ending point. Once the starting point and ending point are determined, it will be much easier to connect these points with the narrative of the opening paragraph. A good thesis statement, for example, if you are writing about dogs being very good friends, you could put: A dog is an example of a very good friend because X, Y, and Z. Here, X, Y, and Z would be the topics explained in your body paragraphs. In the format of one such instance, X would be the topic of the second paragraph, Y would be the topic of the third paragraph,  and Z would be the topic of the fourth paragraph, followed by a conclusion, in which you would summarize the thesis statement. Example As we travel through our lives, we will identify many people as friends. In truth, most of these individuals are simply acquaintances. They will enter and depart from our existences as matters of mutual convenience. True friends will be there for you always. There is no friend truer than a dog. Identifying a context can help shape the topic or thesis. Here, the writer decided to write about dogs. Then, the writer selected friends as the context, dogs being good examples of friends. This shaped the topic and narrowed the focus to dogs as friends. This would make writing the remainder of the essay much easier because it allows the writer to focus on aspects of dogs that make them good friends. Body Paragraphs Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence. If the thesis contains multiple points or assertions, each body paragraph should support or justify them, preferably in the order the assertions originally stated in the thesis. Thus, the topic sentence for the first body paragraph will refer to the first point in the thesis sentence and the topic sentence for the second body paragraph will refer to the second point in the thesis sentence. Generally, if the thesis sentence contains three related points, there should be three body paragraphs, though you should base the number of paragraphs on the number of supporting points needed. If the core topic of the essay is the format of college essays, the thesis sentence might read: A college essay has an introductory paragraph, several body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. The topic sentence for the first body paragraph might read: The first paragraph of an essay is the introductory paragraph. Sequentially, the topic sentence for the second body paragraph might read: The introductory paragraph is followed by several body paragraphs. And the topic sentence for the third body paragraph might read: The college essay’s final paragraph is its concluding paragraph. Everybody paragraphs uses specific details, such as anecdotes, comparisons and contrasts, definitions, examples, expert opinions, explanations, facts, and statistics to support and develop the claim that its topic sentence makes. Tips When writing an essay for a class assignment, make sure to follow your teacher or professor’s  suggestions. Most teachers will reward creativity and thoughtful organization over dogmatic adherence to a prescribed structure. Many will not. If you are not sure how your teacher will respond to a specific structure, ask. Organizing your essay around the thesis sentence should begin with arranging the supporting elements to justify the assertion put forth in the thesis sentence. Not all thesis sentences will, or should, lay out each of the points you will cover in your essay. In the example introductory paragraph on dogs, the thesis sentence reads, â€Å"There is no friend truer than a dog. † Here, it is the task of the body paragraphs to justify or prove the truth of this assertion, as the writer did not specify what points they would cover. The writer may next ask what characteristics dogs have that make them true friends. Each characteristic may be the topic of a body paragraph. Loyalty, companionship, protection, and assistance are all terms that the writer could apply to dogs as friends. Note that if the writer puts dogs in a different context, for example, working dogs, the thesis might be different, and they would be focusing on other aspects of dogs. It is often effective to end a body paragraph with a sentence that rationalizes its presence in the essay. Ending a body paragraph without some sense of closure may cause the thought to sound incomplete. Each body paragraph is something like a miniature essay in that they each need an introductory sentence that sounds important and interesting, and that they each need a good closing sentence in order to produce a smooth transition between one point and the next. Body paragraphs can be long or short. It depends on the idea you want to develop in your paragraph. Depending on the specific  style of the essay, you may be able use very short paragraphs to signal a change of subject or to explain how the rest of the essay is organized. Do not spend too long on any one point. Providing extensive background may interest some readers, but others would find it tiresome. Keep in mind that the main importance of an essay is to provide basic background on a subject and, hopefully, to spark enough interest to induce further reading. Example A true friend will be there for you whenever you need them. Any dog owner will say that there is nobody that will stick with you through thick and thin as much as a dog. My own dog can barely contain her joy when I come home from a hard day. Regardless of my mood, and my attitude towards her, she is always happy when I am home, and that is usually enough to make me feel better about everything. True friends will help you when you are in need. Whether it is to protect their owner against some sort of threat or to help a blind person walk across the street, dogs are the most reliable companion a person could have. Few villains would attack a person walking a dog at night, and statistics show that homes with dogs are among the least likely to be broken into. The above example is a bit free-flowing and the writer intended it to be persuasive. The second paragraph combines various attributes of dogs including protection and companionship. Here is when doing a little research can also help. Imagine how much more effective the last statement would be if the writer cited some specific statistics and backed them up with a reliable reference. Concluding Paragraph The concluding paragraph usually restates the thesis and leaves the reader something about the topic to think about. If appropriate, it may also issue a call to act, inviting the reader to take a specific  course of action with regard to the points that the essay presented. Aristotle suggested that speakers and, by extension, writers should tell their audience what they are going to say, say it, and then tell them what they have said. The three-part essay model, consisting of an introductory paragraph, several body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph, follows this strategy. Tips As with all writing, it is important to know your audience. All writing is persuasive, and if you write with your audience in mind, it will make your argument much more persuasive to that particular audience. When writing for a class assignment, the audience is your teacher. Depending on the assignment, the point of the essay may have nothing to do with the assigned topic. In most class assignments, the purpose is to persuade your teacher that you have a good grasp of grammar and spelling, that you can organize your thoughts in a comprehensive manner, and, perhaps, that you are capable of following instructions and adhering to some dogmatic formula the teacher regards as an essay. It is much easier to persuade your teacher that you have these capabilities if you can make your essay interesting to read at the same time. Place yourself in your teacher’s position and try to imagine reading one formulaic essay after another. If you want yours to stand out, capture your teacher’s attention and make your essay interesting, funny, or compelling. Example It is no accident that many people consider their dogs as part of their family. Just like every other member, dogs contribute to the happiness and well-being of the home, making the burdens of caring for them well worth the effort. Dogs deserve love and respect every bit as much as they love and respect us. After all, what more can a friend be? In the above example, focus shifted slightly and talked about dogs as members of the family. Many would suggest it departs from the logical organization of the rest of the essay, and some teachers may consider it unrelated and take points away. However, contrary to the common wisdom of â€Å"tell them what you are going to say, say it, and then tell them what you have said,† you may find it more interesting and persuasive to shift away from it as the writer did here, and then in the end, return to the core point of the essay. This gives additional effect to what an audience would otherwise consider a very boring conclusion.