Providing An Enabling Environment Children And Young People Essay

Providing An Enabling Environment Children And Young People Essay The principle of providing an enabling environment is that children learn and develop in enabling environment, the environment plays a vital role in supporting childrens individual needs in learning and development, strong partnerships between practitioners and parents is a positive start to providing an enabling environment. The health and safety of the environment is vital to ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of the children. Babies and children will feel emotionally safe and secure and will develop and learn most effectively. A truly enabling environment provides the stimulation and the positive relationships that support children to feel safe enough to explore. A good early childhood environment meets the childs basic needs and supports and encourages children to engage in activities that implement the programs curriculum. Further, the environment is designed to enable staff to facilitate the optimum learning for their children. Finally, the environment makes parents and guar dians feel welcome, involved, and empowered. In this essay I will look at how to organise a safe, but challenging environment for children. Explain the practitioners role within the wider multi-agency environment. Describe the regulatory requirements that must be followed when organising an environment for children in the early years. Evaluate the effectiveness of the environment in meeting childrens individual needs. There are a number of important principles to think about when you are planning for a safe environment for children and young people. When preparing environments for children, it is important to consider their age and stage of development. We also need to consider whether the environment meets the needs of the individual children. Children develop at different rates. Some children need more challenging activities while others may need a different type of activity or different resources observing individual children to see how they engage with the environment will help us to plan appropriately. Every child is an individual with different needs depending on their age and abilities. You must think about this when planning activities, for example when they involve physical play, or if more consideration must be given to the needs of a child who has just become mobile than to an older child, when planning room layouts. Some children have specific needs such as sensory impairments; for exa mple think about the challenges to a child with limited hearing understanding explanations about safety. The different needs of families and carers must be considered. You should always consider the childs safety and welfare in your mind when planning. Every child and young person has a right to a safe and secure environment. Before starting any activity it is important that you take into account the health and safety requirements of all children, ensuring that the environment is free of any hazards and it is safe for children to play. Health and safety is the most valuable factor to consider when planning a safe and challenging environment for childrens learning and development to take place. Developmental needs of children are also a factor to consider; as children grow and develop in different stages, so it is important to consider the developmental needs and abilities of children when planning an environment for children. Things we should consider when planning is: Physical Emotional Social Intellectual Accessibility Safety and supervision of infants and toddlers is a key role to providing a safe environment. All registered providers must meet the minimum requirements for space within their environment and staff ratios. Meeting staff ratios ensures the safety of children, failure to meet these ratios could cause accidents and injuries(Open Study College Early Years Level 3 PG50) By following all these points we abide with the legal obligation to the duty of care. Staff ratios as follows: 1:3 children under 2 years 1:4 children aged 2 years 1:8 children aged 3-5 years When planning for a healthy and safe indoor environment rooms should be organised to limit the safety, space is also a vital factor to consider, by ensuring there is sufficient space in relation to the number of children who will be using it within the environment. This allows children to move around easily and comfortably. Children from birth to two years require 3.5m2 space per child, children aged two to three years old require 2.5m2 space per child, and children aged three to five years require 2.3m2 space per child. (Open Study College Early Years Level 3) Multi agency working is when a number of professionals work together to provide support in meeting the individual needs of children. The wider community plays a vital role in childrens learning and development. Practitioners need to work together across services for example working in partnership with health visitors, general practitioners, social workers, physiotherapists, and speech and language therapist. To best support children and their families all these groups need to communicate well, listen carefully to all concerned and to put the childrens needs first. (Open Study College- Early Years Level 3 -V1.0 PG 40, 66) According to (The CAF process 26 April 2012) The CAF is a four-step process whereby practitioners can identify a childs or young persons needs early, assess those needs holistically, deliver coordinated services and review progress. The CAF is designed to be used when a practitioner is worried about how well a child or young person is progressing (e.g. concerns about their health, development, welfare, behaviour, progress in learning or any other aspect of their wellbeing) a child or young person, or their parent/carer, raises a concern with a practitioner a childs or young persons needs are unclear, or broader than the practitioners service can address. The EY. Statutory framework provides regulations that all early years setting must comply with when providing an environment for children. Health and safety legislations play a key role on the provision of an environment and must be followed by all employers with the setting. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974- all employers have legal responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work at 1974. Employers must meet certain rules to ensure that health and safety is implemented and to make sure everyone at work is safe within the environment. As practitioners everyone in the childcare setting must know what their health and safety policies in the settings are. In a childcare setting the following guidelines apply: buildings should be in good condition and designed with the safety of users in mind buildings and surroundings should be clean and safe and equipment must be safely used and stored. This act helps maintain healthy, safe and secure environments as is safeguards both the children and the adults working with them. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) COSHH is the law that all employers must follow in regards to harmful substances. (COSHH Regulations 1999) states Hazardous substances are anything that can harm your health when you work with them if they are not properly controlled. Most settings use cleaning products or have other products that are hazardous. While caring for children early years workers may have to handle nappy changing, or clean up after toileting or other accidents. In order to minimise the risk to health, it is important to be aware of hazards in the environment. It is essential to use protective equipment such as gloves and masks, if using hazardous substances. All products that are used by children, including toys, must be in a good condition and reasonably safe to use. All children are protected by safety laws. Various symbols are used to indicate toys and equipment are safe and suitable for children of particular ages. The kitemark symbol is used in the United Kingdom to ensure that products are safe and suitable. According to Author: John Rowlinson 21 December 2012) when you see a toy or product with a Kitemark this means that the British Standards Institution has independently tested it, has confirmed that the product conforms to the relevant British Standard The CE Mark symbol includes the name and address of the first supplier, was required by law to appear on all toys placed on the market in the European Union on and after January 1990. The Lion Mark was developed in 1988 by the British Toy Hobby Association as a symbol of toy safety and quality for the consumer. The lion mark for retailers By displaying this sign the retailer is saying that all products in the shop meet a certain standard of safety. This symbol displayed in the shop, in catalogues and in retailer advertising, indicates that the retailer has agreed to the Code of Practice. Practitioners need to consider that the toys they provide for children to play with meet their requirements of their individual age and stage of development. Practitioners should consider when taking donations or buying second hand toys, extra care is needed to ensure that they are safe and meet the current regulations. Avoid toys which are a risk to children choking e.g., toys with small components or parts which detach, avoid toys with sharp points, and edges or finger traps, also check toys have not become dangerously worn. Safety equipment is used within the early years settings to promote the safety and wellbeing of the children. Regular check on all safety equipment should be carried out, and the manufactures instructions should be closely followed. It is considered as good practice to buy new equipment, as it will confirm with the latest safety regulations. Below is a list of the safety equipment commonly found in the early years settings: Stair gates- prevent babies and children from falling down the stairs. Electric plus covers- prevent children from putting their fingers or objects into sockets. High chairs- helps young children to sit safely at mealtimes, they will have safety harnesses to keep the child secure. Window locks- prevent children from falling out, opening or leaving the premises. Radiator covers- to prevent children from touching the radiators when switched on and burning themselves. Early years premises should ensure high levels of security around the building to keep children safe at all times. Entrance doors should be kept locked at all times and controlled by staff members to ensure the safety, settings are required to keep a record of visitors, making sure they are signing in an out at all times staff should fully supervise visitors at all times whilst on premises. Children should only be allowed to leave the setting with an authorised individual that has been identified by the childs parents prior to starting the setting. In my setting where I previously worked we had to ensure that all children in our building are safe and have a secure environment, we had certain security arrangements in place, we had two mechanical doors which can only be opened from the inside of the building and as a security alarm system fitted which sounds whenever the door opens, we also had a policy about getting information from parents who can collect the child, names and picture s were taken prior to the child starting the nursery. Environments need to be appropriately heated and ventilated to prevent the spread of infection and to ensure a good supply of fresh air to children. Lighting should be appropriate for clear visibility and to enable children to work in comfort. The organisation of the furniture and activities is important in promoting the safety of the children and providing an enabling environment. When planning the setting of the environment fire exits should be clear of obstacles to enable safe evacuation if necessary, the layout of the environment should be adaptable for children with disabilities, the layout of the furniture and resources should allow sufficient space around the setting for children to move around more easily. Risks and hazards risks and hazards are found within all workplaces; within an early years setting there can be risks and hazards for children, staff members and visitors. A hazard is something a child does not see, is something that has the potential to cause harm, whereas a risk is a challenge a child can see, and chooses to undertake it or not, risk is the likely or possible outcome of the hazard. A risk assessment is a legal requirement which is used to identify potential hazards within the environment. Risk assessments are important within the early years settings to ensure the safety and welfare of all the individuals in the setting of children. Risk taking is important for children it gives them a chance to take on a personal responsibility when children learn how to take risks; they also learn how to think independently. The role of the practitioner in risk taking is decide what is safe for the children and then to supervise the children in taking the risk. As children becom e older practitioners can encourage children how to keep themselves safe. Practitioners working with children need to be the ones to control the risk, taking account the individual needs of children. Babies and young children have basic needs that must be met for them to develop and mature. For children, these essential needs include warm, caring, and responsive adults; a sense of importance and significance; a way to relate to the world around them; opportunities to move and play; and people to help structure and support their learning. The emotional environment is more than physical space because it contains the emotions of the children who spend time in it, the staff that work there and the parents who leave their children. Maintaining positive feelings is important for children to feel safe in the emotional environment. The emotional environment plays a key role in meeting childrens individual needs. Practitioners within the setting should ensure that the setting is warm, loving, secure and accepting place to be for everyone, not just for children. Practitioners should encourage children to express themselves by giving them chance to talk and by actively listening to them. According to (Martine Horvath Sunday March 03 2013) When children know that their feelings are accepted, they feel safe. The indoor environment will have an immediate effect on children learning and development. The indoor environment should be well equipped with high quality resources; indoor space needs careful planning as it needs to be flexible to accommodate childrens individual needs. Environments should be attractive and make children feel safe and secure and happy to be there. Children learn through play, exploring their environment and beginning to find out about the world around them. Play theorist Bob Hughes identified 16 different types of play. Early years settings need to provide a separate room for babies, but should be given regular contact to see older children to help promote their social and emotional development, as children some older, they require a balance of structured activity as well as the ability to initiate their own play. The outdoor environment holds equal value to the indoor environment and provides many opportunities for learning and development. Children gain enormous benefits from learning outdoors, ideally they should have access to outdoor space on a daily basis, not all children will gain access to a garden or outer space within their home, and therefore they should be given the opportunity to explore the outdoor environment whilst at their setting. The outdoor can provide development opportunities for children socially intellectually, physically, and emotionally. Being outdoors supports confidence and self-esteem. Outdoor play opportunities will be different depending in the age of the child. Child development theorist Jean Piaget (1896-1980), believed Children construct an understanding of the world around them, then experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment ( by Saul McLeod published 2009, updated 2012) Conclusion When it comes to children and young people, both the safety and the stimulating aspects of the environment should be considered at the same time. Every child and young person has the right to a safe environment and children must have the opportunity of growing up and developing in an environment that is as healthy and safe as possible. An enabling environment will support and facilitate learning and development for children. Children within the early years settings are actively encouraged to explore the indoor and outdoor environment equally, conscientious practitioners and key workers will support learning as children freely engage and interact with their surroundings. Referecences https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Development-Matters.pdf Greenman, J. (1988).  Caring spaces, learning places: Childrens environments that work.  Redmond,  WA: Exchange Press. Available online:http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=294 By Martine Horvath Sunday March 03 available online: http://eyfs.info/articles/article.php?Enabling-Environments-64 The CAF process updated 26 april 2012 available online: http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/strategy/integratedworking/caf/a0068957/the-caf-process http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/design4health/outputs/d4h_main_home/Intro/Legal/COSHH/coshh.html OPEN STUDY COLLEGE EARLY YEARS LEVEL 3 STUDY GUIDE NCFE INVESTING IN QUALITY http://www.practicalpreschoolbooks.com/Content/Site120/FilesSamples/742978190724118_00000000380.pdf Author: John Rowlinson Updated: 21 December 2012 Safety Marks: What Do They Mean? online  http://www.safekids.co.uk/toysafetymarks.html

Moral Conflicts in Crime and Punishment Essay -- Crime Punishment Essa

Moral Conflicts in Fydor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment  Ã‚   Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoyevsky has been hailed as the greatest literary work in the Western hemisphere. Crime and Punishment was written in pre-Communist Russia under the Tsar. Dostoyevsky's writing shows insight into the human mind that is at once frightening and frighteningly real. His main character, around who all other characters are introduced, is Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov murders an old pawnbroker woman for seemingly no reason at all. His sister and mother move to St. Petersburg following his sister's engagement to a man whom Raskolnikov was extremely displeased. Raskolnikov undergoes severe mental trauma, and falls ill after the killing. The reader isn't sure why Raskolnikov killed the woman, indeed it appears that Raskolnikov didn't know himself. He is surrounded by friends and his family and draws in other characters to him during his illness. He befriends a woman, Sofya Seymonavitch, who prostitutes herself to support her mother and her drunken father. As the police come closer onto his trail Raskolnikov faces serious threats to his sister from her two suitors, one of which tries to rape her and kills himself after he finds that he can't bring himself to. At the end Raskolnikov gives himself up, and gives his family into the care of his friend Rauzumihin, who marries Raskolnikov's sister Douina. Dostoyevsky exposes the darkest sides of human nature in with characters that are completely human. The tale Dostoyevsky weaves is a murder mystery, with the murderer and all the facts of the murder known in the very first pages of the book. How then can it be a murder mystery? The mystery is finding out why Raskolnikov comm... ...and then gives all of his money in the world to Marmeledov's family after his death? Who befriends and supports Sofya? Who time and time again defends his sisters honor and safety? Can the reader call this man murderer, shun him, and cast him out, make him the bad guy? Or must the reader be forced to see the suffering Raskolnikov is inflicting upon himself, the acceptance that what he did was evil, his urge to confess to the world what he had done. Must the reader in the end admit that this horrible criminal is human? That Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov was neither brute nor hero, but one of us? Dostoyevsky leaves the reader who was looking to divide the characters with the sword of moral right and wrong with the sword pointing directly at himself. Works Cited: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Modern Library, 1950.

The Pagan Origins of Christianity Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

The first part of this paper will explore the mystery-religions, the reasons behind their popularity, and the Hellenistic world in which they grew that began with Alexander the Great. Next, their characteristics and connections first with Judaism and later with Christianity will be more deeply discussed. In the second part it will be shown that the mystery-religions helped to clear the pathway for the Christianization of the Greco-Roman world by men such as Paul the Apostle. Finally, the Emperor Constantine’s role in this story will be mentioned, during whose reign the mystery-religions declined and Christianity became the major religion of Europe and the near east. The paper will conclude with a brief speculation about the significance of these ideas to modern Christianity. Introduction The place and time in which Christianity developed was characterized by change and confusion in all areas of life. Political, philosophical and especially religious questions were being asked that had never been asked before, and traditional systems were not providing the answers. For nearly seven centuries, from the conquest of Alexander the Great to the establishment of Christianity as the state religion by the Roman Emperor Constantine, the ancient world sought these answers in the mystery-religions, independent groups worshipping in new and experimental ways. Ancient religious tradition had failed to fulfill the needs of this evolving and expanding society and these mystery-religions were a cultural expression of that need. Christianity grew into the midst of this world and was in fact the end result of the experiment started in the mystery-religions. The term, â€Å"mystery-religion† refers to various forms of worship popular in ancient t... ...d. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. King, Martin Luther Jr. â€Å"The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity.† The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Volume I: Called to Serve. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, and Penny A. Russell, eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project. Clayborne Carson, dir. Stanford University. 1 Feb. 2002 . Pike, Albert. Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Washington: House of the Temple, 1966. Additional Works Consulted Jonas, Hans. The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Beginnings of Christianity. 2nd ed. Boston: Beacon Press, 1991. Murray, Gilbert. Five Stages of Greek Religion. New York: Doubleday, 1955.

Arguing the Existence of God from Religious Experience

Analyse the argument for the existence of God from religious experience â€Å"A religious experience offers a sense of the ultimate and an awareness of wholeness, a consciousness of the infinite and an absolute dependence. † Edward Schleiermacher. Religious experience has been a contentious subject for philosophers of religion in trying to actually define what a religious experience is, along with psychologists and religious believers. Otto, James, Hardy and Schleiermacher are among many people who have tried to define a religious experience and there basic understanding is it is an encounter with the divine.It is non-empirical, a personal occurrence that brings with it an awareness of something beyond ourselves. Those who have had such an experience count it as the ultimate proof of the existence of God. It is difficult to find a common theme with religious experiences due to the variety but you can divide them into two basic groups; a direct experience and an indirect experi ence. Testimonies of the occurrence of religious experiences can be found throughout human history, but do they prove that humanity has a link with God if they are true and if they are false, why are we so ready to believe them?Every testimony of a religious experience is unique and most occur to individuals in private but others are ‘corporate’ experiences, when large numbers of people share in the same experience. Despite the testimony of believers there is a vast range of alternative explanations for such events which means it is impossible to arrive at a definite understanding of religious experience and to verify or falsify whether such events occur. The argument from religious experience is an inductive argument.Those who believe that religious experiences are proof of Gods existence usually argue inductively and look at the subjective testimonies of individuals to draw similar conclusions from their experiences that can only be explained in terms of the existence of God. Thus Richard Swinburne in ‘Is there a God? ’ argues inductively that it is reasonable to believe that God is loving and personal and would seek to reveal himself to humanity as an act of love to enable people to bring about good; â€Å"An omnipotent and perfectly good creator will seek to interact with his creatures and, in particular, with human persons capable of knowing him. Swinburne suggests that religious experiences can be felt empirically and interpreted non-empirically through our ‘religious sense. ’ Thus, if someone has a religious experience, we should believe the experience has taken place, even if their experience differs from others. In analyse of the inductive argument, it is strong as there is evidence that after the experience the experient is changed forever. Moreover some of the greatest events in history have resulted from people having religious experiences, such as Paul’s conversion after seeing a vision of Christ and was instrumented into spreading Christianity around the world.Nevertheless, the continued problem remains that the conclusion is only the best answer that appears probable on the basis of the evidence offered. The conclusion depends on an accurate interpretation of the evidence which may be influenced by the beliefs of the experient or the person interpreting the experience. The cumulative argument for religious experience is based on the view that if you take all the arguments about religious experience together, then they are more convincing than one argument alone.If all the testimonies to religious experiences are taken into account, then this would certainly add weight to religious experience as proof of the existence of God. Swinburne concludes his work with the cumulative argument and believes that when the arguments are considered in isolation of the others they don’t prove God, but put together, they make an overwhelming argument which cannot be denied in the grand s cales of Atheism Vs Theism. But it has been argued the theory is logically and mathematically flawed as taking many low probabilities and adding does not make on more probable argument – in fact the opposite.You should be multiplying the weak arguments to get a very weak argument. Richard Swinburne believed that unless we have good reason to think that someone is not telling the truth we should work on the principle that what they say is the case, these are his ‘principles of testimony and credulity’. Under his principle of testimony, he argues unless we have evidence to the contrary we should believe what people say when they claim to have had a religious experience: â€Å"In the absence of special considerations, the experiences of others are as they report. Furthermore Swinburne created the principle of credulity that holds the belief that unless we have overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we should believe that things are as they seem to be. In ‘The Existence of God’ he wrote; â€Å"How things seem to be is a good guide to how things are.. † Therefore in his view, religious experiences provide a convincing proof for the existence of God. In support if Swinburne’s position, empirical research undertaken in recent years has indicated that as many as 40% of people have at some time in their lives had an experience that could be classified as religious.Furthermore in 1969, the Religious Experience Research Unit in Oxford surveyed people by asking them the question: ‘Have you at any time in your life had an experience of something completely different form your normal life, whether or not you would describe it as God? ’ Many responded positively, saying it was the first time they had told anyone about their experience but it had been one of the most important moments of their lives.However one difficulty Steven Law highlights in his book ‘The Puzzle of Ethics’ is taking such ‘rev elatory’ experiences at face value is not restricted to one faith. He wrote, â€Å"Catholics see the Virgin Mary. Hindus witness Vishnu.. the fact that people have so many bizarre and often contradictory experiences.. ought to lead someone who claims to have had a ‘revelation’ to treat their experience with caution. † Law calls for experients to question their experience and for atheists to remain sceptic, as the experient could easily have mistaken their experience.The argument from religious experience is a posterior which means that it is based on experience, and if the experience is reliable it may lead to reliable conclusions. Many theists believe in order for a belief in God to be rational, they don’t need to back up their experience with proof as God’s existence was directly revealed to them through a personal experience of God. Those who have experienced may have done so but the evidence doesn’t strongly support that conclusion for non-religious believers.

Speech Class Topic Proposal

Informative Speech Outline 1. Intro 2. 1 Attention Step: Wouldn’t it be cool to know how to do some stunts in Tekken? 2. 2 Involvement Step: The video game Tekken consists of many martial art disciplines like jeet kune do, street fighting, taekwondo, ninjitsu, sumo wrestling, aikido, judo, karate, and many more. These are the most common martial art disciplines people would think about when you say the word Tekken. But why don’t we focus on 2 certain characters namely Eddy Gordo and Christie Monteiro. These 2 characters are doing some martial art discipline that looks a lot like they are dancing it rather than martial arts.So did you know that the martial art disciplines Christie and Eddy are doing is called Capoeira. 2. 3 Indication Step (thesis statement): Capoeira is considered as a martial art discipline because it used for fighting, acrobatics, dancing, playing, and tradition. 2. Body 3. 4 Major point 1: Fighting, dancing, and tradition 3. 5. 1 Supporting detail: I t is considered one of the most comprehensive forms of physical conditioning and is an integrated balance of mind, strength, rhythm, poetry, agility, and harmony (Escola Brasileira de Capoeira Philippines, 2012). 3. 5. Supporting detail: It is the maximum expression of liberty and keeps the art of the ancestors alive, being part of Brazilian and now, world history (Escola Brasileira de Capoeira Philippines, 2012). 3. 5 Major point 2: Acrobatics, and playing 3. 6. 3 Supporting detail: The roda is the center of Capoeira (Rensselaer, n. d. ). Being the center of Capoeira, the roda has always been considered as the playing grounds of the Capoeiristas. It is where they practice their moves, styles, and forms. While two Capoeiristas play in the middle of a roda, everyone else watching them play is making music.Some will be in-charge of playing the instruments, while the rest will enjoy singing until it’s their turn. 3. 6. 4 Supporting detail: Capoeira is kind of similar to acrobati cs because of the movements involved in the martial art. Au de Cabeca  movement is essentially a cartwheel done on your head. We recommend you are comfortable with queda de rins and au before you try au de cabeca. Learning au de cabeca will be easier and quicker to learn and you will be equipped with the right skills needed in perfecting this specific au (Capoeira Universe, 2011). 3.Conclusion Capoeira is like any other recreational sports that help build our bodies and keep us healthy. So why not give it a try? References Capoeira Universe. (2011, June 11). Basic Capoeira Moves List. Retrieved from Capoeira Universe: http://capoeirauniverse. com/capoeira-moves/basic-capoeira-moves-list/ Escola Brasileira de Capoeira Philippines. (2012). Capoeira. Retrieved from EBC Philippines: http://www. ebcphilippines. com/index. php/capoeira/ Rensselaer. (n. d. ). The Roda. Retrieved from Rensselaer: http://capoeira. union. rpi. edu/roda. php

Psycho Analysis

ysisPsycho Final Analysis Joel Schain Film and Literature Period 3 10/2/12 Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho has been ranked as one of the top 10 best horror/suspense films of all time because of his unique way of filmmaking. Some of the many significant cinematic elements uses include internal diegetic sound, and dissolving. Internal diegetic sound was used throughout Hitchcock’s Psycho to create the illusion that Norman Bate’s mother was still alive. Only at the very end of the film do you find out what really happened to Norman’s mother, and throughout the film the audience is wondering when they will get to match the voice with her face.The internal diegetic sound appears to be Norman’s mother talking to him, when really it’s just him talking to himself. This effect leads the viewer to think that Norman’s mother is this unstable, controlling, psycho murderer when really it’s Norman all along and he just can’t accept the fact that she’s really gone. In the last scene Norman is asked a question in his prison cell and the voice of his mother replies, indicating that the mother part of him has consumed his personality.Another important cinematic element used in Psycho is the dissolve editing technique. At the very end of the film when Norman Bates is sitting in his prison cell, he slowing lifts up his head and grins, then it slowly dissolves into the face of his dead mother’s corpse, showing the viewers that they are now one. The question you find yourself asking throughout the film is, â€Å"Who is the murderer? † That question is answered at the very end when Norman and his mother dissolve into one face, proving that Norman was the crazy one all along. Psycho Analysis The Shower Scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is a crucial scene in the plot of the film. The scene itself shows the death of the main Protagonist, Marion. In this essay I am going to explore the Shower Scene in detail and show how Alfred Hitchcock created the excitement present in the scene as much by Technique as by Action and I will show how the scene is so important to Psycho as a whole. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of Psycho is the score to the Shower Scene. The composer accountable for it is Bernard Herrmann. The Action of the scene is very fast-paced and the Music present in the scene is a direct reflection of this. The instruments present all belong to the String family; Cello, Violin, Viola and the Double Bass are all present in the Scene. This creates a very peculiar sound, no Brass instruments to create the usual ‘Noise’ affiliated with action and no Woodwind to soften the sound and calm things down. The sound is very rough, the high, screeching Violins create excitement as the action becomes more frenzied, so do the Violins. Each knife blow is accompanied by ‘screams’ by the high violins. This goes on for the duration of the attack, there is no relent until Marion is dead. This leaves the Audience lost, confused as to what exactly is going on in front of their eyes. The screaming emitted from Marion and the Violins is almost in-sync. The excitement is carried very well, the Strings are consistently battering the Audience’s eardrums with incredibly high notes, and the Strings come in fast with the knife strokes allowing no rest by the Audience. As the attacker departs and Marion slowly slides down the wall and into the bath in her dying moments, heavy Cello and Double Bass movements seem to drag her body down. The serene sound of a Shower opens and closes the Scene. This makes the Audience uneasy. It makes the Audience realise that all of this action is taking place in the most normal of places, the Bathroom. The drain gurgles at the end of the Scene; Marion’s life is effectively â€Å"going down the drain†. This is one factor of how the Excitement of the Shower Scene is created as much by Technique as by Action or Dialogue. Another Technique used to create Excitement in the Shower Scene is the way the Scene itself was Edited. The Scene is very, very fast-paced. Action is rife and the editing of the Scene carries this. The Shots quickly snap between the knife, Marion and her attacker, Mrs. Bates. This is very skilful editing as over 75 shots are used in the Scene, all skilfully snapping into the next. The fast snapping of the Shots helps the Actors in their quest to convey extreme violence on-screen. The Shots themselves seem to be frenzied, bloodthirsty in their constant snapping. The Audience is bombarded by various different images, this makes them very confused. This is what Hitchcock envisaged. The Audience cannot focus clearly on anything in the screen as nothing appears long enough to become an ‘anchor’ of sorts. The Audience are left confused, afraid of what’s actually happening. Even when the attacker departs, we do not focus on Marion long enough to take in the damage she has most certainly suffered at the hands of Mrs. Bates. The shots continually snap to various objects of interest around the room, eventually panning slowly around and into her room. The money is very clearly focused on at the very end of the Scene. We know that the money has not been touched; this throws the Audience even more. They are now deeply afraid as this was, clearly, not a murder to get the money. The Audience are left to try and figure the motive out on their own. This Scene lasts for around 45 seconds, but contains over 75 Shots. This is very skilful editing. This clever editing is another way Alfred Hitchcock conveys the Excitement in the Shower Scene as much by Technique as by Action or Dialogue. A very peculiar aspect of this Scene is the Setting. Hitchcock cleverly used the seemingly ordinary bathroom as the place of the brutal murder of the Audience’s ‘anchor’ to the plot of Psycho. Before Psycho was released, no Film Audience had seen a Bathroom, in full, in a Film. Psycho changed all that. Hitchcock used the ordinaries of the Bathroom to cause massive unease in his Audience. To the people of the 1960’s, a Bathroom was a Sanctuary. It was a place you could go to be your most vulnerable, a very private space. While in the Bathroom you are very vulnerable, but most people do not think of that when inside. When showering, you are naked. You are as vulnerable as the day you were born, no clothing to hide or protect you from the outside world. You are defenceless whilst showering and to a 1960’s Audience, to show a Bathroom on screen would be the height of disgust. For Alfred Hitchcock to use a Bathroom as the sight of a brutal murder was completely unexpected. Never before had a toilet been shown in a film, never mind a woman being murdered in her Shower. This caused huge controversy in the Public, just as Hitchcock had intended. People were left unsettled to see a woman at her most vulnerable being killed. This was the biggest intrusion on someone’s personal and private spaces ever shown in front of an Audience. This use of Setting to unsettle greatly enhanced the excitement in the Shower Scene by creating fear. This is another method used by Hitchcock to create Excitement in the Shower Scene as much by Technique as by Action or Dialogue. The Shower Scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is important to the film as a whole due to the main protagonist, Marion being murdered. This leaves the Audience without an ‘anchor’ in the Plot and we’re forced to search for another to see where the story will lead us next. We’re later introduced to Norman Bates’ point of view in the story and he replaces Marion as our ‘anchor’ in Psycho. However, the Audience remains suspicious of Norman so he does not take on the role of protagonist like Marion. In this essay I have explored the Shower Scene in detail and shown how Alfred Hitchcock created the excitement present in the Scene as much by Techniques, such as Editing and Music, as by Action and Dialogue. I have also, in my opinion, shown how important the Scene is to the film as a whole.

Healthy lifestyle Essay

A persons health is measured in various methods and achievements, whether it is measured by weight, levels of stress, or just overall quality of life. People are relentlessly searching for the most efficient way to be more physically, nutritionally, and emotionally fit. On this quest for superior health there are four habits that need to be recognized to reach this goal, and they are smoking, drinking, overeating, and exercising. (Berger, 502). Cigarette smoking is a common, unhealthy habit among American adults. With 20.8% of all adults smoking, its the most preventable cause of death in the US, making up one in every five deaths this year. (Center for Disease Control & Prevention, n.d.). It not only significantly increases your chance at getting lung cancer; it also increases the rate for getting cancer of the bladder, kidneys, mouth and stomach. (Berger, 503). These deaths are preventable by people quitting smoking. There are over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, as well as just cold turkey to quit smoking. Alcohol is another drug that can lead to bad health. Alcohol can produce significant problems with the lever, heart, stomach and increases the likelihood of getting cancer. (Berger, 504). With this danger, groups have been founded to help stop using alcohol. The most familiar group is Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935, has no affiliation to any company, government, or private enterprise, and only requires the members to have the want to stop drinking. (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 2008). Overeating and obesity is a common health problem among Americans today. We live in a very hectic world with just as frantic schedules. With the onset of the technological world and hectic schedules, fast food restaurants have found their ideal target. With consumers not having to even get out of their cars to super-size their double quarter-pounder has made us obese. There is a solution to this problem though. Through a reasonable amount of caloric intake of the right foods and a moderate, convenient exercise plan American can win the battle of the bulgeExercise is a very proactive way of increasing ones health. Many people exercise to lose weight, but the  benefits of exercise is vast. Regular physical activity can reduce your risk for several diseases and conditions and improve your overall quality of life. Regular physical activity can help protect you from the following health problems: hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. (Berger, 507). References Berger, K. S. (2005). The Developing Person: Through the Life Span. (Sixth Ed.). New York, New York: Worth Publishers. Center for Disease Control & Prevention. (n.d.). Adult Cigarette Smoking in the United States:Current Estimates. Retrieved on July 13, 2008, from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/Factsheets/adult_cig_smoking.htm. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services. (2008). A.A. Fact File. Retrieved on July 13, 2008, from http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/en_pdfs/m-24_aafactfile.pdf.