Early Italian Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Early Italian Renaissance Essay The intellectual concepts as well as the trends during a particular period in time are manifested in various ways. One means by which the situations in a specific time frame could be express is through the arts. Arts in the form of paintings, statues, and even in the construction of church or basilicas also symbolize the kind of thinking during the era that they were created. This is evident during the early Italian renaissance wherein the art forms during that time embodies the intellectual concerns of their society. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia (2007), the art forms created in this geographic part of the world that is now known as the country of Italy. The art works produced in this country have motivate the public interest and participation that is why there is a continuous production of monumental and spectacular art forms. In relation to this, Italian works of art has almost always been related with the intellectual as well as the religious events of the time. Furthermore, Italian art has been continuous source of inspiration for many people. The early Italian renaissance art is characterized by its observance of the medieval art, which gives priority to religious traditions and belief. However, it introduced a new idea, which is the importance given to the value and capability of the human person. This kind of mentality is the main idea that the renaissance period emphasized. Great artists like Guido of Siena, Cimabue, and Duccio di Buoninsegna have created many paintings that retain the Byzantine conventions that adhere to religious arts but they also established a new naturalism and a direct importance to human emotions in their art. This is greatly exemplified by the sculpture of Nicola Pisano as well as the fresco painting of Pietro Cavallini in Rome (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2007). The early Italian renaissance is the starting point wherein various art forms flourished. It was also during this time that paintings exhibit a new life and warmth that is similar to the intellectual revolution that is happening in the country in the light of renaissance. Reference ________. (2007). Italian Art. The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://www. bartleby. com/65/it/Ital-art. html.

The Battle of the Pacific Essay -- Military History

Introduction April 1, 1945 the United States Military had its sights set on a small island chain known as the Ryukyu Islands. The main island of Okinawa would be the primary target. Sixty miles long and two to eighteen miles wide, this island was only three hundred and forty miles from mainland Japan. This island would put U.S. forces in air bombing range of mainland Japan. The Tenth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Butler, consisted of two Army divisions and Two Marine divisions. Also the United States Navy 5th Fleet commanded by Admiral Raymond Spruance. The thirty second Japanese Army, commanded by General Mitsuru Ushijima, would try to defend Okinawa. United States forces were met with little resistance during the invasion however this battle would prove to be one of the fiercest in the Pacific. A cost that did not have to be paid considering the atomic bomb would end the war weeks after the fighting had halted. History On December 7th 1941, the Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor and Americans were caught completely off guard. Eight United States Navy ships were damaged and five were sunk. 2,403 Americans lost their lives with 1,178 wounded. This incident thrust the U.S. military into World War 2. The next three years the United States found themselves in fierce battles throughout the Pacific. The technique used is referred to as island hopping. After Midway, the Philippines, the Marianas, and Iwo Jima it was now time for Okinawa. Okinawa its self is a territory of Japan. The civilian populous, once a monarchy, was caught in the middle of a bloody battle. Planning and Preparation The original plan was to take the Island of Formosa, or Taiwan as it is commonly known. After... ... The staggering cost of this battle was one that didn’t necessarily have to be paid. On August 6th the first atomic bomb named Little Boy, was dropped on Hiroshima. Three days later a second atomic bomb, named Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki. On August 15th, just six weeks after the fighting on Okinawa was over, Japan announced its surrender. On September 2nd the official declaration of surrender was signed by the Japanese. References Fiefer, George Tennozan the Battle of Okinawa and the Atomic Bomb, Ticnor and Fields 1992 Leckie, Robert Okinawa the Last Battle of World War II, Viking Penguin 1995 Pryce, Richard O.K.K.A. â€Å"The Battle of Okinawa†, www.okka.co.uk/battleofokinawa.html Thomas, Evan Sea of Thunder, Simon and Schuster 2006 â€Å"World war II in Europe†, History Place 1997, www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/pearl.html

Nicaragua Research Paper

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but is also full of history, tradition and life. It is known for its great folk music, deep heritage and culture. Nicaragua is hidden jewel with warm, gorgeous culture and breathtaking nature. It is surrounded by its incredible history, culture and nature. Nicaragua is a little larger than New York State. The capital of Nicaragua is Managua and other major cities are Bluefield, Chinandega, Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Masaya, Matagalpa and Rivas. The climate on highlands is cooler and in lowlands is tropical.Nicaragua is warm and has many land that has lakes, mountains; rivers, volcanoes, sea and sun. The country is divided into three geographic regions which are the Pacific Lowlands on the west, the mountainous Central Region and the Atlantic Lowlands on the east. The central Region is an area with mountains and ranges over 3,281 feet above sea level. â€Å"There are oaks, pines, moss, ferns and orchids are abundant in the massive cloud forests of the region. † [1] There are many hikers and backpackers; many walk along the tree shaded paths which can lead you to clear waters of the mountain springs.Nicaragua’s tropical east coast is far different from the rest of the country. The climate is tropical with high temperature and high humidity. The city of Bluefields is located here, English mostly spoken. Nature lovers will find interest in the tropical forests of the area. â€Å"A great variety of birds are to be studied including eagles, turkeys, toucans, parakeets and macaws. † [2] Animal life in the area includes several different species of monkeys, ant-eaters, white-tailed deer and tapirs. The Pacific Lowlands area runs from the Gulf of Fonseca, on Nicaragua's Pacific border with Costa Rica south of Lake Nicaragua.From this lowland strip, you can view the Maribios mountain range, with its 25 volcanic cones, which towers over most of the beautiful and impressive beaches found anywhere else in Central America. This region is the most populated. About 27 percent of the nation's entire population lives in and around Managua, which is known as the capital city. In addition there are many beaches and resort communities located in the Pacific Lowlands. This area is the Spanish colonial heritage, many cities such as Granada and Leon are as well in Spanish colonial architecture and artifacts.In the year 1998, Hurricane Mitch tore into Nicaragua causing the worst natural disaster of the twentieth century. Till this day the country has slowly been reconstructing their economy. Nicaragua not only has suffered from economy issues but has suffered from political instability, civil war, poverty foreign intervention and natural disasters. Thousands of people died. Some were stuck in mudslides or drowned because rivers broke their banks, which caused towns and villages to flood. â€Å"Roads, bridges, houses, crops and animals were swept away, which left people with a d estroyed land, towns and villages. [3] In order for people to survive and stay safe they would climb trees, and hung from roofs of their home to escape the high dangerous waters. People were hungry, cold and some were sick because they were waiting to be rescued which took really long. Disease began to rapidly spread because decomposing bodies and rotting animal’s flesh contaminated the water supplies. As many as 3,000 people died the day Hurricane Mitch came. About more than a fifth of the population was, stranded in camps; most of people’s home and livelihoods were destroyed when Mitch hit Nicaragua.To rebuild the country would take decades and the estimate cost would be over one billion dollars. Nicaragua has dealt with other tragedies like the earthquake that destroyed many hotels, shops. The earthquake destroyed all offices in the year 1972. Sewage systems and the electricity poles were severely damaged. 4Hurricane Mitch has left a negative impact on the country i ncluding human lives were lost, crops were destroyed, major environmental damage, and there was also damage to highways, bridges, schools, electrical and water supply systems. Nicaragua is surrounded by its beautiful nature including its incredible history.The name ‘Nicaragua’ came from a chief named Nicarao. He was chief to a digenous tribe that settled in Lake Nicaragua around late 1400’s and early 1500’s. In 1524 Hernandez de Cordoda was the first Spanish settler to live in the region of Granada on Lake Nicaragua and Leon Managua. Nicaragua gained its independents from Spain in 1821, making the country part of the Mexican Empire and becoming a member of independent Central American. Nicaragua became an independent republic. The west side of the country was colonized by Spain in the 1520’s; it also has aspects of Spanish culture like other Spanish speaking Latin American Countries.The Eastern half of the country was once a British protectorate. 5à ¢â‚¬Å"There are several indigenous groups that still maintain a distant identity like the Miskitos, Sumo, Garifuna and Rama. † These groups still use their original languages and some speak English or Spanish. Spaniards settled in the Western Nicaragua in the early 1500’s. The Spaniards met three main tribes that each had their own languages and culture. Spanish is an official language that is spoken in Nicaragua and only seventy percent of the populations are Spanish speakers. Most of the Spanish speakers live either in highlands or lowlands.When the British setter came to Nicaragua they introduced English words to the Spanish speakers in the Western Nicaragua. The Creoles, which are the black people of the Caribbean region, were brought from colonial-era slaves. Creoles are English speakers, even though some speak Spanish as a second language. Creoles in Nicaragua included the Miskitos, Rama, and Sumo. Miskitos that speak English didn’t want anything to do with the Spanish culture. The Miskitos referred the Spanish speaking Nicaraguans as ‘los Espanoles’. The Creoles resented the Western Hispanic culture. Nicaragua remains the second- poorest nation in the hemisphere.One of the things the country suffers from is the constant trading products and managing budgeting. Some traditional export products are coffee, meat and sugar. Some nontraditional exports are vegetables, tobacco products and gold. [4]â€Å"Today Nicaragua’s economy is based on agricultural efforts, since the nation has very fertile land and a low density of population on the land. Export crops such as coffee, cotton, bananas, and sugar rose steadily from 1950 to 1975. † The country was severely damaged by civil war and at the same time it suffered natural disasters including earthquakes floods and hurricanes.Nicaragua has strong, folklore, music and religious tradition, which are organically from the European culture. The different cultures that Ni caraguans are creative, varied, happy and humorous cultures. Palo de Mayo is celebration to welcome the rain, production and new life. â€Å"There is no answer as to how it came to Nicaragua. † Some people believe that it originated from the Nicaraguan Creoles so they believe that it directly came from Jamaica. The music it is danced to is sensual with rhythm and as time went on things was added on to it. Palo de Mayo is a very huge part of the Nicaragua culture.Nicaragua's food is known as the finest in the Central America. They are famous for using fresh ingredients. Nicaragua shares the same flavors and ingredients with Mexican, Honduras and Guatemala food. Nicaraguans consume corn tortillas with most meals. Tortillas are larger and thin and are made of white corn. This is used as an edible utensil to wrap meat and beans. When most people cannot afford meat regularly they eat beans because beans have protes. A breakfast dish the most Nicaraguans eat is red beans, which are small red beans that are put into Gallo pinto.They are known as red rooster and it a mixture with red and red beans. Another meal the Nicaraguans enjoy is tamales. Tamales are and entire meal that has corn, rice, tomatoes, chili, potatoes, cassava root and sometimes has meat in them. They are wrapped in a leaf and are cooked. Popular fruits are mangos and plantains. [5]â€Å"Nicaraguans drink coffee with hot milk at breakfast or black with sugar. † A famous drink that is known in the nation is Pinol. Pinol is a nonalcoholic drink, which is made from corn flour and water. Food isn’t the only famous part in Nicaragua; music as well is really huge.Nicaragua’s music and dances are from the heritage and mixture if the different cultures that are around. Each region has its own traditions, and all Nicaraguans consider themselves to share on cultural identity. Some musical instruments that is famous is the marimba, in Nicaragua it is made with hardwood plates, which i s placed over bamboo or metal tubes of vary lengths. A sitting performer normally plays it while they are holding it with there knees. The marimba player is usually accompanied by a bass fiddle, a guitar player. The music that Nicaraguans listen quite varies.They enjoy all types of music coming from Cuba to the Unties States and Dominican Republic. They listen to tons of music that are form different countries. The music in Nicaragua has a mixture of European and Spanish influence. Tourism in Nicaragua is known nation wide and has increased travelers to come visit Nicaragua. The growth in the tourism industry left a positive impact in agricultural, commercial and in finance industries. A famous spot that caught tourist attention is the colonial city of Granada, cities like San Juan del Sur, San Juan River, Ometepe and Mombacho attract many tourists. 6]â€Å"In 2005, 803, 933 tourist visited Nicaragua and many of the tourist came from Europe and United States of America. † Tou rist attractions are volcanoes, sand skiing, doing activities such as hiking, climbing, camping and swimming. Nicaragua is referred as the lands of lakes and volcanoes. Tourism improves Nicaragua every year hotels are cheap and there are so many luxury places to visit. There is always something to do while you are visiting or vacationing in Nicaragua. Nicaraguans have the right for freedom of religion and the people are very fond of their belief of god.Roman Catholicism arrived in Nicaragua with the Spanish settlers in the sixteen century. Many Nicaraguans are Roman Catholic but many blacks believe and belong to the Protestant religion. Roman Catholics are people who attend mass, and receive the sacrament are mostly women, upper class and lower class people. Most Catholic churches are in rural communities and priests preach them. A priest leads mass and delivers the sacraments to church members. Blacks from the coast mostly belong to the Pentecostal. One of the largest Pentecostal c hurches in Nicaragua is the Moravian Church and Baptist Convention.Nicaragua’s education is known as being one of the poorest through out Latin America. Its education system has suffered severely. Elementary schools are free, but many children that live in rural areas are unable to attend due to the lack of school around their area and other reasons. [7]â€Å"Children under the age of seven and twelve get free schooling, but only seventy percent of the children attend school. † Communities that are located in the Caribbean coast have schools that teach them in their native language. Nicaragua’s society’s is largely uneducated; twenty percent of first graders only finished the sixth grade.Poverty affects children’s to go to school because most families are unable to afford to pay for their children to attend school. Secondary education institutions are private and too expensive for a vast amount of Nicaraguans. Only eight percent of the population e nrolls in universities, which are mostly upper class families. One of the first universities to be built was in the city of Leon and Managua. Children in Nicaragua wear school uniforms and pay a fee to the school that covers basic school materials. Mostly all schools lack with money to buy sport equipments, science/ computers technology and musical instruments.Students are taught basic subjects but aren’t able to really learn how to use computers or equipments of any kind. There are different times students are able to attend school which is either in the mornings, the afternoons or the evenings because many kids work to increase there family income. Teachers have no incentives, limited training and horrible working space. Teachers are paid very low salaries. Most of the teachers are single or abandoned mothers who work to provide a future for their children. Poverty is on of the biggest social problem in Nicaragua it has been for decades.In Managua poverty is so bad that som e of the urban people live and have house that are made from cardboard boxes with dirt on the floor. Some Nicaraguans do not have access to clean drinking or plumbing water. [8]â€Å"The government in Nicaragua is making progress in improving healthcare and education mostly for the poor and rural communities. † Almost seventy-five percent of families in Nicaragua live in poverty. Families of low- income are framers and land workers, one member per families work at farms. Most of Nicaragua’s rural poor live in vast dry central region, where natural resources are limited to plant.Rural people dependent of crops such as beans, vegetables etc, but at times droughts occur and it affects their food and income. The reason why the rural people are poor is because Hurricane Mitch causes an environmental disaster, and another reason is Nicaragua was in the civil war from 1980 to 1990 and because of that the economic crisis collapses. Nicaragua’s government is divided into three branches; there is the executive, legislative, and the judicial. The executive branch has the president, vice president and an appointed cabinet of ministers.Such as the Ministry of Education, Defense, Environment, Family, Foreign Affairs etc. The legislative branch has ninety- two members of the National Assembly, and it as well enforces the countries law. The judicial branch has the Supreme Court, which is located in Managua and other lower courts. The Supreme Court has twelve judges and has criminal, civil and constitutional matters divisions. The government is responsible to control the urban development, construction, and maintenance of roads, parks, and bridges including creating museums and libraries.In conclusion, Nicaragua is a country that is full of immersing history, culture, nature and tradition. Nicaragua is known as the second’s poorest country in the western Hemisphere. There are many areas that Nicaragua needs to improve like education, poverty and soc ial problem. Nicaragua’s culture is full of history and immersing tradition. Works Cited Channel, By Nicaragua. â€Å"Culture in Nicaragua | By Nicaragua Channel. † Nicaragua Hotels, Travel and Destination Guide | By Nicaragua Channel. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. . Channel, By Nicaragua. â€Å"Page Not Found on Nicaragua. com | By Nicaragua Channel. Nicaragua Hotels, Travel and Destination Guide | By Nicaragua Channel. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. . Merrill, Tim. Nicaragua: a Country Study. Washington (D. C. ): Government Printing Office, 1994. Print. â€Å"Nicaragua – History. † Country Studies. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. . â€Å"Nicaragua Facts. † Sponsor a Child – Compassion. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. . â€Å"People – Nicaragua – Central America: Nicaragua Population, Nicaragua People, Lake Nicaragua, Mestizo People, Center Government. † Countries Quest. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. . Plunkett, Hazel. Nicaragua in Focus: a Guide to the People, Politics and Cul ture. Brooklyn, NY: Interlink, 1999.Print. Plunkett, Hazel. Nicaragua in Focus: a Guide to the People, Politics and Culture. Brooklyn, NY: Interlink, 1999. Print. â€Å"Why Nicaragua? † NICARAGUA Spanish Schools | VOLUNTEER Nicaragua | SPANISH STUDY ABROAD Nicaragua | LEARN SPANISH Granada NICARAGUA | Nicaragua EDUCATIONAL Spanish PROGRAMS | VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES in Nicacaragua | NICARAGUAN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. . â€Å"Youth and Education Issues in Nicaragua. † Foundation for Sustainable Development | Grassroots International Development | Intern, Volunteer, Donate. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. . ———————– 1] http://centralamerica. com/nicaragua/info/general. htm [2] http://centralamerica. com/nicaragua/info/general. htm [3] In focus Nicaragua (A guide to the people, Politics and Culture) Author: Hazel Plunkett [4] http://www. spainshhprogramnicarga. com/nicaragua_information. htm [5] http: elibrary. bi gchalk. com [6] http://www. compasion. com/about/where/nicaragua. htm [7] http://www. spainshprogramnicaragua. com/nicaragua_information. htm [8] http://countrystudies. us/nicaragua/3. htm [9] http://www. nicaragua. com/culture/education [10] http://www. fsinternational. org/country/Nicaragua/hropps

Early Childhood Development - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 954 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/03/13 Category Sociology Essay Level High school Tags: Childhood Essay Did you like this example? Early Childhood Development For decades researchers in the field of psychology have debated nature versus nurture in the role of brain development. Are we really a product of genetics or does our environment determine who we become? In recent years, research has shown that environment, specifically in early childhood, is a strong predictor of success in adult life. In the first years of life, children develop habits that will last a lifetime. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Early Childhood Development" essay for you Create order They will begin a life of activity or settle into a sedentary lifestyle. They will learn the language that is spoken around them and model the behaviors they see. While the brain develops most of its neurons from birth to three years old, early childhood is defined as the period of birth through eight years old. Education during this time is important because these are the childs most formative years. Early childhood education will determine a persons health, intelligence and personality in later years. In a childs early years, he is energetic and longing to play. It is during this time that regular physical activity should start and become a habit. Because physical activity is directly related to good health at every stage of life, play and sports should be a part of early childhood education. Exercise improves motor skills in young children while organized play teaches skills such as honesty, teamwork, fairplay, respect for themselves and others, and adherence to rules. Early involvement in sports increases the chance that a person will be physically active later in life. It is important for children to be part of sports programs outside of school to achieve the maximum impact on public health. Any sports program can teach a child skills that will help his coordination and improve his health. Just as a persons health and physical rigor is determined by his early years, so is his ability and motivation to learn. Even before kindergarten age, children should get familiar with materials like scissors and pencils, learn letters and sounds, and recognize numbers. The child should be read to and begin to write his name. As the child starts school, he will begin setting an important after school schedule consisting of homework time, snack time, and physical activity. Some students will ride the bus to an empty house while others stay after school for sports and still others have after school programs. Studies have shown that youth who spend their outside of school hours without supervision have risk of behavior problems, drug use, and negative outcomes. On the other hand, youth that spend their after school hours in structured programs benefit from positive interactions with peers and adults. They are encouraged to take leadership notes and challenged to learn new skills. Studies have shown that the students that attended preschool or headstart followed by an afterschool program were the the most successful in school. Perhaps most important is the social skills that can be learned during a childs early years. Kids are social from the time they are born. They observe how people act around them and learn from the people that they watch. They learn the most from their parents and mimic their behavior. Therefore, parents have the biggest effect on their child and should model appropriate behavior and good relationships. Having strong relationships with people is a important aspect to life. Friends are one of the greatest things in the world because they help us through problems and comfort us. Kids need practice at being kind, supportive, and trustworthy in order to be a good friend. According to PBS Its a wonderful feeling not only to have a friend, but to know how to be a friend yourself. Along with parents, coaches are strong influences on children. Being on a sports teams teaches children to collaborate and communicate with other people and that will help them grow relationships. Having strong relationships with people is a important aspect to life. Research shows that environment is important in the early years of life. Opportunities to provide a proper environment exist both in the home and through organized programs. Such organized programs include preschool or Headstart, afterschool programs such as 4H or Boys and Girls Clubs, and sports programs and camps. While many children benefit from preschool, others come from less fortunate families who cannot afford preschool. Because of the importance of early childhood education, the government has funded Head Start programs to give underprivileged children the education they need. The Head Start program helps the preschool aged children develop skills to get ready for kindergarten. Some long term outcomes of the Head Start program is collaboration skills, high quality education for the young child, caring and educational environments, well-aligned regulations and resources, improved family and child readiness for school. Another great resource, federally and locally funded Boys and Girls Clubs have places for students to do homework and get help that they need in school. They also have age appropriate physical activity for the kids to have fun. Finally, the kids have time to socialize and make new friends in a supervised environment. In sports programs the kids are able to have meet new friends, learn new skills, compete in a supervised environment and also have fun doing physical activities. Youth team coaches are good role models for the kids such as a positive attitude, encouraging, and to teach them how to be a leader. Coaches play an important role in positive educational experiences. For example, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is using sports to encourage girls and young women to attend school in refugee camps. Also UNICEF uses sports to campaign for girls education. While early childhood sports programs are beneficial, it is important that these program focus on individual development.