An Investigation of the Importance of Standardized Tests - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2001 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Management Essay Level High school Tags: Standardized Testing Essay Did you like this example? Abstract This research will be about whether the standardized test is a fair system to be used to measure students success both academically and professionally. The researcher will explain that it is important because not all students are able to test at the same level. Some students have a learning disability, and some students get so stressed out about the test and fail because of the pressure being placed on the test. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "An Investigation of the Importance of Standardized Tests" essay for you Create order The problem the researcher will be addressing is that the standardized test is being used to measure students academic and professional success. The hypothesis the researcher will be examining is that, should the standardized test determine every students success. The researcher will be using the mixed method to address this topic. The researcher will be using graphs, charts, surveys, and also interviews. The researcher will conclude that standardized tests should not be a predictor of students success academically and professionally. Introduction Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts. (Churchill) For too long the success of students has been based on the standardized test, based on what the College Board believes every student should know. Your success should be based on you as an individual student, not the standardized test. Every students success should not be based on a test that is made for only a specific group of students who have the materials to pass the test, and the test is designed to help them pass. The standardized test should be made so every student has a chance to succeed. Some students have a learning disability, these students learn different ways and it is not fair that the amount of success will be measured by a test might not be mentally ready for. For some students, the test is just too stressful, and the thought of what failure can do bothers and evidentially will cause the student to fail. Nearly judging students based on tests scores is not fair. History The standardized test has been in existence for as long as the 19th Century. It was created to determine students past academic achievements and future potentials. (According to The Room 241 Team) It is supposed to determine achievements and potential but instead, it is measuring students success rate. That is one of the problems with the standardized testing. The importance has been so stressed in the past that standardized tests still presently exist, but exist for the wrong reasons. The standardized now is like a life or death test, but in this case, a fail or succeed test. The College Board should try to help students succeed more not measure the level of their future success rate. In the future, this might still be a problem due to the current situations going on. It could be more emphasized on success. More tests might be created even but hopefully, the tests are for the good of all students. Problem Statement The standardized test was created in the 19th Century. It was created to see what students were capable of based on the materials being learned in the classroom. The problem is that the materials on these tests are not the same thing being learned in the classrooms. Not only is it not fair to the students who do not have the proper materials to prepare for the test, it is also not fair for those students who have learning disabilities. Having different learning abilities so why is there not a different test for them to take according to their abilities. Some students suffer from testing anxiety. All these students success, academically or professionally should not be based on a test but the student as a whole. The students get too stressed because of how the importance of the test is stretched; like if do not do well on the test then just going to be a failure which can cause the student to lose confidence and end up failing the test. Not everyone can be great test takers. Some would prefer to think outside the box, but when limited to just a standardized test how can their true potential be known. The College Board can do better on improving the measurement of the standardized test. But the main problem is that the standardized test is a cultural bias test. It was created for different people who learn a certain way, and everyone does not learn the same way. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. (Einstein) The College Board keeps giving the same test and expecting a different result. Statistical Findings Figure 1. Shows the scoring rate due to family income, starting from $0-$20k up to $200k. This graph shows that the standardized test is economically biased. It is made so that only a select group of people will be able to perform well on it. It is visible above in figure 1 that higher family income correlates to preparedness for the test. The less the family income is the lower the scores are. Also, the higher income families are doing well especially in writing, and the lower income families are performing below the average national rate. Preparation is very important when taking standardized tests but when there is no money to prepare the results will be like the ones in the figure above. The familys income can affect a students future, that is the reality of it. Figure 2. Shows that the standardized test is culturally biased, due to scores of different races. The graph above shows the results of different ethnicities test scores and how some races excel over the others. As seen in the graph, there is a significantly low score range between the black race and the other races. The attention of the College Board needs to be called to these facts. The standardized test should not be the only determinate of students success, especially when the test is not designed for every students way of learning. Depending on the race the scores vary. There are other variables tied to the races, such as the type of environment the races live in. The environment is very important and comfortability, but most importantly preparedness. It seems that the White non-Hispanic race was the most prepared. The College Board should have requirements to help all the races preparedness. Case Studies This case study shows how standardized testing can affect a student mentally and have a breakdown due to the overt importance of the test. Dawn Neely-Randall has seen many things in her 24 years teaching in Ohio schools, but 2014 was different. With the advent of the Common Core State Standards in Ohio, students had to take a pilot version of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test on top of the standard Ohio Achievement Tests. This amounted to almost eight hours of testing in a single week for Neely-Randalls fifth graders. One student couldnt handle the stress of all of these tests and broke down in the middle of one. She had a complete meltdown, Neely-Randall told the HPR. And I could do nothing to help her, I couldnt help her with the test. I could just let her take a little break then, but then she was going to run out of time, and she was watching the clock, she knew. This proves that at times the standardized test can be the cause of a s tudents failure.This case study shows how the standardized test can affect the learning and teaching environment. Standardized testing has facilitated an incredibly toxic environment in our schools and in our discourse about education, ultimately turning schools from learning centers to testing factories, according to a professor. That emphasis on standardized testing has corrupted the focus on learning, turning school-aged children into experimental pawns, he says. This emphasizes the burden teachers and students are being forced to carry because of the standardized test. It causes too much anxiety, mental breakdowns which evidently lead to a physical breakdown. Counter Argument There are a few good things when it comes to standardized testing. Some pros are that it gives students a chance to show the ability to go beyond the classroom. It allows the students to show strengths in different subjects, but it also exposes the students weakness. Some cons include the way the test is designed; the test is designed for only a few races to be able to succeed. A pro might be that it shows what students have learned in the classroom, but it does not show what students learn outside the classroom. It is simply an inefficient way to measure a students success. (Popham) The standardized test involves things like comprehending but different students comprehend differently. Resolution Standardized tests have played a role in students success academically and professionally for too long. It is time for other things about a student to be recognized; like the extra curriculum activities, the students participate. Another thing that can be looked at is student behavior; a student could have a very high score on a standardized test but be a bad student outside of testing. The College Board should consider the fact that there is more than one way to test a students ability to be successful. Some students can go above and beyond in classrooms but cannot apply the materials being learned in the classroom to the tests. Also, the College Board can finalize that depending on the type of student it is, there will be a test for that type of student. The student should have an opportunity to be the best possible and maybe the test is only allowing so little. Some students like to think outside the box, now those are the students that can be future test makers. These students ca n make the future standardized tests to Oladeru 6 fit every students learning abilities because these students will understand how it felt to be in that same position. Conclusion Standardized tests should not be a predictor of students success academically or professionally. For too long the standardized tests have been used as a determinate of students success, it is time for that to come to an end. The standardized test for one is a culturally bias test. Studies showed that more black students have the lowest score than any other race. The standardized test is a test that allows only a specific group of students to know the materials to pass. Some students are financially unable to materially prepare for the test. Other students get anxious due to the overtly stretched importance of the effects the test may have in your life whether you pass or fail. Although the test can show what a student has learned in the classroom, not all students are learning the same things or even the sa me way. The standardized test must not continue to be a determinate of students success academically or professionally. Works Cited (63), dmilash, and screenname (66). Insanity: Doing the Same Thing over and over Again and Expecting Different Results. Steemit. Steemit, Stemmit, 11 Aug. 2016, 5:59 am, steemit.com/psychology/@dmilash/insanity-doing-the-same-thing-over-and-over-again-and-expecting-different-results. Gillmore, Meagan. The Problem With Standardized Testing. Education for Today and Tomorrow | LEducation Aujourdhui Et Demain, www.teachmag.com/archives/9990. Mulholland, Quinn. The Case Against Standardized Testing. Harvard Political Review The Evolution of Rap Comments, Harvard Political Review, 14 May 2015, harvardpolitics.com/united-states/case-standardized-testing/. Popham, W. James. Why Standardized Tests Dont Measure Educational Quality.Manipulated Kids: Teens Tell How Ads Influence Them Educational Leadership, ASCD, www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar99/vol56/num06/Why-Standardized-Tests-Don%27t-Measure-Educational-Quality.aspx The Room 241 Team. Do Standardized Tests Accurately Show Students Abilities?Concordia University-Portland, Concordia University-Portland Room 241, 5 May 2018, education.cu-portland.edu/blog/news/do-standardized-test-show-an-accurate-view-of-students-abilities/. Southeastern Louisiana University. Standardized testing creates toxic environment in schools, professor says. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 April 2013. . Winston Churchill Quotes. BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2018. 14 May 2018. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/winston_churchill_124653 Zumbrun, Josh. SAT Scores and Income Inequality: How Wealthier Kids Rank Higher. The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Company, 21 Jan. 2015, blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/10/07/sat-scores-and-income-inequality-how-wealthier-kids-rank-higher/.

Wilfred Owen s Poem Dulce Et Decorum Est - 1602 Words

War is often associated with words like honor and glory, but Wilfred Owen’s poem, â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† strips away fanciful notions that war is anything less than absolute horror through his writing style and usage of setting, rhythm, and imagery to contrast the reality of war with an idealized version. The full Latin quote that concludes Owen’s poem, â€Å"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori† translates to â€Å"It is sweet and right to die for one’s country.† A popular saying at the time of the First World War when Owen penned the lines, the title of the poem originates in the Roman poet Horace’s Odes. However, as Owen so painfully illustrates, there is nothing sweet or right about the bitterness of death and devastation that war brings. Beginning as a personal account of life lived on the front lines of war, â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† employs a narrative style. Owen uses first-person to give credibility to the keen recollection of a fellow soldier poisoned by a gas shell. He laments, â€Å"I saw him drowning† (14). As if the image of a drowning man is not descriptive enough, the narration changes to the second person, encouraging the audience to enter the scene, â€Å"If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace / Behind the wagon that we flung him in† (17-18). This dismal invitation brings the experience to life, personalizes its effect, and draws the reader into the experience. Walking side-by-side with the speaker and following his command to â€Å"watch the white eyes writhing in his face†Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Wilfred Owen s Poem Dulce Et Decorum Est1692 Words   |  7 Pageswe are now studying Protest and Resistance poetry. The protest poem ‘Dulce et Decorum Estâ⠂¬â„¢, written by Wilfred Owen, challenges the dominant World War One ideologies of militarism and nationalism. You will find that this poem is a great example as it defies the dominant values and beliefs of war in Britain. Wilfred Owen Let’s discuss the poet. Wilfred Owen was one of the leading voices of the first world war. In January 1917, Owen was deployed but he was innocent to the realism of war. In AprilRead MoreWilfred Owen s Poem Anthem For A Doomed Youth And Dulce Et Decorum Est2273 Words   |  10 PagesWilfred Owen’s encapsulates the authentic experiences of the soldiers from war which creates a strong sense of relation between the poems and the responder. The composer expresses their suffering through contradictory interpretations of war’s brutality and the futile sacrifice of youthful soldiers. In the poems ‘Anthem For A Doomed Youth’ and ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ the theme of the brutal reality of the deaths in war, brings the word of Owen’s poems to flesh for the reader. This evokes an emotionalRead MoreWilfred Owen1266 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Wilfred Owen’s attitude towards WW1 and how is this shown through his poetry? Wilfred Owen was a soldier during world war one. Many of his poems were published posthumously, and now well renowned. His poems were also heavily influenced by his good friend and fellow soldier Siegfried Sassoon. Wilfred Owen was tragically killed one week before the end of the war. During the war Wilfred Owen had strong feelings towards the use of propaganda and war in general, this was due to the horrors heRead MoreWilfred Owen : The Greatest English Poet During The First World War Poem Summary1358 Words   |  6 PagesDulce Et Decorum Est Wilfred Owen Wilfred Owen is recognized as the greatest English poet during the First World War. Wilfred Owen notable poems contains the lives and historical records. He wrote out of his intense personal experience as a soldier and wrote with unrivalled power of the physical, moral and psychological trauma of the First World War. From the early age of nineteen, Wilfred Owen wanted to become a poet and immersed himself in poetry, being specially impressed by KeatsRead MoreWilfred Owen s A Soldier For The Allies1707 Words   |  7 Pagesaffected by World War I. Wilfred Owen was a soldier for the allies, an alliance composed of the United States, England, France. He bravely gave his life to attempt to end the war. However, before he died, he wrote a number of poems based on the things he endured while fighting in the war. Wilfred Owen uses his experiences from war, such as a gassing and a surprise attack gone wrong, as inspiration for his poetry; he uses his experiences to illustrate the horrors of war. Wilfred Owen was born in OswestryRead More How Wilfred Owen Presents the Horror of War in Dulce et Decorum est1427 Words   |  6 Pages How Wilfred Owen Presents the Horror of War in Dulce et Decorum est In the First World War people wanted the young men to go to war, but no-one really knew about conditions of the fighting in the war. Wilfred Owen was one of the people who wanted to tell the public what war was really was like. He tried to do that through his poetry. One of his poems Dulce et decorum est shows the horror of war very well. We know that Wilfred Owen really does know what hes talking aboutRead More Compare Dulce et decorum est by Wilfred Owen, and Before Agincourt1549 Words   |  7 PagesCompare Dulce et decorum est by Wilfred Owen, and Before Agincourt by William Shakespeare. Before Agincour and Dulce et decorum est ======================================== I have chosen to compare two poems for this piece of work, and they are Dulce et decorum est by Wilfred Owen, and Before Agincourt by William Shakespeare. Both look at War as the main subject, but express very different views on it. Wilfred Owen has written a very powerful poem about a man dying from a gas attackRead MoreAnalysis Of Facing It By Yusef Komunyakaa And Dulce Et Decorum Est847 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Facing it† by Yusef Komunyakaa and â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† by Wilfred Owen, are 2 great poems written in the perspective of soldiers who experienced disturbance of war. In â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† Owen talks about his experience in World War 1, taking the reader inside the actual event and giving them the insight on his feelings watching his fellow troops die. In â€Å"Facing it†, Komunyakaa also discusses his feeling towards his fellow troops who didn’t survive the attack but he also sheds light on hisRead MoreThe Most Enduring Phenomena Spawned The Great War Created A Literal Response1564 Words   |  7 Pagesaware that as time passes, our imaginative existence has changed dramatically by a number of traumatic experiences. We, are ALL Wilfred Owen. One of the most enduring phenomena spawned Th e Great War created a literal response which evoked from its immediate participants, the soldiers. Owen writes with intense focus on war as an extraordinary human experience. The poems also document other experiences, such as human cruelty and suffering which are carefully structured to convey meaning, and throughRead More Use of Imagery and Metaphor in Wilfred Owens Dulce et Decorum Est 1388 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Imagery and Metaphor in Wilfred Owens Dulce et Decorum Est  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Through vivid imagery and compelling metaphors Dulce et Decorum Est gives the reader the exact feeling the author wanted. The poem is an anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen and makes great use of these devices. This poem is very effective because of its excellent manipulation of the mechanical and emotional parts of poetry. Owens use of exact diction and vivid figurative language emphasizes his point, showing that war

Music as a Mirror of its Time free essay sample

We begin with the Middle Ages, the erred of time between DADA and ADDED, which is further divided by the Dark Ages, roughly between DADA and 10TH and the High Middle Ages between 10TH and 1400 AD. The Dark Ages was a time when all progress and technology developed during the classical Greek and Roman periods was lost. Europe was isolated from the outside world. The Church was all- powerful and the role of music was centered it. The music during the Dark Ages was monophonic in texture consisting of a single melody without any accompanying harmony. Music was simply used as a tool religious ceremony and not a form of expression.The most common music of the age was plainsong or plainchant, which consisted of a single unaccompanied vocal melody. Plainchant was usually composed anonymously and for the Church. The High Middle Ages was marked by the re-introduction of techniques and technologies included improvements in farming and agriculture and well as a marked improvement in public safety. We will write a custom essay sample on Music as a Mirror of its Time or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The result was increased trade and the establishment and growth of cities. The music of this period while still influenced by the Church, developed and evolved into Polyphonic texture consisting of two or more principle melodies heard simultaneously.As this music grew in complexity, it had to be written and thus started the development of musical notation and the concept of the composer. An example of an early polyphonic work is the Alleluia Paschal Nostrum by Leonine, composed around ADDED. The work is considered in the style of Florid Organ. An Organ combined plainchant with the voices of man. This music was a mirror of its time marking the importance and the influence of the Church in everyday life as well as celebrating the rediscovery of knowledge that was lost during the dark ages. The Renaissance saw a emergence of European culture during the period from ADDED to ADDED.Inspired by the classical ages of Greece and Rome, the period was marked by world exploration and conquests, new technologies such as the printing press as well the decline of the absolute power of the Church. The music stressed clear articulation of the words by using Word painting to intensify the meaning of the words. The musical texture was homophobic and included a melody, bass line and inner voices. While this period saw the emergence of secular music as well as a decline in the influence of the Church, religion was till a major inspiration for music.Religious works of the Renaissance period included Giovanni Palestinians pope Marcella Mass, Gangs Die from 1555. Secular works of the time included is Thomas Wilkes madrigal, As Vests was from L atoms Hill Descending from 1601. Music of the renaissance reflected the times by balancing secular and religious importance while celebrating the reawakening of the arts and discovery of the larger world. The Baroque Era, spanning the years from ADDED to ADDED was marked by great discoveries in science, architecture, literature and philosophy as well as further decreases n the power of the church and increased colonization.Baroque music brought forth a duality of elements that stood in tension, that is, the music was highly stylized and extravagant while based in carefully controlled and tempered rhythms. The music mirrored the times, as this duality theme was evident throughout all art and design of the period, ornate and detailed yet rational and orderly. The quintessential composer of Baroque music Johann Sebastian Bach with compositions representing both secular and religious themes such as the Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major Of 1 721 and Mass in B Minor, Sanctum Hosanna 1745.These works conveyed energetic rhythms with a dance like qualities with a melody full of embellishment and detail. The Classical Era, spanned the dates from 1750 to 1827, and was a musical style that was born out of The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, (1730-1780) was a period in history when the aristocracy and clergys influences in society diminish as the new middle class grew from the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. The emergence of the middle class into a position of power had a profound influence on the times as they sought to be educated and wanted n end to social injustice.Musically the Cl assical Era began a shift from complex polyphonic melodies of the Baroque to a more natural musical expression. This is illustrated by Ludwig von Beethovens Piano Sonata in C Minor of 1 799 a homophobic work which focuses on the principal voice. Other differences between Baroque and Classical music include Classical linear nature and the use of graded dynamics (volume) to achieve a voice like quality while Baroque cyclical mature and the relatively fixed dynamics. In addition, music of the Classical Era tended to use musical punctuation points r cadence signifying pauses or endings to a section or piece of music.Cadences focus listeners attention to musical phrase endings and beginnings in an entirely new way. The classical style, where national influences were blended, was perfect for the tastes of this middle class and a mirror of the times. The middle class became the conspicuous consumers of music and their tastes demanded music that was accessible, entertaining and tuneful. The middle class considered the music of the High Baroque as overly complicated and unapproachable and the Opera as being snobbish. The Symphony was a major medium for classical music.A symphony is a multi- movement instrumental musical work composed for orchestra and designed to express and explore a range of moods. The Symphony ability to give the listener a total mind and body experience suited the middle class perfectly and arguably created the most enduring musical form to date. Franz Joseph Haydn (1 732 -1809. ) was an Austrian composer and one of the most prolific and representative figures in the Classical Era. He is often called the Father of the Symphony for his contributions to the musical forms of the Viennese Classical Style as well as for composing 104 Symphonies.Hoydens works stayed true to the musical formula developed during the classical era. While Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 ? 1827) lived and composed squarely in the Classical period, he was revolutionary and unique and did not consider himself relegated to the strict rules of composition particularly with his symphonic works. Beethoven came of age during a time of great social change beginning with the French Revolution, a social upheaval in the most powerful and influential country in Europe. Beethoven changed the music of the times with innovations that not only made his music very different but sheered in the Romantic Era of music.Amount these innovations, the pursuit Of Originality was clearly a driving force and more than likely, the reason his symphonic works (9) were not as prolific as those of Hayden. Looking beyond the quantity, Beethovens works were each very original, and influenced changes in compositional style. The Opera also came of age during the Classical era. An opera is a stage play that is set to music and combines continuous music, literary drama an d lavish scenery with live action. All those elements combine to create a work where the whole is greater than the sum f its parts.Opera used musical techniques such as Recitatives, used for narration where words carry the essential expressive messages and Aria, lengthy substantial and complex vocal music where the essential character and dramatic information is transmitted through the music itself. The popularity of the opera and the profit potential saw and explosion of opera venues but also saw quality being pushed aside in favor of quantity. During beginning of the 1 8th century, the Venetian opera and much of the compositions were written to the lowest common denominator.Opera experienced several changes and refinements reflecting changes in history and philosophy including Opera Serial or Serious Opera, which presented a conflict of human passion in an action based on some story from ancient Greek or Latin author. Opera Buff, attempted to redesign opera to be more flexible and natural. The music was lively and catchy, was written with no particular formula in mind and had a small portable cast. This operatic genre portrayed real people in real life signing natural music and mirrored the times by reflecting the humanistic spirit of the Enlightenment.In the Classical era, he operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1 756 1791) were considered the pinnacle of the art form and Mozart added innovation with the Operatic Ensemble or group singing. The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), The Magic Flute (1791), are some of Mozart classical era operatic masterworks. The Romantic Period, (1 827 to 1900) marked by an intensification of musical expression and loosening of the musical rules developed during the Classical era, but was not considered a true era, as it did not represent a musical break in the form and syntax that was developed in the Classical era.During the Romantic era, music was considered the ultimate art form because is could express emotions and concepts far deeper that and words could. Romantic era art, literature and music mirrored the times and society fas cination with extreme emotional states, Folkloric Nationalism, a fascination with the wilder aspects of nature and a fascination with the macabre, gothic and the supernatural. The composers of the Romantic era, while using the classical forms, used longer melodies, complex harmonies and larger bigger orchestras and modern instruments to expand their expressive contents. The most representative composers of the Romantic period were Frederic Chopin (1 810 ? 1849), Franz List (1 811 1886) and Richard Wagner (1 813 1883) The instrumental music of the Romantic period day included compositions with extra musical content designed to tell stories and is referred to as Program Music. An early example Of Program music is the 4th movement of Beethovens 6th Symphony (Strum). The music explicitly evokes a musical image of a summer storm including raindrops, a deluge and the feelings of being caught in the storm.This was quite different that the music of the Classical which rather than tell a specific story, was instead composed to evoke specific feelings or moods. In response to the times, specifically, the increase discord in Europe around 1848, spawned by citizens wanting an end to monarchies and social injustices and the installation of constitutional and representative governments, music saw the emergence of nationalism. Folkloric Nationalism was an incorp oration of a countrys folk music into concert works and operas.Chopping incorporation of polish nationalist folk songs and themes into his compositions is an example of Folkloric Nationalism as is Franz Lists 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, which ere Gypsy music inspired works. Russian Nationalism grew out of the defeat of Napoleon and the Dismembers Revolution of 1825. Music of and after that period tended to be infused with Russian folk songs and stories. As the Russian musical tradition grew, the writings of Alexander Servicing Pushpin were popular subjects to Russian Operas and musical works.Furthering the concept of music as a mirror of its time, the nineteenth century was a period of incredible intellectual, technological and scientific development. Modern civilizations ability to move and communicate more rapidly made the world row smaller and compressed time itself, necessitating changes in musical phrasing and structure in order for composers to continue to strive to remain relevant and express themselves. Twentieth century modernism began with the compositions Of Claude Debussy (1 862 to 1918).Debussy was influenced by the French languages blurred edges and infinite nuance. Debussy music was not about the literal recreation of a subject but instead impressions of how the he perceived the subject. The composition Engages from the Three Nocturnes is an example of this musical impressionism. Debussy elevated timbre, or the sound qualities of the individual instruments to a level equal to pitch, rhythm and harmony. Igor Stravinsky (1882 to 1971) created the most important works of the twentieth century.His most influential contribution was that of asymmetric meter or a grouping of beats from one unit to the next are in an Irregular pattern, a quality taken from Russian folk music as well as the Russian language itself. What Debussy contributed to music with the focus on timbre, Stravinsky did with the use of asymmetrical rhythms. The Composer that if found most intriguing and attracted to in this course is Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven is one of the great disruptive forces in western music and seems to defy convention and is hard to categorize.While he composed in the Classical Era, he bent and reshaped musical form to suit his expressive needs, while he was revolutionary and influential, he didnt influence a true musical break or spawned any movement or imitators. He was clearly influenced and shaped by a dysfunctional upbringing and physical and health problems but those troubles seem to create the necessary tension that made his music, autobiographical, self referential and unique.

Kingdom of the Netherlands The Netherlands, or the Essays - Europe

Kingdom of the Netherlands The Netherlands, or the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is an independent nation with 17,028,000 habitants which has as its system of government a constitucional government. It's capital is Amsterdam, with dutch as its official language and the Euro as its currency. GEOGRAPHY The Netherlands is a small country sandwiched between HYPERLINK http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/belgium/ Belgium and HYPERLINK http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/germany/ Germany in Western Europe. The North Sea, located to the north and west of the Netherlands, is continually battering the land. The Netherlands is larger than the state of HYPERLINK http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/states/maryland/ Maryland , but smaller than HYPERLINK http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/states/west-virginia/ West Virginia . The Dutch have a saying: God made t he Earth, but the Dutch made Holland. The North Sea would have washed away the Netherlands if the Dutch had not erected defenses to protect their land. Over the centuries, the Dutch have built series of canals, dams, dikes, and pumping stations to keep the sea and rivers back. GOVERNMENT The Netherlands is a republic with a constitutional monarchy. The Dutch monarchy dates back to Prince William of Orange in the 16th century. King Willem-Alexander is the reigning monarch. The Dutch parliament called the States General has two houses. The 150 members of the Lower House are elected by the people every four years. The Upper House has 15 members who are elected by local councils for a four-year term. The king or ruling monarch appoints ministers who become part of the cabinet. ECONOMY For years many people thought of the Netherlands as a country of windmills, canals, tulips, and wooden shoes, with cheese and butter as its main products. This image of the Netherlands as a mainly agricultural country has not been true for a long time, as it is now as industrialized as most other Western European countries. Industrialization began later in the Netherlands than in most other Western European countries because of the scarcity of raw materials. But a griculture still provides a number of products, many of which are exported. The country's agricultural land is divided into grassland, arable farmland, and horticultural land. Dutch dairy farming is highly developed . Its official currency is the Euro, like in many other European countries that are part of the European Union. PEOPLE AND CULTURE Many of the residents ride bicycles for transportation in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and other cities. There are three times as many bicycles as there are cars in the Netherlands. The Dutch believe in moderation and have a respect for the law. People in the southern part of the country are said to have a more relaxed outlook than their countrymen in the north. The Dutch are on average the tallest people in the world. Men are six feet tall (182.5 cm) and women are 5 feet 7 inches (170.5 cm). Researchers point to a healthy diet and good medical care as the main factors that lead to a tall population. Tourism is important to the country, and many visitors come to see Dutch art, architecture and the flowers. Tulips are a major industry, and the Dutch produce billions of bulbs a year more than any other country. The name Netherlands means " low countries. " The country is sometimes called Holland, but the name only applies to two provinces, North and South Holland, which border the North Sea in Amsterdam and The Hague.