Figurative vs. Literal Language

Figurative vs. Literal Language Learning to make meaning when figurative language is used can be a difficult concept for learning disabled students. Students with disabilities, especially those with language delays, become easily confused when figurative language is used. Figurative language or figures of speech is very abstract for children. Put simply to a child: figurative language doesnt mean exactly what it says. Unfortunately, many students take figurative language literally. The next time you say- this briefcase weighs a ton, they might just think that it does and come away with a belief that a ton is something close to the weight of a suitcase. Figurative Speech Comes in Many Forms Simile (comparisons often with as or like): as smooth as silk, as fast as the wind, quick like a lightning bolt.Metaphor (implicit comparison without like or as): Youre such an airhead. Its bursting with flavor.Hyperbole (exaggerating statement): In order to get my assignment done, Ill have to burn the midnight oil.Personification (giving something a human quality): The sun smiled down on me. The leaves danced in the wind. As a teacher, take time to teach the meanings of figurative language. Let the students brainstorm possible sayings for figurative language. Take a look at the list below and have students brainstorm a context for which the phrases could be used. For instance: when I want to use Bells and whistles I could be rererring to the new computer I just bought which has, lots of memory, a dvd burner, an amazing video card, a wireless keyboard and a mouse. Therefore I could say My new computer has all the bells and whistles. Use the list below, or let students brainstorm a list of figures of speech. Let them identify what the possible meanings of the phrases could be. Figures of Speech Phrases At the drop of a hatAxe to grindBack to square oneBells and whistlesBed of rosesBurn the midnight oilClean sweepChew the fatCold feetCoast is clearDown in the dumpsEars are burningForty winksFull of beans Give me a breakGive my right armIn a nutshell/pickleIn the bagIts greek to meFinal strawLet the cat out of the bagLong shotMums the wordOn the ballOut on a limbPass the buckPay through the noseRead between the linesSaved by the bellSpill the beansTake a rain checkThrough the grapevineTrue colorsUnder the weatherUp my sleeveUpset the apple cartWalking on eggshells

The Controversy Over Columbus Day Celebrations

The Controversy Over Columbus Day Celebrations Only two federal holidays bear the names of specific men- Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Columbus Day. While the former passes each year with relatively little controversy, opposition to Columbus Day (observed on the second Monday of October)  has intensified in recent decades. Native American groups argue that the Italian explorer’s arrival in the New World ushered in genocide against indigenous peoples as well as the transatlantic slave trade. Thus Columbus Day, much like Thanksgiving, highlights Western imperialism and the conquest of people of color.   The circumstances surrounding Christopher Columbus’ foray into the Americas have led to an end to Columbus Day observances in some areas of the U.S. In such regions, the contributions Native Americans have made to the county are recognized instead. But these places are exceptions and not the rule. Columbus Day remains a mainstay in nearly all U.S. cities and states. To change this, activists opposed to these celebrations have launched a multi-pronged argument to demonstrate why Columbus Day should be eradicated. Origins of Columbus Day Christopher Columbus may have first left his mark on the Americas in the 15th century, but the United States didn’t establish a federal holiday in his honor until 1937. Commissioned by Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to explore Asia, Columbus instead sailed to the New World in 1492. He first disembarked in the Bahamas, later making his way to Cuba and the island of Hispanola, now the home of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Believing that he had located China and Japan, Columbus founded the first Spanish colony in the Americas with the help of nearly 40 crewmembers. The following spring, he traveled back to Spain where he presented Ferdinand and Isabella with spices, minerals and indigenous peoples he’d captured. It would take three trips back to the New World for Columbus to determine that he hadn’t located Asia but a continent altogether unfamiliar to the Spanish. By the time he died in 1506, Columbus had crisscrossed the Atlantic numerous times. Clearly, Columbus left his mark on the New World, but should he be given credit for discovering it? Columbus Didn’t Discover America Generations of Americans grew up learning that Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. But Columbus wasn’t the first European to land in the Americas. Back in the 10th century, the Vikings explored Newfoundland, Canada. DNA evidence has also found that Polynesians settled in South America before Columbus traveled to the New World. There’s also the fact that when Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492, more than 100 million people inhabited the New World. G. Rebecca Dobbs wrote in her essay â€Å"Why We Should Abolish Columbus Day† that to suggest that Columbus discovered America is to suggest that those who inhabited the Americas are nonentities. Dobbs argues: â€Å"How can anyone discover a place which tens of millions already know about? To assert that this can be done is to say that those inhabitants are not human. And in fact, this is exactly the attitude many Europeans†¦displayed toward indigenous Americans. We know, of course, that this is not true, but to perpetuate the idea of a Columbian discovery is to continue to assign a non-human status to those 145 million people and their descendants.† Not only didn’t Columbus discover the Americas, but he also didn’t popularize the idea that the earth was round. The educated Europeans of Columbus’ day widely acknowledged that the earth was not flat, contrary to reports. Given that Columbus neither discovered the New World nor dispelled the flat earth myth, opponents to the Columbus observance question why the federal government has set aside a day in the explorer’s honor. Columbus’ Impact on Indigenous Peoples The main reason Columbus Day draws opposition is because of how the explorer’s arrival to the New World affected indigenous peoples. European settlers not only introduced new diseases to the Americas that wiped out scores of Native peoples but also warfare, colonization, slavery, and torture. In light of this, the American Indian Movement (AIM) has called on the federal government to stop observances of Columbus Day. AIM likened Columbus Day celebrations in the U.S. to the German people establishing a holiday to celebrate Adolf Hitler with parades and festivals in Jewish communities. According to AIM: â€Å"Columbus was the beginning of the American holocaust, ethnic cleansing characterized by murder, torture, raping, pillaging, robbery, slavery, kidnapping, and forced removals of Indian people from their homelands. †¦We say that to celebrate the legacy of this murderer is an affront to all Indian peoples, and others who truly understand this history.† Alternatives to Columbus Day Since 1990 the state of South Dakota has celebrated Native American Day in lieu of Columbus Day to honor its residents of indigenous heritage. South Dakota has a Native population of 8.8 percent, according to 2010 census figures. In Hawaii, Discoverers’ Day is celebrated rather than Columbus Day. Discoverers’ Day pays homage to the Polynesian explorers who sailed to the New World. The city of Berkeley, Calif, also doesn’t celebrate Columbus Day, instead recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day since 1992. More recently, cities such as Seattle, Albuquerque, Minneapolis, Santa Fe, N.M., Portland, Ore., and Olympia, Wash., have all established Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations in place of Columbus Day.

Personal Journey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Journey - Essay Example The time we are kids, we have our own choices and preferences about anything we come across without containment parts imposed by elders in the family or the peer group we live in. As Erikson says, at each stage, there must develop an ego capability for the further development of personality (Slee 2002, p.53). I remember the days which I was always free from entrustments of heavy burdens or ethical values to be added to my life unlike now. I had my schooling done in a comparatively small town with not many things to speak great bout those days. I can never say that I was at compromise with anything I longed for. I used to have good and fashionable clothes and lots of fun with very good friends. I must say, they should be the real gift of God. We had resourceful teachers to guide us through the high school education where the school was rated one of the top ten schools in the state. Since my physique was quite athletic, I was directed to join various training campaigns to get trained for competitive events at different levels. At times I was successful, but never did I have the feel that I would ever become a sports man. It may be the case because; I was much concerned about the humane elements of life. As an innate nature, I always liked to be of some help to people around me. Even today, I feel puzzled when I try to consolidate my present life with what I expected myself to be. It is for sure, my being a doctor was not an overnight affair. It took me several years of study and researches to become at lest what I am now. A clear – cut study of evolutions happened in me may get you the idea about how people change themselves through different ages. I would never like to accept that I have done something to change myself; therefore, I can say that life changes on its way with condition pertaining to stages of life. According to Erikson, â€Å"the adulthood stage focuses

The Lost Colony of Roanoke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Lost Colony of Roanoke - Essay Example Although it is not possible to solve this particular mystery without concrete forensic evidence or the discovery of new information, the discussion that will be presented seeks to define a likely scenario that was the result of situations that were recorded by several individuals and represented within the history of the Roanoke colonists. Before delving directly into the issue, it is necessary to appreciate that the colony of Roanoke was a charter colony; established by Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I. As a charter colony, it was intended as a foothold within the New World and the potential challenge to Spain’s continue development within the region. It was the hope of Queen Elizabeth I, and Sir Walter Raleigh that the Roanoke colony would be able to provide a relatively quick return on investment in English. Whereas it is true that the coffers of Queen Elizabeth I were not shallow, these undertakings and planting colonies around the world were specifically expensive and required the dedication of resources, manpower, and ships; all of these being resources that were desired and demanded by different individuals and power throughout the kingdom. As Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I shared a â€Å"special relationship†, and one that many analysts believe could have been sexual, the agreem ent to provide Raleigh with the necessary resources might not have been performed out of due diligence or based upon the possibility of profitability (Haskell, 2012). Regardless of the rationale, Queen Elizabeth the I provided Sir Walter Raleigh with five ships and a contingent of colonists and supplies that were directed to establish a preliminary colony in North America. The general agreement was that these colonists would be performing two distinct functions at the same time. The first function was to determine whether or not an English colony in North America

Imagine you are Marco Essay Example for Free

Imagine you are Marco Essay Imagine you are Marco. Write a letter to your wife telling her about your journey to America, where you are staying and your work. Eddie and Beatrice Carbone 441 Saxon Street BROOKLYN NEW YORK U. S. A Dear family and friends I am missing you all desperately. It has been two months since I have seen you all. The journey was in cramped conditions, we experienced a mix of storms and showers. This didnt bother Rodolpho or me as the fishing trips to Africa and Yugoslavia prepared us well. I spent most of my time conversing with another group of Sicilians. We shared our hopes of America. Our main worry was that we would be caught getting off the boat and deported. The travelling was long and boring with loud thunderstorms at night, which made it impossible to sleep. Because of the large amounts of people on the ship it was very cramped. We had to sleep on the floor, which was hard and uncomfortable. The only way I stayed sane was thinking of succeeding at the American dream and returning to Sicily as rich as some of the tourists! When the ship docked in Brooklyn a very kind and hospitable man named Tony Bereli met us at the pier. He dropped us off at Beatrices house were we are temporarily staying. I was surprised at how nice Beatrices house was after Bereli described it as a slum. Over here in America people live in apartment blocks and estates instead of the shacks were used to back home. New York is a great city. At first I was some what taken aback by the citys daily hustle and bustle. Its so different from the town in Sicily where we know everyone. Beatrice looked very pleased to see us and asked after you and the childrens welfare. She introduced us to her niece Catherine who has stayed with them all her life as her parents died when she was very young. They were both very welcoming but Beatrices husband Eddie seemed as though he was a bit uneasy with our presence. Eddie told us about working on the docks as a longshoreman. He said we could earn up to forty dollars a week! The house is small with five people in it but I cannot complain otherwise I would be out on the streets. I am pleased to say both Rodolpho and me have found work as longshoremen loading and offloading things from other countries like coffee and tea. Whenever I get paid I will send the money home for you and the children. The main things I miss apart from you and the children are the scenery and the warm weather. In New York its cold with wall-to-wall skyscrapers. Rodolpho has taken to the bright lights of New York like a duck to water. He and Catherine seem to have something going on. Last week she took him on a grand tour of the city ending up in up in the Paramount Cinema. They arrived back at about midnight, Eddie was furious. He said Catherine had never been out so late. Eddie is too over protective of Catherine; he treats her like a kid! Its as if he is trying to keep Catherine for himself! Eddie treats Rodolpho like dirt. He insulted him calling him Danish because of his blonde hair. Eddie then went on to teach Rodolpho boxing classes in which he gave himself a good excuse to beat him up. Unprovoked incidents like these anger me. I wanted to get up and defend Rodolpho but didnt want to offend Beatrice. I asked Eddie if he could lift a chair from the bottom, he failed to do this. Then I lifted the chair over my head and looked him in the eye. This was my way of gaining a physical and mental advantage over Eddie. The look of defeat on Eddies face was a picture! How are Maria and Luigi? I am missing them so much. As soon as I get paid I will send money so you can buy Luigi some money for his chest. Tell them I wish I could be with them but I had no choice about leaving, wed have starved otherwise. I am working overtime everyday so I can come home to you and the kids soon. Then we will have plenty of food and will never have to worry about starving again. Take care of yourself and the kids. I will write soon Marco xxxxxx Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Miller section.

Character Analysis of Fluer Pillager Essay -- essays research papers

Fleur Pillager 1 Character Analysis of Fleur Pillager Fleur Pillage is the most extraordinary character in this story. She is not only physically powerful, but also spiritually strong. She is strong willed and resolute to live her life as she wants to. She never listens to the town or tribal gossip about her and let it repress her. People pretty much stay out of her way because she is extremely diverse. They are too afraid to try to understand her or get to know her. Her life force is drawn from the milieu. Her spirit seems to be analogous with nature. The immense energy of nature is a mystery and Fleur seems to have some power to control it, this also make her an ambiguity. The two traits that I most admire about her are the fact that she is an enigma and that she has a supernatural am...

Income, Poverty, and Health Care Essay

The objective for this paper is to explain what I have learned from our class discussion and our readings of Chapter 30 of our text, Economics Today. It will show my personal understanding of this week’s objectives through explaining what I have learned by analyzing the impacts of government regulation of the economy, including the rationalization for and history of regulation, degrees of success, and future consequences if regulation does or does not occur while applying economic concepts to explain income distribution, and its connection lifestyle choices and opportunities. In this week’s assignment, to relate them to my life experiences, I have selected two articles relating to this topic, Income, Poverty, and Health Care, and I will be explaining why we are to review what has been happening lately, and why it is happening? The first article that I have chosen relates to the same topic as our class discussion, healthcare. I chose this because it is highly relatable to not just a small group of individuals, but every American citizen in the United States. Obamacare, or Affordable Care Act, will take effect on October 1, 2013, and it is viewed as â€Å"when poor and middle-class Americans will begin signing up for the health care law’s new benefits. † (Young, J. (1-19-13)) To make sure that everyone signs up for this new healthcare program, they have created â€Å"Enroll America, an umbrella organization of nonprofits and health care industry organizations, that will carry out a major national public education campaign with paid advertising, online outreach, community activities and coordination. (Young, J. (1-19-13)) The major problem that most will have a hard time swallowing is the fines that you will receive, either as an individual, or as an employer. Government Health Insurance Mandates – If an individual does not have insurance they will be required to pay a fine of up to â€Å"$750 per year or up to $2,250 per year for a family that is uninsured. Firms with more than 50 employees will receive a fine of $750 for every employee that obtains federal subsidies for coverage. † (Graham, J. & Kaye, D. (2006) Pg. 79) One issue that most people would not even think about concerning the new healthcare laws is that it is going to affect out budgets a great deal more than we first thought. I know that I was shocked to learn that our family pets’ routine visits to the veterinarian office will also come with a higher price tag due to the new healthcare law. While they said this is unintended, the fact that â€Å"medical equipment and supplies will be going up in cost, that extra expense will have to passed on to the customers. (CBSMiami (3-11-13)) Most would wonder how this would affect their office visit for their furry family members. Well, â€Å"it’s part of a new 2. 3-percent federal excise tax on certain medical devices that just went into effect. The tax will help fund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, intended for people, not pets. † (CBSMiami (3-11-13)) We know that the manufacturers will have to pay this tax, which will in turn cause their costs to produce these products, to rise. They will have no choice but to have to transfer these costs onto the consumers. This affects our vet visits because some of the products that were meant for humans also are used in our vet’s office, such as â€Å"IV pumps, sterile scalpels and anesthesia equipment. † (CBSMiami (3-11-13)) This week’s topic relates to one that I had discussed not too long ago in my Macroeconomics class. Since we are to be charged an additional tax to cover this new law in healthcare, I thought it would be appropriate to bring up the following information. The hoped for results of taxation and government spending as implied by the fiscal policy, is to help keep our economy out of a recession, or even worse, a depression. Depending on how fiscal policy is used in different situations, it will affect different people, and is not always helpful to the whole economy. The economy needs to be closely monitored and adjusted on a constant basis based on what is currently, or what is expected in the future of the economy. In times of high inflation, the government will increase the taxation rate to help build up the economy and keep the inflation rate down. Fiscal policy has the right to increase or decrease government spending which can raise or lower the overall economy monies in circulation. With this being said, it makes it clearer as to why we are taxed higher as the government increases its public spending. It may not seem understandable to the general population because most are not in agreeance with this new healthcare law. Many believe the increase in taxes will not cover the costs that are going to be associated with the healthcare mandate, which will in turn cause the federal and individual states to also raise their taxes or reduce their healthcare costs in order to balance out the increased funding needed to support these new laws. (Graham, J. Kaye, D. (2006) Pg. 681) I must say that after digging deeper into this subject, I am more appalled at the fact that this new â€Å"healthcare reform act† may potentially damage our society instead of help it. In the current state of our economy, which is shaky to say the least, does our government really think this will help us? I for one am not too sure. I do not want to get slapped with a fine because I choose not to purchase healthcare, but taking on an extra payment, when our pocketbooks are already stretched past their limits, is just as equally disconcerting.