Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Organizational Assessment of Queens Hospital Center

Introduction to Queens Hospital Center Queen’s hospital Center was established in 1935 to serve the community and provide affordable health care to people from all walks of life. This is a nonprofit making organization aimed at reaching all members of the community with health care services whether they are able to pay or not.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Organizational Assessment of Queens Hospital Center specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This means that all the main objectives of expanding the facility over the years is not increasing revenue, but creating more space to assist more people by offering satisfactory services. Despite being nonprofit making, they are able to provide personalized and specialized healthcare services including inpatient admissions and surgery. Mission statement The mission statement of Queen’s Hospital center is to â€Å"provide quality, comprehensive care to all people living in new York regardless of whether they are able to pay or not† (Queens Hospital Center, 2010 p. 20). This implies that the organization is mainly focused on providing and supporting the community. Their commitment to this mission statement is demonstrated by the programs the organization is running one of them being the smoking cessation program. From this, the organization is able to reach directly to the community at their very point of need. Since this program is offered at no cost at all, it accessible to everyone, including the low income earners and the unemployed. Clinical care is provided by the hospital in terms of treatment to patients and any other health related support required and these services are given by a qualified team of doctors and nurses. Patient safety is adhered to in terms of both physical and emotional safety by providing a clean and conducive environment. Patients’ records are also kept confidential to ensure that they do not f all in the hands of people who may inflict emotional injury to the patients. On the part of education, they offer programs such as the smoke cessation program to ensure that the community is enlightened on their health issues (Jayaratne et al, 2002). They are able to identify community needs by conducting frequent research activities hence being able to address the most pressing of those needs first.Advertising Looking for assessment on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Structure of the organization Being a social service organization, Queen’s Hospital center has a formal arrangement which is aimed at ensuring the programs are delivered to the community in a way that advocates for positive transformation in the social statute laws and policies. In such cases, the structure must be favorable to the community in that they willingly participate in the programs being offered to them, otherwise the whole thin g would be rendered useless. The success of this organization is not measured by the amount of profits it makes but by the extent to which they are able to reach and address the needs of the community (Cooke Rousseau, 1998). The organization is structured in a way that enables all members to participate in community development at whatever capacity, hence making a contribution to the fulfillment of the mission statement. The board involved in making decisions includes among other the doctors, nurses, interns, therapists both physical and occupational, administrators, social workers, and the directors. Each party has the task of making decisions in their respective capacities with the major decision making responsibility lying with the administrators. Organizational culture The culture at Queens Hospital center is based on providing services to the community and meeting the training needs of the employees hence ensuring customer satisfaction. This is done by providing high quality s ervices at a cost that all people in the community can afford. This particular culture is common in all departments since it forms a major part of the organization’s mission statement. This implies that social workers are the most important people in the organization since they are directly involved in making this culture practical. Social work training is mandatory to all employees since this is the core business of the organization. They are therefore able to handle their specific tasks with the community needs in mind hence ensuring that they are able to meet the main objectives of the organization (Rhydderch et al, 2005).  The training sessions are carried out frequently and facilitated by the social workers such that they are able to share the real life experiences which they encounter when dealing with the community. As a result of this, strategies are laid to ensure that the community needs are met to the best level possible and the result of adhering to this culture is having clients who are satisfied with the services being offered. This culture also provides a chance for all people to participate irrespective of their gender, race, age and so on.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Organizational Assessment of Queens Hospital Center specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Financials According to Queen’s Hospital center financial report, the main sources of funding includes outpatient and inpatient services, donors’ remittances, fund raising activities organized by the organization such as garage sales and funds drives and other specialized care units such as dentistry and optical departments. These departments offer their respective services at a cost hence bringing in more income to run the organization. In as much as it is a community based organization, the people working in there need to be paid in order to meet their daily expenses.  From this financial re port therefore, it is clear that salaries and wages are one of the highest expenditures for the organization (Rubin, 2002). The management believes that investing in the workforce is the most important since these are the people working on the ground and their satisfaction is key to the success of the organization. The second highest expenditure is on providing patients education in programs such as smoke cessation. These activities do not contribute in any in terms of revenue meaning that the organization has to go deeper into its budget to meet these expenses. The third expenditure item is on undertaking community campaigns especially on occasions such as cancer awareness day and HIV/AIDs day. These campaigns are necessary in the sensitization of the community. The fourth expense is that of utilities such as electricity, water and fuel bills which are required for the normal running of the organization. Finally on the list are food expenses for the inpatients, most of whom prefer to be provided for food from their own homes hence reducing this expense (Ostroff, 1992). Governance Queen’s hospital center is governed by a board of directors headed by a president. These are elective posts and the members are selected from within the organization and they have to be medical experts (Mills Woods, 2004). This team works within the provisions of a constitution and the president presides over the board meetings and the issues discussed therein are communicated to other members of staff for action to be taken. The reason as to why these people are selected from the organization is because they already have an idea of the organization’s mandate and are aware of the challenges and opportunities on the ground. The current team is made up of ten directors, the president and vice president who takes the position of the president in case he is absent in the meetings.Advertising Looking for assessment on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides this board, the organization also involves advisory boards ones in a while to assist in laying down policies. These are experts from other organizations and their main involvement is to bring out the aspects that can be seen from outside the organization. These committees are made up of government officials serving in the public health department and other high ranking health specialists. Accrediting bodies Besides the in house board, there are other governmental and non governmental bodies which affect the day to day running of the organization. One of these bodies is the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission which governs facilities offering rehabilitation services such as the smoking cessation program being offered in the organization. This institution has to be involved in making any decision in such programs so that they are able to regulate the proposals and align them with the existing bylaws (Angle Perry, 1998). The other external institution that is directly link ed to this organization is the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education which governs the education sector in all medical facilities. This body ensures that people working in these organizations are updated with the current information hence ensuring that they are equipped to handle their clients with expertise. These bodies come up with different policies frequently and all medical institutions are expected to adhere to these rules. In a way therefore, they increase costs in these organizations since they have to be paid for their services and consultations. Code of ethics The third section of NASW Code of ethics which addresses the issue of Social Workers’ ethical responsibilities in practice settings is one of the first things any new employee or intern is made aware of on joining the organization and breach or compromise on the same is treated as a serious ethical offence. It however gets tricky especially on an area such as that of education and training wh ere a social worker who training the clients is only expected to handle that which is under his or her scope. The problem here arises where clients are not aware of these scopes and they expect any social worker to be able to handle all their concerns (Maloney Federle, 1993). This obligation is therefore in conflict with the fact that social workers are expected to give their clients all the information that is relevant to their situations. This can however be corrected by providing an all rounded training to all social workers so that they can be well equipped for their work. One of the opportunities available to this organization to participate in these social and political actions is that of offering civic education to the community to educate them on their political rights and duties. These activities provide an opportunity for the interns and members of staff to make a positive contribution to the society according to the mission statement. These can be done by organizing work shops in colleges and universities where a majority of young people are as well as within the facility when dealing with the day to day clients (Duncan et al, 1998). The campaigns will ensure that young people in the community are not misled by the social and political stereotypes all over the media. Physical environment One of the features that are visible in the organization is the high level of hygiene being observed in the organization. This is a big plus to the organization since clients are comfortable and they develop a sense comfort when within the organization’s premises. The environment is also conducive since there is no unnecessary noise. These features aide delivery of services since clients are comfortable enough even to wait on the queue on a busy day without having much to complain about. This kind of orderliness also ensures that member of staff are able to carry on with their work peacefully since they do not have to handle numerous complaints from the custo mers. Major organizational problems From this analysis, it is clear that the organization is operating near its full potential. However, there are a few things which need to be addressed and this includes concentrating more on the training needs of the members of staff and interns. Any person joining the organization in any capacity should first go through social work training in preparation for any community emergency that might arise. This is because of the unforeseen occurrences which come up and require more people to be on the ground in order to be in control of the situation. In case this happens and the people who are trained in social work are few, then there will be an inadequacy. Reference List Angle, H. L., Perry, J. L. (1998). An empirical assessment of organizational commitment and organizational effectiveness. Administrative science quarterly, 1-14. Cooke, R. A., Rousseau, D. M. (1998). Behavioral Norms and Expectations A Quantitative Approach To the Assessment of Or ganizational Culture. Group Organization Management, 13(3), 245-273. Duncan, W. J., Ginter, P. M., Swayne, L. E. (1998). Competitive advantage and internal organizational assessment. The Academy of Management Executive, 12(3), 6-16. Jayaratne, S. P. D., Croxton, T. A. J. D., Mattison, D. M. S. W. A. C. S. W. B. C. D. (January 01, 2002). Race, Practice Behaviors and the NASW Code of Ethics. Journal of Social Service Research, 28, 3, 65-89. Maloney, W. F., Federle, M. O. (1993). Practical models for organizational assessment. Journal of Management in Engineering, 9(1), 64-81. Mills, S. S., Woods, P. (January 01, 2004). Starting a corporate college. A New York hospital takes an in-depth approach to employee training. Healthcare Executive, 19, 4.) Ostroff, C. (1992). The relationship between satisfaction, attitudes, and performance: An organizational level analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(6), 963. Rhydderch, M., Edwards, A., Elwyn, G., Marshall, M., Engels, Y., Van den H ombergh, P., Grol, R. (2005). Organizational assessment in general practice: a systematic review and implications for quality improvement. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 11(4), 366-378. Rubin, J. (2002). Gender, equality and the culture of organizational assessment. Gender, Work Organization, 4(1), 24-34. Queens Hospital Center. New York. A staffwide sense of ownership. (January 01, 2010). Hospitals Health Networks / Aha, 84, 9.) This assessment on Organizational Assessment of Queens Hospital Center was written and submitted by user Annika Garcia to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Overview of a Luxury Fashion Brand Essay Example

Overview of a Luxury Fashion Brand Essay Example Overview of a Luxury Fashion Brand Essay Overview of a Luxury Fashion Brand Essay The fashion industry is very competitive. Company that venture in fashion should therefore have a proper marketing strategies that will make it have competitive advantage over the other companies. Most companies engaging in fashion have therefore turned to luxury brands being that there is global interest in fashion. Based on the environment that the businesses operate, the target markets and product attributes as well as marketing methods, the companies have embraced luxury brand management and fashion marketing traceries that have made them be on top of the fashion industry. This paper looks at one Barberry as a luxury brand that has been successful despite the challenges that have existed in the fashion market. In this paper an overview of Barberry is given based on its success in the industry. The brand has been outstanding and is defined by the Brutishness, independent luxury positioning and heritage as well as history. Compared to other brands in the fashion industry such as Pravda, Ezra and Ralph Lauren, the brand has been doing fairly well. Brands Brief History Barberry is a distinctive global luxury brand that was founded in 1856. The group has a British background. Over the years the company has built a strong and outstanding reputation for innovation, design, and craftsmanship (Hag, 2004). The group has much focus on outwear, best known for its trench coats. The company designs, produces as well as sell products under the Barberry brand. The company based in London sources its raw materials from UK and other external suppliers it forms network with. The content of marketing as well as marketing programs; analogue and digital, are internally designed to promote the brand and product features to the consumers. Being that its products are sold globally through proprietary retail shops as well as third party wholesale customers, the brand needs a strong fashion marketing strategy to counter the competition in the fashion world. Marketing is in fact one of the core corporate functions that keeps the brand at par. The brand has also embraced digital marketing as one of the method it uses to remain competitive in the market that is dominated by other super- brands in the luxury fashion industry (Group Overview, n. D. ). Brands Product attributes and Target Market The brand being inclined to British lifestyle has a range of products that argues men, women and children of different social status in the society. It is best known Of shawls, scarves, and ties that are classified as soft accessories. On the other hand the brand has also classified small leather shoes, handbags, wallets, umbrellas, and wristwatches as hard accessories. The products are also tailored to meet individual needs (Tungsten, 2009). For example the brand also classifies products as seasonal and continuity. Continuity includes the iconic trench coats that are durable whereas the former refers to the short lived products such as responsive fashion trend that covers a limited season. The multilevel brand strategy of the company is organized at six major brand levels. First off, the high fashion range that serves the fashion shows and editorial coverage, which is produced in small quantities to satisfy the customers exclusivity, demand. This range targets the affluent customers and is distributed through Barberry flagship stores and other prestigious stores in America and London such as Barneys and Harrows. The second range is the London line that is a ready to wear range that is presented in two collections based on the four seasons. Womens wear usually has more lines compared to menswear. Menswear has also been tailored to meet sportswear accessories such as towels, shoe and bags as well as swimwear (Group Overview, n. D. ). There is also the Thomas Barberry range that targets the youths between 15 and 25 years of age, customer group. This group falls under diffusion brands and is available in Spain, UK and Europe. The other two diffusion brands are Barberry blue and black that is for the Japan fashion market. They are also targeted for younger male and female professionals. The multi-brand model of the company has provided maximum market exposure and extensive consumer demand. The second benefit Of the model is that, it has provided elasticity and market awareness evidenced by the brands that target specific countries. Additionally, the approach of having broad category of products range and differential pricing options have provided a marketing move for the company since the customers have accessed it on that account as well as enable the trading up and down of the brand levels (Group Overview, n. D. ).. The brand is known for its trench coats that target the young audience. The product has been marketed through websites such as retrenchment. Mom and celebrity endorsement (Grieve, Didactic, Tibias, 2013). Distribution channels of the Brand The brand is exclusively done through the operation of company stores, licensee agreement, and third party stockings. The company has a retail chain that comprises of four formats. These include designer outlet stores, department stores, regular retail price and flagship stores located in nearly all the major cities in Europe and London. The whole sale stockings include the prominent department stores, duty free shops and specialty fashion retailers. The brand also operates Showrooms in London, Milan, and Hong Kong mongo others. Additionally, the brand also employs the use of agents who make direct sales to the wholesale customers so as to increase sales of the products as well as encourage the sale of the products at the marked prices (The luxury-goods market: Disillusioned hedonist shoppers The Economist, n. D. ). The consistency of visual merchandising of the brand as well as its store presentation of the brand is maintained through a shop-in shop strategy that is implemented in department stores. The company maintains relationship with its wholesale customers by making accessible brand offer and other brands. Additionally, they engage in collaborative marketing action with the important clients (Hag, 2004). Through this the wholesale consumers are able to have access to allowances following the advertisement of Barberry brand products. In a nutshell, the licensee distribution engages two license partners that are jointly tinged with the duty Of wholesale distribution. The licensed partner firms are responsible for visual merchandising and sales agents. The distribution channel has been advantageous of the brand. It provides the presentation of the brands products in diverse and important markets. The model also allows for the return on investment since none of the profit is lost in paying franchise partners and other partners. Marketing methods The gabardine which was water resistant and meant for the military outfits made the brand famous not only in England but also all over the world. Having been hit by economic downfall, the marketing department had to strengthen its strategies so as to boost its sales. To keep at the level of other brands it had to focus on digital media as one of its core strategies (Grieve, Didactic, Tibias, 2013). The company benchmark other well established rands such as Apple, Nikkei and Google, to establish a unique and distinct model for the brand. Using these iconic brands it was able to use the social media with the aim of developing a campaign that was innovative and inclusive of the young consumers. The brand was outstanding, fashion forward and autonomous. This was and is still recorded in its trench coats that are iconic and are fond for the soldiers, celebrities, and working class (Grieve, Didactic, Tibias, 2013). The unique status of the luxury brand was built upon the unique product; the trench coats. Additionally, most street photography has recognized the brand from the same. In 2009 most people were aware of the brand and about a million making it the largest luxury brand in the fashion industry at that time (Digital marketing case study Social media case study: Barberry encourages customer participation with Art of Trench Digital Training Academy, n. D. ). The idea of the social media gave a revelation of the Art of the Trench campaign. The brand established its website where it was very easy for the customers to share their photos wearing products from the luxury brand. This was a form of reaching more customers who would visit the website and admire those photographs. Coupled with the partnership with Scott Chasm; a fashion flogger, the brand was able to amass a mammoth of consumers within a short period of time. The photos could be liked and shared by both customers as well as the potent Customers. The digital campaign placed the brand over others in the luxury sector. The success of the campaign boosted the e-commerce sales by almost fifty percent making the company to allocate more of its resources in digital marketing (Hill, 2014). Apart from social media, the brand also uses advertising, fashion stores, and editorial placement as its core marketing Hansel (Hines Bruce, 2001). They have an advertisement strategy that is launched twice every year. The advertisement campaigns are more focused in the leading fashion and lifestyle publications such as fashion magazines. The brand has cut its expenditure for media advertisement (Hines Bruce, 2001 The ads focus mainly on the brands history and heritage. The emphasis IS well placed on the company logo, trademarks. The adverts not only feature individual products but also aim at presenting the whole brand image demonstrated through diverse brand product range (Hill, 2014). The fast ion wows are also marketing channels for fashion. As a marketing move, Barberry appreciates the fashion shows as marketing plans that serve to inspire the luxury grade of the brand (Us, Coppery, Videophones Network, 2008). The shows are held in different periods depending on the brand. For example, the fashion shows are held twice a year in Milan. The city is well known for its luxury fashion heritage serves to market the brand internationally. Apart from establishing the fashions credibility, the shows also ensure international press representation (Chevalier Mozzarella, 2012). In London there is a fashion week every season in all designated London showrooms (Cooke, 2014). Editorial coverage aims at reinforcing the luxury brand positioning as well as creating brand awareness (Chevalier Mozzarella, 2012). Barberry has a strong public relations tactic that focuses on trade and fashion press. The strategy is inclusive of the whole world editorial coverage and annotations that are for the support of the brand. This ensures proper placement of the brand as the leading brand in fashion, trade, business and publications (Eases, 2009). Another important marketing overage is the brochures that are unleashed every season to market the collections to the consumers and wholesale as well as retail customers (Eases, 2009). The brand also has a website that further creates its awareness. The website that is up to date provides a brief history of the brand, the current images of the product, and the adverts representing the brand (Leverage the Franchise, n. . ). In the fashion show marketing, the brand has had a unique way of hitting the market. Recently in the London Fashion week, it made it possible for its customers to stream the fashion show live in 2010. This makes it the first brand to go live in AD all over the world. As evidenced by the proper use of technological inventions that have placed the company above the other competitors, other brands in the fashion industry should embrace the same m ethod to stay up in the market (Cooke, 2014). As a move of embracing technology Barberry also launched it mobile site in 201 0 making it possible for the customers to interact with the products from their smart phones, pads and tablets. This has continuously expanded its customer base globally being that most consumers use the same in communication and hopping at the same time (Strata, 2013. The marketing model of the luxury brand has made it recognize the importance of advertising in the creation of the brands image. The brand is widely known both in London and all over the world because of its unique advertising campaigns. The brand has come up with outstanding marketing strategies that have targeted various audiences. This move makes it do well in the luxury sector since they are unique and exclusive for the brand. The target market of the goods is well defined through the products and the fact that they can easily reach the goods at heir convenience makes it easier for the company to make huge profits. Luxury brand management spurs almost over all the actions Of the company form production, distribution, marketing and sales. Barberry as a luxury brand, have taken into consideration all the aspects of fashion marketing embracing the methods of marketing that assure large outreach such as the social media. The social marketing technique not only creates awareness of the brand but also creates a channel through which the company can interact with its customers and be able to get their feedback. This is then followed by wife analysis and mechanism implementation to meet the customer demands. In a nutshell, the paper has focused on what has made Barberry become one of the most recognized and successful luxury brands in the world of fashion market.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Moot Problem in the Court of Appeal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Moot Problem in the Court of Appeal - Essay Example The judge argued on the art 10 of the HRA and overlooked the domestic law; the press regulation act 2012, while deciding the above case. The Daily Grind had been fined after the press regulation commission accused the paper for violating section 2 of the press regulation act 2012 which states â€Å"publication by the press of article relating to the private lives of individuals is hereby prohibited†. This was after my client had published an article citing the prime minister as a â€Å"sexual maniac† who is not legible to lead this country and should even quit politics for good. Though the press regulation act of 2012 bars the publication of articles relating to people’s private lives, section 2b gives some provisions where the above restrictions does not hold. This if: â€Å"it is strictly necessary to publish the material relating to the individual’s live in order for criticism of their performance in public office to be made good.† Judge Templeto n-Smythe J was right to give more weight to the HRA, than to our domestic legislation in this issue. For instance, if we allowed local authorities to impose regulations that to some extend limit the international laws on human rights we would just be declaring our country a non-partisan in international treaties at large. In the above stated publication, the Daily Grind was merely expressing its freedom of expression as stated in the article 10 of the convention rights which states: Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and receive and impact information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent states from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises. 1 Application of the relevant Strasbourg jurisprudence in the domestic law Though there seems some contradiction of the domestic law and the Human Rights art 10, there has been cases in the past where the two has been harmonized to apply the art 10 in the domestic law. For example, in Manchester city v. Pinnock the Supreme Court came up with a formula to deal with relevant Strasbourg jurisprudences as Karinne and Fiona writes: Where, however, there is a clear and constant line of decisions whose effect is not inconsistent with some fundamental substantive or procedural aspect of our law and whose reasoning does not appear to overlook a point of principle, we consider that it would be wrong for this court not to take that line (p.26)2. Judge Templeton-Smythe in delivering his verdict argued that the Daily Grind has a right to express its opinion as the provisions of the art 10 of the human rights act. Although in another perspective the Daily Grind the may appear to have invoked the premier’s privacy, there was much logic in the publication. For instance, the publications were based on substantial truth as some of the prime minister’s Lovers a t the university are cited to have regular contacts with him up-to-date. The Daily Grind in this case is also entitled to a qualified privilege as per the British law. In a much similar case, in1999, Britain’s highest court defended a news paper against a former prime minister of Ireland as Perry Keller states: The courts have extended this principle to develop a new form of qualified privileg

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Albert Hourani and Ibn Khaldoun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Albert Hourani and Ibn Khaldoun - Essay Example Hourani, in his book, presents his political views while he traces the emergence of Islam, which was born into a pagan area influenced by Christianity and Judaism, where the great powers exercised no direct control that is a breeding ground in both the political and religious. A new political order, headed by a new elite, following the Arab tribes of Mecca, went up between the two empires. The precise role that Mohammed has played in these events is uncertain because the history of his time was reconstituted in writing nearly a century after his death. These biographies tell of events concerning his life, his revelation and his action may not have been fabricated. Muhammad began to communicate his message, announcing the end of the world, the arrival of Reckoning, asking to submit to the Will of Allah, the Arabic word for the God of monotheism. His relations with other tribes deteriorated so quickly that he left Mecca for Medina in the Hijra, the Hijra, which marks the beginning of t he Muslim era. In Medina, Muhammad gathered an increased number of supporters and fought to Quraysh. For Ibn Khaldoun, morality matters in the relationship between the individual and the state to the extent that any resolutions or acts taken by the ruler should be evaluated by the moral principles of the society. As one of the great political thinkers and anthropologists, he was greatly affected by the Islamic traditions that values morality above one’s own interests.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ecotourism Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecotourism Final Project - Essay Example rest is a preservation cause spearheaded by the late Professor Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Prize laureate for her efforts in fighting for environmental conservation in her country. We hope to savor the progress of the saved forest and learn of any other activities that the Green Belt movement (a movement formed by Wangari Maathai for the continuation of her cause) is currently doing. We stand a chance to learn a lot from the movement about standing tall for future’s sake in the face of adversity (Maathai, 2003). From Nairobi, we will head to the town Narok, and it is here where we expect to marvel at the seventh wonder of the world- the great Mara wildebeest migration. Narok is a few miles off Maasai Mara Game Reserve, which plays host to thousands of wildebeests, part of the many migrants during the Mara migration that gets to see them cross over to the neighboring country Tanzania (Maasai Mara, Visitor map guide, 2004). Finally, from Narok we will head to the next town in the Kenyan province of Rift Valley, Nakuru. Here, we expect to conduct a bird-watching exercise at Lake Nakuru, which hosts hundreds of the Flamingo bird species. Wednesday- We head back to the Green Belt movement offices and join them in conducting Wednesday’s nature walk. On this day, the walk is themed ‘’Save our Trees’’ so T-shirts also themed as such will be the day’s uniform as we head for this walk. Thursday- We go to Narok and head straight to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Here we will be taken round the reserve while viewing the hundreds of game it has to offer. We will spend the night at the Great Rift Valley Lodge. Friday- The Great Rift Valley lodge is almost in between the towns of Narok and Nakuru so on Friday morning we head for Lake Nakuru National park in our van. This is the last destination, and we will conduct a bird-watching exercise at this Lake, the Flamingoes being of imperative interest. Target age is 15-22 years, high school to college students. All

Friday, November 15, 2019

Trinidad and Tobago Electrical Regulations

Trinidad and Tobago Electrical Regulations The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (TTEC) is responsible for the distribution and transmission of electrical energy around the country. The electrical power comes from three main power stations which are Port of Spain (308MW station, Point Lisas (634MW) station and Penal (236MW) station. It is through this system the commission provides electrical power to its customers and meters this energy in order to obtain revenue. However the system is also one of the most vulnerable parts of that companys infrastructure, as they are prone to damage in a myriad of different scenarios. These reasons have caused power companies such as TTEC to lay down some of the strict standards, which we will now be examined in detail. Since this report is concerned with industrial wiring systems, mainly three-phase AC voltage will be addressed. The energy that they supply is only single or three phase with frequency of 60 hertz. TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS Characteristic of Supply TTEC supplies energy with the following declared voltages and characteristics: Single phase, 2 wires, 115 volts used for installation with loads up to a maximum of 30 amperes (A). Single phase, 3 wire, and 115/230 volts for installation with loads up to a maximum of 200 amperes (A). Three phase, 4 wire, 115/230 volts from a delta-connected source for installations with combined lighting and power loads up to a maximum demand of 199KVA. Voltage of 230 across phase wires, 115 between either of two phase wires and earthed neutral, and 200 volts between this third phase wire and neutral. (This third 200V phase wire must be positively identified with the color blue throughout the installation or by whatever means of identification is required by the codes in force. Three phase, 4 wire, 230/400 volts from a star connected source for installation with combined lighting and power loads up to a maximum of 350KVA. One of the following high voltages depending on the maximum demand of the load, location of the installation and the voltage available at the location: Table : High voltage supply 3 phase 3 wire 6.6KV 3 phase 3 or 4 wire 12KV 3 phase 3 wire 33KV 3 phase 3 wire 66KV 3 phase 3 wire 132KV *Accordingly the Commission should be consulted before the consumer makes plans for an installation to be supplied at high voltage. Consumers requiring supplies with utilization voltages other than the Commissions standard voltages as discussed above from (a) to (e) will be supplied at one of the commissions high voltages declared in (e) and are required to provide their own transformers. The Electricity Supply rules made under Section 15 of the Electricity (Inspection) Act Chapter 54.72 provides for variation of 6 percent above or below the declared voltages. As a result a few guide lines are to be followed: 1. The point of supply must be near the face of a building and at the commissions distribution pole. 2. When the appropriate voltage supply is available, the point of supply for an installation supplied at 115/230 or 230/400 volts, must be at the Commissions distribution pole 3. If a transformer must be installed to supply the 115/230 or 230/400 volt then the transformer has to be the point of supply. 4. The point of supply for a consumers installation supplied which is at high voltage will either be the consumers terminals which is connects to the service line or the terminal of the commissions disconnecting means. Provided that the consumer has consulted the commission to determine the location of the point of supply (the point at which TTEC supplies energy) for the new installation, the commission shall provide only one service line to supply a building. The service lines are any electrical conductors through which energy may be supplied or is intended to be a supplied by the commission. These conductors are runs from the distribution main or directly from the premises of the Commission. See figure below. Fig. 1 Typical Overhead Service Line with Consumers Entrance cable on Consumers building Figure : typical overhead service line with consumers entrance cable on private pole POSITIONING OF SERVICE LINE The position of the weather- head or gland at the point of entrance must be placed at a minimum distance of 15cm away from the bash board and not in the direct path of water flow from rooftops and guttering. It must be note also that the Commission only provides one service line to supply a building. The customers point of entrance must not be located directly above a building extension or split roof. The minimum height to which the overhead service conductors are to be connected are 3.7 metres above the finished grade level, or for a greater height it is necessary to maintain it at a minimum height of 6.1 metres for clearance of the Commissions over head service line over roads. Every industrial installation shall be adequately controlled by a manually operable, physically and electrically separated fused main switch or circuit breaker. This disconnecting means shall be readily accessible to authorized or qualified personnel, properly identified and preferably located near to the service conductors as possible. Conductors and Cables Service Entrance Conductors are the portion of the installation between the point of entrance and the consumers main disconnecting device. This generally means it is the customer cable to which T TEC connects to give supply from the service line. The service line is connected to the Distribution main. TTEC service connects only to a single consumers entrance cable at the point of supply to a building. The overhead line service conductors must be connected at a minimum height of 3.7 meters above finished grade level. For height that is greater it is necessary maintain a minimum height of 6.1 meters for clearance of the service line over roads. The entrance cables to the point of supply shall be in either rigid metallic conduit treated against corrosion or other approved non-corrosive enclosures or shall be concentric or tamper-proof cable form the consumers terminals to the metering equipment and should preferably continue to the consumers main switch. If conduit is used, only standard conduit elbows and fittings to facilitate pulling of the cables should be allowed. An approve weather head is required at the consumers terminals at the point of supply and a minimum of 0.5 meters of cable must be left for connection to the Commissions overhead service line. Attachment to the commiss ions conductors shall be made a point no less than 0.3 meters form the weather head. The consumer must also provide and install terminating lugs for connecting to cables with conductor sizes larger than 95mm2. For underground entrance cables, it is preferred that for 115/230V and 230/400V installations, the Consumers terminals at the point of supply be located at a pole furnished and maintained by the consumer. Size of Conductors Conduits And Cables The size of an entrance cable for a building with two or more metered installations supplied at 115/230 or 230/400 volts shall not be less than 16 sq. mm. This cable size is for copper conductors with rubber, polythene or P.V.C. insulation. Other approved cables can be used with equivalent current carrying capacities. The size of every conductor shall be such that its current rating, is necessary, of rating factors appropriate to the type of cables and the conditions of installation, is not less than the maximum sustained current which will normally flow through it. Also the size of the conductor shall be that the voltage drop from the consumers terminals to any point in the installation does not exceed 2.5% of the declared nominal voltage when the conductors are carrying the maximum current under their normal conditions of service. Single core cables armoured with steel wire shall not be used for carrying alternating current MINIMUM INSTALLATION BENDING RADIUS During installation, PVC armored cables should not be bent to a smaller radius than six times the overall diameter for cables having circular conductors and eight times for other armored cables. Every cable termination shall be accessible for inspection and shall be mechanically and electrically sound. The insulation tape or braid shall be removed no further than is necessary. PROTECTION OF CABLES Conductors of cables shall be insulated with the correct class of insulation in accordance with the appropriate standard to withstand a voltage not less than the highest sustained voltage to which they are likely to be subjected. Any insulation damaged by soldering otherwise shall be cut away and replaced by suitable insulation at least as thick effective as the original installation. Termination of cables should not be in locations where flammable and/or explosive dust, liquid, vapor or gas is likely to be present. Otherwise the termination shall be enclosed in a flameproof fitting. For paper or varnished-cambric-insulated, metal-sheathed cable, a wiped metal sleeve or joint box, filled with insulating compound shall be provided. Laying of cables underground Cables underground must be 18 deep buried in red sand (sand bed) surrounded by concrete slabs then covered with red danger tape over the slabs. If the cable is passing under a roadway, the cable must be a concrete duct and must be inspected before being buried. Positioning of transformer and switchgear All service equipment which include transformers, panels, switch gear etc, must have a working space of 3 feet around them, they must be positioned where they are easily accessible to the authority, in an upfront foremost position away from pedestrian travel, if it is pedestrian travel place billards around them to prevent people from crashing into them. Metering Metering can be accomplished through socket type metering or three phase metering, the later being more expensive. Current Type 0 200 Single phase >200 Three phase wiring 200-500 Current transformer metering >500 High voltage metering Generally, a single meter is used to measures all electrical energy supplied at that single location. It records the number of units (kilowatt hours) of electricity you have used and is quite easy to read, and consumption records are simple to keep. The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission uses the recorded electricity usage to accurately calculate the consumer electrical bill. The three types of meter normally use are the digital, the Dial and the AMI meters. The service entrance cable is connected to the meter. If a splitter box is to be used first splitter box then the meter .If no splitter box is used, then connect only to the meter. Splitter arrangements can also be used to split the load. In metering there are a few regulations that must be followed in connection, positioning and reading. They are as followed: For an indoor-type meter, the consumer shall provide a meter-board for mounting the meter. This board shall be of an approved size, and shall be made from 19mm hard-wood stock, free from knots set plumb, and level and securely fastened for substantial supports In order to make meters more accessible, the tops of the meters should not be greater than 1.8m or less than 1.5m above floor or finished grade level. A clear space of at least 0.9m in front of all meters must be available at all times. Meters should not be located over doorways, along stairways or directly under water pipes or drain pipes. They should also be mounted free from shock, vibrations and mechanical injury. Meter sockets should be installed on an outer wall of the building. In a building elevated more than 2.4m above ground, the meter should be located on one of the supporting columns of the building. Meters for a multi-level building shall be grouped in one location on either the basement or ground floor in an accessible location. Where there are greater than 6-metered installations, groups of at least 6 meters can be installed on the basement, ground floor, or an accessible upper floor. Outdoor socket-type meters shall be installed for single phase 115/230V installations up to a maximum of 200A; meter sockets of the ring less type can be used, but must be provided with an approved means for sealing the cover. Outdoor socket-type meters shall be installed for three-phase 115/230V and 230/400V. Installations with loads up to 200A per phase. Whole current or self-contained socket-type meters shall meter such installations For 201-500A loads per phase, current transformers shall be used. The commission shall install a current transformer cabinet, meter-board and meter cabinet where necessary. The meter cabinet shall have a minimum depth of 25.4cm. Between the current transformer cabinet and the meter board, a 20mm conduit containing three (3) 1.5mm2 red, white and blue, and four (4) 2.5mm2 red, white, blue and black 600V insulated conductors must be provided by the consumer. The conductors should be a maximum 15m in length. Lengths of at least 0.9m must be provided outside the two ends of the conduit to permit the external connections to the meter and current transformer. Three-phase, 115/230V and 230/400V installations requiring loads in excess of 500A per phase shall be supplied and metered at high voltage. The metering unit shall be installed on a Distribution Pole or in the consumers transformer substation subject to the conditions of the supply. Fig. 4 Typical Installation Single Metered Low Voltage Supply Figure : Single meter high voltage supply CIRCUIT BREAKERS A circuit breaker is a device for closing and interrupting a circuit between separable contacts under both normal and abnormal conditions, with selection based on the type of application being either alternating current (ac) or direct current (dc). The established voltage rating of a circuit breaker is based on its clearance or space, between electrical circuits and between electrical components and the ground. Circuit breaker voltage ratings indicate the maximum electrical system voltage on which they can be applied. Circuit breakers voltage must be equal to or greater than voltage of the electrical system on which they are used. Circuit breakers have two types of current ratings; continuous current rating and fault current-interrupting capacity. Low voltage (less than 1000 VAC) types are common in domestic, commercial and industrial application, include: MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker)-rated current not more than 100 A. Trip characteristics normally not adjustable. Thermal or thermal-magnetic operation. Breakers illustrated above are in this category. MCCB (Molded Case Circuit Breaker)-rated current up to 1000 A. Thermal or thermal-magnetic operation. Trip current may be adjustable in larger ratings. Low voltage power circuit breakers can be mounted in multi-tiers in LV switchboards or switchgear cabinets. Positioning of circuit breaker A circuit breaker in a wet location or outside a building must be enclosed in a weatherproof enclosure. This enclosure must be so equipped as to prevent moisture and water from entering and accumulating within the cabinet. Circuit breakers must be mounted so that there is at least 6.35mmm of airspace between the enclosure and the wall or the supporting surface, with exceptions being metallic cabinets and cut-out boxes which may be installed without the airspace on a concrete, masonry, tile or similar surface. All circuit breakers should be installed at least 2m above the floor or working platform. Fuse A fuse is placed in an electrical current circuit so that when current flow exceeds the rating of the fuse it blows or blows out. The elements in the fuse melt, opening the circuit and preventing other components of the circuit from being damaged by the over current. The size of the metal fuse element determines the rating. Once a fuse blows it must be replaced by a new one. Standards for the Use of Circuit Breakers and Fuses The minimum sizes of main switches or circuit breakers permitted on consumers installation are as follows: Characteristic of supply Minimum Current rating 115 volts, 2 wire, 1phase 30 amperes 115/230 volts, 3 wire, 1 phase 60 amperes 115/230 volts, 4 wire, 3 phase 60 amperes 115/400 volts, 4 wire, 3 phase 60 amperes Table : circuit breaker sizes The consumer shall furnish and install a high voltage circuit breaker at the primary disconnecting means for an installation with a maximum demand in excess of 800 KVA. In a building with more than one separately metered Consumers Installation a metal splitter box with a suitably sized Circuit Breaker for each Installation shall be installed between the Consumers Entrance Cable and the meter sockets by the Consumer/s or Landlord. Provision shall be mode on the splitter box for the Commission to apply its seals or locks. Each Circuit Breaker In the splitter box shall be suitably identified with the Consumers Installation connected to it. Where there are seven or more separately metered Consumers Installations in a building, a main disconnecting means or Circuit Breaker shall be installed between the Consumers Entrance Cables and the group of Circuit Breakers In the splitter box by the Consumers or Landlord. Provision shall be made for the sealing or locking of this switch or breaker by the Commission. Consumer shall furnish and install a high voltage Circuit Breaker as the primary disconnecting means for an Installation with a maximum demand in excess of 800 KVA. The Consumer should conform with the Commissions Specification with respect to the rating and rupturing capacity of the Circuit Breaker. The limits of the Consumers protection setting shall be stipulated by the Commission to ensure discrimination with the protection of the Commissions system. It is recommended that the Consumer maintain an adequate supply of spare parts for the normal maintenance of his circuit breaker and ancillary apparatus. The selection of the type of circuit breaker most suitable for protection of a DC installation depends mainly on the following criteria: The current, which determines the rating of the equipment; The rated voltage, which determines the number of poles in series necessary for breaking; The maximum short-circuit current at the point of installation, which determines the breaking capacity; The type of network. It is recommended that the consumer maintain an adequate supply of spare parts for the normal maintenance of his circuit breaker and ancillary apparatus BRANCH CIRCUITRY A branch circuit is defined as that part of an electric circuit extending beyond the last circuit breaker or fuse. The branch circuits start at the breaker box and extend to the electrical devices connected to the service. Branch circuits are the last part of the circuit supplying electrical devices. These circuits are classified in two different ways, according to the type of loads they serve or according to their current-carrying capacity. Motors The table below show the supplies required for motors with different power rating. Motor power rating /watts Supply 750 and below 115/230, single phase Between 750 and 5.6K 230, single or 3 phase 5.6K and over 230/400, 3 phase For single-phase motors rated between 3.75 Kilowatts and 5.6 Kilowatts it should be arranged for no load starting. Motors of over 5.6 kilowatts must be arranged for reduced voltage starting. The commission will be prepared to consider direct online starting of motors of these sizes where the supply to the consumers installation is at high voltage. Any apparatus having power rating larger than 2.5 KVA can be supplied at either 115/230, single phase. Apparatus greater than 2.5KVA up to and including 15 KVA in size can be supplied at 230 volts, single phase. Any rating larger than 15 KVA in size can only be supplied from a three-phase supply. Single-phase appliances and motors supplied from a 3 or 4 wire installations shall be so connected that the operating current unbalanced would be a minimum. Three phase motors should be protected against single phasing conditions. When the rotor of the motor is locked, the motor requires the highest current. Direct online starters can be used also, if current goes and comes. Plugs Plugs in most residential and commercial establishments do not exceed 150V between conductors on branch circuits. That is, they are usually rated at 15-20A with exception to a 240V circuits. Lighting Lighting circuits usually do not exceed 150 watts to ground. These circuits are usually rated at 15 amperes or less in most homes and commercial establishments due to the fact that at some time during the use of the device the consumer may see the need to replace the fixture. Qualify personnel only should service the lighting fixtures. When installing for industrial purposes the voltage to the ground on the lighting circuit could be as much as 330V. With these conditions incandescent fixtures must be mounted 8 feet or more above the floor or at the available height. Where conditions do not permit 8 feet, then the fixtures should not be readily accessible (i.e. they should be encased, etc). Such a supply would be provided by a 3-phase, 4-wire 277/480V wire system. For public and commercials areas the voltage should not exceed 300V to the ground. Trinidad and Tobago wiring code law states that no final circuit should provide more than 15 lighting fixtures. Type of receptacle Maximum Number of Outlets Maximum Branch Rating (Amps) Maximum Cable Cross-section (mm2) Remarks DOMESTIC Socket outlet other than kitchen or laundry 6 20 2.5 15 A Duplex Kitchen 2 20 2.5 15 A Duplex Laundry 1 20 2.5 20 A Duplex Air condition 1 20 2.5 15 A, 230V Duplex INDUSTRIAL Lighting 6 x 115V 8 x 115V 15 20 1.5 2.5 200VA per outlet Receptable outlets 3 4 5 15 20 30 1.5 2.5 4.0 500VA per outlet GROUNDING Grounding is one of the most important factors involving electrical wiring, it provides safety to personnel, equipment and safety. Standards for Grounding i) All wiring installations shall include a consumers earth terminal or the equivalent to which the following shall be connected by an earth-continuity conductor: All metal work associated with the wiring system including cable sheets, armor, conduits, ducts, and boxes. Exposed metal of apparatus Earth terminals of socket-outlets One point of the secondary winding and of the metal work of any transformer used in the installation, except where the transformer is contained in apparatus ii) The connection to the earth electrode or any other means of earthing shall be readily accessible and soundly made by use of soldered joints or substantial clamps of non-ferrous material and where connection is made to a metal pipe of external diameter not exceeding 100mm, clamps of an approval type shall be used. iii) The earthing lead shall be connected to the line side of the consumers main disconnecting means, to an effective earth electrode buried in the ground, for example a metal water pipe system having metal to metal joints or to a copper strip or rod. Connection to a water pipe shall be made as near as practicable to the point of entry onto the ground. Gas piping or non-metallic water piping shall not be used. Metal frames or portable, stationary and fixed electric appliances operating on circuits above 50 volts to ground shall be earthed in an approved manner. Metal fixtures and lighting equipment installed on outlets wired with grounded multicore cable, with metal raceway, grounded metal-clad cable, non-metallic sheathed cable on circuits operating at more than 50 volts to ground shall be earthed. iv) Socket-outlets and cord connectors equipped with grounding contacts shall have those contacts effectively earthed. The branch circuits or branch circuit wiring shall include or provide a grounding conductor to which the earthing contacts with the receptacle or cord connector shall be connected. The armour of the metal-clad cable or a metallic raceway is acceptable as a ground connector. Equipment shall be considered as grounded where mechanically connected in a permanent and effective manner to metal raceway, the armour of the meta-clad cable, the grounding conductor in a non-metallic or to a separate grounding conductor not smaller than 2.5mm2, provided that the raceway or grounding conductor is itself grounded in an approved manner. v) The earthing arrangements of the consumer installation shall be such that on the occurrence of a fault of negligible impedance from a phase or non-earthed conductor to adjacent exposed metal, a current corresponding to 3 times the rating of the fuse, or one and a half times the setting of the over-load circuit-breaker can flow, so that the faulty circuit can be made dead. Alternatively and in every instance where this requirement cannot be met, an earth-leakage circuit breaker shall be installed. A voltage-operated earth-leakage circuit breaker shall be connected between the consumer earth terminal and a suitable earth electrode. The connection between the earth terminal operating coil and earth electrode shall be insulated. Grounding of buildings and equipment It is standard for all wiring installations to have an earth terminal or grounding electrode. The earth terminal must be connected in the appropriate manner to the circuitry of the installation by means of the earth continuity conductor or the grounding electrode conductor. Where there is a transformer outside of the building there must also be an additional ground connection from the grounded service conductor to a grounding electrode, either at the transformer or elsewhere outside the building. A grounding connection must not be made however, at the load side of the service disconnecting means. Where an installation consists of multiple buildings, a grounding conductor must be made at each building. All the socket outlets and cord connectors in an installation equipped with grounding contacts must have them effectively earthed. The branch circuits or branch wiring must include a grounding conductor to which the earthing contacts shall be connected. As a standard all metal fixtures and lighting equipment installed on outlets wired with grounded multi-core cable, metal raceway, grounded multi-clad cable and non-metallic sheathed cable on circuits operating at more than 50 volts to ground must be earthed. In turn equipment are considered grounded if they are mechanically connected in a permanent and effective manner to a metal raceway (the armour of a metal-clad cable), the grounding conductor in a non-metallic sheath or to a separate grounding conductor not smaller than 2.5mm2, provided that the raceway is itself earthed in an appropriate manner. Switch plates, wiring boxes, conduit, cabinets, and lights Types of equipment that should be grounded All metal work associated with the wiring system including cable sheets, armour, conduit, ducts and boxes Exposed metal apparatus Earth terminals of socket-outlets One point of the secondary winding and of the metal work of any transformer used in the installation with the exception of transformers contained in apparatus. Electric motor frames Equipment needs to be grounded under any of these circumstances: The equipment is within 8 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally of the floor or walking surface. The equipment is within 8 feet vertically and 5 feet horizontally of grounded metal objects you could touch. The equipment is located in a wet or damp area and is not isolated. The equipment is connected to a power supply by cord and plug and is not double-insulated. Types of earth electrodes Earth mats Earth mats typically resemble a wire mesh. They are used where there are high voltages, and several cables carrying those high voltages (such as in industrial areas). Each of the multiple cables is grounded to the earth mat rather than connecting all these cables to one grounding electrode. They are used mainly in substations and can be placed above or below ground. Earth plates are used to attain an effective earth in shallow soils with underlying rocks or in locations with large amounts of buried services. They can also provide protection at potentially dangerous places e.g. HV switching positions. Copper Earth Rods Copper rods of 20mm or 25mm diameter are used where there are high-resistance earth conditions. It is possible to obtain copper rods with end-on connections where a length may be driven in, the removable hard-steel tip unscrewed, and a further length of rod screwed on. Earth rods take advantage of lower resistivity soils at greater depths than normal excavation will allow. Quality earth rods are commonly made from either solid copper, stainless steel or copper bonded steel. http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:IODNxco1mtW8xM:http://www.rcoombs.co.uk/earthstake.jpg  [1]   LIGHTING Main types of lighting fixtures used in workshops Tubular Fluorescent Lamps: The high efficiency and relative luminous intensity of such types of lamps results in their extensive use in many workshops. However, fluorescent lamps are highly unsuitable for the lighting of areas containing moving or rotating machinery. The lamps can cause a strobe effect that makes it difficult to observe the movement of the machine and, in some cases, the machine may appear to be stationary. Color Corrected Mercury Lamps: These lamps, when used in conjunction with external reflectors are extensively used in industrial lighting, both inside the building and outside. Incandescent Filament Lamps: The small filament size allows close optical control for directional and local lighting. Glare Reduction- Glare occurs when a light source is seen directly, or by reflection, and is too bright when compared with the general brightness of the rest of the interior. The color of light used in a building should be chosen so as to prevent excessive glare. There are two types of glare, viz. disability glare (which impairs vision) and discomfort glare (which causes visual discomfort). Lamps of intermediate or warm colors should be used for general lighting in order to prevent or minimize glare. Reducing the luminance of the source causing the glare or changing the relative positions of the observer and the source can also reduce glare. Lamps should be shielded from direct sight by louvers or reflectors. Also, diffusing ceilings may be used in order to spread the light over a wider are

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

A Convenient Reality Essay -- Environmental Management Science

"Future generations may well have occasion to ask themselves, 'What were our parents thinking? Why didn't they wake up when they had a chance?'" (An Inconvenient Truth). Throughout the last fifteen years, this type of thought has led to a revolution within the United States. This revolution is not against the government, but against pollution and wastefulness. This upheaval of the green movement and decreasing non-renewable resources is producing a generation focus on expansion, recycling, and most importantly, energy production. Advertisements endorsing "going green" fill television, radio, and magazines showing products that will eventually make energy production start in the home. These advancements are numerous and are beginning to be reported at an astonishing rate. Even the military has begun to take measures, such as searching for alternative fuel sources, in an effort to reduce its ‘carbon-footprint’. From the 18th to the middle of the 19th century is commo nly referred to as The Industrial Revolution; the 20th to the 21st century will be potentially known as The Green Revolution. Advances in production methods will be one of the next big steps that industry takes. Although these methods will decrease emissions and lead to an entirely foreign type of society potentially unforeseen problems may arise. The global population is growing at an unprecedented rate and by the year 2050 the global population is expected to exceed twenty billion people, an almost 150 percent increase from today (â€Å"Global Population Projections†). Although a green technology will develop a less wasteful society, the jumps in population growth could diminish or completely reverse these gains. These conclusions are evident even today; â€Å"Al... ...ow. The ozone hole and the accumulation of greenhouse gasses will not be solved today but rather further down the road once we discover techniques to battle these problems. One-hundred years from now may look completely different from the aforementioned vision; however, it will undoubtedly reflect the green movement and decisions that are made over the next twenty years. Works Cited An Inconvenient Truth. Prod. Lawence bender, Scott Burns and Laurie David. Direc. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Al Gore. DVD. Paramount Classics. 2006 Annex, Robert. â€Å"Stimulating Innovations in Green Technology.† American Behavioral Scientist. 44.2 (200): 188-212. Print. â€Å"Global Population Projections.† Web. 4 Oct 2010. Silberberg, Martin S. Chemistry: the Molecular Nature of Matter and Change. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Culture in Everyday Life Essay

I experienced culture shock about 7 years ago, when I became friends with a Philippine woman. Her name is Christeen Humangnan; she was born and raised in the Philippines. It wasn’t until Christeen was 14 years old, that she moved to the United States. She would tell me how spoiled we are as Americans. She lived in the Philippines without electricity, a television, and rarely had money for new shoes. Although those customs are different from ours in the United States, there is one culture she practices that stood out. It is called pagmamano. Pagmamano is a Filipino culture that has survived the times and foreign influences. This is the practice of respect by asking for an elder’s hand and touches one’s forehead while bowing. One usually asks by saying â€Å"Mano po.† Mano po translates to â€Å"may I have your hand please.† In return, the elder blesses the person. In the Filipino culture the elderly, refer to parents and grandparents, cousins, or close family friends. It is usually done when one visits a family, when meeting these people outside of the homes or after a religious activity. It is also common to bring children to their godparents during Christmas time to pay respect with this custom. I found this custom in the Filipino culture to be shocking to me because, I have never seen it done before. I also see so many children act disrespectfully to their elders in this country, so it was a blessing in my eyes to see the elderly being respected. Now that I have learned of pagmamano, I participate, and have taught my own children the meaning of this culture. We do not use it in our own culture, but whenever we visit my friend Christeen and her family, we show enough respect to her and her family by participating in pagmamano. I would say that the value assumption was slightly an issue when I first  learned of this practice. I thought to myself, this is not the Philippines, we don’t do that here. After seeing the custom in person and how respectful the adolescents are to their elders, I realized I was wrong. I was happy to learn of it and see the children learning respect. You don’t see many American children show this type of respect. Since cultural relativism supports the theory that there is no absolute right and wrong. Instead, the morals, standards and behaviors that vary among cultures must be taken into consideration. I was wrong to assume that pagmamano should be practiced in the Philippines. I think it is a great way to show respect. At first I thought to myself, that’s weird! Then, I realized that we do â€Å"weird† things too. She considers some of the things we do as â€Å"weird,† when we considered it normal. We just have to accept the fact that we all live together in this country that participates and allows different cultures. I am thankful that I learned of the pagmamano culture, and I respect it.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Experts Guide to the AP Literature Exam

Expert's Guide to the AP Literature Exam SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're planning to take theAP English Literature and Composition exam, you'll need to get familiar with what to expect from the test. Whether the 2019 test date ofWednesday, May 8 is near or far,I’m here to help you get serious about preparing for the exam. In this guide I’ll go over the test's format and question types, howit's graded, best practices for preparation, and test day tips. You’ll be on your way to AP English Lit success in no time! AP English Literature: Exam Format and Question Types The AP Literature Exam is a three-hour exam that contains two sections. First is an hour-long, 55-question multiple choice section, and then a two hour, three question free-response section. The exam tests your ability to analyze works and excerpts of literature and also cogently communicate that analysis in essay form. Read on for a breakdown of the two different sections and their question types. Multiple Choice Section The multiple-choice section, or Section I of the exam, is 60 minutes long and has 55 questions. You can expect to see 4-5 excerpts of prose and poetry. You will, in general, not be given an author, date, or title for these works, although occasionally the title of a poem is given. Unusual words are also sometimes defined for you. The date ranges of works could fall from the 16th to the 21st century. Most works will be originally written in English, although you may occasionally see a passage in translation. There are, generally speaking, eight kinds of questions you can expect to see on the AP English Literature and Composition test. I’ll break each of themdown here and give you tips on how to identify and approach them. "Tiny books carried by ladies" is not one of the question types. The 8 Multiple-Choice Question Types on the AP Literature Exam Without further ado, here are the eight question types you can expect to see on the AP lit exam. All questions are taken from the sample questions on the â€Å"AP Course and Exam Description.† Reading Comprehension These are questions that test your ability to understand what the passage is saying on a pretty basic level. They don’t require you to do a lot of interpretation- you just need to know what is actually going on. You can identify these from words and phrases like â€Å"according to,† â€Å"asserting,† â€Å"mentioned,† and so on. Basically, words that point to a fairly concrete register of meaning. You can succeed on these questions by careful reading of the text. You may have to go back and re-read parts to make sure you understand what the passage is saying. Example: Inference These questions ask you to infer something- a character or narrator’s opinion, an author’s intention, and so forth- based on what is said in the passage. It will be something that isn’t stated directly or concretely, but that you can assume based on what is stated clearly in the passage. You can identify these questions from words like â€Å"infer,† and â€Å"imply.† The key to these questions is to not be tripped up by the fact that you are making an inference- there will be a best answer, and it will be the choice that is best supported by what is actually found in the passage. In many ways, inference questions are like second-level reading comprehension questions- you need to know not just what a passage says, but what it means. Example: Identifying and Interpreting Figurative Language These are questions in which you have to either identify what word or phrase is figurative language or provide the meaning of a figurative phrase. You can identify these as they will either explicitly mention figurative language (or a figurative device like simile or metaphor) or will include a figurative language phrase in the question itself. The meaning of figurative language phrases can normally be determined by the phrase’s context in the passage- what is said around it? What is the phrase referring to? Example 1: Identifying Example 2: Interpreting Literary Technique These questions involve identifying why an author does what they do: from using a particular phrase to repeating certain words. Basically, what techniques is the author using to construct the passage/poem and to what effect? You can identify these questions bywordslike â€Å"serves chiefly to,† â€Å"effect,† â€Å"evoke,† and â€Å"in order to.† A good way to approach these questions is to ask yourself, so what? Why did the author use these particular words or this particular structure? Example: Character Analysis These questions will ask you to describe something about a character. You can spot them because they will refer directly to characters’ attitudes, opinions, beliefs, or relationships with other characters. This is, in many ways, a special kind of inference question since you are inferring the broader personality of the character based on the evidence in a passage. Also, these crop up much more commonly for prose passages than poetry ones. Example: Overall Passage Questions Some questions will ask you to identify or describe something about the passage/poem as a whole: its purpose, tone, genre, etc. You can identify these byphrases like â€Å"in the passage,† and â€Å"as a whole.† To answer these questions, you need to think about the excerpt with a bird’s-eye view. What is the overall picture created by all the tiny details? Example: Structure Some questions will ask you about specific structural elements of the passage- a shift in tone, a digression, the specific form of a poem, etc.Often these questions will specify a part of the passage/poem and ask you to identify what that part is accomplishing. Being able to identify and understand the significance of any shifts- structural, tonal, in genre, etc- will be of key importance for these questions. Example: Grammar/Nuts Bolts Very occasionally you will be asked a specific grammar question, such as what word an adjective is modifying. I would also include in this category very specific questions like the meter of a poem (i.e. iambic pentameter). These questions are less about the literary artistry and more about the fairly dry technique involved in having a fluent command of the English language. Example: That covers the 8 question types! Keep track of these. The AP Literature Free-Response Section Section II of the exam is two hours long and involves three free-response essay questions- so you'll have roughly 40 minutes per essay. Note, though, that no one will prompt you to move from essay to essay, so you can theoretically divide up the time how you want (but be sure to leave enough time for each essay). The first two essays are literary analysis essays of specific passages, with one poem and one prose excerpt- and the final is an analysis of a given theme in a work selected by you, the student. Essays One and Two - Literary Passage Analysis For the first two essays, you’ll be presented with an excerpt and directed to analyze the excerpt for a given theme, device, or development.One of the passages will be poetry, and one will be prose.You will be provided with the author of the work, the approximate date, and some orienting information (i.e. the plot context of an excerpt fromanovel). Sample Questions (from 20 Free Response Questions) Poetry: Prose: Essay Three - Thematic Analysis For the third and final essay, you’ll be asked to discuss a particular theme in a work that you select.You will be provided with a list of notable works that address the given theme below the prompt, but you can also choose to discuss any â€Å"work of literary merit.† So you DO have the power to choose which work you wish to write an essay about, but the key word here is â€Å"literary merit.† So no genre fiction! Stick to safe bets like authors in the list on pages 10- of the Course and Exam Description. (I know, I know- lots of ‘genre’ fiction works DO have literary merit, and Shakespeare actually began as low culture, and so on and so forth. You may well find academic designations of â€Å"literary merit† elitist and problematic, but the time to rage against the literary establishment is not your AP lit test.) Here’s a sample question (from 20): As you can see, the list of works provided spans many different time periods and countries:there are ancient Greek plays (Antigone), modern literary works (like Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin or Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible), Shakespeare plays (The Merchant of Venice), 19th-century Russian lit (Crime and Punishment), and so on. You might even see something by this guy. How Is the AP Literature Test Graded? The multiple-choice section of the exam comprises 45% of your exam score. The three essays comprise the other 55%. Each essay, then, is worth about 18%. As on other AP exams, your raw score will be converted to a score from 1-5. You don’t have to get every point possible to get a 5 by any means- but the AP English Literature test does have one of the lowest 5 rates of all APs, with only 5.6% of students receiving 5s in 2018. But how do you get raw scores at all? Multiple-Choice Scoring For the multiple-choice section, you receive a point for each question you answer correctly. There is no guessing penalty, so you should answer every question- but guess only after eliminating any answer that you know is wrong to up your chances of choosingthe correct one. Free-Response Scoring Scoring for multiple choice is pretty straightforward. However, essay scoring is a little more complicated. Each of your essays will receive a score from 0-9 based on the College Board rubric. You can actually find question-specific rubrics for all of the released free-response questions for AP English lit (see â€Å"scoring guidelines†). While all of the rubrics are broadly similar, there are some minor differences between each of them. I’ll go over the rubrics now- both what they say and what they mean for you. Poetry Passage Analysis Rubric Score What the College Board Says What it Means 9-8 These essays persuasively address the assigned task. These essays offer a range of interpretations; they provide a convincing reading and analysis of the poem. They demonstrate consistent and effective control over the elements of composition appropriate to the analysis of poetry. Their textual references are apt and specific. Though they may not be error-free, these essays are perceptive in their analysis and demonstrate writing that is clear and sophisticated, and in the case of a 9 essay, especially persuasive. Your argument is convincing and it addresses all elements of the prompt. You interpret the language of the poem in a variety of ways (i.e. your analysis of the poem is thorough). Your essay is particularly well-written and well-organized. You appropriately reference specific moments in the poem to support your argument. A 9 essay is particularly persuasive. 7-6 These essays reasonably address the assigned task. They are less thorough or less precise in the way they address the task, and their analysis is less convincing. These essays demonstrate an ability to express ideas clearly, making references to the text, although they do not exhibit the same level of effective writing as the 9-8 papers. Essays scored a 7 present better-developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a 6. You address all elements of the prompt, but your analysis is not as complete or convincing as a 9-8 essay. You do make specific references to the poem and your writing is clear and effective, but not necessarily masterful. 5 These essays respond plausibly to the assigned task, but they tend to be superficial in their analysis. They often rely on paraphrase, which may contain some analysis, implicit or explicit. Their analysis may be vague, formulaic, or minimally supported by references to the text. There may be minor misinterpretations of the poem. These essays demonstrate some control of language, but they may be marred by surface errors. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as 7-6 essays. You answer the prompt in a way that is not implausible or unreasonable, but your analysis of the poem is surface-level. You may paraphrase the poem instead of making specific references to its language. You may not adequately support your analysis of the poem, or you may misinterpret it slightly. Your essay is not a total mess, but not necessarily particularly well-organized or argued. 4-3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the poem. The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant, or ignore part of the assigned task. Evidence from the poem may be slight or misconstrued, or the essays may rely on paraphrase only. The essays often demonstrate a lack of control over the conventions of composition: inadequate development of ideas, accumulation of errors, or a focus that is unclear, inconsistent, or repetitive. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading, demonstrate inept writing, or do both. You do not adequately address the prompt. Your analysis of the poem is incomplete or incorrect, or you do not reference any specific language of the poem. Your essay is undeveloped, unclear, or poorly organized. A 3 essay either significantly misinterprets the poem or is particularly poorly written. 2-1 These essays compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4–3 range. Although some attempt has been made to respond to the prompt, the student’s assertions are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the poem. These essays may contain serious errors in grammar and mechanics. They may offer a complete misreading or be unacceptably brief. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent discussion of the poem. Only minimal attempt is made to respond to the prompt. Essay is disorganized or not supported by evidence from the poem. May contain numerous grammar and mechanics errors. May completely misinterpret the poem or be too short. A 1 essay barely mentions the poem. 0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or a drawing or a brief reference to the task. No real attempt is made to respond to the prompt. - These essays are entirely blank You didn’t write anything! Prose Passage Analysis Rubric Score What the College Board Says What it Means 9-8 These essays persuasively address the assigned task. These essays make a strong case for the student’s interpretation. They may consider a variety of literary devices, and they engage the text through apt and specific references. Although these essays may not be error-free, their perceptive analysis is apparent in writing that is clear and effectively organized. Essays scored a 9 reveal more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored an 8. Your argument is convincing and addresses all parts of the prompt. You discuss a number of literary devices in your analysis and use specific and appropriate excerpts from the text as evidence in your argument. Your writing is clear, focused, and well-organized. A 9 essay has a particularly well-developed interpretation of the text and is better-written than an 8. 7-6 These essays reasonably address the task at hand. The writers provide a sustained, competent reading of the passage, with attention to a variety of literary devices. Although these essays may not be error-free and are less perceptive or less convincing than 9–8 essays, they present ideas with clarity and control and refer to the text for support. Essays scored a 7 present better developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a 6. You address all elements of the prompt. Your interpretation is coherent and you reference multiple literary devices in your analysis. You do reference specific moments in the text for support. Your essay is adequately organized and focused. However, your argument may be less convincing or insightful (i.e. more obvious) than a 9-8 essay. 5 These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading of the passage but tend to be superficial or thin. While containing some analysis of the passage, implicit or explicit, the way the assigned task is addressed may be slight, and support from the passage may tend toward summary or paraphrase. While these essays demonstrate adequate control of language, they may be marred by surface errors. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as 7–6 essays. You address the prompt, but your argument may be surface-level. You rely too much on summary or paraphrase of the text in your argument instead of using specific moments in the text. Your essay does have some elements of organization and focus but has some distracting errors. 4-3 These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the passage. The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant; the writers may ignore part of the assigned task. These essays may be characterized by an unfocused or repetitive presentation of ideas, an absence of textual support, or an accumulation of errors. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading, demonstrate inept writing, or do both. You do not adequately address the prompt, whether because your argument is partly unrelated to the task at hand or simply ignores elements of the prompt. Your essay is poorly focused and/or repetitive and has little textual support. A 3 essay significantly misinterprets the passage and/or is very poorly written. 2-1 These essays compound the weaknesses of the essays in the 4–3 score range. They may feature persistent misreading of the passage or be unacceptably brief. They may contain pervasive errors that interfere with understanding. Although some attempt has been made to respond to the prompt, the student’s ideas are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the passage. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent discussion of the passage. Essay does not adequately address the assigned task. It may be very short or repeatedly misinterpret the passage. May be poorly written enough that it is hard to understand. These essays may be unfocused, unclear, or disorganized. 0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or a drawing or a brief reference to the task. No real attempt is made to respond to the prompt. - These essays are entirely blank You didn’t write anything! Student Choice Rubric Score What the College Board Says What it Means 9-8 These essays offer a well-focused and persuasive analysis of the assigned theme and how it relates to the work as a whole. Using apt and specific textual support, these essays address all parts of the prompt. Although these essays may not be error-free, they make a strong case for their interpretation and discuss the literary work with significant insight and understanding. Essays scored a 9 reveal more sophisticated analysis and more effective control of language than do essays scored 8. Your essay convincingly addresses the task in a way that is clear and focused. You reference many specific moments in the text in support of your argument. You build a strong case- with lots of evidence- in support of your interpretation of the text. Your argument shows a deep understanding of the text. A 9 essay has more complex analysis and is better-written than an 8. 7-6 These essays offer a reasonable analysis of the work of the assigned theme and how it relates to the work as a whole. These essays address all parts of the prompt. While these essays show insight and understanding, their analysis is less thorough, less perceptive, and/or less specific in supporting detail than that of the 9–8 essays. Essays scored a 7 present better developed analysis and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition than do essays scored a 6. Your essay addresses the task adequately. Your interpretation of the text is apt and shows that you generally understood it, although your analysis may be more conventional or include less specific textual evidence than a 9-8 essay. 5 These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading, but they tend to be superficial or thinly developed in analysis. They often rely upon plot summary that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit. Although these essays display an attempt to address the prompt, they may demonstrate a rather simplistic understanding and support from the text may be too general. While these essays demonstrate adequate control of language, they may be marred by surface errors. These essays are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as 7–6 essays. Your essay addresses the prompt, but your argument may be very basic and/or rely too much on plot summary instead of true analysis of the text. Your essay may reveal that you do not thoroughly understand the text. Your essay may have some grammar/linguistic errors. Your essay is not especially well-organized or focused. 4-3 These lower-half essays fail to adequately address the assigned task. The analysis may be partial, unsupported, or irrelevant, and the essays may reflect an incomplete or oversimplified understanding of how a given theme functions in the text, or they may rely on plot summary alone. These essays may be characterized by an unfocused or repetitive presentation of ideas, an absence of textual support, or an accumulation of errors; they may lack control over the elements of college-level composition. Essays scored a 3 may contain significant misreading and/or demonstrate inept writing. Your essay does not address the prompt. Your analysis shows that you either do not understand how to address the prompt, cannot build support for your interpretation, or do not understand the text. Your essay may be poorly organized, poorly written and/or repetitive. A 3 essay significantly misinterprets the chosen work and/or is very poorly written. 2-1 Although these essays make some attempt to respond to the prompt, they compound the weaknesses of the papers in the 4–3 score range. Often, they are unacceptably brief or incoherent in presenting their ideas. They may be poorly written on several counts and contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Remarks may be presented with little clarity, organization, or supporting evidence. Essays scored a 1 contain little coherent discussion of the text. Your essay does not address the prompt. It may be too short or make little sense. These essays may be unfocused, poorly organized, completely unsupported, and/or riddled with grammatical errors 0 These essays give a response that is completely off topic or inadequate; there may be some mark or a drawing or a brief reference to the task. No real attempt is made to respond to the prompt. - These essays are entirely blank You didn’t write anything! As you can see, the rubric for the poetry essay is focused more on poetic devices, and the rubric for the prose essay is focused more on literary devices and techniques. Both of those essays are very specifically focused on the analysis of the poem/prose excerpt. By contrast, the student choice essay is focused onhow your analysis fits into the work as a whole. To get a high-scoring essay in the 9-8 range, you need to not only come up with an original and intriguing argument that you thoroughly support with textual evidence, your essay needs to be focused, organized, clear, and well-written. And all in 40 minutes peressay! If getting a high score sounds like a tall order, that’s because it is. The mean scores on each of the essays last year was around a 4 out of 9. That means, most essays were scored lower than a 5. So even getting a 7 on these essays is an accomplishment. If you write it down, it must be true! Skill-Building for Success on the AP Literature Exam There are several things you can do to hone your skills and best prepare for the AP Litexam. Read Some Books, Maybe More Than Once One of the most important things you can do to prepare yourself for the AP Literature and Composition exam is to read a lot, and read well. You’ll be reading a wide variety of notable literary works in your AP English Literature course, but additional reading will help you further develop your analytical reading skills. You might check out the College Board’s list of â€Å"notable authors† on pages 10- of the â€Å"Course and Exam Description.† In addition to reading broadly, you’ll want to become especially familiar with the details of 4-5 books with different themes so that you’ll be sure to be prepared to write a strong student choice essay. You should know the plot, themes, characters, and structural details of these 4-5 books inside and out. See my AP English Literature Reading List for more guidance. Read (and Interpret) Poetry One thing students may not do very much on their own time, but that will help a lot with exam prep, is to read poetry. Try to read poems from a lot of eras and authors to get familiar with the language. When you think you have a grip on basic comprehension, move on to close-reading (see below). Hone Your Close Reading and Analysis Skills Your AP class will likely focus heavily on close reading and analysis of prose and poetry, but extra practice won’t hurt you. Close-reading is the ability to identify which techniques the author is using and why they are using them. You’ll need to be able to do this both to gather evidence for original arguments on the free-response questions and to answer analytical multiple-choice questions. Here are some helpful close-reading resources for prose: The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s writing center has a guide to close-reading. You can also check out this close-reading guide from the Harvard College Writing Center. The Purdue OWL has an article on steering clear of close-reading â€Å"pitfalls.† And here are some for poetry: The University of Wisconsin-Madison also has a poetry-reading guide. There’s also an excellent guide to reading poetry at Poets.org, complete with two poetry close-readings. Learn Literary and Poetic Devices You’ll want to be familiar with literary terms so that any questions that ask about them will make sense to you. Again, you’ll probably learn most of these in class, but it doesn’t hurt to brush up on them. Here are some comprehensive lists of literary terms with definitions: About.com Literary Glossary Literary-Devices.Com list, which even has examples! Practice Writing Essays The majority of your grade on the AP English Lit exam comes from essays, so it’s critical that you practice your timed essay-writing skills. You of course should use the College Board’s released free-response questions to practice writing complete timed essays of each type, but you can also practice quickly outlining thorough essays that are well-supported with textual evidence. Take Practice Tests Taking practice tests is a great way to prepare for the exam. It will help you get familiar with the exam format and experience. You can get sample questions from the Course and Exam Description, there are released College Board exams here, and we have a complete article on AP English Lit practice test resources. Be aware that the released exams don’t have complete slates of free-response questions, so you may need to supplement with released free-response questions (see link in above section). Since there are two complete released exams, you can take one towards the beginning of your prep time to get familiar with the exam and set a benchmark, and one towards the end to make sure the experience is fresh in your mind and to check your progress. Don't wander like a lonely cloud through your AP lit prep. AP Literature Test Day Tips Here are my top six tips for taking the exam: #1: On the multiple-choice section, it’s to your advantage to answer every question. If you eliminate all of the answers you know are wrong before guessing, you’ll up your chances of guessing the correct one. #2: Don’t rely on your memory of the passage when answering multiple-choice questions (or for writing essays, for that matter). Look back at the passage! #3: Interact with the text- circle, mark, underline, make notes, whatever floats your boat. This will help you retain information and actively engage with the passage. #4: This was mentioned above, but it’s critical that you know 4-5 books well for the student choice essay. You’ll want to know all the characters, the plot, the themes, and any major devices or motifs the author uses throughout. #5: Be sure to plan out your essays! Organization and focus are critical for high-scoring AP Literature essays. #6: Manage your time on essays closely. One strategy is to start with the essay you think will be the easiest to answer. This way you’ll be able to get through it while thinking about the other essays. And don't forget to eat breakfast! Apron optional. Key Takeaways The AP Literature exam is a three-hour exam: It includes one 55-question, hour-long multiple-choice section based on four-five prose and poetry passages, and a two hour free-response section with three essays- one analyzing a poetry passage, one analyzing a prose passage, and one analyzing a work chosen by the student. The multiple-choice section is worth 45% of your total score and the free-response section is worth 55%. Essays are scored on a rubric from 0-9. Raw scores are converted to a score from 1-5. Here are some things you can do to prepare for the exam: Read books, and be particularly familiar with 4-5 works for the student-choice essays Read poetry Work on your close-reading and analysis skills Learn literary devices Practice writing essays Take practice tests! On test day, be sure to really look closely at all of the passages and closely interact with them by marking the text in a way that makes sense to you. This will help on multiple-choice questions and the free-response essays. Be sure also to outline your essays before you write them! With all this mind, you’re well on your way to AP Lit success! What's Next? If you're taking other AP exams this year, you may be interested in our other AP resources: from the Ultimate Guide to the US History Exam,to the Best 2016 Review Guide for AP Chemistry, to the Best AP Psychology Study Guide, we have articles on tons of AP courses and exams. Looking for practice exams? Here are some tips on how to find the best AP practice tests. We also have comprehensive lists of practice tests for AP Psychology, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP US History. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: