Author: chris

Due Week 4 and worth 200 points

This “Assignment 2” writing assignment is a comparative essay focused on topics encountered in our HUM 111 class. The project will be based on research but will reflect your views and interpretation of the topic. This project is designed to help you stretch your mind and your abilities as an organized, innovative, and critical thinker. If approached properly, it should also be fun!

Choose one (1) of the topics from the list of topic choices below. Read the topic carefully. Write a three to four (3-4) page paper (750-1,000 words) that follows instructions and covers each part of the topic. (The title page and References list do not get included in this word count).

Note: Your instructor may require you to submit your topic choice for approval before the end of Week 5.

For the topic you choose:

1. Establish a clear thesis about your topic as part of the introductory paragraph (often the thesis is the last thing one determines after doing the basic research and outline; however it will be placed in the first paragraph of your paper).
2. This is a comparative essay. Comparison approached properly will require some critical thinking on your part. Use a point-by-point approach for the essay. That means, if comparing subject A with subject B, don’t do the first half of the essay on subject A and then the second half on subject B–that will seem like two (2) separate essays and comparisons will tend to get lost. Instead, you should be mentioning both subjects in most of your paragraphs as you compare them throughout the essay. Comparisons will identify similarities as well as contrasts.
3. Do not try to do everything on your two (2) subjects. You should end up narrowing your focus to a few insights and issues about the subjects being compared. And, from those fairly specific points of comparison, you will develop a thesis and glean some lessons.
4. Follow closely the instructions below for your specific topic.
5. Include a concluding paragraph at the end. This paragraph will, in some way, refer back to the thesis established in your first paragraph, since now you have demonstrated and supported it. It may be here that you also include your observations relating your study to the modern workplace or society (see your topic). Try to finish with flair!
6. Use at least three (3) good quality academic sources, with one (1) source being the class text. Note: Wikipedia and other similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources. You are highly encouraged to use the Resource Center tab at the top of your Blackboard page.

 

Topic Choices – Choose just one (1) of the topics below:

• Qualities of the Hero: Comparing Gilgamesh and Odysseus. Write an essay comparing these two (2) heroic figures from ancient epics of different cultures, especially focusing your analysis on the sources about their encounters with monsters: Gilgamesh encounters the monster guarding the forest, Humbaba, in Tablets 3-5 of the Epic of Gilgamesh (see http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/; scroll down to the Tablet links; think of “Tablet” numbers like chapter numbers).” Odysseus encounters Polyphemus the Cyclops in Book 9 of The Odyssey (see http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerOdyssey9.html; from line 105 to the end). Your paper should:

a) Compare Gilgamesh and Odysseus as to their heroic qualities, noting similarities and differences, using specific examples from the epics.

b) Summarize what this indicates about differences between ancient Mesopotamian and Greek cultures in their ideals and expectations.

c) From this comparison, suggest ways that current cultural ideals and expectations shape modern notions about role models and heroes.

 

• Confucius and Aristotle on Virtue. Write an essay comparing these two (2) ancient thinkers on the concept of virtue or good ethical character and conduct. Stay focused on the issue; keep any biographical or other information short or limited. As much as possible, analyze their writings (in translation, of course), using Confucius’ Analects (at http://classics.mit.edu/Confucius/analects.html ) and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics (at http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.html ). Your paper should:

a) Compare the teachings of Confucius and Aristotle on what constitutes virtue or good ethical character and conduct, noting similarities and differences in specific ideas or emphasis.

b) Consider what your findings suggest about differences between ancient Chinese and ancient Greek culture.

c) From this comparison, suggest ideas of virtue that can apply to ethics in a modern setting, such as a diverse workplace.

 

• Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece. Write an essay comparing the way gods and humans were depicted in sculpture in ancient India and Greece, and identify the cultural values and ideals that these art works reflect in each case. Your paper should:

a) Using specific examples, compare the way gods and people were depicted in the sculptures of ancient India and Greece, noting similarities and differences.

b) Identify the cultural values and ideals that these art works reflect for each society.

c) From this comparison, suggest a modern situation of artistic expression and the ways it reflects or counters prevailing cultural values.

 

• Comparing Ancient Skeptics. Write an essay comparing Lucretius and Wang Chong (=Wang Ch’ung), skeptical philosophers of ancient Rome and China. They were skeptical about popular religious and spiritual beliefs and widely-held superstitions. Lucretius was an Epicurean philosopher of Roman culture (Chapter 6). Wang Ch’ung was a thinker in ancient Chinese culture (Chapter 7). Focus your comparison on their writings as found at http://www.humanistictexts.org/lucretius.htm and http://www.humanistictexts.org/wangchung.htm#On Not Flying to Heaven. Your paper should:

a) Using examples from their writings, compare these two (2) thinkers on their views about specific subjects and on their approach in explaining and expressing their skepticism.

b) From this comparison, identify popular beliefs in each culture that seem similar and those that seem different.

c) From this comparison, suggest any modern situation in which materialist skeptics confront spiritual and religious beliefs, and comment on the considerations of free expression and cultural respect.

 

• Comparing Ancient Male Rulers. Take any two (2) of these rulers and write an essay comparing them: Ramses II, Shihuangdi, Constantine, Ashoka, Pericles, or Charlemagne. Select rulers from different cultures. You may also propose (for approval or not) a ruler not listed. Avoid lengthy quoting or lengthy close paraphrasing from biographical sources. Make it YOUR comparative analysis. Your paper should:

a) Compare the two (2) rulers in terms of their situation and methods of rule and their apparent ideals and practices, noting similarities and differences. Use specific examples.

b) Consider what your study suggests about the cultures over which they ruled, identifying any similarities and differences between the cultures.

c) From this comparison, suggest lessons about different types of effective leadership in the world of modern business and / or modern politics.

 

• Comparing Ancient Female Rulers. Compare the Tang Empress Wu Zetian (also known as Empress Wu or as Wu Zhao; ruled China around 690-705 AD) with either the Pharaoh Cleopatra (ruled Egypt around 51-31 BC) or the Pharaoh Hatshepsut (ruled Egypt around 1478-1458 BC). You may also propose (for approval or not) a female ruler not listed. Avoid lengthy quoting or lengthy close paraphrasing from biographical sources. Make it YOUR comparative analysis. Your paper should:

a) Compare the two (2) rulers in terms of their situation and ascent to power, their methods of rule, and their achievements and resourcefulness, noting similarities and differences. Use specific examples.

b) Consider what your study suggests about the cultures over which they ruled, identifying any similarities and differences between the cultures.

c) From this comparison, suggest lessons about different types of effective leadership by a female in the world of modern business and / or modern politics.

 

• Other topic choice using a comparative approach (proposed by student or instructor) and approved by the professor and supported by the grading rubric.

The Project Paper will be graded on:

1. The level to which the instructions were followed for the paper generally and for the specific topic.
2. The establishment of a clear thesis about your topic.
3. The adequacy and relevance of information, examples, and details which support the general thesis.
4. Covering each part of the topic as instructed, including the comparisons, the consideration of ancient cultural differences, and the reflection on lessons for modern society or the modern workplace.
5. The quality of your research and your persuasiveness using critical reasoning.
6. The use and acknowledgement of a minimum of three (3) required references (the class textbook plus at least two (2) other quality academic sources) documented using the APA style –including both the use of a proper References list and the use of proper in-text citations.
7. Adherence to standard rules of grammar, punctuation, paragraphing, and mechanics, and general clarity of presentation.

 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides. Both in-text citations and a References list are required. Citations and references must follow APA style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions specific to the selected topic. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the course shell for guidance).
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. For our purposes, you may omit any abstract page.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
• Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context.
• Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions.
• Identify major historical developments in world cultures during the eras of antiquity to the Renaissance.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
• Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

Write a 400 word essay about something in the video that you found interesting. Discuss what was said and why you find it interesting. As part of your essay, you must also include a follow up question about the topic that you would like to have been able to ask Admiral Rogers. Explain what in the follow up questions is of interest to you.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENTS AND FOLLOW DETAILS

Click here to download the selected financial statements for Micro Chip Computer Corporation. Answer questions 1 and 2 below based on the financial data.

1. Determine the year-to-year percentage annual growth in total net sales.
2. Based only on your answers to question #1, do you think the company achieved its sales goal of +10% annual revenue growth in 2009? Determine the target revenue figure, and explain why you do or do not feel that the company hit its target.

Next, consider Micro Chip’s Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year ended September 25, 2008. Download the file here and answer questions 1 and 2.

1. Use the Percentage Sales Method and a 25% increase in sales to forecast Micro Chip’s Consolidated Statement of Operations for the period of September 26, 2008 through September 25, 2009. Assume a 15% tax rate and restructuring costs of 5% of the new sales figure.
2. Discuss your results from question number #1. What assumptions have you made? Do any of your assumptions seem unreasonable?

To receive full credit on this assignment, please show all work, including formulae and calculations used to arrive at the financial values. Students using Microsoft Excel must provide an adequate explanation of the methodology used to arrive at that answer.

Assignment Guidelines

• Download the financial statements and consolidated statement of operations by clicking on the links above in the assignment description.
• Analyze the statements and then answer the four questions listed in the assignment description.
• Show all work including calculations and formulas. If applicable, provide a detailed explanation of how you used Microsoft Excel to arrive at your answers.
• Organize your answers, mathematical calculations, and Microsoft Excel data into a Word document of 1–2 pages.

Your submitted assignment (120 points) must include the following:

• A double-spaced Word document of 1–2 pages that contains your answers to the four questions listed in the assignment description, any calculations you performed, and all formulae that were used. Also, provide your Excel data table(s) along with an explanation of how you arrived at your answers if applicable.

Grading

You will be graded on the accuracy of your financial calculations as well as your demonstrated understanding of financial statement analysis.

 

• Provide a thorough analysis of managed care, and discuss how it, as a delivery method, has facilitated the transfer of health services to outpatient and other nontraditional settings of care.
• Discuss the impact managed care has on the access, financing, and delivery of health care in the United States.
• Discuss managed care’s role in promoting health.

Note: Use APA style and 3 scholarly references.

 

In a minimum of 300 words, post your responses to the following:

• Explain why problem delineation and definition is so important to the policy development process.
• Explain why it is necessary to outline the goals and objectives of a policy.
• Pick a social issue that is of interest to you and formulate a compelling problem statement to garner attention for your advocacy efforts. Discuss also the goals and objectives of your efforts.

Health services continue to affect the gross domestic product, and this dramatic transformation has great demands on each dollar spent to deliver patient-centered products. Health care marketing must be repeatedly applied and practiced strategically to include environmental dimensions, such as technology, socioeconomics, competition, and regulatory.

That being said, in today’s global economy, investors and potential entrepreneurs must tap into the so-called “unexplored” market. In this aspect, health care establishments must utilize marketing, advertising, as well as sales strategies when pursuing new customers (e.g., suppose a health care investor wanted to build a small hospital in a rural community); this would entail exploration and logistical experimentation to determine who will patronize the facility. In an impoverished neighborhood, the feasibility of having lucrative profits may see diminishing returns, and so the venture may be not worth the effort. Also, suppose that the potential investor wants to sell mosquito deterrents (e.g., bedside netting in malaria-infested regions of Asia or Africa); then it would be wise to investigate the number of beds that are actually in the village, and who would be willing to purchase them. These activities take into account the investor portfolio, as well as the feasibility of marketing and selling the product. Such exploration also examines competitors, cultural differences, and—most important—identification of the customer.

Identify a local health care establishment (e.g., hospital, rehabilitation center, emergency medical center) and determine its product development practices. Utilize concepts from previous weeks to substantiate information, as needed. You may develop the discussion based on the ideas presented here, but feel free to inject any salient marketing strategy that you believe might support your presentation.

Write a three to four (3-4) page paper in which you:

1. Justify the purpose of the selected health care establishments’ product(s) / service (s) and their associated life cycle(s).
2. Suggest one (1) strategy to improve the marketing mix of the selected health care establishment. Support your strategy by highlighting one (1) benefit of (1) portfolio analysis and providing two (2) examples that display differential advantages.
3. Assess the importance of technology in providing patients with clear and accessible information about health care organizations and the product(s) / service(s) that they provide.
4. Outline a survey to capture patients’ expectations regarding the delivery and / or accessibility of product(s) / service(s) identified.
5. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

This week we’re focusing on states and the concepts of sovereignty, power and governance. There are vast differences between strong states like the US and weak states like Iran.  Why Iran is considered a weak state?

This discussion is an opportunity to compare and contrast policies and resources that support homeless children and families from two different cities, New York and Chicago. The information you analyze will either support a recommendation you make to either city or an idea for potential application of supports elsewhere. Additionally, the graphic will be included as part of your Week Six Final Project Prepare for this discussion by reviewing the required resources listed below for each city and by reviewing the Week Three Instructor Guidance.

• Chicago Resources: Review the All Chicago website, the Chicago Coalition for the Homelesswebsite, and the newspaper articles from Hirst (2013) and Steinberg (2012) about homelessness in Chicago.

• New York Resources: Review the Covenant House website, the Safe Horizon (2014) homeless youth facts page, and the Saulny (2012) newspaper article about homeless youth in New York.

Initial Post: Review the resources provided above. Create an initial post that includes the two parts described below.

Visual: Use a visual graphic of your choice such as a Venn diagram or chart using PowerPoint, SmartArt features in Microsoft Word, or Thinking maps® to compare and contrast the following five factors pertaining to homelessness:

1. Statistical data about the prevalence of youth homelessness in New York and Chicago.
2. Statistical data regarding populations of homeless, including youth.
3. Types/levels of supports available including, but not limited to, shelters, community and school-based supports, etc.
4. The policies supporting homelessness in each state.
5. At least one other interesting statistic or learned information of your choice about homelessness.

Description: Along with the attachment of your graphic, describe in one to two paragraphs the information about homelessness in New York and Chicago that interested or surprised you. Discuss how the information enhanced what you already knew about homelessness. Additionally, describe your viewpoint about the programs, policies, supports, or resources explored in terms of their overall effectiveness or potential for effectiveness. Finally, either suggest one recommendation for the cities of New York and Chicago about how they can serve groups and individuals, including homeless youth, or discuss how one policy or resource you discovered could potentially benefit another city such as one you reside in or that is familiar to you.

 

Must follow all directions, APA format, reference sites, and turn in on time!

“Scope Creep”  Please respond to the following:

• Describe a previous project in which you were involved, where scope creep occurred. Explain why it occurred and at least one (1) way it could have been prevented.