What is the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) What is or was its purpose REL WK Essay

What is the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) What is or was its purpose REL WK 5DQ - Essay Example The person who asked the philosopher to write perhaps lived with him and has seen the wisdom of the author. Therefore the book was primarily written to serve as a guide to readers in how they should live a virtuous life. The circumstances presented relate not only to the intended audience during its writing but also to contemporary readers. This is probably the reason why it is very popular even to this day. It counsels people on how to live with dignity and integrity in a world full of struggles, lies and envy. It also presents arguments about wealth, wisdom and power. The work is full of paradoxes, such as showing the wisdom of rich merchants burying their wealth to show that they have none. The author shows in his book that it is not wealth then, that makes a person what he is but how he deals with what he has. For instance, a wise person who boasts in his wisdom is in fact a fool but a humble person will always find wealth in his life because he is able to live in peace with his neighbors, not endangering his life by letting others know what he

Designing and Managing the Early Childhood Classroom Essay

Designing and Managing the Early Childhood Classroom - Essay Example †¦the physical classroom you are given by your administrator. However what you do with that space says a great deal about you as a professional. Parents and the administrators may take their first impressions of you from your classroom before you have an opportunity to speak with them (6). A good classroom is one in which you can see the learning areas clearly when you walk into the room†¦you are in control of the traffic pattern in your classroom. The traffic pattern refers to the places on the room throughout which the children and the teachers will move. The traffic pattern sets the tone of the room just as much as the wall decorations can, and it will likewise set the tone for activities and behaviors throughout the day(6). It is sound research that the first five years of a child’s life are the formative education and learning experiences for the child concerned. The preschool years are important in impacting in an appreciable way the rest of the life of the child. Therefore, the provision of nothing but the best for our coming generations is a must. The purpose of all the stake holders must be to provide the most enriching environment possible. This is directed related by the preschool curriculum. Teachers teaching at this early level need to be well trained not only in teaching but many other aspects as well. Moreover the environment is to be absolutely fool-proof. No splinters that can ignite fire and no jaded edges that can rip through the flesh. The space does not count but the way it is utilized does. The classroom must have a theme. What I propose is the four seasons. The beauty of the thematic settings highlights and sets a tone, in addition it provides ample space for psychological, sociological, psychiatric and physical needs of the growing child. Winter, Fall, Spring and Summer. For the birth to pre k things like temperature

Post Apartheid Public Administration and Batho Pele

Post Apartheid Public Administration and Batho Pele DEFINITION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION According to Nigro (1988): â€Å"Public Administration (i) is a cooperative group effort in a public setting; (ii) covers all the three branches executive, legislative and judicial, and their inter-relationship; (iii) has an important role in the formulation of public policy and is thus part of the political process; (iv) is different in significant ways from private administration; and (v) is closely associated with numerous private groups and individuals in providing services to the community.† Nigro, F.A., 1988.Modern Public Administration. 5th ed. x: Harpercollins College Div As per Willoughby (1927): â€Å"The term administration may be employed in Political Science in two senses. In its broadest sense it denotes the work involved in the actual conduct of governmental affairs, regardless of the particular branch of government concerned. It is, thus, quite proper to speak of the administration of the legislative branch of the government, the administration of justice or judicial affairs, or the administration of the executive branch as well as the administration of the affairs of the administrative branch of the government, or the conduct of the affairs of the government generally. In its narrowest sense, it denotes the operations of the administrative branch only. As students of Public Administration we are concerned with the narrowest meaning of the term.† Willoughby, W.F., 1927. Principles of Public Administration. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press Jayapalan, N., 2000. Public Administration. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. Page 2 Rosenbloom (1989) said: â€Å"Public Administration does involve activity, it is concerned with politics and policy-making, it tends to be concentrated in the executive branch of government, it does differ from private administration, and it is concerned with implementing law. Public Administration is the use of managerial, legal and political theories and processes to fulfil legislative, executive and judicial governmental mandates for the provision of regulatory and service functions for the society as a whole or for some segments of it.† David H Rosenbloom, 1989.Public administration: Understanding management, politics, and law in the public sector. 2nd Edition. Random House. To sum up the 3 definitions, Public Administration is carried out in the public interest, irrespective of the governmental system of that nation. It is also seen as the policies, procedures, rules and regulations of governmental functions or operations, in action. It interacts with various groups or individuals, including the private sector in providing a better service to the community or public. HISTORY The concept of Public Administration dates back to the early Greeks. About 400 B.C Plato identified a split between management and a democratic system. The Greeks became more cultured and started nominating leaders and grasp the idea of Public Administration. (10 Interesting Facts About the History of Public Administration 2008) According Popejoy (2013), most experts believe Woodrow Wilson to be the founder of modern Public Administration. He suggested that the first secretary of Treasury in the United States of America, Alexander Hamilton, were the first person to coin the phrase â€Å"public administration†, to define his responsibilities as a Cabinet Minister. Hamilton, together with Thomas Jefferson, the first Secretary of State in the United States, created a support system where electorates are bartered with by the promise of jobs, better public service and other tactics by politicians running for administration. (10 Interesting Facts About the History of Public Administ ration 2008) In 1887, Woodrow Wilson, published an essay in the Political Science Quarterly entitled â€Å"The Study of Administration†, where he attempted in explaining the study of administration. He noted the more complicated and evolving the society become, the responsibility and duty of the government, will increase. He further addressed the issue of public administration as the ordering of government to ensure that business rules are followed and the fortifying of the organisation to fulfil its duties. (Akindele, Oloapa Obiyan 2002) Frank Goodnow’s Politics and Administration (1990), highlighted â€Å"the will of the state† and recognised politics as the representation and administration the implementation of this will. He also identified the possible battle between these two areas to achieve accord. Leonard, D. White’s book: Introduction to the Study of Public Administration (1926) and W.F. Willoughby’s Principles of Public Administration (1927), added to the work of Goodnow. There was however, a considerable disagreement in how they saw the legitimate control of public administration. White considered the President of the United States as the Chief Administrator, but Willoughby the Congress. The crux of the matter is that there are two different roles of government, namely outcome and implementation. Implementation is the area of public administration. (Akindele, Oloapa Obiyan 2002) Since post-World War II, the nature of Public Administration has changed. One of the reasons were the incapability to separated politics from administration and that it was only a false border between these two divisions. Emphasis are placed on how ethical and independent are public administration officials with regards to politics and policy-making. This places some challenges on the practice of public administration as well as conflict of interest which require impartiality from the public. (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences 1968) PUA IN POST APARTHEID SYSTEM The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), gives a clear indication of how Public Administration should be managed and executed. Some of these principles are; â€Å"A high standard of professional ethics must be promoted and maintained. (b) Efficient, economic and effective use of resources must be promoted. (c) Public administration must be development-oriented. (d) Services must be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias. (e) People’s needs must be responded to, and the public must be encouraged to participate in policy-making. (f) Public administration must be accountable. (g) Transparency must be fostered by providing the public with timely, accessible and accurate information. (h) Good human-resource management and career-development practices, to maximise human potential, must be cultivated. (i) Public administration must be broadly representative of the South African people, with employment and personnel management practices ba sed on ability, objectivity, fairness, and the need to redress the imbalances of the past to achieve broad representation. (Department of Justice and Constitutional Development n.d.) According to Popejoy (2013) â€Å"In addition, section 195(1) of the Constitution prescribes basic values and principles for Public Administration†. Through the Bill of Rights, it offers civilians of South Africa the right to act against the State if they deem their rights were disregarded. Public Service to the South African citizens is not a benefit, but a legal right. Service delivery should be of high importance to all national and provincial departments. After 1994, the State’s focus with regards to Public Administration was to first convert and unite the different administrations of the previous government as well as the management of the different homelands into one administration system. According to Chapter 10 of the Constitution, the Public Service Commission (PSC), an independent institution, was created to concentrate on the Public Service and supervision of public administration. This institution is neutral and no other department of the State can intervene in the operations of the PSC. (Public Service Commission 2014:1) Franks (2014:50) reminds us that South Africa had to create a proper structure, based on the ideals of the Constitution to rule and oversee conflicts of interest to ensure public service delivery to the South African public. The process of change in the public service were clouded by the conflict between the need for a well organised, competent and politically impartial public service versus a new political period and change in the society of South Africa. Therefore, with regards to the above evidence, we can deduce that Public Administration is still very relevant in the contemporary society in South Africa. It is part our Constitution and has a legal implementation attached to it. It is funded by the taxes of the public and therefore must be accountable to the public. BATHO PELE In October 1997, the Department of Public Service and Administration realised that they had to get their house in order and therefore the need to document the philosophy of service delivery to improve their proficiency and responsibility in implementation of their duties. The Public Service was perceived as not being approachable and required expertise, skill and the right mind-set to meet the challenges of the old bureaucratic culture. Thus the operational ability had to change. Therefore the department launched the Batho Pele Principles, also called the â€Å"White Paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery†. (Batho Pele 1997) Batho Pele, a SeSotho word meaning â€Å"putting our people first†, was an effort to improve the implementation of service levels and delivery to a more acceptable level. A culture of putting the customer (the people) first, needed to be embraced, much like the private sector, to ensure they serve the needs of the public. (Education Training Unit n.d.) According to Batho Pele (1997) their slogan were: â€Å"We belong, we care, we serve.† Describing it as follow: â€Å"We belong: we are part of the Public Service and should work together and respect fellow colleagues. We care: caring for the public we serve – our customers. We serve: all citizens will get good service from public servants.† Batho Pele (1997) identified eight principles to develop within the different departments to operate as an adequate policy and judicial structure concerning service delivery in the public service. These ideologies are in line with the concepts of the Constitution, mentioned earlier in this paper. The eight Batho Pele Principles are as follow: (Batho Pele 1997; Education Training Unit n.d) Consultation The public are allowed to say what they want with regards to public service. The public can be asked for their opinions on existing public services as well as other basic services they would like. All levels of the public will be interviewed or surveyed and their views will then be communicated to the Ministers, MEC’s and legislators. Service Standards This is to ensure that promises that were made are kept. All national and provincial departments will publish their service standards for new and existing services. Standards will be examined and cannot be lowered and will be monitored on an annual basis and will be raised increasingly. Access Each individual in the country should have access to receive their fair share of services. Departments will be targeted to offer citizens access to public servants and services. Special programmes must be implemented to develop service delivery to physically, socially and culturally disadvantaged individuals Courtesy The public can expect not to be treated with disrespect, but with kindness and understanding. All departments had to incorporate these standards of treatment into their various Codes of Conduct and training programmes. Regular on-going staff performance appraisals had to be monitored Information The public are entitled to complete and correct facts about services they are permitted to receive. Information should be provided at service points, as well as the local media in the different languages and all departmental communications must include comprehensive contact details. Openness and transparency Administration should be and open book to the public and they have the right to know the departmental numbers and particulars of officials. Furthermore, access to the expenditure and performance against the prescribed standards must also be available. Reports will be published and submitted to the legislature. Redress The public’s complaints must lead to action. Public dissatisfaction must be recorded and all staff must be trained on how to handle the grievances fast and efficiently. The public can also expect feedback on the outcome of a complaint. Value for Money The public’s money, such as VAT and taxes, should be spend sensibly in the administration of the country. Departments must be able to provide the public with proof of improved service delivery and proper expenditure of the funds. The public has the right to insist that their money should be used suitably. By improving the public service delivery will benefit the whole society. Improved delivery from national and provincial departments is essential for the future prosperity and development of the country. The monitoring is done by the Department of Public Service and Administration in conjunction with the Public Services Commision. (Education Training Unit n.d.) References ASPA National Weblog. 2013.Alexander Hamilton vs Woodrow Wilson. [ONLINE] Available at:https://aspanational.wordpress.com/tag/woodrow-wilson/. [Accessed 07 February 15]. Masters in Public Administration. 2008.10 Interesting Facts About the History of Public Administration. [ONLINE] Available at:http://mastersinpublicadministration.com/10-interesting-facts-about-the-history-of-public-administration. [Accessed 07 February 15]. Akindele, S.T., Oloapa, O.R. Obiyan, A.S. 2002. The Theory of Public Administration and Its Relevance to Nigerian Administrative Ecology. Journal of Social Science, 6(4): 247 – 256. Availabe at http://krepublishers.com/02-Journals/JSS/JSS-06-0-000-000-2002-Web/JSS-06-4-237-02Abst-PDF/JSS-06-4-247-02-Akindele-S-T/JSS-06-4-247-02-Akindele-S-T-Tt.pdf Encyclopedia. 1968.International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Public_administration.aspx. [Accessed 07 February 15]. Public Administration.International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 1968. Accessed 7 February 2015 from Encyclopedia.com:http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045001014.html Department of Justice and Constitutional Development n.d.,Chapter 10 Public Administration. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/constitution/SAConstitution-web-eng-10.pdf. [Accessed 07 February 15]. http://www.polity.org.za/polity/govdocs/white_papers/transform.html Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA). 1997, Batho Pele – â€Å"People First†: White paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery, viewed 7 February 2015. http://www.polity.org.za/polity/govdocs/white_papers/transform.html Public Service Commission. 2014.The Constitutional and Legislative Mandate of the Public Service Commission Explained. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.psc.gov.za/documents/docs/legislation/Booklet%20on%20PSC%20mandate.pdf. [Accessed 07 February 15]. Franks, P.E., 2014. The Crisis of the South African Public Services.The Journal of the Helen Suzman Foundation, [Online]. 74, 48-56. Available at:http://hsf.org.za/resource-centre/focus/state-and-nation/9.the-crisis-of-the-south-african-public-service-p.pdf/download.[Accessed 07 February 2015]. Education Training Unit. n.d.,Batho Pele: Improving Government Service. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.etu.org.za/toolbox/docs/govern/bathopele.html. [Accessed 07 February 15]. David H Rosenbloom, 1989.Public administration: Understanding management, politics, and law in the public sector. 2nd Edition. Random House.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls Essay -- essays research pape

Where the Red Fern grows   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A novel by Wilson Rawls named Where the Red Fern Grows is the story of a boy, his two hounds (which he named Old Dan and Little Ann), and all of the adventures they shared together. A loving threesome, they ranged the dark hills and river bottoms of the Cherokee country. Old Dan had the brawn, Little Ann had the brains, and Billy had the will to train them to be the finest hunting team in the valley. Glory and victory awaited them, but sadness waited too. Close by was the strange and wonderful power that is only found Where the Red Fern Grows. An exciting tale of love and adventure one will never forget. Some themes that will be encountered in this novel are the passage from youth to maturity, the rewards of hard work and diligence, and working together to achieve common goals. All of these themes and more can be found in the novel Where the Red Fern Grows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One theme illustrated in this novel was the passage from youth to maturity. An example of this is when Billy stopped asking for two hounds and saved up enough money to get them himself. He sold items to fisherman at very low prices but he was determined and would also take any offer they would give him. Another example shown is when Billy bought everyone something from Tahlequah with his own money. A normal child would but himself lots of candy and seldom share it but Billy didn’t. He bought his mom cloth, his dad overalls, and his sister’s candy. This example greatly showed the passage from youth to maturity. Another example depicted was when Billy made a promise to his dogs that the first coon they treed he would skin so when his hounds put a coon up the biggest tree in the forest, Billy didn’t walk away from the fact that it was very tall and started chopping the tree down and didn’t give up until the coon was skinned unlike a child who would have no patience and be careless. One last example is when Billy took the death of his dogs like a man and buried them in the nicest spot in the Ozark Mountain Ranges. He cared very much about his hounds and wanted them to have a very comfortable and happy afterlife unlike many others which would have just thrown the hounds off a cliff or do something unpleasan... ...f it wasn’t when Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann worked together, someone could have been brutally ripped apart or even maybe everyone could have died at that very moment in the dark and lonely mountain ranges of the Ozark Mountains. So even though good happenings were on there way to Billy, hardships were right behind and if it wasn’t for working together , none of the happiness, joy, and/or jubilance would have occurred.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls was a jubilant yet at the same time melancholy tale about a boys adventures with two hounds. When Billy received his hounds, his whole life changed. He had he best two dogs in the Ozarks and he proved it at the coon-hunting tournament. Nothing mattered anymore. Old Dan and Little Ann opened the door to Billy and Billy walked through it with no fear. Then, suddenly, when everything was going fine, something tragic occurred and all of Billy’s dreams were thrown away at an instant. All of this and more could be found in the loving tale of Where the Red Fern Grows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Quain Lawn and Garden, Inc. Case Analysis Essay

After a false retirement Bill and Jeanne Quain realized their destined action in the plant and shrub business. The need for a high-quality commercial fertilizer prompted the innovation of a blended fertilizer called â€Å"Quain-Grow†. Working with chemists at Rutgers University, a mixture was constructed from four compounds, C-30, C-92, D-21 and E-11. Specifications (i.e constraints) for the mixture demanded that Chemical E-11 must constitute for at least 15% of the blend, C-92 and C-30 must together constitute at least 45% of the blend, and D-21 and C-92 can together constitute no more than 30% of the blend. Lastly, Quain-Grow is packaged and sold in 50-pound bags. The objective of this analysis is to determine what blend of the four chemicals will allow Quain to minimize the cost of a 50-lb bag of the fertilizer. To do this we have used Linear Programming (LP) – a technique specifically designed to help managers make decisions relative to the allocation of resources. In this case, C-30 = , C-92 = , D-21 = , and E-11 = . The constraints for this case were translated into linear equations (i.e. inequalities) to mathematically express their meaning. The first constraint  that C-11 must constitute for at least 15% of the blend can be expressed as: . The second constraint that C-92 and C-30 must together constitute at least 45% of the blend can be expressed as: . The third constraint that D-21 and C-92 can together constitute no more than 30% of the blend can be expressed as: . Lastly, the fourth constraint is that Quain-Grow is packaged and sold in 50-lb bags can be expressed as: . These equations were obtained and entered into a POM LP a s a minimizing function. The objective function of this case was calculated and expressed as . These results show that we can recommend the following ratios of C-30, C-92, D-21 and E-11 respectively so that the cost of a 50-lb bag of fertilizer is minimized: 7.5 lbs, 15 lbs, 0 lbs and 27.5 lbs. In checking to see if these align with the given restraints we found the following to be true; ; ; and . The actually cost result of this minimization analysis was calculated to be $3.35 per 50 lb bag of fertilizer. The equation for this result is as follows: . Additionally, we performed a sensitivity analysis to project how much our recommendation may change if there are changes in the variables or input data. This type of analysis is also called postoptimality analysis. There are two approaches to determining just how sensitive an optimal solution is to changes: (1) a trial-and-error approach and (2) the analytic postoptimality method. In this case analysis we used the analytic postoptimality method. After we had solved the LP problem, we used the POM software to determine a range of changes in problem parameters that would not affect the optimal solution or change the variables in the solution. While using the information in the sensitivity report, it is pertinent to assume the consideration of a change to only a single input data value at a time. This is because the sensitivity information does not generally apply to simultaneous changes in several input data values. Our main objective when performing this analysis was to obtain a shadow price (or dual value) –  the value of one additional unit of a scarce resource in LP. In any scenario, the shadow price is valid as long as the right-hand side of the constraint stays in a range within which all current corner points continue to exist. The information to compute the upper and lower limits of this range is given by the entries labeled Allowable Increase and Allowable Decrease in the sensitivity report. Our results from the sensitivity analysis were produced in two parts. The first shows the impact of changing the objective function coefficients on the optimal solution and gives the range of values (lower and upper bound) for which the optimal solution remains unchanged. The second part of the report shows the impact of changing the R.H.S of the constraints of the objective function value, with the help of Dual Value (Shadow Price), with the lower and upper bounds for which the shadow price is valid. Lastly, these results explain that the price of C-30 can vary within the range of .09 to Infinity without affecting the optimal solution. Likewise the range for C-92 is between –Infinity and .12, the range for D-21 is between 15 and 42.5, and the range for E-11 is between 30 and Infinity. The second part of this sensitivity analysis show the ranges for which the shadow prices are valid. Constraint 1 has a dual value of 0 and is valid between –Infinity and 27.5. Constraint 2 has a dual value of -.08 and is valid between 15 and 42.5. Constraint 3 has a dual value of .03 and is valid between 0 and 22.5. Finally, Constraint 4 has a dual value of -.04 and is valid between 30 and Infinity.

Outline Of A Democratic Leadership Style - 1604 Words

Meeting Goals: 1. Discuss the concepts covered in Lesson 7 2. Decide whether every group member understands concepts 3. Receive ideas from each group member about concepts I. Discussion Items A. What makes a group effective in achieving goals? B. What is considered a supportive or negative climate? C. How do you solve problems in a group or team? D. Different types of group leadership: Which is most effective? E. How can you enhance group or team meetings? II. Action Items A. Does everyone understand the concepts in Lesson 7? B. Answer any questions about any of the concepts III. Information Items A. Comments about concepts B. Importance of all†¦show more content†¦The group will be free to go about everything as they please. There might as well not be a leader present at all when it comes to a laissez-faire leader. It will be difficult for a group with this type of leader to stay on task, especially when the group comes across a problem or conflict. The leader will not step up and take action, and the group members might not be capable of getting through this obstacle. Right in the middle of the authoritarian and laissez-faire leaders is the democratic leader. The climate provided by a democratic leader will be more desirable compared to those of the other two styles of leadership. Allowing the group to reach a consensus rather than a leader making all of the decisions, will give the members of the group a sense of belonging. 3. Dear Coworker, In order to create an effective agenda you should gather all of you information before anything else. Once you know everything you would like to incorporate into your meeting it will be easier to categorizing the information into sections for your agenda. The first step to building an effective agenda is to start with your meeting goals. Placing the goals at the top of your agenda will allow the members to keep the primary issues in mind throughout the meeting. Also, placing your most important meeting goal first will ensure the group puts in the most effort in achieving that goal. Here s an example of the meeting goals section: Meeting Goals: 1. Discuss progress of

4 Creative Ways to Analyze Plays

As students we remember sitting through countless lectures in which the instructor waxed eloquently about dramatic literature, while the class listened patiently, taking notes now and then. Today, as teachers, we certainly love to lecture about Shakespeare, Shaw, and Ibsen; after all, we love to hear ourselves talk! However, we also love student involvement, the more creative, the better. Here are a few ways for students to exercise their imagination while analyzing dramatic literature. Write (and Perform?) Additional Scenes Since plays are meant to be performed, it makes sense to encourage your students to act out some of the scenes in the play. If they are an energetic and outgoing group, this can work splendidly. However, it might be that your English class is filled with rather shy (or at least quiet) students who will be reluctant to read Tennessee Williams or Lillian Hellman out loud. Instead, have students work in groups to write a brand new scene for the play. The scene could take place before, after, or in-between the playwrights storyline. Note: Tom Stoppard did an excellent job of writing scenes that take place in between Hamlet. Its a play called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Another example some students will be more likely to appreciate would be Lion King 1 1/2. Consider some of these possibilities: Write a scene set ten years before Death of a Salesman. What was the main character like before he had children? What was his career like in the early days?Write a scene that shows what happens between Hamlets Act III and IV. Many dont realize that Hamlet hangs out with pirates for a while. Id love to know what happens between the Danish prince and the band of buccaneers.Write a new ending to Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House. Reveal what Nora Helmer does the day after she leaves her family. Does her husband win her back? Does she find a new sense of purpose and identity? During the writing process, the students may remain true to the characters, or they may spoof them or modernized their language. When the new scenes are finished, the class can take turns performing their work. If some groups would rather not stand in front of the class, they can read from their desks. Create a Comic Book Bring some art supplies to class and have students work in groups to illustrate a graphic novel version of the play or a critique of the playwrights ideas. Recently in one of my classes, students were discussing Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaws battle-of-the-sexes comedy that also contemplates Nietzsches ideal of a human, the Superman or ÃÅ"bermensch. While creating a literary response in comic book form, the students took the Clark Kent/Superman character and replaced him with a Nietzschean superhero who selfishly ignores the weak, hates Wagner operas, and can leap existential problems in a single bound. They had fun creating it, and it also displayed their knowledge of the plays themes. Some students might feel insecure about their drawing abilities. Assure them that it is their ideas that matter, not the quality of the illustrations. Also, let them know that stick figures are an acceptable form of creative analysis. Drama Rap Battles This works especially well with the complex works of Shakespeare. This activity can produce something incredibly silly. If there are sincere urban poets in your classroom, they might compose something meaningful, even profound. Take a soliloquy or a two-person scene from any Shakespearean play. Discuss the meaning of the lines, clarifying the metaphors and mythical allusions. Once the class understands the basic meaning, have them work in groups to create a modernized version through the art of rap music. Heres a brief albeit corny example of a rapping version of Hamlet: Guard #1: Whats that sound?Guard #2: All around—I dont know.Guard #1: Dont you hear it?Guard #2: This Denmark place is haunted by an evil spirit!Horatio: Here comes Prince Hamlet, hes a melancholy Dane.Hamlet: My mother and my uncle are driving me insane!Yo Horatio - why did we come out here?Theres nothing in the forest for me to fear.Horatio: Hamlet, dont get upset and dont go mad.And dont look now-Hamlet: ITS THE GHOST OF MY DAD!What is this apparition with eyes that fright?Ghost: I am thy fathers spirit who does forever walk the night.Your uncle killed your daddy, but that aint the bomb-That big jerk went and married your Mom! After each group is finished, they can take turns delivering their lines. And if someone can get a good beat-box going, all the better. Warning: Shakespeare might be spinning in his grave during this assignment. For that matter, Tupac might start spinning as well. But at least the class will have a good time. Standing Debate Set Up: This works best if students have room to stand up and move about freely. However, if that is not the case, divide the classroom into two sides. Each side should turn their desks so that the two large groups face each other—they should be ready to engage in some serious literary debate! On one side of the chalkboard (or whiteboard) the instructor writes: AGREE. On the other side, the instructor writes: DISAGREE. In the middle of the board, the instructor writes an opinion based statement about the characters or ideas within the play. Example:  Abigail Williams  (the antagonist of The Crucible) is a sympathetic character. The students individually decide if they agree or disagree with this statement. They move to either the AGREE SIDE of the  room or the DISAGREE SIDE. Then, the debate begins. Students express their  opinions and state-specific examples from the text to support their argument. Here are some interesting topics for debate: Hamlet truly goes insane. (He’s not just pretending).Arthur Miller’s  Death of a Salesman  accurately criticizes the  American Dream.Anton Chekhov’s plays  are more tragic than comic. In a standing debate, the students should feel free to change their minds. If someone comes up with a good point, the fellow classmates might decide to move to the other side. The instructor’s goal is not to sway the class one way or another.  Instead, the teacher should keep the debate on track, occasionally playing devil’s advocate to keep the students thinking critically. Generate Your Own Creative Analysis Activities   Whether you are an English teacher, a home school parent or you are just looking for an imaginative way to respond to literature; these creative activities are just a few of the endless possibilities.