Macbeth - Directing Act 2 Scenes 1 and 2 Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Directing Act 2 Scenes 1 and 2 Essay From the directors point of view, this scene is very dramatic because of the impact on Macbeths decision in Act 1 scene seven. In this scene Macbeth almost decides that he has talked himself out of killing the king, but his wife Lady Macbeth has other plans and forces him into a decision that will lead to the death of the king. This affects the two scenes I will be directing because in these two scenes the decision is put into practice when Macbeth kills the king. So I have to direct the two crucial scenes that see the king murdered by Macbeth. The setting for act two scene one is in Macbeths castle. It is dark and Banquo and Fleance are in the courtyard discussing what time of day it is, and as to whether it is past midnight or not. They work out what time it is by seeing if the moon is down, and then the candles are blown out. Now it is at this point large gusts of wind are heard howling throughout the castle with thunder and lightning clashing down around the audience. Owls are heard calling and all manner of nightlife is heard. This effect is used so that the audience are made intense and unaware as to what is happening next and to create tension. The sounds would be achieved through sound effects being played over the speakers and sharp, crisp lighting would be used to symbolise the lightning. A background tune will be played very lightly to create a mood so scary it will keep the audiences fixed to the stage from the edges of their seats. When Macbeth meets Banquo, Macbeth tells him that he is sorry for not being as good a host as usual and Banqou reassures Macbeth that he has been an excellent host to the king. Then he brings up the subject of the witches. He says that he dreamed of the weird sisters the night before, and tells Macbeth To you they have showed some truth. Macbeth replies, I think not of them, which is a deliberate lie. It is true that we havent heard him mention the witches, but he has been thinking of nothing except how to make the prophecies come true. If I was the director I would introduce Macbeth by letting him enter from right and to walk on quietly, sneakily in fact with only soft dull lighting to imitate the moon light. He would be wearing a long black smock to represent the fact he was upset or in regret that he was about to commit a terrible deed. The black would be used because it is traditionally the colour of the night and Macbeth had to blend into the background and move like the night in order not to be spotted or noticed. Banquo would be wearing red pants and a silver lightweight vest created out of steel with the imprinted cross of Scotland on the vest. He would be wearing a polished steel helmet with a sword placed neatly in its pouch, left hanging on the brown leather belt fastened around his waist. He would also have a spear in his hand with a long shaft that would also be used as a walking stick. He would be dressed like this because as a general protecting Duncan king of Scotland he would be expected to wear the kings finest military uniform. As a director I would expect Macbeth to deliver his lines to Banquo in a nervous manner. I would have him stutter and muddle up his words he would also jolt and pause in mid-sentence to give the impression to the audience he is unsure and nervous as to the crime he is about to commit. The lighting in this part of the play as I have already touched on would be dull yet crisp to create a sense of atmosphere and to create a mood, which would help Macbeth, deliver his lines. The torchlight the servant would be carrying at this point would be quite sharp and a glowing effect would be used to create the fire effect. Macbeths facial expressions would be few and far between because I would want him to be pale and blank faced so that it looked like he had other things on his mind, more important and life threatening things. At the opening of Act 2 scene two, Lady Macbeth is stood near to Duncans room waiting for Macbeth to return. At this point, I would want to emphasise the crime that is about to be committed and to create strong tension between the audience and the stage. Ideally the audience would be sitting focused, eyes fixed on the events and I would want them to feel a sense of danger and betrayal the moment Macbeth kills the King. The effects used to create this feeling would be sudden cold gusts of wind lashing through the audience. A strong gust of smoke would slide swiftly along the surface of the stage creating a dark musty atmosphere. Sharp lightning would be seen jolting over the stage with deep blasts of thunder to follow. Lady Macbeth would be dressed in a long silk red dress to represent betrayal and guilt even though she does not show any. When Macbeth returns with the daggers, I think it would be a dramatic moment, so I would chose to have a powerful spotlight focusing on Macbeth as he staggers across the smoke filled stage to his wife. My decision for this is that I would like the whole audience to be fixed to Macbeths every movement. I would want this because I would want the audience just to think about him and the crime that he was just committed. Makeup would be used on Macbeth to make him look like a ghost he would be completely white except for the small dashes of red on his face that would represent the kings blood. His hands and the area around his waist would be completely covered in blood to give the impression that he had hacked the king to pieces. At the opening of act two scene one, Macbeth is confident that he is ready to kill the king. When he tells the lie to Banquo that he has given no more thought to the witches predictions, he should deliver these lines with a certain stutter including repeating and missing out some words. He would also stop and jolt in mid sentence. I think he should speak like this because it makes the audience think he is not sure about what he is about to do and he isnt sure as to whether he can or not. When Macbeth hallucinates he thinks that there is a dagger before him and he reaches out for it and of course cant grasp it. Macbeth is not sure, and wonders whether it is A dagger of the mind, a false creation. If I was the director, I would make Macbeth say these words with confidence then I would make him sound confused as to what he was saying. To give the impression his mind was thinking one thing but common sense was thinking about something else. As Macbeth speaks of the bloody business and how wicked dreams abuse/the curtained sleep, he appears much more confident. To indicate this, I would make him start of whispering the lines then slowly increasing the sound so by the time he had delivered the lines he was screaming them from the rooftops. I would expect his face to be blank, a dark spotlight would be shining on him, as he started shouting his lines he would smile and the spotlight would be turned up, eventually when he had finished Macbeth would be smiling, and the spotlight would be shining brightly. After Macbeth has murdered the king and he returns with the bloody daggers, he seems to be nervous and edgy. His repeated question whos there? What ho? indicates this. I would show this by making Macbeth speak his lines in a slow, shallow majestic voice with the words flowing slowly but surely one after the other with a short silent pause between each precious word. Macbeth considers the enormity of the crime that has been committed, and is terrified, as he knows that he can never be forgiven. He stresses how he could not say Amen after the murder, and how he thought that they heard a voice cry Listning their fear, I would not say Amen, when they did say God bless us. To make this point more dramatic, I would chose to make Macbeths voice cry lightly and sharp frequent drops of water would be seen running across his chin and dripping onto the stage. It would sound like he was in pain with sudden shrieks lashing through the audience as though he wants everyone to experience the heart breaking pain that he is going through. After the murder, Macbeth says I am afraid to think what I have done /look ont again I dare not. Perhaps Macbeth does feel genuine remorse for his crime, or maybe he is more afraid about what will happen to his soul when he dies. I think that he does show some genuine remorse because I think deep down he didnt want to kill Duncan but was in fact talked into by his wife and has now noticed the error of his ways. I could show this by making him drop to his knees and holding his head in his hands crying out for mercy from God. In act two scene one, I would choose to have Banquo to speak in a stern but tired way, as he is Macbeths friend. I would indicate to the audience that he is honest by making sure that he is looking loyal and worthy along with proud and upstanding when he is speaking to another character. Throughout the scenes, Lady Macbeth is revealed to be calm and calculated. When Macbeth returns from the scene of the murder, he says I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry. Did not you speak?. I would reflect her unemotional state by having her speak nicely; soft and quiet. Her eyes would wonder as if she were thinking of something completely different. Lady Macbeth seems ill concerned with her husband when he talks of his inability to sleep. She warns him You do unbend your noble strength to think/ so brain of things. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go carry them, and smear the sleepy grooms with blood. If I were the director, I would show her irritation by speaking to her with an abrupt sarcastic voice with a tone that suggests that shes speaking to an idiot. She will snap and snarl at Macbeth and look down on him. To conclude I have tried to answer each section as best I can. I have tried to incorporate the mood set by each characters lines by using lightning and sound effects as well as the way the actors portray their lines. My aim was to try to get the audience involved in the play without them actually acting, so that they could experience one to one the characters moods, so that they could really understand and get into the play. I would chose Ozzy Osborne to play Macbeth because he is older than some, dresses in black and has a certain element of disguise in him which I feel Macbeths actor needs to portray well. I would choose Halle Berry to play Lady Macbeth because her latest film Gothika was a perfect example of a spooky story of which she played her part extremely well.

Investigation of Unknown Carbohydrate

Investigation of Unknown Carbohydrate INTRODUCTION From the name itself, Carbohydrates are hydrates of carbons that are polar in nature. The building blocks of carbohydrates are monosaccharides which are simple sugars due to their low molecular weight. Carbohydrates are the product of photosynthesis from the condensation of carbon dioxide that requires light and chlorophyll. Carbohydrates have a vital role in the nutrition of organisms since it is the major source of energy. ATP is energy released by plants and it is the needed by the body to function accordingly. Carbohydrates have different structures thus it gives distinct reactions to various reagents depending on its chemical composition. It can be grouped into monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides could be classified as polyhrdoxy aldoses or ketoses. These are the simplest carbohydrates that cannot be broken down into smaller aggregates. These are aldehydes that contain two or more hydroxyl groups. Disaccharides are two simple sugars that are linked together by a glycosidic bond- an ether bond formed from the merging of two hydroxyl groups between monosaccharides. Polysaccharides, on the other hand, are made up of multiple sugar units attached to a group of disaccharides. They are formed by a glycosidic linkage. MATERIALS AND METHODS For the identification of the unknown carbohydrates samples, 1.00 ml of two unknown samples were transferred in a test tube and 1.00 ml of Molisch reagents was added as well as 1.00 ml of concentrated . For each of the tests- Iodine test, Benedicts test, Barfoeds test, Seliwanoffs test and 2,4-DNP test, fresh samples were needed for each. Table 1 shows the needed amount of reagent for each test for a qualitative analysis. The identity of the two unknown samples was then distinguished based on the reaction of the given set of carbohydrates. For the hydrolysis of starch, 50.00 ml of 5% starch solution was placed in a 100 ml beaker. About 5.00 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid was added. Covering the beaker with aluminum foil, it was then heated until boiled in a water bath. About 1.00 ml of the sample was placed in two separate test tubes with the addition of 1.00 ml of iodine reagent to one and 1.00 ml of Benedicts reagent to the other. The sample was heated continuously. With an interval of 5 minutes, 1.00 ml of the sample was transferred into two separate tees tubes once again and with the addition of the iodine and Benedicts reagent until a blue-black precipitate is formed with the iodine reagent and a brick red color with the Benedicts reagent. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 2 shows the desired color change of the carbohydrates upon the addition of certain reagents. Molischs test is a general test for carbohydrates that determines the presence of carbonyl groups, which gives off a deep purple colored substance. The Iodine test gives off a blue-black colored complex as a positive reaction towards iodine. Benedicts test determines the identity of the reducing sugars which results to an orange-rust color. Barfoeds test has the same purpose as Benedicts test for determining the reducing sugars, but this Barfoeds test gives off a positive test for reducing monossaccharides only. Seliwanoffs test determines the presence of aldoses and ketoses, only the ketoses give off a positive reaction resulting to a brick red color. The 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine or the 2.4-DNP test determines the reaction of monosaccharides that gives off yellow- black crystals of osazones that intensifies the color of the substance. Molischs test is a general test for carbohydrates. Concentrated sulfuric acid was added producing a deep purple colored substance. The carbohydrate undergoes dehydration wherein water was released upon the addition of sulfuric acid. Pentoses and hexoses react with the sulfuric acid resulting to the positive color change. For the Iodine test, the only sugar that reacted was starch. Starch is a polysaccharide- a mixture of amylose and amylopectin. An amylose forms a helical structure in water. Iodine could easily penetrate through the helical structure, since monosaccharides and disaccharides arent too small they do not react with iodine. Upon the penetration of the iodine to the core of the helix, it produces a blue-black colored substance. When heated, the blue color disappears because the helical ring of the amylose is disrupted. Iodine is does not have the capacity to bind itself back to helix. The blue color returns when the starch is cooled. The iodine can now bind back to the helix. Benedicts test identifies the reducing sugars, the monosaccharides and the disaccharides. This reagent is a weak oxidizing reagent. Cuprous oxide was converted from cuprous hydroxide. The former determines the presence of the reducing sugar. Seliwanoffs test differentiates ketoses from aldoses. The ketose yields a brick red color upon the addition of heat. Ketose undergoes dehydration when diluted in HCl and heated. Barfoeds test identifies the reducing sugars as well, but this test is specific only for monosaccharides. Carbohydrates exposed to the Barfoed reagent, a mixture of copper acetate and glacial acetic acid, undergoes reduction. The reducing monosaccharide reduces the cupric ions to cuprous ions in acidic medium (4). The cuprous ions formed in turn, reduce the colorless phosphomolybdic acid to blue phosphomolybdous acid (4). The positive color change for monosaccharides was exhibited by a deep blue color, while the disaccharide exhibited a light blue color. The 2,4- DNP test is a general test for carbohydrates. This determines the presence of aldehydes and ketones. The aldoses and ketoses are quite similar. The reducing sugars produce a positive test. The identity of starch could be easily distinguished through the iodine test. When the starch is hydrolyzed it can have a positive result in the Benedicts test. The acetal linkages in starch are hydrolyzed in hot aqueous acid (6). Benedicts test is a useful test in detecting the sugar concentration in the urine of a patient diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The color of the precipitate gives an approximate percentage of sugar excreted in the urine (4). The color determines the percentage of sugar present in the urine. If the precipitate is blue, sugar is absent, green if there are 0-0.5% sugar, yellow if 1% sugar, orange if 1.5% sugar, and red if 2% sugar or more.

Designing a Natural Play Environment

Designing a Natural Play Environment Introduction ‘Natural Play is a fundamental aspect of a childs development and physical exercise. Through play, a childs personality develops and they gain a greater control of mind and body. Play has opportunities for social, ethical and emotional development. Environmental based play initiates instinctive play as well as self-reliance, confidence and maturity [1] Play is used as a medium for translating one childs personal culture to another, this quote portrays findings from the psychologist Arnaud in 1984 [2] ‘ I really believe there is something about nature that when you are in it , it makes you realise that there are far larger things at work than yourself.Being in nature can be the a way to escape without fully leaving the world. [3] Landscape architects have recently been given the responsibility to design ‘natural play schemes under the 2006 Play England initiatives which have provided the largest ever national investment in natural play. [4] Under these initiatives, the traditional concept of equipped play areas has been disregarded and instead, a greater emphasis is given to creating ‘naturalistic play environments for different age groups. Consequently, landscape architects have now a greater role in the development of play areas rather than the installation of equipment for play solutions. However, there are constraints which determine the extent to which landscape architects can give a ‘natural play experience. This study will explore and review recent projects in order to evaluate the success of such schemes. The research for this study is based upon the authors experience working on Newcastle City Councils Play Englands Play Pathfinder schemes during the summer of 2009 as well as design ing and building an aerial walkway on a woodland adventure trail which was developed on a farm open to the public. [5], [6] The study will be informed by examples from published literature, studies and information from play companies. Firsthand experience of the subject gained through designing, building and managing natural play areas as well as observations on regular visits to Skelton Grange Environmental Centre (Leeds) and during a field trip to Denmark (2009) will also be used. Aims and Objectives The aim of the study is to identify the principles behind the planning and design of natural play areas, as well as discussing constraints which affect the implementation. Factors that affect the design of natural play areas will be discussed; childhood development, social context, aspects of the site, management and expenditure as well as possible avenues which have not been considered under the Play England initiative. In doing this, it is hoped to determine to what extent ‘natural play environments can be designed and implemented in England. What is ‘natural play? Before discussing the design of ‘natural play schemes it is important to define ‘natural play and how it has evolved. Natural play provides play opportunities in a changing natural landscape. Natural play can enable children to feel more confident in themselves, often revealing their deeper feelings and sharing of their ideas. Natural play has many invaluable qualities that cannot be taught through structured learning activities; the theories of natural play are robustly supported by researchers from varied disciplines including psychology, education, philosophy, anthropology and recreation. [7] The evolution of natural play spaces The essence of childrens play has changed little over the centuries. The links between the play patterns of un-modernised and developed societies have been shown to be very similar. For example ‘!Kung children in the Kalahari desert use an object, in their case the sheath of a banana leaf, to symbolise a baby and these mothering games are similar to those played by children in developed societies who play with dolls. [8] However, adults controlling childrens lives have imposed a series of changing theories as to how they should play. During the age of enlightenment when all sorts of theories were being examined Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, valued the importance of good experiences to mental development in children. When he heard of children forced to read and not play he wrote â€Å"those who would rob these little innocents of the joys that pass so quickly, he went on to say, ‘We must never forget all this should be play, the easy and voluntarily control of movement which nature demands of them, the art of varying their games to make them pleasanter without the least bit of constraint. To a child of 10 or 12 work or play are all one, with the proviso that the activity of play is ‘with the charm of freedom. [9] The case studies for this essay have been chosen following observations of natural play schemes during 2008 2009. The sites cover the fundamental aspects and current trends of natural play used by after school clubs, Play England, Natural England initiatives, and environmental learning projects. Play pathfinders and play builder explain Skelton Grange Skelton Grange Environment Centre, Leeds is located 5 km from Leeds City Centre (figs.). The site is a gentle sloping 8 Acre site with woodland, open meadows, lawns and riverside walks. The site is located in a large industrial area on the periphery of Leeds City Centre and is leased from the National Grid. The project is an innovative, award winning, environmental education project that aims to bring alive the issues surrounding sustainable development. [15]The project is hoped to help people develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment by educating its visitors on ways to safeguard our future. The scheme funded by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) aims to use the Eco Centre and surrounding landscape to support a wide range of activities working mainly with children, young people and adults on school trips, play schemes, community groups as well as teenage individuals. The site is used for education and training sessions, practical conservation, and BTVC volunteer development. BTCV staff at the centre work with young people and adults, schools, play schemes, community groups and individuals on developing an understanding appreciation of their environment, and their role in safeguarding its future. The children who visit annually are from inner city West Yorkshire primary schools. These children gain many valuable experiences of environmental play which can be absorbed and provide inspiration for similar forms of play at home or school. The most striking issue which was observed on the site was the willingness to the children o learn and play in a rugged natural environment as many of the inner city children have a very limited horizons when it comes to getting out of town. Broom House Farm ‘Adventure trail Broom House Farm ‘Adventure Trail is Located in the Durham countryside approximately 6 miles east of Durham City (figs.). The adventure trail is set on land belonging to a diverse ‘organic farm enterprise. The surrounding landscape has a significant impact on the adventure trail as it is visible from the trail and relates to educational material within the trail. The woodland where the adventure trail is located is predominantly coniferous however there are many mature broadleaved species in the woodland. Most of the coniferous woodland was established over 50 years ago when the land was set aside by the farming tenants after it was open cast for coal. The woodland is very diverse in flora and fauna. The trail is open to the public and has approximately 4,000 public visitors, 60 school parties per annum. These include visits through a recent Natural England initiative (name it) . There are also visitors from institutions for people with special needs. The wood offers a wi de range of natural based learning activities and many outlets for un-structured natural play. The site has been designed to enable a sense of discovery for visiting children, consequently giving a strong bond with the environment. The site is unique in the area and proves very successful with all users, the blend of natural play, education and playing within a woodland environment strongly complement each other. Visitors with special needs gain special interaction with nature when visiting. The bonding with nature is also highly significant for children visiting the site from deprived inner city areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham. During my experience as education/safety officer at Broom House Farm (2008), I supervised and carried out educational activities with the children. This was an important experience for me as over a period of time I was able to observe the children using the natural play setting. During the summer of 2009 I designed and helped build new additions to the adventure trail including a 100m raised board walk and other play zones (figs.). Denmark Junk Playground The play site is located in Fredriksberg, a central district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The site consists of a large clearing in a Beech woodland. The perimeter has mature trees which overhang much of the site. Shrubs have been integrated next to structures built by the children . This unique ‘Junk Playground also caters as an after school club for the adjoining school. The site offers a safe environment for children to be supervised from a distance, allowing them to construct a variety of custom built play equipment from shelters to play structures. This resource is run by adults employed by the council and funding from parents, all staff have a degree in some form of child development or education. The facility is also open at weekends when it is supervised by parents. The site is a huge success and is very popular. The value of this resource to the local community is very high; children are left at the after school club everyday so they have to be very imaginative in the playspace to keep them occupied. The outcome of what the children design and build is usually well implemented. The community involvement of many parents also helps safeguard the success of the site on weekends. The site has an importance policy which allows children to construct play equipment, this is a good example of allowing risk in the play environment. It was interesting to observe the competence of children as they explained what they had built and the construction methods learnt. More importantly the children explained that everyone uses the tools in a responsible manner, consequently there are few injuries. ADD? Children are constantly encouraged to be creative within the education system. Depending on their age many have a drive to create constructions. Through natural play, natural materials can be used to create personal play equipment. This adds a further dimension to the benefits of natural play. When children construct anything they feel more confident of another intuitive childhood process. Within the Danish junk playground, children are issued with and allowed to bring their own construction tools such as hammers, nails, saws and other materials to construct play equipment from the abundance of materials provided. These materials include wood, block paving and other recycled materials. The quality of the constructions made is inspected by adults for strength and any other irregularities. Through this process errors can be corrected and the equipment passed as being safe. The individuals responsible for the construction then shows their play mates and they share their special creations with each other and revise there constructions and equipment with a greater knowledge of construction. The constructions are often nestled and integrated within site, composed of mature trees and shrubs. The success of the natural environment is the popularity of building these structures and games within the greener areas of the site. Fagan refer to sketch book for his opinions and feelings about the thriving site from a childs perspective? Skrammellegepladsen A scheme in place in Fredriksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark were by children build natural play environments adding a different dimension to natural play, combining out of school care and natural play recreation. The results of this scheme is of huge significance to my study and is very popular on the streets of Copenhagen. Parents pick children up from the centre up to as late as 5 o clock. The children are fed with healthy meals which they often cook themselves, children are then free to roam the site playing and constructing play spaces. The children are issued with hammers, nails, wood, hard landscaping materials. The teaching staff all have degrees orientated around primary and youth education. The centre accommodates for ages up to 15 Years of age. There is a strong drive within Play England Guidelines to accommodate teenagers, in particular girls within natural play schemes within Britain. The site in Fritsberg is adjacent to a large inner city school so the visiting children have a quick transition between the two spaces. This could be more common as schools both within the inner cities and rural areas have a wider perimeter to their site with scope to expand, typically a site composed of wasteland grasslands, gravel, mud and pockets of trees with huge potential for transformation to create natural play spaces to socialise and spend countless hours in order to develop. The possibility for making the most of school yard sites would be of double affect as playground play is one few occasions children get to play in a safe environment. If developed playgrounds were open to the community more and not as segregated. As much of the school site in un used within the school timetable with limited Sport, Outdoor play and education it would make sense to make more use of these spaces as natural play sites. One of the biggest bonuss to the scheme adjacent to the school in Fritsberg is the lack of Adult intervention. The children when playing are left outside to their o wn devices yet could seek help, if needed from staff who located themselves near to the building entrance. Newcastle play sites Location Distance from city etc / Add type of landscape, fields, water, woodland and surrounding area flat, hills etc? These play sites have been identified by the council to be improved, using funding from Play England. These playgrounds up graded from a play pathfinder to play builder, Some of these sites have been completed ADD Observations not mentioned in table. How children use it. What you thought was good about it. The activities carried out in these environments have many benefits enhancing childrens ability to recognise and appreciate the natural play environment. Sketches of the natural settings within these sites have been included. The natural qualities deployed create stimulating surroundings with opportunities for more imaginative play and wonder. Adults may view nature as a surrounding for the childs activities. However children seem to view a natural play space as a sensory experience and a place where they can interact within a fantastical environment. Children develop their imagination continually through everyday experiences, which is essential in the childs development as a well rounded individual within society. Why is natural play important today? Natural play environments offer a diversity of natural landscape experiences such as trees, vegetation, wildlife, plants, shaded areas, shelter, water, rivers and hiding spaces create a timeless naturalistic landscape. Children using natural play environments can become thoroughly engaged with nature. [16] The wide variations of the natural elements to play schemes can trigger unique spontaneity, for example playing with living creatures such as insects, building dens with natural materials or setting physical challenges within the environment such as climbing trees. [17] Children seem to have a natural affinity with nature and love for the natural outdoors but today opportunites for this can be limited. Natural England carried out a survey in 2009 which identified that less than 10% of children have the opportunity to play in woodland settings, the countryside or parks. The research also discovered that only 24% of children visit a natural environment once a week in comparison to 53 % of adults who did so in their childhood. [18] The benefits to children from playing in natural play environments A recent lecture by Paul Walker the Director of Timbercare (designers and builders of natural play landscapes, mainly manufacturing wooden play units) highlighted his personal opinions of many elements of natural play. He concluded his speech by saying that ironically the investment within the surrounding landscape of a play area was more valuable to children than a collection of individual equipment which the company specialises in providing. [19] Walker felt strongly about his childhood experiences of natural play, he told many stories of his freedom one of which was how by the age of 11 he had a 6 Mile radius to roam within central Sheffield. The complexity of his different play spaces were therefore hugely diverse including post industrial landscapes, derelict buildings, woodland areas, canals and streets. Walkers primary concern for his industry today is the necessity for low risk in play. Although safety standards now take a more balanced approach he felt they could go further. [20] He felt his childhood experiences of natural based play had a variety of different elements of danger and risk taking, making children of that era much more adventurous and evolving life skills in the changing environment around Sheffield. Another professional who believes that children should have similar opportunities to Paul Walker is an American journalist Richard Louv whose revolutionary phrase ‘Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder sums up the restrictions facing the majority of children in modernised society. The quote below illustrates trends in child play. ‘ONE EVENING WHEN (sic) my boys were younger, Mathew, then ten, looked at me from across a restaurant table and said quite seriously, â€Å"Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?†. Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship had been reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading. Thats the exact opposite of how it was when I was a child. [21] Louv feels that our affinity to nature is innate and in jeopardy across the modernised world. Quoting Sobel he discusses the changes which have occurred in the experience of obtaining food suggesting that food has become almost abstract now being a product in a supermarket which has little connection with the field or farm it came from. Children are now having to learn where food comes from through schemes such as Natural Englands ‘Learning Outside initiative.[22], [23] School trips to farms in England are limited as they take up considerable financial and staffing resources and often only occur once a year as seen at Broom House Adventure Trail. [24] Urban living can be an experience which is disconnected from nature and can create â€Å"ecophobia† a term which Sobel devised to explain a fear that nature can be physically dirty and dangerous. While working at Broom House Adventure Trail it was apparent from children and teachers that children were warned not to get dirty and were wearing expensive designer clothing. This made a barrier to the children fully experiencing natural play and it would be beneficial to the children if teachers made it clear to parents that there would be a strong possibility of clothes getting dirty and damaged. Some of the children also seemed initially hesitant and detached from the natural environment. [25] Benefits to Childrens Health from Natural Play Watching children using the play sites described in this study it is obvious they expend a great deal of energy and burn many calories. Not all children prefer sport and some do not like organised activities, but all children want to play. Natural play offers less structured opportunities for refining skills such as balance, endurance and confidence and provides a valuable solution for steering children away from childhood obesity. Many children are at risk from health problems caused by their life styles which include poor diet and lack of exercise. In 2009 it was reported that ‘25% of boys and 33% of girls between two and 19 are overweight. [26] It was noted in this survey that â€Å"parents are getting so used to seeing overweight kids, they do not recognise their own children are obese†. These problems cost the National Health over  £2 billion annually. County Durham is one of the worst areas in England for childhood obesity. [27] At Broom House Farm Adventure Trail it was noted that the obese children had less self confidence, were more negative in their approach to playing on the equipment and were teased by classmates. Benefits to Childrens Mental Health from Natural Play The BMJ group estimate that 2 children in every class of 30 schoolchildren will have ADHD. [28] There is a strong belief that children with behaviour and learning difficulties, such as ADHD, are thought to be deprived from the experience of natural play. [29] Louv reports that parents of children with these problems are being taken to natural play environments in order for them to experience situations which require intense concentration, the children are compelled to observe what is around them and become part of the environment rather than separate from it. [30] Children with special needs at Broom House Adventure Trail were seen to greatly enjoy the sensory experience of being close to vegetation, running around and watching others playing on equipment. The carers commented that the escapism of being in such a calming atmosphere was beneficial to their state of mind and they would appreciate access to such a facility more often. One respite care home arranged for their children to attend the adventure trail weekly in conjunction with their other activities. Benefits to Children from interaction with playmates Today many children in England lead less active lives as they are able to watch non-stop television or play indoors on computer games. This decreases the amount of interaction they have with parents, siblings and friends. Curry and Arnaud noted that ‘By the age of four and five children are extremely sensitive to each other and acutely tuned to what interests, pleases or provokes another child. [31] Decreased opportunities to interact through observation, collaboration and discussion during play can have a damaging effect on the confidence of a child and their ability to interact in play environments and in their future lives. Playing with others give children the chance to learn about equality and become integrated within wider cultures. During a consultation process at Kippax Ash Tree Primary School the children discussed their visit to Skelton Grange where they worked together making a shelter and a ‘pebble island to simulate an imaginary civilisation in the woodland. The idea of the project was to encourage the children to integrate through constructive play and say how they would survive on the island. The outcome was a number of sustainable solutions which they had learnt about during the course of the day. Opportunities to develop self reliance Natural play environments develop a childs independence and self sufficiency. When a child enters a natural play environments they can develop a distance from their carers or parents either individually or with other children exploring. This opportunity for play can be achieved in any outdoor space, however in a natural play environment it is enhanced by the magical natural surroundings. This process is important to children who live in confined conditions and are restricted from access to natural play by the location of their accommodation and poverty. White and Stoecklin state ‘While the development of greater independence from toddlerhood to middle childhood can happen within the confines of indoor spaces, safe space outdoors greatly adds to the ability of children to naturally experiment with independence and separation, and the adults willingness to trust the childs competence which is essential for separation to happen. [32] When children accompanied by parents played in the woodland at Broom House they were often heavily restricted by parents who would not allow them to explore the zoned play spaces alone. This was seen on many occasions and created a barrier to the full potential of the natural play experience for their children. It was interesting to note that although school children stayed within their small teaching groups and despite not being in the comfort of their friendship groups, they were sufficiently stimulated to play together. It was also interesting to observe that the children moved quickly from the natural based play equipment to evolve new imaginative games, making maximum use of the woodland. It was also observed that the paths were used as catalyst for exploring the site within a time limit. [33] Opportunities for exposure to nature Our interactions with nature can be hugely diverse depending upon the environment which a child lives in or is exposed to. The experience of different materials, changing seasons and making connections to nature are important components in natural play. [34] The provision of living material in natural play landscapes incorporates the underlying processes of nature and therefore gives a strong understanding of nature gained through physical interaction and watching seasonal changes in the landscape. ‘Plants and vegetation as a medium within play spaces develop interactive skills. Plants stimulate discovery, dramatic pretend play, and imagination. Plants speak to all of the senses, so its not surprising that children are closely attuned to environments with vegetation. Plants, in a pleasant environment with a mix of sun, shade, colour, texture, fragrance, and softness of enclosure also encourage a sense of peacefulness†[35]. When children experience nature, it can be in a v ariety of sensory experiences its value is precious and can be remembered for a long time. Children appreciate the natural layers of the earth no matter how small the play space. Moore recorded a conversation with girls about playing in sand ‘We make streams in the sand when it rains and comes down the hill the girls said. The got down on their hands and knees and embarked on a sequence of sand play. Within a few moments they had laid out a network of â€Å"roads† running around the humpy surface of the fine, hard-packed, sandy soil. Other infrastructure such as houses and an imaginary manor house was also built. [36] * Water play The outdoor environment provides a variety of contrasting surfaces with different textures and play qualities. Recent heavy snowfall in England (2009) triggered instinctive responses to an element which acted as a catalyst for all ages to enjoy excitement and freedom without hesitation or social barriers. Natural materials are used to enhance environmental play for deprived inner city schools of Leeds such as Skelton Grange Environmental Centre in Leeds (West Yorkshire). One of the many natural based activities completed by school visitors is to construct components of the imaginary settlement described above using, sand, soil, water, twigs and leaves. This exercise although educational connects the children with natural materials. Design Design of Natural play environments can produce a range of natural play experiences rather than a single type as per traditional equipped play area†¦ DISCUSS HOW How can a landscape architect in the UK create ‘natural play environments? The previous section outlined an understanding of what natural play is, case studies and the benefits of designing natural play areas. Play England have given landscape architects the opportunity to design natural play areas in many parts of England what considerations need to be taken into account when designing them? New Initiatives of Play England between the years 2006 2009 Play England began working for the childrens play programme in 2006 and 2007, with funding gained from ‘The Big Lottery fund. The recent Play England guidelines show the design principles of Play England. Play England has produced many documents summarising the commitments announced for the Play Strategy of England. The two most relevant one to this study include the ‘Play Strategy and ‘Design for Play. [37] ‘Weve recently moved over to assessing the tenders on play value much more and this has forced the quality standards up, with suppliers now trying to outdo each other for natural play as well as good design and sheer quantity of features †¦ we score each activity and feature for points and use this information to guide us in consideration of the tenders. In the end though it still comes down to us trying to decide which will offer the best play opportunities for the next 15 years or more. Play England have worked in tune with a range of professionals to ensure the best possible guidelines for Landscape Architects to work towards during implementation of the national Play Strategy in their work. Play England is supporting local authority Playbuilders and Play Pathfinders (focusing on 8-13 yrs olds). Their purpose is to deliver the governments  £235m investment in play and natural play in order to create innovative and adventurous play spaces across the UK. This level of investment has not been made before in England. The Play Pathfinder scheme is intended to provide free play opportunities for children and young people in the country over the next 10 years. The Government announced in April 2009 that the overall success of the schemes would be reviewed by children in their local areas. A conference is planned in March 2010 and will explore the future and momentum of the campaign after the last four years. Play England Guidelines Since 2006 Landscape Architects have been required by Play England to adopt design principles which take into consideration the summarised guidelines below for new and refurbished natural play schemes (please see appendix 1 for Play England Design Principles in full); [38] Enhancing the site. Site analysis work ensuring the spirit of the chosen site is enhanced, complementing attractive parts of the site and enhancing poorer environments. Using the best location. A balance in defining the exact location of the proposed park, between safety of the child user and seclusion. Enhancing natural features of the site as well as adding new features./Adding a variety of new soft landscape material and natural landscape features in urban and rural play sites. Providing opportunities for diverse play./This includes accommodating natural play for all age ranges including devising social spaces for parents and carers onsite. Provide the opportunity for children of all abilities and needs to mix./ There should be no barriers for people with special needs which may include carers or parents. Encourage community participation in the design process./ The design required has to work for the community and captivate preferences of the neighbours of the site. Ensure the play space can be used by all ages./ The play site must incorporate many aspects of risk for its users to develop an understanding of risk. Design to develop childrens experiences of taking r Designing a Natural Play Environment Designing a Natural Play Environment Introduction ‘Natural Play is a fundamental aspect of a childs development and physical exercise. Through play, a childs personality develops and they gain a greater control of mind and body. Play has opportunities for social, ethical and emotional development. Environmental based play initiates instinctive play as well as self-reliance, confidence and maturity [1] Play is used as a medium for translating one childs personal culture to another, this quote portrays findings from the psychologist Arnaud in 1984 [2] ‘ I really believe there is something about nature that when you are in it , it makes you realise that there are far larger things at work than yourself.Being in nature can be the a way to escape without fully leaving the world. [3] Landscape architects have recently been given the responsibility to design ‘natural play schemes under the 2006 Play England initiatives which have provided the largest ever national investment in natural play. [4] Under these initiatives, the traditional concept of equipped play areas has been disregarded and instead, a greater emphasis is given to creating ‘naturalistic play environments for different age groups. Consequently, landscape architects have now a greater role in the development of play areas rather than the installation of equipment for play solutions. However, there are constraints which determine the extent to which landscape architects can give a ‘natural play experience. This study will explore and review recent projects in order to evaluate the success of such schemes. The research for this study is based upon the authors experience working on Newcastle City Councils Play Englands Play Pathfinder schemes during the summer of 2009 as well as design ing and building an aerial walkway on a woodland adventure trail which was developed on a farm open to the public. [5], [6] The study will be informed by examples from published literature, studies and information from play companies. Firsthand experience of the subject gained through designing, building and managing natural play areas as well as observations on regular visits to Skelton Grange Environmental Centre (Leeds) and during a field trip to Denmark (2009) will also be used. Aims and Objectives The aim of the study is to identify the principles behind the planning and design of natural play areas, as well as discussing constraints which affect the implementation. Factors that affect the design of natural play areas will be discussed; childhood development, social context, aspects of the site, management and expenditure as well as possible avenues which have not been considered under the Play England initiative. In doing this, it is hoped to determine to what extent ‘natural play environments can be designed and implemented in England. What is ‘natural play? Before discussing the design of ‘natural play schemes it is important to define ‘natural play and how it has evolved. Natural play provides play opportunities in a changing natural landscape. Natural play can enable children to feel more confident in themselves, often revealing their deeper feelings and sharing of their ideas. Natural play has many invaluable qualities that cannot be taught through structured learning activities; the theories of natural play are robustly supported by researchers from varied disciplines including psychology, education, philosophy, anthropology and recreation. [7] The evolution of natural play spaces The essence of childrens play has changed little over the centuries. The links between the play patterns of un-modernised and developed societies have been shown to be very similar. For example ‘!Kung children in the Kalahari desert use an object, in their case the sheath of a banana leaf, to symbolise a baby and these mothering games are similar to those played by children in developed societies who play with dolls. [8] However, adults controlling childrens lives have imposed a series of changing theories as to how they should play. During the age of enlightenment when all sorts of theories were being examined Rousseau (1712-1778), the French philosopher, valued the importance of good experiences to mental development in children. When he heard of children forced to read and not play he wrote â€Å"those who would rob these little innocents of the joys that pass so quickly, he went on to say, ‘We must never forget all this should be play, the easy and voluntarily control of movement which nature demands of them, the art of varying their games to make them pleasanter without the least bit of constraint. To a child of 10 or 12 work or play are all one, with the proviso that the activity of play is ‘with the charm of freedom. [9] The case studies for this essay have been chosen following observations of natural play schemes during 2008 2009. The sites cover the fundamental aspects and current trends of natural play used by after school clubs, Play England, Natural England initiatives, and environmental learning projects. Play pathfinders and play builder explain Skelton Grange Skelton Grange Environment Centre, Leeds is located 5 km from Leeds City Centre (figs.). The site is a gentle sloping 8 Acre site with woodland, open meadows, lawns and riverside walks. The site is located in a large industrial area on the periphery of Leeds City Centre and is leased from the National Grid. The project is an innovative, award winning, environmental education project that aims to bring alive the issues surrounding sustainable development. [15]The project is hoped to help people develop an understanding and appreciation of the environment by educating its visitors on ways to safeguard our future. The scheme funded by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) aims to use the Eco Centre and surrounding landscape to support a wide range of activities working mainly with children, young people and adults on school trips, play schemes, community groups as well as teenage individuals. The site is used for education and training sessions, practical conservation, and BTVC volunteer development. BTCV staff at the centre work with young people and adults, schools, play schemes, community groups and individuals on developing an understanding appreciation of their environment, and their role in safeguarding its future. The children who visit annually are from inner city West Yorkshire primary schools. These children gain many valuable experiences of environmental play which can be absorbed and provide inspiration for similar forms of play at home or school. The most striking issue which was observed on the site was the willingness to the children o learn and play in a rugged natural environment as many of the inner city children have a very limited horizons when it comes to getting out of town. Broom House Farm ‘Adventure trail Broom House Farm ‘Adventure Trail is Located in the Durham countryside approximately 6 miles east of Durham City (figs.). The adventure trail is set on land belonging to a diverse ‘organic farm enterprise. The surrounding landscape has a significant impact on the adventure trail as it is visible from the trail and relates to educational material within the trail. The woodland where the adventure trail is located is predominantly coniferous however there are many mature broadleaved species in the woodland. Most of the coniferous woodland was established over 50 years ago when the land was set aside by the farming tenants after it was open cast for coal. The woodland is very diverse in flora and fauna. The trail is open to the public and has approximately 4,000 public visitors, 60 school parties per annum. These include visits through a recent Natural England initiative (name it) . There are also visitors from institutions for people with special needs. The wood offers a wi de range of natural based learning activities and many outlets for un-structured natural play. The site has been designed to enable a sense of discovery for visiting children, consequently giving a strong bond with the environment. The site is unique in the area and proves very successful with all users, the blend of natural play, education and playing within a woodland environment strongly complement each other. Visitors with special needs gain special interaction with nature when visiting. The bonding with nature is also highly significant for children visiting the site from deprived inner city areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Durham. During my experience as education/safety officer at Broom House Farm (2008), I supervised and carried out educational activities with the children. This was an important experience for me as over a period of time I was able to observe the children using the natural play setting. During the summer of 2009 I designed and helped build new additions to the adventure trail including a 100m raised board walk and other play zones (figs.). Denmark Junk Playground The play site is located in Fredriksberg, a central district of Copenhagen, Denmark. The site consists of a large clearing in a Beech woodland. The perimeter has mature trees which overhang much of the site. Shrubs have been integrated next to structures built by the children . This unique ‘Junk Playground also caters as an after school club for the adjoining school. The site offers a safe environment for children to be supervised from a distance, allowing them to construct a variety of custom built play equipment from shelters to play structures. This resource is run by adults employed by the council and funding from parents, all staff have a degree in some form of child development or education. The facility is also open at weekends when it is supervised by parents. The site is a huge success and is very popular. The value of this resource to the local community is very high; children are left at the after school club everyday so they have to be very imaginative in the playspace to keep them occupied. The outcome of what the children design and build is usually well implemented. The community involvement of many parents also helps safeguard the success of the site on weekends. The site has an importance policy which allows children to construct play equipment, this is a good example of allowing risk in the play environment. It was interesting to observe the competence of children as they explained what they had built and the construction methods learnt. More importantly the children explained that everyone uses the tools in a responsible manner, consequently there are few injuries. ADD? Children are constantly encouraged to be creative within the education system. Depending on their age many have a drive to create constructions. Through natural play, natural materials can be used to create personal play equipment. This adds a further dimension to the benefits of natural play. When children construct anything they feel more confident of another intuitive childhood process. Within the Danish junk playground, children are issued with and allowed to bring their own construction tools such as hammers, nails, saws and other materials to construct play equipment from the abundance of materials provided. These materials include wood, block paving and other recycled materials. The quality of the constructions made is inspected by adults for strength and any other irregularities. Through this process errors can be corrected and the equipment passed as being safe. The individuals responsible for the construction then shows their play mates and they share their special creations with each other and revise there constructions and equipment with a greater knowledge of construction. The constructions are often nestled and integrated within site, composed of mature trees and shrubs. The success of the natural environment is the popularity of building these structures and games within the greener areas of the site. Fagan refer to sketch book for his opinions and feelings about the thriving site from a childs perspective? Skrammellegepladsen A scheme in place in Fredriksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark were by children build natural play environments adding a different dimension to natural play, combining out of school care and natural play recreation. The results of this scheme is of huge significance to my study and is very popular on the streets of Copenhagen. Parents pick children up from the centre up to as late as 5 o clock. The children are fed with healthy meals which they often cook themselves, children are then free to roam the site playing and constructing play spaces. The children are issued with hammers, nails, wood, hard landscaping materials. The teaching staff all have degrees orientated around primary and youth education. The centre accommodates for ages up to 15 Years of age. There is a strong drive within Play England Guidelines to accommodate teenagers, in particular girls within natural play schemes within Britain. The site in Fritsberg is adjacent to a large inner city school so the visiting children have a quick transition between the two spaces. This could be more common as schools both within the inner cities and rural areas have a wider perimeter to their site with scope to expand, typically a site composed of wasteland grasslands, gravel, mud and pockets of trees with huge potential for transformation to create natural play spaces to socialise and spend countless hours in order to develop. The possibility for making the most of school yard sites would be of double affect as playground play is one few occasions children get to play in a safe environment. If developed playgrounds were open to the community more and not as segregated. As much of the school site in un used within the school timetable with limited Sport, Outdoor play and education it would make sense to make more use of these spaces as natural play sites. One of the biggest bonuss to the scheme adjacent to the school in Fritsberg is the lack of Adult intervention. The children when playing are left outside to their o wn devices yet could seek help, if needed from staff who located themselves near to the building entrance. Newcastle play sites Location Distance from city etc / Add type of landscape, fields, water, woodland and surrounding area flat, hills etc? These play sites have been identified by the council to be improved, using funding from Play England. These playgrounds up graded from a play pathfinder to play builder, Some of these sites have been completed ADD Observations not mentioned in table. How children use it. What you thought was good about it. The activities carried out in these environments have many benefits enhancing childrens ability to recognise and appreciate the natural play environment. Sketches of the natural settings within these sites have been included. The natural qualities deployed create stimulating surroundings with opportunities for more imaginative play and wonder. Adults may view nature as a surrounding for the childs activities. However children seem to view a natural play space as a sensory experience and a place where they can interact within a fantastical environment. Children develop their imagination continually through everyday experiences, which is essential in the childs development as a well rounded individual within society. Why is natural play important today? Natural play environments offer a diversity of natural landscape experiences such as trees, vegetation, wildlife, plants, shaded areas, shelter, water, rivers and hiding spaces create a timeless naturalistic landscape. Children using natural play environments can become thoroughly engaged with nature. [16] The wide variations of the natural elements to play schemes can trigger unique spontaneity, for example playing with living creatures such as insects, building dens with natural materials or setting physical challenges within the environment such as climbing trees. [17] Children seem to have a natural affinity with nature and love for the natural outdoors but today opportunites for this can be limited. Natural England carried out a survey in 2009 which identified that less than 10% of children have the opportunity to play in woodland settings, the countryside or parks. The research also discovered that only 24% of children visit a natural environment once a week in comparison to 53 % of adults who did so in their childhood. [18] The benefits to children from playing in natural play environments A recent lecture by Paul Walker the Director of Timbercare (designers and builders of natural play landscapes, mainly manufacturing wooden play units) highlighted his personal opinions of many elements of natural play. He concluded his speech by saying that ironically the investment within the surrounding landscape of a play area was more valuable to children than a collection of individual equipment which the company specialises in providing. [19] Walker felt strongly about his childhood experiences of natural play, he told many stories of his freedom one of which was how by the age of 11 he had a 6 Mile radius to roam within central Sheffield. The complexity of his different play spaces were therefore hugely diverse including post industrial landscapes, derelict buildings, woodland areas, canals and streets. Walkers primary concern for his industry today is the necessity for low risk in play. Although safety standards now take a more balanced approach he felt they could go further. [20] He felt his childhood experiences of natural based play had a variety of different elements of danger and risk taking, making children of that era much more adventurous and evolving life skills in the changing environment around Sheffield. Another professional who believes that children should have similar opportunities to Paul Walker is an American journalist Richard Louv whose revolutionary phrase ‘Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder sums up the restrictions facing the majority of children in modernised society. The quote below illustrates trends in child play. ‘ONE EVENING WHEN (sic) my boys were younger, Mathew, then ten, looked at me from across a restaurant table and said quite seriously, â€Å"Dad, how come it was more fun when you were a kid?†. Within the space of a few decades, the way children understand and experience nature has changed radically. The polarity of the relationship had been reversed. Today, kids are aware of the global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is fading. Thats the exact opposite of how it was when I was a child. [21] Louv feels that our affinity to nature is innate and in jeopardy across the modernised world. Quoting Sobel he discusses the changes which have occurred in the experience of obtaining food suggesting that food has become almost abstract now being a product in a supermarket which has little connection with the field or farm it came from. Children are now having to learn where food comes from through schemes such as Natural Englands ‘Learning Outside initiative.[22], [23] School trips to farms in England are limited as they take up considerable financial and staffing resources and often only occur once a year as seen at Broom House Adventure Trail. [24] Urban living can be an experience which is disconnected from nature and can create â€Å"ecophobia† a term which Sobel devised to explain a fear that nature can be physically dirty and dangerous. While working at Broom House Adventure Trail it was apparent from children and teachers that children were warned not to get dirty and were wearing expensive designer clothing. This made a barrier to the children fully experiencing natural play and it would be beneficial to the children if teachers made it clear to parents that there would be a strong possibility of clothes getting dirty and damaged. Some of the children also seemed initially hesitant and detached from the natural environment. [25] Benefits to Childrens Health from Natural Play Watching children using the play sites described in this study it is obvious they expend a great deal of energy and burn many calories. Not all children prefer sport and some do not like organised activities, but all children want to play. Natural play offers less structured opportunities for refining skills such as balance, endurance and confidence and provides a valuable solution for steering children away from childhood obesity. Many children are at risk from health problems caused by their life styles which include poor diet and lack of exercise. In 2009 it was reported that ‘25% of boys and 33% of girls between two and 19 are overweight. [26] It was noted in this survey that â€Å"parents are getting so used to seeing overweight kids, they do not recognise their own children are obese†. These problems cost the National Health over  £2 billion annually. County Durham is one of the worst areas in England for childhood obesity. [27] At Broom House Farm Adventure Trail it was noted that the obese children had less self confidence, were more negative in their approach to playing on the equipment and were teased by classmates. Benefits to Childrens Mental Health from Natural Play The BMJ group estimate that 2 children in every class of 30 schoolchildren will have ADHD. [28] There is a strong belief that children with behaviour and learning difficulties, such as ADHD, are thought to be deprived from the experience of natural play. [29] Louv reports that parents of children with these problems are being taken to natural play environments in order for them to experience situations which require intense concentration, the children are compelled to observe what is around them and become part of the environment rather than separate from it. [30] Children with special needs at Broom House Adventure Trail were seen to greatly enjoy the sensory experience of being close to vegetation, running around and watching others playing on equipment. The carers commented that the escapism of being in such a calming atmosphere was beneficial to their state of mind and they would appreciate access to such a facility more often. One respite care home arranged for their children to attend the adventure trail weekly in conjunction with their other activities. Benefits to Children from interaction with playmates Today many children in England lead less active lives as they are able to watch non-stop television or play indoors on computer games. This decreases the amount of interaction they have with parents, siblings and friends. Curry and Arnaud noted that ‘By the age of four and five children are extremely sensitive to each other and acutely tuned to what interests, pleases or provokes another child. [31] Decreased opportunities to interact through observation, collaboration and discussion during play can have a damaging effect on the confidence of a child and their ability to interact in play environments and in their future lives. Playing with others give children the chance to learn about equality and become integrated within wider cultures. During a consultation process at Kippax Ash Tree Primary School the children discussed their visit to Skelton Grange where they worked together making a shelter and a ‘pebble island to simulate an imaginary civilisation in the woodland. The idea of the project was to encourage the children to integrate through constructive play and say how they would survive on the island. The outcome was a number of sustainable solutions which they had learnt about during the course of the day. Opportunities to develop self reliance Natural play environments develop a childs independence and self sufficiency. When a child enters a natural play environments they can develop a distance from their carers or parents either individually or with other children exploring. This opportunity for play can be achieved in any outdoor space, however in a natural play environment it is enhanced by the magical natural surroundings. This process is important to children who live in confined conditions and are restricted from access to natural play by the location of their accommodation and poverty. White and Stoecklin state ‘While the development of greater independence from toddlerhood to middle childhood can happen within the confines of indoor spaces, safe space outdoors greatly adds to the ability of children to naturally experiment with independence and separation, and the adults willingness to trust the childs competence which is essential for separation to happen. [32] When children accompanied by parents played in the woodland at Broom House they were often heavily restricted by parents who would not allow them to explore the zoned play spaces alone. This was seen on many occasions and created a barrier to the full potential of the natural play experience for their children. It was interesting to note that although school children stayed within their small teaching groups and despite not being in the comfort of their friendship groups, they were sufficiently stimulated to play together. It was also interesting to observe that the children moved quickly from the natural based play equipment to evolve new imaginative games, making maximum use of the woodland. It was also observed that the paths were used as catalyst for exploring the site within a time limit. [33] Opportunities for exposure to nature Our interactions with nature can be hugely diverse depending upon the environment which a child lives in or is exposed to. The experience of different materials, changing seasons and making connections to nature are important components in natural play. [34] The provision of living material in natural play landscapes incorporates the underlying processes of nature and therefore gives a strong understanding of nature gained through physical interaction and watching seasonal changes in the landscape. ‘Plants and vegetation as a medium within play spaces develop interactive skills. Plants stimulate discovery, dramatic pretend play, and imagination. Plants speak to all of the senses, so its not surprising that children are closely attuned to environments with vegetation. Plants, in a pleasant environment with a mix of sun, shade, colour, texture, fragrance, and softness of enclosure also encourage a sense of peacefulness†[35]. When children experience nature, it can be in a v ariety of sensory experiences its value is precious and can be remembered for a long time. Children appreciate the natural layers of the earth no matter how small the play space. Moore recorded a conversation with girls about playing in sand ‘We make streams in the sand when it rains and comes down the hill the girls said. The got down on their hands and knees and embarked on a sequence of sand play. Within a few moments they had laid out a network of â€Å"roads† running around the humpy surface of the fine, hard-packed, sandy soil. Other infrastructure such as houses and an imaginary manor house was also built. [36] * Water play The outdoor environment provides a variety of contrasting surfaces with different textures and play qualities. Recent heavy snowfall in England (2009) triggered instinctive responses to an element which acted as a catalyst for all ages to enjoy excitement and freedom without hesitation or social barriers. Natural materials are used to enhance environmental play for deprived inner city schools of Leeds such as Skelton Grange Environmental Centre in Leeds (West Yorkshire). One of the many natural based activities completed by school visitors is to construct components of the imaginary settlement described above using, sand, soil, water, twigs and leaves. This exercise although educational connects the children with natural materials. Design Design of Natural play environments can produce a range of natural play experiences rather than a single type as per traditional equipped play area†¦ DISCUSS HOW How can a landscape architect in the UK create ‘natural play environments? The previous section outlined an understanding of what natural play is, case studies and the benefits of designing natural play areas. Play England have given landscape architects the opportunity to design natural play areas in many parts of England what considerations need to be taken into account when designing them? New Initiatives of Play England between the years 2006 2009 Play England began working for the childrens play programme in 2006 and 2007, with funding gained from ‘The Big Lottery fund. The recent Play England guidelines show the design principles of Play England. Play England has produced many documents summarising the commitments announced for the Play Strategy of England. The two most relevant one to this study include the ‘Play Strategy and ‘Design for Play. [37] ‘Weve recently moved over to assessing the tenders on play value much more and this has forced the quality standards up, with suppliers now trying to outdo each other for natural play as well as good design and sheer quantity of features †¦ we score each activity and feature for points and use this information to guide us in consideration of the tenders. In the end though it still comes down to us trying to decide which will offer the best play opportunities for the next 15 years or more. Play England have worked in tune with a range of professionals to ensure the best possible guidelines for Landscape Architects to work towards during implementation of the national Play Strategy in their work. Play England is supporting local authority Playbuilders and Play Pathfinders (focusing on 8-13 yrs olds). Their purpose is to deliver the governments  £235m investment in play and natural play in order to create innovative and adventurous play spaces across the UK. This level of investment has not been made before in England. The Play Pathfinder scheme is intended to provide free play opportunities for children and young people in the country over the next 10 years. The Government announced in April 2009 that the overall success of the schemes would be reviewed by children in their local areas. A conference is planned in March 2010 and will explore the future and momentum of the campaign after the last four years. Play England Guidelines Since 2006 Landscape Architects have been required by Play England to adopt design principles which take into consideration the summarised guidelines below for new and refurbished natural play schemes (please see appendix 1 for Play England Design Principles in full); [38] Enhancing the site. Site analysis work ensuring the spirit of the chosen site is enhanced, complementing attractive parts of the site and enhancing poorer environments. Using the best location. A balance in defining the exact location of the proposed park, between safety of the child user and seclusion. Enhancing natural features of the site as well as adding new features./Adding a variety of new soft landscape material and natural landscape features in urban and rural play sites. Providing opportunities for diverse play./This includes accommodating natural play for all age ranges including devising social spaces for parents and carers onsite. Provide the opportunity for children of all abilities and needs to mix./ There should be no barriers for people with special needs which may include carers or parents. Encourage community participation in the design process./ The design required has to work for the community and captivate preferences of the neighbours of the site. Ensure the play space can be used by all ages./ The play site must incorporate many aspects of risk for its users to develop an understanding of risk. Design to develop childrens experiences of taking r

Tom Robinson is Proved Guilty Before Trial Essays -- Kill Mockingbird

Tom Robinson is Proved Guilty Before Trial In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, the black man falsely convicted of rape, had absolutely no chance of a fair trial. There is proof of this in the time period in which it occurred as well as evidence from the novel itself. Tom Robinson had an unfair trial because it was his word against the Ewell’s, a white, trashy family. To Kill A Mockingbird took place in the 1930’s, a time that was enormously charged with racial tension. One example of this is the existence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Even though the KKK was in a time of decline in the 1930’s, it had been very prominent in the 1920’s and had still not completely died out. The KKK had rallies and marches. They even marched in Washington D.C. several times. They burned crosses on the lawns of any white person who would show favor towards blacks in an effort to scare them away from helping black folks. The KKK was an extremely violent group. â€Å"While African-Americans still bore the brunt of much Klan violence, Jews and Catholics topped the enemy’s list, followed by immigrants and those who transgressed Klan’s vision of morality† (â€Å"History†). The KKK showed their violence in several ways. Lynchings occurred very frequently as did raids of people’s homes. Although not all lynchings were caused by the KKK most of them were. Lynchings were held very often in the South during the time when the KKK was prominent. During these lynchings, people were often pulled from their homes at night, beaten within an inch of their lives, and sometimes they were hanged or burned alive. These lynchings occurred most frequently among black people although white people were lynched as well. After t... ...case. The fact that the trial took place in the 1930’s in the South put automatic guilt over Tom Robinson’s head. He did nothing wrong, but that was not enough to convince the jury of his innocence. Works Cited Chalmers, Allan K. They Shall Be Free. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1951. "History of the Ku Klux Klan: The Second Era of the Ku Klux Klan, 1915, 1944." HateWatch.org. 13 Feb. 2001. http://www.hatewatch.co.uk/klan/2nd_era1.html. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1960. "Scottsboro Case." 1999-2000. Encyclopedia Brittanica. 11 Mar. 2001. http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/printable/2/0,577,68092,00.html. Pansdell, Hollace. "Report on the Scottsboro, Ala. Case ." American Civil Liberties Union 27 May 1931. 11 Mar. 2001 http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/SB_HRrep.html.

Wilderness and Adventure Education Essay -- Education

There are two different parts of the Wilderness Sports and Adventure Education model. The Wilderness sports part of it includes the students participating in various activities such as canoeing, rock climbing and hiking. They are not traditional sports because the athletic ability of the student is not as important as it would be in traditional physical education activity. For example, a child may not be able to kick a soccer ball very well or throw a softball accurately but they would be able to hike up a mountain. Not all schools are able to do these activities because they are lacking the recourses or money. However all schools can participate the in the Adventure Education part of the model. The reason being is because they don’t need the equipment to go canoeing or the environment to have the trails to go hiking. All the teacher needs to participate in Adventure education is a few obstacles to help students with different skills and the student’s cooperation. The Wilderness Sports teaching model is unique from other teaching models. Not every school has the resources or the time in the curriculum to provide students with the opportunity to perform the Wilderness Sports such as cycling, hiking or rock climbing. This gives the chance for the school to come up with extra-curricular activities for the students that otherwise wouldn’t be able to do during the school day. A great extra-curricular activity would be mountain biking. Biking is a great way to stay in shape and go for an adventure at the same time. It also provides bonding time with the teacher and the student which is very important. â€Å"We began taking rides together. The students would show me new trails, and I would show them the ones I was familiar with. The bike rid... ...o it is only done by people who want to participate so they already have something in common. In Adventure Education the team has to work together so the students can make friends that way. This is a teaching model that all physical education teachers should try to incorporate into the curriculum. Works Cited Darst, Paul W., and Robert P. Pangrazi. Dynamic Physical Education for Secondary School Students. San Francisco: Pearson Education, 2002 McCracken, Bane. It's Not Just Gym Anymore Teaching Secondary School Students How to Be Active for Life. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2001 Cummiskey, Matthew. "The New PE Homepage." The New PE Homepage. West Chester University. Web. 03 Apr. 2012. . "Welcome to Project Adventure, Leaders In Adventure and Experience-based Learning." Project Adventure. Web. 03 Apr. 2012. .

Barriers To Communication Essay

A † communication barrier† or â€Å"a barrier to communication† is anything that interferes with the transfer of intended information from a sender to a receiver. This can include anything from static on a radio, preventing the listener from hearing the program, to a third party interfering in a conversation between two people.Barriers to communication can retard or distort the message and intention of the message being conveyed which may result in failure of the communication process or an effect that is undesirable. These include filtering, selective perception, information overload, emotions, language, silence, communication apprehension, gender differences and political correctness This also includes a lack of expressing â€Å"knowledge-appropriate† communication, which occurs when a person uses ambiguous or complex legal words, medical jargon, or descriptions of a situation or environment that is not understood by the recipient. Psychological Barriers The psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received. For example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed. Anger is another example of a psychological barrier to communication, when we are angry it is easy to say things that we may later regret and also to misinterpret what others are saying. Psychological barriers to communication include. Emotional Perceptual Selectivity Emotions Emotional barriers is the feelings that prevent you to communicate effectively. liking and disliking are included in Emotional Barrier. Both the encoder and decoder affected in emotional barrier.To communicate effectively, you must clearly convey thoughts and emotions both verbally and nonverbally. Many times, emotional barriers on your part or the part of the person you are speaking with may inhibit your ability to communicate on an effective level. Your emotional state may influence your capacity to make yourself understood and hamper your understanding of others. For example you might be emotionally blocked if you are announcing a new policy, giving the first major presentation on job or in a class, writing someone you dislike. People may feel indifferent toward you or your subject or show anger against you and your subject. Perceptual Perception is a subjective process. When senses deliver their information to the reception centers of the cortex, they are associated with past perceptions, memories, feelings, thoughts, values, needs, drives, attitudes and other things going on in the brain that are totally unique. The result is a highly individualized way of looking at things. Perception is understanding of the world around us. Each one perceives the world in his own unique way and interprets what has been perceived in yet another unique way and interprets what has been perceived in yet another unique way. When we strongly disagree, we simply say â€Å"I am sorry, our perceptions appear to be different†. For example imagine every one in a company receiving a copy of the annual report. An accountant may concentrate only on one footnote in the financial statement, a sales person may look at marketing charts, and a public relations officer may respond only to the quality of the brochure itself each reader received the same data each reader perceived the differently. Another example of perception is your boss ask you to turn in a report right away you work late that night because you assume he means as soon as possible in fact he meant before the end of the week in this case you filled in information. Selectivity The audience is not able to absorb all the information coming from a variety of sources; so the audience pick up information on selectively. The selectivity is affected by timing, context, and the degree of uniqueness of information.

Political party in france

General Introduction The Parties have become a major player In politics In the late nineteenth century. The functioning of political regimes is deeply committed to the existence of these political parties that did not exist in the eighteenth century and were still embryonic in the early nineteenth century. In the totalitarian, one-party organizing manipulation. This explains the importance of parties in this type of regime.The importance of parties is also true In pluralist democracies because there Is a democratic competition : intention between political parties that compete for the conquest of Institutions and power. As the parties have a monopoly of electoral offer, they effectively control all elected offices, this means that the party has a virtual monopoly on the selection of leaders. For all these reasons, if we want to understand how liberal democracies work, one must understand how a political party works. What is a political party?A political party is an organized associat ion that brings together citizens united by a common Ideology or philosophy, which she seeks fulfillment , with the goal of inquest and exercise of power. This Is an organization In the service of an Idea. The political environment is not the same everywhere. It may give a different country to another characteristic of a locality to another. These characteristics result in particular the diversity of political parties, but also systems of parties that are not uniform. In France, the role of political parties has been enshrined in the Constitution of 1 958 (art. 4), which since 1999 also gives their mission Is to promote equal access for women and men to electoral mandates and elective functions. Law f 11 March 1988 on the financing of political parties said they form and pursue their activities freely, they are endowed with legal personality and can take legal action. ) The French political system can often seem bewildering and difficult to follow. Compared to Britain or the ASSAI, France seems to have a plethora of political parties.Politicians, supposedly of the political right, may be heard defending positions more often held by political parties of the left in many other countries, and In recent French history, a good proportion of the economic liberation's that has taken place In France has been pushed through by governments of the left. ‘-Type of political parties In a country, political parties are not all identical. Several factors can help to distinguish the number and quality of members, voting, discipline or schools of thought.Depending on each element, we will have several types of parties. The most common distinction In political science remains that which Is established by Maurice Diverge between Mass Party and Cadre Party. We must therefore distinguish different types of parties: A- The Cadre Party The Cadre Party was born in the nineteenth century. The Cadre Party it's a parties they are parties of notables (resulting in a first time, the bourgeoisie or aristocracy) and traditionally are right or center. Example: the Radical Party in France.The first parties were historically Cadre Parties. It was Initially parliamentary groups together the reputation, prestige, and sometimes money. All these parties remain poorly structured. The authority is exercised within the party executive is both personal and decentralized. It normally operates at the district and national bodies cadre parties are little more than the Juxtaposition of local influences. B- The Mass Party The Mass Party was born in the early twentieth century with the development of Socialism and Communism.Their goal is the transformation of society and the creation of a new social order. For this, they rely on a structured and hierarchical organization and a large number of members and ensuring financial autonomy and supervision of party voters ; Example: the Socialist Party in France Unlike Cadre Parties, which are created spontaneously, Mass Parties were the result of a conscious . Notable party executives are reluctant to defend extreme positions, specially if they are contrary to their interest.These considerations explain the emergence in the late nineteenth century Mass Parties and the fact that the first of them were socialist parties. Two objectives necessitate the creation of a Mass Party: compensation by the number of low social influence of the proletariat and educational purposes. The operation of the Mass Party rigorously apply democratic principles. Members are similar to the electorate. They elect delegates to the congress who meet regularly and take the most important decisions: adoption and amendment of the statutes, election management bodies.