Public Education Essay -- Education Reform

Public education in the United States is perhaps one of the most critical issues we face as a nation. Once pronouncing the United States as a â€Å"nation at risk†, the educational institution began to implement one reform strategy after another. In efforts to improve schooling for K-12 students, education reform has fiddled with class size, revised graduation requirements, and created standardized testing just to name a few. Unfortunately, traditional public schools are still failing to provide students with a quality education. This is disheartening as we learn that the United States lags behind in math and science compared to our international counterparts. It is safe to say that educational reform has spent billions of dollars over the years in an honest effort to reform education in American; however, most reform decisions have produced little changes. Among the many radical education reform strategies implemented, charter schools are perhaps one of the most prominent. It has been roughly twenty years since several states opened a number of charter schools. The best way to describe charter schools is to say they are independent public schools of choice that are free from rules and regulations compared to traditional public schools. Charter schools are accountable for producing results; otherwise, they are subject to closing due to failing performance. There are more than 5,400 charter schools serving more than 1.7 million children across the country (Center for Education Reform, 2010). Currently, 40 states and the District of Columbia have charter school with 41 laws in place and only 13 have strong laws. The states with the strong laws, 65 percent show positive achievement gains (Center for Education Reform, 2010). These stati... ...ountry could benefit from the presence of charter schools. Although traditional public schooling is in trouble, they are not lost. With thousands of students on waiting list for charter school enrollment and a thousand more who will not attend a school of choice speaks to the need for charter schools. Conventional public schools need to move beyond the mandates of a bureaucratic system in order to experience real revitalization. Perhaps Andy Smarick has the right idea instead of trying to fix failing schools close them and start fresh (2010). Perhaps it is unrealistic to believe with the number of failing schools across this country we could replace them with new schools, but it is clear that something has to be done to ensure a quality education exist for all students. In the meantime, why not give charter schools a chance to educate those who they can serve.

His Excellency George Washington

His Excellency George Washington His Excellency George Washington, written by Joseph J. Ellis, provides us a look at one of the most influential men in American history. However, instead of looking at the monumental titan as most did, Ellis wrote about the man behind the monument; his successes, failures and desires that few if any have written about before.While not as formal sounding to the reader with many questions and out of the way comments by the author based on opinion instead of fact, like on page 194 where in moment about Washington saying formal etiquette of the levees combined with Washington's natural dignity (or was it his aloofness? ) to create†¦. ‘ with the content in the parentheses being his own. This statement of his was neither followed up by any fact nor further discussion entirely which is necessary in these situations. Or is it?Ellis spent his book not focusing on the monolith but on the man, dating back to before the French and Indian war where Wash ington started to receive recognition for his services, to his death in 1799. Ellis looked past all the brass and silver of his success in the public and thoroughly explored his private and personal life. Ellis painted Washington as a man who focused intently on his bottom line, as seen on page 165 where Ellis describes that the main reason for Washington wanting to get rid of his slaves was not for moral reasons but for economic reasons, as the slaves were no longer worth the investment.Ellis harped on the fact that only 3 letters of correspondence survived between George and Martha Washington (page 42), which was one of the few times e released his emotions considering his natural stone exterior. Ellis also put considerable effort in to focusing on his home in Mount Vernon which was a centerpiece in Washington's life. His life was changed forever by his wife Martha who, even though they originally married for economic reasons, became a ‘mutually affectionate bond' (Ellis, 42 ). From the beginning Washington was concerned about his future in the aristocratic- like planter class of Virginia.Being the 2nd son in the family George was not slated to receive his father's fortune, so he would need to find another career where he could aka one. He got his first Job as a surveyor sent to check on land in the Shenandoah Valley (Ellis, 10). It is presumed by Ellis that this is the point at which Washington saw the expansive and untouched land to the west, a driving force behind his ambitions both at the start of the revolution (Ellis, 57) and during his presidency. During his youth, America was a land where most identified themselves as British, Virginian ‘army and worked alongside the British intently during the French and Indian war.However many of the colonists believed they fought the French and Indian war to be allowed to expand west. This thought was extinguished when the proclamation of 1763 was released, forbidding colonist expansion westward. This w as one of the starting points where colonists began to feel some resentment to the British Crown, and only snowballed with every act thereafter. As more taxes and acts were being placed on colonists more and more anger about a lack or representation in parliament began to seep into American politics.Many of the more radical members who wanted full separation/retaliation became to be known as the Whig arty (Ellis, 62). These Whig were inspired by the Country Party (Ellis, 62-63) of England and wanted to establish a republican like government that better represented the colonists in the Americas. As time went on and the revolution ended, while the framing of the constitution took place and there on after, 2 political parties in the United States began to take route. The first major group was the Federalists led by Alexander Hamilton which Washington was a supporter of.The Federalists are precursors to modern day republicans. On the other hand a large group of people in the south didn' t like the centralist ideas of the Federalists, fearing that the Federalists would destroy their agriculturally based economies (Ellis, 204-205). These men went on to form the Republican Party, or Anti-Federalists, which is the modern precursor to the Democratic Party. While a member of it Washington hated and despised these 2 parties as he feared it would lead to a deadlock (which we can see today). Many decisions that would affect Americas social future were decided in Washington's era.A large one, the legality of slaves was one that was with him from the time of the revolution where he considered offering freedom for those who fought for him, until he finally passed away (Ellis, 263). While personally against slavery from a moral stand point later in his life at the beginning he took advantage of slave labor to help create his massive estates that were pivotal to his position in Virginia society. He did have 1 condition however that most slave owners didn't have; he would never s ell members of a slave family, only the whole family together (Ellis, 258).Joseph J. Ellis created a biography that changed some perspective of Washington. No longer an immovable figure of greatness, he was portrayed as a man who went through hardships, strife, and success, while still keeping his goals and ideals alive. He was a man with a deep capacity for emotion who had learned self-control and was always looking towards the future. He saw George as a man who would do what it took to get the Job done, and extend his legacy forever. Most importantly, Ellis shed new light on the man and not the monolith of His Excellency George Washington.

History Essay

To what extent was England dominated by Spain and the serving of Spanish interests during the reign of Mary When Mary decided upon making Spain a close ally in 1554 through the marriage of herself and Philip II of Spain, she took special precaution to not give the superpower too much authority over England. Despite that Lord Chancellor Gardiner and the House of Commons petitioned Mary to consider marrying an Englishman, after they feared that England would be relegated to a dependency of Spain, this fear in many cases came true. Philip viewed the marriage as entirely political and his second visit to England was clearly only due to wanting involvement in England, Spanish interests in England were helpfully reinforced through the marriage and Mary’s foreign policy, subsequently making England a Spanish pawn. However arguments to indicate that England was not dominated by Spain are also clearly noticeable, as Mary received her own advantages out of the marriage with Philip and assured Spain of the little authority Philip would receive through the terms of agreement. The marriage between Mary and Philip which he viewed to be entirely political and leaving Mary to defer heavily on Philip allowed him to also enjoy titles and honours for as long as their marriage should last. All official documents, including acts of parliament were to be dated with both their names, parliament was to be called under the joint authority of the couple and coins were to show the heads of both Mary and Philip. As well as Philip as a figure receiving authority in England, other advantages also lead to Spain being able to use England for Spanish interests. Involving England in the Hapsburg-Valois conflict, they made England into a ‘submissive satellite around the Hapsburg power’; this finally led to the loss of precious Calais for England after there was limited assistance in defence of Calais. Philips coincidental investment in the English navy led to huge advantages as he could consequently use this for his own benefit, and his communication with the Netherlands. This could perhaps be seen as pre-planned by Philip and therefore strongly suggesting Spain was using England for its benefit wherever its interests lay. Other examples are obvious of Philip taking advantage of English involvement, and this can be seen at the Siege of St Quentin, where 5,000 Englishmen joined 70,000 Spanish. Philips forces broke through French defence and the English support was made to seem more important than it was, in fact English troops were not actually needed at all. Overall England can be seen as doing exactly as Spain wished and Spain doing as they thought themselves necessary, the English cleared the channel for Phillip as he wished and Philip only visited England when he required England’s involvement, the marriage appeared completely one sided as Mary showed reliance on Phillip and heavily on Spanish advisors. Alternative views can also be noticed, as England received huge advantages through the alliance with Spain and perhaps gained just as much if not more than Spain had. The marriage with Phillip increased Mary’s Spanish inheritance, Philip was heir to vast territories in continental Europe and the New World and upon marriage Mary became Queen of Naples and titular Queen of Jerusalem. It was obviously clear to Mary that she was in need of a husband and an heir, in this case Philip was providing both, he had already one son from his first marriage and this proved him a good breeder so subsequently benefited Mary hugely and her security in England. Alternative support and security was also established upon the alliance as Henry II had strong Scottish support he was always a threat to England as he wanted Calais, however Mary alone would seem an easy target, but aligned with Spain she appeared stronger. We must also notice that Mary’s tactical approach to the terms of the marriage agreement left her in a very safe position. If no heir was secured or Mary died, neither he or his heirs would have any claim to the throne of England, Philip was to receive the title of King and rule as joint sovereign but he had no sovereign authority. He could not promote foreigners to hold office in England but he must uphold the laws of England. Those in Spain felt that Philips honour had been disparaged and it’s probable that Philip felt the same, however Mary was left safe and secure with the ability to use Spain as she wished. Mary was able to secure England’s main commercial outlet with the Netherlands and could use Spanish help if necessary against political instability, overall English security increased hugely and the benefits were clearly noticeable, proving in fact England was not dominated by Spain and Spanish interests and Mary’s own interests were not left abandoned. In conclusion, both arguments provide fair points and an equal understanding of advantages and disadvantages for each monarch due to the Spanish alliance; however the view that England was a Spanish pawn is a weak one. It is obvious England played along with the serving of Spanish interests but Mary still upheld authority and power, she only behaved to Spanish wishes to keep the alliance strong and secure. This did not necessarily mean that England was dominated and under Spanish dependency. Mary had a necessity to marry and produce an heir, this was an expectation she was forced to follow, and subsequently Phillip filled this position and secured many other insecurities which needed to be attended. Consequently England possessed access to numerous things; Spanish inheritance, Charles V as an ally, England’s main commercial outlet with the Netherlands, access to Spanish Atlantic treasure and political stability. Overall England received increasing security and benefits from the alliance with Spain, proving England not to be dominated by Spain but using Spain to it’s advantage equally as much.

Lake and River Microbes essays

Lake and River Microbes essays The microscopic organisms of local aquatic ecosystems, is important to the health and homeostasis of the natural environment. There are many types of microscopic organisms that dwell in the local lakes, streams, and rivers. Microorganisms' such as protists "algae" and microscopic invertebrates can be found in great quantities in the lo;cal; water systems. The most commonly found microorganisms are the prootozoans. The protozoans are divided in to two groups: the protists (plant like cholorophillic heterozygous eugenic prokaryotes) and algaey (animal like). The protists are all microscopic, unicellular eucaryotes. All are heterotrophic. Protists differ from other eucaryotic organisms in that they have a cell membrane made of a substance called pellicillin. They are classified according to the motility of the thing: the class mastigophora are protists that move through the use of flagellum (long whip-like structures), the class pseudofootia are the protists that move through walking (ameba), and the phylum ciliaphora are the protists that move through the use of cilicone (hair-like processes). There are also another group of protists called the sporozoans, which are immobile parasites. All forms of protist were found in the water samples except for the sporozoans. The other types of protozoan found were algae. Algae can be either unicellular or multicellular. All ore autotropic (they photosynthesize) and a few are both heterotrophic and autotrophic. Algae do not have any tissue, which is why they are not considered plants. Rather they exist in a state known as "ethereal entropic euphrigenesis." While there are many types are algae is the one be most commonly found in fresh water are the green algae (chlorphycophyta), euglenas (euglenophycophyta), and the golden algae (chrysophycophyta), which includes the diatoms. Brown algae and red algae are usually not found in freshwater. The euglena are flagellated algae ...

Is SAT Word of the Day Really a Good Way to Study Vocab

Is SAT Word of the Day Really a Good Way to Study Vocab SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips How do you learn new words, especially big ones like "obstreperous" and "percipient" that you don't often hear in daily conversation? Do you pore over long lists, make flash cards, or focus on one or two at a time? For those playing the long game, SAT Word of the Day sites and email lists can be useful resources for gradually building your vocabulary over time. This guide will point you to the best sources of SAT Word of the Day and give you some strategies for how to use them effectively. First, why might you want to study vocabulary this way? IsSAT Word of the Day Effective? Using SAT Word of the Day to build your vocabulary is effective in a gradual way, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as the only vocab studying you do to prepare for the SAT. It's a good way to start early, learn new words, and insert a little bit of SAT prep into your routine on a daily basis. That being said, SAT Word of the Day probably doesn't substitute for more extensive studying. Let's take a look at the pros and cons for studying SAT words in this way. Pros ofSAT Word of the Day Like a trickle of water filling up a bowl, learning a word a day can build up to a great deal of knowledge if you sustain it over time.It's a low-pressure, stress-free way to start SAT prep early, rather than cramming a lot of words at once and struggling to retain them. You could start freshman year and spend just 5 minutes a day learning a word's definitionand how that word isused in different contexts. Have you ever noticed how you learn a new word or fun fact for the first time and suddenly start seeing it everywhere? This "Baeder-Meinhof Phenomenon" could happen with new SAT words, too. You'll start to notice (and should be on the lookout for) SAT wordswhen you're reading books, blogs, or the news. This will both aid your long-term retention of the vocab and help you understandif a givenword has various uses and connotations. Widening your vocabulary is not just useful for the SAT, but also for your own writing, reading, and work throughout high school and college. Finally, SAT Word of the Dayalso serves as a daily reminder to stick to your overall test prep schedule. Incorporating a word a day or an SAT Question of the Day orients you towards learning and building your skills and understanding on a daily basis. While SAT Word of the Day is useful for building up your vocabulary and retaining new words over time, what are some downsides to this approach to studying? Cons of SAT Word of the Day Perhaps the most obvious question aboutusing SAT Word of the Day is whether it teaches you enough to really be effective. Since you're only focusing on one word each day, you'd have to start a long time in advance of your SAT test to learn enough words. If you don't keep reviewing and referring back to words, you might forget those you learned several months or a year ago. While you're studying a word a day in theory, likely you would end up studying more to review ones that you've already learned. Another downside to SAT Word of the Day is that it could bemore of a passive than an active approach. You're learning a word, but not necessarily putting it in context of the SAT and applying it to real SAT questions. Thus you would want to be proactive andcouple yourstudying with answering sample questions and ensuring that you can demonstrate what you've learned on SAT passage-based and sentence completion questions. How effective studying with SAT Word of the Day is also varies from student to student and depends on their individual learning style and focus. This approach may appeal more to you if you like spreading out your test prep over a sustained period of time, but may not be your preferred mode if you like to bunch up studying and focus intensively on more material at the same time. In order to get the most use out of SAT Word of the Day, you want to use high quality resources, just as you should with the rest of your SAT prep. Read on for my suggestions of the best sources for SAT Word of the Day. Where Can You Find SAT Words of the Day? You can track down high quality SAT Words of the Day on various websites, as well as sign up for daily emails. For further reinforcement, you could also choose to create your own word of the day flashcards by writing down vocabulary, definitions, and examples from SAT vocabulary lists. Below are my suggestions for the best websites and email lists. New York Times SAT Vocabulary The New York Times learning blog has an SAT Word the Day 7 days a week. It gives you SAT words anddefinitions, as well as an example of how eachword is used in a sentence. What I like about this blog is that it links you to all the New York Times articles that have used that word. This lets you gain a sense of how it's used in various contexts, which is especially helpful for passage-based vocabulary questions on the current SAT, as well as the more context-based vocabulary questions that will appear on the new SAT in 2016. Plus you can learn about current events and editorials, which might be useful to draw uponwhen it comes time to write your SAT essay. To access these words you have to visit the site. Unfortunately they don't have an email option or a phone app that you could download. You can follow the New York Times learning blogs on Twitter, but not specifically the SAT Word of the Day. Number2.com Word of the Day On this straightforward site, you can find an SAT vocabulary word, definition, and one example. Unlike the New York Times blog, this site doesn't give you additional examples of the vocabulary in context. You could do your own searches, along with keeping an eye out for words you're learning in your reading. If you prefer to have daily vocabulary emailed to you, you can sign up for the email lists of any of the sites below. Get Emailed SAT Word of the Day These sites are all comparable to one another. They will email you a vocabulary word, definition, and example sentence every day. Again, it would be up to you to seek out the new vocabulary in other contexts beyond the one sentence example. SAT Daily (this site also has a texting option) Test Magic SAT Word of the Day SAT Hot Words SAT Words Daily Signing up for an email or texting list is an easy way to keep up with the word a day. Just don't let the emails pile up in your inbox! Finally, you could also create your own vocabulary lists and words of the day on paper or online. One site that's useful for this kind of self-directed studying is Quizlet. Make Your Own SAT Word of the Day Quizlet has some useful preexisting SAT vocabulary lists that you could use to create your own flashcards. You can also upload your own lists and practice that way, perhaps to review words of the day that you studied in the past. If you have an iPad or tablet, you can also play vocabulary matching games and time yourself as you review. If you start studying vocabulary in freshman year for just five minutes a day, then you could really grow your language skills over time. To make the most of your prep, use high quality resources that access the most commonly tested SAT vocabulary words. The best way to retain words and have a complex understanding is to read them in various contexts and take note when they appear in your reading. You could even try working it into conversation or your texts, though you might cause some confusionif you start throwing words like "assiduous" and "perfidious"around. Rather than only passively reading through definitions, actively search these words out and couple your studying with answering SAT practice passage-based and sentence completion vocabulary questions. At the same time, it's important to note that this focus on vocabulary might actually be more relevant for the current version of the SAT than the redesigned one rolling out in 2016. The new SAT has less of a focus on "big" words and more focus on relatively common words that might be presentedin an unusual way.Below is a quick review of the changes as they relate to vocabulary. How Important is Vocabulary for the New SAT? If you're taking the new SAT, you might consider readjusting your approach to studying SAT vocabulary. The new SAT is deemphasizing these common SAT words, and shaping questions around more accessible words, like "intense" and "maintain," that might have different connotations in different sentences. Instead of stand-alone sentence completion questions, the vocabulary questionswill be more passage-based. If you're taking the current version of the SAT, then SAT Words of the Day are still a very useful tool for building your vocabulary and learning the words you'll need to achieve strong scores on the Critical Reading section. If you're taking the newer version, you might still benefit from the SAT Word of the Day, but should focus on connotation and context and not worry too much about particularly obscure words. By learning more about what skills the new SAT will test, you can reshape your prep and continue to use older practice materials effectively. With SAT Word of the Day and all your test prep, you'll be best served by reflecting on your learning style and uncovering the tactic that works best for you. How Do You Learn New Words? As with all aspects of studying for the SAT, reflect on how you learn and retain information and customizeyour study plan to best help you improve. Even if you're someone who likes to bunch up studying, SAT Words of the Day can be a useful tool, especially if you start early. Even though I gave several options of websites and email lists above, the "word of the day" is meant to be just that, a single vocabulary word that you examine and incorporate on a daily basis.With this approach, it's better to prioritize quality of words, definitions, and examples over quantity. Pick just one of those resources (or two, if you really want) and stick with it. Pay attention to how it's used, where you can find it, and how it helps express a thought or idea. Even if only a fraction of the words you learn actually show up on your official SAT tests, you'll still have advanced your language and sharpened your reading, writing, and communication skills. Plus you can impress your friends and family with your ever expanding repertoire of impressive vocabulary. What's Next? Besides Word of the Day, you might also be learning a lot of SAT vocabularyat the same time. Learn about the "waterfall method" of studying SAT words and definitions. Do you have a choice between taking the current version of the SAT and the new SAT? Read about the differences and how to decide between the two here. Gunning for a top SAT score? Read our guide on how to get a perfect SAT score. Learn how to get an 800 on SAT Reading, SAT Math, and SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Of Pandas, People, and Propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Of Pandas, People, and Propaganda - Essay Example This holds that the acquisition of knowledge can be explained by justified true belief. Justified true belief was defined by Plato in his work Theatetus. This says that in order for anyone to truly know a thing, that thing: must be true; we must believe it; and there must be sufficient evidence for it (i.e., it must be justified). "If a belief is justified, there is something which justifies it. The thing which justifies a belief can be called its justifier. If a belief is justified, then it has at least one justifier What sort of thing can be a justifier Three things that have been suggested are: beliefs only; beliefs together with other conscious mental states; and beliefs, conscious mental states, and other facts about us and our environment (which we may not have access to)" (Answers.com, 2005). Gettier posed the question: "Is justified true belief knowledge" In his paper, Gettier set forth conundrums which he believed demonstrated a fallacy with justification of belief into know ledge. d. Jones is the man who will get the job, and Jones has ten coins in his pocket. Smith's evidence for (d) might be that the president of the company assured him that Jones would in the end be selected, and that he, Smith, had counted the coins in Jones's pocket ten minutes ago. Proposition (d) entails: Let us e. The man who will get the job has ten coins in his pocket. Let us suppose that Smith sees the entailment from (d) to (e), and accepts (e) on the grounds of (d), for which he has strong evidence. In this case, Smith is clearly justified in believing that (e) is true. But imagine, further, that unknown to Smith, he himself, not Jones, will get the job. And, also, unknown to Smith, he himself has ten coins in his pocket. Proposition (e) is then true, though proposition (d), from which Smith inferred (e), is false. In our example, then, all of the following are true: (i) (e) is true, (ii) Smith believes that (e) is true, and (iii) Smith is justified in believing that (e) is true. But it is equally clear that Smith does not know that (e) is true; for (e) is true in virtue of the number of coins in Smith's pocket, while Smith does not know how many coins are in Smith's pocket, and bases his belief in (e) on a count of the coins in Jones's pocket, whom he falsely believes to be the man who will get the job" (Gettier, 1963). Gettier demonstrated that knowledge is not acquired as simply or straight-forwardly as philosophers had assumed for over 2000 years. Factual knowledge is not as simple or self-evident as it so often seems to be. Thus, the process of learning cannot be taken for granted. Questions about learning and the acquisition of knowledge need to be posed that can apply to all disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, history, the arts, mathematics, and language. Definitive answers are hard to come by. "'What is Truth' said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer," wrote Francis Bacon in his Of Truth, Essays or Counsels Civil and Moral (Theory of Knowledge, 2005). Philosophers have studied the topic of epistemology ever since the time of Plato. Several different theories of the learning process have gained hold in Western

Charles Manson Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Charles Manson - Research Paper Example The presence of malice aforethought as implied by the conduct of the accused constitutes murder; thus, without malice the homicide becomes manslaughter. Apart from malice being a statutory requirement for murder, the unlawful killing must be of a human being; even though, what constitutes a person is controversial issue in law in US since the fourth amendment of the constitution does not recognise foetus as a person yet some states recognise foetus as human being (Carper, McKinsey and West 2008). Charles Manson was notoriously linked to the slaying Sharon Tate an actress and other Hollywood residents even though he was not convicted of carrying out the murders himself; moreover, he was associated with the famous ‘Tate-La Bianca’ killings that immortalised him as the embodiment of the evil. Manson together with his loyal disciples are believed to have carried out at least 35 killings that mainly were never tried because of the lack of proof or because the architects were sentenced for life for the Tate/La Bianca killings. At his birth, he was named as Charles Milles Maddox by his mother, who was at the time, was an alcoholic and a prostitute. The mother later got married to William Manson; nevertheless, the marriage was short-lived and Charles ended up in a boy school. Charles came back to his mother, but she was not interested in him and soon Charles commenced a street life surviving on petty crime (â€Å"Charles Manson†, n.d.). Probation reports revealed that he was suffered from high degree of rejection, psychic trauma and instability thus the struggle for a status; moreover, the reports indicated that he was dangerous, unpredictable and only safe under supervision. Since 1958, Manson was arrested and released for various offenses such as passing of stolen checks and ‘pimping’ which sent him to McNeil Island prison for ten years. While Manson was incarcerated, he discovered his creative talent, gained knowledge in reading musi c and playing guitar, and finally freed in March of 1967. The next year, Manson organized a murderous operation that made him a considerable figure in criminal history. Therefore, Manson indicates a personality trait of passion associated with cult groups, which emerged in 1960’s. He pathologically believed that he was the forerunner of doom regarding the future of the planet similar to the way cult and evangelistic figures claim prophetic knowledge of the end of the world. Drugs, artworks, and music that prevailed at the time influenced Manson; moreover, Manson had strong belief and interest in the concept of the Armageddon in the bible (â€Å"Charles Manson†, n.d.). The first victims of Manson’s criminal activities were guests at a Beverly Hills home that included Sharon Tate an actress of who was seven months pregnant, where Manson gathered most of his devoted followers to accomplish the task. Moreover, the next day, Manson initiated another killing spree at the home of a wealthy couple Leno La Bianca and his wife, for this task, Manson chose his most obedient comrades. Even though, Manson was never directly involved in the killings, he manipulated his disciples and taught them to kill (â€Å"Charles Manson†, n.d.). Developmental life-course considers crime as a product of developmental process that begins prior to birth and progresses throughout an individual’s life. The developmental-life course theory considers the interaction of individual factors like personality and social factors like