Data Mining Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information Mining Questions - Essay Example These quests contain reports, data about archives, information about information, text, sound, pictures and so on. Like data recovery, information mining additionally includes gathering data. With information mining inquiry, it is requests on patterns on the data assembled from enormous databases or huge measure of information. Information mining inquiry utilizes programming or web examination administrations in figuring out enormous information and picking bits of relative data to show examples or connections that are inserted, holding back to be found and conceivably useful. A database's presentation is estimated by its plan, adequacy when used to ask 'data', continually refreshed and obviously the measure of information accessible for which it was developed for. Metric proportions of execution are accessible to measure the adequacy of the data recovery. These are accuracy, review, F-measure and Mean-normal exactness. Exactness is the extent of the applicable records to all archives recovered and review is the extent of significant reports that are recovered to every important archive accessible. ... A database's exhibition is estimated by its plan, adequacy when used to ask 'data', continually refreshed and obviously the measure of information accessible for which it was built for. Metric proportions of execution are accessible to evaluate the adequacy of the data recovery. These are accuracy, review, F-measure and Mean-normal exactness. Exactness is the extent of the important archives to all reports recovered and review is the extent of pertinent records that are recovered to every significant report accessible. Continuously, F-measure is the weighted consonant mean of accuracy and review and the mean normal exactness; where normal accuracy alludes to the normal of the accuracy after each pertinent record is recovered. For information mining question, its proportion of execution can be estimated in the precision of the result of the information mining to the proposed request and if there other conceivable usable revelations delivered in that inquiry. 3.) Clearly clarify the idea of outline with a model. Reference: Wikipedia, Online Free Encyclopedia Information mining is focused on deciding examples from information. Inquiries regularly lead to an assortment of examples which can be viewed as an outline of information. Since design assortments summing up the information are frequently enormous, it is then hard to sum up design assortments. A portion of the proposed and contemplated strategies for summing up design assortments are: 1) Quality worth disentanglements. 2) Pattern orderings. 3) Pattern chains and antichains. 4) Change profiles. 5) Inverse example disclosure. For quality worth improvements, design assortments are

Title: What does personalised learning mean in practice

Task TMI Title: What does customized realizing mean by and by? Investigate the adapting needs of EAL understudies, and those of SEN students. Examine how the necessities you Identify can be met most adequately in subject instructing. Inside this setting in the course of recent years' the term ‘personalised learning' increased political capital and could be considered as a characterizing highlight of the UK's instructive framework. Miliband 2004) Personalized learning †hypothesis and practice The Sussex report states customized learning is ‘characterised by elevated levels of interest of students and staff in the schools, figuring out how to learn and understudy voice'. It is a consistent advancement which encourages a ‘deeper learning'. (College of Sussex, 2007). Personalisation is worried about individuals, henceforth what or who is an individual, their motivation, how they create, are spurred, gain aptitudes, structure capacities and identify with others.Henc e, customized learning isn't just the securing of information or abilities yet how to produce an individual's ability and abilities to do as such. Therefore, ideas of customized learning have reflected various contemporary hypothetical talks, including Piaget's conceptualisation of psychological improvement dependent on iological development and ecological experience to conduct therapists center around learning through molding, through to Skinner and Watson's prize and punishment.Vgotsky investigated how an's individual social, financial and social impacts can decide their ‘actual' and ‘potential' advancement levels inside school based learning. Howard Gardner could be considered as a worldview shifter (Smith 1994) as he scrutinized the idea of insight dependent on psychological turn of events, and looked to show that a kid might be at various phases of evelopment at a solitary time, and this is reflected in their capacity to gain proficiency with their development on df ferent learning styles.He in this manner scrutinized the idea of platform alluding to seven different insights, two of which have been received inside school conditions, to be specific semantic knowledge identifying with the capacity to learn and utilization of verbal and composed language, and coherent numerical Intelligence identifying with examination of issues, getting a handle on of quantitative data and technical studies. I Implemented this instructional method with my top set 10 class while showing controlled ssessment vocabulary.Recent UK Government strategy has energized an instructive methodology that tailors backing to Individual needs so that ‘every kid matters'. The five center between related points; be solid, remain safe, appreciate and accomplish, make a positive commitment and accomplish monetary prosperity supported by training direction ana administrative perTormance frameworks slgnlTy tne Importance 0T social, financial and ecological variables on kid impro vement. Diminish Senge said â€Å"many youngsters battle in schools in light of the fact that the manner in which they are being educated is inconsistent with the way they learn† (Capel, S. al, 2007) subsequently instructing and backing can be improved by urging school based figuring out how to be structured around a student's needs, henceforth Miliband's statement above. Evaluation for adapting legitimately identifies with national instructor standard 6; ‘make exact and beneficial utilization of appraisal'. Showing utilizes both developmental progressing appraisals and summative evaluations, typically toward the finish of a module, plan of work or a piece of a scholastic year. Summative evaluations for the most part identify with formal assessments that illuminate gushing and positioning, to advise responsibility (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall and William, 2002).Summative appraisals are regularly segregated from typical instructing and learning, and are frequently zon es of which educators have minimal direct control as far as customizing for students, for instance ‘6SCEs'. Key developmental methods incorporate higher request scrutinizing that objectives towards their present level; customized remark checking, distinguishing clear focuses for development, self and companion appraisals and investigating and utilizing mark plans and criticism from summative evaluations to help singular getting the hang of plans.According to Williams (2009) the adequacy of developmental evaluations can produce about three terms extra procuring every year. Anyway Ofsted audits have distinguished educators' troubles in recognizing away from targets and results by the utilization of accomplishment levels to illuminate organized exercise arranging and appraisal (Ofsted, 2007). For instance in my subsequent arrangement school I solicited a blended capacity bunch from year 7's to survey sentence models and clarified the achievement rules dependent on Bloom's taxonom y.This demonstrated what was relied upon to respond to higher request questions and leveled answers. It was troublesome from the outset anyway when they got acquainted with my desires a stamped improved was recognized in their work. They had the option to decipher the distinctions appropriately and with platform most of them had the option to boundlessly build up their answers. (See informative supplement 1) When thinking about Howard Gardner's numerous knowledge, personalisation inclines towards the comprehension and utilization of various learning styles, in particular broad media, and kinaesthetic.However Cofield et al (2004) recommend that the adequacy of this center is shifted, as far as their unwavering quality and as a help for learning. Setting the student at the core of the showing procedure and thus empowering them to assume greater liability or their learning can likewise be conveyed through creating learning targets intelligent of individual and study hall needs. Sprout' s scientific classification gives a grouping of learning targets under psychological, full of feeling and psychomotor giving a strategy to framework real and expected learning inside the classroom.Differentiation can guarantee a study hall of blended capacity understudies are completely animated and extended, and this can be accomplished paying little heed to capacity when setting assignments, whenever executed just as one were ascending a stepping stool so as to arrive at the top, or goal of the exercise. (Negligible, 2009). Inside the MFL office we work a ‘ALL, MOST, SOME' to separate our undertakings, (see informative supplement 2 ; 3) including a test at the base for the most capable or for local talking understudies. This guarantees each and every understudy can be gotten to and furthermore be extended paying little mind to capacity and rank order.Alex Moore proposes tnat a decent teacner needs to De key In applylng models and hypotheses to shape and create ‘pedagog ic character (Moore, 2000). Utilizing these thoughts, along with Wgotskys hypothesis of constructivism has assists specialists with creating and proceed to design exercises that are inventive, fun, centered, tructured and intriguing joined with conveying substance to any capacity, paying little heed to require (be that G&T, nixed capacity or SEN) or those that experience trouble with center, learning and advancing in a customary homeroom environment.Some of the techniques utilized in the study hall to exploit ‘multiple insights' are video clasps, symbolism and presentations for visual students and gathering work, for example, pretends or quizz type games for relational students. For the intra-individual students, empowering them to set individual objectives and difficulties for themselves, for the more verbally slanted understudies question and answers or ualitative appraisal lastly critical thinking and demonstrating for progressively kinaesthetic pupils.Curriculum qualif ication and decision identifies with national instructor's standard 3. The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action suggested at a national and school level that â€Å"schools ought to oblige all youngsters paying little mind to their physical, scholarly, social, passionate, semantic or other conditions† (1994) As previously mentioned, and experienced in both my school and in my arrangement schools, many Stage and 1 and 2 EAL understudies are pulled back from MFL and other on †center subjects so as to concentrate on proficiency and numeracy improvement.Interestingly, MFL is one of hardly any zones that numerous EAL understudies don't feel detached as different understudies are additionally at another phase of learning an alternate language likewise, and accordingly can exceed expectations in the subject. The National Curriculum (1999) diagrams that â€Å"in request to conquer any boundaries to learning in MEL†; explicit prerequisites, for example, PCs, backing and help ought to be given so as to get to the learning for EAL understudies requiring support. For sure, this subject explicit incorporation data declares that â€Å"all upils reserve a privilege to take an interest in the investigation of MEL† (Pachler, Barnes ; Field, 2009).

Analysis of Comments on a New York Times Article Essay

The article, â€Å"Forced From Executive Pay to Hourly Wage,† which was composed by Michael Luo and was distributed in the New York Times last February 28, 2009, fundamentally recounted to the tale of individuals who used to procure five or six-figure sums every year, are currently being paid hourly least wages. One model in the article was the situation of Mark Cooper, who used to gain $70,000 as a security chief for Fortune 500 Company in the United States and who directs a financial plan of $1. 2 million. Nine months prior, he lost his activity and now he is winning $12 an hour in his position at his friend’s janitorial administrations organization. Despite the fact that the article itself is sufficiently engaging, it is additionally intriguing to take note of the readers’ remarks about it. Starting at now, there are 300 remarks about the article and after looking into the greater part of them, it tends to be gathered that every peruser who remarked had essentially various perspectives and conclusions about the story told in the New York Times article. Obviously, these perusers stick to various good codes which are seen through their reactions. All in all, the perusers who remarked on the article can be partitioned into two gatherings: one gathering praised the fearless demonstration of Mark Cooper while the other censured the style of composing and the unpretentious message that New York Times essayist utilized in the article. One of the reader’s who lauded the article story appreciated the fearlessness of Mr. Cooper as he had the option to bring down his pride and discovered approaches to accommodate his family regardless of whether it implies that he needs to scour toilets and have his compensation significantly decreased from five figures to a time-based compensation with no advantages. As it were, this gathering exceptionally respected the estimation of difficult work and starting from the very beginning again in an honorable manner. The vast majority of their remarks fundamentally showed that Mr. Cooper isn't the only one and that there are several Americans who have comparative â€Å"riches to rags† stories. These perusers, in light of their remarks, likewise accepted that there is no disgrace being poor up to one has a stately and legitimate activity. On other hand, the other gathering of perusers who remarked on the article condemned the New York Times for suggesting that the individuals who work manual occupations are lower types of people than the individuals who work clerical ones. They consider the to be as separating to Americans who have been experiencing their lives underneath the neediness line for quite a while even before the current financial emergency. For instance, one peruser mourned that article pretty much demonstrated that a $12-an-hour work is a disgusting method of living, which isn't accurate. What's more, one peruser didn't feel frustrated about Mr. Cooper and remarked that he had a ton to be grateful for in light of the fact that he lives in a better than expected house and had the option to carry on with a rich life. To this peruser, the financial emergency makes everybody in America equivalent since they are battling to get by. In any case, what’s basic in all the readers’ reactions is that they could all identify with the challenges experienced by the individuals delineated in the article. Indeed a portion of the perusers, who are clearly from various different backgrounds, shared their own accounts in their remarks. At the end of the day, the single factor that ties all the perusers who remarked is the hardship realized by the budgetary emergency in America. As it were, the article’s remarks show two things: one is that there are a great deal of Americans who are so used to a decent life that they are apparently found napping when an overwhelming money related emergency like this hits them and the other is that because of the emergency, most Americans would take on any activity just to endure. Be that as it may, the remarks additionally demonstrated that Americans are increasingly brought together in accomplishing a shared objective which is to recuperate from the overwhelming impacts of the emergency and modify their lives. Works Cited Luo, Mark. â€Å"Forced From Executive Pay to Hourly Wage. † 28 February 2009. New York Times. 4 March 2009 < http://www. nytimes. com/2009/03/01/us/01survival. html? pagewanted=1&_r=2&sq=executive%20janitor&st=cse&scp=1>.

Homosexual Couples Essay Example for Free

Gay Couples Essay Youngsters received by gay guardians will become focuses of homophobic harassing. As indicated by a teacher’s relationship in the United Kingdom practicing on showing issues, homophobic harassing â€Å"can influence any youngster, for instance, somebody with gay family members† (Association of Teachers and Lecturers, 2006). The teacher’s affiliation calls attention to that having gay guardians is sufficient to connect with homophobic conduct. This type of tormenting endures as well as compounds all through the child’s tutoring in light of the fact that it is one of the most troublesome types of harassing to take note. The impacts of harassing are notable. Driving analyst Victoria Clarke, among others, noticed that homophobic tormenting specifically â€Å"is a significant issue that conveys numerous serious mental consequences† (Clarke, 2006). Survivors of prodding and harassing regularly are frequently timid and mind their own business. Most casualties of tormenting make some hard memories imparting to other people and have numerous relationship issues, as an immediate consequence of the savagery that they experience. What these youngsters really gain from their encounters is that self-articulation can prompt genuine physical damage. This fundamentally puts a budgetary strain on the group of those experiencing tormenting. It outlines the confidence of these casualties to such a degree, that they neglect to conquer a mentality where they feel that they are casualties. They at that point neglect to assume positive responsibility for their lives and regularly winding into misery. The individuals who bolster reception by gay guardians place their contention on contemplates that show that gay child rearing has no negative impacts on kids. These contentions ignore the way that what is significant is the wellbeing of the kid. These examinations don't consider the other roundabout negative impacts of being raised by gay people, such as being increasingly defenseless against sexual abusers †not that the guardians themselves would mishandle their kids †yet these youngsters are bound to come into contact with different gay people who are sexual stalkers. As per the Family Research Institute, â€Å"all to practically all youth attacks of young men are made by grown-ups of a similar sex with gay people bookkeeping up to more than 33% of the pedophiles under examinations made as right on time as 1948† (Cameron, 2006). It isn't far to envision that of the numerous gay people that these youngsters might be presented to, in any event one may attempt to explicitly mishandle them. This is an alarming number that ought not be disregarded. In spite of the fact that I don't propose that all gay people are pedophiles, it can't be overlooked that these pedophiles are on the whole gay. This connection among homosexuality and sexual maltreatment is very much archived by pundits, for example, Charles Coughlin, who asserts that â€Å"[a]s right on time as 1948, the Kinsey overview uncovered that 37% of gay men confessed to having sexual relations with underage young men; and if gay men were conceding these violations in 1948, when society was unquestionably increasingly traditionalist, what might the numbers be today when individuals are progressively open minded of gay connections? † (Coughlin, 2006). The inexorably liberal mentality society has taken since 1948 focuses toward a much bigger number of sexual stalkers who come into contact with our kids. In this way, a bigger number of lives are in question than what we understand. We need to recollect it just takes one experience with a sexual stalker before a guiltless child’s life is changed until the end of time. Plainly permitting gay people to embrace youngsters isn't in any child’s wellbeing and ought to be refused. In no occurrence should a kid be presented to sexual stalkers. Kids have the right to be raised in a home situation where there is an equalization of male and female impacts. At long last, being embraced by gay guardians uncovered the received kid to homophobic tormenting which isn't just horrible, yet destructive to a child’s appropriate physical, enthusiastic, and mental turn of events. Sources:Hayton, Bradley, 1993. To Marry or Not: The Legalization of Marriage and Adoption of Homosexual Couples at http://brilliance. m6. net/myrrh/doc-samesx. html Cameron, Paul, 2006. Youngster Molestation and Homosexuality. at http://www. familyresearchinst. organization/FRI_EduPamphlet2. html Coughlin, Charles, 2006. 37% of Gay Men Admit Molestation at http://www. whitecivilrights. com/37-of-gay-men-concede molestation_611. html Dailey, Timothy. â€Å"Homosexual Parenting: Placing Children at Risk,† Insight 238, Family Research Council, http://www. frc. organization/get. cfm? i=IS01J3. Wardle, Lynn D. 1997. â€Å"The Potential Impact of Homosexual Parenting on Children. † Universityof Illinois Law Review 1997:833â€919. p, 860 refered to in (How) Does the Sexual Orientation of Parents Matter? † Judith Stacey and Timothy J. Biblarz at http://www. e-noah. net/ASA/MO/articles/stacey. pdf Sotirios Sarantakos. 1996. Youngsters in three settings: Family, instruction and social turn of events, Children Australia, Vol. 21, No. 3, (1996): pp. 23-31 at http://www. upper leg tendon. organization. au/pdfs/load_pdf_public. pdf? pdf_id=586from=SEARCH Clarke, Victoria, et. al. 2004. Children are simply barbarous in any case: Lesbian and gay guardians talk about homophobic tormenting. English Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 43, Number 4 Association of Teachers and Lecturers, 2006. Various types of harassing. http://www. new2teaching. organization. uk/tzone/Behavior/pupil_bullying/different_forms. asp

Fathom vs. Phantom

Understand versus Ghost Understand versus Ghost Understand versus Ghost By Maeve Maddox An ongoing letter to the supervisor starts along these lines: The latest transient understand around the United States is the alleged flare-up of Ebola. The essayist wishes to call attention to that the announced Ebola danger to the United States was brief, yet in addition pitiful, a â€Å"short-term phantom.† Here are the most widely recognized meanings of apparition as the word is utilized in present day English: ghost [FAN-tm] (thing): 1. A thing (for the most part with human structure) that appears to the sight or other sense however has no material substance; a nebulous vision, a phantom, an apparition. 2. Something just envisioned; a picture in a fantasy, vision, and so forth. Likewise: a (generally deceptive) thought or thought that plays on the psyche or frequents the creative mind. ghost (descriptive word): deceptive, nonexistent. Instances of current use: Thing Michael Crawford started the job of the apparition in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theater in London in 1986. I heard reports of the ice ghost, saw the mystery spot where it was said to show up, [and] pondered about it for two years.â Are Water Well Meters a Phantom or Reality? Descriptive word Around 5 to 10% of people with a removal experience ghost sensations in their excised appendage, and most of the sensations are painful.â Between King, Gohmert, and West, three separate House panels could choose to invest significant congressional energy fighting a ghost threat.â The word understand is an amazingly early English word. It is utilized with more than one importance. NOTE: The an in the principal syllable of understand is short, similar to the an in apparition, yet the subsequent syllable starts with the sound of th as in this. The two words don't sound the same. As a term of estimation, a comprehend is a length of around six feet, normally used to quantify the profundity of water. The first significance of the thing understand was â€Å"the two arms outstretched.† A comprehend was the length spoken to by the arms of a full-developed man held straight out to either side. The exacting significance of the action word, to comprehend is â€Å"to circle with the arms.† For instance, a tree trunk may be unreasonably thick for a man to understand (i.e., surround with his arms). At the point when comprehend came to be utilized to gauge profundity, the action word gained an allegorical importance inferring profound thought and mental understanding. For instance: The customary savant would have liked to comprehend the world through the activity of reason alone. The fiasco was a sanctioning of god’s moral equity, which insignificant humans couldn't would like to understand. A definitely more typical blunder than utilizing comprehend for ghost is the mistake of utilizing apparition for understand: Instances of this blunder are particularly ample in independently published works, both fiction and genuine: I thought that’s what you said. I just can’t ghost it, that’s all. â€The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing, Book Two: Nurtured in Purple. I just can’t apparition in my brain the hardship they needed to suffer â€Slavery: Where Did it Come From? I can’t apparition what the lead criminologist was thinking on this one. â€Rainbows in the Dark. The mistake is additionally basic in settings other than independently publishing. Here are models from an assortment of sources, including the declaration of an administration arrangement chief: In a town with a lot of extraordinary sushi, Iâ cant ghost why anybody would need toâ go here any longer. [A pet owner] simply cant apparition why anybody would need to take a canine. Iâ cant apparition why gas in Louisville surpasses the national normal, on numerous occasions. We are simply starting to apparition the significance of broadband organization. I honestlyâ cant ghost whyâ people dont use spellcheck. In the event that what you mean is â€Å"I can’t understand,† it may be ideal to go with â€Å"I can’t understand.† Need to improve your English in a short time a day? Get a membership and begin accepting our composing tips and activities day by day! Continue learning! Peruse the Misused Words classification, check our famous posts, or pick a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingSelect versus SelectedPreposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Comparison/Contrast: Baroque and Rocco

Elaborate and Rococo were two creative developments that spread over the seventeenth and eighteenth hundreds of years with Baroque starting things out. Despite the fact that they were distinctive period, both have stood the trial of time and the works that were delivered are as yet appreciated today. Rococo was the imaginative development begun in Italy in sixteen hundred and was upheld by the congregation as a result of the strict topics that were the focal point of the gems. In any case, Rococo was a detailed style that was well known in eighteenth century France. The commitments to craftsmanship made during these two periods were very mainstream in their times.The Baroque time of the seventeenth century, concentrated on Christian strict subjects and the sensational happenings in their lives. The scenes were portrayed in wonderful and superb manners. The honorability in Italy considered Baroque to be and engineering as an approach to dazzle others. The more strict an individual was could be appeared through the fine art and thusly exhibited power. The design was fantastic with focal yards for engaging just as contemplation and love. Banquet halls and great flights of stairs ruled the homes.The craftsmanship and design was extravagant and resplendent. One specific painter that painted during the Baroque Period, yet was not Italian and didn't utilize strict subjects was Diego Velazquez. His artistic creation of The Toilet of Venus is one of the main nudes painted during this period that exist. Most were decimated by the Spanish Inquisition, however Velazquez’s magnum opus was spared from pulverization. Despite the fact that the work of art must be viewed as strict on the off chance that one were taking a gander at a polytheistic culture, it can even now delineate the regular magnificence of the naked body as made by God.Rococo resembled Baroque in that it was sumptuous and definite. Be that as it may, Rococo was not restricted to strict topics. With the adjustment in rule to Louis XV, Rococo was the new style to enrich the royal residences. The insides were fancy with the new utilization of the shell bend as an enhancement. Actually the bend was utilized in the entirety of the compositions of the time just as the utilization of sensitive hues. Jean †Antoine Watteau was the ideal case of a craftsman who consolidated the entirety of the styles of the French motivated masterful movement.His painting The Embarkation for Cythera is an ideal case of this style. In it the hues are fragile to the point that occasionally the subjects are obscured as opposed to make unforgiving lines. The subjects are extravagantly showed even on this excursion. Both the Baroque and the Rococo aesthetic time frames were appeared in the video. In light of the delineations and models utilized, it was anything but difficult to see the distinctions of the two developments, yet in addition how one based on another. The data introduced was justifiable and enl ightening.

American Culture Essay - 1100 Words

American Culture (Essay Sample) Content: American CultureName Institution AbstractCulture is a set of acquired or learned values, beliefs, customs and attitudes that moulds an individual and a homogenous group of people within a society. These variables create a behavioral norm unique only to the group and perpetuate to the next generation.The American people express their culture through traditions in food, clothing, recreation, and ceremonies; through the education system and institutions of learning, including museums and libraries; and through the arts, encompassing the visual, literary, and performing arts. This paper provides an insight on the impact of social, political and economic structures on the American culture. It will also outline how their social contract: constitution has affected their culture. IntroductionAmerican culture encompasses the customs and traditions of the United States, including language, religion, food and the arts. Nearly every region of the world has influenced American c ulture, as it is a country of immigrants, most notably the English who colonized the country beginning in the early 1600s. U.S. culture has also been shaped by the cultures of Native Americans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians.The United States is sometimes described as a "melting pot" in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct "flavors" to American culture. Just as cultures from around the world have influenced American culture, today American culture influences the world. The term Western culture often refers broadly to the cultures of the United States and Europe.As the third largest country in the word with a population of more than 315 million, the United States is the most culturally diverse country in the world. The Northeast, South, Midwest, Southeast and Western regions of the United States all have distinct traditions and customs. Here is a brief overview of the culture of the United States.LanguageThere is no official language of the United States , although 31 of 50 states have made English their official language or given it exceptional status. More than 90 percent of the U.S. population speaks and understands at least some English, and most official business is conducted in English.While almost every language in the world is spoken in the United States, Spanish, Chinese, French and German are among the most frequently spoken non-English languages. Each region of the United States, in particular the South, has its own spin on the language with unique pronunciations and phrases.ReligionNearly every known religion is practiced in the United States, which was founded on the basis of religious freedom. More than 75 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians. About half are Protestant, about one-quarter are Catholic, and a small percentage are Mormon. After Christianity, Judaism is the second most-identified religious affiliation, at about 1.4 percent of the population. About 20 percent of the population has no relig ious affiliation.Clothing styles vary by region and climate, but the American style of dressing is predominantly casual. Denim, sneakers and cowboy hats and boots are some items of clothing that are closely associated with Americans. Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors and Victoria Secret are some well-known American brands. American fashion is widely influenced by celebrities.American foodAmerican cuisine has been influenced by Europeans and Native Americans in its early history. Today, there are a number of foods that are commonly identified as American, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, macaroni and cheese and meat loaf. "As American as apple pie" has come to mean something that is authentically American.There are also styles of cooking and types of foods that are specific to a region. Southern-style cooking is often called American comfort food and includes dishes such as fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas and corn bread. Tex-Mex, popular in Texas and the Southwest, is a blend of Spanish and Mexican cooking styles and includes items such as chili and burritos and relies heavily on shredded cheese and beans.ArtsThe United States is widely known around the world as a leader in mass media production, including television and movies. The television broadcasting industry took hold in the United States in the early 1950s and American television programs are shown around the world. The United States also has a vibrant movie industry, centered in Hollywood, and American movies are popular worldwide.American music is very diverse with many, many styles, including rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, country and western, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll and hip hop.The United States is a sports-minded country, with millions of fans who follow football, baseball, basketball and hockey, among other sports. The game of baseball, which was developed in colonial America and became an organized sport in the mid-1800s, is known as Americas favorite pastime, a lthough its popularity has been eclipsed by football.American holidaysAmericans celebrate their independence from Britain on July 4. Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday in May, honors those who have died in military service. Labor Day, observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates countrys workforce. Thanksgiving, another distinctive American holiday, falls on the fourth Thursday in November and dates back to colonial times to celebrate the harvest. Presidents Day, marking the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, is a federal holiday that occurs on the third Monday in February. The contributions of veterans are honored on Veterans Day, observed on Nov. 11. The contributions of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are remembered on the third Monday in January.Social ContractSocial Contract, voluntary agreement among people defining the relationship of individuals with one another and with government and by this process forming a distinct organized society. Concern over the origin and conditions of political obligation was manifest even in the writings of philosophers and statesmen in ancient Greece and Rome. Such ideas were not systematically formulated, however, until the latter part of the 16th century, when Protestant philosophers sought a democratic principle with which to oppose the authoritarian theory of the divine right of kings. In the 17th and 18th centuries the theory of a social compact among individuals of a society was linked with the doctrine of natural law. For the development and historical importance of the major social contract theories as expounded by the English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and the French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, see Political Theory.Microsoft Encarta 2007. 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.ReferencesACARA (2010). The Shape of the Australian Curriculum. Sydney: Australian Curriculum,Assessment and Reporting Authority Australian Education Minis ters. Retrieved fromHYPERLINK "/ver...